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South Carolina’s only women senators to resist new abortion restrictions up for debate

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The only five women in South Carolina’s 46-member Senate have vowed to resist new abortion restrictions up for debate after the group filibustered a near-total ban last month.But it remains to be seen whether the coalition known as the “sister senators” — three Republicans, one Democrat and one independent — will be able to block a new version of a bill that cleared the state Senate earlier this year with some of the bloc’s backing.The Republican-led state Senate on Tuesday is expected to debate a bill banning most abortions after an ultrasound detects cardiac activity, generally around six weeks and before most people know they are pregnant. But the proposal includes new regulations inserted by the Republican-dominated South Carolina House last week during proceedings slowed by hundreds of Democrats’ amendments across two days.House Republicans axed a section allowing minors to petition the court for an abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. T...

AG report finds nearly 350 Catholic clergy accused of sex abuse not publicly listed by Illinois dioceses

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a report four years in the making outlining nearly 350 Catholic clergy, accused of child sex abuse, who were not publicly-listed by Illinois dioceses.The report, which spans nearly 700 pages, names 451 Catholic clergy members who allegedly abused 1,997 children across all six dioceses in Illinois. The abuse spans seven decades, according to Raoul.Of the 451 names, 330 members are dead. Prior to the investigation, 103 names were publicly listed by all six Illinois dioceses.Of the 348 new names listed in the report, Raoul’s office said Illinois dioceses had found 149 clerics that the church allegedly determined to not fall under their guidelines.“To the extent that (clergy) were ministering under the archdiocese and had significant contact either in schools or otherwise — we considered it part of our investigation important to disclose each and every cleric that abused children,” Raoul said.Raoul stated that while the statue of ...

Bird hit by a line drive at the White Sox-Guardians game

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

CLEVELAND — For the second time in the 2023 Major League Baseball season, a bird has been accidentally killed on the field, this time during a White Sox game.In the second inning of their game against the Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Will Brennan's hit accidentally struck a bird that was in the infield grass before going into left field.It came off White Sox pitcher Jesse Scholtens and the game had to be stopped for a brief moment for crews to remove the bird from the field. According to MLB, the ball was traveling over 100 miles per hour off the bat of Brennan. Cleveland would go on to win the game 3-0 in the first of three contests between the American League Central Division rivals. After the game, Brennan tweeted about the incident saying "I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts. An unfortunate sacrifice."This marks the second time that a bird has been hit and killed by a ball in the MLB this month. On May 17, Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen hit one while wa...

'Food was amazing': Bride feeds 99 wedding guests for $1,950 by ordering from fast-casual chain

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

(WJW) — With the average cost of weddings continuing to break bank accounts across the country, it makes sense people would take note of a bride who found a sneaky way to cut costs on catered food.Vlogger and TikTok creator Madison Mulkey recently revealed she spent just $1,950 on food for her 99 wedding guests — and she did it by getting Chili's to cater the dinner."We loved the price point, I mean you really can't beat that price point — you just can't," she told her TikTok followers in a viral video posted earlier this month. "It's insane that we only spent that much money for our wedding food."The menu, Mulkey said, included chips, salsa, salads, egg rolls, chicken tenders, sliders, Cajun chicken pasta, and even five specialty meals for guests with dietary restrictions. How much does the average wedding cost in your state? Mulkey and her family also offset the cost by picking up the food themselves instead of paying for delivery. And since her nuptials took place over a busy S...

Top 5 invasive plants in Illinois which could ruin your yard

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

ILLINOIS — Yardwork season is well underway across Illinois and the experts at the Chicago Botanic Garden have a list of unwanted plants for you to exterminate with extreme prejudice.The expertWhen WGN reached out to the Botanic Gardens to ask about the worst invasive plant offenders, they had just the person.Andrea Kramer is the Director of Restoration Ecology, an Associate Conservation Scientist, and the David Byron Smith Family Curator of Natural Areas at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She holds a Ph. D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Illinois Chicago and has been involved with the Chicago Botanic Garden for more than 20 years. Is it legal to collect rainwater in Illinois? Continue reading to see her answers to our questions.List of plants with photosBuckthorn, both common and glossy (Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus)Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)Callery or Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) - not picturedLesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)Lonicera spp....

