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KXAN Austin •

Texas counties seek state EMS funding as costs rise

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Counties across Texas are using part of their budget to pay for their own fleet of ambulance services or they’re contracting them out.


These services require large portions of county budgets and, as costs for emergency services continue to rise, leaders are turning to the state for help.


Terri Langford, the health and human services reporter at The Texas Tribune, joined KXAN’s Will DuPree to discuss the reasons behind these rising costs and why there’s a growing need for th...
KXAN Austin •

University of Texas students receive settlement in Juul class action lawsuit

AUSTIN (KXAN)- Some Juul users are receiving hundreds, even thousands of dollars as part of a $300 million class action settlement. Juul and Altria, which owns 35% of Juul, were accused of misleading customers about the product’s addictiveness and health impacts. They were also charged with unlawfully marketing to minors.


Juul agreed to a settlement in 2022, but the Altria settlement, which was needed to kickstart the payouts, was not approved until earlier this year. As of March, more than 1...
KXAN Austin •

Insight: Austin counselor gives tips on how to tell kids about dangers of swatting

AUSTIN (KXAN)- The beginning of the school year in Central Texas has been accompanied by an influx of reported safety threats. Just last week, San Marcos High School went into lockdown after police looked into a swatting incident there.


Swatting occurs when someone reports a fake crime to cause a large police response. Now, local law enforcement are urging parents to talk to their children about the severity of inciting a swatting incident. 

Megan Butler, a licensed professional counselor...
KXAN Austin •

Texas mom who lost son ‘not backing down’ in fight for fentanyl education

AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Fentanyl poisonings continue to kill thousands of people across Texas. But the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an encouraging sign. The numbers show a slight decrease in deaths in Texas, mirroring a nationwide decline that started showing up earlier this year.


Part of the credit for the decline can be attributed to increased awareness of the dangers of the drug, DEA officials say.

Last year, Texas took a new step towards fentanyl...
KXAN Austin •

Hays County, DOJ reach agreement on ADA-compliant polling places

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement with Hays County to ensure access to polling places for voters with disabilities this November.


This agreement follows an investigation into Hays County’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act where investigators surveyed the 14 polling places the county used during last year’s election. 


During this investigation, the DOJ found the county’s polling places had barriers to access for voters with disabilities. So...
KXAN Austin •

Insight: Expert explains UT automatic admissions drop for Texas students

AUSTIN (KXAN)- The University of Texas Austin announced Monday it will drop the percentage of Texas high school students automatically admitted to the university from 6% to 5%. The school said in a statement that the change is necessary in order to meet the state’s requirement that 75% of the Texas residents in each freshman class are admitted based on high school class rank. This change is expected to impact admissions for Fall 2026. 


Dale Price, the Founder and CEO of Access College America...
FOX 5 Atlanta •

U.S. Marine talks about 2006 Iraq injury, recovery and nonprofit that helps injured veterans

ATLANTA - Andrew "Andy" Robinson has always been a fighter. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps ready to face any challenges that came with the job. His attitude did not waver when he was deployed to Iraq not once, but twice. "I went to Iraq twice, once in 2004 and then another time in 2006. It's war, so you don't really know what to expect or what it's like. But it wasn't extremely scary. At that point, you're a trained professional and this is your line of work. So going to do that is somethi...
FOX 5 Atlanta •

Singer Rachel Hale releases new song titled 'Just Breathe (Daddy's Song)

ATLANTA - Singer-songwriter Rachel Hale has many talents. Born in Prescott, Arkansas, a small town with only 3,500 people, music opportunities were limited. Despite that, she had always dreamed of becoming a singer. But, she didn’t expect her journey to begin on "American Idol."  After trying out for the show at age 16, the judges told her to come back when she had grown in her abilities. At age 20, her dreams came true. She was one of the top 20 female finalists in "American Idol: Season 12." H...
FOX 5 Atlanta •

Beware of the BORG! Doctor talks about drinking trend on college campuses

ATLANTA - BORG, also known as "blackout rage gallon," is becoming a popular drinking trend among Gen-Z on college campuses. This term refers to a concoction made in a gallon jug filled with liquor (such as vodka), water, and a flavored electrolyte enhancer. These drinks are typically consumed during day parties, also known as "darties." The drink can be extremely dangerous, according to health experts.  "Because it’s all in one jug or container, people tend to drink a lot more than they normally...