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Georgia school district is banning books, citing sexual content, after firing a teacher

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s second-largest school district says that it has removed two books from 20 school libraries, saying the books had “highly inappropriate, sexually explicit content.”The announcement, sent in an electronic message to parents in some Cobb County schools on Monday, comes days after the Republican-majority school board voted 4-3 along party lines to fire a teacher for reading a book about gender identity to fifth-grade students.Although not new, book removals have surged since 2020, part of a backlash to what kids read and discuss in public schools. Conservatives want to stop children from reading books with themes on sexuality, gender, race and religion that they find objectionable. PEN America, a group promoting freedom of expression, counted 4,000 instances of books banned nationwide from July 2021 to December 2022. Cobb County, with 106,000 students, said Tuesday that 20 libraries had contained “Flamer” by Mike Curato or “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” ...

Brother of teen found dead in B.C. park tells jury they spoke the day of her death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

VANCOUVER — The brother of a 13-year-old girl who was found dead in a Burnaby, B.C., park six years ago says he spoke to his sister via the messaging app WeChat just hours before their mother reported her missing.The man, who cannot be identified under the terms of a publication ban, told the B.C. Supreme Court juryhe was 11 years older than the girl and had been working as a teacher in Beijing at the time of her death.He says he and his sister exchanged their final messages at about 7:15 p.m. on July 18, 2017.The victim’s brother testified that the girl had texted him in a mixture of English and Mandarin about which Harry Potter house he would choose and his clothing size.The teen’s body was found in Burnaby’s Central Park in the early hours of July 19, at which point her brother says he booked a flight back to B.C.The defendant, Ibrahim Ali, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder earlier this year.The victim’s brother also testified Tuesday that he first...

Asylum seekers are being set up for rejection at a New Mexico detention facility, rights groups say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M (AP) — A coalition of human rights groups on Tuesday leveled new criticism at a privately operated migrant detention facility in New Mexico, where they say fast-track asylum screenings routinely take place without legal counsel or adequate privacy during sensitive testimony.The rights groups say the broken screening system at the Torrance County Detention Facility means that migrants with strong, viable claims to asylum — who can’t go back to their country because of persecution or the threat of torture — are instead being screened out inappropriately for deportation as the Biden administration seeks to impose severe limitations on migrants hoping for asylum at the border. The 187-page complaint and findings were made by the American Civil Liberties Union and three advocacy groups that provide legal services to asylum seekers. They’re urging the U.S. government to end its contract with the private company that runs the facility, which is overseen by Immigration a...

Minneapolis mayor vetoes measure for minimum wage to Uber and Lyft drivers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

Minneapolis’ mayor on Tuesday vetoed minimum wages for Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing drivers, a move one City Council member described as “an inexcusable betrayal of Minneapolis workers.”Mayor Jacob Frey instead negotiated with Uber, securing an agreement for higher pay for only those drivers.In his veto message, Frey wrote he “secured a commitment from Uber” that drivers picking up passengers in Minneapolis or driving within the city will make the city’s minimum wage of $15 an hour. The company also committed to paying Uber drivers at least $5 for any trip in the metro area.Lyft drivers are not covered by the mayor’s deal. Under the ordinance Frey vetoed, all ride-hailing companies would be required to pay drivers at least $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute, or $5, whichever is greater. The rule would only apply for the portion of the ride within the city.Seattle and New York City have passed similar policies in recent years.“It’s clear we need more time to get thi...

Prosecutors say witness in Trump’s classified documents case retracted false testimony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A witness in the criminal case against Donald Trump over the hoarding of classified documents retracted “prior false testimony” after switching lawyers last month and provided new information that implicated the former president, the Justice Department said Tuesday.The new information from the witness, a Trump staffer identified only as the director of information technology at Mar-a-Lago, was presented to prosecutors weeks before special counsel Jack Smith secured an updated indictment accusing Trump and two others in a plot to delete surveillance video at the Florida property.Prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday that the witness told a grand jury in Washington in March that he could not recall any conversations about the security footage. But in July, after being advised by prosecutors that he was a target of the investigation and after being advised that his lawyer might have a conflict of interest because of his representation of others in the probe, the ...

