Austin news

• Rare sighting: 'Doomsday fish' found near Southern California shore

  18-08-2024 21:29 via kxan.com
  
  SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) – In a rare and perhaps ominous sighting, an oarfish was found floating near California's La Jolla Shores over the weekend.According to a spokesperson from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, a team of science kayakers and snorkelers were out in La Jolla Cove Saturday afternoon and found the dead oarfish.Several people then worked together to carry the sea creature from the ocean to the bed of a truck using a paddleboard. The oarfish was the
  
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• Inflation: What costs more (and less)?

  18-08-2024 21:27 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation)  — Annual inflation in July fell below 3% for the first time since March 2021, but prices for some things — such as eggs and car insurance — continued to rise.According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), eggs and car insurance both cost almost 20% more than they did a year ago. Tickets for sporting events have also shot up about 9% compared to last year.With that said, the inflation picture looks much better for the most part. Last month, overall i
  
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• Starbucks changed one of its coffee recipes months ago. Some people are just noticing

  18-08-2024 21:24 via kxan.com
  
  (KDAF/NEXSTAR) – Something new has been brewing at Starbucks over the last several months.Earlier this year, the coffee chain announced plans to introduce a new version of its iced coffee blend, marking the first change to the recipe in 18 years. The new version, Starbucks said, would be free of the classic syrup that was previously part of the recipe.The iced coffee would also be "crafted with Latin American Beans with notes of malted chocolate and a brown sugar sweetness," Starbucks anno
  
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• Should you get a COVID shot now or wait for the updated booster?

  18-08-2024 21:24 via kxan.com
  
  
  (WGN Radio) – With more than half of U.S. states detecting "very high" levels of the COVID virus in their wastewater, you may be feeling like it's about time to get a booster shot. But the current state of things leaves cautious Americans in a tough position: get boosted now amid summer travel plans and widespread infections, or hold out just a bit longer for an updated version of the vaccine?Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, chief medical officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital,
  
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• Mother arrested 37 years after baby's body found in California dumpster

  18-08-2024 21:23 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) -- A woman has been arrested and faces charges in the death of a newborn baby girl whose body was found inside a dumpster 37 years ago in Southern California.The baby's body was found on Oct. 13, 1987, by a man rummaging for recyclables in a dumpster behind a business in Riverside.The newborn's death was ruled a homicide by the Riverside County Coroner's Office and although the Riverside Police Department investigated the case, "all leads were exhausted and a suspect was not identified."A
  
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• QR code scams are hidden in plain sight. Here's how to spot them

  18-08-2024 21:22 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – QR codes are everywhere these days – on restaurant tables, at checkout and even on the bills you receive in the mail.
  But not every QR code you come across is sure to be legitimate. Scammers are taking advantage of the technology to trick people into different schemes, the Better Business Bureau warned this week.
  The scams work in a few different ways. One common strategy, the BBB says, is sticking fraudulent QR codes to the back of parking meters or at parking
  
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• Your Social Security number may have been leaked. Should you freeze your credit?

  18-08-2024 21:18 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – News surfaced this week of a major breach in which hackers claim to have stolen the personal data of every American, including birthdays and Social Security numbers.The data, exposed in an April breach, appears to come from a background check company and could include as many as 2.7 billion personal records. It's now the subject of a class action lawsuit and causing renewed concern among people who fear they've been hit.
  While the scope of the leak is astounding, it isn't
  
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• The Democratic National Convention starts Monday. Here's how to watch it

  18-08-2024 21:17 via kxan.com
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, with delegates and officials descending on Chicago after a wild few weeks that saw the party switch out its nominee, upending what had already been an unprecedented campaign year.With the departure of President Joe Biden from the campaign, and Vice President Kamala Harris' swift ascension to the top of the ticket, Democrats have essentially rejiggered the general election fight against Republi
  
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• TCSO: Body found after person fails to resurface after cliff jumping on Lake Travis

  18-08-2024 20:49 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A body was recovered from Lake Travis Monday morning, according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office. This comes after a man jumped from a cliff into the water and did not resurface on Saturday.
  TCSO said first responders and lake patrol deputies responded to the area in the 19800 block of Lakehurst Loop at 5:50 p.m. Saturday, after a 911 call reported that a male cliff jumped and did not come back up.
  By 6:37 p.m. Saturday, TCSO said the rescue mission trans
  
