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North Carolina governor vetoes bill that would take away his control over election boards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Republican legislation Thursday that would take away his powers to choose State Board of Elections members and give them to legislative leaders as the 2024 campaign cycle begins in the closely divided state.Cooper already had signaled a veto was coming, which sets up override votes likely next month. The GOP has narrow veto-proof majorities in each chamber and the final bill passed the House and Senate last week on party-line votes.The measure, if enforced, would remove from Cooper and future governors the ability to pick an elections board that contains a majority of appointees from their own party. For decades, the governor’s party has held a 3-2 seat advantage.Republicans have said such division breeds distrust among voters about board decisions. Their proposal would increase the board to eight members and give the House speaker, the Senate leader and the minority party leaders in each chamber two seats t...

Ohio football coach whose team called ‘Nazi’ during game says he was forced to resign, no ill intent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

BROOKLYN, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school football coach says he was forced to resign by his school district and intended no harm to opposing players after he and his team repeatedly used “Nazi” as a game call in a Sept. 22 match. In an interview with The Associated Press Thursday, former Brooklyn High School coach Tim McFarland said he never meant any offense by using the term and that it “didn’t even occur” to him that it could be taken as antisemitic But the team’s use of “Nazi” has been largely criticized as such, especially given that the plays were called during a game against Beachwood High School — a school based in a largely Jewish Cleveland suburb. Peter Pattakos, McFarland’s lawyer, balked at the idea of the word Nazi being deemed antisemitic and said it is a historical term, not a slur. Citing an Ohio high school coaching book from the 1990s, Pattakos said “Nazi” is often used in football to warn teammates of what is known as a “blitz.” Beachwood School...

Appeals court blocks hearings on drawing a second majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge’s plan to hold hearings next week to draw up congressional boundary lines giving Louisiana a second majority-Black district was blocked Thursday by a divided appeals court panel.Supporters of establishing a second such district had hoped a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding a redrawn map in Alabama would soon result in similar results in Louisiana. But in a 2-1 ruling, a panel of judges at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Baton Rouge-based U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick was moving too quickly and must give the state more time to consider a new map. Dick had issued an injunction last year blocking a map that had been drawn up by the Legislature, saying it violated the Voting Rights Act. But the map was used in the 2022 elections after the Supreme Court put the Louisiana case on hold, pending the outcome of the Alabama case. Writing for the majority in Thursday’s appellate ruling, Judge Edith Jones said Dick had set an “impossibly...

Sovereignty act may be used to fight 2035 net-zero electricity plan: Alberta premier

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she would use her province’s sovereignty act as a last resort to challenge any attempt by the federal government to impose a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.Smith says achieving net-zero 12 years from now is not realistic, adding that it could lead to power blackouts because Alberta wouldn’t have a reliable source of baseload power such as natural gas.Smith’s government is arguing for a net-zero grid by 2050 and has a working group discussing the issue with federal counterparts.“We’re preparing a sovereignty act motion and I’m hoping we don’t have to use it,” Smith told reporters in Calgary Thursday.“That’s why we’re at the table having these negotiations.“But we are going to defend our constitutional jurisdiction to make sure that we develop our oil and gas industry at our own pace and that we develop our electricity system so that it achieves the goal of reliability and affordability.”The act is formally titled the Alberta Sov...

'It's beyond words:' Young cancer survivor, art therapist reunite

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

For years, Bella Marin was filled with anxiety every time she had to return to the hospital for more rounds of chemo. However, last week, she returned once again but this time with joy and gratitude for the woman who single handedly changed her path ahead.  It had been seven years since she walked down the corridor at Advocate Children's Hospital."Walking through the hallways, at first it brought back bad memories," she said.Memories of endless days of chemo, complications, and loneliness.On this recent visit back, Marin was back to thank the woman who helped her find the light: Art therapist Lori Mackey."It's really an honor to be invited into anybody's space,” Mackey said. "It takes a lot of courage to create when I present someone with a blank canvas and art materials they've never used. That takes courage." More from Erin: Doctor, retired music teacher team up to bring healing music to suburban hospital For years Mackey has worked with young patients through hard mom...

