Austin news

• Judge issues temporary injunction blocking transgender youth health care ban from going into effect, state appeals

  25-08-2023 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — A Travis County district judge issued a temporary injunction Friday, blocking Texas' ban on transgender health care for minors from going into effect next week. Parents, doctors sue Texas to block transgender minor health care banA group of Texas families with transgender children and doctors sued the state over Senate Bill 14, a bill passed this legislative session that prohibits transgender minors from getting health care to assist in their gend
  
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• Judge issues temporary injunction blocking transgender youth health care ban from going into effect

  25-08-2023 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — A Travis County district judge issued a temporary injunction Friday, blocking Texas' ban on transgender health care for minors from going into effect next week. Parents, doctors sue Texas to block transgender minor health care banA group of Texas families with transgender children and doctors sued the state over Senate Bill 14, a bill passed this legislative session that prohibits transgender minors from getting health care to assist in their gend
  
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• Judge issues injunction, temporarily blocking transgender youth health care ban from going into effect, state appeals

  25-08-2023 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar) — A Travis County district judge issued a temporary injunction Friday, blocking Texas' ban on transgender health care for minors from going into effect next week. Parents, doctors sue Texas to block transgender minor health care banA group of Texas families with transgender children and doctors sued the state over Senate Bill 14, a bill passed this legislative session that prohibits transgender minors from getting health care to assist in their gend
  
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• Nixta Taqueria asking for community's help after city permitting issues

  25-08-2023 23:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A well-loved taqueria in east Austin is asking for financial help after the owners say the City of Austin shut them down temporarily over permitting issues. The city says the building the couple were operating out of was dangerous.
  Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico, a husband and wife, opened Nixta Taqueria in 2019, according to a post from the owners. The future of that restaurant is now in question and the owners have started a GoFundMe to finance steps forward.
  "A cross-departme
  
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• Stage 4 drought on Barton Springs not imminent this month, officials say

  25-08-2023 22:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A move to Stage IV Exceptional Drought is no longer imminent, after the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District found a discrepancy between direct flow data collected while assessing the drought, indicating low flow levels, according to officials.
  The district, the City of Austin and the U.S. Geological Survey Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center took manual measurements of the flow at Barton Creek Thursday morning, just below the pool, the general manager of the dis
  
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• Flow of Barton Springs no longer considered low due to drought, officials say

  25-08-2023 22:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Barton Springs is no longer under its first-ever Stage IV Exceptional Drought status, after the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District found a discrepancy between direct flow data collected while assessing the drought, indicating low flow levels, according to officials.
  The district, the City of Austin and the U.S. Geological Survey Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center took manual measurements of the flow at Barton Creek Thursday morning, just below the pool, the ge
  
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• Who's the best high school football player in Austin?

  25-08-2023 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- High school football is back again, and with a soft opening Thursday night, it kicks into high gear Friday with all kinds of action in the KXAN viewing area and beyond.KXAN toured the Austin area during the training camp period and got an early look at several area football programs as they prepared for the season. We asked a couple of questions to all of the teams we spoke with ahead of the season.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we nee
  
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• Trial to start Tuesday for Austin 6th Street mass shooting suspect

  25-08-2023 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jury selection for a man accused of killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a mass shooting on downtown Austin's Sixth Street is set to begin Monday.Police believe the suspect opened fire into crowds following some kind of confrontation between two groups. According to court records, he and a group of friends drove to Sixth Street from Killeen when they encountered a rival group of men they knew from Killeen. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza sa
  
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• Trial set to start next week for Austin 6th Street mass shooting suspect

  25-08-2023 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Jury selection for a man accused of killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a mass shooting on downtown Austin's Sixth Street is set to begin Monday.Police believe the suspect opened fire into crowds following some kind of confrontation between two groups. According to court records, he and a group of friends drove to Sixth Street from Killeen when they encountered a rival group of men they knew from Killeen. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said pr
  
