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DeSantis proposes expansion of law criticized as 'Don't Say Gay'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

(The Hill) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration is proposing an expansion of a law — dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” — that prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to all grades in the state.The proposal to expand the ban on classroom instruction on the topics was proposed by the state Education Department, and would ban such lessons in grades 4-12, unless it is expressly required by state academic standards or part of a reproductive health course which a parent has the option to opt out of. The current law prohibits the teaching to students in pre-K to third grade.The proposal would not need legislative approval and is set to be voted on by the state Board of Education next month, according to the Associated Press, setting up a possible extension of a law that has drawn applause from conservatives but has been criticized as a move that stifles free speech and targets the LGBTQ community. DeSantis has tapped into cultural issues, including q...

Amber Alert issued for 13-year-old last seen in Azle, near Fort Worth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

AZLE, Texas (KXAN) -- An Amber Alert was issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety Thursday for a 13-year-old last seen in a town near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Aubree Trainer was last seen Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas, which is about 17 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Trainer is described as:5'4"103 lbsBrown hairGreen eyesLast seen wearing glasses, a black t-shirt with 'Tupac' written in print, tie-dye pants, white slide shoes, and her hair in a bunTrainer was seen traveling with an unknown suspect in a white panel van with unknown license plates, pictured below. Anyone with information should call 911.Aubree Trainer was last seen in this van, with an unknown suspect, on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas. (Photo: Texas DPS)Aubree Trainer was last seen in this van, with an unknown suspect, on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Boyd Road in Azle, Texas. (Photo: Texas DPS)Call 817-444-3221 to re...

Austin Public Health says deadly fungus spreading in the U.S. is a ‘top threat’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  Austin Public Health said that Candida auris (C. auris) — the often multidrug-resistant and deadly fungus — is “very concerning” and a “top threat” for the agency, though there are currently no known cases in Austin. C. auris is a fungus that first appeared in Japan in 2009. After the initial case, the fungus showed up in several locations across the globe simultaneously, said Betsy Kirkpatrick, a disease investigator with APH.The fungus doesn't typically threaten healthy people, but for people who are very sick or have invasive medical devices such as catheters or ventilators, they have more than a one in three chance of dying if infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that the fungus is a serious global health threat, saying it spread at an “alarming rate” during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. C. auris was first reported in the U.S. in 2016. From 2016 through 2021, there were 3,270 reported clinical cases — meaning ...

Austin evictions back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Evictions in Austin are back up to pre-pandemic levels, according to a research center based at Princeton University called the Eviction Lab. RELATED COVERAGE: Travis County approves funding for program that will help people facing eviction, talks minimum wage According to their data, there were 262 eviction filings in Austin from February 26 to March 4. In one week of March 2020, there were 129 filings. The Eviction Lab reported numbers were up 180% from the average as of earlier this month. This comes as the Texas Rent Relief portal had to shut down earlier than planned because of the high demand. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Renters in ‘crisis’ after Texas Rent Relief shutdown According to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, it saw more than 100,000 applications just one day after the system opened. According to the researchers, eviction filings in Austin were higher than average at the beginning of 2020 but then took a dip once eviction moratoriums ...

Man charged with sexual assault, accused of attack near downtown Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man has been charged with aggravated sexual assault after he was accused of attacking a woman riding a scooter near downtown Austin. Court documents report police responded to a call near Interstate 35 and 14th Street around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Police found a victim "visibly injured" with a split lower jaw, bodily bruises and evidence of a sexual assault, per the affidavit.The victim told police a man "made contact with her" while she was riding a scooter and traveling east under the I-35 bridge. The victim said the man punched her several times before sexually assaulting her, court documents show.Officers found and identified Aaron Lewis, a 44-year-old man matching the suspect description, under the I-35 bridge. Lewis told police he saw the victim riding a scooter under the bridge and asked her to perform sexual acts on him, per the affidavit.When she said no, Lewis told police he struck her jaw before climbing on top of her for several minutes. Lewis told...

