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US passport applications taking at least 3 months: what to do if you're desperate

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Diana Croll-Guard's family is leaving for London for a wedding on Sunday, and their toddler doesn't have his passport. She began the process to get him one in April. Weeks later, she doesn't have an update on the application status. She's not alone. You're going to need to plan for extra time to get your passport. According to the U.S. Department of State, it's now taking 10-17 weeks because of demand. If you pay an extra $60, you can get your passport in seven to nine weeks.Croll-Guard had a difficult time even scheduling an appointment to start the process."We were unable to do that in the Austin area at all," she said.Diana Cross-Guard's son. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb).Diana Cross-Guard and her son in their living room. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb). Diana Cross-Guard's son. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb).Croll-Guard said she and her husband took time off work to drive to Fredericksburg for a walk-in appointment and paid for the application to be expedited. Still, no luck."...

Michael Huff, All-American defensive back on 2005 national title team, on CFB Hall of Fame ballot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the all-time great Longhorns defensive backs is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.Michael Huff, the 2005 Jim Thorpe Award winner given to the nation's top defensive back and two-sport athlete at Texas, is one of 78 players and nine coaches on the ballot from the FBS level, the National Football Foundation announced Monday.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersUniversity of Texas head coach Mack Brown, left, reaches across offensive MVP Vince Young to pat defensive MVP Michael Huff, right, after the Longhorn's 41-38 win over Southern California in the Rose Bowl, the national championship college football game, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Huff played for Texas football from 2002-05 where he was a two-time All-American and he competed a year on the track and field team. He qualified for the NCAA region...

California officials blast Florida's DeSantis over transfer of migrants from Texas to Sacramento

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California leaders lashed out at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and hinted at a criminal investigation Monday over the arrival of two flights of migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas and then were sent to Sacramento, allegedly at the direction of Florida officials.The flight that arrived Monday with about 20 migrants followed the arrival Friday of 16 others from Colombia and Venezuela who had been taken by van from Texas to New Mexico and then put on a chartered plane to a small airport in the California capital, officials said. They are the latest apparent instances of a Republican-led state transporting migrants to one controlled by Democrats.The newest arrivals remained at the airport for a couple of hours and were fed before being transported to a “religious institution,” said Kim Nava, a Sacramento County spokeswoman. Nava said she didn’t know the nationalities of the new arrivals or where they had intended to go in the U.S.“Our county soci...

State tournament week ahead: Tennis, softball, track and field take center stage

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

The first of the two primary weeks of the spring state tournament season takes place this week, as champions will be crowned in boys tennis, girls softball and track and field.The team competitions in boys tennis are set for Tuesday and Wednesday, with the individual tournament taking place Thursday and Friday in Minneapolis.All Class A state tennis will be at Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center, while Class 2A is set for the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus.Mahtomedi is the No. 4 seed in Class 2A, while Eagan is unseeded. Teams are not seeded in Class A, but St. Paul Academy is the top-ranked team and the favorite to repeat.On the individual side, Harding senior Ashton Adesoro is the No. 3 seed in the Class 2A individual bracket. In the doubles draw, Mahtomedi’s Jack Allaben and Brandon Pham are the No. 3 seed.In Class A, St. Paul Academy’s Leo Benson and Maik Nguyen carry the top seed, while Mounds Park Academy’s Aarti Prochnow and Garret...

Chaka Khan and Chuck D to speak, but not perform, at Prince-centric Celebration

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

R&B legend Chaka Khan and hip-hop stars Chuck D and Doug E. Fresh will speak, but not perform, at Paisley Park’s annual Celebration, which runs Thursday through Sunday.The event honors the life and work of Prince, who would have turned 65 on Wednesday. Musical guests booked for Celebration include Sounds of Blackness, Mint Condition’s lead singer Stokley, members of Prince’s band New Power Generation, Prince protege Shelby J and Minneapolis youth choir Known MPLS.General admission tickets for the entire weekend are $572, with fees. Single day tickets are available for the first time and are $289.45 for Friday and Saturday. There are also dance parties from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday — the latter will also pay tribute to Tina Turner — and tickets are $113.50. For more details, see paisleypark.com.Chaka KhanPrince and Khan first met in 1977, when he was recording his debut album in Sausalito, Calif. In 1984, Khan released her cover of Prince̵...

