Axios Austin

October 05, 2022
🐪 Happy Wednesday.
☀️ Today's weather: Sunny with a high near 90. It's shaping up as a hot back half of the week as we head into the first weekend of ACL.
Today's newsletter is 884 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Climate risk in booming ATX

Congratulations — you survived another Austin summer.
The big picture: The number of super hot days in fast-growing Austin is soaring.
Why it matters: These long-term population and climate trends will strain water supplies, power grids and other utilities, and put a lot of people at risk of heat-related health issues.
Zoom out: Nine of the 10 fastest-growing urban areas in the U.S. have seen an increase in the number of very hot days between 1991 and 2020.
- We defined "very hot" days as those with a high temperature in the top 5% ever recorded for that particular city, write Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Erin Davis.
- Austin had 68 triple-digit days this year. (Congrats to Axios Austin readers Bo D. and Gay C. for forecasting the exact right number. We feel we're on safe ground calling it — the latest-ever triple-digit temp recorded in Austin was Oct. 2 in 1923 and 1938, per the National Weather Service.)
Between the lines: Americans are flocking to cities with a high risk of inhospitable conditions.
- Austin is at risk for wildfires.
- Houston is at risk for hurricanes.
- Drought is a major issue in the American West and elsewhere.
The bottom line: This data is a sign that extreme heat isn't yet factoring into people's decisions about where to live or raise their families, despite the risks that high temperatures can bring.
2. The politics of online dating
Photo Illustration: Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
In our politically polarized world, your soul mate might be swiping left if you don't intend to vote or because of the political affiliation listed on your dating app profile.
The big picture: Americans were less likely to date those with different political affiliations after the 2016 election, per 2019 data from Match Group and 2020 data from Dating.com.
Driving the news: Austin-based Bumble now allows users to add a "Voter" badge on their profile, indicating that they're registered to vote in the midterm elections.
- A majority of Bumble users in Austin already use badges on the app to indicate their political views, COVID vaccination status and more.
- The voter badge is only available ahead of elections.
Zoom in: The "Politics" badge is one of the top 10 profile badges that Bumble users in Austin choose to display, according to Samantha García, the company's marketing director for the Americas.
- The company did not provide data on how many Austin users included the badge or where it ranked among other badges.
- But of Austinites who chose to use the Bumble politics badge in August, a majority described themselves as liberal, followed by those who described themselves as moderate.
The bottom line: Don't blame it all on the apps. Finding a partner based on shared political beliefs and values — like whether they vote — has been part of dating since forever.
- "We always encourage our community to use Bumble with an open mind, but we also understand that some people have deal breakers in dating, which can vary from person to person," García added "No matter what, we want people to engage in kind and civil conversation."
3. 🤠 The Roundup: Wrangling the news
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
⚖️ An Austin federal judge has ordered Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify in an abortion access lawsuit after he tried to evade a subpoena. (Texas Tribune)
🐩 Austin's Ethics Review Commission won't move forward on a lobbying complaint against a member of the city's Animal Advisory Commission who also works in a governmental affairs job for Austin Pets Alive! animal shelter. (Austin Monitor)
👀 Elon Musk has offered to proceed with his $44 billion buyout of Twitter, reversing course yet again. (Axios)
🕯 Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Tuesday that a Texas National Guard soldier died from a self-inflicted gunshot. It's the 10th-known death linked to border security mission Operation Lone Star. (The Texas Tribune)
4. Hotels, rental properties gear up for ACL
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Austin City Limits Music Festival-goers have snapped up hotel rooms and short-term rental properties, a promising sign for the recovering leisure and hospitality industry.
Driving the news: Downtown hotel rooms are close to selling out, according to new data Expedia-owned Hotels.com provided to Axios.
- Compared to last year, Austin-based short-term rental site Vrbo saw demand for rental properties in Austin increase 15% during both ACL weekends.
Why it matters: ACL is the city's largest music festival, shutting down Zilker Park for at least a month each year and driving tens of thousands of tourists to the city.
- The hospitality sector, a significant driving force of the local economy, was hit hard by the pandemic, but leisure travel during South by Southwest earlier this year offered a glimpse of a near-return to normalcy.
Go deeper: Hoteliers haven't slowed down their construction plans in Austin, with more than 5,000 hotel rooms added to the area since 2019.
Plan your future
💼 See current open positions on our Job Board.
- DevOps Architect at ClearBlade, Inc.
- Sales Operations Manager at Trip Actions.
- Product Advocate Team Lead at Atlassian.
Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.
Hiring? Post a job.
5. Where to stay during ACL
East Austin Modern living area. Photo courtesy of Vrbo
Got a group coming into town for ACL or just want to daydream?
We’ve rounded up some Vrbo properties that are still available during both weekends of the festival.
East Austin Modern

Details: Eight guests can stay in this stunning open concept home.
- 2,300 square feet
- 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
- $375 average/night
What we love: Windows! Sunlight!
South Austin Rocker

Details: 10 people can sleep in this Bouldin Creek home, just south of downtown.
- 1,800 square feet
- 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
- $565 average/night
What we love: The property is an easy walk to Zilker Park and yummy restaurants — a great location for ACL visitors.
Thanks to Lindsey Erdody for editing and Kate Sommers-Dawes for copy editing this newsletter.
🥱 Asher's dad is looking for podcast picks from fellow insomniacs.
- Right now he listens to the BBC and New Yorker fiction.
- Hit reply to this email and Asher will pass them on.
📚 Nicole is reading "The Idiot" by Elif Batuman.
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