Transgender rights case lands at Supreme Court amid debate over ban on medical treatments for minors

By MARK SHERMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday in just its second major transgender rights case, which is a challenge to a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. The case is coming before a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court’s marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like “Champion God’s Design” and “Kids Health Matters,” while the other side proclaimed “Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights” and “Freedom to be Ourselves.” Show Caption 1 of 2 Expand Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a

Rescuers continue search for woman who may have fallen into a sinkhole while looking for lost cat

UNITY TWP., Pa. — Rescuers searched early Wednesday for a woman who went looking for her lost cat and apparently fell into a sinkhole that had recently opened above an abandoned western Pennsylvania coal mine. Crews worked through the night in Marguerite to find Elizabeth Pollard, 64. A state police spokesperson said early Wednesday they were reassessing their tactics to avoid putting themselves at risk. “The integrity of that mine is starting to become compromised,” Trooper Steve Limani told reporters. Bright lights illuminated snow flurries and equipment at the site while crews worked above and below ground. On Tuesday, they lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. A camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet (9 meters) below the surface, Limani said. Pictured: Rescuers search for a missing woman who may have fallen into a 30-foot-deep sinkhole in western Pennsylvania. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Pollard’s family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had

Babies dumped from stolen car on freezing day rescued by stranger

By Kerry Breen December 4, 2024 / 9:14 AM EST / CBS News Stolen Cars: America’s Unsolved Crime Stolen Cars: America’s Unsolved Crime 26:02 Two babies who were dumped from a stolen car are safe after an Indianapolis man spotted them while waiting for a package to be delivered.  Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a kidnapping shortly before 11 a.m. on Dec. 2, according to CBS affiliate CBS4. A vehicle was reported stolen with a 4-month-old and 5-month-old in the backseat, the department said on social media.  The vehicle was located about an hour later, but the two children were not inside, CBS4 reported. The suspect was also not there.  Shortly after, police received a 911 call from a “Good Samaritan” who spotted the babies and brought them inside. The children had been left outside. The National Weather Service said temperatures in the state that day were “struggling to get out of the 20s.”  Below are photos of the two baby girls who are in the vehicle. The vehicle is a silver 2013 Hyundai Sonata. pic.twitter.com/2HJg4JlnVn — IMPD

Police illegally sell restricted weapons, supplying crime

By E.D. Cauchi Updated on: December 4, 2024 / 9:09 AM EST / CBS News Adair, Iowa, had a population of 794. So, it seemed suspicious when its three-person police department asked regulators to buy 90 machine guns, including an M134 Gatling-style minigun capable of shooting up to 6,000 rounds of ammunition every minute.  Federal agents later discovered Adair’s police chief, Bradley Wendt, was using his position to acquire weapons and sell them for personal profit. A jury convicted Wendt earlier this year of conspiracy to defraud the United States, lying to federal law enforcement and illegal possession of a machine gun. Wendt is unapologetic and has appealed his conviction.  “If I’m guilty of this, every cop in the nation’s going to jail,” Wendt told CBS News just days before a federal judge sentenced him to a 5-year prison term. Wendt’s crimes appear to be part of a nationwide pattern.   Court records show weapons documented during a federal search related to the case of a police chief who allegedly obtained weapons he intended to sell. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa A CBS

Swimmers notified of shark sightings off Huntington Beach

Lifeguards are notifying swimmers about two sharks recently spotted by fishermen off Huntington Beach. The two juvenile sharks were briefly caught by the fishermen but freed themselves by biting through the lines and returning to the ocean, Huntington Beach Lifeguards posted on Instagram. “These sightings remind us that the sea is their home, and we share these waters with marine life of all kinds,” the post read. The Huntington Beach Fire Department Marine Safety Division has requested assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to conduct patrol checks. Officials have also collaborated with HB-1 Police helicopter to perform a flyover of the area. No sharks were observed during these checks but the area will continue to be monitored with increased patrols, HB Lifeguards stated. The Lifeguards offered the following shark safety tips to minimize risk: Swim, surf, or dive with other people, and don’t move too far away from assistance Stay out of the water at dawn, dusk, and night, when some sharks may move inshore to feed Do not enter the water if you have open wounds or are bleeding in any

Spotify Wrapped 2024 is here. It was a good year for música Mexicana

(Photo Illustration by Diana Ramirez / De Los; photos by Sarahi Apaez / For De Los; Christina House / Los Angeles Times; Joseph Hood) As one of the biggest years in Latin music comes to a close, mús ica Mexicana holds the title of the most streamed Latin genre in the country, according to 2024 Spotify Wrapped data. Streaming plays for the expansive category (consisting of norteños, corridos tumbados, sierreños, cumbias and more) grew by 31% globally over the previous year and was the top Latin genre in 26 U.S. states. Out of Spotify’s Top 10 Global Latin Artists, four of them are classified as música Mexicana — Peso Pluma (No. 2), Junior H (No. 5), Natanael Cano (No. 7) and Fuerza Regida (No. 8). Continuing his reign as one of the genre’s biggest names, Peso Pluma was named the seventh most streamed artist globally, and both his 2024 release “Éxodo” (No. 2) and his 2023 album “Génesis” (No. 5) held spots in the top five Latin albums. Rising música Mexicana star Xavi, who holds the record as the only artist of Mexican descent to

