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Ban on trans health care for kids heads to Missouri governor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Transgender minors in Missouri no longer will have access to puberty blockers, hormones or gender-affirming surgery under legislation passed by the Republican-led legislature Wednesday.The ban also affects some adults — Medicaid health care won’t cover any gender-affirming care in the state, and surgery will no longer be available to prisoners and inmates.Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign it — he threatened to keep lawmakers working beyond the normal end of their session if they didn't approve the ban. Once signed, it would take effect Aug. 28 and expire in August 2027. The ban includes exceptions for minors already getting such treatments.Missouri's ban comes amid a national push by conservatives to put restrictions on transgender and non-binary people that has become, alongside abortion, a major theme running through legislative sessions across the country in 2023.Missouri's legislative leaders vowed to stop minors from accessing puberty blockers, hormones...

Jack Flaherty explains fastball strategy, though critical of questions on it

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

CHICAGO - Coming off a career-worst start, in which he allowed 10 earned runs in less than three innings, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty navigated through some tough situations Tuesday, but still finished without another win to his record. Flaherty stretched five innings, allowed three earned runs and walked five hitters in a no-decision, though the Cardinals prevailed to a 6-4 victory at Wrigley Field against the rival Chicago Cubs. During a postgame media session, Flaherty was asked about his fastball velocity by Bally Sports Midwest's Jim Hayes, a question he later clarified he asked because of a discussion in the Cardinals broadcast in which the on-air talent explained why a pitcher might throw at different velocities in certain situations. RELATED - Contreras committed to catching again soon, thrives in return to Wrigley Flaherty gave insight as to why it worked to have different fastball velocities, though seemed critical of a few questions and comments,...

The best places to relax in St. Louis, according to FOX 2 viewers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

ST. LOUIS – You don't always have to go to a remote island or the beach to find a peaceful place to get away. Find out where to go in St. Louis to relax without having to go far. Sometimes you can find a quiet place to get away closer to home. Here are the best places in the area to relax, according to Fox 2 viewers. Not only are these places inexpensive, but many are also close to each other. The Missouri Botanical Gardens.  St. Louis Zoo. Forest ParkSt. Louis Arts MuseumArt Hill Francis Park  In Hermann, Missouri, Riverfront ParkThe Tower Grove Powell HallCardinal Games at Busch stadium Downtown KirkwoodThe HillGrant's FarmJefferson Barracks National Cemetery is a historic siteBellefontaine CemeteryBlack Madonna Shrine Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

Open House: Arts Calendar May 11-17

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

An open house at the city’s largest gallery complex, powerful conversations with authors and activists, contemporary dance in person and live from across the globe, allegorical portrait painting and digital interventions, a Shakespeare play ripped from the headlines, more Shakespeare but this time an opera, play dates of Medieval times, a showcase of trans filmmakers, a free kite festival in the park, something called a scent rave, and before there were immersive experiences there were classic panorama paintings.PEN America presents Camille Dungy and Leah Thomas at CAAMThursday, May 11PEN America presents Earthly Delights: History, Race, and Environmental Consciousness at CAAM. Award-winning poet Camille T. Dungy explores how gardening can be emblematic of family, history, race, nation, and power in her new book, SOIL: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden. Dungy will read and discuss the interconnections between literature, environmental action, history, and culture with Leah ...

Home prices drop in 95% of U.S. metros since last spring’s peak

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: Home prices have fallen in all but 11 of 221 U.S. metropolitan areas since last spring’s peak.Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed the National Association of Realtors’ quarterly report on 221 housing markets, which tracks the median selling price for existing, single-family homes.ToplineA dash of good news for house hunters is that prices fell in 95% of the metros when comparing the first three months of 2023 vs. last year’s spring quarter. And 27% of those drops were double-digit declines.That’s not a terribly surprising result after the Federal Reserve last year essentially doubled mortgage rates in an attempt to cool the overall economy and the highest-in-four-decades inflation rate.The biggest nine-month price drops were in Austin (off 24%), San Francisco and Champaign, Illinois, (off 23%), Kankakee, Illin...

