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Ukraine’s a step closer to joining the EU. Here’s what it means, and why it matters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine got a green light Thursday to start sped-up talks on joining the European Union. That’s a big boost for war-ravaged Ukraine and a loud message to Vladimir Putin – but it could be years or even decades before the country actually becomes a member of the EU.Here’s a look at what Thursday’s decision means, and why joining the EU is especially important, and especially hard, for Ukraine.WHAT IS THE EU AND HOW DO YOU JOIN?The European Union was born after World War II as a trading bloc with a bold ambition: to prevent another war between Germany and France. The six founding members were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.Since then, the EU has steadily expanded to contain 27 democratic nations, many from the former communist bloc in Eastern Europe, inspired by the idea that economic and political integration among nations is the best way to promote prosperity and peace.This notably led to the creation of the shared euro currency in 199...

Brazil’s Congress overrides president’s veto to reinstate legislation threatening Indigenous rights

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Congress on Thursday overturned a veto by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva so it can reinstate legislation that undoes protections of Indigenous peoples’ land rights. The decision sets a new battle between lawmakers and the country’s top court on the matter.Both federal deputies and senators voted by a wide margin to support a bill that argues the date Brazil’s Constitution was promulgated — Oct. 5, 1988 — is the deadline by which Indigenous peoples had to be physically occupying or fighting legally to reoccupy territory in order to claim land allotments.In September, Brazil’s Supreme Court decided on a 9-2 vote that such a theory was unconstitutional. Brazilian lawmakers reacted by using a fast-track process to pass a bill that addressed that part of the original legislation, and it will be valid until the court examines the issue again.The override of Lula’s veto was a victory for congressional supporters of former President Jair Bols...

Virginia lawmaker with Parkinson’s helps lead the charge in creating panel to fight the illness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a nod to a colleague struggling with an aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease, members of the House saved, for likely the last vote of the year, a bill they hope may one day help stomp out the debilitating illness.The bill is named for Democratic Virginia Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who has the disease, and Republican Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ brother, who passed away in May after a long battle with it.The legislation sets up an advisory council of public health experts and others in the private sector who will provide an annual report evaluating efforts to prevent, treat and cure Parkinson’s. Bilirakis and Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., are the lead sponsors of the legislation.Thursday’s vote was hardly controversial, passing by a vote of 407-9, but it was emotional.Wexton, now serving her third term representing a Northern Virginia district, has physically deteriorated so rapidly this year that colleague Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., read Wexton’...

Dems push for better gun violence prevention 11 years after Sandy Hook

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Thursday, on the steps of the Capitol building, House Democrats reflected on the 11 years since the Sandy Hook shooting, and the remaining need for gun violence prevention."We will not rest until we end the gun violence epidemic in the United States of America," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said.Jeffries says his party is ready to make necessary changes to protect Americans."But extreme MAGA Republicans are standing in the way," Jeffries said.In 2022, Everytown says there were 635 mass shootings in the country. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) is demanding action to keep kids safe."It should be something that we are putting on the floor and taking a vote on so that the American people know where we stand on gun violence," Hayes said. Some Republicans recognize the problem with gun violence in the country, but say Democrats and the president are not getting to the root of the issue.

Senators say diabetes and obesity epidemics are harming health of millions of Americans and costing billions of dollars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- “According to the American Diabetes Association, the total cost of diabetes in the United States was nearly $413 billion last year,” Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said. “That’s up 27% over the past six years.” Sanders, chairman of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions committee, said during a hearing on Thursday that the problem is only expected to get worse. “According to the CDC, the number of children in America with Type 2 diabetes is estimated to skyrocket by nearly 700% over the next 40 years unless we get a handle on that,” Sanders said. Lawmakers on the committee say addressing the problem is two-fold: bringing down the cost of prescription drugs and holding the food industry accountable. Dr. Kasia Lipska, associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, told the committee that the rising cost of insulin has put some of her patient’s health in jeopardy. “These prices are absolutely outrageous,” Dr. Li...

