Austin news

• FACT CHECK: Despite woes Obamacare not in ‘death spiral’

  09-01-2017 23:54 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says that President Barack Obama’s health care law “will fall of its own weight.”
  House Speaker Paul Ryan says the law is “in what the actuaries call a death spiral.”
  And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that “by nearly any measure, Obamacare has failed.”
  The problem with all these claims: They are exaggerated, if not downright false.
  As congressional Republicans prepare to repeal the health
  
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• Air Forces grants honorable discharge to ‘undesirable’ gay 91-year-old vet

  09-01-2017 23:35 via kxan.com
  
  NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A 91-year-old veteran who was dismissed from the U.S. Air Force as “undesirable” in 1948 because he is gay has had that discharge status changed to “honorable.”
  The move by the Air Force comes in response to a lawsuit filed in November by H. Edward Spires of Norwalk, Connecticut, who served in the late 1940s.
  PREVIOUS: 91-year-old gay veteran sues Air Force over ‘undesirable discharge’
  Spires’ Yale University-based attorneys
  
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• Parents, save up: Cost of raising a child is more than $233K

  09-01-2017 22:52 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Expecting a baby? Congratulations! Better put plenty of money in your savings account.
  The Department of Agriculture says the estimated cost of raising a child from birth through age 17 is $233,610, or as much as almost $14,000 annually. That’s the average for a middle-income couple with two children. It’s a bit more expensive in urban parts of the country, and less so in rural areas.
  The estimate released Monday is based on 2015 numbers, so a baby born this y
  
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• Body found in vehicle near Del Valle identified

  09-01-2017 22:43 via kxan.com
  
  DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities have identified the body that was found inside a vehicle along State Highway 71 in Del Valle Saturday morning as 29-year-old Cesadio Rodriguez.
  The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says Rodriguez’ body was found around 11 a.m. in a car that was parked on the grass at the intersection of SH 71 and Doctor Scott Road. Friends and family tell police Rodriguez had been living in his car for the past month and had several health issues.
  On Thursday
  
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• Get your driving safety message on Austin’s digital billboards

  09-01-2017 22:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin is looking for a few good messages to display on their digital roadway message boards.
  Starting Jan. 9 through Feb. 10, Austinites are urged to come up with clever driving and safety tips that the city can display on the boards that are located along major city roads. The winning messages will be displayed on the signs.
  Submissions should be focused on safety initiatives, traffic laws or a common road condition that drivers should know about. You may
  
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• VIDEO: Deer stuck on ice for hours finally rescued

  09-01-2017 22:17 via kxan.com
  
  SIMSBURY, CT (WCMH) — A small deer was rescued Monday after it was seen struggling to make it back to land after getting stuck on ice.
  A couple coyotes chased the female deer onto the ice, Simsbury’s animal control officer Mark Rudewicz told NBC Connecticut.
  According to officers in the area, the deer was at one point in the water before making it to solid ice. It was then unable to get any further without assistance.
  At one point, rescuers were going to try to get to the deer, but l
  
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• Austin police officer fired for breaking into ex-girlfriend’s house

  09-01-2017 20:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Officer Michael Stone has been indefinitely suspended from the force after an investigation uncovered that he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s house and then lied about it.
  A memo from the Austin Police Department says Stone was dating a fellow police officer out of Kyle who broke up with him in July 2016. In the days following their break-up, Stone attempted to contact the woman, who did not respond to any of his messages.
  Worrying for her safety, Stone r
  
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• Famed giant sequoia with drive-thru tunnel topples in storm

  09-01-2017 20:25 via kxan.com
  
  CALAVERAS COUNTY, Calif. (AP) — A giant sequoia tree known for the huge tunnel carved through it has toppled during California’s weekend storms.
  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the historic Pioneer Cabin in Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County came down during heavy rains on Sunday. A Facebook post from the Calaveras Big Trees Association confirmed the news.The tree was hollowed out in the 1880s to allow tourists to pass through it.
  Cars later used the massive
  
