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Wisconsin Senate special election could give GOP a supermajority in chamber

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

A special election to fill an open Wisconsin Senate seat will determine whether Republicans gain a supermajority that would allow them to impeach Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and other office holders as well as move the GOP a step closer to overriding gubernatorial vetoes.Voters on Tuesday will pick Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin or Republican state Rep. Dan Knodl to represent Milwaukee’s northern suburbs. The seat has been under Republican control for decades but came open in November after longtime incumbent Alberta Darling chose to retire after 30 years in the Senate. Evers scheduled a special election to fill the position to coincide with the state’s spring Supreme Court election.The stakes are huge. A Knodl win would give Republicans 22 votes in the chamber, enough to override gubernatorial vetoes if the state Assembly also votes to do so and enough to convict civil officers in impeachment trials.Knodl denied accusations from Habush Sinykin that he would vote to impeach...

Appellate court rejects rural Minnesota prosecutor’s attempt to intervene in abortion case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday rejected an attempt by the Traverse County prosecutor to appeal a judge’s decision last year that threw out most of the state’s restrictions on abortion as unconstitutional.Ramsey County District Judge Thomas Gilligan ruled last July, in a lawsuit filed by abortion rights supporters, that Minnesota’s restrictions — including a 24-hour waiting period and a parental notification requirement — violated the state constitution under a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. Attorney General Keith Ellison angered abortion opponents when he declined to appeal, letting the decision stand.The appeals court on Monday affirmed Gilligan’s decision last September that Traverse County Attorney Matthew Franzese failed to meet the legal standards necessary to qualify to intervene in the case so that he could appeal Gilligan’s original ruling himself.Gilligan last month rejected an attempt to intervene by another third party, Mother...

Infectious bird flu again detected in Minnesota, less than four months since last case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

Bird flu has returned to Minnesota less than four months after the deadly poultry disease was last detected in the state, the Board of Animal Health said Monday.The detection was confirmed in a backyard mixed flock in Le Sueur County of south-central Minnesota, the board said. The site was quarantined and the 114 birds on the premises — mostly chickens — were destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease.Minnesota’s last previous detection was in a backyard flock in Redwood County of southwestern Minnesota in December.“We were fortunate to get a reprieve from the virus during the past few months,” Dr. Shauna Voss, the board’s senior poultry veterinarian, said in a statement. “We’ve been anticipating the return of the virus and are recalling our partner resources back to the fight. We continue to call on anyone who owns birds to stand up their biosecurity, especially during these next couple months.”The outbreak began last year, driving up egg and poultry prices, and for...

Wisconsin voters on Tuesday to decide control of Supreme Court, likely future of abortion access

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

Control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and likely the future of abortion access, Republican-drawn legislative maps and years of GOP policies in the key swing state rests with the outcome an election Tuesday that has seen record campaign spending.The winner of the high-stakes contest between Republican-backed Dan Kelly and Democratic-supported Janet Protasiewicz will determine majority control of the court headed into the 2024 presidential election. The court came within one vote of overturning President Joe Biden’s narrow win in 2020, and both sides expect another close race in 2024.It’s the latest election where abortion rights has been the central issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. It’s also an example of how officially nonpartisan court races have grown into political battles as major legal fights play out at the state level.All of it has fueled spending that has topped $42 million, nearly triple the previous national record, for a court ...

Suspect tied to 3 burglaries at south St. Louis storage units

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Police are linking a St. Louis man to multiple thefts at storage units in south city, claiming he walked away with thousands of dollars of renters’ belongings.Authorities began their investigation two years ago in April 2021, when Matthew Wayne Pelich, 45, allegedly committed dozens of criminal offenses.Pelich has been charged with multiple counts of burglary, property damage, and stealing.According to the probable cause statement, he targeted at least three storage facilities in south St. Louis, located just miles apart.From April 2021 to January 2022, Pelich allegedly stole items from several units at EZ Storage in the 4100 block of Chippewa. The facility is now owned by Life Storage. One victim said hundreds of dollars’ worth of jewelry, designer clothes, and other valuable items were stolen from her unit. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News ...

