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Flu prevalence declaration means required masks for certain healthcare workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald declared that the flu is now prevalent in New York State which triggers mask requirements for certain healthcare workers. The declaration requires unvaccinated healthcare workers in the following settings to wear surgical or procedure masks during times when the Commissioner declares that influenza is prevalent in New York State.  Saint Rose students protest college closure, demand answers These facilities include but are not limited to: hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, certified home health agencies, long-term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, licensed home care service agencies, limited licensed home care service agencies, and hospices. This declaration comes after week-over-week lab-confirmed flu cases are up 34%, rising from 1,487 cases in the previous week to 1,993 outside the New York City area. In New York City, cases are up 21 percent, ...

Alderman proposes open-carry trigger law in St. Louis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Much like Missouri state lawmakers used a so-called trigger law to ban abortion, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has now signed a trigger law that could ban open carry of firearms in the city.“I would say this is honestly a play out of the GOP playbook,” Alderman Rasheen Aldridge (Ward 14) said.The language in the ordinance actually states that it is a “trigger ordinance.”It took its cue from the Republican-backed abortion ban trigger law that the state passed to go into effect in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling, which it did in 2022.With a prevalence of people now openly carrying assault-style rifles legally on the streets of St. Louis, Aldridge wrote this trigger law to take effect should state law change to allow cities to ban open carry.“St. Louis is a lot different than Joplin,” Aldridge said. “We’re a lot different than the boot heel, where people are using these guns to hunt animals. In our area, these guns are being use...

Representatives continue to meet behind closed doors to discuss ethics complaint

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A group of Missouri lawmakers met for hours late Wednesday afternoon behind closed doors to discuss an ethics complaint.This is the third time the House Ethics Committee, made up of 10 representatives, has met for hours behind closed doors since the end of October. Members were discussing an alleged ethics complaint regarding House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres. With the legislative session set to start next month, representatives gave no indication of when the investigation would conclude."Our task is to protect the integrity of the institution," Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, said to reporters following the meeting on Wednesday. "In the corporate world, in the private business world, we would be considered an HR (human resources) department."In a meeting closed to the public on Wednesday, representatives spent nearly three hours discussing a personnel inquiry and an ethics complaint."We're tasked with a serious responsibility of due process, and thi...

Radiation compensation for St. Louisans stripped from defense bill, Hawley says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Radiation exposure compensation for thousands of St. Louis families has been stripped away from the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Thousands of families are now wondering what will happen when the fund expires in just a few short months."This may be some of these people's last Christmas,” Dawn Chapman, Just Moms STL, said. “Do we really have to go spend it on the steps of the Capitol trying to get an appointment with leader McConnell? Is that really what we have to do?”Chapman received a call from Senator Josh Hawley on Wednesday. The senator shared the devastating news."I could hear it in his voice when I answered the phone. It hurt me to hear how hurt he was, if that makes any sense,” Chapman said. “But he was also very angry, and I think it's going to be rough passing this now.”Just Moms STL spent last week at the nation's capital meeting with federal officials, hoping to get their vote for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Close ...

Cardinals fans ready to welcome back Yadier Molina with open arms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Yadier Molina won't be wearing his iconic No. 4 jersey at Busch Stadium next spring; he will, however, still be representing the St. Louis Cardinals."He bleeds red," Bill Ganz said.Molina was only away from the ball club for just over a year before returning."I get goosebumps just thinking about it," Samantha Shawhan said.Molina's coming back to the organization as a special assistant to Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. The team has not yet described what Molina’s day-to-day will look like, but fans are excited nonetheless.“It's always great when you have a long-time player come back to the team," Jesse Sanchez said. Highway with ‘Loneliest Road in America’ also runs through St. Louis region Shawhan said she had a feeling Molina would be coming back one way or another."I'm excited,” she said. “Deep down, I had a feeling he was going to stay with the organization in some capacity."Before Wednesday’s announcement, there was talk of Molina potenti...

