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Data guru Nate Silver to leave ABC

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

(The Hill) -- Data journalist and political prognosticator Nate Silver will soon leave ABC and the popular FiveThirtyEight blog he created.Silver wrote in an internal message to employees of the website that he expects to leave the company when his deal with ABC is up. “Unfortunately the day we’ve been worried about has arrived,” Silver wrote to his staff, according to the Hollywood Reporter, alluding to a recent round of financial hardships and layoffs that have impacted ABC and its parent company. “We don’t yet know the scope of these layoffs, exactly who is impacted, or the terms under which they are departing, but it is going to be a hard day for all of us.” Five takeaways on Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox News In a statement to The Hill on Tuesday, an ABC spokesperson said the company “remains dedicated to data journalism with a core focus on politics, the economy and enterprise reporting – this streamlined structure will allow us to be more closely aligned with our p...

Texas vies for coveted federal government biomedical and healthcare research site

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Texas is vying to secure one of three headquarter sites for the Advances Research Project Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a President Biden proposal that was enacted into law in March 2022. The initiative aims to support the development of high-impact biomedical and health breakthroughs. Three major Texas cities -- Austin, Dallas and San Antonio -- partnered with a consortium management firm to submit an application to consider Texas for one of the three ARPA-H sites. The ARPA-H, an entity within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced in mid-March it would establish three sites around the U.S. to support the program, according to an Austin Chamber of Commerce press release. The three hubs will have different focuses. The first hub, which will be located near Washington D.C., will be responsible for stakeholder engagement. The second one will drive user testing, adoption and access to ARPA-H projects, while the third will focus on investor relationships, per ...

CapMetro to launch $34M electric bus charging project this fall

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With a goal to transit its bus fleet to all-electric, zero-emissions vehicles by 2035, CapMetro is set to begin construction on a $34 million solar-powered charging site this fall.The Austin transit authority has collaborated with HOLT Renewables and bp pulse for design and construction of the project, per a news release. The solar canopies will offer overhead charging for CapMetro's electrified fleet. RELATED: Nearly 200 electric CapMetro buses en route to Austin This comes after CapMetro invested in the purchase of 200 zero-emissions buses back in 2021, as part of its efforts to pivot toward an all-electric fleet. The upcoming canopy system will convert sunlight into electricity, with 12 acres and more than 7,000 panels dedicated to the upcoming infrastructure."We'll be able to get more of our zero-emissions buses out on the road to provide a quieter and more comfortable ride for our customers,” CapMetro President and CEO Dottie Watkins said in the release. “We ...

CapMetro hits highest ridership levels in 3 years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With more than 2.2 million trips taken via CapMetro services in March, the transit authority reported its highest ridership since pre-pandemic levels recorded back in February 2020.Ridership volumes increased by more than 25% year over year from March 2022 to March 2023. Last March, the transit agency recorded nearly 1.8 million trips, compared to just over 2.2 million taken last month. CAPMETRO NEWS: $34M electric bus charging project to launch this fall Service levels increased across all CapMetro offerings, with the largest spikes noted in CapMetro Pickup and CapMetro Express services. Pickup ridership increased by more than 71% year over year, while Express routes saw a 33% increase in trips taken.CapMetro's services reported a year-over-year increase in trips taken, when comparing March 2022 and March 2023. (Courtesy: CapMetro)“Serving the people in our region is our primary purpose here at CapMetro, and we are thrilled by the large ridership numbers,” said A...

Pflugerville man convicted on assault charges, found not guilty of murder

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

CAMERON, Texas ( FOX44) - A Milam County jury has found a Pflugerville man guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a May 2021 shooting. The man was found not guilty on a murder charge in the case, the Milam County District Attorney's Office said in a release.Israel Ballester, II, age 41, was on trial in connection with the May 8, 2021 shooting of three men during a disturbance off Milam County Road 326 near Rockdale. Two of the men survived, but one, Dalton Shaw of Buda, died. It was noted at the time that none of the men involved were full-time residents of Milam County.Investigators at the time said a dispute had been going on between the men for some time that had to do with a fence line and a bull. Torrey said what made the case complicated was the fact that a second firearm was recovered at the scene that belonged to one of the victims.Ballester will be held in the Milam County Jail pending a sentencing hearing in May.

