Austin news

• AISD apologizes for sending student data to wrong families

  03-03-2025 23:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Independent School District families are no longer receiving other students' transcripts and data, according to the district.A concerned parent of a Bowie High School student reached out to KXAN on March 2. They said they received multiple letters with multiple students' data. According to the parent, the letters all appeared to be about transfers between AISD schools. The letter the parent shared with KXAN was signed by Dr. Melvin Bedford, the principal of Austin Hi
  
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• Texas Senate proposes measure to improve wildfire coordination efforts

  03-03-2025 23:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As the Texas A&M Forest Service projects "extreme" or "very high" wildfire for a vast majority of the state on Tuesday, legislators met in Austin to discuss how to prepare Texas for the future of firefighting.
  On Monday morning, the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs discussed a bill to create a database of the inventory of firefighting equipment that is available for use in responding to wildfires. The inventory is to be maintained by the Texas
  
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• Southbound lanes on I-35 and Braker shutdown after semi-truck crashes into bridge

  03-03-2025 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- All southbound lanes on Interstate 35 at Braker Lane are shut down after a semi-truck crashed into a bridge, according to the Austin Police Department.The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said on social media around 3:35 p.m. that all traffic was being diverted to the frontage road.KXAN reached out to TxDOT for more information, and a spokesperson for the agency said, "Anytime a vehicle strikes a bridge, we close the roadway until one of our bridge inspectors can asses
  
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• Southbound lanes on I-35 and Braker now open after semi-truck crashes into bridge

  03-03-2025 23:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Southbound lanes are back open after a semi-truck ran into a bridge on Interstate 35 at Braker Lane, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).The report of the crash came in from the Austin Police Department around 3:30 p.m. Then, TxDOT previously said traffic was being diverted onto the frontage road.Around 4:30 p.m., TxDOT said all lanes were back open.KXAN reached out to TxDOT for more information about the crash, and a spokesperson for the agency said, "An
  
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• Upper deck of southbound I-35 downtown closing permanently Tuesday night

  03-03-2025 23:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The upper deck of Interstate 35 southbound in downtown Austin will close permanently starting Tuesday night, the Texas Department of Transportation said in an update.As the I-35 Capital Express Central Project is transforming the section of the interstate that runs through downtown, one update that brings big traffic impacts will begin Tuesday night.The upper deck of I-35 on the southbound side will permanently close Tuesday at 9 p.m. as part of the current phase of construction
  
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• Upper deck of southbound I-35 downtown closing permanently Monday night

  03-03-2025 23:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The upper deck of Interstate 35 southbound in downtown Austin will close permanently starting Monday night.
  As the I-35 Capital Express Central Project is transforming the section of the interstate that runs through downtown, one update that brings big traffic impacts will begin Monday night.
  The upper deck of I-35 on the southbound side will permanently close Monday at 9 p.m. as part of the current phase of construction, according to TxDOT Austin. That segment of the interstate
  
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• Southbound I-35 downtown exit 235A closing permanently Tuesday night

  03-03-2025 23:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Southbound I-35 upper deck exit 235A in downtown Austin will close permanently starting Tuesday night, the Texas Department of Transportation said in an update.
  As the I-35 Capital Express Central Project is transforming the section of the interstate that runs through downtown, one update that brings big traffic impacts will begin Tuesday night.Exit 235A on the southbound side of I-35 will permanently close Tuesday at 9 p.m. as part of the current phase of construction, TxDOT co
  
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• Repeat offender steals laptops from District Attorney's Office, court documents say

  03-03-2025 23:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Investigators believe Austin Grace Mullins, 31, stole 9 laptops from the Travis County District Attorney's Office last week, according to an arrest warrant filed.On Thursday, Feb. 27, an employee with the office told a courthouse deputy the building was burglarized the day before just after 4 a.m. The total estimated value for the nine laptops is $14,550.75.KXAN has reached out to the DA's Office to ask about security measures as well as the contents of the stolen laptops. We wi
  
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• How did Americans view the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting? Poll shows stark divide

  03-03-2025 22:43 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) – Forty six percent of American voters said that neither the U.S. nor Ukraine walked away as a winner from last week’s tumultuous meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a new Emerson College poll released on Monday. Another 35% of voters said the U.S. walked away as a winner, while 15% said the same about Ukraine. Four percent said both counties were “equally successful.”  Trump economic approval rati
  
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• Illinois couple's home explodes on wedding day; authorities say suspect was a guest's boyfriend

