Austin news

• Texas deploys more than 300 responders to southeast Texas

  29-12-2024 23:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)-- Texas is sending more than 300 responders to assist withrecovery following a severe weather event in southeast Texas, according to a Saturday statement from acting Governor Dan Patrick.The severe weather brought flash flooding, large hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes to the south east area of Texas, according to Patrick. At least one person has died."Please join Jan and me in prayer for the impacted families and their communities...Texas state agencies are working hard to
  
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• Notable quotes by Jimmy Carter

  29-12-2024 22:50 via kxan.com
  
  Some quotations from Jimmy Carter.
  We have a tendency to exalt ourselves and to dwell on the weaknesses and mistakes of others. I have come to realize that in every person there is something fine and pure and noble, along with a desire for self-fulfillment. Political and religious leaders must attempt to provide a society within which these human attributes can be nurtured and enhanced. — from 1975 book “Why Not the Best?”
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  Our government can express the highest common ideal
  
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• Significant milestones in life and career of Jimmy Carter

  29-12-2024 22:48 via kxan.com
  
  — Oct. 1, 1924: James Earl Carter Jr. is born in Plains, Georgia, son of James Sr. and Lillian Gordy Carter.
  — June 1946: Carter graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy.
  — July 1946: Carter marries Rosalynn Smith, in Plains. They have four children, John William (“Jack”), born 1947; James Earl 3rd (“Chip”), 1950; Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), 1952; and Amy Lynn, 1967.
  — 1946-1953: Carter serves in a Navy nuclear submarine program, attaining rank of lieutena
  
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• Texas readies for brutal SEC schedule with 77-53 win over Northwestern State

  29-12-2024 22:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas made 11 3-pointers and demolished Northwestern State on the glass to run away with a 77-53 win in NCAA men's basketball action Sunday at Moody Center.The Longhorns dominated the Demons with a 42-26 rebounding advantage led by Arthur Kaluma's 13 boards. Freshman Tre Johnson scored a team-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting for Texas. Jordan Pope chipped in 11 points and Jayson Kent had nine. Lifetime Longhorn: Jordan Whittington has UT logo printed on his thigh pad wit
  
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• Former President Jimmy Carter dies at 100 years old

  29-12-2024 22:25 via kxan.com
  
  James Earl Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States and 76th governor of Georgia, has died at 100-years-old. Known from boyhood as Jimmy, Carter rose from the dusty peanut fields of Plains, Georgia, to the White House. After his presidency, Carter dedicated himself to public service, working tirelessly for peace in the Middle East, and helping to house millions of people around the globe through his work with nonprofit builder Habitat for Humanity. For decade
  
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• Supplemental Security Income payment schedule is wonky to start 2025: What to know

  29-12-2024 20:55 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — After an out-of-order month in December, Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will see a wonky start to 2025 as well.
  Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, beneficiaries include those with disabilities and older adults with little to no income. In 2025, the maximum monthly payment is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple.According to the Social Security Administration, that amount can decrease based on a person's income, their spouse's income, their living situat
  
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• 'Sonic 3' and 'Mufasa' battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office

  29-12-2024 18:53 via kxan.com
  
  Two family films dominated the holiday box office this week, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” winning the three-day weekend over “Mufasa” by a blue hair.
  Paramount's Sonic movie earned $38 million, while “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. On a normal weekend counting Friday, Saturday and Sunday ticket purchases, the winner would be somewhat clear. But when the Christmas holiday falls on a We
  
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• Jetliner skids off runway and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179

  29-12-2024 18:53 via kxan.com
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters, officials said.
  The 737-800 operated by Jeju Air plane arrived from Bangkok and crashed while attempting to land in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul.
  Footage of the cras
  
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• Black-eyed peas and cabbage are more than a southern tradition

  29-12-2024 17:13 via kxan.com
  
  SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Black-eyed peas and cabbage are a New Year's Eve tradition across the American South, but these dishes with distinctly separate heritages are bound together because southerners chose to defy status quos that pre-date the formation of the United States. More than six thousand years ago and half a world away from America, people began cultivating the ewa. This tiny pea came to symbolize the unclosing eyes of the Creator, and it was believed those who ate bl
  
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• Musk calls some MAGA supporters ‘contemptible fools’ as visa row intensifies

  29-12-2024 17:09 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- Tech billionaire Elon Musk labeled a section of President-elect Trump supporters as “contemptible fools” as the online debate around visas for highly skilled workers on the right intensifies. A Trump world civil war has been brewing this week as Musk, and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) partner Vivek Ramaswamy have found themselves on the opposite end of the legal immigration debate with the anti-immigration contingent of the MAGA base.
  