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• Trial set to start for Austin 6th Street mass shooting suspect

  25-08-2023 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jury selection for a man accused of killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a mass shooting on downtown Austin's Sixth Street is set to begin Monday.Police believe the suspect opened fire into crowds following some kind of confrontation between two groups. According to court records, he and a group of friends drove to Sixth Street from Killeen when they encountered a rival group of men they knew from Killeen. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza sa
  
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• These Texas cities are considered the buggiest in the US

  25-08-2023 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN New Today's top headlines for Aug. 25, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The summer months are coming to an end, and hopefully taking the excessive heat and pesky insects with it. What happens to bugs during wildfires?A study found three Texas cities made the top five buggiest cities in the U.S.The study was compiled using data from home projects from across all 50 states, according to Thumbtack. The results showed July and August were the buggiest months
  
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• LIVE: Trial set to start for Austin 6th Street mass shooting suspect

  25-08-2023 20:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jury selection for a man accused of killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a mass shooting on downtown Austin's Sixth Street is set to begin Monday.Police believe the suspect opened fire into crowds following some kind of confrontation between two groups. According to court records, he and a group of friends drove to Sixth Street from Killeen when they encountered a rival group of men they knew from Killeen. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza sa
  
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• Austin named best taco city in America in recent study

  25-08-2023 20:13 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN New Today's top headlines for Aug. 25, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is the best taco city in the United States, according to data from a recent study conducted by Real Estate Witch. Austin has won the No. 1 spot two years in a row. The study said data was gathered by researching the number of taco locations in a city, and Austin had the highest percentage of restaurants that are taco places at 7.4%. 3 Austin taco joints ranked among Yelp&
  
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• ERCOT: 'Tight' Texas grid conditions expected for 2nd straight day

  25-08-2023 19:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For the second straight day, Texas' main electrical grid operator is asking Texans to conserve electricity use. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)'s request for conservation is from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday with "operating reserves expected to be low [Friday afternoon and evening]."ERCOT is not experiencing emergency conditions at this time, the release said. Understanding ERCOT’s emergency alert levels"Current forecasts are showing a potential to enter emerg
  
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• Federal judge to hear 1st challenge to Texas drag performance law

  25-08-2023 19:07 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN New Today's top headlines for Aug. 25, 2023.HOUSTON (KXAN) — A federal judge will hold a hearing Monday morning on the first lawsuit aimed at blocking a Texas drag performance law.
  U.S. District Judge David Hittner will hear arguments starting at 10:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Houston related to a legal challenge against Senate Bill 12, which will take effect next Friday on Sept. 1. The five plaintiffs include the Austin-based drag p
  
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• US Soccer returns to Austin, Q2 Stadium in November

  25-08-2023 18:34 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN New Today's top headlines for Aug. 25, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The U.S. Men's National team is returning to Austin for another international soccer event.Q2 Stadium will host the USMNT on Nov. 16 for the team's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal match, according to a club release. The opponent hasn't been determined. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m.USMNT will be eyeing qualification for the 2024 Copa America, South America’s preeminent inte
  
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• Costco offering refunds on Kirkland vodka following complaints over taste, smell

  25-08-2023 17:51 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Costco has removed multiple lots of its popular Kirkland-brand vodka from shelves amid allegations that the spirit is leaving a bad taste in customers’ mouths.In an email sent to customers last week (and shared to Reddit), Costco admitted that recent batches of Kirkland Signature American Vodka sold between June 12 and Aug. 10, 2023, did not meet the company's standards for quality.“It has come to our attention that the taste profile of units marked with certain lot
  
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• Austin apartment Fire leaves dozens without a home, how you can help

  25-08-2023 15:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For the second time this month, the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) is working to help people rebuild their lives after two separate, devastating apartment fires.The latest fire left 60 people, including children without a home after an overnight fire ripped through the Sonora Apartments on Sam Rayburn Drive.“These are our neighbors right here in our own community,” said Dwight Bailey Jr., the executive director of the ADRN.“And when you hear folks just l
  
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• Curiosity caused the traffic: Why do we love to rubberneck?

