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Court blocks COVID-19 vaccine mandate for US gov’t workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 was blocked Thursday by a federal appeals court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected arguments that Biden, as the nation’s chief executive, has the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation to require that employees be vaccinated. The ruling from the full appeals court, 16 full-time judges at the time the case was argued, reversed an earlier ruling by a three-judge 5th Circuit panel that had upheld the vaccination requirement. Judge Andrew Oldham, nominated to the court by then-President Donald Trump, wrote the opinion for a 10-member majority.The ruling maintains the status quo for federal employee vaccines. It upholds a preliminary injunction blocking the mandate issued by a federal judge in January 2022. At that point, the administration said nearly 98% of covered employees had been vaccinated.And, Oldham noted, with the preliminary injunction a...

N Korea says it simulated nuke attacks with drone, missiles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday its cruise missile launches this week were part of nuclear attack simulations that also involved a detonation by a purported underwater drone as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to make his rivals “plunge into despair.”North Korea has stepped up its weapons demonstrations in a tit-for-tat response to military exercises between the United States and its ally South Korea aimed at countering the North’s growing nuclear threat. The allies completed an 11-day exercise that included their biggest field training in years on Thursday, but North Korea is expected to continue its weapons tests as the United States reportedly plans to send an aircraft carrier in coming days for another round of joint drills with the South.Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim supervised a three-day exercise that simulated nuclear counterattacks against enemy naval assets and ports that involved detonations of mock nuclear warheads. KCNA said the dril...

These innocent-looking emojis could be hiding nefarious messages, Ohio officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Concerning activity could be hiding behind friendly-looking text messages.The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) is warning all parents about emojis that are reportedly being used on social media and cellphones to market, sell and buy illegal drugs. According to the ONIC, seeing certain emojis on your child’s phone could be an indication of possible drug activity, though emojis can be used in many other ways as well. McDonald’s fans can get this popular menu item at Wendy’s “The use of emojis in this manner is a nationwide trend, and our analysts are seeing it here in Ohio as they analyze electronic devices seized in ongoing drug investigations,” ONIC Executive Director Cynthia Peterman said. “Although the use of these emojis is most often harmless, it’s important that parents keep this alert in mind, especially if their child is showing other signs of withdrawal or drug abuse.” Park outside: Hyundai, Kia recall vehicles due to fire risk According to the...

Former Connecticut athletes ask appeals court to resurrect their challenge to state's trans-inclusive sports policy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

Four women who were formerly high school athletes in Connecticut are asking an appeals court to let them revive their challenge to the state’s trans-inclusive sports policy.The four cisgender women argued that the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s policy allowing transgender women to compete in high school girls’ sports put them at an athletic disadvantage, and sued under Title IX. The case was dismissed due to lack of standing, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit agreed last month to rehear the appeal. The plaintiffs — Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, Alanna Smith and Ashley Nicoletti — are now arguing that the case does have standing to raise their Title IX concerns and should be allowed to proceed in district court. “So Plaintiffs sued under Title IX, which has protected female athletes’ equal opportunities and effective accommodation for decades. Over three years later, the female athletes still have not obtained a merits ruling. Th...

House fails to override Biden's first veto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

The Republican-led House on Thursday failed to override President Biden’s first veto, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to revive the resolution targeting an administration rule related to ESG investing, which takes environmental and social factors into account.The chamber voted 219-200, with Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voting with every Republican in favor of overriding the veto.Both the House and the Senate approved a resolution that would undo the administration’s rule, sending it to Biden’s desk and forcing the first veto of his presidency. The votes in both chambers were bipartisan.The effort to overturn the veto was not expected to be successful — only one House Democrat supported the initial resolution — but it put most of the Democratic caucus on record as supporting this type of investing for the second time. Two Senate Democrats voted for the disapproval resolution in the upper chamber.Veto overrides are very rare for Congress. During the ...

