Austin news

• US Congress passes law to boost Social Security benefits for public servants

  23-12-2024 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A new bill on its way to President Biden's desk will boost the Social Security benefits for thousands of retired cops, firefighters, teachers and public servants in Texas. The new bill, called the Social Security Fairness Act, will abolish two policies that have blocked benefits for some Texans.The change affects people who are eligible for a government pension program who also worked in another job that contributed to Social Security or whose spouse had a job that contr
  
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• Will Texas' offensive line be at full strength for the Peach Bowl?

  23-12-2024 23:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian shared promising news Monday on the injury front during a joint press conference with Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham ahead of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.Sarkisian said what looked like a potentially serious injury to right tackle Cam Williams' knee wasn't as bad as the team originally thought. Williams had an MRI done Sunday to check for damage and Sarkisian said it was more precautionary. Instant Analysis: Longhorns rediscover run gam
  
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• Tesla reaches out to city of Austin over self-driving technology

  23-12-2024 22:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tesla is in talks with the city of Austin over its autonomous vehicle technology. A spokesperson for the Transportation and Public Works Department confirmed Tesla reached out to the city's autonomous vehicle task force."The City treats each AV company that expresses interest in Austin the same, offering training opportunities and providing uniform information," the transportation spokesperson said in an email to KXAN. RELATED COVERAGE: Austin leaders respond to self-drivin
  
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• Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to state charges in death of UnitedHealthcare CEO

  23-12-2024 19:54 via kxan.com
  
  Above: Luigi Mangione leaves a Manhattan courtroom after pleading not guilty to state charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death.NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial.Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone
  
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• Leander water treatment plant to briefly shut down for upgrades; water restrictions will be active

  23-12-2024 19:40 via kxan.com
  
  LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Leander residents will soon have to temporarily restrict their water usage while the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) water treatment plant goes through upgrades.The city of Leander announced Monday it will move from Phase 2 to Phase 4 water restrictions starting on Dec. 30 ahead of the upgrades.
  The BCRUA water treatment plant is scheduled to shut down on Jan. 13 and is expected to be offline for a week, according to the city. The upgrade will allow
  
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• Texas ranks as worst state for porch pirates: study

  23-12-2024 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Have you been victim to porch pirates this holiday shopping season? You're not alone.
  A new study ranked the Lone Star State as the worst state for porch pirate thefts.
  The study from The Action Network found that 5% of Texans had a package theft in the last three months.RELATED: Austin homeowner finds empty, dumped Amazon boxes behind homeFollowing Texas, the next "worst states for porch pirates" include North Carolina, Florida, California, New York, South Carolina, Washington,
  
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• These Austin businesses, restaurants closed in 2024

  23-12-2024 18:06 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A number of local businesses closed their doors in 2024.
  In Memorium, here are a few of the lost local restaurants and businesses.Austin Antique MallThe antique shopping destination closed in May after over 40 years in business.
  Austin Antique Mall to close after 40 years (KXAN photo/Abigail Jones)
  Austin AeronautsThe hot air balloon business closed in October. The business closed abruptly, and the owner said bookings decreased over 70% this year.Baby Acapulco'sThe Barton Spring
  
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• Austin ketamine therapy clinic expands operations 

  23-12-2024 17:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After opening its first ketamine therapy clinic in Austin in July 2023, Mindful Health Solutions said it expanded its operations in 2024 due to community demand. The clinic said it is the only one in Austin to offer intravenous ketamine, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and esketamine treatments all under the same roof.“Ketamine Infusion Therapy is a significant breakthrough in the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders, particularly for i
  
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• Bee Cave PD can arrest 'vast majority' of retail theft suspects, police say

  23-12-2024 17:30 via kxan.com
  
  BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN) — The city of Bee Cave can see an influx of about 75,000 people during the holiday season, according to the city's communications department. By comparison, the city's population is around 9,000.While those numbers go for the city as a whole, the Hill Country Galleria draws in a big percentage of those folks."A lot of people shopping, trying to find their gifts and getting ready for holiday events," said Austin Atchley, who's worked at Gatsby's Clothier at the mall s
  
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• 2 Party City stores to stay open in Austin despite nationwide closures

  23-12-2024 17:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Two Party City stores in Austin will keep their doors open despite nationwide store closures following a bankruptcy filing.The stores on Brodie Lane and Research Boulevard are locally owned and operated, according to a store manager. They will still be party supplies stores, but exact logistics are unknown. The stores opened before the Party City company formed. RELATED: Party City to close its stores as company files for bankruptcyThe other two Party City locations at Southpark
  
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• Gaetz Ethics report finds ‘substantial evidence’ of statutory rape, drug use

