Latest news with #Austinite
New York Post
6 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
Texans shaken as thousands of fire ants seen forming rafts on river using their bodies
This army is in formation. Thousands of fire ants have been spotted floating on floodwaters through the Texas city and forming rafts using their bodies with residents now reporting the gross behavior. KXAN Austin took to X to post a video taken by Austinite David Todd of the little critters, seen nestled into a large cluster in the waters of Lake Travis. Advertisement X users weighed in on the scary sight. 'A floating ball of pure hate,' one observed. Advertisement 'I've done more than seen them. I've run into them at night wading out to the ramp on my dock when the lake is rapidly rising,' another wrote. 'Sucks.' 'Bring out the torch,' someone else suggested. Fire ants are forming rafts out of their own bodies in Texas floodwaters. KXAN The pesky bugs, which can cause painful stings, are rife in Texas. But when their underground nests flood, they sink their teeth into each other, interlock their limbs and create rafts to stay alive. Advertisement 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab, told the outlet. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A massive raft of fire ants found on Austin's Lake Travis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Residents of Texas's capital are reporting fire ants floating on floodwaters, forming living rafts out of their own bodies. On Wednesday morning, one Austinite shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis. Texas woman starts AI awareness series after seeing fake photos of Texas floods shared online When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed. Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding. The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat, as seen in the video from David Todd, a viewer of Nexstar's KXAN: 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, said. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun added. Creating a 'raft,' however, is more rare in the ant world: Fire ants are the only kind that do this, according to LeBrun. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
18-07-2025
- Science
- The Hill
A massive raft of fire ants found on Austin's Lake Travis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Residents of Texas's capital are reporting fire ants floating on floodwaters, forming living rafts out of their own bodies. On Wednesday morning, one Austinite shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis. Texas woman starts AI awareness series after seeing fake photos of Texas floods shared online When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed. Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding. The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat, as seen in the video from David Todd, a viewer of Nexstar's KXAN: 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, said. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun added. Creating a 'raft,' however, is more rare in the ant world: Fire ants are the only kind that do this, according to LeBrun.
The Hill
07-07-2025
- The Hill
MAP: Where have flash flooding fatalities been confirmed in Texas?
AUSTIN (KXAN) — At least 82 people have been killed in catastrophic flash flooding across Texas, while several others remain missing. Deaths have been confirmed in six counties, with the majority in Kerr County. At least 68 people, including 28 children, were killed in Kerr County. In a Sunday afternoon update, Sheriff Larry Leitha said 10 girls remain missing from Camp Mystic, as well as one camp counselor. Family members identified some of those killed. Austinite Michael McCown posted on Instagram that his daughter, Linnie, did not survive the flood at Camp Mystic. The family of camper Lila Bonner also confirmed to Nexstar's KXAN that she was among those killed in the flooding. Six deaths have been confirmed in Travis County after 'an extremely deadly and destructive flood event,' County Judge Andy Brown said. The Sandy Creek area has been hardest hit. Officials couldn't give an exact number of missing people, but said it's around 11-13, as of Sunday morning. Among the missing is a 17-year-old girl. Three people were killed in flooding in Burnet County. The sheriff's office identified one of them Sunday afternoon as Preston Prince. Three others remain missing, including Michael Phillips, chief of Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department. Four of the missing are believed to be in the Marble Falls area, while one is thought to be near Hamilton Creek in Burnet. Two people were killed in Kendall County, according to the county's Office of Emergency Management. Further details were not immediately available. Two people have been confirmed killed in Williamson County, while one other remains missing. In a Sunday afternoon update, Sheriff Matt Lindemann said one of the victims was found trapped under a partially-submerged vehicle near County Road 284. County officials later identified one of the victims as Kaitlyn Swallow, 22, from the Liberty Hill area. Officials in Tom Green County confirmed a 62-year-old woman was killed in the flooding. She was found in her vehicle after previously being reported missing, according to the City of San Angelo.
