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White House initiative to lower prescription drug prices

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Consumer groups say the president is slowly but surely following through on his promise to reduce the cost of prescription drugs."This administration is stepping up its pressure on the pharmaceutical industry," said Peter Maybarduk of Public Citizen. Thursday President Joe Biden announced starting January 1st, Medicare patients will see the price of 48 drugs go down."It's about giving folks a little breathing room," he said.White House Advisor Christen Linke Young says they are targeting medications whose prices are rising higher than inflation."Consumers who need that drug take it once a month and they're now going to save $300 dollars on their monthly dose," said Linke Young.The new policy is part of the president's Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress last year. "We've been working to negotiate prices for prescription drugs in the Medicare program for the first time, those negotiations are underway and you should expect to continue hearing from the fe...

Rudy Giuliani ordered to pay $148M in damages to Georgia election workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued Rudy Giuliani for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that upended their lives with racist threats and harassment.The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans as they tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.Giuliani had already been found liable in the case and previously conceded in court documents that he falsely accused the women of ballot fraud. Even so, the former New York City mayor continued to repeat his baseless allegations about the women in comments to reporters outside the Washington, D.C., courthouse this week.Giuliani’s lawyer acknowledged that his client was wrong but insisted that Giuliani...

Mother of Virginia 1st grader who shot teacher gets 2 years in prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — The mother of a child who was 6 years old when he shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia was sentenced Friday. Deja Taylor was given two years to serve in prison, for felony child neglect. Taylor won't be able to make contact with her child until he's 18 years old, according to Nexstar's WAVY. The boy is currently 7. Deja Taylor was sentenced to five years behind bars, with three years suspended. This leaves her with two years to serve. Prosecutors had recommended a plea deal with a much lighter sentence of six months.Taylor was also sentenced in November to 21 months in federal prison for using marijuana while owning a gun, which is illegal under U.S. law. Investigators found nearly an ounce of marijuana in Taylor’s bedroom following the shooting. She later pleaded guilty. In light of the latest sentencing, she will now serve two additional years following the end of her 21 months. Taylor also pleaded guilt...

Rain through early evening, but sunshine this weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Showers have moved through the Hill Country and are currently working their way through the Austin Metro Counties. CENTRAL TEXAS RADAR Rain is most likely:Austin area: Now - Until 7 p.m.Eastern Counties: 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.Additional rainfall totals will generally range between 0.25"-0.75" with isolated pockets of higher amounts.Additional rain from 3 p.m. until midnight. RAINFALL REPORTS FROM CENTRAL TEXAS Left in the wake of this cold front will be gusty winds and dry air. Sunshine and seasonable temperatures can be expected this weekend, with Sunday likely to be a few degrees warmer.Weekend forecastDry weather with chilly mornings and pleasant afternoons look to continue through the middle of next week.By the end of next week we're watching the return of a wetter pattern that may be more long-lasting than our "damp" weather this week.Rain chances for the next 7 daysThe extended outlook through Christmas do continue to favor wetter than normal. Winter Weather Ou...

Williamson Co. jury finds Round Rock man guilty of indecency with a child

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Earlier this week, a Williamson County jury found a Round Rock man guilty of indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to a Williamson County District Attorney news release.John Frank Scheer, 42, was sentenced to 10 years confinement in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison and was also fined $10,000. However, there was a recommendation that the prison time be suspended and Scheer be placed on community supervision, according to the DA's office.Scheer will be formally sentenced on Feb. 24, 2024, the release said.According to the DA's office, Scheer was accused of molesting a 15-year-old transgender teenager in September 2021 in a Round Rock home. He was known to the victim and "was in a position of trust for the child," the release said.On Sept. 2, 2021, the victim called a teen crisis hotline to report the crime. Then, the crisis hotline contacted Child Protective Services to further investigate.Scheer was arrested by the Round R...