  23-12-2024 16:44 via kxan.com
  
  The House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) paid a 17-year-old high school student for sex when he was 35, used illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, and obstructed Congress’s investigation into his conduct.Those conclusions come in a highly anticipated report released Monday that capped the panel’s years-long, on-and-off investigation into the former Florida congressman."The committee concluded there was s
  
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• Map: Where minimum wage is — and isn't — increasing in 2025

  23-12-2024 14:50 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — While the federal minimum wage has been unchanged since 2009, more than 20 states are set to see an increase in 2025.After the new rates take effect, nearly a dozen states will have minimum hourly wages at or above $15 statewide.
  Another 21 states will see no increase. And in all but one, the minimum wage matches or falls below the federal rate of $7.25 an hour.Which states are raising minimum wages?Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage will rise in 21 states. In Oregon a
  
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• Hospital safety law, sparked by KXAN, now in effect

  23-12-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  Project Summary:This story is part of KXAN’s “Preventing Disaster” investigation, which initially published on May 15, 2024. The project follows a fatal car crash into an Austin hospital’s emergency room earlier that year. Our team took a broader look at safety concerns with that crash and hundreds of others across the nation – including whether medical sites had security barriers – known as bollards – at their entrances. Experts say those could stop cr
  
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• Austin-area transportation project milestones reached in 2024

  23-12-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Dirt is moving as billions of dollars worth of transportation projects advance in and around the Austin area. As 2024 comes to a close, here's a look back at some of those project milestones designed to improve mobility and relieve congestion.Austin-Bergstrom International Airport upgradesUpdates as part of the Journey With AUS program this year included Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Checkpoint 3 closure, Federal Inspection Services improvements and concurrent wor
  
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• Christmas in space! How stranded astronauts are celebrating the holidays

  23-12-2024 13:58 via kxan.com
  
  SPACE (KXAN) -- Two astronauts got what one would consider an out of this world Christmas present this month.
  Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore learned this month that their extended stay aboard the International Space Station just got a little longer. (Nov. 24, 2024) --- NASA astronauts Don Pettit and Suni Williams, Expedition 72 flight engineer and commander respectively, pose for a fun holiday season portrait while speaking on a ham radio inside the International Space Station's Colu
  
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• Ken Paxton sues NCAA over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports

  23-12-2024 12:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Sunday he sued the National Collegiate Athletic Association, accusing the organization of misleading college sports fans by allowing transgender women to participate in events marketed as women's competitions.Paxton said the NCAA violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by deceiving fans who want to support sporting events that only include athletes whose female sex was assigned at birth.Paxton also accused the NCAA of
  
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• Holiday shopping not finished? You’re not alone

  23-12-2024 03:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Stores along South Congress Ave. were filled with shoppers Sunday afternoon looking to snag some last-minute Christmas gifts before Wednesday.“I normally try really hard to plan out what I'm gonna get, and then I like, panic and buy things so last minute, and I'm worried about not getting enough,” said Janine Roberts, who was shopping with her family.  While this may be a stressful way to head into the holiday, the National Retail Federation said it is
  
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• Christmas miracle helps local family navigate tough times

  23-12-2024 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN (KXAN)-- It is a Christmas miracle in Georgetown! A local business owner gathered friends, family, and community members to help bring the gift of transportation to a local family whose life was turned upside down.
  Last October, 15-year-old student Rigo Orta from Georgetown ISD, traveled to Harlingen, Texas for his grandfather's funeral. During that time Orta became very ill, he was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with Myelitis.
  Myelitis is a condition that affects the myel
  
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• Christmas miracle helps local family navigate through tough times

  23-12-2024 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN (KXAN)-- It is a Christmas miracle in Georgetown! A local business owner gathered friends, family, and community members to help bring the gift of transportation to a local family whose life was turned upside down.
  Last October, 15-year-old student Rigo Orta from Georgetown ISD, traveled to Harlingen, Texas for his grandfather's funeral. During that time Orta became very ill, he was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with Myelitis.
  Myelitis is a condition that affects the myel
  
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• No. 6 Texas blows out South Dakota State 103-57

  23-12-2024 01:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 6 Texas scored more than 100 points for the second consecutive game in a rout of South Dakota State 103-57 Sunday at Moody Center.It's the third time the Longhorns have eclipsed the century mark. They opened the season Nov. 10 with a 119-47 win over Southeast Missouri State and a 111-49 victory Tuesday over La Salle. Instant Analysis: Longhorns rediscover run game to bully Clemson, advance to CFP quarterfinalsJustice Carlton scored 19 points off the bench to lead the Lo
  
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