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DeSantis allies ask Florida judge to throw out Disney’s counterclaims in lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Agreements that Disney made with the governing district for Walt Disney World before it was taken over by appointees of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis weren’t legally valid, and the company’s counterclaims against the district should be dismissed, the governing body said in court papers filed this week.The governing district now controlled by supporters of the Republican governor said in court papers Wednesday that a state court judge should dismiss Disney’s counterclaims. The counterclaims seek a court declaration that the agreements are valid and that the district’s board of DeSantis allies violated the company’s contracts, free speech and due process rights.The agreements shifted control over design and construction at Disney World from the district to the company and prohibited the district from using the likeness of Disney characters or other intellectual property without Disney’s permission. The agreements were signed in February b...

Juveniles charged with dousing acid on playground slides that injured 4 children

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

LONGMEADOW, Mass. (AP) — Two juveniles have been charged after several slides at a Massachusetts park were doused with acid in this summer and four children were injured, the Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said.The juveniles, whose identities cannot be released due to their ages, have been charged with four counts of assault and battery on a child with injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon as well as vandalism, Gulluni said. His office did not say whether the pair have been arrested.“Our collective effort to charge those we believe are responsible should make clear that protecting this community’s children is among our highest priorities,” Gulluni said in a statement late Thursday. “Whether the threat and harm caused were intended as pranks or malicious acts, it will not be tolerated.”In June, police and firefighters responded to Bliss Park in Longmeadow for a report of a suspicious substance on the playground equipment. At about the same time, fire...

Mother, daughter from Evanston who were held hostage by Hamas have been released

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

JERUSALEM — The mother and daughter from Evanston who were being held hostage have been released by Hamas, the family's rabbi told WGN News Friday.Hamas said it released two American citizens they had been holding captive in Gaza since their Oct. 7 raid on Israel.In a statement, the Palestinian militant group said that in an agreement with the Qatari government, it was freeing a mother and daughter for humanitarian reasons.The family's rabbi confirmed WGN News that Judith Tai Raanan and her 18-year-old daughter Natali have been released. They were visiting family in Israel and were reportedly taken hostage by Hamas, according to the family’s rabbi.Natalie is a recent graduate of Deerfield High School.Rabbi Dove Hillel Klein with the Tannenbaum Chabad House spoke with the WGN News following their release. He said he had received word from Israel that they had been released.   "For us, it's a very joyous day,” Klein said. “To bring home to America, to Chicago,...

House Republicans look for reset after Jordan loses Speaker fight: Live coverage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

GOP Speaker nominee Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) once again fell short of the Speakership Friday in a third vote, continuing the two-week-long stalemate that has plunged the chamber into chaos.Jordan bled more Republican support in the latest attempt, losing 25 GOP votes compared to 20 and 22 on the first and second ballots, respectively.“Our plan this weekend is to get a Speaker elected to the House of Representatives as soon as possible so we can help the American people," Jordan said earlier Friday when asked what his plan is for the weekend.The Ohio Republican scrapped plans to hold a third vote on his bid Thursday after opponents came out of a meeting saying they would maintain their resistance to him and at least two lawmakers who voted for him previously said they would switch their votes.The Republican conference on Thursday also swatted down a proposal to temporarily empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), which was viewed by many as a last-ditch way to resume business...

Austin-Johnson Airport? Mayor in talks to possibly rename AUS after former president

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video explains why you're asked to use "airplane mode" on U.S. flights.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is in talks to possibly rename Austin-Bergstrom International Airport after former President Lyndon B. Johnson."The LBJ Foundation has put together a proposal to rename the airport in honor of President Johnson as part of the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act," Watson said in a statement.Watson said his office has had a "preliminary conversation" with LBJ Foundation officials about the proposal, as first reported by KUT."We'll have a lot more conversations with a lot more people throughout the community as we explore this idea," Watson said.The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, making next year the 60th anniversary. Austin airport passenger totals still on track for record-breaking year… again AUS is currently named for Capt. John Bergstrom, the first native Austinite killed in action during World War II. Bergstrom was se...

