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Audit finds National Highway Traffic Safety Administration auto safety defect probes take too long

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government agency charged with keeping the roads safe is slow to investigate automobile safety defects, limiting its ability to handle rapidly changing or severe risks, an audit made public Thursday found.Problems at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation limit the agency’s ability to respond to rapidly evolving problems or severe risks to auto safety, the audit by the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General found.The agency also doesn’t have an integrated computer system for its probes, and doesn’t consistently follow its own procedures for making safety problems a high priority, the audit found.The office has made progress in restructuring and modernizing its data and analysis systems, auditors determined, but weaknesses in meeting its own goals for timely investigations increase possible delays in probing important safety issues.The office also doesn’t always record key document...

Library cancels trans speaker after Montana bans drag readings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

Montana’s new law banning drag reading events at public libraries has led to the cancellation of a Native American transgender speaker in a southwestern Montana city on Friday.The Butte-Silver Bow Public Library canceled its “First Friday” speaker, Adria Jawort, at the recommendation of county attorneys, library director Stef Johnson said in a statement on the library’s website.On Monday, Jawort posted online that she was going to do an LGBTQ and two-spirit history lecture at a library on Friday. “Two-spirit” is a Native American term for people with both male and female spirits.The speech might be illegal in Montana “as a flamboyantly dressed trans woman,” she posted. On Thursday she said her Tweet was meant to mock the law that bans drag reading events at public schools and libraries. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it on May 22 and it took effect immediately.Under the law, “drag queen” is defined as a performer who adopts a “flamboyant … femini...

Oregon youths’ climate lawsuit against US government can proceed to trial, judge rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge ruled on Thursday that a lawsuit brought by young Oregon-based climate activists can proceed to trial years after they first filed the lawsuit in an attempt to hold the nation’s leadership accountable for its role in climate change. U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the plaintiffs can amend their case, known as Juliana v. United States, and go to trial. A previous trial was halted by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts days before it was to begin in 2018.Aiken wrote in her decision, “It is a foundational doctrine that when government conduct catastrophically harms American citizens, the judiciary is constitutionally required to perform its independent role and determine whether the challenged conduct, not exclusively committed to any branch by the Constitution, is unconstitutional.”The 21 plaintiffs, who were between the ages of 8 and 18 when the lawsuit was filed in 2015, will move forward on the question of whether the fed...

Judge: Diamond Sports must pay full value of contracts to Diamondbacks, Guardians, Twins, Rangers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

A federal bankruptcy judge has ordered Diamond Sports to pay the full value of its media contracts to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.Judge Christopher Lopez made the ruling on Thursday in Houston. Diamond Sports, which owns 19 networks under the Bally Sports banner, has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Southern District of Texas since it filed in March. Diamond said in a financial filing last fall it had debt of $8.67 billion.In April, the judge ruled Diamond to pay half of what the teams were owed in rights fees.“I think the contract rate is the right answer here,” said Lopez in using his decision after two marathon days of testimony.The decision is another chapter in what has been a contentious week in the strained relationship between MLB and Diamond Sports. On Tuesday, the last San Diego Padres game was aired on Bally Sports San Diego after Diamond Sports missed a rights payment fee and let the grace period expire...

Motorcyclist dead after crash in Brampton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

A motorcyclist has died following a collision in Brampton.Peel Regional Police were notified of a crash in the Airport Road and Steeles Avenue area just after 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.Officers confirmed the collision involved a motorcycle and a vehicle.Paramedics transported the motorcyclist to a trauma centre in life-threatening condition, but the victim died from their injuries.The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene.The Major Collision Bureau is investigating.COLLISION:– Airport Rd/Steeles Ave #Brampton– Collision involving vehicle and a motorcycle– Motorcyclist transported to trauma centre in life-threatening condition– Driver of vehicle remained on scene– C/R at 5:35 p.m.– PR23-0177421— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) June 1, 2023

Arizona to restrict some new construction in fast-growing areas of Phoenix reliant on groundwater

