Home

Texas House considers removing drag mention from ban bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas House of Representatives' State Affairs committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 12, which would ban sexually explicit or suggestive performances while minors are present. Its proposed substitutions to the bill, though, would remove mention of drag performances or gender non-conformity.SB 12 passed in the Senate on April 5. It went to the House, but was referred to the committee after its first hearing. A related bill, SB 1601, is also currently being deliberated by the House State Affairs Committee. Previous: Two drag restriction bills approved by Texas Senate A draft version of the House's substitution can be read below:senate-bill-12-draftDownloadWednesday morning's public hearing on SB 12 lasted nearly three hours before Committee Chair Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, ended the hearing so that the committee could have time to consider other matters and let members attend the House legislative session. The hearing will resume for an addition...

Tang Museum to offer free admission for military personnel and families

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Starting on May 20, currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families will be able to visit the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College for free. Tang Museum joins many others across the nation as part of the Blue Star Museums initiative. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “We thank the 2023 Blue Star Museums who invite military personnel and their families to experience the many wonders they have to offer, whether it’s a glimpse into the past, an encounter with awe-inspiring art, or a moment of discovery,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College is helping to enrich the lives of military families and build meaningful connections between our nation’s military and their local community.”Free admission is available for those currently serving in the United States Mili...

St. Charles, Ameren Missouri sign monitoring agreement for Elm Point Wellfield

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The City of St. Charles and Ameren Missouri have reached an agreement granting the utility company access to city-owned property in order to monitor groundwater contamination at the Elm Point Wellfield.The deal comes weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency directed the two sides to reach an access agreement. City officials and Ameren Missouri had been in negotiations since November 2022.Ameren will conduct monitoring and sampling work under the oversight of the EPA, which previously ordered the utility to submit a plan for cleaning up the contamination by June 30. It's unclear if that deadline will be pushed back.Meanwhile, the city is setting up an eight-tank assembly to decontaminate and clean the water from the pumps. The price tag is expected to be $18 million. However, the city may not have to take on that financial burden alone. Parents: Kids tied up in classroom, state cut corners during investigation The Missouri Legislature is weighing giving S...

Thousands of American families scammed into buying sick, dying puppies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Thousands of American families are scammed into buying sick or dying puppies, according to a report from the Humane Society of the United States, with Missouri dog breeders generating the most complaints in the country.From 2007 to 2022, the HSUS received nearly 7,900 puppy buyer complaints via the organization's puppy mill tip line, or by email or online form. However, the Humane Society says those are just a fraction of all sick puppy complaints filed nationwide, since many buyers file grievances with the seller, local animal control or law enforcement, or consumer advocacy groups. Others simply don't file a complaint at all.Puppy buyers complained of illnesses like parasites, skin disorders, various infectious diseases, some of which can be deadly, and respiratory issues. Buyers also reported congenital defects and temperament problems.Pet buyers reported getting a puppy from a pet store or breeder, only to see their animal fall ill and die weeks after purchase, accor...

Fort Collins police looking for man with developmental disabilities who may be in Denver area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday updated an alert for a 27-year-old Fort Collins man with developmental disabilities who may be in the Denver area.Related ArticlesColorado News | Search for missing El Paso County sheriff’s deputy in RMNP suspended Colorado News | Missing Lakewood man with cognitive disorder found safe Colorado News | Missing Indigenous Person Alert canceled after teenage girl found safe Colorado News | Missing Indigenous Person Alert created for woman last seen in Englewood Colorado News | 26-year-old Denver man found safe, CBI alert deactivated Last seen by family members May 2 on foot wearing red shoes in Fort Collins near the intersection of Lincoln and Riverside avenues, Collin Best on May 4 may have boarded in bus in Denver to go to St. Louis, with a final destination of Fayetteville, N.C., according to the CBI.“It is now unknown if he got on the bus fro...

