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DeSantis says US shouldn’t take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza because they’re ‘all antisemitic’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said the United States should not take in any Palestinian refugees if they flee the Gaza Strip because they “are all antisemitic” and he dismissed international entreaties for Israel to provide clean running water and utilities to the 2.3 million civilians in the territory.DeSantis’ comments were a striking departure from the public stand taken by U.S. officials, including some of his fellow Republicans, who draw distinctions between the aims of the Palestinian people and those of Hamas. The militant group has ruled has Gaza since 2007 and launched an attack against Israel last weekend.DeSantis’ endorsement of such tactics comes as he has advocated hard-line policies as a White House candidate. He suggested that not providing water or other services would persuade Hamas to release the hostages it has taken during its incursion.“You have Israelis being held hostage, as well as Americans being held host...

Poland’s opposition leader Tusk says 3 parties have enough votes to unseat the Law and Justice party

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk said that three opposition parties had sufficient votes to win the general election on Sunday after an exit poll projected that they had enough combined support to oust Law and Justice, the governing conservative nationalist party.The Ipsos exit poll suggested that the opposition together has likely won 248 seats in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Sejm. Law and Justice, according to the projection, obtained 200 seats, while the far-right Confederation got 12 seats. “I am the happiest man on earth,” Tusk said. “Democracy has won. Poland has won.”Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski acknowledged that the outcome was uncertain.Kaczynski told supporters at his headquarters that his party’s result, at nearly 37% of the vote, according to the exit poll, was a great success, but acknowledged it might not be able to keep power.“The question before us is whether this success will be able to be turned into anoth...

Stoneman Douglas High shooting site visited one last time by lawmakers and educators

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers and education leaders from several states on Saturday took what is likely the final tour of a building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where a former student shot 17 people to death and wounded 17 others on Valentine’s Day 2018.The 1200 Building is scheduled to be demolished next summer, the local school district announced last month. Authorities told WPLG-TV that Saturday was the last day for people to tour the building, which has been preserved as evidence by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex Schachter was killed in the massacre, led Saturday’s tour.“I wanted to have as many people, leaders of school districts around the country, to come to the building and understand the failures and lessons learned,” he said.People from 25 states, including school board members, superintendents and national Parent Teacher Association members, went on the tour to see how they could make s...

Ontario autism program now funding over 8,000 kids for core therapy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

The number of children with autism receiving publicly funded, needs-based core therapy in Ontario appears to have only now returned to the level it was at five years ago before changes by the Progressive Conservative government upended the system, new figures suggest.Documents obtained through a freedom-of-information request show that as of mid-July there were 8,758 children whose families had a signed funding agreement for core therapy services. Enrolments were steadily rising, the documents show, and that likely continued after July, though the government refused to provide current numbers.Back in 2018-19, mostly before the Tories’ changes took effect, 10,365 children received needs-based services under the Ontario Autism Program, the province’s Financial Accountability Office reported. That number then declined, as children aged out of the program and others were not being added in the same way when the government switched to a new funding model.Alina Cameron, p...

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ dances to No. 1 at the box office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

Movie theaters turned into concert venues this weekend as Swifties brought their dance moves and friendship bracelets to multiplexes across the country. The unparalleled enthusiasm helped propel “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” to a massive, first place debut between $95 million and $97 million in North America, AMC Theatres said Sunday.It’s easily the biggest opening for a concert film of all time, and, not accounting for inflation, has made more than the $73 million “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” earned in 2011. In today’s dollars, that would be around $102 million. And if it comes in on the higher end of projections when totals are released Monday, it could be the biggest October opening ever. The one to beat is “Joker,” which launched to $96.2 million in 2019.A unique experiment in distribution, premium pricing, star power and loose movie theater etiquette—more dancing and shouting than a Star Wars premiere—have made it an undeniable hit. Compiled from Swift’s summer shows at Sou...

