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Biden lauds ‘extraordinary’ courage of LGBTQ Americans at White House Pride event

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed LGBTQ Americans to the White House on Saturday for a picnic and concert to commemorate Pride Month.“You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. And you belong,” Biden said in his remarks on the South Lawn to a cheering crowd.The president praised the “extraordinary” courage of LGBTQ Americans, while acknowledging the discrimination and violence the community faces.“No one should have to fear for their safety in this country,” he said, recognizing survivors of the Pulse nightclub and Club Q shootings who were present at the event.As Biden looks to secure another term in office, he reassured the crowd – who at one point chanted “four more years” – that LGBTQ rights were a “top priority” both at home and abroad. He touted a number of steps taken by his administration to protect civil rights and tied stricter protections against gun violence to protecting the LGBTQ community.But Biden admitted, “For all the ...

Officer shot in Roxbury recovering from injuries, suspect in custody

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

A Brockton man is in custody in connection with the shooting of Boston police officer, who is recovering from his injuries in the hospital, officials said Saturday.Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the officer initially saw a pizza delivery driver being robbed at gunpoint and approached a suspect, later identified as 23-year-old John Lazare, of Brockton, who opened fire in the area of Cedric Street. Cox said the officer was shot twice and was rushed to Boston Medical Center for treatment. He is in stable condition.Two other officers were also injured, though Cox said their injuries were not firearm-related.“Thank goodness that officer who was struck multiple times is still with us” said Cox, who also called the situation “troubling.”There was a large police presence seen in Roxbury after the shooting. Several streets in the area were taped off, though some officers had left the scene.Lazare, who was allegedly found to be in possession of a stolen gun, was a person of inter...

Mets beat Pirates to snap 7-game losing streak behind gem from Kodai Senga, Mark Canha’s 3 RBI

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

PITTSBURGH — The Mets badly needed a solid pitching performance and timely hitting. They needed to put all aspects of their game together at the same time.They mostly did that, snapping a seven-game winning streak with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Saturday afternoon.Kodai Senga had another solid road start and gave the Mets seven innings of one-run ball, while Mark Canha played the hero by driving in three runs. He hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning off Dauri Moreta, and drove in Tommy Pham with another double in the ninth, this one off left-hander Angel Perdomo. Francisco Alvarez hit his 12th home run of the season off former Mets reliever Colin Holderman in the eighth.After failing to protect a 4-1 lead twice this week on the road against the Atlanta Braves, the Mets finally got the pitching they needed to make it stand up and an insurance run to help the bullpen. David Robertson and Adam Ottavino closed the Pirates out with scoreless...

North Carolina GOP censures Sen. Tillis for supporting LGBTQ+ rights, immigration policies

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Republican delegates in North Carolina voted Saturday at their annual convention to censure Thom Tillis, the state’s senior U.S. senator, for backing LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and gun violence policies.As Sen. Tillis has gained influence in Congress for his willingness to work across the aisle, his record of supporting some key policies has raised concerns among some state Republicans that the senator has strayed from conservative values.Several delegates in Greensboro criticized Tillis, who has held his seat in the Senate since 2015, for his work last year on the Respect For Marriage Act, which enshrined protections for same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law.Both the state and national GOP platforms oppose same-sex marriage. But Tillis, who had opposed it earlier in his political career, was among the early supporters of the law who lobbied his GOP colleagues in Congress to vote in favor of it.Others criticized him for challenging former Pr...

2 dead, another injured, in shooting involving Kansas City officer, authorities say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two people are dead and a third is injured after a shooting involving a Kansas City police officer Friday night.The shooting happened after an officer called for help shortly before 9 p.m. near a McDonald’s restaurant in eastern Kansas City. Few details were immediately available.Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Andy Bell said the officers who responded found five people and the officer near a white van, and three of the van’s occupants had been shot.Marcell T. Nelson, 42, of Kansas City, and Kristen Fairchild, 42, of Gardner, both died. The third victim suffered minor injuries. Two others were detained. The officer was not hurt.Bell said investigators are working to determine what happened before the officer radioed for help and whether anyone else besides the officer fired a gun. A handgun was found at the scene.“There’s not a lot of information we can share,” Bell said Friday night. “It’s very, very early in the investigation.”The A...

