Voter Guide: What to know for the May 2024 primary runoff elections - Austin news - NewsLocker (2024)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — While the Texas primaries were held in March, some candidates advanced to runoff elections being held this month. Voters will choose the final candidates who will represent the Democratic and Republican parties on the ballot in November's general election.Unlike the March primaries, early voting this time only lasts for five days from Monday, May 20 through Friday, May 23. Election Day is Tuesday, May 28.Full coverage of the Texas primary electionsHere's what you need to k

Senate Republicans introduce legislation to legalize IVF treatment nationally

(The Hill) - Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Katie Britt (Ala.) announced Monday they are introducing legislation to protect legal access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) nationwide in the wake of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created by the treatment are children.Cruz and Britt said they will unveil the bill to clear up the “confusion and misinformation” spread by the ruling, which has alarmed prospective parents who worry they may lose access to the procedure an

Donald Trump says he’d consider Ken Paxton for U.S. attorney general

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Former President Donald Trump said he would consider tapping Ken Paxton for U.S. attorney general if he wins a second term in the White House, calling his longtime ally “a very talented guy” and praising his tenure as Texas’ chief legal officer.“I would, actually,” Trump said Saturday whenasked by a KDFW-TV reporterif he would consider Paxton for the national post. “He’s very, very talented. I mean, we have a lot

Sheriff's Office investigating overnight homicide in northwest Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Travis County Sheriff's Office is investigating a homicide after deputies found a man with gunshot wounds in northwest Austin early Monday morning.
TCSO deputies responded shortly before 4 a.m. to a check welfare call in the 13000 block of Amarillo Avenue, where they found a man with gunshot wounds lying unresponsive in the street.
That area is near the intersection of West Parmer Lane and McNeil Drive.
Deputies began CPR until Austin-Travis County EMS arrived and started li

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Reaching the time of high heat and high humidity

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Stop me if you have ever heard this phrase: It's not the heat, it's the humidity. I'm sure many of us have not only heard it but have repeated it to people who visit Central Texas in the late spring and summer.It's a given that we sweat more in the spring and summer because temperatures warm appreciably in both seasons. But there are times when our bodies are perspiring much more even when we just walk out the door to our cars.Heat Index criteriaIt's called the heat index. This

ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu

JERUSALEM (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.Karim Khan said that he believes Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — are responsible for war crimes and crimes ag

El Paso to be at center of Border Patrol centennial celebration

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) --The U.S. Border Patrol is celebrating its centennial and El Paso will be at the center of the celebration, the agency said in a news release.From mid-May to early June, the U.S. Border patrol will "commemorate this important milestone with events across sectors nationwide," the Border Patrol said."The central location for the celebrations will be in El Paso, Texas, where Border Patrol 'Station One' opened its doors in 1924. The Border Patrol and El Paso’s histories

A powerful homecoming for Austin Energy lineman is 'full circle moment' for career

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Energy crews returned to the Navajo Nation in Arizona, along with other utility crews across the country, to bring electricity to families who have lived generations without power and running water.
Edward Jodie, a lineman with Austin Energy, was part of the caravan that traveled to Window Rock, Arizona. For him, it was a homecoming. He was born in Fort Defiance, Arizona and grew up there until he turned five, moving to Phoenix with his family. He still visited his grandp

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These City of Austin departments spend the most on employee salaries

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin pays its employees more than $1.3 billion each year in base salaries, according to data obtained by KXAN.The data, as of March 26, 2024, shows the City has 15,164 paid full-time employees and 2,771 paid part-time employees. A further 10 people appeared on the city's payroll, most of whom are unpaid interns.Five of the city's departments pay out more than $100 million each year in base salaries: Police, Austin Energy, Fire, Parks and Recreation and Austin

Iran's president, foreign minister among dead at helicopter crash site

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — IranianPresident Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, state media reported.The crash comes as the Middle East remains unsettled by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Raisi, who was 63, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack o

Texas Longhorns enter final Big 12 baseball tourney as No. 3 seed, take on Texas Tech in 1st round

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With a sweep of Kansas to conclude their final Big 12 Conference regular season, the No. 25 Texas Longhorns are all set for the Big 12 tournament starting Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington.The sweep wasn't enough to get the Longhorns past Oklahoma State for the No. 2 seed and first-round bye, so they'll begin play as the No. 3 seed at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday against 10th-seeded Texas Tech. Texas finished Big 12 play with a 20-10 record, winning every series they played in

Two arrested at a pro-Palestinian demonstration, according to groups

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Two people were arrested at a pro-Palestinian demonstration Sunday afternoon, according to groups who organized the event.Hundreds from all over Texas flooded Austin’s downtown to protest the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as the dozens of arrests that happened at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at UT Austin.Event organizers said the event was held Sunday to also commemorate the al-Nakba, or "the Catastrophe," when hundreds of thousands of Pal

VIDEO: The Frank Erwin Center officially comes down

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Drum is no more.Crews ripped down remaining supports Sunday for the Frank Erwin Center, bringing the frame of the hallowed Texas Longhorns basketball arena and university events center to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.PHOTOS: Erwin Center enters final stages of demolitionThe university will hold a briefing on the final steps for the area and details of the demolition at 2 p.m. Monday. Dan Cook, the executive director for planning, design and construction at

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted that hebeat his ex-girlfriend Cassiein 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 mogulsaid in a video statementposted Sunday to Instagram and

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted that hebeat his ex-girlfriend Cassiein 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 mogulsaid in a video statementposted Sunday to Instagram and

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

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carryingIranian President Ebrahim Raisisuffered 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

Helicopter carrying Iran's president apparently crashes in mountainous region

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carryingIranian 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 asIran under Raisiand Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month and has enrich

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

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

Abnormally hot summer expected for Texas in latest NOAA forecast

(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

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

(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

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

(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

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

(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

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department renewed aglobal security warningFriday 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

Bird flu is spreading, but should you be worried?

(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

These cities will pay you thousands to move there

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

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

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