Austin news

• Classes train how to defend by being assertive instead of aggressive

  17-12-2017 23:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — We’ve learned a lot about how pervasive sexual harassment is in the workplace lately, and we know people who work in Hollywood and on Capitol Hill aren’t the only ones affected.
  A group in Austin wants to help potential victims feel safer.
  FAST Defense is holding classes across the country and in Austin to help people learn how to defend themselves. FAST stands for Fear Adrenaline Stress Training.
  They say the key is to present yourself as being assertive, so yo
  
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• The Latest: Trump says he isn’t considering firing Mueller

  17-12-2017 23:19 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):
  5:05 p.m.
  President Donald Trump is saying he is not considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller.
  Trump returned to the White House from Camp David on Sunday and was asked if he was considering dismissing the man investigating whether there was collusion between the president’s Republican presidential campaign and Russian officials.
  He answered, “No, I’m not,” and did not elaborate furth
  
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• Latest: Powerful winds raise fire risk as crews battle blaze

  17-12-2017 22:56 via kxan.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on wildfires burning in Southern California (all times local):
  2:25 p.m.
  While crews got a break from slightly calmer winds on the lines of the enormous blaze threatening Santa Barbara County, much of the rest of Southern California was buffeted by powerful gusts that increased the wildfire risk across the region.
  The National Weather Service forecast red flag conditions for extreme fire danger through Sunday evening for Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
  Trees
  
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• Latest: Funeral procession begins for California firefighter

  17-12-2017 22:56 via kxan.com
  MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on wildfires burning in Southern California (all times local):
  10:35 a.m.
  A five-county funeral procession has begun for a firefighter killed while battling the colossal wildfire that’s still threatening homes in Southern California.
  An autopsy found Cory Iverson died from burns and smoke inhalation.
  Firefighters and police stood at attention as Iverson’s body left the medical examiner’s office in Ventura County shortly after 10 a.m. Su
  
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• Power outage halts flights at Atlanta airport; several from Austin cancelled

  17-12-2017 22:36 via kxan.com
  ATLANTA (AP) — A sudden power outage at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday grounded scores of flights and stranded thousands of passengers during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
  Passengers were left in the dark when the lights suddenly went out in the early afternoon. Airport spokesman Reese McCranie said all airport operations were affected, and outgoing flights were halted. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented a “gro
  
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• Texas pulls away late in win over No. 12 Florida State

  17-12-2017 21:56 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Brooke McCarty returned from a hip injury to score a season-high 24 points, leading No. 8 Texas over No. 12 Florida State 87-72 Sunday.
  McCarty, a senior guard, missed one game. She appeared just fine against Florida State, making 10 of 13 shots and adding six assists.
  Ariel Atkins had 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals for Texas (9-1). Lashann Higgs had 15 points and four steals, and Jatarie White added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
  AJ Alix led Florida State (10-1
  
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• Longhorns bounce back with win over Louisiana Tech

  17-12-2017 21:52 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Shaka Smart prefers not to consider life without Dylan Osetkowski, the Texas Longhorns’ 6-foot-9 forward.
  Or as the Texas coach put it, “I don’t even want to put those negative things in the universe.”
  Osetkowski, a junior, contributed a season-best 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals and Texas defeated Louisiana Tech 75-60 Saturday afternoon.
  The day wasn’t completely successful for the 245-pound Osetkowski. He committed seven o
  
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• Weekend Gardener: Giving plants as gifts this holiday

  17-12-2017 19:16 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For those of you who like to go the natural route when it comes to holiday gift giving, the Weekend Gardener  has some tips for how to take care of the most popular plant gifts.
  Norfolk Island Pines are perfect to be used as a Christmas tree. This makes them a house plant so you’ll want to keep them indoors but near a window and turn them frequently so the sun is evenly distributed.
  The classic Poinsettias are a perfect gift but you’ll have to remember that
  
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• Officer involved in shooting, stabbing in west Austin

  17-12-2017 18:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin police officer was involved in an incident where two men were rushed to the hospital after one was shot and another was stabbed
  Austin police say they responded to the 4000 block of Greenhill Place, which is off Mesa Drive in west Austin, at 10:35 a.m. One man had been stabbed and another had been shot.
  Police believe an officer fired their weapon, but they’re still investigating.
  Austin-Travis County EMS said they transported the two men, both in their 50s,
  
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• APD officer shoots stabbing suspect in west Austin

  17-12-2017 18:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin police officer was involved in an incident where two men were rushed to the hospital after one was shot and another was stabbed
  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said police were called to the 4000 block of Greenhill Place, which is off Mesa Drive in west Austin, at 10:35 a.m The caller reported hearing a man and woman screaming and a man saying “he had a gun and he would use it.”
  Manley said as police were on their way to the home, they received a seco
  
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• Judge temporarily blocks new Trump rules on birth control

  17-12-2017 16:50 via kxan.com
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge in Philadelphia on Friday ordered the Trump administration not to enforce new rules that could significantly reduce women’s access to free birth control.
  Judge Wendy Beetlestone issued the injunction, temporarily stopping the government from enforcing the policy change to former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
  The law required most companies to cover birth control at no additional cost, though it included exemptions for religious or
  
