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Severe storms possible Thursday, then a significant cold snap blows in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A light disturbance passing overhead generated cloudy skies Tuesday afternoon with a few very isolated sprinkles. As that system exits overnight, clouds break up with cool, comfortable temperatures and light winds.As a powerful western storm approaches, south winds ramp up beginning Wednesday, bringing the return of heat and humidity. Highs rise into the 70s Wednesday, then the 80s Thursday in most areas. NEW BLOG: How a switch to El Niño could affect hurricane season First Warning: Severe weather threat, colder weatherSpringtime thunderstorms return to the area on Thursday, some of which may be severe with wind damage, hail and isolated tornadoes. The west Texas dryline -- a front bringing a drop in humidity instead of temperatures -- brings a low threat of an afternoon severe storm, though these storms may not fire at all.The more significant threat of storms comes late Thursday evening into Thursday night as a strong cold front plows through the area.Severe thu...

How diversity, equity and inclusion impacts businesses and why there's still a divide in Texas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)— As the state takes aim at diversity equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI), data presented during South by Southwest shows how these efforts impact workplaces.Downtown Austin—one of the most diverse places in Texas— was a fitting backdrop for Dr. Tana Session's presentation: "Driving Diversity Forward with Data." Session is an HR, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant."There's still a lot of skepticism out there," Session said, opening her chat with a crowd. She admitted many people and companies do not fully grasp DEI initiatives.Session talked about data and research showing how DEI initiatives help recruit and retain employees and creates a two times higher cash flow for workers.According to data and research compiled by Session's team, greater diversity in management teams helps companies earn 19% more in revenue, and companies with board seat members who are not white or are women have a higher year-over-year revenue.Still, just more than 30% percent of exec...

UT Austin hosts roundtable to discuss semiconductor industry during SXSW

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)-- As part of South by Southwest, the University of Texas Austin hosted a roundtable Monday to discuss maximizing growth of the semiconductor industry.Congressmen Michael McCaul and Lloyd Doggett, along with other leaders, were part of the discussion.The Austin Metro has recently seen a boom in computer chip makers, such as Samsung, investing to build manufacturing.Leaders said they want to make sure the U.S. is ready to fill the void in supply chain issues exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.One of those ways is to make learning opportunities more available to students.UT Austin President Jay Hartzell said the university was working to find new, innovative ways to get students in Kindergarten through 12th grade excited about the industry.

East Metro girls basketball Player of the Year: Minnehaha Academy’s Addi Mack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

Minnehaha Academy coach Matt Pryor was going over an opponent’s scouting report last season when then-freshman guard Addi Mack’s hand shot up.“Actually,” Mack said, “that girl is left-handed.”“She was like 14 years old at the time,” Pryor said. “To have a 14-year-old that’s a student of the game at the level she’s at, it’s clear how she’s able to translate that to being successful out there on the floor.”Mack said she’s always trying to “win the mind game.” She thinks she holds a big advantage in that department. She prepares for games like a coach, constantly scouting her opponents and discussing game plans with her coaches. The Redhawks are already a scout-heavy team, and Mack piles onto that.Pair that knowledge with a deep, diverse skill set, and the result is a sophomore who’s averaging 30 points per game this season and is already north of the 2,000-point total in her varsity career. Mack is the 2023 Pioneer Press girls basketball Player of the Year.“She’s as consistent a playe...

Minnesota’s legalized marijuana legislation rewritten to cover the new hemp market

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

Legislation to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in Minnesota underwent a major rewrite Tuesday with the addition of new language to regulate and protect the state’s burgeoning industry in low-potency edibles and drinkables.Low-potency products containing THC derived from industrial hemp instead of full-strength cannabis have been legal in Minnesota since last year. But the law that legalized them, which quietly slipped through with many lawmakers apparently unaware of what it did, lacks much of a framework for regulating products such as gummies and seltzers with dosages capped at 5 milligrams of THC.The hemp provisions were added to the version traveling through the Senate when it stopped in the State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday. A similar amendment will be added to the House version of the bill next week when it returns to the Commerce Committee, said the lead House author and committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids.“The prohibiti...

