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Largest US gay rights group issues Florida travel advisory for what they say are anti-LGBTQ+ laws

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the U.S. joined other civil rights organizations Tuesday in issuing a travel advisory for Florida, warning that newly passed laws and policies may pose risks to minorities, immigrants and gay travelers.The Human Rights Campaign joined the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Equality Florida in issuing travel or relocation warnings for the Sunshine State, one of the most popular states for tourists to visit in the U.S.While the LGBTQ+ advocacy group said it wasn’t calling for a boycott or making a blanket recommendation against visiting Florida, it said it wanted to highlight new laws passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature that they said are hostile to the LGBTQ+ community, restrict abortion access and allow Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit.“Those who visit must join us in their vocal opposition to these dangerous policies,&#...

Quebec police identify killer in 1975 cold case murder of teen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

LONGUEUIL, Quebec (AP) — Canadian police said Tuesday they have solved one of the highest-profile cold cases in Quebec history.Police in Longueuil, Quebec, said that DNA evidence allows them to be 100% certain that Franklin Maywood Romine murdered 16-year-old Sharron Prior in 1975.The body of Romine, who died in 1982 at the age of 36, was exhumed from a West Virginia cemetery in early May for DNA testing intended to confirm his link to the crime.Longueuil police say the DNA of Romine — who had a long criminal history — matches a sample found at the murder scene. He also matched a witness’ physical description of the suspect.The rape and killing of Prior had gone unsolved since she disappeared on March 29, 1975, after setting out to meet friends at a pizza parlor near her home in Montreal’s Pointe-St-Charles neighborhood.Her body was found three days later in a wooded area in Longueuil, on Montreal’s South Shore.Source

Stock market today: Wall Street slides as debt worries worsen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are sliding Tuesday as the U.S. government creeps closer to the edge of a potentially disastrous default on its debt.The S&P 500 was 1% lower after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, “We’re not there yet” on a deal to prevent the U.S. government from running out of cash. That followed a meeting late Monday that he and President Joe Biden called productive but ultimately ended with no agreement.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 189 points, or 0.6%, at 33,097, as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 1,1% lower.Until now, the stock market has remained largely resilient even as Washington approached a June 1 deadline. That’s when the U.S. government may no longer be able to pay its bills, unless Congress allows it to borrow more. Economists and investors widely believe a default would send shockwaves through the global economy and financial markets.The assumption on Wall Street was that Congress would reach a deal at the 11th ho...

Social media star and influencer Tinx really wants you to take her advice and life your best life

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

“I need you to not wait three weeks for that loser to text you back when he’s not going to,” said Christina Najjar, best-known to her social media followers and podcast listeners as Tinx, in an interview over Zoom.This is classic Tinx. She’ll cut to the chase and believes honesty is the best policy. “I am a Virgo, so therefore I think I know best for everyone,” she said with a smile. “I’m always trying to give people tips. That’s always been a role that’s natural for me.”Tinx is putting her skills to good use with her first book called “The Shift: Change Your Perspective, Not Yourself” (Simon & Schuster), which she describes as “Tinx 101. A baseline, a starter pack for me and my theories and way of thinking.”She says it’s filled with personal anecdotes and life lessons she learned, particularly in her twenties. Topics include self-love, empowerment, mental health, sex and dating. Tinx first started posting videos on TikTok during the pan...