Texas' Julien Alfred captures Bowerman award as NCAA's top female track and field athlete

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns sprinter Julien Alfred is the best college track and field athlete in America.Alfred was named the winner of The Bowerman, the highest honor in collegiate track and field akin to football's Heisman Trophy. Alfred had one of the best years in both indoor and outdoor track in NCAA history en route to claiming the award. She's the second Texas woman to win the award and the first since Courtney Okolo did it in 2016, and the St. Lucia native is the first international woman to win the award. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas sprinter Julien Alfred on a quest to become the fast woman alive Nobody could beat her in the 60-meter dash during the indoor season, and she broke the NCAA record six times shaving her time down to 6.86 seconds on her way to the national championship in the event. She completed the sprint double during the indoor season with a win in the 200 meters, becoming the first woman from the Big 12 Conference to accomplish the feat and the second wo...

Nonprofit's 2024 housing predictions: A new era in real estate?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report from the non-profit Urban Land Institute (ULI) claims that the real estate sector will need a "new era of thinking" in 2024, and can no longer relay on metrics that were once relied upon.What's in the report?The report "Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2024" is an annual publication by ULI in its 45th year. Previous reports, according to a ULI spokesperson, ranked Austin in the top 10 for overall prospects since 2010. This year's report ranks the city as fifth in that list and as the top for homebuilding prospectus (financial security of the industry).These results are the topic of a Dec. 5 luncheon held by the local ULI branch. A report co-author reviewed the report, and a panel discussion covered the local market's place in the data.ULI Programs Committee Chair Lance Copeland attended the meeting and shared his takeaways in a December 8 interview."The report was perhaps more somber than reports of past. Everybody being pretty realistic about the impact o...

Wild super rookie Brock Faber reminds reporters he’s not perfect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

Most high-level athletes, college or professional, don’t like it when reporters bring up a mistake they’ve made. Brock Faber, on the other hand, sometimes brings them up himself.Faber has a goal and 12 points, and is among the team’s leaders with a plus-7 despite consistently playing against opponents’ top scoring lines. In what has been a disappointing season so far, his storyline is a major positive.So, on the heels of playing a career-high 30 minutes, 8 seconds in Thursday night’s 3-2 shootout victory over Calgary at Xcel Energy Center, Faber was presented with a series of questions about how, and why, he has played so well.“I’ve had bad games,” he said. “Last night I didn’t have a great game, to be honest with you.”In what way?“I turned pucks over, I wasn’t clean on breakouts, I didn’t create much offensively,” he said. “I defended fine, (but) I have a standard for myself, that I know I can be better. It doesn’t bother me, by any means; we won, that’s all I care about.”Faber als...

Met Council backs real estate in Highland Bridge, University Avenue, East Seventh, Maplewood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

The Metropolitan Council, the seven-county metro’s regional planning agency, approved a series of grants this week to back affordable housing and job creation, much of it along transit corridors.One set of “Livable Communities” grants will support transit-oriented development in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Richfield.The grants include $975,000 toward a mixed-use development led by Project for Pride in Living at 892 Seventh St. E. in St. Paul. Located between the Mexican consulate, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Phalen Boulevard, the structure will provide affordable housing to multi-generational families, as well as supportive services and retail. It would be situated near the future route of the Purple Line, a bus rapid transit project previously known as the Rush Line corridor.Another grant for $889,000 will back the 2441 Arts Building, FilmNorth’s project at 2441 University Ave. W. in St. Paul, which is aimed at converting a former furniture...

Police arrest man for using bear spray on victim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:36 GMT

MALTA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office arrested Jorge F. Torres, 44, on December 13. Torres was charged with second-degree assault and aggravated criminal contempt. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Torres is accused of spraying the victim in the face with bear spray at the X-Tra Mart on U.S. Route 9. The victim reportedly had an order of protection against Torres. The victim was treated by EMS. Torres was arraigned in Malta Town Court and remanded to the Saratoga County Jail in lieu of bail or bond pending further action.