Latest news with #GraceReader
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Inside Austin's Agenda: City Council Member Marc Duchen
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday's episode of Inside Austin's Agenda, host Grace Reader will sit down with Austin City Council Member Marc Duchen to talk about upcoming budget conversations now that the council has wrapped up for its summer break. Austin is projecting a budget deficit heading into the next fiscal year. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has also stated that the city will need to address 'budget asteroids' — including the state tax cap and the expiration of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, dollars. KXAN has covered ARPA funding running out extensively. The Austin City Council will have to work with city staff to address those budget concerns and approve the final budget before the fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. Inside Austin's Agenda: Mayor looks to beef up budget process amid financial uncertainty Inside Austin's Agenda is live every other Wednesday at 3 p.m. Watch every episode at the top of this article, on Facebook, and on our KXAN+ streaming app. You can find previous episodes here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Live Blog: ICE protest at Texas Capitol
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A large crowd of people gathered at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Monday in solidarity with those protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Los Angeles, according to organizers. A flyer posted to Instagram invited people to 'say 'ICE out of our cities! Stop the deportations!'' starting at 7 p.m. The post, from the Austin-area anti-capitalism group Party for Socialism and Liberation, was posted Sunday and called for an 'emergency protest.' Since Friday, thousands have taken to the streets in Los Angeles to protest after ICE agents arrested immigrants at a number of places in the city, as well as the deployment of National Guard troops in response to initial protests, according to the Associated Press. 8:30 p.m.: Law enforcement has started to pepper-spray protesters in the street on 9th and Congress. 8:27 p.m.: The crowd is now splitting into two groups. One group is walking again in the street. Another group is sticking around the Capitol. Our crew at the protest said the people in the street will get one more warning before being arrested. 8:21 p.m.: Law enforcement got on megaphones to tell people to move to the sidewalks because streets were opening back up. Some protesters are not obeying and yelling obscenities at law enforcement. 8:16 p.m.: The march is back at the Capitol grounds, and with the grounds closed, the crowd is gathering outside the gate. DPS has closed the intersection of 11th and Congress. The crowd is chanting, 'No more ICE!' 8:06 p.m.: The crowd is moving away from the federal building and is on Congress Avenue headed back toward the Capitol. 8 p.m.: According to an Austin Police Department post on X, the planned route of the march is as follows: South on Congress Ave. to 7th St. 7th St. to Trinity North on Trinity to 8th St. 8th St. back to Congress Ave. North on Congress Ave. to the Capitol The post said if you're driving in the area to be aware of the crowd. 7:57 p.m.: The march has stopped outside the federal building on 8th and San Jacinto. The crowd is now chanting, 'Whose streets? Our streets.' 7:54 p.m.: The march is turning on Trinity Street back toward the Capitol grounds. Texas DPS plans to have the grounds 'cleared and closed' at 8 p.m. 7:45 p.m.: 'The people, united, will never be defeated,' is the chant now. The group is walking down Congress Avenue. 7:38 p.m.: The crowd is beginning to march and is in the area of 11th and Congress. They are chanting, 'We will not put up with ICE. Say it once, say it twice.' 7:25 p.m.: KXAN's Grace Reader spoke with one of the people at the protest and said she decided to show up because she saw 'what was going on in Los Angeles,' and was 'very scared and upset about what our President is doing and using his power to turn the military against us.' 'They're on a hairpin trigger out there, and anything can set it off,' 67-year-old Lynn Tozser said. 'I don't want that to happen.' 7:10 p.m.: A unit of the DPS mounted patrol arrives at the Capitol grounds. Protest leaders said they do intend to march at some point. 7:05 p.m.: Protest leaders went over ground rules for the protest and told the crowd not to engage with 'instigators' or law enforcement. It appeared that Texas DPS troopers on bikes led someone who appeared to be counter-protesting away from the crowd. It didn't appear that DPS arrested the individual, at least from what the KXAN crew could see. 7 p.m.: KXAN has a crew at the Capitol grounds. The protest was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with 'dozens' of people there, but more were rapidly joining the protest. Texas DPS said the Capitol grounds will be 'cleared and closed' at 8 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Inside Austin's Agenda: Behind the scenes of last week's ‘cap and stitch' vote