  25-08-2023 15:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - If you've ever been stuck in traffic, only to realize it was all because of a crash on the other side of the highway, that is a common experience thanks to rubbernecking.KXAN Traffic Anchor, Erica Brennes, sat down with the hosts of the podcast Two Guys On Your Head, Dr. Bob Duke and Dr. Art Markman, to find out why we can't help but slow down to take a look.Erica: "Why can we not resist the urge to rubberneck?"Dr. Bob Duke: "You know, when you look at toys that you get when you'
  
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• Workers to start Phase 1 of flood risk reduction project in NE Austin

  25-08-2023 15:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin said a road will be closed starting Saturday on a project to reduce the risk of flooding in a northeast Austin neighborhood.
  The city said Thursday that workers with the Capital Delivery Services Department will start Phase 1 of construction on the Little Walnut Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project.
  Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the construction of Phase 1 is expected to wrap up in Spring 2024, the city said.
  According to the city, Mea
  
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• Hundreds of inmates evacuated as fire erupts at Texas prison

  25-08-2023 15:04 via kxan.com
  
  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KIAH) -- The prison unit in Huntsville caught fire overnight and still burns this morning as fire crews work diligently to put the fire out.
  CW39's Kara Willis and Seth Kovar are bringing us updates throughout the morning. We talked with the fire chief there in Huntsville LIVE on air for an update.
  "The Walls" unit caught fire about 2:30 a.m. Friday morning. Heavy smoke was reported. Crews arrive to find heavy fire coming from one unit. Units have knocked out the main body of
  
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• Leander ISD to file exception for bill placing armed security officers at campuses

  25-08-2023 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN New Today's top headlines for Aug. 25, 2023.LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — In a meeting Thursday, the board for Leander ISD decided it would file an exception for House Bill 3, which was set to place armed security officers at every campus.The district said it shared plans to implement the HB3 requirement, but due to a lack of funding and staff, LISD decided it would file a good cause exception.LISD said there were plans under consideration, which i
  
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• San Marcos CISD receives grant for STEM club

  25-08-2023 14:22 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – The San Marcos CISD said Thursday a $1,500 grant will help create a new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) club at San Marcos High School (SMHS) and give students a chance to attend out-of-state STEM camps.
  The district said it recently received funding from the Catalyzing Inclusive STEM Experience All Year Round (CISTEME365) grant initiative. CISTEME365 is an initiative by the University of Illinois’s Grainger College of Engineer
  
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• Silver Alert issued for woman out of Copperas Cove

  25-08-2023 13:57 via kxan.com
  
  COPPERAS COVE, Texas (KXAN) — A Silver Alert was issued Friday for a Copperas Cove woman diagnosed with a cognitive impairment.The Copperas Cove Police Department said it was searching for Norma Mistic, an 83-year-old woman.She was described as being 5’05” and weighing 132 lbs. with grey hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing pink pajamas and shoes, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.Officials said Mistic was last seen s
  
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• Silver Alert discontinued for Texas woman

  25-08-2023 13:57 via kxan.com
  
  COPPERAS COVE, Texas (KXAN) — A Silver Alert issued for a Central Texas woman was discontinued Friday around 11 a.m.In an updated release, the Texas Department of Public Safety said the 83-year-old woman was found.
  