Newsom: Reparations for Black Californians 'about much more than cash payments'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom did not explicitly endorse cash payments to some Black residents as recommended by the California Reparations Task Force earlier this month, but in a Wednesday morning statement, his spokesperson said that Newsom is "not backing away" from the payments.An earlier statement shared with media outlets said that dealing with the nation's history of slavery and discrimination of Black Americans "is about much more than cash payments," a statement that neither fully supported or rejected the task force's recommendation on monetary reparations."Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard at work addressing..." Newsom's Chief Communication Advisor Anthony York said in the earlier statement. Here’s how much Black Californians could individually receive in reparations York clarified Wednesday that the governor "is not backing away from cash payments, but wants to wait for the report in its entirety to arrive o...

Oswald Capistran Killed in Scooter Accident at Highway 99 [Fresno, CA]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

24-Year-Old Rider Dead after Vehicular Collision near Fresno StreetFRESNO, CA (May 10, 2023) – Early Wednesday morning, a scooter crash at Highway 99 claimed the life of Oswald Capistran.The incident occurred at about 1:00 a.m. on April 12th near Fresno Street.As per the CHP, a driver of a 2013 Dodge Caravan struck Capistran from behind, ejecting him from his scooter and onto the freeway where he was hit by several passing vehicles.As a result of the incident, responding paramedics pronounced 24-year-old Oswald Capistran dead on the scene.Meanwhile. the driver remained and cooperated with the authorities.At this time, Fresno police have no additional information and ruled out drugs or impairment as factors in the fatal crash. However, an active investigation is still ongoing.The Sweet James team sends their sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Oswald Capistran. Their thoughts are with them during this very difficult time.Losing a loved one in an accident can have de...

Vast Space, SpaceX plan to launch world’s first commercial space station into orbit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

Long Beach-based aerospace company Vast Space and Hawthorne-headquartered SpaceX announced a new partnership and plan to launch the world’s first commercial space station — dubbed Haven-1 — into low-Earth orbit by 2025, according to a Wednesday, May 10 news release.Haven-1, the space station, will be launched into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the release said. Once completed, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will fly out the first human flight to dock on the space station — where they’ll stay for up to a month while orbiting Earth.“Haven-1 will initially act as an independent crewed space station prior to being connected as a module to a larger Vast space station currently in development,” the announcement said. “Vast also secured an option with SpaceX for an additional human spaceflight mission to Haven-1.”A rendering of Vast Space’s Haven-1, which the company says will be the world’s first-ever commercial space station. (Photo courtesy of Vast Space)A rendering of Spac...

12-year-old boy fatally shot in Southern California, 14-year-old girl wounded

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

LONG BEACH — A shooting in Long Beach left two people wounded, one of them reportedly a 12-year-old boy who died at a hospital, and an investigation was underway Wednesday.The shooting occurred near Lewis Avenue and Hill Street late Tuesday night, according to Fox 11 and reports from the scene.The victims, reportedly juveniles, were transported for hospital treatment in unknown condition.Police were tight-lipped regarding their investigation, declining to release details or confirm a Fox 11 report that a 12-year-old boy had died at a hospital. Family members identified the fatally wounded boy as Eric Gregory Brown, Fox 11 reported.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Woman wounded more than once in East Bay drive-by shooting Crime and Public Safety | One wounded in Oakland gunfire; suspect flees Crime and Public Safety | Man arrested for shooting 14-year-old girl in head while she was playing hide and seek Crime and Public Safety ...

San Jose: Pedestrian killed in I-880 hit-and-run collision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:19 GMT

SAN JOSE — A woman’s body was found Monday morning in the roadway of Interstate 880 after a collision that the California Highway Patrol is investigating as a hit and run.The CHP was informed of a possible body on the roadway at 7:51 a.m. Monday. Responding officers found the body of a woman in the center median of northbound I-880 just north of Stevens Creek Boulevard near Santana Row and the Westfield Valley Fair mall.Officers found evidence that the body was struck by a vehicle and closed the two left lanes for about two hours to investigate. According to a news release, the CHP is investigating the incident as a hit and run and it was apparent that the woman was a pedestrian.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | San Jose woman killed in motorcycle crash near Watsonville Crashes and Disasters | Bicyclist dead in Hayward’s fifth traffic fatality of 2023 Crashes and Disasters | Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run in San Jose ...