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United Airlines tweaking app to give flyers rebooking options, vouchers during delays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines says when flights are delayed or canceled it will use its app to send customers options for rebooking and, in some cases, vouchers for meals and hotel rooms.United said Thursday that it began testing the service on its app late last year and found that it reduced the number of people waiting in airports lines to speak to airline agents. United plans to hire 15,000, adding to surge in airline jobs Airlines are under pressure from the Biden administration to improve customer service. The Transportation Department said recently it would begin writing new rules to require passenger compensation when the airline causes delays and cancellations.United’s chief customer officer, Linda Jojo, said the new app features would save time and reduce stress for travelers because “we know things don’t always go as planned.”Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesSo far this year, United has canceled about 5,400 flights, or 1.3% of its schedule, which matches the indu...

Ina Garten responds after Facebook account hacked with 'strange' posts, recipes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Ina Garten recently thanked fans for alerting her to an issue with her Facebook page after hackers seemingly gained access to her account — to post an Olive Garden-inspired recipe.“Thank you to everyone who alerted me that my Facebook page was hacked, and to Meta for helping us get our page back!” Garten wrote Friday, less than a day after the unsanctioned recipe appeared on her page.“I will continue to post my favorite recipes here and read all of your wonderful comments!” the cookbook author and Food Network personality added. ‘He will be moderately missed’: Man’s obit goes viral Emily Pressman, a historian and apparent fan of Garten’s, was one of the first to notice something was amiss last Thursday, when an uncharacteristic post for a “Chicken Scampi (Olive Garden copycat recipe)” appeared on Garten’s page.“How you know Ina Garten's Facebook account has been hacked: instead of being her Hamptons-dwelling, Cosmo-sipping, ‘good olive oil’ using self, she's suddenly b...

Storms fade, but keep temperatures below 100º today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Scattered storms during the morning and early afternoon are moving east and fading. Rain chances will drop from 30% early in the afternoon to just 10% by late afternoon. CENTRAL TEXAS RAINFALL TOTALS The benefits of the extra cloud-cover and scattered storms will be to delay the warm-up and keep many of us out of the triple digits today!Afternoon highs will still reach the upper 90s today, but it's a far cry from the 106º from just a few days ago. Keep in mind, despite a slight decrease in air temperatures, heat index values are still likely to exceed 105° in most areas.A Heat Advisory is in effect 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. today.Heat Advisory is in effect Thursday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.If we're lucky, we'll avoid triple digits for one more day on Friday, but hotter temperatures return this weekend.Weekend forecastEven hotter weather is possible next week. We may have to wait until after the 4th of July for a weather pattern change that cools temperatures. Expert: Texas heatw...

Deep Eddy Pool closed Thursday for storm debris cleaning, expected to reopen Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Deep Eddy Pool is closed all day Thursday for a deep clean due to storm debris from a Wednesday night storm. The City of Austin said in a release that aquatic staff would clean the pool, repair the main well and tend to general maintenance. The pool is expected to reopen Friday, weather permitting. Because of Thursday's cleaning, the previously scheduled cleaning for Tuesday has been canceled. For a list of city pool and splash pad locations, visit the City of Austin's website.

N. Austin's Braker Lane to shut down for rail station construction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

Austin (KXAN) - Drivers who have noticed lane closures on Braker Lane in North Austin should brace for even more slowdowns this summer. The road will shut down just east of Q2 stadium for six days while CapMetro works on its new MaKalla Place Station. Braker Lane will shut down at the railroad crossing from July 7 to July 12. A detour map shows going eastbound, drivers have a relatively short detour, taking West Kramer Lane to Burnet Road to get around the construction. Westbound drivers are routed on W. Kramer Lane to Metric Boulevard to Rutland Drive to Burnet Road. That detour is about two miles. TxDOT data shows in 2020 an estimated 23,000 drivers traveled that section of Braker Lane daily.CapMetro Rail service will also be suspended from July 5 - 14. The agency offers alternate bus options for commuters. The closure is to move forward on the new McKalla Station. When complete, it will be right next to Q2 Stadium. It's due to open before the start of the 2024 Austin FC season. ...