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• Places in Texas that don't feel like Texas

  25-08-2023 13:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some believe Texas to be an entirely flat, barren wasteland full of tumbleweeds, and while there are parts of the Lone State State that embody that stereotype (i.e. parts of West Texas), it is not entirely accurate for other parts of the state. ‘It’s a Texas thing’: Why do Texans love Texas so much?Here are a few places in Texas that don't exactly feel like Texas.Big BendStunning sunset in Big Bend National Park featuring bright orange Ocotillo blooms in t
  
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• Annual Day of Giving exceeds $850K goal, Salvation Army says

  25-08-2023 13:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Salvation Army said Thursday its recent fundraiser, the Annual Day of Giving, exceeded its $850,000 goal.
  According to the Salvation Army, Wednesday's fundraiser supports two family shelters, The Austin Shelter for Women and Children and The Rathgeber Center for Families. Both shelters are at capacity each night, according to the army, and have an extensive waitlist.93% of those sheltered in these facilities are women and children, according to a statement.According to
  
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• Fund for homeless students finds success after name change

  25-08-2023 13:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Homeless Student Assistance Fund, once known as the Public School Energy Assistance Fund, increased in the number of donations and donors after a vital name change made earlier this year.
  The money in the fund, which is made up of donations from Austinites through their utility bill, will go to eight school districts in the Austin area to help students who do not have a permanent home and are facing obstacles.
  A name change makes a big difference
  In 2013, the City of Austin
  
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• Suspect in murder, sexual assault of 11-year-old Texas girl has been arrested

  25-08-2023 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  PASADENA, Texas (KIAH/NEXSTAR) — Less than a day after police in Pasadena, Texas, identified a person of interest in connection with the murder of an 11-year-old girl, authorities in Louisiana arrested the suspect believed to be involved.Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to the death of Maria Gonzalez, who was found dead last Saturday in the apartment she shared with her father.Police in Louisiana have arrested a man in connection
  
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• Isolated weekend storms... but heat still an issue

  25-08-2023 12:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Extreme heat continues to be the focus but isolated rain chances isn't something we'll write off this weekend.Afternoon highs climb to 100° or hotter across Central Texas today, prompting another round of Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories.Friday afternoon forecast temperaturesHeat alerts in effect Friday afternoon & eveningIsolated storms will be possible late day as the heat ridge that's kept the majority of us dry this summer is finally far enough to not squa
  
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• Hot weekend with a few storms, but wetter on Monday

  25-08-2023 12:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Exceptionally hot temperatures will continue into the weekend. We broke the record warm low temperature this morning dropping to 80º, the previous warmest low was 79º set in 2020 and 2006. We also likely broke today's record high of 105º from 1924. We were already at 105º as of 3 p.m. at Austin's Camp Mabry and will probably finish the day with a high near 107º!Very isolated storms remain possible through about 8 p.m. this evening, but most of us miss ou
  
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• Texas high school football scores for Thursday, August 24

  25-08-2023 05:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN/AP) — It was a hot one across Central Texas as high school football season kicked off at its earliest date in nearly 50 years Thursday.Anderson picked up its 12th Taco Shack Bowl victory in emphatic fashion 42-0 over McCallum while Manor scored a 39-26 win over LBJ in a battle of east Austin schools.Crockett won big over San Antonio Highlands down in the Alamodome 42-0 while Bowie and Vista Ridge went to overtime at Burger Stadium. Vista Ridge scored on the first possession of
  
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• Will voters approve Lake Travis ISD bond for athletic facilities?

  25-08-2023 04:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  As growth in Lake Travis ISD continues, the district will soon begin work to add another high school."I have seen it come towards us, just the growth on 71," said Lake Travis ISD parent Jessica Walker. "I have seen new elementary school's built, I have seen new middle schools built."The district will also be adding a second high school by 2027. Enrollment in the district has grown to 11,400 students which is up about 33 students from 2019."Currently building high scho
  
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• Homeless beds: Marshalling Yard opens ahead of schedule, Pecan Gardens sees delays

  25-08-2023 04:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin is moving forward with two massive efforts to house people who are homeless.
  One project, a large city warehouse -- the Marshalling Yard near the airport -- has rapidly been converted into roughly 300 emergency shelter beds. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson told KXAN Thursday the facility is already sheltering people, ahead of schedule.
  A City of Austin spokesperson said the city is moving people from camps, including those that are high-wildfire risk and those surrou
  