Jeffco Public Schools parents allege transgender policy violates parental rights following overnight class trip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

Jefferson County parents allege a Jeffco Public Schools policy violated their parental rights after they found out their daughter was assigned to sleep in the same bed as a transgender girl on an overnight school trip.District officials said they were reviewing a letter sent to the Board of Education and Superintendent Tracy Dorland on Monday by an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom. The letter detailed the concerns Joe and Serena Wailes had about the treatment of their 11-year-old daughter, identified as D.W., on a school trip in June to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.Alliance Defending Freedom is a nonprofit legal organization “committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights and the sanctity of life,” according to the group’s website. It’s also been a key player in the political right’s campaign against transgender rights.According to the letter, parents were told before the trip that boys and girls would be on different floors of the hot...

High-speed, reckless driving suspect evades police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

Authorities in San Bernardino County are asking for the public’s help in locating a reckless driving suspect who successfully evaded officers Wednesday.  The incident began when motor officers with the Chino Police Department working traffic enforcement near Kimball Avenue and Main Street attempted to stop the driver of a Nissan 370Z for vehicle code violations.  That’s when police say the suspect began evading officers, hitting speeds of 85 miles per hour in a residential area.  Driver and vehicle wanted by Chino police after evading officers on Dec. 6, 2023. (Chino PD)Driver and vehicle wanted by Chino police after evading officers on Dec. 6, 2023. (Chino PD)Driver and vehicle wanted by Chino police after evading officers on Dec. 6, 2023. (Chino PD)Driver and vehicle wanted by Chino police after evading officers on Dec. 6, 2023. (Chino PD)“This person’s reckless driving began to endanger the public,” Chino PD said in a social media post. “So, we were unable to pursue and appr...

Gunman at large after killing man inside his vehicle in Compton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

Authorities are searching for the suspect who killed a man while he was sitting inside his car in Compton.The victim, Miguel Angel Prado, 23, was found shot to death on Aug. 18, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.Deputies responded to an assault with a deadly weapon on the 100 block of E. Caldwell Street around 12:46 a.m.Arriving officers found Prado in the driver’s seat of an SUV with gunshot wounds on his upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Investigators discovered Prado had returned home from work with his girlfriend that night. Before entering their apartment, they sat in the car and chatted with each other.As they remained parked on the south side of East Caldwell Street, a light-colored sedan drove towards them from Tamarind Avenue.Miguel Angel Prado, 23, was found shot to death in Compton on Aug. 18, 2023 as the gunman remains at large. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)A sketch of the suspect and their light-colored sedan. The suspec...

Long Beach teen booked for murder in cyclist's hit-and-run death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

Long Beach police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who they believe intentionally hit a cyclist, sending him to the hospital where he later died.The unidentified teen lives in Long Beach and was booked for murder on Wednesday. Police say he was already in custody on unrelated charges.On July 9, Leobardo Cervantes, a 29-year-old resident of Long Beach, was struck at the intersection of California Avenue and Harding Street. Cervantes suffered serious traumatic injuries and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. On July 22, nearly two weeks after being hit, Cervantes died at the hospital.Detectives determined that a dark-colored sedan was traveling at high speeds when it slammed into the cyclist and then fled the scene. A motive has not been established, but police believe Cervantes was hit on purpose, although they have not disclosed how they came to that conclusion. Because of the apparent intentionality of the act, the case was investigated as a murder.The unnamed teen remains in po...

Hollywood Actors Vote And Approve New Contract Until 2026

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:00 GMT

Members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted to ratify a new contract negotiated with Hollywood production companies.The results were announced Monday with a 78.3% vote in favor, with 38% of eligible members voting.“I’m proud of our SAG-AFTRA membership. They struck for 118 days to grant the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee the necessary leverage to secure over $1 billion in gains, along with the union’s first-ever protections around AI technology,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement Monday. “Now they’ve locked in the gains by ratifying the contract. SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process, and I know they’ll continue their advocacy throughout our next negotiation cycle. This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful.”The vote came weeks after a tentative agreement was announced, ending a 118-day strike that saw actors...