Austin news

• Man convicted by jury, sentenced on 2022 murder charge

  08-05-2024 20:59 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's note: The above video shows KXAN News' top morning headlines from Wednesday, May 8, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was convicted and sentenced April 17 to 25 years in prison in connection with a 2022 homicide investigation.According to Travis County court documents, 45-year-old Deddrick Amerson was charged with first-degree murder. PAST COVERAGE | Police: Arrest warrant issued for man connected to stabbing death near Waterloo ParkThe sentence was related to the July 21, 2022, death of
  
  Read more

• Ed Dwight, America's first Black astronaut candidate, finally goes to space 60 years later

  19-05-2024 22:36 via kxan.com
  
  VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, finally rocketed into space 60 years later, flying with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company on Sunday.Dwight was an Air Force pilot when President John F. Kennedy championed him as a candidate for NASA’s early astronaut corps. But he wasn’t picked for the 1963 class.
  Dwight, now 90, went through a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers aboard the Blue Origin capsule as it skimmed s
  
  Read more

• No. 1 Texas romps through regional, thumps Northwestern again to advance in NCAA tourney

  19-05-2024 22:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 1 Texas breezed through the NCAA Austin Regional softball tournament, dropping Northwestern 7-0 Sunday at McCombs Field to advance to the best-of-three super regional series next week.Freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan led the Longhorns with a complete-game one-hitter, striking out 12 with two walks. Kavan faced 25 batters and threw 68 strikes in 103 total pitches. Kavan's bid for a no-hitter was broken up in the sixth with a double by Angela Zedak.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay
  
  Read more

• Fallen APD officer Jorge Pastore honored during ceremony in D.C.

  19-05-2024 20:18 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The name of fallen Austin police officer Jorge Pastore, who died while responding to a SWAT call in 2023, was etched in the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.Pastore's name and the names of 36 other Texas law enforcement officers were read during a candlelight vigil held on the National Mall.In total, 282 names were read at the vigil, representing law enforcement across the country. PAST COVERAGE | ‘Rest easy brother, we’ll take it fro
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Dillon Mitchell transfers to Cincinnati Bearcats after 2 years with Texas Longhorns

  19-05-2024 19:58 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Former Texas forward Dillon Mitchell is staying in the Big 12 Conference.Mitchell announced on social media Saturday that he'll transfer to Cincinnati after spending the first two years of college with the Longhorns. Mitchell said in mid-April that he would leave Texas and explore his prospects in the NBA Draft yet still keep his college eligibility. Both he and Tyrese Hunter announced their intent to transfer at the same time and Hunter ended up in Memphis.MORE THAN THE SC
  
  Read more

• Video: Diddy admits beating ex-girlfriend Cassie, says he's sorry

  19-05-2024 18:35 via kxan.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted that he beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 after CNN released video of the attack, saying in a video apology he was “truly sorry” and his actions were “inexcusable.”“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” the music mogul said in a video statement posted Sunday to Instagram and
  
  Read more

• Diddy admits beating ex-girlfriend Cassie, says he's sorry

  19-05-2024 18:35 via kxan.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted that he beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 after CNN released video of the attack, saying in a video apology he was “truly sorry” and his actions were “inexcusable.”“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” the music mogul said in a video statement posted Sunday to Instagram and
  
  Read more

• Helicopter carrying Iran's president suffers a 'hard landing,' state TV says

  19-05-2024 18:34 via kxan.com
  
  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. Some began urging the public to pray for Raisi and the others on board as rescue crews sped through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to be.Raisi was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State TV said the incident happened near Jolfa, a city on the border wi
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Helicopter carrying Iran's president apparently crashes in mountainous region

  19-05-2024 18:34 via kxan.com
  
  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray.The likely crash came as Iran under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month and has enrich
  
  Read more

• America's first Black astronaut candidate finally goes to space 60 years later on Bezos rocket

  19-05-2024 17:15 via kxan.com
  
  VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — America’s first Black astronaut candidate finally rocketed into space 60 years later, flying with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company on Sunday.
  Ed Dwight was an Air Force pilot when President John F. Kennedy championed him as a candidate for NASA’s early astronaut corps. But he wasn’t picked for the 1963 class.Dwight, now 90, went through a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers aboard the Blue Origin capsule as it skimmed space on a
  
  Read more

• Abnormally hot summer expected for Texas in latest NOAA forecast

  19-05-2024 16:00 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – New predictions for the summer season, released by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center this week, show weather is likely to heat up in almost every corner of the United States.
  The forecast, which covers June, July and August, indicates nearly every U.S. state with leaning toward a hotter-than-normal summer season. The highest chances are found out West, where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Colorado have a 60% to 70% chance of above-average temperatures over the next three
  
  Read more

• Do you live in one of America's 15 fastest-growing cities?

