Austin news

• Paxton sues FDA for delaying import of death penalty drug

  03-01-2017 23:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday his office has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for delaying the state’s importation of a drug used in capital punishment.
  The lawsuit argues the FDA’s claimed legal grounds for refusing the drugs’ entry into the United States are invalid, citing an FDA exemption for law enforcement purposes.
  Thiopental sodium, also known as Sodium thiopental, is part of the three-dr
  
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• Shoplifting suspect threatens Best Buy employees

  03-01-2017 23:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police are searching for a man who they say threatened Best Buy employees after he was caught shoplifting over Thanksgiving weekend.
  The robbery happened on Sunday, Nov. 27, around 7:20 p.m. at the Best Buy located in the Mueller area. No one was hurt in the incident and the suspect never showed a weapon, he just threatened the employees.
  The suspect is approximately 30 to 40 years old and is around 5-feet-10-inches tall. Surveillance cameras caught him inside the stor
  
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• Texas hires Tim Beck as offensive coordinator

  03-01-2017 22:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas head coach Tom Herman has hired Tim Beck as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, putting the near finishing touches on his coaching staff. Reports surfaced early Monday morning, Texas made the hire official Monday afternoon.
  Beck spent the past two seasons as Ohio State’s co-offensive coordinator. Before his time with Buckeyes, Beck was the OC at Nebraska for seven seasons.
  “I’m extremely excited to be coming back to the state
  
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• Cedar Park neighborhood’s mailboxes broken into 3 times in 3 months

  03-01-2017 22:23 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Mailboxes in Cedar Park’s Carriage Hills Park community were broken into on Monday.
  Cedar Park police say they have been called for previous mailbox break-ins on Treeline Drive, near the intersection of Lakeline Boulevard and FM 1431, in November and December.
  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the break-in, saying the mailboxes are old and in need of replacement or upgrades, which the Postal Service is working to do for the community.
  Post
  
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• Woman killed in hit-and-run while crossing I-35 in New Braunfels

  03-01-2017 21:24 via kxan.com
  
  NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) — A woman trying to cross the main lanes of Interstate 35 in New Braunfels Tuesday morning was killed in a hit-and-run crash.
  First responders were called to the 300 block of I-35 southbound, near McQueeney Road, at 10:54 a.m. Firefighters and police arrived to find a woman unconscious and not breathing.
  The victim was taken by paramedics to Resolute Health Hospital where she was pronounced dead. New Braunfels police say the woman’s identity remains u
  
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• House re-elects Republican Paul Ryan as speaker

  03-01-2017 20:51 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) – Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has been re-elected to serve as speaker of the House of Representatives during the 115th Congress, gaining 239 votes.
  Ryan, 46, will serve his first full term as speaker after succeeding John Boehner in October 2015. Tuesday’s vote comes with little of the drama that accompanied Boehner’s election two years ago when 25 House Republicans voted for someone other than Boehner.
  Ryan will lead the GOP charge to repeal President Barack O
  
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• Obama eyes his legacy

  03-01-2017 20:35 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC News) – President Barack Obama will visit Capitol Hill Wednesday after Congress reconvenes.
  GOP leaders in the House and Senate, plan quick action to roll back environmental regulations, cut corporate and personal tax rates, and kill Obamacare. All will be possible after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.
  Democrats have vowed to fight those moves, but won’t have the votes to protect much of what President Obama accomplished.
  Trump, meanwhile, continu
  
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• Bill and Hillary Clinton to attend Trump inauguration

  03-01-2017 20:21 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Bill and Hillary Clinton plan to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, putting the 2016 presidential rivals on the same platform only weeks after their tough campaign.
  Aides to the former president and former secretary of state say the Clintons will attend the Jan. 20 inauguration. The announcement came shortly after former President George W. Bush’s office said he would attend along with former first lady Laura Bush.
  Hillary Clinton, the Democratic preside
  
