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HHSC: Time to start processing Medicaid applications trimmed amid OT push

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas kicked off than a million people from Medicaid this year without checking if they were still eligible for coverage, according to an analysis released the same day the Texas Health and Human Services Commission said its overtime push is helping to start unclog the backlog. In November, it took an average of 120 days for an application to be touched. That was cut to 43 days on Dec. 9 and 36 days as of Dec. 14, according to HHSC spokesperson Jennifer Ruffcorn. The state agency is "taking all possible actions" and "moving aggressively to implement additional strategies" to increase staff and get Medicaid and federal food benefit applications processed faster, she said. During the week of Thanksgiving, Gov. Greg Abbott's office said new changes at HHSC -- including moving 250 staff from other projects to focus on expediting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, applications and giving 600 new staff Medicaid training to help process combined applicati...

Video captures Geminid meteor shower over Kansas City area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - One of the best celestial displays is peaking this week, and one Kansas City-area resident captured the show. The Geminid meteor shower is lighting up the night sky, with its peak happening Wednesday and Thursday nights. FOX4 viewer Brody Harrison captured a Geminid meteor from Lee’s Summit early Wednesday. Watch it fly across the sky in the video player above. The Geminids earn their reputation because they're known for their vibrant and vivid meteors. They stand out as one of the most reliable and active meteor showers annually, according to NASA. El Niño predicted to flood both coasts: Here’s where risk is highest They have a rich history that dates back to the mid-1800s. They started with a modest showing of only 10 to 20 meteors per hour, which initially made them unremarkable.Over time, the meteor shower has evolved, and observers can witness a spectacular display of up to 120 Geminids meteors per hour under optimal conditions at its peak. These...

Football recruiting: Former Vanderbilt star WR Will Sheppard transferring to Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

After starring at Vanderbilt for the past few seasons, Will Sheppard is ready for a new challenge.On Thursday, Sheppard announced that he has verbally committed to come to Colorado for his final season of college football.In four seasons with the Commodores, Sheppard caught 152 passes for 2,067 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ranks in the top eight in Vandy history in all three categories, including being tied for third in receiving touchdowns.Related Articles Judge sets aside NCAA transfer rule in wake of lawsuit brought by Colorado AG Phil Weiser, six other states Colorado School of Mines Division II championship preview: Orediggers a favorite in Texas against run-heavy Harding AP All-America football team 2023: CU Buffs’ Travis Hunter named to first team; CSU’s Dallin Holker, Air Force’s Trey Taylor honored Football recruiting: Cincinnati tight end, 4-star receiver commit to CU Buffs Keeler: N...

Travis Hunter becomes 31st consensus All-American in CU Buffs history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

Colorado’s Travis Hunter is a rare talent and on Thursday he joined some rare company.The Buffaloes’ star cornerback/receiver was named first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and The Sporting News. He was first-team in the “athlete” position by The Sporting News and first-team all-purpose for AFCA.Related Articles Judge sets aside NCAA transfer rule in wake of lawsuit brought by Colorado AG Phil Weiser, six other states Colorado School of Mines Division II championship preview: Orediggers a favorite in Texas against run-heavy Harding AP All-America football team 2023: CU Buffs’ Travis Hunter named to first team; CSU’s Dallin Holker, Air Force’s Trey Taylor honored Football recruiting: Cincinnati tight end, 4-star receiver commit to CU Buffs Keeler: No. 1 Colorado School of Mines, John Matocha are men on a mission. Next stop? Turning Golden into Titletown, ...

Orange Co. D.A. blasts L.A. while announcing home burglary arrests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

Authorities in Orange County have announced the arrests of 20 people, including five juveniles, allegedly tied to a prolific home burglary crew that hit dozens of homes.“As of now, we have 35 known burglaries tied to this crew,” said Sheriff Don Barnes at a Thursday news conference. “It is believed that there may be additional burglaries and our investigative teams will continue of their investigation.” Idaho goes ‘Animal Style’ for first In-N-Out Burger This investigation started last year when authorities connected a burglary in Yorba Linda to two others in unincorporated Santa Ana.  Eventually, more than 30 other break-ins in nine cities were linked to the same crew, officials said.Some of the crimes were captured on home surveillance video and, in some of the cases, the victims were still home at the time of the break-ins.The thieves made off with more than a half-million dollars’ worth of property including cash, guns and jewelry, authorities said. Nine of the 20 suspect...

