Jimmy Maas, KUT

Update: Spamarama will make its return this year, the event's co-founder says, on July 6 at Moontower Saloon in South Austin. 

Spam, the canned meat product, helped Allied soldiers win World War II and later helped baby boomers and their parents stretch that food budget a little further.

But Spam also served as the centerpiece of one of Austin’s odder and more popular festivals: Spamarama.

Austinites will be asked in November if they want to vote on whether city land can be used for future stadiums and entertainment sites.

The Circuit of the Americas could be out as much as $20 million in incentives from the governor’s office.

The office informed COTA officials they missed a critical filing date for a human-trafficking plan in advance of the Formula 1 race last October.

Texans would be able to take home beer directly from local breweries if a bipartisan bill before the Texas Legislature becomes law. 

One of the first bills to make a splash this legislative session is one that would force the University of Texas and Texas A&M to renew their football rivalry. The bill likely would have stalled just after making headlines — as it has in other legislative sessions — but this time around it could be a little different.

Major League Soccer is officially coming to Austin.

"Austin is a perfect fit for Major League Soccer and Major League Soccer is a perfect fit for the city of Austin," MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced at an event today.

The City of Austin received a petition Thursday essentially seeking to bring the Major League Soccer stadium deal to a public vote.  

The University of Texas Board of Regents on Thursday officially approved a new arena for UT Austin. The new building will replace the 41-year-old Frank Erwin Center. 

Regents also named Matthew McConaughey the "Minister of Culture" for the arena.

Precourt Sports Ventures signed a lease with the City of Austin today for 24 acres in North Austin to build a Major League Soccer stadium.

Williamson County Commissioners on Tuesday approved an incentive package for Apple to develop 133 acres of ranch land into an office complex.

Apple announced plans last week to invest $1 billion to build a third complex in the Austin area; this would be the first in Williamson County.

After more than a year of lists and speculation, Austin's bid to secure Amazon's second headquarters is over. According to NPR, Austin joins a long list of more than 230 cities that competed in the race for an unheard-of prize: the promise of 50,000 jobs from the ecommerce juggernaut.

That prize has now been split in two – between Arlington, Va., and a neighborhood just across the East River from Manhattan. So what’s to come for Austin and the scores of other cities that didn't get a call from Amazon?

It appears the end is near for Amazon’s search for a location for a second headquarters.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that the company has changed its initial plans and will select two cities for what would reportedly be – in effect –  two HQ2s. The new plan would mean an even split of the planned 50,000 employees to two locations. The Journal reported the finalists are New York, Dallas and Crystal City, Va. (which is part of the Washington, D.C., suburb of Arlington).

There will be professional soccer in Austin next year, just not a Major League Soccer team. With Formula One out of the way, Circuit of the Americas broke ground Wednesday on a 5,000-seat soccer stadium for the Austin Bold FC.

As Formula One stages its seventh race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin this weekend, race owner and promoter Liberty Media faces hurdles to grow the sport in the U.S. Drivers say one solution might be more races to keep up interest among U.S. fans all year long.

Sears will be closing its two oldest Austin stores – in Hancock Center and at Barton Creek Square Mall – as part of a bankruptcy filing announced Monday.

It looks like the Columbus Crew won't be moving from Ohio to Austin after all. An investor group headed by Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, is in negotiations to buy the Major League Soccer team and keep it in Columbus.  

Update: Travis County Commissioners voted 3-2 to continue negotiations with ROT Rally organizers to keep the annual event at the Expo Center.

Our original post continues: 

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The Austin City Limits festival starts up again at Zilker Park this weekend, and as one of the city’s biggest festivals begins, another could meet its end. A vote today by Travis County Commissioners could mean farewell for the ROT Rally.