Donald Trump lawyers meet with Justice officials as charging decision nears in Mar-a-Lago case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for Donald Trump met with Justice Department officials on Monday as a decision nears on whether to bring criminal charges over the handling of classified documents at the former president’s Florida estate.The Trump lawyers two weeks ago requested a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland to raise concerns about what they alleged was prosecutorial misconduct and overreach by the team led by special counsel Jack Smith. But a defense attorney meeting with Justice Department officials is also often used as an opportunity to try to persuade prosecutors against bringing charges in the final stages of an investigation.It was not clear what was discussed during the meeting, but Trump, in a social media post and talk radio interview, signaled that he was prepared for the possibility that he would be charged and reiterated his attacks on the investigation.A trio of Trump attorneys — James Trusty, John Rowley and Lindsey Halligan — exited the Justice Department headq...

Albany PD searching for missing teen

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Albany police are looking for a teenaged girl who was last seen around 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 3 in the area of Sherman Street and Henry Johnson Boulevard. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Aubrey Congeni is 15 years old and described as 5'4" tall, 160 lbs., and has red hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white top, green colored sweatshirt, black leggings and tan boots.Police said they are concerned for her safety. Anyone with information is asked to call Albany police at 518-462-8039.

Cancer drug shortage now affecting many in the Capital Region

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) -Some patients who receive the lifesaving medicine are now being switched to other forms of their drug. NEWS10 has more on what is being done. Lake George considering DRI application “The care of the people in the Capital District is not being compromised,” said Dr. Todd Doyle, President of New York Oncology Hematology (NYOH).  “It is increasingly more difficult to provide the care that they need. The complexity is much greater, but we will not compromise their care and that's not happening now.”St. Peter’s Health Partners says, “Although, like everyone, we are feeling the effects of the Carboplatin shortage in that it has been more difficult to obtain, we have not had to reschedule patients or change patient treatment regimens.”Folks who are receiving treatment may be told their meds are out of supply and they will be switched to another regimen. Director of pharmacy at NYOH, Nancy Egerton, says these drugs are safe replacements. “Studies may have be...

19-year-old indicted for trafficking China-made Glock switches in Illinois

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A Cahokia Heights, Illinois, man was arraigned Monday in federal court for allegedly scheming to import Glock switches from China to St. Clair County.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois said Carlos Akins, 19, ordered 30 machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) from China between late 2022 and January 2023.These devices are small, about the size of a nickel, and can convert a standard, semi-automatic pistol into a fully-automatic weapon.According to the indictment, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Chicago discovered a package containing 10 MCDs (or Glock switches) en route to an East St. Louis address in December 2022.CBP notified the Illinois State Police. State troopers and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went and arrested Akins at that address. Person dragged onto front lawn, killed during home invasion on Sunday morning Following the arrest, prosecutors claim ...

NBA Finals roundtable: Should Nuggets replace Michael Porter Jr. in starting lineup with Bruce Brown?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:44 GMT

Mark Kiszla, sports columnistThe championship series is a bad place to have a crisis of confidence, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone clearly doesn’t trust Michael Porter Jr. Rather than assign blame for this uneasy relationship, I’d like to focus on how to beat the Heat. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra adjusted his lineup prior to Game 2. Is Malone willing to do the same? I know Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth thinks Bruce Brown is too small to take major minutes away from MPJ. But if Miami is hurting Denver from the perimeter with off-ball screens and 3-point shots, having Brown on the floor makes more sense, especially when Porter is clanking jumpers. Would benching MPJ wreck a fragile relationship with Malone? I don’t know. But I feel confident about this: Malone can be proactive, or he could wait until Denver loses Game 3, then have no choice but to shake things up.Bennett Durando, sports reporterToo early for that. Game 1 was proof that Porter can be a winning...