Austin news

• State buys 2,000 acres of land in Burnet County for new state park

  27-01-2025 23:54 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The photo featured in this story shows the existing Colorado Bend State Park, which is located across the river from the planned state park.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has purchased more than 2,000 acres of land in Burnet County for the creation of a new state park.The 2,020-acre property includes a two-mile stretch of the Colorado River and is across the river from the existing Colorado Bend State Park. The purchase was made using a one-time fund
  
  Read more

• At least $350M over 10 years: Austin City Council to vote on homelessness spending

  27-01-2025 23:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Thursday, Austin City Council is expected to vote on a resolution that could make homelessness a top financial priority for the city. The resolution could direct the city manager to increase spending starting with the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget."I am really proud that one of the first items that we'll take up on Thursday at our first council meeting is prioritizing investments in homelessness. That includes having additional funding for shelter, for housing and prevention," Mayo
  
  Read more

• CapMetro drives ahead with new fare payment system, app

  27-01-2025 23:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — CapMetro is officially moving ahead with a new fare payment system, following approval by its board of directors Monday.The transit authority's current app will retire this spring, with the new fare payment system set to launch on March 1. Officials said the goal of the new system will be to streamline operations and upgrade payment source options, including tap-to-pay technology.With the new technology rollout comes the need for new fare scanners, or validators. Those are
  
  Read more

• 'Giving back to someone who has given so fully from her heart'

  27-01-2025 22:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)-- Local mother and Bohemian Bass Musician, Yawei is battling stage four ovarian cancer. Community members, friends, and family have banded together to support her through the fight by raising funds for her extensive medical bills.Yawei's medical journeyYawei, a local mother and musician diagnosed with ovarian cancer.Yawei was initially diagnosed in the United States with a Hernia, after multiple delays it became apparent it was not just a Hernia but stage four ovarian cancer. By th
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• What rights do undocumented immigrants have in the US?

  27-01-2025 22:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Amid reports of "enhanced targeted operations" conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Austin, it begs the question: What rights do undocumented immigrants have in the United States?As of 2022, the undocumented immigrant population reached 11 million people in the U.S., according to data from Pew Research Center released in July 2024. While the Constitution doesn't authorize immigrants from entering the U.S. outside the legal channels, there are protect
  
  Read more

• Texas baseball enters Schlossngle's 1st season with pitching question marks

  27-01-2025 21:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's plenty of offensive pop returning to the Texas lineup this spring, but first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle said they must get their pitching in order to set the Longhorns up for success.Speaking before the first day of official practice Friday, Schlossnagle said it won't take long for the position players to get ready for the season opener Feb. 14 against Louisville at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The pitchers, however, need time to build up arm strength. They'
  
  Read more

• Texas baseball enters Schlossnagle's 1st season with pitching question marks

  27-01-2025 21:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's plenty of offensive pop returning to the Texas lineup this spring, but first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle said they must get their pitching in order to set the Longhorns up for success.Speaking before the first day of official practice Friday, Schlossnagle said it won't take long for the position players to get ready for the season opener Feb. 14 against Louisville at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The pitchers, however, need time to build up arm strength. They'
  
  Read more

• LIVE Horns Report: A 3-0 week with two ranked wins moves Texas back into AP women's top 5

  27-01-2025 20:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a perfect week on the hardwood, the Texas women's basketball team is back in the top five.The Longhorns moved up two spots to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball rankings released Monday, following a blowout nonconference win and two close wins in Southeastern Conference play.
  Full women's AP Top 25
  Texas (20-2, 6-1 SEC) thumped Maryland 89-51 on Jan. 20 at the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey, and then edged Tennessee 80-76
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• A 3-0 week with two ranked wins moves Texas back into AP women's top 5

  27-01-2025 20:55 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a perfect week on the hardwood, the Texas women's basketball team is back in the top five.The Longhorns moved up two spots to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball rankings released Monday, following a blowout nonconference win and two close wins in Southeastern Conference play.
  Full women's AP Top 25
  Texas (20-2, 6-1 SEC) thumped Maryland 89-51 on Jan. 20 at the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey, and then edged Tennessee 80-76
  
