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Oklahoma governor signs gender-affirming care ban for kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma on Monday became the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors as Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes it a felony for health care workers to provide children with treatments that can include puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.Oklahoma joins at least 15 other states with laws banning such care, as conservatives across the country have targeted transgender rights.Stitt, who was reelected in November, made the ban a priority of this year’s legislative session, saying he wanted to protect children. Transgender advocates and parents of transgender children say such care is essential.Stitt signed bills last year that prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams and prevent transgender children from using school bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity.“Last year, I called for a statewide ban on all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors so I am thrille...

Legendary folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

TORONTO — Legendary Canadian folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot has died at age 84.Victoria Lord, a representative for the family, says the musician behind classic Canadian ballads “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” died at a Toronto hospital on Monday evening.His cause of death was not immediately available.The Orillia, Ont., native rose to fame in the early 1960s after a move to Toronto opened doors in the thriving Yorkville music scene, and hooked him up with fellow folkies Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They became great admirers of his work and covered two of his tracks.His 1965 debut album “Lightfoot!” ushered in a new folk voice and by the turn of the decade he eased rather effortlessly into the pop scene, making his first appearance on the Billboard chart with 1971’s “If You Could Read My Mind.”Lightfoot’s popularity peaked in the mid-1970s when both his single and album “Sundown” ...

Canadian music legend Gordon Lightfoot dead at 84

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

Legendary Canadian singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot has died, a representative from his family confirmed.He was 84 years old.Victoria Lord, a representative for the family, says the musician behind classic Canadian ballads “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” died at a Toronto hospital on Monday evening.His cause of death was not immediately available.In mid-April, Lightfoot cancelled all of his planned concerts slated for 2023 because of his health. In a statement shared at the time, representatives for the 84-year-old said the singer was experiencing “some health-related issues,” without giving specifics.Lightfoot was slated to play more than a dozen shows in Arizona, California and Florida in April, June and September. His Canadian date was a rescheduled show in Kitchener, Ont., in October.The Orillia, Ont., native rose to fame in the early 1960s after a move to Toronto opened doors in the thriving Yorkville music...

Swanson homers, Smyly sharp as Cubs beat Nationals 5-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a two-run homer and Drew Smyly delivered seven solid innings as the Chicago Cubs bounced back from a rough series at Miami to beat the Washington Nationals 5-1 on Monday night.Swanson went 3-for-5, including a double and his second homer of the season. The 389-foot blast to left-center in the fifth inning made it 4-1 — a welcome advantage for the Cubs, who snapped a three-game skid. All those losses to the Marlins were by one run.Smyly (3-1) allowed a homer by Lane Thomas in the second inning but cruised from there, throwing just 84 pitches. The left-hander gave up six hits and walked none in his fifth straight start allowing two runs or fewer. Cubs’ offense hasn’t needed long to get things going in 2023 MacKenzie Gore (3-2) allowed a season-high four runs over four-plus innings on seven hits — including three doubles and Swanson's homer. Seiya Suzuki had an RBI single in the first for Chicago, and Trey Mancini drove in Suzuki with a double.Ian...

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Gordon Lightfoot, Canada's legendary folk singer-songwriter whose hits include “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," died on Monday, a representative of his family said. He was 84.Representative Victoria Lord said the musician died at a Toronto hospital. His cause of death was not immediately available.The Orillia, Ontario native rose to fame in the early 1960s after a move to Toronto opened doors in the thriving Yorkville music scene, and hooked him up with fellow folk musician Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They became great admirers of his work and covered two of his tracks. Talk show host, former politician Jerry Springer dies at 79 His 1965 debut album “Lightfoot!” ushered in a new folk voice and by the turn of the decade he eased rather effortlessly into the pop scene, making his first appearance on the Billboard chart with 1971’s “If You Could Read My Mind.”Lightfoot’s popularity peaked in the mid-1970s when both his single and album “Sundown”...

