Austin news

• VIDEO: Pickup truck driver leads police on 30-mile chase on I-35

  23-02-2018 23:48 via kxan.com
  PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Video sent to KXAN shows officers with their guns drawn on the main lanes of Interstate 35 yelling at a suspect to “keep your hands in the air!”
  The suspect, standing outside a possibly stolen pickup truck, slowly walked backward to officers positioned behind their vehicles.
  Pflugerville police officers were called to help the Travis County Sheriff’s Office’s vehicle theft unit at the 1825 Cottages apartment complex at 1001 Nimbus Dr. in
  
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• Report: FBI probe docs list range of payments to top players

  23-02-2018 23:29 via kxan.com
  (AP) — New details of payments to players in a federal investigation that has lurked in the shadows since first rocking college basketball last fall mark the latest threat to the sport’s basic foundation, showing the breadth of alleged corruption.Bank records and other expense reports that are part of the investigation list a wide range of impermissible payments from agents to at least two dozen players or their relatives, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.
  Th
  
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• 5 cases involving gun threats at Austin-area schools under review by prosecutors

  23-02-2018 23:06 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County District Attorney’s Office says they’re currently reviewing five cases this week involving threats of gun violence in area schools.
  In a statement, District Attorney Margaret Moore says her department’s Juvenile Division hasn’t necessarily charged any of the students but they’re reviewing the cases.
  “This office takes all threats against schools seriously whether the threats are false or have merit,” said Moore in
  
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• Liberty Hill teenager upset with wheelchair company, stuck using old one

  23-02-2018 22:32 via kxan.com
  LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — A high school student who relies on a wheelchair every day is stuck using one on the brink of breaking.
  For the last couple of years, Meredith Tokar, a senior at Liberty Hill High School, says she’s had to use the same powered wheelchair she’s had since middle school. And, as a person living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, Tokar needs it to get around.
  However, for the past two years, there’s been a brand new one sitting un
  
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• Day after shooting threat, nearly half of Akins High students stay home

  23-02-2018 22:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The day after a former Akins High School student was arrested and accused of bringing ammunition and loaded magazines to the school — leading to an extended campus lockdown — almost 50 percent of students did not come to school Friday.
  According to the Austin Independent School District attendance records, 47 percent of the nearly 2,700 students did not show up to school. On Thursday,  the day of the threat, the school had a 94 percent attendance rate.
  Nume
  
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• White House locked down after vehicle strikes barrier

  23-02-2018 21:52 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is on lockdown after a passenger vehicle struck a security barrier.
  The U.S. Secret Service tweets that the vehicle “did not breach the security barrier of the White House complex.” No shots were fired during the incident, the Secret Service says.
  The agency adds that the female driver of the vehicle was “immediately apprehended.”
  Witnesses saw a commotion on the White House grounds as security officers responded.
  President Donald T
  
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• WATCH LIVE: White House locked down after vehicle strikes barrier

  23-02-2018 21:52 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is on lockdown after a passenger vehicle struck a security barrier.
  The U.S. Secret Service tweets that the vehicle “did not breach the security barrier of the White House complex.”
  The agency adds that the female driver of the vehicle was “immediately apprehended.”
  Witnesses saw a commotion on the White House grounds as security officers responded.
  President Donald Trump is hosting Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the
  
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• Teenager gets 25 years in prison for drive-by murder in Kyle

  23-02-2018 21:28 via kxan.com
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — A teenager will spend the next 25 years of his life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of Natanaell Bardales.
  Bardales, 18 was shot to death in a drive-by shooting on April 2, 2016, as he was standing outside of a home in the 300 block of Discovery. Even though the suspect vehicle drove off, witnesses were able to give police two possible suspect names.
  Police were able to arrest James Gabriel Sanchez, who was 16 years old at the time, shortly afte
  
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• Mirai Nagasu reflects on Olympic experience, faces backlash for post-skate remarks

