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Transport minister pledges to close passenger compensation loophole used by airlines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

MONTREAL — Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Tuesday the federal government will close a loophole that allows airlines to deny customers compensation for cancelled flights.The reform will come as part of an overhaul of passenger rights to be tabled in Parliament this spring, he said at a press conference.Asked whether he would end the exemption that lets carriers reject compensation claims by citing safety issues, Alghabra answered in the affirmative.“The short answer is yes. We are working on strengthening and clarifying the rules to ensure that we make a distinction,” he said.“Obviously we don’t want planes to fly when it’s unsafe to do so. But there are certain things that are within the control of the airlines, and we need to have clearer rules that puts the responsibility on the airlines when it’s their responsibility.”Alghabra’s pledge came during a press conference at Toronto’s Pearson airport Tuesday morning, where he...

Airline investigating after flight attendants allegedly fight over passenger's request, refuse to work with each other

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – SkyWest Airlines has launched an internal investigation into allegations that a recent flight from California to Texas was delayed following a spat between “petty” flight attendants.  The flight, operated by SkyWest for American Eagle, had boarded in Los Angeles and was scheduled to leave for Houston when one of the first-class passengers requested to switch seats with someone in coach so she could sit next to her husband, according to a passenger who filmed part of the incident. A male flight attendant told the passenger it was OK, but a female flight attendant quickly interjected and said it was against the carrier’s policy, she said.“They kept bickering and going back and forth in the middle of the aisle about the rules, and what was right and what was wrong,” said Ashley Brewer, an anchor and reporter with ESPN who claims she was seated beside the first-class passenger. “They just had some beef or something.”Brewer said the male flight attendant began yelling at...

Skilling: 'Pineapple Express' storm to bring wind, rain to Chicago Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

The ATMOSPHERIC RIVER STORM sweeping California—the 11th such storm since Dec 22---will cross the Rockies, plug into Gulf moisture and bring Thursday afternoon and nighttime rains to Chicago amid strong southerly winds expected to begin boosting city temps tomorrow (Wednesday).An estimated 30-million California residents are being impacted by this 11th atmospheric river system to hit the state since Dec. 22. Forty of California's 58 counties are under a State of Emergency as the latest Pacific storm system sweeps in with drenching rains, high winds and, above 8,000 ft. 3 to 5 feet of additional snow. And from all indications, it won't be the last. Severe more are to hit in the the next week and a half. LEARN MORE: Satellite images show ‘Atmospheric River Storm’ drench California Ominously, the NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) assesses as a HIGH RISK the threat of flooding and notes that 40% of the country's flood fatalities have occurred in regions declared at HIGH RISK for exc...

'Did we really just do this?': Illinois women's basketball makes 1st NCAA Tournament in 20 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

CHAMPAIGN - It's a moment that she's been working to make happen for 12 months, but the journey for the program she leads was much longer than that. Yet first year head coach Shauna Green was just as amazed as those who've been a part of or followed Illinois women's basketball for years when the school's name popped on the big screen on Selection Sunday at the State Farm Center."This was the goal, this was the vision, this is what I believed could happen, and to do it in year one, it's still kinda, almost like Jada (Peebles) said, it's surreal," said Green. "Did we really just do this?"Indeed, the Illini did.In one of the more surprising turnarounds of the 2022-2023 women's basketball season, Illinois went 22-8 and 11-7 in the Big Ten to clinch an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They're an 11th seed and will face Mississippi State in a play-in game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. This ends a 20-year program drought for the tournament, with the team las...

Fashion Designer Of The Year, Nipiy Iskwew, Among Notables At 2023 Juno Awards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

Arrest warrant issued for another suspect in Austin street takeovers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police were able to obtain an arrest warrant for a man they said is a suspect in the street takeovers across Austin on Feb. 18, according to an affidavit.The man was identified as Keshun Jamal Semere, 21.According to previous court records, the takeovers happened at prominent intersections across the city beginning around 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 and ending around 1 a.m. on Feb. 19. During each takeover event, multiple crashes occurred, pedestrians were hit by vehicles, property — including police vehicles — was damaged, people were injured and several vehicles tried to get away from law enforcement, the affidavits said.The street takeovers on Feb. 18 resulted in more than 400 emergency 911 phone calls for the night, according to the affidavits.Several others were arrested in connection with the street takeovers, and police are continuing their investigation with the latest suspect being Semere, who was not arrested at the time this article was published. Arrest warrants ...