House unveils plan for school funding, education savings accounts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas House on Thursday filed its plan for increasing public school funding and establishing a program for subsidizing private education expenses, proposing a modest boost to baseline public school funding and money to help 25,000 students move out of the public school system.House Bill 1 by Killeen Republican Brad Buckley, the House Public Education Committee chair, would give teachers a one-time stipend of $4,000 and increase the base per-student funding by $30 -- from $6,160 to $6,190. The bill also establishes an "education savings account" program to subsidize private education expenses for families looking to move their children out of public school.The House version dedicates significantly less money to education savings accounts than the Senate's plan, offering families 75 percent of the average per-student funding for public schools -- about $4,600. The Senate's voucher plan would offer families $8,000 per eligible child.By combining school funding w...

Memo: Audit finds 'insufficient evidence' of unsafe conditons at Northbridge Shelter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An internal audit on the Northbridge Shelter conducted by the Austin Public Health Department, or APH, found "insufficient evidence" to support recent reports of unsafe conditions at the shelter, according to a memo. Recent reports claimed that weapons and drugs/drug paraphernalia were allowed in the shelter, however, the memo states that those items are confiscated during intake and regular room checks. City emergency shelter to house 130 extra beds in the coming weeks Clients are required to surrender unsafe items like knives, guns, etc. before entering the shelter, and the items are tagged and kept in a secure location for the clients to collect when they leave the shelter, the memo stated. If a client brings drugs or drug paraphernalia into the shelter, security staff confiscates the items during intake and gives them to the Austin Police Department for destruction. The memo states that shelter staff perform frequent room checks to ensure that unsafe items and...

Why being barefoot can be great for your health

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) –What part of the human body contains almost a quarter of the bones in your entire skeleton, has more sensory nerve endings per square inch than any other, and keeping it covered may be harmful to your health?If you guessed your foot/feet, you're correct. But did you know that your feet are essential to your overall health?Covered or uncovered feet? That is the question.Studies show measurable differences between humans who consistently wear shoes and humans who do not.Prince William, barefoot. Image by Getty Images. Those who go shoeless take shorter, more frequent strides and have stronger feet with fewer foot and toe deformities. And those who don't wear shoes typically have higher arches, too. Going barefoot even helps with balance issues. The feet of barefoot runners strike the ground in ways very different from their sneaker-clad counterparts, and studies show barefoot running is associated with reduced peak ground reaction force, reduced peak knee ...

St. Paul cleaner Marsden loses MSP Airport bid, triggering 219 layoffs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

A St. Paul-based cleaning company will lay off at least 219 employees after losing a major contract with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.The employees of Marsden Bldg. Maintenance, who have been based out of Terminal 1, will be laid off by Dec. 31, according to a public notice issued by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development. The positions range from general cleaner to administrative manager and account manager.Marsden, which operates out of at least 10 regional hubs throughout the country, maintains offices at 1717 University Ave. W. in St. Paul.Following a request for proposals, the board of the Metropolitan Airports Commission recently selected Flagship Airport Services of South Lake, Texas as its facilities cleaner. At the same time, the board adopted a worker retention strategy aimed at keeping the majority of staff on location, according to a MAC spokesman.“We anticipate that many of the laid off workers will have job opportunities with th...

‘Exciting’ glioblastoma study: Researchers create virus that effectively targets brain cancer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:38 GMT

Could a virus treatment designed by Boston researchers be the key to treating the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma?Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists report that they have created a cancer-attacking virus that can effectively target glioblastoma. The oncolytic virus treatment extended survival for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, especially among patients with pre-existing viral antibodies.The virus can infect cancer cells and stimulate an anti-tumor immune response, according to the researchers.“Almost no immunotherapies for GBM have been able to increase immune infiltration to these tumors, but the virus studied here provoked a very reactive immune response with infiltration of tumor-killing T-cells,” said corresponding author E. Antonio Chiocca, chair of the BWH Department of Neurosurgery.“That’s hard to do with GBM, so our findings are exciting and give us hope for our next steps,” Chiocca added.This Phase I, first-in-human trial looked at the safety of an oncolyti...