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Airbnb brings 'Airbnb-friendly apartments' to Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Airbnb, in partnership with nine apartment complexes, has brought its program aimed at enabling renters to offer their apartments as short-term rentals (STR) to Central Texas.The program is "Airbnb-friendly Apartments" and launched in November 2022 in 25 markets. Now, that program has expanded to 40 markets in under a year. Court rules Austin short-term rental ordinance unconstitutional Airbnb Global Director of Real Estate Jesse Stein said that this program is aimed at allowing primary residents to offer their units."There's 45 million rental rentals in the United States, [and] the overwhelming majority of those rentals today do not allow the residents to Airbnb their homes part time to potentially keep up with the cost of living," Stein said. Analyst warning of local Airbnb collapse says Austin has more rentals than homes for sale The company said that more than 2,900 apartment units in the nine complexes will participate. Those complexes include:Seven, at 615...

Vikings RB Alexander Mattison participates in walkthrough after minor injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

Vikings running back Alexander Mattison appeared to tweak something near the end of practice on Tuesday.Let’s call it a lower-body injury.Though he was visibly limping as he walked gingerly toward the Vikings locker room, Mattison assured a couple of his teammates that he was going to be OK.It doesn’t seem to be too serious considering Mattison was present for Wednesday’s walkthrough. The structure of the day made it pretty easy for Mattison to go through the motions. The players did not wear helmets, nor did they go full speed at any point.It’s unclear if he would have been able to participate in an actual practice, But the fact Mattison is already back on the field would suggest he’s dong fine.That’s good news for the Vikings considering fellow running backs Kene Nwangwu and Ty Chandler don’t have much NFL experience. Both have been competing throughout training camp for the right to be Mattison’s backup this season.Now the real test for Mattison will come on Thu...

Lime to roll out electric-assist bike sharing in St. Paul by mid-August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

After a nearly five-year hiatus, the micro-mobility company Lime will roll out 200 bicycles in St. Paul this month, the city’s first foray into e-bikesharing with electric-assist bikes, which are already prevalent in Minneapolis and on the University of Minnesota campus.To begin, “Lime riders from Minneapolis will be able to ride into St. Paul this month,” said Jacob Tugendrajch, a New York-based spokesman for Lime. “We’re aiming for mid-August for a dedicated e-bike fleet launch in St. Paul.”St. Paul hosts two approved e-scooter companies, Lime and Spin, but bike-sharing hasn’t pedaled into the capital city since 2018. LimeBike briefly operated dockless bikes in St. Paul that year, but neither Lime nor the now-defunct nonprofit bike-share vendor Nice Ride Minnesota returned the following year.The bikes can be accessed through the Lime app on a smartphone, or through Uber, a major investor.The St. Paul City Council voted 6-0 on Wednesday to ...

Minnesota Supreme Court voids MPCA’s water permits for PolyMet mining project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the state’s Pollution Control Agency improperly granted permits to a fiercely contested copper-nickel mine and concealed environmental concerns about the project, which critics say threatens to pollute Lake Superior and harm tribal lands.The proposed mining project, a 50-50 joint venture with PolyMet Mining and Teck Resources, was renamed NewRange Copper Nickel in February but is still widely known as PolyMet. It seeks to be Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine, but it has long been stalled by court and regulatory setbacks.The Supreme Court’s 6-0 ruling against the MPCA once again derails the long-sought project, directing the state agency to reconsider the permits.Justices found that state regulators not only ignored concerns from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about the northeastern Minnesota mine, but attempted to conceal EPA warnings from the public.The MPCA “and the EPA sought to avoid public scrutiny and...

Closer look at Saratoga Springs firearms amendment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS N.Y. (NEWS10) – Saratoga Springs City Council passed an amendment to its firearms ordinance Tuesday night. However, not everyone is on board with the amendment as it is.The two main highlights make it illegal to possess a firearm while intoxicated in a public space and outlines penalties for each firearm discharge.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! It all stemmed from the November shootout on Broadway, near Caroline Street, that involved an off-duty Vermont deputy.Mayor Ron Kim says the shots fired during that incident were in the double-digits. Under the newly amended ordinance each shot would be subjected to a fine, that would range from $250 to $2,500. At the city council meeting, Department of Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub expressed concerns about enforcing the law. Saratoga Springs passes amendment to firearms ordinance “It is a near impossible exercise unless you want to violate peoples’ civ...

