U.S.Associated PressMother: teachers manipulated child to change gender identity
A mother who claims teachers secretly manipulated her 11-year-old daughter into changing her gender identity and name has filed a legal case against a tiny California school district. Spreckels Union School District was responsible for “extreme and outrageous conduct” that led the student on a path toward transitioning as a boy and drove a wedge between mother and child, according to the claim filed Wednesday by a conservative legal group. Jessica Konen said two middle school teachers who ran the school's Equality Club — later known as UBU (You Be You) — planted the seed that her daughter was bisexual in 6th grade and then introduced the idea she was transgender.
BusinessINSIDERKat Von D is being sued by a former employee who says the tattoo artist fired her for voicing concerns about COVID
Kat Von D is being sued by a former employee who claims she was wrongfully terminated after voicing concerns about COVID-19 at work. Stephanie Davidson worked as a manager of Von D's High Voltage Tattoo studio in California between 2017 and 2020, according to a complaint filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court this month. The complaint says the studio was required to shut down at the start of the pandemic, and began reopening around June 2020.
U.S.The Daily BeastFBI Reveals What Was in Brian Laundrie’s Notebook
Brian Laundrie scrawled messages in a notebook admitting that he killed his girlfriend Gabby Petito, the FBI said in a statement Friday as they announced that their investigation into the couple's deaths was now closed. The notebook was found alongside Laundrie's remains in a wooded area in Florida in October, weeks after police say he killed Petito while they were traveling the country in a van. “The FBI's primary focus throughout the investigation was to bring justice to Gabby and her family,” said FBI Denver Special Agent Michael Schneider.
PoliticsAssociated PressBiden's news conference takes abrupt, lengthy turn
It started when CNN's Jeff Zeleny broke in with a question that referenced concerns many Americans hold about the competence of government, after the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and the recent shortage of testing for COVID-19. Biden took to calling on reporters at random, and what started as a very traditional presidential news conference became something else entirely, stretching to nearly two hours. Biden took some unusual — and unusually blunt — questions when the session was opened up to all the journalists in front of him.
BusinessLA TimesColumn: Here's what happened after $1,200 was drained from an 11-year-old's bank account
In response to Chase's refusal to restore even a portion of his daughter's money, Golden said he closed his five Chase accounts and moved about $160,000 in assets to another bank. "I was amazed," he told me. "They showed no remorse whatsoever.
U.S.BBCUS man found dead surrounded by deadly pythons and cobras
A US man has been found dead at his home surrounded by dozens of snakes - many of them venomous. Neighbours alerted police after going to the house in the US state of Maryland and discovering him lying on the floor, apparently unconscious. When officers arrived, they found 124 venomous and non-venomous snakes including pythons, cobras and rattlesnakes.
PoliticsReuters'No SALT no deal': Democrats vow to block Build Back Better bill without tax break
Several U.S. House members from President Joe Biden's Democratic Party are threatening to block a renewed push for his Build Back Better spending bill if it does not include the expansion of a federal deduction for taxes paid to states and local entities. Expanding the deduction, known as SALT for State and Local Taxes, has been a demand of lawmakers in higher-tax states such as California, New Jersey and New York, especially in suburbs where Democrats seek to retain control in Nov. 8 elections. The SALT deduction, part of the U.S. income tax code from its inception more than a century ago, was restricted to $10,000 in a 2017 Republican tax law.
PoliticsThe HillBill Maher pushes back on Fauci: 'Don't sit there in your white coat and tell me "just do what we say"'
"That's not a criticism of them like they're being corrupt, although there certainly is plenty of corruption in the medical establishment," the "Real Time" host said in an interview with Deadline published Friday, when asked if he believes Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease doctor ,or the medical establishment "really know what they are doing." The medical community, the controversial HBO host said, has been wrong "a lot" throughout history. Despite the country seeing more than 860,000 deaths from COVID-19 since 2020, Maher said he was "never scared" of the pandemic.
