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DOT fines American Airlines $4.1M over tarmac delays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Department of Transportation (DOT) fined American Airlines $4.1 million for allegedly violating federal rules during tarmac delays, including those governing the length of time flights can keep passengers onboard without providing an opportunity to deplane.The DOT said in a statement that the fine is the largest ever levied against a carrier for violating its tarmac delay regulations. The department also ordered American to cease and desist from violating the law.“This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the statement. “Whether the issue is extreme tarmac delays or problems getting refunds, DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable.”The DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) ordered American to pay $2.05 million within 30 days of the order being issued. The other half of the penalty will be credited to American for compensati...

APD searching for missing elderly woman in east Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking the public's help finding a missing elderly woman who was last seen on Monday, the Austin Police Department said.The woman is described as a white woman, who is hearing impaired, is 5 feet 2 inches and weighs approximately 145 pounds, according to police. She was last seen wearing a red and blue plaid shirt, black pants and slippers.Police said the woman was last seen around the 3800 block of Rogge Lane. Anyone who may know the whereabouts of the woman should call 911, police said.

Sarkisian responds to Big 12 commissioner telling Texas Tech to 'take care of business'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Steve Sarkisian and Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark won't be eating turkey and watching football together while Yormark is in Austin for Thanksgiving.In his first game week press conference Monday, Sarkisian responded to Yormark's comments while at a Texas Tech football booster function, saying to Red Raiders head coach Joey Maguire, "you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year." Sarkisian wants Longhorns to play with ‘fanatical effort’ Saturday vs. Rice in season opener With Texas leaving the Big 12 after this season for the Southeastern Conference, the comment didn't seem like innocent banter or Yormark playing to his audience, and Sarkisian was delicate with his response."I got a letter from the commissioner about sportsmanship the day before that speech," Sarkisian said. "So I'm trying to figure out what we're promoting for our student-athletes, and then to go say those types of things. I'm guessing he's not going...

APH: 33% increase in COVID-19 cases in past week as new strain emerges nationally

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting an uptick in hospitalizations nationwide related to a new strain of COVID-19 -- and Austin Public Health are seeing similar upticks in case counts locally.Between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12, the CDC's COVID Data Tracker tool reported a 21.6% increase in hospitalizations throughout the United States. It comes as the latest COVID-19 strain Eris -- more formally referred to as EG. 5 -- emerged earlier this summer and became the dominant virus strain infecting people.What are local COVID-19 levels looking like in Austin?Janet Pichette serves as Austin Public Health's chief epidemiologist. Since last week, she said APH has seen a 33% increase in the number of positive COVID-19 laboratory tests reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services. However, that doesn't represent the true scope of infections happening in the greater Austin community, she said."People are doing self-testing, or they're not testing at ...

Texas French Bread Garden now open 7 days a week; Main location rebuild hits standstill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas French Bread has slowly but surely been on its way to recovery after a fire destroyed the bakery a year and a half ago. The Garden at Texas French Bread is now open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a newsletter and social media posts from the restaurant. "Beginning today, we'll be open 7 days a week in the TFB Garden," the newsletter read in part. "I think our daytime breakfast & lunch service is a hidden gem — emphasis on the hidden part. A tall board-form concrete wall keeps the secret garden hidden (longer story on how that came to be for another day)."The letter goes on to update readers about the progress of reopening the bakery's main location. Texas French Bread: Plans underway to reopen after 2022 fire According to the letter, Texas French Bread is "making progress and getting closer to [its] goal of resurrecting 2900 Rio Grande" and hired a group of developers who previously worked on a project in downtown Austin. The letter also said t...

Burns to Mairs and Power, Kristine Williams to Port Authority. In downtown St. Paul, two moves in commercial real estate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

In downtown St. Paul, an investment company’s new venture capital subsidiary has made a notable hire with ties to the world of start-ups and commercial real estate — as has the St. Paul Port Authority.Scott Burns, the founder of successful downtown St. Paul-based online ventures GovDelivery and Structural, now wears a new hat, one that should be familiar to fans of the reality television show “Shark Tank.”Burns, a ubiquitous presence in metro-wide civic circles — including the governing board of the Star Tribune, and previously the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation — has been named general partner at Mairs & Power Venture Capital, a new subsidiary of the century-old investment company.Based within the First National Bank Building on Seventh Street, the long-term investment company dates back to 1931 and considers itself something of a burgeoning king-maker when it comes to backing young businesses and ...

After selling out Target Center earlier this month, Zach Bryan to play U.S. Bank Stadium next August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

Just weeks after he filled Target Center with more than 20,000 fans, country singer Zach Bryan has announced his 2024 tour dates, which include an Aug. 24 stop at U.S. Bank Stadium.Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 8, and fans can register for a presale that starts Sept. 6 at zachbryanpresale.com. Neither the venue nor the promoter announced prices. Turnpike Troubadours and Levi Turner open.Bryan, 27, followed his family’s tradition of service when he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. He used his spare time to write and record music, which he began posting online in 2017. He self-released albums in 2019 and 2020 that landed on several Billboard charts as his single “Heading South” went platinum.In 2021, he toured for the first time (and played a show at Fillmore Minneapolis that November), made his Grand Ole Opry debut, signed a major-label deal with Warner and was honorably discharged by the Navy to pursue music full time after serving for eight years.RELATED: Who is Z...

Which Vikings players are on the bubble ahead of cutdown day?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spent a good chunk of his NFL playing career on the roster bubble. As a result, he empathizes more than most with all fringe players sitting by their phone this week, waiting to hear if they did enough in training camp to make his team.“All of them tried like crazy to make it,” O’Connell said over the weekend after the Vikings wrapped up the preseason with an 18-17 exhibition game loss to the Arizona Cardinals. “Now we’ve transitioned to really the toughest part of this job is the next 72 hours or so for me.”There are a lot of players on the bubble this week with tons of difficult decisions ahead for the coaching staff. Here are the players who feel like locks to make the team with a couple of weeks before the Sept. 10 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Quarterback: Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens … Running Back: Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler … Fullback: C.J. Ham … Receiver: Justi...

Uptick in Capital Region COVID hospitalizations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- COVID-19 hospitalizations in Albany County are up 200 percent in the past week, according to the CDC. The same is being reported in Rensselaer County. Both counties are considered to have a "medium" level of COVID-19 hospital admissions. The rise in local hospitalizations echoes similar trends elsewhere in the country. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “We’re doing everything that we can in the hospital to protect our workforce, so that we’re here for you to take care of all of your needs," said Kassandra Foley, St. Peter's Health Partners Regional Director of Infection Prevention, "not just COVID or respiratory season.”Albany County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen said wastewater data is also showing an uptick in detection of COVID. This metric is now a leading, predictive indicator of the spread of the virus, as the county is no longer asking people to report individual cases of COVID."It’s imp...

3 arrested in Otsego County pharmaceutical bust

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:59 GMT

ONEONTA, N.Y. (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – According to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, three people connected with the Phinaliz Communications corporation in Otsego County were arrested last Thursday, August 24 on fraud charges. This was after they allegedly tried to steal over $1 million from the Medicaid program.The arrests were part of a multi-year joint investigation between several state, local and federal agencies. The three men – Philip Mtui, Mbaga Kaiza, and Tony Taylor – were allegedly running a scheme that involved billing the Medicaid program for fake transportation services, duplicating and inflating costs, and paying kickbacks to Medicaid recipients. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “The disruption of this criminal behavior and associated kickbacks for fraudulent charges has an impact beyond theft,” Oneonta Police Chief Christopher Witzenberg said in a statement. “The kickbacks were undoubtedly used to fuel subst...