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Do Voters Care More About Online Sex Than Abortion Rights?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

A handful of states are holding important elections today — some of which have gotten a bit of media attention, others which are flying under the radar. Here’s what to watch, and, if you’re in any of these states or know people who are, here’s what to look for at the ballot box:OhioThis summer, Ohio Republicans tried to change the rules so that it would take a 60 percent threshold to amend the constitution because a measure to enshrine abortion rights was polling in the high 50s. That effort failed, meaning abortion access — which is on the ballot today — only needs a bare majority, and it should win comfortably. Pot legalization and regulation is also on the ballot and expected to prevail.MaineThe Pine Tree State will vote on a ballot measure that would seize control of the two state utility monopolies and combine them into the publicly owned Pine Tree Power, which would be operated by an elected board. “By Mainers, for Mainers,” as their slogan goes. Advocates are promising lower ...

Carl Torbush, who succeeded Mack Brown at North Carolina and also coached East Tennessee State, dies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Carl Torbush, a defensive specialist who succeeded Mack Brown as North Carolina’s head football coach after Brown’s first tenure and later coached at East Tennessee State, has died. He was 72.ETSU said Monday that Torbush died Sunday. His family informed the school but didn’t provide a cause of death.University President Brian Noland said the coach would be remembered as a man of vision and character and praised him for his leadership and nurturing as the school restarted football after a decade-long hiatus.“In Coach Torbush, we found not only a remarkable coach but also a man of unwavering integrity who embodied the spirit of ETSU,” Noland said in a statement.Torbush ascended from Tar Heels defensive coordinator to head coach after Brown departed for Texas in December 1997 and guided them to a 42-3 Gator Bowl rout of Virginia Tech to cap an 11-1 season. UNC was 7-5 the next year with a Las Vegas Bowl victory and Torbush was let go after the 20...

Datadog, Planet Fitness rise; Sanmina, Emerson Electric fall, Tuesday, 11/7/2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Tuesday:Celanese Corp. (CE), down $2.76 to $117.27.The chemical company gave investors a weak profit forecast.TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP), up $1.59 to $17.70.The travel website operator reported strong third-quarter financial results.Hims & Hers Health Inc. (HIMS), up 94 cents to $7.22.The telehealth consultation company’s third-quarter subscription growth beat analysts’ forecasts.Veeco Instruments Inc. (VECO), up $2.18 to $27.04.The precision manufacturing equipment maker handily beat Wall Street’s third-quarter earnings forecasts.Sanmina Corp. (SANM), down $7.23 to $45.58.The electronics manufacturing services company gave investors a disappointing profit forecast. Datadog Inc. (DDOG), up $23.33 to $102.88.The data analytics and cloud monitoring company raised its profit forecast for the year.Planet Fitness Inc. (PLNT), $6.90 to $62.07.The fitness center operator raised its profi...

US envoy flies to Beirut in a surprise visit, says Washington doesn’t want Gaza war to expand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

BLIDA, Lebanon (AP) — A top U.S. envoy said in Beirut Tuesday that Washington doesn’t want the ongoing war in Gaza to expand to Lebanon after a Lebanese woman and her three granddaughters were killed in an Israeli strike two days ago.The comments from Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden come during a previously unannounced visit to Beirut to discuss the volatile situation with Lebanon’s parliament speaker and caretaker prime minister. Hochstein told reporters after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that restoring calm along Lebanon’s southern border is of “utmost importance.”Hochstein said he heard Berri’s concerns over the tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border where fighters of the militant group Hezbollah and their allies have been exchanging fire with Israeli troops for about a month, after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct.7.“The United States does not want to see conflict in Gaza escalating and expanding into Lebanon,” Hochstein sa...

Steinbrenner questioned players over whether Boone should return as Yankees manager

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner questioned current and former players along with staff on whether to keep Aaron Boone before deciding the New York manager will return next year.“We had a winning season. … That’s not an accomplishment, that’s a requirement,” Steinbrenner said Tuesday during an online news conference.Boone replaced Joe Girardi before the 2018 season. New York faded from contention by mid-August and finished 82-80, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.“He’s extremely intelligent. He’s hardworking. The players respect him,” Steinbrenner said. “He’s able to take all the information we throw his way.”Boone is entering the final season of his contract. Steinbrenner said he typically does not consider early extensions.New York fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson at the All-Star break and his replacement, Sean Casey, left after the season.Steinbrenner said the team is relying heavily on a pair of former general m...

