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Commuters stranded in traffic for hours after partial bridge shutdown in Rhode Island

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The sudden westbound closure of one of the busiest bridges in Rhode Island has stranded commuters for hours and sent others driving way off their normal path as the state’s congressional delegation sought federal funds to speed up emergency repairs. State authorities said a critical structural failure in the Washington Bridge resulted in the closure late Monday afternoon. The bridge carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence and serves as a key gateway to the state’s largest city. The bridge carries close to 100,000 vehicles every day.“What’s normally a morning commute time of a 40-to-45-minute drive was 4 1/2 hours,” John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said Tuesday. He was able to work from home on Wednesday. The repair work could take months. Traffic was being redirected to two lanes on the eastbound side for now. Gov. Dan McKee and state and local officials planned to give an updat...

Police identify 14-year-old boy, grandfather killed in Chicago Lawn shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old boy and his 65-year-old grandfather are dead after a shooting on the city's Southwest Side.Chicago police say the deadly shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 3500 block of West 61st Place in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Police seek help identifying woman found dead after south suburban fire According to police, the victims were standing outside in the area, when a grey vehicle approached and two men inside opened fire. Officers say the 14-year-old boy, who has been identified as Juan Medina Jr., suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. It appears the teen may have been targeted in the shooting.The man, who has been identified as Mario Medina, was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries. Police say the vehicle was spotted fleeing westbound on 61st Place. 2 hospitalized after crash involving school bus in Glenview Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and polic...

SCOTUS will rule on limits on a commonly used abortion medication

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to take up a dispute over a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, its first abortion case since it overturned Roe v. Wade last year.The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug mifepristone asking the high court to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy.The nine justices rejected a separate appeal from abortion opponents who challenged the Food and Drug Administration's initial approval of mifepristone as safe and effective in 2000.The case will be argued in the spring, with a decision likely by late June, in the middle of the 2024 presidential and congressional ...

Giuliani arrives at court in defamation case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Rudy Giuliani arrived at federal court this morning in Washington D.C. where he has been found liable of defaming two Georgia election workers.During the 2020 election, Giuliani baselessly accused Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, of fraud. The court heard audio recordings earlier this week from Freeman’s and Moss’ lawyers in which people intimidated the election workers with graphic and racist threats after Giuliani’s false accusations.Although the former New York City mayor did not comment on the case, his lawyers argue that the $47 million in reputational damages that is being sought by plaintiffs is the “civil equivalent of the death penalty.”District Judge Beryl Howell, who is presiding over the case, said in October that Giuliani had flagrantly disregarded an order to provide documents concerning his personal and business assets. Since this is a civil case, as opposed to criminal, the judge told jurors that they must infer that Giulian...

The cheapest and most expensive states to get a divorce in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

(KTLA) - There’s no doubt most people go into matrimony, holy or otherwise, with every intention of it lasting through “richer and poorer,” “sickness and health” and “’til death do we part.”  It’s also true there are an unlimited number of reasons, none of which there is time to discuss here, which can drive a wedge between married partners and result in divorce.  For those in California who are considering divorce, it might come as yet another blow to learn the Golden State ranks as the most expensive place in the United States to dissolve a marriage at an average cost of $10,159, according to a recent analysis. In order to find the most and least expensive states to get a divorce in 2023, Forbes Advisor considered the cost of divorce filing fees, the average cost of a lawyer, the cost of living and the percentage of household income it takes to pay for a divorce across the country.  The Top 10 Most Expensive States to Get a Divorce. (Forbes Advisor)According to...

Jeffrey Foskett, who played with the Beach Boys for decades, dies at 67

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

(WJW) – Musician Jeffrey Foskett, who played with The Beach Boys for nearly four decades, has died.The musician, 67, passed away Monday. He had been battling anaplastic thyroid cancer, Rolling Stone reported. Howard Stern reveals death of close friend, frequent caller Foskett, 67, began performing with the Beach Boys in the early '80s, and later became a member of the touring band for Beach Boys' co-founder Brian Wilson. He also recorded with both the Beach Boys and Wilson, and released a number of albums as a solo artist.THE VIEW - The Beach Boys perform live on "THE VIEW," 9/15/16 (11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, ET) airing on the Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)JEFFREY FOSKETTWASHINGTON, DC - MAY 28: Jeffrey Foskett (L) and Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys perform during the 27th National Memorial Day Concert Rehearsals on May 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morig...

State education board to set new library standards following law prohibiting adult content

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The State Board of Education on Wednesday is expected to approve new rules that school libraries must follow when procuring books, acting on a new law designed to prohibit explicit material.The Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources Act -- the READER Act -- requires book vendors to establish a "rating" for each book they sell to libraries. Gov. Abbott signed it into law in June.“Without attaching any religious, political or cultural belief, this bill does one thing and one thing only — restricts explicit books from unaccompanied minors in Texas public schools,” the bill's author, Plano Republican representative Jared Patterson, told lawmakers during the regular legislative session.How new Texas law restricting some books stacks up nationwideThe bill requires the State Board to approve new standards that school districts must follow when developing their library collection. Those standards prohibit the purchase of "harmful," "sexually expl...

Hays County approves AI facial recognition technology for sheriff's office

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) --- A facial recognition software could come to the Hays County Sheriff's Office in the future. County commissioners recently approved for the sheriff's office to fill out an order form with Clearview AI, a facial recognition company that provides software to law enforcement, government agencies and other organizations.The agenda item said the sheriff's office is approved to purchase Clearview AI software licenses in the FY 2024 budget. "The software is a facial recognition software that will provide law enforcement with greater insight and lead generation through the use of its investigative platform," the agenda item said. It said the term for this purchase is over a three-year period, with $6,495 due each year. It totals out to $19,485. The agenda item said funding for the first year is available in the Sheriff's Office Software Capital general ledger.  What is Clearview AI?According to Clearview AI's website, its platform has the "largest know...

UT Austin says pro-Palestinian protesters 'crossed the line,' launches investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's an active investigation at The University of Texas at Austin looking into protesters who "crossed the line," according to a statement UT posted on X Wednesday morning.According to a pro-Palestinian organization, there were at least two pro-Palestinian protests on campus last week speaking out after they said two UT teaching assistants lost their positions after putting out mental health resources for Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students about Palestine. This came as tensions continued to rise overseas in the Hamas-Israel war. Two UT teaching assistants lose their positions after message about Palestine A UT student part of a pro-Palestinian organization on campus told KXAN multiple organizations were involved in protests on campus last week. KXAN is working to obtain videos and statements from those involved. Reporter Jala Washington also requested an interview with UT. This story will be updated.

UT students embrace shelter adoption, responsible pet ownership

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With an increasing number of University of Texas students seeking companionship and responsibility, students are looking to animal shelters for a remedy.Austin is a 'no-kill' city, meaning the city's shelter partners have limits on the number of animals they can euthanize entering the shelter and must implement a large-scale foster and adoption program. To save every animal possible, shelters across the city are brimming with available pets, and UT students are adopting."Shelters here in Texas are really faced with a lot more overcrowding issues than typical shelters," said Luis Sanchez, director of PR and communications at Austin Pets Alive! "What we believe in is that every pet that's in the shelter system deserves a chance at finding a family, and what sets us aside from most other shelters is that we strictly pull from the euthanasia list. We are really the last chance for a lot of these pets."Hall's cat, Kerbey, was adopted from Austin Pets Alive! in May 2020, a...