Austin news

• Dozens walk out before Jerry Seinfeld's commencement speech at Duke in protest

  12-05-2024 22:03 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — Dozens of students walked out of the Duke University commencement ceremony ahead of Jerry Seinfeld’s scheduled speech Sunday, apparently in protest of the Jewish comedian’s support for Israel, according to news reports and videos circulated on social media.As Seinfeld received his honorary degree, before beginning his commencement speech, the graduating students rose from their seats and walked out, waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “Free, free Palestine
  
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• One seriously injured in rollover involving cement truck near Lakeway

  06-06-2024 00:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person was seriously injured after a cement mixer truck rolled over Wednesday afternoon near Lakeway, according to officials.Austin-Travis County EMS and Lake Travis Fire Rescue responded to the area of 528-745 Highlands Boulevard, which is near Lakeway, shortly before 4 p.m. for the crash. Travis County STAR Flight also responded to the crash, LTFR said on social media.One person was reported pinned in the vehicle, but LTFR said crews were able to remove that person from th
  
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• 'It's alive down here': Construction on Lockhart’s downtown revitalization project could start in 2024

  06-06-2024 00:27 via kxan.com
  
  LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) – Malachi Gonzales has been giving fades at Malachi's Barbershop for the past seven years. He’s lived in Lockhart his whole life and has witnessed many changes to the city, particularly the downtown square where the historic Caldwell County Courthouse is located. “[When] I was a kid I mean, these [buildings] had cobwebs in all the windows,” he said, between haircut appointments. “Now, It's it's alive down here. I mean, every day, the
  
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• HIV Long-term Survivors Awareness Day marks new future for patients

  05-06-2024 23:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — June 5 is HIV Long-term Survivors Awareness Day, marking the anniversary of a 1981 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that first described cases of what would later be called HIV.A picture of the June 5, 1981 report by the CDC about deaths from "Pneumocystis Pneumonia," which would be renamed to AIDS years later. (Courtesy CDC)
  In 1983, HIV reached Austin; five years later, a group of people with AIDS opened The Austin Immune Health Clinic as "radical hospice care" f
  
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• VIDEO: Body camera shows response before police shot suspect making Molotov cocktails at gas station

  05-06-2024 23:20 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Body camera video released Wednesday shows the events that led Austin police to shoot an armed man who had holed himself up in a southeast Austin gas station and made Molotov cocktails. APD identifies man shot by police officer at southeast Austin gas stationAPD released two 911 audio files, one police radio traffic audio file and two body cam videos, surveillance footage from inside the the gas station and one drone video. The body cameras were worn by Officers James Fabian and
  
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• Abbott launches top 10 wanted illegal immigrants list

  05-06-2024 23:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of an illegal immigrants list, which will comprise of the top 10 wanted illegal criminal fugitives, Abbott's office said in a news release Wednesday.The Top 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List is a joint partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The list will help find repeat offenders who have entered the country illegally are wanted for dangerous crimes committed in the state, the release said.
  
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• H-E-B chairman donates $20M to Texas food banks

  05-06-2024 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, June 5, 2024.TEXAS (KXAN) — H-E-B chairman Charles Butt is donating $20 million to 20 Texas food banks statewide to help mitigate food insecurity, the grocer announced Wednesday.The donation comes as the U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks Texas one of the most vulnerable states for food insecurity in the country. National data found the Lone Star State comes in second as the most food insecure U.S. stat
  
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• 'Grateful to be alive': Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitals

  05-06-2024 20:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- When Jonathan Denhart was discharged from the psych ward at Austin Oaks Hospital last year, he was prepared to be back very soon.For more than 40 years, Denhart has cycled through rehabs, sober housing, mental health hospitals, and 12-step programs to treat his bipolar and substance use disorders, but nothing worked.The 60-year-old Austin resident couldn’t find or keep a job, and he knew once he left the hospital, the temptations of the outside world would be
  
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• Autonomous vehicle company will begin test drive in Austin

  05-06-2024 20:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — An autonomous mobility company is taking Austin for a test drive.Zoox announced Wednesday it will begin public testing in Austin and Miami this summer — the fourth and fifth public testing locations for the company.Zoox said it will send out its autonomous, Toyota Highlander testing fleet with safety drivers near business and entertainment districts around the city."The retrofitted test fleet is used to validate the company’s autonomous driving software before i
  
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• Oil tank catches fire after being struck by lightning in Fayette County

  05-06-2024 20:15 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, June 5, 2024.FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- An oil tank in Fayette County caught fire after being struck by lightning Wednesday, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.
  The sheriff's office posted a photo of the fire on Facebook late Wednesday morning. It happened in the 700 block of Farm to Market Road 1291, just outside of Fayetteville.
  Oil tank catches fire after being struck by lightning in Fayet
  
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• Inside Battleship Texas' historic comeback, 80 years after D-Day

