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☆ The doctors, dentists and anthropologists striving to identify Maui's victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

While the work can be emotionally taxing, DMORT members already confront death in their day jobs as funeral directors, medical examiners and coroners. DNA samples have become a crucial tool; Sebastian said the Maui team has partnered with a company that can process DNA in just hours. But the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks represented a pivot point, when DMORT teams helped city authorities sift through thousands of remains. Wildfires represent a relatively new response area for DMORTs; teams responded to the 2018 Camp fire that killed 85 in California and the 2020 Oregon wildfires. "As we're starting to see this era of 'polycrisis,' making sure we have enough DMORT team members that we can deploy is going to be really important," O'Connell, the senior HHS official, said.

Persons: Mike Blake, it's, Frank Sebastian, Kathryn Pinneri, Sebastian, Paul Sledzik, Sledzik, Dawn O'Connell, I've, DMORTs, Hurricane Maria, David Hunt, I'm, Hunt, O'Connell, Joseph Ax, Paul Thomasch, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Maui, federal, HHS, World Trade Center, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Seattle, United States, hijackings, Montgomery County , Texas, MAUI, Long, Shanksville , Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, New York, Indiana, DMORTs, California, Oregon

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have pledged tighter oversight of banking regulators following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Some in Congress are concerned that the Federal Reserve's current inspector general is not independent enough to serve as a check on the central bank. Unlike the Pentagon and other big agencies, the Fed's internal IG, currently Mark Bialek, reports directly to the Fed board. Under the Senators' plans, the holder of the role would instead be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Specifically, they objected to having the IG's salary tied to the compensation of Fed officials who the IG is tasked with investigating.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Evelyn Hockstein, Rick Scott, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, Mark Bialek, Warren, Scott, Bialek, David Morgan, Costas Pitas, Paul Thomasch, Stephen Coates Organizations: Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democrat, Reuters, Republicans, Democrats, Congress, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Federal, Pentagon, Fed, Senators, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Silicon, Congress

At thrift stores, vintage Barbie dolls have become a treasured find, prices in the collectibles market have soared, and antiques appraisers have been flooded by calls from new collectors. Not all longtime collectors of the iconic doll are as delighted as Keith by the recent interest in Barbie collecting. "I've largely stopped collecting dolls themselves and invest in clothing and accessories instead," wrote one user. Florida-based veteran Barbie doll dealer Marl Davidson said prices have climbed about 25% in recent months. "Barbie appraisals don't normally come the way they've been coming," she said.

Persons: Matthew Keith, Barbie, Keith, I've, Marl Davidson, It's, Davidson, Lori Verderame, they've, Verderame, Julia Harte, Rachel Nostrant, Paul Thomasch, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Retailers, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Florida

[1/2] Activists take part in a tribute to the victims of the August 3, 2019 Walmart shooting in El Paso, at Ponder Park in El Paso, Texas, U.S., August 3, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File PhotoCompanies Walmart Inc FollowJuly 7 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday sentenced a white supremacist to 90 consecutive life terms in prison for a 2019 shooting in which he killed 23 people and wounded 22 others at a Texas Walmart while targeting Hispanics, the El Paso Times newspaper reported. The shooter still faces Texas state charges that could result in the death penalty. Just before the assault, the shooter posted on the internet a manifesto that declared, "This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. He's going to be serving 90 consecutive life sentences."

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, David Guaderrama, Patrick Crusius, Genesis Davila, Thomas Hoffman, Alexander Hoffman, Prosecutors, Joe Spencer, Spencer, Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks, Paul Thomasch Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Texas Walmart, El Paso Times, U.S, District, Dallas Morning News, AK, Thomson Locations: El Paso, El Paso , Texas, U.S, Texas, Hell, Dallas, Romanian

☆ Zaslav brings in Spielberg, Scorsese, Anderson to help curate TCM film lineup after shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Warner Bros. "This unique arrangement, initiated by David Zaslav, reflects his commitment to honoring the TCM legacy while also involving us on curation and programming." The inclusion of the filmmakers came after Warner Bros. Part of that was a major shakeup at TCM, recognized as a place for preservation of classic films and a carefully curated lineup augmented by guest star introductions. The changes had caused concern among movie buffs and those dedicated to film preservation, who voiced their distress on social media.

