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Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

By JIM VERTUNO (Associated Press)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court allowed a new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect on Friday, setting up Texas to be the most populous state with such restrictions on transgender children.Legal advocates who sued on behalf of the families and doctors, including the American Civil Liberties Union, called the law and the high court’s decision Thursday “cruel.“ “Transgender youth and their families are forced to confront the start of the school year fearful of what awaits them. But let us be clear: The fight is far from over,” the advocacy groups said in a joint statement.Last week, a state district judge ruled the pending law violated the rights of transgender children and their families to seek appropriate medical care, and violated doctors’ ability to follow “well-established, evidence-based” medical guidelines under threat of losing their license. The jud...

Ex-Proud Boys organizer gets 17 years in prison, second longest sentence in Jan. 6 Capitol riot case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A former organizer of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years in prison for spearheading an attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.The sentence for Joseph Biggs is the second longest among hundreds of Capitol riot cases so far, after the 18-year prison sentence for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.Federal prosecutors had recommended a 33-year prison sentence for Biggs, who helped lead dozens of Proud Boys members and associates in marching to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Biggs and other Proud Boys joined the mob that broke through police lines and forced lawmakers to flee, disrupting the joint session of Congress for certifying the electoral victory by Biden, a Democrat.U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the Jan. 6 attack trampled on an “important American custom,̶...

Yankees’ outfielder Harrison Bader claimed off waivers by Cincinnati Reds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

The Cincinnati Red have claimed center fielder Harrison Bader off waivers, the Yankees announced Thursday.Bader, a native of Bronxville, N.Y., batted .237 with seven home runs, 46 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 98 regular season games with the Yankees.“I’m a New York City kid and I never, in a million years, thought I’d play in the big leagues, let alone for the New York Yankees,” Bader told reporters Tuesday. “Just the opportunity has been incredible and I’ve loved every second of it. Whatever happens, happens. I understand it’s a business.”The Yankees acquired Bader, a 2021 Gold Glove Award winner, before the 2022 trade deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals for starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery.The speedy center fielder was out with plantar fasciitis when the Yankees traded for him, delaying his team debut by more than a month, but he quickly ingratiated himself with a torrid 2022 postseason in which he hit five home runs in nine games....

Fall movie preview 2023: Our 10 titles from a Hollywood season subject to change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

Michael Phillips | Chicago Tribune (TNS)In the annals of fall movie previews, never has the phrase “dates subject to change” felt quite so obvious, or so fraught.Contract negotiations between studios and the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America remain, at press time, at an impasse and the strikes continue. “Dune 2,” no longer a major late 2023 title, has been pushed back to March 2024. Will the studios tick more of its dominoes from there?Answer: unknown. Meantime, let’s scan the ledger for some prospects already in the bag and ready for screens near you. That phrase “in the bag” always makes me think of “Sweet Smell of Success,” the 1957 drama starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. Written by Ernest Lehman, then punched up, gloriously, by co-writer Clifford Odets, the movie is a writer’s movie to the core. At one point, asked if he has taken care of his latest morally compromised errand, the unscrupulous press agent played by Curtis says not to worry. “The cat’s i...

Patriots WR DeVante Parker misses second straight practice Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker missed his second straight practice Thursday.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: Bailey Zappe’s release another reminder the Patriots have no sacred cows New England Patriots | Patriots sign 15 to practice squad, including new veteran tight end New England Patriots | Source: Patriots Tyquan Thornton to start season on injured reserve New England Patriots | Kendrick Bourne happy to be with Patriots through trades, cutdowns New England Patriots | DeVante Parker among 3 Patriots missing at practice Wednesday, several others return Parker is “fine,” according to a league source, though he hasn’t been spotted since walking through the locker room late Tuesday. The 30-year-old is expected to start this season after a strong summer. He is one of five wide receivers remaining on the roster after the Patriots placed Tyquan Thornton on inju...

