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Teachers and students grapple with fears and confusion about new laws restricting pronoun use

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis high school senior Caston Peters had used they and them or he and him pronouns at school for three years without a problem, but they came home a few days into this school year and told their mother that the situation had changed.Peters, 18 and nonbinary, heard from a teacher that a new state law meant they wouldn’t be able to use those pronouns, or the first name they’ve used for years, without explicit permission from a parent because the pronouns and name don’t correspond with their sex assigned at birth.This was news to Caston’s mother, Kim Michaelis-Peters, who immediately sent teachers, a counselor and the principal an email asking them to comply with Caston’s wishes, and the school staff did. But even though her own child’s wishes are being respected, Michaelis-Peters said she has deep concerns about what Indiana’s law could mean for students whose parents might not be understanding if they learn from school officials that the...

What a truck attack against a Muslim family can teach us about hate in Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, in June 2021, Nathaniel Veltman intentionally ran his truck into the Afzaal family, who were simply out for a walk. All but one member of the family was killed, and Veltman later said he did it because he was looking for Muslims to run over. Last week, Veltman was quickly found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Related: Nathaniel Veltman guilty on all counts in London, Ont., attack His trial, the first in Canada to officially associate terrorism with white supremacy, offered a glimpse into where he found his hatred, how it twisted him, and how similar attacks might be prevented. His sentencing may also indicate just how the courts will treat terrorism charges in cases like these going forward.Wendy Gillis is the crime and police reporter for The Toronto Star. “Traditionally, we have not seen white nationalism be designated to the level of terrorism,” said Gillis. “We haven’t...

Rolling Stones coming to Soldier Field next summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

CHICAGO — The Rolling Stones are going back on tour!The English rock legends annouced their 16-city "Hackney Diamonds" tour Tuesday — that includes a stop at Chicago's Soldier Field on June 27.Soldier Field responded to the news on "X", saying: "Chicago is ready to rock! Can’t wait."The North American tour will run from April to July.Go to RollingStones.com for information on how to access the fan presale which starts Wednesday. General tickets sales will begin on December 1.In a bit of a perfect irony, the show is sponsored by AARP. The Rolling Stones range in age from 76 to 80-years-old.The group last played in North America in 2021, weeks after the death of drummer Charlie Watts.

Oak Park extends migrant housing emergency funds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

OAK PARK, Ill. — Oak Park will use $500,000 of unspent federal funds to help offset the cost of housing migrants in the village.The final amount, however, is half of what was originally proposed.As in most communities and neighborhoods around the city, how best to handle the cost of migrants brought out people on both sides of the issue. The vote came after several hours of debate.In the end, the village did approve $500,000 to be spent on the growing cost of providing emergency care for about 160 asylum seekers in Oak Park — which was a compromise after some trustees expressed reservations about approving $1 million.The village also extended it's emergency declarations from December for an additonal 60 days, that should get the village through the cold winter months.The money is coming from unspent federal pandemic money. Fewer migrants in police stations, more in shelters, data shows The emergency declaration will also allow the village to tap into any available county, state an...

Suburban fire department offers warning after car parked on leaves ignites

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

MUNDELIAN, Ill. — A suburban fire department offered a warning on social media Monday night after a car fire was likely caused by parking on leaves.A photo shared by the Mundelein Fire Department shows a vehicle completely burnt out with many leaves nearby.The fire department said the likely cause was the catalytic converter or exhaust system igniting leaves under the vehicle.A warning by the department accompanied the photo. African cat injured, dies after escaping home in Vernon Hills: police "Given that the internals of the typical catalytic converters work at temperatures around 750-1150 degrees Fahrenheit, and most residential streets have leaves stored at curbside for annual leaf collection, the potential for situations such as this to occur are prevalent. With that in mind, we would like to remind all Mundelein residents to avoid raking or blowing leaves into the street for leaf collection. Please rake or blow leaves only to the edge of your yard, not extending past the cur...

