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U.S. Secretary of State heads back to Middle East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to the Middle East Thursday night to work on preventing the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider conflict.Blinken will visit Israel and other nations important to maintaining some stability in the region.This is Secretary Blinken’s fourth trip to the Middle East since war began and the State department says his top priority is de-escalation.State department spokesman Matthew Miller says the U.S. remains focused on easing tensions in the Middle East.“Even if it’s tough, sometimes it’s the job of the United States to do that,” said Miller.Blinken's trip to the region comes just days after a drone strike killed a senior Hamas leader in Lebanon.“It is no one’s interest--not Israel’s, not the regions, not the world’s--for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza,” said Miller.Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, but both Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah military group immediately blamed them and vowed a "s...

Republican candidates make final push ahead of Iowa caucuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The first critical contest in the 2024 presidential race is less than two weeks away and the Republican candidates are fighting to win over Iowa voters. With Donald Trump still far ahead in the polls, the other candidates are making a last-minute push to show they can compete. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held an event in Iowa on Wednesday night."I'm asking for your support. I'm looking forward to January 15th." DeSantis said. Although the former president seems to have a commanding lead, the other Republican candidates are still making their case to voters. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley told people at a New Hampshire rally that her campaign is gaining momentum. "President Trump's given me some attention these days. I'm kind of flattered. I'm flattered because I know he sees what we're seeing and that means we're surging and he is getting uncomfortable," Haley said. DeSantis is going after both Trump and Haley. "Donald T...

Biden to speak at Valley Forge on 3rd anniversary of Jan. 6th attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Friday President Biden will mark the third anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol with a speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.The historic landmark was a turning point in the Revolutionary War."Where Americans came together to fight for our democracy hundreds of years ago," said Kevin Munoz, a representative of the Biden campaign.The President plans to talk about what he calls threats to democracy.  Munoz says we can expect Biden to go after what the campaign calls extreme Republican policies. The Biden team says democracy's future is on the ballot in November."We want to make sure every American has the freedoms that we've fought for," he said.Conservatives say President Biden and Democrats are the real threat to democracy."I think when he's talking about a threat to democracy, he must be looking in the mirror because if there's any threat to democracy, it's the actions of his administration and his supporters, " said Hans von Spakovsky of ...

White House asks ‘when will enough be enough’ following Iowa school shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The White House says President Joe Biden has been briefed on the latest developments following a school shooting at Perry Middle and High School in Perry, Iowa on Thursday.“It’s only the fourth day in the new year and we are already faced with yet another horrific school shooting, and the question that we ask is when will enough be enough?” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asked during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon.The shooting happened Thursday morning before classes started on the school’s first day back following winter break. Police said multiple people were shot and the extent of their injuries were unclear at the time.The Associated Press reports the suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.The White House said senior staff have been in touch with the governor’s office and federal officials are working with local law enforcement to support the investigation.“Our students and teachers deserve to know that their schoo...

Texas water provider files lawsuit against Hays groundwater district

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A Central Texas water provider has filed a federal lawsuit against a groundwater district in Hays County amid ongoing permitting issues and alleged overproduction of groundwater.Aqua Texas, Inc. filed the suit against the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, alleging the district has provided "unlawful and unequal treatment of Aqua Texas" as well as a "complete disregard for Aqua's state law duty to provide 'continuous and adequate' water service to its customers," per court filings.Currently, Aqua Texas services three systems within the district: Woodcreek Phase 1, Woodcreek Phase 2 and the Mountain Crest area. It also operates wells within the Jacob's Well zone.What led up to the lawsuit?The filing marks a continuation of ongoing tension between the two entities. The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District claimed over the summer that Aqua Texas ov...