Drones help Hays County Sheriff's Office with missing people searches, SWAT calls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A few days ago, the San Marcos Police Department said it was able to locate a suspect in a stolen vehicle pursuit by using a drone. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: San Marcos PD uses drone to find suspect in stolen vehicle It's not the only law enforcement agency in the county using that technology to help in a variety of scenarios. "The quicker we can get one up, the quicker we can resolve the issue," said Hays County Sheriff's Office Patrol Sergeant Kelly Woodard. According to the sheriff's office, since 2021 they've flown their drones 2,100 times. What are the drones used for?Patrol Sgt. Woodard said they've responded to a variety of different situations. "It's missing persons, children or elderly, especially with the heat right now. Tactical event, SWAT, stuff like that," Woodard said. "Motor vehicle accidents that happened at night, where we don't have a victim, maybe motorcycles."Specifically in the summer, Woodard said deploying a drone in a search for a mi...

State, federal charges filed against son of former St. Paul state representative in crash that killed 5

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

A 27-year-old is charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide in a crash that killed five young women in Minneapolis. He is also charged federally with possession of fentanyl and a firearm, both which were found in the vehicle after the crash, the U.S. attorney’s office for Minnesota announced Thursday.The Hennepin County attorney’s office filed the criminal vehicular homicide charges against Derrick John Thompson Thursday. Thompson is the son of former Minnesota Rep. John Thompson, who represented St. Paul’s East Side.Derrick John Thompson (Courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)Charges say Thompson sped through a red light at Lake Street and Second Avenue Friday night and struck a car with five young women inside who were returning from preparing for a friend’s wedding. Pronounced dead at the scene were Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, of St. Louis Park; Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, of Bloomington; Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center; Sagal B...

Missouri AG warns of Taylor Swift ticket scams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - In just a few weeks, music star Taylor Swift will make a much-anticipated visit to the Show Me State. Swift will hold two performances at GEHA Field at Aarowhead Stadium, home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. It's her only stop in Missouri during her Eras Tour, and both shows will likely pack tens of thousands, including fans from all around the state. Teen who lost legs in crash sues the City of St. Louis Leading up to the big shows, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is warning potential concert-goers to be mindful of ticket scams. Because many tickets for her shows sold out in minutes upon initial release, many people will try to explore the second-hand market for tickets.Bailey says the demand, along with the summer season, prompts some concerns of predatory schemes. “With Taylor Swift and other music superstars making stops in Missouri, we want to ensure that consumers have the right tools at their disposal, which includes the Attorney General’s Of...

Woman charged with ramming, shooting thieves who stole sister’s car

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A Jennings woman’s attempt at vigilante justice injured an innocent bystander and endangered children, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.Francesca Jones, 32, was charged Sunday with three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action, and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. According to Officer Adrian Washington, a spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Department, Jones' sister's 2020 Dodge Challenger was recently reported stolen. Tishaura Jones set to speak about youth outreach today following recent downtown gun violence The day after the theft, Jones was driving with three boys in her vehicle and observed the stolen Challenger traveling on West Florissant near Goodfellow.Washington said Jones chased after the Challenger on West Florissant before turning into Jennings Station Road. At the intersection of Fairhaven and Jennings Station, the Challenger crashed into a truck, causing serious in...

Aaron Rodgers talks about taking ayahuasca at a Denver psychedelics conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

DENVER — An eclectic crowd of thousands — podcasters, vendors, startups, seekers — swarmed a psychedelics conference in Denver this week to experience everything from a dimly lit hall packed with kaleidoscope art and a wide-ranging lineup of speakers from a former Republican governor to NFL star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.The conference, put on by a psychedelic advocacy group, took place months after Colorado’s voters decided to join Oregon in decriminalizing psychedelic mushrooms. While it’s a sign of growing cultural acceptance for substances that proponents say may offer benefits for things like post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism, medical experts caution that more research is needed on the drugs’ efficacy and the extent of the risks of psychedelics, which can cause hallucinations.Rodgers, who’ll soon debut with the New York Jets after years with the Green Bay Packers, spoke Wednesday night with podcaster Aubrey Marcus. Rodgers described taking ayahuasca with his t...