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DeSantis bills on diversity, gender pass Florida committees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans on Monday advanced two key initiatives of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run — banning gender affirming care for minors and eliminating diversity programs in colleges.The proposals have cleared separate committees but must still win approval from the full House and Senate chambers.DeSantis is pursing an aggressive conservative agenda on race, gender and education ahead of his expected candidacy, continuing a stance that has made him one of the most popular Republicans in the country. The Republican supermajority in the statehouse is set to rubber stamp virtually all DeSantis’ priorities during this year’s legislative session, giving the governor a platform of policy wins that could prove popular during a GOP primary.The governor has been a leading critic of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in colleges, known as DEI, as well as Critical Race Theory, which is a way of thinking about American hist...

Police report two pedestrians killed by truck in eastern Quebec crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

Police say two men have died after a pickup truck plowed into pedestrians who were walking beside a road in the eastern Quebec town of Amqui.A provincial police spokeswoman said at least seven other people were injured, including two whose injuries are considered serious.She said the 38-year-old driver turned himself in to police and was arrested under suspicion of fatal hit and run.More to come.

Suspect caught in shooting that left 1 officer dead, 1 hurt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday after police fired tear gas into the home, and arrested the man when he came outside. The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Hermann, a town of 2,100 residents about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of St. Louis. Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith of the Hermann Police Department died, and Officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the shooting happened after the officers went into the convenience store to arrest 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County on multiple outstanding warrants. Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Mitchell said the officers were shot in an altercation inside the store. Authorities wouldn’t say if either officer returned fire.Simpson left the store, and authorities weren’t initially sure where h...

Tennessee Senate OKs push to define ‘sex’; may risk funding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Transgender people in Tennessee would be prevented from changing their driver’s licenses and birth certificates under legislation approved by Republican senators Monday.The legislation, which still must clear the House chamber, would define male and female in state law and base people’s legal gender identities on their anatomy at birth. Legislative officials have warned that enacting the bill could cost the state millions in federal funding because the definition conflicts with federal rules.According to the fiscal review, Tennessee faces a potential loss of $1.2 billion of federal education funding and $750,000 of federal grants dedicated to help women and children. Other state and local governments could also be impacted, but the review did not detail a specific amount.LGBTQ rights advocates have long argued that having a driver’s license or birth certificate match a person’s identity is not only personally important but also beneficial to avoiding ha...

Kentucky House passes tax-relief bill for bourbon industry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Proposed tax relief for Kentucky’s bourbon makers was fast-tracked Monday in advancing in the state House, but local leaders living near some of the world’s best-known distilleries were in no mood to toast the industry victory.The measure aims to phase out a property tax on the value of stored bourbon barrels — a top industry priority. The phaseout would begin in 2026 and be completed by 2039.House Bill 5 cleared the House on a 59-40 vote, soon after emerging from committee. With only a few days left in this year’s 30-day legislative session, the proposal advances to the Senate, where Republicans also have a supermajority.The barrel tax — assessed only in Kentucky — hurts the state’s competitiveness and threatens to chip away at the state’s status as the bourbon industry epicenter, the bill’s supporters said.“No other manufacturer pays taxes on its goods during production,” said Eric Gregory, president of the the Kentucky Distiller...

Mississippi man’s death prompts calls for federal probe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The family of a Mississippi man whose dismembered body was found in November said his newly released autopsy report shows he was murdered, and they called for a federal investigation into the case Monday. Rasheem Carter, 25, was last seen on Oct. 2 at a hotel in Laurel. On Nov. 2, his decomposing body was found in a wooded area about 21 miles (33.80 kilometers) away in Taylorsville. At a news conference Monday alongside Carter’s family, Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney, said the Justice Department should take up the case after local police said they had no reason to believe the man’s death was the result of foul play. “One thing is for certain,” Crump said. “This was not a natural death. This represents a young man who was killed.”In a statement on social media, the Smith County Sheriff’s Department did not elaborate on why they believed there was no foul play or what led them to the wooded area where Carter’s remains were found. C...

'Baffling beyond belief': Paul Sorvino among entertainers omitted from Oscars' In Memoriam

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

(KTLA) - It is typically the most somber part of the Academy Awards ceremony: the In Memoriam tribute to notable entertainers who have died over the past year.On Sunday night, John Travolta was visibly choked up as he walked on stage to the song "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton-John, Travolta's "Grease" co-star who died of cancer in August 2022. "Since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community in this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we’ve lost, who’ve dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera, through their immeasurable contributions," a visibly emotional Travolta said. "Each of them left an individual and indelible mark, that shared and informed us, they’ve touched our hearts, they’ve made us smile, and became dear friends, who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to.” Photos from the 2023 Oscars: red carpet, ceremony, and more The spotlight then shined on Lenny Kravi...

GOP Oversight chairman subpoenas Hunter Biden associates' bank records

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has issued a subpoena for the bank records belonging to associates of Hunter Biden.The news was first disclosed in a letter that Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the Oversight committee, sent to Comer expressing concerns about the panel’s investigation into presidential ethics.In that letter, Raskin referenced “the sweeping subpoena you recently issued relating to business associates of President Biden’s son,” which he said Democrats were given with “mere hours of notice.” Raskin said this was a break from "longstanding committee practice" of giving the committee's minority a minimum of 48 hours notice for subpoenas.He later said the subpoena compelled Bank of America to produce “all financial records” from a 14-year period — from January 20, 2009 to the present — for three private citizens. One of the individuals targeted was John R. Walker, who is alleged to have “formed a joint venture wit...

Illusionist David Blaine injured during Las Vegas performance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — "Extreme illusionist" David Blaine was injured during a performance Saturday in Las Vegas, according to a news release.Blaine, who was performing at the Resorts World Theater, suffered the injury while jumping into a pile of boxes from a height of 80 feet. According to his team, the stunt is the first of the show. David Blaine successfully flies over the Arizona desert holding onto helium balloons Blaine, well-known for his mind-bending stunts, can be seen in the video below stepping from the platform and falling, arms flailing, into the boxes. He can then be heard yelling in pain. Another angle of Blaine's stunt shows just how far of a fall it was. Representatives say Blaine dislocated his right shoulder in the stunt. Orthopedic doctors in the crowd along with the show's EMS team were able to relocate his shoulder on stage in front of the audience and the performance was able to continue.Resorts...

Trump suggests Pence to blame for Jan. 6 violence after former VP's criticism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:47 GMT

Former President Trump on Monday claimed former Vice President Mike Pence was responsible for the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, two days after Pence took aim at his old boss for his conduct around the riots at the Capitol that day.Trump, speaking to a group of reporters aboard his personal plane en route to a campaign event in Iowa, responded to comments Pence made at the annual Gridiron Dinner in Washington, D.C., in which the former vice president said “history will hold Donald Trump accountable” for the events of Jan. 6.“Had he sent the votes back to the legislatures, they wouldn’t have had a problem with Jan. 6, so in many ways you can blame him for Jan. 6,” Trump said, according to The Washington Post. “Had he sent them back to Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, the states, I believe, No. 1, you have had a different outcome. But I also believe you wouldn’t have had ‘Jan. 6’ as we call it.”Pence has said he did not have the constitutional authority to reject the electoral votes on Jan....