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Progressives invigorated after wins in Chicago, Wisconsin

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

Progressives got a big boost of momentum following major victories in the Midwest on Tuesday in what could have national implications heading into 2024.Brandon Johnson’s upset mayoral win in Chicago gave liberals confidence in their approach to big cities after doubts mounted over the handling of policing and crime in New York. And in Wisconsin, judge Janet Protasiewicz used a vacancy on the state’s Supreme Court to send an abortion-rights message to voters who won Democrats control of the judicial body for the first time in years. The results come as progressives are seeking new ways to gain traction ahead of the next election cycle. The practical barriers of a Republican-controlled House and President Biden’s pre-campaign pivot to the center have blunted their influence in Washington, but the latest results show left-wing candidates are finding new ways to make headway at the state and local levels as their focus shifts beyond D.C. “Moderate Democrats are playing to a my...

Tallest building in Austin will be home to Elon Musk's brother's restaurant

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin’s tallest tower is scheduled to open in the Fall and will host the first Austin restaurant owned by Elon Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk. The 66-story skyscraper – located at the corner of 6th Street and Guadalupe – is nearing completion and is already pre-leasing a number of its 349 luxury apartments. The building, aptly named 6G, is a million square feet of mixed-use space –combining office, residential, retail and outdoor space. The tower is currently the tallest in Austin and the fifth tallest in the state. Kimbal recently signed a lease, securing nearly the entire ground-floor retail space of the new tower. There, he will open another location of his popular American bistro restaurant, The Kitchen, which started in Boulder, Colorado, but has expanded to Denver and Chicago.  MORE: 80-story tower plan unveiled in downtown Austin The building has several pools and the tallest pool deck in Austin. It will also 24-hour health club with virtual fitness ...

Liberty Hill ISD school apologizes for delay following student's 'inappropriate' comment

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 5, 2023.LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — A Liberty Hill ISD elementary school apologized to parents in a letter after a delay in communication led to misinformation about a student's "inappropriate" comment, according to a letter from the school.A student at Santa Rita Elementary School told a student there was a gun in their backpack, and the letter said the student then told a teacher.After a three-hour investigation involving Liberty Hill ISD police, the student did not have a gun or access to a gun at home, the letter said. Furthermore, the school said, "at no time did this student threaten to harm anyone.""We apologize that the lack of communication in this incident led to misinformation and created concern for the SRE community," the letter said.To read the letter in full, see the document below:Santa Rita ES Statement 04.05.2023_1680726643DownloadThe student was then turned over to the administration ...

Daniel Perry murder trial almost over, attorneys prepare for closing arguments

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The courtroom was at capacity with some people waiting in an outside hallway on one of the final days of the Daniel Perry murder trial.Soon, a verdict could be reached. A diverse group of a dozen jurors will decide whether Perry, an Army sergeant, is guilty or not guilty of murdering a protester, Garrett Foster, in July 2020 in downtown Austin. Murder trial: Expert says Daniel Perry slowed down as he made turn into crowd of protesters During opening statements last week, state attorneys said Foster was out protesting police violence every day in the summer of 2020. Foster was shot and later died while out protesting the night of July 25, 2020. The defense’s argument from the beginning is that Perry — swarmed by protesters — had to defend himself. Several witnesses admitted they kicked, hit and even banged on Perry’s car.Perry’s attorneys released a statement during jury selection, saying, “We just ask people to put themselves in the position of being trapped in a c...

Texas lawmaker responds to former staffers' allegations, House investigation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas lawmaker responded Wednesday to claims made in a joint resignation letter submitted by three senior staff members that have now apparently led to an investigation by state leaders. Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, posted a statement on her Facebook page addressing accusations raised in her former staffers' resignation letter, including about her son's mental health and an alleged relationship he had with an intern. One week ago, her chief of staff Kory Haywood, legislative director Catherine "Cat" Mouer and district director Yesenia Wences shared a list of claims in their joint resignation letter that ranged from Jones covering up that aforementioned relationship to her creating a toxic, abusive work environment. One of these staffers shared the letter in question with KXAN. "A week ago today, three members of my staff released a statement making numerous allegations regarding the work environment in my office," Jones said Wednesday. "This letter that was sent ...

