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Ticker: New York City outlaws discrimination on the basis of weight, height

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation Friday that will ban discrimination based on body size by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories such as race, sex and religion.Adams, a Democrat who published a book about reversing his diabetes through a plant-based diet, said the ordinance “will help level the playing field for all New Yorkers, create more inclusive workplaces and living environments, and protect against discrimination.”Exemptions under the ordinance, which the city council passed this month, include cases in which an individual’s height or weight could prevent them from performing essential functions of a job.DEA revokes license of drug distributorThe U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stripped one of the nation’s largest drug distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers Friday after determining it failed to flag thousands of suspicious orders at the height of the opioid crisis.The action against Morri...

Southwest pilot climbs through cockpit window after getting locked out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A Southwest Airlines pilot had to take an unexpected measure to get onto a Sacramento-bound plane at San Diego International Airport Wednesday: he climbed through the cockpit window.Matt Rexroad, a passenger on Wednesday's 5 p.m. flight, snapped a picture of the pilot squeezing through the window of the front of the plane ahead of the flight's departure, which he then posted to Twitter.The pilot of a Sacramento-bound plane at a gate in San Diego International Airport climbs through a window after getting locked out on May 24, 2023. (Courtesy of Matt Rexroad)The pilot had been locked out of the cockpit after a customer accidentally closed the door during the boarding process, according to a statement from a Southwest spokesperson." … while other Customers and Flight Attendants were onboard, a Customer opened the forward lavatory door and inadvertently pushed the Flight Deck door closed (which locked) while the Pilots scheduled to operate the flight were preparing to boar...

San Diego-Tijuana honored as World Design Capital 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Tijuana’s secretary for economic development signed an official proclamation Friday designating the San Diego-Tijuana region as a World Design Capital for 2024.“This partnership between the design communities in San Diego and Tijuana is such an awesome demonstration of the connectivity and the interdependence of our two cities, especially when it comes to our position in the global economy," said Gloria.Since 2008, the World Design Organization awards the title of World Design Capital every two years. Amtrak, Metrolink service cleared to resume after landslide San Diego-Tijuana is the first cross-border region to be selected.Officials say this honor goes to the cities for their effective use of design to enhance economic, social, cultural and environmental quality of life.“It will provide your communities with the opportunity to showcase the region's accomplishments, to highlight your unique history and collaborate with other creative i...

New Black Lives Matter tax documents show foundation is tightening its belt, has $30M in assets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A national Black Lives Matter nonprofit, whose philanthropic fortunes grew almost overnight during historic racial justice protests three years ago, raised just over $9 million in its last fiscal year, new IRS tax filings show.That’s significantly less than the $79 million in revenue reported in a previous tax filing of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. On Friday, the foundation said it expected that would be the case, given the unique factors surrounding the public response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020.A 60-page filing, submitted by the organization earlier this month, shows the foundation spent more money than it earned in its last fiscal year, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. It ended the year with roughly $30 million in assets, down from the $42 million in assets reported in its filing the previous year.The BLM nonprofit had raised more than $90 million in the first year that it was a tax-exempt organization, coinciding with the wave o...

Biden celebrates LSU women’s and UConn men’s basketball teams at separate White House events

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around. The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.“Folks, we witnessed history,” the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.” The ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes after forward Sa’Myah Smith appeared to collapse as she and her teammates stood behind Biden. A wheelchair was brought in and coach Kim Mulkey assured the audience that Smith was fine.LSU said in a statement that Smith felt...

It’s complicated: ‘X-date’ calculations aim to zero in on when the US may run short of cash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — For all the concern over just when the government might run short of money to pay its bills, it turns out that no one can be absolutely sure exactly when the country will default — what officials are calling the “X-date” — if there’s no deal to raise the debt limit.Calculating when the country is going to run out of money requires monitoring major fluctuations in cash flowing into and out of the Treasury and factoring in the timing and size of big payments coming due, among other factors. Now, with only days left for the White House and congressional leaders to negotiate a deal that would allow the government to borrow more money before the U.S. hits the statutory debt ceiling, knowing the drop-dead date is crucial.And amid all the squabbling over the debt, the X-date itself has inevitably become a subject of political rancor. WHAT IS THE “X-DATE”?The X-date arrives when the government no longer has enough of a financial cushion to pay all its bills, having e...

Actor Danny Masterson’s rape retrial sees deliberations drag on again

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors have deliberated for more than a week without reaching a verdict in the rape retrial of “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson, and will have to return and resume talks after the long holiday weekend.The Los Angeles County jury of seven women and five men went home Friday without reaching a verdict on any of the three counts of rape against the 47-year-old, who could get up to 45 years in prison if convicted of all three. The jury got the case as closing arguments ended May 17. With planned time off, they have been talking for a total of 6 1/2 days and have had relatively few questions for the judge. Jurors have asked for the reading back of some testimony — including part of the cross-examination of Masterson’s former girlfriend, who is one of the three accusers. But the requests have shed little light on the state of deliberations.Jurors will return to court Wednesday morning after taking the weekend, Memorial Day and another planned day off. I...

UBC faculty of medicine mourns loss of colleague who died climbing Mount Everest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

VANCOUVER — A Vancouver man has died while trying to pursue his lifelong dream of climbing Mount Everest.The University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine says it is mourning the unexpected death of Dr. Pieter Swart, an anesthesiologist and associate professor at the school.Dr. Hamed Umedaly, one of Swart’s colleagues in the university’s anesthesiology department, says Swart was a “beloved friend” who had an “insatiable wanderlust.” In a post shared online by the university, Umedaly says Swart died Thursday due to a “respiratory event” while descending the mountain.  It says he was pursuing a childhood dream of “being on top of the world” and describes Swart as a respected and caring doctor.The post says a memorial will be arranged with Swart’s family.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2023. The Canadian Press

EU official says Twitter abandons bloc’s voluntary pact against disinformation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Twitter has dropped out of a voluntary European Union agreement to combat online disinformation, a top EU official said Friday.European Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted that Twitter had pulled out of the EU’s disinformation “code of practice” that other major social media platforms have pledged to support. But he added that Twitter’s “obligation” remained, referring to the EU’s tough new digital rules taking effect in August.“You can run but you can’t hide,” Breton said.San Francisco-based Twitter responded with an automated reply, as it does to most press inquiries, and did not comment.The decision to abandon the commitment to fighting false information appears to be the latest move by billionaire owner Elon Musk to loosen the reins on the social media company after he bought it last year. He has rolled back previous anti-misinformation rules, and has thrown its verification system and content-moderation policies into chaos as he pursues his goal ...

Jury finds man guilty of second-degree murder in 2018 California state park killing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:41:57 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles jury on Friday found a man guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a father who was camping with his daughters and of the attempted murders of the two young girls, all at a popular park in Southern California.Anthony Rauda fatally shot Tristan Beaudette in the head while the 35-year-old father camped in a tent with his daughters on June 18, 2018. The jury exonerated Rauda on a first-degree murder charge but convicted him on a second-degree offense. He faces 40 years to life in prison and will be sentenced next month.A conviction for first-degree murder requires the government to prove intention and premeditation. Second-degree murder does not.Beaudette was killed at Malibu Creek State Park, roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of downtown Los Angeles. His daughters, then ages 2 and 4, were not injured but were considered victims of attempted murder. The jury convicted Rauda on the counts related to the girls but ruled that Rauda had ...