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Mass shootings spur divergent laws as states split between gun rights and control

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

Tennessee’s Republican-led Legislature is meeting in special session this week to consider a package of public safety proposals, including some stemming from a deadly shooting at a Nashville elementary school earlier this year. Though the session is not expected to result in any new firearms restrictions, it nonetheless highlights the widely divergent response among states to a spate of mass shootings across the U.S.More than half the states have enacted substantive new laws this year regarding gun policies or school safety measures — most often tightening firearm restrictions in Democratic-led states and loosening them in Republican-led ones. Some states also have pumped money into efforts to secure schools or to train teachers and staff how to respond in shootings.WHAT IS TENNESSEE DOING?Republican Gov. Bill Lee has outlined an 18-prong agenda for Tennessee lawmakers to consider during their special session. The proposal that has gotten the most public attention also appears...

Trump’s decision to back out of debate tests Fox News’ ability to pivot again

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — If 2023 has taught anything to the people running Fox News, it’s the importance of being able to pivot.The decision by former President Donald Trump to skip Wednesday’s first debate of the 2024 presidential primary season likely deprives Fox of a huge late-summer audience. Even worse for the network, Trump has talked of appearing in an online interview with former Fox star Tucker Carlson at the same time.Trump’s announcement on Sunday wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Fox debate moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum had been preparing for two events — one if he were there and one if he wasn’t.Several Fox personalities this summer publicly urged Trump to attend the event, and Fox executives privately made the same argument to the former president. His former press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, called Trump’s decision a “huge political miscalculation” Monday on Fox.Despite Trump’s lead over other Republicans in polls, MacCallu...

How Trump’s attacks on prosecutors build on history of using racist language and stereotypes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s aggressive response to his fourth criminal indictment in five months follows a strategy he has long used against legal and political opponents: relentless attacks, often infused with language that is either overtly racist or is coded in ways that appeal to racists.The early Republican presidential front-runner has used terms such as “animal” and “rabid” to describe Black district attorneys. He has accused Black prosecutors of being “racist.” He has made unsupported claims about their personal lives. And on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump has deployed terms that rhyme with racial slurs as some of his supporters post racist screeds about the same targets. The rhetoric is a reminder of Trump’s tendency to use coded racial messaging as a signal to supporters, an approach he has deployed over several decades as he evolved from a New York City real estate tycoon to a reality television star and, eventually, the president. Even if he does...

Inside KCON LA 2023, an extravagant microcosm of K-pop’s macro influence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hours before doors would open, thousands of K-pop fans lined up in downtown Los Angeles, stretching long city blocks in the warm August sun. In pleated skirts and platform shoes, toting the clear bags that have become arena staples, they danced and traded homemade stickers, banners, bracelets and photocards. Inside was their paradise: an IRL space to commune over their URL passions. If anything, the 2023 LA KCON was a microcosm of K-pop’s macro influence on the music industry as a whole.Held from Friday to Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center and adjacent Crypto.com Arena, an estimated 140,000 fans from all over the world celebrated their favorite K-pop idols across three days of panels, premium meet-and-greets, interviews, dance breaks, concerts, and more. Inside the convention center, fans carried lightsticks of their favorite groups, showed off DIY shirts with simple, direct slogans like “I HEART MINGI”, collected sticker books and K-beauty products, and...

Austin's I-35 expansion clears final hurdle before construction start

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Transportation is poised to begin construction on its Interstate 35 Capital Expression Central project near downtown Austin, following approval of the project announced Monday.TxDOT released a final environmental impact statement and record of decision, marking completion of environmental clearance as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. With that decision delivered, TxDOT's I-35 Central project is slated to move into its final design and review phase before construction is anticipated to begin in mid-2024. Tucker Ferguson, TxDOT's Austin district engineer, told KXAN Monday the state agency is eyeing a project launch in either March or April.The I-35 Central project is an eight-mile project track running from U.S. Hwy. 290 East to SH 71 and Ben White Boulevard. AUSTIN NEWS: APD Chief Joseph Chacon to retire; chief of staff named as interim police chief Project components include the addition of two non-tolled high-occupancy vehic...

