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Western Maryland abortion provider will open in ‘abortion desert’ as other states further restrict abortion access

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections, state legislatures have passed new laws to shape abortion access in their states.While some states aimed to severely restrict access to abortions, states such as Maryland are seen as “access points” due to more lenient abortion laws. People who wish to terminate their pregnancies are likely to travel into the state for those services.This dynamic is on display at a new clinic called the Women’s Health Clinic of Maryland, set to open in late June.The new Maryland clinic is an extension of the Women’s Health Clinic of West Virginia, which had to stop performing abortions due to that state’s near total abortion ban that went into effect in September.The new location is Cumberland, Maryland — just five miles from the border of West Virginia.Katie Quinonez-...

US ends probe into Tesla allowing video games while vehicles are moving, says feature was disabled

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. highway safety regulators have closed an investigation into Tesla allowing video games to be played on center touch screens while vehicles are moving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Tuesday that Tesla disabled the feature called “passenger play” with an online software update in December of 2021, under pressure from the agency.The agency said in documents that removing “passenger play” resolved its concerns about distracted driving that could be caused by the feature.The software update covered more than 580,000 vehicles from the 2017 through 2022 model years. One month after software update went out, Tesla reported that 97% of the vehicles had received it. The agency said it opened the investigation in December of 2021 after getting a complaint from a Tesla owner that games could be played by the driver while the vehicles are moving. The investigation was opened to assess the driver distraction potential.It says in do...

Contra el tiempo: semana clave en el Congreso para elevar el techo de la deuda

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

El presidente Joe Biden dijo estar “muy a gusto” con el acuerdo sobre el techo de deuda y el presupuesto negociado con el presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, Kevin McCarthy, mientras la Casa Blanca y los líderes del Congreso trabajaban para garantizar su aprobación esta semana, a tiempo para elevar el límite de endeudamiento de la nación y evitar un desastroso impago federal.Biden pasó parte del fin de semana feriado trabajando al teléfono, llamando a legisladores de ambos partidos para contribuir a la consecución de los votos.Varios conservadores de derechas critican el acuerdo porque no contempla los profundos recortes en el gasto que querían, mientras que los liberales cuestionaron los cambios políticos como los nuevos requisitos de trabajo para los estadounidenses mayores enrolados en el plan de ayuda alimentaria.La hora de la verdad llegará el martes por la tarde, cuando está previsto que el Comité de Reglas de la Cámara se reúna para estudiar el paquete y votar si se en...

Nuggets ready to face Heat after sweeping in regular season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The NBA Finals are set, and the Denver Nuggets will face the Miami Heat at home in the Mile High City for Game 1. The Heat won the Eastern Conference title after starting with a 3-0 lead and faltering three games to the Boston Celtics before finally claiming the victory in Game 7. While the Nuggets wait for Miami to land at Denver International Airport for Thursday's game, let's take a look back at how the two teams have fared in the past. Nuggets vs Heat in the NBA Finals: Days and times for all games When it comes to the 2022-2023 regular season, Denver swept both games against Miami. On Dec. 30, 2022, the Nuggets beat the Heat at home with a score of 124-119. During this game, Nikola Jokic scored his eighth triple-double of the season.On Feb. 23, the Nuggets held off the Heat to win 112-108 in Miami. This win snapped Miami's eight-game home winning streak.So, while it looks like the Nuggets have the upper hand against the Heat this year, both sides will inevita...

Emergency crews respond to damaged wind turbine on Boston’s Deer Island

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

BOSTON (WCVB) — Numerous emergency crews responded to Boston’s Deer Island on Monday morning after a problem involving one of the wind turbines there.Deer Island is home to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s wastewater treatment plant and two wind turbines are located on the southwest side of the island. The island also features walking trails and space for picnicking.Footage of the 100-foot-tall turbine appears to show it wobbling before a piece flies off and lands with an audible crash. Later video appears to show something hanging off one of the three blades as it continues to turn.According to MWRA officials, the turbine has been offline and locked since April 2022 because it was broken.“Although it’s too soon to speculate on what happened, it appears that this morning’s strong winds broke the braking mechanism and the turbine began to free spin,” officials wrote in a statement.MWRA officials said public access near the turbines is being ...

