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Families say autism therapy helped their kids. Indiana’s Medicaid cuts could put it out of reach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Shaunna Thompson was running out of childcare options. Her daughter Abbie was expelled from daycare in 2022 because of “all over the place” behavior. Thompson found an in-home provider for the toddler, but was told Abbie was “too much” to watch every day of the week. The experiences motivated Thompson to seek assistance for her daughter, who also was missing developmental milestones. Abbie, now 3, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in October of last year. By March, Thompson enrolled her in applied behavior analysis — a therapy based on learning and behavior focused on improving communicative, social and motor skills — at a local facility in northern Indiana for 40 hours a week. Abbie, nonverbal most of her life, has since said her first word: “Mom.”“It brought tears to my eyes” Thompson said.But Thompson and other families reliant on Medicaid worry changes coming in January will limit access to the therapy as Indiana attempts to limit the cost and, alon...

Can a state count all its votes by hand? A North Dakota proposal aims to be the first to try

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — All election ballots would be counted by hand under a proposal that could go to North Dakota voters, potentially achieving a goal of activists across the country who distrust modern vote counting but dismaying election officials who say the change would needlessly delay vote tallies and lead to more errors.Backers of the proposed ballot measure are far from gathering enough signatures, but if the plan makes the June 2024 ballot and voters pass it, North Dakota would have to replace ballot scanners with hundreds of workers across the state who would carefully count and recount ballots. It’s a change other Republican-led states have attempted unsuccessfully in the years since former President Donald Trump began criticizing the nation’s vote-counting system, falsely claiming it was rigged against him.“We’ve always done hand counting before we got these machines,” said Lydia Gessele, a farmer who is leading the effort to get the measure on the ballot. &...

Top strategist resigns from DeSantis-backing super PAC with less than a month before Iowa caucuses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The top strategist for the embattled super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘ campaign for the White House resigned Saturday night in the latest sign of trouble for the GOP hopeful less than one month before voting begins with Iowa’s kickoff caucuses.Jeff Roe, the top adviser to Never Back Down, is the latest senior staffer to exit Never Back Down, which has been the largest outside group supporting DeSantis’ candidacy. He announced his departure on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, hours after The Washington Post published a story focused on internal disputes and suspicions between Never Back Down, the campaign, and other DeSantis allies that included accusations of “mismanagement and conduct issues, including numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information.” “I can’t believe it ended this way,” Roe wrote on X, sharing a statement in which he said he “cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statem...

As 2023 holidays dawn, face masks have settled in as an occasional feature of the American landscape

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The scene: A crowded shopping center in the weeks before Christmas. Or a warehouse store. Or maybe a packed airport terminal or a commuter train station or another place where large groups gather.There are people — lots of people. But look around, and it’s clear one thing is largely absent these days: face masks. Yes, there’s the odd one here and there, but nothing like it was three years ago at the dawn of the COVID pandemic’s first winter holidays — an American moment of contentiousness, accusation and scorn on both sides of the mask debate.As 2023 draws to an end, with promises of holiday parties and crowds and lots of inadvertent exchanges of shared air, mask-wearing is much more off than on around the country even as COVID’s long tail lingers. The days of anything approaching a widespread mask mandate would be like the Ghost of Christmas Past, a glimpse into what was. Look at it a different way, though: These days, mask-wearing has become...

Chileans to vote on conservative constitution draft a year after rejecting leftist charter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chileans are voting Sunday on whether to approve a new constitution that will replace the country’s dictatorship-era charter.The vote comes over a year after Chileans resoundingly rejected a proposed constitution written by a left-leaning convention and one that many characterized as one of the world’s most progressive charters.The new document, largely written by conservative councilors, is more conservative than the one it seeks to replace because it would deepen free-market principles, reduce state intervention and might limit some women’s rights. If the new charter is rejected, the Pinochet-era constitution — which was amended over the years —- will remain in effect. One of the most controversial articles in the proposed new draft says that “the law protects the life of the unborn,” with a slight change in wording from the current document that some have warned could make abortion fully illegal in the South American country. Chilean law currently allows th...

