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Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops' meeting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops. The historic reform reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world’s bishops together for periodic meetings, following years of demands by women to have the right to vote. The Vatican on Wednesday published the modifications he approved, which emphasize his vision for the lay faithful taking on a greater role in church affairs that have long been left to clerics, bishops and cardinals.Catholic women’s groups that have long criticized the Vatican for treating women as second-class citizens immediately praised the move as historic in the 2,000-year life of the church. “This is a significant crack i...

Infant dies from head injuries in Belleville; mother charged with murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

BELLEVILLE, Ill. - A woman is behind bars after her child died from apparent head injuries earlier this month in Belleville. Prosecutors have charged the infant's mother, 25-year-old Peanina Porter, with first-degree murder, child endangerment and obstructing justice in the case. Top Story: Mushroom hunter describes discovering body in the woods According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Porter's seven-month-old son died around April 21 due to "craniocerebral injuries." It's unclear what exactly led up to the child's death, but court documents state that Porter acted "without lawful justification" and "Created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm" to her son. Authorities arrested Porter without incident on April 24. She is jailed in St. Clair County on a $1 million bond. The case will also be prosecuted in St. Clair County.

'A hot mess': Mayor slams proposals for state control of St. Louis police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Mayor Tishaura Jones hasn't changed her stance against state control of St. Louis police, and she made that clear during Tuesday's State of the City address. "We have been vocal about what we need to improve public safety, and a state takeover of [the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department] isn’t it," said Jones during Tuesday's address. "We have 99 problems, and the state stepping in and taking over our criminal justice system ain’t one." The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has operated under the control of the mayor’s office for nearly a decade after approval from voters in 2012. For more than 150 years before that, the agency operated under a police board rather than local control. Top Story: Mushroom hunter describes discovering body in the woods With the end of Missouri's legislative session is drawing closer, it seems some lawmakers are still pressing hard for St. Louis City to return to its previous system. One bill from St. Louis County-based lawmake...

Ski area food truck to operate next to shuttered Echo Lake Lodge this summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

The dining scene at Echo Lake Park will look a little different this summer.For decades, the Denver-owned park in Clear Creek County has been home to Echo Lake Lodge, a restaurant and gift shop operating in the summer, when tourists flock to the area to drive to the summit of Mount Evans.That restaurant will not be open this summer, however, because Denver last year opted not to renew the concessionaire contract with the family that had operated the business for 57 years.There will, however, be a food truck.On Monday, the Denver City Council without discussion approved a contract with nearby ski area Echo Mountain to operate the truck on the northwest side of the lodge.Echo Mountain will pay the city $125 a week, plus 11 percent of revenue, according to the contract. The truck is expected to operate at least 14 weeks. The city considers food and beverage service “important given the remote location of the Park and the absence of services in the area,” according to a document prepare...

Surge of Colorado River water reaches Lake Mead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

As of Wednesday morning, the surge of water released from the Glen Canyon Dam has reached Lake Mead, KTLA's sister station KLAS reports.Beginning Monday, the Bureau of Reclamation began releasing a large amount of water through Glen Canyon Dam at the base of Lake Powell.This is called a High Flow Experiment, or HFE. The increased release will continue through Thursday so the last of the water surge won't reach Lake Mead until Saturday. This part of the Colorado River flows south through Northern Arizona, into Marble Canyon and then the Grand Canyon before dropping into Lake Mead. Lake Mead water level rises, defies projections Because of the extra water, changes and closures are scheduled at Lake Mead.Changes include a five-day closure of the Pearce Ferry Launch Ramp. National Park Service (NPS) crews will also adjust boat ramps and facilities near beaches in preparation for this high-water event.High flow Routing and arrival times at critical monitoring sites in Grand Canyon and ...