Ventura County man sentenced after puppy found gravely injured on 101 Freeway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

A Ventura County man was sentenced to jail in connection with the death of a puppy he stole from a shelter.The suspect was identified as Miles Matthew Berry, 34, of Newbury Park by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.On the morning of June 9, 2022, Berry broke into Paw Works, an animal rescue shelter in Camarillo, authorities said.Inside, he grabbed a German Shepherd puppy named Pretty Girl. Surveillance video captured Berry hitting the puppy as she resisted being taken from her kennel.A few hours later, the puppy was discovered on the 101 Freeway running between cars. She was gravely injured at the time, authorities said. Due to the severity of her injuries, the puppy was later euthanized.A few months later, on Sept. 4, 2022, Berry returned to the shelter outside of business hours. Security video captured him tampering with a surveillance camera and turning it away at one point. Orange Co. D.A. blasts L.A. while announcing home burglary arrests An alarm sounded at the s...

2 SoCal men arrested in $80M 'pig butchering' cryptocurrency scam

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

Three Southern California men, along with a fourth defendant, have been charged with conspiring to open shell companies and bank accounts to launder funds from victims caught in cryptocurrency investment scams, a practice known as “pig butchering,” federal authorities announced Thursday.  Two of the men, 36-year-old Alhambra resident Lu Zhang and 31-year-old Cypress resident Justin Walker were arrested by federal agents on Dec. 12, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.  Federal authorities are currently searching for the other two men, 32-year-old Rosemead resident Joseph Wong and 40-year-old Naperville, Illinois resident Hailong Zhu. Pig butchering, a phrase derived from a foreign-language term used to describe the same fraudulent scheme, occurs when thieves con victims on dating service and social media platforms or through unsolicited calls pretending to be a wrong number into making business investments using ...

80s synth-pop pioneers back with new music, Anaheim show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

Every generation naturally feels as if the music of their youth was the best era of them all. As more time elapses, however, it becomes harder to deny the oversized influence and enduring appeal of the 1980s.From arena-packing hard rock acts like Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Journey, to new wave pioneers The Cure, Duran Duran and U2, cassette-hoarding kids of the 80s never need to revisit the music from their childhood - because it never went away.Many of the top acts from that era are still enjoying heavy rotation on the radio and still packing venues across the U.S. and around the globe. Case in point: Depeche Mode’s recent four-night residency in Los Angeles (two nights at the Kia Forum and two nights at Crypto.com Arena).Carved into the Mount Rushmore of 1980s hits is “The Safety Dance” from Canadian synth-pop band Men Without Hats. This complex analog jam and its quirky video took the world by storm, landing at No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart and even inspiring a “Weird Al” ...

Terp Basel Brings California to Miami

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

Many of the biggest names in California cannabis converged on Terp Basel this past weekend and hit Miami Beach for the art show that inspired the name. Terp Basel was bigger than ever this year. The event took over a North Miami skatepark for four nights. The different themed evenings feature charity fundraisers, fashion shows and various wellness activities to wrap the weekend up on Sunday. One thing all those nights had in common was some of the best cannabis in town. A wide array of top flavors came to town for both Basels. All of those killers were impressed with what the cannabis culture of Miami had to offer. The best flower we saw on the trip grown in Florida came out of Preferred Gardens’ grow at The Flowery facility that Preferred’s owner and operator David Polley helped design. “Art Basel brings the weed scene from around the world,” Polley told L.A. Weekly. “The culture in the state of Florida, medical and street, is at an all-time high. Preferred Gardens has been receive...

Former Warriors champion Juan Toscano-Anderson is back in the NBA: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:25:22 GMT

Juan Toscano-Anderson, the former Warriors fan favorite, is joining the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.Toscano-Anderson, 30, most recently played for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League, where he played 11 games this season. The Oakland native helped the Warriors win their most recent NBA title, in 2022.Per ESPN, Toscano-Anderson is signing a one-year deal with the Kings.Toscano-Anderson spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Warriors. He debuted as a 26-year-old rookie, initially earning a shot by impressing at a Santa Cruz Warriors tryout after beginning his professional career in Mexico.The power forward’s made-for-TV story and his rugged, energetic play style drew fans to him. He reached the finals of the 2022 NBA Dunk Contest, losing out to Obi Toppin.Related ArticlesGolden State Warriors | Warriors face potential franchise-altering questions after Draymond Green suspension, GM Dunleavy says Golden Stat...