Andrew Spencer and SuLing Llanes-Trexler work together in UVA Library but their friendship has taken them off Grounds and out of state (Contributed photos and photo by Matt Riley University Communications; illustration by John DiJulio When Andrew Spencer and SuLing Llanes-Trexler met The fourth-year students at the University of Virginia met while working in the UVA Library’s Digital Production Group a computer science major from Chesterfield “I thought he was really quiet and maybe a little mean just because sometimes he’s very brief with what he says,” Llanes-Trexler said Llanes-Trexler and Spencer pose for a photo outside Shannon Library When they first met in the library’s basement Each of them discovered their first impressions were wrong: “He ended up being very funny,” Llanes-Trexler Spencer enrolled at the University because it offered him the best financial aid knew she wanted to go to UVA since she was in second grade “I went to a UVA basketball game against Georgia Tech She started her UVA journey at UVA’s College at Wise before transferring to the University in Charlottesville The College at Wise allows students with 30 credit hours and a GPA of 3.0 or higher to transfer directly to UVA without filling out a separate application she started working in the Digital Production Group where Spencer was already a student supervisor Spencer sings karaoke at Durty Nelly’s in Charlottesville’s Fry’s Spring neighborhood She and Spencer formed a friendship over the iPhone app GamePigeon which lets users play games like poker and pool through the messaging platform.  so it stopped being fun for her,” Spencer said But their friendship carries into the offline world Spencer and Llanes-Trexler have bonded over music Llanes-Trexler had never been to a concert Llanes-Trexler suggested they go see the rapper Future together in Washington we paid way too much money for it,” Llanes-Trexler said it didn’t hinder their friendship too much – maybe because a few weeks later they went to see Childish Gambino and Tyler They still regularly go to concerts together and have picked up a karaoke habit along the way Llanes Trexler says she usually beats Spencer when they play basketball At the urging of a coworker in the Digital Production Group Llanes-Trexler and Spencer merely watched.  “I’m not really the type of person to go up on stage,” Spencer said Spencer put his name on the list to perform “One of the earliest ones I can remember doing is ‘Gold Digger’ (by Kanye West),” Spencer said because people will start singing along with you.” Spencer performs songs by rappers like Kendrick Lamar Spencer introduced her to another new activity: skateboarding It did not go over as well as live music did “I can stand on it and go forward a little bit,” Llanes-Trexler said.  There’s at least one area where she exceeds Spencer.  but I definitely win at basketball,” she said The pair has come a long way from that introduction in the Digital Production Group in the basement of Shannon Library they even traveled to Ohio to see the total solar eclipse who definitely has a sarcastic side,” Spencer said with a smile he’s very easy-going,” Llanes-Trexler said “He’s just a great person to spend time with.” Carmen Llanes Pulido may be the youngest candidate in the five-way race for mayor but the lifelong Austinite with activism in her DNA arguably has the most boots-on-the-ground experience in the city’s grassroots arena As the executive director of the nonprofit Go Austin/Vamos Austin Llanes Pulido hopes to extend her future-focused leadership to City Hall Like the other mayoral candidates – Kathie Tovo Doug Greco and Jeffery Bowen – she recognizes the daunting challenge of trying to unseat a well-funded and well-known incumbent who won the seat in a tight runoff in 2022 Watson is a former state senator and also served as Austin’s mayor from 1997 to 2001 While Watson is popular among voters in segments of the community including business interests and once-skeptical density proponents Llanes Pulido said she hears general dissatisfaction from voters impacted by rising costs and a lack of adequate city services in some areas “And for those who pay attention to city policies they are really upset about the lack of transparency and how community and technical experts “there is a desire for new leadership.” “there are a lot of people who don’t even know there’s a mayor’s race – people who are just starting to hear the word.” Voters who follow local issues are concerned about the number of times Travis County courts have found the City Council to be in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act a problem the Council has since taken steps to remedy there is apprehension about the tentative contract agreement reached between the city and the Austin Police Association Council is scheduled to deliberate the proposed deal Oct although persistent questions from some Council members and the public could delay approval of a contract if conflicts aren’t resolved before then “I think we need a lot more transparency about how the police budget even works and how it’s been changed over the last several years,” Llanes Pulido said “Anything we add to our police budget cannot be taken away so I’m curious to see what kind of metrics and outcomes are being negotiated around hiring and training and retention And then there’s the question over the G file.” which contains allegations of officer misconduct and disciplinary information is a major point of contention in the tentative agreement  A judge recently ruled the city was in violation of the Austin Police Oversight Act The oversight act was intended to eliminate the G file and make information in the file available to the public There is disagreement over whether the G file would be grandfathered into the proposed contract or subject to public information requests Llanes Pulido said she is pleased that Lisa Davis “It was reassuring to hear someone approaching our city’s problems from a practical level and putting a high premium on accountability and trust and good policing And I think she understands some of the key issues that are required to boost morale and improve police-community relations,” she said Llanes Pulido is centering her campaign on three top priorities The first is infrastructure: “Keeping the power on and the water running and addressing our outdated infrastructure – fixing leaky pipes distributing our grid and planning our development and growth more responsibly in that respect.” she aims to address “the cost of living and real affordability which is rhetorically championed but not reflected in any policy in the last two years,” she said “And we desperately need to preserve the affordable housing we have and produce deeply affordable housing instead of just focusing on redeveloping as much as possible without thinking about affordability or infrastructure We can’t talk about affordability and cost of living without being more responsible in our spending.” the candidate aims to change the city’s approach to homelessness by putting more resources toward prevention “We spend more per capita on homelessness than Los Angeles We could immediately reallocate some of our resources for better outcomes by listening to front-line organizations and advocates who are telling us where money could be better spent,” she said “We’re spending millions of dollars on sweeps which are a temporary fix and extremely wasteful and cruel We could be spending more money on transitional housing and direct services support instead of just adding (money) to the problem There is massive spending with no accountability.” As a former member of the city Planning Commission appointed by then-Council Member Tovo Llanes Pulido is versed in land use policies She doesn’t subscribe to the ideas behind the HOME ordinances which allow for more housing units and different types of housing on single-family lots While the City Council voted nearly unanimously for the HOME ordinances with the intention of making housing more affordable Llanes Pulido is dubious of Council’s stated goals “There is nothing that prescribes or guarantees affordability … and there’s no plan for adequate infrastructure It’s being championed as a progressive reform for affordability but there’s really nothing progressive about it – it’s completely based in Reaganomics-style supply-side theory,” she said leaving the city to obtain a degree from the University of Chicago University of Texas lecturer Charlotte Herzele and community organizer Daniel Llanes They divorced when Llanes Pulido was an early adolescent Her mother now lives in Hyde Park while Daniel Llanes lives in East Austin where he has long been active in neighborhood issues and PODER an environmental and social justice organization Her uncle is developer and landowner Perry Lorenz a pioneer in building some of Downtown’s first residential high-rises Llanes Pulido credits Lorenz for much of what she knows about the development business “He’s a key source of insight and wisdom,” she said Through the lens of her activist parents and business-savvy uncle she was able to observe the disparities in Austin’s public and private investments but also appreciated the richness of the city’s diverse neighborhoods and their cultures “I went to magnet schools so I got to see neighborhoods all over Austin and how different they were but also the commonalities among them and common values and the things that make us uniquely special as a city.” “What I learned is that every area of Austin has wonderful qualities that have been brought about by champions in the community and the city and every community has knowledge that’s really critical to making good decisions and improving the quality of life in those areas You can’t do it without the technical expertise but you definitely can’t do it without the lived experience and that’s especially true for community planning and growth.” Growing up here also taught her why Austin is so often referred to as special music scene and local businesses all combine to make Austin stand out among other U.S “Those are all things that if we take care of them they ensure prosperity and economic investment in Austin But if we only focus on economic investment we actually lose the things that make this place so desirable to everyone.” Llanes Pulido has learned a few things about life Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia at age 29 she learned to bring humanity into every challenge “Plenty of people face cancer every day and you never want to put a judgment on beating it or not Part of me wants to say I know how to beat the odds I was lucky to have the treatment available to me when I was diagnosed it taught me that we can’t be passersby in our lives,” she said And we’re honored you look to us for serious You know a strong community needs local and dedicated watchdog reporting Now will you take the powerful next step and support our nonprofit news organization Austin City Council: The Austin City Council is the body with legislative purview over the City of Austin while the office of the City Manager implements administrative actions based on those policies City of Austin residents voted to change that system and as of 2015 10 members of the Council are elected based on geographic districts The Mayor continues to be elected at-large Austin Police Association: The organization that represents Austin Police officers Austin Police Department: the law enforcement entity for the City of Austin November 2024 elections The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one See which district you live in The Austin Monitor is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization We are fully-local and cover the important issues and key decisions at the intersection between the local government and the community This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Coshocton with Pastor Rita Myers officiating Calling hours will be two hours prior to the service at the funeral home Category: Obituaries Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content John Stephen “Steve” Miller John Stephen “Steve” Miller passed away peacefully under hospice care on May 4 2025 after coping bravely with major health issues for over a decade Steve was born 6/30/44 in Coshocton to the late Oscar and Mildred (Wright) Miller He was a graduate of Coshocton High School and […] Marilyn L. Wilson 1947 in Coshocton to the late Harold and Wanita (Deeds) Cognion She was a 1965 graduate of Ridgewood High School Tiffani Sue Celeschi Tiffani had several family and friends by her side Tiffani leaves behind her husband John (JD) Celeschi Tom Triplett of Newcomerstown and Roger (Sharon) Bradshaw Patricia A. Alvarez 1950 in Coshocton to the late Walter and Mary (Drushl) Chapman she married James “Jimm” Alvarez who survives taking care of her children or other children she