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Bans on diverse picture books? Young kids need to see their families represented, experts say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

When Wes Brown sought out children’s books for his two young sons, he made sure to seek titles that reflected the family he and his husband were building. He found that in one called “The Family Book,” a 2003 picture book by Todd Parr. It depicts families of all kinds: the traditional nuclear family, but also families with one parent or step-parents, as well as adoptive families and same-sex parents like Brown and his husband.But across the country, books and lessons that represent different families and identities are increasingly the target of conservative pushback — even when they’re for the youngest of learners. Parr’s book for preschoolers and early readers is often among those challenged by parents and activists. “It is important my kids are definitely exposed to that,” Brown said. “What these parents are really doing is demonstrating how fragile their worldview is, that a children’s book is enough to shatter it.”Efforts to ban books have been surging at scho...

Stock market today: Wall Street mixed early as Nvidia pushes Nasdaq higher

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

TOKYO — Wall Street was mixed in premarket trading early Thursday after chipmaker Nvidia reported blowout earnings, pushing Nasdaq futures higher.Futures for the S&P 500 gained 0.6% before the bell, the Nasdaq jumped 1.3%, while Dow futures lagged, inching back 0.1%.That comes a day after Wall Street rallied to its best day since June as pressures from the bond market relaxed. Nvidia shares jumped more than 8% in off-hours trading after the company’s results covering the May-July period exceeded its own projections for astronomical sales growth. That growth has been propelled by the company’s specialized chips that help power different forms of artificial intelligence, such as Open AI’s popular ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbots.Nvidia’s second-quarter sales doubled from the same time last year to $13.51 billion, culminating in a profit of $6.2 billion, or $2.48 per share. That’s than nine times more than the company made a year ago, and the momentum is still buildin...

What can Toronto’s condo massacre teach us about mass shootings?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, a shooting at a condo in Vaughan in December 2022 left six people dead, including the shooter. The shooter had long held a grudge against the members of the condo board he fired upon. He was known around the property as an angry man, and had a history of domestic abuse and violence. In hindsight, all the signs were there — so how did nobody see this coming? Michelle Henry is a reporter with the Toronto Star who wrote about the man responsible for the condo killings. She says that predicting when someone will go on to commit a mass shooting is extremely difficult, but that establishing strategies for addressing precursor behaviors may help prevent these types of attacks.“If there is domestic abuse, how do we address that? And how do we address it in a way that doesn’t necessarily make that man angrier?” she says. So what can we learn from this senseless attack? And how do we use that information to prevent further violence?You can subscribe to The Big S...

Transgender adults are worried about finding welcoming spaces to live in their later years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Rajee Narinesingh faced struggles throughout her life as a transgender woman, from workplace discrimination to the lasting effects of black market injections that scarred her face and caused chronic infections.In spite of the roadblocks, the 56-year-old Florida actress and activist has seen growing acceptance since she first came out decades ago.“If you see older transgender people, it shows the younger community that it’s possible I can have a life. I can live to an older age,” she said. “So I think that’s a very important thing.”Now, as a wave of new state laws enacted this year limit transgender people’s rights, Narinesingh has new uncertainty about her own future as she ages.“Every now and then I have like this thought, like, oh my God, if I end up in a nursing home, how are they going to treat me?” Narinesingh said.Most of the new state laws have focused attention on trans youth, with at least 22 states banning or restricting gender-affirming care f...

Mask mandates reemerge amid upturn in COVID-19 cases

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

The recent upturn in COVID-19 cases in some regions has spurred a handful of entities around the country to reinstate mask mandates, reigniting the debate over what place masking requirements have in an era of living with the coronavirus.Earlier this week, Hollywood movie studio Lionsgate asked its employees to wear masks on certain floors of its facilities in Santa Monica in response to a few staff members testing positive for COVID-19.Kaiser Permanente began to require staff, patients and visitors to wear masks at its facility in Santa Rosa, Calif., this week in response to a spike in cases. Upstate Medical University in New York announced a similar decision last week for two of its hospitals.Schools like Rutgers University in New Jersey and Morris Brown College in Georgia have issued mask mandates for their respective campuses, with the Atlanta-based school reinstating masks as a two-week precautionary measure.Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) spoke out against the news fro...

