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N. Carolina governor signs Medicaid expansion bill into law

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday signed a Medicaid expansion law that was a decade in the making and gives the Democrat a legacy-setting victory, although one significant hurdle remains before coverage can be implemented, thanks to a Republican-backed provision.At an Executive Mansion ceremony attended by hundreds, Cooper celebrated passage of expansion legislation, which he’s ardently sought since being first elected governor in 2016. It took Republicans in charge of the General Assembly all this time to come around to the idea and agree to offer coverage to more low-income adults, with federal coffers paying for most of it.North Carolina has been among 11 states who haven’t accepted expansion from the federal government. States with Republican leaders have recently been considering expansion after years of opposition.“This law, once implemented, will be the working families bill of the decade,” Cooper said. “Today is a historic step toward a heal...

Indiana bill banning gender-affirming care sent to governor

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana House Republicans on Monday approved a bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors in the state, sending the measure to Indiana’s Republican governor amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the U.S.The House advanced the ban 65-30 after contentious hearings that primarily featured testimony from vocal opponents. The bill would prohibit transgender youth under 18 from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and surgeries in the state.“This is good public policy to protect our children from irreversible, harmful, life-altering procedures,” said bill sponsor Indiana Rep. Joanna King of Middlebury.In many U.S. states, lawmakers are approving or considering laws that target transgender health care and limit competitions open to trans athletes.At least nine states have enacted laws restricting or banning some forms of gender-affirming healthcare for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah and...

Saskatchewan looks to boost critical minerals industry

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government is hoping to bolster critical mineral exploration after announcing a strategy Monday that aims to attract investment and double production by 2030.The plan would see the province expand a tax credit program and provide millions more dollars in grants to companies. The federal government has promoted critical minerals as being essential for moving toward a greener and more digitally focused economy. Producing more of them at home would also help avoid supply-chain disruptions, given China is the main producer, Ottawa has said. Critical minerals include lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel, zinc and rare earth elements. They are used for batteries, solar panels, computer chips and electrical transmission lines.“The world’s moving to where batteries are going to have a bigger impact on all our lives. Critical minerals are incredibly important,” Energy Minister Jim Reiter said. “The time is now.”The Saskatchewan Party governm...

California lawmakers OK potential fines for high gas prices

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Monday approved the nation’s first penalty for price gouging at the pump, voting to give regulators the power to punish oil companies for profiting from the type of gas price spikes that plagued the nation’s most populous state last summer.The Democrats in charge of the state Legislature worked quickly to pass the bill on Monday, just one week after it was introduced. It was an unusually fast process for a controversial issue, especially one opposed by the powerful oil industry that has spent millions of dollars to stop it.Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom used his political muscle to pass the bill, which grew out of his call last December for a special legislative session to pass a new tax on oil company profits after the average price of gas in California his a record high of $6.44 per gallon, according to AAA. Taking on the oil industry has been a major policy priority for Newsom, who is widely viewed as a future presidenti...

Death toll in Tennessee crash updated to 4 youths, 2 adults

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

PLEASANT VIEW, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities on Monday revised the number of youths killed over the weekend in a Tennessee highway crash, saying that four girls ages 1 to 12 died instead of the six they originally reported.Emergency crews found a car upside down with extensive damage early Sunday when they responded at about 2 a.m. to the crash site on Interstate 24 in Robertson County, said Brent Dyer, chief of the county’s emergency management services office. In a news release sent after the crash, Robertson County EMS said first responders found six females ranging in age from 1 to 18 who had been thrown from the car and could not be resuscitated. The Tennessee Highway Patrol released a report Monday identifying the car as a Toyota Camry and placing the number of people who were in the vehicle at eight. The report revised the ages of those killed from six youths to four girls and two adults. All six were riding in the Camry. The highway patrol said the girls’ ages were 1, 3, 5 ...

Ottawa eyeing U.S.-made surveillance planes for Canadian Armed Forces

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada is looking at buying a fleet of military surveillance aircraft from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing without a competition.The federal Procurement Department says Canada has submitted a letter to the U.S. government asking for more information, including a price, for up to 16 P-8 Poseidon planes and associated equipment.The department says the request follows discussions with industry and close allies about potential replacements for the Air Force’s aging CP-140 Auroras.The department says those consultations identified the Poseidon as the only aircraft that could meet Canada’s requirements for a new surveillance aircraft.The government says the query does not commit Canada to buying the American-made planes.“The final decision will be based on the capability offered, availability, pricing and benefits to Canadian industry,” the department said in an unsigned statement released late Monday afternoon.However, the federal government has announced a s...

Test Test Test Test Test Test from IT

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

IT Test Text goes here.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Month Date, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:TKTK)The Canadian Press

Illinois Red Cross volunteers prepare to head south, aide in Mississippi tornado relief

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

(AP) — With at least 25 people dead in Mississippi, tornadoes that ravaged parts of the Deep South overnight were the deadliest in the state in more than a decade, according to National Weather Service records.By comparison, 31 people died in Mississippi in April 2011 during tornadoes that tore through several states, mostly in the southeastern U.S., weather service meteorologist Chris Outler said Saturday. Alabama was hit hardest during that so-called “super outbreak” of hundreds of twisters that killed more than 320 people and caused an estimated $12 billion in damage.Just a month later, another deadly twister ripped through Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people. Outler, in Las Vegas, called 2011 “the headline year for tornadoes for the last 20 years or so."The sheriff's office in Morgan County, Alabama, reported one storm-related death on Saturday, bringing the overall total during overnight storms to at least 26. Family seeks tips after woman with disabiliti...

What we know about the Nashville school shooting victims

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Just before 10:15 a.m., six people, including three children, were killed at The Covenant School, part of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the Green Hills area of Nashville.Those gunned down include three 9-year-olds and the headmaster of the school.According to Metro Nashville Police, Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 8 or 9 years old, were killed by the shooter, who has now been identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. 6 dead, shooter killed following Nashville school shooting Three staff members killed have also been identified: Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.Dr. Katherine Koonce was the Director of School, according to law enforcement.Cynthia Peak was reportedly a substitute teacher at the school, according to MNPD Spokesman Don Aaron, while Mike Hill was a custodian on the campus. FBI data shows why female suspect makes Covenant School shooting unusual Additionally, one of the children killed, Hallie...

Expanded SNAP benefits end this month. Here's who is affected in Central Texas

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:11:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Expanded SNAP benefits end in March across the country, and around 60,000 Central Texans will receive less money for food help.The expanded program ended this month after U.S. Congress passed a spending bill in December that ended the temporary emergency allotments that started during the pandemic. This gave recipients the maximum dollar amount per family size. PREVIOUS: As emergency food assistance nears end, 1 in 5 Texans face hunger The change will affect every SNAP benefits recipient in the U.S. For Texas recipients, the benefits decrease will be at least $95 each month per family, according to Texas Health and Human Services. The average Travis County payment was $361 in February with more than 40,000 SNAP cases. In Hays County, the average payment was $381 for more than 6,000 cases. In Williamson County, the average payment was $383 for about 12,000 cases. Feeding Texas said in January that people can maximize their SNAP benefits by taking advantage of ded...