brought […] Victoria Gray 1956 to the late Robert Earl Veigel and Marcella (Tarrh) Veigel Graham at the former Coshocton Memorial Hospital Wilbur Dean Hall 1959 to Wilbur Hall and Deloris Jean (Haines) Leach Dean was a 1979 Coshocton High School graduate and later became the owner and operator of Hall Brother […] Martin “Marty” Gosser coshocton beacon today Austin Mayor Kirk Watson declared victory in his re-election bid late Thursday after the release of a final batch of vote totals But runner-up Carmen Llanes Pulido refused to concede the race The ballot counts released Thursday show Watson winning the five-way race outright by about a dozen votes The outcome of the mayoral race has been unclear since the Nov when unofficial final vote totals showed Watson had garnered 50.01% of the vote While that’s over the majority threshold candidates need to win races outright Watson held off on declaring victory as elections administrators in Travis Williamson and Hays counties still had to count some provisional and mail-in ballots shows that Watson’s vote share dropped to 50.0041% Though the outright win was razor thin and unsettled Watson on Thursday evening described it as “extraordinary” given that there were so many candidates in the race “I want to thank voters for their confidence in me,” he said in a victory post on X that noted he had received 104,000 more votes than Llanes Pulido Llanes Pulido told the Statesman it was “misleading for the mayor to declare that he won by a margin of 104,000 votes when in reality he is avoiding a runoff with a margin of only 14 votes “I am waiting to see an official tally from the three counties to declare a position,” she said “We owe it to Austinites who have made it clear that they want new and accountable leadership to ensure that every single vote is accurately counted and every voice is heard,” she said declined to comment on Llanes Pulido’s position Former Austin City Council Member Kathie Tovo came in third in the race with 16.64% of the vote The perennial local politician was considered the front-runner throughout his re-election bid for several reasons but some thought the contest would end in a runoff simply because there were so many candidates in the race making it difficult for any one of them to secure a majority vote That’s what happened in 2022 when Watson last ran for mayor But far less certain was who might end up forcing Watson into a runoff All four of his challengers ran active campaigns Tovo said she was disappointed by the outcome of the race but remained grateful to supporters and proud of her campaign the solution to the complex challenges our city and our nation are facing will be found in community,” she said a small-business owner who called for a sweeping audit of city spending said he and his challengers garnered enough of the vote to send  a “loud clear message and that message should be heeded.” who was in last place with fewer than 5% of the vote said in a statement that he was proud his campaign “left nothing unsaid.”  “Nobody gets a pass in politics,” he added the second-place finisher in the November general election filed a petition for a partial recount of election results Nov CMT","pageType":"Author Page","mavenPageType":"profile","author":"tm-ci02e77688d00024ce","authorName":"Louis Llanes is a wealth advisor for high-net-worth clients with over 30 years of experience in the investment industry including senior portfolio manager for U.S owner of a registered investment advisory firm Louis is also the author of The Financial Freedom Blueprint and The Handbook of Risk and hosts a podcast called The Market Call Show A request for a recount in the November general election by Austin mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido has been denied Llanes Pulido had filed a request Thursday for a recount of the votes in the city’s 11 precincts in Williamson County a recount must be for the entire jurisdiction Austin stretches across Travis County into Williamson and Hays Llanes Pulido has until Monday to decide whether to appeal “The particular sections of the code they are referencing it’s inconsistent with what was told to us by the legal representative at the Secretary of State’s Office,” she said “Because we did ask this specific question several times before we submitted this petition.” Incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson earned the most votes in the Nov. 5 election, but he needed a majority of the vote, or 50% plus one vote, to win outright and avoid a runoff with Llanes Pulido. He declared victory last week Llanes Pulido said because the margin was razor thin she felt the community deserved reassurance that every vote was properly counted She cited irregularities in the vote count Earlier this week, Travis County reported it found 75 provisional ballots that had not been fully processed Twenty were added to the county’s total — 13 of those included votes in the mayor’s race “I know how much work goes into securing accuracy and fairness,” Llanes Pulido said “And so this is not a criticism of any of those leaders but it is a desire to get a clearer picture of what really happened.” Watson again declared victory and said the request for a recount was “sowing doubt in the democratic process and creating chaos.” even if a recount resulted in my falling under 50% it would likely be by only a few votes,” he said “The mayor of Austin should be looking to create stability especially in a time of instability in other parts of government We should put the campaign behind us and get back to work now that the effort to deny the election has been found defective Llanes Pulido told KUT she is not interested in changing the outcome unless that’s what the numbers show “I am going to respect the results of the election,” she said The director of nonprofit Go Austin/Vamos Austin, Llanes Pulido has been vocal about addressing the city’s affordability issues and has been critical of the city’s recent changes to the land development code She also says the city has to do more to address climate change improve infrastructure and public transportation “I hope this administration — this mayor — can look at this result and see that this razor thin margin says something,” she said “It says that we need to be coming together and stop excluding people we disagree with We need to be brave and honest and engage in dialogue and work with our opposition to come up with better solutions for Austin.” This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT November 2023 elections Austin mayoral hopeful Carmen Llanes Pulido conceded to incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson late on Friday The announcement came a day after Llanes Pulido filed a petition for a partial ballot recount that the city clerk deemed defective who was one of four candidates to challenge Watson in his re-election bid had said she was considering whether to re-file but in a Friday concession statement she said she was abandoning the effort “After this historic and tumultuous election it's more important than ever that we conserve our energy and invest in loving our communities into collaboration and ingenuity,” Llanes Pulido said “It's time for us to find zones of alignment in the context of divergent perspectives Final vote tallies show Watson won the five-way race outright, avoiding a runoff with Llanes Pulido by just about a dozen votes, according to final official results certified by the Austin City Council Tuesday Llanes Pulido said at the time the race was still too close to call a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote received a much smaller vote share — 20.1% — but still would have forced Watson into a runoff if his vote share had dropped below the majority threshold Watson dismissed Llanes Pulido's recount effort as an unnecessary distraction and claimed her petition was illegal because it only requested a partial recount This story has been updated with new information Austin mayoral hopeful Carmen Llanes Pulido has until Friday afternoon to correct “defects” in her request for a partial recount of ballots cast in the Nov Gonzalez said she didn’t know what the defects were and asked the American-Statesman to file an open records request for a letter to Llanes Pulido from City Clerk Myrna Rios’ office explaining her reasoning who was one of four candidates to challenge Mayor Kirk Watson filed a petition with Rios’ office early Thursday that asked for ballots from 11 Williamson County precincts to be re-totaled The move came a week after Watson declared victory in the five-way race. Official final results from Travis, Williamson and Hays counties show he avoided a runoff with Llanes Pulido by about a dozen votes. The Austin City Council certified the results Tuesday “The margin is extremely thin,” Llanes Pulido told the American-Statesman Thursday after filing her petition candidates must get more than 50% of the vote The official final vote tally put Watson at 50.004% received a much smaller vote share — 20.1% — but still would force Watson into a runoff if his vote share were to drop below the majority threshold Watson denounced Llanes Pulido's effort on Thursday as an unnecessary distraction and claimed that Texas law prohibits candidates from “cherry picking a few precincts” for a recount said she consulted with the Texas Secretary of State on that exact issue “Their legal office told us multiple times that I can in fact request a recount in just the 11 precincts,” Llanes Pulido said in a statement “The city attorney cited a section of the code to me in passing that only applied to paper ballots.” Llanes Pulido said she is examining the code cited and will decide on whether to appeal or re-submit a petition In an interview with the Statesman earlier Thursday she alleged there were “a number of irregularities” across all three counties including an unusually late posting of results in Travis County on election night She also said that Williamson County officials gave her campaign conflicting information regarding the timing of ballot counting Because recounts are costly and time-consuming Llanes Pulido said she decided to request one in just Williamson Llanes Pulido also pointed to the 20 provisional ballots that the Travis County Elections Administrator recently decided to add to the final vote count after consulting with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office Spokespeople for elections administrators in Travis Williamson and Hays counties did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the American-Statesman Watson cast the allegations from Llanes Pulido as a Trumpian move to manifest mistrust in election results "This is not a requested recount where there are two candidates who finished within a few votes of each other and it might change who was declared the winner in the election," Watson said in his statement the second place finisher—104,000 votes behind—is doing what we see too much of these days—denial of an election outcome We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Angie Llanes Martinez created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories © 2025 Mission Park Funeral Chapels & Cemeteries Made with love by funeralOne Llanes provides insight into the aftermath of the Olympics offers some inspiration for older players and gives her thoughts on her future in the hockey world Missed parts one and two Already have an account? Sign in Texas — Carmen Llanes Pulido officially concedes the mayoral race to Kirk Watson one day after filing a petition requesting a recount Pulido was asking for a recount in 11 precincts in Williamson County The City of Austin Clerk's Office denied her request since a partial recount isn’t allowed RELATED| City of Austin Clerk denies recount request from former mayoral candidate Pulido A recount would’ve needed to happen in all precincts where votes for Austin's mayoral race are counted Watson secured more than 50% of the overall vote but avoided a runoff by only around a dozen votes Llanes Pulido says in part that after spending the next few weeks with family Carmen Llanes Pulido officially conceded the race for Austin mayor Friday announcing she would not file an amended petition seeking a recount On Thursday, she submitted a petition for a recount of Austin’s 11 precincts in Williamson County The request was rejected because state law requires a recount to be of an entire jurisdiction "After a long two weeks of changing results and my own team's cost-benefit analysis of re-examining the results of this incredibly close election tally I have decided to lay down the pursuit of a recount and bring a close to my mayoral campaign," Llanes Pulido said in a written statement Candidates who seek a recount must pay for it If the outcome of the election is changed by the recount the entire deposit is returned to the petitioner It's "time to turn my attention to what is in the absolute best interest of the constituents of Austin," she wrote "The goal of this campaign was always to get us more accountable and community-driven leadership in our municipal government." Watson earned the most votes in the Nov. 5 election, but he needed a majority, or 50% plus one vote, to win outright and avoid a runoff with Llanes Pulido. He declared victory last week Llanes Pulido said she sought a recount because the margin was so thin She said she was proud and grateful for the volunteers staff and voters who made this race one to watch I'll be spending time with family and loved ones and enjoying this gorgeous weather as I get ready to enter my fifth decade of life," she said I'm so excited to do it with thousands of new connections and new reasons to be grateful to call this place home." Llanes Pulido entered the race for mayor in January She raised more than $100,000 throughout her campaign Alejandro Llanes found the body of his sister in the backyard of her Cape Coral property on Jan When the Travis County Clerk released the final tally of votes for Austin mayor early Wednesday, none of the candidates had enough to claim victory Incumbent Kirk Watson was ahead with just over 50 percent of the vote He needed (and still needs) 50 percent plus one vote to be declared the winner – otherwise the race goes to a runoff against the candidate with the second-most votes Austin Mayor Kirk Watson speaks to supporters during an election watch party on Tuesday In addition to overseas and mail-in ballots These ballots are given to people who want to vote but have a discrepancy with their voter registration Maybe their information was entered wrong or their address was not up to date Or maybe the person had the wrong ID when they showed up to vote poll workers let the person cast a provisional ballot but it’s not counted right away; it must go through a verification process There were 3,200 provisional ballots cast in Travis County on Nov A bipartisan board will determine if those ballots can be counted as votes the voter registration director for Travis County said he and his team do research in the days after the election to help the board make their decision That can be finding and verifying a voter address or whether someone’s name was entered incorrectly so his team tries to sort these scenarios out “But it’s important for folks to understand that it is not our office or the election office that deems provisional votes counted or not,” he said “All we do is research and provide information to the ballot board and the ballot board determines whether to accept or reject.” There are many reasons a provisional ballot might be cast so Davis said it’s hard to say how many of them will actually be counted as votes “They are not always counted as actual votes – all provisional ballots – but they can be,” he said whether a provisional ballot is accepted or rejected that provisional voter will be notified by mail from the election division.” A 2020 study from the Pew Research Center found that about 28.5 percent of all provisional ballots cast across the U.S The most common reason was the person was not registered to vote the last day to register to vote is 30 days before the election There are a couple of ways a provisional ballot will be counted If a voter came to the polls without a proper ID But they must later present their ID to the elections office up to a certain date after the election for the vote to be counted If a person requested a mail-in ballot but didn’t receive it The provisional ballot will be accepted as long as the mail-in ballot isn’t Davis’ team helps the board determine if that mail-in ballot was submitted Davis said that provisional ballot will serve as the person’s voter registration application for future elections Carmen Llanes Pulido speaks to a supporter at an election party Tuesday Watson’s campaign team said they believe he’s still on track to maintain his lead and avoid a runoff It will depend on where those 3,200 provisional ballots – as well as the overseas military and domestic mail-in ballots – fall Travis County election officials said those ballots are allowed to be accepted through Nov So the outcome may not be known until Wednesday Both candidates have said they are prepared for a Dec This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT Lee esta historia en español aquí When Austinites cast their ballots this election transportation will be front and center — not just because it's a major challenge for the region but also because voters will have just navigated their way to a polling station Austin's mayor plays a powerful role in shaping how we get around the city and has an influential voice at City Hall The City Council gets to appoint one of its own to the Austin Transit Partnership the agency designing and building a multibillion-dollar light-rail network we sent five questions addressing five important topics We included one open-ended bonus question: What's your biggest transit priority The largest expansion of public transit in Austin history was approved at the ballot box in November 2020. Voters agreed to fund Project Connect with higher property taxes Some mayoral candidates promise to improve bus service Bus services in Austin are provided by Capital Metro Austin's City Council appoints two members to CapMetro's eight-member governing board but unless the mayor is one of those people the council wouldn't have a direct say in how the transit agency is run while being financed and constructed by ATP To encourage less driving alone, the city has taken road space away from cars to create express lanes for buses or give more room to pedestrians and cyclists. A recent high-profile experiment was on Barton Springs Road creating safer spaces for nondrivers while angering some Austinites who oppose removing car lanes All candidates were sent the same questions at the same time The summaries are presented in the order that candidates responded We're also linking to each candidate's full response so you can read it for yourself if the summary isn't enough Carmen Llanes Pulido Project Connect: Llanes Pulido says the current 9.8-mile light-rail plan doesn't match with what voters signed up for in 2020 She would push for ATP to prioritize rapid transit a term for high-frequency bus service like CapMetro Rapid "I believe if these items can’t be covered in the current plan I-35 expansion: Llanes Pulido says she is "against it but practical about the marching orders of TXDOT." She expects construction costs to soar and believes it could provide the city leverage if the state has to go back to the feds to request more funding I would push for maximum transparency on the costs and benefits of caps and stitches and ensure that we do as much as possible to mitigate and not perpetuate inequities in our highway investments," she said ABIA expansion: Llanes Pulido supports the airport expansion and the jobs it will create She said she's surprised big-dollar contracts didn't get more scrutiny by council and is wary of how much the city pays for consultants and design firms Fewer people driving to work alone: She supports the goal and wants to "shift our conversation" to talk about transit that provides better service at all times of day Llanes Pulido said she wants to "introduce a conversation about on-demand transportation" as an alternative to rideshare companies More road space for pedestrians and cyclists: Llanes Pulido says the "changes are appropriate in a number of areas." She says they need to be carefully planned "because they can contribute to congestion in some intersections," especially in areas with lots of development Biggest transportation priority as mayor: "Piloting and expanding on-demand and electrified transportation for commuter and circulator transit options." (Candidate's full response) Kirk Watson Project Connect: Watson says he is disappointed Austin didn't build light-rail in 2000 He applauds ATP for reducing the size of its Phase 1 plan to fit within the existing budget Watson says he's been meeting with federal officials and trying to find money for two possible extensions in the plan I-35 expansion: Watson supports the highway project; he helped secure funding for it while serving in the Texas Senate "The expansion will let more people get through town faster," he said Watson says the caps over the highway will "connect pieces of Austin" while creating more space for parks ABIA expansion: Watson says the city should have started years ago but he is "pleased we're now getting things done and moving forward," pointing to his votes supporting the expansion He says he's proud that $437 million of the multibillion-dollar expansion will go to "local Fewer people driving to work alone: Watson supports the goal for three reasons 1) More options to get around would make the city more affordable 2) Getting cars off the road would create more space for those who have to drive 3) Fewer people driving would reduce the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change More road space for pedestrians and cyclists: Watson says "drivers need to get around town safely," but wants more safe routes for cyclists "This requires a balance and I believe over the past two years we've gotten that right," he said pointing to the Barton Springs Road pilot project as a "great example." Biggest transportation priority as mayor: "A stable team atmosphere at City Hall and in the field guided by steady leadership," he said but then added that the single biggest priority is probably the Austin Infrastructure Academy a program to train more trade workers to build planned projects (Candidate's full response) Kathie Tovo Project Connect: Tovo is disappointed by the "scaled back" first phase of the light-rail route but says she supports the entire transit expansion "for the environmental and financial benefit." Tovo says she would ensure Project Connect "proceeds with full financial transparency I-35 expansion: Tovo is a vocal opponent of the highway project and signed on to a federal civil rights complaint "Adding lanes is unlikely to alleviate traffic in a meaningful way as research suggests that highway expansions usually result in more cars flocking to those routes," she said Tovo is calling for more air quality monitors to track the effects of increased traffic ABIA expansion: Tovo supports the expansion and voted for it when she was a City Council member She says ABIA should have "more family-friendly amenities such as play areas and rocking chairs," and wants better opportunities for local businesses to operate at the airport and compete for vendor contracts against "large national corporations." Fewer people driving alone to work: Tovo supports the goal "along with historic investments in sidewalks More road space for pedestrians and cyclists: Tovo says "road diets" can be a good strategy along with other changes She says the city has taken a "cookie-cutter approach" to public engagement and should do more outreach to those affected "Not all of these changes thus far have been made in collaboration with impacted communities and the City needs to do better," she said Biggest transportation priority as mayor: More teleworking to get cars off the road (Candidate's full response) Jeffery Bowen Project Connect: Bowen says the current plan has "NO RESEMBLANCE of what was on the ballot the voters approved," but he says it would be too soon to provide any input on changes to the transit plan while lawsuits aiming to stop it are still playing out He's critical of delays rolling out CapMetro Rapid routes and wants CapMetro's Pickup service expanded I-35 expansion: Bowen says his position doesn't matter because "the interstate was going to be expanded no matter what." He says he wants transparency with the costs of building and maintaining caps along with a clear timeline for completion ABIA expansion: Bowen responded only about the city's move to evict the private operator of ABIA's South Terminal to make room for the expansion "If Austin Bergstrom management knew the level of expansion needed and approaching timeline why would 'ANYONE' sign a 25 year lease (with 5 year extension) for the South Terminal?" Fewer people driving to work alone: Bowen supports the goal but points out having 50% of people choose any option besides a single-occupancy vehicle "is just that not a mandate and 2039 is 15 years away." He says the city could retain more employees by listening to their demands about working from home More space for cyclists and pedestrians: Bowen says the city often goes too far and should evaluate how heavily bike lanes are used Bowen believes that "does not help the car / bike relationship." Biggest transportation priority as mayor: Bowen says taxpayer dollars should be better used to establish transit all over the city and provide