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WMATA violated First Amendment by rejecting Metrobus ads, lawsuit says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) policies behind the decision to reject a company’s advertisements for a Metrobus violated the First Amendment, the ACLU said in a lawsuit filed Monday.The suit, filed on behalf of the company WallBuilder Presentations, argues the transit agency’s advertising guidelines of violating free speech.The rejected Metrobus advertisements both show historic paintings, with a link to the company’s website and QR code that would take people directly there, according to Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel at the ACLU-D.C.One of the ads features George Washington kneeling in the snow, and the other has a scene from the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia, Spitzer said. The company wanted to send people to its website to learn about its views on the role of religion in the founding of the country, and the role it thinks religion should play in the country now, he said.But the transit agency rejected the ads, S...

A Russian missile attack on Kyiv injures more than 50 people as Ukraine pleads for more Western help

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s capital came under another ballistic missile attack early Wednesday, injuring at least 53 people on the ground, including six children, and damaging buildings, officials said.A series of loud explosions could be heard in Kyiv at 3 a.m. local time as the city’s air defenses were activated for the second time this week. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 10 ballistic missiles toward the capital and all were intercepted by air defenses.The attack on the capital underscored the continuing threat to Ukraine from the Kremlin’s missile arsenal in the 21-month war. Russia has in recent months been stockpiling its air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet, according to a recent assessment by the U.K. Ministry of Defense.That may herald another heavy winter bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid. Moscow last year targeted energy infrastructure in an effort to deny Ukrainians heat, light and running water and break their fighting spirit.Uk...

Delegates at UN climate talks in Dubai agree to ‘transition away’ from planet-warming fossil fuels

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — United Nations climate negotiators directed the world on Wednesday to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a move the talks chief called historic, despite critics’ worries about loopholes.“Humanity has finally done what is long, long, long overdue,” Wopke Hoekstra, European Union commissioner for climate action, said. After nearly 30 years of talking about carbon pollution, climate negotiators in a key document explicitly took aim at what’s trapping the heat: the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.Within minutes of opening Wednesday’s session, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled approval of the central document — the global stocktake that says how off-track the world is on climate and how to get back on — without asking for comments. Delegates stood and hugged each other.“It is a plan that is led by the science,’’ al-Jaber said. “It is an enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake, a historic package to accelerate clim...

Dictionary.com’s word of the year is a common one. But it doesn’t mean what you think

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

(CNN) — “Hallucinate” is Dictionary.com’s word of the year — and no, you’re not imagining things.The online reference site said in an announcement Tuesday that this year’s pick refers to a specific definition of the term pertaining to artificial intelligence: “to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.” In other words, it’s when chatbots and other AI tools confidently make stuff up.Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at Dictionary.com, told CNN this particular definition of “hallucinate” was added to the site earlier this year, though its use in computer science dates at least as far back as 1971. As staff at the online dictionary considered contenders for the defining words of 2023, Barrett said it became clear that AI was increasingly changing our lives, working its way into our language as well.“When we looked at the different words associated with artificial intelligence, we saw that ‘hallucinate’ really encapsulat...

Residents gearing up for CAMACOL’s annual food drive

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

In anticipation of the holiday season, South Florida residents are already forming lines along Northwest 16th Avenue as they gear up for CAMACOL’s food distribution. For almost four decades, CAMACOL has been a beacon of hope, providing food baskets to families in need. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. at CAMACOL headquarters, located at 1401 West Flagler Street and 14th Avenue. Food baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and among those eagerly awaiting their turn is Jose Leonarte, who has been a participant for 49 years.“Every year I do this you know for my family and you know they giving a good basket, good product for the whole family and I’m glad for that with the CAMACOL do that every year,” he said.Wednesday’s Holiday Food Basket Giveaway holds special significance as it honors Mario O. Gutierrez, past President of CAMACOL and PepsiCo executive. Gutierrez’s vision initiated this food drive almost four decades ago, start...

