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Texas Legislature OKs ban on gender-affirming care for minors

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas would become the largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors under a bill sent Wednesday night to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has previously ordered child welfare officials to investigate such treatment as abuse. The bill cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature after a final vote in the Senate over the objections of Democrats, who used parliamentary maneuvers in recent weeks to delay passage but could not derail it entirely. Texas is now poised to join at least 17 other states that have enacted similar bans. Abbott’s office did not return an email seeking comment Wednesday night. Last year, Abbott became the first governor to order the investigation of families who were receiving care. The investigations were later halted by a Texas judge.Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans and supported the medical care for minors when administered appropriately. Texas is among a number of ...

G-7 Hiroshima summit: Who’s attending, what will be discussed?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Leaders of seven of the world’s most powerful democracies will gather this weekend for the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, the location of the world’s first atomic attack at the end of World War II. From the emergence of crucial developing countries to security worries, including growing aggression from China, North Korea and Russia, here’s a look at the G-7, who will attend and some of the key issues:___WHAT IS THE G-7 SUMMIT?The Group of Seven is an informal group of leading industrialized nations. It consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. This year is Japan’s turn to host, but the presidency of G-7 summits revolves among the seven members. Two representatives of the European Union also join. As is customary in recent years, leaders from some non-G-7 countries and international organizations will also participate in some sessions.The leaders discuss a wide range of issues, including economic p...

Pasquantino hits 2-run homer, Royals beat struggling Padres 4-3

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — What was left of the crowd of 32,416 at Petco Park on a gloomy afternoon loudly booed the San Diego Padres after Ha-Seong Kim made the last out of a dismal 4-3 loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals. It wasn’t the first time Wednesday frustrated fans let the high-priced Padres have it as they continued to flounder with runners in scoring position and make baserunning blunders.The Padres were supposed to be so much better this year, with baseball’s third-highest payroll and a quartet of superstars in Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Juan Soto. Yet they dropped two of three to the Royals, who are last in the AL Central, and have lost nine of 11 overall to tumble to fourth place in the NL West, eight games behind the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and four games under .500.“I mean, we’re frustrated. The way that we finished the game, I would boo ourselves, too,” Tatis said.Machado, sidelined indefinitely after finding out he has a...

Police identify 3 family members stabbed to death in Prince William Co.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

Three family members — an adult son, mother and father — are dead following a domestic altercation in Prince William County, Virginia, early Tuesday morning, police say.The father, stabbed by a bayonet, called police at around 7:15 a.m. following the “altercation” inside of a Woodbridge home, Prince William County police said in a news release.The three deceased were identified in a news release Wednesday as father Rodney Clyde Reams, 67; mother Sandra W. Reams, 70; and son Nicholas Lee Reams, 38.According to the police’s preliminary investigation, the 38-year-old son started the deadly conflict when he fatally stabbed his 70-year-old mother at the 5100 block of Cannon Bluff Drive home. Then police believe the son and 67-year-old father continued the altercation and both sustained fatal injuries from a bayonet. The father was able to contact police before first responders transported him to a hospital.Sandra Reams was pronounced dead on the scene. Rodney Reams and ...

Orioles overcome Trout’s homer, drop Angels to .500 with 3-1 victory

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Kyle Bradish pitched impressively into the seventh inning and Austin Hays homered to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.Mike Trout went deep for the Angels, but they fell back to .500 with their eighth loss in 11 games.Bradish (2-1) allowed a run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings against the team that drafted him. He struck out five without a walk. Danny Coulombe, Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista got the final seven outs, with Bautista working the ninth for his 11th save in 14 chances.Bautista walked Trout with one out, bringing Shohei Ohtani up as the tying run. Ohtani went down swinging and Hunter Renfroe flied out to deep center field to end it.Griffin Canning (2-2) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.The Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out in the second, but Terrin Vavra hit into a 1-2-3 double play and Canning escaped the jam. Baltimore took the lead the following inning on Ryan Mountcastle&...

