Sports betting isn't legal in Texas, but one of our Austin-based reporters used the prediction market Kalshi to put money on the outcome of Super Bowl.

Why it matters: Kalshi, which is regulated by the federal Commodities Futures Trading Commission, is not considered a sports betting app.

• Instead, the app allows users to buy and trade contracts on the outcomes of various events. Even though some states prohibit sports gambling, Kalshi has opened up sports event trading contracts in all 50 states.

The latest: Our reporter onboarded with Kalshi using an Axios email and a debit card. She uploaded the minimum amount ($10) via debit card and then put it all on one of the teams.

• After fees were deducted from that initial $10, she was able to purchase a contract with her remaining $9.18. She'll get $17 if they win.
• As it ran a check on her, Kalshi returned matching data that made clear it was aware she's a Texas resident.

Context: There's been a steady drumbeat to legalize sports betting across the country since New Jersey did it in 2018.

• Texas is a major holdout.

What they're saying: Kalshi declined to comment to Axios. The CFTC and the Texas State Securities Board did not reply to Axios' requests for comment.

• Gov. Greg Abbott has long indicated he was open to legal sports betting in the state but did not name it as a priority in his State of the State speech over the weekend — and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has shot down its prospects in the Texas Senate.

Between the lines: Some state lawmakers have argued that many Texans are already betting on sports illegally using websites and apps.

• Pushes to legalize online sports wagering came up short in 2021 and 2023, but supporters are taking another swing during this year's legislative session.

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Speaking of the big game (👆), anyone planning to host a Super Bowl party this weekend may want to replace those chicken kabobs with fruit kabobs.

Driving the news: Prices for meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fruits, veggies, alcohol and soft drinks were all up in December 2024 relative to December 2019, per consumer price index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• This reflects ongoing bird flu outbreaks: Fewer chickens, turkeys and eggs mean higher prices.

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🏗️ Hundreds of apartments, along with space for restaurants and shops, are planned for South Lamar Boulevard near the intersection with Barton Skyway, with one building as tall as eight stories. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

🏈 Bernard Riley has stepped down as the head football coach and athletic coordinator for Austin High. (Austin Sports Journal)

✈️ After steady growth since the pandemic hit in 2020, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport saw a 1.51% drop in passenger volume last year, per new airport data.

• Eight carriers reported a drop in passenger numbers, including American Airlines, which cut several routes from the airport. (City of Austin)

🐾 Quote du jour

"Guy just pulled up in the car and said, 'Hey, is that a Frenchie?' I said, 'Yeah,' and he jumped out the car with this pistol."

Uber riders in Austin can now increase their chances of being matched with a fully autonomous vehicle for trips around town.

Driving the news: Beginning today, Uber customers can opt in to receiving autonomous rides from Waymo vehicles by getting on an "interest list" in the Uber app, though it's unclear when the cars will be available for rides.

How it works: To get on the list, head to your account settings on the Uber app and select "Autonomous vehicles." Then, select "Join interest list."

• Once a user opts in, they'll be more likely to catch a ride with Waymo's fleet of autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-Pace cars, per Uber.
• Riders who request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric could get a ride from a Waymo car for the same rate. Riders can also unlock the vehicle and start the trip within the Uber app.

Zoom in: Uber and Waymo also unveiled their co-branded vehicles, which company officials say will be able to travel across 37 square miles in Austin to pick up and drop off riders.

What they're saying: "The countdown is on: Waymo's autonomous rides are coming to Austin soon — only on Uber," said Andrew Macdonald, Uber's senior vice president of mobility and business operations.

• "We're excited to partner with Waymo as we build the future of transportation, which will combine the best of both autonomous and human drivers in the years ahead."

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Reaching a high of 94 degrees (per National Weather Service records), Sept. 8, 1938 was warm enough that many Austin kids headed to their local public pool for a dip.

Why it matters: The kids in the photo above couldn't go to Barton Springs Pool — which was not desegregated until 1962.

• Instead, they could visit the pool at Rosewood Park in the "Negro District," as it was known in Austin's 1928 master plan.

Flashback: The plan forced the city's Black population out of their homes — including by terminating residents' utility services — and into a portion of East Austin, which further segregated the city.

The big picture: It's Black History Month, and we're thinking about the many ways Black Americans have shaped — and have been shaped — by Austin.