Austin news

• Here's what to do with those cicada shells

  25-06-2024 21:34 via kxan.com
  
  CHICAGO (WGN) — Cicadas are now past their peak in many areas and will soon be gone for good.Many locations across the U.S. that were flooded with cicadas for weeks are starting to notice a lack of activity.The ground had seemed to undulate at night, alive with bugs. Crawling cicada nymphs, striving to get higher after 17 years underground, marched en masse toward and up trees, pausing to shed their skin and emerge as adults.
  Trillions of once-hidden baby bugs were in the air, on the
  
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• New FAA technology improving air traffic awareness introduced at Austin airport

  28-06-2024 17:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration introduced new airfield surveillance systems that would reduce the risk of runway incidents by improving air traffic controllers' situational awareness, according to a press release.
  Starting June 30, the new systems will be operational at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. AUS Data Hub: Passenger totals, busiest months and new flights in 2024The FAA said the Austin airport will be one of four airports in the nation to utilize the new
  
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• Texas Supreme Court upholds law banning transition-related care for transgender minors

  28-06-2024 17:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday morning upholding a law banning transgender minors from receiving certain health care options, handing a legal defeat to families, doctors and LGBTQ+ advocates who sued the state in order to block the restrictions.
  A majority of the justices said they ultimately believe Senate Bill 14 does not violate the Texas Constitution and that the plaintiffs failed to meet "a probable right to relief on their claims" of legislative overre
  
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• The travel industry is back and stronger than before the pandemic

  28-06-2024 17:04 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In the last two days, more than 71,000 people have flown out of Austin's airport, as Texans travel exceeds pre-pandemic numbers.This is supposed to be a record-breaking week for travel over the Independence Day holiday.
  AAA Texas predicts 5.6 million Texans are expected to travel from Saturday June 29th to Sunday July 7th, with 4.8 million expected to drive and 555,000 expected to fly.Passengers and flight crew walk through the terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
  
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• Biden, Trump take shots during brief immigration debate

  28-06-2024 16:32 via kxan.com
  
  McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Despite being one of the most pressing issues for voters, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump barely got the opportunity to discuss immigration during their first presidential debate on Thursday night in Atlanta.The 90-minute debate — hosted by CNN and moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash — touched on the economy, taxes, women's reproductive rights, the war in Ukraine and the opioid crisis. The discussion that followe
  
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• MetroBike services to halt temporarily as city revamps bike-share program

  28-06-2024 16:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- CapMetro's bike-share program, MetroBike, will be temporarily halted starting in July while the transportation provider works to revamp and relaunch the program.
  CapMetro said starting July 1, existing MetroBike services will be temporarily suspended as the bike-share program is upgraded. It will return as CapMetro Bikeshare later this summer.
  According to CapMetro, its bike-share program will undergo significant upgrades that will "completely revitalize" the service and introdu
  
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• Fact-check: Here's some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate

  28-06-2024 15:01 via kxan.com
  
  (AP) - President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump traded barbs and a variety of false and misleading information as they faced off in their first debate of the 2024 election.Trump falsely represented the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as a relatively small number of people who were ushered in by police and misstated the strength of the economy during his administration.President Joe Biden, on stage at right, and Republican presidential candidate former Pres
  
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• Where you can celebrate July 4 in Central Texas

  28-06-2024 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Who doesn't love free things? From live music to parades and fireworks, here's a guide to free Independence Day events throughout Central Texas.Fourth of July events are happening across Central Texas in Bastrop, Blanco, Buda, Burnet, Hays, Travis and Williamson County.Travis CountyAustin Symphony H-E-B July Fourth Concert & FireworksFireworks over downtown Austin on July 4, 2023. (Photo courtesy On the Fly Photo Guy)
  Location: Auditorium Shores and Long CenterTime: Eve
  
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• Several days of highs at or around 100°

  28-06-2024 13:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The day dawned sunny but clouds rolled in during the mid- to late-morning hours. Most lows were in the upper 70s. Camp Mabry's low was 79°, five degrees above normal. It tied the record for the warmest low on June 28th, the first time being in 1998. How often does Austin hit 100°? Here’s a breakdown by date, month, year and decadeAfternoon highs this afternoon will return to the upper 90s to several with triple-digit heat.
  More triple-digit heat this afternoonAnoth
  
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• One down, many more to go

  28-06-2024 13:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The first 100° high was recorded at Camp Mabry Thursday afternoon. It comes one week earlier than the average first date (July 4th) when Austin hits that first 100° high. How often does Austin hit 100°? Here’s a breakdown by date, month, year and decadeAfternoon highs this afternoon will return to the upper 90s to several with triple-digit heat.
  More triple-digit heat this afternoonAnother Heat Advisory will be in effect this afternoon from 1:00 to 7:00.Heat Ad
  
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• Why are scorpions invading more homes this summer?

