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Capitol Closeout: A look at what happened, and didn’t happen, on top legislative priorities

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Hours after lawmakers adjourned sine die for the end of the regular legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott called them back to return Monday at 9:00 p.m. — in what he said will be the first of multiple special legislative sessions after chamber divisions got in the way of key Republican legislative priorities like property tax relief.“More must be done for the people of Texas. Many critical items remain that must be passed. Several special sessions will be required,” Gov. Abbott said.The Governor designated two topics for the legislature to address: property taxes and human smuggling. Only the Governor can convene the legislature outside of the regular session period, during which lawmakers may only pass legislation relating to topics the governor defines.A look at what happened and didn’t happen on top legislative priorities Cutting Property TaxesHouse and Senate leaders failed to strike a deal on legislation to lower property taxes after months of tense divi...

Attorneys for Austin officer win emergency court order to record grand jury proceedings

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County District Attorney José Garza must record his presentation of evidence to a special grand jury considering whether there is evidence that several officers used deadly conduct during the racial justice protests in May 2020. The officer's attorneys Doug O'Connell and Ken Ervin filed an emergency motion asking the grand jury proceedings be recorded. A district judge signed the request and in a rare move has ordered that the district attorney must record audio of the grand jury proceedings related to the officers accused of deadly conduct. Sources tell KXAN the district attorney presented evidence against at least three Austin police officers accused of deadly conduct. KXAN reached out to the Travis County District Attorney's Office about the new APD officer cases, but the office told KXAN it could not confirm or provide a comment at this time. RELATED: 2 more APD officers indicted related to 2020 protests The new cases being presented Thursday comes day...

Gorillaz, Lil Yachty, others slated to play show at Q2 Stadium this fall

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- London-based band Gorillaz has added an Austin show to their tour schedule this fall. Gorillaz will play at Q2 Stadium on Sept. 13 as part of a four-show series called "The Getaway." The Getaway will be the final run of the band's tour of its recent album "Cracker Island" and will feature artists KAYTRANADA, Lil Yachty and Remi Wolf. The Getaway will also make stops in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston as well as Austin. Tickets will be available for purchase online. Presale for tickets will start Wednesday, May 31 at 10 a.m., and general onsale will begin Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. Last time Gorillaz performed in Austin was Sept. 30, 2022 at the Moody Center.

Gov. Walz signs bill to legalize marijuana, effective this summer

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

Surrounded by dozens of cheering people in green clothes, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.“This has been a long journey with a lot of folks involved,” Walz said.Among them was one of the first governors in the U.S. to openly support marijuana legalization.“For me personally, it’s very wonderful to see a dream of yours over 20 years ago finally happen today, and I’m still alive to see it,” said Jesse Ventura, Minnesota’s governor from 1999-2003.Under the new law, cannabis will be legal by Aug. 1 to possess, use and grow marijuana at home. Possession of cannabis flower will be limited to 2 pounds (0.9 kilos) at home and 2 ounces (56 grams) in public. Other possession caps include 800 milligrams of THC in gummies and other edibles and 8 grams of cannabis concentrate.Retail sales at dispensaries will probably be at least a ...

Montgomery County sheriff holds press conference on arrest of wanted murder suspect

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

FONDA, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Michael Darling, 44, of Gloversville was arrested over the weekend in Montgomery County, where he was wanted for murder. Watch in the player above as officials hold a press conference at 4 p.m. to discuss the case. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Darling was wanted for second-degree murder, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence. Police say he killed his wife, Kristine Darling, in 2019 in Fort Johnson.Darling previously pleaded guilty to several weapons-related charges. He was incarcerated until May 8, when he was released from federal prison in Schuylkill

Most say limit, don't ban race in college admissions: AP-NORC poll

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Supreme Court decides the fate of affirmative action, most U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions, according to a new poll. The poll found little divide along political or racial lines. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The May poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 63% say the Supreme Court should not block colleges from considering race or ethnicity in their admission systems. But those polled were more likely to say factors including grades and standardized test scores should be important, while 68% of adults said race and ethnicity should not be a significant factor.The poll reflects general support for affirmative action even as the future of the practice remains in doubt. The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon ...

Teen walking weeks after headshot for knocking on wrong door

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ralph Yarl—the Black teenager shot in the head and arm after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell—walked at a brain injury awareness event in his first major public appearance since the shooting. The 17-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was shot while trying to pick up his younger brothers in April, the Kansas City Star reported. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Yarl walked with family, friends and other brain injury survivors Monday at Going the Distance for Brain Injury, a yearly Memorial Day race at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri. “It takes a community. It takes a family. It takes a support group, all of that,” Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe, said ahead of the race, adding: “Let’s raise more awareness to stop the things that cause brain injuries and should not be causing them, especially gun violence."As many as 1,000 people raced through the park, including many in neon green T-s...

Moped traffic stop leads to meth bust in southern Illinois

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

NASHVILLE, Ill. - A routine traffic stop involving a moped led authorities to a large meth bust over the weekend in southern Illinois. Prosecutors have charged Matthew Rutherford, 28 of Zeigler, Illinois, and Mackenzie Wiggins, 20 of Benton, Illinois, with several felonies in the investigation. Around midnight on Sunday, officers with the Nashville (Illinois) Police Department pulled over a man on a moped that did not have any registration tags displayed. The driver was later identified as Rutherford. He was pulled over in the driveway of a Shell gas station on State Route 127 in Washington County. Woman ‘saving up’ as Ferguson PD cracks down on expired tags Police say Rutherford lied about his identity and led officers on a brief foot pursuit before he was detained. According to the Nashville Police Department, Rutherford was a non-compliant sex offender with a pending arrest warrant. During this traffic stop, police also noticed a black Nissan Ultima driving around the area wi...

Suspect shot by police after multiple people stabbed in Long Beach

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

A person who is believed to have stabbed multiple people in Long Beach was shot by police Tuesday, officials said.The incident was reported just before noon in the 4600 block of East 2nd Street, according to Long Beach police.It is unclear how many people were stabbed and what the extent of their injuries were, but Long Beach Fire Department officials told KTLA multiple people were being assessed at the scene.Responding officers located the suspect, who was subsequently shot, police said without elaborating.“There is no current threat to public safety,” the agency tweeted.No further details about the incident have been released.Check back for updates on this developing story.

Missing woman who vanished on road trip to Orange County spotted at Northern California Walmart

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

A Tennessee woman whose family says she disappeared while on a road trip with her boyfriend was seen at a Walmart in California over Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement said. A deputy in Cheatham County, Tennessee, said Nikki Alcaraz was spotted at a Walmart in Redding, California, on Saturday, KTLA sister station WKRN reports. A photo was taken when she reportedly sold her phone at an ecoATM, a kiosk that offers payment in exchange for used phones, the county's District Attorney General Ray Crouch said.Nikki Alcaraz (Source: DA General Ray Crouch)Despite the sighting, authorities are still asking for the public's help in finding her. Alcaraz had set out in her black Jeep with her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and a dog to visit family in Orange County, California. During their cross-country trip, the couple had a run-in with law enforcement in Torrance County, New Mexico. According to a Torrance County Sheriff’s Office report from May 4, a witness saw Stratton punch Alcaraz in the f...