Pentagon chief: Putin-Xi meeting sends ‘very troubling message’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday said Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia sends a “troubling message.” Xi earlier this week concluded his three-day visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a visit seen by the West as Beijing doubling down on its support for the Kremlin in its war in Ukraine. “Xi’s visit to Putin and remaining there for a couple of days I think sends a very troubling message, a message of support,” Austin told lawmakers on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. While the U.S. military has not assessed Beijing as yet providing any military weapons or equipment to Moscow, “certainly just showing support by his presence there, I think, is very troubling,” Austin said. Austin added that should Xi decide to provide material support to Russia, “it would prolong the conflict and certainly broaden the conflict potentially — not only in the region, but globally.” U.S. officials warned last...

Judge orders anonymous jury in Trump sexual battery trial 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

A federal judge has ordered an anonymous jury in former President Trump’s sexual battery civil trial next month, citing in part Trump's call for protests as an indictment looms in a separate probe.U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled on Thursday that the jurors need protection from harassment, referencing the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Trump’s various statements attacking jurors and officials involved in other cases.Author E. Jean Carroll is set to take Trump to trial late next month after she accused him during his presidency of raping her in the mid-1990s. Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s claims.“Mr. Trump’s quite recent reaction to what he perceived as an imminent threat of indictment by a grand jury sitting virtually next door to this Court was to encourage ‘protest’ and to urge people to ‘take our country back,’” Kaplan wrote.“That reaction reportedly has been perceived by some as incitement to violence. And it bears mention that Mr. Trump repeatedly has attacked c...

How weather affects a golf ball's distance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The final WGC-Dell Technologies Match play tournament is in full swing over at Austin Country Club. The forecast looks to be a warm one with temperatures into the 80s for the remainder of the tournament. Dell Match Play Forecast The First Warning Weather team looked at how varying types of weather can impact a golf ball's distance.TemperatureA golf ball hit in warm air will travel further than cold air. Here's why:Cold air is more dense than warm air and will cause a moving ball to encounter more friction and drag when traveling. This in return will slow the ball down. Also, energy that is transferred during the golfer's swing (from the club to golf ball) is not as efficient in colder air.Luckily, Dell Match Play golfers will be dealing with optimally warm temperatures and will not have to deal with cold air impacting their driving distance.HumidityHigher humidity means more distance for a traveling golf ball. Here's why:The atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen...

Wild recover from slow start but lose to Flyers, 5-4, after shootout

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — For prolonged stretches Thursday night at Well Fargo Arena, the Wild let the Philadelphia Flyers skate circles around them. When they weren’t falling to the ice themselves, anyway.Though the Wild recovered with some solid play down the stretch, they ultimately suffered a 5-4 shootout loss to the Flyers. The point, however, pushed the Wild into first place in the Central Division while the Dallas Stars were waiting to play host to Pittsburgh.It was a slow start for the Wild, who looked discombobulated from the initial puck drop. To make matters worse, Flyers center Scott Laughton made it 1-0 late in the first period after Jake Middleton misjudged a puck along the boards.Luckily for the Wild, they responded a few minutes later as Oskar Sundqvist redirected an initial shot from Middleton to tie the game at 1-1. It’s fitting that Middleton garnered an assist on play considering he kept puck in the offensive zone earlier in the sequence with a solid effort near...

NYS education department rejects Fonda-Fultonville request to keep mascot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:34 GMT

FONDA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The New York State Education Department rejected a document submitted by the Fonda-Fultonville School District in an attempt to keep their mascot name the "Braves."The school district claimed they had the support of the Mohawk Nation through a letter that was signed by Dr. Tom Porter, a local Native American who said he has ties to the Mohawk Nation. But in an email from the education department to the district, they wrote: "We are not aware of Dr. Porter representing a federally recognized tribal nation within the state of New York." Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! There are nine nations New York state recognizes officially and a signed document from Dr. Porter did not meet the state's parameters. In New York, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and recognized government of the Mohawk Tribe.John Kane, who sits on the state's Mascot Advisory Panel and lives on Seneca territory, ...