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• Person remains missing following swim in Lake Travis

  18-08-2024 20:49 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities began a recovery mission Saturday after an adult who went swimming in Lake Travis did not resurface, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.TCSO said 911 received a call at 5:50 p.m. about a man who reportedly jumped from a cliff and did not resurface. The rescue mission transitioned to recovery at 6:37 p.m., according to authorities.The search continued until nightfall and resumed at 7 a.m. Sunday; however, as of 1 p.m., it remained
  
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• There are more benefits to hard water than you thought

  18-08-2024 20:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — National Water Quality Awareness Month is a time to take a moment and learn all the misconceptions about hard water and the importance of safeguarding water resources.This August, Texas Water Utilities wants the community to learn how important it is to have clean water for individual and community use. Not only do you utilize clean water for personal use daily, but pets, agriculture and the environment also rely on it.Austenites are no strangers to hard water, which is oft
  
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• An update on tropical storms terminology

  18-08-2024 16:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The latest hurricane to roam the Atlantic is not expected to make landfall on the United States east coast. But, that did not mean that Hurricane Ernesto would not affect the eastern seaboard through other means.When KXAN meteorologists talk about possible outcomes related to what a hurricane or tropical storm does, there is certain terminology used to say more than what the winds are or the direction a storm is moving.It's pretty easy to figure out what a hurricane watch and hu
  
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• Hottest air of the summer through midweek

  18-08-2024 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Most of the area's highs this afternoon will reach the upper 90s to several at 100° to 103°. Thus, today will be the 25th day with a triple-digit high in Austin.
  Today's normal high is 98°Heat Advisories are in effect for much of the area. For the counties handled by the Austin-San Antonio National Weather Service office the Advisory will be in effect from noon today until 8 p.m. Monday as some heat index readings could top 110°.
  Lampasas and Milam Counties, hand
  
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• Hottest air of summer through midweek

  18-08-2024 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Most of the area's highs this afternoon will reach the upper 90s to several at 100° to 103°. Thus, today will be the 25th day with a triple-digit high in Austin.
  Today's normal high is 98°Heat Advisories are in effect for much of the area. For the counties handled by the Austin-San Antonio National Weather Service office the Advisory will be in effect from noon today until 8 p.m. Monday as some heat index readings could top 110°.
  Lampasas and Milam Counties, hand
  
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• Heat Advisories issued for much of the area

  18-08-2024 14:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sunday was the 25th day this year Camp Mabry reached 100° or greater. Heat will continue to be the main focus this week as a strong subtropical high pressure system impacts Texas.
  Most of the area's highs on Monday will reach the triple digits with heat indices near 110°.
  Triple digits likely for most of our area
  Heat Advisories are in effect for much of the area. For the counties handled by the Austin-San Antonio National Weather Service office the Advisory will be in e
  
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• 'Very demure, very mindful': What does TikTok's newest lingo mean?

  18-08-2024 13:48 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — TikTok trends can be hard to follow at times, from the "broccoli" haircut teen boys all seem to want to the very "brat" inspired "Apple dance" — have we lost you yet?Just stick with us, because the latest TikTok trend isn't as confusing as it sounds.It's all seemingly thanks to TikTok user Jools Lebron, better known as @joolieannie. As Mashable explains, Jools has shared a slew of advice on how to appear "very demure" and "very mindful."Unlike other terms TikTok is said t
  
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• Shania Twain to host 2024 'People's Choice Country Awards,' nominations revealed

  18-08-2024 13:22 via kxan.com
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Country music fans can now vote for their favorite artists to be recognized at the 2024 “People’s Choice Country Awards,” airing on NBC.In a news release, NBC has announced the singers and songwriters nominated to receive top honors during the two-hour live broadcast on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. The special will include "unforgettable performances, tributes, and surprises" from some of the most popular artists in country music.The network also r
  
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• Watch: Huge great white shark follows kayakers

