Austin news

• Universal reveals Shrek, SpongeBob lands for new theme park in Texas

  22-02-2025 23:29 via kxan.com
  
  FRISCO, Texas -- Universal Destinations & Experiences recently revealed several themed areas that will be featured at Universal Kids Resort, a new family-focused theme park set to open next year in Frisco, Texas.The resort will include lands based on characters from Shrek, Puss in Boots, Trolls and Gabby's Dollhouse, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minions, and Jurassic World.“It’s an amazing opportunity to bring these iconic stories to life for kids and families to experience,
  
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• Austin FC back in action in home opener

  22-02-2025 23:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC is back in action after a long awaited off season, playing their home season opener on Saturday.The team has added a plethora of new faces both on and off the pitch since the end of the last Major League Soccer (MLS) season.Nico Estévez will lead the Verde & Black as head coach this season, replacing Josh Wolff who served as head coach in the past four seasons. Estévez joins from FC Dallas, where he served as head coach from 2022 to 2024."One thi
  
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• Gunman, police officer dead after hospital shooting in York County, Pa.

  22-02-2025 20:05 via kxan.com
  
  YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A police officer has died after a shooter opened fire at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County on Saturday, according to law enforcement and UPMC.Officials are expected to provide an update soon. The press conference will be live-streamed in the player above.UPMC Memorial said Saturday that no patients were injured and that the gunman is dead. The extent of any other injuries is not yet known. Meanwhile, police in West York, a borough of nearby York, confirmed the
  
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• Gunman dead after hospital shooting in York County, Pa.

  22-02-2025 20:05 via kxan.com
  
  YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A police officer has died after a shooter opened fire at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County on Saturday, according to law enforcement and UPMC.UPMC Memorial said Saturday that no patients were injured and that the gunman is dead. The extent of any other injuries is not yet known.UPMC released a statement on social media saying the hospital is "now secure" and that law enforcement is managing the situation.The hospital further asked employees who are not schedul
  
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• Vatican says Pope Francis is in critical condition

  22-02-2025 20:00 via kxan.com
  
  ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said.The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed a condition associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a late update.“The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterd
  
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• Drop in overall number of freezing, low temperatures

  22-02-2025 18:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The weather in Austin this past week was, on the whole, quite cold.Camp Mabry reported the following morning low temperatures:
  28° - February 1820° - February 1918° - February 2030° - February 2130° - February 22The five mornings of sub-freezing temperatures bring the number of freezing mornings to 15, with t10 of those happening in January. There were no low temperatures below 34° in December. The 15 freezing mornings is more than the average number of d
  
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• Austin seeks public input on $12.5M in Seaholm area upgrades

  22-02-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin has more than $12 million earmarked for improvements in downtown's Seaholm area — and is seeking public feedback on how to spend portions of those dollars.The city established a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) in the Seaholm District neighborhood back in 2008, Alex Payson, Austin Transportation and Public Works' capital improvement program manager, told the city's Downtown Commission Wednesday one project initially outlined was a pedestrian a
  
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• Man rescued after 30-foot fall into hole

  22-02-2025 05:26 via kxan.com
  
  SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- It took Tijuana firefighters and rescue personnel 90 minutes to pull a man from a 30-foot-deep hole late Thursday afternoon.The incident happened in the front yard of a home in Colonia Libertad, just east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry.The call for help went out at 4:20 p.m. Thursday. 20 Mexican cities, 5 in US among 50 most dangerous in the worldFirefighters say the unidentified man fell in the hole and became trapped while working on some pipes in what appeared to
  
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• You're going to see more 'city-killer' asteroids, but fret not: MIT astronomer

  22-02-2025 05:23 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — This week's hype around a "city-killing" asteroid possibly striking Earth raised the fears of many before the odds of impact dropped to nearly nothing, but the MIT scientist who developed the risk scale for this type of event said it still has a lot to teach the public.Richard Binzel, astronomer and professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the case of the 130-to-300-foot-wide asteroid named 2024 YR4 can serve as a learning experience. Tesl
  
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• Roblox is 'hunting ground for child sex predators,' new lawsuit claims

  22-02-2025 05:05 via kxan.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A new lawsuit filed in San Mateo County, California, court claims Roblox, one of the most popular online gaming platforms for children in the world, "provides a hunting ground for child sex predators."The lawsuit was filed by law firm Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy earlier this month on behalf of a 13-year-old boy who was an "avid user of Roblox and Discord." Adults can use Roblox and Discord to contact minors through direct messages while pretending to be children, t
  
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• Delta faces first lawsuits days after plane flips in Toronto

  22-02-2025 04:58 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — Delta Air Lines offered passengers on board an ill-fated flight to Toronto $30,000. Two travelers are suing instead.A Minnesota woman and Texas man have filed against the airline just days after the CRJ-900 aircraft they were on crashed and flipped upon landing in Canada.Flight simulator shows view of conditions during Toronto crashOne suit describes "severe emotional distress and mental anguish" endured. The Texan claims Monday's incident on Flight 4819 left him with "signi
  
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• Austin HBCU working to get more Black men into teaching

  22-02-2025 04:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the need for teachers across the state of Texas continues, Huston-Tillotson University is putting an emphasis on getting more students to go into teaching, especially men.The African American Male Teacher Initiative is a program at HTU that looks to attract the best and brightest students who have an interest in teaching."We want the best,” said Dr. Anthony Fairley, who helps run the program. "If you look at the statistics, the number of African American males in e
  
