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A Spanish soccer official’s kiss unleashed fury, soul-searching over sexism, and a hunger strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Aug. 20 victory at the Women’s World Cup was a momentous occasion for the soccer-crazed country, but the joy on and off the field was soon sullied by the leader of the country’s soccer federation when he planted an unwanted kiss on the lips of a star player during the medal ceremony.By defiantly refusing to step down as fury over the incident mounted, Luis Rubiales only exacerbated the controversy, prompting the world champions to say they will not play again until he’s gone and prosecutors to launch an investigation.The incident is fueling nationwide soul-searching about sexism in sports, and in society at large.The Spanish soccer scandal has even drawn in Rubiales’s mother, who defended him by launching a hunger strike.Here is a summary of the twists and turns of the controversy:IT STARTED WITH A KISSAs the jubilant Spanish team lined up to collect their winning medals and salute dignitaries after beating England 1-0 in Sydney, Australia, Rubiales, 46, grabbe...

Man wanted for sexual assault out of Colorado arrested in Asheboro, sheriff's office says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A man who had fled from Boulder was arrested in Asheboro, North Carolina over the weekend.The Randolph County Sheriff's Office said that the Boulder Police Department contacted them about a wanted fugitive, Nehemias Lopez, who was wanted for a charge of felony sexual assault - physically helpless. Police in Boulder had been looking for Lopez "for several months" and believed he may have been with family in Asheboro. Boulder Police said the incident occurred in March of 2017 but began investigating in May 2023 when it was first reported to police. Man fires gun in neighborhood in broad daylight Boulder Police said Lopex was not from Boulder, but was visiting when the incident occurred. The Randolph County Sheriff's Office located Lopez on Aug. 25 while he was allegedly traveling from Asheboro toward Raleigh. He was charged as a fugitive from justice and given a $250,000 secured bond. He is awaiting an extradition hearing.

Chicago TV news crew robbed at gunpoint while reporting on a string of robberies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago television news crew reporting on a string of robberies ended up robbed themselves after they were accosted at gunpoint by three armed men wearing ski masks.Spanish-language station Univision Chicago said a reporter and photographer were filming just before 5 a.m. Monday in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood when three masked men brandishing firearms robbed them, taking their television camera and other items.“They were approached with guns and robbed. Mainly it was personal items, and they took a camera,” Luis Godinez, vice president of news at Univision Chicago, told the Chicago Tribune.Godinez said the news crew was filming a story about robberies in the West Town community that was slated to run on the morning news. He said the footage they shot was in the stolen camera, and the story never made it on the air.Chicago police identified the victims as a 28-year-old man and 42-year-old man. Police said the pair was outside when the three men drove ...

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez suspends his 2024 presidential bid after failing to qualify for debate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is suspending his bid for the presidency, dropping out of the 2024 race after failing to qualify for the first Republican debate.The two-term mayor on Tuesday became the first candidate to drop out of the crowded GOP field. He launched his campaign just over two months ago as one of the last competitors to join a primary race that has so far been dominated by former President Donald Trump.“While I have decided to suspend my campaign for President, my commitment to making this a better nation for every American remains,” he said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.The 45-year-old Suarez was vying to become the first sitting mayor and first Latino elected president.The son of Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, Suarez campaigned talking up his role as the only Hispanic candidate in the race and his experience leading the world-known city of Miami, home to about 450,000 residents, and confronting crime and homelessness.Suarez paid ...

Idalia strengthens into a hurricane, chases Florida residents away from vulnerable coast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Idalia strengthened into a hurricane Tuesday and barreled toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as authorities warned residents of vulnerable areas to pack up and leave to escape the twin threats of high winds and devastating flooding.Idalia was churning in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 1 storm, but it was projected to come ashore early Wednesday as a Category 3 system with sustained winds of up to 120 mph (193 kph) in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle bends into the peninsula. The result could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian.The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend region.On the island of Cedar Key, Commissioner Sue Colson joined other city officials in packing up documents and electronics at City Hall. She had a message for the almo...

