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Voters back abortion rights, but some foes won’t relent. Is the commitment to democracy in question?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The statewide battles over abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion have exposed another fault line: the commitment to democracy.As voters in state after state affirm their support for abortion rights, opponents are acting with escalating defiance toward the democratic processes and institutions they perceive as aligned against their cause.Certain Republican elected officials and anti-abortion activists around the country have responded to losses at the ballot box by challenging election results, refusing to bring state laws into line with voter-backed changes, moving to strip state courts of their power to consider abortion-related laws and challenging the citizen-led ballot initiative process itself.“We.Are.Not.Done.,” Ohio state Rep. Jennifer Gross declared on the social media platform X two days after voters enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution earlier this month. She and 25 other Republ...

Russian drones target Kyiv as UK Defense Ministry says little chance of front-line change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones targeted Kyiv Sunday as the British Defense Ministry said there were “few immediate prospects” for major change along the Ukrainian front line as the war enters its second winter.Russia launched 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight, targeting the Ukrainian capital and the Cherkasy and Poltava regions, according to a military statement. Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems shot down 15 of the drones.The overnight strike on Kyiv is the second attack on the Ukrainian capital in 48 hours, said the city’s Military Administration spokesperson, Serhii Popko.He said that the drones attacked Kyiv from different directions in waves that were “constantly changing vectors.”Preliminary reports indicated no casualties or critical damage, he said.The U.K. Defense Ministry said Sunday that there were “few immediate prospects of major changes in the front line,” with neither Russia nor Ukraine having made meaningful progress on the battlefield.In a statement, it sai...

Biden says he’s an optimist. But his dire warnings about Trump have become central to his campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ends nearly every speech by saying he’s “never been more optimistic” about the country’s direction. But lately he also has begun painting a vision of a catastrophic future for the United States — that is, if Donald Trump returns to the presidency.Biden in recent days has accused the former Republican president of being “determined to destroy American democracy” and being out for “revenge” and “retribution.” Biden’s reelection campaign is sending more emails with stark warnings: “Trump’s America in 2025: A Unilateral National Abortion Ban” and “Trump’s America in 2025: Mass Detention Camps.” Trump has proposed the largest operation to arrest and deport migrants in U.S. history. He has not endorsed a a federal ban on abortion. Contrasting Biden and Trump was always going to be central to the Democratic president’s 2024 strategy. But there was a time when Trump only merited short and derisive mentions...

Tiny beetle to the rescue of N.S. hemlocks attacked by woolly invasive insect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

FREDERICTON — On comfortable beds of wood shavings inside multiple boxes, 3,600 Laricobius nigrinus beetles made overnight journeys last month from the forests of British Columbia all the way to southwestern Nova Scotia.The Lari, as the beetles are affectionately nicknamed by some scientists who study them, were imported to help protect hemlocks from the woolly adelgid, an invasive species that came from Japan.“The idea is that this first year is a kind of a pilot project to see if this insect will survive Nova Scotia’s winters,” said Lucas Roscoe, research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service. “As the project develops, we’ll be monitoring the beetle on the landscape and looking for it and seeing if it’s tracking these hemlock woolly adelgid populations across the landscape.”The woolly adelgid, about the size of a peppercorn, was first seen in southwestern Nova Scotia in 2017 and has since spread northward, he said.After landing on a t...

135 Canadians on list of people cleared to leave Gaza via Egypt on Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

A new batch of people with ties to Canada desperate to flee escalating violence in the Gaza Strip has been approved to leave the besieged territory as of today. The names of 135 Canadians are now on a list of foreign passport holders cleared to cross into Egypt via the Rafah land crossing. That list is updated daily by Gaza’s General Authority for Crossings and Borders.A notice shared on the authority’s Facebook page tells those cleared for travel to arrive at the border by 7 a.m. local time.The most recent update from Global Affairs Canada, provided on Friday, said 376 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives have been able to leave the Palestinian territory through the Rafah crossing.The current conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 Israelis in brutal surprise attacks, taking another 240 people hostage.Israel declared war on Hamas, began an airstrike campaign and cut off food, fuel, water and supplies to Gaza, which is h...

