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Court battle begins over Missouri's ban on gender-affirming health care for minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the families of transgender children are in court this week fighting over whether a new law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled Monday.Lawyers last month sued to overturn the law on behalf of three families of transgender minors, doctors and two LGBTQ+ organizations. They asked a county judge to temporarily block the law as the court challenge against it plays out.Hearings over pausing the law are taking place this week in Springfield. A judge is expected to rule before Monday.THE LAWThe law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson in June, would prohibit Missouri health care providers from providing puberty blockers, hormones, and gender-affirming surgeries to minors. Minors prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 would be able to continue to receive those treatments.Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics had...

Jay-Z stops by the Pulitzer before Beyoncé's St. Louis show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

Jay-Z and - Image provided by the Pulitzer Arts Foundation ST. LOUIS -- The Pulitzer welcomed a special guest to the art museum Monday. Shawn Corey Carter, better known as Grammy-award winning rap artist Jay-Z, stopped by to view the art and architecture. His wife, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, was in town to perform at the Dome at the America's Center in Downtown St. Louis.The couple recently purchased a $200 million oceanfront mansion in Malibu designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando. It was inspired by the architecture of The Pulitzer. The building in St. Louis was also designed by Ando.The celebrity couple's Malibu home likely doubles as an art museum. They are expected to settle in after the tour ends in September. Their private art collection may include works from Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and other famous and emerging artists.Jay-Z posed for a picture with Pulitzer Foundation founder Emily Rauh Pulitzer Monday. The picture was taken inside Richard Se...

Democrat Adam Frisch leads against Rep. Lauren Boebert in poll for 2024 race

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

A new poll released Tuesday by Adam Frisch’s congressional campaign shows the former Aspen city councilman narrowly leading U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in one of the most closely watched House races in the country — the first time the Democrat has held an edge over his GOP nemesis.The poll, conducted this month by Keating Research among 801 3rd Congressional District residents likely to vote next year, shows Frisch with a 50% to 48% lead. Because the poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%, president and founder Chris Keating conceded that the results signify, for all intents and purposes, a tie.But the trajectory for Frisch, Keating said, is going the right way. In an October 2022 poll the firm conducted on last November’s race, it was Boebert who held the 2% lead. She ended up defeating Frisch by fewer than 600 votes — a margin so thin it triggered an automatic recount.“So we’re seeing a steady improvement in Adam’s numbers,” Keating sai...

Yellowstone National Park wolves observed bringing 'toys' to pups

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

Wolves and humans have a lot more in common than you might think, at least when it comes to appeasing an anxious child.On Tuesday, Yellowstone National Park shared video on social media which showed adult wolves from a well-known pack traveling back to their den with some unusual items.Video from a trail camera shot earlier in spring showed the wolves carrying antlers, bones and sticks back to the den as an offering for their awaiting pups. The reason for the peculiar wildlife behavior is actually more humanlike than you might imagine. "Pups await food deliveries from successful hunts, but in the absence of food adults bring 'toys,'" officials from the National Park said in the social media post. A wolf carries a "toy" back to its den at Yellowstone National Park in spring 2023. (Yellowstone National Park)Researchers theorize that the behavior has been reinforced by evolution and might save the adults from being "mobbed by sharp puppy teeth."Yellowstone wolf packs typically have one...

Beyonce fans can win free 'Renaissance World Tour' tickets through Vivid Seats contest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

Vivid Seats has launched a national ticket giveaway to help one Beyhive member see Beyonce during her “Renaissance World Tour” at the location of their choosing.To enter the contest, fans will have to download the official Vivid Seats app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, and play the Beyonce trivia game in the game center. Would you buy listening-only tickets to Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour? The more times people play the game, the more chances they have of winning tickets, according to a news release.No purchase is necessary to enter the contest. The winner, which will be chosen on Aug. 28, will get two tickets to one of Beyonce’s Renaissance tour shows.The “Alien Superstar” singer will perform at Sofi Stadium on Sept. 1, 2 and 4 before heading to Vancouver, Seattle and Dallas later in the month.Tickets to the September shows in Inglewood are still available on the Ticketmaster website. Ticket prices vary depending on the night.

