Austin, TX
Travis County Attorney drops charges against 79 more UT-Austin protesters
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Criminal charges were dropped against 79 people arrested at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Texas at Austin on April 29. Travis County Attorney Delia Garza announced the charges would be dismissed at a press conference on Wednesday.
The protesters were charged with criminal trespass, a Class B misdemeanor. Although the arrests met the initial requirements for probable cause, the County Attorney’s Office could not meet their legal burden to prove these charges beyond a reasonable doubt, Garza said.
There are still a number of other cases with more serious charges related to the April 29 arrests which are still under review, Garza said.
The April 29 arrests were the result of the second police crackdown on pro-Palestine demonstrations at UT-Austin. The first protest, on April 24, resulted in 57 arrests, most of whom were also charged with criminal trespass. Those charges, however, were quickly dismissed because law enforcement lacked probable cause, Garza said.
The police crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests on April 24 and April 29 at the University of Texas at Austin are part of a larger wave of law enforcement and university administrators responding to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country.
Just in: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming; U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Austin, TX
National Hockey League seeking expansion in Houston and Austin as potential targets
HOUSTON, Texas — The NHL is looking to start the expansion process in Texas, with Austin and Houston as potential targets, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The expansion news is being discussed at the NHL’s board of governors meeting, which is being held on Tuesday in New York.
The NHL went from 30 to 32 clubs when it added the Vegas Golden Knights (began play in 2017-18) and Seattle Kraken (debuted in 2021-22). The expansion fee for Vegas was $500 million and for Seattle was $650 million.
Earlier this month at the Stanley Cup Final, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated that the league has fielded calls from across North America from prospective cities and owners who are interested in bringing in an NHL franchise.
SEE HERE: It’s official: Aeros hockey team leaving Houston at end of season
Bettman has previously told the board of governors that any potential expansion team would likely come with at least a $2 billion fee for it to make sense.
The league has seen record revenues this season — projected to be between $7.5 billion and $8 billion. The NHL salary cap is set at $104 million for the 2026-27 season, a $8.5 million increase from this past season.
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Austin, TX
Adobro’s Filipino-Fiesta-meets-Texas-Dancehall “Right Here, Right Now” Album Release Party
Austin, TX
Barton Springs Pool to reopen June 23
AUSTIN, Texas – Barton Springs Pool will reopen to visitors this week.
What they’re saying:
The City of Austin said the pool will reopen on Tuesday, June 23, for the early morning regularly scheduled “swim at your own risk.”
The pool had closed on June 15 due to severe weather.
City staff removed large tree branches, aluminum cans, fishing hooks, and other debris from the water.
The team also cleaned off decks and reinstalled the diving board in preparation for the pool’s reopening.
The Source: Information from the City of Austin
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