Austin news

• UT Police searching for man accused of exposing himself near Union Building

  17-04-2024 23:42 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas at Austin Police Department is searching for a man they say exposed himself and touched someone before leaving the campus on Wednesday.Around 2:05 p.m., UT Police officers responded to a report of indecent assault that happened at the Union Building, the agency said on social media. Witnesses told police a man "exposed himself and touched the victim." The man left before police arrived.Police described the man as white or Hispanic, 40 to 50-years-old
  
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• Protesters in custody after Columbia University calls in police to end pro-Palestinian occupation

  01-05-2024 04:22 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Officers took protesters into custody late Tuesday after Columbia University called in police to end the pro-Palestinian occupation on the New York campus.
  The scene unfolded shortly after 9 p.m. as police, wearing helmets and carrying zip ties and riot shields, massed at the Ivy League university’s entrance. Officers breached Hamilton Hall, an administration building on campus, to clear out the structure.
  The demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall more than 12 hour
  
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• Large numbers of New York City police officers begin entering Columbia University campus

  01-05-2024 03:51 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Large numbers of New York City police officers entered Columbia University late Tuesday, hours after the mayor said a pro-Palestinian protest that has crippled the Ivy League school for two weeks “must end now.”The scene unfolded shortly after 9 p.m. as police, wearing helmets and carrying zip ties and riot shields, massed at the Ivy League university's entrance. The demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall, an administration building on campus, more than 12 hou
  
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• Sam's Club now using AI to check receipts at more than 120 stores. Here's how it works

  01-05-2024 03:29 via kxan.com
  
  BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Sam's Club is now using artificial intelligence and a new camera system to scan customers' receipts at the door, instead of having employees check them.
  The company, which is owned by Walmart, announced on Monday that it has deployed the AI-powered technology at more than 120 Sam's Club locations nationwide.
  The technology was unveiled in January during the Walmart keynote at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Walmart Health announces plans to close all 51 locations acr
  
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• Lake Travis claims boys golf state championship

  01-05-2024 01:44 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - What started as a foggy Monday morning at White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown, ended with a sweaty, smiling bunch of Cavaliers Tuesday afternoon. The Lake Travis Cavaliers boys golf team claimed their first state championship since 2011."I'm sure it'll sink in some time but right now I'm just on cloud nine," said Lake Travis head coach Dustin Payne. "Just on a high kick right now."Lake Travis finished with a total team score of 570, five strokes clear of The Woodlands i
  
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• Fourth officer killed in North Carolina standoff ID'd as deputy US marshal

  01-05-2024 01:42 via kxan.com
  
  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) – Authorities released new information about the identities of the eight officers shot Monday, four fatally, during a deadly standoff at a North Carolina residence.The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 29, in the 5000 block of Galway Drive in east Charlotte.
  Debris covers a home on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred on Monday, in Charlotte, N.C.Police say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officer
  
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• Former TikTok star expected to testify in own double murder trial

  01-05-2024 01:42 via kxan.com
  
  SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Former TikTok star Ali Abulaban, who went by the name Jinnkid on social media platforms, is expected to testify in his own double murder trial.
  Abulaban is accused of shooting and killing his wife, 28-year-old Ana Abulaban, and her friend, 29-year-old Rayburn Barron, inside a high-rise San Diego luxury apartment on Oct. 21, 2021.Before the trial began this week, the judge and attorneys held pre-trial motions Monday morning to go over some of the finishing touches, inclu
  
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• Dead Florida dolphin was infected with highly pathogenic bird flu

  01-05-2024 01:42 via kxan.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida bottlenose dolphin died from the "highly pathogenic" bird flu that has been sweeping the country, according to a new study.Researchers at the University of Florida made the discovery following a necropsy on a dolphin that was found "in distress" in a Dixie County canal in March 2022. Despite rescue efforts, the dolphin died shortly after it was found.‘Potential serial killer’ arrested after 2 women found dead in Florida: sheriffScientists did not
  
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• Columbia: Students barricading in building to face expulsion

  01-05-2024 01:42 via kxan.com
  
  CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Protesters at Columbia University in New York City who barricaded themselves inside an academic building on campus early Tuesday could face expulsion, a spokesperson said.
  This comes after university administrators suspended and arrested student protestors who failed to clear out from an encampment erected on campus earlier this month to protest Israel's military action in Gaza, which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians.Now, the university has limited access to the c
  
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• University of Texas campus protests relatively quiet ahead of anticipated unrest Wednesday

