(Talk1370.com) -- Four whistleblowers who say they were fired for reporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to the FBI have been awarded nearly $7 million. That and more in your Morning Headlines for April 7.
Paxton Whistleblowers Judgement: A Travis County judge has ruled that four whistleblowers in a long-running lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are due nearly $7 million dollars, after they were all fired in retaliation for reporting Paxton’s actions to the FBI. Last year, Paxton agreed to not contest the case in order to avoid sitting for a deposition under oath; the case stems back to an original settlement of $3.3 million that the Texas House refused to fund in 2023, prompting an impeachment effort that ultimately resulted in Paxton’s acquittal by the Texas Senate. In a statement Friday night, Paxton said his office will appeal the judge’s ruling.
Test Results In I-35 Pileup Crash: A defense attorney for the truck driver accused of intoxication manslaughter in that deadly pileup crash on Interstate 35 last month says his client was completely sober, with blood test results now showing that 37-year old Solomun Araya’s system was completely clear of drugs or alcohol. Araya faces five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault for the March 14 crash in North Austin; investigators say the charges were based on field sobriety tests and signs of intoxication consistent with the use of central nervous system depressants. Araya’s attorney says he’s seeking a bond reduction based on the new evidence. A total of 17 people were involved in the crash; multiple lawsuits have been filed seeking damages.
Austin ISD Takeover Threat: Austin ISD could be at risk of a state takeover - if it doesn’t make significant changes at long-troubled Dobie Middle School in northeast Austin. District leaders say they face a difficult choice about the campus, which could involve a permanent closure, handing it over to a private charter operator, or a temporary closure while the campus is reimagined. Dobie first received an “F” rating from the state in 2018; last week, an appeals court cleared the way for TEA to release its 2022-23 accountability ratings, which district leaders expect to trigger an ultimatum from the state with the campus slated to receive another F rating. AISD Superintendent Mattias Segura says the district will avoid risking state intervention at all costs, unlike what happened in the Houston ISD. A decision on the fate of the campus is expected later this month.
RFK Jr. Visits Texas Measles Epicenter: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the focal point of a measles outbreak in West Texas on Sunday, where an 8-year old girl - the second child to die during the outbreak - was laid to rest. Cases have risen to nearly 500 in the outbreak, which now stretches across 19 counties. Federal officials say the Texas outbreak has been linked to cases in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and a new set of cases reported across the southern border in Mexico. The child who died Thursday was not vaccinated and had no known underlying health conditions; that death comes about five weeks after another young child became the first U.S. measles death in a decade.
Monday's Forecast: Starting off in the 30s and 40s across the area this morning... sunny skies for your Monday afternoon, with a high of 71.