Federal regulators promise safety review at all the major freight railroads

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Federal Railroad Administration recently completed a review of Norfolk Southern’s safety culture in the wake of the February’s fiery derailment in Ohio, and officials plan to follow up with similar investigations of all the major freight railroads over the next year.A report will be released soon on what investigators found at Norfolk Southern after the Feb. 3 derailment — which prompted the evacuation of half of East Palestine, Ohio — and several other recent derailments. That crash near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border sparked intense interest in railroad safety nationwide and prompted proposed reforms in Congress.The head of the FRA, Administrator Amit Bose, said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently that in addition to individual reports on Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, the agency will also produce an industrywide report on common issues and trends.Railroad unions have been rais...

Are COVID seat barriers still needed on GO trains?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

If you’ve ridden the GO train lately you may have noticed that the plastic COVID barriers that were installed at the start of the pandemic are still there. The provincial transit agency installed the plexiglass barriers between seats in June 2020 as part of a suite of COVID safety measures aimed at making passengers feel safer and more comfortable about riding its trains and buses. In June 2022, the province lifted its mask mandate for certain higher-risk indoor settings such as public transit, and a spokesperson for Metrolinx told CityNews at that time a decision would be made “relatively soon” about removing the barriers. A year later the barriers are still there. “So I think it’s something we can say goodbye to,” Dr. Dale Kalina, an infectious disease specialist at Joseph Brant Hospital, tells CityNews. “The reality is that plastic barriers like the ones you that you’ve seen on the GO train or the ones that you see at the grocery store do a gr...

Trump cracks jokes, campaigns after indictment unsealed 

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump blasted his historic federal indictment as “ridiculous” and “baseless" Saturday during his first public appearance since the charges were unsealed, painting the 37 felony counts as an attack on his supporters as he tried to turn dire legal peril to political advantage.Speaking at a Republican state convention in Georgia, Trump cast his indictment by the Department of Justice as an attempt to damage his chances of returning to the White House as he campaigns for a second term.“They’ve launched one witch hunt after another to try and stop our movement, to thwart the will of the American people,” Trump alleged, later telling the crowd that, "In the end, they’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you.”The strategy is a well-worn one for Trump, who remains the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination despite his mounting legal woes, which also include criminal charges filed against him in Ma...

Rope resembling noose found at Virginia elementary school

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Authorities are investigating after a small rope in the shape of a noose was found in a tree earlier this week at Newtown Elementary in Virginia Beach, Virginia."I am horrified by what can only be seen as a racially motivated act and can assure our community that VBCPS does not tolerate acts of hate of any kind," said Virginia Beach Superintendent Aaron Spence in a message to the school community. "We will fully support and cooperate with our law enforcement partners to ensure this matter is thoroughly investigated." RECALL: Chocolate snacks sold at Dollar General may contain peanuts A school district spokesperson says the rope was found on Tuesday by a staff member. The district's Office of Security and Emergency Management is also investigating the matter in addition to police, who have increased patrols at the school. "The safety and security, both physically and emotionally, of our students and staff is our top priority and VBCPS does not tole...

Severe thunderstorm watch for northern areas tonight

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:31:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After another hot afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 90s, we'll be watching the chance for isolated storms this evening.The most widespread storms will miss the KXAN viewing area and impact areas between Waco and Dallas, but isolated strong or severe storms will be possible this evening. We'll keep rain chances at 20% this evening, favoring areas north of Austin. We'll have to watch outflow boundaries of storms to our north in case we can manage more storms in our area than we currently expect.Slight risk (2 out of 5) for severe storms late Saturday for most of Central TexasThe main concern would be for very large hail and damaging winds. The areas with the best chance for severe weather have been included in a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 p.m., which includes Lampasas and Milam Counties.Severe thunderstorm watchAn even lower rain/storm chance (10%) exists for Sunday and Monday, which will generally be hot and dry days that start with low clouds and end ...