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Democrats see Michigan and Minnesota as guides for what to do with majority power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Fueled by election gains, Democrats in Minnesota and Michigan this year enacted far-reaching policy changes that party leaders in other states are looking to as a potential roadmap for what they could swiftly achieve with similar control.Gun safety packages, expanded voting rights, free meals for all students, and increased protections for abortion rights and LGTBQ+ people were just some of pent-up policy proposals that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law within months under the new legislative majorities.“We’ve definitely paid attention to what they’ve done,” Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street, chair of the state Democratic party, said about the two states. “I’ve offered to Pennsylvanians that if we could flip the Senate, we could pass similar legislation.”Democrats in four states, including Massachusetts and Maryland, scored victories in the 2022 midterms to gain a “trifecta” — control of the state House, state...

Illinois to ban advertising for guns allegedly marketed to kids and militants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produces a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally, as the state continues its quest to curb mass shootings.Gun-rights advocates say the plan, which Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has pledged to sign into law, is an unreasonably vague decree that violates not only the constitutionally protected right to own guns but also free speech.The prime exhibit in Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s effort is the JR-15, a smaller, lighter version of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle advertised with the tag line, “Get ‘em One Like Yours.” The maker says it is deliberately made smaller, with added safety features, to fit younger shooters as they learn from adults how to safely maneuver such a weapon. Raoul says it’s marketed to children and potentially entices them to skip the adult supervision and start firing.Opening the...

Russia blasts Saudi Arabia talks on ending war in Ukraine after Moscow gets no invitation to attend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday chided efforts by international officials meeting in Saudi Arabia to find a peaceful settlement for the war in Ukraine, saying the talks don’t have “the slightest added value” because Moscow — unlike Kyiv — wasn’t invited.Senior officials from around 40 countries gathered Sunday in Jeddah for a two-day meeting that aims to agree on key principles about how to end the conflict that has raged for more than 17 months.But without Russia’s participation and without taking into account Moscow’s interests, the meeting was pointless, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said. It repeated previous assurances that Russia is open to a diplomatic solution on its terms that ends the war and is ready to respond to serious proposals.But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, ruled out Moscow’s previous demands that would give Russia time to dig in deeper in the parts of Ukraine it has occupied.He said on X, formerly known as Twitt...

Concealed carry holder critically injured after shootout with men on West Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was critically injured after an exchange of gunfire in the city's North Lawndale neighborhood.The shooting happened around 9:50 p.m. Sunday in the 1400 block of South Kedzie. Police said a 31-year-old man was walking on the sidewalk when he was approached by two other men, and one took out a gun.According to police, the 31-year-old, a concealed carry holder, removed his gun and there was an exchange of gunfire between the two men.The 31-year-old man was shot in the stomach and left buttocks and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. Girl, 8, fatally shot in head in Portage Park; offender in custody The offenders fled the scene. Police said a handgun was recovered from the scene.No one is in custody. Area Four detectives are investigating.

Father charged with helping suspect in Highland Park shooting obtain gun license to ask judge to toss case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A father will ask a judge Monday to dismiss his case in which authorities say he helped his son obtain a gun license three years before the younger man fatally shot seven people at a 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park.Illinois prosecutors charged Robert Crimo Jr. under a unconstitutionally vague law, his lawyers are expected to argue at a hearing in Waukegan, north of Highland Park where the shooting occurred. If Lake County Judge George Strickland allows the case to proceed, Crimo Jr.'s bench trial would start Nov. 6.Crimo Jr. has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of reckless conduct, one for each person killed. Each count carries a maximum three-year prison term.Prosecutors said he helped his son, Robert Crimo III, obtain a gun license even though the then-19-year-old had threatened violence.The four-sentence section of the state law invoked to charge Crimo Jr. says “a person commits reckless conduct when he or she, by any means lawful or unlawfu...

Silver Alert discontinued, 88-year-old man found

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A Silver Alert issued out of Williamson County Monday morning for an 88-year-old man was discontinued after the man was found safe. The man had gone missing at 1:02 a.m., according to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, but was found safe around 7:25 a.m., a social media post from WCSO said. The man has a diagnosed cognitive impairment, and officials believed his disappearance could have posed a threat to his health and safety.

A nonprofit's solution to loneliness in Central Texas' booming older adult population

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Walking through the Age of Central Texas in Central Austin during standard working hours, the chances of spotting an older adult wearing a large smile is near certain. The Central Texas-based nonprofit has operated since the 1980s with the goal of making Austin and Central Texas a “great place to age.” And there certainly will not be a lack of people aging in the area over the coming years.  Study: Texas ranks in top 10 for places retirees are moving According to Census data, the older population – adults over 65 – has increased in the U.S. by 1,000% in the last century. Central Texas is the second fastest-growing area for people older than 65 in the U.S. and the fastest-growing region for people aged 50 to 64, according to population statistics.“That's a worldwide phenomenon that is happening. There are more older adults on our planet than there are children. And so services for older adults are becoming even more important,” said Rob Faubion, Chief Comm...

Georgetown ISD to vote to hire new superintendent Monday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – The Georgetown ISD Board of Trustees are expected to vote Monday to hire Dr. Devin Padavil to be the district's new superintendent. The board named Padavil its lone finalist for the job on July 17. He has been the superintendent at Taylor ISD since 2021. He is expected to begin his new role following the mandatory 21-day waiting period, according to the district's July 17 announcement.“We are excited to welcome Dr. Padavil to Georgetown,” Georgetown ISD Board President Elizabeth McFarland said on July 17. “His extensive experience, exceptional leadership, and commitment to educational excellence make him the ideal candidate to lead GISD into the future. Under his guidance, Georgetown ISD is poised for continued growth, innovation, and success.”Padavil will take over for Dr. Fred Brent, who retired June 30.“I am excited to join Georgetown ISD because of the sense of community and tradition that makes Georgetown a destination district,” Padavil said on ...

Crews work to contain fire northeast of Lampasas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

LAMPASAS, Texas (KXAN) – The Texas A&M Forest Service said Sunday crews were called to help fight a fire burning northeast of the city of Lampasas. WEATHER BLOG: What to grab when evacuating As of 3 a.m. Monday, the Lucy Creek fire's size was 60 acres and 60% contained, according to the Forest Service website. The Forest Service said in a Sunday updated time-stamped 9:50 p.m. that the Lucy Creek fire was 100 acres and 25% contained, and dozers were making "good progress building line through thick juniper vegetation."That update said crews were patrolling and checking for hot spots.

Fringe review: ‘Dearest Mother,’ about famed MN poet, feels uninspired and poorly written

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:32 GMT

Avoid“Dearest Mother” purports to examine “love and control” through poet John Berryman’s correspondence with his mother. Ultimately, Kelly Lamphear-Dash’s dispassionate play fails to offer any substantive insight into Berryman’s relationships or work, let alone illuminate broader themes. Actor Max Sjöberg is a convincing Berryman, but the Pulitzer winner’s letters are read by Berryman’s mother, played by Susan Chambers, who delivers lines with the stilted choppiness of a freshman struggling to recite Shakespeare. As narrator and Berryman’s wife, actress Molly Ryman’s empathetic performance cannot salvage Lamphear-Dash’s stiff, encyclopedic writing. The real Berryman once wrote, “Life, friends, is boring.” Sadly, “Dearest Mother” takes this literally.Presented by Juggling Act Productions at Augsburg Studio; 8:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 7 p.m. Aug. 9 (with ASL interpretation), 10 p.m. Aug. 10, 5:30 p.m. Aug 13Still unsure of what to see? Check out all our Fringe reviews here.The Minnesota Fring...