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Texas House passes bill that would require DFPS to give luggage to foster children

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to maintain a supply of transportation bags, like duffle bags and suitcases, for children in foster care. House Rep. John Bucy III (D-Austin) filed the bill – called Bags of Love – to ensure children being removed from their homes have something to transport items. The bill text states that the luggage becomes the child’s property once it is given to them and cannot be taken back from the department or a foster guardian. MORE: New senior leadership announced for Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services "Texas foster kids deserve dignity and respect," Bucy said. "The least we can do is ensure that they have a bag to call their own. This bill helps prevent additional stress, trauma and stigma for already-vulnerable kids. I'm grateful to my colleagues for their support.”“Too many of Texas' foster kids are too often only given a ...

Texas forward Dillon Mitchell works out for Trail Blazers, invited to NBA Combine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — While his college eligibility is still intact, Texas forward Dillon Mitchell is scheduled to work out for the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, the team announced.Mitchell is one of six players the Blazers hosted Wednesday before the NBA Draft on June 22, and Mitchell will surely get more invitations for individual workouts with teams before it's time to make the picks. The Blazers are in the draft lottery and could have anywhere from the No. 1-14 pick this year. The ping pong balls that decide a franchise's future will be selected May 16.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/newslettersMitchell is also one of the players invited to the NBA Draft Combine. It's similar to the NFL Combine where potential draft picks go through multiple tests, drills and interviews with team personnel. The combine is set for May 15-21 in Chicago.Texas guard Tyrese Hunter, who also decla...

'Priority for my constituents:' Medical billing fix voted out of House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

This report is an update to KXAN's "Medical Debt Lawsuits" investigation. Our team will continue to follow the bills during Texas' legislative session. AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the Texas House voted out an amended version of Senate Bill 490, which pushes for medical transparency to bills patients receive after being treated. State Rep. Caroline Harris, R-Round, explaining the itemized medical bill legislation on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.(Courtesy: Melva Gomez, Rep. Harris' Chief of Staff)The legislation — filed by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola – now heads back to the Senate for final review, which could be the final step before being sent to the governor.The legislation requires hospitals requesting payment from a patient to send a written itemized invoice after providing a service and before sending to collections. The majority of the House voted in favor of the legislation after adding an amendment ...

Appeals court upholds conviction of main defendant in 2017 Bloomington mosque bombing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

A federal appeals court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction of the leader of an Illinois antigovernment militia who was sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the 2017 bombing of a Twin Cities mosque, an attack that terrified the local Muslim community.A three-judge panel rejected all the legal arguments raised by Emily Claire Hari. Her attorneys argued that the key federal law involved — which pertains to damaging religious property and the free exercise of religion — was invalid because it exceeded Congress’ authority.The court also rejected Hari’s claim that prosecutors violated attorney-client privilege when authorities seized two pages of notes from Hari’s cell during a shakedown.Emily Claire HariNo one was hurt in the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, but more than a dozen members of the mosque community gave victim impact statements about the trauma they felt. Judge Donovan Frank said at sentencing that the evidence clea...

Probe of care quality at Hastings domiciliary in veterans affairs funding bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

The veterans affairs budget bill heading to Gov. Tim Walz includes $190,000 to form a panel to probe how well Minnesota is caring for some of its most vulnerable veterans.The inquiry comes after caregivers at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Hastings spoke out about a pattern of bullying, intimidation and reprisals by superiors. Current and former caregivers said the toxic work atmosphere led to the departure of staff and resulted in substandard care for the veterans living there.In response to the allegations, Larry Herke, commissioner of veterans affairs, fired two top officials responsible for overseeing care at the Hastings domiciliary. The Minnesota Senate veterans committee said it would investigate workplace problems and the quality of care at the facility.The panel created by the Legislature will include state officials from the departments of health and veterans affairs; medical professionals; current and former domiciliary staff as well as members of the public.The group wil...

Former Minneapolis police officer pleads guilty to beating Jaleel Stallings in May 2020

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

A former Minneapolis police officer agreed to a plea deal that involves him admitting to assaulting a St. Paul man in the aftermath of the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd.In Wednesday’s agreement, Justin Stetson said he “crossed the line, went too far,” but the man he assaulted, Jaleel Stallings, said that’s not enough and submitted a formal objection to the deal in Hennepin County District Court.In the objection, Stallings said that Stetson wasn’t the only officer involved but was the only one prosecuted. He noted that his punishment as a result of the officers’ actions was worse than the punishment offered in the plea deal.“As the innocent victim in this case, I will have served more jail time as a result of this incident than all of those officers combined,” he wrote.At the very least, Stallings wrote, Stetson should be “convicted for the felony conduct that is captured on video.”Stetson and other officers were e...

Deepfake porn, election disinformation move closer to being crimes in Minnesota

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

Using artificial intelligence to create sexual images of people without their consent or for spreading election disinformation would be a crime in Minnesota under a bill moving closer to becoming state law.The Minnesota Senate on Wednesday advanced a bill aimed at fighting the misuse of “deepfakes” — realistic artificial-intelligence-generated video, images and sound portraying people saying and doing things they’ve never done.The often convincing images have vastly proliferated on the internet in recent years, prompting alarm among ethicists and political observers, who worry about their potential for election manipulation and harassment.“Deepfake technology has the power to damage reputations, ruin lives, and even threaten the integrity of our democracy,” said bill sponsor Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, reading from an AI-generated speech.“The advancement of AI has been incredibly fast,” Maye Quade continued. “Five years ago, it would have taken a lot of money, time...

How Federal and local agencies solve NY gun crimes, together

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New York State has some of the strictest gun laws on the books in the United States, but that hasn’t stopped the spread of illegally trafficked firearms. NEWS10 learned about the latest tactics used by federal and local agents to solve and prevent gun violence in the Capital Region and beyond.“It's not like we can just shut one valve off and it goes away,” said Brian DiGirolamo, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for Upstate New York. If you ask him, the phrase “iron pipeline” is actually a bit of a misnomer for the movement of firearms into our communities. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “We have thousands of different, smaller trafficking networks that are bringing guns up here,” he explained, adding that they aren’t all coming up I-95 from Florida and South Carolina.“As you go further north from the city, you tend to see more of it coming f...

Charges dismissed in 2020 beating of mechanic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

HUDSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Nearly three years after an alleged attack at a July 4 party, charges have been dropped against the four defendants in the case.Charges were dropped against Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy Kelly Rosenstrach, her husband Alex Rosenstrach, IRS agent Bryan Haag, and Corey Gaylord. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The group was accused of acting together to attack and restrain Columbia County mechanic Harold Handy, III at a Fourth of July party held at the Rosenstraches' home in 2020. Handy was injured, but the four defendants claimed Handy started the incident.They were facing charges of Gang Assault and Unlawful Imprisonment; however, the judge ruled there was no legitimate reason for the case to continue.

School bus crashes in Berkeley; 2 drivers, 1 child hospitalized

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:45 GMT

BERKELEY, Mo. - An investigation is underway after a crash involving a school bus Wednesday afternoon in Berkeley. The crash happened near the intersection of Airport Road and North Hanley Road around 4:30 p.m. According to Berkeley Police Chief Art Jackson, a bus carrying kids was struck by another vehicle.Two drivers were injured and taken to the hospital. Six children were on the bus at the time of the crash, one of whom was transported to a hospital with unspecified injuries. Circuit Attorney refuses charges to woman arrested in Cherokee St. shooting SkyFOX, powered by Bommarito Automotive Group surveyed the scene. The school bus appears to have some major damage to the driver's side. A stop sign is down at the scene of the crash and lots of debris is scattered.This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.