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Target pulls some LGBTQ+ products from shelves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

Minneapolis retailer Target plans to pull some of its products celebrating Pride Month and the LGBTQ community in response to threats and “confrontational behavior” seen at some stores.Target has featured a colorful collection of Pride apparel, pet accessories and party supplies for years, normally showcasing the assortment at the front of stores beginning in May to celebrate Pride Month, typically observed in June to commemorate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride.However in recent days, there have been reports of some customers trashing the Pride sections at stores and being aggressive with store workers. Target has also received calls threatening violence on its customer hotline. Target wasn’t immediately able to answer if there have been any direct threats made to its Minneapolis headquarters.“For more than a decade, Target has offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month,” the company said in a statement. “Since...

On 1st anniversary of Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, Biden says ‘it’s time to act’ on gun control

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

By COLLEEN LONG and ACACIA CORONADO (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — As families and loved ones mourn the unimaginable loss of 19 children and two teachers shot dead last year in Uvalde, Texas, President Joe Biden said from a solemn White House memorial that too many schools, too many everyday places have become “killing fields.” The town planned a private ceremony and candlelight vigil in the evening, and the Texas legislature paused for a few moments of silence at 11:30 a.m. CDT, the moment the shooter entered Robb Elementary School last year, touching off the nation’s deadliest school shooting in a decade. Biden delivered remarks in front of a display with 21 candles, one for each victim, with a white rose and satin ribbons in school colors that displayed each victim’s name and age. All the students killed were between the ages of 9 and 11 years old. Before the president spoke, he and first lady Jill Biden, who is a teacher, stopped to look at the...

Ravens OTA notes on wide receivers returning, attendance, reaction to new rules and a veteran addition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

Quarterback Lamar Jackson received the lion’s share of attention, but the Ravens were equally pleased this week to see wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, both of whom suffered season-ending foot injuries in 2022, back on the field for voluntary offseason workouts.Bateman, a 2021 first-round pick, started last season as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver but caught just 15 passes in six games before he elected to have season-ending foot surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in early November.Duvernay caught three touchdown passes in the first three games last year, but his production tailed off in the second half, and he broke his foot in December. He did make his second straight Pro Bowl as a kick returner.Both were limited to individual drills Wednesday.“‘Duv’ has been out there working hard; he’s kind of building his stamina back up,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “‘Bate’s’ right on schedule with what th...

BBQ recipe: Ed Mitchell’s Eastern North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

Ed Mitchell, a top North Carolina pitmaster and whole-hog specialist, learned how to make vinegar sauce when he was just a child. He says this recipe makes about 1 gallon of sauce, enough to “season” one 150-pound hog, three 18- to 20-pound turkeys or 8 racks of ribs.Ed’s Eastern North Carolina Vinegar BBQ SauceINGREDIENTS1 gallon apple cider vinegar1 cup red pepper flakes, plus more if needed1 cup packed dark brown sugar, plus more if needed1 cup hot sauce (such as True Made Foods Cayenne Hot Sauce), plus more ifneeded1/2 cup smoked paprika1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more if needed2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon minced garlicDIRECTIONSCombine all the ingredients in a container and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and add more salt, red pepper flakes, hot sauce or brown sugar to suit you. Just before applying, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.— Ed and Ryan Mitchell, “Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque” (Ecco, $37.50)

UK couple searches for stuffed giraffe lost at San Diego Zoo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A couple from the U.K. is searching for a stuffed giraffe they lost Monday after riding the Skyfari gondola at the San Diego Zoo.Mike and Carron Blakesley said their long-time travel companion, "Ginger the Giraffe," missed his stop on the popular amusement park ride this week during their third visit to San Diego. Experience San Diego Zoo at night The stuffed animal was adopted by the couple during their honeymoon back in 2016 when they first visited the zoo. The soft toy giraffe was gifted to Carron by her husband.Since then, the couple says "Ginger" has accompanied them on their many travels over the years, including their stays in America's Finest City. "Ginger the Giraffe" is seen peering out the window of an airplane. (Photo: Mike and Carron Blakesley)Mike says he asked Carron to take "Ginger" out of her bag for a photo on Monday and forgot to give him back, so he stayed on the Skyfari gondola as they exited. After realizing their beloved gira...

