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Black Reel Awards founder launches LightReel Film Festival in DC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

The LightReel Feel Fest launches at the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market in Northeast D.C.(Courtesy LightReel Film Fest) The LightReel Feel Fest launches at the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market in Northeast D.C.(Courtesy LightReel Film Fest) toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews the LightReel Film Fest (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').o...

Surprising Sycamores fearlessly hit road for college baseball’s Super Regionals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

Indiana State certainly earned the right to host this weekend’s NCAA Super Regional.It shrugged off a 2-8 start, shut out rival Evansville in the decisive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game after splitting the first two contests, protected its home tuff last weekend with back-to-back victories over Iowa to claim a rare regional title and then watched TCU take down higher-seeded Arkansas in another regional championship Monday.For just about any other team needing two wins to make the eight-team College World Series, it would be a milestone moment — the surprising Sycamores first Super Regional on campus. Instead, scheduling conflicts are forcing them to again demonstrate their fearlessness on the road.“I don’t really care where we play,” said Keegan Watson, whose three-run home run in the seventh inning sealed Sunday’s title-clinching 11-8 victory. “I know we can go anywhere and compete against anybody in any stadium.”Certainly, they’ve d...

El volcán Popocatépetl disminuye actividad y regresa a semáforo amarillo fase 2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

(CNN Español) — El semáforo de alerta del volcán Popocatépetl regresa a la fase 2 del nivel amarillo, informó este martes la Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC) de México.En un comunicado, la dependencia señaló que, durante una reunión el Comité Científico Asesor (CCA) para evaluar el comportamiento reciente del coloso, se concluyó que con base en el “análisis y diagnóstico de la actividad general reciente y los escenarios esperados en el corto plazo” se recomienda bajar la alerta, aunque se mantendrá el monitoreo permanente de la actividad y seguimiento de su evolución por parte del Cenapred y del CCA.Las autoridades habían incrementado el nivel de alerta del volcán Popocatépetl a amarillo fase 3 el pasado 20 de mayo, luego de que los expertos notaran un incremento en la actividad del coloso.Así suena el volcán Popocatépetl según la descripción de sus habitantes 2:37En este lapso, el Popocatépetl lanzó ceniza, registró explosiones y tremores, lanzó fragmento...

Person dies after being struck by tractor-trailer on Mass. Pike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

A person died Tuesday after being struck by a tractor-trailer on the eastbound side of Mass Pike in Framingham, according to state police. Police first said units were on scene as of around 11:30 a.m., warning motorists to expect delays. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation separately said the left two lanes on the eastbound side of the highway were closed as of 11:30 a.m.SKY7-HD showed police still on scene at 12 p.m. as traffic inched by in the area.In an update around 1:30 p.m., state police said the person suffered fatal injuries, adding that lanes remained closed.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Sen. Ed Markey speak at Youth Mental Health Summit at Boston University

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Sen. Ed Markey were in Boston on Monday, speaking at a Youth Mental Health Summit at Boston University. In their remarks, the two addressed the impact of social media on young minds while calling on big tech companies to make changes. “We put the weight of the world on the shoulders of our young people and it is making them sick,” Markey said. “It’s not just a general responsibility, it’s a moral responsibility to take care of our kids,” Murthy said. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three high school girls contemplated suicide in 2021, up 60% from a decade ago. For LGBTQ youth, one in five individuals attempted suicide. Social media, Markey said, plays a role in declining mental health. “Social disconnection, isolation, insecurity, self esteem — to put it plainly, big tech is a big problem,” he said. Both Murthy and Markey have called for more safety regulations f...

PGA Tour and European tour agree to merge with Saudis and end LIV Golf feud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)The PGA Tour ended its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s golf venture and now is joining forces with it, making a stunning announcement Tuesday of a merger that creates a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour.As part of the deal, the sides immediately are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf.From the golf side, still to be determined is how players like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson can rejoin the PGA Tour after defecting last year for signing bonuses reported to be in the $150 million range.From the commercial side, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund joins the PGA Tour board of directors and leads the new business venture as chairman, though the PGA Tour will have a majority stake.News of the deal came as a surprise to many watchers of the lawsuits and Saudi Arabia’s inroads into U.S. politics, sports and culture.“This is a huge development and obviously upends a...

Route 66, America’s ‘Mother Road,’ readies for its centennial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

Erika Bolstad | (TNS) Stateline.orgFrom its earliest days, Route 66 has reflected the American culture of the moment.When the road connected Chicago to Los Angeles in 1926, it represented the possibility of the automobile. In the 1930s, it served as an east-to-west escape route from the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. By the 1950s, the 2,400-mile highway lured travelers with the post-World War II promise of adventure on the open road. And as the era of interstate highway driving dawned, Route 66 began to reflect a yearning for a time when a journey was about more than the destination.Now the eight states traversed by America’s defining highway are getting it ready for its 100th anniversary, in 2026. States are handing out grants to restore vintage neon signs along the highway. They’re installing shoulders to make the road safer for bicyclists and improving signage to make the route more obvious through cities. And they’re installing charging stations that will make it easier ...

Top autism-friendly vacation ideas for summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

Donald Wood | (TNS) TravelPulseHitting the road for a summer family vacation with children can be very stressful, but the intensity of preparation and the scrutiny over every detail is amplified when one of the kids along for the ride is on the autism spectrum.As the father of an autistic daughter, planning autism-friendly vacations can present unique challenges, but thankfully travel brands and the supporting industries continue to focus on inclusivity.Feeling accepted is important to impacted travelers, as Autism Speaks revealed that approximately one out of every 36 children in the United States is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 31% of those kids have an intellectual disability.With autism costing an estimated $60,000 a year through childhood, families are looking to get the most bang for their buck, while also getting a chance to mentally recharge as a coping mechanism for the everyday grind.Here are some autism-friendly vacation ideas for the whole family...

Gun tragedies hit close to home for Stanley Cup Final opponents, who helped their communities heal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers didn’t have much of a joint history on the ice before meeting in the Stanley Cup Final — just 10 regular-season games before the series opened Saturday. Off the ice, the teams were connected by tragedy just over five years ago. Within months of each other, Las Vegas and South Florida were devastated by mass shootings not far from their arenas — and the then-expansion Knights and the Panthers played a role in the healing that has followed. The teams mourned the Las Vegas Strip and Parkland high school victims during pregame ceremonies, brought relatives to games, honored first responders and donated to family foundations. They erected permanent memorials inside their arenas — in Vegas, to its 60 victims, and in Florida, to the 17 who died at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. “The idea that these two teams, impacted by gun violence at almost the same time, are now playing each other for the Stanley Cup is su...

US judge blocks Florida ban on trans minor care in narrow ruling, says ‘gender identity is real’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:56:00 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Saying gender identity is real, a federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a new Florida law that bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, ruling Tuesday that the state has no rational basis for denying patients treatment.Judge Robert Hinkle issued a preliminary injunction, saying three transgender children can continue receiving treatment. The lawsuit challenges the law Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed shortly before he announced a run for president.“The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear,” Hinkle said, adding that even a witness for the state agreed.Transgender medical treatment for minors is increasingly under attack in many states and has been subject to restrictions or outright bans. But it has been available in the United States for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.Hinkle’s ruling was narrowly focused on the three children...