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Akron temporarily bans use of nonlethal force on protesters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Authorities in an Ohio city have agreed to temporarily bar the use of tear gas, pepper spray and other types of nonlethal force against nonviolent protesters, a move that comes after it was sued following a protest over a grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers who shot and killed a Black motorist.Akron officials and lawyers for the Akron Bail Fund — a group that supports protesters — reached the agreement late Friday after a federal court session that lasted for several hours. Bail fund officials had sought a temporary restraining order to block the use of nonlethal force, but the two sides instead agreed to a 14-day restriction that allows the litigation and negotiations to continue.The legal action came about after a protest Wednesday in which police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters after the gathering was deemed an unlawful assembly.Akron has seen a few protests after a state grand jury on Monday declined to indict eight ...

What’s next for abortion pill after Supreme Court’s order

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nothing will change for now. That’s what the Supreme Court said Friday evening about access to a widely used abortion pill.A court case that began in Texas has sought to roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug, mifepristone. Lower courts had said that women seeking the drug should face more restrictions on getting it while the case continues, but the Supreme Court disagreed.The court’s action almost certainly will leave access to mifepristone unchanged at least into next year, as appeals play out, including a potential appeal to the high court.The new abortion controversy comes less than a year after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.The following is a look at the drug at issue in the new case, how the case got to the nation’s highest court and what’s next in the legal case.___WHAT IS MIFEPRISTONE?Mifepristone was appr...

Chicago man killed in hit-and-run on LSD overnight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was killed after being struck by a vehicle on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Lake View East Friday night.The medical examiner's office identified the man as 45-year-old Kenneth Hernandez. According to police, Hernandez was standing next to a construction vehicle at the 3100 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive around 10:50 p.m. when a black sedan struck him and continued northbound. Chase warns Chicago employees about potential for more downtown disturbances He was pronounced on the scene and there is currently no one in custody. Police are still investigating the incident.

Earth Day was almost called something else entirely

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The founders of Earth Day had a clear vision in mind when planning the first national observance. What they didn’t have was a catchy name.The origins of the annual event can be traced back to the late 1960s following a decade of increasing concern for environmental issues that threatened the health and safety of future generations. EarthDay.Org, the nonprofit organization that coordinates Earth Day’s global events, credits Rachel Carson and her 1962 best-selling book “Silent Spring” with drawing widespread attention to some of those issues, particularly the negative impact of pollution and the then-pesticide industry.Carson’s book “represented a watershed moment,” EarthDay.org writes on its official site. But it wasn’t until January 1969 — following the devastating effects of the Santa Barbara oil spill, which dumped well over 3 million gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel — that serious action was taken. Do you know these common misconceptions about Ear...

These are America's deadliest national parks: data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Millions of people visit America's national parks each year, exploring the stunning terrain and breathtaking wildlife. Unfortunately, some of those parks can be more dangerous than others. According to the most recent data released by the National Park Service, over 2,000 visitors died in national parks between 2014 and 2021. Despite the proximity to wildlife and overall freedom to traverse sometimes dangerous terrains, the leading cause of death - with the exception of fatalities deemed "undetermined" - was motor vehicle crashes, which accounted for 415 deaths over eight years. Following crashes were drownings (402) and medical-related deaths (385). These airlines have lost, damaged the most luggage: data Alternatively, deaths caused by wildlife or animals were among the rarest - only five were reported between 2014 and 2021. Two of those deaths occurred at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Reserve in 2020. While details about individual deaths in the NPS report...

Tennessee GOP passes bills targeting trans community, risks more than $2B in federal funds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In the final hours of the 113th General Assembly, Tennessee Republicans passed two bills that target the transgender community and put the state at risk of losing billions in federal funding.One of the bills would allow teachers and public school employees to not use a student's preferred pronouns, which could violate the U.S. Department of Education's 2022 rules on gender identity, sexuality and sex-based discrimination. The other bill would define the word "sex" in Tennessee Code as, "a person's immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth." According to the fiscal notes provided by the Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee, the state could lose more than $2 billion in federal funding this upcoming fiscal year as a result of the bills being in violation of federal requirements."Tennessee's federal awards for education total $1,293,583,239," according to Fiscal Review Committee Executive Director...

The Chef's Garden with Farmer Lee Jones

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

To Farmer Lee Jones, every day is Earth Day. He joins WGN Weekend Morning News via Zoom to share more on regenerative farming.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

How to break up with your lawn and boost your home's resale value

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

(NerdWallet) - From rain gardens to xeriscaping, the environmental benefits of resilient landscaping are well documented. Replacing grass with lawn alternatives can save water, attract pollinators and reduce the need for harsh fertilizers and pesticides.But if you’re eventually planning to sell your home, what will potential buyers think?Thankfully, you don’t have to choose between landscaping that’s good for the environment and resale value. Here’s how to ditch your grass thoughtfully.Do: Consider curb appealFirst impressions matter. More than 90% of Realtors recommend that sellers boost their home’s curb appeal before listing, according to a 2023 joint report from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.Whether you’re moving now or in the future, landscaping projects remain a surefire way to produce a positive return on investment. Homeowners can recoup the full value of an overall landscape upgrade, according to the report.For ...

Man pleads guilty to April 2019 fatal hit-and-run in Round Rock

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Kyle man was sentenced in Williamson County for failing to stop and render aid in an accident involving death from an April 2019 incident in Round Rock.According to records, Cory Wayne Ferguson was sentenced Feb. 6 to serve 35 years in state prison after pleading guilty to the charge.Records showed Ferguson had a jail credit of 472 days—roughly a year and four months—at the time of his sentencing. PAST COVERAGE: Hit-and-run suspect found as Round Rock Police track his phone’s geo-data According to a past KXAN report, police investigators used geo-data from Google to find Ferguson after the hit-and-run that killed Cleveland Elliott.In May, investigators received a search warrant for Google, which requested geo-data on all mobile devices near the scene at the time of the crash. That pinged just two devices — both belonged to Ferguson, and both were traveling westbound—in the same direction as the car that hit Elliott.

8 arrested, accused of selling balloons with laughing gas, APD says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

Correction: The arrests were made outside ACL Live at Moody Theater.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Eight people were arrested Thursday in downtown Austin after reports of them selling balloons filled with Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, according to a news release from the Austin Police Department.At approximately 11:40 p.m., APD officers responded to reports of illegal activity near ACL Live at Moody Theater, 310 W. Second St., the release said. Officers found a group of suspects who arrived in two separate vehicles, who were parked at the intersection of Third Street and Lavaca Street and the 300 block of Second St., police said.According to the release, the suspects waited for the venue's customers to exit the show and then approached them to sell balloons with the laughing gas.Although the release said a total of seven people were arrested, there are a total of eight people listed, with only seven mugshots available.KXAN reached out to APD for clarification via email, and we will u...