  23-02-2018 21:22 via kxan.com
  Mirai Nagasu’s 2018 Olympics began with a historic triple Axel—the first ever landed by an American woman at the Winter Games. The program boosted the United States to a bronze in the team figure skating event and put a bow on Nagasu’s redemption story, which began when she didn’t make the team headed to Sochi in 2014 after debuting at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
  However, Nagasu’s final moments in PyeongChang were less auspicious. Team USA’s oldest skate
  
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• San Antonio police make arrest after gang threatens rapper 6ix9ine

  23-02-2018 21:20 via kxan.com
  SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) — A man who police say threatened a rapper about to perform in San Antonio was arrested Thursday.
  The San Antonio Express-News reports Adam Rodriguez, 35, allegedly threatened to impose “penitentiary rules” if controversial rapper 6ix9ine performed in his city. The Brooklyn-based rapper, who also goes by monikers Teka$shi and Tekashi69, pleaded guilty to the use of a child in a sexual performance a few years ago, reports Jezebel.
  The 21-year rapper, whos
  
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• Ex-Trump campaign aide pleads guilty in Russia probe

  23-02-2018 20:11 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A former top adviser to President Donald Trump’s election campaign pleaded guilty Friday to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges in the special counsel’s Russia investigation.
  The plea by Rick Gates revealed that he is planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian election interference and Gates’ longtime business associate, Paul Manafort.
  Gates, 45, of Rich
  
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• Ex-Trump aide pleads guilty, will cooperate in Russia probe

  23-02-2018 20:11 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A former senior adviser to President Donald Trump’s election campaign pleaded guilty Friday to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges, switching from defendant to cooperating witness in the special counsel’s probe of Trump’s campaign and Russia’s election interference.
  The plea by Rick Gates revealed that he will help special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation in “any and all matters” as prosecutors continue to probe
  
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• Bill would end twice-a-year time changing in Oklahoma

  23-02-2018 19:57 via kxan.com
  OKLAHOMA CITY (AP/KXAN) — There would be no more springing forward and falling back in Oklahoma under a bill heading to the state Senate.
  The bill by Republican Sen. Joseph Silk would adopt daylight saving time year-round in Oklahoma.
  Daylight saving time was initially adopted in an effort to save energy, but Silk told The Oklahoman that is no longer the case and that it creates health risks by disturbing sleeping patterns.
  Under the bill, Oklahoma would move clocks ahead one hour as sched
  
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• Child killed in Dallas home gas explosion

  23-02-2018 19:45 via kxan.com
  DALLAS, Texas (KXAN) — One child is dead after a home exploded in Dallas Friday morning.
  Atmos Energy officials and Dallas Fire-Rescue are working to determine what caused the gas line to explode at approximately 6:30 a.m. in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive, which is in north Dallas. The explosion blew off bricks of the exterior of the home and aerial footage shows a whole wall was taken down.
  KXAS reports an 11-year-old girl was originally taken to the hospital but died a short
  
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• What to watch tonight in PyeongChang: Team Shuster goes for gold, men’s big air final

  23-02-2018 19:32 via kxan.com
  We are in the final days of the Olympics in PyeongChang, but the competition isn’t done just yet.
  Four-man bobsled teams make their first two runs today, while men’s big air will make its inaugural appearance tonight in PyeongChang. The team event for Alpine skiing also makes its debut at the Games while Team USA will go for gold in men’s curling.
  Here are all the events on tonight’s schedule and all the ways you can watch them.
  Tonight in Primetime
  Primetime wi
  
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• Florida governor: Ban gun sales to underage and mentally ill

  23-02-2018 19:04 via kxan.com
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — As teachers returned Friday to a high school where a shooter killed 17 people, Florida’s governor proposed banning the sale of firearms to anyone younger than 21.
  Gov. Rick Scott announced the proposal as part of a plan to prevent gun violence.
  He also called for a trained law enforcement officer for every 1,000 students at every school in Florida by the time the 2018 school year begins. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland had one armed resou
  
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• After school shooting, Florida leaders propose new gun laws

