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House Republicans point to increased migration as they advance asylum restrictions, border wall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are seeking Thursday to pass a sweeping bill to build more U.S.-Mexico border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers, creating a hard-line counter to President Joe Biden’s policies just as migrants are amassing along the border with the end of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law. Democrats, who have a narrow hold on the Senate, have decried the aggressive measures in the bill as “cruel” and “anti-immigrant,” and Biden has already promised he would veto it.But the House GOP pointedly scheduled the vote for the same day as the expiration of Title 42, a public health emergency rule that allowed border authorities to quickly return many migrants who crossed the border illegally. Biden has conceded that the southern border will be “chaotic for a while” as migrants weigh whether to cross and U.S. officials use a new set of policies that aim to clamp down on illegal immigration while ...

Review: Jennifer Lopez anchors the action pic ‘The Mother’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

The most interesting part of “ The Mother,” a decent if forgettable action pic starring Jennifer Lopez, is the one that is left largely unexplored. The movie is a high-concept thriller that boils down to just a few words: She’s a mother and an assassin. OK, you’re probably thinking, fine.Misha Green’s script was a hot commodity in 2017, around the time “Wonder Woman” opened, which had left some studios scrambling for action movies fronted by women. There were condescending headlines propping it up as a “female empowerment” script. And, eventually, with Niki Caro signed on to direct and a movie star like Lopez on board to star and produce, it was enough for greenlight and a Netflix budget. The final film also credits Peter Craig and Andrea Berloff for the script.But history has unfortunately taught us to be suspect of a Mother’s Day rollout. The greeting card holiday is where studios always seem to dump mediocre material that happen to have women at the center. If the movies were bet...

Maine custodian coaches school chess teams in real-life 'Queen's Gambit'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

HAMPDEN, Maine (AP) — David Bishop spends the school day as a mild-mannered custodian, but before the final bell rings, he grabs his chess boards and pieces and begins his second role.“The Queen’s Gambit” is playing out in real life in Maine, where this custodian is coaching his schools' chess teams to acclaim.Bishop, a part-time chess coach and full-time custodian, led his elementary and middle school teams to state championship titles this year, drawing comparisons to the Netflix series about a chess prodigy inspired by a janitor.Some of his players are good enough to beat their coach, proudly declaring “checkmate!”“Initially, it was humiliating and demoralizing, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that’s a good thing. They're getting stronger," the 61-year-old said.Nationwide, chess is riding a new wave of popularity, and it's not just because of the popular Netflix mini-series based on the 1983 book by Walter Tevis.During the pandemic, a growing number of kids forced to st...

Police revive, arrest woman after possible fentanyl overdose

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – Kyle Police said Wednesday officers arrested and charged a man and woman after reviving the woman following a possible fentanyl overdose on April 26.According to the Kyle Police Department, officers went to the Plum Creek subdivision on April 26 to help EMS respond to a possible fentanyl overdose. Police said officers found the woman unconscious and unresponsive inside the home when they arrived. Officers gave her four rounds of NARCAN and the woman regained consciousness and her breathing returned to normal, according to police.   Push to get NARCAN in Austin hotspots Police said two small children, both under the age of 5, were in the home, being cared for by a roommate.  Officers recovered 14 fentanyl pills as well as cocaine, alprazolam, MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, numerous THC cartridges and marijuana, according to the Kyle Police Department release.  The man and woman both face six counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance a...

Showers near St. Louis Thursday with highs in the 70s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

St. Louis weather from Meteorologist Angela Hutti:ST. LOUIS - There's a chance of rain and thunderstorms that will be in the forecast now through the weekend. It won’t be raining or storming all the time, but outdoor plans could be impacted each day. It's expected to be cloudy and more muggy Thursday, with temperature highs in the upper 70s. An upper level low will approach the area from the south, spinning in waves of rain showers. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here Morning showers may stay just southwest and west of St. Louis. Rain showers for the afternoon will spread farther north and east. A few storms are possible, but the severe weather threat is low.  It's set to be a warm and humid again Friday, with scattered showers and storms and highs in the mid 80s. We'll see a very warm day Saturday, with afternoon storms likely to develop. Highs near 90. Sunday brings a cold front and one more chance for storms. That should dry us out for a bit and ...

