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Maryland board approves funds for abortion pill stockpile

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A Maryland board approved an emergency procurement of more than $1 million on Wednesday to pay for a stockpile of a widely used abortion pill due to uncertainty surrounding legal challenges against the drug’s use. The Board of Public Works approved the funds to pay for 35,000 doses that would last several years, if necessary. The stockpile, acquired in April, includes 30,000 doses of mifepristone and 5,000 doses of misoprostol. The powerful spending panel is comprised of Gov. Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Treasurer Dereck Davis.Moore, a Democrat, noted before the vote that the drug has been available for decades and has fallen under “a very unique and distinct attack.”The governor said he wanted to be clear “that reproductive freedom is non-negotiable: that my administration will continue to defend and protect women’s reproductive freedom and access to essential health care here in the state of Maryland. Full stop.”Lierman, a Democ...

Saudi-PGA golf deal a stunning turnaround for once-shunned Crown Prince Mohammed

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — After years of isolation over his human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is elevating his standing in the United States in part by diving into American sports, business and culture. And no example has been as striking as his bold entry into professional golf — the favorite sport of presidents and millions of other Americans.Tuesday’s surprise announcement of a commercial merger between Saudi Arabia’s $650 billion sovereign wealth fund, the PGA Tour and the European tour in the short run looks to end a messy legal battle between Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf and the PGA.But for the Saudis, it’s much more than a major business deal. It’s the latest and perhaps most dramatic move by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wield his kingdom’s oil wealth in reshaping his country’s economy and advancing Saudi influence regionally and around the world, while muting critics. Prince Mohammed has assumed much of the duties and leadership of his aged father,...

Conor Daly parts ways with Ed Carpenter Racing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

Ed Carpenter Racing on Wednesday said it has ended its relationship with driver Conor Daly effective immediately and will announce a new driver for the No. 20 Chevrolet by IndyCar’s next race.Daly has been working with ECR since 2020, but did not run a full season with the team until last year when he brought sponsor BitNile to the team. BitNile has been supportive of Daly and sponsored him in the Daytona 500 this year.“This is the most difficult decision I have made as a team owner because I respect Conor and know what he means to IndyCar and its fans,” Carpenter said of the 31-year-old Indianapolis native.“Our team has not been performing at the level we are capable of this year, and despite making technical changes and investments in the offseason, 2023 has been extremely challenging,” Carpenter continued. “I have put a great deal of consideration into the current state of our team and realize it is my obligation to our employees, partners, and supporters to do whatev...

Missouri governor signs bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors; bars trans girls, women from female sports

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri governor signs bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors; bars trans girls, women from female sports.Source

Mexican president: Soldiers apparently executed five men, will face prosecution

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president described the slayings of five men caught on security camera footage as an apparent “execution” by soldiers, and vowed Wednesday that the perpetrators would face justice.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is a staunch supporter of the armed forces who has insisted that under his administration they have shed any previous tendency toward human rights abuses. He said Wednesday that the slayings in a northern border city last month were impermissible, and that soldiers involved were being were being turned over for prosecution.Video from a store security camera that was published this week showed a black pickup truck crashing full speed into a wall in Nuevo Laredo. A Mexican military truck apparently pursuing it arrived shortly thereafter and ran into the passenger side of the pickup. The occupants of the truck were dragged out, kicked and forced up against a wall. They were later found dead. “Apparently this was an execution, and that cannot be...

George Winston, million-selling pianist known for his melodic style, dead at age 73

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — George Winston, the Grammy-winning pianist who blended jazz, classical, folk and other stylings on such million-selling albums as “Autumn,” “Winter Into Spring” and “December,” has died at age 73.According to an announcement on his website www.georgewinston.com, confirmed by a spokesman, Winston died Sunday after a 10-year battle with cancer. “Throughout his cancer treatments, George continued to write and record new music, and he stayed true to his greatest passion: performing for live audiences while raising funds for Feeding America to help fight the national hunger crisis along with donating proceeds from each of his concerts to local food banks,” a statement on his website reads.His most recent album, “Night,” came out last year.Winston was a native of Hart, Michigan, who grew up in Montana, Florida and Mississippi and drew upon influences ranging from Fats Waller to the Doors. He released more than a dozen solo piano albums, along with soundtracks for the...

