Austin, TX
Google announces massive $9.5 billion investment, including Downtown Austin office

A Google weblog submit says the corporate has already invested over $37 billion during the last 5 years throughout 26 states. The tech large additionally expects so as to add 12,000 jobs.
AUSTIN, Texas — Leaders with Google stated that the corporate is getting ready to take a position $9.5 billion towards places of work and information facilities throughout the U.S.
In a weblog submit, Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated places of work and information facilities function anchors to native communities and their economies. That’s the explanation he stated it’s necessary to proceed investing in brick-and-mortar areas regardless of a transition over the previous few years towards distant work.
Stakeholders consider Tesla’s Giga Texas will usher in new period of know-how, manufacturing
“We consider it’s extra necessary than ever to spend money on our campuses and that doing so will make for higher merchandise, a higher high quality of life for our workers, and stronger communities,” the submit stated.
Google will even go after inexperienced customary constructing designs, or in any other case extra environmentally pleasant ones. Pichai stated that is to satisfy their self-imposed aim of working all of their buildings on carbon-free power by the 12 months 2030.
Google to take a position $50M to broaden in Austin and throughout Texas
Austin is only one of a number of cities throughout the nation which might be set to obtain the corporate’s {dollars}. Google stated they proceed to spend money on the info heart positioned in Midlothian, Texas, in Ellis County.
Georgia, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Colorado and different west coast states are additionally set to learn from Google’s new funding.
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Austin, TX
Johnson, Mark score season bests to lead Texas past No. 15 Kentucky 82-78
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Freshman Tre Johnson scored 32 points, and senior Tramon Mark had 26, season bests for both, and Texas defeated No. 15 Kentucky 82-78 on Saturday night, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Texas (16-10, 5-8 Southeastern Conference) trailed 69-64 with less than four minutes remaining before making a 14-1 push. Johnson and Mark scored 12 of the 14 for a 78-70 lead with 34 seconds remaining.
Johnson converted just 1 of 8 3-point attempts but made 10 baskets inside the line and 9 of 10 free throws. Mark made three 3-pointers.
Otega Oweh led Kentucky (17-8, 6-6) with 20 points. Amari Williams had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Kentucky, an adept 38% team on 3-pointers, hit just 6 of 24 against Texas.
Takeaways
Kentucky: The Wildcats played without two starters. Jaxson Robinson, their second-leading scorer and best 3-point shooter in SEC games, has an injured right wrist. Guard Lamont Butler who leads the team in assists, has a shoulder injury.
Texas: Arthur Kaluma, the Longhorns’ top rebounder and second-leading scorer, missed the game with a knee problem. Jayson Kent replaced Kaluma in the starting lineup and grabbed eight rebounds.
Key moment
Johnson, after missing a layup, grabbed the rebound and made a layup and free throw for a three-point play to start the Longhorns’ 14-1 run. Johnson, a guard, had nine rebounds.
Key stat
Kentucky, which averages just 10 turnovers a game, committed 15 against Texas, which turned them into 21 points. Some of those were fast break points, where Texas had a 16-10 edge.
Up next
Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt on Wednesday, and Texas is at South Carolina on Saturday.
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Austin, TX
Prepare for an encounter with a version of Elon Musk at South by Southwest
AUSTIN, Texas — Have you ever wanted to meet Elon Musk?
Well, at South by Southwest you can’t, but you can get close.
As Elon Musk has become one of the most forward facing people in the U.S., it’s only natural that a comedian comes to South by Southwest to do an impersonation show.
James Adomian is set to do an impersonation show of the world’s richest man on March 7.
Esther’s Follies, located at 525 E 6th St., will host the set.
To get into the event, you’ll need to have a film & TV badge, an Interactive Badge, a music badge or a platinum badge.
To buy a badge or for more information on the event, head to this website.
A businessman and U.S. special government employee, Elon Musk is best known for leading Tesla, SpaceX and owning X, formerly known as Twitter. As of February 2025, Elon Musk is the world’s richest person.
Austin, TX
Austin homeowners drop house price nearly 30% as they struggle to sell

Despite broader signs of a stable and predictable housing market in Austin, Texas, a luxury home has undergone several price reductions over the past year—a drop nearly 30 percent below its initial April 2024 asking price of $3,250,000.
Why It Matters
Austin’s housing market has been described as stable, with consistent sales and prices expected throughout 2025.
However, according to local reporting out of KXAN Austin, informed by Unlock MLS, Zillow and Realtor.com data, the city’s median sales price has seen a year-over-year decline of 4.7 percent. This could suggest minor market changes or specific area adjustments, even amid overall market health.
The Austin property at 4808 Ranch Road 2222 tells a different story. This situation highlights that even in a generally positive market, some homeowners may face challenges that necessitate significant price adjustments.
Getty Images/Brandon Bell
What To Know
The 3,406-square-foot Austin home has dropped in price five times since its initial listing in April 2024, culminating in a total reduction of 27.69 percent, or $900,000.
This is quite a bit higher than Austin’s overall average percentage price drop of -9.15 percent, recorded last week, per Pricing Culture. Further, the property’s five reductions far exceed the Austin average last week of 2.11 price drops per listing.
The four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home is located in Austin’s Bull Creek neighborhood. According to Realtor.com, the neighborhood as a whole has a median listing price of $1,412,500.
Local market data reported by KXAN Austin shows an increase in the number of days homes are staying on the market over the past eight months, averaging 84 days, though the average is slightly lower compared to a full year prior.
Outside of broader market trends, the home at 4808 Ranch Road could possibly point to an overestimated initial valuation or a lack of buyer interest at the higher price points in this upscale market segment.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Clare Knap, housing economist at Unlock MLS, told ATX Today: “2025 really will be a year in the Austin housing market that is defined by stability … predictable levels of inventory, relatively consistent mortgage rates, [and] consistent expectations around year-over-year changes to home sales and prices.”
“I don’t think we’re necessarily going to see the same level of growth … as we did in 2024, but I think we’re going to relatively maintain our level of inventory in 2025.”
Marco Santarelli, founder and CEO of Norada Real Estate Investments, wrote in a 2025-2026 Texas housing market forecast: “Several areas, including Austin, Huntsville, Sulphur Springs, Corpus Christi, and the Permian Basin cities like Odessa and Midland, face the possibility of experiencing a decline in home prices over the next year. Keep in mind that the projected declines are generally relatively small.”
What Happens Next
Analysts predict that while 2025 may see improvements in mortgage rates and buying conditions in Austin, sellers might still face pressures if economic uncertainties persist.
As for 4808 Ranch Road, only time will tell if the latest price adjustment will attract buyers or if further reductions are on the horizon.
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