  01-05-2024 01:29 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Only a few dozen demonstrators gathered peacefully on the University of Texas at Austin's South Lawn for a "teach-in" about the war in Gaza on Tuesday, a stark contrast to the campus chaos that has embroiled the university over the past week as students and outside organizers attempt to protest and establish encampments.The gathering marked the sixth day since protests against the war in Gaza sparked across campus, with students making a list of demands including financi
  
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• WCSO deputy pleads guilty in 2019 excessive force case, gets 18 months probation

  01-05-2024 01:16 via kxan.com
  
  WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A Williamson County Sheriff's deputy entered a guilty plea on charges of official oppression and assault in connection with an excessive force case from 2019, according to a news release from District Attorney Shawn Dick's office. Williamson County sheriff rehires deputy indicted in 2019 excessive force caseThe plea agreement included a 12-month county jail sentence. However, the sentence will be probated for 18 months, meaning WCSO deputy Christopher Pisa
  
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• Why did Nikki Haley outperform Donald Trump in Austin?

  30-04-2024 23:54 via kxan.com
  
  As campaign season nears, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise, we’re launching Campaign Context, a weekly series providing clarity on the messages you’re hearing from candidates on the campaign trail. We’re digging past the politics and into the facts to provide you with the transparent, spin-free information you need to make informed decisions this election season.AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the Texas presidential primaries in th
  
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• Price tag could go up for north Austin hotel meant to house people who are homeless

  30-04-2024 23:33 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council could vote Thursday to nearly double the amount of money it will spend renovating a former hotel in north Austin which is intended to become permanent supportive housing for people who are disabled and have a "documented history of chronic homelessness."
  The Bungalows at Century Park, formerly the Texas Bungalows Hotel and Suites, on Burnet Road will be run by Integral Care when opened. It is expected to provide 60 beds.
  Of the more than $2.3 million addition
  
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• 6 pickleball courts now open in Williamson County

  30-04-2024 22:41 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Several pickleball courts are now open in Williamson County, after county officials celebrated its completion of the project on Tuesday.Officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday at Williamson County Regional Park in Leander to celebrate all six pickleball courts now being open to the public, a news release from the county said.Williamson County officials celebrated the opening of six pickleball courts in the county on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting. (Courtesy: Williamso
  
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• Advocacy group submits petition to San Marcos for changes to police accountability

  30-04-2024 22:20 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A signed petition was filed Tuesday in San Marcos asking for changes to police accountability.
  San Marcos advocacy group Mano Amiga Safe Communities submitted the petition asking for five changes, which the group calls the "Hartman Reforms." These are named in reference to former San Marcos Police Sgt. Ryan Hartman, who was involved in a fatal crash that killed a woman in 2020. San Marcos police officer: ‘I caused the death of somebody by me not paying atte
  
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• State leaders react to UT Austin campus protests

  30-04-2024 21:43 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Protests on the University of Texas at Austin campus continued Monday, leading to 79 arrests and law enforcement response from local and state agencies.
  Last week, a pro-Palestinian protest at UT led to 57 arrests with charges ultimately dropped due to not having "sufficient probable cause." The UT protests echoed a nationwide trend of college campus protests.
  After these protests, many state leaders shared their reactions to the protests on social media.
  Gov. Greg Abbott s
  
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• Travis County, UT collaborate on opioid overdose dashboard

  30-04-2024 21:34 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County approved an agreement with the University of Texas at Austin Tuesday to access real-time data on overdoses within the county.The agreement centers around the use of the Texans Connecting Overdose Prevention Efforts (TxCOPE) platform, a dataset that tracks overdose incidents as well as naloxone distribution and supply levels within the county. The goal of the collaboration is for county leaders to be able to better tailor their response and treatm
  
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• US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say

  30-04-2024 20:02 via kxan.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.
  The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation&rsquo
  
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• UT students made up less than half of Monday protest arrests, UT source says

  30-04-2024 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A total of 79 people were arrested Monday after a group of pro-Palestine protesters gathered on the South Mall at the University of Texas at Austin’s campus in the afternoon and set up several tents in the area. The group used metal chains and tables in an attempt to barricade themselves on the lawn.The university issued a dispersal order around 1 p.m. Monday, and law enforcement, including UTPD, Austin Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety, responded short
  
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• Monday's UT protest arrest cases remain active, County Attorney says

  30-04-2024 19:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A total of 79 people were arrested Monday after a group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on the South Mall at the University of Texas at Austin’s campus in the afternoon and set up several tents in the area. The group used metal chains and tables in an attempt to barricade themselves on the lawn.The university issued a dispersal order around 1 p.m. Monday, and law enforcement, including UTPD, Austin Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety, responded sho
  
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• Travis County previews emergency response efforts pre-wildfire season