  19-05-2024 15:10 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – With just a couple of exceptions, the fastest-growing cities in America are located in the South, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.Between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, the most recent data available, Texas cities dominated the list of the fastest-growing 15.“The population growth across the South in 2023 was driven by significant numeric and percentage gains among its cities,” said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s
  
  Read more

• Wages are keeping up with rent in only these 6 large US cities

  19-05-2024 15:08 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) —  American workers have seen their paychecks grow since the pandemic but in most cities, those gains haven't kept up with rent prices.
  Rents surged 30.4% nationwide between 2019 and 2023, while wages rose 20.2% over the same period, according to a recent analysis by Zillow and StreetEasy.
  The ten-point gap underscores the frustration many Americans are feeling after watching their wage gains get eaten away by inflation.“Every month you just gotta budget and then yo
  
  Read more

• Atlanta zoo set to return last giant pandas in US to China

  19-05-2024 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — Zoo Atlanta is preparing to send its giant pandas back to China, following suit with other states, the zoo confirmed Friday in a press release.“With the 2024 expiration of Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda agreement with China, preliminary plans are underway for Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun to travel to China later this year,” the release reads.“Zoo Atlanta has applied for the pandas’ international travel permit, and the bears are expected to tr
  
  Read more

• US security alert warns Americans overseas of potential attacks on LGBTQ events

  19-05-2024 14:59 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department renewed a global security warning Friday for Americans overseas, adding to it that LGBTQ people and events in particular face an “increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence."The alert is a standard renewal of travel advice telling Americans to exercise increased caution against possible attacks by violent extremist groups while they are overseas. However, the last alert — issued in October — di
  
  Read more

• Bird flu is spreading, but should you be worried?

  19-05-2024 14:58 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a wastewater tracking dashboard Tuesday in an effort to monitor and stop the rapid spread of bird flu, which has been detected in cattle in nine states.Over 40 cattle herds across the country have confirmed cases of the H5N1 virus, also called bird flu. The CDC dashboard will track all influenza A viruses from 600 wastewater treatment sites around the country in order to help public health officials pinpoint where
  
  Read more

• These cities will pay you thousands to move there

  19-05-2024 14:55 via kxan.com
  
  ILLINOIS (KTVI) — At least three cities in Illinois are offering to pay people thousands of dollars to move there. Under certain conditions, of course.
  These opportunities come as the state of Illinois has lost around 240,000 people since the turn to the 2020s, according to new Census figures released this week. It's not necessarily a cause-and-effect trend, but rather a coincidence of some new local incentives.
  For three cities openly offering incentives, their populations are rather smal
  
  Read more

• An internal investigation into Round Rock ISD police describes a 'toxic' environment

  19-05-2024 14:43 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — An internal investigation into the Round Rock Independent School District Police Department describes the agency as “toxic” and “very divided.” The report, which was completed in October 2023, also expresses concerns with the district’s radio and dispatch office, saying “… There is a fear that the new dispatch system would not be able to handle severe security issues quickly.” In response, district officials t
  
  Read more

• Simone Biles shines in return while Gabby Douglas scratches after a shaky start at the U.S. Classic

  19-05-2024 14:33 via kxan.com
  
  HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Simone Biles certainly looks ready for Paris with more than two months to go before the Olympic games begin.
  The gymnastics superstar began her bid for a third Olympic team looking as dominant as ever at the U.S. Classic on Saturday, posting an all-around score of 59.500, nearly two points clear of runner-up Shilese Jones.
  The 27-year-old Biles, the 2016 Olympic champion, recorded the highest score on vault and floor exercise and came in second on uneven bars and bal
  
  Read more

• Heat wave may continue through Memorial Day

  19-05-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — It was another unseasonably hot May afternoon Sunday with high temperatures climbing to late June normals--in the 90s.A clear evening sky will be followed by increasing clouds with areas of fog developing overnight. Most lows will drop to the low 70s.After some morning low clouds, fog or mist, Monday and Tuesday will be dry, as well. You will notice an increase in fair-weather clouds both days. Highs will be in the low to mid 90s Monday, then mostly low 90s on Tuesday.A cha
  
  Read more

• Heat Index in triple digits today for many

  19-05-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Reporting stations at La Grange and Pflugerville recorded heat index readings of 101° Saturday afternoon. Higher humidity today will lead to a few more cities with heat index readings in triple digits. The heat index is what the temperature feels like to the both the air temperature and the dew point or the relative humidity are combined.Is summer starting early?The morning is starting with an overcast sky along with areas of fog. Both should be gone by 11 a.m. leaving
  
