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A Utah city violated the First Amendment in denying a drag show permit, judge rules

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The city of St. George must issue a permit for a Utah-based group that organizes drag performances to host an all-ages drag show in a public park, a federal judge ruled, calling the city’s attempt to stop the show unconstitutional discrimination. “Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces,” U.S. District Judge David Nuffer wrote in a Friday ruling granting the preliminary injunction requested by the group. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional or unconventional, have access to public spaces for public expression.”Southern Utah Drag Stars and its CEO, Mitski Avalōx, sued the city of St. George in May after the city denied the group permits for an all-ages show it aimed to host in a public park in April. A complaint filed in federal court accused city officials of “flagrant and ongoing violations o...

Steele, Hoerner help Chicago Cubs beat Baltimore Orioles 3-2 for season-high 5th straight win

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Steele pitched five innings of two-run ball in his return from the injured list, and the Chicago Cubs topped the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Saturday for their season-high fifth straight win.Steele allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one in his first start since May 31. The left-hander had been sidelined by a strained forearm.After collecting 38 runs and 51 hits in the first four games of the win streak, Chicago managed just four hits against Kyle Gibson (8-4) and two relievers. But Mike Tauchman delivered a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth, and the Cubs held on.After Steele (7-2) departed, Julian Merryweather got three outs and Mark Leiter Jr. worked two innings. Adbert Alzolay then closed it out for his fourth save.Baltimore put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh, but Anthony Santander struck out looking and Gunnar Henderson bounced to second. Ryan O'Hearn flied out to the wall in center for the final out of the eighth. MLB...

What are Mormon crickets? They're invading parts of the U.S.

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

ELKO, Nevada (KLAS/NEXSTAR) — It may only be a few inches long but it's cannibalistic and can create disgust and disruption. A small Nevada town is being overrun with the so-called Mormon crickets. "Biblical" is how some are describing this infestation of millions of insects. They are blanketing the ground, crawling up walls, infesting buildings, and terrorizing some of the residents of Elko, a small town in northeastern Nevada. ‘Go Away Green’: The color Disney paints things it doesn’t want you to see at its parks "When we looked out here the whole wall was just covered. That really, really freaked me out," Colette Reynolds said.Despite its name, the large insect is a flightless katydid which is a subfamily of bush crickets and is harmless except to crops which they will gladly devour. Not only is it an agricultural pest, it's also a traffic hazard.Mormon Cricket (Getty Images)The Nevada Department of Transportation is plowing and sanding roads because the smashed bugs are makin...

Study shows AstraZeneca pill can cut deaths from a type of lung cancer in half

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An AstraZeneca drug has been shown to reduce the risk of death in some lung cancer patients by more than half, according to the research. Results from a three-year-long clinical trial were released in early June and published in the Journal of New England Medicine. The data shows that when researchers administered the drug osimertinib to patients, there was a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival compared to patients who received a placebo. “It basically doubled the cure rate in patients who got this drug,” said Dr. Boone Goodgame, medical director for Oncology at Ascension Seton. Goodgame did not contribute to this trial. The study team administered a daily pill, either of osimertinib or the placebo, to 682 study participants at several international sites. The researchers focused only on a subset of lung cancer patients with a specific gene mutation called EGFR, which accounts for about 10 to 15% of all lung cancer patients, per the Americ...

Charley Walters: Vikings’ options depend on Danielle Hunter’s holdout plans

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

Whether the Minnesota Vikings trade Danielle Hunter could depend on how much of the season the pass rusher might decide to hold out if he doesn’t receive a satisfactory new contract.Even the Vikings realize his current $5 million contract for 2023 is undervalued, and it appears the team is willing to give him a new deal, but for just one year rather than two or three years.Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter takes part in drills at the NFL football team’s practice facility in Eagan, Minn., Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)Hunter, who turns 29 in October, is worth at least $15 million on a one-year deal. But it’s a good bet he’s looking for a three-year contract in the $65 million range. The problem for the Vikings, who don’t want to trade Hunter, is that if they do trade him, they would lose their best pass rusher.Because of the injuries (neck, torn chest pectoral) Hunter has had, the Vikings probably could get just a second-round draft pick in a tr...