Armed suspect held driver hostage before cops shot and killed him

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Three Denver Police officers who shot and killed an armed suspect in Broomfield last year have been cleared of criminal charges, the 17th District Attorney's Office said.Denver detectives James Waidler, Jay Lopez and Cole Connors all fired shots at Anthony Lainez during an armed carjacking and hostage situation on Sept. 29, 2022, the DA's decision letter said. "Given the totality of the circumstances and evidence, the prosecution cannot prove thatthe involved officers were not justified in using deadly physical force," the letter said. Detectives locate homicide suspect in BroomfieldThe Denver Police Department Fugitive Unit detectives were looking for Lainez, who police said was connected to a homicide, and tracked him to a residence in Broomfield.The DA's office said detectives watched Lainez leave the home with a woman and drive off in a white Ford Edge with temporary New Mexico tags. Broomfield Police Department officers, who had been called in for backup and tr...

What are the rules for electric scooters in Denver?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Warmer weather means more people outside, and with that, there may be more people opting to use alternative modes of transportation to get around.Things like rentable electric scooters and electric bikes litter the streets of Denver and are very popular.But, if you have ever seen one -- or a few dozen -- on the roadway, or have even been tempted to hop on one yourself, you might have wondered what the rules are. Casa Bonita cost upwards of $40 million to renovate, NYT reports There are a few rules statewide that must be followed, including that e-scooters are not allowed on interstates or restricted highways unless bicycles are also allowed.However, municipalities are allowed to put additional regulations on e-scooters, as long as they aren't more restrictive than the rules for pedal-assisted electric bicycles.What are the rules for e-scooters in Denver?Because cities are able to create some rules of their own, many of these rules are specific to Denver and don't ...

Texas woman gets stolen flag, parents' ashes back thanks to Greeley detective

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A woman whose car was stolen along with her parents' ashes and an American flag has been reunited with her belongings thanks to detectives in Greeley.On April 28, Kimberly Magnusson reported to the Greeley Police Department that her Hyundai Tucson was stolen. According to GPD, Magnusson was in town from Texas to pick up her parents' ashes and an American flag that was given to her family to honor her father who served in the military. Greeley Police said they spent several weeks working with property unit detectives to track down leads on Magnusson's belongings and worked to identify the suspect. Casa Bonita cost upwards of $40 million to renovate, NYT reports Almost a month later, on May 27, officers with the Hudson Police Department located the stolen car at a gas station. According to GPD, the suspect was arrested and booked into the Weld County Jail on charges of aggravated motor vehicle theft, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and false reportin...

Man, woman from Miami arrested in Marathon traffic stop with a variety of drugs, including fentanyl

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:35 GMT

A man and a woman from Miami were arrested in Marathon after a routine traffic stop exposed a substantial cache of narcotics, including fentanyl. William Scott Leiva, 34, and Melanie Andrea Aguila, 35, now face multiple charges related to drug possession, according to authorities.Following the traffic stop near Mile Marker 47 on U.S. 1 around 1:30 a.m., law enforcement officers from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office discovered several illicit substances and drug-related items inside the suspects’ Honda sedan. Credit: Monroe County Sheriff’s OfficeThe vehicle had initially caught the attention of authorities due to an apparent altered license plate and the odor of marijuana permeating from inside.Leiva, identified as the driver, was taken into custody and subsequently charged with possession of LSD, possession of marijuana, smuggling contraband into a jail facility, and traffic violations. Aguila also faced a slew of charges, including possession of cocaine laced with fe...