Judge rejects ex-Missouri lawmaker’s push to overturn revolving-door lobbying ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

Missouri’s ban on lawmakers and legislative staff working as lobbyists for two years after leaving office is a reasonable limit that does not overly burden free speech rights, a federal judge ruled last week.First enacted in 2018 as part of a voter-approved initiative called “Clean Missouri,” the law is designed to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption, U.S. District Judge Doug Harpool wrote in his order in a case filed by former state Rep. Rocky Miller and legislative assistant John LaVanchy.“A former public official’s acceptance of a lobbying position months or even days after departing government, makes reasonable the belief that those officials may have exchanged political favors for their positions— and salaries —as lobbyists,” Harpool, a former Missouri House member, wrote in the decision delivered Thursday. “The appearance of impropriety is a reasonable and natural conclusion in such a situation.”Miller, a Republican from Lake Ozark, won four terms in the Missou...

St. Charles firefighters help prepare dinner for kids after mom sent to hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - A mother in St. Charles is thankful after a terrible situation while making dinner on Sunday sent her to the hospital. But what the first responders did next after they helped the woman was to make sure the kids were fed.Alicia Watson said the Sunday pasta meal she was making quickly resulted in severe burns.“I was going to drain the potatoes, and the water tipped over,” she said. “When the water tipped over, I slipped and fell. The water fell back on my legs, so I instantly called the kids, and the kids kind of panicked, and of course the firefighters and paramedics came.”Watson had second-degree burns on her legs and feet from the boiling water.“She was transferred for evaluation, but she did have some little kiddos at home, and they were hungry and waiting for dinner,” said Capt. Kelly Hunsel of the St. Charles City Fire Department. “While waiting for dad to arrive, the crew stayed on scene and helped prepare dinner. Mom knew the kids would be fine by themselve...

Best Real Money Online Casinos and Gambling Sites for Big Payouts (April & May 2023)

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

From great games and the potential for big wins to attractive deposit bonuses – the best real money online casinos and gambling sites for April and May have it all.In this review guide, our iGaming experts have shuffled the pack for spring 2023. They’ve tested and retested the best online casinos and drawn up a list of the top 10 that are hot right now.Each online casino has been rated for the quality of its games and bonuses, as well as the overall safety and trust rating.Let’s see what the hottest online casinos for real money have in store for you.Best Real Money Online Casinos – April & May 2023Red Dog: Best overallIgnition: Best for online pokerMyStake: Best for crypto casino playersSlots.LV: Top pick for progressive jackpotsCafe Casino: Best welcome bonus1. Red Dog Casino — Best Real Money Online Casino OverallPros:Up to $7,500 welcome bonusDaily reload bonuses200+ top-quality games (available to try for free as well)Slick user interfaceBitcoin accepted24...

Home sales have slowed in this California city,prospective buyers can buy a home at a cheaper rate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

Prospective buyers in California may have trouble landing their forever homes in cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco due to expensive home prices and low inventory; however, purchasing a home in the Golden State is still possible.For those with little flexibility on location, a new study from Realtor.com revealed that homes in Chico have been on the market for longer and aren’t as expensive as other homes In California. This is where California residents can find the cheapest homes Researchers found that Chico, located in Northern California, has a surplus in home inventory. On average, homes in the area have stayed in the market for 78 days, which is more than twice as long as they were a year ago, according to the report.In comparison, on average, homes in Los Angeles stay on the market for 61 days and in San Francisco, the average is 29. In San Diego, homes usually remain on the market for 30 days, according to Redfin data from February.Researchers noted that the housing s...

Producer Eric Leopardi and Kale Abrahamson Tackle AI Publicly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:16 GMT

It’s no secret; artificial intelligence is quickly taking the world by storm. Everywhere you turn AI tools like ChatGPT is making headlines for yet another breakthrough innovation.In recent years, Hollywood A-listers have been lining up to get a piece of the next up-and-coming AI startup. From Ashton Kutcher and Elton John to Jay-Z and Leonardo Di Caprio; LA’s most in-the-know celebrity investors are showing AI has no signs of slowing down.However, some, including billionaire Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink founder Elon Musk, have drafted open letters calling for a pause on AI development highlighting its potential threats to humankind.Seeming unscathed by such warnings, NBC and Amazon producer turned tech entrepreneur Eric Leopardi has teamed up with crypto and NFT mastermind Kale Abrahamson as the latest Hollywood business duo to enter the AI space.Kale Abrahamson is among the few visionary entrepreneurs who capitalized big on the crypto and NFT craze. How big, you may ask? He raked ...