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Court battle begins over Missouri’s ban on gender-affirming health care for minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the families of transgender children are in court this week fighting over whether a new law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled Monday. Lawyers last month sued to overturn the law on behalf of three families of transgender minors, doctors and two LGBTQ+ organizations. They asked a county judge to temporarily block the law as the court challenge against it plays out.Hearings over pausing the law are taking place this week in Springfield. A judge is expected to rule before Monday. THE LAWThe law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson in June, would prohibit Missouri health care providers from providing puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries to minors. Minors prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 would be able to continue to receive those treatments.Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics had been ramping up available appoi...

A bus carrying Mexicans and Venezuelan migrants crashes, killing 15 people and injuring 36

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A bus carrying Mexicans and Venezuelan migrants crashed into a freight truck Tuesday in central Mexico, killing 16 people and injuring 36, local authorities said.The National Immigration Institute said that 15 of the dead were Mexicans, but one was a Venezuelan citizen. Nine of the injured were Venezuelans who had appointments on the CBP app to apply for asylum at the U.S. border. The accident happened early Tuesday on a highway that runs south toward Oaxaca state. The route is frequently used by migrant smugglers.Migrants frequently use trucks and buses to travel through Mexico to reach the U.S. border, and accidents involving those vehicles are not uncommon in Mexico.In July, five Honduran migrants were killed and another 18 injured when the van they were riding in crashed on a road on Mexico’s southern Gulf coast.In February 17 migrants were killed when the bus they were traveling in crashed in Puebla.Migrants frequently use trucks and buses to travel through M...

Yale police union flyers warning of high crime outrage school, city leaders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

Yale University and New Haven officials blasted the labor union representing campus police officers Tuesday for handing out flyers telling new students it was unsafe to leave school grounds, walk alone, take public transportation or be outdoors after 8 p.m.The pamphlets, distributed Sunday as incoming Yale freshmen moved into their dorms, came emblazoned with a hooded skull and purported to be a “survival guide” for first-year students at the prestigious university.They portrayed Yale’s home city on the Connecticut coast as a place to be avoided, especially after dark.“The incidence of crime and violence in New Haven is shockingly high, and it is getting worse,” it warned, offering examples of recent crimes.School and city officials called the handouts a misleading scare tactic by a union seeking a new contract.“They handed out unbelievably offensive flyers with misrepresentative information, scaring Yale students and promoting a narrative of our city that is inaccurate and to...

Kentucky commission approves licenses for September launch of sports wagering

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky awarded licenses Tuesday for horse tracks to operate sports betting facilities and for companies to accept online bets, paving the way for legal wagering on sporting events to start in September.The action by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission means bettors now know where they can place in-person sports wagers starting Sept. 7 and which mobile applications can take wagers beginning Sept. 28.The Bluegrass State has been on an accelerated push to launch legal sports wagering since Kentucky lawmakers passed a sports betting measure at the end of their session in late March.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear praised the horse racing commission on Tuesday for “getting this done right and getting it done in time for the opening of the NFL season.”The following Kentucky racetracks and their satellite facilities were approved to open a retail sportsbook: Churchill Downs, Louisville; Derby City Gaming, Louisville; Ellis Park, Henderson; the Mint Gaming Hall Cumberlan...

Federal judge orders utility to turn over customer information amid reports of improper water use

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered Mississippi’s largest electric utility to turn over information on customers in and around the capital city who might be using water without paying for it. In a Monday court filing, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate granted a motion by Ted Henifin — the federally appointed interim manager of Jackson’s water and sewer systems — that compels Entergy Mississippi to turn over names, addresses and contact information for customers in over 30 zip codes in the area. The order comes months after Henifin said Jackson is collecting only a little more than half of the money it bills for water use, far below the rate at which most American cities obtain such fees. JXN Water, the corporation Henifin formed to manage water infrastructure projects, will cross reference the Entergy customer records with city records to see what homes might be using water without a utility account. “This is essential to updating and correcting the informa...