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• Former President George W. Bush to attend Inaugural Ceremony

  03-01-2017 19:52 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) — Former President George W. Bush has announced that he will attend the Inaugural Ceremony for Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
  By his side in Washington D.C. will be former First Lady Laura Bush. In a statement released on Tuesday Bush’s office say “they are pleased to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power – a hallmark of American democracy – and swearing-in of President Trump and Vice President Pence.”
  Also on the attendance list
  
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• Task force explores how millions in hotel taxes can be used in Austin

  03-01-2017 19:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A task force is meeting to discuss how the city’s tax revenue is being spent to benefit tourism in Austin. The Visitor Impact Task Force will meet for the second time Tuesday, to talk about the duties and work plan for Austin’s Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT).
  The Hotel Occupancy Tax  has become the third largest source of tax revenue for the city and is expected to generate more than $90 million in fiscal year 2016/17. The tax is expected to increase m
  
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• Megyn Kelly leaving Fox News for NBC News, report says

  03-01-2017 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (KXAN) — Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is expected to leave the network she’s been with for more than a decade to take a job over at NBC News, according to a New York Times report.
  The report states the NBC News chairman, Andrew Lack, offered Kelly a chance to host her own daytime news and discussion program, anchor an in-depth Sunday night news show and take regular part in the network’s special political programming and other big-event coverage. NBC News has not o
  
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• Megyn Kelly leaving Fox News for NBC News

  03-01-2017 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (KXAN) — Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is leaving the network she’s been with for more than a decade to take a job over at NBC News..
  The New York Times report states the NBC News chairman, Andrew Lack, offered Kelly a chance to host her own daytime news and discussion program, anchor an in-depth Sunday night news show and take regular part in the network’s special political programming and other big-event coverage. NBC News has not officially announced the hiring as of
  
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• House GOP drops plan gut ethics office

  03-01-2017 19:00 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have dropped plans to gut the independent ethics office after widespread criticism and questions from President-elect Donald Trump about GOP priorities.
  In a reversal, the House GOP decided on Tuesday to strip the provision from a package of rule changes that lawmakers will vote on later in the day.
  “People didn’t want this story on opening day,” said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma.
  House Republicans had voted Monday night to change the
  
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• New Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore sworn in

  03-01-2017 18:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County officially has a new District Attorney. Democrat Margaret Moore was sworn into office Tuesday morning.
  Moore is replacing retiring District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.  In early December, Moore said she is already making good on her campaign promise to change the office by firing or reassigning dozens of employees.
  “We reorganized the office too and that enabled me to consolidate the leadership from nine directors down to five,” said Moore.
  In
  
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• Hays County to add safety features to low water crossings

  03-01-2017 18:37 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Hays County is working to get new technology at low water crossings that they say could save lives in a flooding event.
  Last May, the Hays County Commissioners went forward with a Flood Protection Grant application to the Texas Water Development Board for approximately a million dollars. The grant will be used to improve the flood monitoring system in the county. In June, commissioners approved the grant application.
  On Tuesday, TWDB approved grant funding for on
  
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• VIDEO: Wisconsin man belly-flops onto patrol car

  03-01-2017 18:16 via kxan.com
  
  MENASHA, Wis. (WTMJ) — A Wisconsin man is likely reconsidering how he decided to ring in 2017 after he was caught on camera jumping onto the windshield of a police car on New Year’s Eve.
  Menasha Police were called around midnight with reports of a man jumping on vehicles.
  Two officers parked their squad nearby. Their dashcam recorded the man making a running start at their vehicle and belly-flopping onto the windshield.
  Both officers suffered minor injuries while trying arrest the su
  
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• Inaugural planners: Several states represented in parade

  03-01-2017 17:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — Several Texas organizations have been invited to take part in the inaugural parade after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in Jan. 20, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced. More than 8,000 participants will represent the various groups. A list of the organizations:
  — 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment, Fort Hood, Texas
  — 1st Infantry Division Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard, Fort Riley, Kansas
  — Boone County Elite
  
