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A judge has blocked, for now, a Texas law drag show performers fear will shut them down

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a new Texas law that drag show artists fear will be used to shut them down or put them in jail.The law, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, would expand the legal definition in the Texas criminal code of what is considered to be an illegal public performance of sexual conduct in front of children. It is part of a broader effort in Texas and other conservative states to crack down on drag shows and limit LGBTQ rights.Critics argued that the definition is so broad, it could include the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.U.S. District Judge David Hittner in Houston issued the temporary restraining order after a group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates sought to keep the law from taking effect on Sept. 1. They say the law unconstitutionally threatens the “livelihood and free expression of many Texans, including drag performers across our state.” The Texas injunction follows similar rulings against drag pe...

Judge rules white man will stand trial for shooting Ralph Yarl, Black teen who went to wrong house

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the 84-year-old white homeowner who shot a Black teenager after he mistakenly went to the man’s house must stand trial. Clay County Judge Louis Angles issued the ruling after hearing from several witnesses at a preliminary hearing, including Ralph Yarl, the teenager who was shot by Andrew Lester on April 13 when Yarl went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers. Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He previously pleaded not guilty in the shooting that shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.Kansas City Officer Larry Dunaway described Lester as “an elderly guy who was scared” after the shooting. Another officer, James Gale, said Lester was clearly worried.“He said he hoped he didn’t kill anybody,” Gale testified.A handful of people wearing shirts that said “Justice for Ralph” were seen entering th...

B.C. officer who assaulted UBC student remains on the job after sentencing

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

KELOWNA, B.C. — The RCMP say an officer in Kelowna, B.C., who pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge after assaulting a student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan during a wellness check in 2020 remains on the job.Dawn Roberts, director of communications for the B.C. RCMP, says Const. Lacy Browning has been placed on administrative duties and her status is subject to continual review while the Mounties complete a code of conduct investigation.The BC Prosecution Service confirms that Browning was handed a conditional discharge and placed on probation for two years during her sentencing earlier this week after pleading guilty to one count of assault in November 2022.Browning must also complete 160 hours of community service over the first year, and a $200 “victim fine surcharge” was also imposed.It she completes all the terms of the discharge, the service says Browning will not have a conviction or a criminal record.Mona Wang was a nursing student ...

Ohio lawmaker stripped of leadership after a second arrest in domestic violence case

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio state Rep. Bob Young was stripped of his leadership position in the Ohio House on Thursday after his second arrest in less than two months in an ongoing domestic violence case.Fellow Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens removed the Summit County representative from his position as a committee chair, following him being charged with violating a protective order. A grand jury in July indicted Young on domestic violence and assault charges. Young’s lawyer did not respond to messages seeking comment left Wednesday and Thursday.The removal, confirmed by Stephens’ spokesperson Aaron Mulvey, weakens Young’s authority in the House and cuts his pay by $9,000. Stephens previously asked Young to resign, but Young refused. Because the charges are misdemeanors and not felonies, Young is allowed to maintain his seat. Some Democratic lawmakers formally called for him to lose any special authority in the House and echoed Stephens’ cal...

Hyundai and LG will invest an additional $2B into making batteries at Georgia electric vehicle plant

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution said Thursday they will spend an additional $2 billion and hire an extra 400 workers to make batteries at the automaker’s sprawling U.S. electrical vehicle plant that’s under construction in Georgia.The announcement by the South Korea-based companies — one a major automaker, the other a leading producer of lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles — expands on a partnership they launched three months ago to produce batteries at the same site west of Savannah, where Hyundai plans to start EV production in 2025.The news Thursday brings the companies’ total investment in the Georgia plant to more than $7.5 billion and the site’s overall planned workforce to 8,500.“This incremental investment in Bryan County reflects our continued commitment to create a more sustainable future powered by American workers,” José Muñoz, president and global chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor Company, said in a st...

