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LIVE: Travis County leaders talk about wildfire dangers, preparations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County emergency responders are meeting Friday morning to talk to the public about wildland fire dangers and how residents can prepare. The Travis County Emergency Services Districts will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. to talk about fire dangers and preparations. The conference will be livestreamed in a video player at the top of this story and on KXAN's Facebook page. Travis County Fire Chiefs will provide insights, statistics and firsthand experiences to emphasize the importance of preparedness and vigilance in safeguarding communities against the impact of wildland fires, according to a release. Aircraft playing critical role during wildfire season The conference aims to raise awareness about the risks posed by wildland fires and provide valuable insights into how individuals, communities and organizations can effectively prepare and prevent these devastating incidents, the release said. Just this week, there have been two wildfires in Central Texas...

Austin businesses could be eligible for grants to help with their employee commutes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Austin-based transportation management association is working to help local businesses combat the costs that come along with commuter employees by offering grants and other incentives. KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes sat down with the new Executive Director of Movability to talk about the ways the organization is trying to help. According to its website, Movability works with employers and individuals to improve the region through commuter options that save time and money.Brennes: "Joining me today is Lonny Stern. He is the new Executive Director of Movability. Tell me a little bit about what this new role means."Stern: "Well, a lot of the work that we do serves our local businesses that may be struggling with the cost of parking, maybe if they're downtown, also the struggles of getting people back to work in the office. Or maybe there's just a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday problem now that we're all virtual officing. And so we help businesses, whether it's thin...

F.D. Flam: The Earth is dancing too close to a temperature tipping point

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

Between this summer’s biblical floods, apocalyptic fires and life-threatening heat domes, people are starting to wonder whether we’ve lurched over some sort of climate tipping point.Climate scientists and ecologists who study tipping points say what we’re seeing are merely extreme events amplified by global warming. But they’ve been warning about the risk of climate tipping points for years. Now people are listening.Research published last year in Science suggests the risk of a global tipping point that triggers accelerated climate warming starts to become significant once average worldwide temperatures rise 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. That’s likely to happen in the 2030s.In popular usage, tipping points refer to anything that changes suddenly. In science, it usually refers to a straw-that-broke-the-camel’s-back phenomenon, where a small change in input makes a big difference in outcome.When climate scientists talk about tipping points, they...

The Loop 2023 Fantasy Football Preview: The Rookies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

These days it’s pretty easy to get paid the big bucks. If you’re a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Or a seasoned medical professional. Or Taylor Swift.But if you’re a star NFL running back, not so much.While meal-ticket runners are still vital to winning football, standouts such as Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs are finding it impossible to get suitable long-term contracts. There are just too many affordable options at the position.Another influx of prospects is heading into training camps this week. And fantasy mavens will find two blue-chip running backs, and a handful of other rookies who may post solid numbers for cost-conscious teams at an affordable price.The draft day spotlight back in April was fixed on the top quarterbacks. But it is highly likely that the year’s top rookie will be among these running backs and receivers: :1. Bijan Robinson (Falcons RB)This Texas standout was the highest running back draft pick since Saquon Barkley in 2018, which means Robinson may have a lot ...

Trump’s classified documents trial reset for May despite pleas to wait until after election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Florida has scheduled a trial date for next May for former President Donald Trump in a case charging him with illegally retaining hundreds of classified documents.The May 20, 2024, trial date, set Friday by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, is a compromise between a request from prosecutors to set the trial for this December and a bid by defense lawyers to schedule it after the 2024 presidential election.If the date holds, it would follow close on the heels of a separate New York trial for Trump on dozens of state charges of falsifying business records.It also means the trial will not start until deep into the presidential nominating calendar and probably well after the Republican nominee is clear — though before that person is officially nominated at the Republican National Convention.Trump could yet face additional trials in the coming year.He revealed this week that he had received a letter informing him that he was a target of a separate Justice ...

Cohoes man arrested for child pornography and weapon charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

COHOES, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Cohoes man has been arrested for weapon and child pornography possession, according to state police. Kevin Bruno, 33, faces multiple charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The investigation that led to Bruno's arrest stemmed from a tip provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation yielded that Bruno allegedly possessed images of the sexual exploitation of a child as well as an illegally owned firearm and ammunition feeding device. Bruno was arrested and charged with possessing a sexual performance by a child and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was processed at SP Latham and arraigned at the Cohoes City Court, where he was released on his own recognizance.

Man dies after crashing into tree in Pike County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

PIKE COUNTY, Mo. - A man died Thursday evening after crashing into a tree in Pike County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. MSHP has identified Nicholas Twilla, 38, of Louisiana, Missouri, as the victim. Next of kin has been notified. The crash happened around 8 p.m. Thursday on Highway 79 near Pike County Road 245. Protests over Francis Howell plan to allow anti-racism resolution to expire Investigators say Twilla was heading southbound on Highway 79 when he traveled off the north side of the roadway and struck a tree. Emergency responders arrived to the scene, where Twilla was pronounced deceased. MSHP Troop C, which covers several counties in the St. Louis region, is investigating the crash.

Walker, DeJong homer as Cardinals top Cubs, 7-2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Jordan Walker and Paul DeJong each hit a two-run homer, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 on Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.Nolan Arenado drove in two runs and Steven Matz pitched five effective innings as St. Louis won for the ninth time in 11 games overall. Paul Goldschmidt had two hits and scored two runs.“It’s fun seeing our guys run the bases and our offense continuing to do what they’re doing,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch.”Marcus Stroman (10-7) pitched just 3 2/3 innings in possibly his final home start for the Cubs. The right-hander was charged with five runs — four earned — and seven hits. He struck out four and walked four.“Just one of those games where you feel everything kind of works against you,” Stroman said. “I felt like nothing could go my way and I couldn’t get into a rhythm at any point.”Chicago (45-51) dropped to 7-9 in July, and Stroman could be one of the top pitchers on th...

Tony Bennett, champion of the Great American Songbook, is dead at 96

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

By Bruce Weber, The New York Times CompanyTony Bennett, a singer whose melodic clarity, jazz-influenced phrasing, audience-embracing persona and warm, deceptively simple interpretations of musical standards helped spread the American songbook around the world and won him generations of fans, died Friday at his home in Manhattan, where he had lived for many decades. He was 96.His publicist, Sylvia Weiner, announced his death.Bennett learned he had Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, his wife, Susan Bennett, told AARP The Magazine in February 2021. But he continued to perform and record despite his illness; his last public performance was in August 2021, when he appeared with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in a show titled “One Last Time.”Bennett’s career of more than 70 years was remarkable not only for its longevity, but also for its consistency. In hundreds of concerts and club dates and more than 150 recordings, he devoted himself to preserving the classic American popular song, as w...

X Games California finals kicking off in Ventura 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:58 GMT

The X Games have returned to California, with the event finals taking place this weekend at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. This year’s edition is the first X Games in the USA to feature in-person attendance events open to the public since 2019, and the first to come to Los Angeles and Ventura counties in 10 years. The extreme sports competition, which features skateboarding, BMX and Moto X events, is making its long-awaited return to what X Games host Selema Masekela calls “the birthplace of action sports.” “[Southern California] is the birthplace of action sports and the culture that has spread to the world,” Masekela said. “So, to be able to have fans back at an X Games in SoCal, it just makes sense.” According to Masakela, one event in particular to keep an eye out for is women’s skateboarding. Contests include street skateboarding runs and competitions for best trick. “The young women in skateboarding are really leading the charge in defining what skateboard...