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• The Learning Game: Aptus tackles mental side of sports

  09-01-2017 20:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — How well, how fast and how much can they learn? Aptus Assessments is an Austin-based company that provides something most don’t think about with athletes.
  “We know how our players learn and it’s not a guessing game anymore. We’re able to know specifically what to do,” Southwestern University football coach Joe Austin said.
  The common misconception in the team game is that these large groups of people should be lumped together. However, teams ar
  
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• Missing Houston girl found during traffic stop in Louisiana

  09-01-2017 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  MANDEVILLE, La. (AP) — Authorities say a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy found a missing Texas girl during a traffic stop.
  The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that a deputy stopped a car on Friday near Mandeville because it was traveling with its high beams on.
  The deputy discovered that a girl in the vehicle had been reported missing from Houston on Thursday.
  Authorities say three undocumented men from Guatemala were also inside the vehicle. They were tak
  
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• Texas budget shrinks, making spending cuts likely

  09-01-2017 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — State lawmakers will have less money to spend as the new legislative session gets underway on Tuesday.
  The state Comptroller’s office released their estimate of how much money they can budget for. On Monday morning, Comptroller Glenn Hager said state lawmakers will have $104.9 billion over the next two years.
  While that seems like a lot of money, it is nearly a $10 billion drop from 2015’s $113 billion for the last legislative session. One reason for the drop in
  
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• Falling gas prices means smaller Texas budget for lawmakers

  09-01-2017 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — State lawmakers will have less money to spend as the new legislative session gets underway on Tuesday.
  The state Comptroller’s office released their estimate of how much money they can budget for. On Monday morning, Comptroller Glenn Hager said state lawmakers will have $104.9 billion over the next two years.
  While that seems like a lot of money, it is nearly a $10 billion drop from 2015’s $113 billion estimate for the last legislative session. One reason for th
  
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• Manhunt underway for man suspected of killing Orlando police officer

  09-01-2017 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) – A manhunt is underway in Orlando after an on-duty police officer was gunned down and killed.
  Authorities say Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was shot in the parking lot of a Walmart store on Monday morning.
  The man suspected of killing her, Markeith Loyd, is on the run. “He should be considered armed and dangerous,” said Orlando Police Chief John Mina.
  Clayton either recognized Loyd or had been tipped off to his whereabouts when she approached him Monday mornin
  
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• $60,000 reward offered in search for suspect who killed Orlando officer

  09-01-2017 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A massive manhunt was underway Monday in central Florida as authorities searched for a man accused of shooting and killing an Orlando police officer.
  The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. A short time later, authorities said at a press conference that a second law enforcement officer was killed in a vehicle accident while searching for the suspect in Clayton’s killing.
  The sh
  
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• Mom, boyfriend charged in ‘rape-murder fantasy’ death of teen girl

  09-01-2017 18:34 via kxan.com
  
  NEWTOWN, PA (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman whose dismembered 14-year-old daughter’s remains were found in the woods last fall has been charged along with her boyfriend with killing the girl in what officials are calling a “rape-murder fantasy” the couple shared, a prosecutor said Sunday.
  “The hours and the days leading up to her murder were probably the most horrible and traumatic that any person should ever have had to experience,” said Bucks County District Att
  
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• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stops speculation he will run for Governor

  09-01-2017 18:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is trying to stop speculation that he will run for another office in 2018.
  Patrick says there have been rumors floating around that he would run for several new positions. Some of the rumors have said that he would join the Trump administration, run against Senator Ted Cruz or run against Governor Greg Abbott in 2018.
  However, the Lieutenant Governor says that is not true. He wrapped up a news conference in downtown Austin around 11
  
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• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick halts rumors he will run for Governor

  09-01-2017 18:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is trying to stop speculation that he will run for another office in 2018.
  Patrick says there have been rumors floating around that he would run for several new positions. Some of the rumors have said that he would join the Trump administration, run against Senator Ted Cruz or run against Governor Greg Abbott in 2018.
  However, the Lieutenant Governor says that is not true. He wrapped up a news conference in downtown Austin around 11
  