  03-03-2025 22:21 via kxan.com
  
  CICERO, Ill. (WGN) – Authorities have identified a suspect they believe to be responsible for an explosion in Cicero, Illinois, that left one person dead and 11 families displaced.The explosion also destroyed the home of a couple who had gotten married the same day.“I ran here in my wedding dress, like down the alley, and was watching from a neighbor’s yard,” Eleni Vrettos, 32, previously told Nexstar's WGN. “Everything was just smoke at that point.”(WGN)Offic
  
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• Cat food recalled over risk of bird flu weeks after pets euthanized

  03-03-2025 22:10 via kxan.com
  
  (WKBN) -- A raw cat food is being recalled due to the possible risk of bird flu weeks after two cats were euthanized, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Saturday.The Wild Coast LLC product is recalling frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats. The product was distributed in 16-ounce and 24-ounce sizes to pet food retailers in Washington state and Oregon.The affected lots, which are packaged in small plastic containers with a green label, bear a sticker on the
  
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• Pope Francis suffers new breathing crises, is back on noninvasive ventilation: Vatican

  03-03-2025 22:01 via kxan.com
  
  ROME (AP) — Pope Francis suffered two new acute respiratory crises Monday and was put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, in another setback to his battle to fight pneumonia, the Vatican said.Doctors extracted “copious” amounts of mucus from his lungs during two bronchoscopies, in which a camera-tipped tube was sent down into his airways with a sucker at the tip to suction out fluid. The Vatican said the mucus was his body's reaction to the original pneumonia infection
  
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• Texas Senate considers total THC ban- where they are so far

  03-03-2025 21:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar)- The Senate State Affairs Committee began its discussion on a bill that would ban all forms of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana on Monday.Texas Senate Bill 3  was named one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority bills for this session in January and aims to address concerns that unregulated THC products are being sold across the state.  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick lists Senate priority bills for the 2025 legislative sessionThis comes after Texas lawmake
  
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• Hutto police identify three involved in 'apparent murder-suicide'

  03-03-2025 21:32 via kxan.com
  
  Content Warning: This article discusses suicide. Please return to the homepage if you are not comfortable with the topic. If you are in distress and need someone to talk to, please call 988, text HELLO to 741741, or visit the crisis hotline’s website.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Hutto Police Department identified three people involved in what the agency called an "apparent murder-suicide" that happened last week in Hutto. Hutto police investigating ‘apparent murder-suicide&rsq
  
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• Which Austin roads will be closed for SXSW this year?

  03-03-2025 20:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The 2025 South by Southwest Conference & Festivals is just around the corner -- as are plenty of road closures and disruptions in and near downtown.The city of Austin outlined dozens of full and partial road closures related to the festival, along with areas near downtown that are available for local traffic only or will serve as Austin Police Department-run safety zones as needed.With increased pedestrian, vehicular, bike and scooter foot traffic downtown, SXSW organizers a
  
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• Longhorns make move up D1Baseball.com Top 25, Aggies plummet after bad week

  03-03-2025 19:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A perfect week sent the Texas Longhorns up in the latest D1Baseball.com Top 25 while a 1-3 week sent Texas A&M into a freefall.Texas moved up three spots to No. 12 after a 4-0 week, capped by a 3-0 championship performance at the Las Vegas Classic. The Longhorns started the week Feb. 25 with a 6-0 win over Incarnate Word in Austin, then defeated Washington 10-9, Texas Tech 10-5, and Illinois 15-6 in Las Vegas over the weekend. Texas scored 35 runs on 40 hits to win the
  
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• Measles outbreak grows as state health commissioner discusses vaccine concerns

  03-03-2025 19:26 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The measles outbreak continues to spread in Texas as the state's Commissioner of the Department of State Health Services spoke to a committee of lawmakers about the growing distrust of vaccines and the agency's attempts to fight the virus.
  The case count is now up to 158 people, according to the latest numbers reported by Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the DSHS Commissioner. She presented those numbers to the Texas House Committee on Public Health as the state faces a measles outbreak
  
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• AirPods dying? UT professor discovers microenvironment that may be responsible

  03-03-2025 19:25 via kxan.com
  
  An AirPod gets an x-ray in search of why the battery keeps dying. (University of Texas)
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A tiny microenvironment in your wireless earbuds may be the reason they're dying so quickly, according to new research from the University of Texas.UT-Austin associate professor Yijin Lu took over 20 individual AirPods, x-rayed them, and discovered that the printed circuitry in the device generates heat that causes damage to the AirPod."I wear only the right hand side, and over time, th
  
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• A surge in bee deaths is hurting Texas beekeepers — and could affect the price of produce

