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Westlake hospital closes ER with little notice, emergency leaders say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center announced Friday it would be closing its emergency department that evening. Local emergency leaders said they were given little notice about the closure which could impact paramedics and nearby medical facilities.A message to our ReportIt tip line said the center was closing abruptly Friday night. The hospital's website confirmed its emergency department would be closed by 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29.Douglas Havron with the Capital Area of Texas Regional Advisory Council (CATRAC) said he became aware of the ER's closing through local EMS. The CATRAC oversees trauma and emergency response across 11 counties, including Travis County.A representative with Austin Travis County EMS said one of its ambulance crews was on route to transport a patient to the hospital Friday afternoon when it learned the ER would only be open for a few more hours.Havron said CATRAC received the official documentation about the ER's closure the same night it ...

Cold rain tapers off overnight, but another storm is coming

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Welcome rain and chilly temperatures dominate the forecast Tuesday evening as a compact low pressure system treks across the state. Some areas have recorded over 1 inch of rain from embedded thunderstorms, and rain continues through late-evening. Updated rainfall totals NEW: 2023 was Austin's hottest year on record Rain tapers off overnight with dry weather returning on Wednesday. Chilly, gray conditions continue much of the day, however, with some light fog also possible early.Following continued dry weather -- and potentially dense fog -- early Thursday, we are tracking another western storm slated to impact Texas with widespread rain Thursday night into early Friday. Many areas will record 0.5"-1.5" by Friday afternoon, with locally heavier totals east of I-35.The weather looks beautiful this weekend with sunshine and milder temperatures, but yet another opportunity for rain in lurking next Monday. Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño could mean f...

Round Rock police searching for 3 suspects in connection with Twin Peaks assault

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- The Round Rock Police Department is searching for three suspects wanted in connection with an aggravated assault that happened at Twin Peaks last month.Officers responded to the Twin Peaks — located at 100 Louis Henna Blvd. — around 7 p.m. on Dec. 12 regarding reports of a physical altercation that happened, police said. When officers arrived, they found two victims who had "minor facial lacerations."According to police, the victims got into a fight with the three suspects on the patio of the restaurant. Then, one of the suspects pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the the victims before all three suspects drove away in a silver Jeep Latitude.Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to call Detective Turck at (512) 218-7048 or email [email protected] suspect description:Black maleEarly to mid-20sThin buildWearing a black hooded sweatshirt with jean shorts, black shoes and white socksTattoo on right calfRound Rock Police are searc...

Dolly Parton sends signed, bejeweled guitar to Austin drag performer Brigitte Bandit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The year ended on a high note for one local performer after unwrapping a gift sent from one queen to another. During a gig at a downtown club Friday night, Brigitte Bandit received a surprise from one of her idols. In front of the crowd, the Austin-based drag queen opened a box wrapped in pink shiny paper that contained an acoustic guitar adorned with white and pink rhinestones and a personalized message. That message read, "To Brigitte. Love, Dolly Parton." Texas almost stopped library drag story time. Will it try again? Bandit shared a video on her Instagram page of the moment when she realized who signed the guitar. She froze and held her hands over her mouth in shock. That feeling has yet to wear off, as she kept looking at the sparkly instrument propped behind her during an interview with KXAN Tuesday afternoon. "I honestly can't believe it's even real," Bandit said, smiling. "I keep staring at it being like it's just going to disappear, and I'm going to wake...

For Timberwolves, it’s Jordan McLaughlin time

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

Rudy Gobert couldn’t help but smile as soon as Jordan McLaughlin’s name was brought up in a question Tuesday at the team’s practice facility.This is Gobert’s second season playing with the reserve guard. But after injuries plagued McLaughlin for much of last season, only now is the center getting a true taste of the McLaughlin effect.Never more was that evident than Monday in New York, when McLaughlin was inserted in the third quarter of a game in which the Wolves trailed by 21, and immediately ignited a rally that pulled the Wolves to within four.In 12 minutes, McLaughlin finished with nine points, three assists, two steals and a rebound, and was a plus-13.“Anytime you get an opportunity to be out there on the floor is great. Glad I was able to make an impact for the team,” McLaughlin said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t come out with the win, but it gave us a shot to win.”And Gobert was clearly loving it. He has a clear sense of what the backup...