  30-04-2024 19:26 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County leaders along with emergency services district personnel discussed Tuesday some of the risks and preventative measures underway ahead of the 2024 wildfire season.Blake Clampffer, chief deputy emergency management coordinator with Travis County's Office of Emergency Management, said Tuesday the state of Texas has seen an increased loss of homes, businesses and property in recent years due to wildfires. None, however, have compared to the volume of
  
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• Proposal looks into changing model of care for veterans

  30-04-2024 17:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There is a proposed change over how veterans get anesthesia if they need surgery.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs current system includes a doctor working with an anesthetist nurse to provide anesthesia care. It's been like that for decades, but it varies by state and VA officials want to know if a National Standard of Care would better care for veterans.“What's being proposed is to remove the physician from that team. So, that it would be a nurse anesthetist practicing
  
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• San Marcos man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for fentanyl distribution charge

  30-04-2024 16:50 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- A San Marcos man was sentenced to serve 120 months, or 10 years, in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
  The DOJ said Colten Romeo Thayer, 20, was arrested during a traffic stop in August 2022 by Hays County sheriff's deputies.
  Deputies searched his vehicle during the traffic stop and found a bag of 11 grams of fentanyl, according to the DOJ. Thayer had been purchasing fenta
  
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• Happy Anniversary, 'Turn Around, Don't Drown'

  30-04-2024 15:16 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's a slogan designed to save lives. KXAN meteorologists have been using it ever since its creation."Turn Around, Don't Drown" celebrates its 20th Anniversary.
  Those who have lived in Central Texas for a long time know that flooding is one of the top weather-related killers. The National Weather Service reports an average of 90 deaths each year from flooding. More than half of those deaths are caused by people driving through barricaded roads into flooded roadways.What some peo
  
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• UT to reinstate standardized testing, reviving equity debate in college admissions

  30-04-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines for Tuesday, April 29, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — In early March, the University of Texas released a statement announcing the reinstatement of standardized test scores in admissions for Fall 2025 applicants. The announcement reintroduced the debate on whether standardized tests disproportionately affect marginalized students -- new research shows they do the opposite.
  The test-optional policy became normalized in s
  
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• LIVE: UT to reinstate standardized testing, reviving equity debate in college admissions

  30-04-2024 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In early March, the University of Texas released a statement announcing the reinstatement of standardized test scores in admissions for Fall 2025 applicants. The announcement reintroduced the debate on whether standardized tests disproportionately affect marginalized students -- new research shows they do the opposite.
  The test-optional policy became normalized in schools across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to testing became too dangerous for some st
  
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• Proposed wastewater plant by Central Texas elementary school sparks opposition, possible change

  30-04-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) – Leila Liberman lives close enough to hear kids at Veterans Hill Elementary School shrieking over her backyard fence.On her Siena neighborhood street, which straddles the boundaries between Hutto and Round Rock, children outnumber adults, she said. So, opposition was fierce when homeowners caught wind last year of a proposed sewage treatment plant that would be built next to the school and their houses.Local residents and Hutto ISD have come out against the potent
  
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• Rancher considers letting Texas build its 'beautiful' border wall on his riverfront property

  30-04-2024 13:03 via kxan.com
  
  ZAPATA, Texas (Border Report) -- A local rancher is weighing the pros and cons of letting the State of Texas build a new segment of border wall, which he says is "an engineering marvel," on his rural riverfront property. 1st segment of Texas-funded border wall in Zapata County is going up
  Dr. Gary Schwarz is an oral surgeon from the Rio Grande Valley who owns La Perla, a deer hunting and bass fishing ranch in far western Zapata County along Highway 83. He also owns a nearby strip of land that go
  
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• WATCH LIVE: New poll shows Trump ahead of Biden in seven key swing states

  30-04-2024 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Former President Donald Trump maintains a lead over President Biden in multiple key swing states, according to a new poll from Emerson College Polling and The Hill.Voters favored the leading Republican candidate – who is currently balancing court and rally appearances – over Biden in Arizona (48% to 44%), Georgia (47% to 44%), Michigan (45% to 44%), Nevada (45% to 44%), North Carolina (47% to 42%), Pennsylvania (47% to 45%) and Wisconsin (47% to 45%).The poll, which
  
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• New poll shows Trump ahead of Biden in seven key swing states

  30-04-2024 12:59 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) – Former President Donald Trump maintains a lead over President Biden in multiple key swing states, according to a new poll from Emerson College Polling and The Hill.Voters favored the leading Republican candidate – who is currently balancing court and rally appearances – over Biden in Arizona (48% to 44%), Georgia (47% to 44%), Michigan (45% to 44%), Nevada (45% to 44%), North Carolina (47% to 42%), Pennsylvania (47% to 45%) and Wisconsin (47% to 45%).The poll, which
  
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