Victor Wembanyama’s NBA education is underway. The French teen is passing the early tests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

Here’s some of what San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama has experienced so far in the NBA: Scoring 38 points in a game, playing in a back-to-back for the first time, being part of two 40-point losses, wasting a huge lead and losing, overcoming a huge deficit and winning.It’s been an education.And by all accounts, the French rookie who stands nearly 7-foot-4 is passing the tests.Wembanyama’s numbers so far — 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. The last player to have such averages over the first seven games of his career was Shaquille O’Neal in 1992. Back then, the consensus was O’Neal was one of a kind. The refrains are familiar today.“We’ve never seen anything like this,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said.It’s a different game now, but it’s hard to argue what Carlisle is saying when factoring in the inside-outside game that Wembanyama possesses. There’s never been a rookie who averaged so many points and rebounds along with one 3-pointer made per game. Larry Bird was the ...

Area of deadly Park Hill shooting has a history of violent crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A day after a shooting that left two people dead and five others injured, there were still remnants of the chaos that broke out at a place Denver Police described as the Hells Lovers Motorcycle Club.The shooting took place Sunday around 3 a.m. and, in addition to the seven people who were shot, bullets also entered nearby businesses. 73-year-old man found shot to death in Lone Tree Police described the place as an after-hours club located at 5514 E. 33rd Ave., a notable crime spot according to the Denver Police Department."There have been incidents in this block of 33rd and Hudson. We've had several homicides and several shootings," Denver police commander Matt Clark said.While investigators were at the scene Monday morning, surveillance cameras were visible on the sidewalk where the shooting occurred. It's not clear if a nearby HALO camera operated by the city captured the shooting.Neighbors talking to FOX31's Vicente Arenas said they are concerned."Violence ther...

No. 10 FAU kept its Final Four team together. The Owls hope that leads to a bigger prize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — It was logical to think when Florida Atlantic’s season ended in the Final Four last spring that everything would change.Dusty May surely would be going to a bigger coaching job and getting a much larger paycheck. The Owls’ best players would either be going to the NBA or to higher-profile schools, moves that would have likely come with richer sponsorship opportunities.Only none of it happened.May is still in Boca Raton. All his players, except one who graduated and exhausted his eligibility, are still in Boca Raton. A couple of guys briefly dipped a toe into the NBA draft waters, but nobody entered the transfer portal.So, when No. 10 FAU — which has its highest ranking and loftiest expectations ever — opens its season Wednesday at Loyola Chicago, the Owls from the Final Four last season will be the Owls in the first game this season. And the reasons seem very clear.“It’s their commitment to each other,” May said.“We’re family, and we mean it,” guard Alijah Ma...

AfD in Saxony-Anhalt classified as right-wing extremist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

The Saxony-Anhalt state chapter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been classified as a right-wing extremist group by Germany’s domestic intelligence service. Strong evidence of democratic violations by the party — including Islamophobic, anti-semitic and racist statements by elected officials — were collected by the German authorities and “prove the efforts of this party against the free democratic basic order,” said Jochen Hollmann, head of the country’s domestic intelligence service, to German news outlet mdr on Tuesday. AfD is now classified as having “definitely extremist aspirations” — the highest threat category used by the domestic intelligence service, which allows intelligence services to increase monitoring of the party branch. AfD has become increasingly extreme since its founding in 2013, with the Saxony-Anhalt AfD branch suspected of being the first to radicalize in January 2021. According to the autho...

Boris Johnson asked to be injected with COVID virus on TV to calm public, inquiry hears

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

LONDON — Boris Johnson wanted to be injected with the coronavirus live on television at the start of the pandemic to show the virus “did not pose a threat,” the U.K.’s official coronavirus inquiry heard Tuesday.The claim came in a witness statement to the ongoing probe from Edward Lister, the then-prime minister’s chief of staff from 2019-2021 and a trusted aide who also worked with Johnson as mayor of London. He said Johnson “suggested to senior civil servants and advisors that he wanted to be injected with Covid-19 on television to demonstrate to the public that it did not pose a threat.”Lister, now a Conservative member of the House of Lords, said the comments came “at a time when COVID was not seen as being the serious disease it subsequently became,” and described it as an “unfortunate comment.” Noting that he was unsure of the exact timing of the comment, he said it was “made in the heat of the moment.”It’s the second time such a claim has been made abou...