Happy Wednesday, the layover in the week's overseas vacation.

☀️ Today's weather: Highs again in the mid-80s.

🎧 Sounds like: "Hang Me Up To Dry," by Cold War Kids, who perform tonight at Stubb's as part of the Party for the Parks, a fundraiser for the Austin Parks Foundation.

• The event was moved from Zilker Park in the wake of its muddy weekend.

Today’s newsletter is 864 words — a 3.5-minute read.

A group of Austin landscape designers is working to transform barren stretches of North Lamar Boulevard into pockets of drought-tolerant plants.

Why it matters: Hellstrips — the space between the sidewalk and the curb — are often blasted by direct sun and receive little to no water, making them a notoriously difficult place to grow plants.

• Designers at Barton Springs Nursery Showroom and Design Studio have their eye on North Lamar's hellstrips and have put out a call to neighboring businesses to work together to green up the corridor.

What they're saying: Amy Hovis, co-owner of Barton Springs Nursery, said the group started with the rocky strip in front of the design studio, near West Ninth Street and North Lamar.

• After they planted a mix of low-maintenance plants there, "it had so much impact about how we feel when we walk up and what we see through the window," she tells Axios.

Zoom in: When temperatures cool, they plan to tuck soil and seeds into concrete crevices "and start to just green up and beautify as much as we can," Hovis says.

• The team began approaching their neighboring businesses this summer to see who's interested. Some could share the cost, while Barton Springs Nursery plans to donate plants and labor for others.

Reality check: Without irrigation, they'll have to rely on extremely hardy plants like Yucca rostrata, ghost plants and Woolly Stemodia.

• "We do have fortunately a lot of Texas native plants that are hardy, that are drought-tolerant," Hovis says, but "it's always a little tricky because it's just pure sun."

How it works: Author Evelyn J. Hadden, in her book "Hellstrip Gardening," describes the strips as part of the public landscape, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

• "These tough environments don't often support healthy lawns," she writes, "but they can host thriving gardens that dramatically improve their surroundings" — adding curb appeal, beautifying the neighborhood, saving water, and giving wildlife an urban stopover for shelter and food."

What's next: The designers aren't necessarily stopping at North Lamar.

• "If we get permission and all of that, we'll do it all over town. That's what we love," Hovis says.

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Texas ranks 15th nationally for overall EV readiness — based on factors including EV adoption, charger availability and charging power — per the 2026 HERE Technologies-SBD index. That's a jump from No. 25 in 2025.

Why it matters: High gas prices are making electric vehicles more attractive to drivers, though they remain a small share of vehicles on state roads.

Zoom in: Texas has 43 public chargers per 1,000 miles of road.

• That's below the national average of 60.
• TxDOT's EV charging dashboard currently counts 4,132 charging locations statewide, including 929 fast-charging locations.

Zoom in: Austin Energy operates more than 1,600 Level 2 ports, which can take a couple hours to charge a vehicle.

President Trump has approved a firing-squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. (Fox 7 Austin)

⚽️ Academy Sports is planning a new store in Dripping Springs, the latest sign of transformation in the once-small suburb. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

🎢 Circuit of the Americas is planning a water park and resort as part of an expansion push near Bastrop. (Community Impact)

The University of Texas and its No. 1 ranking play a rivalry game in Dallas on Saturday against Oklahoma — but you can watch in a classy old theater on Congress Avenue.

What's happening: The State Theatre is hosting a viewing party on the big screen for the matchup, which will take place, as it does every year, at the Cotton Bowl.

• Doors open for the free, first-come, first-serve event at 1:30pm. Kick off is at 2:30pm.
• The show will be hosted by comedians Danny Goodwin and Hunter Duncan.

What they're saying: "Come decked out in your game day best and settle in for every big play, questionable call, and reason to yell at a very large screen," per the promotional material.

The odds: The Longhorns (4-0) are 8.5-point favorites against the unranked Sooners (2-2) in the 122nd edition of the showdown.

• You can also watch on ABC, in the comfort of your home.

Back from Europe, Nicole snapped this picture (👆), among many others, in Florence.

• We hope that washing machine appreciates its wallpaper and the scenery.

The bottom line: Italy — a place where even the appliances have a room with a view.

Thanks to Bob Gee for editing this newsletter.

🎥 Asher is going to re-watch this movie, now that he's looking over Nicole's Italy photos.

🎉 Nicole had an incredible trip. Some highlights: A pesto-making class in Cinque Terre, the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, affogato in Florence, the soup at Munich's open-air market, and obviously the beer at Oktoberfest.