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ACLU sues to block new hybrid Nebraska law restricting abortion, gender-affirming care for minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — As promised, the American Civil Liberties Union is suing to block the Nebraska Legislature’s most controversial measure combining an abortion ban with restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, just days after it was signed into law.The lawsuit, filed in state court Tuesday by the ACLU on behalf of Planned Parenthood and one of its doctors who performs abortions in Nebraska, argues that the law violates a state constitutional requirement that legislative bills stick to a single subject. The lawsuit is also asking for an injunction to block enforcement of the trans health and abortion restrictions until the court case is decided.The new law will prevent people under 19 from receiving gender-confirming surgery and restrict the use of hormone treatments and puberty blockers in minors when those restrictions go into effect Oct. 1. It will put the state’s chief medical officer — a political appointee who is an ear, nose and throat doctor — in charge of setting...

No sign of Mississippi governor fulfilling pledge on campaign funds tied to welfare case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Financial documents show no sign that Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has fulfilled his pledge to give away campaign donations from people charged with misspending welfare money in the state’s largest public corruption case.Reeves, a Republican, became governor in January 2020 after serving two terms as lieutenant governor.On Feb. 5, 2020, the state auditor announced former Mississippi Department of Human Services executive director John Davis and five other people had been arrested on charges related to misspending welfare money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S.“Some of the people we now believe were involved in the former director’s apparent criminal schemes gave money to our campaign,” Reeves said at a news conference the next day. “I can tell you right now — anything they gave to the campaign is going to be moved to a separate, untouched bank account. … Anything they gave the campaign will be there waiting...

Minnesota governor signs bill legalizing recreational marijuana starting in August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) — Surrounded by dozens of cheering people in green clothes, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21 starting in August, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.“This has been a long journey with a lot of folks involved,” Walz said.Among them was one of the first governors in the U.S. to openly support marijuana legalization.“For me personally, it’s very wonderful to see a dream of yours over 20 years ago finally happen today, and I’m still alive to see it,” said Jesse Ventura, Minnesota’s governor from 1999-2003.Under the new law, cannabis will be legal by Aug. 1 to possess, use and grow at home. Possession of cannabis flower will be limited to 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms) at home and 2 ounces (56 grams) in public. Other possession caps include 800 milligrams of THC in gummies and other edibles and 8 grams of cannabis concentrate.Retail sales at d...

Artificial intelligence raises risk of extinction, experts warn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

Scientists and tech industry leaders, including high-level executives at Microsoft and Google, issued a new warning Tuesday about the perils that artificial intelligence poses to humankind.“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement said.Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist known as the godfather of artificial intelligence, were among the hundreds of leading figures who signed the statement, which was posted on the Center for AI Safety’s website.Worries about artificial intelligence systems outsmarting humans and running wild have intensified with the rise of a new generation of highly capable AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.It has sent countries around the world scrambling to come up with regulations for the developing technology, with the European Union blazing the trail with its AI Act, expected to be approved later this year....

Alabama sets July execution date as state resumes lethal injections after a series of problems

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday set a July date for the state’s first attempt at a lethal injection following a series of troubled executions.The governor’s office set a time frame for the execution of James Barber that will begin at midnight on July 20 and expire at 6 a.m. on July 21. The 30-hour window is designed to give the state prison system more time after two most recent executions were called off because of trouble with intravenous lines.It is the first lethal injection scheduled in the state after Ivey paused executions last year to conduct an internal review. The review resulted in a change to do away with a midnight deadline to get the execution underway, giving the state more time to establish an intravenous line and battle last-minute legal appeals by the inmate. Under the new procedure, the governor sets a time frame for the execution after the Alabama Supreme Court issues a death warrant. Previously, the court would issue a death...