Five people shot at apartments near Cherry Creek reservoir, police investigating

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

Police on Thursday were investigating a night disturbance at an apartment complex in southeast Denver near the Cherry Creek reservoir that led to the shooting of five people.The victims were four men and one woman. Three of those shot were taken to the hospital in ambulances and two went on their own after the shooting shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday at 9600 E. Girard Place, Denver police officials said in a posting on Twitter.One man was in critical condition, police said.“Circumstances and suspect info are under investigation,” the police said. “It is possible that the suspect(s) are among those injured.”It was unclear what led to the shooting.ALERT: #DPD is investigating a shooting at 9600 E Girard Pl. 5 total victims. 3 victims transported to the hospital, 2 victims self transported. Circumstances and suspect info are under investigation at this time. #Denver pic.twitter.com/ACDNhokJA3— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) May 11, 2023Sign up to get...

Colorado weather: Flood watch in effect, heavy rain with lightning and possible damaging hail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

A cloudy mass of thunderstorms hovered over Colorado’s Front Range Thursday morning buffeting cities and the high plains with heavy rain, lightning and hail, raising the risks of flooding, and up to one inch more moisture is expected, according to the National Weather Service.Booming thunder was shaking communities and wind gusts swept through wet streets shortly after sunrise. The weather service issued a flood watch effective through Friday afternoon. Floods could occur in the mountain foothills west of metro Denver, in the urban corridor along the Front Range, and in low areas along the plains.Travelers along Interstate 25 and other metro Denver roads can expect standing water on roads and intensifying storms, possibly severe and windy, on Thursday afternoon, forecasters said.The high temperature in Denver will be 51 degrees, they said. The afternoon thunderstorms may produce large damaging hail and unleash strong winds, mostly east of the I-25 corridor.No sunshine was expe...

Man shot while trying to break up fight outside Hollywood restaurant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

A 42-year-old man is hospitalized in intensive care after trying to help a stranger who was being attacked outside a popular Hollywood restaurant following a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The incident occurred at around 2 a.m. Saturday morning outside El Compadre Mexican restaurant in the 7400 block of Sunset Boulevard.  “We were cleaning things up, putting our equipment away for the night and these two cars pull up, looked like they were already having an altercation,” Jorge Ramirez-Galdamez, an artistic events creator who had been hired by the restaurant, told KTLA.  As he was wrapping things up on the back patio, he said the argument between the two groups started to escalate.  “This guy came out of the backseat, ran to the other vehicle and through the window, while the window was down, proceeded to punch this woman repeatedly and then continued to open the door and punch her while she was unconscious,” Ramirez-Galdamez said.  When the 42-year-old came to the wo...

‘Now or never’: Migrants rush to U.S. border ahead of Title 42 expiration

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

Migrants rushed across the border hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions were to expire Thursday, fearing that new policies would make it far more difficult to gain entry into the United States.In a move to clear out overwhelmed holding facilities, Border Patrol agents were told Wednesday to begin releasing some migrants with instructions to appear at an immigration office in the United States within 60 days, according to a U.S. official. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and provided information to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.The Biden administration has been unveiling measures to replace Title 42, which suspended rights to seek asylum since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, the Homeland Security Department announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, to qualify for asylum. It also introduced curfews with GPS tracking...

Royal Resilience: Exploring the Countries that Still Embrace Monarchies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:28 GMT

From fairy tales to history books, monarchy has always been an intriguing topic. While many countries have transitioned to democratic forms of government, there are still quite a few nations where the monarchy is alive and well. These royal families, steeped in tradition and culture, hold a special place in the hearts of their citizens and are beloved around the world. But who are these royals, and what countries still have a king or queen? From the opulent palaces of Europe to the remote islands of the South Pacific, let’s explore the fascinating world of modern-day monarchies and discover the countries that still have a reigning sovereign. Read the full article on our sister site, the Village Voice, here. Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.The post Royal Resilience: Exploring the Countries that Still Embrace Monarchies appeared first on LA Weekly.