Affidavit: Texas driver's licenses were sent to Oklahoma addresses in organized fraud scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 14, 2023.AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The unnamed organized crime group the state said is involved in a widespread fraud scheme sent more than 1,000 duplicates of Texas driver's licenses to three different addresses in Oklahoma, according to court documents. BACKGROUND: Chinese crime group obtains thousands of Texans’ driver’s licenses According to an affidavit filed Monday morning, a total of 1,273 legitimate copies of Texas driver's licenses were mailed to three residences in Oklahoma, all within a walking distance of one another. An agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety criminal investigations unit wrote in the affidavit "it is unreasonable for hundreds of driver's licenses to be sent to each single-story residence as it could not possibly hold that number of occupants." The Travis County District Court signed off on the arrest warrant against Tony Cao Li on a felony charge for fraudulent use or pos...

Longhorns' Rodney Terry isn't the typical interim head coach heading into March Madness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Having the interim tag in a coaching title, for the most part, implies inexperience and a certain lack of awareness, but for a guy like Rodney Terry, that couldn't be further from the truth.Terry, who was named the Sporting News' national coach of the year for keeping the Longhorns together and focused through the suspension and eventual firing of head coach Chris Beard, is no stranger to March Madness. As an assistant at UT under Rick Barnes from 2002-11, the Longhorns went to the tournament every season. As the head coach at Fresno State in 2015-16, he guided the Bulldogs to a Mountain West Conference championship and their first appearance in the tournament in 15 years.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/newsletters"I've been on both sides of it," Terry said. "I've been at a mid-major and I've been at a Power 5. The team that shows up for that 40 minutes, and doesn...

Cruise to roll out autonomous robotaxis in Austin this spring

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In September, General Motors' Cruise announced it would begin rolling out "robotaxi" technology in Austin. Now, Cruise officials said Austinites can expect to see the driverless vehicles out on city roads later this spring.Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt made the announcement Tuesday during the 2023 South by Southwest Conference & Festivals. Vogt said the robotaxis — named Origin — will begin testing on Austin roads in the coming weeks before being open to customers in a "matter of months."Back in September, General Motors' Cruise announced it would begin rolling out "robotaxi" technology in Austin. Now, Cruise officials said Austinites can expect to see the driverless vehicles out on city roads later this spring. (Courtesy: Cruise)Back in September, General Motors' Cruise announced it would begin rolling out "robotaxi" technology in Austin. Now, Cruise officials said Austinites can expect to see the driverless vehicles out on city roads later this spring. (Courtesy: Cruise...

Longhorns arrive in Des Moines for 1st round of March Madness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:20 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (KXAN)-- The road to the Final Four in Houston began Tuesday for the Longhorns as they departed Austin on Tuesday morning for Des Moines, Iowa. Texas will take on Colgate at 6:25 p.m. CST Thursday in its Midwest Regional first-round game. While the Longhorns make the trip to Iowa yearly for their Big 12 matchup with Iowa State in Ames, they have never played a game in the Wells Fargo Arena. 2023 March Madness first-round schedule, how to watch, what channels games are on The second-seeded Longhorns will go through their workout Wednesday from 2-2:40 p.m., and that is free and open to the public. Colgate will practice from 3:30-4:10 p.m. The Longhorns snapped a streak of four consecutive losses in their NCAA tournament opener last season with an 81-73 win over Virginia Tech before falling to Purdue in the second round. Texas has not advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2008, which is also the last time they were a two-seed in the tournament. Hey, it could happen: Pot...