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California high court says county can’t enforce oil well ban as state debates future of fossil fuels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Monterey County cannot enforce a voter-approved ban on new oil and gas wells, a decision that comes amid an ongoing battle over how the state should address the health and climate impacts of fossil fuel extraction.The ruling comes a day after environmental advocates announced a plan to try to enshrine a state law banning new gas and oil wells near homes, schools and hospitals as the oil industry vies for voters to overturn it. Voters could face dueling measures on the November 2024 ballot.The court’s decision dealt a blow to local advocates, who have been fighting for years to change the practices of the oil industry. Voters in the county first approved the ban in 2016, shortly after which Chevron sued. The state Supreme Court said the state, not the county, has the authority to regulate certain methods of oil production that would have been banned by the measure.Laura Solorio, president of Protect Mont...

Pediatricians’ group reaffirms support for gender-affirming care amid growing state restrictions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

The American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed its support for gender-affirming medical care for transgender children on Thursday, even as the treatments face a growing push for bans and restrictions from Republican lawmakers across the U.S.The board of directors for the group, which represents 67,000 pediatricians, unanimously voted to reaffirm its 2018 position on the treatments. The board also voted to provide additional documents to support pediatricians, including clinical and technical reports, and to conduct an external review of research regarding the care.“The additional recommendations also reflect the fact that the board is concerned about restrictions to accessing evidence-based health care for young people who need it,” Mark Del Monte, the academy’s CEO, said in a statement released by the group, calling the restrictions enacted by states “unprecedented government intrusion.”“We therefore need to provide the best and most transparent process possible,” he said. At ...

Family mistakenly held at gunpoint by Texas police say the stop traumatized the kids in the car

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A Black woman from Arkansas who was held at gunpoint along with three family members when Texas police wrongly suspected their car was stolen said Thursday that she decided to speak out after seeing video from a passerby and realizing two officers had aimed firearms at her 13-year-old son while his hands were up.“I was there present in that moment, but where they had me I couldn’t see everything, so when I seen that video it really broke me, it really broke me bad,” Demetria Heard said during a news conference in Little Rock.Police in the Dallas suburb of Frisco have apologized and acknowledged that during the July 23 traffic stop, an officer misread the Dodge Charger’s license plate as the family left a hotel to go to a basketball tournament. Heard was driving, and her son, 12-year-old nephew and husband, Myron Heard, were passengers. Family members of the two boys say they have been traumatized and are reluctant to talk about what happened.“We ...

Texas separates migrant families, detaining fathers on trespassing charges in latest border move

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas state police officers separated migrant families along the border with Mexico by detaining fathers on trespassing charges and turning over mothers and children to federal officials, the state Department of Public Safety said Thursday. The separations mark a shift from previous comments by Texas state police leaders who said families should stay together and be referred to federal officers. Hearst Newspapers, which first reported the shift, said the families were separated last month in Eagle Pass, a border town of about 30,000 people west of San Antonio.Travis Considine, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said in a statement that children have never been separated from their mothers, but “there have been instances in which DPS has arrested male migrants on state charges who were with their family when the alleged crime occurred.”Gov. Greg Abbott’s office referred questions to Department of Public Safety officials, who did not respond to a...

Chicago calls on Biden to greenlight funding for rail system, Union Station revamp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

CHICAGO — Leaders from Illinois and Michigan urged President Joe Biden on Thursday to sign off on a massive investment to revamp the rail system. The Chicago HUB Improvement Program is a series of proposed projects that would cost more than a billion dollars. “We have seen in recent years the interest in rail – on the passenger side in particular – is outpacing what our infrastructure can handle,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omar Osman.  An application for a federal grant worth $872 million was first submitted early last year, with local agencies like Cook County and Metra contributing another $218 million combined. IDOT announces additional ramp closures to inbound Kennedy “This project isn’t just about Chicago – it's not even about Illinois – it's about the entire nation,” said State Senator Tammy Duckworth.  While the federal grant did not come down the line, the hope is with a presidential election looming, the venture would be approved by the end of the year. “Chic...

