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German church reform assembly calls for same-sex blessings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A meeting between Germany’s Catholic bishops and lay representatives agreed Friday to call for the church to approve blessings of same-sex unions.The three-day gathering, which is part of the “Synodal Path” launched in 2019 in response to the sex abuse crisis that has rocked the church in Germany and many other countries, brings together more than 200 representatives of Catholic life in Germany.A majority of 176 participants voted in favor of same-sex blessings starting from March 2026. Fourteen participants voted against them, while 12 abstained. Crucially, the necessary two-thirds backing of the 67 German bishops was also reached, the news agency dpa reported.Many congregations already perform such ceremonies, but these aren’t formally approved by the Catholic Church, a position the Vatican restated in 2021.In an effort to assuage concerns from Rome, German church leaders have insisted the process won’t trigger a schism.However, Pope Francis himself said in a J...

Florida abortion ban could have impact beyond the state

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

TALLAHASSE, Fla. (AP) — Less than a year after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an expected GOP presidential contender, signed a ban on abortions after the 15-week mark of pregnancy, he’s showing support for an even stricter ban introduced this week by state lawmakers. His position could have implications on the availability of abortion not only in Florida but across the South – and also figure into the 2024 presidential race.THE CURRENT FLORIDA LAW In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, giving control over abortion to the states. Some conservative legislatures passed bills years in advance that would impose abortion bans if Roe were overturned. Florida wasn’t among those earlier states, but lawmakers acted after a leak of a draft version of the new abortion ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in January 2022.Florida lawmakers agreed to ban abortion after 15 weeks, with an exception for the life of the woman but not for rape or inces...

Macron insists pension reform is needed, despite protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron insisted on the need for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 in order to make the French pension system financially sustainable in the coming years, in a letter to workers’ unions released Friday. The move comes after more than a million demonstrators marched in cities and towns across France this week as train and metro drivers, refinery workers and others started open-ended strikes against the centrist government’s plan. Unions called for more protests on Saturday. They are demanding the withdrawal of the bill, which is being debated by the French Senate this week. According to the letter provided by the president’s office, Macron said he made the choice to “make the French work a little longer” because other options, which he rejected, would have involved “decreasing pensions, raising taxes or letting our children and grandchildren carry the financial burden.” Union leader Francois Hommeril of the CFE-CGC, which...

Airports gear up for passenger surge as spring break tests their capacity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

MONTREAL — Airports and airlines are preparing for a surge in passengers ahead of spring break after the industry has struggled to meet explosions of demand at peak times over the past year.As March break kicks off in Ontario this weekend, travellers hope to avoid a repeat of the snaking lines, lost luggage and hundreds of thousands of flight cancellations that beset them last summer and during the winter holidays.March is busy for the airline industry as provincial spring breaks fall throughout the month.Severe staffing shortages and high attrition rates were among the factors conspiring to snarl air travel as the sector began recovering from COVID-19 restrictions in 2022. Last week, Toronto’s Pearson airport announced it would cap the number of flights during peak hours in order to “flatten out” daily crests and smooth the flow of passengers.But even before March began, delay levels at Canadian airports fell short of some of their U.S. peers.In February, the perc...

Murder suspect escapes Oregon courthouse during jury selection, surveillance video shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Authorities in Oregon have released security footage of a murder suspect’s escape from a Washington County Courthouse on Feb. 27.Edi Villalobos, 28, is set to stand trial for allegedly stabbing two people and killing one of them in April 2021, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office. He faces several charges including second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.Officials say jury selection was taking place on the day of Villalobos' attempted escape. The jury was out of the room on a break, and Villalobos had just been taken to the bathroom. DA denies claim the gun used in ‘Rust’ shooting was destroyed Sgt. Danny DiPietro of Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Villalobos was put in restraints before going to the bathroom, but they were removed once the suspect returned to the courtroom, as required by Oregon law.Just seconds after the shackles were removed, the suspect bolted from the first-floor courtroom and out the front do...

Patient, crew survive medical helicopter crash in North Carolina

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

FRANKLIN, N.C. (WJZY) - A patient and three crew members survived when a medical transport helicopter crashed in North Carolina, authorities said. Officials said the chopper was going to a hospital in Asheville when it went down.The aircraft sustained severe damage but did not catch fire; the cause of the collision remains unclear. All occupants alive after medical helicopter crashes Macon County 911 Communications Supervisor Todd Seagle said the helicopter went down moments after it declared an emergency around 7 p.m. Thursday, WLOS-TV reported.Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks said the EC-135 helicopter was traveling to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, when it crashed in Macon County. Holbrooks confirmed all four people on the flight were alive, WLOS reported.Helicopter crash area.The aircraft was transporting a patient from a medical facility in Murphy, North Carolina. Three people involved in the crash were transported by ambulance to Mission Hospital wit...

Lost pet snake hitches ride across Virginia in U-Haul; owner plans to reunite

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) - A U-Haul manager in Virginia was in for a slithery surprise when she opened a rental truck's door to find a 2-3-foot python on the vehicle's floor. Using social media, Virginia's Wildlife Management and Control team learned the reptile was someone's pet from Newport News."We didn't even think it was alive," said Management and Control's Richard Perry. "It was frozen." Latest numbers released on disease claiming lives of Virginia deer Wildlife crews determined it was a non-venomous python - a species not native to central Virginia. The wildlife team spent all night working to revive the creature."We didn't even think it would make it through the night," Perry said. "It was in very, very bad shape."Virginia Wildlife Management and Control was called to the rescue around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after the ball python was found in the passenger side of the cab. (Photo: Virginia Wildlife Management and Control)Virginia Wildlife Management and Control was ca...

Xi Jinping Begins Unprecedented 3rd Term As China’s President

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

Report: Elon Musk plans to build his own town in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Elon Musk set Tesla's engineering headquarters in California, but he might be planning something bigger for Texas.According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Musk is planning to build his own town in Bastrop County. KXAN and KXAN's media partners at the Austin Business Journal previously reported on a partnership between Musk's team and Lennar Corp. - one of the nation’s largest homebuilders - to build a subdivision in the area for Musk's workforce. But it appears Musk has more up his sleeve. New homes for Elon Musk’s workforce planned in Bastrop County The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk's vision for the town, which would potentially be called Snailbrook, is "a sort of Texas utopia along the Colorado River where his employees could live and work." It's planned to be built on part of thousands of newly-purchased pasture and farmland in the county, according to the report. That's near sites for the Boring Company and Space X.

St. Croix Valley Foundation seeks input on priorities for six-county region

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:25 GMT

The St. Croix Valley Foundation is conducting an online survey to gather community input to help define its priorities and strategies.The foundation serves six counties along the St. Croix River: Washington and Chisago counties in Minnesota; and Burnett, St. Croix, Pierce and Polk counties in Wisconsin. It also supports 10 affiliated community foundations throughout the region.St. Croix Valley Community Foundation President and CEO Heather Logelin (Courtesy of the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation)“Whether someone knows the St. Croix Valley Foundation very well, a little, or not at all – we want to hear from them,” said Heather Logelin, president and CEO. “We support work in several communities and among many constituencies. It’s important that a wide range of community voices are represented in our planning process.”The St. Croix Valley Foundation was founded in 1995 to foster local philanthropy and respond to community needs. It has grown to include nearly 500 charitable funds...