BG Reads | News You Need to Know (January 11, 2022)
Downtown Austin
[BINGHAM GROUP]
We are proud to announce Bingham Group CEO A.J. has joined the Austin Habitat for Humanity Board! Unanimously approved last month, A.J. will serve a three year term.
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Austin voters could decriminalize small amounts of pot in November (Austin Monitor)
As greater numbers of Texas voters sour on harsh punishment for marijuana offenses, Austin voters will likely decide in November whether to effectively decriminalize the drug.
The ballot measure, pushed by the group Ground Game Texas, would forbid Austin police officers in most cases from ticketing or arresting people on low-level pot charges like possessing small amounts of the drug or related paraphernalia — unless the offenses are tied to more severe crimes. The city also would not pay to test substances suspected to be marijuana — a key step in substantiating drug charges.
Both practices have already been informally adopted in Austin, but advocates want to solidify them at the November ballot box… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Tesla close to producing first cars at Austin-area factory (Austin American-Statesman)
Tesla is close to being able to produce cars at its $1.1 billion Travis County manufacturing facility, with at least one industry analyst saying the automaker could start rolling out Texas-built vehicles as early as this week.
Tesla — which in October said it was moving its corporate headquarters to Austin — has yet to make any announcements about the start of production. However, construction of the facilty has moved swiftly since Tesla announced in July 2020 that it had chosen the Austin area for the factory, which has been dubbed Giga Texas.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other executives had previously predicted that production could start at the factory before the end of 2021.
That didn't happen, but analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities said it's possible Tesla could start producing vehicles as early as this week. Ives said his firm's analysis of Tesla-filed paperwork shows the company is nearing the start of production for its Model Y vehicles in Austin… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Virgin Atlantic to launch nonstop flights between Austin, London (Austin Business Journal)
Travelers will soon have another option to fly nonstop to London from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., a British airline founded by billionaire Richard Branson, will begin nonstop flights between ABIA and London Heathrow Airport on May 25, according to a Jan. 10 announcement from the Austin airport. This marks another service that will launch at ABIA this year as carriers double down on the local airport because of Austin's booming economy and fast-paced population growth.
Virgin Atlantic flights will take off four times a week on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which will hold 31 upper class seats, 35 premium seats and 192 economy seats, according to the announcement.
While this isn't the first connection between Austin and London — British Airways already flies nonstop between the two cities — it marks Virgin Atlantic's first new route from the U.S. since 2015 and it offers another option for executives and tourists to connect between the two hubs. London is one of the financial capitals of the world and business connections with the Texas capital range from startup investments to office outposts… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Lakeway council approves zoning change for higher density housing, condo development (Community Impact)
Lakeway City Council made changes to multiple zoning ordinances Jan. 3, creating a new multifamily zoning that allows for higher density housing and reinstating the ability of property owners to request condominium rezoning.
One change council made was creating the R-9 zoning, a high-density multifamily residential zone that could allow up to 67% more housing unit density. Council Member Keith Trecker cast the lone vote against the zoning change. The R-9 zone raises the maximum of 12 units per acre to 20 units per acre and allows buildings up to three stories or 40 feet, according to city documents. R-8 was previously categorized as high-density zoning, but was changed to medium-density to differentiate between the two zones, Assistant City Administrator of Lakeway Joseph Molis said.
“[These items] are both staff responses to multiple requests to look into a more diverse housing product within the city of Lakeway,” Molis said. “What staff is doing is trying to provide decision-makers and developers with more tools in the toolbox in order to get that job done.”
Upon reviewing multifamily developments within the surrounding region, the city discovered many of these developments exceed the 12 units per acre housing threshold currently permitted within the R-8 district, Molis said. The changes to city ordinances intend to address the need for more workforce housing or a sustainable mix of housing options within the city, he said.
“I know that our small businesses are struggling and are about to go under because they have trouble hiring, because not enough people can live here,” Council Member Laurie Higginbotham said. “It has become next to impossible for police officers and teachers, and people who work in restaurants and people who work in day care centers to find any place to live here. This is a new issue we cannot afford to ignore.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
The Republican race for Attorney General will be the weirdest, wildest—and most telling—Texas election in 2022 (Texas Monthly)
It’s hard to remember now, but the assorted enemies of Ken Paxton felt a flush of pleasure and optimism in the spring of 2014, when it became clear that he could soon be indicted on state felony charges. As a state legislator, he had allegedly taken commissions from legal clients by referring them to a poorly performing investment firm run by his friend, without telling them he was getting a cut—and without registering with the state as an investment adviser. The longtime lawmaker from North Texas was the leading candidate in a hotly contested Republican primary for attorney general, a post that, at least theoretically, requires a certain ethical standard. Could a candidate facing criminal charges really be elected Texas’s top lawman? He could, of course. Paxton cruised to victory in a three-way primary and then the general election. (Against a Democrat named Sam Houston, no less.) In the years since, as scandals and charges of criminal activity around Paxton have multiplied like mosquitoes in a fetid pond, Paxton has earned the love of few and lost the confidence of a good number of old friends along the way. But a grudging admiration must be conferred on the man, who has demonstrated an almost preternatural ability to get out of scrapes large and small—legal, political, and marital.