  03-03-2025 18:48 via kxan.com
  
  (Texas Tribune) — Since starting their beekeeping business southwest of San Antonio in late 2019, the Wheeler family has aimed to produce about 3,000 bee colonies each year, many of which are used to pollinate crops like watermelons and pumpkins.In the last 15 years, bee colony collapses have become more common. It's typical for the Wheelers’ Frio Country Farms to lose about half of their bees each year. But last year, that trend worsened and the growing number of dead bees is hurtin
  
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• Is there a secret behind the Netflix intro sound? Some viewers seem to think so

  03-03-2025 18:23 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Since 2015, Netflix viewers have been bludgeoned over their eardrums with the streamer’s signature “Tudum” sound, a punchy sonic phrase that plays before its original programming.The origin of that sound, however, has become a topic of conversation among online conspiracy theorists in recent years.What exactly is the ‘Tudum’ sound?Netflix’s own sound designers have explained that the “Tudum” sound heard in the Netflix intro is bas
  
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• Education Department offers $25K for staffers to quit

  03-03-2025 18:20 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- The Education Department sent out an email to staffers on Friday saying if they quit by Monday at midnight, they will receive a $25,000 cash payout.  A department official confirmed the email, which warned of significant layoffs in the near future, to The Hill.The email, first reported by Politico, was sent by Jacqueline Clay, a chief human capital officer, giving employees until 11:59 p.m. on Monday to make a decision.  “This is a one time offer in advance of a ver
  
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• 'Sorry to everyone that I hit' - Connor Zilisch wins Xfinity race

  03-03-2025 18:19 via kxan.com
  
  Austin, TX (NEXSTAR) — Connor Zilisch secured his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday afternoon at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Despite a challenging race that included him making a pit stop when the pits were closed forcing him to restart from the back, Zilisch managed to reclaim the lead.​"That was tough. I mean, that was way harder than I wanted it to be, and I did not drive a clean race at all. Sorry to everyone that I hit. I was kind of mentally fogged halfwa
  
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• 114 Texas school districts have moved to four-day weeks, affecting more than 124,000 students

  03-03-2025 18:17 via kxan.com
  
  This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
  We've created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.Editor's Note: The video above is from March 6, 2023, when this story was first published.AUSTIN (KXAN) — At least 114 school districts across Texas have now switched to four-day school weeks,
  
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• MAP: More than 200 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires in 2025

  03-03-2025 17:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 200 acres have burned in wildfires across Central Texas so far in 2025, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.A total of six fires have burned 226.5 acres in the 15-county KXAN viewing area. Weather Interactives: How much rain has Austin received this year?KXAN is keeping track of wildfires. Follow along with the map and database below. We'll keep them updated as new information becomes available. Fires that are still uncontained are red on the map. Evacua
  
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• Willie Nelson's annual 4th of July Picnic returns to Texas this summer

  03-03-2025 16:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Willie Nelson's annual 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks show is returning to its Lone Star roots this summer.The beloved Texas musician's 4th of July celebration will be held at the Germania Insurance Arena on July 4 in Austin, reverting back to Texas after last year's concert was held in Camden, New Jersey.The 2025 lineup will feature Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, The Mavericks, Asleep At The Wheel and Tami Neilson, per Monday's announcement.“
  
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• $6 million international fraud scheme spotlights fraud targeting older Texans

  03-03-2025 15:49 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his role in what federal prosecutors are calling an international fraud scheme. The scheme targeted older people across the United States, including a woman from Georgetown who lost $300,000.Investigators identified 21 victims nationwide, who lost nearly $6 million in total. According to the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, the conspiracy originated from India and involved the impersonation of U.
  
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• Texas workers face mounting dangers in the heart of America's greatest oil boom

  03-03-2025 14:08 via kxan.com
  
  This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. It is part one of a four-part series.Jose Gonzalez* wore no mask, despite the toxic chemicals he worked with in the oilfield."One leak, and no one will hear from you again," he said.He shrugged. At 31, with three children at home, he faced constant risks in his job as a truck driver in the Permian Basin, both from the chemicals and the relentless pace of the roads where he and other drivers pull 24-hour shifts driving the ingredien
  
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• 'We didn't see a spike': Why Barton Springs Pool is closed during most of South by Southwest

  03-03-2025 14:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Spring is one of Austin's peak tourism seasons, with several events drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors - the biggest being South by Southwest, which runs March 7-15.While here for the festival and other events, some visitors will want to explore some of Austin's iconic tourist spots. With the warm, sunny weather, minds may go straight to Barton Springs Pool. Family in town? Austin landmarks and tourist traps even locals loveHowever, visitors and Austinites alike should kn
  
