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LGBTQ, immigrant rights groups issue ‘travel advisory’ warnings about risks of traveling or relocating to Florida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

By Anthony Man, South Florida Sun-SentinelEquality Florida, the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, issued a “travel advisory” Wednesday, warning about “risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom” of anyone considering traveling or relocating to Florida.An even stronger warning came from the Florida Immigrant Coalition.“Caution advised for travelers to Florida,” the coalition said on its website. “Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution as it can be unsafe for people of color, individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers.” The Florida Immigrant Coalition said that “every county in Florida poses a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.”Last month, the NAACP Florida State Conference voted to ask the national NAACP board of directors to issue a travel advisory for the state that would “urge the Black community to avoid visiting or moving to the state of Florida...

Drought dwindles from 99% to less than 9% of California

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

A dock floats in the Browns Ravine Cove area of Folsom Lake, March 26, 2023, left, and the same location on dry land on May 22, 2021, in Folsom, Calif. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)Houseboats rest in a channel at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area on March 26, 2023, left, and the same location on Aug. 14, 2021, in Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)A trailer stands at a property that was scorched in the 2020 North Complex Fire above Lake Oroville on March 26, 2023, and the same location on May 23, 2021, in Oroville, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Docks float in the Browns Ravine Cove area of Folsom Lake on March 26, 2023, left, and the same location on May 22, 2021, boat docks sit on dry land in Folsom, Calif., on May 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville’s dry banks on May 23, 2021, left, and the same location on March 26, 2023, in Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Show Caption of ExpandLOS ANGELES — Only remnants of Cal...

SF supervisor demands apologies in wake of Bob Lee suspect's arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A San Francisco supervisor is demanding public apologies following the arrest of a fellow tech executive in Cash App founder Bob Lee's killing. San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston tweeted that "apologies are in order" following Thursday's arrest of tech exec Nima Momeni in connection to Lee's fatal stabbing."The people who tried to exploit this tragedy to stoke hatred of the poor should be ashamed," Preston tweeted. "Some public apologies are in order." What we know about the alleged killer of Cash App founder Bob Lee High-profile public figures including Elon Musk, venture capitalist Matt Ocko, and wrestler Jake Shields were quick to pile on following Lee's fatal stabbing last week."Many people I know have been severely assaulted. Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately," Musk tweeted following Lee's stabbing. "Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offende...

Minneapolis to pay $8.9M for claims involving Derek Chauvin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

The city of Minneapolis agreed Thursday to pay nearly $9 million to settle lawsuits filed by two people who said former Police Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into their necks years before he used the same move to kill George Floyd.John Pope Jr. will received $7.5 million and Zoya Code will receive $1.375 million. The settlements were announced during a meeting of the Minneapolis City “Council.Both lawsuits stemmed from arrests in 2017 — three years before Chauvin killed Floyd during an arrest captured on video that sparked protests worldwide, prompted a national reckoning on racial injustice and compelled a Minneapolis Police Department overhaul. The lawsuits stated that if the city had acted sooner to discipline Chauvin, “history could have been stopped from repeating itself with George Floyd.”Bob Bennett, the attorney for Pope and Code, noted in a statement that other officers failed to intervene or report Chauvin, and police leaders allowed Chauvin to “field t...

Montgomery Co. high schools to roll out vape detectors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, are planning to install “vape detectors” in school restrooms, and will require students to wear ID badges on campus to quickly identify potential trespassers as part of two new security measures being rolled out at some high schools.Both measures are pilot projects that will be put in place at “select high schools” in the coming weeks, according to an April 12 school safety update from Brian Hull, Montgomery County Public Schools’ chief operating officer.The vape detectors will “help to identify any instances of vaping or smoking in the bathrooms, allowing us to take appropriate action to prevent harm to our students’ health and safety,” Hull’s letter stated.The letter didn’t say which high schools would be getting the vape detectors.Earlier this year, MCPS said teachers and staff would make an effort to monitor and check restrooms throughout the school day across the district, citi...

Twins put Farmer on injured list after hit in face by pitch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Minnesota Twins placed shortstop Kyle Farmer on the 10-day injured list on Thursday, the day after he was hit in the face by a pitch and needed surgery to reset his bottom four teeth and suture lacerations around his lower lip.The Twins made the move before their game against the New York Yankees. They already had four regular position players on the injured list.The Twins had quite the scare when the 32-year-old Farmer was knocked to the dirt by a 92-mph fastball that got away from Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito in the fourth inning of Minnesota’s win on Wednesday. Farmer avoided any fractures to his jaw, which manager Rocco Baldelli said was “probably some sort of miracle.”Outfielder Kyle Garlick was promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to take Farmer’s spot. Outfielder Gilberto Celestino was transferred to the 60-day injured list so Garlick could be added to the 40-man roster.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Spor...

No known threats to Boston Marathon, but police are prepared

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — There are no known threats to this year’s Boston Marathon, but because it’s the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attack that killed three spectators, federal, state and city law enforcement leaders said Thursday that they are prepared for anything.“At this point in time, the FBI is not aware of any specific or credible threats targeting this year’s race,” Joseph Bonavolonta, head of the FBI’s Boston office, said at a news conference. “And while we’re confident in this assessment at this particular time, we are asking you to remain vigilant because we all know how quickly the threat landscape can change.”Law enforcement agencies are more coordinated and prepared than ever to respond to any emergency, officials said, but the public remains the first line of defense. Spectators have been urged to report anything suspicious.In addition to the multitude of uniformed police officers along the marathon’s route, plainclothes ...

AP source: Mass. Air National Guardsman suspected in classified documents leak taken into custody by federal agents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — AP source: Mass. Air National Guardsman suspected in classified documents leak taken into custody by federal agents.Source

South Floridians mop up, recall fear after historic deluge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The water was rising around her car, and Amanda Valentine thought she was going to die. She had just gotten a warning on her phone about flash flooding, and now it was all around her.“I called my parents like, ‘I’m going to die. Like I’m going to drown. There’s no way for me to get out of this car,’” Valentine said. “And they couldn’t help me. I called 911, and they told me they couldn’t help me.”She eventually forced the door open and got to safety.Parts of South Florida began cleaning up Thursday after the unprecedented storm that trapped Valentine and other motorists dumped upward of 2 feet (60 centimeters) of rain in a matter of hours, caused widespread flooding, closed a key airport and turned thoroughfares into rivers. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.Residents still waded through knee-high water or used canoes and kayaks to navigate the streets Thursday in Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood, where window scree...

BSO search for missing 17-year-old girl in Pompano Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:32 GMT

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is seeking the the public’s help in finding a missing 17-year-old girl.Rhianna Etienne was last seen Saturday at around 10 a.m. in the 2900 block of Northeast Seventh Avenue.She was last seen wearing a grey sweater and black leggings.Etienne stands at 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. She also has a nose piercing and a tattoo on her right hand.Anyone with information on Etienne’s whereabouts is urged to contact BSO Detective Chris Blankenship at 954-321-4268 or the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764-HELP (4357).