Austin news

• APD seeking public help to find 'Lotz of BBQ' food truck theft suspects

  03-01-2025 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking public help to find two suspects wanted in connection with a Lotz of BBQ food truck trailer theft, the agency said in a news release Friday.The alleged theft happened on Dec. 26 in the 3400 block of Comsouth Drive in southeast Austin, according to police.Police said the suspect was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck, which was described by police as two-toned with dark green metallic with a gold/tan color. That truck was used to latch and h
  
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• Texas Agriculture Commissioner backs Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's THC ban proposal

  03-01-2025 23:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The state's agriculture commissioner said he stands behind Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick when it comes to his push to ban THC products, the current status of which he described as a "wild west" in Texas.Sid Miller published an opinion letter stating the current laws have created a "unregulated market for recreational marijuana.""Texas needs clear and understandable laws. Texas Republicans need to be rowing in the same direction in order to achieve this goal. That is why I stand with Lieu
  
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• Fall 2024: Which local restaurants received a perfect health inspection score?

  03-01-2025 22:56 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — An issue with the city of Austin's data portal delayed the release of health inspection data for September, October and November 2024. Now that the data is available, KXAN has decided to wrap those three months into a single story. August 2024: Which local restaurants received a perfect health inspection score?Austin Public Health inspects all restaurants, medical facilities, schools and grocery stores in its jurisdiction twice each year. Those that fail
  
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• Can you bring a gun inside a mall in Texas?

  03-01-2025 22:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Can you carry a gun inside of a mall in Texas? The simple answer: It depends.KXAN took these questions to legal and firearms expert John Wilkerson, with the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA), following Thursday's shooting inside the Lakeline Mall in Cedar Park. Lakeline Mall evacuated after fight at food court leads to a shot fired"Technically speaking you're not required to have a license to carry a firearm into that mall unless they have a sign posted," Wilkerson said.
  
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• Waterloo Records owner says employees a priority, allowing them to 'buy in'

  03-01-2025 21:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Situated at the corner of 6th Street and Lamar stands one of Austin's most iconic music and movie shops, but soon it will be gone.Following a 2019 property purchase by Endeavor Real Estate Group, the business faced closure or relocation. Now, Waterloo Records will relocate to 1105 N. Lamar Blvd. in the springtime, according to a Thursday release."It is a very quintessential Austin place," said Carter Spillyards who has been shopping at Waterloo for the last decade.Spillyard
  
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• Austin Police release video of suspect linked with Lakeline Mall shooting

  03-01-2025 21:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department released a video and photo of a suspect believed to be involved in a shooting at Lakeline Mall on Thursday.Police are asking for the public's help to identify the man, who is believed to be in his late teens or early 20s, the agency said in a news release. Additionally, police said a victim also suffered minor injuries in connection with the incident. Lakeline Mall evacuated after fight at food court leads to a shot firedOfficers responded to th
  
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• Mike Johnson re-elected as House speaker

  03-01-2025 21:30 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Friday marks the start of a new Congress, and the House checked off its first order of business: electing a speaker. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ultimately won over enough Republicans in the first round of voting, but it wasn't initially looking that waySeveral House members voted against Johnson, all except one changed their votes, handing him the speaker's gavel again and allowing the House to swear in lawmakers.Kentucky Congressman Tom Massie already said he woul
  
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• CDC: High levels of respiratory illness nationally, in Texas

  03-01-2025 21:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With the start of the new year comes plenty of coughs and sniffles too.Respiratory illnesses and infections are spiking nationally, according to date from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest activity report released Friday. Here in Texas, the CDC is reporting "very high" activity of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.It's led to some pharmacy chains like CVS texting their customers about heightened infection rates and recommending vac
  
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• SMU’s bid to split from United Methodist Church over LGBTQ+ rights heads to Texas Supreme Court

  03-01-2025 19:51 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — A multi-year fight over whether Southern Methodist University can separate itself from the United Methodist Church is heading to Texas’ highest court this month.The Texas Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a lawsuit between the 12,000-student private university in Dallas and the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church on Jan. 15.In 2019, SMU leadership changed its articles of incorporation and declared that its board of tru
  
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• Manor aims to spruce up its downtown, attract business

  03-01-2025 19:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (ABJ) — Add Manor to the roster of Austin suburbs aiming to perform facelifts on their downtowns to attract more businesses and people.Located just east of Austin, Manor took a number of steps in the waning months of 2024 to spruce up its city center, including the adoption of a master plan to guide redevelopment and approval of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone to provide funding.“There are a lot of vacant lots in the historic district downtown,” said Scott Jones, Manor
  