  28-06-2024 12:00 via kxan.com
  
  Two Striped Bark Scorpions engaged in promenade a deux, a mating dance, with male holding the female by the pincers. (Courtesy: Adobe Stock)
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Scorpions are invading homes in Central Texas. According to ABC Home and Commercial Services, their pest control team is seeing a rise in calls for scorpion removals this summer."What's happening now is it's getting so hot outside, getting dry, they're seeking a cooler place to go," said Alan Brown, a board certified entomologist with ABC.
  
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• CNN takes heat for lack of fact checks during Trump, Biden debate 

  28-06-2024 05:50 via kxan.com
  
  CNN is coming under heavy criticism after two of its top anchors failed to offer real-time fact checks of false statements made by former President Trump and President Biden as they moderated Thursday night's presidential debate.During the highly anticipated and nationally televised clash, both Trump and Biden made a number of misleading or false statements about topics ranging from crime to immigration to the economy.Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash on multiple occasions offered follow up q
  
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• Campaign Context: Biden calls Trump a 'convicted felon' at debate—does it matter?

  28-06-2024 05:41 via kxan.com
  
  As campaign season continues, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise, we’re launching Campaign Context, a 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) — Ahead of Thursday night's first president
  
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• 5 memorable moments from the heated Biden-Trump debate

  28-06-2024 05:36 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) — President Biden and former President Trump took jabs at each other Thursday night in a debate that raised fresh fears for Democrats over the former's mental fitness.
  The two men tried to make their appeals to voters as concerns swirled over both of them. But it was Biden's faltering answers in the first 30 minutes of the debate that largely overshadowed everything else. Did Trump actually call veterans who died in wars ‘suckers’?The debate came as Trump narrowly le
  
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• Taco Bell launches $7 'Luxe Cravings Box'

  28-06-2024 04:33 via kxan.com
  
  (WXIN) - Taco Bell is joining other fast-food chains by offering a value-priced meal.The $7 “Luxe Cravings Box” features four items and a medium drink. It’s packed with a Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito and Double Stacked Taco, along with chips and nacho cheese.The chain said the box represents a 55% savings when compared to the suggested menu price for each individual item.“With the launch of the $7 Luxe Cravings Box, we’re giving consumers our most craveabl
  
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• Did Trump actually call veterans who died in wars 'suckers'?

  28-06-2024 04:28 via kxan.com
  
  (NEXSTAR) — During Thursday night's first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, several accusations came to the fore. But one exchange between the president and the former president caused one of the night's most tense moments.Near the end of the first 30 minutes, Biden claimed Trump previously verbally attacked and disrespected American veterans, particularly ones who were injured or died during combat. Trump rages against Biden, Fox News ahead
  
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• Oklahoma executes man convicted of killing 7-year-old former stepdaughter

  28-06-2024 04:23 via kxan.com
  
  McALESTER, Okla. (KFOR) – The state of Oklahoma on Thursday executed a man convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing a 7-year-old girl in 1984.Richard Rojem, 66, received a three-drug lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was declared dead at 10:16 a.m., prison officials said.According to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, Rojem was convicted and sentenced to death for the July 1984 kidnapping, rape and murder of his 7-year-old former stepdaughter, Lay
  
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• 70,000 lawn chairs recalled after finger amputations

  28-06-2024 04:16 via kxan.com
  
  (WJW) – About 70,000 lawn chairs are being recalled after two people suffered partial finger amputations while using them, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced.
  The recall is for Cinmar Frontgate Resort Collection Newport Aluminum Chaises and Teak Chaises, which have backrests that can “unexpectedly descend with force," according to CPSC. Coffee recall due to potentially fatal food poisoning: FDACinmar has received three reports of incidents where people’s fi
  
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• Oklahoma public schools must teach the Bible, state superintendent announces

  28-06-2024 04:10 via kxan.com
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma State Department of Education is mandating public school teachers use the Bible in classrooms, effective immediately.
  Public school superintendents were sent a memo on Thursday announcing the new rule.
  “The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” said State Superintendent Ryan Walters. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why O
  
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• What is that stuff spreading across Lady Bird Lake?