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• Oregon men search for Sasquatch, die in Washington forest

  29-12-2024 17:01 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, Oregon (KOIN) -- Two Portland men searching for Sasquatch and missing since early Christmas morning were found dead in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest - likely from exposure and being ill-prepared, officials said.The search for the men, 59 and 37, began around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after a family member reported them missing, the Skamania County Sheriff's Office posted on their Facebook page. Authorities said Flock camera footage spotted their car near Willard, Washington. Father
  
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• 10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025

  29-12-2024 16:58 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — With the end of 2024 around the corner, you might be reflecting on financial goals for 2025.Whether you're saving to move out of your parents' house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated, said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate for Credit Karma.“Entering a new year doesn’t erase all our financial challenges from the prior year," Alev said. “But it can really help to bring a fresh-start mentality t
  
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• Judge scolds Jay-Z's lawyer over 'attacks' on rape accuser's attorney

  29-12-2024 16:52 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — An Alabama woman who says she was raped by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13 can proceed anonymously, for now, in her lawsuit against the rap moguls, a judge ruled Thursday.In her written order, Judge Analisa Torres also chastised the lawyer representing Jay-Z for what she described as his combative motions and “inflammatory language” against the plaintiff's lawyer, calling them inappropriate. Yale to offer a course on Beyoncé and h
  
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• Sinkhole found in east Austin after rainfall

  29-12-2024 16:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A sinkhole was found Saturday in east Austin after rainfall led to the road being washed out, according to the city.
  City staff were alerted about the sinkhole around 1 p.m. Saturday near South Lakeshore Boulevard and Town Creek Drive, a Watershed Protection Department spokesperson said.Watershed Protection staff investigated and learned a private developer's contractor left a storm drainage pipe disconnected, according to the department. The rain on Saturday could not flow
  
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• A fourth infant dies of the winter cold in Gaza as families share blankets in seaside tents

  29-12-2024 16:40 via kxan.com
  
  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A fourth infant has died of hypothermia in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly 15 months of war are huddled in tents along the rainy, windswept coast as winter arrives.
  Jomaa al-Batran, 20 days old, was found with his head as “cold as ice” when his parents woke up Sunday, his father, Yehia, said. The baby's twin brother, Ali, was moved to the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
  Their fathe
  
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• 15-foot sinkhole found in east Austin after rainfall

  29-12-2024 16:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A sinkhole was found Saturday in east Austin after rainfall led to the road being washed out, according to the city.
  City staff were alerted about the sinkhole around 1 p.m. Saturday near South Lakeshore Boulevard and Town Creek Drive, a Watershed Protection Department spokesperson said.A sinkhole was found Saturday in east Austin after rainfall led to the road being washed out, according to the city. The road was closed for temporary repairs Saturday. (KXAN Photo/David Del
  
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• Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6 as severe weather system moves east

  29-12-2024 15:12 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system threatened to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi.
  The National Weather Service's severe storm tracker indicated the system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia shortly before 4 a.m. The agency issued severe thunder storm warnings with the possibility of tornadoes in western Georgia, the northwestern tip of Florida and
  
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• Why are some Texas highways called loops?