  23-02-2018 19:04 via kxan.com
  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Nine days after the Florida school shooting, Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislators announced school safety and gun restriction proposals that would ban the sale of firearms to anyone under 21, but they differed on whether some teachers should carry guns.
  The action came Friday as teachers returned for the first time to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School since the Valentine’s Day shooting that killed 17 people. The Broward County school superintendent s
  
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• Police seeking suspect who slipped out of home during SWAT situation

  23-02-2018 17:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are searching for a suspect after finding no one was in the home following a SWAT situation in the southeast part of the city.
  The Austin Police Department says it was originally called to a home in the 6900 block of Villita Avenida around 8:15 a.m. in the Montopolis area for a domestic disturbance between a boyfriend and girlfriend. The home apparently belongs to the man’s family member, who has been interviewed by police. The woman is fine but was take
  
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• Akins HS threat suspect was kicked out for missing school

  23-02-2018 16:51 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former student allegedly returned to his south Austin high school campus Thursday and threatened to “blow and/or shoot up” the school, according to an affidavit.
  Ariel Alex Ramirez Navarro, 17,  had been enrolled at Akins High School, but was not enrolled anymore because of “lack of attendance,” the affidavit stated. He was last enrolled two weeks ago, school officials said.
  A student at Akins High Schoo
  
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• Instant Pot issues warning about some products overheating

  23-02-2018 16:49 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (WCMH/KXAN) — Instant Pot is advising owners of some of its Gem 65 8-in-1 multicookers to stop using them due to the possibility of overheating.
  In a post on the product’s Facebook page, the company said they have received a “small number of reports” about the product overheating, which could result in “localized melting damage to the underside of the product.”
  The company says it believes the problem only affects the following Instant Pot’s with
  
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• Canada’s Larocque apologizes for removing silver medal after Olympic hockey loss

  23-02-2018 15:02 via kxan.com
  PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Canadian defenceman Jocelyne Larocque says she got caught up in the emotion of Thursday’s devastating shootout loss to the United States in the Olympic women’s hockey final and regrets taking off her silver medal almost immediately after it was placed around her neck.
  In a statement Friday, Larocque apologized to the IOC, International Ice Hockey Federation, the Pyeongchang Olympic Organizing Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, Hockey Canada an
  
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• Church: Cardinal’s ‘nighty-night, baby’ tweet was for sister

  23-02-2018 15:01 via kxan.com
  NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey archbishop raised a few eyebrows when he tweeted “Nighty-night, baby. I love you,” but his spokesman says it was an errant message intended for his sister.
  Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s spokesman says the leader of the Newark Roman Catholic archdiocese later deleted Wednesday’s tweet because it was being misinterpreted.
  Spokesman Jim Goodness says Tobin has eight younger sisters and “they’re all his baby sisters.” Goodnes
  
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• Florida man yells ‘murderers!’ as he’s put to death

  23-02-2018 13:47 via kxan.com
  STARKE, Fla. (AP) — As the execution drugs were being administered, inmate Eric Scott Branch let out a blood-curdling scream. Then he yelled “murderers! murderers! murderers!” as he thrashed on a gurney as he was being put to death for the 1993 rape and slaying of a college student.
  The drugs included a powerful sedative Thursday evening and the 47-year-old inmate, following the outburst, gave a last guttural groan and turned silent. Minutes earlier, he had just been addressing
  
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• Florida man screams, yells ‘murderers!’ as he’s put to death

  23-02-2018 13:47 via kxan.com
  STARKE, Fla. (AP) — As the execution drugs were being administered, inmate Eric Scott Branch let out a blood-curdling scream. Then he yelled “murderers! murderers! murderers!” as he thrashed on a gurney as he was being put to death for the 1993 rape and slaying of a college student.
  The drugs included a powerful sedative Thursday evening and the 47-year-old inmate, following the outburst, gave a last guttural groan and turned silent. Minutes earlier, he had just been addressing
  
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• ‘A very big difference in the world:’ WilCo students fundraise with kindness

