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Texas Comptroller: Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot receive pay back from suspension time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot receive back-pay for the months he was suspended from office after the Texas House impeached him, the state's top accountant said in a letter Tuesday.Paxton demanded a reimbursement of his $153,750 annual salary for the time period in which he wasn't getting a paycheck. He's also threatening legal action against Comptroller Glenn Hegar if he does not comply, according to a letter obtained by the Texas Tribune."Public servants may continue to receive a salary while on leave for investigatory purposes,” wrote First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster in the letter. "This office is considering all legal avenues to correct this injustice."Once the House impeached Paxton on May 27, he was automatically temporarily suspended from office without pay. The three-term Republican was reinstated as attorney general following his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, in which senators found him not guilty of 16 articles of impeachme...

Man charged in 2022 'random' sex assault arrested repeatedly while on bond

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Travis County judge raised the bond Tuesday for a man accused in an alleged 2022 sex assault. The man is now charged with criminal trespass in a second case, and sex assault and aggravated kidnapping in a third. Police first arrested Dublas Vasquez in November of last year in connection with a sexual assault near downtown Austin's Sixth Street in June. PREVIOUS: Car in downtown rape arrest linked to additional incident: Affidavit The Austin Police Department said the case took so long, in part, due to "many unique characteristics and challenges to investigating these offenses that are not typically seen in other crimes. This incident involved an unknown suspect, which caused a considerable amount of time and effort to identify the suspect."In court Thursday, the suspect's attorney Jorge Vela repeatedly questioned the credibility of that investigation citing, in part, discrepancies that arose during the alleged victim's conversations with police. According to the...

Travis County commissioners OK $744M budget for Central Health after changes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County commissioners approved Central Health's new $744 million budget Tuesday. The vote comes after back and forth between commissioners and the hospital district's board of directors. Commissioners also approved a $0.100692 tax rate per $100 valuation for Central Health. This means the average homeowner will pay $56 more per year on property taxes. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Travis County commissioners to revisit Central Health’s budget Tuesday On Sept. 6, the Central Health Board of Managers voted to approve a $744 million budget—an 18.4% increase from the previous budget. The budget and tax rate needed final approvals from Travis County commissioners. Central Health is Travis County's hospital district and provides healthcare to low-income people. “This will allow us to continue to be good stewards in fulfilling our mission in serving those who are low-income residing in Travis County and who absolutely deserve to live the healthiest life possible,” Mike Gessli...

Twins welcome back key bullpen member Brock Stewart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

The Twins made just one move ahead of the trade deadline in August, swapping a pair of relievers — Jorge López for Dylan Floro — but otherwise standing pat. They opted instead to make over their bullpen internally.First, they shifted starter Louie Varland to the bullpen, where his stuff has ticked up and he has posted a 1.74 earned-run average in six relief appearances entering Tuesday. Then they did the same with Chris Paddack, moving him to the bullpen for the remainder of this season as well. Paddack, who had Tommy John surgery last May, returned on Sunday.Tuesday, their makeover was finally complete when the Twins welcomed back Brock Stewart, who had been on the injured list since late June. To make space, they designated Floro for assignment.“It kind of sucks not to contribute in any way for the past two and a half months but … to be back now, especially at the right time, six more games before the playoffs, I’m thrilled,” Stewart said. “I feel good, so just going to go out the...

St. Paul driver sentenced for I-94 wrong-way crash that injured 3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

Lizvette Acosta wiped away tears several times during the sentencing of the motorist who in December crashed head-on into her car on Interstate 94 in St. Paul.Acosta and her brother Cesar Acosta were on their way home from work late at night Dec. 14 when Daniel Ambros-Tellez, who was driving drunk, went the wrong way on the interstate and plowed into her car.Lizvette Acosta’s car rests on the concrete median barrier after a collision on Interstate 94 near Dale Street on Dec. 14, 2022. (Courtesy of Cesar Acosta)She told the court Monday in a victim impact statement that she had no time to react, that she only “saw his headlights,” then heard the “loudest sound of metal crashing.”Injured and dazed, Acosta had a hard time getting out of her crumpled car, which was perched on top of the concrete center median. As she helped her brother from the passenger seat, he winced in pain from a bruised lung and bruised ribs.“Even now, my mind still replays different scenarios of what could’...