A few players from the Chicago area will get their shot in Bears rookie camp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

LAKE FOREST - A few natives of the Chicago area are going to get their chance to show the Bears what they can do this weekend at Halas Hall. Three players who played their high school football in the Chicago are are among those who've been brought in for the team's rookie mini-camp that's set to take place Friday through Sunday in Lake Forest. These are players who've either signed a deal with the Bears as an undrafted free agent or have received an invite from the team to the mini-camp. Andre Szmyt, a native of Lake Forest and former kicker for Syracuse, has signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, the school announced on Saturday. A placekicker and punter for Vernon Hills High School, he had a quick start to his career with the Orange as he won the Lou Groza award for the nation's best kicker in his redshirt freshman year of 2018.This past season, Szmyt connected on 20-of-26 field goals for Syracuse and was a perfect 40-for-40 on point-after attempts. Donny Navarro III, a...

Serena Williams, Karlie Kloss reveal pregnancies at Met Gala

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Move over Instagram (or Snapchat) — the Met Gala was the place to announce pregnancies Monday night, at least if you're Serena Williams or Karlie Kloss.The tennis legend and supermodel each revealed their pregnancies in interviews on the Met Gala's not-so-red carpet. Williams' announcement had particular poignance given that she stepped away from tennis last year, saying she had to in order to have a second child.“Believe me,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion wrote in an August essay for Vogue magazine, “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family.” Photos: Guests arrive at Met Gala 2023 Williams was also afforded more agency in announcing her pregnancy this time, sharing the news alongside her husband Alexis Ohanian in an interview with Vogue liv...

New bride killed after suspected drunk driver hits golf cart hours after South Carolina wedding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) - A bride was killed and a groom left critically injured just hours after exchanging their vows on South Carolina's Folly Beach last Friday evening.The couple had left their wedding reception when Folly Beach Public Safety Chief Andrew Gilreath said 25-year-old Jamie Komoroski slammed into the back of a golf cart they were riding in. Komoroski was allegedly traveling at about 65 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to Chief Gilreath.Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal identified the victim as 34-year-old Samantha Miller of Charlotte, North Carolina. Miller, still in her wedding dress, suffered blunt force trauma in the crash and died at the scene. Robbers with assault rifles hold up Tennessee bank, video shows Miller's husband, Aric Hutchinson of Utah, and another family member on the golf cart were seriously injured and remain in the hospital, Hutchinson's mother wrote in a GoFundMe.Hutchinson has already undergone multiple surgeries, according to h...

APD investigating homicide in northwest Austin after 2 found dead in apartment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is investigating a homicide after two people were found dead Monday at a northwest Austin apartment complex.APD responded to 10015 Lake Creek Parkway, the address for the Legends Lake Creek apartments, for a homicide investigation at Building No. 3. APD said the call came in at 5:38 p.m. as a "disturbance" by one of the building's residents, and when officers arrived at the scene, two adults believed to be in their late 50s were found dead inside of an apartment "with obvious trauma to their bodies." One was a man, the other was a woman, and they were pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. APD said.APD said the two who died were residents of the complex, and it's the 27th homicide investigation of 2023. APD said it didn't have any information about a suspect.

Why is Karl Lagerfeld, the Met Gala theme, controversial?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:26 GMT

German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld acknowledges the applause of his models at the end of the show he designed for the French fashion house Chanel, for the 1993-94 Fall-Winter haute couture collection in Paris, July 20, 1993. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Karl Lagerfeld, the subject of this year’s Met Gala, transformed Chanel from frumpy to modern. He revolutionized the merger of hip-hop culture and high fashion. He dressed and befriended celebrities and transformed once-staid runway shows into masterful, theatrical displays.He was also a self-proclaimed “big mouth,” publicly sounding off with fatphobia. He spoke against gay men who want to adopt children, migrants, sexual assault survivors, the #MeToo movement and “ugly” people, without apology.And he left behind the receipts, his own contentious words.Lagerfeld died in 2019 after dominating the fashion universe into his 80s. Come May 1, his legacy will be on display at the starry fundraising party and i...