U.S.INSIDERA Black woman involved in a botched Chicago police raid got a $2.9 million settlement. She said she would have rather seen the cops get fired.
A Black woman received a $2.9 million settlement after a botched Chicago police raid in 2019. Anjanette Young told CBS she would've been happier if the cops were fired and she "didn't receive a dime." A Black woman who received a $2.9 million settlement over a botched Chicago police raid said she would've been happier if the cops involved were fired and she "didn't receive a dime."
U.S.Associated PressKansas teen's death has spotlight on 'stand your ground' law
Kansas lawmakers were thinking of homeowners facing down burglars and people attacked on the street when they wrote a “stand your ground” law more than a decade ago allowing use of deadly force in self defense. Now even some Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature who support the idea behind the law want to revisit it. Police took 17-year-old Cedric Lofton to the center after a foster care agency said he needed a mental health exam for increasingly erratic behavior.
U.S.TheGrioThe problem with Joe Rogan…and white boys
However, I cannot, in good conscience, declare that I am unbiased when it comes to Spotify's $100 million white man because of one fact: I like Joe Rogan. Perhaps “like” is too austere a word. I've paid to see him perform live.
U.S.The Root‘Karen’ Flashes ID at Black Man on TikTok Who Ate Gummy Worms Before Paying for Them
The “Karen's” just won't go away. In an incident captured on TikTok, @blackmagicsmg is a Black man eating gummy worms at a grocery store before paying for them. He is confronted by a white woman who flashes her ID telling him “that's who made me security” as she checks to see if he paid for his snacks, according to the Daily Dot.
BusinessReutersU.S. suspends 44 U.S flights by Chinese carriers after China action
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government said on Friday it would suspend 44 China-bound flights from the United States by four Chinese carriers in response to the Chinese government's decision to suspend some U.S. carrier flights over COVID-19 concerns. The suspensions will begin on Jan. 30 with Xiamen Airlines' scheduled Los Angeles-to-Xiamen flight and run through March 29, the Transportation Department said. The decision will cut some flights by Xiamen, Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
- BusinessYahoo Entertainment
'SNL' stars Pete Davidson and Colin Jost buy decommissioned Staten Island ferry for $280K at auction
Pete Davidson and Colin Jost have purchased an old Staten Island ferry — and, no, it's not for a Saturday Night Live bit. The sketch-show stars — and Staten Island natives — have been revealed as the mystery buyers of the out-of-service passenger ferry that was operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry, named the John F. Kennedy, which had been retired from service, went up for auction this week.
U.S.The Daily BeastRacist New York Couple From Viral Train Incident Are Arrested... and Fired
A man and woman in New York have been both fired and arrested for verbally assaulting a family on a train in an incident that police have determined to be a hate crime. The Daily Voice reported that Justin Likerman and Kristin Digesaro, of Long Island, turned themselves in on Wednesday. New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority said the charges were brought in conjunction with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the Hate Crimes Unit.
WorldReutersBulgaria says it decides on its defence with NATO allies
Bulgaria decides on its defence plans in coordination with its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Friday after Russia said its security demands included that NATO forces leave Bulgaria and Romania. Concern is running high in the West as Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's border. Russia denies planning an attack, but says it could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met.
U.S.BuzzFeedPeople Are Sharing Things They Don't Do Anymore Because Of COVID, And It's A Reminder How Much Our Lives Have Genuinely Changed These Past Two Years
So when I stumbled upon a Reddit thread comparing life before COVID versus now, I was intrigued by the conversation going on in the comments. Redditor u/Outrageous-Collar-09 asked the question, "What normal thing pre-COVID feels weird now?" and the responses ranged.
PoliticsINSIDERThe January 6 committee obtained a draft of post-insurrection White House remarks that said 'the election fight is over.' Trump gave a speech but left out that sentence.
