Human Trafficking: Slavery in our Backyards

‘Big Nasty’ Dishes on Women’s Roller Derby

Jen Wireman is a 28-year old bartender from Waco, Texas. She came to Austin about eight years ago and after discovering the Texas Women’s Roller Derby just several years ago, she’s completely hooked.

Texas House Proposes State Services Cuts

The Texas House held hearings this week about proposed cuts to state services. Disabled Texans and child advocates have been pressuring legislators to tap the so-called Rainy Day Fund, to avoid hefty cuts to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.

Texas Slave Narratives at Capitol Building

In honor of Black History Month, the Texas Capitol Visitors’ Center is holding  an exhibit of narratives of slavery collected from former slaves during the 1930’s. Liang Shi offers a photographic exploration of the exhibit for Reporting Texas and KUT Radio.

The Forgotten: Austin’s Homeless Veterans

Millions of U.S. veterans wore the uniform, served overseas, lost friends. And while they’re home from this nation’s various wars, some 350 Austin veterans are still in battle – against demons that are harder to see. They live on the streets of Austin, unable or unwilling to be helped. This is their story.

Door Always Open with Austin’s Nubian Queen

By whatever name people call her, Lola Stephens-Bell, often referred to by her patrons as the “Nubian Queen,” runs Nubian Queen Lola’s Cajun Kitchen – a restaurant on the corner of Rosewood and Chicon in East Austin where the city’s homeless are always welcome.

She Teaches

No Comment, No Coverage

James Jeffery argues that an inquisitive and demanding press is a bulwark against demagoguery and a rise of despotism. Perhaps now both politicians and journalists need reminding of this in equal measure.

Cultivating Austin’s Urban Roots

Austin-area middle- and high-school students to connect with the environment. Today the project grows more than 25,000 pounds of vegetables and herbs each year, donating a sizable portion to Austin-area charities and food banks.

Chacon

Protesters of Death Penalty March to Capitol

Citizens recently gathered on the steps of the Texas Capitol Steps for the 11^th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty. Among those in attendance were six individuals who once sat on death row, all having been exonerated of the charges against them.

Into the Stands: How Safe is Pro Baseball?

Despite the recent death of a spectator struck by a foul ball at a professional baseball game — only the third death of its kind — Major League Baseball says it cannot implement league-wide safety regulations. At least one study shows fans may not be all that safe at games.

A Tale of Two Burmese Families in Austin

Sisters Pad Too Raw and Pad Doh Too, members of the ethnic Karen culture indigenous to parts of Burma and Thailand, escaped Burma, leaving behind political and religious persecution by the Burmese government.

Austin’s First Annual Street Magic Festival

Eager children lined the darkening streets, clowns crafted balloon animals, ventriloquists carried their wooden sidekicks on their shoulders, and acrobats fearlessly dove backwards off a stage. Hundreds packed into the Red River District between 5th and 6th Streets in September for Austin’s first Austin Street Magic Festival.

New Water Sport Rides Wave of Popularity

With the Colorado River bisecting Austin and feeding three major lakes, the Capital City is a better than even bet for folks wanting to launch a new water sports business. The newest of those is unusual in a number of ways.

Halloween 2010 Draws 6th Street Crowds

People flocked to 6th Street in downtown Austin for Halloween weekend, drawing big crowds on Saturday, Oct. 30, and Halloween night itself. Check out some of the night’s images.

Rally to Restore Sanity Draws Diverse Crowd

An estimated 5,000 people, including Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez, gathered at the Texas Capitol in November  for Austin’s Rally to Restore Sanity, an offshoot of the national rally in Washington sponsored by The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart.

Struggle at the Center of Asia: China vs. the Uighurs. Mike Jeffers Reports

Bright Light Social Hour Unleashes First Full Offering

With a cheeky approach and a growing audience, Austin’s Bright Light Social Hour is primed for a run on the music charts. The band  recently launched its first full-length album in front of  a packed house at Antone’s and offered a hefty sampling to the crowd.