Austin, Texas: A Play in Three Acts
2000s: βKeep Austin weirdβ
2010s: βDonβt Dallas my Austinβ
2020s: βNone of the coffee shops downtown are Starbucks, is this place even habitable anymore?β
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Brandon Formby 
@brandonformby
News editor for where we inform Texans about #txlege, state policy and seismic events. Spare time: 
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. Nerd about: Brandon Formby πβs Tweets
Texas is confusing because every winter event might be fine or it might be cataclysmic and the only way to know for sure is to find out tomorrow
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NEW for : School closures, hazardous roads, flight cancellations & delays are happening amid the winter storm warning in TX. Officials caution Texans about local outages due to falling trees, ice accumulation β but expect the grid to stay up.
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Seeing freezing rain and ice in the forecast in parts of Texas has some on edge about whether the electric grid is in good shape.
Grid operators say all is OK: βERCOT expects sufficient generation to meet forecasted demand. We continue to monitor conditions.β
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First day on the job as the mental health reporter for the !
I already got a bunch of ideas but I also want to hear from all of yβall as well!
Feel free to message me about some mental health policies or issues that you might feel need some attention.
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There is just about one week left to apply for the / Permian-Basin reporter position. Be sure to apply before the end of the month!
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.: I just got done watching Yellowjackets.
: Babe, we HAVE to watch that show.
[vigorously shakes head]: Weβre NOT getting another streaming service.
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I feel seen.
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Every morning, I explore the fine line between the amount of coffee that leaves me energized vs. the amount of coffee that induces panic
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In his opening remarks, House Speaker referenced reporting from last week on the evaporation of rural maternity care.
"We should not leave this session without a firm commitment to reversing this trend."
Background: texastribune.org/2023/01/05/jas
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New: Texas House of Representatives members on Tuesday elected Rep. Dade Phelan to a second term as speaker β the most powerful position in the lower chamber. bit.ly/3IVIlH5
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A lil day one #txlege scoop from me:
Texas university chancellors propose in letter to leadership they'll freeze undergraduate for two years in exchange for ~$1B in additional funding this session:
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ππ€©πͺ
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Thrilled to join @washingtonpost's General Assignment desk to cover breaking news. twitter.com/WashPostPR/staβ¦
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π Iβm thrilled to step into a new role β real estate reporter!
Say hi + ping me with story ideas: sami.sparber@axios.com
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Update on the Texas electric grid:
π¨ Grid operators yesterday asked federal officials for permission for plants to pollute more.
π‘ Federal officials granted that request, which will only be allowed if the grid worsens.
π So far, the grid looks good.
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What a night to *just* miss the bus
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~~ BIG MAP ALERT ~~
Everyone hates changing clocks when daylight saving time starts/ends, and hates how dark it is in winter afternoons. But we look at why just not doing it is a lot more complicated than it might seem.
projects.fivethirtyeight.com/daylight-savin
read image description
ALT
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A Texas Senate committee that convened after the Robb Elementary shooting has recommended improving school security & mental health access. But its lone proposal on guns would not have made a difference in Uvalde.
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Law enforcementβs failure to confront the Uvalde school shooter delayed timely medical care for victims. Previously unreleased records now show that communication lapses and muddled lines of authority among medical responders further hampered treatment.
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Authorities expect the Texas power grid to be ok during the cold front, but please, still prepare!
Forecasters expect dangerous wind chills below 0 and hard freezes across Texas. Update winter prep kits, fill your water jugs, protect outdoor water pipes.
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I'm thrilled today is my first day at the covering energy. Send me a note to say hi, tell me who I need to get to know and what I need to learn about.
My new email: Emily.Foxhall@texastribune.org
Here's hoping the grid makes it through my first week of work. π¬
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Wow. From : "If neighborhoods have a soul β if they can be more than transient places for families passing through on their life journeys β then thatβs what many residents find themselves defending as they try to convince outsiders that what they have is worth keeping."
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With redevelopment closing in, the long-marginalized, heavily Latino West Side of San Antonio is fighting to preserve affordability. @alexazura: texastribune.org/2022/12/08/san
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NEW: Texas health officials had finished a long-awaited report on maternal deaths and had talking points ready just days before it was shelved till after the midterms, according to emails. /w #txlege
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The new president and CEO of ERCOT says it's "not acceptable" that under the most extreme conditions considered, the Texas grid would have to implement rolling blackouts.
Story on ERCOT's report today:
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Breaking: The SFA board subcommittee on system affiliation says it recommends to the full board that it accept the invitation to join the . The full board still has to vote on recommendation.
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The @SFASU board is meeting now to vote as to whether to join a university system or stay independent.
Background:
texastribune.org/2022/10/21/ste
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if you are in Houston and want to tell me about how the boil water notice has affected you, send me a note: alejandro.serrano@texastribune.org
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π₯ JOB ALERT π₯
is looking for an ambitious reporter to be the lead author of The Blast, our premium politics newsletter. Come join our growing newsroom! texastribune.org/jobs/newslette
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βIf white people are superior, then how come white people are threatened by non-white people who are inferior?"
βWell, they explain it by blaming the Jews,β he said.
via 's dive into modern antisemitism
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NEW from @PoojaSalhotra: The cost of aging infrastructure? Residents of an East Texas town told to boil water on Thanksgiving texastribune.org/2022/11/23/eas #txlege
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In this weekβs TribCast episode, Texas Tribune regional editor @NicGarcia guest-hosts from Texas Tech University for a discussion about the issues facing the rural residents of the state. bit.ly/3hYRJ0Y
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Latest for : FTXβs bankruptcy has been a painful setback for the industry. But many legislators, investors and enthusiasts remain believers in making Texas cryptoβs top destination.
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Ok, this one is my favorite. This was my peak Twitter moment. This is everything you need to know. (Cc )
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Just had to teach the 20something who has been teaching me Twitter how to mail a hard copy of the newspaper through the US postal system.
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Excellent start to βs Lubbock event hearing from journalists with a lot of thoughtful things to say about rural Texas
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Takinβ care of business
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It was an honor hanging out with (arguably) the most famous alumni of Planoβs local Office Depot team.
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Key lime
Pineapple
Cranberry, with pecan crumble crust
Whoopie
Toasted marshmallow butterscotch
Caramel apple
Earl Grey crΓͺme brΓ»lΓ©e
Virginia peanut
Plum and sumac
Β
No one covers Texas, or bakes pies, like the staff of @TexasTribune.
twitter.com/Coco_Covey/sta
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Big news from : is joining us to cover energy and is joining us as an audience producer. We are so lucky to welcome these standout journalists to our growing newsroom.
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