Statue believed to depict Marcus Aurelius seized from Cleveland museum in looting investigation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A headless bronze statue believed to depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius was ordered seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Turkey.A warrant signed by a judge in Manhattan on Aug. 14 ordered the seizure of the statue, which the museum acquired in 1986 and had been a highlight of its collection of ancient Roman art.The warrant was secured as part of an ongoing investigation into a smuggling network involving antiquities looted from Bubon in southwestern Turkey and trafficked through Manhattan, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. No details of the investigation were provided.The 76-inch (1.9-meter) statue dates from A.D. 180 to 200 and is worth $20 million, according to the district attorney’s office. The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported that the statue was removed from view more than two months ago and that the museum changed the description of the ...

B.C. extending state of emergency by two weeks amid wildfire battle

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

VANCOUVER — Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says British Columbia is extending a state of emergency over the ongoing wildfires that have devastated parts of the province. Ma said the two-week extension was needed in case additional extraordinary orders under the Emergency Act are needed to respond to the fires.“The nature and unpredictability of wildfires we are experiencing this year means that we all need to remain vigilant,” she said.She told a briefing Thursday that the past couple of days had seen a “positive trend” in the fire fight as communities downgraded evacuation orders, allowing thousands to return home.But she said 4,200 people in B.C. remained on evacuation order, with 65,000 on evacuation alert to be ready to leave their homes at short notice.Ma said recent rain showed the province was “slowly moving past the worst part of this wildfire season,” which is the most severe on record.However, she said the province was far from being in the clear.On Thursday...

Shotgun-wielding man reported outside a Black church in Pennsylvania arrested, police say

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

AMBRIDGE, Pa. (AP) — A man is in custody on assault charges after a witness told police he pointed a shotgun at two women and attempted to enter a predominantly Black church in a small steel town just outside Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania.Jeffrey Harris, 38, was being held in Beaver County jail on $975,000 bail Thursday, awaiting a preliminary hearing next week. He is charged with aggravated assault and a handful of other counts.Harris, who is white, was arrested a block away without a shot being fired. He was taken into custody in Ambridge, a community of nearly 7,000 people about 16 miles (25 kilometers) northwest of downtown Pittsburgh.Ambridge police reported in court papers that they found crystal methamphetamine on Harris, that he made “bizarre” comments about family members en route to the police station and that his nearby apartment had been set up for what looked like a possible standoff.David Lozier, Beaver County’s district attorney, said investigators have no ...

Government still reviewing ways to respond to Emergencies Act inquiry recommendations

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the government is working on a new approach to protect the security of critical trade and transportation corridors in response to recommendations from the federal inquiry into the government’s use of the Emergencies Act.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the legislation last year in an attempt to put an end to the weeks-long “Freedom Convoy” protests that blockaded streets in downtown Ottawa and several U.S. border crossings.It was the first time the law, which replaced the War Measures Act, was used since its creation in 1988. Commissioner Paul Rouleau issued a final report on Feb. 17, after more than 300 hours of testimony, and 56 recommendations on improving the response to large-scale public order emergencies.LeBlanc released a six-month update on the actions the federal government has taken so far in response to Rouleau’s recommendations, and highlighted his department’s work to strengthen the...

Yale President Peter Salovey to step down next year with plans to return to full-time faculty

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:00 GMT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Yale University President Peter Salovey, who has led the Ivy League school for the past decade, announced Thursday that he will step down from his post next year and plans to return to Yale’s faculty.Salovey, 65, has been president since 2013 after having served just over four years as Yale’s provost, following stints as dean of both Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as well as chairperson of the Psychology Department. He also earned master’s degrees and a doctorate in psychology at Yale in the 1980s before joining the Yale faculty in 1986.“Ultimately, I plan to return to the Yale faculty, work on some long-delayed writing and research projects, and renew my love of teaching and working with students while continuing to help with fundraising,” Salovey wrote in a letter to the Yale community.Salovey, who became Yale’s 23rd president after Richard Levin’s two-decade tenure, said he will leave the post next J...