reliable service for the elderly and those with disabilities "One last thing — fix the sidewalks situation," he said (Candidate's full response) Doug Greco Project Connect: Greco is vowing to get "Project Connect done on time and on budget including light-rail and expanded bus service." I-35 expansion: Greco signed on to the federal civil rights complaint trying to stop the highway project but he expects the expansion will probably happen "we need the caps and stitches." Greco says Mayor Watson should have negotiated a better deal when he was a state senator working to have the project funded ABIA expansion: Greco supports the expansion saying "we need a world-class airport." He says he wants "competitive wages for airport workers and living/prevailing wages for construction workers." He says he doesn't like plans to tear down the Red Garage and South Terminal for the expansion Fewer people driving alone to work: Greco supports the city's goal to have less than half of Austinites commuting in a single-occupancy vehicle by 2039 Project Connect needs to be completed on time and on budget Greco calls for investments in bus service and measures that incentivize carpooling He says he wants more money spent to make streets "walkable and bikeable." More road space for pedestrians and cyclists: Greco says the changes are "critical to achieving our long term goal of reducing car dependency." He would try to strike a balance so people have options for walking Biggest transportation priority as mayor: He wants "equity in our transit system so that all Austinites have multiple transportation options including public transit." Believes CapMetro's bus drivers and mechanics deserve raises (Candidate's full response) Correction: The city is now planning to build 25.11 acres of deck parks after eliminating proposed highway decks at 51st and 32nd Streets Outdated information provided by the city had said it was planning "almost 30 acres" of deck parks The story has been corrected to reflect the updated acreage the gallery where art and creative concepts align from the region and beyond the Middle Eastern debut of acclaimed Cuban-American artist Reynier Llanes (Apr the exhibition showcases works from Llanes’s celebrated series The show draws inspiration – and gets its title - from the philosophy of “reverie” as articulated by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard in The Poetics of Reverie Bachelard insisted that reverie is not a mental vacuum but actually indicated an abundance of spirit reverie was a state of contemplation where imagination and memory merged to reveal truths about the self and the world creating works that act as gateways to introspection with reality and reflection playing major roles Emotions and memories surface in his works with the compositions sharing personal and universal qualities is not about escaping life’s struggles but about reinterpreting them an enigmatic figure observing the fleeting yet profound moments of life — self-discovery The Poet exists in a state of perpetual contemplation Through delicate line-work and atmospheric compositions Llanes invites viewers into a zone of reflection and thought where the boundaries between past and present He has the ability to balance melancholy and beauty which creates a tragic yet rewarding experience Some of the works in The Poet series bridge ancient echoes and contemporary realities projecting both personal and generic human experiences “There is a perspective in storytelling that I love: the more personal a story is the more it connects with people,” Llanes has said He presents a poignant piece titled Place dedicated to the wars and conflicts around the world endowing their stark realities with poetic sensitivity Solar is a luminous composition with a brighter palette symbolising renewal and the pursuit of beauty amid adversity A radiant figure emerges from an ocean of gold The canvas radiates warmth as if The Poet has merged with the sun itself The Poet is suspended in the vastness of the cosmos surrounded by an expanse of celestial fragments The golden hues of the figure is surrounded by cosmic dust evoking humanity’s search for meaning among the stars Telephone juxtaposes time past and present depicting a millennial woman leaning against an old telephone booth while The Poet — ghostly and translucent — stands alert on the opposite side The contrast between their worlds is palpable; the work explores connection and the silent conversations between past and present a spectral figure steps through a rainbow entering the sea Thoughts sees The Poet in deep contemplation as though thinking itself was eroding the boundaries of the physical world where The Poets appear as ethereal figures caught in an intimate The painting is a tie-up of reality and memory since it depicts Llanes’s personal connection to Cuba The piece incorporates familiar imagery — weathered facades warm streetlights and everyday architecture — grounding dreamlike storytelling in tangible reality Llanes also engages with contemporary discussions on artificial intelligence As technology advances and raises questions about the legacy of human memory beyond physical existence The Poet serves as a metaphor for the soul — an eternal essence that infinitely accumulates knowledge and experience Just as Reverie allows the mind to journey the past The Poet becomes a keeper of collective memory and the continuously evolving human experience “Time present and time past/Are both perhaps present in time future,/And time future contained in time past.” – T Cuba) uses his art to delve into topics steeped in folklore He often portrays this landscape with a magical lens where he has been hailed as one of the “New Superstars of Southern Art” Llanes’s art is deeply influenced by the Southern culture of the USA particularly those hailing from his native province of Pinar del Rio has noted that his “symbolist narrative paintings and mixed media works underline not merely his immense talents as a realist but also his ability to conjure alternate yet convincing realities of his own imagination” adding that the artist’s “memories of his roots in Cuba intertwine with his mystical audience-engaging visions of the present and future.” Llanes’s art has found permanent homes in many reputed museums in the United States The biggest impact of Austin’s transformation from a college town to a hub for tech companies is the median price of rent has more than doubled and a larger share of renters spend more than a third of their income on rent and utilities From what can be built in a given neighborhood to solutions to growing homelessness housing policies are largely governed by local elected officials And so as voters head to the polls this election season it's helpful to know what local candidates are thinking about housing While the mayor’s vote does not outweigh those of any council member we sent the five mayoral candidates four questions about some of the city’s biggest housing issues We also included an open-ended question: What would be your biggest housing policy as mayor A rent or mortgage payment is typically a family’s largest expense. In 2022, nearly half of all renters in the Austin area spent more than a third of their income on rent But those who follow the issue of housing affordability often differ on what exactly is to blame Should we limit the use of short-term rentals such as Airbnb Should we make it harder for investors to buy homes For the past decade, elected officials in Austin have pushed to amend the city’s land development code. This is a complex set of rules that governs what can be built and where – everything from the height of a building to how close a house has to sit back from the street. The topic has been contentious But since 2023, there’s been more political will to change these rules. In the past year, council members have made big changes to the land code, including voting to allow more homes to be built in central neighborhoods the City of Austin has dedicated millions of dollars to helping low-income people pay their rent But the number of people who have applied for help has thus far exceeded the city's resources the council voted to replenish the rental assistance fund buoyed by federal funding during the pandemic has spent a historic amount of money on temporary shelters and housing for people experiencing homelessness the number of people without permanent housing in Austin and Travis County has doubled All candidates were sent the same questions at the same time and given four days to reply We’ve presented their answers in the order we received them Housing affordability: Watson blames a shortage of homes for the city’s growing housing costs He says Austin’s land development code and permitting process “prevented growth of our housing supply.” Help paying rent: He says he wants to see “programs like rental assistance remain sustainable” and that the city also needs to address other costs that strain families’ budgets Homelessness: Watson says rent prices need to continue to come down to decrease homelessness He also says the city needs to fund all homelessness interventions from temporary shelters to permanent housing Biggest housing priority: He wants to make sure the most recent land code changes are implemented successfully and to find more ways to encourage developers to build income-restricted housing or homes set aside for people earning low incomes (Candidate's full response) Housing affordability: Tovo does not blame the struggle to afford housing on any one item but instead says “stagnant wages; steep and unsustainable prices for child care affordable (income-restricted) housing opportunities” all contribute to a high cost of living Land use changes: Tovo says she would have voted against recent zoning changes because they do not require property owners to set aside any new homes for people earning low incomes She also said she would have opposed these policies because of concerns of displacement and increased flooding Help paying rent: Tovo says she would support continued funding by the city of a rent assistance program But that “if we increase and incentivize the number of income-restricted homes … then the need for taxpayer-funded rental assistance for tenants to pay private landlords could decrease.” Homelessness: She criticizes the current council’s decision to move federal money from permanent housing to temporary shelters She also says she would work to raise private funds to help pay for homelessness solutions Biggest housing priority: Tovo says she would like to see the city build affordable housing on land it owns (Candidate's full response) Former director of Central Texas Interfaith Housing affordability: Greco blames the city’s population growth, a “large influx of capital,” condominium development downtown and investor purchases of homes for the growing cost of housing Land use changes: Greco says he supports changing the land code to increase the number of homes built in the city but that he would have also supported rules to make sure current residents are not displaced by new development Help paying rent: Greco calls rental assistance “one of our primary tools to prevent displacement and economic homelessness.” He says the city should be spending more money on this while also noting how hard that might be given the loss of pandemic-era federal funding Homelessness: Greco says the city needs to spend more on temporary shelters arguing that they are “the point of entry in which those experiencing homelessness can be connected to services and programs that get them on track to these successful permanent housing options.” Biggest housing priority: Greco does not pick one priority but says he would continue funding “rental assistance housing for those experiencing homelessness and ensuring the land code changes work for families who live here and want to live here.” (Candidate's full response) Director of nonprofit Go Austin/Vamos Austin Housing affordability: Llanes Pulido says the root of Austin’s affordability issues is the city’s reluctance to preserve existing cheap housing while also working to attract high-income workers to the city Land use changes: Llanes Pulido says while she supports changes to the land development code she does not support the changes the current council has made saying these changes were made “without requirements for affordability Help paying rent: Llanes Pulido supports increasing the city’s rent assistance fund but says the city needs to focus on the “root cause”: preserving cheap housing and building more income-restricted homes Homelessness: Llanes Pulido says she wants “[m]ore funding at the point of prevention” and less money spent on cleaning up homeless encampments She also says she wants to see more sober living options and a focus on harm reduction as opposed to police ticketing people