Persons: Steven Spielberg, helmer Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy, Mike, Pam, David Zaslav, Charles Tabesh Organizations: Warner Bros, Turner, TCM, Discovery

☆ The wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito leased a plot of land to an oil and natural gas company while the judge was weakening the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In June 2022, Justice Samuel Alito's wife leased a plot of land in Oklahoma to an oil and gas company. Alito in several rulings before the court has been part of majority decisions to reduce the scope of the EPA. There are thousands of oil and gas leases across Oklahoma, where the energy sector is a critical economic driver. But the oil and gas lease troubles many environmentalists given Justice Alito's role in weakening the scope of the Environmental Protection Agency in several cases that have come before the court. And last year, the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency limited the federal agency's ability to control the level of carbon emissions from power plants.

Persons: Samuel Alito's, Alito, —, Samuel Alito, Martha Ann Bomgardner Alito, Alito's, Jeff Hauser, Paul Thomas Anderson, Joe Biden Organizations: EPA, Service, Citizen Energy III, Energy III, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Oklahoma, Sackett v, West Virginia

DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania, June 24 (Reuters) - On May 12, the library coordinator for Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District sent an email to colleagues that some conservative parents and Christian advocacy groups had long prayed to see. Liberal groups say the effort amounts to censorship and even bigotry, with disproportionate harm to LGBT students and those in other minority groups. Dana Hunter, a Republican and the chair of the school board, said she sought advice from Jeremy Samek, senior counsel at the Independence Law Center and the Pennsylvania Family Institute. "There are things that everybody would agree, including the ACLU, that you shouldn't be giving to kids," said Samek, who does not live in the school district. Dell'Angelo, one of the board's Democrats, said it was wrong to involve groups that oppose LGBT rights in public school policy, and unethical to do so in secret.

Persons: Maia Kobabe, Juno Dawson, curriculums, Tabitha Dell'Angelo, Dana Hunter, Jeremy Samek, Hunter, Dell'Angelo, Samek, Hannah Beier, Leo Burchell, Shannon Harris, Harris, Jonathan Allen, Paul Thomasch, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District, Republican, Liberal, Family Research Council, Independence Law Center, Pennsylvania Family Institute, Reuters, Republicans, American Association of School Librarians, Liberty, Museum, American, REUTERS, American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, U.S . Department of Education's, Civil Rights, U.S, ACLU, Pennsylvania Family, Family Research, Thomson Locations: DOYLESTOWN , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Bucks, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S, Central Bucks

☆ WBD chief Zaslav contacted filmmakers Scorsese, Spielberg to quell fears around TCM layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. The layoffs affected the company's vast portfolio of cable-TV networks including the Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery and the Food Network. Its offerings are among the movies and shows included on Warner Bros. The shakeup at the network inspired Warner Bros. Scorsese, Spielberg and Anderson added that Zaslav contacted them regarding the restructuring of TCM, adding they each spent time talking with the CEO, individually and as a group, "and it's clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him.

Persons: shakeup, David Zaslav, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, —, Turner, Scorsese, Spielberg, Anderson, Zaslav Organizations: Warner Bros, Discovery, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Turner, TCM

The minivan-sized submersible Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent at 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday. The Titan set off with 96 hours of air, according to the company, meaning its oxygen tanks would likely be depleted some time on Thursday morning. "When you're in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope," Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference on Wednesday. Titanic expert Tim Maltin said it would be "almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue" on the seabed. The robot could also help hook the sub to a surface ship capable of lifting it, the operator said.

Persons: Jamie Frederick, Frederick, Atalante, Victor, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Sean Leet, Leet, Tim Maltin, OceanGate's, Steve Gorman, Joseph Ax, Tim McLaughlin, Rami Ayyub, Tyler Clifford, Louise Dalmasso, Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks, Ariba Shahid, Paul Thomasch, Nick Zieminski, Sandra Maler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Co, U.S, Expeditions, Atlantic, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Guard, U.S . Navy, Stockton Rush, Horizon Maritime Services, Thomson Locations: Canada, France, U.S, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, St, John's, Newfoundland, French

☆ Nebraska lawmakers pass restrictions on abortion, transgender medical care
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Nebraska lawmakers on Friday passed a bill that limits abortion and puts restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth in a single piece of legislation that strikes at two highly divisive issues. It includes exceptions for medical emergencies when the mother's life is at risk, and in cases of rape or incest. The same bill also bans "gender-altering surgery" and places restrictions on hormone therapy and puberty-blocking drugs for transgender people under 19. Abortion and gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender youth are at the heart of the so-called culture war raging in American politics, with Republican-dominated legislatures across the country banning or putting sharp restrictions on both. Supporters of the bill said it was a means of protecting unborn babies from abortion and teenagers from undergoing irreversible medical procedures they may later regret.