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• Barton Springs Pool closed during most of South by Southwest

  03-03-2025 14:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Spring is one of Austin's peak tourism seasons, with several events drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors - the biggest being South by Southwest, which runs March 7-15.
  While here for the festival and other events, visitors will likely want to explore some of Austin's iconic tourist spots. With the fair, sunny weather, minds may go straight to Barton Springs Pool.Visitors and Austinites alike should know, however, that Barton Springs Pool is closed for the first two weeks of
  
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• Explaining positive versus negative tilted troughs

  03-03-2025 05:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Troughs play a crucial role in shaping storms and delivering all types of precipitation. A trough is an elongated area of low pressure that can stretch for hundreds of miles. When observing an upper-level jet diagram, troughs appear as a "dip" or a "U-shape". The tilt of the trough determines the atmospheric dynamics and drive of storm systems.
  Example positive tilted trough setup
  First, let's talk about positive tilted troughs- these troughs tip southwest to northeast and have
  
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• St. Michael's tops Dallas Parish Episcopal for TAPPS 6A boys hoops title

  03-03-2025 05:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — St. Micheal's claimed the TAPPS 6A boys basketball championship Saturday on a last-second bucket by junior Bo Ogden.Tied 48-48 with Dallas Parish Episcopal and 5.8 seconds remaining, Ogden banked home a highly-contested floater as time ticked off the clock, lifting the Warriors to a 50-48 win at Robinson High School in Waco. It's the program's first state championship since 2003, but the team has been in the TAPPS semifinals four times in the past five seasons.The St. Micha
  
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• The Latest: 'Anora' wins best picture at the 97th Academy Awards

  03-03-2025 05:04 via kxan.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Anora,” a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize. Sean Baker made Oscar history Sunday at the 97th Academy Awards, becoming the night’s big winner with five statuettes overall, two more than “The Brutalist.”
  Baker said his film’s huge Oscar haul was a win for ind
  
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• The Latest: The 97th Academy Awards are underway

  03-03-2025 04:01 via kxan.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 97th Academy Awards have kicked off at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “Emilia Pérez” leads the pack with 13 Oscar nominations, but “Wicked” and “The Brutalist” are close behind. The 2025 Oscars opened with its biggest musical voices. “Wicked” star Ariana Grande launched into “The Wizard of Oz” classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” following a visual package celebrating the city of Los A
  
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• Spring festival season to supercharge Austin economy 

  03-03-2025 03:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – Year after year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Austin for world-renowned festivals and events. And, year after year, those festivals bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Austin economy. Though slightly down from 2023, South by Southwest had an estimated $377.3 million impact locally in 2024. “We spend our money locally, and that's great. But when we can get someone to contribute to our economy that doesn't normally contribute to it &nda
  
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• No. 2 Texas notches 20th win of the season with 10th run-rule victory

  03-03-2025 03:40 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's two days into March and the Texas Longhorns have already won 20 games.The No. 2 Longhorns capped a perfect 5-0 weekend in the Longhorn Invitational with a pair of run-rule wins over South Florida 9-1 and Alabama A&M 8-0 on Sunday at McCombs Field. No. 1 Texas clinches share of SEC regular season title in 1st seasonTexas beat South Florida and Abliene Christian 9-5 and 9-1 on Friday and New Mexico State 5-2 on Saturday.Mac Morgan threw a one-hitter against Alabama A
  
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• Christopher Bell wins at COTA, overtaking Kyle Busch with 6 laps left

  03-03-2025 03:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Christopher Bell is making the most of his late-race chances to seize victories.Bell passed Kyle Busch with six laps to go, then held off Daytona 500 winner William Byron to win NASCAR’s first road course race of the season Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas. Connor Zilisch’s ‘not smart’ moves lead him to victory at Focused Health 250 in AustinThe late-race drama produced his second consecutive victory after his overtime win in
  
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• Texas offense comes alive in Vegas, finishes perfect weekend 15-6 over Illinois

  03-03-2025 02:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 15 Texas scored 35 runs to post a 3-0 record at the Las Vegas Classic, capping the perfect run with a wild 15-6 win over Illinois on Sunday.Texas had nine RBIs with two outs and collected 17 hits, hitting .550 with runners in scoring position to move their record to 9-1. Matthew Golden runs fastest Texas 40-yard dash, Quinn Ewers a top QB according to NFL Hall of FamerSix Longhorns had multiple hits against the Fighting Illini, and outfielder Max Belyeu tore the cover o
  
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