Plant-based diet could reduce the risk for Parkinson's — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

Medical Watch Digest for Sept 28Parkinson's DiseaseEating a healthy, plant-based diet could reduce the risk for Parkinson's Disease.A team of European researchers analyzed the diets of more than 100,000 people. They found those who had a higher intake of vegetables, nuts and tea had an up to 31% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.Right now there is no cure for Parkinson’s.Researchers say their findings provide urgently needed prevention strategies.Hot flashes & Alzheimer’s DiseaseWomen who develop frequent hot flashes during menopause may be at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease.Researchers say hot flashes are associated with poorer memory performance as well as greater markers of small vessel disease risk in the brain which has been linked to dementia.Scientists say the study is a caution to women who experience hot flashes to reduce their controllable risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s.FDA advisers vote against experimental ALS treatmentAn ex...

Britney Spears' odd knife dance prompts welfare check: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

(KTLA) — One of Britney Spears’ latest dancing videos on Instagram has some concerned about her well-being. Monday night the pop star posted a video of herself dancing with large knives, one in each hand inside her Southern California home.“I started playing in the kitchen with knives today,” she wrote in the caption.Once the concerned comments started to roll in, she added a disclaimer saying “Don’t worry they are NOT real knives!!! Halloween is soon!!!” Costco says its one-ounce gold bars are selling out fast Fans became more worried when another video was posted afterward showing what looked like a cut on her thigh and a possible bandage close to her wrist. Spears was wearing the same outfit as the knife video, so many made the assumption that those two factors were tied to the knife video.Spears then posted a new video asking everyone to “lighten up about the knives” and said she was only “copying Shakira.”Shakira recently performed with knives during the MTV Video Music Award...

Student loan payments are coming back: 5 things to know

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

(The Hill) – Student loan payments return on Oct. 1 with hope, confusion and fear clouding the restart after a three-year pause. The Biden administration is hoping to provide some relief to borrowers with a new income-driven repayment plan and an “on-ramp” repayment program, but the on-switch also comes as Congress is struggling to keep the government funded. A shutdown could hurt student loan servicers already struggling to handle more than 45 million accounts getting turned on at once after a break that began in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what borrowers need to know as student loan payments begin:Borrowers have an 'on-ramp' repayment optionWhile student loans are restarting, the typical consequences for missing payments will not be enacted until October of next year. The Biden administration is offering an “on-ramp” repayment option for the upcoming year that allows borrowers to miss payments with few financial consequences. Borrowers w...

Government shutdown odds grow as Senate and House advance separate plans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- Despite the fact that the Senate just advanced a measure to fund the government through November, a government shutdown is set to begin Sunday."Speaker McCarthy is saying he cares more about the whims of the hard right, the hard hard right, than avoiding a shutdown," says Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).Schumer says the U.S. should not be on the brink of a government shutdown, because Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement on spending back in June."We all shook hands on this deal," added Schumer. "But now the speaker and only the speaker is going back on his word."The Senate voted to advance a short-term measure to fund the government through November 17th. This includes $6 billion for disaster relief and another $6 billion in aid for Ukraine.But this week, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would not consider the Senate measure. "All the damage done from that rests on Kevin McCarthy's shoulders," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who lambasted t...

Florida teen dies after being struck by lightning while hunting with her father

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:00 GMT

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 16-year-old girl who was struck by lightning while hunting with her father in Florida Tuesday has died, authorities said. Baylee Holbrook and her father, Matthew Holbrook, were hunting in the woods in Putnam County on Sept. 26 when lightning struck a tree, hitting both of them, according to a press release from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in later ‘Harry Potter’ films, dies at 82: publicist The strike caused Matthew to fall unconscious, and when he awoke, he discovered that his daughter wasn't breathing. Matthew called 911 and started CPR until rescue personnel arrived. The teen was taken to a trauma center, where she was listed in critical condition. "Pray for my baby. Every single person put your knees on the ground and pray," Matthew Holbrook posted on Facebook Tuesday. The sheriff's office also said they were rallying around the teen and her family. "We stand with our community as we rally for this t...