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DeSantis asks that judge be disqualified from Disney’s free speech lawsuit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from the First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney against the Florida governor and his appointees, claiming the jurist’s prior statements in other cases have raised questions about his impartiality on the state’s efforts to take over Disney World’s governing body.DeSantis ‘ attorney filed a motion in federal court in Tallahassee on Friday seeking to disqualify U.S. District Judge Mark Walker from overseeing the lawsuit filed by Disney last month. The lawsuit alleges that DeSantis and his appointees violated the company’s right to free speech, as well as the contracts clause, by taking over the special governing district that previously had been controlled by Disney supporters after Disney opposed Florida legislation that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”The Republican governor’s motion was filed a day after Disney announced that it was scrapping plans to ...

G7 leaders warn China not to conduct ‘interference’ as Zelenskyy arrives at summit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

HIROSHIMA, Japan — Canada and the G7 have reasserted their intention to decrease their economic dependency on China while specifically calling on the country not to conduct “interference activities.”The leaders gathered for their annual summit in Hiroshima, Japan put out a joint communiqué on Saturday that included the new language on foreign interference at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s request.It warned China it must “act in accordance with its obligations” under the treaties that govern diplomatic and consular relations, “and not to conduct interference activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities, the integrity of our democratic institutions and our economic prosperity.”A Canadian official said during a media briefing ahead of the document’s release that Trudeau had specifically raised the issue with his counterparts from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.World leade...

Jonathan Glazer rocks Cannes with a chilling Holocaust drama from a different perspective

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

CANNES, France (AP) — Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” a chilling Auschwitz-set drama shot through “a 21st century lens,” has delivered the Cannes Film Festival’s first critical sensation by approaching the Holocaust from an unlikely perspective. “The Zone of Interest,” which premiered to rave reviews Friday night, dramatizes the life of a fictional German family whose handsome home and tasteful gardens abut the outer wall of Auschwitz. There, they live a mostly peaceful, mundane life, while incinerators rumble in the background, smoke rises from the gas chambers, and muffled screams can be heard. The father is Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), a Nazi commandant who designed Auschwitz, who lives with his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and children. “The Zone of Interest,” loosely based on a Martin Amis novel, rigorously follows the family’s daily lives while atrocity thrums next door. “What it’s trying to do is talk to the capacity within each of us for viole...

Judge: Mississippi school can make trans girl dress as boy for graduation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge says he will not block a Mississippi school district from requiring a transgender girl to dress as boy for high school graduation.U.S. District Judge Taylor McNeel filed his order late Friday after holding a hearing on a lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of the 17-year-old girl against the Harrison County School District.The girl, listed in court papers by her initials L.B., had chosen a dress to wear with her cap and gown Saturday at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, a coastal town about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of Jackson. Graduating boys are expected to wear white shirts and black slacks, while girls are expected to wear white dresses.Harrison County School District officials told L.B. that she must follow the boys’ clothing rules for graduation, according to the lawsuit the ACLU filed Thursday.The Associated Press left phone and email messages with the ACLU Saturday to ask whether L.B.’s fa...

Teen arrested for allegedly driving 176 mph on Oregon interstate; deputies say he admitted to going even faster

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A 19-year-old driver was arrested on Wednesday after deputies in Oregon clocked him speeding at 176 miles per hour.A deputy with the Washington County Sheriff's Office had spotted the driver early Wednesday morning while on speed-enforcement duty on I-5, according to the department. The deputy "saw and heard" the driver's car, a 2016 BMW M3, traveling "extremely" fast in the southbound lanes before confirming its speed with a Lidar speed-detection device. The car was traveling at 176 mph, the device determined. The speed limit on most interstates in Oregon is 65 mph.A 19-year-old was arrested after deputies said he drove 176 mph on an Oregon interstate. (Washington County Sheriff's Office)"The deputy told dispatch about the speeding vehicle by radio, gave a description of the vehicle, and asked for other deputies in the area to assist," the sheriff's office wrote in a press release issued earlier this week. Police say suspected drunk driver tried to switch ...

