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Parents of transgender kids seek to block DeSantis ban on gender-affirming care for minors

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The parents of three transgender children in Florida are trying to get a federal judge to block a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, a signature policy of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he nears his presidential campaign.U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Friday heard arguments from an attorney representing the three families in a case that argues they are being stripped of the right to make medical decisions for their children.DeSantis has curtailed transgender medical treatments for minors in the state — often describing the issue in terms that are at odds with the nation’s major medical associations — as he leans into cultural divides that animate the Republican base ahead of his anticipated presidential run.Florida’s law, signed this week by DeSantis, prohibits the prescription of puberty-blocking, hormone and hormone antagonist therapies to treat gender dysphoria in minors. It also bans gender-affirming medical procedures or su...

13-year-old Oklahoma boy makes history as he crosses stage as college graduate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Four diplomas. Dozens of certifications and awards. And now, 13-year-old Elijah Muhammad’s family says he’s the youngest African American to graduate college with a degree in computer science and cybersecurity.Last week, KOCO 5 highlighted a 15-year-old college graduate. Now, her little brother graduated at just 13 years old.There’s a long list of accomplishments behind Elijah Muhammad’s name.“I have 10 IBM certifications through Course Zero. I have one Google IT certification. I have four diplomas from Oklahoma City Community College,” the teenager said.At just 13, Elijah has crossed the stage as a college graduate and made history.“I didn’t really understand the full impact of it until my dad fully explained it and was like, ‘You’re really doing this. You’re the youngest to ever do it,'” Elijah said.And while he may not be your typical 13-year-old boy, he says he still loves being ...

Two Miami men arrested for stealing $1,500 in tools in Key Largo

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

Two Miami men were apprehended on Thursday following an alleged theft of approximately $1,500 worth of tools in Key Largo. Ricardo Rafael Riveron-Viltres, 49, and Juan Enrique Rodriguez Guevara, 63, now face charges of grand theft, trespassing, and criminal mischief.The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received a report around 10:45 a.m. regarding the theft of a golf cart charger and a floor jack from a yard situated on Largo Road. Security footage captured images of the suspect vehicle as well as the two individuals believed to be involved in the crime.Shortly thereafter, law enforcement located the suspect truck parked in a nearby lot. The victim of the theft arrived at the scene and successfully identified his stolen property. The recovered items were promptly returned to their rightful owner.Both suspects were subsequently taken into custody and transported to the local jail.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott files to run for president

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

(CNN) — Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has filed to run for president in 2024, according to the Federal Election Commission’s website.The filing comes ahead of a formal announcement that is expected to take place Monday in South Carolina.Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, launched a presidential exploratory committee in April, emphasizing his evangelical faith, his race and his experience growing up as the son of a single mother. He defined his personal ethos as one of “individual responsibility” and said his approach to politics was guided by the belief that the US is “the land of opportunity and not the land of oppression.”The senator joins a growing GOP primary field to take on President Joe Biden that already includes former President Donald Trump, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and talk radio host Larry Elder. Florida Gov.&...

Worcester’s Wormtown Brewery announces first-ever variety pack, includes 3 new IPAs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

A local brewery has launched its first-ever variety pack and is packing three new brews in it to mark the occasion.Worcester’s Wormtown Brewery announced it’s new “Be You” IPA variety pack this week, as well as plans to release a second pack later in the summer.In addition to the brewery’s classic “Be Hoppy” West Coast IPA, three new India Pale Ale-style beers will debut with the 12-pack.According to a press release, the pack will feature “Be Fearless,” a Double IPA sporting an 8% ABV, “Be Wise,” described as a session IPA that is “balanced in flavor and easy to drink,” and “Be Smooth,” billed by the brewery as a “hazy New England IPA with notes of berry and pineapple juice.”“12 packs are a natural step for any brewery because it’s so popular with consumers,” Wormtown Brewery Owner Dave Fields stated in the release. “For us, we needed to make the idea fun for our e...

