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US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks and buses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government will require heavy trucks and buses to include automatic emergency braking equipment within five years, the federal traffic safety agency said Thursday, estimating it will prevent nearly 20,000 crashes save at least 155 lives a year.The announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration follows a similar move last month for all new passenger cars and light trucks. The actions represent the traffic safety agency’s latest efforts to regulate electronic systems that take on certain tasks that drivers themselves have normally handled. NHTSA has been reluctant in the past to impose such regulations, saying the technology would change during the time it took to enact new rules.Ann Carlson, the safety agency’s chief counsel, said Thursday that automatic emergency braking systems will reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes, as well as rollovers and accidents involving loss of driver control.“Advanced driver assistance systems l...

A new Chicago professional team wins a championship in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A professional sports team in Chicago has brought home a championship in 2023 - and they did it in their first year. This title comes from a team in an emerging sport that's been gaining popularity over the last few years.The Chicago Slice, a team in Major League Pickleball, captured the championship in the Challenger League on Monday in San Clemente, California. They defeated the Bay Area Breakers 3-2 in the championship match to come out on top of the league.It came down to the final "Dreambreaker" game which the Slice won 21-17, with Ryler DeHeart getting the championship-clinching point. He joined Emily Ackerman, Connor Garnett, and Susannah Barr on this inaugural team that competed in Mesa, Arizona, Daytona, Florida, and San Clemente. Learn more about the Chicago Slice professional pickleball team This is the second year for the MLP with 24 teams split equally into a Premier and Challenge League in one of the fastest-growing sports in AmericaCreated by Ron Saslow o...

Massive recall of frozen fruits issued across the country

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (WTAJ) -- A massive recall of frozen fruits is underway across the country that includes such retail stores as Walmart, Target and Aldi.The voluntary recall comes from Sunrise Grower's Inc and includes specific frozen fruit products linked to pineapple that may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children, elderly people, and others that may have weakened immune systems. Symptoms in healthy people may only be short-term and could include high fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. However, the infection can cause pregnant women to have miscarriages or stillbirths. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these products were distributed to the following retailers:Walmart: Great Value Mixed Fruit, Great Value Dark Sweet Cherries, and Great Value Mango Chunks sold at stores in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Iowa, Idah...

US has 'downplayed' the number of UFO sightings: Senator Hawley

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

(NewsNation) — Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley (R) said he was "surprised" to learn how many unidentified aerial phenomena the U.S. government has come across, amid calls from lawmakers for investigations into a whistleblower's claims of a secret UFO program. "The number of these is apparently huge, huge. And that is something that the government has, the best I can say about it, downplayed, if not kept from the public, for a long, long time," said Hawley. ‘Mysterious lights’ seen hovering in night sky over Las Vegas valley While he acknowledged that he can't assess the truth of David Grusch's allegations, Hawley pointed to government reports that indicated there were UAP sightings that remain "unaccounted for.""I don't have any basis to evaluate them but do some of the details that he's alleging, do they sound plausible? Yeah, sure. They sound plausible, based on what I've seen this government do in other instances," Hawley said.Hawley said his remarks concerned the government's r...

Debris field found near Titanic during search for submersible, US Coast Guard says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for a missing submersible with five people aboard, a potential breakthrough in an increasingly urgent around-the-clock effort.The Coast Guard's post on Twitter gave no details, such as whether officials believe the debris is connected to the Titan, which was on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The search passed the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air could have run out.The Titan was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic — but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived since the sub’s disappearance.Rescuers have rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. On Thursday...

Tornadoes, hail and hurricane-force winds tear through west Texas, killing 4 people in small town

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

A line of severe storms produced what a meteorologist calls a rare combination of multiple tornadoes, hurricane-force winds and softball-sized hail in west Texas, killing at least four people, injuring nine and causing significant damage around the town of Matador, a meteorologist said Thursday.The storms produced strong winds that swept across Texas, from the Panhandle to Houston, causing damage north of the city, according to weather officials.A supercell developed about 8 p.m. Wednesday near Amarillo before striking the small town of Matador, said senior forecaster Matt Ziebell with the National Weather Service in Lubbock. He called it “certainly rare to see all at the same time — killer tornadoes, hurricane-force winds and softball-sized hail.”The damage was concentrated on a 1-mile stretch with businesses and homes demolished along the west side of Matador, a town where “everybody knows everybody,” said Brandon Moore, Matador’s water superintendent who is also a volunteer firef...

PHOTOS: Storms roll across Central Texas Wednesday night

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Strong to severe storms moved through Central Texas Wednesday evening, bringing hail, strong winds, lots of lightning and a brief Tornado Warning in Llano County.KXAN viewers across the area sent in some great photos during and after the storms.Check out some of the best in our photo gallery below:Lightning over Dripping Springs on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Rex Mitchell)Lightning over Dripping Springs on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Rex Mitchell)Storm clouds over Buchanan Dam on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Catherine Shaw)Storm clouds over Buchanan Dam on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Catherine Shaw)Storm clouds over Kingsland on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Jeannie Flexer)Storm clouds over Bastrop on June 21, 2023. (KXAN Viewer Photo)Lightning over southwest Austin on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Chad Jones)Lightning over Spicewood on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Paul Kelly)Lightning over north Austin on June 21, 2023. (Courtesy Marsha Moyer)Lightning over Spicewood on June 21, 2023. (KXAN V...

Rethink35 drops I-35 lawsuit, eyes new legal action against downtown segment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A community grassroots group in opposition to the Texas Department of Transportation's Interstate 35 expansion project dropped its lawsuit this week — but is eyeing possible legal action against the project's downtown segment.Last June, Rethink35 joined the Texas Public Interest Research Group and Environment Texas in a lawsuit filing against TxDOT, mainly targeting the north and south portions of the three-segmented project. In the lawsuit, the three organizations alleged TxDOT "violated the law" by splitting up the I-35 Capital Express Projects into three sections in an effort to avoid a "more rigorous environmental review and public engagement of a single larger project." RELATED REPORTING: 3 groups sue TxDOT over I-35 improvement projects On Thursday, Rethink35's board president Adam Greenfield told KXAN the group still stands behind the lawsuit's claims, but the organization is working toward possible legal action against the I-35 Capital Express Central proje...

DVISD board member out after homestead exemption filing 'error'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) – The Del Valle ISD School Board said Wednesday there was a vacancy on the board after a member filed homestead tax exemption paperwork in another district.According to the district, the trustee for the district 2 seat, Damian Pantoja, vacated the seat when he "filed a sworn statement of residency in Austin ISD in order to obtain a homestead exemption which he received." Under Travis County Appraisal District rules, a homestead exemption must be filed for a person's primary residence.Since Pantoja filed his exemption paperwork in an area that fell under the AISD jurisdiction, he "immediately and automatically ceased holding office in Del Valle ISD," according to the district. Through a statement issued by his attorney Bill Aleshire, Pantoja said he is a "firm believer in accepting the results of one's actions," acknowledged not seeking professional advice and added "my error has given my opponents the opportunity to have me removed."Pantoja c...

U.S. Coast Guard says debris field found near Titanic during search for missing submersible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:42 GMT

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER (Associated Press)The search for a missing submersible with five people aboard took a bleak turn Thursday when the U.S. Coast Guard said a debris field was found at the bottom of the ocean near the Titanic, an announcement that came after the critical 96-hour mark when breathable air could have run out.The Coast Guard’s post on Twitter gave no details, such as whether officials believe the debris is connected to the Titan, which was on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic. It said the debris was discovered within the search area by a remotely operated underwater robot, and was being evaluated. The Titan was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic — but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived si...