  28-06-2024 03:50 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) —  What's all that stuff growing on top of Lady Bird Lake?According to the Austin Watershed Protection Department, these pervasive plants are Cabomba Caroliniana -- also known as fanwort.The plant lives in Austin's waterways year-round, but it grows when the temperatures get hotter."We try to paddleboard and kayak quite a bit, we don't really do it out here as much anymore because we get stuck right here," said David Ward, who pointed to a large patch of the fanwort near
  
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• Texas decathlete Leo Neugebauer named finalist for The Bowerman

  28-06-2024 03:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas decathlete Leo Neugebauer is again a finalist for college track and field's highest honor.Neugebauer made the shortlist for The Bowerman, an award that honors the top college male and female track and field athlete in the country, for the second consecutive year. He's joined by Texas Tech's Caleb Dean and Georgia's Christopher Morales Williams as finalists.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports
  
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• Former Uvalde CISD police chief indicted for Robb Elementary shooting response

  28-06-2024 03:06 via kxan.com
  
  UVALDE, Texas (Nexstar) — Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo has been booked and released on 10 counts of child endangerment for his role in the police response to the second-worst school shooting in American history.It marks the first criminal charges in the highly-scrutinized police response to the May 2022 shooting, in which an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
  Nearly 376 law enforcement officers responded from a slew of local, state and
  
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• Homicide in Travis Co. highlights need for stronger mental health services, leaders say

  28-06-2024 01:21 via kxan.com
  
  TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Tuesday's killing of a 21-year-old woman has emphasized the need for better mental health resources in Travis County, various groups told KXAN.According to court records, a 19-year-old is accused of killing her 21-year-old relative inside their northeast Austin home. Deputies arrested the suspect, Keziah Titus, on murder charges.
  Titus' arrest affidavit outlines a graphic, violent episode and state she admitted to killing one family member, trying to kill another a
  
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• Traffic alert: Crash on US 183 shuts down all lanes

  28-06-2024 01:12 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- All lanes are currently shut down on southbound and northbound U.S. 183 at Burleson Road due to a crash, the Texas Department of Transportation said on social media Thursday.Shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, Austin-Travis County EMS medics responded to the crash with a reported pin-in on U.S. 183, near Burleson Road. Additionally, the Austin Fire Department and Travis County STAR Flight responded to the crash.The person who was pinned was extricated from the vehicle and then was t
  
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• Former Uvalde schools police chief indicted for role in Robb Elementary shooting response

  28-06-2024 00:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- A Uvalde County grand jury has indicted former school district police Chief Pete Arredondo and another former district officer on charges of child endangerment, the first criminal charges brought against law enforcement for the botched response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, the San Antonio Express-News reported.Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales face felony charges of abandoning or endangering a child, the newspaper reported.The charges come more tha
  
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• New state law helped Buda developer get project off the ground

  28-06-2024 00:30 via kxan.com
  
  BUDA, Texas (KXAN) – A new state law helped a developer get a project off the ground that has been in limbo for several years. The Buda City Council approved earlier this month the Persimmon Development, which will bring over 2,000 new residential units, shops, a new school and an emergency services department. The development will sit on 775 acres of land, according to city documents.  PREVIOUS: Housing developer at a crossroads with City of Buda, planning to remove itself from
  
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• Where do the Longhorns rank in new college football video game?

  28-06-2024 00:27 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — College football is back on video game platforms when EA Sports releases its highly-anticipated College Football 25 worldwide July 19, bringing the pageantry and traditions back from an 11-year hiatus now that Name, Image and Likeness are in place.EA published some of its rankings ahead of the game's release, particularly the offensive and defensive ratings of programs and the "toughest places to play." The Texas Longhorns are in the top 25 in all three, and inside the top
  
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• Austin hits 100º for first time in 2024, more to come

  28-06-2024 00:07 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We know it was bound to happen sooner or later... but our first 100° day of the year in Austin arrived this afternoon!A triple digit high in Austin today would be a full week earlier than our 30-year average (1991-2020). How often does Austin hit 100°? Here’s a breakdown by date, month, year and decadeAverage first triple digit day of the year in Austin is July 4Mostly sunny skies will stretch overhead today with fewer scattered clouds than recent days. Afternoon h
  
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• How often does Austin hit 100°? Here's a breakdown by date, month, year and decade

  27-06-2024 23:50 via kxan.com
  
  Editor's Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin officially hit 100° for the first time in 2024 on Thursday, June 27. While that's almost three weeks later than 2023, it's still earlier than average.Complete temperature records for Camp Mabry — Austin's official reporting site — date back to 1898. Since then, Austin reached 100° a total of 1,970 times. Temperatures, rain, severe storms: Tracking Austin&rsquo
  
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• Hays County SWAT arrests man on multiple charges in Wimberley

  27-06-2024 22:50 via kxan.com
  
  HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- One person was arrested on multiple charges after a SWAT situation in Wimberley on Thursday morning, according to the Hays County Sheriff's Office.Around 3 a.m., the Hays County SWAT Team "conducted a warrant service" in the 4000 block of Ledgerock Road, HCSO said in a news release.The SWAT team apprehended Raymond Banda, 52. The apprehension was "carefully planned" while ensuring the safety of everyone involved, the release said.Raymond Banda, 52 | Courtesy Hays Cou
  
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