Elon Musk plans to open university in Austin: Report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

(NewsNation) — Plans are underway for Tesla CEO Elon Musk to open his own STEM-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, Texas. Bloomberg first broke the story based on tax filings by the billionaire.The report said that Musk has already invested $100 million into this school, and it's going to begin as a primary and secondary school. Once that is underway, the focus will shift to establishing a university component "dedicated to education at the highest levels." 2023 (Taylor’s Version): The year in pop culture Musk is looking to hire experienced faculty that will lead a curriculum that includes a lot of hands-on learning, like projects and labs, the report said. However, there has been no word on when the construction for the school will begin or when the school plans to officially open. Currently, the University of Texas Austin is the largest in the city and is regarded as the state's flagship university. Musk moved to Texas during the pandemic and has since bought up a to...

Water bead warning: Why major retailers are pulling popular toy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

(WJW) – Three of America’s largest retailers say they will no longer be selling water beads marketed for children.Amazon, Target and Walmart all announced plans to voluntarily stop selling them following years of reports of injuries and deaths of children who have swallowed them. Click here to sign up for recall newsletters Water beads have been marketed as sensory toys for babies and as ammo for “gel blasters.”(File: Getty)The National Capital Poison Center says they are not safe for kids, even though they are non-toxic.“Water beads contain superabsorbent polymers that can expand to hundreds of times their original size, after exposure to water. These beads, which are often sold as toys for young children, can cause life-threatening intestinal blockage if swallowed,” National Capital Poison Center says. Tesla recalls over 2 million vehicles to fix defective Autopilot monitoring system The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported in a September safety alert that the be...

3 APD officers cleared in use-of-force case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday, a Travis County Grand Jury cleared three Austin Police officers connected with a June 2022 use-of-force case following a review of the incident.In a statement from the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, APD officers Dennis Kerlin, John Zavala and Spencer Bradley were not indicted in connection with the incident. APD: 1 man dead in police shooting in north Austin On June 12, 2022, Carlos Eli Chacon-Castillo died after an incident where officers Kerlin, Zavala and Bradley used their firearms, according to the DA’s office.“The District Attorney’s office takes the work of presenting all facts and evidence to a grand jury very seriously,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “In this case, an independent group of members of the Travis County community heard the evidence and law and decided that Officers Kerlin, Zavala, and Bradley's conduct was not unlawful.” PAST COVERAGE: APD provides update on police shooting in north Austin Acco...

No. 5 Texas stays unbeaten behind Harmon's near triple-double vs. Arizona

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Rori Harmon had 19 points, 11 assists and finished a rebound shy of a triple-double, and Taylor Jones added 16 points as No. 5 Texas beat Arizona 88-75 on Wednesday night.“Offensively we’re pretty hard to deal with,” said Texas coach Vic Schaefer, whose team topped 80 points for the ninth time and is averaging 91.6 points per game. “We came out wanting to punch first, and I think we did.” First SEC schedule for Texas football released Harmon was 7 of 15 from the field and finished with nine rebounds and 11 assists for the Longhorns (11-0). Jones was 4 of 6 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line.“She’s a stat stuffer,” Schaefer said of Harmon. “There’s not another guard in the country like her.”Texas, which is off to its finest start since opening the 2015-16 season with 16 consecutive wins, shot 51.6% in the game and converted 21 Arizona turnovers into 25 points.Kailyn Gilbert led Arizona (7-3) with 26 points. She hit 4 of 6 shots in the first quarter and str...

Hays County to release tax statements by end of year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:12 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Hays County property owners are expected to receive their tax statements by the end of the year, the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector said in a Wednesday release.Officials added tax statements are due upon receipt and "become delinquent Feb. 1, 2024." Once available, those statements will be posted online and can be viewed, printed and paid. Paper statements will also follow by mail, officials said.“The Nov. 7 election was canvassed on Nov. 14 and included propositions, which resulted in extensive changes to the manner in which tax rates and exemptions are administered,” Jenifer O’Kane, PCC, Hays County tax assessor-collector, said in the release. “The tax office has encountered issues with files that are imported to generate bills, but wants to assure property owners and taxing units that they are working day and night to generate the statements. The acc...