  23-02-2018 13:09 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A new charter school in central Texas is taking a different approach to fundraising, one that relies on kindness rather than selling candy bars or magazine subscriptions.
  Goodwater Montessori School just opened in Georgetown last fall, and school leaders say the community has welcomed them to the neighborhood. In response to their hospitality, administrators wanted to return the kind gesture, while still raising money for the school.
  “Now is my chance and I
  
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• ‘A very big difference in the world’: How one WilCo school is changing up fundraising

  23-02-2018 13:09 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — A new charter school in central Texas is taking a different approach to fundraising, one that relies on kindness rather than selling candy bars or magazine subscriptions.
  Goodwater Montessori School just opened in Georgetown last fall, and school leaders say the community has welcomed them to the neighborhood. In response to their hospitality, administrators wanted to return the kind gesture, while still raising money for the school.
  “Now is my chance and I
  
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• Forgot about that joint? Vegas airport lets people dump pot

  23-02-2018 12:55 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — What happens in Vegas really can stay in Vegas.
  Tourists catching a flight out of Sin City can now dump their leftover legal marijuana in metal containers set up at the airport.
  The 10 green bins dubbed “amnesty boxes” prevent federal transportation agents from finding pot on passengers during security screenings. The drug is legal in Nevada but still banned by the U.S. government.
  The containers were installed last week following a county ban on marijuana poss
  
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• Why school administrators are supporting more student walkouts

  23-02-2018 12:27 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  Several more central Texas schools are joining in the national movement of walking out of class as part of a national call for gun reform.
  Friday, students at Anderson High School and Bailey Middle School announced they will stage a walkout for 17 minutes to honor the 17 people killed at a school in Parkland, Florida, earlier this month.
  AISD Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz says students who choose to walk out will not face punishment, and he supports their right to free
  
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• WATCH: Walkout at Bailey Middle School

  23-02-2018 12:27 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  Several more central Texas schools are joining in the national movement of walking out of class as part of a national call for gun reform.
  Friday, students at Anderson High School and Bailey Middle School announced they will stage a walkout for 17 minutes to honor the 17 people killed at a school in Parkland, Florida, earlier this month.
  AISD Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz says students who choose to walk out will not face punishment, and he supports their right to fre
  
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• What you missed in PyeongChang last night: Zagitova, Medvedeva fight for gold

  23-02-2018 12:02 via kxan.com
  Primetime spotlight
  Figure skating is a sport known for its intense rivalries. The newest rivalry was on full display as Russians Alina Zagitova and Yevgenia Medvedeva faced off in a gold medal battle. 15-year-old Zagitova had the upper hand going into the night holding a slight lead (1.31 points) from the short program.
  After two stunning performances, Zagitova and Medvedeva scored the same score in the free skate, a 156.65. Medvedeva broke the tie in the free skate, earning a higher compo
  
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• Group that performs school safety checks is low on resources after budget cuts

  23-02-2018 05:55 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The group Texas leaders entrust to perform school safety audits is low on resources after a sizable budget cut.
  On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas School Safety Center, a research group based at Texas State University, to take action to make schools safer. In an order sent to the Texas Education Agency, he asked that the Texas School Safety Center information on safety programs be distributed to all school districts in the state.
  He also ordered a check on sch
  
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• Mark Hamill coming to SXSW for premiere of doc on Last Jedi director

  23-02-2018 05:52 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Mark Hamill is making a special appearance at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.
  Hamill, known around the world for portraying Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, will be attending the world premiere of “The Director and the Jedi,” a look into Rian Johnson’s process as a new director in the Star Wars universe, SXSW said.
  A description on the fest’s website says, “A fan since childhood, he sets out to make the most powerful S
  
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• KIPP charter schools co-founder fired, misconduct alleged

