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Is DeSantis darkening Florida’s sunny open-records laws?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

Florida has long been known for sunshine — not only the warm rays that brighten its beaches but also the light of public scrutiny afforded by some of the nation’s strongest meetings and records laws.Although years of rollbacks have gradually clouded the impact, advocates are ringing alarms that this year presents the greatest threat to transparency yet in the state that coined the name “Sunshine Law” for its open-government rules.Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, weighing a presidential bid, is pursuing a home-state agenda that could make it harder for people to learn what public officials are doing or to speak out against them. In an unprecedented move for the Sunshine State, DeSantis has claimed an executive right to keep key government records secret. He’s also seeking to weaken a nearly 60-year-old national legal precedent protecting journalists and others who publish critical comments about public figures.Florida’s Republican-led Legislature appears ...

Yeoh, Fraser feel the love at Vanity Fair post-Oscars party

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett locked in a long embrace, their bare, muscle-bound arms wrapped around each other. They whispered, laughed and squealed with glee as nearly every phone in the vicinity came out to take photos. Vanity Fair’s annual post- Oscars party was full of such moments of warmth and joy as Sunday night led into Monday morning after a drama-free Academy Awards, with none of the head-shaking heaviness that hung over last year’s post-slap edition. Yeoh, whose best actress Oscar was one of seven on a dominant night for “ Everything Everywhere All at Once,” had just walked into the party and was swarmed by well-wishers and selfie-seekers before seeing Bassett, who hadn’t looked happy when she lost best supporting actress to Yeoh’s castmate Jamie Lee Curtis but was all smiles here. Yeoh later grasped her Oscar as she rocked back and forth to the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” at the edge of the dance...

Missouri officer fatally shot, 2nd hospitalized amid manhunt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri police officer was fatally shot and a second officer was seriously wounded in an overnight shooting that was followed by an apparent police standoff with the suspect, police said.The Missouri Highway Patrol announced early Monday that Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith with the Hermann Police Department died of his injuries at a hospital after being shot at a convenience store in the small town about 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The highway patrol said a second Hermann officer who was shot remains hospitalized in serious condition. Highway patrol spokesman Corporal Kyle Green told KTVI-TV the wounded officer was brought to a St. Louis hospital for treatment.Authorities have not released details describing what led to the shooting or said whether officers returned fire.The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the highway patrol identified the shooting suspect as Kenneth Lee Simpson, 35, of Eureka, Missouri, and that police were involved in an apparent manhunt near a house ...

2 vehicles wanted after man dies in suburban hit-and-run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

BARTLETT, Ill. — Two vehicles are wanted by police after a man was killed in a suburban hit-and-run Saturday night.At around 7:10 p.m., police responded to the area Lake Street and Valley Lane on the report of a hit-and-run.Witnesses told police a 35-year-old man, later determined to be from Streamwood, was running across the street. At some point, he was struck by a vehicle and then a second vehicle. Both were traveling westbound on Lake Street.The man was transported to St. Alexius Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police: Rideshare passenger shot on South Side Investigators believe one of the vehicles is red and the other vehicle is possibly a dark-colored, four-door 2015-2022 Chevrolet Trax or a GMC Terrain. Investigators also recovered vehicle parts — including front tire wheel trim, broken headlamp pieces, and a rubber portion of a windshield wiper.Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bartlett Police Department at 630-837-0846.

'Gas station heroin' acts like an opioid on the body: expert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

(NewsNation) — The rise in the use of "gas station heroin" and "tranq" speaks to a broader addiction crisis in the U.S., according to one expert.Dr. Patrick Marshalek, adjunct professor at West Virginia University's Department of Neuroscience, says the ingredient making gas station heroine so dangerous is tianeptine."Tianeptine, it's more like an antidepressant. But medications can have multiple effects on multiple receptor subtypes," Marshalek said on "NewsNation Prime." At the end of the day, it's being utilized primarily because of its impact, its opioid effects or impact upon the opioid system." ‘Gas station heroin’ is addictive and, in some cases, deadly "Gas station heroin" was given its street name because of how easy it is to find it. It can be purchased online, at convenience stores and in gas stations. While the drug is marketed as a dietary supplement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns it is harmful and addictive. NewsNation spoke to several users of tianepti...

