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What the debt ceiling deal means for U.S. climate goals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Environmental groups say the energy provisions in the debt ceiling deal are a step back for decarboninzation, while proponents are hailing it as a fair compromise that will ensure energy access. Natalie Mebane of Green Peace said the deal, which was signed over the weekend, undercuts historic investments that President Joe Biden signed into law last year."This was a bad deal for the American people," she said. "(It) very much undoes a lot of the progress that he's made as president towards clean energy. … Two steps forward, three steps back."The bill cuts red tape for both clean and traditional energy projects, which would allow them to move forward more quickly. Mebane called it a gift to polluters.Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who got a controversial pipeline included in the deal, called it a fair compromise."Now what we can do is basically make sure that we're able to get the pipelines and the delivery system we need for clean fossil all over this country," Ma...

Yellowstone visitors put elk calf in their car, investigation underway: rangers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Yellowstone National Park officials are warning visitors to stay away from wildlife after two recent encounters that left a bison calf dead and an elk calf away from its herd. Over the Memorial Day weekend, a group of visitors reportedly put an elk calf in their car, officials said Monday. It is believed the elk was picked up along Highway 191 in Yellowstone. The young elk was then brought to the West Yellowstone Police Department in Montana.Park officials say the elk ran into a nearby forest. It's unclear what condition the elk is in, and the incident remains under investigation.Yellowstone officials and West Yellowstone Police didn't immediately respond to Nexstar's inquiries for additional information. After Yellowstone bison calf euthanized, man pleads guilty to disturbing wildlife The incident happened just days after a Hawaii man interacted with a bison calf that rangers were later forced to kill. The man, Clifford Walters, recently pleaded guilty to disturbing t...

Community members drop donations off to help migrants in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

CHICAGO -- Volunteers at the Irish American Heritage Center in the city's Mayfair neighborhood on Monday are collecting items from educational materials, to food, medicinal and hygiene products for migrants who have arrived in Chicago.People with donations started pulling up to the South Parking Lot of the Irish American Heritage Center on Monday before the event even started.“We’re a great city and we’re a great neighborhood and our community is incredibly generous with their time; their talent and their treasure and people really want to be helpful," Alderperson Samantha Nugent of the 39th Ward said.Several local groups, elected officials and the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago are teaming up with the Irish American Heritage Center to help new neighbors arriving in the city.The donation drive is to help secure needed items for migrant families.“I can’t tell you how easy it was to get all these people on board," Meg Buchanan, Executive Director of the Irish American Heritag...

SCOTUS rules 8-1 companies can sue unions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- In an 8-1 decision, the United States Supreme Court delivered a blow to unions, ruling a company can sue its employees' Teamsters union because drivers didn't take enough reasonable precautions and materials were lost when they walked off the job.Mark Gaston Pearce, the executive director of the Workers Rights Institute at Georgetown Law, agreed with the lone Supreme Court dissenter, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson."Now unions have to be concerned that employers are going to be bringing these little suits in local jurisdictions," Pearce said. "The mystery is going to be, what constitutes reasonable precautions? What constitutes the kind of harm that unions could potentially be liable for?"Pearce said he expects this ruling to have a chilling effect on unions, making them less likely to strike because they fear getting sued.Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican, said the Supreme Court got it right."Certainly the right to strike is not under quest...

US passport applications taking at least 3 months: what to do if you're desperate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Diana Croll-Guard's family is leaving for London for a wedding on Sunday, and their toddler doesn't have his passport. She began the process to get him one in April. Weeks later, she doesn't have an update on the application status. She's not alone. You're going to need to plan for extra time to get your passport. According to the U.S. Department of State, it's now taking 10-17 weeks because of demand. If you pay an extra $60, you can get your passport in seven to nine weeks.Croll-Guard had a difficult time even scheduling an appointment to start the process."We were unable to do that in the Austin area at all," she said.Diana Cross-Guard's son. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb).Diana Cross-Guard and her son in their living room. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb). Diana Cross-Guard's son. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb).Croll-Guard said she and her husband took time off work to drive to Fredericksburg for a walk-in appointment and paid for the application to be expedited. Still, no luck."...