  23-02-2018 05:44 via kxan.com
  HOUSTON (AP/KXAN) — The co-founder of one of the nation’s leading system of charter schools has been fired amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
  KIPP announced Thursday that it had fired Mike Feinberg after an independent investigation found “credible evidence” to support three allegations of sexual misconduct. In a statement, the enterprise Feinberg co-founded in Houston 24 years ago said the investigation was triggered by an allegation last spring of sexual abuse of a
  
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• After teen was hit in front of Bowie High, students say slow down

  23-02-2018 04:48 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Bowie High School student was sent to the hospital after being hit by a car while walking on the sidewalk on Slaughter Lane Wednesday evening in front of the school.
  Austin police say they were called to the area just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Medics with Austin-Travis County EMS said the student had critical injuries. 
  We talked to some students who say they walk to and from school every day.
  “Everybody, at least right here when we’re crossing, everybod
  
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• Weaknesses in Texas’ voting systems put under microscope

  23-02-2018 03:54 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Are Texas voting systems susceptible to a hack? Who polices wrongdoing at the polls? Should lawmakers make any changes to help Texas elections run more smoothly? State senators met Thursday to address concerns of fraud, irregularities and weaknesses in the system.
  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tasked a Senate select panel to address a handful of issues pertaining to election security. Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who chairs the committee, said there are few rights more preciou
  
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• Prosecutors seeking stiffer penalties for drivers who cause deadly crashes

  23-02-2018 02:00 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Last year in Austin, 25 people were killed in drunk-driving-related crashes. In an effort to hold more drivers accountable for their deadly behavior on the streets, the Travis County District Attorney's Office recently created a new team to aggressively work on prosecuting vehicular crimes.
  “Basically everyone in our community is a potential victim of one of these cases. So, the threat to everyone is very real. It's very concerning,” said Matthew Foye, an assistant d
  
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• Widow blasts politician’s use of husband’s death in anti-immigration ad

  23-02-2018 01:23 via kxan.com
  INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — An Indianapolis family is outraged and hurt. They say the violent crime that took their loved one’s life is being exploited for political purposes. Jeffrey Monroe’s wife says Republican Senate candidate Mike Braun is using his death to promote immigration reforms and win votes.
  “I think he’s disgusting,” Deb Monroe says, “That’s what I think.”
  When she saw Braun’s campaign ad for the very first time she shook with
  
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• Gov. Abbott spares death row inmate whose father asked for clemency

  23-02-2018 00:41 via kxan.com
  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has accepted the state parole board’s recommendation and is sparing the life of convicted killer Thomas “Bart” Whitaker.
  The 38-year-old Whitaker was set for execution Thursday evening for masterminding a murder plot that took the lives of his mother and younger brother at the family home in suburban Houston in 2003. His father also was wounded in the shootings and has favored clemency for his son, saying he’s forgiven
  
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• Texas’ vow to streamline Harvey recovery and aid backfires

  23-02-2018 00:31 via kxan.com
  BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — After Hurricane Harvey hammered Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott pledged that the country’s largest conservative state would lead its own recovery, streamlining federal aid to storm victims while avoiding the staggering inefficiencies of earlier Washington-controlled disaster responses.
  “A Texas-sized storm requires a Texas-sized response, and that is exactly what the state will provide,” declared Abbott, who has made bashing the feds a centerpiec
  
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• Sheriff: School officer never went inside to confront gunman

  23-02-2018 00:07 via kxan.com
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The armed officer on duty at the Florida school where a shooter killed 17 people never went inside to engage the gunman and has been placed under investigation, officials announced Thursday.
  The Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by a gunman armed with an AR-15 style assault rifle has reignited national debate over gun laws and school safety, including proposals by President Donald Trump and others to designate more people &m
  
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• Sheriff: Florida school officer never went inside to confront gunman

  23-02-2018 00:07 via kxan.com
  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The armed officer on duty at the Florida school where a shooter killed 17 people never went inside to engage the gunman and has been placed under investigation, police announced Thursday.
  The Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by a gunman armed with an AR-15 style assault rifle has reignited national debate over gun laws and school safety, including proposals by President Donald Trump and others to designate more people — i
  
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