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In backlash over their expulsions, 2 Tennessee Democratic lawmakers raised $2M combined

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee state Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones have raised more than $2 million combined through about 70,400 campaign donations after Republican lawmakers abruptly expelled the Democrats this spring for their gun control protest on the House floor.The vast majority of those small donations came over just a few days when the two had been kicked out, but not yet reinstated. If Republicans kept the two young Black House members in office, they would not have been allowed to fundraise as sitting lawmakers while a legislative session was ongoing.Instead, each of the two lawmakers saw a flood of campaign cash beyond the norm for even Republican legislative leaders to raise, let alone two freshman Democrats who are in the superminority.Campaign finance reports that were due by the end of Monday show how much Democrats capitalized on the national attention. Jones and Pearson were expelled over a breach of decorum rules for their protest calling for the GOP to...

Prosecutor cites risky investments as ‘grave’ violations, in closing of Vatican financial case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican prosecutor insisted Tuesday that his indictments of 10 people, including a cardinal, for alleged financial crimes held up under two years of testimony, criticism and defense motions, as he began closing arguments in a trial that exposed the unseemly financial underbelly of the Holy See.Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi opened two weeks of hearings to summarize his case by accusing officials in the Vatican secretariat of state of committing “grave violations” of internal norms and canon law when they decided in 2012 to start investing the pope’s money in “highly speculative” investments, including in a 350 million euro (US $390 million) London real estate venture.“There’s not a single faithful (Catholic) who has donated a euro thinking that this euro would be used in speculative operations,” Diddi said, alleging that such canonical violations amounted to criminal abuse of office and embezzlement.The sprawling Vatican trial originated in the London deal but g...

Virginia NAACP demands to see governor’s criteria for restoring voting rights to felons

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia NAACP on Tuesday called on Gov. Glenn Youngkin to establish clear and publicly available criteria for restoring the voting rights of convicted felons who have served their time, saying the system now is secretive and could discriminate against people of color.Youngkin has come under scrutiny since his administration confirmed earlier this year that it shifted away from a system used by three of his predecessors that was partly automatic. Two lawsuits have been filed over Youngkin’s process, which critics have said is confusing and does not have clear standards on when an application should be granted or denied.The governor’s “painfully slow opaque process is sure to have a discriminatory impact on Black Virginias and other Virginians of color, as well as communities where they live and work,” Robert Barnette Jr., president of the NAACP Virginia State Conference, said during a news conference Tuesday.In Virginia, a felony conviction...

Northwestern University president announces newest measures amidst hazing scandal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — For the first time in over a week, the leader of Northwestern University is speaking out as a football hazing scandal continues to make national headlines.President Michael Schill released a letter to the faculty and staff of the university on Tuesday afternoon in which he said he intends "to do whatever is necessary to address this situation" in the athletic department.In doing so, he announced a pair of external reviews that will take place, with the first concerning the school's "accountability mechanism" along with its ability to detect threats to student-athletes. Northwestern will also have an outside firm look at the culture of athletics at the school and "its relationship to the academic mission." First lawsuit filed in Northwestern hazing scandal Schill said that both will be conducted with feedback from faculty, staff, and students at the school and will be made publicly available.This comes as the hazing scandal with the football program has led to the ...

Missing rideshare driver safely located

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

HARVEY, Ill. — A missing rideshare driver was safely located after being last seen early Monday morning in Harvey.

Las Vegas police search home in connection with Tupac Shakur murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Las Vegas Metro police searched a home Monday as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Tupac Shakur, police confirmed to Nexstar's KLAS.Shakur was shot and killed one block off the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996. His murder remains unsolved.Detectives served the search warrant at a home in Henderson near Interstate 11 and Wagon Wheel Drive, sources told KLAS.Police did not comment further. No arrest had been made as of Tuesday.This is a developing story.

Patients seeking abortion, gender-affirming care at risk of increased surveillance: report 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

(The Hill) -- Patients seeking out-of-state abortions and gender-affirming care are at risk of increased surveillance from law enforcement, according to a new report.The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) released a report Tuesday detailing the elevated dangers for patients who travel for abortions or gender-affirming care.  “Surveillance doesn’t stop at the state line,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of STOP. “Even as progressive states seek to protect abortion and gender-affirming care within our borders, anti-choice states are continuing to expand the threat that they will prosecute residents who leave the state to find evidence-based medical treatment.”  Cahn emphasized that it’s crucial for patients to understand how they can be tracked by law enforcement even when outside of the state, writing, “Every hotel reservation and bridge toll will be just one subpoena away from being used against a patient in court.”  The report comes a little ove...

Austin has 1 shelter bed for every 5 people experiencing homelessness, city says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Outside of the ARCH downtown, a shelter run by Urban Alchemy, people coming and going say finding a bed at one of our city's homeless shelters is increasingly difficult. "Cost of living is pushing the poor people like myself out onto the streets," Matthew, who is staying at the shelter, said. "It's still not easy to get into some of the facilities because like I said it's crowded."That's something the City of Austin's Homeless Strategy Division told Austin City Council Tuesday is a problem it's seeing citywide. The city said the average stay in a shelter is nearly four months and that Austin only has one bed for every five people experiencing homelessness. Why an article you may have seen on Austin homelessness is ‘not based in fact’ "In our experience, particularly in the city-operated bridge shelters, we have seen that timeline extend because the housing search is so difficult," said Dianna Grey, the homeless strategy officer for the City of Austin. There aren't...

Texas hospital to get new AI-based gun detection system. Here's how it works

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas -- University Medical Center in Lubbock is teaming up with military veteran-run company ZeroEyes for a new AI-based gun detection system, according to a press release.According to its website, ZeroEyes is "a human-verified proactive gun detection and situational awareness software that integrates into existing digital security cameras with a mission to stop mass shootings and gun-related violence." Neglected dog taken to Lubbock animal hospital, public asked to help with medical bills The creators announced the software's deployment to protect UMC's patients, employees and visitors. With a recent rise in workplace violence across the states, hospitals face an increased risk at work, the press release said. “UMC is the first hospital in the region to employ AI-based gun detection security measures,” Mark Funderburk, Chief Executive Officer at UMC said. Senior Vice President of Support Services at UMC, Jeff Hill, told EverythingLubbock.com, "I think one of the thing...

Musician to perform on storied pipe organ at Mahtomedi Church

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:31 GMT

Organist Andrew Johnson will perform at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 28, at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi.Johnson will be performing pieces from Mendelssohn, one arranged by himself and will end the concert with the final from Symphonie V. Op. 47 by Louis Vierne who played the inaugural performance on the organ in 1927. The perfomance is free.Johnson is from Bloomington, Ind., and will be pursuing a Doctorate of Organ Performance and Literature at the University of Rochester in the fall. He has worked as an organist in various churches and plans on teaching later in his career.St. Andrew’s has the largest playable organ in the state, a Casavant-Schantz with more than 7,000 pipes.The organ has been in St. Andrews since 2001. It was built in 1927 and installed at George Washington University until it was moved to a barn in Michigan in 1979.When the church moved to a new location it hadn’t built a sanctuary yet. Church Organist and Music Coordinator Bill Chouina...