Gophers’ men’s basketball team healthy for first time under Ben Johnson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

For the first time in head coach Ben Johnson’s three preseasons, the Gophers men’s basketball team has a fully healthy roster for the beginning of practices this week.“Being able to have (all) able bodies out there is music to my ears and music to those guys’ ears,” Johnson said.In each of the past two years, forwards Isaiah Ihnen and Parker Fox suffered serious season-ending knee injuries from summer workouts, which made the U shorthanded before the season even started.The Gophers also have only five new players, which is less turnover than near-complete overhauls Johnson had to endure through his first two seasons.“The excitement of having returners, so you are not re-teaching,” Johnson said. “In the summer, we developed a lot of stuff that was carry-over from the (previous) year.”Under Johnson, the Gophers went 13-17 in 2021-22 and 9-22 a year ago. Does he anticipate a noticeable jump in Year 3?“Every year you look at it that you want to be better than you did the previous year,”...

Judge rewrites abortion ballot summary, calls Ashcroft’s version 'problematic'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri judge is rewriting ballot language for initiative petitions, asking voters if abortion should once again be legal after the ruling said the language written by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is "problematic."Supporters of the referendum accuse Ashcroft of writing misleading ballot summary language, which is why the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri filed the lawsuit, leading a Cole County judge in Jefferson City to write the summaries himself.It's been a constant court battle over an initiative petition asking voters if abortion rights should be restored in Missouri."The Secretary of State used language that is poll-tested to be anti-abortion, and he also used language that would trigger a deep emotional response to voters because the ballot summary really is what every Missourian gets to see when they go into the ballot box to check yes or no," Tori Schafer, deputy director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said.In t...

Orange County doctor specializing in treating LGBTQ+ community charged with sexually assaulting male patients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

An Orange County infectious disease doctor specializing in treating members of the LGBTQ+ community has been charged with sexually assaulting nine male patients, officials announced Tuesday.The incidents occurred “under the guise that the assaults were part of necessary medical exams,” according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.Dr. William Thompson IV, 56, of Huntington Beach, faces eight felony charges of sexual penetration by means of fraudulent representation of professional purpose, three felony counts of sexual battery by fraud and two felony counts of forcible oral copulation, officials detailed in a news release.The assaults allegedly occurred between 2016 and 2020 and included forcing one patient to orally copulate him and performing medically unnecessary anal exams.“After learning medical procedures being performed on them by Thompson were not medically necessary, six of Thompson’s patients disclosed that they had been sexually assaulted by Thompson,” officia...

Alleged sextortion victims of Riverside County custody deputy say problem is widespread

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

Victims of serious allegations against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are coming forward after they say they were sexually assaulted while on home detention.They say it was part of a scheme by correctional deputy assigned to the jail to engage in sex acts with female inmates.Christian Heidecker is seen in a photo released by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Christian Heidecker, 32, was arrested earlier this month and faces eighteen 18 felony charges for engaging in rape, bribery and sextortion. He was placed on administrative leave from the agency, though lawyers representing two alleged victims in the case referred to him as a former deputy.“We’re are here because we’d like other victims to come forward and not to be afraid,” one victim said during a news conference announcing legal action against the county. “We just want justice because, as you see and hear, there’s crimes being done. Inside the jails is horrors being done to us,” another said. The victims we...

Why do Californians pay so much for gas?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

Gasoline prices in California edged higher again on Tuesday, hitting an average of $5.84 per gallon - a little over a penny more than Monday’s average, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).Drivers in metro Los Angeles are paying an average of $6.14/gallon, nearly 80 cents more than a month ago and 30 cents more than a year ago as gas prices tread dangerously close to L.A.'s all-time record of $6.50/gallon from October 2022.For comparison, drivers in southern states such as Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama only pay around $3.30/gallon.So why are gas prices spiking now? And why do Californians always pay more?In the short term, AAA says global oil prices have risen to more than $90 per barrel while demand also continues to rise. At the same time, domestic gas stock has declined slightly.So, some of this can be attributed to the basic economic law of supply and demand.However, in Southern California, experts say regional -and political- fact...