Billy’s on Grand allowed to seek liquor license despite pending revocation process

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

Despite facing a possible license revocation related to police calls, the proprietors of Billy’s on Grand will be allowed to move forward with their application to assume the liquor license held by previous management.The St. Paul City Council voted 6-0 to allow the application review process to move forward before the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections, though Wednesday’s vote does not guarantee that the DWD Group will receive or be allowed to keep the requested liquor licenses.“We would do all the review,” said DSI Deputy Director Dan Niziolek, addressing the council. “If there’s an objection, we’d expect there would be a hearing before a legislative hearing officer. And then all of that would be presented to you for your consideration.”The building at 857 Grand Ave. is owned by William Wengler of East Mall Associates, who operated the restaurant for 35 years, but the current licenses were issued around June 2020 to Ra...

Bob Lee, Cash App founder, fatally stabbed in San Francisco

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bob Lee, a technology executive who created Cash App and was currently chief product officer of MobileCoin, was fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco early Tuesday, according to the cryptocurrency platform and police.The San Francisco Police Department did not disclose details about the circumstances of the attack, but said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a stabbing near the city’s Embarcadero waterfront at 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. They found a 43-year-old man suffering from apparent stab wounds and the victim died at a hospital, the statement said.Police did not identify the victim but MobileCoin confirmed Lee’s death in response to an email from The Associated Press on Wednesday.“Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 43, survived by a loving family and collection of close friends and collaborators,” MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard said in a statement.Lee was fatally stabbed in ...

Timberwolves have paths to various playoff seeds. Here’s what’s most likely

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

The potential scenarios that could play out over the next four days are abundant, as the Timberwolves could still land at high as No. 5 in the Western Conference playoffs and as low as No. 9. They did secure at least a top-10 finish and, thus, a spot in the play-in tournament Tuesday.Everything else is still very much in the air. Still working in Minnesota’s favor is the abundance of tiebreakers it holds over most teams it neighbors in the standings.The positive possibilities start with Minnesota start with the team going 2-0 over its final two regular-season games. That would guarantee the Timberwolves a top-eight seed, meaning they would only need to win one play-in game rather than two to reach the playoffs.Even with a 2-0 finish, the most likely scenario is that Minnesota would land in the No. 7-8 play-in game. The winner of that game earns the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, earning a likely first-round date with Memphis. The loser would move to the final p...

John Shipley: Twins prospect Louie Varland well clear of his big brother’s shadow

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

Louie Varland was supposed to start the Saints’ home opener on Tuesday, then it was pushed back to Wednesday because of the weather. Then on Wednesday, the weather pushed the opener to Thursday afternoon — and Varland’s next start to Friday.Does that matter for a pitcher?“Yeah, it matters,” Varland said. “I haven’t pitched in eight days.”Translation: “Duh!”Bailey Ober will start Thursday’s twice-postponed opener — weather permitting — for the Saints and Varland will have to wait until Friday to make his first start since a minor-league game late last month in Fort Myers, Fla. It’s not ideal, but Varland, 25, is accustomed to waiting.After pitching in what he called the shadow of his brother, Gus, at North St. Paul High School, Varland followed Gus to Concordia-St. Paul, and it wasn’t his first choice.“I didn’t want to follow up my brother and be overshadowed for another four years, like in high school,” Varland said Wednesday at CHS Field, where the Saints held an afternoon wo...

Adam Minter: America First is making U.S. farmers fall behind

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:13 GMT

It’s a familiar story: a once-dominant U.S. industry is challenged by low-cost competitors overseas and gradually loses market share. This time, however, the pressured industry isn’t a manufacturer. It’s the American farm.Recent trade data and a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal that U.S. leadership in exports of key agricultural products is eroding. The competition comes from Brazil and other low-cost countries that benefit from a range of government supports, including free-trade agreements to which the U.S. isn’t a partner. Over time, the impacts could be significant: Agriculture accounted for nearly 9% of all U.S. export value in 2022. By contrast, cars accounted for 3%.Fortunately, there’s a solution. In recent weeks, coalitions of U.S. agriculture groups have demanded the Biden administration begin work on new free-trade agreements to support farm exports. It won’t be easy to overcome bipartisan hostility to free trad...