2 Illinois metros among the most affordable places to live in the US: report

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

ILLINOIS (WMBD) – When choosing a place to live, affordability is a top concern for most people, and a new ranking from U.S. News and World Report may help narrow the search for a cheaper home.The study looked at what metro areas across the nation were the most affordable to live in. In that 2023 study, two Illinois areas ranked among the cheapest places to live in the country.As part of the study, the group assessed how much of a household's annual income went toward the average cost of owning or renting a home, including utilities and taxes, as well as price parity, which compares the cost of goods and services nationwide.Additionally, because affordability was a top concern for residents, the company used it as a key metric to calculate its Best Places to Live ranking.What are the top 10 most affordable places to live?These are the 10 metro areas that made the list:Hickory, North CarolinaYoungstown, OhioHuntington, West Virginia, and Ashland, KentuckyHuntsville, AlabamaFort Wayne...

100+ affordable housing units open on South Lamar in Austin

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over 100 more affordable housing units are ready for residents in Austin. Zilker Studios will open Monday for 110 Austinites to call home. Many tenants are transitioning out of homelessness, according to nonprofit Foundation Communities. The seven-story apartment building on South Lamar features on-site case management, a healthy food pantry, a staff nurse and health and wellness activities. INVESTIGATION: Austinites voted for more affordable housing. Where did your money go? The $25 million project was funded partially through $15 million in tax credits, $2 million in state loan funds and $4.6 million from Austin's 2018 voter-approved affordable housing bond program.City officials and Foundation Communities celebrated the opening of Zilker Studios on Friday. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala)"We really try to make a space people are proud to call home," said Walter Moreau, the executive director of Foundation Communities. "If Austin wants to be a diverse and inclusive commun...

Minnesota Senate sends legal marijuana to governor’s desk

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

A bill legalizing recreational adult-use cannabis is on its way to becoming Minnesota law.The Minnesota Senate early Saturday morning, May 20, approved a final version of a bill that will allow marijuana possession for people 21 and older, expunge marijuana conviction records and create a new regulatory plan for the substance.After years of advocacy at the Capitol, more than 30 committee hearings since January and two votes in both the House and Senate, the bill is now ready for a signature from Gov. Tim Walz, who supports legalization. Following the governor’s signature, it would go into effect Aug. 1.The bill’s second-to-last stop was the Senate, which passed the bill on a 34-32 party-line vote. The House passed the same bill Thursday with three Republicans joining Democrats in a 73-57 vote.Backers of legalization have not touted marijuana as a big money maker for the state, but instead point to the unequal outcomes for different groups in society, particularly racial ...

Man arrested after shots fired call in Schenectady

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Schenectady Police Department responded to two shots fired calls on Thursday, May 18. Steven Hinson, 28, was arrested in connection to the second incident. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Around 7:45 p.m., officers were called to Mumford Street for a report of shots fired where they reportedly found shell castings but no victims. About 45 minutes later, a second call for shots fired was reported three blocks away near Westover and Germania Streets.Once there, officers saw a man, later identified as Hinson, allegedly running in the street with a handgun. After a foot chase, Hinson was taken into custody. After a search of the area, police recovered a loaded handgun. Police looking for suspect in Troy stabbing Hinson was sent to the Schenectady County Jail on a pre-arraignment hold. He's facing second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment charges, bot...

Zip codes donating the most money to Donald Trump in Missouri

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:28:24 GMT

In November of last year, former President Donald Trump announced his plans to run for president again in 2024. Despite potential complications presented by his indictment over falsifying business records in March and a jury finding him liable for defamation and sexual abuse in civil court in May, Trump has not announced any changes to his re-election bid; in fact, the Trump campaign announced an influx of donations after his grand jury indictment, signaling continued support from his base.However, Trump's broader appeal in the context of the 2024 presidential race remains unclear. The 2022 midterm elections put his political influence, both within the Republican party and among the voting public, to the test. Trump endorsed more than two dozen Republican candidates. While the GOP expected a 'red wave' to deliver overwhelming control of both houses of Congress, the results were significantly more muted. Democrats retained control of the Senate, and while Republicans have the House, ...