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• From emergency nurse to patient: 24-year-old lives through stroke

  22-02-2025 04:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – When it came to picking a career, Alex Wilson-Garza felt a calling to serve others – she comes from a family of teachers and first responders, including police officers.“I felt like nursing was always the right pick for me,” said the registered nurse.Two years ago, she didn’t imagine the roles would reverse and that she would be on the hospital bed where she works -- the emergency room at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center. Go Red For Women
  
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• Austin IRS union president calls layoffs 'heartbreaking'

  22-02-2025 04:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The union president for Austin IRS workers spoke to KXAN about the layoffs impacting thousands nationwide.Texas Rep. Doggett confirms Austin IRS workers among those let go in layoffsThe agency will let go of roughly 7,000 workers around the country, including some in Central Texas. Austin is home to one of the few IRS centers in the country.
  President of the National Treasury Employees Union Austin Chapter, Eddie Walker, said he's heard from local IRS workers let go this week.
  
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• Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers

  22-02-2025 03:12 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
  The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed
  
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• Silver Alert issued for 70-year-old last seen in central Austin

  22-02-2025 02:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking public help to find a 70-year-old man who was last seen in central Austin Friday. The department said a Silver Alert and reverse 911 call was in progress.A reverse 911 call is where residents within the area are notified by emergency services, which is not a typical 911 call where residents contact emergency services.APD said in a news release that Charles Austin Booker was last seen in the area of Red River Street and Dean Keeton Street a
  
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• APD: Silver Alert discontinued after 70-year-old found

  22-02-2025 02:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department said a Silver Alert issued for a 70-year-old man was discontinued after he was found.The alert, which was issued Friday evening, prompted a reverse 911 call to residents in the area. A reverse 911 call is where residents within the area are notified by emergency services, which is not a typical 911 call where residents contact emergency services.No other details were released Friday.
  
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• Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  22-02-2025 02:07 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
  The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the war in Ukraine and
  
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• Tesla recalls over 376,000 vehicles due to power steering defect

  22-02-2025 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — Tesla is recalling 376,241 of its vehicles after reports that their electronic power steering assist could potentially fail due to a software defect.
  The recall involves some 2023 Tesla Model 3s and some 2023 Tesla Model Ys, according to the recall report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.Bought Zicam products? You could get money back in class action settlementAs explained by the recall, the affected Tesla models' electronic power-assisted steering (EPAS)
  
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• Bought Zicam products? You could get money back in class action settlement

  22-02-2025 01:09 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (WPIX) – If you purchased Zicam-brand cold and flu products before October, you could get some money back thanks to a class action lawsuit. Zicam’s manufacturer Church & Dwight Co. has agreed to a $6 million settlement in a case that alleges Zicam’s advertising was misleading, despite denying any wrongdoing, according to the settlement website. The class action suit, filed in California in 2022, alleges Zicam products are not effective at shortening or re
  
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• Texas House creates its own 'DOGE' to 'reduce the size and scope of government'

  22-02-2025 01:08 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- As Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Federal DOGE) continues to make headlines, the Texas House of Representatives created its own Delivery of Government Efficiency (Texas DOGE) Committee with similar goals in mind.Unlike the Federal DOGE, which is defined as a "Temporary Service Organization" in the executive order creating it, Texas DOGE is a committee consisting of 13 representatives, eight Republicans and five Democrats.The Texas DOGE committee will be chai
  
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• Community-driven clothing drive held on violence-ridden street

  22-02-2025 00:58 via kxan.com
  
  An ATX Peace staff member helps a woman pick out hygiene products at a clothing drive.
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A crowd gathered on the corner of Burton Drive and Oltorf Street Friday morning. It had nothing to do with a crime scene."Do you want some shoes?" Milton Washington said to a neighbor who walked by his dog.A group of people who live in the neighborhood wanted to host a clothing drive. They asked advocacy group ATX Peace for help.
  "These young folks wanted to give back to the community because
  
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• Advocates make the case against bail reform: 'Texas' pretrial system is broken'

  22-02-2025 00:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- While the Texas Senate passed every part of State Sen. Joan Huffman's, R - Houston, bail reform package with broad bipartisan support, some advocates hope the Texas house takes a closer look."Texas' pretrial system is broken," Emma Stammen, policy strategist at the Bail Project, said. "It allows the rich to walk free, while everyone else is forced to stay behind bars."Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 5, a proposed constitutional amendment to give judges more discretion to hold p
  
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• Dead wild bird tests positive for bird flu in Hays County

  22-02-2025 00:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A dead wild bird tested positive for the avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, in Hays County, according to Hays County.The county said the Hays County Health Department (HCHD) was notified Friday from the Texas Department of State health Services (DSHS) about the positive test. Answering viewer questions: What to know about bird flu“[Hays County] Health Department Staff will continue to monitor the development of bird flu in Hays County in coordination with DSHS an
  
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• Austin considering changes to code that protects homes against wildfire

  22-02-2025 00:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Firefighters Association President Chief Bob Nicks didn't mince words when we asked him whether Austin could experience catastrophic fires similar to what we saw in Los Angeles earlier this year."When we do have the high winds, we have the exact same conditions we're seeing in LA," Nicks told KXAN previously. ‘Need to do something now’: President of AFA warns Austin could experience fires similar to LASo how do we avoid it? Nicks had several suggestions, inclu
  
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