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At least one home affected as Powder Keg Pine Fire in Bastrop estimated at 117 acres, 75% contained

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — Crews responded to a home on fire within the fire zone of a wildfire in Bastrop Wednesday just before noon, according to a KXAN reporter on the ground.Reporter Nabil Remadna noted firefighters were able to get there quickly, and there are still hotspots popping up in the fire area. The fire, which is called the Powder Keg Pine Fire, is estimated at 117 acres and is 75% contained as of 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.In its Wednesday afternoon update, the forest service said gusty winds and afternoon temperatures have increased activity with the fire. Planes continue to drop water to cool those hotspots.Initial reports had the fire's location listed in the area of Highway 71 and Harmon Road. First responders Tuesday afternoon said they were working to evacuate homes as a "precautionary measure" because of a wildfire burning near Bastrop State Park. Evacuees were later allowed to return home and no evacuations are in place as of ...

Allison Schrager: Does it really matter who gets into Harvard?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

Too many Americans — and too many American economists in particular — have an unhealthy obsession with the 1%: how much money they make, how much wealth they have, how they got there, how to join their ranks, and so on.Rising economic inequality is a real problem, and there are understandable reasons for this fixation. But the U.S. would be better off focusing on more important challenges, such as how to increase productivity or improve the economic prospects of the bottom 50%.The latest manifestation of the inequality obsession is the debate over the admissions policies of a handful of elite schools. Last week a new research paper addressed the issue of the 1% directly: It estimates that while children of lower-income families have slightly better odds of getting into elite schools (assuming they have similar scores) than upper middle-class students, children of the 1% have a much better chance than everyone else. This is an issue that is elite almost by definition, sin...

Inside how Kirk Cousins is leading the Vikings at training camp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

A couple of days after the Vikings reported to TCO Performance Center for training camp last week, with everyone searching for ways to build off last season, quarterback Kirk Cousins stood up and took center stage.Not a fan of the spotlight, Cousins had already gone over some of his options with head coach Kevin O’Connell. Maybe he’d simply address his teammates after a random practice. Maybe he’d keep his words limited to offensive players and let a fellow veteran like, say, safety Harrison Smith, talk shop with the defensive players.Not if O’Connell had anything to say about it. He pushed hard for Cousins to deliver a message to the whole team. The result?“You could hear a pin drop in there,” O’Connell said. “Just hearing from our quarterback in that moment as we kicked off training camp was really important.”For the better part of 30 minutes, Cousins talked about the importance of preparation when it comes to succeeding at the...

Redistricting adds surprises to St. Paul City Council races

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

When St. Paul voters head to the polls to choose their city council member this November, some may be surprised to discover that they no longer reside in the same political ward they once did.A redistricting process following the last U.S. Census roped in the city’s Charter Commission, minus the late Chuck Repke, who died of cancer in 2021. Some city and county officials have openly acknowledged that Repke — who could alternately engross and infuriate politicos with his eagle-eyed knowledge of procedural minutiae — had a bead on redistricting like few others in St. Paul civic circles.In addition, a process that a decade ago played out over the course of months was truncated into just four weeks in February and March 2022, blamed at the time on delays in getting updated Census data from the federal government and then the state.Council President Amy Brendmoen has spent nearly 12 years representing Ward 5, which spans much of the North End and Como neighborhood. Redi...

Activists, relatives call for firing, arrest of 3 troopers involved in fatal shooting of Black motorist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

Racial justice groups and relatives of a Black man shot and killed this week by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper demanded Wednesday that the governor fire three officers who were involved in stopping the man on a Minneapolis freeway.The groups and relatives of 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II of Plymouth made the demands at a news conference outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, two days after Cobb was killed during a traffic stop.Troopers had pulled over Cobb, who was Black, for driving a Ford Fusion with no taillights early Monday on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis. According to the head of the Minnesota State Patrol, after stopping the car the troopers tried to take Cobbs into custody for allegedly violating a Ramsey County restraining order before fatally shooting him as he began driving away.Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, the Racial Justice Network, Black Lives Matter Minnesota and Cobb’s relatives gathered at the government center to demand that Gov. Tim W...