"It's a genocide:' Palestinian Americans express frustration with Western leaders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

CHICAGO -- In the second week of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, thousands of lives have been lost and thousands more are globally protesting, what they say is an active genocide being committed against the Palestinian people. "It's a genocide," Hatem Abudayyeh, the National Chair of US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) said. More than 2,400 Palestinians have been killed, including 724 children and 9,2000 wounded in Israeli air raids. “The Israelis are committing war crimes on an hourly basis and unfortunately the U.S. government is complicit,” Abudayyeh said. In an in-depth reporting of the Israeli military spending, Al Jazeera found that Israel receives over $3.8 billion dollars of military aid a year from the US.  ‘A humanitarian disaster:’ Chicagoans voice concerns for loved ones trapped in Gaza “Lip service from the president means nothing when he’s doing nothing about it. Just like other Western countries are doing,” Abudayyeh said in response to...

Family faces multiple E. coli infections after kindergartner's Tennessee field trip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Less than three weeks ago, some Tennessee elementary school students took a field trip. Now, one family is facing multiple E. coli infections.Grayson Hefflin, a kindergartener at Avoca Elementary, was among those who visited the Appalachian Fairgrounds in Gray, Tennessee, on September 26. He is now one of at least seven children hospitalized as part of an outbreak of E. coli infections. E. coli is bacteria, the CDC explains. Many strains are harmless, but there are some that can make you sick. Among those is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, the strain health officials have determined the children were exposed to during their field trip. Officials: Multiple kids seriously ill with E. coli from local field trip Though health officials have not identified an exact source for the infection, they did provide resources on staying healthy around animal exhibits - a common place for germs like E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and Salmonella, according to the CDC. Symptoms ...

1 dead after crash on I-35 southbound ramp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead following a crash on Interstate 35 Sunday afternoon, according to a social media post from the Austin Fire Department.Per AFD, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services confirmed an adult man is dead from a fatal crash on the I-35 southbound at Ben White ramp. A second patient is being analyzed by medics, per the post.Heavy traffic delays are expected in the area, AFD officials added.Austin Police Department's Watch Command confirmed to KXAN one I-35 lane is closed alongside the southbound frontage road. The other vehicle involved in the fatal crash is cooperating, per APD.ATCEMS added in its own social media post the fatal crash involved two vehicles. No additional information is available, officials noted.

Texas didn't have to play to move up in AP Top 25

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas had the week off but still made a move in the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings.The Longhorns rose one spot to No. 8, swapping places with No. 9 Oregon after the Ducks' 36-33 loss to now No. 5 Washington. Texas gets back on the gridiron at 2 p.m. Friday against Big 12 newcomer Houston on the road.Full AP Top 25The top four teams in the poll — Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State — remained with the Huskies joining the top five. By virtue of the Huskies' win, it vaulted them over Oklahoma to move the Sooners to No. 6. Penn State is at No. 7 followed by Texas and Oregon while North Carolina moved up two spots to No. 10.Notre Dame flew six spots up in the rankings top No. 15 after it pounded Southern California 48-20. The loss dropped the Trojans eight spots to No. 18. Louisville dropped seven spots to No. 21 after a 38-21 loss to Pitt and UCLA also seven spots to No. 25 following a 36-24 loss to No. 12 Oregon State.In the US LMB Coaches poll, Tex...

Austin, San Antonio mayors eye Central Texas rail among mobility developments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As populations continue to boom in Austin and San Antonio, both cities' mayors shared interests and focus on expanding mobility and infrastructure workforce opportunities -- and possible rail connections between the two cities.On Friday, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg spoke at Workforce Solutions Capital Area's Moving Forward: Mobility & Infrastructure Workforce Summit. During their conversations, both cities' mayors said they're eyeing infrastructure funding opportunities to expand rail services between the two Central Texas metropolitan areas. RELATED: How many jobs will Austin’s mobility workforce add in the next 20 years? "There's a lot of talk about our ability to maybe get some of that infrastructure money between Austin and San Antonio," Watson told KXAN. "Another tie between our two cities and tying our two cities, and tying this region together."Here in the Austin area, key transportation developments like the Austin-Berg...