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Drag artists and LGBTQ+ activities sue to block Texas law expanding ban on sexual performances

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that expands what is considered an illegal public performance of sexual conduct, arguing it is meant to target drag shows and could also criminalize ballet and even cheerleading.The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. district court in Houston by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of plaintiffs, contends that the law is unconstitutional and threatens the “livelihood and free expression of many Texans, including drag performers across our state.” It seeks to block the from taking effect Sept. 1. The law approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature was part of a broader effort in Texas and other conservative states to crack down on drag shows and limit LGBTQ rights. Such laws have already run into trouble in other states, including Florida and Tennessee, where judges put drag performance bans on hold.Like Texas, Arkansas has a new law re...

Clorox, Wayfair rise; Hyatt Hotels, Host Hotels & Resorts fall: Thursday, 8/3/2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Thursday:Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH), up $3.91 to $69.25.The information technology consulting and outsourcing firm raised its profit forecast for the year.Clorox Co. (CLX), up $14.81 to $167.28.The maker of bleach and other household products beat analysts’ fiscal fourth-quarter financial forecasts.Wesco International Inc. (WCC), down $32.46 to $147.The maker of electrical and industrial maintenance supplies reported weak second-quarter financial results.Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (HST), down $1.35 to $16.80.The luxury hotel manager trimmed its profit and revenue forecasts for the year.Sunrun Inc. (RUN), up $2.27 to $20.11.The solar energy products distributor gave investors an encouraging business update.Wayfair Inc. (W), up $16.38 to $89.27.The online home goods retailer beat analysts’ second-quarter earnings forecasts.Hyatt Hotels Corp. (H), down $10.15 to $112.19...

As the climate changes, how doctors treat patients, and medical program curricula, are evolving

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — In the 1990s, two hurricanes devastated Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean, wiping entire communities off the map and killing dozens of people. “Everything was just decimated,” Malama Tafuna’i, a primary care physician in Apia, the territory’s capital, said. “It looked like a bomb had gone off.” A young girl at the time, Tafuna’i watched as her father, a doctor, would go out to treat patients while her household navigated the aftermath of the storms. “He still had to go to work and the rest of us had to figure out, you know, how do we make sure that we’ve got a shelter for tonight or where are we going to get food from?’” she said.Tafuna’i’s early experiences help her navigate the impacts of climate change, both as a physician and as a citizen of Samoa, where extreme weather events frequently upend daily life. She uses the knowledge she has accumulated to help other doctors consider climate impacts when treating patients. Tafuna’i, who has practiced medicine in Samoa f...

Does being in a good mood make you more generous? Researchers say yes and charities should take note

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Those ads showing caged dogs and desperate looking cats while Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” played in the background have been not just effective at making viewers sad, but also remarkably successful at raising money for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since 2007.However, a new study shows other strategies may also be effective at motivating people to give, apart from all that “ sadvertising.” Maybe try “Hakuna Matata.”The study from Nathan Chan, assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Casey Wichman, assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that people in good moods are more likely to donate to a charitable cause. The study gathered posts made to Twitter, the social media platform now called X, from people who gave to Wikipedia and posted a hashtag acknowledging the donation. The researchers analyzed the posts from before and after the users made a donation and found ...

Mortgage rates tick higher: 30-year, fixed home loan is at 6.90%; 15-year at 6.25%

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose again this week, bad news for Americans seeking to upgrade or buy their first home.The average rate on the 30-year home mortgage rate ticked up to 6.90% this week from 6.81% a week ago. A year ago, the benchmark home loan rate stood at 4.99%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday.The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, climbed to 6.25% from 6.11% last week. A year ago, it was 4.26%.High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford in a market already overpriced for many Americans.High inflation has driven the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark interest rate 11 times since March 2022. Its fed funds rate has hit the highest level in 22 years.Inflation has come down steadily since last summer, and many analysts believe the Fed has reached the end of its rate hikes.Mortgage rates don’t necessarily mirror t...