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• Austin Realtors economist predicts 2025's housing market to follow 2024's trends

  03-01-2025 19:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Home sellers and potential buyers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area (MSA or metro) should expect local housing market trends in the new year to resemble 2024 and 2023, according to Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) housing economist Dr. Clare Knapp."In 2024, the Austin housing market was really one of steady goes it. We saw that the median sales price and closed sales were fairly steady on a year-over-year basis," said Knapp in December 2024. "Essen
  
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• Austin Board of Realtors economist predicts 2025's housing market to follow 2024's trends

  03-01-2025 19:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Home sellers and potential buyers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area (MSA or metro) should expect local housing market trends in the new year to resemble 2024 and 2023, according to Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) housing economist Dr. Clare Knapp."In 2024, the Austin housing market was really one of steady goes it. We saw that the median sales price and closed sales were fairly steady on a year-over-year basis," said Knapp in December 2024. "Essen
  
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• Texas mascot Bevo will be at Cotton Bowl Classic

  03-01-2025 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo will be in the building for the College Football Playoff semifinal after missing two of Texas' last three football games.UT Football announced Friday on social media that the "big guy" is headed to Arlington for the Cotton Bowl Classic next Friday, Jan. 10. Bevo to miss Texas Longhorns’ debut in SEC Championship gameTexas' near-2,000 lbs. mascot wasn't allowed to attend the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7 nor the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on N
  
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• Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo will be at Cotton Bowl Classic

  03-01-2025 19:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo will be in the building for the College Football Playoff semifinal after missing two of Texas' last three football games.UT Football announced Friday on social media that the "big guy" is headed to Arlington for the Cotton Bowl Classic next Friday, Jan. 10. Bevo to miss Texas Longhorns’ debut in SEC Championship gameTexas' near-2,000 lbs. mascot wasn't allowed to attend the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7 nor the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on N
  
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• Selena's killer Yolanda Saldivar officially files for parole, begins review process

  03-01-2025 19:13 via kxan.com
  
  HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) - Yolanda Saldivar, the woman who killed Tejano music singer Selena Quintanilla Perez, has officially filed for parole.Saldivar was sentenced to life in prison on Oct. 26, 1995, with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Currently, she is incarcerated at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit prison in Gatesville, Texas.The Quintanilla family had accused Saldivar of embezzling money from Selena's fan club and boutiques. Soon after Selena confronted Saldivar about
  
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• Where to get a vehicle emissions test in Travis County

  03-01-2025 17:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- While mandatory safety inspections are a thing of the past for most vehicles in Texas, more than a dozen counties still require annual emissions testing.Seventeen counties in Texas still require emissions tests, which are designed to evaluate the level of pollutants and greenhouse gases emitted from a vehicle's exhaust. The counties still requiring this kind of testing are concentrated in Texas' largest metros where the populations are more densely concentrated. RELATED: Texas o
  
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• Air quality in Tijuana remains "extremely bad," says environmental agency

  03-01-2025 16:46 via kxan.com
  
  SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- For the last three weeks of 2024, Tijuana registered poor air quality, something that is carrying into the new year, according to the secretary of the environment in Baja California.The agency reported that on New Year's Day, in the morning, the levels of contamination "were extremely high" due in part to the large amount of fireworks set off the prior night.City officials are now asking residents to avoid using their cars, to report outdoor fires immediately and not
  
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• 2 cited for alleged illegal fishing activity on Lady Bird Lake

  03-01-2025 15:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Two people are facing citations related to illegal fishing activity on Lady Bird Lake, according to Texas Game Wardens.
  Texas Game Wardens said in a thread of posts on X that they responded on Monday, Dec. 30 to a public tip about illegal fishing activity on Lady Bird Lake near Barton Springs.
  According to the posts, a Travis County Game Warden and captain game warden located two suspects in the area. One of them was "actively" spearing black bass with a pneumatic speargun while
  
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• Freezing temps and burst pipes; how the cold weather can damage your plumbing

  03-01-2025 14:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - When freezing temperatures hit, meteorologists advise protecting pets, people, plants and pipes.
  While three of these are living creatures, one stands out: pipes.In this First Warning Weather University lesson, chief meteorologist Nick Bannin takes a closer look at how the cold weather can damage the pipes in your home.What you'll learn in this FWWU lesson:
  How water freezes differently than other liquidsThe amount of pressure created in a pipeHow to prevent your pipes from burst
  
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• 2 killed, 18 injured after plane crashes into warehouse in Southern California