LargeFriends.com Review: A Diverse and Inclusive Dating Community

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

In the dynamic realm of online dating, platforms are constantly evolving to meet the diverse needs of users. This investigation delves into the transformation of LargeFriends.com from a niche BBW dating site to a comprehensive and inclusive dating community. The report aims to provide insights into the platform’s strengths and weaknesses, shedding light on its role in shaping the modern landscape of online dating.Transformation Overview:LargeFriends.com has undergone a noteworthy transformation in 2023, redefining its identity from a singular niche platform to a diverse and all-encompassing dating community. The platform’s expansion now encompasses a wide spectrum of dating categories, including sugar dating, senior dating, bisexual dating, gay dating, older women dating, lesbian dating, and biker dating. This strategic evolution aims to provide users with a space where they can explore relationships aligned with their personal desires, fostering inclusivity and celebrat...

1 Injured after Motorcycle Crash on Interstate 25 [Albuquerque, NM]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

Speeding Motorcyclist Hurt in Traffic Accident on Montgomery Boulevard ExitALBUQUERQUE, NM (August 22, 2023) – On Saturday, a rider sustained injuries following a motorcycle crash on Interstate 25.According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the accident involved a motorcyclist headed northbound on-ramp at the Montgomery Boulevard exit.In addition, the authorities stated that the motorcycle involved was a black 2019 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Furthermore, the motorcyclist was traveling at high speeds when he lost control and was ejected onto the roadway.Following the events, two vehicles attempted to avoid the motorcyclist, resulting in a collision.Immediately after that collision, authorities transported the motorcyclist to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.Luckily, responders recorded no injuries resulting from the collision between the two vehicles.Both directions of the roadway were temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.Consequentl...

San Francisco resident identified as man shot dead by Martinez police outside cannabis dispensary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

MARTINEZ — A 20-year-old San Francisco man has been identified as the person fatally shot last week by Martinez police as officers responded to a reported break-in at a cannabis dispensary.Tahmon Kenneth Wilson was killed during the predawn shooting Friday outside Velvet cannabis dispensary in Martinez, according to the Contra Costa County coroner’s office.Martinez police also shot and wounded another person while responding to a tripped burglary alarm at the dispensary, located 4808 Sunrise Drive, authorities said. That person’s condition remains unclear.When officers arrived, they saw a white SUV fleeing from the dispensary. Officers then “broadcast that shots were fired and there was an assault on an officer.” While attempting to flee, the driver of a second vehicle crashed into a fire hydrant, police said.One police officer suffered unspecified minor injuries in the incident.Four Martinez police officers fired their weapons during the encounter, and all o...

After deadly wildfires, Maui confronts the challenge of finding more than 800 missing people

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

By Audrey McAvoy, Claire Rush and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher | Associated PressLAHAINA, Hawaii — Two weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century swept through the Maui community of Lahaina, authorities say anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people remain unaccounted for — a staggering number for officials facing huge challenges to determine how many of those perished and how many may have made it to safety but haven’t checked in.Something similar happened after a wildfire in 2018 that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, California. Authorities in Butte County, home to Paradise, ultimately published a list of the missing in the local newspaper, a decision that helped identify scores of people who had made it out alive but were listed as missing. Within a month, the list dropped from 1,300 names to only a dozen.“I probably had, at any given time, 10 to 15 detectives who were assigned to nothing but trying to account for people who were unaccounted fo...

How to see Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in San Jose this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:14 GMT

The most important gymnastics event before the Olympic trials is taking place in San Jose this week and tickets are still available to see Simone Biles in action at the SAP Center.Earlier this momth, Biles made a surprise return to gymnastics after taking a two-year hiatus to focus on her mental health and captured a landslide victory in the U.S. Classic in the suburbs of Chicago.She’ll headline a historic lineup at the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships beginning Thursday and going through Sunday.The competition begins Thursday morning, when the junior men will kick things off followed by the senior men in the evening.The women begin competing Friday, with the juniors in the morning and the seniors, including Biles and Sunisa Lee, competing in the evening. Tickets for Friday are available for as low as $45.The men will complete their competition on Saturday while the women will finish Sunday, when USA Gymnastics will crown winners and announce the national teams.Olympic rosters wil...