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House Republican duo calls for fraud probe into federal anti-poverty program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The federal government should investigate potential fraud in one of its largest anti-poverty programs, two Republican members of Congress say. In a Sept. 20 letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodoro that was made public Monday by Mississippi’s state auditor, U.S. Reps. Jason Smith, of Missouri, and Darin LaHood, of Illinois, said the Government Accountability Office should review non-assistance spending in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.The TANF program provides about $16.5 billion in federal funding to states for services intended to help families who cannot afford their basic needs.Smith chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means, and LaHood chairs the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare. The congressional Republicans linked their concerns about fraud to Mississippi’s sprawling corruption scandal in which authorities say $77 million in federal welfare funds intended to help some of the nation’s poorest people were diverte...

Brazil’s government starts expelling non-Indigenous people from two native territories in the Amazon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s government on Monday began removing thousands of non-Indigenous people from two native territories in a move that will affect thousands who live in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.The South American nation’s intelligence agency ABIN said in a statement that the goal is to return the Apyterewa and Trincheira Bacaja lands in Para state to the original peoples. It did not say whether or not the expulsion of non-Indigenous people has been entirely peaceful.The territories are located around the municipalities of Sao Felix do Xingu, Altamira, Anapu and Senador Jose Porfirio in Para state. Brazil’s government said the country’s Supreme Court and other judges had ordered the operation.Indigenous groups estimate more than 10,000 non-Indigenous people are living inside the two territories. ABIN said as many as 2,500 Indigenous people live in 51 villages within.“The presence of strangers on Indigenous land threatens the integrity of the Indigenous (people) a...

Mohawk Mothers worry evidence of human remains at McGill work site will be destroyed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

MONTREAL — After losing their bid to halt construction at the site of a former Montreal hospital, a group of Indigenous women who believe there may be unmarked graves at that location say they’re worried evidence could be jeopardized if work continues.Workers want to move piles of material — without sifting through them — that were excavated from an area where sniffer dogs have indicated remains could be located, a spokeswoman for the group known as the Mohawk Mothers told reporters Monday.Moving that material without analyzing it first risks making the search for potential bodies more difficult at the site, where McGill University is expanding its downtown campus, said Kwetiio, who uses one name.“You want to take remains that need to be sifted, need to be investigated and you just want to pick them up and throw them in a truck and move them somewhere else,” she said. “Well, what happens when you find something in that pile somewhere else? You will have already sta...

Police search for suspects in Near West Side armed robberies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is searching for suspects involved in multiple armed robberies on the city's Near West Side Sunday night and early Monday morning.According to one of the victims, they said three suspects, between the ages of 18 to 22-years-old, attacked him near the Phoenix STEM Military Academy on the 140 block of South Campbell Avenue.Nearby, a 24-year-old man was walking on the 100 block of South Western Avenue, when two men got out of a white sedan and took his bag and other items at gunpoint. Gunfire erupts amid armored car robbery attempt near Walmart in Country Club Hills Earlier in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood, a 28-year-old woman walking on the 200 block of South Halsted Avenue just before 1 a.m. was robbed reportedly by a man and woman who were also in a white sedan. The 28-year-old's purse and cell phone were taken at gunpoint.These armed robberies are still under investigation.The CPD Area Three Commander said their current solve rate on ro...

Trump seethes through start of trial in New York lawsuit accusing him of lying about his wealth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Aggrieved and defiant, former President Donald Trump sat through hours of sometimes testy opening statements Monday in a fraud lawsuit that could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.“Disgraceful trial,” he declared during a lunch break, after listening to lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James excoriate him as a habitual liar. The state's lawsuit accuses the business-mogul-turned-politician and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by misstating his wealth for years in financial statements.“They were lying year after year after year,” Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in James' office, said as Trump sat at the defense table. He looked straight ahead, arms crossed, facing away from a screen that showed details of Wallace's presentation.Trump denies wrongdoing and voluntarily attended a trial that he called a “sham,” a “scam,” a waste of the state’s time and “a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time...