Michelle Yeoh becomes first Asian Best Actress winner at Oscars: 'This is history in the making'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

(The Hill) -- Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress award Sunday night at the Oscars, becoming the first Asian woman to receive the Academy Award in the category. "Thank you to the Academy — this is history in the making!" the Malaysian-born actor said in her acceptance speech. "To all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities," she said. "This is proof that dreaming big and dreams do come true." Yeoh won the award for her performance as Evelyn -- a laundromat owner who is being audited by federal authorities while she attempts to navigate the multiverse -- in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The film won seven awards, including Best Picture. "And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime," Yeoh added in her remarks, an apparent jab at CNN host Don Lemon, who sparked criticism last month for saying that a woman is in her prime only up to "maybe her 40s." ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ wins...

'National Customer Rage Survey' points to troubling trend among US consumers  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The results of a small nationwide survey suggest that consumers are becoming increasingly infuriated by the perceived level of assistance from customer service departments, and some of us aren't above seeking “revenge.”The 2022 edition of the National Customer Rage Survey, conducted by Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, shows evidence that more Americans are not only having problems with various products and services, but also that our “rage” toward the companies providing these goods or services is growing.We’re also becoming more belligerent with customer service reps, and about 1 in 10 of us are interested in seeking “revenge” in the form of badgering, belittling, or threatening an employee, according to some of the responses to the survey.“I don’t want to sound too ‘Pollyanna,’ but it’s kind of horrifying,” Scott M. Broetzmann, the President and CEO of Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, told Nexstar of the report’s recent findings. Man arrest...

'You’ve turned into a cult...' Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks on Republican Party at SXSW

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an appearance at South by Southwest in Austin on Sunday.Pelosi, D-Calif., joined a panel hosted by The Atlantic, a magazine covering politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy. The panel focused on the state of democracy in America and around the world. One of the topics of discussion was the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in her own backyard, according to The Atlantic. “I don’t think there’s any appetite in this country for bailing out a bank,” she said. “What we would hope to see by tomorrow morning is for some other bank to buy the bank.” She said there were multiple potential buyers, but she couldn’t reveal their names, The Atlantic reports.The Federal government announced Sunday that customers of Silicon Valley Bank will be able to deposit their money by Monday. The bank’s downward spiral began late Wednesday when it surprised investors with news that it needed to raise over $2 billion to offset losses...

Special Olympics athletes red carpet walk for 'Champions'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New York Special Olympics Athletes will walk the red carpet with local college basketball teams on Monday night for an exclusive screening of the new Woody Harrelson movie "Champions." The screening will be at the Madison Theater in Albany at 7 p.m. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "Champions" is about a former professional basketball coach who takes on community service hours coaching a traditional Special Olympics team. The Special Olympics was consulted for the film starring several athletes from other states. The red carpet walk will start at 6 p.m.

Large group attempted mass entry at El Paso border crossing: CBP

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:42 GMT

Officials say a large group of migrants in Mexico on Sunday attempted a mass entry into the country at the El Paso border crossing, according to multiple reports.The massive flood of migrants caused a number of disruptions and led to officials using barricades to try and contain the migrants, CNN reported.Reuters reported that hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, including many with small children, were stopped by U.S. officials when attempting to enter into the United States. They gathered at the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, but failed to breach the border before being stopped by officials, the report said."Please, we just want to get in so we can help our families," Camila Paz, an 18-year-old Venezuelan, said to Reuters. "So I can have a future and help my family."Video footage shared with Fox News showed one large surge of people rushing toward the border.U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement obtained by The Hill that the group was "posing a potential ...