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New North Carolina abortion limits on legislative fast track

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Lawmakers began voting Wednesday on a Republican package of abortion restrictions that would tighten North Carolina’s ban on the procedure from after 20 weeks to 12 weeks while creating new exceptions but also more requirements for pregnant women and physicians.The legislation, which emerged the previous day after months of private negotiations among House and Senate GOP members, was on a fast track to reach the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, likely this week. The full House was expected to vote on the measure later Wednesday after a committee recommended the measure, and a Senate vote was expected Thursday. More than 200 people, including Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and members of Congress, rallied in opposition to the bill near the Legislative Building. Cooper, a strong abortion-rights supporter, vowed to fight the measure.“I will veto this extreme ban and need everyone’s help to hold it,” Cooper said in a tweet. But Republicans now hold ...

Galactic gobble: Star swallows planet in one big gulp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — For the first time, scientists have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet — not just a nibble or bite, but one big gulp. Astronomers on Wednesday reported their observations of what appeared to be a gas giant around the size of Jupiter or bigger being eaten by its star. The sun-like star had been puffing up with old age for eons and finally got so big that it engulfed the close-orbiting planet.It’s a gloomy preview of what will happen to Earth when our sun morphs into a red giant and gobbles the four inner planets. “If it’s any consolation, this will happen in about 5 billion years,” said co-author Morgan MacLeod of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. This galactic feast happened between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago near the Aquila constellation when the star was around 10 billion years old. As the planet went down the stellar hatch, there was a swift hot outburst of light, followed by a long-lasting stream of dust shining brightly i...

Congressional candidate arrested for drunken driving

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California lawmaker who is running for Congress was arrested for drunken driving Tuesday night, according to law enforcement and jail records.Sen. Dave Min, a Democrat who is running in the competitive 47th congressional district, said in a Facebook post that he was cited with a misdemeanor for driving under the influence. Min was released Wednesday morning after being arrested by California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department said. It wasn’t clear if he would have to appear in court.“My decision to drive last night was irresponsible. I accept full responsibility and there is no excuse for my actions,” Min posted Wednesday. “To my family, constituents and supporters, I am so deeply sorry. I know I need to do better. I will not let this personal failure distract from our work in California and in Washington.”A spokesperson for Min’s Senate office declined to comment.Min was arrested around 10:50 p.m. near the Capi...

Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns, diversity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s biological sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.The two proposals were given final passage by the Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. DeSantis is expected to sign the bills into law.DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in the coming weeks, has driven a hardline conservative agenda as he seeks to bolster support of Republican primary voters ahead of his White House run.The state’s Legislative session, scheduled to end this week, has been dominated by divisive cultural issues, with Republican allies of DeSantis approving his priority bills on sexual orientation, gender identity, race and education that are expected to aid the governor in his presidential bid.The Senate on Wednesday voted ...

Victims’ families question release of Oklahoma sex offender

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

HENRYETTA, Okla. (AP) — A mother of a sex offender’s wife said investigators told her he shot all six victims in the head before killing himself.Law enforcement authorities have released no details about how they died or who killed them since the bodies were found on Monday.But Janette Mayo said investigators with the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office told her Wednesday that Jesse McFadden, 39, shot and killed all the victims, including her daughter, Holly Guess, 35, before turning the gun on himself.“They were all shot in the head,” Mayo said. “My daughter was shot multiple times.”Family members have questioned how a rapist accused of soliciting nude images from another teen while behind bars was ever allowed to go free.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.The shooting happened as a series of ominous text messages — sent by McFadden to his young accuser hours before his trial was to begin on felony charges of soliciting and possessing images of chil...

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen to carry Canada’s flag at crowning of King Charles in London

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

OTTAWA — Before Astronaut Jeremy Hansen gets a chance to wear Canada’s colours on a flight around the moon next year, he will carry the Canadian flag at the coronation of the country’s new King.The Prime Minister’s Office released a list of dignitaries and eminent Canadians who will join him and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at Westminster Abbey this weekend as King Charles is officially crowned.The list includes Indigenous and youth leaders, astronaut Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons, historian Margaret MacMillan and Cross of Valour recipient Leslie Arthur Palmer. Simon’s itinerary for the trip includes an audience with the King on Thursday at Buckingham Palace, where they will be joined by the leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Métis National Council.The King was officially proclaimed Canada’s monarch in a ceremony in September in Ottawa attended by both Trudeau and Simon.The prime minister and Governor General also attended Queen Elizab...

S&P/TSX composite down as crude drops below US$70 per barrel, U.S. markets also lower

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index posted a small loss Wednesday, weighed down by weakness in energy stocks as the price of oil fell below US$70 a barrel, while U.S. stock markets were also down after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates again. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 52.88 points at 20,354.68.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 270.29 points at 33,414.24. The S&P 500 index was down 28.83 points at 4,090.75,while the Nasdaq composite was down 55.18 points at 12,025.33.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.44 cents US,compared with 73.43 cents US on Tuesday. The June crude contract was down US$3.06 at US$68.60 per barreland the June natural gas contract was down four cents at US$2.17 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was up US$13.70 at US$2,037.00 an ounce and the July copper contract was down two cents at US$3.85 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)T...

Proposed Canadian grocery code lays out process to resolve disputes, impose sanctions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

Efforts to craft a Canadian grocery code of conduct have reached a major milestone with a proposed final version that includes a process to resolve disputes and impose sanctions on systemic violators of the code. However, the language in a copy of the proposed code obtained by The Canadian Press appears to stop short of imposing fines on companies that fail to adhere to its principles. Still, Michael Graydon, co-chair of the steering committee overseeing the industry-developed code, said the voluntary code has a number of potential deterrence measures to encourage compliance, such as potentially publicizing “consistent bad behaviour.”“It has teeth. Are they as sharp as some may like? Maybe not,” said Graydon, also the CEO of supplier industry group Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada.“But if we get alignment and co-operation, we may not need to have to resort to fines anyways.”The grocery code is about creating more balance in industry&...

Jeff O’Neill returns to TSN radio show after being on leave

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

Canadian broadcaster and former NHL winger Jeff O’Neill returned to TSN’s 1050 “OverDrive” almost a week after being on leave for unspecified reasons.O’Neill hadn’t appeared on the 1050 sports radio show since last week and was absent on Monday, a few days after the Toronto Maple Leafs eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.The 47-year-old tweeted before the start of “OverDrive” on Wednesday, “Really appreciate everyone reaching out. I’ll see you guys at 4 p.m.”Really appreciate everyone reaching out. I’ll see you you guys at 4pm ????— Jeff O’Neill (@odognine2) May 3, 2023O’Neill did not discuss the reasons behind his extended absence, only briefly explaining that he was happy to be back alongside co-hosts Bryan Hayes and Jamie “Noodles” McLennan.He said he appreciated everyone’s thoughts and messages, teasing that his brother had received many emails concerning his absence from ...

GOP subpoenas FBI over whistleblower’s claims about Biden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top House Republican subpoenaed FBI Director Chris Wray on Wednesday for what he claimed are bureau records related to President Joe Biden and his family, basing the demand on newly surfaced allegations he said an unnamed whistleblower made to Congress.The White House said it was the latest example in the yearslong series of “unfounded, unproven” political attacks against Biden by Republicans ”floating anonymous innuendo.”Kentucky Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee and Accountability, is seeking a specific FBI form from June 2020 that is a report of conversations or interactions with a confidential source. Comer, in a letter to Wray with Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said that “it has come to our attention” that the bureau has such a document that “describes an alleged criminal scheme” involving Biden and a foreign national “relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions” when Biden was vice president and includes ...