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North Dakota governor OKs law to ignore transgender pronouns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has signed a bill into law that allows public school teachers and state government employees to ignore the pronouns their transgender students and colleagues use, the governor’s office announced Monday.The new law also requires teachers to tell a parent or legal guardian if the student identifies as transgender. It also prohibits transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice without prior approval from a parent or guardian.It is effective immediately.Burgum said in a statement that the new law “largely codifies existing practices while reaffirming the First Amendment right to free speech … balancing the rights and interests of students, parents and teachers.”Opponents countered that the state’s Republican leaders are violating the constitutional rights of students and teachers by compelling the speech of adults and potentially exposing children to dangerous repercussions if an abusive parent doesn̵...

Family, friends gather at private funeral for Gordon Lightfoot in his hometown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

ORILLIA, Ont. — Close friends and family of Gordon Lightfoot came together for a small, private funeral on Monday held at the Orillia, Ont. church where he was once a choir boy.A group of roughly 50 people assembled inside St. Paul’s United Church for the nearly two-hour ceremony that included a choir performance accompanied by an organ.Underneath the virtually cloudless sunny sky, the local community went about the day as any other, with some doing yard work and a few curious onlookers wandering past the church to observe the activity.One neighbour set up a lawn chair outside his house to see if Canadian rock royalty the likes of Joni Mitchell and Neil Young might pull up.They didn’t seem to, however. Most of the visible mourners appeared to be Lightfoot’s extended family, band mates and others who worked with him over the years.After the ceremony finished, Lightfoot’s casket was loaded into a hearse and left the church grounds as a small crowd of people gathered ...

Opening statements begin for fatal NY limo crash trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — A limousine company operator on trial for a crash that killed 20 people in upstate New York was portrayed by a prosecutor Monday as directly responsible for the deaths, while a defense lawyer argued he was simply in the dark about mechanical problems likely to blame for the wreck.Nauman Hussain, operator of Prestige Limousine, is charged with criminally negligent homicide and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the 2018 crash in Schoharie, a village west of Albany.During opening statements Monday, special prosecutor Frederick Rench said Hussain intentionally failed to follow regulations for maintaining the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch SUV, which was loaded with friends on an outing when it spun out of control on a hill and crashed into a parked car, trees and an embankment.Hussain did not have the authority to operate his limo business, which was placed out of service multiple times before the tragedy, Rench said. The vehicle’s aging brakes, he ...

Search for teen in Philadelphia ambush zeroes in on Atlanta

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The search is focusing on the Atlanta area for a teenage suspect in a 2022 ambush that killed a 14-year-old and wounded several other teenagers outside a Philadelphia high school after a football scrimmage, authorities said Monday.U.S. marshals in Philadelphia are working with their counterparts in the Southeast and are seeking help from the public in light of “credible information” that as of November 2022, the now-17-year-old suspect was “hiding in the Atlanta, Georgia area,” a Marshals Service task force said in a news release.The reward for information leading to the arrest of Dayron Burney-Thorn, of Philadelphia, has been increased to $50,000, up from $45,000, according to the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force.A judge in January ordered an adult and three other juveniles to stand trial in the shooting. All are charged as adults with murder, aggravated assault, firearms crimes and other counts. Authorities said five pe...

Man, 30, found shot to death on South Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

CHICAGO — A homicide investigation is underway after a 30-year-old man was discovered fatally shot on the city's South Side.Police said the man was found unresponsive in the 8000 block of South Champlain just before 10 a.m. Monday with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.He was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been released.According to police, circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. No one is in custody.

Planet Fitness to give teens free gym passes for summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

CHICAGO — Planet Fitness is now offering a free summer gym pass to teenagers across the country. In the next week, teenagers between the ages of 14 to 19 can sign up for a free gym pass that runs from May 15 to August 31. Special Olympics to take off at Solider Field Tuesday Planet Fitness is also giving away $200,000 to high schools and students for teens who chose to participate in a video contest. Teens interested can sign up in person or online at Free Summer Gym Membership for Teens | Planet Fitness

Monday Forecast: Temps near 60 with showers likely

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

Monday: Mainly cloudy, rain showers, cooler lakeside, E 5-10 G20. High: 50, low: 56Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Monday Night: Evening rain chance, mostly cloudy, NNE 5-15 G20. Low: 49Chicago Area Radar | WGN TVTuesday's weather forecast is looking Mostly sunny, cooler lakeside, N 5-10 G15. High: 67, Low: 58

Suspended schedule lifted at Glenbrook North HS after fake school threat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Police in Northbrook responded to Glenbrook North High School after receiving a "swatting call," though the threat was deemed false. The school has since resumed its normal activities.Glenbrook High Schools District 225 announced on social media Monday that the school was under a suspended schedule.SEE ALSO | Friday classes canceled after fire at Glenbrook South High SchoolThe suspended schedule was lifted after the 'all clear' was given by Northbrook police. Last month, several Illinois counties were targeted with swatting calls, with Illinois State Police investigating nearly two dozen in one day alone. All threats were unfounded. SEE ALSO | Illinois police investigate nearly 2 dozen school threatsThe "swatting call" response comes days after classes were canceled at Glenbrook South High School on Friday following a fire the day prior. No one was injured.

Bill to raise age for semi-automatic rifle purchases clears Texas House committee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Legislation that aims to raise the age for purchasing certain semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old advanced through a Texas House committee Monday. House Bill 2744 passed with an 8 to 5 vote. Several people in the hearing room clapped and cheered after the vote.8-5, The Texas House Select Committee on Community Safety delivers a vote evoking tears of relief and gratitude from Uvalde families, nearly one year after their children were killed. This is significant progress for their calls to raise the age. pic.twitter.com/FAwq74t9si— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandler98) May 8, 2023The bill now heads to the Calendars committee, which will decide when the bill will come up for a vote on the House floor. Time is a key factor. The House faces a deadline Thursday at midnight to give preliminary approval to legislation in order for it to have a chance to become law.The committee vote came during a recess in the House floor proceedings, following an emotional spee...

Under mounting pressure, Rep. Bryan Slaton resigns before expulsion vote in Texas House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:58:17 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Rep. Bryan Slaton resigned from the Texas House on Monday after an investigative panel found he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 19-year-old woman on his staff, providing her with enough alcohol before their encounter that she felt dizzy and had double vision.Pressure had mounted on Slaton to resign since Saturday, when the House General Investigative Committee released a 16-page report finding he had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with an aide. The committee of three Republicans and two Democrats recommended that Slaton be the first state representative expelled from the body since 1927.Texas Right to Life, a staunchly anti-abortion group that was a key supporter of Slaton’s political campaigns, revoked its endorsement Monday, saying it was a “Christian organization” that held its staff, board members, scholarship recipients and political endorsees to high moral standards.“In light of recent reports and the findings of the Texas...