The majority of those bills specifically affect transgender people, touching on nearly every aspect of a transgender person's public life. And the vulnerability of most Republican state legislators right now is in the primary, if at all," Allen said. The bill he signed on Wednesday also adds obstacles for transgender adults and grants courts jurisdiction in child custody battles in some cases involving gender-affirming care. Demonstrators swarmed the Texas House, leading lawmakers to send a bill banning gender-affirming care back to committee. In Montana, protests contributed to the censure of transgender state Representative Zooey Zephyr, who was banned from the state House floor by Republican legislators.

☆ Louisville shooter legally purchased rifle -police
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Community members attend a vigil at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church following a mass shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. April, 10, 2023. REUTERS/Jeffrey DeanApril 11 (Reuters) - The 23-year-old bank employee who shot dead five colleagues and wounded nine other people at his workplace in Louisville on Monday legally purchased the rifle, Louisville Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. Louisville police responded within minutes to reports of an attacker on Monday morning at the bank office near Slugger Field baseball stadium. Sturgeon grew up in southern Indiana, just north of Louisville, according to his mother's Facebook page. Those statistics use the definition of four or more shot or killed, not including the shooter - according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

☆ How drag was pushed back into the shadows in Tennessee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Now, a Tennessee law restricting drag in front of minors is due to come into force on April 1. Several planned drag events were canceled over the winter after protests, and many venues felt forced to make previously family-friendly drag shows into adults-only events. Drag performers and venue owners say they are worried about their livelihoods and their rights of free expression. The Starbucks say there is no such thing as family-friendly drag; drag performers cite Bugs Bunny, Shakespeare's cross-dressing comedies and the Robin Williams film "Mrs. Doubtfire" among counterexamples. Outside of public Pride events, most Tennessee drag performers largely work in clubs and bars that admit only those over 18.

☆ Police launch probe after 1 killed, 9 injured in NY concert stampede
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Police located three badly injured females inside the building, one of whom later died in hospital. The other two were in critical condition, and seven other people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, Smith said. "We do not have any evidence of gunshots being fired or anyone being shot or stabbed at the scene," Smith added. The Main Street Armory is a popular local entertainment venue that holds 5,000 people. Sixteen months ago, 10 people died in a stampede at a concert by rapper Travis Scott at Houston's Astroworld Festival.

☆ Atlanta police arrest 23 on terrorism charges after protest at training site
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATLANTA, March 6 (Reuters) - Two dozen people face domestic terrorism charges in Atlanta after they were arrested during violent clashes between officers and protesters at a police training center construction site, authorities said on Monday. The 23 people who face charges were part of a group detained on Sunday by police who said they launched bricks, rocks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at officers after they breached the construction site, where a new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is being built. Opponents of the site say they want to save an important green space near the greater Atlanta metropolitan area of 6 million people. The site was subject to a protest in January that briefly turned violent as demonstrators set a police car on fire and smashed windows of buildings. Demonstrators at that time gathered to protest the law enforcement killing of an activist during a raid to clear the construction site.

☆ Tennessee takes lead in Republican effort to restrict drag shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Tennessee lawmakers will debate on Thursday whether to restrict drag performances in public or in front of children, one of more than a dozen bills limiting drag advanced by Republican politicians in at least 15 states in recent months. They see the bills as part of a Republican effort to advance laws limiting LGBT people's conduct across the country. Drag performances typically do not involve nudity or stripping. Established in 2015, Drag Story Hour, in which costumed drag performers read to children, has expanded to at least 20 states. Drag performers say they are just as able to tailor their act to their audience as other artists, like an actor who might appear in both a sexually explicit R-rated movie and in a children's movie.

☆ Liberal, conservative advance in Wisconsin Supreme Court race with abortion rights at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a staunch conservative who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump when he ran unsuccessfully for re-election in 2020, took second place, the AP projected. With a Democratic governor, Tony Evers, and a Republican-majority legislature often at loggerheads, the state Supreme Court's 4-3 conservative majority has issued a string of decisions that typically favored Republicans. But a conservative justice is leaving the bench this year, putting the political leaning of the court in question. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit claiming the statute is invalid - a case eventually headed for the state Supreme Court. A new liberal majority could also revisit other statutes, such as laws requiring voter identification, permitting concealed carry of firearms and weakening public sector unions.