  03-01-2025 13:59 via kxan.com
  
  FULLERTON, Calif. (KTLA) — Two people died and at least 18 people were injured Thursday afternoon when a plane crashed into the roof of a Southern California warehouse.The crash happened around 2:10 p.m. in the City of Fullerton, which lies southeast of Los Angeles and just north of Anaheim.The incident was first reported as a structure fire, indicating the plane crash had sparked a fire.Jocelyne Wildenstein, Swiss socialite known for extreme plastic surgeries, dies at 84: reports
  Video fr
  
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• Austin Energy preps for winter, urges customer readiness

  03-01-2025 13:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Energy is prepared for whatever Mother Nature might throw our way this winter.Weather can change fast in Central Texas. With the potential for everything from freezing rain, sleet, or maybe even a few flakes, crews are amping up. In fact, Austin Energy has already cleared some trees near power lines to help prevent scenes like what happened in 2023 and 2021.There are a few things people can do ahead of time to be prepared for a potential storm-related power outage. Austin
  
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• Warmth for the weekend, but cold arrives later Sunday

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As clouds break apart we're seeing temperatures pushing into the middle and even upper 60s.
  Low clouds will fill back in this evening giving way to a cloudy night with some areas of fog or drizzle. A few stray rain showers will be possible Saturday morning through midday under the gray skies.Breaks of sun look to be a better bet for Saturday afternoon helping temperatures reach the low 70s.Saturday afternoon breaks of sun are expectedSunday will be a transition day between our r
  
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• Warm weekend, morning fog returns tomorrow

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Foggy conditions this morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon, with high temperatures reaching the upper 60s—slightly warmer than usual. Winds will be light and variable.Tonight, temperatures will remain mild due to cloud cover and increasing fog, with calm winds.The weekend will be 5-10° warmer than normal, with highs in the 70s. There is a slight chance (10%) of showers on both Saturday and Sunday.A strong cold front will move through Central Texas Sunda
  
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• Warm weekend, big cool down next week

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Foggy conditions this morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon, with high temperatures reaching the upper 60s—slightly warmer than usual. Winds will be light and variable.Tonight, temperatures will remain mild due to cloud cover and increasing fog, with calm winds.The weekend will be 5-10° warmer than normal, with highs in the 70s. There is a slight chance (10%) of showers on both Saturday and Sunday.A strong cold front will move through Central Texas Sunda
  
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• Unseasonably warm weekend to a cold week

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The sky went overcast during the overnight hours. A few locations in the Hill Country had reduced visibility due to fog, primarily in Llano and San Saba Counties.The day will start under the clouds followed by minor clearing during the afternoon. A 10% chance of light rain is part of the day's outlook.
  Southerly winds will send highs this afternoon to the upper 60s to low/mid 70s.Today's normal high is 62°A partly to mostly cloudy is forecast tonight with temperatures at sun
  
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• Unseasonably warm first weekend of January

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Our late week warming trend continues with temperatures soaring well above average for the start of the weekend.Fog and a few pockets of mist/drizzle are plaguing parts of Central Texas this morning. Visibility is down in many areas in the Hill Country and Austin-metro. Clouds will be dominant in our skies through the day but afternoon highs will still warm comfortably into the 60s.This weekendWe'll start both weekend days with a lot of clouds, but we'll see some sun both aftern
  
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• The cold air arrives today with strong northwest winds

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The cold front will move across the area this morning into early afternoon delivering a northwest wind and rapid cooling once it passes. The front will clear Austin between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. It should be out of the viewing area by 3 p.m.
  The chance of rain will be low, with the majority of it in our eastern counties where there is more moisture. The chance of rain will be 20% east of I-35.Today's high temperatures will occur late-morning into early-afternoon before the cold ai
  
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• Sunday's cold front will drop temperatures next week

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- High temperatures on Saturday were well above normal, with Camp Mabry reaching 71°F and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport climbing to 73°F. A few light showers occurred, mainly east of I-35, with winds light from the south at 5-10 mph.Overnight, low temperatures will remain mild, in the low to mid 60s, under mostly cloudy skies. A rare shower is possible, but rain chances are less than 10%.On Sunday morning, temperatures will be warm, ranging from the low to mid 70s
  
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• Freezing temperatures tonight, bundle up tomorrow

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A strong cold front rapidly dropped temperatures Sunday afternoon. Both Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reached their highs around noon. Camp Mabry peaked at 75°F, while Austin-Bergstrom fell just 1°F short of the record high, reaching 77°F.A Cold Weather Advisory has been issued from midnight tonight until 10 AM tomorrow. Clear skies are expected overnight, with northwest winds at 10-15 mph, gusting up to 30 mph at times.
  Temperatures will cont
  