Biggest housing priority: Llanes Pulido says she wants to create a housing fund that would divert money to build and preserve affordable housing She says this fund would be “overseen by people with direct lived experience in the housing affordability system.” (Candidate's full response) Support for KUT's reporting on housing news comes from the Austin Community Foundation Sponsors do not influence KUT's editorial decisions Austin has seen meteoric growth over the past decade and a half and its police department has found itself rethinking its priorities to address public safety amid the influx of newcomers we asked the five candidates for Austin mayor where they stand on the following issues and how they would broadly address public safety during a potential term in office Editor's note: This questionnaire was sent out to candidates prior to the Austin City Council's approval of the police labor contract on Oct Austin’s police department has had a continuous gap in staffing among patrol positions over the past four years there are roughly 350 vacancies in these positions While the department has made strides in hiring of late it has paid out six-figure overtime payments to dozens of officers Violent crime is down from pandemic-era highs but the city has still struggled with crime in a handful of “hotspots,” according to the last update from APD staff as well as pockets east of I-35 and in North Austin has led to a perception that Austin is not safe APD and the Travis County District Attorney's Office have been fraught over the last couple years DA José Garza ran on a platform to prosecute police misconduct and he's done just that Garza has secured indictments in nearly two dozen cases involving police violence the two agencies – the DA's office and APD – haven't been as lockstep when it comes to prosecuting cases and enforcing the law Austin's 911 response times and lack of call-takers has been top of mind since last year, when a street-racing takeover of Barton Springs and Lamar Boulevard grabbed headlines the department has made huge strides in hiring 911 operators – slashing the vacancy rate from 70% to just 7% 911 response times have not met the city’s expressed goal for an average of 10 minutes and 44 seconds Austin went without a formal police labor contract The city and the Austin Police Association were at loggerheads over the deal in early 2023 voters approved the Austin Police Oversight Act in May 2023 paving the way for increased civilian oversight of the police department Those changes had to be implemented into a new labor deal and the city is on the verge of finalizing a five-year All candidates were given the same list of questions at the same time as well as provided their full remarks at the footer of each section Jeffery Bowen did not respond to KUT's questionnaire Police staffing: Tovo said she understands Austin is seeing what many departments across the country are seeing: a shortage of cadets applying to police academies She said she hopes a new police labor contract will help reduce the staffing gap adding that she'd like to see more creative efforts to build a pipeline from local high schools to the police academy referencing a similar program run by the Austin Fire Department "Research points to the positive benefits that can result when officers live in the communities they serve," she said Crime and safety: Tovo pointed to research that Austin is but she admited that "for every victim of crime Tovo previously represented a district containing Sixth Street She highlighted efforts she made on City Council to increase safety in the entertainment district after a mass shooting including improving lighting and cameras along the street and giving business owners training to reduce gun violence "Many recommendations from the Safer 6th Street initiative have not yet moved forward since I left Council," she said "and as Mayor I intend to finish what we started." help foster conversations between the community "I will facilitate those conversations again and use my position to help build stronger relationships," she said Tovo also applauded Travis County's efforts to expand diversion programs to keep people out of jail and bolster mental health care among people who often end up there "I’m hopeful this type of investment will assist both the police department and District Attorney as they do their respective jobs together," she said 911 response: Tovo said she would stay the course as it relates to recruitment of 911 operators but that she hopes there is more oversight overall of 911 response – from operator to officer response "I recommend regular audits of response times to 911 calls so we can have assurances that officers are adhering to established protocol for how and when they respond to calls for assistance," she said Police contract: Tovo said she hopes the longterm contract is approved but added that she wants more disclosure of financial impacts on forthcoming city budgets "At a time when many Austinites are struggling to make ends meet we need to know that the City is prepared for the significant financial commitment required in this proposal," she said Biggest priority: Tovo said she hopes for a "safer more resilient" Austin where "everyone [can] feel safe in their home and neighborhood." She said she aims to achieve that by providing more money to violence prevention programs mental health care access and diversionary programs that would allow officers to respond to high-priority calls more quickly and collaborations allow our community members to receive the appropriate response during times of distress and emergencies," she said (Candidate's full response) who helped broker the longterm contract with the Austin Police Association said he believes that contract will have the "biggest impact" on solving Austin's police staffing issues Austin will end with more officers than it started with at the beginning of the year," he said Crime and safety: Watson said he believes Austin is a safe city but that the city needs to continue reducing crime the community presence of officers is also key to addressing concerns that Austin is unsafe "Austin needs to deepen the connections and trust between the police and every community," he said Law and order: Watson touted his efforts to bring the city's police union to the table and make progress on police staffing "The relationship between City Hall and the Police Department is stronger now than it was just two short years ago," he said adding that the new contract "is evidence of mended fences and will go far in the relationship" if it's approved 911 response: Watson said response times are "much much improved" from where they were prior to his term as mayor but added "no one wants to be on hold for any length of time when calling 911." He added Austin is meeting the national standard of answering 90% of calls within 15 seconds Police contract: Watson helped broker the labor contract He said the contract balances both the transparency in the Austin Police Oversight Act and the need to retain and recruit more officers Biggest priority: Watson said he wants fully staffed EMS He said he's helped secure longterm labor contracts with two of those three departments "We have more to do to improve public safety but it starts with having the staff to do it," he said (Candidate's full response.) Police staffing: Greco said he wants a police force that "reflects our diversity." As mayor he said he would "double down" on investments to racial-equity training to make sure the "relationship between the police and our community reflects our values." Crime and safety: Greco said he believes the city should make a better effort to address the roots of crime – namely "social economic and environmental pressures" – that may lead to "negative outcomes." That he argued is a "broader and more coordinated" approach Law and order: Greco said he's committed to building strong ties between City Hall but they "need a new start" – and a new mayor he said "all parties would be committed to the twin values of keeping our community safe and transparency and accountability" in public safety 911 response: Greco said sworn officers should be focused on the most urgent calls while other city departments could respond to calls for service where there is "no threat to people or property." Police contract: Greco said the tack used to get the police labor contract to council has been "heavy-handed." He said he has concerns about Mayor Watson "rushing" to get it OK'd before the election and the so-called "G-files" – the previously secret police employment files Austin is now legally required to divulge Biggest priority: Greco said he wants to pay police officers competitively and "fully implement the Austin Police Oversight Act." (Candidate's full response.) "By learning from the past several years and having candid and constructive conversations with new Police Chief Lisa Davis we can set metrics and measurable goals for our police department," Llanes Pulido said Crime and safety: Llanes Pulido said she wants officers to focus on "critical calls that require immediate police response," with a focus on higher rates of property crime She said she wants the city to focus more on less interventional strategies like increased lighting while also leaning on community-based programs to address crime hotspots Law and order: Llanes Pulido said she's spoken with residents who say police "won't make arrests because they think there will be no charges brought" by the district attorney She said there needs to be an "up front discussion" about the relationship between APD and the local prosecutor "I believe we can move forward with a common set of shared goals and outcomes," she said 911 response: Llanes Pulido said she wants to fully fund social workers to answer 911 calls and reorganize the 911 call system while also expanding an EMS program to address people in mental health crisis Police contract: Llanes Pulido said she is "extremely concerned" about the cost of the $218-million tentative police labor contract She'd like to see an analysis of how it could help retain and recruit new officers "Increasing compensation for APD is important but cannot come at the expense of funding other critical needs—including public safety needs—that are essential to allowing the police to do their job," she said Biggest priority: Llanes Pulido said she wants the city to free up other city staff – namely social workers – to address lower-priority 911 calls "By routing calls that don't require police (Candidate's full response.) Llanes helped Canada to the gold medal and a berth in the Tokyo Paralympic Games at the Parapan American Games in Lima Llanes played in five games averaging 20 minutes on the floor She made her Paralympics debut at Tokyo 2020 and competed at her second world championships in 2023 she helped Canada to silver at the Paranpan American Games and in 2024 to a undefeated performance at the Paralympic Games qualifier Llanes was competing in wheelchair tennis at the time when she met former Team Canada player who encouraged her to try wheelchair basketball she was trying to improve her speed on the tennis court and former Team Canada and Hall of Famer Richard Peter said basketball would help Llanes was a force to be reckoned with on the hard court Her aggressive style of play led her to be chosen to represent Canada at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Hamburg A professional mountain biker for 15 years earning her a nomination for the 2018 BMX Hall of Fame she suffered a C-7 fracture and L-1 damage to her vertebrae which paralyzed her lower extremities in a mountain bike crash in Colorado 2023 Parapan American Games… 2018 and 2023 World Championships California… One of 21 global athletes named as ambassador for Paris 2024 Pride House… In mountain biking won a gold two silver and a bronze at the X Games… Won singles and doubles national titles in wheelchair tennis… Business owner selling adaptive mountain bikes The one endorsement Watson wanted but did not get was from the Central Labor Council, which requires a two-thirds vote from its membership. The labor council did not endorse anyone in the mayor’s race, but Doug Greco, who is also seeking the job, happily pointed out on X that Watson did not get the labor council endorsement Greco has the endorsement of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund as well as a number of individuals His supporters include Eugene Sepulveda and Steven Tomlinson Greco’s website notes that Sepulveda “previously served as campaign treasurer and an unofficial Senior Advisor to Mayor Steve Adler.” He also served for two terms as vice chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Former Council Member Kathie Tovo, the best known of the four other candidates in the race, noted that she had been endorsed by the Sierra