  18-08-2024 13:19 via kxan.com
  
  HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KRON) - Two friends were kayak fishing off of California's Half Moon Bay when they found one fish bigger than bargained for. Ian Walters and John-Patrick Thomas kept their cool on August 6 when the dorsal fin of a huge shark surfaced directly behind them.The friends' kayaks were 13 feet long, and the great white shark was even longer.
  "It was a beautiful, calm, foggy day. I noticed a really big dorsal fin. Further down, I noticed a very big tail. We both just tried to keep
  
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• TSA finds stun gun disguised as iPhone at DC-area airport

  18-08-2024 13:17 via kxan.com
  
  ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WDCW) – Officials at Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington County, Virginia, said they confiscated a stun gun disguised as an iPhone from a passenger's carry-on bag.
  "Right at the bottom where you would normally plug in, it's got little prongs that indicate that that's where you would get zapped," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said of the device, which was detected at DCA on Monday.Stun guns, which are legal to carry in Virginia (with restrictions), are still
  
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• 'Selfie control' filter helps keep tourists safely away from wildlife: How it works

  18-08-2024 13:16 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – In a bid to keep selfie-seeking amateur photographers from succumbing to their worst instincts around bear, elk, wolves and other wildlife, tourism officials in Jackson Hole, Wyoming have created a new app – Selfie Control.The app acts as a filter in Instagram, superimposing an image of the animal in question to alert users when they are too close. If the superimposed red image of said animal appears smaller than the animal itself, it's time to back off.“For profess
  
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• Harris, Trump neck and neck in 4 critical swing states: Survey

  18-08-2024 13:13 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — Vice President Harris is closing the gap with former President Trump in several key battleground states as the election inches closer, according to a new survey.The poll, published Saturday, from The New York Times/Siena College found Harris is leading Trump in Arizona (50 percent to 45 percent) and North Carolina (49 percent to 47 percent). The vice president's momentum has in recent weeks led her campaign to declare that the Tar Heel Sate, where Trump had built a solid lead
  
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• Shootings reported at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland between guards and passing vehicle

  18-08-2024 04:43 via kxan.com
  
  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (The Associated Press) -- U.S. Air Force security guards exchanged gunfire with someone who twice opened fire on an entrance to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland early Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the base.“It was an off-base shooting from a passing vehicle that fired shots towards the gate, prompting our security forces to respond,” base spokesperson Stefanie Antosh said in a statement. “There is no threat to the installation. We had no injuries,
  
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• More Americans believe even moderate drinking is bad: Gallup survey

  18-08-2024 04:14 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — Nearly half of Americans now believe that moderate drinking, one or two alcoholic beverages a day, is bad for one’s health. But far more than half of younger adults believe it.“Americans’ attitudes about alcohol vary significantly by age, as young adults have become progressively more likely to say drinking is bad for one’s health,” said the news release from the research firm Gallup.Sixty-five percent of adults aged 18 to 34 said that any
  
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• 'Unusual': Runaway research balloon from West Texas crashes in New Mexico

  18-08-2024 03:14 via kxan.com
  
  LUBBOCK, Texas -- Multiple volunteer fire departments responded to a "runaway research balloon" on Friday afternoon that was a possible danger to Bledsoe and Morton, according to the Whiteface Volunteer Fire Department.WVFD said crews were dispatched at 12:32 p.m.3 people from Lubbock killed in Martin County crashAccording to WFVD, the research balloon was full of helium and nitrogen. The fire department explained neither are explosive, but could displace oxygen in a confined area. WVFD also sai
  
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• 'Clear the Shelters' crucial during summer heatwave

  18-08-2024 02:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- While Central Texas deals with crippling heat, there are thousands of adoptable animals that would love to be curled up in the air conditioning with you. "Clear the Shelters" is happening at rescue organizations area-wide right now. It turns out that program is critical for places like Austin Pets Alive! (APA). RELATED: How to donate to the Clear The Shelters campaign"There are so many animals out on the streets and in shelters, it would feel wrong just getting a purebred," Anas
  
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• State of Texas: Other states could shape Texas education savings account plan

  18-08-2024 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) - As students across Texas returned to school, House lawmakers headed to the Capitol to do some studying of their own.
  A brainstorming session happened for hours Monday at the Texas Capitol so that state lawmakers could find out where to look for ideas on crafting private school subsidy legislation, a policy goal that has eluded top Republican leaders.
  The Texas House of Representatives Committee on Public Education held a hearing to discuss how to move forward with possibly imp
  
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