Plaschke: Baseball fans can whine, but there’s nothing wrong with the way the Dodgers are winning

As the Dodgers officially welcomed their latest gazillionaire pitcher to a remodeling Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, the churning of the bulldozers in the infield was momentarily drowned out by the whining around the baseball world. Boo-hoo! The Dodgers are buying another championship! For shame! The Dodgers have an unfair advantage! It’s not right! The Dodgers are ruining baseball! On and on the tears flowed, from Pittsburgh to Minnesota, from Northern California to South Florida, with many blubbering that signing two-time Cy Young Award-winning Blake Snell to a $182-million contract officially makes the defending World Series champions bad for the game. Stop it. Just stop it. Far from being a blight on the major-league landscape, right now the Dodgers’ front office is everything that is good about the game. They are smart, savvy and fearless. They base decisions not only on analytics but also attitude. They spend a lot of money, but only because they make a lot of money, and since when is reinvesting revenue into your fans a bad thing? Many think the Dodgers should be grateful to win the World Series this year

Suspect in notorious cold case murders to appear in court

Updated on: December 4, 2024 / 6:23 AM EST / CBS/AFP A man accused of two “gruesome” unsolved killings in 1977 has been extradited from Italy and will appear in an Australian court Wednesday, police said. Perry Kouroumblis , 65, has been charged with killing two women in an almost 50-year-old cold case dubbed the “Easey Street” murders. The dual Australian-Greek citizen was arrested at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport in September after he was named in an Interpol red notice, and has been held in jail since. Victoria Police said he was sent back to Australia late Tuesday evening and would be interviewed by detectives before appearing in court Wednesday afternoon. “The man will formally be charged with two counts of murder and one count of rape during this court appearance,” they said in a statement. The house in Easey Street, Collingwood, where the bodies of two young women were found, January 13, 1977.  Fairfax Media via Getty Images/Fairfax Media via Getty Images The bodies of Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28, were discovered at their house in Easey Street, Melbourne, on January

Word Game: Dec. 4, 2024

TODAY’S WORD — MENORAH MENORAH: men-OR-uh: A candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship. Average mark 28 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in MENORAH? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — REFUTED: reed reef refed refute rude etude feed feet fete feud free fret teed tree true turf deer deet defer deft deter duet To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

Asking Eric: Now I see why people abandon friends who have kids

Dear Eric: How do you stay friends with someone who puts zero interest in maintaining an adult friendship? My best friend from high school (of more than 20 years) had kids a few years ago. The kids are young but out of the baby stage. My friend constantly asks to hang out but never offers anything that is not totally kid-focused. Think story time at the library, watching their soccer practice or just inviting me over to play with the kids. I have suggested meeting for coffee before work or dinner after work, but my friend does not want to spend any time away from the family. Over the years, I have read columns about people who claim their friends disappeared once they have kids. I always said I would never do that but now I am seeing a possible other side to that story. It sounds so selfish to say I do not enjoy hanging out with the kids for hours on a Saturday but that’s how I feel. I need tools to have a conversation. How do I talk about this with my

Harriette Cole: My workout partners’ comments are sapping my motivation

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently started working out due to health and weight issues. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and my doctor advised me to establish a routine alongside dietary changes. I joined a fitness group with friends, but I feel constantly judged because I can’t keep up with their pace. Although I know they mean well, their comments about my fitness level are starting to discourage me rather than motivate me. I don’t want to give up, but I also don’t want to feel this way every time I exercise with them. I feel the pressure to match their standards, which only makes it harder to stay motivated. — Fitness Frenzy DEAR FITNESS FRENZY: First, I want to commend you for taking action for your health and your life. It is not easy to lose weight, start an exercise regimen or keep it up. It takes discipline and time, and it helps a lot when you have encouragement. Do you think you can find another group to join that might be more positive? This group does not sound like the best fit for

Miss Manners: I was embarrassed by the hostess’s muttered complaint about me

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a dinner party, the hostess had set a lovely table with flowers and candles. I complimented her on the setting. Later, as dinner started, I found the flowers blocking my view of the guest across from me, preventing any potential conversation. I was interested in talking with this guest, so I asked the hostess if we could move the tall flowers so we could see each other. (Some beautiful, shorter flowers and tall candles remained on the table.) She moved them, but muttered loud enough for everyone to hear that she had set a beautiful table and I was ruining the look. It was very embarrassing, but I thanked her for moving them and didn’t say anything else. Later, my husband told me I shouldn’t have said anything. I felt I handled it appropriately and the host should have been more gracious. GENTLE READER: If your husband was suggesting you did anything wrong, Miss Manners will disagree. But perhaps he was merely suggesting that, since you both know your hostess, her reaction was predictable: You were lucky she did not lower