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• APD searching for 3 suspects allegedly involved in downtown Austin robbery

  25-08-2023 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help identifying three suspects allegedly involved in a robbery at a 7-Eleven in downtown Austin last week, APD said in a news release Thursday.Shortly after 6 p.m., Aug. 16, officers responded to the incident at 7-Eleven, 411 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., according to police.Surveillance cameras captured the suspects entering the stores and getting several fountain drinks before starting an argument with the cashier, th
  
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• Man sentenced for 2021 murder in northeast Austin

  25-08-2023 02:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced in July for murder in connection with a 2021 offense, according to Travis County court documents.Records showed 33-year-old Ronald Glen Falkquay pleaded guilty July 28 and negotiated the terms of his sentence.Falkquay was sentenced to serve 17 years in state prison for the July 17, 2021, murder of Gerson Garcia-Mejia. He received a jail credit of 732, according to documents.As a part of the plea, two other counts were dismissed, according to records.
  
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• Raul Meza: Interview with victim's daughters, catch up on the case

  25-08-2023 01:51 via kxan.com
  
  KXAN crime reporter Brianna Hollis and digital reporter Sam Stark dive into the investigations into Raul Meza Jr. on "KXAN Live: The Meza Case" to give you a look behind the curtain at the team's coverage. You can watch the streams live on Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Raul Meza, 62, is a convicted murderer who now faces charges in the 2019 death of his neighbor and the May 2023 death of an 80-year-old man.TIMELINE: What we know of Raul Meza’s criminal historyThe Austin P
  
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• Lawsuit: Texas school districts ask court to temporarily stop new A-F ratings

  25-08-2023 01:23 via kxan.com
  
  Del Valle, TEXAS (KXAN) -- Del Valle Independent School District and six other districts are suing the head of the Texas Education Agency over the agency’s decision to change how the state grades schools. The lawsuit against Education Commissioner Mike Morath alleges the changes will arbitrarily lower performance ratings for many school districts and individual schools even if their performance improved. The districts are asking a judge to temporarily stop the state from issuing
  
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• Accountability at Austin Energy? Historic documents reveal potential for independent board

  25-08-2023 01:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Jessica Parker vividly remembers the week she spent without power in herAustin apartment during the winter storm in 2021.
  "At one point, I had to give up on the refrigerator," she said. "I opened it, and it was warmer in the refrigerator than it was inside the apartment."INVESTIGATION: Whose power gets shutoff during winter storms and for how long?
  Across town, a woman named Julie logged onto Nextdoor, looking for where to buy food and clean water. She moved to Austin from Chica
  
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• Exceptional drought affecting portion of Central Texas

  25-08-2023 00:56 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Drought conditions in Central Texas intensified dramatically in Thursday's weekly drought update.KXAN First Warning Weather forecastAs we bake in Austin's hottest summer on record to date, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the area of Texas impacted by the worst drought classification, "D4 Exceptional Drought", jumped from just 1% last week to 11% this week. Isolated r
  
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• Exceptional drought affecting much of Central Texas

  25-08-2023 00:56 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Drought conditions in Central Texas intensified dramatically in Thursday's weekly drought update.KXAN First Warning Weather forecastAs we bake in Austin's hottest summer on record to date, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the area of Texas impacted by the worst drought classification, "D4 Exceptional Drought", jumped from just 1% last week to 11% this week. Isolated r
  
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• Austin-based startup revolutionizing how amputees control prosthetic limbs

  25-08-2023 00:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin-based neurotech startup is making strides toward revolutionizing the way amputees can interact with their prosthetic limbs. Dr. Connor Glass, CEO and President of Phantom Neuro, said that many companies have developed technology for amputees to control prosthetic limbs through brain implants but that his company is the first to innovate a muscle-machine interface. How it worksInstead of implanting a device into the brain, which Glass said can be “r
  
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