Don't look at the 'look who died' scam on Facebook

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (WTTV) -- Cyber security experts are spreading the word about a Facebook direct message hacking scam that is quickly spreading across the social media platform.It's called the "look who died" phishing scam, and it’s aimed at gaining access to your Facebook account. Look out for the resume formatting scam It starts with a direct Facebook message that appears to be from someone you know.  The message says “look who died” and contains a link to what appears to be an article about an accident that killed someone you know or possibly a celebrity.  If you click on the link, it won't take you to a news article, but it will download malware onto your phone or computer that gives the hackers access to your Facebook login information.Online criminals love getting into Facebook accounts because they often contain such information as shopping history and photos that can be sold on the dark web. Accessing your account also means they can spread the phishing scam by ...

Recommended Project Connect light rail plan unveiled

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The transportation entity tasked with constructing Austin's Project Connect mass transit system unveiled Tuesday which light rail route they want to see built in the capital city.The Austin Transit Partnership is recommending Austin's initial light rail system runs from 38th Street down south to Oltorf Street, as well as southeast to Yellow Jacket Lane. The 9.8-mile route would feature 15 stations and service an average ridership upwards of 29,000 people per day, if adopted.ATP Project Connect Light Rail RecommendationDownloadThe recommended route's sticker price comes in between $4.5 billion and $4.8 billion, with possible Phase 1 buildout points to Crestview in the north and the airport to the southeast, depending on costs and available funding. Future light rail extensions post-Phase 1 could carry the two-line system to the North Lamar Transit Center and Stassney Lane, with southern stops proposed at St. Edward's University and the South Congress Transit Center. ...

Medical cannabis expansion nears critical deadline in Texas Senate

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 23, 2023. AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Legislation to expand access to medical cannabis for Texans with chronic pain will die if a Texas Senate committee does not pass it by Wednesday.HB 1805 by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, passed the Texas House 127-19 on April 12. It has been awaiting action in the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs since May 3. Wednesday is the last day the Senate can pass bills. Texas House passes bill to expand medical marijuana program The legislation would allow Texans living with chronic pain or other debilitating medical conditions to get a prescription for low-THC medical cannabis products like edibles and oils. Current law limits eligible patients to those with epilepsy, cancer, autism, multiple sclerosis, and other incurable neurodegenerative diseases.The bill would also raise the amount of THC allowed per dose to 10 milligrams. Current law limits THC...

What did and didn't happen on gun laws one year after Uvalde

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 23, 2023.UVALDE, Texas (Nexstar) — Following America's second-deadliest school shooting in a small Texas town, grieving families and angry communities mourned, conversations about prevention turn political and people marched and protested to "do something." Those calls are turning into action.A month after an 18-year-old gunman used an AR-15 to kill 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Congress passed its first federal gun safety legislation in decades. The Safer Communities Act expands background checks in certain cases, closed the "boyfriend loophole" to prevent domestic abusers from getting or keeping firearms and clarifies the created penalties for straw purchases and those who don't follow federal firearm licensing requirements. Additionally, the bipartisan package doled out grants to bolster mental health resources and to better secure schools.Many longtime gun control ac...

Metro Transit gets major boost from 0.75% metro-wide sales tax; St. Paul roads repair, Stillwater parks, in doubt

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:11:59 GMT

Transit advocates are hailing a proposed metro-wide sales tax increase that is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz this week as an unprecedented win for efforts to restore and expand Metro Transit’s bus and rail network, which has suffered bruising challenges since the outset of the pandemic.The 0.75% sales tax increase included in the proposed transportation omnibus bill would raise more than $440 million per year for public transit spending, roughly equivalent to the Metropolitan Council’s annual transportation budget. Another 17% of the tax revenue — as much as $90 million annually — would flow to the seven metro counties to fund county road maintenance, as well as bicycle and pedestrian improvements.“I am thrilled by this bill,” said Sam Rockwell, executive director of Move Minnesota, a St. Paul-based transit advocacy organization. “It’s an incredible bill. It’s a transformational bill. I think it’s a nation...