Texas’ floating barrier to stop migrants draws recurring concerns from Mexico, US official says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Mexico’s government has repeatedly raised concerns with the U.S. about large buoys Texas put on the Rio Grande to deter migrants and agreements between the two countries could suffer if the floating barrier remains in place, a State Department official said in court Tuesday.The testimony sought to reinforce what the Biden administration argues are the diplomatic stakes over wrecking-ball-sized buoys that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized this summer as part of the Republican’s increasingly hardline measures in the name of curbing the flow of migrants crossing the border.U.S. District Judge David Ezra did not immediately rule at the conclusion of the hearing Tuesday in Austin. At one point, Ezra said the issue centered on whether Abbott has the power to unilaterally try stopping what the governor has described as an “invasion” on America’s southern border. “Mexico has sensitivities about sovereignty and doesn’t want to be seen as a lesser ...

In session reacting to school shooting, Tennessee GOP lawmaker orders removal of public from hearing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Families close to a Nashville fatal school shooting broke down in tears Tuesday after a Tennessee Republican leader ordered state troopers to remove them and others from a legislative hearing room while they waited to testify in favor of gun control measures.The emotional scene was just one of several chaotic moments that erupted during the second day of Tennessee’s special legislative session. Republican Gov. Bill Lee initially called lawmakers back to the Capitol to consider his proposal to keep firearms away from dangerous people.“I was supposed to speak, I was supposed to testify,” said Sarah Shoop Neumann, sobbing and shaking in front of the silent GOP-controlled House subcommittee room, which was cleared out after some clapping from the public gallery, even though she sat quietly and wasn’t holding any signs.As a parent whose child attends The Covenant School, Neumann is among the family members desperately attempting to address the state’s ...

White Sox: Ken Williams, Rick Hahn relieved of duties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox announced that Ken Williams, executive vice president, and Rick Hahn, senior vice president/general manager, have been relieved of their responsibilities, effective immediately.“This is an incredibly difficult decision for me to make because they are both talented individuals with long-term relationships at the White Sox," said Jerry Reinsdorf, White Sox chairman. "Ken is like a son to me, and I will always consider him a member of my family. I want to personally thank Ken and Rick for all they have done for the Chicago White Sox, winning the 2005 World Series and reaching the postseason multiple times during their tenures. I have nothing but the greatest respect for them as people and appreciate the commitment and passion for the White Sox they exhibited over the years.“Ultimately, the well-worn cliche that professional sports is results-oriented is correct,” Reinsdorf said. “While we have enjoyed successes as an organization and were optimistic head...

Athletes defined by determination – not disabilities – compete in Chicago Triathlon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

WGN’s Mike Lowe is participating in the Life Time Chicago Triathlon to raise money for the non-profit “It Takes a Village Chicago,” a non-profit that builds weight rooms for youth in underserved communities and underfunded schools. You can donate here. Each Tuesday in August, we’re bringing you stories about the Triathlon.Here’s Triathlon Tuesday Part 1: https://wgntv.com/news/mike-lowe-triathlon/lessons-of-strength-hard-work-inspiring-youth-beyond-club-weight-rooms/Here’s Triathlon Tuesday Part 2: https://wgntv.com/news/mike-lowe-triathlon/father-daughter-train-together-to-compete-against-each-other/Here’s Triathlon Tuesday Part 3: https://wgntv.com/video/top-40-bolingbrook-man-prepares-for-40th-consecutive-chicago-triathlon/8909463/CHICAGO — This week, we’re meeting a man who knows a thing or two about big challenges.Angelo Perez has been preparing for the Chicago Triathlon for about 12 weeks on what you might call his ‘training wheels.’“I am a 55-year-old disabled male that is go...

Tuesday Forecast: Excessive heat around Chicagoland area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:08 GMT

Excessive Heat Warning: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. WednesdayExcessive Heat Watch: In place for ThursdayTonight: Partly cloudy, hazy, warm and more humid. Low 76—closer to 70 inland.Wednesday: Sun mixed with summertime cumulus clouds, turning windy, intensely hot and humid. A near record or record high approaching 99-deg.  Peak afternoon heat indices: 108 to 113-deg.  Gusts to 30 mph by afternoon.,Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, breezy, hazy, very warm and and humid. Low 81 in the city—mid 70s inland.Thursday: A good deal of sunshine, intensely hot and humid with haze.  Sharp cooling later in the day begins on the North Shore and reaches across the city by and during the evening—but not before a potential record high of 101 and a peak heat index around 112.  Reading falling back to the 70s lakeside areas late in the day.Friday: Partly cloudy, not quite as warm—but still humid. Chance of a few t-storms in the afternoon or at night. High 89—but low 80s lakeshore.Saturday and ...