Suspected gunman in Pasadena taken into custody after hours-long barricade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

After an hours-long standoff, authorities have arrested a man suspected of shooting and killing a woman Monday in Pasadena. Around 10:30 a.m. Monday, Pasadena police responded to the 200 block of South Raymond Avenue, where a woman was found unresponsive after reports of several shots fired.The suspected gunman was eventually tracked down to an apartment complex near the intersection of Del Mar Boulevard and Raymond Avenue.Authorities were unable to contact the suspect at first, which led to a sweep of the building. They eventually located the apartment where the suspect was believed to be located and negotiations began.The relationship between the suspect and the victim are unclear at this time, police said.The Pasadena Police Department is being assisted by the Glendale Police Department and a SWAT Team.Video from the scene showed at least two armored vehicles and several heavily armed law enforcement officers surrounding the apartment building, which was located near a Metro stat...

A’s slugger made sure he could attend Oakland Arena concert before it ended

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

OAKLAND — Brent Rooker hit a two-run home run off Dylan Coleman in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the major leagues.Zack Gelof, Jordan Diaz, and Shea Langeliers also went deep for the MLB-worst Athletics (35-90), who snapped a three-game skid and won for the second time in 10 games.The A’s led most of the game, but squandered a 4-2 lead in the eighth when the Royals scored twice off Lucas Erceg, tying the game.Kansas City had another runner in scoring position when Michael Massey singled and appeared to steal second with two outs. Massey was initially ruled safe, but the call was overturned after a video replay, ending the inning.Ryan Noda, just activated off the disabled list, led off the ninth and was hit by a pitch from Coleman (0-2). Rooker then slammed a 2-0 slider into the seats in left field for his second game-ending homer of the season.As...

Santa Clara: Crash sends driver to hospital with life-threatening injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

SANTA CLARA – A driver suffered life-threatening injuries in a three-vehicle crash Monday afternoon in Santa Clara, police said.The collision was reported around 3:50 p.m. in southbound lanes of Lawrence Expressway at El Camino Real, said Santa Clara police Lt. Mike Crescini, citing preliminary information.Crescini said one driver was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported.Additional details about the crash were not immediately available Monday night.Southbound Lawrence Expressway was closed at El Camino Real for an investigation.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Unconscious man rescued after vehicle crashes into East Bay lagoon Crashes and Disasters | Traffic collision along Highway 101 leaves one dead Crashes and Disasters | DMV demands Cruise cut driverless fleet in half following crashes Crashes and Disasters | GM’s Cruise robotaxi collides with San Francisco firetruck, ...

Cal Raleigh stars as Seattle Mariners pound Chicago White Sox 14-2 for 7th straight win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The Seattle Mariners played without Julio Rodríguez, and it didn’t matter. Not one bit.That’s how it’s going right now for Cal Raleigh and company.Raleigh homered twice and drove in six runs, and the Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 14-2 on Monday night for their seventh straight victory.With Rodríguez resting amid a torrid stretch at the plate, Seattle used a fast start to improve to 32-13 since July 1. Luis Castillo (10-7) pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his third consecutive win, finishing his outing with 47 straight fastballs.“We’re having good timely hitting. We’re taking our walks. When pitchers make mistakes, we’re taking advantage of it,” Raleigh said. “That’s just kind of what happens when you’re playing good clean ball.” The Mariners (70-55) remained in third in the AL West, just a half-game back of second-place Houston. Texas is on top of the division.“Everybody contributing, that’s what it&#...

From MLK to today, the March on Washington highlights the evolution of activism by Black churches

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:52:02 GMT

The March on Washington of 1963 is remembered most for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech — and thus as a crowning moment for the long-term civil rights activism of what is sometimes referred to as the “Black Church.”At the march, King indeed represented numerous other Black clergy who were his colleagues in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. But the march was the product of sustained activism by a broader coalition. Black and white labor leaders, as well as white clergy, played pivotal roles over many months ahead of the event.Moreover, the Black Church was not monolithic then — nor is it now. Many Black pastors and their congregations steered clear of civil disobedience and other nonviolent confrontational tactics in the civil rights era, just as some now steer clear of the Black Lives Matter movement and shun progressive Black pastors’ engagement on behalf of abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights.“The issues are multiracial. It’s too simplistic...