Texas Rangers Class A team moving from Kinston to Spartanburg

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — The city of Spartanburg plans to build a 3,500-seat ballpark that will open in 2025 and become home to the Texas Rangers Class A affiliate currently in Kinston, North Carolina. The Rangers announced Tuesday that two of its minor league teams, the Hickory Crawdads and Down East Wood Ducks were purchased by Diamond Baseball Holdings, a subsidiary of Endeavor. The new owners were among several groups who announced the relocation of the Wood Ducks. The project would be part of a $250 million downtown development. Kinston is part of the Carolina League, which also includes South Carolina-based minor league teams in Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach and North Augusta. There is also a minor league team in Greenville that’s part of the Class A South Atlantic League. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Energy Dept. cancels $200M grant to battery maker after GOP criticism over alleged ties to China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has canceled plans to award a $200 million grant to a U.S. battery manufacturer amid criticism from Republican lawmakers over the company’s alleged ties to China.Texas-based Microvast was one of 20 companies to win preliminary grants totaling $2.8 billion to boost domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles. The company is building a battery plant in Tennessee and was in talks with the Energy Department for a $200 million grant funded through the 2021 infrastructure law.A spokeswoman for Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed Tuesday that negotiations with Microvast were canceled, but did not offer a specific reason.The Energy Department said in a statement that it “maintains a rigorous review process prior to the release of any awarded funds, and it is not uncommon for entities selected to participate in award negotiations” to ultimately be denied a federal grant.“The department can confirm that it has...

Police arrest shoplifters suspected of $200K in thefts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) -- Two people suspected of shoplifting approximately $200,000 from Denver metro King Soopers stores were arrested Monday, according to police in Wheat Ridge.Officers were called to a King Soopers store after employees recognized a man and a woman as frequent and wanted shoplifting suspects.When they arrived, officers found they had two carts full of nearly $10,000 worth of merchandise. Colorado cities are some of the most expensive to raise children The franchise told police the same people were responsible for thefts at stores across the metro area in the last few months.WRPD said detectives were in contact with other jurisdictions to figure out if the two are suspects in other similar thefts or if they are connected to any organized retail theft rings.

Bobrovsky and Panthers eye trip to Stanley Cup Final, as Hurricanes seek turnaround

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour spent some time Tuesday shaking his head. The occasional shoulder shrug was thrown in there, too. He knows all the questions, and there are few answers.Here’s what befuddles him right now: There isn’t much to fix regarding the way the Hurricanes are playing against the Florida Panthers. The offense is generating chances. The defense is giving up almost nothing.And they’re down 3-0 to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals anyway.The Panthers can wrap up their first trip to the Stanley Cup final in 27 years on Wednesday night when they host the Hurricanes in Game 4.Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been almost immaculate, stopping 132 of 135 shots in the series — hence, Brind’Amour spending his days wondering what the Hurricanes have to do to get one past that guy.“That is the toughest way to lose a game, when you come back in and it’s a play here or there that you didn’t make. That’s the whole difference in this series rig...

Panthers optimistic that Barkov could play in Game 4 of Eastern Conference finals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — All-Star forward Aleksander Barkov should be back on the ice soon, maybe very soon, and that news brought a collective sigh of relief from the Florida Panthers.It isn’t totally certain if the Panthers’ captain will play in a potentially series-clinching Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. He left Game 3 in the first period with a lower-body injury.But it’s a possibility, coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday — obviously, a very good sign for a team that is one win away from the Stanley Cup final. Barkov was listed as questionable after the injury but did not return to Game 3; tests and evaluation since have evidently ruled out any major issue.“It was as much precautionary as anything, to rule out anything sinister,” Maurice said. “We’re very optimistic that he’ll return soon and when he does, he’ll be ready to go. … We’re optimistic that we would see him in Game 4 a...

Florida sued for restricting Chinese citizens, other foreigners from buying property

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:59 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A group of Chinese citizens living and working in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that bans Chinese nationals from purchasing property in large swaths of the state.The law applies to properties within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of military installations and other “critical infrastructure” and also affects citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But Chinese citizens and those selling property to them face the harshest penalties. The prohibition also applies to agricultural land.The American Civil Liberties Union says the law will have a substantial chilling effect on sales to Chinese and Asian people who can legally buy property. The suit says the law unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government and there is no evidence of national security risk from Chinese citizens buying Florida property.The law “will codify and expand housing discrimination against people of Asian descent in violation of the Co...