☆ Abortion rights at stake in Wisconsin Supreme Court election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Wisconsin voters on Tuesday will decide which state Supreme Court candidates will advance to an April election that carries profound consequences for abortion rights, control of the state government and the 2024 presidential election. And the justices could issue election law rulings that affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential race, when Wisconsin is expected to be a swing state. The contest already ranks among the most expensive state supreme court races in history, according to Douglas Keith, an attorney at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice who tracks spending on judicial elections. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit claiming the statute is invalid - a case eventually headed for the state Supreme Court. "This is Wisconsin's Roe moment," said Gracie Skogman, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Right to Life, which is backing the conservative candidates.

HALF MOON BAY/MONTEREY PARK, California, Jan 24 (Reuters) - America was supposed to be a place of safety for Jose Romero when he arrived some two years ago to work on a California farm alongside other immigrants from Mexico and China. Romero was killed on Monday, shot dead by a gunman along with six other farm workers in Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco. Antonio Perez, who now lives in Half Moon Bay after moving from Mexico in 1983, said he feels stuck between cartel violence in his homeland and gun violence in the United States. “What a tragedy.”People gather for a candlelight vigil after a mass shooting during Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, California, U.S. January 24, 2023. About 9.3% of Asian immigrants keep guns in their homes in California, compared with 5.6% of Latino immigrants and 12% of white immigrants, said Ninez Ponce, the lead researcher on the UCLA study.

One man carried out his attack with a gun banned by the state, while the other used a gun he legally owned, police said. Even in California, a state with some of the country's strictest gun laws, the limits can be sidestepped. The prospects for new federal gun laws are dim. The majority of guns used in mass shootings were obtained legally, according to the nonprofit Violence Project, which maintains a database of attacks. Chunli Zhao legally owned the gun used in the Half Moon Bay attack on Monday, police said.

☆ California shooting upends tranquil community: 'I don't feel safe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Police investigate the scene of a shooting that took place during a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, in Monterey Park, California, U.S. January 22, 2023. On Saturday night, when she heard the gunfire that killed at least 10 people in her newfound home of Monterey Park, California, that dream was shattered. On Sunday morning, after America's latest mass shooting, this time of revelers celebrating Lunar New Year in a Monterey Park ballroom, residents gathered in small groups in stunned disbelief and dismay. The Monterey Park community is close knit, city leaders said. Reporting by Tim Reid in Monterey Park; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Florida schools will not offer AP African American Studies course
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Florida will not allow high school students to take a new Advanced Placement (AP) class in African American Studies, saying in a letter to College Board, the nonprofit that develops the courses, that the pilot version "lacks educational value." The College Board administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Advanced Placement tests that help students gain college credit while in high school. It is developing its first African American Studies course through a pilot program at 60 high schools. loading"The State of Florida will allow AP European and American studies — but AP African-American studies is 'contrary to Florida law'?" The College Board said in a statement to Reuters that the course aims to "explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans."

☆ U.S. union membership rate falls to all-time low despite organizing efforts, data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidWASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The United States' union membership rate, or percentage of wage and salary workers who belong to unions, edged down to an all-time low in 2022, data released by a government agency showed. The union membership rate fell from 10.3% in 2021 to 10.1% in 2022, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday. However, the number of wage and salary workers who are members of unions, at 14.3 million last year, increased by 273,000, or 1.9%, from 2021, the data showed. The total number of wage and salary workers grew by 5.3 million, or 3.9%, most of them non-union workers. The data released Thursday shows that while unionization efforts have come into the limelight, they have not translated into greater representation of the workforce.

☆ Walmart gunman railed at co-workers in 'death note' before Virginia store shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 25 (Reuters) - A Walmart supervisor who killed six co-workers before turning the gun on himself this week left a rambling note on his cellphone in which he railed against other employees at the Chesapeake, Virginia, store who he felt had mocked and betrayed him. "The gun was legally purchased from a local store on the morning of Tuesday Nov. 22. In his note, Bing made reference to an unspecified work failure on his part and perceived slights from co-workers, who he felt were mocking him. Asked to comment on Bing's note, Walmart said in a statement: "There is nothing that can justify taking innocent lives. The Chesapeake shooting came on the heels of last weekend's massacre in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a gunman killed five at an LGBTQ nightclub.

WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democratic Representative Mary Peltola of Alaska both won reelection against opponents backed by Donald Trump on Wednesday, the latest high-profile defeats of candidates supported by the former president. Murkowski, 65, has represented Alaska in the Senate since 2002 and built an independent profile as one of the chamber's few centrists. Peltola, the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, beat two Republicans: former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and businessman Nick Begich. Tea Party era of politics and helped pave the way for Trump to win the White House. Murkowski and Peltola would have won even under Alaska's old election rules, as they had each won a plurality of votes.

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