New AI app screens children for autism — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

Medical Watch Digest for Oct 2AI and autism diagnosisArtificial intelligence helping to diagnose autism.An autism diagnosis can be tricky and for some it can take years. Now a new tool may be able to spot the disorder in 10 minutes while children play on a tablet.Duke University doctors developed an app to help screen for autism.Children play a bubble popping game that has serious benefits. The app measures and weighs a variety of distinct behavior indicators for autism, accurately reflecting the complexity and variability in each child.   It's called "Sense to Know" and developers say it is easy to use.The AI not only makes a potential diagnosis for the autism spectrum disorder but also indicates exactly how it reached the diagnosis.Weight & Heart DiseaseWeight leads to heart disease in both men and women and now experts say they know why.Fat on the outside is also circulating in the blood inside the body.A new study by researchers at Boston University School of Medic...

Marathoner with ALS has ran 50 races in 50 states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

Andrea Lytle Peet is an inspiration for everyone.She is an athlete who was diagnosed with ALS in August 2014 at the age of 33 but she hasn't let it  stop her. She is the first person with ALS to complete 50 marathons in 50 states And she's got a new film documenting her story.She and her husband David joined the WGN Evening News to talk about the race and doc.More information on her websiteThe film will be screened at the following theaters:October 4, 20236:30pmUniversity Park, IllinoisGovernors State University October 5, 20237p.m.Glen EllynGrace Lutheran Glen Ellyn October 7, 20232 p.m.ChicagoShowplace ICON October 8, 20237 p.m.Oak ParkClassic Cinemas Lake Theatre

'I'm getting better each week': A confident Lonzo Ball discusses Bulls' future, knee rehab

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Even after missing the last two full seasons and undergoing three surgeries on his left knee, the Bulls' point guard believes he is far from done with basketball.While some on the outside have cast doubt about that, Lonzo Ball is quite confident that you'll see him on the floor in the future."I definitely plan on playing again," said Ball when asked if he believes he'll play in the NBA again despite 2 1/2 years of setbacks that have kept him off the court. "Like I said, I'm only 25. I feel like the rehab process has been going well so far, no setbacks. For me, it's just keeping my head up and keep doing the work."Doing so has taken incredible patience for the guard who had a promising start to his Bulls' career after joining the team in a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans in the summer of 2021. He had his first left knee surgery in January 2022, missing the rest of the season, then had another in September 2022 when the pain persisted.That didn't do it either, so in March o...

ACL partnering with non-profit to hand out overdose reversal medication this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For the first time, anyone walking around Austin City Limits Music Festival will have the option to snag a free opioid overdose reversal treatment and get training on how to use it. "The nationwide Fentanyl overdose crisis is affecting many different aspects of our communities, and while it’s not unique to festivals we see this proactive measure as an important opportunity to educate and arm a large group of like-minded people with information and tools that can save lives," ACL festival organizers told KXAN. This Must Be The Place co-founders, William Perry and Ingela Travers-Hayward, on their way to Austin, Texas for Austin City Limits Music Festival (Courtesy: This Must Be The Place)Austin City Limits Music Festival is partnering with nonprofit This Must Be The Place to educate festival goers at all of its events, including Austin City Limits Music Festival, about the dangers of fentanyl and how to use opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone (commonly known...

Austin Animal Center waiving pet adoption fees in October

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Animal Center is collaborating with the nonprofit Adopt a Pet to offer waived pet adoption fees throughout October, according to a nonprofit news release Monday.AAC and Adopt a Pet will host a free celebratory event on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help prospective adopters meet available pets. All adoption fees will be waived at the event, and both staff and volunteers will be available to assist with any pet matchmaking needs, the release added.The event will be held at AAC, located at 7201 Levander Loop in Austin. In addition to waived adoption fees, the two organizations will be offering pet essentials giveaways. Adopt a Pet "will be offering post adoption guidance in the form of free new pet essentials and materials throughout October," the release said.“We are thrilled to announce our October partnership with Adopt A Pet, as we unite in our shared mission to find loving homes for as many of the animals at Austin Animal Center as possible," AAC C...