Lago Vista employee accused of not reporting 16-year-old son's death, burying him

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An employee with the City of Lago Vista was charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence involving a human corpse in connection with the death of her son, according to a Travis County affidavit.According to the affidavit, Lago Vista police assisted Child Protective Services on March 10 regarding a call for a welfare check on a bed-bound, physically and mentally handicapped 16-year-old boy, but officials could not find the boy at the home.Documents stated the boy’s mother was 34-year-old Veronica Soriano. Soriano worked for the City of Lago Vista's Public Works Department at the time of the investigation.During a call with CPS that day, the woman said "my son is dead" and said "she is not ready to talk about it because she cannot accept that he is gone," according to the affidavit.The affidavit said the following day, a search was conducted on a piece of property in Travis County and officials uncovered the body wearing only a diaper and covered in a w...

2023 alone takes the longest triple digit stretch on Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Friday marked Austin's 27th consecutive day at 100° or hotter - tying the current record for the longest heatwave in the city's history. On Friday we'll be alone in first place with 28 days. The longest stretch of triple digit highs in Austin could last 30-40 days or more by the time we drop below 100º based on our forecast.Heat Advisories and Red Flag Warnings continue until mid-evening for most of Central Texas as our heat and dry air combines to bring a high fire danger.Tonight expect mostly clear skies with lows dropping into the upper 70s.We'll likely be a little hotter on Friday as high pressure remains in control and a hotter breeze kicks temperatures up a notch. Friday's forecastThe weekend looks record-breaking with highs both days breaking current records.Weekend forecastTemperatures may climb back to their highest numbers of the year. We're forecasting 108º toward the end of next week.The extended outlook remains hot too.Extended temperature forecast BL...

White Earth Nation begins recreational marijuana sales, medical cannabis program

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

With recreational marijuana now legal in Minnesota, the White Earth Nation has launched both recreational cannabis sales and a medical cannabis program.The recreational sales began Thursday morning on the northwestern Minnesota reservation in Mahnomen.White Earth said it began offering medical cannibis on Monday.It and the nearby Red Lake Nation are using their tribal sovereignty to allow the recreational sales.Red Lake began sales on Tuesday, the same day Minnesota’s legalization of recreational marijuana went into effect.People 21 and older are now allowed to legally possess and grow their own marijuana for recreational purposes, subject to limits as the state establishes a legal cannabis industry in the coming months and years. Most other nontribal businesses aren’t expected to sell legal recreational marijuana until early 2025, as the state sets up a licensing and regulatory system.Minnesota is the 23rd state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana. Surroun...

St. Louis man sentenced for making rape threats to 5 women

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis man appeared in federal court on Thursday to be sentenced for repeatedly cyberstalking, harassing, and threatening to rape multiple women in the area and elsewhere in the country. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Robert Merkle, 54, pleaded guilty in March to five felony counts: three counts of cyberstalking and two counts of interstate communication of a threat.According to the plea, Merkle admitted to harassing women in the St. Louis area and across the country for several months, while he was on parole for similar crimes with different victims.“This lengthy prison sentence and the term of supervised release will prevent him from harassing women for nearly nine years, and hopefully deter him from engaging in similar behavior ever again," U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said.The federal investigation into Merkle’s threats began in January 2022, when a woman told the Town and Country Police Department that a...

St. Louis County Emergency Operations issues Level 2 emergency activation for severe storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:18:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - The Emergency Operations team opened its center on Wednesday under a partial Level 2 activation. This was in anticipation of heavy flooding that was expected to affect certain areas of the St. Louis region.It was one last dog walk in the neighborhood before Joan Purk and others in the Highland Village Community hunkered down. Heavy rains are expected, and a level 2 emergency activation is in place."Our last Level 2 activation was COVID," said Ann Vastmans, emergency management specialist and PIO for the agency. If this were one more level up, we would deal with conditions like Hurricane Katrina or Tornado Joplin.The last serious flood came under the same circumstances. Community members reported receiving flash flood warnings late into the night."A lot of people are asleep; they may not be aware of what is going on in their neighborhood," Vastmans said. Harper Finn passes away, St. Louis Medical Examiner confirms A difficult sight to wake up to, as the Nati...