More Harbour Point units deemed safe to live in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Tenants in seven more units at the Harbour Point Gardens Apartment complex in Troy are allowed to return home. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The city's code enforcement department cleared 22 of the 58 apartments that were evacuated in June over concerns about the potential for falling bricks. The city has sued the property management company over the conditions.They were issued 12 tickets during a court appearance on July 26 and are due back in court next week. The property managers said they have made nearly $2 million worth of repairs since taking over last year.

Vin Scully remembered on anniversary of death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

Exactly one year after the sporting world lost an icon, fans, friends and admirers are are once again remembering the life and career of Vin Scully.The longtime Los Angeles Dodgers announcer died on Aug. 2, 2022, at the age of 94, only a few short years after calling his last game for the team.On the anniversary of his death, the Dodgers posted photos of the legendary announcer with the message, "Thinking of you today and always, Vin."Major League Baseball Europe posted a highlight reel of some of Scully's iconic calls, and former Dodgers executive and current analyst Ned Colletti wrote: "So many of us miss our dear friend and will never forget his grace, his style, his kindness, his class."More Dodgers fans and baseball lovers chimed in on social media to share their fondest memories of the incomparable announcer.Vin Scully works in his booth at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Aug. 22, 2010. (Jae C. Hong/Associated Press) Scully was born on Nov. 29, 1927, in Bronx, New York, getti...

Deputies searching for armed suspects who robbed man at gunpoint in West Hollywood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are searching for the armed suspects who robbed a man at gunpoint last month in West Hollywood.The robbery happened July 19 around 12:40 a.m. on the 800 block of Larrabee Street.Security footage shared by the Sheriff's Department Wednesday showed three people, two armed with handguns and the third armed with a rifle, approach a man on the sidewalk and forcefully shove him against a fence.The armed robbers took the man's cell phone and wallet, shoving him to the ground while they pointed the guns at his face.Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies are searching for the armed suspects who robbed a man at gunpoint in West Hollywood. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)The three suspects then are seen taking off on foot.The Sheriff's Department is actively investigating the armed stick-up and is asking for the public's help to identify the perpetrators.Anyone with information about this robbery or related crimes is urged to co...

Water warnings issued for 11 Los Angeles County beaches

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

Beachgoers can expect to see warning signs posted at 11 Los Angeles County beaches this week due to high levels of bacteria in the water.The L.A County Department of Public Health is urging people to avoid swimming, surfing or wading into ocean water at the following beaches:Sapphire Street Extension at Redondo County Beach: 100 yards up and down the coast of Sapphire Street.Avenue I Storm Drain at Redondo County Beach:  100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain.Bluff Cove at Palos Verdes Beach: The entire swim areaMalaga Cove Creek at Palos Verdes Beach: The entire swim areaHermosa Beach Pier at Hermosa Beach: 100 yards up and down the coast from the pierManhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach: 100 yards up and down the coast from the pierInner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro: Avoid water contact at the swim area.Malibu Pier in Malibu: 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.Malibu Lagoon State Beach at Surfrider Beach: 100 yards up and down the coast fr...

4 teen robbery suspects arrested after pursuit in Los Angeles County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:39 GMT

Four teenagers were arrested for a series of armed robberies targeting local doughnut shops across the South Bay following a pursuit.The suspects were identified as Markhi Toles and Joshua Charles, both 18 years old, and two unidentified 17-year-old boys, according to the El Segundo Police Department.Investigators had been working to surveil and track down the group responsible for a series of armed robberies throughout the region. On July 26, officers spotted the suspects’ vehicle and attempted to pull it over. The teens refused to yield and sped off instead, leading officers on a pursuit. Multiple agencies responded to the chase including the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and the Riverside Police Department.Eventually, the vehicle was stopped and the four suspects were arrested at the scene, police said.Stolen vehicle discovered at an armed robbery suspect's residence on on July 26, 2023. (El Segundo Police Department)Weapon and stolen lottery ...