Newly elected L.A. school board members vow to defend vulnerable students, staff against Trump

Newly elected Los Angeles school board members say they are united in a mission to protect the district’s most vulnerable — students and staff who are immigrants or LGBTQ+ — following wins that are generally a plus for Supt. Alberto Carvalho and the teachers union and a setback for privately managed charter schools. All three of the newly elected or reelected board members are focused with apprehension on President-elect Donald Trump, who has stated his intent to deport immigrants, end diversity programs, limit the teaching of history he deems “woke” and unpatriotic, curtail rights recently extended to transgender students and shut down the U.S. Department of Education. “I think that there’s going to be a lot of attacks on our most vulnerable students and our most vulnerable populations,” said Karla Griego, who was newly elected to replace retiring board member Jackie Goldberg. “And so we have to stand strong and lead as a district in defending our most vulnerable students, in defending all the things that we have made headway on and continue to fight for more.” The big picture is that the seven board

California bill calls for certification for stonecutting shops amid worker deaths from silicosis

New legislation in Sacramento aims to address a rise in countertop cutters suffering an incurable and fatal disease by imposing new requirements on businesses, including safety training for workers. Senate Bill 20, introduced this week by state Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-Panorama City), would set up a certification system for the fabrication shops where workers cut, grind and polish stone slabs to fashion them into countertops. That certification would require that businesses have their workers undergo training on safety practices and show inspectors they are adhering to state standards. Doctors have raised alarms as young workers have been afflicted with silicosis, a deadly illness caused by inhaling particles of crystalline silica. The lung-scarring mineral makes up more than 90% of some kinds of engineered stone, a popular product for kitchen and bathroom countertops. Workers in their 20s and 30s have ended up reliant on oxygen tanks and in need of lung transplants. Under the bill, businesses and workers could not do stonecutting without certification, and beginning in 2027, stone slab manufacturers would be banned from providing their products to any fabricators that lack such certification. SB

Inside Mohammad Rasoulof’s harrowing escape from Iran for ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’

Mohammad Rasoulof made it to the Cannes premiere of his film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” but only after a perilous escape from Iran before an eight-year prison term was handed down by authorities. The auteur arrived in Europe 28 days after hitting the road with a backpack filled with nothing more than a few pieces of clothing. The experience was equivalent to being on a battlefield, he said, until he arrived in a city that offered the relative safety of a German consulate. “The process of leaving Iran was, in fact, quite harrowing, and it was very, very scary, especially the mountainous road that I had to take to leave and go to a neighboring country,” Rasoulof says. “Fig” is set during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for violating the regime’s compulsory-hijab law. Rasoulof was inspired to make the film while imprisoned for criticizing government repression of civilian protests. One of the guards took the auteur to a corner of the prison unseen by the security cameras. As Rasoulof recalls: “He asked me, ‘What do

All raw milk from Fresno dairy farm will be cleared from store shelves; cows have bird flu

(Tomas Ovalle / For The Times) After two limited recalls, all raw milk and cream from a Fresno-based dairy farm must be removed from store shelves. The cows at Raw Farm are infected with H5N1 bird flu, state officials say. The recall, which is voluntary, encompasses all milk and cream products not included in the recalls announced last month, officials said in a statement Tuesday night. State officials quarantined the Raw Farm dairy herds — which are in Fresno and outside Hanford — Thursday and suspended future sales. This new recall is meant to remove all products remaining on store shelves. Public health officials identified the H5N1 virus in retail raw milk samples on Nov. 21 and Nov. 27. Further testing of Raw Farm’s bulk milk storage and bottling facility showed more of the virus. The recall applies only to raw whole milk and cream. However, the state is urging consumers to avoid other raw milk products, including cheese and kefir, as well as raw milk pet food products, including “raw milk pet food topper” and “pet food kefir.” The state’s Department of Food and

California bans “Sell by” dates: What you need to know about food labels

There you are, reaching on your tiptoes in the grocery store to grab the milk on the highest shelf marked with the latest date. It’s worth it, you think, to get milk that will stay fresher longer. You don’t finish the milk by that date, of course, so you dutifully pour the remainder down the drain the day after. But that “Sell by” label doesn’t indicate when your milk will go bad — it’s to help grocers rotate stock. Your milk was fine. Now you’re back in the store, paying for more. With the exception of infant formula, date labels on packaged food are not federally regulated or required, leaving it up to manufacturers and the state to determine what labels are necessary. An old state law suggested putting dated labels on foods to help consumers know when their food has gone bad, instead of confusing, grocer-focused “Sell by” labels. A new California law requires them in an effort to reduce the food waste that Californians produce — 6 million tons of it every year, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture. The