UT Students and Austinites Rally for Climate Action

byMadeline Salinas

AUSTIN, Texas –  Climate activists and University of Texas students met March 25  at the UT Tower to kick off the Fridays for Future global climate strike. UT’s Students Fighting for Climate Change (SFCC) organization hosted the strike and welcomed other student organizations and local Austinites to join the march to the Texas Capitol. At […]

Austin Musicians Get Pay Raise for City-Sponsored Performances

bySam Stark

AUSTIN, Texas – Austin’s Music and Entertainment Division, part of the city’s Economic Development Department, raised wages earlier this month for musicians performing at city-sponsored events from $150 to $200 an hour. Census data released last year shows Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. With rapid growth comes increasingly unaffordable […]

Round Rock Residents Begin to Recover After EF-2 Tornado

byTerry Gutierrez

ROUND ROCK, Texas — Residents began evaluating damage and reflecting on the aftermath following a tornado that hit Williamson County on March 21. That same day, other areas in Texas experienced several other tornadoes. The tornado that spiraled through Round Rock was an EF-2 with winds estimated to be over 110 mph. “We’ve been [in] […]

Central Texas Mycology Spawns a Network of Mushroom Enthusiasts 

byKrissi Reeves

In a distinctly similar way to mycelia, the small, savvy team behind Central Texas Mycology Society has built a vast and growing network of enthusiastic volunteers to help distribute the mushroom blocks across Central Texas. Their distribution points stretch from Georgetown to New Braunfels and Bastrop to Cedar Park.  

“We want people to realize that we would not be here unless fungi did all the work helping us become a networked planet,” said one of the society’s leaders.

Thousands Fill Frank Erwin Center for Regular Season Finale

byKevin Malcolm, Jr.

AUSTIN, Texas — Fans packed the Frank Erwin Center March 5 for the final regular season game in the arena. For some, the final game at The Drum was when the UT men’s basketball team played Baylor on Feb. 28. However, there was another game later that week that was just as important. when the […]

Austin Ukrainians Unite at Texas Capitol Amid Russia-Ukraine War

byTeresa Gutierrez

AUSTIN, Texas – A local group of Ukrainians rallied March 5 at the Texas Capitol to protest against Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.  Attendees organized through the Facebook group, Austin TX UKRAINIANS, which now has more than 2,000 members. The group began holding rallies almost daily in late February. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine date back […]

Moody College Students Attend Data Journalism Conference

byEniola Longe

ATLANTA – Made possible by Moody College School of Journalism scholarships, several University of Texas students received $1,800 stipends to offset costs of the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting conference. Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. hosted the annual conference March 3-6. It was the organization’s first hybrid event since the pandemic broke out in 2020. […]

Music in the Park Concert Benefits Austin Musicians

byMadeline Salinas

AUSTIN, Texas — Performers and fans at a Music in the Park concert on March 4 in Easton Park were thrilled to be back together for a live show. “It’s great to get out and see people and come see live music again. It just brings life into the community,” said Stephen Moss, who attended […]

Austin Gas Price Reach an All Time High

byStephanie Molina

AUSTIN, Texas – At the beginning of March, gas prices surpassed the record high of $3.98 from 2008. The rise has affected Americans since February. Gas Buddy, which tracks prices, said they increased each week by about 10 cents, drastically affecting those who depend on gas for their job.  Michele Premeaux-Johnson, a DoorDash driver, lives in […]

Pandemic Increases Litter Around Lady Bird Lake

bySam Stark

AUSTIN, Texas — Participation in environmental initiatives like Clean Lady Bird Lake decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions easing, Keep Austin Beautiful is ramping up to restart its initiatives as normal. Although there were rules about how many could be in a group at once, Keep Austin Beautiful circumvented restrictions by providing kits to […]

Invasive Aquatic Species Are Threatening Texas Waterways

byMarina Garcia

Across the street from Sewell Park, while most people tried to get a suntan or go tubing on a cloudy day, a group of researchers worked to capture suckermouth armored catfish, an invasive species in the San Marcos River.

Invasive aquatic species such as the suckermouth armored catfish compete with native species for food, cause erosion and wreck ecological damage, experts say.

‘The Cruelty is the Point,’ Planned Parenthood leader says in SXSW keynote targeting Texas abortion law

byKrissi Reeves

Hours after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s controversial Senate Bill 8 abortion law will remain in place, Planned Parenthood’s president delivered a searing rebuttal to the ruling Friday at South by Southwest.

New Dawn of Psychedelic Therapies and Research Take Root in Texas

byJessica Lenamond

During the last regular Texas legislative session, the bipartisan House Bill 1802 was adopted, allowing studies on “alternative treatments” for veterans’ PTSD. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School have established the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, which will start its studies on psychedelic-assisted treatments later this year.

Texans Heading to Cyber Games to Tackle Tomorrow’s Digital Challenges

byAndrew Logan

Two Texans have been selected by the U.S. Cyber Games to join its inaugural national team, which will represent the United States in the International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens, Greece, in June.

Tractor Innovation Comes at Cost to Texas Farmers

byGabriella Ybarra

Major tractor manufacturers do not provide all the materials or software to allow farmers or independent mechanics to fix highly advanced tractors, leaving farmers reliant on company-authorized mechanics, which can be costly and time-consuming. 

Farmers are seeking greater ability to make repairs themselves — part of a much broader “right to repair” movement.

Longhorn Women’s Basketball Greats Return to Say Goodbye to Erwin Center

byBrandon Jenkins

Some of the pioneers of Texas women’s basketball came to the Frank Erwin Center to say goodbye one final time to the home of the Longhorns for the past 46 years

Therapists: Calling Health Care for Trans Kids ‘Child Abuse’ Is Hateful and Dangerous

bySamuel Stark 

Central Texas counselors and psychologists who work with transgender adolescents say Texas politicians’ recent statements about trans therapy are an attempt to rile up voters at the cost of an extremely vulnerable community.   

As Texas Republicans Attack Gender-Affirming Health Care, Moms of Trans Children Say They’re Not Backing Down

byJill Ament

Parents of transgender children in Texas say they are “freaking out.” They are unnerved by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive on Feb. 22 telling the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate reports of transgender youth in Texas receiving gender-affirming health care. Abbott’s letter contends that procedures such as hormonal treatments, gender-aligning surgery or the use of puberty-blockers is child abuse under state law. 

On March 2, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said it had filed a lawsuit to block Abbott’s directive. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a DFPS employee who is a parent of a transgender teenager and has already had an investigator come to their home.

How Prescribed Burns Aid Endangered Species, Restore Grasslands and Help Train Troops (Among Other Things)

byPaula Levihn-Coon

Experts say prescribed fires are a safe and cost-effective tool to improve habitat for endangered animals, restore grasslands, and remove invasive species. Of thousands of prescribed burns that are ignited every year, only about 1% escape, according to a study by the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange. 

After Statements From Texas Leaders, Protesters Take to the Streets for Transgender Rights

byAlexa K. Haverlah 

A student-led march for transgender rights briefly turned violent Sunday when an Austin police officer slammed a protester to the ground.