Austin news

• 'High dose of nostalgia': A few camping trends to enjoy during the summer

  11-06-2025 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- If you're looking for a way to get out and enjoy nature this summer, Texas is home to 85 state parks with a wide array of landscapes -- from canyons to mountains, lakes and more.According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Hill Country area saw more than 725,000 people on average visit state parks over the past five summers.Some of the more popular spots are Cedar Hill State Park, McKinney Falls State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.Diane Eichler, with Kampgrounds of Am
  
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• AI data centers could drive a new wave of Texas air pollution, report finds

  11-06-2025 06:01 via kxan.com
  
  The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) risks filling Texas air with toxins, a report has found.State regulators are considering proposals for more than 100 new gas power projects — the vast majority of them entirely new plants — to power a new wave of data centers, according to findings published early Wednesday by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP).More than 30 have already been permitted in a process that amounts to a “rubber stamp,” the EIP said.&ldq
  
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• These 10 restaurant chains have the happiest workers, study finds

  11-06-2025 05:40 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Among the nation's major restaurant chains, In-N-Out is still supreme when it comes to the satisfaction of its workers, according to a new study.The California-based burger chain took the top spot for a 10th straight year, according to an analysis by William Blair, an investment bank and financial services company.The annual report spans 11 years and is built on over 530,000 reviews of almost 90 restaurant brands, according to Nation's Restaurant News.Which is the biggest In-N-
  
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• 2 found dead at remote campground in Isle Royale National Park

  11-06-2025 05:36 via kxan.com
  
  GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Authorities are investigating after two unidentified campers were found dead in a remote campground in Isle Royale National Park.Around 4 p.m. Sunday, park rangers received two separate reports of two people found dead at a backcountry campground within the park, according to the National Park Service.A pair of park rangers had to hike 11 miles overnight to reach the campground, the NPS said.Report: Buyouts pose potential problem for Isle Royale National ParkUp
  
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• Investigators believe they spotted Travis Decker hiking in Washington. Here’s what to know

  11-06-2025 05:34 via kxan.com
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Investigators believe they've spotted the man accused of murdering his daughters amid an ongoing manhunt in Washington State, authorities said.Related video above: Last sighting of Travis Decker before 3 girls found deadTravis Decker has been missing since May 30. He is accused of murdering his three daughters, who were found dead near a campsite with his truck on June 2.
  A "lone hiker" was spotted by a hiking party near Enchantments, a tip that led to a helicopter
  
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• Coca-Cola bringing back long-gone flavor, complete with 'retro' branding

  11-06-2025 05:18 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Coca-Cola is bringing back a discontinued flavor — complete with a retro look.Beginning in mid-July, Kroger outlets (and Kroger-affiliated stores) will offer Retro Diet Cherry Coke for a limited time, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola told Nexstar.The spokesperson said additional details would be made available at a later date, but confirmed the flavor will come in “retro”-style packaging. Snackolator, an Instagram account credited with breaking the news, shared an
  
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• VIDEO: Nexstar reporter carjacked at gunpoint in Memphis

  11-06-2025 04:18 via kxan.com
  
  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A reporter with Nexstar's WREG News Channel 3 in Memphis, Tennessee, was carjacked at gunpoint at a gas station Tuesday morning.It happened at a Mobil gas station at E.H. Crump Boulevard and Third Street, on a busy corner just about a mile east of WREG's studio and offices. A man approached reporter Mike Suriani while he was on assignment and demanded his news vehicle, a white 2016 Toyota RAV4. Country singer Conner Smith hits, kills woman walking dog in crosswalk,
  
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• Musk says Tesla's robotaxi service to 'tentatively' launch in Austin on June 22

  11-06-2025 04:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Elon Musk says Tesla is “tentatively” set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22.
  In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is “being super paranoid about safety.”
  Investors, Wall Street analysts and Tesla enthusiasts have been anticipating the rollout of the driverless cabs since Musk said earlier this year that the service would launch in Austin sometime in June.Last month
  
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• Austin-based business says it will offer Tesla robotaxi rentals in 2026

  11-06-2025 03:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Just days from now, Tesla reportedly plans to deploy its first commercial robotaxi service on Austin's public streets. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled plans to launch them in June as part of its new autonomous vehicle ride hailing service.
  On Tuesday, social media posts circulated online of one of those vehicles driving on South Congress Avenue. Tesla robotaxi service reportedly launching next week in AustinAustin-based RV rental agency, The Outdoorsy Group, said it plans to incor
  
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• Southern Baptists overwhelmingly call for a ban on gay marriage

  11-06-2025 03:25 via kxan.com
  
  DALLAS (AP) — Southern Baptists overwhelmingly endorsed a ban on gay marriage — including a call for a reversal of the U.S. Supreme Court's 10-year-old precedent legalizing it nationwide.They also called for legislators to curtail sports betting and to support policies that promote childbearing.The votes came at the gathering of more than 10,000 church representatives at the annual meeting of the nation's largest Protestant denomination.A proposed resolution says legislators have a d
  
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• Judge sides with city of Austin in Statesman PUD case

  11-06-2025 02:38 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Travis County Civil Court judge sided with the city of Austin, potentially moving forward the Planned Unit Development (PUD) on the former Austin-American Statesman property.According to an attorney for the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS), the judge "did not provide a reason" for the ruling against the organization.The PUD was approved in 2022 for a development that would include a 275-room high-rise hotel, six towers of residential units and office space.From 2022: Some conce
  
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• Austin leaders urging lawfulness ahead of weekend protests

  11-06-2025 02:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Monday night, Austin protestors joined others in cities nationwide speaking out against federal immigration enforcement policy and President Donald Trump's sending troops to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests there.
  "We have a whole bunch of immigrant parents right here working hard every day, supporting families, paying taxes," one of those Austin protestors told KXAN.
  But that protest resulted in at least 13 arrests, several police officers being injured and a federal building
  
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• Austin ISD parents rally outside TEA amid concerns over school turnaround plans

  11-06-2025 00:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Independent School District parents rallied outside the Texas Education Agency on Tuesday, demanding more time to improve outcomes at schools with repeated failing accountability ratings.
  Three of the district's middle schools, Dobie, Burnet and Webb, are set to receive their third consecutive failing accountability score when the 2024 state ratings are released, according to Austin ISD officials. A lawsuit filed by several school districts is currently preventing the TEA
  
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• Texas car dealerships will soon start issuing metal license plates when vehicles are sold

  11-06-2025 00:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texans who purchase a vehicle from a dealership will soon no longer have to go through extra steps to get their official, metal license plates.
  Starting next month, motor vehicle dealers will begin issuing metal license plates directly to buyers of new and used vehicles, according to a release from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
  The change complies with a new law that stems from House Bill 718, which was passed during the 88th legislative session in 2023. The bill addre
  
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