Michael Huff, All-American defensive back on 2005 national title team, on CFB Hall of Fame ballot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the all-time great Longhorns defensive backs is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.Michael Huff, the 2005 Jim Thorpe Award winner given to the nation's top defensive back and two-sport athlete at Texas, is one of 78 players and nine coaches on the ballot from the FBS level, the National Football Foundation announced Monday.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersUniversity of Texas head coach Mack Brown, left, reaches across offensive MVP Vince Young to pat defensive MVP Michael Huff, right, after the Longhorn's 41-38 win over Southern California in the Rose Bowl, the national championship college football game, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Huff played for Texas football from 2002-05 where he was a two-time All-American and he competed a year on the track and field team. He qualified for the NCAA region...

California officials blast Florida's DeSantis over transfer of migrants from Texas to Sacramento

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California leaders lashed out at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and hinted at a criminal investigation Monday over the arrival of two flights of migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas and then were sent to Sacramento, allegedly at the direction of Florida officials.The flight that arrived Monday with about 20 migrants followed the arrival Friday of 16 others from Colombia and Venezuela who had been taken by van from Texas to New Mexico and then put on a chartered plane to a small airport in the California capital, officials said. They are the latest apparent instances of a Republican-led state transporting migrants to one controlled by Democrats.The newest arrivals remained at the airport for a couple of hours and were fed before being transported to a “religious institution,” said Kim Nava, a Sacramento County spokeswoman. Nava said she didn’t know the nationalities of the new arrivals or where they had intended to go in the U.S.“Our county soci...

State tournament week ahead: Tennis, softball, track and field take center stage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

The first of the two primary weeks of the spring state tournament season takes place this week, as champions will be crowned in boys tennis, girls softball and track and field.The team competitions in boys tennis are set for Tuesday and Wednesday, with the individual tournament taking place Thursday and Friday in Minneapolis.All Class A state tennis will be at Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center, while Class 2A is set for the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus.Mahtomedi is the No. 4 seed in Class 2A, while Eagan is unseeded. Teams are not seeded in Class A, but St. Paul Academy is the top-ranked team and the favorite to repeat.On the individual side, Harding senior Ashton Adesoro is the No. 3 seed in the Class 2A individual bracket. In the doubles draw, Mahtomedi’s Jack Allaben and Brandon Pham are the No. 3 seed.In Class A, St. Paul Academy’s Leo Benson and Maik Nguyen carry the top seed, while Mounds Park Academy’s Aarti Prochnow and Garret...

Chaka Khan and Chuck D to speak, but not perform, at Prince-centric Celebration

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

R&B legend Chaka Khan and hip-hop stars Chuck D and Doug E. Fresh will speak, but not perform, at Paisley Park’s annual Celebration, which runs Thursday through Sunday.The event honors the life and work of Prince, who would have turned 65 on Wednesday. Musical guests booked for Celebration include Sounds of Blackness, Mint Condition’s lead singer Stokley, members of Prince’s band New Power Generation, Prince protege Shelby J and Minneapolis youth choir Known MPLS.General admission tickets for the entire weekend are $572, with fees. Single day tickets are available for the first time and are $289.45 for Friday and Saturday. There are also dance parties from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday — the latter will also pay tribute to Tina Turner — and tickets are $113.50. For more details, see paisleypark.com.Chaka KhanPrince and Khan first met in 1977, when he was recording his debut album in Sausalito, Calif. In 1984, Khan released her cover of Prince̵...

Donald Trump lawyers meet with Justice officials as charging decision nears in Mar-a-Lago case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:08 GMT

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for Donald Trump met with Justice Department officials on Monday as a decision nears on whether to bring criminal charges over the handling of classified documents at the former president’s Florida estate.The Trump lawyers two weeks ago requested a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland to raise concerns about what they alleged was prosecutorial misconduct and overreach by the team led by special counsel Jack Smith. But a defense attorney meeting with Justice Department officials is also often used as an opportunity to try to persuade prosecutors against bringing charges in the final stages of an investigation.It was not clear what was discussed during the meeting, but Trump, in a social media post and talk radio interview, signaled that he was prepared for the possibility that he would be charged and reiterated his attacks on the investigation.A trio of Trump attorneys — James Trusty, John Rowley and Lindsey Halligan — exited the Justice Department headq...