"Formula 1 has agreed to pay the $4 million contribution to the Major Events Trust Fund for the full 10 years." That was the word late Thursday from Council Member Bill Spelman. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Lee Leffingwell confirmed the Local Organizing Committee's proposal, moving the project closer to accessing the state's Major Events Trust Fund.

Our column today headed once more unto the breach on single-member districts. But what's a SMD column without maps? After the jump, we've got more SMD maps than you could ever want – that is, if you agree with the mayor's call for only six districts.

As if the construction of a coal power plant by an energy corporation named White Stallion weren't ironic enough, the company behind the project is asking the Lower Colorado River Authority for an enormous water usage permit during the worst drought in 50 years. However, the LCRA board voted this morning to delay a decision until early August.

The Alamo Drafthouse has been hyping for a couple months now their June 26 marathon screening and reunion event of Party Down, the cult comedy Starz declined to renew after two seasons, but they've finally announced what cast will be in attendance, and hot damn you will not be disappointed.

Vermont Democratic U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy on June 14 filed a bill that would ensure U.S. compliance with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which in part guarantees foreign nationals abroad access to consular officials. Advocates representing Texas death row inmate Humberto Leal hope the legislation will save their client's life.

Veolia Transportation, one of Capital Metro's labor contractors, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man alleged to have assaulted one of its drivers. The suspect is a black male in his early 20s to 30s, 5 feet 9 inches tall, and skinny (see photo).

On Saturday, June 11 hundreds of scantily dressed women and men marched the streets to protest the victim-blaming mentality in the media and in popular culture especially towards women who receive unwanted sexual attention or assault.

On June 3, 2011 thousands of people gathered for a radical celebration of the LGBTQ community.

City Council got a tantalizing glimpse at urban rail routes yesterday – and a reality check on cost – as staff presented four routes with price tags ranging from $250 to $680 million.