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Free Disney World passes are latest front in war between Disney and DeSantis appointees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

Already involved in two lawsuits with Disney, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to a board that oversees Disney World’s governing district on Monday launched a battle against the company on a new front — free passes and discounts for district employees.Board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District submitted a complaint to the state Inspector General, claiming that the millions of dollars in season passes, as well as discounts on hotels, merchandise, food and beverages, that their Disney-supporting predecessors provided governing district employees amount to unethical benefits and perks.Last year alone, before the DeSantis appointees took over the governing board and it was still controlled by Disney backers, around $2.5 million in discounts and passes were given to district employees and their families, the board said in a news release.The arrangement was self-serving to the company because it funneled money back to Disney, with the district footing the bil...

Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Autumn Nelson said she was seeking help for alcohol addiction last spring when fellow members of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana suggested a rehabilitation center in Phoenix, far to the south.The 38-year-old said the center even bought her a one-way airline ticket to make the 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) journey. But Nelson said after a month, she was kicked out after questioning why there was one therapist for 30 people and no Native American staff despite a focus on Indigenous clients.“All of a sudden I was out in the 108-degree heat in Phoenix, Arizona,” said Nelson. “I was scared, and didn’t know where to go.”Now back on the Blackfeet reservation, Nelson is among hundreds of Native Americans who have been targeted by Phoenix-area scammers. The billing schemes often left clients homeless and in some cases financed lavish lifestyles for the fraudulent providers, authorities have said. Arizona has been defrauded in recent years out of hundreds of millions of do...

Maui officials trying to find over 800 people still missing after deadly wildfires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Two weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century swept through the Maui community of Lahaina, authorities say more than 800 people remain unaccounted for — a staggering number that presents huge challenges for officials who are trying to determine how many of those perished and how many may have made it to safety but haven't checked in.Something similar happened after a wildfire in 2018 that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, California. Authorities in Butte County, home to Paradise, ultimately published a list of the missing in the local newspaper, a decision that helped identify scores of people who had made it out alive but were listed as missing. Within a month, the list dropped from 1,300 names to only a dozen.“I probably had, at any given time, 10 to 15 detectives who were assigned to nothing but trying to account for people who were unaccounted for,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said in a phone interview. “At one p...

Indeed unveils new global co-headquarters in downtown Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Tuesday, Indeed, the leading global hiring and matching platform, unveiled its new global co-headquarters, according to a news release. Nestled in the heart of downtown Austin, Indeed Tower will be a model for how companies can effectively bring colleagues together that will drive forward the future of hybrid work, the release said.The Indeed Tower has a range of unique features that redefine the concept of a contemporary workspace, as well as promote flexibility and collaboration for how employees now work, which can be seen below:Strategic Location: Austin’s thriving tech scene and diverse talent pool makes it the perfect home for Indeed’s global co-headquarters. Indeed was co-founded in Austin in 2004.Flexibility & Comfort: Half of the building's conference rooms are equipped with flexible partitions, while all workspaces feature height-adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs for maximum comfort and productivity.Technology & Design: From w...

Tropical Storm Harold to make landfall in Texas today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tropical Storm Harold officially formed in the western Gulf early Tuesday morning -- the ninth storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The system currently has 45 mph sustained winds and is racing west/northwest at 18 mph. Harold is expected to come onshore late morning into the early afternoon between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. While the storm is intensifying, its quick forward motion will limit its time over the warm Gulf waters.Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the Texas coast from Port O'Connor southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from Port O'Connor north to Sargent.Only minor wind damage is expected along the coast, along with 1-3 feet of "storm surge" ocean level rise. Flooding rainfall amounts of up to 7 inches are possible along the South Texas coast inland toward the Rio Grande Valley.Tropical Storm Warnings issued for much of the middle and all of the southern coastBig pictureWe have a very strong area ...

