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Legitimacy of “customer” in Supreme Court’s Colorado gay rights case raises ethical, legal flags

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

A Christian graphic artist in Colorado who the Supreme Court said can refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named “Stewart” and his husband-to-be. The twist? Stewart says it never happened.The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith’s case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation’s highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case, has any legal recourse.It has served as another distraction at the end of a highly polarizing term for a Supreme Court marked by ethical questions and contentious rulings along ideological lines that rejected affirmative action in higher education and President Joe Biden’s $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts.Here’s a look at the legal questions surrounding the mysterious would-be customer, “Stewart:”What role did the claim play in this case?About a month after the conservative legal grou...

Single-engine plane belly lands at Centennial Airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

South Metro Fire Rescue responded to Centennial Airport after a single-engine plane belly-landed there Monday afternoon.At approximately 1:50 p.m., a Rockwell Commander 112 landed gear up — also known as “belly landing” — on runway 17R, airport officials stated.Two passengers and a pilot were onboard and safely exited the plane without injuries, according to a tweet from South Metro.The pilot extinguished a small fire before firefighters arrived, officials said.Two runways, 17R and the nearby 35L, remain closed.Update: A Rockwell Commander 112 landed gear up on runway 17R. Two people were onboard and safely exited the aircraft without injuries. A small fire occurred and was extinguished prior to firefighters arriving. pic.twitter.com/H1HsDyxX6x— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) July 3, 2023Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Colorado woman hit by train after police locked her in vehicle parked on tracks pleads no contest to misdem...

Nuggets’ Peyton Watson a focal point of Summer League squad: “I’m still making a name for myself in this league”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

Peyton Watson’s got next.As the Nuggets marched to their first championship, Watson’s contributions were more of the intangible variety.Nuggets coach Michael Malone stuck to his primary eight-man rotation in the playoffs, and it worked. But having lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency, there’s a pathway — and maybe an expectation — that Watson’s time is coming.The Nuggets opened training camp on Monday afternoon at Ball Arena ahead of their jaunt to Las Vegas for Summer League later this week. Jamal Murray was also in the gym, honing his shooting, meeting the young guys, and talking through plays with the team’s rookies. Perhaps Murray was trying to speed up their learning curve since if the Nuggets are going to repeat, they’re going to need significant developmental steps from guys like Watson. Murray stepped in and ran full-court with the guys in attendance.Watson, the second-year forward from UCLA, said he was making it a point to use his experience to help guide D...

Maternal deaths in the U.S. more than doubled over two decades. Black mothers died at the highest rate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows maternal deaths across the U.S. more than doubled in two decades in unequal proportions. Black mothers died at the nation’s highest rates. American Indian and Native Alaskan mothers saw the biggest increases in deaths. And there was high maternal mortality in the Midwest, some northern Mountain states and the Southeast. The new study is a state-by-state analysis of maternal deaths from 1999 to 2019 across five racial ethnic groups.Maternal deaths across the U.S. more than doubled over the course of two decades, and the tragedy unfolded unequally.Black mothers died at the nation’s highest rates, while the largest increases in deaths were found in American Indian and Native Alaskan mothers. And some states — and racial or ethnic groups within them – fared worse than others.The findings were laid out in a new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers looke...

What will Biden’s new plan mean for borrowers set to begin paying back their student loans?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

NEW YORK — Following the Supreme Court’s decision to effectively kill Biden’s earlier student debt forgiveness proposal, the White House is trying again to ease the burden on those carrying student loans using a different legal approach. Biden’s original plan would have canceled up to $20,000 in federal student loans for 43 million people. Of those, 20 million would have had their remaining student debt erased completely.With repayments set to begin in October, many borrowers are wondering if they still have to pay. Here’s what to know about where the new Biden plan stands.Under the proposed approach, the White House is now planning to use the Higher Education Act of 1965 — a sweeping federal law that governs the student loan program — to bring about relief for student borrowers. Biden said the authority of the act will provide “the best path that remains to provide as many borrowers as possible with debt relief.”The law includes a provision giving the education secretar...