CNN's parent company to re-launch streaming news service

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

(The Hill) -- Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, says it has plans to launch a new 24-hour streaming news service just over a year after shuttering CNN+. "CNN Max" will feature a full seven-day schedule of news programming when it launches in September and will draw on some of the network's top talent — including Jake Tapper, Jim Acosta and Anderson Cooper, according to the company.The new venture will be included with all "MAX packages," the company said, and will be ad-free to start, coming at no additional charge to MAX subscribers. MAX is HBO's recently rebranded entertainment streaming service. "We have the broadest and highest quality entertainment offering, and now will include world-leading news as a meaningful addition for all Max subscribers, at no extra charge," said JB Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games. Winners and losers of the first GOP debate The announcement comes just over a year after CNN ended its ...

Ok Boomer, let's move! Class focuses on better balance, strength to help prevent and recover from falls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

One in every four seniors will take a tumble. It’s one of the leading causes of death and disability in older adults. That’s why a local fitness instructor has made it her mission to use movement to keep them on their feet. Arlene Santiago teaches her Fit Boomers workout class twice a week.“They come in here with a perception of this is going to be an easy class,” she said. “If they are here consistently, they are a completely different person from when they started.”“I don’t feel like I’m 81. I feel like I could do almost anything,” participant Penny Manus said. “I have bad hips and shoulders, but this keeps me loose, keeps me moving.”Their confidence comes from consistency.  More from Medical Watch: Exercise in a shot “My strength has improved from what it was. My weight has improved from what it used to be,” participant Josie Malecki said.Just as critical in the Fit Boomers class is gaining balance.“Everybody needs to be strong to prevent falls,” Santiago sa...

Senate issues public viewing rules for Paxton trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Impeachment Trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton will be open to the public to watch, and the Senate issued rules on Tuesday for the public to get tickets and to watch the trial. Tickets are required for admission to Senate GalleryTickets will be given out on the third floor outside of the Senate gallery for the morning and afternoon sessions of the impeachment trial. The tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basisMorning session tickets will be handed out at 7:30 a.m. each day. Afternoon tickets will be handed out 45 minutes before the Senate Gallery reopens.Doors to the Senate Gallery will open at 8 a.m. each day. All Senate Gallery seats are open, expect for the two press sections and the Senate section. If someone leaves the Gallery during a session, they must have a ticket to reenter.The Senate also laid down guidelines for people to behave in the Gallery: No food or beveragesCell phones, PDAs, and related electronic devices must be turned...

Heavy traffic alert for Saratoga Springs this weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The New York State Park Police has issued a traffic alert for around Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Heavy traffic is expected starting Thursday through Saturday for three SPAC concerts and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Eric Church is performing at SPAC on Thursday. Phish is performing two shows at SPAC on Friday and Saturday to benefit flood recovery efforts in upstate New York and Vermont. All three concerts are nearly sold out. The Travers is also set for Saturday.The population of Saratoga Springs is expected to more than triple over the next few days with these events. Park Police are also urged caution while driving due to the expected wet weather this weekend. Travers Stakes impact on Saratoga businesses "We encourage all concertgoers to plan ahead, carpool, arrive early, use alternative modes of transport...

MCSO: Schenectady man intentionally lit home on fire, killing pets inside

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:17 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Schenectady man was arrested on Wednesday on an active warrant for arson. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Michael Bell, 37, intentionally set fire to a home which not only caused extensive damage but caused the death of one or more pets inside. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to deputies, the arrest stems from an investigation out of Fultonville dating back to June. Multiple agencies, including the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Montgomery County Emergency Management, the Office of Montgomery County District Attorney, as well as the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, investigated a structure fire at Bell's home.According to law enforcement, the investigation found Bell had intentionally caused the fire, which led to the death of one or more pets. Traffic stop leads to gun arrest for Albany man Charges:Third-degree arsonSecond-degree reckless end...