Carrie Underwood to headline Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

Country star Carrie Underwood will headline an outdoor show July 21 at Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater.Tickets are priced from $129 to $59 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster.In the 18 years since she won the fourth season of “American Idol,” Underwood has found remarkable success, winning eight Grammy Awards and hitting No. 1 on the Billboard country singles charts a record 16 times.Her current tour began last year and is running concurrently with her well-received Las Vegas residency. They both support her ninth album, “Denim and Rhinestones,” which features the singles “Ghost Story” and “Hate My Heart.” Other recent hits from Underwood include “If I Didn’t Love You” (with Jason Aldean), “Southbound,” “Love Wins,” “Cry Pretty,” “Dirty Laundry,” “Church Bells” and “Heartbeat.”In October, Underwood filled Target Center for a concert that included her enthusiastic take on Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.” Last April, she invited Axl Rose to join her onstag...

Kyle Anderson continues to do it all for the Timberwolves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

The Timberwolves’ starters exited with 1 minute, 48 seconds remaining with Minnesota leading by 23 in its blowout victory over Atlanta. Well, almost all the starters.Veteran forward Kyle Anderson remained. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch allowed Anderson to stay on the floor in order to grab the final rebound he needed to notch a triple-double. Anderson grabbed that board with 34 seconds to play to accomplish the feat, sending the team into a state of euphoria.“They be fired up, but they be stealing rebounds from me. You gotta watch them, you gotta watch those guys,” Anderson joked in his postgame, on-court interview. “Nah, that was super cool. Always a dream to play in the NBA. Always special for me.”Finch rarely allows players to achievement chase. He’s pulled the likes of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns in the past when they were a bucket or two away from major scoring plateaus.“I think it’s something everybody wanted for him,” Finch told reporters after the game. “We’re ha...

Plane goes off taxiway at Syracuse Airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) - According to information from the airport, shortly after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Delta Airbus - Flight DAL 1718 went off the taxiway and onto the grass Tuesday morning at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport."A coordinated response is underway to bring passengers back to the terminal building andultimately remove the aircraft from the grass," the release stated. The incident occurred north of the main runway and airport operations was not impacted.Beginning around 8:15 a.m. the 61 passengers and their luggage were being brought back to the terminal building.The flight crew has remained with the aircraft as efforts are underway to remove the aircraft from the grass.It's no surprise that most flight issues are in the Northeast where airports are dealing with the nor'easter.This is shown on FlightAware's Misery Map.Due to the inclement weather, several morning flights leaving Syracuse were either delayed or canceled.

Alaska oil drilling project approved, Democrats disappointed with President's decision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Some Democrat lawmakers are disappointed with the Biden administration's decision to approve the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska."We have to go all in on clean energy," Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said.President Joe Biden is facing backlash from Democrats, like Bowman, for giving the green light to the project. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "This is the equivalent of putting two million cars back on our highways," Bowman said.The Willow Project, in Alaska's North Slope, is expected to produce 180,000 barrels of oil a day.Bowman says that reverses progress made by climate reform in the Inflation Reduction Act."Why are we taking these two huge steps back right now and drilling for more oil," Bowman said.Bowman says the decision shows how much power oil companies still have. Biden blocks some Arctic oil drilling as Willow decision looms "The fossil fuel lobby wields incredible money and in...

Warren calls for hearings into Silicon Valley, Signature bank failures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:50 GMT

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has called for the Senate to hold hearings on the recent collapse of two major banks in the aftermath of their failures. Sarafina Chitika, the deputy communications director for Warren, confirmed to The Hill that the senator believes the body should hold hearings that include testimony from the CEOs of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, both of which collapsed over the weekend. Igor Bobic, a senior politics reporter for The Huffington Post, first reported Warren’s call for hearings. Bobic reported that Warren said senators should ask the CEOs about “what went wrong” with their companies and their roles in pushing for regulations from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to be rolled back “so they could load up their banks with risk.” Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act and then-President Obama signed it into law in 2010 to increase financial regulations to prevent the types of failures of major banks that we...