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Federal judge temporarily blocks part of Kentucky law banning gender-affirming care for trans youths

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked Kentucky’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youths on Wednesday, taking the action shortly before the measure was set to take effect.In issuing the preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge David Hale sided with seven transgender minors and their parents, who sued the state officials responsible for enforcing the provisions banning the use of puberty blockers and hormones.“Justice is served today as the most egregious parts of Kentucky’s anti-trans law are struck down by a federal judge,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, a Kentucky-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group.Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron called it a “misguided decision” that “tramples the right” of state lawmakers to make public policy for the state. Cameron said his office will continue doing “everything in our power” to defend the measure.At least 20 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gen...

US commits more lawyers to address Native American disappearances and killings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced it will be funneling more resources toward addressing the alarming rate of disappearances and killings among Native Americans.As part of a new outreach program, the agency will dispatch five attorneys and five coordinators to several regions around the country to help with investigations of unsolved cases and related crimes.Their reach will span from New Mexico and Arizona to Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Michigan and Minnesota. Attorney General Merrick Garland acknowledged that the crisis has shattered the lives of victims, their families and entire tribal communities.“The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families,” Garland said in a statement.The announcement came as a special commission gathered in Albuquerque for one of its final fie...

Biden’s brother says the president is ‘very open-minded’ about psychedelics for medical treatment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s youngest brother said in a radio interview Wednesday that the president has been “very open-minded” in conversations the two have had about the benefits of psychedelics as a form of medical treatment.Frank Biden made the comments during a call into The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM. The host had just interviewed a Wall Street Journal reporter who recently wrote about powerful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and employees who believe the use of psychedelics and similar substances can help lead to business breakthroughs. “He is very open-minded,” Frank Biden said when asked by Smerconish about conversations he’s had with the president on the topic. “Put it that way. I don’t want to speak, I’m talking brother-to-brother. Brother-to-brother,” the younger Biden said. “The question is, is the world, is the U.S. ready for this? My opinion is that we are on the cusp of a consciousness that needs to be brought ...

BlackBerry Ltd. reports US$11 million loss in first quarter as revenue rises

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

WATERLOO, ONT. — BlackBerry Ltd. reported losses of US$11 million in its latest quarter, up 93 per cent from a loss of US$181 million a year earlier.The Waterloo, Ont.-based company, which reports in U.S. dollars, says revenue for the first quarter ended May 31 was US$373 million, up 122 per centfrom US$168 million during the same quarter last year. Diluted loss per share was two cents US, up from a loss of 35 cents US last year.Executive chair and CEO John Chen says in a press release that revenue growth was driven in part by billings, anchored on strength in the company’s core verticals, particularly government.BlackBerry says cybersecurity revenue was US$93 million, down from US$113 million a year earlier, while Internet-of-Things revenue was also lower.Licensing and other revenue rose to US$235 million from just US$4 million last year, including US$218 million related to BlackBerry’s recent patent sale to Malikie Innovations Ltd. This report by The Canadian Press was...

5 new shelter locations being considered for migrants in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee held their first meeting under the new city administration on Wednesday to discuss the possible creation of five new shelters for migrants who are sleeping at Chicago police stations.The five shelters prosed would be able to house 2,500 people.The locations being considered for the five shelter are: the former Marine Corps Reserve Center on Foster Avenue, the Broadway Armory in Edgewater, Taylor Park, the Community Justice Center on the city's south side, and a former CVS Pharmacy building in Little Village. Chicago celebrates cultural diversity on World Refugee Day Discussions of the need to find more spaces to convert them into shelters for migrants, but the bulk of the meeting was spent on Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration laying out long-term plans to help them.According to Illinois State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, there were nearly 5,000 individuals in 12 shelters, with over 650 of those migrants located at polic...

16 states, DC currently under poor air quality alerts - here's when things will change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Residents in more than a dozen states are currently blanketed in hazy skies and poor air quality as smoke from Canadian wildfires moves through the Midwest and Northeast. For many, the worsening air is expected to stick around for at least another day. As of Wednesday afternoon, five U.S. cities - Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. - rank among the 10 metropolitan areas with the worst air quality in the world, according to IQ Air. Toronto, Canada, had the worst air quality at 186 AQI (air quality index). Areas in the U.S. are worse though. Decatur, Illinois, 40 miles east of Springfield, had the worst air quality in the country - 282 AQI - as of 4 p.m. ET, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow. Cities from Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin also had AQIs over 220. Amid wildfire smoke and sweltering heat, don’t overlook this button in your car Many of the Midwestern cities that have had high AQIs for much of the week are expecte...

Glen Ellyn police searching for missing and endangered woman; car last seen in Naperville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — Glen Ellyn police are searching for a missing and endangered woman whose car was last seen Tuesday in Naperville.According to the Glen Ellyn Police Department, Lauren Irby, 72, was reported missing on Tuesday but was last heard from on Thursday. Delphi documents: Richard Allen told wife he killed girls; investigators believe knife used in murders Her car, a 2021 sliver Kia Soul, was last seen Tuesday in Naperville, according to police. The car has Massachusetts license plate 1MEJ87.Irby is described as being about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 148 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Glen Ellyn police at 630-469-1187.

A look at Chicago's No. 1 overall picks in pro sports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

CHICAGO — It's not too often that a major Chicago professional sports team gets the chance to select a player with the No. 1 overall pick in that league's draft, so Wednesday is a special day.The Blackhawks hold the top selection in the 2023 NHL Draft which will be conducted in Nashville at 6 p.m., where the team is expected to pick center Connor Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick. So how many times have Chicago teams had the chance to select at the spot? It's not been as much as one would think, and one team, the Chicago Sky, never have in the WNBA Draft.(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)Blackhawks - 2 times - 2007 & 2023The only other time the Blackhawks had the No. 1 overall pick was in 2007 when they selected forward Patrick Kane. Like 2023, it came after the team won the lottery, and it turned out to be arguably the greatest selection in franchise history to this date.Kane was one of the faces of the team that made the playoff nine-straight years and won three Stanley Cu...

Trial date set in Nate Paul federal case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 28, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) – A federal judge has set a date for jury selection, trial and a plea-deal deadline in the criminal case of Nate Paul, the Austin real estate investor linked to allegations against suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to federal court records.Paul, 36, was indicted on June 6 on eight felony counts related to making false statements and false reports to credit unions and mortgage lending institutions, according to federal records. He has pleaded not guilty. Explore: Who is Nate Paul — the Austin real estate investor charged with 8 federal counts Jury selection and the trial are now set to begin Aug. 14, and any plea agreements must be entered by July 28, unless there is “good cause shown for the delay,” according to an order signed by Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra on June 27.One of Paul’s attorneys, Gerry Morris, previously told KXAN that Paul denies all the alleg...

Is an Airbnb 'collapse' happening in Austin?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A viral tweet by the CEO of Austin-based Reventure Consulting claimed the city's Airbnb reservations are collapsing, with revenue down by 46.1%; however, another data firm claimed its data shows a much smaller decline over the past year.AirDNA, the company arguing against Reventure Consulting's claims, provided KXAN with their results alongside Reventure's published numbers:AirDNA said it could not speak directly about the claims made by Reventure Consulting CEO Nicholas Gerli but did say its team could not replicate his results.KXAN reached out to Gerli for his analysis and response to AirDNA but has not yet received a reply.Airbnb's revenue up in Q1 Airbnb does not provide its data to third parties, citing federal law -- as a publicly traded company, they only release metrics during their quarterly reports. The company did not provide data to support or discredit either group's claims."The data is not consistent with our own data," Airbnb said in a statement, "As ...