California's downtown areas were emptied by COVID: Some areas are recovering

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

As the COVID-19 pandemic loosens its grip on California cities, many have wondered if popular destinations for residents and tourists alike, such as downtown areas, will ever rebound.Experts with the School of Cities at the University of Toronto compiled foot traffic data based on cellphone data from 62 North American cities from 2019 to November 2022 to see how quickly California's downtown areas are recovering from the stay-at-home orders.The report found that cities like Bakersfield, Fresno and San Diego are recovering or, at times, exceeded its pre-pandemic foot traffic numbers. In contrast, other cities like San Francisco and Oakland haven’t fully recovered. New census estimates show which California counties are losing residents This is how California cities ranked on the study’s downtown recovery analysis:2nd: Bakersfield: 118%, Exceeded pre-pandemic foot traffic levels3rd: Fresno: 115%, Exceeded pre-pandemic foot traffic levels8th: San Diego: 93% of pre-pandemic foot traff...

Meet Mike Diamond: an accomplished author, television personality, director, life coach, and interventionist.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

Mike Diamond is a transformational figure and a beacon of hope for many individuals struggling with addiction, mental illness, and other personal difficulties. Through his inspiring podcast, A Dose of Positivity, and his book of the same title, Mike is on a mission to impart his hard-earned wisdom and expertise to anyone who seeks to improve their lives and achieve their goals.Mike rose to prominence upon relocating from Australia to the United States to pursue an entertainment career. During his stay in South Beach, he landed a role in the CBS sitcom, The Grapevine. This led to additional projects in New York City, including Miami Ink and NY Ink. Notably, Mike now appears as an Interventionist on the latest season of the television program, Intervention. Viewers can catch his performance on A&E, Netflix, and Vice TV.As a seasoned addiction counselor and mental health advocate, Mike has dedicated his career to helping others overcome their demons and achieve lasting success and ...

Meet Attorney Linda Lin: A Compassionate and Dedicated Immigration Lawyer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

Attorney Linda Lin, as an immigration herself, understands the unique challenges and obstacles that immigrants face in pursuit of their American dream. Her firsthand knowledge of the immigrant experience has informed her representation of clients, making her a compassionate and dedicated immigration lawyer.After obtaining her law degree from China, Attorney Lin came to the United States to pursue her legal education. She experienced firsthand the complexities and difficulties of navigating the immigration process, which motivated her to establish her law firm, The Law Office of Linda J. Lin.  She aims to provide cost-efficient and personalized legal services to help her clients achieve their immigration goals.Attorney Lin chose immigration law as her field of practice because she loves to help people achieve their American dream and to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. As she puts it, “I want to help people who are coming to this country with hopes and aspirati...

Why You Need This is the Perfect Snack for Festival Season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

Festival season has just kicked off with a stunning return to the desert for two weekends of fun in the sun in the Coachella Valley. And just when stomachs started grumbling, festival goers across the polo grounds found the perfect snack to keep them dancing: You Need This.Photo captured at Coachella.You Need This is the ridiculously good new crunchy snack that munchers everywhere can’t keep their hands off of. And best of all, they’re junk free: they’re Plant-Based, Vegan, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO — no junk, no BS. The uniquely crave-able flavors and lighter than air crunchy texture make for a snack that tastes even better than it looks.Photo captured at Coachella..Festival-goers found YNT to be the perfect snack to enjoy whether they were lounging with their buddies in the shade, or while tearing up the grass, shuffling to some bops.And just because they aren’t filled with the junk like most of the other snacks that clog the grocery aisles, doesn’t mean they’re lacking in bold, del...

Amid bans, Black parents seek schools affirming their history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:10 GMT

By Cheyanne Mumphrey | Associated PressDECATUR, Ga. — Every decision Assata Salim makes for her young son is important. Amid a spike in mass killings, questions of safety were at the top of her mind when choosing a school. Next on her checklist was the school’s culture.Salim and her 6-year-old, Cho’Zen Waters, are Black. In Georgia, where they live, public schools are prohibited from teaching divisive concepts, including the idea that one race is better than another or that states are fundamentally racist.To Salim, the new rules mean public schools might not affirm Cho’Zen’s African roots, or accurately portray the United States’ history of racism. “I never want to put his education in the hands of someone that is trying to erase history or recreate narratives,” she said.Instead, Cho’Zen attends a private, Afrocentric school — joining kids across the country whose families have embraced schools that affirm their Black heritage, in a co...