BG Reads | News You Need to Know (June 30, 2023)
[BG PODCAST]
On this episode we welcome Jack Craver, independent reporter and founder of The Austin Politics Newsletter.
Jack and Bingham Group CEO A.J. Bingham, catch up on the past 6 months of Austin politics and city hall moves.
For city hall watchers and those looking to get a handle on the state of play now, this is worth a listen.
>>> SHOW LINK <<<
Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
EPISODE 201
LINKS:
The Austin Politics Newsletter -> www.austinpolitics.net
Jack Craver on LinkedIn -> www.linkedin.com/in/jack-craver-60348414/
[AUSTIN METRO]
Austin weather expected to 'cool down' in time for Fourth of July (Austin American-Statesman)
It has been abnormally warm the past couple of weeks here in Central Texas. But just in time for the Fourth of July, a "cool front" is coming to help get things back to normal — though still hot — so we can better enjoy the fireworks, beer and barbecue with the typical amount of sweat we're all used to this time of year.
"It looks like the 'worst of it' now is in the rearview mirror," National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Quigley said. "We're kind of heading into this light moderation trend. Albeit it's just back to what is more typical for this time of year."
After weeks with a mix of excessive heat warnings, heat advisories and record-breaking temperatures, Austin can expect to stay out of those types of headlines moving into this weekend.
Central Texas got out of its heat advisory Wednesday night and isn't expected to have another one or an excessive heat warning through the holiday weekend.
Quigley said the high temperatures should keep dropping by about a degree or two each day through the beginning of the week when highs are expected to reach the mid-90s…(LINK TO FULL STORY)
HealthSouth redevelopment stalls over affordable apartments proposed (Austin Monitor)
The redevelopment of the former HealthSouth hospital property downtown appears to be at a standstill, with the Economic Development Department recommending the termination of a negotiating agreement with the Aspen Heights Partners development group.
In a memo published Wednesday, Assistant City Manager Veronica Briseño informed City Council and Mayor Kirk Watson that Aspen Heights feels the term sheet for the redevelopment is no longer realistic due to current market conditions. She said the company would likely only offer 65 affordable apartments on the site – out of 921 total units – rather than the 230 specified by Council last year… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
UT-Austin only Texas public university affected by Supreme Court’s ending use of race in admissions (Texas tribune)
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the consideration of race in college admissions violates the U.S. Constitution, effectively ending the way that many universities across the country have tried to increase diversity on college campuses and reversing years of court precedent.In a 6-3 vote, the court found the admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
In the decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority that the admissions programs at both schools were “well intentioned and implemented in good faith.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Federal trial date set for Nate Paul, Austin real estate investor accused of mortgage fraud (Austin American-Statesman)
A trial date has been set for Aug. 14 for Austin investor Nate Paul, who is at the center of allegations against suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and who stands indicted on eight counts of federal mortgage fraud. Paul is out of federal custody on bond following his arrest earlier this month. A federal indictment alleges that he overstated his wealth and understated his liabilities in order to obtain up to $172 in loans. He has, per court order, until July 28 to notify the court of any plea agreement. Paul previously waived his arraignment and pled not guilty.
Paul's relationship with Paxton was part of claims whistleblowers made against the attorney general, saying that Paxton aided Paul in the federal investigation and received a home remodel and employment for his mistress in exchange. The allegations led to a lawsuit against Paxton and helped trigger his impeachment in the Texas House last month. Paxton faces a trial in the Senate in September, where Paul could be called as a witness. The federal trial for Paul would come two months after his arrest, a remarkably quick turnaround that Paul's lawyers could try to avoid by requesting a delay… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Judge says DPS must release documents related to Uvalde shooting response (Texas tribune)
A state district judge on Thursday ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to begin the process of releasing public records related to law enforcement’s response to the Uvalde school shooting, granting a request by The Texas Tribune and other news organizations.
Over a dozen news organizations sued DPS last year, accusing it of unlawfully withholding the records related to the May shooting at Robb Elementary School.
