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Teenage stripper sues after Florida raises minimum dancing age arguing it violates First Amendment rights
A teenage stripper and various adult-entertainment businesses are suing Florida over the state’s newest law that raises the minimum age for workers.On July 1, a new Florida law aimed to crack down on human trafficking took effect. Part of it called for those working at adult-entertainment businesses to be at least 21 years old. The businesses include sex shops, adult bookstores and strip clubs.That led to a flurry of lawsuits including one from Serenity Bushey, 19, a dancer at a Florida club. Two strip clubs and a sex shop also filed a lawsuit over the law, according to WKMG.Bushey argues...
A bridge near a Minnesota dam may collapse. Officials say they can do little to stop it
Rushing waters from the Blue Earth River have already left a trail of debris and destruction on the edges of a southern Minnesota dam that partially failed last week, but officials acknowledged Tuesday the structure most in danger may be the bridge that looms nearby. The County Road 9 Bridge is at risk of crumbling, and officials said they have little recourse. The threat to the bridge accelerated after a bout of heavy rain and flooding pummeled the Midwest for days. The Blue Earth River's water levels rose dramatically and tested the structural integrity of the dam. The dam...
Discipline used in Kansas' largest school district was discriminatory, the Justice Department says
Educators in Kansas’ largest public school district discriminated against Black and disabled students when disciplining them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, which announced an agreement Tuesday that will have the district revising its policies.Changes the Wichita district has agreed to include restraining unruly students less often and ending the practice of putting misbehaving students alone in rooms by Jan. 1, 2025, the DOJ said.The district also agreed to offer counseling or tutoring to every student who was confined alone in a room during the past three schools years, with the number of hours matching those for which...
Black farmers' association calls for Tractor Supply CEO's resignation after company cuts DEI efforts
The National Black Farmers Association called on Tractor Supply's president and CEO Tuesday to step down after the rural retailer announced that it would drop most of its corporate diversity and climate advocacy efforts.The resignation demand emerged as Tractor Supply, which sells products ranging from farming equipment to pet supplies, faces a deepening backlash over its decision, which itself came after conservative activists spoke out against the company's work to be more socially inclusive and to curb climate change. In a public announcement last week, the company said it would eliminate all of its diversity, equity and inclusion roles,...
Horizon actor Michael Rooker blames poor box office on ‘TikTokified’ audiences unused to ‘real cinema’
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 actor Michael Rooker has hit out at audiences following the poor box office performance of Kevin Costner’s Western epic, saying they’re not used to “real cinema.”Rooker, 69, plays Sergeant Major Riordan in the new film. He is best known for his appearances as Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead and as Yondu Udonta in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.While being interviewed by TMZ at Los Angeles International Airpor, Rooker was asked about Horizon’s sluggish performance at the box office last weekend, where it recouped just $11m against its $100m budget.“It’s real...
Appeals court rejects Broadway producer's antitrust claim against actors' and stage managers' union
An appeals court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by a Tony Award-winning producer who claims that a union for actors and stage managers organized an illegal boycott that prevented him from producing live Broadway shows.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled that the producer, Garth Drabinsky, could not continue with his $50 million lawsuit alleging that the Actors’ Equity Association violated antitrust and various state laws, including defamation.The union represents over 50,000 theater actors and stage managers.Luke Hasskamp, a lawyer for Drabinsky, declined to comment.Drabinsky, 74, whose hits include “Ragtime” and a 1994 revival of “Show...
Robert Towne, Oscar-winning writer of ‘Chinatown,’ dies at 89
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles,Towne died Monday surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. In an industry which gave birth to rueful jokes about the writer's status, Towne for a time held prestige comparable to the actors and directors he worked with. Through his friendships with two of the biggest stars of...
Biden blames jet lag for debate debacle: ‘I almost fell asleep on stage’
Joe Biden claims the reason for his poor performance at last week’s presidential debate was due to being tired after traveling “around the world a couple of times” in the days before the deabte.The 81-year-old said he “almost fell asleep on stage” during his Thursday clash with Donald Trump. It comes as many, including those from his own party, have further questioned the president’s cognitive ability and whether he would be up to the role for four more years, should he be re-elected in November.In remarks shared by pool reporters who attended a private fundraiser in Virginia Tuesday evening,...
Man, 36, accused of killing young mom, 21, who went missing after leaving rehab and found dead in the woods
A young mom was found murdered in Alabama after leaving rehab and now a 36-year-old man has been charged in connection to her killing.Michael Wade Tucker, 36, was charged with murder for the death of 21-year-old Laci Whitson, according to ABC 33/40.Tucker was the last known person to be with Whitson, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.Whitson went missing after leaving a rehab facility in Lauderdale County, Alabama, last week, according to the Tuscaloosa Thread.Her loved ones started to worry after not hearing from her and raised the alarm.On Sunday, Whitson’s remains were found wrapped in a blanket and...
Robert Towne, Oscar-winning Chinatown writer, dead at 89
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, has died. He was 89.In a long and storied career, Towne also wrote the scripts for Hal Ashby’s The Last Detail and Shampoo and collaborated with Tom Cruise on Days of Thunder, The Firm and the first two Mission: Impossible films. Towne, widely considered one of the greatest screenwriters of all time, died on Monday at his home in Los Angeles, publicist Carrie McClure said in a statement to Variety.He was born Robert Bertram Schwartz in Los Angeles on November 23, 1934 and grew up in the nearby port city of San Pedro.His...