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• Mario Batali gives holiday recipe in same email as apology

  17-12-2017 16:47 via kxan.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Celebrity chef Mario Batali has issued an apology to his newsletter subscribers for his sexual misconduct against women, but he confounded some by ending his message with a recipe for a “holiday-inspired breakfast.”
  Batali was immediately blasted on social media for including in the Friday email the “Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls” recipe after his apology for making “many mistakes.”
  Several women have made allegations that he touched them in
  
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• Elgin police chief retires after 9 years

  17-12-2017 16:39 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Chief of Police in Elgin has officially retired. Chris Bratton took to Twitter to announce his retirement and fill his followers in on his future plans.
  He says after 45 years in law enforcement he decided it’s time to take a break and do some serious fishing. Bratton was the chief in Elgin for the past nine years. In a statement posted to Facebook, the Elgin Police Department thanked Bratton for his work.
  “We’ve appreciated the opportunity to improve
  
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• UT student assaulted, police searching for suspect

  17-12-2017 15:37 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police and the University of Texas Police Department are looking for a man who they say assaulted a student early Sunday morning.
  UTPD tweeted around 7:40 a.m. that they had been notified of the incident by Austin police. They say the female student was assaulted on 26th Street between Pearl Street and San Gabriel Street earlier in the morning. They said the suspect is a Hispanic man wearing a hoodie.
  UT Police and Austin Police were not able to locate the man.
  Over
  
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• Veterans honored with wreaths laid on their graves

  17-12-2017 14:25 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott joined in a wreath laying ceremony at the Texas State Cemetery in East Austin on Saturday to honor veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
  As part of Wreaths Across America, the governor, along with other attendees, placed Balsam fir wreaths on several headstones of veterans and other notable Texans who have died.
  The group and Gov. Abbott honored Texans like Stephen F. Austin, Chis Kyle, Darrell K. Royal and Barbara Jordan a
  
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• Austin seeks community input on downtown homelessness

  17-12-2017 04:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) –  City leaders head into 2018 with a laser focus on the downtown homeless problem. On Saturday, the city asked for input from those who call Austin home. Part of the solution is finding a new provider for services at the ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless) downtown.
  The mission of the ARCH is to get homeless Texans off the streets. But more and more people notice the space and services are not enough. So people came to the forum Saturday to tell, write and de
  
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• Stepfather, daughter die when he tries to rescue her in mobile home fire

  17-12-2017 04:25 via kxan.com
  EASTLAND, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — A stepfather and daughter both died in a Friday night mobile home fire in Eastland, Texas, said the Eastland Fire Department.
  The stepfather, identified by family as Kenny Osteen, was trying to rescue his 4-year-old stepdaughter, Karleigh, from the fire, officials and family said.
  The fire happened at about 11:45 p.m. at a home in the 200 block of Daugherty Avenue.  Eastland is on Interstate 20 between Forth Worth and Abilene.
  Off
  
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• Unofficial results: Montgomery beats Bone, wins place on Round Rock City Council

  17-12-2017 03:50 via kxan.com
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) – Hilda Montgomery leads Hollis Bone in a special election held Saturday to fill a Round Rock City Council seat, according to unofficial final election results released Saturday evening by Williamson County elections officials.
  The unofficial tally showed Montgomery with 1,868 votes, or 55.81 percent, to Bone’s 1,402 votes, or 41.89 percent.
  This election was to fill the seat formerly held by Kris Whitfield, who resigned in October. She had served since May 2
  
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• Volunteers team up with APD’s Blue Santa, deliver toys to thousands of children

  17-12-2017 02:17 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – While many of you are likely knocking out some Christmas shopping this weekend, thousands of local kids are now covered thanks to the Austin Police Department’s Operation Blue Santa.
  APD held “delivery day” Saturday with community volunteers helping them deliver gifts to more than 6,000 families with 14,400 children.
  “There is a closeness our community has with our first responders, that is really special. And it is truly one of the reasons why we ar
  
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• Trump defends tax plan, proclaims economy set ‘to rock’

  17-12-2017 01:14 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Closing in on the first major legislative achievement of his term, President Donald Trump on Saturday defended the Republican tax cut as a good deal for the middle class while boldly suggesting it could lead to explosive economic growth.
  The legislation, which the GOP aims to muscle through Congress next week, would lower taxes on the richest Americans. Benefits for most other taxpayers would be smaller, but Trump attempted to sell the bill as a “Christmas present&r
  
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• Caller tells police bullet grazed boy’s neck outside Torchy’s in southwest Austin

  17-12-2017 01:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – A boy was taken to the hospital late Saturday morning after a caller reported to 911 that a bullet grazed the boy’s neck, said the Austin Police Department.
  It happened at about 11:49 a.m. outside a southwest Austin Torchy’s restaurant in the 4300 block of William Cannon Drive just west of Mopac Expressway, Austin-Travis County EMS said.
  Medics treated the boy at the scene and then transported him to Dell Children’s Medical Center with non-life-threatening
  
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