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Ex-Southwest Airlines agent charged with fraud in voucher-selling scheme at Midway

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A former Southwest Airlines customer-service agent has been indicted and charged with fraud for allegedly making and selling travel vouchers worth nearly $1.9 million.Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that DaJuan Martin was working at Chicago’s Midway Airport when he filled out the vouchers with phony names, then sold them to others including a co-defendant, Ned Brooks, at less than face value.In an indictment handed down Monday, Martin, 36, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, was charged with 12 counts of wire fraud. Brooks, 46, of Chicago, was charged with four counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.Martin worked for Southwest between November 2018 and June 2022. As a customer service agent, he had authority to issue vouchers to customers who experienced service problems. Brooks and others would send Martin text messages when they wanted vouchers, according to the indictment.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesProsecutors are seeking for...

‘It’s been done’: With lieutenant governor's signature, ‘dead suspect’ bill sent for governor's final review

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — While the mystery surrounding a missing transparency measure at the Texas Capitol remains, the attention it grabbed in recent days – from state lawmakers, frustrated families and open records advocates nationwide – ensured any movement to advance House Bill 30 would not go unnoticed. On Tuesday, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick finally signed the legislation, ending what he has essentially explained as an inadvertent organizational delay.“That’s a whole long story,” Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters Tuesday afternoon during a press conference when asked about the holdup. “It will take care of itself before you know it.”As the Senate prepared to reconvene for its special session work that evening, those stakeholders had been waiting to see if Patrick would sign the "dead suspect loophole" legislation overwhelmingly passed by both chambers nine days in the final stretch of the regular session. His signature is required in the Texas Constitution, and his Hou...

Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill addressing catalytic convertor thefts

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law Tuesday afternoon that creates new criminal offenses surrounding the theft of catalytic converters. State Senator Carol Alvarado's, D- Houston, Senate Bill 224 – known as the Deputy Darren Almendarez Act –  was designed to address the spike in catalytic converter thefts across the state.  MORE: Have you been targeted? Catalytic converter thefts on the rise nationwide The bill honors Harris County Deputy Sheriff Darren Almendarez, who was shot and killed while off-duty on March 31, 2022, when he tried to stop three men for him stealing the device from his vehicle. Almendarez’s wife, Flo, was with him when he was shot. The law bumps up the punishment for stealing a catalytic converter to a felony offense and increases the penalty if the actor uses a firearm when stealing a device.Further, the bill text states that if someone is in possession of two or more catalytic converters, law enforcement will presume they w...

What's happening with the Austin Convention Center?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After the City of Austin announced it was moving forward with the next stage of its convention center expansion project, KXAN received several Report!ts asking about how the city got to this point and how they're going to pay for the massive project. “The public has a right to expect transparency and accountability when billions of dollars are being invested in a questionable venture," said City Accountability Project Political Action Committee co-founder Laura Cantu-Templeton in a release last week. PREVIOUS: Austin Convention Center to undergo 4 years of construction in expansion project KXAN took those questions to the director of the Austin Convention Center and the CEO and president of Visit Austin: How is the city paying for the expansion? The rebuild will cost $1.6 billion and will be funded by convention center revenue and its allocation of the hotel occupancy tax. In 2019, city council approved an increase of the hotel occupancy tax rate of 2% for t...

A resource library unlike any other

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- WorldCat.org provides valuable resources for people wanting to learn more about how to be better stewards of the earth. Essentially acting as the world's library, this website provides materials that are not found in a library. Danielle Bromelia, Project Manager for OCLC, said the site can provide a wealth of information for people who want to know about, for example, sustainability. She said WorldCat.org allows people the opportunity to search for "billions of items from 10,000 libraries" so that people can get the information they are seeking in this or any area of interest.The site has been around for more than 50 years. Its support comes from OCLC, a non-profit global library. Its mission is to provide shared technological services and original research, among many, in order that libraries are better equipped to help others learn and do support research.Learn more about this excellent knowledge as Rich Segal speaks with Bromelia.