Small number of Reform votes will hand seats to SNP, Tories claim
Even a small number of votes for Reform UK will see the SNP handed seats in Scotland, the Conservatives have claimed.The party has continued its warnings against its traditional voters defecting to Nigel Farage’s party on the eve of polling day.Opinion polls indicate the SNP and Labour are engaged in a two-way race north of the border, with seat projections suggesting the Tories may hold on to the same number of seats they won in the previous election.In recent days, the party has urged Scottish voters not to shift to Reform.Party chairman Craig Hoy said: “Many seats in Scotland are...
Signs by polling booth near Grenfell Tower warn voters of ‘slippery politicians’
Grenfell campaigners have urged voters not to “slip up again on hollow promises from politicians” as ballots are cast in the General Election.Seventy-two signs – one for each life lost in the 2017 fire – have been placed in the area of Grenfell Tower.The yellow signs, usually seen in shops warning customers to watch their footing in a spillage, read “Caution, Slippery Politicians”.When you are putting your X in the box, just remember GrenfellYvette Williams, Justice4GrenfellPlaced together on a pavement in front of a polling station sign in west London, Grenfell Tower with its green heart at the top can...
Greens to end campaign with focus on ‘marginals’ including Bristol and Brighton
Green campaigners will turn their attention four “tight marginals” on the final day before General Election polls open.According to co-leader Carla Denyer, her party hopes to return four MPs after voting on Thursday – up from a single seat previously – in a bid to encourage “an incoming Labour government to be bolder and braver”.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is tipped to become prime minister by the end of this week, with pollsters putting Labour around 19 points ahead of the Conservatives.The Green Party has named four seats which it will target on Wednesday, including Bristol Central which Ms Denyer...
Scots can ‘end Tory nightmare’ on Thursday by voting Labour, says Sarwar
Scots can use their vote to “end the Tory nightmare” on Thursday, Anas Sarwar has said.On the day before polls open, the Scottish Labour leader said his party will “secure a better future for Scotland”.He also cautioned voters against five more years of the “sleazy Tories”.This election is a straight choice between a broken status quo with two bad governments, or change with LabourAnas SarwarMr Sarwar said: “This election is an opportunity for change that Scotland cannot afford to miss.“Imagine waking up on Friday to the news of five more years under the Tories – the same sleazy Tories that...
Average rent outside London hits record high – check how your area compares
The average rent outside London has hit a record high.The new record of £1,316 across Britain, excluding London, means that average advertised rents outside London are around 7% higher than a year earlier, according to Rightmove’s analysis covering the month of May.In London, the average advertised rent is £2,652 per month, which is 4% higher than a year earlier, the website said.With the General Election taking place on Thursday, Rightmove said the next government should accelerate housebuilding and incentivise landlords to invest in more homes for tenants, “to improve the supply and demand imbalance in the rental market and stabilise...
Swinney to urge Scots to make their vote count amid tight races
Scotland’s First Minister will urge voters to turn out on Thursday as he warns some seats will be decided “by only a handful of votes”.Mr Swinney will use a speech on Wednesday evening to deliver a final message to voters in Scotland ahead of ballots being cast on Thursday.The election in England, he will reiterate, is a “foregone conclusion”, while results in Scotland are “on a knife edge”.The campaign between the SNP and Scottish Labour – currently engaged in a two-way race for top spot in Scotland – is one of “genuine, competing visions of the future”, he will say.Be...
New government must fully back push for 100% renewables, say Greens
The next UK Government must fully support the push for 100% of energy to be provided by renewable sources, the Scottish Greens have said.Speaking on the eve of polling day, the party’s co-leader, Lorna Slater, said climate change is “the most urgent and severe” problem to face the Prime Minister – whoever it may be – after July 4.“Of all the issues that the next Prime Minister will face, the climate crisis is the most urgent and severe,” she said.“The destruction of our environment and our natural world are accelerating.The destruction of our environment and our natural world are acceleratingLorna...
Hurricane season 2024 is here. Here's how to stay prepared
Hurricane season is upon us, known for disastrous flooding and high-speed winds in coastal areas of the United States and in the Caribbean and Central America, and emergency management officials are urging people to stay prepared.Unlike previous hurricane seasons, this summer brings record hot temperatures nationwide and an early onset of storms. Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30, but usually the most hurricanes occur in September and October, said Jaime Hernandez, the emergency management director for Hollywood, on Florida's Atlantic Coast.“That’s a little bit different this year because of the reality we’re dealing with with global warming,...
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F review: Eddie Murphy’s much-hyped sequel fails to get with the times
Beverly Hills Cop, when it originally opened in 1984, became a box office hit and a surprise Oscar nominee by the grace of how well its fish-out-water, action-comedy schtick landed. Axel Foley, the Detroit detective transplanted to Los Angeles to solve his friend’s murder, was easy to root for because he was played by Eddie Murphy. Mid-transition from Saturday Night Live to Hollywood, Murphy carried the film with ease, buoyed by a laugh like a motor engine kicking into gear, and a grin so wide it rewrote the fabric of the universe to make everyone around him the butt...
Plans to demolish Texas church where gunman opened fire in 2017 draws visitors back to sanctuary
Plans to tear down a small Texas church where a gunman in 2017 killed more than two dozen worshippers drew visitors Tuesday as a last-minute push was made to stop the demolition.Leaders of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs have not publicly announced when it plans to demolish the sanctuary, where authorities put the number of dead from the shooting at 26 people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, in what remains the deadliest church shooting in U.S. history.On Tuesday, a Texas judge approved a temporary restraining order sought by some families to delay the demolition. The...
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