Federal investigators, unlike the state courts adjudicating his first round of felony indictments, will be hard to duck. And yet the clear answer is: yes, he can be reelected. Right now, judging by the polls, that seems likely. The first challenger to launch his bid against Paxton, back in June, might seem the mightiest—at least on paper. George P. Bush, who has served as state land commissioner since the same election that elevated Paxton to his current post, is the scion of a political family whose members have held high state and federal elected offices, back to Prescott Sheldon Bush, U.S. senator from Connecticut from 1952 to 1963. He was the son of Samuel Prescott Bush, a successful industrialist back when “industrialist” was a job you could actually have. From those Prescotts to our George Prescott Bush in the current day runs a seven-decade streak of mostly admirable public service. The P. campaign isn’t dead—he has raised more cash than Paxton and will likely continue to do so—but it has taken on a deathly pallor. His social media accounts have trumpeted a string of endorsements… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Threats from Gov. Abbott among reasons why a Texas school district keeps book challenges secretive (Dallas Morning News)
Fear of retribution from Gov. Greg Abbott contributes to Keller school officials’ push to keep deliberations about which books to ban from libraries private. Keller ISD is among many school systems embroiled in a fight about whether students should have access to books that delve into issues of race and sexuality. Republican state leaders, such as Abbott, have poured gasoline on this culture-war issue, stoking fear in educators with the looming possibility of investigations and criminal penalties. Abbott’s threats are part of the justification Keller ISD attorneys are using to argue that book challenge committee meetings should be held behind closed doors and the identities of members withheld from the public. The Dallas Morning News is seeking details on the process via public information requests, but the district has not provided documentation about who is serving on these committees. Officials have also said the meetings would not be open.
Attorney Sarah Flournoy, who is representing Keller ISD, wrote a Jan. 4 letter to the Office of the Attorney General explaining why the district wants to keep certain information private. She noted that the governor has used social media to “encourage prosecution of staff members responsible for pornographic materials in school libraries.” “A committee member who believes a library book should remain in the library would reasonably fear pressure from the state’s highest office to seek criminal charges against them,” Flournoy wrote. Keller officials said Flournoy’s positions presented on behalf of the district represent its position. The governor’s office has not responded to requests for comment. Abbott announced late last year that he was directing Texas educators to investigate whether pornography is available in public schools and to notify law enforcement if such material is accessible. He wrote on Twitter that, in such instances, people “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.” Shortly after, the Texas Education Agency opened an investigation into Keller ISD because of the district’s book offerings. It appears to be the first such probe in the state… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
As CDC warns against cruise travel, it's full steam ahead for Carnival, Royal Caribbean in Galveston (Houston Chronicle)
For almost a year, Leah Martin had held onto her tickets for the Carnival Dream. The 3,600-passenger cruise ship, with a crew of over 1,300, planned to sail out of Galveston for a 9-day Caribbean voyage on January 15. Weeks before departure, the omicron variant sent case numbers surging in Houston and across the country. On Dec. 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised Americans not to cruise regardless of their vaccination status. The agency cited a "very high level" of risk for COVID spread onboard, even with nearly all crew and passengers vaccinated.
But as the pandemic enters its third year, the agency's warning hasn't stemmed the flow of people flocking to Galveston for vacations at sea, according to the Port of Galveston. Martin said she and her husband, who are fully vaccinated with booster shots, were set on cruising. Their risk of serious illness seemed low, she said, and she felt "very confident" cruise companies would keep people safe. "They are just as desperate to be successful as us cruisers are to cruise again," said Martin. "I personally think the CDC needs to find someone else to pick on." As of Friday, every cruise ship sailing in the US had reported COVID cases onboard, according to CDC monitoring data, and some U.S.-based ships have been denied access to foreign ports due to too many infections onboard. Aside from cruises, Galveston County itself is facing a wave of infections. The county reported an average of nearly 500 new cases per day since Jan. 1, about 50 percent higher than the daily average two weeks ago… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
White House says private insurers to cover rapid Covid-19 tests (Wall Street Journal)
Private insurers will have to cover the cost of over-the-counter Covid-19 tests starting Saturday under a Biden administration plan that aims to make it more affordable for people to screen for infections and limit the spread of the Omicron variant.
The policy outlined Monday by the administration means that millions of people with private health insurance can expect insurers to reimburse them for up to eight tests a month per covered individual, or that they will be able to purchase them at no cost through their insurance.
Consumers with private insurance will be able to obtain the tests without any cost sharing such as deductibles, coinsurance or copayments, according to the new policy. A family of four, all on the same health plan, would be able to be reimbursed by their insurance for 32 tests a month, for example.
The Biden administration is encouraging insurers and group health plans to set up partnerships with specific retailers and pharmacies so people can get free over-the-counter tests directly, without paying anything upfront or having to submit a claim for reimbursement… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
The Associated Press is starting its own NFT marketplace for photojournalism (The Verge)
The Associated Press, or AP, has announced that it’s starting a marketplace to sell NFTs of its photojournalists’ work in collaboration with a company called Xooa. It’s billing its foray into NFTs as a way for collectors to “purchase the news agency’s award-winning contemporary and historic photojournalism” and says that the virtual tokens will be released at “broad and inclusive price points” (though it’s hard to tell what types of prices resellers will want on the AP marketplace).
The news outlet says its system will be built on the “environmentally friendly” Polygon blockchain and that the NFTs will “include a rich set of original metadata” to tell buyers when, where, and how the photos were taken. It says its first collection, launching January 31st, will include NFTs featuring photos of “space, climate, war and other images to spotlights on the work of specific AP photographers.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)