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Soul Shop: Ministering to those impacted by suicide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

CHICAGO -- Tamora Rutledge from the 'Soul Shop' joins WGN Weekend Morning News to share more on the organization's mission to create space and use faith to bring awareness to mental health, specifically in the Black community.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Tennessee law restricting drag performances ruled unconstitutional by federal judge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) – A federal judge has ruled that Tennessee's restrictions on drag performances is unconstitutional after a Memphis organization challenged the law, according to court documents. This comes after Friends of George's, an LGBTQ theatre company in Memphis, filed a lawsuit after the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee on March 2. DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, transgender kids, pronouns The bill did not explicitly call out "drag shows" in its language, but changed the definition of "adult cabaret" in Tennessee's law to include "adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors," with "male or female impersonators" falling under the category of "adult cabaret" among topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, and strippers. Before the law was set to go into effect in April, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the law. At the time, the judge agreed with Friends of George's, finding it was "likely ...

Texas becomes largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

(The Hill) – Texas became the largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors on Friday after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill into law.The law, which will take effect on Sept. 1, will prohibit health care providers from prescribing hormones or puberty blockers to minors or performing surgeries to help with their gender transition. It includes an exception for youth currently receiving hormones or puberty blockers and those that have attended 12 or more sessions of mental health counseling over a period of at least six months before they began treatment. But, it also requires that they be gradually taken off them “in a manner that is safe and medically appropriate.” Medical providers who are convicted of violating the law could have their license revoked. With Abbott’s signature, Texas joins 18 other states that have banned medication and surgical gender-affirming care for transgender minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks state la...

100 'deadliest days' for teen drivers underway, AAA says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The 100 "deadliest days" for younger drivers are underway, according to AAA.It’s the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day that teen drivers are most vulnerable on the roads, with 30% of deaths involving teen drivers nationwide occurring within those 100 days.“Summer is historically a dangerous time for teen drivers,” Megan Cooper, a spokesperson for AAA, said in a statement issued this past week.New teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults, AAA reported. Crashes are also the leading cause of death for teens 16 to 19. ’80s pop sensation Tiffany involved in crash on Nashville highway: ‘Extremely lucky’ “Now that school is out, teens will spend more time on the road, often driving with friends at odd hours of the day and night. Because of their inexperience, teens are more susceptible to dangerous driving behaviors — like speeding, driving distracted, and not wearing a safety belt," said Cooper. I...

Is the 'beer before liquor…' saying true?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - We all know the saying (or a variation of it): “Beer before liquor, make you feel sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” But can it possibly be true?According to health experts, the answer isn’t as simple as it may seem.  It isn’t clear where exactly the saying comes from. It may stem from how we digest certain alcoholic beverages, according to The New York Times. Beer and other carbonated drinks often irritate our stomach lining, which increases how fast the alcohol is absorbed. It may also come from how we drink the beverages, Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic tells Nexstar.  Hungover? Avoid your cravings — try these foods, drinks instead Experts believe that with liquor, which typically has a higher alcohol content, you’re more likely to be sipping your drink, Czerwony explains. Meanwhile, when it comes to beer (and wine), you may be drinking them faster. “Then you’re having a good time and you can’t regu...

See a paw print sticker on a mailbox? Why you shouldn't remove it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – More than 5,300 mail carriers were bitten by dogs last year, a number the USPS is trying to bring down with a push for public awareness as well as a clever, if simple, sticker-based program.The Paw Program which has been instituted in several cities across the U.S. since it was rolled out in 2020, uses a color-coded system to inform carriers who may not be familiar with the route which houses have dogs. A yellow paw sticker means that there is a dog living nearby, while an orange indicates that there is a dog living at that home.“We do send out little cards, which tells them that we would like to place a little sticker on their mailbox,” Lakewood, Ohio Post Office manager Tracy Carter told Nexstar's WJW. Here’s what the USPS does with lost mail — and how you might get it back The Paw Program is going into effect not just in Lakewood but across the greater Cleveland area.“Cleveland ranked number four in the country, we had 43 dog bites,” Carter said. “That may not seem ...

Best trucks for towing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

(iSeeCars) -- While pickup trucks are known for their wide array of capabilities, including off-road adventures, hauling heavy loads, and even offering a fair degree of luxury in their upper trim levels, a truck’s maximum towing capability is typically its most impressive specification. Unlike SUVs that have to balance passenger space and cargo capacity with towing needs, trucks have a more utilitarian focus that’s reflected in their powertrains specs, including payload capacity and tow rating.We’ve included the max tow rating for each truck listed below, along with maximum horsepower and lb-ft of torque figures for the engine that delivers the best tow capacity. You might not be surprised to learn the best engine for towing is rarely the base engine. We’ve also included each truck’s starting MSRP. Keep in mind that achieving a truck’s highest towing capacity will often involve ordering (and paying for) a tow package. You can also increase any truck’s maximum towing capacity by addi...

Gov. Abbott signs bill banning transgender health care for minors into law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Friday the controversial Senate Bill 14 that bans gender transition care for Texas minors. The law will go into effect Sept. 1. The law will prohibit minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transition the gender they identify with. Texas kids already accessing these types of treatments will have to “wean” off of the medication over a period of time that minimizes risk and in a manner that is “medically appropriate,” per the bill text. MORE: Texas House gallery cleared after protests against bill to ban gender-affirming care Texas now joins 18 other U.S. states that have also banned medication and surgical care for transgender youth. Ten U.S. states have “shied” laws protecting access to transgender health care. It’s important to note that examples of children under the age of 18 having transition-related surgeries are exceedingly rare across the country, per Politifact. Politifact was not able to find...

Counties with the worst droughts in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

STACKER — Nearly a fifth of the continental U.S. is currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.While the West is currently experiencing a brief reprieve from its driest period of the last 1,200 years—other parts of the country, like the Central U.S., are experiencing spells of unusual dryness.In periods of drought, levels of major reservoirs and rivers can fall dramatically. Groundwater systems to feel the effects, and shrinking water supplies impact agriculture, hydropower generation, and wildfire risk.Periods of drought have intensified and become more frequent in recent years due to climate change. Scientists predict that even in low emissions scenarios, much of the U.S. will be drier by the end of the century.Stacker cited data from U.S. Drought Monitor to identify the counties in Texas with the worst droughts in the week leading up to May 23, 2023. Counties are ranked by percent of the area in drought conditions....

Movie review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ a stunning blend of art with gleefully disruptive attitude

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:00 GMT

It’s a bit of an overused and hyperbolic phrase online, but in retrospect, it seems that 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was a true cultural reset, especially when it comes to comic book movies. The dazzling Oscar-winning animated feature evolved what a comic book movie could be, both visually and narratively, using the medium of animation to create an immersive cinematic experience that felt like jumping into the rapidly flipping pages of a comic book, with an addictively propulsive rhythm that only digital technology could create.The film also pushed mainstream animation style into something more sophisticated and artful, drawing on the style of traditional comic book illustration and melding it with digital aesthetics and modern art to create a wholly unique piece of work that still managed to center the story of Spider-Man Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) while self-reflexively satirizing the long and rich lore of the many other Spider-People.The sequel, “Spider-Man: Acr...