  Read more

• Does Austin get fewer tour stops than other big cities? A study says sort of

  19-05-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some big names have brought their tours to Austin's Moody Center since it opened in 2022.
  With a brand-new venue, is Austin getting as many tour stops as other large cities? RELATED: Austin ranks among most expensive cities to see a concert: studyA study from Austin-based travel company Upgraded Points calculated which big cities got the most concerts for popular tours in 2023 and 2024 compared to their populations. At the top of the list are cities like New York,
  
  Read more

• Williamson County years away from getting medical examiner, county looking at other options

  19-05-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — Booths filled the Williamson County Exposition Center as job seekers looked for opportunities. On a Saturday in April, businesses came together at the job expo and business fair. Among the crowd three of the four Williamson County Justice of the Peace judges could be heard talking about health, court and deaths.Job expo and business fair in Taylor in April. (KXAN Photo/Arezow Doost)
  Their black robes hanging in the backdrop.
  "I do more than just marry peopl
  
  Read more

• RRISD police chief leaves, says district 'delayed' investigations

  19-05-2024 04:26 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- Round Rock ISD Chief of Police Dennis Weiner said in a letter to the district's superintendent that he was leaving due to "delayed" investigations, including an alleged student sexual assault that happened last month.In his letter to the RRISD superintendent, Weiner began with the latest investigation involving a 5-year-old who was allegedly sexually assaulted on one of the district's school buses on April 12. He said that while the bus driver witnessed the assault, t
  
  Read more

• Texas baseball claims first Big 12 series sweep over Kansas

  19-05-2024 03:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) - You can't close out a regular season much better than Texas did over Kansas. The Longhorns finished off a sweep of the Jayhawks, holding off the visitors for a 9-7 win Saturday.The first two wins of the series were walk offs by Jalin Flores of Texas. No walk off was needed Saturday as the Longhorns jumped out to a big lead and held on for the victory for their first Big 12 series sweep of the year.Lebarron Johnson Jr. had one of his best starts of the season for Texas, going six
  
  Read more

• How a new Central Texas committee will focus on expanding passenger rail service

  19-05-2024 02:54 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai are spearheading new conversations with state transportation and rail leaders to expand passenger rail services in Texas.Expanding passenger rail in Texas has faced many hurdles, but the new Central Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee is a way to speed up that conversation.The committee includes people from Amtrak, people all over the state and other county judges who are interested in expanding
  
  Read more

• 706 people named Kyle got together in Texas. It wasn’t enough for a world record.

  19-05-2024 02:24 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (AP) — How many people named Kyle can fit in one place? For one Texas city, not enough.Another attempt by the city of Kyle, Texas, to break the world record for the largest gathering of people with one name fell short Saturday despite 706 Kyles of all ages turning up at a park in the suburbs of Austin.The crown is currently held by a town in Bosnia that got 2,325 people named Ivan together in 2017, according to Guinness World Records.
  It’s not the first time the Kyles hav
  
  Read more

• APD hosts recruiting event, hopes to fill hundreds of vacancies

  19-05-2024 02:10 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department hosted its latest recruiting event at its training center in south Austin Saturday in an effort to fill some of its vacancies.Sgt. Destiny Silva in APD's recruiting division said attendees spent the day hearing from the department's different divisions to get a better idea of what the job entails.She said currently the department has 326 officer vacancies."We really need to get the right people here to help us. If we get the right people here, t
  
  Read more

• State of Texas: Plea for education funding special session rejected by Gov. Abbott

  19-05-2024 01:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas Democrats urged Gov. Greg Abbott to call lawmakers back for a special legislative session Monday, citing "the urgent need to address school finance and improve funding for all of our school districts." Despite Texas’ record budget surplus, schools face deficitsSome of Texas' largest school districts face significant budget deficits, forcing some to cut teachers and staff for next school year. Democrats blame the cash crunch on the legislature's failure to increase
  
  Read more

• USPS asking Texas homeowners to fix mailboxes as part of annual campaign

  18-05-2024 23:18 via kxan.com
  
  EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - Mailbox Improvement Week runs from May 19-25, and the U.S. Postal Service is asking Texas homeowners to inspect and repair their mailboxes.The Postal Service makes this annual request because of the wear and tear that occurs to mailboxes every year.Repairing suburban and rural mailboxes improves the communities' appearance and makes delivery and receiving mail safer for carriers and customers, according to a press release sent by the Postal Service.There are some of the t
  
  Read more

Follow @Austin_News_US on Twitter!