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Missouri House votes to ban diversity spending in government

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican-led House on Tuesday voted to ban state government spending on diversity, equity and inclusion, including at public colleges and universities.During work on the state budget, lawmakers voted to prohibit government funding from paying for staff, vendors, consultants and programs “associated with diversity, equity (and) inclusion."Bans on diversity spending for every state agency are expected to be proposed as the House debates the state budget through the night Tuesday.Under the proposed restrictions, state spending would be banned from going to initiatives that promote “collective guilt,” “the concept that disparities are necessarily tied to oppression" and "intersectional or divisive identity activism," among other concepts.Republican Rep. Doug Richey, of Excelsior Springs, pushed to add the prohibitions on diversity spending to every bill in the extensive budget package, arguing that the concepts are neo-Marxist and racist ideas.“We...

Progress continues in securing, and saving the old Famous Barr building downtown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Despite the City of St. Louis going to great lengths to save a downtown jewel, thieves and vagrants are still getting inside the former Famous Barr building.Most of them have gained access via a pedestrian bridge over Olive Street that connects the building to an abandoned parking garage. The garage has long been fenced off and boarded up, but gaping holes remain in the chain link fencing. People can still walk through those holes, climb stairs to the pedestrian bridge, and enter the beloved 110-year-old architectural building, which boasts more than a million square feet and occupies an entire city block.A few days ago, there was still a large opening at the end of the pedestrian bridge leading directly into the building, where the old Macy's, which took over Famous Barr, gift cards are still scattered, escalators have been gutted, and trespassers hide in the walls and ceilings to avoid sweeps by armed security, police, and fire crews. All consider the building to be a ...

DU’s Carter Mazur signs entry level deal with Detroit Red Wings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

Carter Mazur’s time is up with the University of Denver hockey program, with the Detroit Red Wings announcing Tuesday they’d signed the sophomore winger to a three-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2023-24 season.Mazur, DU’s leading scorer this season with 22 goals in 40 games, is one of three Pioneers to have professional contract signings announced over the past two days. Senior captain Justin Lee (six goals, seven assists) signed an AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the 2023-24 season, while while fifth-year senior Kyle Mayhew agreed to a deal with Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate.Lee and Mayhew, both defensemen, will play out the remainder of the 2022-23 season on professional tryouts with their respective American Hockey League clubs. Mazur will join the Grand Rapids Griffins, also of the AHL, for the rest of the season on an amateur tryout.The 6-foot, 173-pound Mazur played for the United States in both IIHF W...

Coffee shop mural in Altadena criticized for being ‘violent’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

A mural on the side of a popular coffee shop in Altadena is causing a stir in the community, with some residents calling for it to be taken down. The mural is on the side of Unincorporated Coffee Roasters on Lincoln Avenue in Altadena and was sanctioned by the owner. The muralist is a local Los Angeles artist who is known for his “chaotic and violent depictions of society.” Opponents of the mural say that they talked to the town council and the county, who said they have no jurisdiction over the art as it stands right now. Regardless, some community members are adamant that it be taken down. “[This mural does] not belong in a Black community or a community of color,” said She’ She’ Yancy, who lives next door to the mural. “This is misplaced.” Other community members don't see any violent depictions in the artwork. “I just see faces and hands, I don’t see anything violent about it,” a community member told KTLA’s Sara Welch. Opponents of the mural h...

Lucid Motors cuts 18% of its workforce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

NEWARK, Calif. (KRON) -- Lucid Motors is the latest Bay Area-based company to conduct layoffs. The layoffs were announced Tuesday in a letter from CEO Peter Rawlinson posted to the company's website. Lucid is an electric vehicle manufacturer based out of Newark. Tech Crunch reported that 1,300 employees will be affected by the layoffs. Former shipping company employee steals $12,000 of wine from Napa winery to guarantee a paycheck, sheriff says "We have been reviewing and implementing several other ways to optimize our cost structure, but unfortunately these measures alone won’t achieve our objectives. Consequently, we’ve made the painful but necessary decision to let some of our talented team members go," Rawlinson said. The letter said that the layoffs will affect departments across the organization, including executives. A severance package will include access to healthcare coverage continuation and acceleration of equity. "These decisions are designed to position us to be mo...