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday's episode of Inside Austin's Agenda, host Grace Reader will sit down with Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter to talk about last week's vote to commit $104 million to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the roadway elements of 'caps and stitches' over TxDOT's I-35 project. Those 'caps and stitches' are decks over the highway that may eventually support parks, trails, and community spaces. The funding committed Thursday will support caps between Cesar Chavez Street and Fourth Street, between Fourth Street and Seventh Street and between 11th Street and 12th Street. It also covers two stitches, which are thinner than caps, in north Austin. Parks over I-35: Austin city council agrees on $104M for roadway elements Alter was part of a sub-quorum of council members pushing for as many of those 'caps and stitches' as possible. He presented several ideas in the days leading up to the vote to encourage his remaining colleagues to consider voting for additional highway covers. We will discuss the behind-the-scenes of how that compromise was reached and the public meeting laws the city council has to follow when it's divided into sub quorums, like it was last week. Inside Austin's Agenda is live every other Wednesday at 3 p.m. Watch every episode at the top of this article, on Facebook, and YouTube. You can find previous episodes here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Inside Austin's Agenda: American Red Cross talks severe weather response
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday's episode of Inside Austin's Agenda, host Grace Reader will sit down with the Central Texas chapter of the American Red Cross to talk about this year's severe weather season and the organization's response. Several confirmed tornadoes touched down in KXAN's viewing area earlier this month. The Red Cross was one of the groups that had teams on standby to assist anyone displaced by those storms. Central Texas is also preparing for the possibility of severe fire weather again this summer. The Red Cross has helped set up emergency shelters for people evacuated from fires previously. Inside Austin's Agenda is live every other Wednesday at 3 p.m. Watch every episode at the top of this article, on Facebook, and YouTube. You can find previous episodes here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Austin prepares for incoming heat wave
AUSTIN (KXAN)– The National Weather Service on Monday issued a Heat Advisory for most of Central Texas. Following this alert, the city of Austin's Homeless Strategy Office notified unsheltered people in the community where they can go to stay cool in the upcoming days. According to a recent KXAN weather forecast, temperatures could reach triple-digits by the end of this week. Temperatures are expected to be the highest Wednesday in the Austin area. In a press release, the city of Austin said it is maintaining cooling centers, which are available during the summer months for people to beat the heat. City facilities, including branches of the Austin Public Library and Parks and Recreation Department recreation centers, can be used as cooling centers. These facilities are meant to serve as a temporary relief from the heat during normal operating hours, said the release. Service animals, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, are allowed in city facilities. KXAN's Grace Reader spoke with the city of Austin Homeland Strategy Officer, David Gray, on how HSO prepares to help those experiencing homelessness during the heat. Gray said city facilities will open their cooling centers for anyone who needs them during the day. He added their offices purchased water for outreach teams to distribute to people experiencing homelessness throughout the city. To ensure the message reached unsheltered people, Gray said a text alert was sent in both English and Spanish to more than 3,500 people. Gray said his staff at HSO stays ready for situations like this.'Just last week we had a briefing with our staff about hot, warm weather so we stay pretty ready.' 'We're ready for folks who are living unsheltered in our community to have what they need to stay hydrated and stay safe,' Gray said. Gray also said unsheltered folks who own dogs are allowed at cooling centers. 'We do ask [them to] keep their pets leashed and safe for the safety of our other guests and users of city facilities.' Those in need of escaping the heat can go to any city cooling facility. Gray stressed the importance of staying safe and hydrated from the heat. To see the current list of cooling centers, locations and hours of operation, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