Soccer, health officials gather for head injury summit amid criticism from CTE researchers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Alecko Eskandrian starred at the University of Virginia before playing for five teams during seven seasons in Major League Soccer. The All-Star forward had five documented concussions during his MLS career, leading to his retirement in 2010.When it comes to head injuries and soccer, Eskandrian said, the sport has come a long way.“When I was younger, growing up, that wasn’t even a thing to, hey, report your concussion,” he said. “It was more of like, if you felt OK, you carried through, you carried through, and there were never discussions about short-term, long-terms effects, things like that.”The 40-year-old Eskandrian, who works for MLS in player relations and player development, shared his perspective while speaking on a panel Wednesday on the first day of a head injury summit at a downtown Chicago hotel.The conference of scientists, medical professionals and athletic trainers and officials was organized by U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer, the National...

Padres slugger Machado has fracture in left hand, status uncertain

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres slugger Manny Machado has a small fracture in his left hand and the team isn’t sure if he will require a stint on the injured list.Machado was hurt when he was hit by a pitch in Monday night’s 4-0 win against the Kansas City Royals. Padres manager Bob Melvin said X-rays that night didn’t show a fracture, but Machado had a CT scan and MRI on Tuesday that revealed a fractured metacarpal.After a 4-3 loss to the Royals on Wednesday, the star third baseman was asked if going on the injured list is a possibility.“I don’t know. We’ll see,” Machado said.The slumping Padres lost two of three to the last-place Royals and have dropped nine of 11 overall.“It’s definitely a tough stretch for us,” said Machado, who is hitting .231 with five homers and 19 RBIs. “We definitely want to be out there and help this team win in whatever way. It’s just a bummer. It’s not ideal for us right now.”The Padres are of...

TABOR-linked tax relief plan faces legal challenge

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado is facing a legal challenge over a last-minute legislative effort to provide property tax relief.Proposition HH is set to go before voters this November. The measure aims to lower property tax rates for the next 10 years. To cover resulting revenue losses for local governments, it would also allow the state to use surplus money that would otherwise be refunded because of TABOR.Advance Colorado, a conservative group, is behind the lawsuit. The group argues that the bill addresses too many topics, in violation of the Colorado Constitution."On top of that, the ballot language is unclear and misleading," Michael Fields, Advance Colorado president, said in a statement. "Voters deserve to know that they would be giving up their TABOR tax refunds in exchange for very little property tax relief." You may be eligible for Colorado’s property tax deferral program Fields, who is also a Republican political analyst for FOX31, also said: "The governor should call a spec...

Denver weather: Widespread rain showers in the next 2 days

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will turn cloudy and wet again Thursday into Friday. This storm system will bring less rain than last week's showers but it will still be a cooler and wet two days with the potential for minor flooding. Weather tonight: Late showersMost of the scattered storms that develop Wednesday afternoon will be concentrated on the Eastern Plains and in northern Colorado. Late Wednesday night, a round of scattered rain showers will push through the Front Range. Temperatures will fall into the upper 40s overnight in Denver with mostly cloudy skies. Weather tomorrow: Soggy Thursday Denver and the Front Range will wake up with mostly cloudy skies and isolated showers. The best chance for rain will come Thursday afternoon, through the evening, and into early Friday morning. Temperatures will be cooler, in the mid-60s, due to the morning clouds. If the clouds dissipate early, the afternoon rain will come in the form of scattered storms. If the clouds hold into t...

Golden to test 4-day workweek at police department

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — A four-day workweek is coming to the city of Golden, which will test the program at its police department.This program is aimed at broadening the employee wellness program, according to Police Chief Joe Harvey. If successful, Golden said it would apply to all city departments.Police officers in Golden will go from four 10-hour days to four 8-hour days."When we're able, we will be sending those employees after 32 hours, but they will be paid for 40," Harvey said. 768 guns stolen from cars last year as theft rate rises The program, Harvey said, is expected to save money."It actually will work to serve to reduce overtime because we still have those eight hours sitting out there that if we need to use them, we can," Harvey said.Harvey said it won't impact police coverage in the city because there will still be more officers on the clock when more emergency calls are typically made."We're going to be creative in how we're going to cover that by maximizing the hig...