Club Austin Regional Group, as well as the Central Austin Democrats and Better Austin Today PAC. However, that group, known as BATPAC, also endorsed two other candidates in the race for mayor – Carmen Llanes Pulido and Jeffery Bowen Llanes Pulido has the support of a variety of individuals, as evidenced by yard signs touting her candidacy. Supporters include Julie Oliver, co-founder of Ground Game Texas which worked to decriminalize cannabis in Texas Although Llanes Pulido’s website does not list those supporters she did send the Monitor a four-page listing of people supporting her candidacy the Monitor found environmentalist Bill Bunch – as an individual not representing the Save Our Springs Alliance where he is executive director – and Kazique Prince chair for the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce who was the first equity officer for the city of Austin Llanes Pulido said she also has support from Young Democrats United a group not affiliated with Travis County Democrats That leaves just two members of Council not endorsing him – Mackenzie Kelly a Republican running for reelection in a district that has so far never reelected anyone who is retiring and frequently disagrees with Watson He also has endorsements from a long list of elected officials including four of five members of the Travis County Commissioners Court Former Mayor Steve Adler is not on Watson’s list of supporters Lee Cooke and Ron Mullen are on the list along with numerous other current and former public officials Longtime political consultant Peck Young told the Monitor he does not think endorsements are nearly as important as they were when elections for City Council were held in the spring Many people are going to the polls focused on the races for president and Senate and may not have information on local candidate endorsements Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor MIAMI – Miami police arrested a 53-year-old massage therapist at his Brickell employer Tuesday after they said he sexually battered a client then offered her money to keep quiet about what happened located within Mary Brickell Village at 900 S after receiving a report that Jorge Cardenio Destrades Llanes digitally penetrated a 28-year-old woman while massaging her thigh during a full-body massage The woman told police that Destrades Llanes then offered her money “to not tell anyone,” the report states Police said she denied his cash offer; he then offered to send her money via Zelle and the victim began to get dressed,” police wrote in the report “(He) then returned to the room with his phone and requested her phone number to send her money.” Police said he sent $200 via Zelle but she “never received it.” “Further investigation revealed that the phone number provided to (Destrades Llanes) by the victim was off by a digit and was stored in his phone with the (victim’s) name,” police wrote The report states that Destrades Llanes spoke with officers telling them in Spanish that “he felt as if (the victim) was seducing him sexually” and “that’s when he might have touched her vagina unintentionally.” Destrades Llanes claimed that the woman asked him if he could “pay for the massage” and he agreed and sent the $200 “(H)e believes the victim was asking him for money because he had touched her,” the report states Police subsequently arrested him on a charge of sexual battery A judge found probable cause to charge Destrades Llanes and he remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $7,500 bond and magistrate hold as of Wednesday Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Volume 18 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1530809 Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the alteration/aggregation of TAU protein One of the main challenges of these diseases is that they have neither biomarkers nor pharmacological targets to stop the neurodegenerative process tauopathies are also characterized by a chronic low-grade neuroinflammation process where the receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) protein plays an essential role Our research aimed to explore the role of RIPK1 in various tauopathies We examined mouse models of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as well as brain tissue samples from patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) Our findings show elevated levels of RIPK1 mRNA levels across various forms of tauopathies in both mouse models and human tissue samples associated with primary and secondary TAU-related disorders we investigated the potential of using a RIPK1 inhibitor in a mouse model as a novel treatment strategy for FTD The data showed that GSK2982772 treatment effectively reduced the reactive astrocyte response triggered by TAUP301L overexpression this RIPK1 inhibitor failed to protect against the neurodegeneration caused by elevated TAUP301L levels in the hippocampal region These results suggest that although inhibiting RIPK1 activity may help reduce TAU-related astrogliosis in the brain the complexity of the inflammatory pathways involved could explain the absence of neuroprotective effects against TAU-induced neurodegeneration an effective treatment for tauopathies remains elusive the development of neuroprotective therapies capable of breaking this vicious cycle and thereby mitigating the neurodegenerative process has become a key research priority as a new therapeutic approach for tauopathies All experiments were performed in a P2 biosafety facility and by certified researchers according to regional and European regulations concerning animal welfare and animal experimentation and were authorized by the Ethics Committee for Research of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid with Ref PROEX 130.4/21 Every effort was taken to minimize the number of animals used and their suffering The total number of mice used in the GSK2982772 study was 11 (n = 11 WT-VEH; n = 11 WT- GSK2982772) Increased RIPK1 mRNA expression in tauopathies qRT-PCR determination of mRNA levels of Ripk1 in hippocampus of (A) AAV-TAUP301L mouse model (B) transgenic TAUP301L mice and (C) post-mortem AD and PSP patient samples; n = 3–6 samples ± SEM The asterisks represent the difference in significance: *p < 0.05 **p < 0.01 ***p < 0.001; comparing each group with the control condition according to t-Student test (D) Timeline representation of the experimental design: day 1 we performed the surgery and started the treatment with VEH or GSK2982772 (2.5 mg/kg and brain tissue were perfused for immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence staining (E) Representative images of the immunohistochemistry against human TAU in 30 μm-thick sections of contralateral and ipsilateral hippocampus from each experimental group Animals were randomized for treatment. Data collection and evaluation of all experiments were performed blindly of the group identity. The data and statistical analysis with the recommendations on experimental design and analysis in pharmacology (Curtis et al., 2018) Total RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and analysis of mRNA levels by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed as described in a previous article (Silva-Llanes et al., 2023). One microgram of RNA from each sample was treated with DNase (Invitrogen) and reverse-transcribed using high capacity RNA-to-cDNA Master Mix (Applied Biosystem). Primer sequences are presented in Supplementary Table 1A Data analysis was based on the 2-ΔΔCT method with normalization of the raw data by the geometric mean of the housekeeping genes Actb Immunofluorescence assays were performed on 30-μm thick coronal brain sections. The protocol followed was previously described (Galán-Ganga et al., 2021). Primary and secondary antibodies are described in Supplementary Table 1B Images were taken at spectral confocal microscopes Zeiss LSM710 (SEMOC Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Sols-Morreale”) or Leica TCS SP5 (SIdI A total of 2–3 hippocampal sections per side and condition were analysed as follows The area of the dentate gyrus (ipsilateral vs contralateral) from mice treated with vehicle or GSK2982772 stained with DAPI and the CALBINDIN-D28K fluorescence intensity was analysed by the Image J 1.54d The images were transformed into 16-bit and with the “Free Hand Selection” tool we manually selected only the dentate gyrus area of each image stained with DAPI The dimension of the dentate gyrus or CALBINDIN-D28K fluorescence intensity inside the selected area was quantified using the “Measure” tool in Image J program and the raw results measured in inches were represented (n = 3–4 animals per experimental group) Cell counts were performed every eight sections (30 μm-thick) using Fiji Software.1 For each mouse, 2–3 hippocampal sections were used for analysis (Schindelin et al., 2012). The error coefficient attributable to the sampling was calculated according to Gundersen and Jensen (1987) and values ≤0.10 were accepted (n = 3–4 animals per experimental group) Data are presented as mean ± SEM (Standard Error of the Mean) To confirm which statistical test had to be used we employed GraphPad InStat 3 including the analysis of the data to normal distribution via the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test statistical assessments of differences between groups were analysed (GraphPad Prism 5 Unpaired Student’s t-tests or two-way ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni were used as appropriate The data that supports the findings of this study is available by contacting the corresponding author approaching significance (p = 0.05) and reached statistically significant levels in samples from PSP patients our data indicate an increase in RIPK1 mRNA expression in both murine models and human samples of primary and secondary TAU-related pathologies our data suggest that GSK2982772 treatment predominantly affects the astrogliosis linked to TAU overexpression GSK2982772 treatment modulates hippocampal astrogliosis induced by TAUP301L overexpression qRT-PCR determination of mRNA levels of (A) Ripk1 (C) Tnfa and (D) Il1b genes at the hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 n = 3–4 samples ±SEM (E) Immunofluorescence of IBA1 (green) and GFAP (red) of 30 μm-thick sections in the CA3 region of hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 n = 3–4 samples ± SEM (F) Quantification of number of IBA1+ microglial cells (G) qRT-PCR determination of mRNA levels of Iba1 gene (H) quantification of number of GFAP+ astrocytic cells and (I) qRT-PCR determination of mRNA levels of Gfap gene at the hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 qRT-PCR determination of mRNA levels of (J) Glast1 and (L) S100b genes at the hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 Differences in significance are symbolized by asterisks: *p < 0.05 ***p < 0.001 comparing each group with the contralateral hippocampi from Contra-VEH mice or the indicated groups according to two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post-test TAUP301L overexpression results in reduced CALBINDIN-D28K levels in the DG of VEH-treated mice compared to the opposite hemisphere GSK2982772 treatment did not exhibited any modifications in CALBINDIN-D28K expression supporting the results obtained from DAPI staining these data suggest that treatment with the RIPK1 inhibitor does not have a neuroprotective effect against TAUP301L overexpression in the hippocampus GSK2982772 does not exhibit a neuroprotective effect in the CA3 or granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus caused by TAUP301L overexpression (A) Immunofluorescence of human TAU (red) and CALBINDIN-D28K (green) Regions of interest (ROI) are outlined in yellow Quantification of (B) CALBINDIN-28 K fluorescence intensity in ROI at the hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 qRT-PCR determination of mRNA levels of (C) Bdnf and (D) Ptpro genes at the hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 of 30 μm-thick sections in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 Quantification of (F) the area of the dentate gyrus and (G) CALBINDIN-D28K fluorescence intensity in ROI at the hippocampus of mice treated with VEH or GSK2982772 The asterisks describe the difference in significance: *p < 0.05 ****p < 0.0001 there are no treatments available that can decelerate or stop the progression of neurodegeneration in disorders linked to TAU protein anomalies A shared characteristic among these conditions is the persistent and sustained activation of neuroinflammation which intensifies the deterioration of neurons there is a pressing need to uncover the underlying pathways involved in these processes and evaluate their viability as targets for therapy RIPK1 has emerged as a promising candidate for therapeutic intervention we have demonstrated for the