  05-06-2024 19:48 via kxan.com
  
  GALVESTON (Nexstar) -- Eighty years ago this week, the Battleship Texas fired the first shots toward Nazi pillboxes on D-Day. Its heavy artillery proved vital as Allied troops retook the beaches of Normandy and eventually all of Europe, clearing the way for infantry from miles off shore. It's now awaiting its return to the waters just off the coast of Galveston to give Texans a unique journey through American history.The Texas was first launched in 1912 and is a veteran of both world wars. She s
  
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• After abrupt closure, Foxtrot to reopen some stores

  05-06-2024 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, June 5, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Chicago-based convenience store chain Foxtrot announced Wednesday morning that it will open "a new Foxtrot," via a post on its Instagram account.A representative for Foxtrot declined to say which of its Texas locations will reopen. He did tell KXAN that the reopened stores will be in Dallas and Austin, but will not include all of the chain's locations.PREVIOUS: Foxtrot announc
  
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• Events happening in Austin to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride this month

  05-06-2024 19:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- June has been celebrated as LGBTQ+ Pride month since the 1970 Stonewall Riots in New York. Though the City of Austin doesn't host its official Pride celebration until August, there are several community events and celebrations honoring the LGBTQ+ community throughout the month of June.Why is Austin’s pride parade celebrated in August?On Wednesday, the City of Austin recognized Pride month with an official proclamation. The city said in solidarity with Austin's LGBTQ+ commu
  
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• Why you shouldn't nap after drinking on a plane: study

  05-06-2024 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Whether it's tomato juice, coffee or a stiff drink, many people have a go-to airplane beverage.For those flyers who opt for a wine, beer or cocktail, a new study suggests that doing so while at altitude comes with health risks, even if the person is young and healthy.
  "Passengers frequently drink alcoholic beverages during a long-haul flight and fall asleep afterwards," the researchers wrote, noting that negative sleep effects were worse aboard a plane than on the ground. "Unde
  
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• Texas DFPS reports 386 children trafficked while in conservatorship last year

  05-06-2024 18:52 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN — A report from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in May details how many children in DFPS conservatorships went missing, and how many were victims of human trafficking, during fiscal year 2023. ‘Nightmare’: Former Texas foster care workers describe dangerous living conditions inside unlicensed placementsAccording to DFPS, 1,164 of the 31,475 minors (3.7%) in its care were reported missing last year. Of those missing, 83 were reported missing
  
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• Here's why Netflix will stop working on some Apple TVs

  05-06-2024 13:56 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) -- Netflix will no longer be supported on second and third-generation Apple TVs starting in August.Netflix won’t be available on these older Apple TVs after July 31, the company wrote on its set-up website. The Verge reported that Netflix notified customers of the decision in an email, saying the move was made to “maintain the best possible Netflix experience.”It’s not clear what may have led Netflix to halt its services on these older Apple TVs, which the comp
  
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• Heat returns tomorrow for four days

  05-06-2024 12:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The morning rain and thunderstorms Wednesday cooled the air so that high temperatures were close to the normal of 92° Wednesday afternoon. The high both at Camp Mabry and at Austin-Bergstrom reached 91°.The rain between 6 a.m. and noon left the following high rain totals:
  2.16"La Grange
  1.25"Giddings
  1.18"Rockdale
  Totals dropped to below an inch in many cities east of I-35. Rain totals from the interstate westward averaged a few hundredths up to .10".The forecast wi
  
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• Elgin ISD hosts job fair to fill positions for growing district

  05-06-2024 12:28 via kxan.com
  
  ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) -- The Elgin Independent School District is hosting a job fair Wednesday afternoon to help fill teacher vacancies as the district continues to grow in size. The school district is adding two new elementary schools in the next two school years.
  Elgin ISD Board of Trustees recently raised salaries by 3% across the district and approved raising the starting salary for teachers to $55,760. The district's Assistant Superintendent on Human Capital, Al A. Rodriguez, said the increas
  
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• 'We are in the middle of a crisis': Scientists say Earth is warming at a record rate

  05-06-2024 05:45 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) -- The rate Earth is warming hit an all-time high in 2023 with 92% of last year's surprising record-shattering heat caused by humans, top scientists calculated.The group of 57 scientists from around the world used United Nations-approved methods to examine what's behind last year's deadly burst of heat. They said even with a faster warming rate they don't see evidence of significant acceleration in human-caused climate change beyond increased fossil fuel burning.Las
  
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• P. Terry's crispy chicken bites now permanently on the menu

  05-06-2024 04:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Central Texans can now enjoy P. Terry's crispy chicken bites for good. It was originally a limited promotion that began back in March. However, due to the success of selling more than one million bites, they will now remain permanently on the menu, the restaurant said in a news release.The crispy chicken bites now appear on the P. Terry's menu board as item #6, the release said.“We’re very protective of our menu,” said Patrick Terry, CEO, and co-founder of P. T
  