Sen. Tim Scott makes it official: He’s a Republican candidate for president

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

By MEG KINNARD (Associated Press)COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina filed paperwork on Friday to enter the 2024 Republican presidential race, testing whether a more optimistic vision of America’s future can resonate with GOP voters who have elevated partisan brawlers in recent years.The Senate’s only Black Republican has made his grandfather’s work in the cotton fields of the Deep South a bedrock of his political identity. Yet Scott rejects the notion that racism remains a powerful force in society, and he has cast his candidacy and rise from generational poverty as the realization of a dream only possible in America.He is scheduled to make a formal announcement on Monday at Charleston Southern University, a private Baptist college and Scott’s alma mater, in his hometown of North Charleston.Scott already has scheduled TV ads to begin airing in the early voting states Iowa and New Hampshire early next week, the most significant advert...

All signs point to the fact that LeBron James is finally old

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

For us regular folks, there are telltale signs of getting old.Groans while sitting down. Triple-checking the weather. A greater appreciation for Jeopardy. Defeated by items difficult to reach.For LeBron James, the signs are a little bit different. But they’re there. Finally, they’re there.James, at 38, is aging better than the Wizards’ version of Michael Jordan, if only because LeBron’s offense was built on elements other than scoring in isolation. But the fast-twitch explosion we’ve come to know from James is quite diminished.Sure, he can blow past defenders and convert if provided adequate running room on a break. The head start is crucial.But lift is now a problem. It was symbolic and evident in Thursday’s Game 2 loss in Denver, when James’s reverse lay-up attempt with 26 seconds left received such little airtime you’d think Nikola Jokic swapped jerseys. Another version of James would’ve simply dunked it. This 38-year-old iter...

Millions ditched cars for bikes during the pandemic. These cities want the habit to stick

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

By CALVIN WOODWARD (Associated Press)MONTREAL (AP) — In the agonies of the virus that upended most of the world, millions of people from Bogota to Berlin saw what life could be like on two wheels instead of four.Even as commuting to the office and going to school plunged at the height of COVID lockdowns, outdoor recreation, and cycling in particular, surged in country after country as people looked to escape isolation in a relatively safe way. In response, cities worldwide have developed bikeways with new urgency since 2020. The question is whether people stick with their new cycling habit in these closer-to-normal times. On Friday, Bike to Work Day in the U.S., the automatic counters that record each passing cyclist in many cities will get the latest numbers.So far the evidence is incomplete and varies by place. But the numbers suggest that if they build it, people will come.Case studies led by global urban planning researchers Ralph Buehler of Virginia Tech and John Bucher o...

These San Diego areas are among the most expensive U.S. metros to raise a child

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The joys of raising a child comes with a hefty price tag for those living in some of the nation's most expensive U.S. metros, including several San Diego areas.That's according to a new study by financial technology company SmartAsset, which set out to calculate these costs by analyzing how much food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation and other necessities are costing two-parent households. San Diego among cities with the most ‘house poor’ homeowners: study SmartAsset says the average cost to raise a child in the U.S. is $20,813 annually with some parts of the country, like California, dishing out more than $30,000 a year per child. While conducting their study, SmartAsset used data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Living Wage Calculator to compare the living costs of a household with two adults and one child to that of a childless household with two adults. This data reflects spending in 2022.The survey's findings show the San Diego, Chu...

Tickets going fast for San Diego Fair Concert Series opening performances

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:25 GMT

DEL MAR, Calif. -- As the San Diego County Fair inches closer, tickets for opening performances on the Corona Grandstand Stage are selling fast, the Del Mar Fairgrounds said Friday.The summer fun will begin with performances from musical group Train, comedian Kevin Hart, and Mexican pop band La Adictiva. 3 artists added to San Diego County Fair Concert Series lineup Train is set to jam out to their hits “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Drops of Jupiter” and "Meet Virginia" on Wednesday, June 7. Tickets start at $40 and include admission to fair. Event organizers say the the concert will start at 7:30 p.m.Then on Friday, June 9, the Del Mar Fairgrounds says Kevin Hart will "carry on his mission to keep the world laughing together" while taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. For those planning to attend the show, organizers say it's a “phone-free” experience, meaning the use of cellphones, smart watches and other devices will not be permitted. Tickets start at $72 and include admission to fair.La Adict...