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford steps down

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

LONDON — Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Labour leader of Cardiff’s devolved government, has announced his intention to step down.The first minister resigned as Welsh Labour leader Wednesday with immediate effect. He said he will then step down as first minister following a leadership election in the new year.“Nominations for my successor as Welsh Labour leader will open shortly and I’m confident the process can be concluded by the end of the spring term,” Drakeford told a hastily arranged press conference. “That will enable the name of the winner of that contest to be put to the Senedd [Welsh parliament] before the Easter recess.” Drakeford has served as first minister for exactly five years, winning a new term as leader of the devolved government in Welsh parliament elections in 2021. He had already signaled his intention to quit before 2024 and said he would serve only five years at the top of Welsh politics. A figure from Labour’s left wing, Drakeford was...

Ruff day in Strasbourg: European Paw-liament goes barking mad

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

It’s not uncommon for lawmakers to howl at each other during tense sessions in the European Parliament, but at Wednesday’s plenary meeting actual barking momentarily interrupted the proceedings.Shortly after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded a speech to the body, a dog’s barking rang out in the hemicycle, prompting confused looks among lawmakers including Renew Europe group Chair Stéphane Séjourné and the European People’s Party’s Dolors Montserrat.European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, meanwhile, couldn’t contain her laughter. “Dear colleagues, we must have a support animal in the house,” she said, breaking into giggles.The barks ringing out during a session attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made the situation all the more absurd. In Spain, the Socialist leader is jokingly referred to as Perro Sanxe — “Sánchez the dog” — a nickname that emphasizes his canny, underdog q...

Poison centers see 1,500% increase in calls related to injected weight-loss drugs as people accidentally overdose

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

(CNN) — Poison control centers across the US say they are seeing a steep increase in calls related to semaglutide, an injected medication used for diabetes and weight loss, with some people reporting symptoms related to accidental overdoses.Some have even needed to be hospitalized for severe nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, but their cases seem to have resolved after they were given intravenous fluids and medications to control nausea.From January through November, the America’s Poison Centers reports nearly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide, an increase of more than 15-fold since 2019. In 94% of calls, this medication was the only substance reported.In most of the calls, people reported dosing errors, said Dr. Kait Brown, clinical managing director of the association.“Oftentimes, it’s a person who maybe accidentally took a double dose or took the wrong dose,” Brown said.Compounded versions may require different dosesSemaglutide was approved by the US Food and Drug ...

House set to vote on formalizing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden with floor vote

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

(CNN) — House Republicans are expected to vote Wednesday on their resolution to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden as their investigation reaches a critical juncture and right-wing pressure grows.The vote comes as a potential showdown between House Republicans and Hunter Biden is also expected to come to a head on Wednesday, as the president’s son has been subpoenaed to appear for a closed-door deposition and is in Washington, DC. It is not yet clear if Hunter Biden is going to sit down and answer questions from lawmakers who want to interview him as part of their escalated impeachment inquiry.Up until this point, House Republicans have not had enough votes to legitimize their ongoing inquiry with a full chamber vote. The probe has struggled to uncover wrongdoing by the president, which is why it hasn’t garnered the unified support of the full GOP conference.Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unilaterally launched...

Down, Then Up

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:50:52 GMT

Seasonable air back in place today with highs recovering into the lower 40s. Add in a bit of a breeze, and there will be a bit of a chill in the air today, but not all that bad by mid December standards. Sunshine this morning will mix in with some scattered clouds this afternoon. Temps do slide quickly this evening, pushing back into the 20s overnight. Tomorrow is a chillier day as highs struggle to get out of the low to mid 30s. While it’ll be below average by 5-8 degrees, it’s the only below average day on the 7day. We’ll race back to near 50 on Friday and stay there over the weekend. Sunday night – Monday, a storm will move up the East Coast, delivering the next chance for rain and wind. Showers and a damp breeze may linger into Tuesday too.