'We are completely overwhelmed': South Suburban Humane Society seeking fosters, adopters amid extreme heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

COOK COUNTY, Ill. — As intense heat heads for the Chicago area the South Suburban Humane Society is asking for the public's help to keep its animals safe.There are roughly 75 dogs and about 120 cats inside of the Humane Society's Matteson shelter near Adams Street and Central Avenue, putting the shelter over capacity, with animals in crates and offices. The site's air conditioner is also having trouble keeping up amid the extreme heat."So we are completely overwhelmed," Emily Kelhm, South Suburban Humane Society CEO said. "We are completely full. Every single kennel and cage is full here in our Matteson animal shelter. Plus we have dogs in crates, in offices, just everywhere." Extreme heat causing some Chicago area school districts to make adjustments Kelhm says dogs and cats of all breeds and ages at the Humane Society need help.A dramatic rise in strays being brought in and the extreme heat is also causing issues at their Homewood location, near 183rd Street and Homewood Avenue....

'Chicago Sings Karaoke' coming to 'The Taste' in Grant Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

CHICAGO — The city of Chicago on Tuesday announced the return of “Chicago Sings Karaoke.” The citywide contest is an opportunity for amateur singers to show off their karaoke skills for a chance to $5,000.Set to commence at the Taste of Chicago this September 8-10, the karaoke challenge welcomes contestants 18 and older to perform their favorite tunes across three rounds of competition. Winners selected in the first round and second round will compete for a chance at perform in Sunday's finale.Meet the winner of the Chicago Sings Karaoke Competition: Jason Jackson of Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhoodCompetition rules state that singers can not perform original songs and songs with profanity will be not allowed.Locals interested in showing off their vocals for fun are also encouraged to register for Open Karaoke hours.Interested competitors can register now at chicagosingskaraoke.com.

Bought Dole Fruit Bowls recently? You may be eligible for settlement cash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — If you purchased a Dole fruit cup recently, you may be eligible for part of a settlement the company has reached, even if you don’t have a receipt to prove your purchase. A lawsuit was filed against Dole Packaged Foods in Illinois, accusing the company of falsely advertising that many of its Dole Fruit Bowls were made with “100% juice.” Instead, plaintiffs said the bowls contained “trace amounts of ascorbic acid and/or citric acid or other ingredients.”Dole has denied wrongdoing, saying the statement “in 100% juice” is about how the fruit is packaged and does not cover every ingredient in the product. Still, the company has agreed to a $4.3 million settlement in the case, according to a website dedicated to the lawsuit. Claim your piece of $725 million Facebook settlement before it’s too late: Here’s how To qualify for a settlement payment, you need to have purchased any of these Dole Fruit Bowls between January 12, 2017, and June 27, 2023: Cherry Mixed Fruit, Dic...

Trump's Georgia arraignment expected to be televised, Fulton County judge says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

(The Hill) — The state judge overseeing former President Trump’s Georgia case ruled that cameras will be allowed in the courtroom for the defendants’ arraignments, marking the first time that one of Trump's criminal proceedings will be televised.Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Tuesday granted a request from four local television stations to bring in live cameras and other recording devices in his courtroom through Sept. 8.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) is seeking to hold the arraignments for all the defendants the week following Labor Day, which would fall within that window. If the timeline is delayed, however, McAfee’s order would expire. Fulton County case: Trump plans to turn himself in, he confirms McAfee’s order does not indicate whether cameras will be allowed during a trial or any other future proceedings in the case.Willis charged Trump last week alongside 18 co-defendants over their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results...

Billy McFarland announces Fyre Festival II, says presale tickets are sold out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:09 GMT

(KTLA) – Get ready for Fyre Festival II?The ill-fated music festival from 2017 is coming back to the Caribbean, according to an announcement made Sunday by Billy McFarland, the convicted fraudster who spent close to four years in prison for lying to Fyre Festival investors, who lost over $26 million. "It all started during my seventh-month stint in solitary confinement," he explained in a video posted to social media. "I wrote out this 50-page plan of how I would take this overall interest in demand in Fyre and how it would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen."In this March 6, 2018 file photo, Billy McFarland, the promoter of the failed Fyre Festival in the Bahamas, leaves federal court after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges in New York. More than three years after the highly publicized Fyre Festival famously fizzled out in the Bahamas. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)McFarland said he spoke to "people as far away as the Mi...