Ask the Pediatrician: What is scabies?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

By Dr. Sarah Asch, American Academy of PediatricsScabies is an itchy rash caused by the human itch mite. Adults, children and babies can all get scabies. Many people believe scabies is about cleanliness, but that is not true. It is easily passed between people living closely with other people. Let’s discuss how scabies makes you itchy and how to get rid of scabies safely.The human itch mite is microscopic in size. It can burrow into the very top layer of the skin (not any deeper), where it can lay eggs and eat. The mites are so tiny, there is no way to see them by looking with your eyes before the scabies rash starts. After a few days or weeks, an itchy rash develops in reaction to the mites.Scabies rash looks different at different ages. Babies and toddlers, very elderly people or people with weakened immune systems can have a rash all over the body. In older children and adults, the rash is mostly on the hands, feet, armpits, belly button and genitals. It can look like hives...

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Can ashwagandha supplements help with stress and anxiety relief?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

By Mayo Clinic News NetworkDEAR MAYO CLINIC: I struggle with stress and feeling overwhelmed. I am 52 and juggle full-time work as a wife and mother to a teenage daughter. Recently I also began caring for an elderly relative. I often snap at the slightest comment, and sleep is elusive due to the many thoughts swirling in my head. I am not the biggest fan of medication, but I recently saw an ad for Ashwagandha on social media. Can you tell me what it is and if it may benefit me?ANSWER: Balancing family and work responsibilities can be challenging, but when you add in other things, such as caring for others, your stress burden can feel even heavier. As a caregiver, it is important that you intentionally identify ways to care for yourself, cope and manage stress. Ashwagandha is unlikely to be the solution, but it may still be a helpful option.First, ashwagandha is a small shrub native to India and the Middle East that has been used traditionally, or historically, for centuries. It has c...

How to help kids navigate tracking apps, social media, sexting and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

By Heidi Stevens, Tribune News ServiceDevorah Heitner’s fantastic new book, “Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World,” begins with a clear-eyed message for those of us raising or shaping young people in this moment.Kids feel watched but not seen.Heitner, a screen media expert and educator, has spoken with hundreds of children, parents, educators and researchers on the topics of privacy, social media, tracking apps, sexting—you name it. “Growing Up in Public” is a distillation of the takeaways she wants us to bear in mind when we’re setting the tone and tenor and expectations in our own homes.“Kids feel constantly surveilled,” Heitner told me. “Like their parents are out to catch them. Their school is out to catch them. Their peers are out to potentially catch them and throw them under the bus. They feel very surveilled but not necessarily seen or understood in the wholeness of who they are.”Heidi StevensWe can track their GPAs, but that doesn’t help us understand what...

Tropical Storm Idalia leaves shredded homes, roads blocked with powerlines in Florida and Georgia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

By REBECCA BLACKWELL and TERRY SPENCER (Associated Press)HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Idalia headed out to sea Thursday after thrashing parts of Florida and Georgia with punishing rains and destructive winds, leaving residents to begin the arduous process of clearing fallen trees, restoring electricity and picking through the debris of devastated homes.Thus far, authorities have confirmed one death, that of a man hit by a falling tree in Georgia. As many as a half-million customers were without power at one point in Florida and Georgia as the storm ripped down utility poles.After pounding Florida, Idalia swung east, flooding many of South Carolina’s beaches and leaving some in the state and North Carolina without power before heading back into the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters said the weakened storm should continue heading away from the U.S. for several days, although officials in Bermuda warned that Idalia could hit the island early next week as a tropical storm.Rescu...

Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson launch fund with $10 million for displaced Maui residents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:53:41 GMT

Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson have committed $10 million to make direct payments to people on Maui who are unable to return to their homes because of the wildfires, through a new fund they announced Thursday.The People’s Fund of Maui will give $1,200 a month to adults who are not able to return to their primary residences because of the recent wildfires, including people who owned and rented their homes, according to the fund’s website. The fund will also seek donations to extend the length of time it can provide the support.“How do we help?” the “Young Rock” star said he and Winfrey asked each other during the wildfires, saying in a video released along with the announcement that they grappled with how to best direct their efforts. “You want to take care of the greatest need of the people, and that’s giving them money.” They are looking forward to the help of “every person who called me and said, ‘What can I do?’” Winfrey said in the video. “This is...