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona will not approve new housing construction on the fast-growing edges of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater thanks to years of overuse and a multi-decade drought that is sapping its water supply. In a news conference Thursday, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the pause on new construction that would affect some of the fastest-growing areas of the nation’s fifth-largest city. Driving the state’s decision was a projection that showed that over the next 100 years, demand for almost 5 million acre-feet of groundwater in metro Phoenix would be unmet without further action, Hobbs said. An acre-foot of water is roughly enough for two to three U.S. households per year.Officials said the move would not affect existing homeowners who already have assured water supplies.Despite the move, the governor said the state isn’t running out of water. “Nobody who has water is going to lose their water,” Hobbs said.Years of drought in the West worsened by climate change ha...

‘Shrink the room’: How Biden and McCarthy struck a debt-limit deal and staved off a catastrophe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was advice that Mitch McConnell had offered to Joe Biden once already: To resolve the debt-limit standoff, he needed to strike a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — and McCarthy alone. But after a first meeting of the top four congressional leaders with the president in early May, the Senate minority leader felt the need to reemphasize his counsel.After returning from the White House that day, McConnell called the president to privately urge him to “shrink the room” – meaning no direct involvement in the talks for himself, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.That, McConnell stressed to Biden, was the only way to avert a potentially economy-rattling default. A week later, Biden and McCarthy essentially adopted that path, tapping a handful of trusted emissaries to negotiate a deal that would lift the debt limit. It was a turning point in an impasse that until then, seemed intractable. Having lived through the debacle...

2 teens charged for killing of Waukegan volleyball coach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- Two teenagers were arrested Thursday in connection to the shooting death of Niolis Collazo.The Waukegan Police Department executed two arrest warrants around 8 a.m. Thursday at two different locations for two teenagers who are believed to be involved in the shooting death of 23-year-old Niolis Collazo last month. ORIGINAL: Waukegan High School volleyball coach shot and killed while driving: police Collazo, 23, of Waukegan, was killed in a shooting on 10th Street and Lewis Avenue in Waukegan around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, May 8. Police said Collazo’s car was one of two vehicles struck by gunfire.According to officials, a man, who occupied the first vehicle that was hit, was not injured. The second vehicle was occupied by Collazo, who was struck by the gunfire.She was transported to Vista East Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Wood Dale man arrested after leading police on hour-long, 100 mph chase On Thursday, Waukegan police arrested two teens, 16 and ...

King James Bible to be removed from Utah school library shelves in younger grades

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

FARMINGTON, Utah (ABC4) — Copies of the King James Bible are being removed from school library shelves at elementary and junior high facilities in Davis County, Utah, after a complaint that the scriptures feature material inappropriate for younger children.The complaint was filed by an unknown person in March after a statewide law passed in 2022 allowed residents to challenge the books found in school libraries. As of March, the law was used 81 times with Davis County having removed 33 books for material found to contain sex, vulgarity, and violence. Bible ban? School district reviewing the religious text after parent’s request A book removal request can be made on the district’s website, however, the requester must include reasoning. For example, the request for the Bible’s review included 49 pages of Biblical verses that could be deemed inappropriate under the law, including instances of murder, sex, and incest. Davis County School District Communications Director Christopher Wi...

Wisconsin lawmakers vote to spend $2 million to stage 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:31 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin lawmakers voted Thursday to approve spending $2 million to help stage the 2025 NFL draft in Green Bay.The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee voted along party lines to include the funding in the two-year state budget it is drafting. The budget will need to be approved by the full Legislature, likely to happen later this month or early in July, and signed by Gov. Tony Evers before taking effect.The three-day 2025 NFL draft will take place in and around Lambeau Field, home to the Green Bay Packers. The Green Bay Chamber of Commerce estimates that the event could attract 240,000 people to the state, generating an estimated $20 million for Green Bay and $94 million for the state. RELATED: A Bears’ NFC North rival will host the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay-area lawmakers, Republican Sen. Rob Cowles and GOP Rep. David Steffen asked for the funding.The committee also voted to increase funding for tourism marketing by $20 million and create ...