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France's education minister bans long robes in classrooms. They're worn mainly by Muslims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France’s education minister announced Monday a ban on long robes in classrooms starting with the new school year, saying the garments worn mainly by Muslims are testing secularism in the nation’s schools.Critics say that abayas, worn by women, and khamis, the male garb, are no more than a fashion statement. They say the garments do not constitute an ostentatious sign of religion and should not be banned from classrooms under a 2004 law.For Gabriel Attal, the recently appointed education chief, the garments are “an infringement on secularism,” a foundational principle for France, and, in some cases, a bid to destabilize schools.The 34-year-old Attal, appointed in July, was potentially moving into a minefield with his ban on long robes to “protect” secularism, prompted by growing reports of the garments in some classrooms around the country. Previous statements and laws on secularism have seeded acrimonious debate.“Our schools are continually tested. We know tha...

Can I use my expired COVID-19 test? Here's how to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – After stocking up on free COVID-19 tests from the government before the program was suspended in June, some people may be wondering if they can still get accurate results if their swab kits have expired.If you've recently rummaged for an old test after experiencing a cough or runny nose, you're not alone. U.S. hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have been rising steadily since early July, including a 15% jump over the past week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. But is it safe to use a COVID-19 test that is past the expiration? The answer, it turns out, depends on what brand of test you have. How big will Facebook settlement checks be? Lawyers reveal estimated payment per person The FDA has extended that date for a number of different at-home COVID-19 tests. The expiration date for multiple lots of BinaxNow COVID-19 antigen tests that were sold at CVS, for example, is now 10 months later than the printed date.In January, BinaxNow manufacturer A...

Map: How long until fall colors peak in Chicago?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It’s clear that fall is nearly upon us. Labor Day has passed, pumpkin spice everything is back, and we’re losing daylight. The only shoe left to drop are the leaves. For some, the leaves may have already started changing color. For others, it won’t be long until the trees combust into reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. In just a few weeks, some parts of the country will be seeing peak fall colors, according to a new prediction map.  How soon until daylight saving time ends? SmokyMountains.com, a travel brand dedicated to promoting the Smoky Mountain region, produces a fall foliage map every year, show when areas in the U.S. will near, reach, and surpass peak colors. They use historical temperature and precipitation data, forecasted temperature and precipitation, the types of trees known to be in the area, and user-reported information to develop their fall foliage forecast. While it may not be completely accurate, it does offer insight into how soon the...

American reaches 700-meter mark as Turkey cave rescue continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

TASELI PLATEAU, Turkey (AP) — Rescue teams on Sunday in Turkey successfully carried an American researcher up from the depth of a cave at 1,040 meters (3,410 feet) to the 700-meter (2,297 feet) mark where he will rest at a base camp before they continue the taxing journey to the surface.An experienced caver, Mark Dickey, 40, started vomiting on Sept. 2 because of stomach bleeding while on an expedition with a handful of others in the Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains, one of the deepest in the world, according to experts.A rescue operation began Saturday afternoon with doctors, paramedics and experienced cavers from across Europe rushing to help. They set up small medical base camps at various levels along the shaft, providing Dickey an opportunity to rest during the slow and arduous extrication. 7-year-old finds 2.95-carat diamond at Arkansas Crater of Diamonds park “Mark was delivered to the campsite at -700 meters as of 03:24 local time (GMT+3). At this stage, he...

Hurricane Lee charges through open waters, unleashes heavy swell on northern Caribbean

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Lee barreled Sunday through open waters just northeast of the Caribbean, unleashing heavy swell on several islands.The Category 2 storm is not forecast to make landfall and is expected to stay over open waters through Friday. On Sunday morning, it was centered about 280 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. Its maximum sustained winds had decreased to 105 mph and it was moving west-northwest at 9 mph.Last week, Lee strengthened from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in just one day.“We had the perfect conditions for a hurricane: warm waters and hardly any wind shear,” said Lee Ingles, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan.Lee is expected to regain some strength in the upcoming days and will then weaken again, according to the National Hurricane Center. Could Hurricane Lee impact the US? Breaking waves of up to 20 feet were forecast for Puerto Rico and nearby islands starting early this week, with au...

Kyle Police searching for missing teen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — On Sunday, the Kyle Police Department said it was searching for a missing 14-year-old boy.KPD said Amarion Beam was a described 5’4” Black teenager, weighing 120 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.Amarion was last seen wearing black socks, Nike Glides, grey shorts and a dark-colored T-shirt.KPD said Amarion went for a bike ride on a blue and silver Schwinn mountain bike Saturday afternoon in Kyle around 4:30 p.m. and did not return. Police said he was new to the area and may be lost or injured.Anyone with information was asked to contact Kyle police at 512-268-3232.

Fireworks banned in Travis County after two homes catch fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Even though it is not the Fourth of July or New Year's, Travis County leaders said people were still using fireworks, and it was putting people and firefighters at risk.On Friday, County Judge Andy Brown told KXAN he was temporarily banning the use of fireworks.Brown said two homes in the county caught fire last week because of teenagers using fireworks.“Fireworks in particular can be really dangerous, especially the kind that fly because they can land anywhere, and pretty much anywhere you land in Travis County right now, you could start a fire,” Brown said.Violators could face a $1,000 fine and jail time.To get a fireworks ban issued, Brown said he had to get permission from the state.

1 injured after collision in south Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — First responders arrived in south Austin at 8:10 a.m. Sunday after a report of a collision involving a vehicle and bike.Austin-Travis County EMS said the collision occurred at the intersection of 1st Street and Slaughter Lane.According to ATCEMS, two patients were involved, and an adult patient was unconscious. Both patients were being evaluated, and the unconscious patient was being treated and taken to the hospital with potentially serious injuries.ATCEMS said to avoid the area and expect traffic delays. Medics are no longer at the scene.

The Loop Fantasy Football Week 1 Update: Last-minute moves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

UPDATE: 8:55 a.m. Sunday We’re just hours from kickoff and we have our first major lineup casualty of Week 1. Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews (quadriceps) will be inactive for today’s opener against Houston. So one fantasy maven in every league will be scouring the waiver wires for a last-minute pickup.Of course, that’s what Cooper Kupp supporters have been doing for some time, and it turns out the Rams have placed their star receiver on injured reserve, meaning he’ll be out until at least Week 5, a tough blow for folks who spent a first- or second-round draft pick on the former Super Bowl MVP.Denver wideout Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) has been ruled out today, as have New England WR Devante Parker and Miami rookie RB Devon Achane.UPDATE: 11:00 a.m. Saturday We’re about 25 hours from the kickoff of the early slate of games, during which time we expect Kansas City’s Kadarius Toney to drop about a dozen more passes.The biggest injury news in the past couple of days involves Green Bay WR ...

Fatal crash on I-70 near Salisbury shuts down westbound lanes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:31 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- One person has died following a crash on I-70 near Salisbury, according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police, who are currently investigating the incident.According to a post on social media by MoDOT, the crash occurred just after 3:45 this morning and involved three vehicles. As a result, all westbound lanes of I-70 in that area were closed.Hours later, these lanes remained closed. Accident reconstruction teams are still at the location, diligently working to determine the cause of this tragic incident.