Cranberries can bounce, float and pollinate themselves: The saucy science of a Thanksgiving classic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

(The Conversation) - Cranberries are a staple in U.S. households at Thanksgiving – but how did this bog dweller end up on holiday tables?Compared to many valuable plant species that were domesticated over thousands of years, cultivated cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a young agricultural crop, just as the U.S. is a young country and Thanksgiving is a relatively new holiday. But as a plant scientist, I’ve learned much about cranberries’ ancestry from their botany and genomics.Keith Mann, 54, holds a handful of ripe cranberries at Mann Farms in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, on October 9, 2022. - Cranberry farmers are on the front lines of climate change. Their crop, the cranberries, fruits which are part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, require just the right amounts of heat and cold to prosper, but with climate change bringing unpredictability they are having to use different techniques as they go to combat it. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZ...

Texas mom who gave birth alone in car struggles to get daughter's birth certificate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Michelle Serrano Gonzalez canceled her last client for the day at her hair salon, as she said she dealt with intense pain and bleeding. "I was scared. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to die,'" Serrano Gonzalez said. "I just prayed, 'Oh Lord, help me.'"Serrano Gonzalez, a working mom of six, was nearing the end of her pregnancy in late October. At 42, she was set to have a C-Section. She said she's never given birth any other way. On the Monday before a traumatic life-changing event, Serrano Gonzalez said she went to her doctor, thinking her baby was coming. She said she was told she was having Braxton Hicks contractions and wasn't really in labor. Two days later, she would find herself alone in her car, delivering her baby herself. "The 911 operator on the phone said just go ahead and push, don't keep her in. And I pushed," Serrano Gonzalez said. "I could feel me tearing and I felt her head come out... I quickly just grabbed her. She was still in her sa...

25 years: Local nonprofit is national model for tackling homelessness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On any given night, more than 1,000 people are sleeping on Austin streets.  Those numbers are coming from the latest point-in-time count from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). For decades, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a nonprofit based in Austin, has grown into a national model for tackling homelessness and creating a new life for people who live on the streets. This year, Mobile Loaves & Fishes is celebrating 25 years of service. During its existence, the nonprofit has created a new pathway for homeless neighbors with affordable, permanent housing through Community First! Village, a 51-acre master planned development that offers a supportive community for women and men exiting chronic homelessness. Sitting on the front porch at a tiny home in Community First! Village, we found J.R. and Blair enjoying their Friday afternoon with the sounds of the harmonica filling the air. Blair Racine is known as the mayor of Community First! Village. “I talk to...

One-minute test can help millions of people who don't know they have prediabetes, according to CDC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is rolling out a new campaign encouraging people to take a one-minute test to see if they are at risk of prediabetes."Prediabetes is just when a person's blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes," said Dr. Christopher Holliday, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation for the CDC.Experts say finding out if you are at risk of prediabetes is the first step to preventing or delaying a more serious problem."Prediabetes is a serious health condition that puts people at risk for other health conditions like type two diabetes, or heart attack and stroke," said Holliday, who helped spearhead the 'Do I Have Prediabetes?' campaign for the CDC."One in three U.S. adults has prediabetes ,and 81% of them don't know they have it. That amounts to about 98 million people," Holliday said. "Largely, prediabetes is asymptomatic. There are no signs or symptoms."The test aims to help people f...

Inside the Investigations: Travis County DA's conviction data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:25:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each week the in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team will get a spotlight on KXAN Live.A conversation will happen Tuesday morning with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree to break down one of this week’s top stories. Note: These conversations typically happen on Wednesday morning, but the schedule was changed this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.The discussion will include investigative reporter Avery Travis as well as investigative producer Dalton Huey. People can watch a live conversation of their conversation starting at about 9 a.m. in this story and on the KXAN News Facebook page. Inside the Investigations: OutLaw Catalyst project The story they'll discuss this week is:The Travis County district attorney publicized a sharp increase in the conviction rate for violent, sexual and weapons-related offenses, but KXAN investigators found the formula used to calculate these statistics left some experts ...