Austin news stories on Newser

Texas Fires' Toll: 1,000 Homes and Counting

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:46:34 CDT

More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in at least 57 wildfires across rain-starved Texas, most of them in one devastating blaze near Austin that is still raging out of control, officials said today. Gov. Rick Perry, who cut short a presidential campaign trip to South Carolina to return...

300 Homes Go Up in Texas Fire

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:28:07 CDT

A mother and child have been killed in a blaze near Dallas, while another "catastrophic" Texas wildfire has destroyed 300 homes and sent thousands of residents near Austin fleeing for their lives. The 16-mile-long Austin fire has burned through 14,000 acres and is now threatening an additional 700 houses,...

Austin Breaks Cruel Record: 70 Days of 100-Degree Heat

Kate Schwartz — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:48:05 CDT

This isn't the kind of record that locals are likely to boast of with pride: Austin, Texas, today broke a record set in 1925 for the most days of 100-plus-degree heat. At 2pm a temperature of 100 degrees was recorded, making today the 70th day of triple-degree heat, reports the...

'Have You Ever Had Sex With Rick Perry?' Asks Ad

Mark Russell — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:28:48 CDT

Welcome to the presidential campaign trail of 2011, Governor Perry. An Austin political activist and Ron Paul supporter has placed a full-page ad in a local alternative weekly asking, "Have you ever had sex with Rick Perry?," reports Salon . The ad asks for stories from strippers, escorts, "or just a...

Ryan O'Neal Sued for Farrah's Warhol Portrait

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:18:36 CDT

Actor Ryan O'Neal has been sued for hanging on to an Andy Warhol portrait of Farrah Fawcett that a university charges was bequeathed to the institution. University of Texas officials say they spotted the Warhol hanging over O'Neal's bed during a reality TV show featuring the actor. The painting was...

Next Decade's Boom Towns

Sarah Whitmire — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:18:05 CDT

Which towns will prosper the most in the next 10 years? Forbes Magazine runs down the 52 biggest cities in the US in terms of future vitality, job growth, increase in population of children, and immigration numbers. The winners: Austin, Texas: High immigration and a good reputation among educated workers...

Another Woman Dies in W Hotel Plunge

Matt Cantor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:30:51 CDT

A month ago, two women fell from a W hotel in Atlanta ; one died. Now another woman has been killed in a fall from a W hotel—this one in Washington, DC, Gawker reports. She had been drinking at the rooftop bar and climbed over a fence, witnesses said, ending...

America's Smartest Cities

Polly Davis Doig — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:01:37 CDT

Sure, we usually take into account jobs, culture, climate, affordability, and a host of other data when moving to another place, but do you really want to be surrounded by a city full of blithering idiots? The Daily Beast crunches the numbers and comes up with the smartest cities in...

Top Tax-Procrastination Cities

Will McCahill — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:03:00 CDT

Your taxes are due April 15, and TurboTa x says it has a pretty good idea of who’s going to file late. Herewith, its list of US cities most likely to procrastinate: Houston (up from No. 2) Chicago (up from 4) New York (holding steady) Austin (a big jump, from...