Federal court to hear challenge over Texas border buoys

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The state of Texas could soon be forced to remove its barrier of buoys along the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, if a federal judge agrees with the U.S. Department of Justice that Texas overstepped its constitutional authority by installing the flotation devices. The Biden administration filed suit against Gov. Greg Abbott in late July over the state’s floatation barrier, arguing it violates international and federal law. In the lawsuit, the DOJ said Texas’ construction of buoys in the river violates the Rivers and Harbor Act, as it obstructs the “navigable capacity” of U.S. water. The filing also notes Texas did not obtain a prior permit from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, as required by the act. Federal attorneys are asking the courts to stop Texas from putting any more barriers in the water and to remove the current 1,000-foot stretch of buoys at its own expense. U.S. District Judge David Ezra will hear arguments Tuesday morning. Abbott held a joint-press c...

Tropical Storm Harold brings gusty winds, fire danger locally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As we bake in Austin's hottest August on record, we are monitoring a tropical storm in the Gulf that will fail to deliver our area the kind of rain and cooler weather we desperately need. Update: What we expect from Tropical Depression #9 Red Flag Warnings are in effect locally for critical fire danger as winds pick up and mainly dry weather continues on Tuesday.Gusty winds and low humidity Tuesday spark critical fire weather concerns Tropical Storm HaroldTropical Storm Harold to make landfall near Brownsville, Texas late Tuesday morningFor full details on the system and what we expect from it, click below: Update: What we expect from Tropical Storm Harold Following the storm's departure on Wednesday, record heat and sunshine return for the foreseeable future. If Austin does not break its triple-digit heatwave on Tuesday, the streak will extend to 52+ days in the row of 100-degree temperatures. Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Sta...

David French: Appeasing Donald Trump won’t work

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

I’m going to begin this column with a rather unusual reading recommendation. If you’ve got an afternoon to kill and want to read 126 pages of heavily footnoted legal argument and historical analysis, I strongly recommend a law review article entitled “The Sweep and Force of Section Three.” It’s a rather dull headline for a highly provocative argument: that Donald Trump is constitutionally disqualified from holding the office of president.In the article, two respected conservative law professors, William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen, make the case that the text, history and tradition of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — a post-Civil War amendment that prohibited former public officials from holding office again if they “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or gave “aid or comfort” to those who did — all strongly point to the conclusion that Trump is ineligible for the presidency based on his actions on and related to Jan. 6, 2021. Barring a two-thirds congressional amnesty vote,...

Albany seeking South End Strategic Plan feedback

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The City of Albany is seeking feedback for the final draft of the South End Strategic Plan. Feedback will be obtained through a public survey, accessible online, with hard copies of the plan and the survey available in the community room of Ezra Prentice Homes at 625 S. Pearl Street, the Howe Library at 105 Schuyler Street, and 200 Green Street, where completed surveys can also be dropped off. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Strategic Plan is an update to the 2007 Capital South Plan. An estimated $70M has been invested by the City in the South End's parks, sidewalks, streets, and other infrastructure, as well as youth programming and affordable housing. The South End Strategic Plan builds off the goals and implementation of the 2007 plan, and specific action items for the future, including:1. Physical Planning, such as housing investment, historic preservation, new development, and transportation im...

Off the Beaten Path: Schuyler Bakery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:54 GMT

WATERVLIET, N.Y. (NEWS10) - From homemade bread to donuts, Schuyler Bakery has fans all over the country. For some it’s about nostalgia and for others it’s about eating a sweet treat worry-free. Whatever you reason, it's a place you don’t want to visit on an empty stomach! Off the Beaten Path: Gus’s Hot Dogs The bakery is peanut and tree nut-free. A local family founded it in 1954, and Cynthia Davenport took over the operation in 2017. While she uses many of the same family recipes, she puts her on own spin on things.Schuyler Bakery is located at 637 3rd Ave. in Watervliet. The bakery is closed on Sundays and Mondays.