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• Woman claims she received package of weed instead of toys

  03-01-2017 16:03 via kxan.com
  
  VALATIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A local woman, who reviews children’s toys and clothes, claims she received a package of marijuana instead of a shipment of toys.
  Pamela Marks was expecting toys for the holidays from a California toy company, but police said she received a package containing seven pounds of marijuana instead.
  “I was able to smell it,” Marks said. “I knew something was up right away.”
  On Thursday, Marks was waiting for a package.
  “We opened it up
  
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• WATCH: Brother saves twin trapped under fallen dresser

  03-01-2017 15:45 via kxan.com
  
  UTAH (KXAN) — A brother came to the rescue of his twin when a dresser fell on them while they were playing.
  A Nanny cam captured the twin boys in Utah climbing on a dresser, which fell on top of them. One of the brothers escaped while the other was trapped under the dresser.
  His brother eventually lifts the dresser high enough so the twin could wriggle free.
  “Everybody needs to bolt down their dressers to the wall. I mean we just didn’t think about it. If you don’t do it
  
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• What to do with your old 401k

  03-01-2017 15:06 via kxan.com
  
  The new year is a time many people are starting new jobs or getting promotions at their existing jobs; just don’t forget about that old 401k.
  In this week’s episode of Retire Ready, Chris Heerlein explains your four options when dealing with an old 401k. Click play in the player above for Chris’ analysis on the pros and cons for each option, particularly which ones come with hefty tax obligations.
  Options:1) Cash Out2) Rollover the assets to the new employer3) Leave assets in p
  
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• Trump’s latest US corporate Twitter target: General Motors

  03-01-2017 14:48 via kxan.com
  
  DETROIT (AP) — In another tweet targeting a U.S. company, President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to slap a tax on General Motors for importing compact cars to the U.S. from Mexico.
  But GM makes the vast majority of compact Chevrolet Cruzes in Lordstown, Ohio, near Cleveland.
  Trump tweeted early Tuesday that GM is sending Mexican-made Cruzes to the U.S. tax-free. He told GM to stop or pay a big border tax.
  GM saw the tweet and is formulating a response.
  Shares of GM fell 0.4 percent to
  
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• GM calls out Trump threat

  03-01-2017 14:48 via kxan.com
  
  DETROIT (AP) — Donald Trump took aim at General Motors on Twitter this morning, threatening to tax the automaker for building cars in Mexico and importing them to the U.S.General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A.or pay big border tax!
  — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
   
  About an hour and a half after Trump sent his tweet, GM refuted his claim.JUST IN : GM says Chevy Cruze, w
  
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• Annotated version of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ a hit in Germany

  03-01-2017 14:33 via kxan.com
  
  BERLIN (AP) — An annotated edition of “Mein Kampf,” Adolf Hitler’s notorious manifesto, has become a non-fiction best-seller in Germany.
  News agency dpa reported Tuesday that 85,000 copies of the book have been sold since it was first published a year ago.
  The 1,948-page book is titled “Hitler, Mein Kampf: A Critical Edition.”
  It is published by the Munich-based Institute for Contemporary History, which spent years adding comments to Hitler’s original te
  
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• Battle over stricter Texas abortion requirements heads to court

  03-01-2017 14:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The battle over stricter abortion laws in Texas is heading to a federal courtroom on Tuesday.
  The Center for Reproductive Rights and Whole Woman’s Health, an abortion rights group, has filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s requirement that aborted fetuses be buried or cremated. The center and other groups say the regulations serve no medical purpose. A federal judge will make a ruling on Friday.
  The proposal for the new rule first surfaced in June, days after
  
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• Abortion advocates say new Texas rule serves no medical purpose