Woman wounded more than once in East Oakland drive-by shooting

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

OAKLAND — A drive-by shooting in East Oakland on Tuesday night wounded a 23-year-old woman in several places, police said.The woman remained in stable condition at a hospital Wednesday morning, according to police. The gunfire happened about 11:10 p.m. in the 1700 block of International Boulevard, police said.Police have not made any arrests. They did not have a description of the suspect or the vehicle that the shots came from.According to police, the woman was standing at the street corner when a vehicle drove by and somebody inside of it opened fire on her.Medics treated her at the scene, and an ambulance took her to a hospital.The vehicle continued westbound on East 12th Street and got away. Police said they do not know the motive for the shooting.Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $5,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. Police can be contacted at 510-238-3426, and Crime Stoppers can be contacted at 510-777-8572.Rel...

Rep. George Santos charged by Justice Department in federal probe

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against New York Rep. George Santos, the Republican lawmaker whose astonishing pattern of lies and fabrications stunned even hardened politicos, according to three sources familiar with the matter.Santos, who was taken into federal custody Wednesday morning, is expected to appear at federal court in New York’s Eastern District. He faces 13 federal charges: seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.The congressman’s attorney declined to comment. Spokespeople for the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment.Santos was en route back to New York Tuesday night, skipping House votes for the evening, according to a source familiar.A spokeswoman for Santos, Naysa Woomer, would not respond to shouted questions from reporters Tuesday afternoon and abruptly depart...

Consumer inflation cooled last month to the lowest level since April 2021

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

It’s been a two-year slog of enduring painfully high prices, but the light at the end of the tunnel just got slightly brighter for consumers.Annual inflation continued its slow-but-steady deceleration in April, according to the latest Consumer Price Index released Wednesday.The CPI climbed by 4.9% for the 12 months ended in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, representing a slightly slower pace of increase than the 5% in March. It was below economists’ expectations for the number to remain unchanged.It’s the 10th consecutive month that the headline CPI rate has slowed, and it’s at its lowest rate since April 2021 — when this bout of painfully high inflation started to spike.Excluding food and energy costs, which tend to have more volatility, core CPI was unchanged at 5.5% for the 12 months ended in April.On a monthly basis, both the headline and core indexes recorded increases of 0.4%, matching forecasts from economists, some of whom anticipated higher fuel and used ...

Los Gatos student directs ‘Fentanyl High’ documentary to raise awareness on youth drug use

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

In 2020, two Los Gatos High School students fatally overdosed on fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug 50 times as potent as heroin.Los Gatos High School junior Kyle Santoro is on a mission to make sure teens and parents talk not just about the dangers of fentanyl but why kids are reaching for drugs in the first place.Santoro directed a documentary,  “Fentanyl High: The Truth Behind the HIgh School Epidemic,” and helped launch a Santa Clara County campaign to raise awareness of underage drug use.“In many ways it affects everyone in the community whenever you hear that a peer in your community or your school has died …because you can picture yourself, you can picture your friends, you can picture your siblings,” Santoro said.“I can’t even imagine what the parents of those kids had to go through, and if you have the chance to be the voice to prevent deaths – not just from pills but in general – any kid should always take that opportunity.”A free screening of his documentary is set for May...

George Santos indictment: Read all 13 charges

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

A federal indictment against George Santos, congressman from New York, was unsealed Wednesday.Santos has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House of Representatives.The full indictment can be read below, and a summary of the charges follows. View this document on ScribdCounts 1-5, Wire Fraud – Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme. In September and October 2022, Santos allegedly made false statements to contributors that funds received from them would be used for his campaign expenses.Counts 6-8, Unlawful Monetary Transactions Over $10,000. In October 2022, Santos allegedly transferred to his bank account about $74,000 in fraudulently obtained contributions.Count 9, Theft of Public Money. In 2020 and/or 2021, Santos allegedly stole more than $1,000 in “money of the United States Department of the Treasury.”...