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• Police: Intoxicated man severely injures woman in hit, run assault

  09-01-2017 17:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman is suffering from massive head trauma after an intoxicated man crashed into her vehicle and fled the scene on Jan. 7, according to the affidavit.
  Edgar Orlando Camateco-Mercado, 22, has been charged with failure to stop and render aid and intoxication assault after the incident. Witnesses told police they saw Camateco-Mercado driving a Chevy Tahoe at high speeds without the headlights on around 9 p.m. approaching the intersection at Johnny Morris Road and
  
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• Police: Intoxicated man severely injures woman in hit and run

  09-01-2017 17:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman is suffering from massive head trauma after an intoxicated man crashed into her vehicle and fled the scene on Jan. 7, according to an arrest affidavit.
  Edgar Orlando Camateco-Mercado, 22, has been charged with failure to stop and render aid and intoxication assault after the incident. Witnesses told police they saw Camateco-Mercado driving a Chevy Tahoe at high speeds without the headlights on around 9 p.m. approaching the intersection at Johnny Morris Roa
  
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• Free fun in Austin week of Jan. 9 through 15

  09-01-2017 15:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — From family movie night to a snake puppet show, here are some free events going on this week from our friends at Free Fun in Austin.
  Family Movie Night: Finding Dory — If you missed Finding Dory in theaters or just want to see if again, you can on Tuesday for family movie night. The movie starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Twin Oaks Public Library on South 5th Street.
  Happy Birthday, Snake Puppet Show — The Round Rock Public Library’s Snake Rockssanne turns 2
  
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• Austin groups defending locals against Trump’s immigration policies

  09-01-2017 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several Texas groups say they plan to resist Donald Trump’s immigration policies here locally.
  The American Civil Liberties Union, Grassroots Leadership, the Austin Sanctuary Network and the group ICE Out of Austin are holding a news conference Monday morning. They will talk about plans to defend people against deportation and how local and state policy can help their cause.
  The immigration allies say the new Trump administration is fueled by hate and is quick to atta
  
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• Trump aide suggests Meryl Streep misused Globes platform

  09-01-2017 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A top aide to Donald Trump says actress Meryl Streep should have supported the president-elect instead of denouncing him from the stage of the Golden Globes.
  Kellyanne Conway told “Fox and Friends” Monday that she’s “concerned that somebody with a platform like Meryl Streep’s is inciting people’s worst instincts.”
  Streep did not mention Trump by name. But she criticized the president-elect’s “performance” as
  
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• Texas law requiring cameras in special ed classrooms up for debate

  09-01-2017 13:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Parents will have an opportunity to voice their opinions about a law that requires surveillance cameras in special education classrooms statewide.
  On Monday, the Texas Education Agency will hold a public hearing about a change to the law. Attorney General Ken Paxton wants more specific language on who can request the cameras.
  The law mandates school districts to install cameras if a parent, school staff member, or trustee requests it. Paxton wants clarification on what a &l
  
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• Infamous pharmaceutical CEO Shkreli suspended from Twitter for harassing Lauren Duca

  09-01-2017 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  (MEDIA GENERAL) — Infamous pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli was suspended by Twitter on Sunday for violating the social media platform’s terms of service.
  His suspension reportedly stems from an incident where he harassed Lauren Duca, a writer for Teen Vogue.
  According to Reuters and other outlets, Shkreli, a noted supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, has asked Duca out on several dates. Duca, who has gained recent notoriety for a popular piece she wrote about Trump and
  
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• Texas communities taking healthy selfie challenge

  09-01-2017 12:54 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just in time for people already ditching their New Year’s resolutions, Texas communities are challenged to prove which city is the healthiest statewide.
  A local group is kicking off their 5th annual health challenge on Monday. It’s Time Texas is hosting their Community Challenge, which is the only statewide competition of its kind. You can sign up online and earn points for your city or town by posting healthy selfies, organizing workplace activities,
  
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• Paris police: 16 arrested over Kardashian jewelry heist