The January 6 committee has obtained a document from the Trump White House titled "Remarks on National Healing," per Politico. The document was drafted for delivery a day after the Capitol riot. Trump gave nearly identical remarks in a video posted on Twitter that day.
WorldReutersSpain sends warships to Black Sea, considers sending warplanes
Spain has sent warships to join NATO naval forces in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea as tension in the region rises over the Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Thursday. A mine-sweeper is already en route and a frigate will sail within three or four days, Robles told reporters. "Russia cannot tell any country what to do, so NATO will protect and defend the sovereignty of any country that can or wants to join NATO," she said.
U.S.PeopleUnited Flight Forced to Turn Around After 2 Passengers Reportedly Try to Sneak into Business Class
Gary Hershorn/Getty A United Airlines flight from Newark to Tel Aviv was forced to turn around on Thursday after two passengers reportedly attempted to sneak into business class seats. The pair of passengers demonstrated unruly behavior after being asked to show proof of their assigned seats by the flight crew, according to Israeli news outlet N12. The disturbance forced the plane, which was near the U.S.-Canadian border at the time, to return to its origin of Newark Liberty International Airport.
PoliticsThe Commercial AppealSenate Ethics Committee recommends Sen. Katrina Robinson's expulsion, will go before Senate vote
The Senate Ethics Committee determined Thursday that state Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, violated the Senate code of ethics and recommended her expulsion due to her conviction on federal fraud charges. Robinson will now face a full Senate vote based on the committee's recommendation. The senator is awaiting a March sentencing date for two federal fraud charges related to the mismanagement of federal funds in connection to her leadership of a nursing school.
U.S.Associated PressJury selection proceeds for Avenatti-Stormy Daniels trial
Michael Avenatti, the once high-profile California attorney who regularly taunted then-President Donald Trump during frequent television appearances, was introduced Thursday to prospective jurors who will decide whether he cheated porn star Stormy Daniels out of book-deal proceeds. Jury selection hit full stride a week after written questionnaires were filled out as U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman introduced over 60 prospective jurors to Avenatti and the lawyers on both sides who will present evidence during a trial projected to last up to a month.
WorldBuzzFeedIt Turns Out Some Tattoos Are MAJOR Red Flags To Have — Here Are 24 Of The Worst
Here are 24 tattoos — besides the obvious, like tattoos of hate symbols — that people think are major red flags for someone's personality. "Something in a language they don't speak." u/Hullaba-Loo "What you think it means: 'Wisdom and Courage.
WorldINSIDERGermany blocks NATO ally Estonia from giving military support to Ukraine as it faces a possible Russian invasion: report
Germany is blocking Estonia from providing military support to Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports. Berlin won't provide permits necessary to export weapons of German origin. Germany has faced criticism in Washington amid the Ukraine crisis, particularly over Nord Stream 2.
U.S.Associated PressRittenhouse seeks return of gun used during Kenosha protest
Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois man acquitted of fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during street protests in Kenosha in 2020, is seeking the return of the gun and other property that police seized after his arrest. Rittenhouse's attorney Mark Richards filed paperwork with the Kenosha County Circuit Court on Wednesday seeking the return of the items, explaining that Rittenhouse wants the AR-15-style rifle back so that it can be destroyed, the Kenosha News reported. He also wants the clothing he was wearing the night of the shootings returned. Law enforcement has had the gun since the day after Rittenhouse shot three men, two of them fatally, on Aug. 25, 2020, during a night of protests and unrest in the southeastern Wisconsin city of Kenosha over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer.
“Cooking is the No. 1 way you’re polluting your home … You’re basically living in this toxic soup.”
“People (myself included) like cooking with gas! It’s one of the few energy uses that inspires brand loyalty to the fuel consumed.”
“It’s time to start making new buildings all-electric and switching out all those existing gas appliances, including gas stoves.”
“If you're looking for personal ways to protect the environment and your health right now, you have much bigger fish to fry.”
“Market-based solutions have not achieved their desired goals, thus new ways of thinking need to emerge.”