Church associate arrested in death of pastor, councilwoman gunned down outside her New Jersey home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A church associate of a pastor and town councilwoman who was gunned down in her SUV outside her home in February was arrested Tuesday on murder and gun charges, New Jersey prosecutors said. Rashid Ali Bynum, 28, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was linked to the death of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, 30, after investigators traced his travels from his cellphone and vehicle location data on Feb. 1, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said at a news conference.He also matched the description of the gunman given by neighbors in Sayreville, where Dwumfour had served on the council for about a year.Tuesday’s announcement came nearly four months after she was found gunned down in her white SUV outside her rented townhome, while her 11-year-old daughter heard the shots from inside. Her death on Feb. 1 sent the community reeling.Dwumfour was a pastor in a prosperity gospel church, Champions Royal Assembly, that is based in Nigeria, and she got married t...

Phoenix becomes largest US city to successfully challenge 2020 census numbers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

Phoenix has become the largest U.S. city to successfully challenge its population count from the 2020 census after claiming that dozens of group homes, jails and drug and alcohol treatment centers were overlooked during the nation’s head count.The U.S. Census Bureau told Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego last week that the statistical agency had approved its submission claiming that 3,550 people in 192 group quarter facilities were missed during the once-a-decade census. The facilities included drug and alcohol treatment centers, a memory care center for people with Alzheimer’s and a residential facility for juveniles needing mental health care.The count of every U.S. resident determines political representation and how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed for transportation, health and other programs.The additional figures will be included in future population estimates for Phoenix released each year until the next census in 2030, the bureau said in a letter to the mayor...

Voter ID bill mandated by voters last November advances, taking passage of bill down to the wire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers advanced a bill Tuesday to comply with a voter ID requirement mandated by state voters in November, taking passage of the bill down to the wire amid Republican infighting on whether the measure goes far enough to combat voter fraud.Lawmakers are scheduled to take up final debate on the bill Thursday — the same day lawmakers plan to adjourn the session. The measure is expected to pass; it’s backed by both the Republican governor and the secretary of state who oversees elections. Nebraska has no history of widespread voter fraud, but supporters of the voter ID requirement say it’s needed to prevent possible future problems. It advanced Tuesday with only three lawmakers voting to continue a filibuster by Sen. Julie Slama, who has sought far-reaching requirements. Those include notarization of mail-in ballots, audits of witness signatures for mail-in ballots and verification of voters’ citizenship, even after they were required to show that ...

North Lawndale family seeks justice for woman killed in hit-and-run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A North Lawndale family is asking for the public's help to track down the driver responsible for a deadly hit-and-run on the city’s West Side.Angela McKnight (Photo/Provided)Chicago police are looking for the driver of a gray-colored 2014 Kia Optima who struck and killed 49-year-old Angela McKnight before fleeing the scene Sunday just before 11 p.m."It's just not right," said McKnight's sister, Shana Walker. "She was family oriented. She loved her family and friends." Over 50 shot, 11 killed over holiday weekend in Chicago McKnight's husband, Charles Dean, their three children and grandchildren are devastated by Sunday's fatal hit-and-run."We're just trying to cope with this to the best of our ability," Dean told WGN News. The deadly incident happened around 11 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of South Independence. Police said McKnight was crossing the street in the crosswalk when the driver of the gray-colored vehicle struck her. According to police, the driver was travel...

What type of physician is better? Surprising results from a new study about doctors — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:42 GMT

For Tuesday, May 30, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new information, including the following: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Study finds no difference in care between medical doctors and osteopathic doctorsFor years, many people believed they should only see an MD. But now, DOs have become more popular.  So how do they differ and are they as good? A new study sought to answer that very question. UCLA researchers looked at patient mortality, length of hospital stay, readmissions, overall healthcare outcomes and care costs for those who saw a doctor of medicine or MD versus a DO, a doctor of osteopathic medicine. They found no difference! Both doctors undergo rigorous health education, but osteopathic training adds holistic and hands-on care, including manipulating and stretching to reduce pain and improve mobility. Study authors say their research should reassure people they can expect high-quality care from MDs and DOs.AI could speed up development of medicinesBetter, more ...