  03-01-2017 14:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The battle over stricter abortion laws in Texas is heading to a federal courtroom on Tuesday.
  The Center for Reproductive Rights and Whole Woman’s Health, an abortion rights group, has filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s requirement that aborted fetuses be buried or cremated. The center and other groups say the regulations serve no medical purpose. Funeral home operators are worried about who will pay for the burial and cremation costs.
  A federal judge
  
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• Free Fun in Austin for the first week of 2017

  03-01-2017 13:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Here are some ideas for you and the family around Austin this week courtesy of our partners at Free Fun in Austin.
  Discovery! Lucas Miller, Singing Zoologist – Wednesday, January 4 at 4:30 p.m. With a head full of science, a heart full of music, and a car full of truly goofy props, Lucas Miller’s hilarious–yet scientifically accurate–songs and stories are sure to entertain. FREE! Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd,
  
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• Texas senator claims officials conceal spending of taxpayer money

  03-01-2017 13:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two state lawmakers are fighting for open records, claiming that taxpayers can not trust how elected officials are using their money.
  State Senator Kirk Watson and another lawmaker from North Texas are filing a bill on Tuesday. They say the bill will help close the loopholes that keep some information private.
  KXAN reached out to Senator Watson’s office and got this statement:
  “The stated purpose of the Texas Public Information Act is to enable the people to rem
  
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• Two detained in connection with Istanbul nightclub attack

  03-01-2017 13:24 via kxan.com
  
  ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s state-run news agency says police have detained two foreign nationals at Istanbul’s main airport on suspicion of links to the deadly nightclub attack.
  IS has claimed responsibility for the New Year’s Eve attack that killed 39 people at the Reina nightclub. Police are still searching for the gunman. Anadolu Agency said the two were taken into custody on Tuesday at the international flights terminal at Ataturk Airport. No information on their nation
  
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• 4 Texas children die after inhaling poisonous gas in their home

  03-01-2017 13:03 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A poisonous gas believed to have been released when someone tried to wash away a pesticide that had been sprayed under a Texas home killed four children and left six other people hospitalized, officials said Monday.
  Phosphine gas was likely released when water mixed with the pest control chemical, Amarillo fire officials said. A specific cause of death had not been released for the four children Monday afternoon. The other six people who were in the home are “n
  
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• 4 children die in Texas gas poisoning, others injured

  03-01-2017 13:03 via kxan.com
  
  AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A poisonous gas believed to have been sprayed under a Texas home killed four children and left six other people hospitalized, officials said Monday.
  Phosphine gas was likely released accidentally when someone mixed water with a pest control chemical, Amarillo fire officials said. A specific cause of death had not been released for the four children Monday afternoon. The other six people who were in the home are “not out of the woods yet,” fire officials s
  
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• Man dies in roll over crash on North Lamar Blvd.

  03-01-2017 11:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a crash that killed one man in north Austin around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning.
  The car was traveling northbound and ended up in the southbound lanes before rolling over and hitting a rock retaining wall, according to Austin police. All lanes of North Lamar Boulevard have reopened just north of the intersection at US 183 after police cleared the scene.
  KXAN Traffic Map: Detours 
  The speed limit on the road is 45 miles per hour.
  
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• Man dies in North Austin crash

  03-01-2017 10:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)- Austin Police are investigating after a man died in a crash early Tuesday morning in North Austin. Police say the crash happened just before 2 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Lamar Boulevard just north of the intersection with Highway 183. That’s near Capital Metro’s North Lamar Transit Center. According to APD, the car was going northbound and ended up in the southbound lanes and then rolled over and hit a rock retaining wall. The speed limit on the road is 45 miles p
  
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• Wrong-way crash on SH 21 in Caldwell County kills two