Eater
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Guide to Eating in Austin by Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas
Adrian Quesada is an Oscar nominee and Grammy award-winner who makes up one half of the Black Pumas, one of Austin's most beloved bands. A producer in his own right, he's also a legendary guitarist who has played with Prince, Los Lobos, and even GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. His latest album, Boleros Psicodélicos II , was released on June 27. Quesada is an Austinite through and through, with a studio in the heart of East Austin. He moved to Bat City from Laredo, Texas for college and has been around since 1995, watching the city go through myriad changes, including the restaurant and bar scene. Quesada talked to Eater about his favorite restaurants in this town, from the spaces that capture the vibe of 'old' Austin from the 1990s and 2000s, to the new guard pushing the dining scene forward. 'Nixta might be my favorite restaurant in Austin. I'd heard of it for a while after it first started, but after it reopened during the pandemic, I went, and it blew my mind. It still blows my mind to this day. It feels like elevated cuisine, but it doesn't feel pretentious. It's such a casual hang that, even though it's a newcomer relative to how long I've been in this city, it feels like Austin to me. It feels like an extension of places I used to go in college. Everyone I take from out of town, it absolutely blows their minds also. It's worth every bit of hype it gets. I usually get the duck fat carnitas, which are good. There's also a cauliflower taco that's good. When I was there last, they brought something from the kitchen I didn't order, some kind of steak taco. I was already done eating, then I ate that, and it was so insanely good. Another thing worth noticing about the restaurant is that co-owner Sara Mardanbigi is of Iranian descent, and she hosts a lot of curated Persian-influenced meals that my wife and I go to whenever we can make it. You can taste a lot of her influence on the menu.' 'Justine's has become such a classic, such a staple. I have been there through multiple chefs, staff, managers, and people, and it is consistently one of the most fun restaurants for a late-night hang. It's two blocks from my recording studio, and it is one of the places I make sure to take people when they visit Austin. It is always the Hey, we're working late. Where does everybody want to go? spot. You just can't top Justine's for cool ambience. A lot of Justine's thing is that they can change the menu over and over, and we're still going to go. I have stopped drinking cocktails there too much, but the L'Enfant Terrible is what I get. The Sazerac is really good. I joined the wine club, because I'm trying to not get sloshy with cocktails at restaurants before my food. The club is amazing, too. I'm trying to get into wine, and it is so daunting. I need guidance because it's a big world. Justine's club curates a few bottles a month that we learn about.' 'This fairly new taco truck is between my studio and Justine's. The people are so cool and down to earth there; it has become my breakfast taco hang. Everything they do is good: carnitas, beef, even the veggie taco. This is another spot I take bands when they come to my studio. I had a band in from Mexico City on and off for three weeks, and I was a little afraid to take them there. It got the seal of approval — they wanted to go there every day. I grew up in Laredo, Texas, and we had breakfast tacos, but they are called mariachis. You eat them every day. Moving to Austin, it's been great, and I can list 10 breakfast taco spots I go to. They're so convenient, good, and taste like home to me.' 1628 East Cesar Chavez Street 'Oseyo is a fun spot that my wife and I stumbled into a few years back. I'm a meat-eater and she isn't, and with this Korean menu, we can both get what we want. It's also a fun experience there. It is never so insane that you can't get in spontaneously, and that reminds me of the days of Austin's past — it's pretty hard to go anywhere in the city without a reservation or knowing somebody now. There are great drinks always, and it has offered one of the most consistent restaurants around here with the menu and service. This is also one of the restaurants where I don't have a recommendation of what to eat because I bounce around the menu, trying everything.' 'My family's Friday night tradition at home with the kids is Indian food. This spot has become a staple that we love to get delivered. Me and the two kids all order chicken tikki masala with varying levels of spice — I go spiciest, and I've actually gone one notch down because the last time was a little too intense. It's our weekend comfort food, and it's fun having this routine that's almost ceremonial. I don't know if Tarka is making any best-of lists around the world, but it's amazing to us.' 'I am a big fan of everything that chef Fermin Nunez does. The restaurant's offerings have elevated Austin in general with its approach to Mexican seafood. I went really early on, and have seen it grow, including Bar Toti in the back. Este is a place we go when we want a fancier experience or to impress people from out of town. Most people seem to know Nunez's other restaurant, Suerte, better. We take them to experience the fine dining Mexican seafood dishes. One time, Nunez had this hash brown type of thing on the menu, and I asked what the inspiration was. He said McDonald's hash browns [laughs]. As well-recognized and elevated as it is, he isn't pretentious at all.' 3801 South Congress Avenue, #107 'I love Ethiopian food and, behind Mexican food, it is tied with Italian in my favorites list. Back in the day, there weren't a lot of options in Austin for Ethiopian food. This one is really fun — it's such an experience to eat using injira and with your hands. I love that stew-y type food, it's very similar to a lot of stuff in Mexican food. Every culture has a version of flatbread. Having it close by is great. A long time ago, when my wife and I started getting into Ethiopian food, we tried making injira, and it is hard, so going here is a treat.' 408 North Pleasant Valley Road 'Mercado Sin Nombre is a coffee shop with a creative Mexican influence on the drinks. Unique flavors, like an atole cappuccino, a horchata cold brew — fun, different takes. There are so many good coffee shops in Austin, but you can get the same thing with your home espresso machine as you do from this or that place. The food here is pretty great, too. There's a healthier breakfast burrito and sandwiches that I like. Most items use masa and Maseca. It's cool to go here and shake it up now and then.' 'This taco truck also has great breakfast tacos, and I go there quite a bit. It's right by Flitch Coffee and there's another at Cosmic Pickle. There are really good and really bad breakfast tacos in Austin. If you think you can't mess up a breakfast taco, you absolutely can. Pueblo Viejo has fun items on the menu, and when I go, I try their creations — and I am a person who usually orders the same thing in breakfast tacos. When I was growing up, I worked at my dad's trucking company, and we ate at the same little place for breakfast tacos for a decade. It put a thin layer of refried beans on them, whether you asked for it or not, and I got used to having it. Now, I always order beans with my breakfast taco. The beans at Pueblo Viejo are incredible. It's probably a lot of lard and bad stuff, but they're amazing.' 1400 South Congress Avenue 'Perla's has been a consistent spot we go to if we're going to see a show or going Downtown. It's a fun spot to sit outside with a drink and have oysters. I am such an amateur still with oysters. I eat them so much but I have a hard time remembering what people tell me about. I always used to go with the bigger ones, thinking it was more bang for my buck, but now I'm starting to get into the smaller East Coast oysters. The salads here are also stellar. My wife and I go there on a lot of special occasions. You can get in without craziness, lines, or reservations. I've never had a bad experience there; it's super fun and casual.' See More: Dining Out in Austin Eater Guides
