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Tuberville finally ends blockade, allows military promotions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A months long blockade of hundreds of military promotions is now over.“I'm not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer,” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said.The senator dropped his holds on all officers at the three-star level or below and only keeping holds in place for about ten of the four-star officers, allowing the Senate to quickly confirm hundreds of promotions at once.“Hundreds of military families across the country can breathe a sigh of relief,” Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.Tuberville initially began his blockade in February as a protest over a Pentagon abortion policy.“It's been a long fight. We fought hard,” Tuberville declared. “We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military.”But critics blasted Senator Tuberville for putting national security at risk and leaving hundreds of military families in limbo.Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder remarked, “We have a very important mission in terms of defend...

Drug shortages hit record highs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Drug shortages in the U.S. have hit a record high and lawmakers warn they could mean life or death for millions of patients. A House committee is investigating what Congress can do to the supply chain to make sure doctors don't have to keep rationing essential drugs like cancer treatments.Health experts agree the shortages of hundreds of generic drugs need urgent attention.But they're still trying to build consensus on a remedy."The market does not reward reliability," said Dr. Marta Wosinska, of the Brookings Institution.She told lawmakers Tuesday the federal government only offers incentives to pharmacies and providers for buying the cheapest generic drugs not the best."If we want resilience, we will have to pay for it one way or the other."But Idaho Senator Mike Crapo expressed concern about how those decisions would be made."Do we want to have a federal government agency evaluate every generic provider and decide? I personally have a little bit of trouble ...

Lawmakers raise concerns about antisemitism on college campuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - House lawmakers are worried about a rise in antisemitism on college campuses. They are calling for an effort to combat this issue.University presidents were in the hot seat Tuesday, facing questions from lawmakers, like Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), about how their schools respond to antisemitism on their campuses."How do we get into the mud and do the real work of fighting antisemitism," Bowman asked."The immediate action is very important and the calling out of the hateful action," University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill said.Since the October 7th attack, the anti-defamation league reports a more than 300% increase of antisemitism across the country."What action will be taken," Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) asked.Stefanik pressed Harvard's president on whether students would face consequences."Will admissions offers be rescinded or any disciplinary action be taken against students or applicants who say, 'from the river to the sea' or 'intifada', advoca...

House expected to vote on Biden impeachment inquiry next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says next week the House will vote on whether to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden."This vote is not a vote to impeach President Biden. This is a vote to continue the inquiry of impeachment, and that's a necessary constitutional step," Johnson said.For months, Republicans have been investigating allegations that the President used his political power for financial gain."Our investigation continues to produce evidence revealing President Biden's corruption and litany of lies," Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said.However, they launched the impeachment inquiry without a formal vote."We've come to this sort of inflection point because right now the White House is stonewalling that investigation," Johnson added.Speaker Johnson claims the White House is refusing to turn over certain documents and let some witnesses testify.He hopes an authorized inquiry will give them the legal power to dig deeper."The House has no...

Psychotropic drugs take center stage in Texas foster care fight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Jackie Juarez remembers taking pills – lots of pills.  “They would make me sleepy, and I would throw up every night,” Juarez told the courtroom, recounting memories from her seven years in the Texas foster care system.  She said she remembers being prescribed psychotropic drugs, which are medications that alter mood, perceptions, and behavior. She remembers missing class often because she was tired, but doesn’t remember exactly how many different schools she attended while bouncing from placement to placement.She testified she remembers being treated “poorly.” Q&A: Lawyers for foster care children ask judge to hit state with extreme penalty About one specific placement, she recalled, “When we misbehaved, they would tell us that our family didn’t want us, or we were bad kids, and nobody wants bad kids.”Juarez, 18, has since aged out of foster care, but told the court she spent time in five different unlicensed placements – at times sleeping at a churc...

Drug dealers sentenced to 'decades' in prison for role in 18-year-old's fentanyl overdose death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin man and two others from Central Texas were sentenced in court for their roles in selling counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl and led to the death of an 18-year-old man.In investigating the 18-year-old’s death, police identified David Lee Jr., 46, and Virginia Zepeda, 43 — both from Austin — and Jackie Lynne Chester, 37, from Taylor, as suppliers of counterfeit oxycodone and other prescription pill tablets, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. ‘It can and has destroyed families’: Travis County fentanyl deaths more than double between 2021, 2022 The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office all callaborated on this investigation. During the investigation, Police reviewed video surveillance, which showed the victim walking up to Lee’s vehicle and communicating with Chester. After the victim died, Police found four-and-a-half tablets of counterfeit oxycod...

ERCOT outlines weatherization inspections ahead of winter season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced Monday new weatherization inspectors completed their certification program and can begin checking electric units and transmission facilities ahead of the winter. It comes as ERCOT officials said they continue "to deploy a comprehensive suite of programs and tools to ensure grid reliability and resiliency during the winter months," per a release. Those efforts include added ancillary services, expanding its firm fuel supply service and tacking on additional weatherization inspectors, the release added. ERCOT cancels program aiming to increase power reserves ahead of winter “There are unique challenges that each weather season in Texas presents for the grid. The winter preparedness efforts made by market participants, reinforced by ERCOT weatherization inspections, continue to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the ERCOT grid,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said in the release.The release o...

Clouds increase later this week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another cold morning is in the forecast Wednesday under mostly clear skies. Rural areas and suburbs drop into the 30s with temperatures in Austin near 40 degrees.As winds turn to a southeasterly direction beginning Wednesday afternoon, a warming trend resumes and clouds increase each day. By Friday, high temperatures approach 80 degrees in some areas with overnight low temperatures only in the upper 50s.The next storm to impact our weather gives us only a glancing blow on Saturday. A morning cold front passage is expected to bring a brief 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with windy, cooler weather to follow.Rain will not fall everywhere, but where it does, we currently expect between 0.10" and 0.20".Another chance of rain is on the horizon during the middle of next week, when there is optimism for more widespread rain in the area.Chances of rain increase in mid-December Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño could mean for rainfall and ice risk A...

Perhaps some NBA title contenders can coast to the playoffs. Timberwolves know they’re not one of them.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was named Western Conference Coach of the Month on Monday which, as he noted, was a nod to the team’s accomplishments and a credit to the work everyone in the organization has put in to this point in the season.Finch was a shoo-in for the award. Minnesota enters Wednesday’s home game against San Antonio with the best record in the NBA (15-4). The Timberwolves come to play on a nightly basis, and currently have the look of one of the league’s top dogs. Minnesota is presently at or near the top of a number of national NBA power rankings.That’s a great designation for a team to carry at any point in the season, but it comes at a cost.Karl-Anthony Towns went to Mike Conley at Monday’s practice and noted how tired he was.“I’m like, ‘Well, you know, it’s really hard to win in this league.’ Because when you win a lot in this league, your effort is just so much more. It’s almost like you’re playing playoff-level basketball i...

Public meeting scheduled for Wednesday on two proposed specialty hospitals in St. Paul, Roseville

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:50 GMT

The Minnesota Department of Health is holding a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday to gather public comment on two proposals for new specialty hospitals in Ramsey County.The changes will not result in any loss of services, according to state officials.While there is a moratorium on adding new hospitals or hospital beds in Minnesota, the Legislature has a process to weigh exceptions. State law requires the health department to assess whether new proposals serve the public interest.Nobis Rehabilitation Partners has asked to build a new free-standing 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Roseville. The hospital would focus on providing intensive rehabilitation services — such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy — to those requiring these services long-term.Meanwhile, Regency Hospital is seeking to open a second campus of its Golden Valley long-term acute care hospital to be located at the Regions Hospital Campus in St. Paul. The pro...