  29-12-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Those driving in and around Austin are well versed in local highways, from Interstate 35 to MoPac Expressway. But why do some roadways have double names and are also called "loops"?Not every "loop" actually loops around a given area. I know — bear with us here.Under the Texas Department of Transportation's highway designation glossary, a state highway loop is a bypass that links two or more highways.Several highways in Austin have dual names, such as Loop 360 also bei
  
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• A plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179

  29-12-2024 14:10 via kxan.com
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger plane skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport Sunday, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
  The Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. The Transport Ministry said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet
  
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• Big Lots reaches deal to keep hundreds of US stores open

  29-12-2024 13:14 via kxan.com
  
  (The Associated Press) -- The discount chain Big Lots, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores and distribution centers open.Big Lots said Friday it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a firm that specializes in distressed companies. Gordon Brothers will then transfer Big Lots’ stores, distribution centers and other assets to other retailers.Variety Wholesalers Inc., which owns more than 400 discoun
  
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• A plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing at least 177

  29-12-2024 13:11 via kxan.com
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger plane skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport Sunday, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. Most of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
  The Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. The Transport Ministry said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that h
  
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• Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2, injure 6 as severe weather system moves east

  29-12-2024 10:10 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (AP) — At least two people were killed and six more injured as several tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi on Saturday, damaging homes and flipping vehicles as the storm system moved east across Alabama early Sunday.The National Weather Service's severe storm tracker indicated the system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia shortly before 4 a.m. The agency issued severe thunderstorm warnings with the possibility of tornadoes in western Georgia and the northweste
  
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• Would Texas assistant Kyle Flood want to be a head coach again?

  29-12-2024 04:45 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas offensive coordinator/line coach Kyle Flood has his sights on figuring out how to score on Arizona State's defense in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, but if his name comes up in head coach vacancy discussions, he won't mind it.Speaking on Saturday as part of a Peach Bowl press conference with Texas and Arizona State offensive coordinators and players, Flood said he's "flattered" when his name is floated as a potential head coaching candidate during the offseason carousel.
  
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• Lifetime Longhorn: Jordan Whittington has UT logo printed on his thigh pad with LA Rams

  29-12-2024 03:05 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Los Angeles Rams receiver and kick returner Jordan Whittington may as well have burnt orange blood pumping through his veins.The former Longhorns star receiver, Cuero native and fan favorite on the 40 Acres wants everyone to know where he went to school with a Texas Longhorns logo printed on one of his thigh pads. His initials "JW" are on the other.
  hardly home but always repping 🤘 pic.twitter.com/nBC4Xb2Gfs— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 29, 2024
  He's
  
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• Texas will see some familiar faces on the Arizona State sideline at Peach Bowl

  29-12-2024 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the transfer portal, player movement in college football runs at a breakneck pace, and in some instances, teammates from one school end up being teammates again at another.In the case of Arizona State, six former Texas Longhorns are now Sun Devils and will get a shot at taking down their former school in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day in Atlanta. Will Texas’ offensive line be at full strength for the Pea
  
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• Texas firework laws: What's allowed on New Year's Eve?

  29-12-2024 01:33 via kxan.com
  
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) -- As millions of people get ready to ring in the new year in a matter of days, some like to celebrate by setting off fireworks. However, while fun and pretty to look at, there are a lot of rules to follow on what is and isn't allowed."The cones and fountains sell out pretty quick," said Tyler Perkins, who operates an American Fireworks stand in Cedar Park. "We've sold out before on New Year's Eve. It's just been surprisingly slow so far this year." Only 1 state in the U
  
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• State of Texas: Push for 'universal school choice' divides lawmakers

  29-12-2024 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As the next legislative session approaches, Gov. Greg Abbott's priority of Education Savings Accounts appears closer to becoming reality.
  Abbott calls ESAs "school choice," but opponents often describe the plan as "school vouchers." Names aside, the debate is about letting parents use public funds to help pay for private education.The idea of using state money to subsidize part of families' private school expenses has been a political lightning rod in Texas for years, bu
  
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• What is the 'polar vortex'?

  29-12-2024 00:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A polar vortex has the potential to bring extremely cold temperatures to much of the lower 48 states.
  It is "a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of Earth’s poles," according to the National Weather Service. A counter-clockwise flow of cold air in the stratosphere forms the "vortex."Undisrupted polar vortex- stable cold air in the ArcticIn winter, the polar vortex can weaken and destabilize, causing it to dip southward and sending cold air into the mi
  
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