Freddie Mercury’s beloved piano, song drafts and hundreds of belongings on display before auction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

LONDON (AP) — More than 1,400 of Freddie Mercury ‘s personal items, including his flamboyant stage costumes, handwritten drafts of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and the baby grand piano he used to compose Queen’s greatest hits, are going on display in a free exhibition at Sotheby’s London ahead of their sale.The vast collection of the singer’s personal belongings, which had been left to Mercury’s close friend Mary Austin, had remained undisturbed in his west London mansion for 30 years since his death in 1991.Austin, 72, said in a BBC interview in April that she has decided to sell almost all the items to “close this very special chapter in my life” and “put my affairs in order.”Among the hundreds of Mercury’s personal treasures were previously unseen working drafts of hits “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Are the Champions” and ”Somebody to Love.”The handwritten draft of “Bohemian Rhapsody” — which shows that Mercury experimented with naming the song “...

Police step up security, patrol courthouse ahead of Trump appearance. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

Follow along for live updates as Donald Trump is due to appear in federal court Thursday after being indicted by the Justice Department for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. ___WHAT TO KNOW— Here’s a breakdown of the sprawling election indictment— Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case— Republicans are remaining silent about the latest charges against Trump— The judge assigned to Trump’s case is a tough punisher of Capitol rioters— Here’s where the various cases involving Trump stand___INCREASED COURTHOUSE SECURITY Authorities are stepping up security at the federal courthouse in Washington hours before Trump is set to surrender and face a judge on felony charges accusing him of trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss.Dozens of police officers and vehicles were stationed Thursday morning near t...

Carl Davis, award-winning American composer behind many British TV shows and films, dies at 86

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Carl Davis, the American composer and conductor behind the scores for numerous award-winning British television shows and movies, has died, aged 86. In a statement, his family said Davis, who is perhaps best-known for the score of “The World at War,” a hugely influential documentary series about World War II that aired in 1973, died Thursday in Oxford following a brain hemorrhage.“We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music,” the family said. “A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation and he wrote scores for some of the most-loved and remembered British television dramas.”Davis, who was born in Brooklyn in 1936, started his career in New York, rising to to prominence as co-author of the 1959 revue “Diversions,” which won an off-Broadway Emmy. He subsequently travelled to the 1961 Edinburgh Festival and made Britain his home. Moving to London, Davis soon f...

‘I felt like an orphan’: UCF student devastated after Sanford mother killed, found tied up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

SANFORD, Florida (WESH) — It’s been a rough couple of weeks for one Central Florida son.Friends and family just had a celebration of life service Saturday for his mother, who was found dead inside her Sanford home.“Like if my body was a piece of glass, it was just cracked, shambled, and shattered in every single way,” Steven Rivera Cartagena said.That’s how Rivera Cartagena felt after getting the news his mother had died on July 17. Police say 49-year-old Joysee Cartagena Clemente was found in her Sanford home with a large zip tie around her neck. Sanford police confirmed Tuesday that her death was the result of a homicide.“Appears to be an isolated incident. The person of interest is someone tied to the victim,” Bianca Gillett of the Sanford Police Department said.Rivera Cartagena said he isn’t sure who would want to harm his mother.“That’s the same question I have. I always say that my mom wasn’t the type of person to have enemies. You know, she was a...

Experts share money-saving tips as back-to-school spending soars in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:57 GMT

As the start of the new school year approaches, parents across the nation are gearing up for the annual back-to-school shopping spree, but his year, families are facing higher expenses compared to previous years. According to a recent survey by RetailMeNot, the average American household is projected to spend $1,498 on back-to-school supplies, electronics, and clothes – an increase of $251 from last year’s spending average.The surge in back-to-school expenses can be partly attributed to inflation, which has impacted the prices of various goods and services. Jessica Allen, community director at Living Well Spending Less, compared the shopping experience to Christmas and emphasized the need for careful budgeting and planning to avoid overspending. “It adds up so fast,” she said. “It’s kind of like Christmas. We’re buying 100 different things from 100 different vendors and it’s so easy to lose track.”To help parents navigate the bac...