St. Louis metro's dry Sunday turns into a wet Monday commute

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A dry Sunday but a wet start to the workweek in the St. Louis metro today, increasing clouds, wind SE 10, high 60.  Tonight:  cloudy, spot rain developing late, low 45. Monday: showers likely; high 50, low 41.  Tuesday:  showers ending, windy, cold, with clearing late; rainfall estimate widespread . 5", high 49, low 32.  Wednesday: windy and cold, high 48, low 28. Thanksgiving Thursday:  partly cloudy and cold, high 51, low 33.  Friday:  increasing clouds, high 48, low 33.

Hazelwood gas station scene of shooting after heated dispute

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- An argument between two men escalated into a shooting in Hazelwood. Police responded to a gas station on Lindbergh, near Elm Grove Lane. One man was shot, and another man is currently in custody.The victim was taken to the hospital for evaluation but is expected to be okay. Investigators do not believe the two men knew each other. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday night. If you have any information, Hazelwood police encourage you to contact them at 314-838-5000.

Salvation Army annual Tree of Lights ceremony at Keener Plaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- The holiday season is officially underway as the Salvation Army hosted its annual Tree of Lights Campaign, where they lit up a Christmas tree in Keener Plaza.This event serves as the kickoff for an annual fundraiser that raises millions of dollars for Salvation Army programs, which assist those in need. FOX2's Elliott Davis attended the event last night, and he had the opportunity to speak with co-chairs Yolanda Langford and Ozzie Smith.The 76th Tree of Lights event with the Salvation Army is particularly significant, especially during this time of year when everyone is seeking joy. For those facing financial constraints and a lack of resources, the Salvation Army steps in to provide crucial assistance.This time of year is especially important, acknowledging the challenges faced by many people. The Salvation Army's role in offering help and support becomes paramount. Letting people know that assistance is available is crucial, particularly during tough times.The goal fo...

How have the Broncos revamped a historically bad defense on the fly? Tough conversations, turnovers galore and the Justin Simmons effect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

The only noise emanating from the visiting locker room underneath Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was Sean Payton’s shouting as he ripped into his team.Equal parts bewildered, embarrassed and enraged after a 70-20 loss to the Dolphins, he made it clear in no uncertain terms that this could never happen again.Giving up 70 had only rarely happened in NFL history as it was, and 726 yards felt like double that as Miami rolled to 10 touchdowns in the 50-point blowout.Once Payton left the room, a ringing silence set in.After a small group of reporters around Alex Singleton dissipated, he quietly asked one, “Was it the worst of all time?”The worst in franchise history, no doubt. At 0-3, the Broncos defense looked on a collision course with all manner of dubious distinctions.Seven weeks later, the vibe could hardly be more different.On Monday night in Buffalo, Payton emerged from the visiting locker room after a last-second triumph and had to speak up at the podium as the music blasting from the ...

How Peyton Watson’s formative warm-up days and crucial cold months in Grand Rapids forced him to “just be a professional”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:02:22 GMT

It was cold outside and lonely inside the gym. As Peyton Watson got settled in Michigan last November, he was encountering new hurdles in every environment.Watson was used to being the young pup on his basketball teams. The rookie who gets messed with sometimes but has fun with it, because his default setting is lighthearted and laughing. In high school, he was the only freshman on varsity. After one of his team’s 6:30 a.m. conditioning workouts in Los Angeles, he was checking his phone, waiting to go to his first class of the day. An older teammate snuck up behind him and smacked his neck, giving him a scare.“Everybody fell out laughing and was like, ‘His neck is spicy,’” Watson recalled. The nickname “Spice” stuck the rest of that season.But ever a socialite, Watson was happy to be along for the ride. Maybe a small part of him preferred that to being just part of the pack on JV.He was used to not playing a ton, also. It was the story of his pre-NBA career. Watson didn’t blossom in...