City Cast Austin
👀 Which license plates were denied in 2025?
January 15, 2026 · Kelsey Bradshaw
↙️ Well, y’all. It seems South by Southwest only works in Austin. SXSW Sydney, as in Sydney, Australia, has been canceled after just three years.
What's CITY Talking About
⛔ Thousands of Custom License Plates Denied in 2025
Roughly 2,000 custom license plate designs were denied by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles last year. “HOT POOP,” “B000B,” and “Y U UGLY” were among the denials. [Austin American-Statesman]
💎 Could Kendra Scott Jewelry Exist Without Austin?
Kendra Scott, founder of the billion-dollar jewelry company with the same name, rose to fame right here in Austin. But as the city evolves, is there still a place for the company? [City Cast Austin 🎧]
🚕 Waymos Are Passing School Buses Again, Videos Show
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles were caught on video illegally passing stopped Austin school buses twice last month. At least 23 such violations have been recorded before and after the company issued a voluntary recall of the vehicles and a software update to reportedly fix the issue. [KXAN]
🎶 iHeartCountry Festival Lineup Announced
Shaboozey and Kane Brown are among the nine performers slated to perform at this year’s iHeartCountry Festival in Austin. The one-day festival is on May 2 at the Moody Center. [CultureMap Austin]
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What To Do
Thursday, Jan. 15
- 🐇 Tiny Tails to You Petting Zoo at BookPeople | Downtown Austin
- 🏮 Lantern Tour at Laguna Gloria | Tarrytown
- 😆 Rory Scovel at Paramount Theatre | Downtown Austin
- ❓ “Bob’s Burgers” Trivia at Nomadic Beerworks | St. Edwards
- 💿 Kate Angel: In-Store Performance & Record Signing at Waterloo Records | West End
- 🍷 Vinho de Bossa at Cape Bottle Room | East Cesar Chavez
Friday, Jan. 16
- 🎭 The Improvised Shakespeare Company at McCullough Theatre | UT Campus
- 💬 The Reset: A Sober Volunteering Social at Austin Creative Reuse | Windsor Park
- 🎶 Planets and Pasos at The Long Center for the Performing Arts | Bouldin Creek
- 🪩 Anxious! at the Disco at The Highball | Zilker
- 💖 Chaotic Singles Party: Sapphic Edition at Stargazer Cocktails & Coffee | Govalle
- 🎻 ConcertDome presents Beyoncé on Strings at Austin Beerworks Sprinkle Valley | North Austin
- 📖 Empathy Impact Launch Party + Benefit at Blu Dot | Downtown Austin
🌧️ This story is making me want to plan a trip to West Texas. Did you know the rain smells different out there?
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