Suspicious cattle deaths reported in Texas

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

MADISON COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44) - The deaths and mutilation of cattle in Madison County, which is northeast of Bryan, are under investigation.According to the Madison County Sheriff's Office, ranchers said that a six-year-old longhorn-cross cow was found dead at their ranch, along Texas-Old San Antonio Road, mutilated and lying on its side. ‘Catastrophic’: Thousands of cattle killed in Texas dairy farm fire A straight, clean cut, with apparent precision, was made to remove the hide around the cow’s mouth on one side - leaving the meat under the removed hide untouched. The tongue was also completely removed from the body with no blood spill.The sheriff's office said there were no signs of struggle, and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire tracks were noted in the area.Ranchers also reported that no predators or birds would scavenge the remains of the cow - leaving it to decay untouched for several weeks.While looking into the longhorn-cross’ death, the she...

Wisconsin GOP leader wants income tax cut for all taxpayers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

By SCOTT BAUER (Associated Press)MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The leader of the Wisconsin Senate said Tuesday that Republicans who control the Legislature remain in favor of cutting income taxes for all income earners, even if there is not enough support for his plan that would phase in a flat tax rate.Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told reporters that he had no “line in the sand” of what he would support, but wanted to pass something that would lower rates for everyone. LeMahieu said he thought there was enough support to pass the first two years of his plan, which cuts taxes for all brackets but does not fully implement a flat rate.“Generally, both caucuses are supportive of reducing all taxes,” LeMahieu said of Senate and Assembly Republicans after testifying in support of his flat tax plan.That proposal has run into bipartisan opposition, with Gov. Tony Evers and Democrats firmly against it and even other top Republicans, including Assembly Speaker R...

Mayor Melvin Carter declares Tuesday ‘Erna Carlstrom Day’ in St. Paul

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

How willl Erna Carlstrom celebrate her 108th birthday?St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has designated Tuesday, April 25, 2023, as Erna Carlstrom. (Courtesy of Episcopal Homes)By partying, of course.St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has designated Tuesday as “Erna Carlstrom Day” in celebration of the Capitol city resident’s 108th birthday.The mayor is scheduled to be in attendance at Carlstom’s birthday celebration on Tuesday afernoon at Episcopal Homes on University Avenue, where she has resided for the last five years. Other party guests include Marvin Plakut, Episcopal Homes President and CEO, as well as Episcopal Homes staff and volunteers and members of the media.Carlstrom was born in Chicago in 1915: World War I was ongoing, Woodrow Wilson was president and the Ford Model T cost $350.Later in her life, Carlstrom moved to Minnesota with her husband to raise their three boys, according to a press release issued by Episcopal Homes.Carlstrom dove into the good life h...

Buffalo Bills info to know ahead of the NFL Draft

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- It's officially NFL Draft week, and the Bills will soon be on the clock as they look to bolster their roster and make another Super Bowl push.With the first round slated to begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday, here is some Bills-related NFL Draft information to know.When is the NFL Draft, how can I watch and where is it taking place?The 2023 NFL Draft spans three days, April 27-29, and is taking place in Kansas City, Missouri. The schedule is as follows:Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m.Rounds 4-7: April 29, 12 p.m.You can watch all three days of the NFL Draft on ESPN, ABC and/or NFL Network.List of Buffalo Bills 2023 draft picksThe Bills currently have six selections in this year's draft. That could change through Draft Day trades.Round 1: 27th overallRound 2: 59th overallRound 3: 91st overallRound 4: 130th overallRound 5: 137th overall (from Arizona) … their own pick (162nd) was traded to Indianapolis.Round 6: 205th over...

Drugs seized after car chase in New Paltz, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:23 GMT

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Two people have been arrested after an alleged car chase in New Paltz. New York State Police said Teeson Whitted, 39, and Zmara King, 18, both of Kingston, were arrested on April 19. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Around 7 p.m., troopers pulled over a car on I-87 in New Paltz for an alleged vehicle and traffic violation. When troopers asked Whitted, the driver, to step out of the car, he reportedly refused and fled in the car.Police said Whitted reached speeds of 105 miles per hour during the chase. After about three miles, he pulled over the car. Whitted and his passenger, King, were removed from the car. During a search of King, troopers allegedly found 52 grams of cocaine and 32 grams of fentanyl pills. Plattekill traffic stop yields gun, over two kilograms of cocaine Charges for KingThird-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (felony)Third-degree criminal possession of a con...