Pickleball, tennis court rentals launch in Austin -- here's how to book one

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Pickleball and tennis enthusiasts in Austin, you're in luck: A new rental service launched, allowing users to book privately-owned courts in advance.Swimply is a marketplace service that allows homeowners to rent out their pools to local swimmers at an hourly rate. On Tuesday, the company announced it was expanding its offerings to include renting out privately-owned sports courts.More than 300 pickleball, tennis, basketball and other courts are now listed for rent in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Austin, per the release. The company plans to expand its rental services nationwide by the end of the summer, the release added.Court rentals start at a $25 hourly rate, with an average rate of $40, per the release. RELATED: Is pickleball becoming too popular? ‘Turf wars’ break out in south Austin "The launch of Pickleball court rentals is a game-changer for communities that lack access to recreational spaces. We're excited to offer this new opportunity for families...

Starbucks' olive oil-infused coffee line launches in Austin shops

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Olive oil in coffee? That's the latest flavor combination Starbucks has unveiled, rolling out a new line of specialty drinks at stores across the country, including Austin.Starbucks announced this spring Oleato, its new line of caffeinated drinks infused with extra virgin olive oil. Following a March debut in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, the company announced Tuesday it expanded the coffee line into Austin shops.Starbucks' new line of extra virgin olive oil-infused coffee drinks is now available at select Austin locations. (Courtesy: Starbucks)Beyond Austin, select Starbucks locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Arlington, Houston and El Paso will offer the beverages. The olive oil-infused line includes:Oleato cafe latte: light roast espresso infused with extra virgin olive oil and steamed with oat milkOleato iced shaken espresso: coffee beverage featuring toffeenut, espresso and oat milk, infused with extra virgin olive oilOleato golden foam co...

5 easy finger foods for your next summer party

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-GazetteFor many of us, summer is the best time to throw a party.Getting everybody outside onto the porch, yard or patio means you don’t have to worry about cleaning the house or squeezing a ton of people into a crowded space. Also, summer entertaining tends to be more casual, which lends itself to finger foods that aren’t as fussy or upscale as a big fall or winter bash.Which is not to say appetizers and hors d’oeuvres served with cold beer and fruity cocktails shouldn’t look impressive. We just want something that echoes summer’s laid-back vibes and is simple for you to make and easy for your guests to grab and devour.Now is also when locally grown produce and herbs are flush at farmers markets, allowing for seasonal flavors to shine. With that in mind, we’ve come up with five finger foods that embrace the best aspects of warm-weather entertaining:Olives are often used to garnish cocktails such as a martini or bloody Mary, but they also make a...

What wildfire smoke means for your trip to the beach

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The sky was soupy and grey in the North Country on Tuesday - for reasons far to the west. Wildfires that first started in Alberta, Canada, have now spread as far east as Quebec - and prompted an air quality health advisory for many parts of New York. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! In the North Country, residual smoke from those fires are casting a haze on views of the Adirondack mountains - and over water bodies like Lake George. With Memorial Day in the past, the early weeks of summer are here. If you're keeping an eye on those smoky skies, you may well be wondering: is it safe to leave the hotel and hit the beach?"There's an increase in wildfires, but not a lot of research into the effects on skin," said New York-based dermatologist Dr. Fayne Frey, who specializes in skin cancer diagnosis and treatments. "We do know that wildfire smoke can trigger respiratory and cardiovascular impact, but th...

Schenectady man pleads guilty to child porn charges

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:45 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Tuesday, Rodolpho Bogado, 39, pled guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography. Bogado faces at least five years and up to 20 years in prison and will also be required to register as a sex offender. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Bogado admitted to downloading and receiving video files depicting child pornography through a file-sharing service. He also admitted to having over 300 videos and image files of child porn.Sentencing is scheduled for October 11, 2023. In addition to a prison sentence, Bogado faces at least five years and up to a life term of post-imprisonment supervised release.