Officers describe chaos, fear on Jan. 6 as judge weighs prison time for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and public servants who fled the mob’s attack told a judge on Wednesday that they are still haunted by what they endured, as the judge prepares to hand down sentences in a landmark Capitol riot case. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard victim impact statements a day before he’s expected to deliver the first Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy sentences to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and an associate convicted of plotting to block the transfer of power from President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden. Prosecutors are seeking 25 years behind bars for Rhodes, which would be the longest sentence by far handed down among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. Metropolitan Police Officer Christopher Owens crossed paths with Oath Keepers members in Senate hallways as rioters invaded the building, shouted insults and threw projectiles at police. Owens recalled his wife bursting into tears when she saw t...

What to know about Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor running for president

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

After months of anticipation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis formally entered the Republican presidential primary contest on Wednesday. As of now, he is considered former President Donald Trump’s strongest GOP rival in the crowded 2024 contest, but many voters are only starting to get to know the 44-year-old governor.Here are five things to know about DeSantis, the Republican Party’s newest presidential contender:DESANTIS’ EARLY LIFEA Florida native with family roots in the Midwest, DeSantis was a standout baseball player in his younger years. He represented the Dunedin, Florida, squad in the 1991 Little League World Series before becoming the captain of Yale University’s team.After a short stint teaching high school, he went on to Harvard Law School. He then became a Navy Judge Advocate General officer, a position that took him to Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.DeSantis ran for Congress in 2012, won his Orlando-area district and became a founding member of ...

In Panama, legal rights given to sea turtles, boosting the ‘rights of nature’ movement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

ARMILA, Panama (AP) — On a Panamanian beach long after dark, a group of undergraduate students dug into the sand to excavate a sea turtle nest, their lamps casting a soft red glow as they studied eggs, inventoried the success of the hatch and checked for any surviving hatchlings stuck at the bottom of the nest. Nearby, armed members of the National Border Service stood watch for protection in an area known for drug trafficking.The students worked under the guidance of Callie Veelenturf, who founded a group that works to protect leatherback turtles and pushed for a new law in Panama that guarantees sea turtles the legal right to live and have free passage in a healthy environment.The new law “will allow any Panamanian citizen to be the voice of sea turtles and defend them legally,” Veelenturf said in a text message as she boarded a plane to Panama City after her group’s work near Armila. “We will be able to hold governments, corporations, and public citizens legally accountable...

B.C. company expands antibody research, production facilities for second time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

VANCOUVER — A Vancouver-based company that helped develop the first antibody therapy treatment for COVID-19 is expanding its research and development capacity as it continues to pursue world-leading new medicines, says Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.AbCellera Biologics announced a $701-million federal and British Columbia-backed infrastructure project Wednesday that will increase the overall scope of a manufacturing plant, which has been in the works since 2020, to facilitate clinical trials and help deliver antibody medicines to patients.The federal government gave AbCellera $176 million toward the manufacturing plant and announced another $225 million Wednesday for the research and clinical trial projects, Champagne told a news conference at AbCellera’s headquarters.The B.C. government is providing $75 million. “We’re building a global champion,” Champagne said. “I think (of) this morning as one of the historic moments where we build ...

Chinese hackers targeted U.S. infrastructure, warn Five Eyes, including Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:26 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is warning about evidence that Chinese hackers have been targeting critical infrastructure networks in the U.S. The alert issued earlier today is part of a broader, co-ordinated effort by the Five Eyes countries — Canada, the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand and Australia — to raise awareness of the threat. The U.S. National Security Agency says it has identified “indicators of compromise” linked to a state-sponsored cyber actor from China. The NSA says it’s an especially sophisticated breach that uses existing network administration tools to cover its tracks, known as a “living off the land” technique. Today’s alert also includes detailed instructions for “network defenders” on how to find evidence of a breach.  Canadian officials say there have been no reports of any systems inside Canada being targeted.“The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security joins its international partners in sha...