Good morning. Big news early this morning: Lance Armstrong has stepped down as chairman of the cancer-fighting Livestrong charity. NPR reports that Armstrong has since lost his endorsement deals with Nike.
Here’s more top news from KUT:
- Layoffs Possible at AMD
- Examining a Commissioner’s Stance on Texas 45 Southwest
- Recall: 8,200 Pounds of Uninspected Meat Products Made, Distributed in Texas
- UT Joins Forces With NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab
Here’s more overnight news from around Central Texas:
- Environmental Study On Oak Hill 'Y' Improvements To Begin (KVUE)
The corridor stretching from U.S. 290 West and Texas 71 up to William Cannon is listed as one of the 50 most congested highway corridors in the state, according to the Mobility Authority. … On Wednesday the Mobility Authority will launch an environmental study. It will examine how any changes could impact the area and people who live and work in the district. Suggestions include continuous flow lanes and what's called Michigan U-turns. Those changes will allow more traffic to get through green lights faster during peak hours.
- Austin City Council Considering $1 Minimum Charge on Metered Parking (Statesman)
Using a credit or debit card at a city of Austin parking meter would cost at least a buck under a measure that the Austin City Council will consider Thursday. The change would go into effect Nov. 1. A dollar buys an hour of time on an Austin meter. But that transaction, if done with a credit or debit card, also costs the city 25 cents, a fee charged by banks to process those charges that was 10 cents until federal law allowed the increase a year ago. The city said those fees increased almost $300,000 on total parking meter revenue of $7.2 million for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
- F1’s Downtown "Austin Fan Fest" Concerns Businesses (KXAN)
In four weeks, downtown Austin will be transformed into a mega party, with Austin Fan Fest all part of the Formula 1 race weekend. Many business in the area have voiced concerns about streets closures and how it could hurt business. … The event would close down 4th Street and 3rd Street along with Congress Avenue and Colorado Street between four and six days; that is what businesses are worried about.
- UT Energy Poll Respondents Favor Obama's Energy Policies (Houston Business Journal)
The University of Texas at Austin Energy Poll shows President Barack Obama has a bit of an edge over Republican nominee Mitt Romney in terms of support for their energy platforms. Although support from Democrats and Republicans “fell along party lines,” Libertarian and independent voters favored Obama’s energy policies, the university said in an Oct. 16 statement.