Wave of construction projects at St. Louis Airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS – It's being called the flight path for the future at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport. So if you head to the airport anytime soon, don’t forget to pack your patience.Passengers can see flight activity on the runway by looking north from Concourses A and C, and the terminal ticketing levels.Two major construction projects are about to wrap up at St. Louis Airport, and director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge is excited.“You should not be surprised. There is a lot of dirt and a lot of concrete. We hope to have that finished by the end of October, so it's gone really well,” she said. “Great partnership with the contractor.” Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW The work to reconstruct the airport’s most-used runways continues, with work...

Five Weeknight Dishes: Herby orzo with a bright topping

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

By Emily Weinstein, The New York TimesIf you only master two cooking fundamentals this summer, let it be these: cooking meat, fish, tofu and vegetables in utterly simple ways and making an easy sauce to go with them. Yewande Komolafe’s steak recipe brings both skills together in one dish, giving you instructions for grilling the meat and blending up a sauce of scallions, garlic, parsley and chiles. Likewise, Ali Slagle’s baked BBQ chicken comes down to properly roasting bone-in chicken leg quarters in a sticky-sweet blanket of barbecue sauce. Melissa Clark’s new orzo recipe leans on golden brown sautéed zucchini and pesto for instantaneous flavor.These recipes and more are below, and there are thousands and thousands more at New York Times Cooking. (Subscribe for full access.) For a few more weeks, text a fruit or vegetable emoji to 361-COOK-NYT (361-266-5698) and get free recipes.1. One-Pan Zucchini-Pesto OrzoKeeping pesto on hand (store-bought or homemade and frozen) is one of the...

Man who escaped federal prison in Colorado is arrested in Florida

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

A fugitive who escaped from the Englewood Federal Correctional Institute nearly five years ago was arrested Tuesday in a $1.5 million home in Florida.Allen Todd May, 58, was serving a 20-year sentence, after being convicted of mail fraud, when on Dec. 21, 2018, he escaped from the federal prison at 9595 W. Quincy Ave., Littleton.May was arrested Tuesday night by federal and local authorities at a $1.5 million Fort Lauderdale residence within two miles of the Atlantic Ocean, according to a U.S. Marshals Service news release.In September 2022, the marshals service issued a statement offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to May’s capture.An anonymous tipster, on July 25, provided a photo, believed to be of May, published on the website of the Palm Beach Daily News, the release said. The same tipster said May used an alias, Jacob Turner, and they provided a LinkedIn profile that listed “mediation” as a business, something investigators knew about May from hi...

Rockies suffer painful, 11-1 loss to Padres at Coors Field

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

As the Rockies take baby steps toward a youth movement, growing pains are to be expected. But their 11-1 loss to the Padres on Wednesday afternoon was agonizing.Playing on their home turf, the Rockies managed just four hits against five San Diego pitchers, struck out 15 times and hit 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.Lefty Kyle Freeland continues to be haunted by a shocking lack of offensive support. Freeland wasn’t great Wednesday, mostly because he served up three home runs, but his lack of run support has been maddening.This season, he’s averaged just 2.95 runs of support per start, the lowest in the majors. Over his last 12 starts, he’s 0-8 with a 2.04 run-support average.That’s not to say that Freeland has been sharp. Over those last 11 starts, he has a 6.28 ERA with 12 homers given up. Wednesday, he was charged with four runs on seven hits, with six strikeouts and one walk over six innings.The game began in ominous fashion for Colorado. Ha-Seong...

Actress Leah Remini files lawsuit against Church of Scientology, leader David Miscavige

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:30 GMT

Leah Remini has stepped up her years-long battle against the Church of Scientology. The actress filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in a Los Angeles superior court against the church and its current leader, David Miscavige. Remini made the announcement in a statement on Substack."After 17 years of harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and defamation, I am filing a lawsuit against Scientology and David Miscavige," she wrote. The point of the lawsuit is to require the church "and any entity it controls and funds, to cease and desist its alleged practice of harassment, defamation an other unlawful conduct against anyone who Scientology has labeled as an 'enemy.'"She's also seeking compensation for what she claims "Scientology has inflicted on her and her career."Leah Remini arrives at night one of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)The former "King of Queens" star further explained in her statement that spe...