State Headlines
Fans are fuming after World Cup tickets they bought through resale sites fall through
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amATLANTA (AP) — Bina Ramroop broke down in tears when she realized she wasn't going to get the World Cup tickets she had bought for her grandson's 13th birthday. As thousands poured into Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday to see Spain face Cape Verde in what turned out to be a remarkable scoreless draw, Ramroop stood outside, increasingly stressed as she went back and forth for hours between StubHub representatives on the phone and FIFA representatives in the ticket booth. Each blamed the other. No one could figure out why the tickets Ramroop bought months ago on StubHub for $485 apiece couldn't be transferred from the original seller to the FIFA ticketing app. StubHub offered her a refund and, as Ramroop heard the crowd roar ... Read More
As Juneteenth is celebrated across the US, Obama’s presidential center opens in Chicago
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amDALLAS (AP) — As people gather across the U.S. to celebrate Juneteenth, former President Barack Obama’s presidential center opened its doors Friday to the general public for the first time. Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago’s South Side, the center honoring the nation’s first Black president has been designed to inspire people to make the change they want to see in their own communities. It’s the kind of contemplation that also comes as Americans gather for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. The holiday marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas at the end of the Civil War with an order declaring the state’s enslaved people to be free with “absolute equality.” By then, 2 1/2 ... Read More
Tropical Cyclone Arthur weakens to a low pressure area along the upper Texas coast
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amCOVINGTON, La. (AP) — Tropical Storm Arthur was downgraded to a low pressure area along the upper Texas coast Wednesday night but forecasters expected its remnants to bring life-threatening flooding and days of heavy rains to parts of the southeastern United States, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Arthur was the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic basin and it's expected to keep weakening as it moves inland over southeastern Texas and western Louisiana, then cross the southeast Thursday through Friday. Maximum sustained winds were around 35 mph (55 kph). All coastal watches and warnings were discontinued Wednesday night, but flooding was likely through Friday over parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane center ... Read More
Cornyn helps introduce bill to strengthen electric grid reliability
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amWASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators John Cornyn, and Alex Padilla (D-CA) today introduced legislation that would reauthorize Preventing Outages With Enhanced Resilience and Operations Nationwide (POWER ON) Act. The law will help weatherize electric grids across the nation, according to Sen. Cornyn. "Texas is no stranger to extreme weather events, and it's imperative that we have the infrastructure capable of withstanding the gamut of everything from freezing cold temperatures to sweltering heat waves, flooding, and devastating wildfires," said Sen. Cornyn. "This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the grid resilience program Senator Padilla and I created, which is essential to preventing outages and ensuring Texans can depend on the power they need to weather any storm." "As we continue to grapple with threats to the electric grid ... Read More
Life sentence for child predator for abusing children
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amAUSTIN – A jury in Bexar County sentenced a child predator to life in prison, after he was found guilty of abusing children, according to a news release from Attorney General Ken Paxton's office. Joe Suarez Jr., 71, was found guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child and indecency with a child, after the jury listened to four days of testimony. It took only four hours to reach a verdict. The court ordered a sentence of life without parole and two consecutive 20-year sentences, the maximum punishment allowed by law. "My office worked tirelessly to put this child predator behind bars for life and secure justice for the victims of these heinous crimes," said Attorney General Paxton. "We are committed to standing up for ... Read More
Supreme Court sides with a Texas man who says it’s not a crime for marijuana users to have guns
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court sided Thursday with a Texas marijuana user who wants to legally own a gun, the latest in a line of firearm cases from a court that has expanded gun rights. In a unanimous decision, the justices ruled in favor of Ali Danial Hemani, who argued that a law barring guns from anyone who uses drugs illegally violates the Second Amendment. Hemani wasn’t charged with any other crimes or accused of using the weapon under the influence. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, saying the ruling limits but doesn't end the government's power to take guns from drug users. The decision is a loss for President Donald Trump’s Republican administration, which had defended the 1968 law despite arguing against other ... Read More
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe breaks ground on new Naskila Casino resort
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amLEGGETT (KETK) – The Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas and the Naskila Casino in Leggett are celebrating their growth with an eye toward expansion in Deep East Texas. The vision is coming to life in Polk County as they made the first official step towards the future on Thursday with leaders of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas breaking ground on the future casino resort set to open in late 2028. The future property will span across 95 acres of tribal land here in Legget, Texas, featuring an expansive gaming floor, more than 350 hotel rooms, a resort-style pool, and an event and conference space. “It’s a long time coming really, it’s something that’s needed,” Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas Chairman Ricky Sylestine said. “We started out ... Read More
Man who died in Texas plane crash was a key figure in seeding Austin’s technology boom
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amThe man who died when a small jet crashed on a Texas highway was an entrepreneur well-known in the state for being at the center of Austin’s turbocharged evolution as a technology hub. Joshua Baer, 50, described himself as an “Austinpreneur,” a reference to the state capital and his enthusiasm for getting people into business. He founded Capital Factory, which has grown into an important Austin-based venture capital firm supporting a range of technology startup companies, from robots to autonomous ships. Baer’s LinkedIn page shows him wearing a black T-shirt and pointing at the message: “I help people quit jobs.” His email had a similar handle. Capital Factory's downtown headquarters is among the offices of tech giants like Google. “Whether you’re in technology or not, ... Read More
With a sledgehammer and a shovel, volunteers raced to save passengers in Texas plane crash
Posted/updated on: June 20, 2026 at 4:49 amThe business jet barreled cockeyed down the dark highway, knocking down one light pole after another, an orange glow of sparks trailing it. From a distance, Ivan Franco thought it must be a car. But as he approached in his tow truck, he saw it was a plane — broken in half, its fuselage resting on its side, bright fire beginning to rise above. He stopped and rifled through the rescue kit his company keeps in the truck, grabbing a sledgehammer as well as three fire extinguishers, which he handed off to police officers. “At that moment, you don’t think much about what to do, because I knew the plane could explode since it was on fire,” Franco told The Associated Press in Spanish. “My ... Read More
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