Austin, TX
Experts warn ERCOT pause in maintenance could mean more breakdowns during summer
AUSTIN, Texas — The state’s energy operator, ERCOT, is asking some power plants to pause scheduled maintenance this week because of rising temperatures that are expected to increase demand for power. With higher temperatures this spring, experts say changes are needed to the grid to handle future extreme weather event.
ERCOT expects a spike in temperatures Tuesday night, bringing the energy demand close to the supply. ERCOT did not ask Texans to conserve electricity. Instead, some plants are asked to stop planned maintenance and instead supply energy.
“This is not uncommon for ERCOT to call for a halt to maintenance activities but when they do this defers the maintenance on these power plants and we see more breakdowns during the summer,” said Ed Hirs, a University of Houston Energy Fellow.
With hundreds of people moving to the state every day, some energy leaders want to see a shift from fixing the grid to investing in the future of it.
“Our companies continually invest in the infrastructure of the grid both in the transmission distribution space but also in the generation space. We just need more electrons on the grid to serve the people of Texas and the industries of Texas,” said Mike Bell, president of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas.
Last fall voters approved the Texas Energy fund, and $5 billion was allocated from the state budget surplus to repair existing power plants and toward low-interest loans to develop new power plants.
“If I were a big generation company with a bunch of units, I would not really be wanting to add or bring back three or four power plants because I would know that by doing so, I would only keep the price down,” said Hirs. “I would much rather see a squeeze and see the price go up like it’s forecast to do for this afternoon. And well make a significant profit at the expense of normal Texas.”
Advocates for solar power want to see lawmakers invest in other energy sources to decrease the dependability on the grid.
“Most solar homeowners use their own solar. They don’t use the grid while the sun is shining and so that is an automatic reduction in demand,” said Pete Parsons with the Texas Solar Energy Society.
ERCOT expects the power emergency to end Wednesday, but experts predict as temperatures rise this summer so will people’s energy bills.
Austin, TX
Ariana Grande Austin tickets: Lowest prices for ‘Eternal Sunshine Tour’
If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
AUSTIN, Texas — Ariana Grande is bringing “The Eternal Sunshine Tour” to Austin’s Moody Center for three nights of concerts this summer — Wednesday, June 24; Friday, June 26; and Saturday, June 27 — with showtimes expected around 8 p.m. Central.
As the only Texas dates on the tour, these Austin concerts are among the most in‑demand stops on her limited‑city return to the road.
Where to get Ariana Grande Austin, Texas, ticket discounts
If you still have yet to secure tickets to one of Grande’s Austin concert dates, there are still avenues for locking in savings on great seats. Verified ticketing retailers including Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, StubHub and Viagogo are now offering value pricing.
Additional coupon savings:
- Vivid Seats offers $30 off tickets over $200 with coupon code ADVANCE30
- SeatGeek gives $5 off orders over $300 using discount code TAKE5
Below is a comparison of the lowest ticket prices currently available across several platforms for Ariana Grande’s Austin concert dates:
Wednesday, June 24 — Moody Center | Austin, Texas
- Vivid Seats: $792
- SeatGeek: $884
- StubHub: $932
- Viagogo: $849
Friday, June 26 — Moody Center | Austin, Texas
- Vivid Seats: $945
- SeatGeek: $967
- StubHub: $1,054
- Viagogo: $961
Saturday, June 27 — Moody Center | Austin, Texas
- Vivid Seats: TBD
- SeatGeek: $924
- StubHub: $1,003
- Viagogo: $913
“Eternal Sunshine:” Ariana’s first tour in seven years
Ariana Grande announced the 2026 tour on Aug. 28, 2025, revealing a compact itinerary supporting her 2024 album “Eternal Sunshine” (and its 2025 deluxe expansion). The initial schedule covered a handful of U.S. and Canadian venues before expanding to include a multi‑night run at London’s O2 Arena. Presales opened Sept. 9, with general on‑sale Sept. 10, and the overwhelming response led to added shows in multiple cities—including Austin.
Austin, TX
City of Austin activates cold shelters heading into the weekend
AUSTIN, Texas —The City of Austin posted on X that cold weather shelters are going to be open this week and heading into the weekend.
According to the weather forecast, temperatures could be below freezing on Friday and Saturday, with a low of 25 degrees on Saturday. Although no precipitation is forecasted, temperatures are likely to be below freezing for multiple days.
According to the post, residents are encouraged to “go to One Texas Center (OTC), 505 Barton Springs Road from 6-8pm to register for overnight shelter.”
The City of Austin’s website says that CapMetro transports will be taking registered individuals to the shelters, along with shelters that have accessibility for the unhoused, those who are not and families with children.
“Families with children, as well as unaccompanied minors, seeking refuge during Cold Weather Shelter activation periods will be provided with coordination for an overnight stay,” the website stated.
More information about the guidelines and the shelters can be found here.
Austin, TX
Texas Republicans are using anti-Muslim rhetoric in their campaigns
TEXAS — Targeting Islam and stopping what many conservatives call the “Islamification” of Texas is an increasingly popular campaign promise. Islam is a faith practiced by over 300,000 Muslims in Texas.
“There are a variety of Islamist movements operating across Texas,” said Samuel Westrop, the director of the Islamist Watch project at the Middle East Forum.
The national conservative think tank Middle East Forum is dedicated to defeating what it calls radical Islam, a claim that people within the faith want to impose their own religious law on secular society. Westrop wants to see politicians distinguishing between people whose interpretation of Islam threatens others and those who peacefully practice the religion.
There is still a dangerous impact on the Muslim community, according to Sameeha Rizvi, a policy and advocacy coordinator for the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. In November, Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization.
“At this point, Islam, extremists, etc., have been conflated with one another. And then also on top of that, they’re attacking civil rights groups like CAIR and using terrorist imagery to depict us when we’ve only denounced terrorism,” said Rizvi.
In his bid for reelection, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, ran an ad outlining his opposition to CAIR.
“I’m fighting to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,” said Cornyn.
And when an ad from a PAC on behalf of Cornyn called Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, his top opponent, “weird,” Paxton called out Cornyn for his support of “radical Islamic Afghans.”
Candidates in the race to replace Paxton as Texas attorney general are using similar rhetoric. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, said he would use the office to defend Texas from “Islamist extremist networks.”
“This is a coordinated political effort to Islamify Texas and you gotta say it,” said Roy.
Westrop describes the scrutiny of the religion as protecting taxpayers from funding something that could cause them harm.
“Really working to limit the influence and effect of Islamist groups and certainly making sure that public monies doesn’t subsidize their extremism,” he said.
According to the Pew Research Center, 42% of Muslim U.S. voters identify with the Republican Party. Rizvi says the anti-Muslim rhetoric could isolate Muslims from the right.
“When you end up as a party, smearing your neighbors because of their religion, it betrays not only your values as a party but also the values of what it means to be a Texan,” said Rizvi.
The impact that faith-targeted ads will have on Republican voters could be clear after the primary elections on March 3.
-
Illinois1 week agoIllinois school closings tomorrow: How to check if your school is closed due to extreme cold
-
Pennsylvania3 days agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Sports1 week agoMiami star throws punch at Indiana player after national championship loss
-
Science1 week agoContributor: New food pyramid is a recipe for health disasters
-
Technology1 week agoRing claims it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras
-
Science1 week agoFed up with perimenopause or menopause? The We Do Not Care Club is here for you
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Movie Review: In ‘Mercy,’ Chris Pratt is on trial with an artificial intelligence judge
-
Politics4 days agoTrump’s playbook falters in crisis response to Minneapolis shooting