The records concern the botched police response, during which officers waited over an hour to confront the shooter who killed 19 children and two teachers. Nearly 400 officers had descended on the school by the time the shooting was over.
The 261st Civil District Court Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle granted a motion for summary judgment on behalf of the Tribune, its partner ProPublica and other local, state and national newsrooms. The records will not be immediately available… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Texas House investigation widens to include Ken Paxton real estate purchases, report says (Texas Tribune)
The Texas House investigation into impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton has reportedly widened to include a series of property purchases he made as he faced a federal probe over allegations that he abused his office.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Paxton, his wife and a family trust doled out nearly $3.5 million on six properties from July 2021 to April 2022 in Oklahoma, Florida, Utah and Hawaii. The timing and amount of money drew the attention of House investigators, according to the newspaper.
In late September 2020, several of Paxton’s top aides reported to the FBI that they believed he was misusing his office to help a wealthy campaign donor, Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. Those allegations are tied to most of the 20 articles of impeachment that the House approved last month.
Paxton’s lead lawyer, Tony Buzbee, told the Journal that Paxton was using “long-term savings from a brokerage account” to invest in real estate at a time when interest rates were low. “There is nothing more to it than that,” Buzbee said… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Dallas to pay $4M for cyberattack detection system (Dallas Morning News)
The Dallas City Council approved a nearly $4 million deal Wednesday to get a new system that alerts the city’s information technology department of possible cyber attacks. The approval comes as the city is nearly two months into its recovery from a ransomware attack. The City Council, without discussion, approved allowing Houston-based technology service provider Netsync Network Solutions to help the city get a threat and anomaly detection system for the Information and Technology Services Department for three years. City documents refer to the purchase as a system upgrade that will include security monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “This equipment and associated services will be crucial to protecting the city’s network from cyber threats and hacks by alerting the Department of Information and Technology Services’ Security Operations Center to threats and abnormalities on the city network,” said city documents describing the council agenda item.
“This solution will aid in protecting the city’s network and systems against internal and external cyber threats to the organization including potential ransomware.” Shawn Sutton, a strategic account manager with Netsync, said the city would be getting cybersecurity platform MixMode. He described it as a security and information event manager that “in basic terms, gives you a bird’s-eye view of your network looking for issues before they cause business interruptions.” A week before the May 3 ransomware attack, the City Council also approved a three-year, more than $873,000 contract with Netsync for the group to help the city get a threat detection option for devices such as city servers and employees’ desktops and laptop computers. City communications director Catherine Cuellar declined Wednesday to give any update on the city’s latest progress in its ransomware recovery. She said any new information from the city would be posted to its public website, which hasn’t been done since Friday when the city’s public library online system was back up for the first time since the May 3 attack… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Divided Supreme Court outlaws affirmative action in college admissions, says race can’t be used (Associated Press)
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
The court’s conservative majority effectively overturned cases reaching back 45 years in invalidating admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively.
The decision, like last year’s momentous abortion ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, marked the realization of a long-sought conservative legal goal, this time finding that race-conscious admissions plans violate the Constitution and a law that applies to colleges that receive federal funding, as almost all do… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
US Supreme Court's two Black justices clash over affirmative action ruling (Reuters)
When liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court, she was expected to bring a different view on racial matters than Justice Clarence Thomas, its only other Black member and a staunch conservative.
That dispute was front and center on Thursday when the two justices publicly battled in sharply worded, dueling opinions as the court, in a blockbuster decision, effectively ended affirmative action policies in which colleges and universities consider race as a factor in student admissions. Such policies have been used by many schools for decades to boost their numbers of Black and Hispanic students.
Jackson and Thomas, reflecting a deep divide in the United States, diverged on how race must be treated in the law. Jackson promoted its use to reduce entrenched inequalities. Thomas contended that the U.S. Constitution is colorblind… (LINK TO FULL STORY)