‘Mount Eden Prairie,’ a giant snow pile in a Target parking lot, is going viral

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

A suburban parking lot, a big snow pile and a Target shopping cart have combined to create a local attraction that stands as a landmark to our eighth snowiest winter.They’re even talking about it in England!“A pile of dirty snow in a parking lot topped with a Target shopping cart has received its own name and has been predicted to stick around until May,” the Independent reported. “The pile of snow in the Eden Prairie Center parking lot has been dubbed ‘Mount Eden Prairie.'”The snow pile, located in the Target parking lot at 8225 Flying Cloud Dr., is also known as “Mount Target.” The shopping cart at its summit is what inspired Becky Allen to paint it in a creation called “King of the Mountain Shopping Cart – Eden Prairie Target March 2023.”“If I hadn’t seen the cart on it, I probably would’ve just thought, ‘Oh, that’s a big snowbank’ and kept driving on,” Allen told Robyn Katona of Minnesota Public Radio. ̶...

Vikings quietly sign fullback C.J. Ham to 2-year contract extension

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

If some of the moves the Vikings have made this offseason are any indication, it’s clear they are investing in the running game.After signing free agent tight end Josh Oliver — among the best blockers in the NFL at his position — the Vikings quietly agreed to a contract extension with longtime fullback C.J. Ham this week. Both moves signal a commitment to the ground game, as does bringing back running back Alexander Mattison on a 2-year, $7 million contract.Ham’s agency Team IFA announced on Twitter that it will be a two-year contraction extension. The move will likely lower the $3.8 million cap hit previously attached to Ham and give the Vikings some financial flexibility moving forward.No place like home! #30 remains in Minnesota on two year extension. Let’s go @cjham28 pic.twitter.com/OVScnpOBxx— Team IFA (@TeamIFA) March 22, 2023Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Augustana in Sioux Falls, S.D., Ham has played in 96 games with the Vikings and b...

AP source: Trump grand jury hearing other matters Thursday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — The Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trump over hush money payments planned to hear testimony on other matters Thursday, seemingly further delaying a vote on whether or not to indict the former president, according to a person familiar with the matter.There was no immediate explanation for why the grand jury, which did not meet at all on Wednesday, would not take up the Trump matter during its scheduled Thursday session. It was also not clear when or if prosecutors might resume presenting evidence before the panel or when they might ask the group for a decision on bringing historic criminal charges.The panel is an investigative grand jury, meaning it hears other cases beyond the one centered on hush money payments during the 2016 campaign that were meant to silence the claims of a porn actor who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. The person who confirmed that the grand jury would be...

New York moves to prevent drug-resistant Candida auris fungus infections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — As potentially life-threatening fungal infections spread nationwide, Gov. Kathy Hochul is underscoring New York's existing prevention efforts. The CDC this week issued a report warning about Candida auris, which can cause deadly, drug-resistant infections in hospitalized patients. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! According to the governor's office, the New York State Department of Health has been working with health care providers since 2016 to track the multidrug-resistant yeast infections in hospitals and long-term care facilities. When a case is confirmed or suspected, officials recommend the patient be moved into a private room, or housed with other patients or residents with the same infection."While the CDC report on this drug-resistant fungus is concerning, our ability to track these infections is nation-leading and continues to help us take the aggressive action needed to contain this threat ...

Cow escapes slaughterhouse, runs through NYC streets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:24 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) — A cow grabbed life by the horns by breaking free at a slaughterhouse and running loose through the streets of Brooklyn on Tuesday. Now, it's life will be spared. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The 4-month-old calf was being delivered from a truck to the Saba Live Poultry slaughterhouse in Canarsie when she escaped and started running around in the streets, according to Mike Stura, the founder of Skylands Animal Sanctuary in Wantage, New Jersey.Video of the jailbreak showed the calf evading people in the streets as they tried to round her up. The calf was eventually recaptured after a few minutes on the run, according to Stura. Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine attacked by multiple people at Florida gym, lawyer confirms The calf was then transported back to the farm she came from in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Stura said he asked the owners of the calf to let her live out her life at Skylands Animal Sanctuary, but it ...