Broward County School Board nears selection of superintendent as ranking process begins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

In an important step toward the selection of a new superintendent, the Broward County School Board will convene to individually rank the seven semi-final candidates. As part of the transparent and rigorous selection process, each board member will publicly share their respective lists of preferred candidates on Tuesday.With the aim of narrowing down the pool of contenders, the board expects to identify the top three candidates by the conclusion of this ranking process. These individuals will then proceed to the next stage of the selection process and face interviews scheduled for June.

ChatGPT boss to meet Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

BRUSSELS — Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT’s creator OpenAI, will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Thursday, according to the Commission’s calendar.Altman spent the past week roaming across Europe — visiting Poland, Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom — to meet fellow techies, talk AI regulation with national leaders and ministers, and scout locations for a new OpenAI office. A previously scheduled stop in Brussels, where Altman was expected on May 23 to speak at an event organized by OpenAI’s backer Microsoft, ended up being called off. Von der Leyen and Altman are likely to touch upon the bloc’s upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act in their meeting.Altman has expressed skepticism about parts of the rulebook in public appearances, with Reuters quoting him last week as saying that OpenAI would leave the EU if the law proved too burdensome. On social media and again speaking in Paris on Friday, Altman downplayed f...

Aaron Judge’s monstrous night in Seattle leaves Aaron Boone — and his son — in awe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

SEATTLE — As reporters filed into Aaron Boone’s office at T-Mobile Park, the Yankees manager found himself staring at the small TV hanging below the ceiling in the far corner of the room.Boone watched in amazement as the monitor flashed a replay of Aaron Judge’s eighth-inning home run robbery. The outfielder elevated high above the right field wall and stole a solo shot from the Mariners’ Teoscar Hernandez — a Yankees killer as a Blue Jay — as he crashed into the padding. Judge then revealed the ball by flipping it from his glove to his bare hand — a casual end to a miraculous play.“Just another catch,” a nonchalant Judge said after the Yankees’ 10-4 win, though he had some fun with Hernandez on social media. “I’m just trying to do my job. When you’re 6-foot-7, I better be able to get up there and get those.”While Judge downplayed his thievery, one of Boone’s sons texted their father to say tha...

Biden attends memorial Mass to mark 8 years since son Beau’s death from brain cancer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden marked Tuesday’s eighth anniversary of one of the saddest days of his life, the death of his son Beau, by attending a memorial Mass and visiting his gravesite.Biden, his wife, Jill, and other family members prayed for Beau Biden during the Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, the Roman Catholic church where the president worships during weekends at his home near Wilmington, Delaware.Afterward, the family visited Beau Biden’s gravesite in the church cemetery. The first lady carried a bouquet of flowers. The president later traveled to Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle for his annual tradition of paying his respects and laying flowers. Beau Biden was 46 when he died of brain cancer in 2015. His father was vice president.The eldest of Biden’s three children, Beau Biden served two terms as Delaware attorney general before declaring a run for governor. Many saw in him the same aspirations that brought his father to the White House. In...

Trial opens for accused gunman in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:10:54 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The federal jury trial of the suspect in the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack got underway Tuesday morning, four and a half years after the shooting deaths of 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue.Twelve jurors and six alternates — chosen Thursday after a month of questioning of more than 200 jury candidates — are hearing the case against Robert Bowers. The jurors include 11 women and seven men.Bowers, 50, could face the death penalty if convicted of some of the 63 counts he faces in the Oct. 27, 2018, attack at the Tree of Life synagogue building. The attack claimed the lives of 11 worshipers from three congregations sharing the building, Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life. Charges include 11 counts each of obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death and hate crimes resulting in death. Members of the three synagogues arrived at the courthouse in a school bus and went in together.Prosecutors have said Bowers made antisemitic comment...