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• Texas AG launches team to enforce state privacy laws

  05-06-2024 04:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Attorney General's Office announced it has established a team that will enforce Texas privacy laws.This is part of AG Ken Paxton's major data privacy and security initiative, his office said in a news release. He said the idea is to protect Texans' information from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tech companies.“With companies able to collect, aggregate, and use sensitive data on an unprecedented scale, we are strengthening our enforcement of privacy laws to pro
  
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• Laura Ianello named Texas Longhorns women's golf coach

  05-06-2024 03:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It didn't take long for Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte to find the next Longhorns women's golf coach.Ryan Murphy announced his resignation May 31, and not even a week later, Texas announced the hire of Laura Ianello.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersIanello spent 14 years as the head coach (three years as an assistant) at her alma mater Arizona, taking
  
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• Suspect pointed gun at him, now his taco stand struggles after SWAT incident

  05-06-2024 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Saxx Williams has been running his taco/burger stand for less than two years out of the Texcoma gas station kitchen in southeast Austin.
  After a SWAT incident on May 21, he was out of work for two weeks, forced to throw out food contaminated by toxins used by the SWAT team. The gas station was left with shattered glass, and is now boarded up after a standoff with a man police shot and killed.APD identifies man shot by police officer at southeast Austin gas stationAs of Tues
  
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• Man pointed gun at him, now his taco stand struggles after SWAT incident

  05-06-2024 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Saxx Williams has been running his taco/burger stand for less than two years out of the Texcoma gas station kitchen in southeast Austin.
  After a SWAT incident on May 21, he was out of work for two weeks, forced to throw out food contaminated by toxins used by the SWAT team. The gas station was left with shattered glass, and is now boarded up after a standoff with a man police shot and killed.APD identifies man shot by police officer at southeast Austin gas stationAs of Tues
  
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• The stage is set: It's No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Oklahoma in the WCWS championship series

  05-06-2024 01:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Women's College World Series championship series will feature the top two teams in the country.No. 2 Oklahoma outlasted No. 4 Florida 6-5 with a walk-off home run by Jayda Coleman in the eighth inning in an elimination semifinal Tuesday. Now, the mighty Sooners take on top-seeded Texas for the crown starting Wednesday at Devon Field in Oklahoma City.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newslett
  
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• Man who went viral for driving during Zoom court hearing had license restored in 2022

  05-06-2024 01:03 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — A Michigan man who attended a Zoom court hearing while supposedly driving with a suspended license was sent to jail due to an apparent clerical error.Corey Harris attended a virtual hearing May 15 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on charges related to a traffic stop last year. In video footage, Judge Cedric Simpson appeared dumbfounded that Harris would appear before him while behind the wheel of a vehicle with a suspended driver's license.
  Harris’ bond was revoked, and he was
  
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• Nebraska woman who was pronounced dead found alive at funeral home

  05-06-2024 00:59 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — A Nebraska woman who had been pronounced dead at a nursing home this week was later found to be alive by a funeral home worker who noticed she was still breathing.Constance Glantz, 74, had been placed on hospice care at Mulberry Nursing Home in Waverly, Nebraska. Nursing home staff said she was dead at 9:44 a.m. Monday morning, and she was taken to a funeral home in Lincoln.Then, at 11:45 a.m., the Lincoln Police Department and the Lincoln Fire and Rescue were dispatched to
  
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• 80 percent of 2021 blackouts preventable with addition of Texas to national grid: Study

  05-06-2024 00:48 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — Integrating Texas’ self-contained electrical grid with the broader national grid could prevent mass power outages like those suffered in the Lone Star state during a 2021 cold snap, according to research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.In the study, from MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, the researchers modeled the effects of a bill introduced by Reps. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) that would conn
  
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• Lake Travis water levels affecting some businesses, others staying afloat

  05-06-2024 00:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – It has been a couple of years since Lake Travis has been closer to full than empty. On Tuesday, the lake level is nearly 41%.The low levels have been hard on some businesses. Lake Travis Waterloo Adventures confirmed that – because of low lake levels –  it would not be opening its obstacle course for the 2024 season. Other businesses on the lake said the press surrounding lower lake levels has been more detrimental than having less water. “W
  
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• Austin resident claims $1 million winning Powerball ticket

  04-06-2024 22:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A lucky Austin resident has claimed a winning Powerball ticket worth $1 million.The person, who has remained anonymous, purchased the ticket in the March 23 drawing. The ticket was bought at a 7-Eleven at 9704 Giles Lane in northeast Austin.The winning Quick Pick ticket matched all five of the white balls, but not the red Powerball.Powerball jackpots start at $20 million and roll over from drawing to drawing if there is no winner. The largest jackpot ever won in the game wa
  
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