The city of Austin just introduced a new logo, and based on the response so far, they may have really jumped the Cracker Barrel with this one.

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax unveiled the newly designed logo for the city at a press conference on Thursday morning. “For the first time in Austin’s history, we will have a logo to represent the city services and unify us as one organization, one Austin,” the city employee said, per local NBC affiliate KXAN.

The entire project, including payments for brand vendors and a public awareness campaign, cost taxpayers more than $1.1 million.

The original logos for Austin had many symbolic elements, while the new one is incredibly simplified by comparison. This led to a lot of negative comments online from people who believe the redesign is a downgrade.

“Austin drops $1.1M taxpayer dollars on a logo redesign while claiming ‘efficiency’ – peak bureaucratic delusion. Residents rightly call it insane…” one commenter on X wrote.

“This rebranding circus started in 2018 under previous leadership, proving establishment politicians always prioritize optics over substance. That million could’ve repaired roads, bolstered emergency services, or provided tax relief. Instead, Austinites get abstract squiggles representing ‘movement’ while their infrastructure crumbles. Classic government waste: invent problems to justify self-serving spending sprees.”

Another commenter said, “It’s okay, but it looks like a corporate logo. The drawback for me is that it looks like a box of girl scout cookies. It does not make me think of Austin or Texas and they could have drawn from a number of things that would exemplify this specific city.”

It’s okay, but it looks like a corporate logo. The drawback for me is that it looks like a box of girl scout cookies. It does not make me think of Austin or Texas and they could have drawn from a number of things that would exemplify this specific city. pic.twitter.com/jw9LGpucKL

— Jack Salmon (@seamonkey10) September 5, 2025

“I’m starting to think these expensive rebrands are actually some form of money laundering,” a third person wrote, referencing the viral Cracker Barrel rebrand fiasco.

Broadnax said during the press conference that he was “glad to champion” the redesign because “there is a very real business need for a unified brand.”

He also mentioned that Austin has more than 300 logos used in different departments, which is why the single unified logo was created.

“We want our community members to be able to identify members of our team as city of Austin employees and trust the services we provide, whether they see the brand on a website, a utility bill, a street sign, or the side of a vehicle, they’ll know exactly who it’s from and what it stands for,” Broadnax said.

“Austinites told us that they value and appreciate their interaction with city staff, but they also want a modern government that reflects the community’s values and is consistent, connected, and responsive across departments and services, and that’s what this brand does.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is tightening oversight of imports of GLP-1 drug ingredients, used for weight loss and diabetes, amid concerns that many of the items may be adulterated and pose a safety risk.

The move comes as the FDA cracks down on unapproved compounded drugs, which had filled the gap during shortages of patented treatments. Soaring demand for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s obesity drugs has fueled a booming global market for cheaper, and sometimes even counterfeit versions.

The health regulator said it had previously identified serious concerns with compounded weight-loss drugs, including dosing errors, use of unapproved salt forms, and side effects, with some requiring hospitalization.

As part of its heightened scrutiny, the FDA sent an import alert on Friday authorizing detention without physical examination (DWPE) at U.S. ports. This will allow the agency to seize shipments that appear to be non-compliant with federal requirements, without inspecting them on arrival.

Importers must now provide proof of quality and compliance before their goods are released.

The FDA evaluated 48 manufacturing sites outside the U.S. and found 21% of them as non-compliant.

The regulator will also maintain a separate “green list” — identifying firms or products that have resolved compliance concerns and are not subject to automatic detention at the border.

Under the “green list”, the agency identified sources in Belgium, Canada, China, and India, among others, meeting its criteria, and hence are excluded from DWPE.

(Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)