SLPS to replace lead-contaminated chain link fencing around schools

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The Saint Louis Public Schools school district plans to replace several miles of lead-contaminated chain link fencing around schools ahead of the new academic year. Over the next several weeks, SLPS plans to chain link fencing and install "environmentally safe, vinyl coated galvanized steel fencing" around several schools in need. The upgrades come through a $2 million project supported by state and federal funds. More than six miles of chain link fencing around schools will be replaced. Records: Man accused of scamming St. Louis slots is cross-country cheater “Many historic buildings do contain lead in areas that would be impossible to completelyeliminate, including miles of iron and chain link fencing you find at SLPS. Even so, we conducted lead testing along with removal and replacement of the dirt around fencing as a containment strategy," said Jeffry Faust, principal of Environmental Consultant, LLC. In the future, SLPS also plans to plant green space, extend pla...

Ironton, Mo. man arrested on child porn charges

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

IRONTON, Mo. - Authorities arrested an Ironton man earlier this week accused of possessing child pornography on his cell phone. Iron County prosecutors have charged Daniel Reyes, 40, with three counts of possession of child pornography. Records: Man accused of scamming St. Louis slots is cross-country cheater Investigators executed a search warrant on Wednesday after a tip from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control. While responding to Reyes' home, deputies reportedly recovered his phone and found multiple images of child pornography. The Division of Drug and Crime Control encourages internet users to promptly report anyone who attempts to engage in unwanted, inappropriate, or sexualized communications with children to MSHP or local law enforcement.

Rockies Journal: Starting rotation is a disaster with no relief in sight

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

Near the end of last season, I wrote a story looking ahead at the Rockies’ 2023 starting rotation. The headline read: “Rockies’ wobbly rotation has huge question marks for 2023.”I’m no soothsayer. The problems were there in plain sight. But I didn’t think it would be so bad that the club would be forced to wedge right-hander Dinelson Lamet into the rotation as an emergency starter.In case you missed it, Lamet served up three two-run homers — two to Travis d’Arnaud and another to Eddie Rosario — in four ugly innings in Colorado’s 8-1 loss to the Braves on Friday night at Truist Park.  Lamet and his 11.57 ERA were designated for assignment on Saturday.Yes, I know that there have been a lot of injuries. German Marquez underwent Tommy John surgery, Antonio Senzatela will be out until August with a right elbow sprain, and Ryan Feltner is slowly working his way back from a fractured skull. But the Rockies’ lack of starting pitchi...

Court: Dougco School Board members violated open meetings law

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

The Douglas County School Board — four majority members in particular — violated Colorado Open Meetings Law in connection to the firing of former Superintendent Corey Wise, according to a district court ruling.Robert “Bob” Marshall, now a state representative of House District 43, filed a lawsuit in February  2022 alleging the board’s conservative majority violated state statute by holding a series of private one-on-one meetings to discuss replacing Wise. Colorado Open Meetings Law, part of the Colorado Sunshine Law, generally requires state or local governmental bodies to discuss public business or to take formal action in meetings open to the public.Board members Michael Peterson, Rebecca Myers, Kaylee Winegar and Christy Williams are recognized in the Friday Douglas County District Court ruling as “majority board members” of the seven member board.A trial was held on Monday and District Court Judge Jeffrey K. Holmes found in a ruling filed Fri...

Tiny dog recovering after being kicked by homeless man 

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:31:21 GMT

A tiny dog is recovering after a homeless man kicked it in Venice on Wednesday. Laura Michele Rosenfeld was walking her dog Bart around 3 p.m. when a homeless man “danced” up to them, according to a GoFundMe set up to help pay for Bart’s medical bills. “[He] kicked Bart so hard, he flew into the metal claw of the...tractor city workers were using to repair the street,” the GoFundMe said.  Laura Michele Rosenfeld was walking her dog Bart around 3 p.m. when a homeless man “danced” up to them, according to a GoFundMe set up to help pay for Bart’s medical bills. (Laura Valdivia/GoFundMe)A good Samaritan began CPR on the dog and instructed bystanders to call 911. The GoFundMe page credits her as a former firewoman who was on vacation with her son when she jumped into action. The page’s organizer, Laura Valdivia, ran to help Rosenfeld and Bart and drove them to the animal hospital. Veterinarians were able to get him into a more stable condition, but due to the swelling in his he...