City of Buda launching new bill pay service in January

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

BUDA, Texas (KXAN) -- Buda residents will soon have a new way to pay their bills.The City of Buda will be launching a new bill pay system in mid-January through the software company InvoiceCloud. According to the city, the new platform will feature a user-friendly portal and more features than before to view and pay bills online.Customers will be able to schedule payments, set up autopay, and more.The city said there will also be reduced convenience fees for customers: Credit/Debit Processing: Customers should be able to save $0.31 if processing online payments through a credit/debit card based on the average bill amount today.E-Check Processing: InvoiceCloud is adding a much-needed payment option for customers. One-time e-check (ACH) payments will have a flat fee of $1.95 but will provide significant cost savings to customers, saving over $4 per transaction. If customers enroll in an auto-pay e-check. The processing fee is waived.Customers who are set up using auto-pay with a credi...

John Hynes calls Wild’s injury situation ‘a great challenge’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

People good at what they do tend to embrace the opportunity to beat the odds, so rather than stew over his team’s luckless injury plight, John Hynes has been energized.“I think it’s awesome.” the Wild head coach said Thursday. “I mean, it’s a great challenge.”When the Wild play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center, they’ll do so without six regulars who are so critical to the team’s success, calling them key contributors undersells their importance.Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon were placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, and Marcus Foligno is day to day with a lower-body injury. Mats Zuccarello will miss his eighth game with an upper-body injury, and Jonas Brodin will miss his 11th with an upper-body injury. Filip Gustavsson, lower body, will be unavailable for a third straight game.That group represents a lot of goals, assists, minutes, special teams shifts and goaltending victories that won’t be at Hynes’ disposal not just Thursday, but at ...

Gov. Walz orders flags to fly at half-staff Friday as Minnesota remembers Sgt. Cade Wolfe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

Gov. Tim Walz has ordered all U.S. and Minnesota flags to fly at half-staff at all state buildings in the state of Minnesota from sunrise until sunset on Friday in honor of Sgt. Cade Michael Wolfe’s memorial.Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe. (U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs via AP)Wolfe, a native of Mankato, Minn., was killed in an aircraft crash during a training exercise over the Mediterranean Sea in November.He died on Nov. 10, two days after he turned 24, according to his obituary.The four other service members who died in the crash were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tenn.; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, N.H.; and Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Ariz.The five were all part of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.The fallen soldiers were highly decorated, with multiple combat deployments in addit...

TV preview: 15 shows to watch this winter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

With the Hollywood strikes resolved, 2024 promises a return to normal, or whatever “normal” looks like in an increasingly unstable TV landscape.New and returning shows are back on the broadcast networks, with truncated seasons in the 10-13 episode range. NBC’s “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” are back Jan. 17. The “Law & Order” franchise returns the following night, with Kelli Giddish returning for the Season 25 premiere of “Law & Order: SVU.” The freshman NBC drama “The Irrational,” starring Jesse L. Martin, returns for Season 2 on Jan. 29.The CBS lineup kicks off a month later with familiar shows such as “The Neighborhood,” “NCIS,” “So Help Me Todd,” and “Ghosts,” among others. This will also be the final season for “Young Sheldon.” For those curious about the Kathy Bates-led reboot of “Matlock,” the series has been pushed to next season.If you don’t subscribe to Hulu and haven’t seen “Only Murders in the Building,” ABC is broadcasting the first season of t...

NYS DOH sends cease-and-desist letter to Samaritan Hospital over Burdett Birth Center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:34:19 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The New York State Department of Health sent a cease-and-desist letter to Samaritan Hospital. First reported by The Times Union, the letter cited complaints the hospital was taking steps to close beds or services without approval. The letter, obtained by News10, said any violation could result in $2,000 in fines for each day beds or services are limited or closed. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! A spokesperson for St. Peter's Health Partners said they immediately responded to the letter and have not closed beds or reduced services. They said they would not be taking action prior to the Department of Health's approval of the closure plan. Samaritan Hospital has since submitted that plan, over six months after announcing their intent to close, citing financial problems brought on by the pandemic. That announcement caused an uproar from public health officials and residents in Rensselaer County, who said c...