first time that it is a commonly altered mechanism in various murine models of tauopathy (AAV-TAUP301L and Tg-TAUP301S) as well as in samples from patients with primary tauopathy The encouraging findings from our initial research prompted us to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory and/or neuroprotective properties of a RIPK1 inhibitor called GSK2982772 in our AAV- TAUP301L -based tauopathy model the administration of GSK2982772 yielded only improvements in reducing astrocyte activation also exhibit elevated RIPK1 levels suggests a more direct role of TAU involvement Our data provide new insight into the mechanism by which the TAU protein induces a common RIPK1 pathway in different tauopathies This interaction appears to trigger the innate immune response in primary microglial cells the presence of PQBP1 in microglia seems to play a crucial role in the inflammatory response caused by TAU protein in brain tissue it seems that TAU is capable of triggering various inflammation-related signaling cascades our results suggest that modulation of RIPK1 by the small molecule GSK2982772 decrease the astrocytosis associated with TAU-induced degeneration but mainly due by the complexity of the multiple cascades involved in the neuroinflammatory process beneficial effect directly on neurodegeneration is not observed The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author The studies involving humans were approved by Comité Científico Externo del BT-CIEN The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements The human samples used in this study were acquired from Bancos de Tejidos Neurológicos en España-Banco de Tejidos CIEN Written informed consent for participation was not required from the participants or the participants’ legal guardians/next of kin in accordance with the national legislation and institutional requirements The animal study was approved by Comité de Ética de la Investigación del CSIC y de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid The study was conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements AM: Writing – review & editing The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research This work was supported by MINECO (grants PID2019-105600RB-I00 to A.M ISCiii CIBERNED (CB06/05/0089 to IL-B and CB18/05/00040 to AM and EM) We want to particularly acknowledge the patients and the Biobank Banco de Tejidos CIEN (PT17/0015/0014) integrated into the Spanish National Biobanks Network for their collaboration Mirjam Brackhan for assistance with the treatment of the mice The authors want to acknowledge the laboratory of “Microscopía Confocal (SIdI-UAM)” and the “Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale” Confocal service for their help with the Confocal microscope The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1530809/full#supplementary-material 1. ^http://fiji.sc/Fiji PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar and TAU: a perfect match for neurodegeneration Blood-brain barrier permeability is associated with different neuroinflammatory profiles in Alzheimer's disease Necrostatin-1 and necroptosis inhibition: pathophysiology and therapeutic implications Castro-Sánchez and neuronal protection by the treatment of an LRRK2 inhibitor in a tauopathy mouse model doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.09.006 Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) as a potential therapeutic target: an overview of its possible role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease Pharmacological targeting of GSK-3 and NRF2 provides neuroprotection in a preclinical model of tauopathy Experimental design and analysis and their reporting II: updated and simplified guidance for authors and peer reviewers Targeting RIPK1 for the treatment of human diseases a β-amyloid transporter at the blood-brain barrier is compromised in patients with mild Alzheimer disease “Chapter 12 - the tauopathies” in Handbook of clinical neurology Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Hyperphosphorylated tau mediates neuronal death by inducing necroptosis and inflammation in Alzheimer's disease Galán-Ganga Cannabinoid receptor CB2 ablation protects against TAU induced neurodegeneration inhibits RIP1 kinase phosphorylation in a randomized phase I ascending dose study in healthy volunteers Gundersen The efficiency of systematic sampling in stereology and its prediction Discovery of a first-in-class receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1) kinase specific clinical candidate (GSK2982772) for the treatment of inflammatory diseases Tau proteins with FTDP-17 mutations have a reduced ability to promote microtubule assembly Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar NLRP3 inflammasome activation drives tau pathology Identification of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type O (PTPRO) as a synaptic adhesion molecule that promotes synapse formation Tau activates microglia via the PQBP1-cGAS-STING pathway to promote brain inflammation Necroptosis in the pathophysiology of disease RIPK1 regulates microglial activation in lipopolysaccharide-induced Neuroinflammation and MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mouse models The blood-brain barrier in aging and neurodegeneration Distribution patterns of tau pathology in progressive supranuclear palsy Langworth-Green Chronic effects of inflammation on tauopathies Lastres-Becker Fractalkine activates NRF2/NFE2L2 and heme oxygenase 1 to restrain tauopathy-induced microgliosis Lemprière NLRP3 inflammasome activation implicated in tau pathology PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Targeting RIPK1 kinase for modulating inflammation in human diseases PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Inhibition of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 in chronic plaque psoriasis: a multicenter Astrocytes maintain glutamate homeostasis in the CNS by controlling the balance between glutamate uptake and release Inhibitors targeting RIPK1/RIPK3: old and new drugs Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) as a therapeutic target Tau pathology in a family with dementia and a P301L mutation in tau Dynamic interactions and Ca2+−binding modulate the holdase-type chaperone activity of S100B preventing tau aggregation and seeding Tau oligomers associate with inflammation in the brain and retina of Tauopathy mice and in neurodegenerative diseases RIPK1 mediates a disease-associated microglial response in Alzheimer's disease Parra Bravo Cellular and pathological functions of tau RIP1 inhibition blocks inflammatory diseases but not tumor growth or metastases Cutting edge: RIPK1 kinase inactive mice are viable and protected from TNF-induced necroptosis in vivo Assessing blood-brain barrier dysfunction and its association with Alzheimer's pathology cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation Mutation-dependent aggregation of tau protein and its selective depletion from the soluble fraction in brain of P301L FTDP-17 patients High prevalence of mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau in a population study of frontotemporal dementia in the Netherlands Astroglial glutamate signaling and uptake in the Hippocampus Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis Silva-Llanes The transcription factor NRF2 has epigenetic regulatory functions modulating HDACs Aggregated tau activates NLRP3–ASC inflammasome exacerbating exogenously seeded and non-exogenously seeded tau pathology in vivo The NLRP3 inflammasome modulates tau pathology and neurodegeneration in a tauopathy model Structure-activity relationship study of novel necroptosis inhibitors Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of RIPK1 inhibitor GSK2982772 in healthy Western and Japanese subjects modified-release formulation for the short half-life RIPK1 inhibitor GSK2982772 PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar van Swieten Phenotypic variation in hereditary frontotemporal dementia with tau mutations doi: 10.1002/1531-8249(199910)46:4<617::aid-ana10>3.0.co;2-i The latest information on the RIPK1 post-translational modifications and functions placebo-controlled study of RIPK1 inhibitor GSK2982772 in patients with active ulcerative colitis and pharmacodynamics of RIPK1 inhibitor GSK2982772 in healthy volunteers Necroptosis and RIPK1-mediated neuroinflammation in CNS diseases Necroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases: a potential therapeutic target Tauopathies: new perspectives and challenges Martínez A and Lastres-Becker I (2025) RIPK1 expression and inhibition in tauopathies: implications for neuroinflammation and neuroprotection Received: 19 November 2024; Accepted: 11 December 2024; Published: 27 January 2025 Copyright © 2025 Silva-Llanes, Madruga, Martínez and Lastres-Becker. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Isabel Lastres-Becker, aWxiZWNrZXJAaWliLnVhbS5lcw== †ORCID: Ignacio Silva-Llanes, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3737-560XEnrique Madruga, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7012-9737Ana Martínez, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2707-8110Isabel Lastres-Becker, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4968-2175 Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish In an exciting announcement, Canadian wheelchair basketball player Tara Llanes has been named one of the ambassadors for the Paris 2024 Pride House. The Pride House initiative was introduced at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is a place created to support and celebrate the LGBTI+ community. Llanes, an influential figure in the Canadian Para sport community, expressed her honour and enthusiasm for being part of this historic Games-time initiative. “It’s always an honour to be asked to be part of something so significant,” Llanes said. “It’s important for me to help be a voice within our LGBTQ+ community. I know as a young lesbian athlete it was difficult to come out and feel confident. I hope others can see athletes involved with Pride House Paris and feel comfortable and safe.” Pride House, an inclusive and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ athletes, fans, and allies, aims to promote diversity and inclusion during the Games. It serves as a sanctuary where individuals can express themselves freely, share experiences, and build a supportive community. The inclusion of Pride House at the Paris 2024 Games underscores the growing recognition of the importance of safe and inclusive spaces in sports. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Canadian Paralympic Team (@cdnparalympics) Llanes highlighted the significance of having a dedicated area for LGBTQ+ athletes at such a high-profile event “I think it’s important to have a place where LGBTQ+ athletes can feel safe and have open conversations and learn about each other’s experiences It’s amazing that the tradition continues in Paris,” Llanes continued but I received an email asking if I would like to be an ambassador Llanes remains deeply committed to the Canadian Women’s Wheelchair basketball program sharing insights about the Team’s training camp where she and her teammates have been preparing rigorously for the upcoming Paris Games and it’s been beneficial to have different players with various strengths and speeds to train with This helps us bond and improve as a team,” Llanes shared Each player has focused on their individual strengths and areas for improvement it contributes to the team’s overall success.” Tara Llanes’ involvement as a Pride House ambassador highlights her dedication not only to her sport but also to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all athletes Learn more about the Paris 2024 Pride House here. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will begin with the Opening Ceremony on August 28 and continue through September 8 with coverage of the Games on CBC and CBC Sports and Radio-Canada We encourage you to join our CAN Crew cheer squad so that you receive the latest information about the Canadian Paralympic Team on the road to Paris directly to your email inbox. Join today! Receive the latest Canadian Paralympic Team news and behind-the-scenes access directly to your inbox LBV Magazine English Edition the Count of Vega del Sella laid the foundation for understanding the prehistoric shell middens of Asturias an international team of researchers has tested this century-old model using cutting-edge geoarchaeological techniques recently published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews shed new light on how these enigmatic Mesolithic sites in Asturias were formed and raise questions about the lifestyles of coastal hunter-gatherers from 9,000 years ago focused on two iconic sites: El Alloru and El Mazo Through micromorphological and carbonate microfacies analyses the researchers were able to examine the internal structure of these cemented deposits which hang from the walls of caves and have been inaccessible to traditional archaeological methods until now The results obtained contradict several aspects of the model proposed by Vega del Sella in 1923 these shell middens were formed by the accumulation of waste thrown into the caves microscopic evidence reveals a more complex story the carbonate cements that bind these deposits are not due to water percolating through the walls but are associated with tufa formations linked to water springs This implies that during the early Holocene the water table was higher than it is today and there was intense spring activity in these coastal caves detailed analysis of the microscopic stratigraphy shows successive phases of accumulation of remains and periods of stability which contradicts the idea of a continuous formation of the shell mound evidence indicates that the formation of tufa and the accumulation of anthropogenic remains were simultaneous processes Perhaps the most surprising finding is that the biogenic and diagenetic cements reveal phreatic conditions meaning these deposits were formed underwater This presents a radically different scenario from the one proposed a century ago: instead of mounds of waste exposed to the air these were deposits submerged in pools or ponds within the caves These new pieces of evidence force us to reconsider how Mesolithic groups used these spaces microcontextual evidence suggests that shells were also processed and consumed inside the shelters This opens the possibility that these spaces were used as habitation areas The study also provides valuable information about paleoenvironmental conditions on the Cantabrian coast during the early Holocene The indications of a higher water table and greater spring activity coincide with the period of rapid sea level rise following the end of the last glaciation This would have radically transformed the coastal landscape inhabited by these marine hunter-gatherer groups The findings of this study compel a reconsideration of the models of prehistoric shell midden formation in other coastal regions of the world The study of the Asturian shell middens offers a unique window into a crucial period of European prehistory when the last hunter-gatherers developed increasingly sedentary lifestyles based on the intensive exploitation of marine resources The work published in Quaternary Science Reviews does not close the debate on the formation of the Asturian shell middens but opens new lines of research The authors highlight the need to expand these studies to other sites in the region to determine whether the pattern observed at El Alloru and El Mazo is generalizable They also stress the urgency of developing new conservation strategies for these fragile deposits threatened by coastal erosion and rising sea levels this study not only revisits a century-old model but also proposes a new vision of how Mesolithic human groups interacted with their coastal environment A vision that brings us a little closer to understanding the daily life of those pioneering fishermen and shellfish gatherers who populated the Cantabrian coasts nine millennia ago laying the foundations for a long maritime tradition that has endured to this day Carlos D. Simões, Eneko Iriarte, et al., Carbonate microfacies reveal how Asturian shell middens formed in the Mesolithic. Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 342, 15 October 2024, 108898. doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108898 Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email Archaeologists from universities in the United States and Denmark found deep within the Actun Uayazba Kab cave in Belize two small stone tools dated between 250 and 900 AD that… men and women gathered to play a game called Cuju A team of researchers has succeeded in recreating for the first time in a laboratory experiment a phenomenon that until now only existed as a theory in the realm of… the Cantonal Archaeology of Aargau carried out a rescue excavation between early May 2024 and the end of March 2025 The Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the discovery of a group of defensive structures and a system of moats that could indicate… In the southeastern area of the city of Rome archaeologists excavating inside the Triton Baths within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette… Why did some animals from ancient eras become fossils while others simply disappeared without a trace A recent study on the cave paintings of the Altamira Cave in Santillana del Mar Cantabria (Spain) has concluded that some of the artworks it contains could be much older… A team of paleontologists from the University of Leicester has managed to decipher one of the many enigmas of the dinosaur era—the exact moment when pterosaurs Rome achieved numerous military victories that allowed it to grow and dominate nearly the entire known world in Antiquity Receive our news and articles in your email for free You can also support us with a monthly subscription and receive exclusive content A six-day itinerary aboard the new Costa Verde Express Visitors exploring the town of Santillana del Mar From left: Toni Anzenberger/Redux; Getty Images From left: Chris DoAl/iStockphoto/Getty Images; Peter Hirth/laif/Redux Read: After the 100 days - Where we go from here Stephanie Llanes is Managing Director and Counsel at Protect Democracy Stephanie oversees the organization’s systems people and culture to carry out the organization’s mission She has served on a number of Protect Democracy’s litigation projects and led Douša v to stop the unlawful retaliation against Pastor Douša for providing pastoral services to migrants and refugees Stephanie came to Protect Democracy from the Center for Constitutional Rights where she litigated on the racial justice and government misconduct docket as a Bertha Justice fellow from Gainesville State College (now The University of North Georgia) She has also served on Mijente’s Leadership Circle since 2017 the award-winning podcast on entrepreneurship The episode talks about a lot of issues — but above all it covers what we’ve learned in the seven years where Protect Democracy has grown from a scrappy startup to a team of 120+ people in 26 states Protect Democracy United is a registered 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Protect Democracy Project is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Learn about the difference here Privacy Policy / Terms of Use Longtime Austin activist Carmen Llanes Pulido announced Tuesday that she would be running for mayor is the executive director of GAVA (Go Austin/Vamos Austin) and a former member of a variety of city organizations including the Planning Commission and the inaugural Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Llanes Pulido told the Austin Monitor she is running against incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson because under his leadership the city has seen “inadequate planning, deals that favor investors, wasteful spending … and frankly a mindset for a much smaller city.” As for former Council Member Kathie Tovo, who announced her bid for the job on Friday Llanes Pulido said she would give her credit for caring and working hard to help people But Llanes Pulido said she could reach out to a more diverse community and bring them into the conversation about how government is run Llanes Pulido served as Tovo’s appointment to the Planning Commission where she voted against a variety of urbanist plans Because she was a member of the redistricting commission Llanes Pulido said she was barred from running for office until mid-2023 she said she has been thinking about doing so for many years Llanes Pulido is the daughter of another East Austin activist “My dad brought me into City Hall when I was a baby and he brought me to community meetings as a child,” she said She added that going to all those meetings exposed her to the idea that when people get together creative things.” But she said that doesn’t mean that he wanted her to run for office “He knows I’m not a politician at heart – I’m a public servant,” she said She said she wants to “equitably climate-proof our city,” while at the same time mitigate displacement of people and restore “some health in our local economy and housing ecosystem.” Although it appeared that might not happen Watson just filed his campaign finance report showing he had spent less than $8,500 from personal funds and about $600 from political contributions. However, he had not started fundraising for the upcoming election. During the 2022 election, he raised about $995,000 in the first four months of the campaign considerably more than his opponents Celia Israel and Jennifer Virden Tovo filed her paperwork to run for mayor last week, so she will not have to disclose her fundraising proceeds until July. However, she has relied in the past on her own resources as well as donations to fund her campaigns Llanes Pulido told the Monitor she would be focused on getting voters to support her more than raising money for the campaign She said she intends to have more small donors than her opponents to Gwendolyn Lynn Wells and Carlos Eduardo Llanes He was very artistic and enjoyed creating photo albums and art Survivors include his mother Gwen Llanes of Winnie; father of Baytown; and Carina Llanes and her husband Debra Calderon of Houston and Aurora Rico of Pasadena; niece and nephews and Joey; and a host of other relatives and friends A gathering of Carlos’ family and friends will be from 1:00 p.m His interment will follow at Franks Branch Cemetery We quickly discovered that we lived in the same town and shared the same birthday My friend I know we lost touch but you will forever be in my heart and may you rest in peace and website in this browser for the next time I comment Beaumont - McFaddin Ave. Beaumont - Major Dr. Nederland ©Broussard's Mortuary 2017-2025 Built By Americom Marketing The Gibbes Museum of Art presents the vibrant narrative paintings of Reynier Llanes an established Cuban artist who spent six years working in Charleston before settling in Miami in 2015 Reynier Llanes: Passages will be on view in the museum’s third-floor galleries from May 24 – September 15 honed his artistic talents at the city’s School of Art (Instructores de Arte) under the coaching of renowned realist artist Juan Miguel Suárez before moving to Havana in 2005 to continue his studies Llanes established himself as a prominent artist with exhibitions like Strange Visitor in Naples FL and an artist residency at Jonathan Green Studios in Charleston Llanes’ art now resides in the permanent collections of renowned museums across the country Reynier Llanes: Passages features several of the artist’s recent large-scale oil paintings as well as works from earlier in his career including examples of his unique coffee watercolor paintings – a style he has dubbed “Espressionism.” Llanes combines and contrasts scenes from nature and daily life with a mystical and imaginative elegance Drawing from his own memories and experience as an artist and immigrant Llanes invites viewers into his unique dreamworlds His explorations of personal and societal passages sensitively communicate common threads in humanity This exhibition is organized by the Gibbes Museum of Art In conjunction with Reynier Llanes: Passages the Gibbes Museum of Art will hold exhibition-related programming throughout the show’s time on view Please see below for additional information on these special events Join the Gibbes in conversation with the artist as he discusses his journey from Cuba to the United States and the evolution of his work from his unique coffee paintings to his more recent body of works at the intersections of art The event will be moderated by Maura Hogan former contributing arts critic and columnist at The Post and Courier and founder of the art and culture newsletter Culture South For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org/programs-events/crossing-over-reynier-llanes-in-conversation/876 Drawing on the themes of the exhibition Reynier LIanes: Passages and inspired by the storytelling series The Moth guests are encouraged to stand and deliver a three- to five-minute story song or other performance that explores the topic of “passages”—a rite of passage a physical migration or some other crossing—at the Gibbes’ very first open mic night Made possible by the Art Bridges Access for All initiative this special evening will include several hand-picked guest artists as the reception and lecture halls are transformed into an after-hours For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org/programs-events/cafe-society-open-mic-night-at-the-gibbes-/877 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"