BG Reads | News - June 10, 2022
[HEARINGS]
Today
Wednesday, June 15
Thursday, June 16
[AUSTIN METRO]
Austin Loses Pandemic-Boomtown Halo With Out-of-Town Homebuyers (Bloomberg)
Austin, Texas, the hottest US pandemic boomtown, is suddenly losing popularity with out-of-town home shoppers.
It’s a rapid shift, brought on by the spike in mortgage rates and a fear among buyers of overpaying in a slowing market.
In April and May, inbound interest in Austin homes —?also factoring in residents seeking to leave the metropolitan area — fell to a fifth of its level a year earlier, according to an analysis of searches on the Redfin listings site. While the number of people looking to move into Austin still topped those seeking to leave, it had the biggest drop-off among the boomtowns, followed by Orlando, Florida, Atlanta and Dallas.
“There’s this sentiment that Austin was exuberant and grew too fast,” said Taylor Marr, the brokerage’s deputy chief economist. “Nobody wants to catch a falling knife.”…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Neighbors argue over East 11th and 12th street plan (Austin Monitor)
After months of delay, City Council took the second of three steps needed to update the Urban Renewal Plan for the East 11th and 12th Street Neighborhood Conservation Combining District. The vote Thursday was unanimous, but Council members Kathie Tovo and Leslie Pool both expressed their disagreement with the part of the plan that would allow additional cocktail lounges on East 12th Street.
Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison added the amendment allowing cocktail lounges as part of the plan at Council’s?April 21 meeting.
At that meeting, and again on Thursday, some area neighbors told Council they were opposed to the idea of adding more liquor sales to the area. If finally approved, the plan would allow bars, but only in cases where the city had issued a conditional use permit as authorized by the Planning Commission…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin ISD outlines next steps in interim superintendent search (Community Impact)
Austin ISD Board President Geronimo Rodriguez said the district will soon name an interim superintendent, following current superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde’s?resignation?last month.
The board reviewed applications for interim superintendent in executive session at a June 9 meeting, according to Rodriguez. A timeline was discussed and updates on the search will be shared with the public on AISD’s website as soon as June 10.
The next superintendent transition meeting could be scheduled as early as June 13, Rodriguez said. The meeting will include time for the public to provide feedback on the interim superintendent search…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
领英推荐
What Virgin Atlantic’s flights from Austin to London mean for airport, businesses (Austin Business Journal)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport now has a second direct flight to the United Kingdom, after Virgin Atlantic launched on May 25 service to Heathrow Airport in London.
The British airline, part of the multinational conglomerate Virgin Group Ltd., now offers four weekly trips on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, representing 1,032 total seats for travel between the financial capital of Europe and the Texas capital.
The flights?were announced in January?as Virgin Atlantic's first new route from the U.S. in more than five years.?British Airways?also flies direct between Austin and London.
"We are thrilled to welcome Virgin Atlantic to Austin and Central Texas," stated?Jacqueline Yaft, the Austin airport's CEO. "This exciting new partnership helps meet our goals of continued recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and furthers our commitment to being the Gateway of Central Texas for both leisure and business travelers alike."…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Waiting for keys, unable to break down doors: Uvalde schools police chief defends delay in confronting gunman (Texas Tribune)
Only a locked classroom door stood between?Pete Arredondo?and a chance to bring down the gunman. It was sturdily built with a steel jamb, impossible to kick in.
He wanted a key. One goddamn key and he could get through that door to the kids and the teachers. The killer was armed with an AR-15. Arredondo thought he could shoot the gunman himself or at least draw fire while another officer shot back. Without body armor, he assumed he might die.
“The only thing that was important to me at this time was to save as many teachers and children as possible,” Arredondo said.
The chief of police for the Uvalde school district spent more than an hour in the hallway of Robb Elementary School. He called for tactical gear, a sniper and keys to get inside, holding back from the doors for 40 minutes to avoid provoking sprays of gunfire. When keys arrived, he tried dozens of them, but one by one they failed to work…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Gov. Abbott asks for new Texas school security chief after Uvalde massacre (Dallas Morning News)
Gov. Greg Abbott wants the Texas Education Agency to create a chief of school safety to oversee security efforts in the wake of the Uvalde massacre. This person should be a school security expert who can be a resource to both districts and the Legislature, Abbott said, as well as someone who can implement safety programs. Whoever is chosen as the state’s Chief of School Safety and Security will report to the education commissioner, with a direct line to the governor’s office, Abbott wrote in a Thursday letter to Commissioner Mike Morath.
“The Chief must ensure that Texas schools are implementing the school safety policies passed by the legislature and take every action possible to ensure that schools are using best practices to safeguard against school shootings or other dangers,” Abbott wrote. In the days since a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary, the governor has issued several requests, including that state leaders work on “hardening” campuses and improving security. Less focus has been on any push for gun control measures -- though he did include “firearm safety” in a list of issues for lawmakers to examine in special committees. Abbott has also asked that state officials drop onto campuses unannounced for random safety checks, conduct weekly checks of exterior doors to ensure they are secure and carry out more active-shooter training. The Texas Education Agency should also encourage administrators to increase the presence of trained law enforcement officers and school marshals – district employees who can carry firearms in classrooms – on campuses, Abbott has said…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Jan. 6 panel launches public case against Trump (The Hill)
The House committee investigating last year’s attack on the Capitol launched the opening salvo Thursday in its public case against Donald Trump, accusing the former president of masterminding an unprecedented scheme to retain power that was not only illegal, but also led directly to the deadly violence in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.
In a prime-time hearing aimed directly at television viewers, the select committee presented never-before seen video testimony from some of the most powerful figures in Trump’s orbit harshly dismissing his claims of a stolen election.
Those video snippets were interspersed with emotional, in-person testimony from a Capitol Police officer gravely injured during the attack; an appearance from a filmmaker with unique insights into the white nationalist groups who stormed into the Capitol to overturn Trump’s defeat; and raw footage of violent clashes between police and rioters outside the building, which left more than 150 officers with injuries…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[BG PODCAST]
Today’s episode (159) features Ari Rastegar, Founder and CEO of Austin-based Rastegar Property Company. He and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss real estate development in Austin, as well as Ari's entrepreneurial path.
Rastegar Property has a portfolio spanning more 13 states and over 3.5 million square feet. It recently announced its 809 Skyline office development project in Austin, as well as a 318-acre planned community in Kyle, TX. ->?EPISODE LINK
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