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• Cooler temperatures this afternoon to a very cold night

  03-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A polar cold front will move over our eastern counties this afternoon. There will be a chance of light rain ahead of it but very little will be measured. The front will leave a northwest wind that will signal the beginning of the coldest air of this young winter season.Wind gusts exceeding 20 to 25 mph will occur this afternoon making the cooler air feel colder.
  As the clock approaches midnight most temperatures will be in the low to mid 30s, leading to an areawide freeze Monday
  
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• New Year's attacks stoke fears of political violence

  03-01-2025 12:03 via kxan.com
  
  A pair of fatal attacks on New Year's Day have reignited concerns over political violence in the U.S. after an election already marked by multiple assassination attempts.The same day a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, injuring several and killing one, an ISIS-linked domestic terror attack in New Orleans killed at least 15 people. While it’s unclear whether the two incidents are linked, they have given fodder to President-elect Trump’s allies, who argu
  
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• Cinemark running $5 'Bring Your Own' popcorn bucket deal

  03-01-2025 04:17 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — National theater chain Cinemark is offering a one-day deal that will almost certainly lead to hijinks from moviegoers later this month. Cinemark's first-ever “Bring Your Own Bucket” promotion, part of National Popcorn Day, will be held on Jan. 19.Here's how it works. The 10 best films of 2024: 'Nosferatu,' 'The Brutalist' and moreOn Jan. 19, customers can bring in a clean container of their choice and fill it with fresh popcorn for $5 — no movie ticket necessary.
  
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• Chick-fil-A celebrates the New Year with fan-favorite menu comebacks

  03-01-2025 04:07 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — Chick-fil-A is celebrating the New Year by bringing back old fan-favorite menu items.The popular chicken chain on Monday announced the return of Grilled Spicy Deluxe Sandwich and Key Lime seasonal beverages, which will be available at participating restaurants later this month. Jocelyne Wildenstein, Swiss socialite known for extreme plastic surgeries, dies at 84: reportsFirst introduced in 2021, the Grilled Spicy Deluxe Sandwich was the chain's first spicy grilled sandwich and qui
  
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• Austin Police Chief provides update on pilot program opening 6th Street to cars

  03-01-2025 03:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- In light of the tragic attack in New Orleans, Austin leaders provided an update on what's being done to keep Sixth Street and the heart of local nightlife safe. Opening 6th Street to cars? City working on pilot programKXAN previously reported about plans to open that area to vehicle traffic every day of the week. It's an area that's typically closed off during the weekends.During a press conference on Thursday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provided updates to the pilot progra
  
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• Austin police chief gives update on pilot program opening 6th Street to cars

  03-01-2025 03:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- In light of the tragic attack in New Orleans, Austin leaders provided an update on what's being done to keep Sixth Street and the heart of local nightlife safe. Opening 6th Street to cars? City working on pilot programKXAN previously reported about plans to open that area to vehicle traffic every day of the week. It's an area that's typically closed off during the weekends.During a press conference on Thursday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provided updates to the pilot progra
  
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• Up to $20 for consumers after Apple to settle lawsuit accusing Siri of eavesdropping

  03-01-2025 03:37 via kxan.com
  
  Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the privacy-minded company of deploying its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other trendy devices.The proposed settlement filed Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court would resolve a 5-year-old lawsuit revolving around allegations that Apple surreptitiously activated Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant for more than a decade.T
  
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• How much you could get if Apple settles lawsuit accusing Siri of eavesdropping

  03-01-2025 03:37 via kxan.com
  
  Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the privacy-minded company of deploying its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other trendy devices.The proposed settlement filed Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court would resolve a 5-year-old lawsuit revolving around allegations that Apple surreptitiously activated Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant for more than a decade.T
  
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• Duchess Meghan returns to Instagram

  03-01-2025 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced her return to Instagram on New Year’s Day with a celebratory post on the beach.The former actress Meghan Markle jogged across the sand in an all-white outfit with her hair flowing in the wind before writing 2025 in the sand. The video uploaded under the username @meghan could signal an increased return to public life after years of Meghan and Prince Harry leaning into prioritizing their privacy.The British royal faced backlash and raci
  
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• Big 12 commissioner calls for 'national standards' for calling targeting after controversial play

  03-01-2025 00:04 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is calling for more consistency in determining what constitutes a targeting penalty after no call was made on Texas safety Michael Taaffe's high hit on Arizona State receiver Melquan Stovall late in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl.Taaffe struck Stovall with a helmet-to-helmet hit as Stovall caught a pass near midfield with 1:15 left in regulation and the game tied Wednesday. No flag was thrown, but referee Larry Sm
  
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