You could turn $10 into nearly $300 if Vikings make the playoffs. Here’s what needs to happen.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

All hope is not lost for the Vikings.Though they looked very much like a group that had waved the white flag after a 33-10 home loss to the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve, according to the New York Times simulator, the Vikings still have a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs.It starts with them finding a way to beat the Detroit Lions on the road on Sunday in the final game of the regular season. That is by no means a guarantee considering the Vikings lost to the Lions 30-24 at home two weeks ago.Nonetheless, if the Vikings are able to beat the Lions, they would then need the Chicago Bears to beat the Green Bay Packers, the Arizona Cardinals to beat the Seattle Seahawks, and either the Atlanta Falcons to beat the New Orleans Saints or the Carolina Panthers to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.That would be a heck of a parlay in Las Vegas. Especially considering each team that needs to win in that scenario is an underdog.What exactly would the payout be? Here’s a brea...

Thomas Friedman: What is happening to our world?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — I’ve been The New York Times’ foreign affairs columnist since 1995, and one of the most enduring lessons I’ve learned is that there are good seasons and bad seasons in this business, which are defined by the big choices made by the biggest players.My first decade or so saw its share of bad choices — mainly around America’s response to 9/11 — but they were accompanied by a lot more hopeful ones: the birth of democracy in Russia and Eastern Europe, thanks to the choices of Mikhail Gorbachev. The Oslo peace process, thanks to the choices of Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. China’s accelerating opening to the world, thanks to the choices of Deng Xiaoping. India’s embrace of globalization, thanks to choices initiated by Manmohan Singh. The expansion of the European Union, the election of America’s first Black president and the evolution of South Africa into a multiracial democracy focused on reconciliation rather than retribution — all the result of good cho...

F.D. Flam: Have scientific breakthroughs declined?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

2023 had barely begun when scientists got some jolting news. On Jan. 4, a paper appeared in Nature claiming that disruptive scientific findings have been waning since 1945. An accompanying graph showed all fields on a steep downhill slide.Scientists took this as an affront. The New York Times interpreted the study to mean that scientists aren’t producing as many “real breakthroughs” or “intellectual leaps” or “pioneering discoveries.” That seems paradoxical when each year brings a new crop of exciting findings. In the 12 months following that paper, scientists have listened to the close encounters between supermassive black holes, demonstrated the power of new weight loss drugs and brought to market life-changing gene therapies for sickle cell disease.What the authors of the January paper measured was a changing pattern in the way papers were cited. They created an index of disruptiveness that measured how much a finding marked a break with ...

Albany police investigate first homicide of the year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- As the Albany police department continues to investigate the first shooting of the year NEWS10 speaking with community-based groups who say they can do more to help curb violence in the Capital Region. Albany Police Union responds to review board lawsuit The first homicide of 2024 happening within an hour of the new year. Pastors on Patrol, a group of religious leaders, mobilizing themselves throughout the Capital Region’s crime hot spots. The group is calling for more action from leaders to address the violence.“We got the first day of the year, almost at the stroke of midnight, a homicide?  And we're still evaluating? There is something wrong,” stated Pastors on Patrol founder, Bishop Avery Comithier.Bishop Comithier tells NEWS10 his group is making a difference simply by provided somebody to talk to in these neighborhoods. “The religious community whether it's the Muslim community, whether it's the Jewish, whether it's the church, the Christian, yo...

Gov. Hochul hopes to address affordability in new budget

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:32 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)--- Ahead of her State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul shared she wants to expand consumer laws. Among the legislation she is proposing is a bill to ban co-pays for insulin on certain insurance plans."This will be the most expansive insulin cost-sharing prohibition in the nation. It will give financial relief for 1.6 million New Yorkers," said Hochul.Dr. Pasquale Passarella, Assistant Professor of Medicine and facility member of Albany Medical Center, explained just how expensive insulin can be."The cost of a vial of insulin can vary— and I’m taking this from GoodRX, anywhere from $30 up to $130 per vial. A single vial of insulin may last someone a couple days up to a few weeks."The governor also wants to amend the state’s disability law."...to increase the maximum paid benefit over the next 5 years. We’re gonna tie it to the statewide average weekly wage, just as we do for family leave," said Hochul.During the first 12 weeks of medical leave, employ...