  Read more

• Austin to vote on trail funds to transform abandoned railroad tracks

  27-01-2025 19:43 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video is KXAN coverage of the Bergstrom Spur Trail from Jan. 10, 2025.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council will vote this week on funding for a new trail that will transform abandoned rail tracks and bridge the southern portion of the city with the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.The Bergstrom Spur Trail is a 6.5-mile-long trail system set to link Vinson Drive in south Austin to East Riverside Drive and U.S. Hwy. 183 in southeast Austin, according to details
  
  Read more

• Texas flu positivity rate surges above national trend

  27-01-2025 18:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As influenza cases spike across the country, Texas is reporting a higher positivity rate than the national trend, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In the latest reporting period of Jan. 12-18, Texas reported a 34% positivity rate for the flu statewide, according to data from Texas DSHS released Friday. The seasonal rate in the Lone Star State also climbed to nearly 13% for the flu season
  
  Read more

• Getting outdoors and into nature with McKinney Roughs Nature Park

  27-01-2025 18:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Temperatures and beautiful skies continue to bring the perfect conditions to get out of the house and back into nature.
  McKinney Roughs Nature Park has a stacked start to the year with plenty to do from the final days of Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience to ziplining and more."We have something called zipline paintball, and that's one thing, not two separate things, as most people might imagine. You actually paintball while ziplining," LCRA Senior Vice President o
  
  Read more

• Texas truckers launch sex trafficking awareness campaign

  27-01-2025 17:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Trucking Association is partnering with lawmakers and sex trafficking awareness advocates to launch a new campaign called, "Boys and Young Men are Sex Trafficked Too."The goal is to have semi-trucks driving up and down the state with signs on them raising awareness about the risks boys face.
  The non-profits Ranch Hand Rescue and Bob’s House of Hope report that up to 50% of sex-trafficked youth are boys.Those nonprofits will take part in a press conference at
  
  Read more

• How to watch Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2025 State of the State address

  27-01-2025 17:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2025 State of the State address will air live across Texas Sunday, Feb. 2 on 14 television markets and 15 television stations served by Nexstar, including KXAN.Abbott's one-hour address will begin at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast to potentially more than 25 million Texans. Trump expands on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border policiesAccording to the Governor's office, Abbott will be listing the "emergency issues" he is directing state lawm
  
  Read more

• Over 400 Texas Tactical Border Force soldiers deploying to border

  27-01-2025 16:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- More than 400 soldiers from the Texas Tactical Border Force will head to the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday to "collaborate with" Border Patrol agents in the wake of President Trump's declaration of a border emergency last week, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.Abbott on Monday directed the Texas Military Department to deploy the Texas Tactical Border Force to the Rio Grande Valley to "coordinate with U.S. Border Patrol under the Trump Administration to secure the border,"
  
  Read more

• Valentine's date ideas in Central Texas

  27-01-2025 15:44 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — From love-filled activities to sweetheart dinner dates, here is a curated list of Valentine's Day date ideas in Central Texas. Grab your special partner or best pal and visit one of these lovely events.Galentine's DayThe Dessert Door is hosting a very special Galentine's Day. Explore a series of cocktail menus, a chocolate fountain and some legacy lady tunes with some gal pals! Stop by the Dessert Door in Driftwood on Thursday, Feb. 13.Love NotesThe Austin Public Library Wi
  
  Read more

• One dead, one seriously injured in northeast Austin crash

  27-01-2025 15:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Part of East Parmer Lane in northeast Austin was closed Monday morning after a serious crash near Samsung Boulevard.Austin-Travis County EMS responded to a crash at Samsung Boulevard and East Parmer Lane shortly after 7 a.m., according to posts on X. ATCEMS said two patients were involved and CPR was in progress.
  ATCEMS said in an update one adult was pronounced dead on the scene, and another was being transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
  The Austin Police Department
  
  Read more

• Midweek storm brings widespread rain, severe threat

  27-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures will warm nicely towards the end of the month, but this week's weather focus looks to be the opportunity for much-needed, heavy rain coming in midweek.We start the new work week with cloudy to overcast skies and spotty mist/drizzle/light rain. Very minimal rainfall is expected today, but it marks the start of a turn to wetter weather ahead of an approaching storm system.Tuesday will look and feel similar to today - cloudy, spotty light rain and highs in the 50s. By
  
