The Austin Daily Drop

The Austin music community mourns Daniel Sahad , lead singer of the popular band Nane, who has died at the age of 29. Austin's EMS union and City officials are at odds over contract renegotiations - 26 medics have quit since the beginning of the year over forced overtime and low pay, especially for EMS workers early in their careers. The Austin Independent School District is set to grant pay raise...

COVID remains "in retreat" in Austin, but U.S. health experts are sounding the alarm that a fresh wave of BA.2 infections, like those being seen in China and Europe, is likely on the way here. Austin EMS medics are calling a proposed 14-cent per hour raise a "slap in the face" - many are considering leaving the job or seeking work in another city. The massive redevelopment of the Austin American-S...

Talk of water restrictions in the Austin area has begun as drought conditions worsen. Anticipating future wildfires, the construction of an emergency evacuation road for Steiner Ranch is nearing the completion of its design stage. The big "Cyber Rodeo" grand opening event at the Tesla Gigafactory is today, watch for potential traffic snarls nearby - the event starts at 4 this afternoon. It's not j...

Records show that the head of Austin Bergstrom International Airport requested additional security agents from the federal Transportation and Safety Administration weeks before what have become regular bottlenecks at the airport began. Neighboring state Oklahoma passes a total abortion ban to begin this summer, further limiting the options of Texans seeking abortion care. The University of Texas i...

Three more protesters have filed suit against the City, claiming brain injuries resulting from police crowd control measures during the George Floyd protests. Drought conditions in the Austin area are worsening - Central Texas is "starving for rain" . After a second straight overcrowded Monday at Austin Bergstrom International Airport yesterday, ABIA officials and TSA spokespersons are at odds on...

A sizeable crowd rallied at the Texas State Capitol on Saturday to observe Transgender Visibility Day . Austin Mayor Steve Adler has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating - meanwhile an inquiry into Mayor Adler's real estate holdings has been dismissed by the City's Ethics Review Commission. Texas teachers, in the midst of a staffing and retention crisis, report that they have recently bee...

Austin Public Health is now offering second booster shots to residents over 50, and in other certain cases of immune system compromise, check with your doctor for information on your eligibility. An Austin woman has sued the city and the Austin Police Department over an alleged sexual assault by a former APD officer who met her on a mental health call for her boyfriend. A former UT law school faci...

While COVID numbers settle into recent lows in Central Texas, flu cases are now rising. Conflict of opinion over the investigation into abuse at a Bastrop shelter for trafficked girls has led the judge presiding over the case to ask for a federal inquiry . Alex Jones has been found in contempt of court and faces thousands of dollars in fines for failing to appear for deposition hearings in the law...

Austin Public Health has ditched its 5-stage COVID precaution scale in favor of more streamlined guidelines recommended by the CDC, just as the BA.2 subvariant is becoming more prominent across the state and around 100 confirmed COVID cases have been linked to SXSW events . If you're feeling stressed out, you're not alone - Texas has been noted for being one of the most stressed states in the U.S....

A slight uptick in COVID cases lately is thought to be connected to gatherings during SXSW - even Elon Musk is down with COVID right now. Another Red Flag Warning is issued today as major wildfires burn near both San Antonio and Fort Hood . Austin's airport fails to keep up with heavy traffic on Monday morning, and is continuing to struggle to catch up. Gas prices have dropped a bit but are still...

Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration in Medina County south of the Austin area as the Das Goat Fire continues burning thousands of acres - a Red Flag warning is in effect for all of Central Texas again today. Austin ISD's Pride Week celebrations went on as scheduled over the weekend, despite objections from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Lots of UT sports from the weekend: Te...

Local COVID hospitalization average has once again dropped into its lowest precaution range which is Stage 1. The lifting of all restrictions and rules related to the pandemic in Austin includes any requirement for restaurants to display signage on their own masking, vaccination or distancing rules. Round Rock ISD's board has voted to reinstate embattled Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez , as an in...