  03-01-2017 04:46 via kxan.com
  
  UHLAND, Texas (KXAN) — A wrong-way driver caused a deadly crash that killed himself and another driver Monday night on State Highway 21 in Caldwell County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The crash happened around 7 p.m., just south of Farm to Market 2001 near the Hays-Caldwell county line.
  DPS says 33-year-old Jose Ortiz-Perez, of Buda, was driving a Nissan Frontier northbound in the southbound lane of SH 21. Ortiz-Perez struck a Ford Explorer that was being driven by
  
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• Two killed in crash on SH 21 in Hays County

  03-01-2017 04:46 via kxan.com
  
  UHLAND, Texas (KXAN) — Two people are dead after a crash on SH 21 in Hays County, south of FM 2001, Monday evening.
  Another man and a 2-year-child were also taken to hospital, according to the Department of Public Safety. The crash happened shortly before 8 p.m. near the Hays/Caldwell county line.
  SH 21 is expected to be closed for several hours. TxDOT will redirect traffic off at FM 2720, FM 2001 and FM 150.
  
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• Gorgeous Central Texas January sunset

  03-01-2017 03:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Monday’s sunset was a spectacular one across Central Texas. Here’s a few pictures sent in by KXAN viewers. Feel free to share your photos with us here. Fantastic Central Texas sunset, Jan. 2, 2017 A fiery sunset in Pflugerville, captured on Jan. 2, 2017 (Robert Amparan)A beautiful Central Texas sunset, captured on Jan. 2, 2017 (Nathan)A beautiful Central Texas sunset, captured on Jan. 2, 2017 (Ben Simon)A beautiful Central Texas sunset, captured on Jan. 2, 2017
  
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• EMS offers crews ‘safe sleep rooms’ after working long shifts

  03-01-2017 03:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Emergency Medical Services employees in Travis County now have a safe place to sleep, instead of driving home after what can be long and often unpredictable shifts.
  A ‘Safe Sleep Room’ initative has been implemented at five stations in northern, central and southern Travis County. They are transformed offices with beds, blackouts curtains and white noise machines, all of which allows for a conducive sleep environment.
  “Our crew have hectic schedules a
  
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• Texas law enforcement faces ‘recruiting crisis’ after deadly year

  03-01-2017 01:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, TX –In the early hours of 2017, a bullet proof vest saved the life of a police officer who was shot in the back in Calvert, Texas Sunday.
  Texas led the nation is the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2016.
  According to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund’s annual report, Texas saw 17 officer fatalities last year.
  “It’s sad and it’s always disturbing that we lose so many officers,” but not surprising, said K
  
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• Revamping Waller Creek part of Mayor’s “downtown puzzle”

  03-01-2017 01:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – In 2017 the Austin City Council will attempt to revitalize the east side of downtown. To many it’s an area full of homelessness, underutilized properties and facilities in disrepair.
  Mayor Steve Adler hopes to inspire city leaders to take advantage of an area with great opportunity but not the best reputation: Waller Creek.
  Flood prone and in disrepair, the park space around Waller Creek east of downtown is empty to most but homeless. But, a partnership between t
  
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• Firefighters extinguish duplex fire in northwest Austin

  03-01-2017 00:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Three people are displaced after a duplex fire in northwest Austin, sparked by a resident soldering pipes with a blowtorch.
  Austin firefighters received the call around 4:39 p.m. Monday for heavy smoke at the home located at 8103 Tuscarora Trail. Upon arrival they noticed the fire seemingly extended to the attic.
  After about 15 minutes of fighting the blaze crews had it under control and completely extinguished around 5:30 p.m.
  The duplex sustained heavy damage to both
  
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• Alabama band to march at inauguration, igniting controversy

  03-01-2017 00:12 via kxan.com
  
  TALLADEGA, Alabama (KXAN) – The marching band of Alabama’s oldest private, historically black liberal arts college has accepted an invitation to perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural parade, organizers said.
  Talladega College’s band will march at Trump’s inauguration as other historically black schools such as Howard University, which performed at President Barack Obama’s first inaugural parade, said they won’t be marching in the Jan. 20 ev
  
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