Md. first lady has lived with MS for 20 years — what is it?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

Maryland first lady Dawn Moore recently revealed something very personal to the world. For more than 20 years, she has lived with multiple sclerosis or MS.Her announcement comes during Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, and she said she is opening up about it to do just that — raise awareness.MS is a neurological condition in which your body’s immune system, at times, will attack the myelin that protects a person’s nerves. That protective layer for the nerves comes under fire during what is known as “attacks” or “exacerbations.”What’s unique about MS is that symptoms can vary widely, from vision issues, weakness, numbness, coordination problems and bladder issues. And it can even affect a person’s mood, according to Dr. Robert Shin, a neurologist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.When the body attacks the protective layer around the nerves, it leaves damage that the body cannot heal. So, the nerve communication issues caused by that damage can lead to symptoms, can go away ...

Washington scores career-high 43 as Hornets top Thunder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — P.J. Washington scored 22 of his career-high 43 points in the fourth quarter, and the Charlotte Hornets rallied to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 137-134 on Tuesday night for their third straight win. Three Thunder players scored career highs — Isaiah Joe with 33 points and Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams with 31 each. But Williams and Giddey each missed one of two free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Williams missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.It was a potentially costly loss for Oklahoma City. The Thunder were looking to strengthen their position in the Western Conference play-in race despite being short-handed. Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered the day fourth in the league averaging 31.3 points per game, sat out with a sprained left ankle.Charlotte was short-handed, too. Terry Rozier (right foot discomfort) and Kelly Oubre (strained right shoulder) sat out for the third straight game and Dennis Smith (sp...

CBI issues alert for missing 13-year-old girl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. (KDVR) -- The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is searching for Sofia Ochoa, a 13-year-old missing out of Federal Heights.She was last seen Tuesday at 3:31 p.m. walking eastbound across Huron Street north of 84th Avenue. She is described as a Hispanic girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She is 5-foot-1 and 115 pounds.Sofia was last seen wearing blue jeans, a long sleeve black sweatshirt with a circular wind cave National Park logo, a turquoise backpack and dark-colored shoes.She may have a blue face mask on.Law enforcement is concerned she may be in crisis and is concerned for her safety, according to the missing alert.If she is seen, call 911 or the Federal Heights Police Department at 303-428-8538.

Paralyzed cat duo looking for forever home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Two paralyzed cats at a Denver non-profit are looking for a forever home.  Kelly and Guapo have been at the MaxFund Animal Adoption Center for several years. They both came in as strays at separate times but quickly became best friends. Katie Cooke, who has been taking care of Kelly and Guapo for about four years at the shelter, said the duo is inseparable. “These are brothers in arms," Cooke said. “They just have been through so much together and it’s amazing to see how close they are and just how much fun they are. They’re my favs.” Kelly and Guapo are paralyzed from the waist down, so they use their front paws to get around. Volunteers at the shelter say the two are fast when they want to be. (KDVR)"They have no idea that they’re paralyzed. They think they’re on all fours,” Cooke said. “They’re so confident. They act as if there is no problem with them and what they’re going through is normal.” Shelly Raber, a volunteer, said th...

Lowry: Kids facing transgender peer pressure

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:07 GMT

We are going to look back years from now and wonder how we failed young girls so badly.Between social media and fashionable gender theories, we are making teenage girls depressed, anxious, and trans.In a Substack essay the other day, a mother wrote of her daughter: “She was among the last of her small group of biologically female friends to socially transition. It was mid-pandemic, and she spent most of her time with her best friend, who had, unbeknownst to me, shown her hours upon end of transgender entertainment on YouTube and TikTok.”Of course, that is going to have an effect, although there is a massive effort to deny it among trans activists and in much of the media.The Geico gecko can convince us to buy car insurance. Someone can use the wrong pronoun and it can convince a trans person to harm himself or herself. But what can’t possibly happen, we are supposed to believe, is that the constant discussion and celebration of transgenderism might convince confuse...