Belarus political prisoners face abuse, no medical care and isolation, former inmate says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — During his three years in a Belarusian penal colony, human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka says he and other political prisoners were regularly deprived of family visits, phone calls and parcels. He nearly died when COVID-19 swept through the facility. And he was forced to spend the last nine days of his sentence in a damp punishment cell, sleeping on the concrete floor with a roll of toilet paper for a pillow.He had to wear a yellow tag on his uniform — as do all the estimated 1,473 political prisoners held in Belarus — so they’re easily identifiable to guards who he said routinely bullied, abused and humiliated them.“The Belarusian authorities deliberately create terrible detention conditions for political prisoners, which qualify as torture,” Sudalenka said in an interview with The Associated Press after he finished his time behind bars and fled to neighboring Lithuania.Belarus has cracked down on opponents of authoritarian President Alexander Lukas...

Black American solidarity with Palestinians is rising and testing longstanding ties to Jewish allies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

Cydney Wallace, a Black Jewish community activist, never felt compelled to travel to Israel, though “Next year in Jerusalem” was a constant refrain at her Chicago synagogue.The 39-year-old said she had plenty to focus on at home, where she frequently gives talks on addressing anti-Black sentiment in the American Jewish community and dismantling white supremacy in the U.S.“I know what I’m fighting for here,” she said.That all changed when she visited Israel and the West Bank at the invitation of a Palestinian American community activist, along with two dozen other Black Americans and Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith leaders. The trip, which began Sept. 26, enhanced Wallace’s understanding of the struggles of Palestinians living in the West Bank under Israeli military occupation. But, horrifyingly, it was cut short by the unprecedented Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas militants. In Israel’s ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, shocking images of destruction and death seen around ...

Chance of snow Sunday night into Monday; falling temps Monday night. Strong storm system moves up East Coast. Anniversary of the Dec. 17-18, 1924 Glaze Storm of west-central Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

A strong storm system is projected to leave northern Florida Sunday morning and move up the East Coast through Monday eveningThe storm will bring heavy rain, strong winds, and coastal impacts from Georgia to Maine.  Flooding is a concern in a few states.  Rainfall totals of 1-4" will be common with some locations possibly seeing more than 5".  Courtesy of the American Meteorological Society Monthly Weather Review Volume 52: Issue 12

Broncos report card: Nothing good vs. Lions for Denver, which now needs to ace a three-week run of final exams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

Offense – FThe Broncos went right down the field to start the game and turned it over at the edge of the red zone.  Later, they got stuffed in yet another goal-to-go situation. In between, they mustered a touchdown, a couple of big plays and zero semblance of rhythm. And these weren’t exactly the ’85 Bears they were going against, either. Detroit entered 24th in scoring defense and had given up an average of 29.8 points per game over their past five. All the same, the Broncos mustered just 75 first-half yards and didn’t get on the board until the third quarter.Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson have to find more consistent ways to move the ball. The powerful run game that developed midseason has backtracked. Denver’s too reliant on big plays. The red zone and goal-to-go situations continue to be a sore spot. Plenty to figure out and not much time to do so.Defense – FYeah, Vance Joseph’s group got hung out to dry in the first half. They had to defend 18-plus minut...

Denver fighter Brandon Royval loses rematch to Alexandre Pantoja in UFC flyweight title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:15 GMT

The city of Denver will have to wait for a hometown UFC champ.Brandon Royval lost to Alexandre Pantoja in the rematch between the two fighters on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Pantoja retaining the flyweight belt with a unanimous decision.Pantoja came out with a blistering pace and earned the bout’s first takedown. Royval spent a lot of time fighting from his back, with Pantoja clearly winning Round 1. That trend continued all night as Pantoja dominated with his grappling.It was the same story in Round 2, with Pantoja controlling ground time and also landing a couple of right-hand hammers to Royval’s jaw. Pantoja took Royval down again quickly in Round 3, and Rovyal reversed control at one point, but the Brazilian quickly escaped.Royval finally gained momentum with a couple of jabs to Pantoja’s nose, but Pantoja got another takedown to end the round on top of Royval and in control. Another takedown put Royval on his back again in Round 4 as the 31-y...