Professional Women’s Hockey League unveils its Original 6. 3 teams based in the US and 3 in Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin and their U.S. and Canadian national hockey team contemporaries now have a firm idea of where they’ll be playing in January.The newly founded Professional Women’s Hockey League unveiled its Original Six franchises on Tuesday, with franchises based in NHL markets — three in the United States and three in Canada — with track records of supporting the women’s game.Boston, New York City’s tri-state area and Minneapolis-St. Paul were the U.S. sites selected as homes for the yet-to-be named teams. The Canadian franchises will be based in the nation’s three largest northeastern centers of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.The PWHL also announced that each team will have a 10-day window to sign three free agents through Sept. 10, before holding a 15-round draft on Sept. 18. Teams can sign no more than 20 players to contracts before training camps open in November.Teams will play a 24-game schedule, which is expected to overlap with the wome...

Boston No Longer Requires Gender on Marriage Certificates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

Bostonians will no longer have to identify their sex or gender on marriage certificates, and city workers will operate under new guidance designed to better acknowledge varied gender identities, officials announced Tuesday.The city launched “gender aware guidelines and standards” for a variety of services, aiming to promote more inclusive language and communication involving residents who identify as transgender or nonbinary, according to Chief of Equity and Inclusion Mariangely Solis Cervera.City employees received new guidance on understanding when it’s appropriate and necessary to inquire about a constituent’s gender identity as well as standards outlining the best way to pose those questions and broach topics like pronouns and chosen names.In a related step, City Hall on Tuesday began issuing marriage certificates without listing sex or gender for the involved parties.“A marriage certificate is a symbol of love and commitment. But unfortunately, for...

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to cover Narcan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced Tuesday that it will cover the overdose reversal medication Narcan.The insurer said its coverage of Narcan for over-the-counter, non-prescription use will involve no cost share to members in Massachusetts.“Naloxone has become the standard treatment for opioid overdose and making it available more widely is a key strategy in controlling the overdose crisis,” said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts chief medical officer Dr. Sandhya Rao. “Waiving out-of-pocket costs for this emergency medication aligns with our commitment to ensuring our members have access to the substance use disorder treatment they need, when they need it – especially critical as opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts continue to rise.”Massachusetts experienced 2,357 confirmed and estimated fatal opioid-related overdoses in 2022, a new record high, according to Department of Public Health data published in June.The U.S....

Dementia risk grows with increased exposure to air pollution, study finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

Tony Briscoe | Los Angeles Times (TNS)LOS ANGELES — Long-term exposure to one of the most prevalent types of air pollution may increase the risk of developing dementia, a debilitating neurological disease associated with memory loss and reduced cognitive function, according to a new study.Researchers at the University of Michigan have concluded that people living with higher levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, could face a greater risk of being stricken with dementia, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.Scientists monitored the cognitive health of nearly 28,000 people aged 50 or older living across the United States between 1998 and 2016. Fifteen percent of this group developed dementia, and those who lived in areas with more PM2.5 were more likely to succumb to the neurodegenerative illness.Based on those results, the study estimates fine particulate pollution may be responsible for 188,000 dementia diagnoses each year in the...

After Supreme Court curtails federal power, Biden administration weakens clean water protections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:10 GMT

By MICHAEL PHILLIS, MATTHEW DALY and JOHN FLESHER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration weakened regulations protecting millions of acres of wetlands Tuesday, saying it had no choice after the Supreme Court sharply limited the federal government’s jurisdiction over them. The rule would require that wetlands be more clearly connected to other waters like oceans and rivers, a policy shift that departs from a half-century of federal rules governing the nation’s waterways.Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said the agency had no alternative after the Supreme Court sharply limited the federal government’s power to regulate wetlands that do not have a “continuous surface connection” to larger, regulated bodies of water. Justices boosted property rights over concerns about clean water in a May ruling in favor of an Idaho couple who sought to build a house near a lake. Chantell and Michael Sackett had object...