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Lawmakers seek action against Elf Bar and other fruity e-cigarettes imported from China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers are demanding information from federal officials on what they are doing to stop the recent influx of kid-appealing electronic cigarettes from China.Members of a new congressional committee on U.S.-China relations sent the request Thursday to Justice Department and Food and Drug Administration leaders, calling attention to “the extreme proliferation of illicit vaping products.”The letter cites Associated Press reporting on how thousands of new disposable e-cigarettes have hit the market in recent years, mostly manufactured in China and sold in flavors like watermelon and gummy bear.The FDA has declared all such products illegal. Companies seeking to sell e-cigarettes in the U.S. are required to first seek permission from the FDA, though many of the products imported from China have skipped that step. The agency has only authorized a tiny handful of tobacco-flavored vapes for adult smokers.In May, the agency called on customs officials to block import...

Man who fired shotgun into air outside New York synagogue cited events in the Mideast, agent says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A man who fired a shotgun into the air outside a synagogue in New York’s capital city is an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen who told investigators he felt affected by events in the Middle East, a federal agent said in a court filing.No one was injured by the gunfire Thursday afternoon outside Albany’s Temple Israel, but children attending preschool had to shelter in place while police searched the area.Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 28, was arrested a short distance away from the temple after laying down the shotgun, police said. He said “Free Palestine” when officers arrested him, according to Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins.Federal prosecutors charged Alkhader with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person — a charge authorities said was related to his admitted use of marijuana — and was expected to appear at a federal court in Albany on Friday morning. He could also face state charges. Hawkins said the incident was being investigated as a possible hate crime.An att...

Hundreds of Palestinians tied up, stripped, taken captive by Israeli soldiers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops rounded up hundreds of Palestinians for questioning about suspected ties to Hamas as attacks against the Gaza strip continue into the third month. Over 17,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis have been killed. The United Nations warned that its aid operation is “in tatters” because no place in the besieged enclave is safe.Israel also dropped leaflets over parts of Gaza with a biblical warning to Hamas leaders that it would take “a life for a life, an eye for an eye.” A day after The first images of such roundups emerged Thursday from the northern town of Beit Lahiya, showing dozens of men kneeling or sitting in the streets, stripped down to their underwear, their hands bound behind their backs and some with their heads bowed.The Israeli army said that over the past day its forces had struck about 450 targets in the tiny, densely populated Gaza Strip, signaling the continued intensity of a campaign that has already led to widespread civilian cas...

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is the first tour to gross over $1 billion, Pollstar says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is the first tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, according to Pollstar's 2023 year-end charts.Not only was Swift's landmark Eras Tour the No. 1 tour both worldwide and in North America, but she also brought in a whopping $1.04 billion with 4.35 million tickets sold across 60 tour dates, the concert trade publication found. Pollstar data is pulled from box office reports, venue capacity estimates, historical Pollstar venue ticket sales data, and other undefined research, collected from Nov. 17, 2022 to Nov. 15, 2023.Representatives for the publication did not immediately clarify if they adjusted past tour data to match 2023 inflation in naming Swift the first to break the billion-dollar threshold.Pollstar also found that Swift brought in approximately $200 million in merch sales and her blockbuster film adaptation of the tour, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” has reportedly earned approximately $250 million in sales, making it the highest-...

Florida senator urges probe into alleged 'sewage garlic' from China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Florida Sen. Rick Scott is asking federal regulators to crack down on imports of alleged "sewage garlic" from China.In a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Scott invoked 1962’s Trade Expansion Act, which authorizes the agency to "initiate an investigation to ascertain the effect of specific imports on the national security of the United States."Scott said he has concerns with trade enforcement, citing over half a billion dollars in unpaid antidumping fees tied to the garlic industry. But his chief concern, according to the letter, is alleged unsanitary growing conditions in "Communist China." Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks at a press conference on appropriations with members of the House Freedom Caucus and conservative senators on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)"But beyond these trade enforcement concerns, there is a severe public healthconcern over the quality and safety of garlic grown in foreign ...

Out-of-state travel for abortions doubled since 2020

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

(NewsNation) — The number of people traveling out of state for abortions has doubled since 2020, following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.The Guttmacher Institute released new findings on the number of people traveling for reproductive health care. Nearly one in five abortion patients traveled out of state to get an abortion during the first six months of 2023, compared to one in 10 seeking the procedure during the same period in 2020.In the wake of the Dobbs decision, several states have passed laws that ban or strictly limit abortion. While most states include exceptions for emergency care when the life or health of the mother is at risk, many advocates have said the lack of clarity leaves hospitals reluctant to approve procedures. House GOP releases resolution to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry Activists in states where abortion is banned or limited have made efforts to help those needing the procedure to travel, including helping pay for the cos...

Shooting spree suspect tried to run from corrections officers in 'jail incident,' sheriff's office says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- The suspect in Tuesday's shooting spree in Central Texas that left six people dead and three injured tried to run from a corrections officer during an "incident" Wednesday after being taken into custody, according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office. Shane James, 34 was taken into custody and charged with capital murder of multiple people at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. On Wednesday, as a corrections officer was opening the door to the unit James was assigned, James pushed past the officer and ran into the hallway, TCSO told KXAN. Corrections officers detained James and he resisted but was ultimately restrained. A court affidavit stated Shane "attempted to escape custody from the Travis County Jail. It was reported Travis County deputies had to use force to subdue Shane," the affidavit said. What we know about the suspect in Tuesday’s shooting spree in Austin, San Antonio TCSO added the Travis County jail is a multi-floor, secure facility and said James w...

APD: Skeletal remains found in greenbelt trail considered homicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Skeletal remains found last month at the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt "revealed injuries consistent with homicide," the Austin Police Department said in a news release on Thursday.On Nov. 27, the APD homicide unit "received multiple tips" that a murder happened on the Greenbelt trail, located in the 1100 block of South Sixth Street. Further information said the murder victim was buried thereThen, on Nov. 29, officials "responded to process the scene with a search and rescue K9," and that is when the skeletal remains were found.Furthermore, an autopsy "revealed injuries consistent with homicide," according to police. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Anyone with any information should contact APD's Homicide unit at (512) 974-TIPS or email [email protected]. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling (512) 472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be ava...

Austin neighborhood light show organizers worry it could be event's last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A neighborhood tradition of holiday lights returns Friday night for the season, but organizers said they worry it could be the event's last year.Creating decorations out of trash for the 37th Street Lights in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)37th Street Lights is an effort of residents on West 37th Street between Guadalupe Street and Home Street. Beginning at sunset, homes on the street light up with a variety of "weird" themes until 10 p.m. 2019: Neighborhood rejuvenates central Austin tradition of ’37th Street Lights’ Some new features on the street include a Barbie themed display and a "Purple Rain" house. The stuffed animal petting zoo returns from previous years.The light show runs until Jan. 1, 2024.An end, or just a pause?The free event began in the 1980s as a collaboration of artists. Now, the neighborhood continues that legacy as a way to keep the "Austin DIY spirit" alive.An (in)security checkpoint at the 2023 37th Street Lights in Austin (KXAN Photo/Todd B...

Deadline today for felony marijuana expungements

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Friday is the deadline for felony marijuana expungements in Missouri.When voters legalized recreational marijuana in February, it also promised to automatically remove marijuana-misdemeanors and felonies involving less than three pounds of marijuana. Win Big This Holiday Season! Enter the Home For The Holidays $15K Giveaway! More than 97,000 charges have been expunged so far, but Friday's deadline will not be met.