AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) — President Joe Biden will deliver remarks at Austin’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library on July 15 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, a White House official confirmed on Sunday.

The visit is the first of three stops in three days, starting in Austin, then onto Las Vegas where Biden will speak at the 115th NAACP National Convention on July 16 and then the following day at the UnidosUS annual conference, described as one of the largest gatherings of Latinos in the country.

His appearance in Austin coincides with the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Republicans will discuss their party platform and formally nominate Trump.

The trips to Texas and Nevada follow Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27. The president’s fumbles led some Congressional Democrats, starting with U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, to call on Biden to withdraw from the race for president.

Doggett was not immediately available on Sunday to comment on Biden’s upcoming visit to Texas.

The LBJ Presidential Library has not yet released a statement about the president’s visit but has confirmed the event. On July 2, 1964, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, which barred discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin. Biden plans to discuss his administration’s “progress advancing civil rights and his vision to ensure the promise of America for all communities,” according to White House staff.

In 2014, U.S. presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter visited Austin for a three-day summit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Biden’s remarks at the NAACP national convention in Las Vegas will focus on his administration’s efforts to advance racial justice, according to a statement from the White House.

Growing numbers of Democrats, including in Texas, have expressed concern that Biden could cost them their seats in November. The president has engaged in a series of campaign stops to try to quell Democrats’ concerns about whether Biden is fit for another term in office. Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/07/texas-joe-biden-lbj-library/.

This post was last updated at 10 a.m. Sunday. Scroll to the bottom for the latest updates from the National Weather Service.

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to make landfall in the area of Matagorda Bay early Monday morning, as the storm track shifts east closer to Houston and away from Austin and San Antonio.

Austin is no longer in the storm’s cone — the path that weather forecasters believe Beryl will probably take — and rainfall chances along the Interstate 35 corridor have lowered to 0.5-1 inch of rain, the National Weather Service said Sunday morning. Counties to the east of Austin are expected to get higher rainfall totals of 2-4 inches.

The NWS believes Beryl will make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, which means the storm has sustained wind speeds of 74-95 mph. Tropical storm-level winds could arrive to coastal areas as early as Sunday afternoon, the Weather Service said, with hurricane-force winds arriving Sunday night.

Even though a Category 1 hurricane is expected, the NWS says people in the path should prepare as if a Category 2 hurricane will hit, due to levels of uncertainty in the forecast.

“Based on the current forecast, heavy rain and some localized flooding could occur all the way from the coast through areas near College Station, Tyler, and Texarkana as the storm moves through Texas on its current track,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement early Sunday. Patrick is serving as acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is in East Asia on an economic development trip.

Patrick added 81 counties to the state’s disaster declaration in preparation for the storm, including Travis, Williamson, Bastrop and Hays counties.

Follow the latest updates from the National Weather Service below. Refresh your screen if the updates do not appear.

AUSTIN, Texas – Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane, caused 11 deaths and impacted thousands in the Caribbean islands this week.

“It’s scary I don’t feel too exposed here in Austin just because we are a little far away from the coast. But I mean it is terrifying for those communities, especially for people who don’t have the resources to get out”, says Josiah Mercer.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has placed more than 120 counties under a disaster declaration – including nine in our area, urging Texans to prepare for the storm. 

Beryl is expected to make landfall on the Texas coast Monday.

“I have never experienced it before, so I am kind of trying to make sure that we are going to have everything ok, just in case anything does happen” , says Kleena Adair.

“I have groceries at my house, I’m planning to stay indoors. I’m not in an area that tends to flood, so I’m not too worried about myself, but I’m glad to not have to go to work if it is going to be raining super hard,” says Mercer.

According to Fox 7 Meteorologist Leslie London, the main threats to the city of Austin are flooding and strong wind gusts.

“Overall, I am generally prepared in terms of I have like a little bug out kit with batteries and flashlights in my house, for this it’s just about not needing to go out for groceries in the next few days, is really all I have thought about , specific planning for this just make sure I have food in my house,” says Mercer.

Austin Emergency Management urges residents to make a plan, build a kit, know your neighbors and stay informed in case of an emergency.

“Just staying in that is my plan,, says Mercer.