From human ashes to cellphones, what’s going on with concert fans lately?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

NEW YORK — From flinging bras to tossing flowers, concertgoers have long been a bit extra in showing adoration for their beloved artists — but a recent spate of artists being hit by weightier projectiles raises concerns about extreme fan culture and security.Country singer Kelsea Ballerini was the latest artist to be struck by a flying object, Wednesday evening at a Boise concert. In the moment caught on video, Ballerini is playing her guitar onstage when a bracelet hits her face and she takes a step back. Ballerini, clearly caught off guard, takes a moment before a brief intermission is called.“Hi, i’m fine,” she later said on Instagram. “Someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eye and it more so just scared me than hurt me.” Ashley Highfill, 30, was at the Idaho Botanical Garden show and said Ballerini seemed visibly upset. Highfill, who often attends concerts with her friends, said it’s become a normal occurrence to see fans throwing items onstage at concerts. “Stuff lik...

Orange County social media influencer who suffered aneurysm while pregnant improving

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

The family of an Orange County social media influencer who suffered an aneurysm while nine months pregnant is sharing an encouraging update.Jackie Miller James, a digital creator with nearly 85,000 Instagram followers, was about one week away from her due date when she suffered an aneurysm rupture that led to severe brain bleeding and injury in June.The new mom was rushed to the hospital by her husband, Austin, where doctors simultaneously performed an emergency C-section and brain surgery on her, and she was placed into a medically-induced coma.Her family provided an update on her condition through Instagram on Sunday.Jackie Miller James (GoFundMe)“We are beyond thrilled to share that your loving prayers for Jackie have been working. Jackie is awake and was recently transferred to one of the best neurological rehabilitation hospitals in the country,” a statement from the family said. “The doctors have been pleased with her latest tests, numbers and evaluations, noting that Jackie i...

Earlier spring could be 'catastrophic' for bird populations, UCLA researchers say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

As the world braces for rising global temperatures due to climate change, researchers at UCLA have found that bird populations might be among the most affected by the ever-changing seasons.A new study of North American songbirds found that birds are struggling to keep up with the earlier arrival of spring, which has been gradually appearing earlier in the calendar year, driven by rising temperatures from global climate change. As a result of spring arriving earlier than it had previously, songbirds are raising fewer young, UCLA researchers discovered. Why are there so many parrots in Los Angeles? Birds typically breed during the spring when the first green plants and flowers begin to appear, researchers said. The change in temperatures is accelerating when those plants appear and making it harder for birds to know when it's time to begin breeding. If birds begin breeding too early or too late in the season, they are unable to raise as many young as the weather can damage their eg...

Kailey Saenz Killed in Two-Vehicle Crash on McCutchen Road [Bakersfield, CA]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

10-Year-Old Girl Pronounced Dead in Traffic Collision Near Mountain Ridge DriveBAKERSFIELD, CA (July 3, 2023) – Friday afternoon, a two-vehicle crash in a Bakersfield intersection claimed the life of Kailey Saenz.Officers responded to the collision on May 12th, at around 4:19 p.m. between McCutchen Road and Mountain Ridge Drive.According to reports, a driver failed to stop at a stop sign while heading westbound on McCutchen Road. There, her vehicle crashed into another vehicle occupied by at least three people.Upon arrival, police discovered a female juvenile suffering from major injuries.The victim, identified later as 10-year-old Kailey Saenz, succumbed to her injuries a short while later, despite the life-saving efforts of the paramedics. Additionally, a young boy and a female driver from the same vehicle were hospitalized for treatment of moderate injuries.Meanwhile, a woman driving the first vehicle sustained minor injuries and declined medical transport. She also stayed ...

Driver Dies in Fiery Auto Collision on 101 Freeway [Studio City, CA]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

One Pronounced Dead after Fiery 2-Car Accident on Tujunga AvenueSTUDIO CITY, CA (July 3, 2023) – Early Thursday morning, one driver was fatally injured in a fiery auto collision on 101 Freeway.Officers responded to the scene around 3:02 a.m., on the eastbound lanes of Ventura (101) Freeway, just west of Tujunga Avenue.For reasons under investigation, the driver of a vehicle struck a construction truck and caught fire. Upon impact, the driver became trapped inside their burning vehicle.Due to the extent of injuries sustained, medics pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Although, authorities have not yet released their identity.Emergency crews closed off the eastbound lanes of the freeway during cleanup and preliminary duties. Once available, further details will be provided. Those who witnessed the incident are encouraged to contact local authorities as soon as possible.Sincere sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased victim. Thoughts are with them during this v...