As local COVID numbers hit new lows, health officials in Austin have lifted all pandemic related restrictions . Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has spoken out in opposition to the Austin Independent School District's Pride Week celebrations, saying they break state law in Texas. Meanwhile administrators of Doss Elementary School have received death threats over Pride Week events that the school...

While our hospitalization average did edge back up into Stage 2 yesterday after hitting Stage 1 for the first time in almost two years on Monday, overall stats remain positive: we've hit new lows for total COVID patients in hospital care and had no new admissions on Monday.  Also, Travis County has lifted mask requirements for County government buildings, and Austin Public Library has re-exte...

A huge milestone in the pandemic: Austin's 7-day average of daily new COVID-related hospitalizations has dropped into Stage 1 range for the first time in almost two years, since the opening weeks of the pandemic - meanwhile the Travis County Sheriff's Office reports no new cases among staff or jail inmates this week, for the first time since last June.  At least four separate tornadoes were p...

Major rainfall expected today across Central Texas is perhaps good news for drought conditions , but could also bring strong storms including strong winds, large hail and maybe even tornadoes - we need to watch the weather today, especially after noon. One in eight mail-in ballot applications for the recent primary election were rejected - the Texas Tribune calls that vote suppression , and Travis...

Local COVID numbers have continued dropping and may be on track to return to Stage 1 range for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for areas west of Austin - warm, dry and windy conditions make for the possibility of dangerous wildfires. Williamson County is following the lead of Travis in setting new real estate price records and is forecasted to...

A panel at SXSW concludes what most of us have known for years, which is that rising housing costs are increasingly leading residents to leave town for more affordable places. Right on cue with that conclusion, Austin's median home price has hit another record high , just shy of half a million dollars, up 28% from this time last year. A college professor has won a 3 million dollar judgement agains...

Val Santos guest hosts! COVID numbers remain low in Austin but concerns are building about a potential summer wave , combining the Omicron and Delta variants - now's the time to catch up on vaccinations. City health officials plan to increase homeless shelter capacity with waning numbers. A Bastrop County Sheriff's Deputy narrowly escaped with his life after being shot three times on Sunday night...

The first weekend of the first live SXSW in three years sees discussions on mobility , politics , local housing affordability and so much more, plus celebrity sightings including Sandra Bullock , Lizzo , Nicolas Cage , Pedro Pascal , Anne Hathaway , John Cleese and tons more - the festival and conference continue through next Sunday. That U.S. House bill suspending energy imports from Russia that...

Bobbie Nelson , older sister of and piano player for Willie Nelson, has passed away at the age of 91. As SXSW and Spring Break arrive, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching an anti-drunk driving campaign , and the Austin Police Department will be in no-refusal mode throughout. The trial of a woman accused of kidnapping and murdering Austin mother Heidi Broussard and stealing her baby...

Amidst state attacks on transgender kids and their families, Austin officials have proclaimed Austin a safe city for the entire LGTBQ community. Another George Floyd protestor has filed suit against the Austin Police Department over injuries at the hands of APD officers. A Texas pharmacy owner with locations in Austin and Round Rock has been convicted of illegally distributing over 1 million opioi...

COVID numbers continue declining - new hospitalizations are the now at their lowest ebb since last July. Federal investigators found accessibility issues for people with disabilities at all 50 of the Travis County polling places they reviewed during the 2020 primary election. A county housing assistance program is likely to close earlier than expected due to unsustainable demand . During SXSW, Bec...

SXSW is upon us, most of the action starting Friday and in full live mode for the first time in three long years, since 2019 - proof of vaccination or a recent negative test will be required to participate and masking is likely to be required for attendance of many indoor events, best to be prepared to mask up - local health officials are advising caution with COVID care as we get back to it. As u...

As of today masks are optional on Austin ISD campuses , Houston and Dallas ISD's have also lifted mask requirements as COVID numbers continue to fall - Austin's official advisory status is dropping fast too, with a reduction to Stage 2 precautions announced on Friday - we were still at  Stage 5 just over a week ago. A wave of drug overdoses downtown over the weekend has killed two people and...