  Read more

• Increasingly showery ahead of mid-week storm risk

  27-01-2025 12:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Keep the umbrellas and rain jackets handy the next few days as shower coverage gradually ramps up ahead of a line of strong or severe storms late Wednesday into Thursday.This evening we'll see a slight up-tick in sprinkles, drizzle or light showers. The night will be cloudy and cool, but not cold, with lows in the upper 40s.Tonight's forecastRain chances increase a little bit more on Tuesday with cloudy skies all day and highs in the mid 50s.
  Tuesday's forecastWarmth pushes into
  
  Read more

• One dead in north Austin crash Sunday night

  27-01-2025 06:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead after an auto-pedestrian crash Sunday night in north Austin in the 10200 block of North Lamar Boulevard, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. This occurred near the intersection of West Rundberg Lane and North Lamar Boulevard.ATCEMS said crews were notified around 9:45 p.m.The Austin Police Department said southbound lanes are closed due to the crash. Officials also said to watch for first responders as they work the scene.
  
  Read more

• LOVB Austin hands Omaha its 1st loss of the season

  27-01-2025 05:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It doesn't matter what jersey Madisen Skinner is in, she will make her presence felt in a big way on the volleyball court.The former Longhorns star smacked 10 kills with a .450 hitting percentage to lift Austin over Omaha 3-0 in a League One Volleyball (LOVB) match Saturday at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.Austin’s new pro women’s volleyball team gears up for first home gameSet scores were 25-23, 25-20, 25-15. Skinner was named the player o
  
  Read more

• New bid for TikTok from Perplexity AI could give US government 50% stake

  27-01-2025 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Perplexity AI has presented a new proposal to TikTok’s parent company that would allow the U.S. government to own up to 50% of a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok’s U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.
  The proposal, submitted last week, is a revision of a prior plan the artificial intelligence startup had presented to TikTok’s parent ByteDance on Jan. 18, a day before the law that bans TikTok went into effect.
  The fi
  
  Read more

• The Chiefs get more Mahomes magic and advance to 3rd straight Super Bowl, beating the Bills 32-29

  27-01-2025 04:13 via kxan.com
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, ran through the Buffalo defense for two more scores, and relied on his defense at key moments to help the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29 on Sunday night and reach the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season.Now, the AFC champions will try to do something no other NFL team has done: Win all three.The Chiefs will get a familiar foe in the Eagles, whom they beat two years ago for the first title in this
  
  Read more

• How troughs and ridges shape weather forecasting

  27-01-2025 03:36 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Meteorologists study the upper levels of the atmosphere to better understand troughs and ridges, which helps them predict both day-to-day weather conditions and long-range patterns. These atmospheric features are key to understanding larger weather systems.Troughs are areas of low pressure, often linked to unsettled weather. As air converges and rises within a trough, it cools and condenses, leading to cloud formation, precipitation, and potential storms. Troughs can also contri
  
  Read more

• San Marcos designated as bird city for conservation efforts

  27-01-2025 02:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Audubon Society of Texas designated San Marcos as a Bird City Texas community, according to a Friday press release.TPWD said the designation was given to San Marcos because it met "rigorous" criteria focused on habitat protection, threats to birds, education and engagement, and sustainability.
  “Achieving the Bird City Texas designation is a significant accomplishment for our community and demonstrates the collaborative effort, ha
  
  Read more

• Some local officials in Texas cheer Trump’s immigration crackdown, others sound cautious note

  27-01-2025 01:20 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) -- The Trump administration this week directed federal prosecutors across the country to investigate and potentially prosecute local officials who get in the way of its immigration crackdown.It is not clear if any will get in the way in Texas.Local officials across the state who are eager to help the administration’s immigration efforts have not offered concrete details about how they will cooperate with the federal government. And officials in the state’s Demo
  
  Read more

• No. 7 Texas fights back to beat Ole Miss 61-58 on the road

  27-01-2025 00:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 7 Texas got another late bucket from Madison Booker to help clinch a victory in Southeastern Conference play Sunday 61-58 over Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.Texas ended the game on an 8-0 run and Booker's jumper from the left elbow broke a 58-58 tie with 0:24 left. Rori Harmon added a foul shot with a second left after the Longhorns made a big defensive stop, and Booker stole the ensuing inbound pass by the Rebels after they advanced it to their half of the floor with
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!