  09-01-2017 12:32 via kxan.com
  
  PARIS (AP) — French police arrested 16 people Monday in connection with the October theft of more than $10 million worth of jewelry from Kim Kardashian West.
  Paris police officials said the arrests took place starting around 6 a.m. in different locations in the Paris region. The suspects can be held for up to 96 hours before police must either charge them or let them go.
  On Oct. 3, robbers forced their way into the private Paris residence where Kardashian West was staying, tied her up, loc
  
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• FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein leads airport case

  09-01-2017 12:06 via kxan.com
  
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Iraq war veteran accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six at a crowded Florida airport baggage claim is due for his first court appearance.
  Esteban Santiago is scheduled to be in Fort Lauderdale federal court Monday morning. The 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, faces airport violence and firearms charges that could mean the death penalty if he’s convicted.
  The initial hearing Monday is likely to focus on ensuring Santiago has a lawy
  
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• US, North Korea trade threats over potential missile test

  09-01-2017 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea says it reserves the right to test an intercontinental ballistic missile whenever it sees fit, in the latest rhetorical volley with Washington over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
  The North’s Korean Central News Agency on Monday quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying, “The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters” of the country.
  Kim Jong Un announced in his New Year&rsquo
  
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• Obama health care legacy: Coverage, conflict, and questions

  09-01-2017 11:58 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Although his signature law is in jeopardy, President Barack Obama’s work reshaping health care in America is certain to endure in the broad public support for many of its underlying principles.
  Notwithstanding growing pains in connection securing some of the promises of the Affordable Care Act, the belief that people with medical problems should be able to get health insurance is no longer challenged. The idea that government should help those who can’t afford
  
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• In-depth look at police searching suspect for weapons

  09-01-2017 05:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department manual states frisking someone for weapons is to make sure officers can investigate without being worried about violence. It also says officers cannot put their hands under a suspect’s clothing unless they feel something that seems like it could be a weapon. But they can make suspects take off coats and jackets.
  “Safety is the big issue, you want to ensure that they don’t have something on them that can hurt you or hu
  
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• Cowboys and Texans gear up for Divisional round of the playoffs

  09-01-2017 05:11 via kxan.com
  
  HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Pro Football Writer
  There will be a familiar feel to the NFL playoffs next weekend: Every divisional-round game will be a rematch from the regular season, the first time that’s happened in six years.
  In the NFC, it’s the Green Bay Packers at the Dallas Cowboys, and the Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta. In the AFC, it’s the Houston Texans playing as huge underdogs at New England, and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City.
  The first times around, Dallas beat Green
  
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• ‘La La Land’ wins best film, comedy or musical, at Globes

  09-01-2017 05:07 via kxan.com
  
  BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) — “La La Land” steamrolled through a Jimmy Fallon-hosted Golden Globes that mixed the expected, Champagne-sipping Hollywood celebration with often-voiced concern over president-elect Donald Trump.
  Meryl Streep, the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree, supplied Sunday evening’s most striking rebuke to Trump. Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, called the president-elect’s mocking of a disabled reporter the year&rsqu
  
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• Spieth ties for 3rd in first tournament of ’17

  09-01-2017 03:14 via kxan.com
  
  DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
  KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Justin Thomas had to sweat it out more than he wanted to enjoy that view down the 18th hole at Kapalua on Sunday.
  Thomas had a five-shot lead with five holes to play when he was caught in a battle with Hideki Matsuyama down the stretch in the SBS Tournament of Champions. Thomas responded with a defining shot in his young career, an 8-iron approach he ripped from 214 yards to 3 feet on the 17th.
  Matsuyama, one shot behind and needing bird
  
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• Gov. Abbott, Sen. Cruz meet with Taiwan president

  09-01-2017 00:15 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott said they met Sunday with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen while she was passing through Houston on her way to Central America.The Republican senator said in a news release that during his meeting with Tsai, they “discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations” in a talk that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations.
  “Furthering economic cooperation between ou
  
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