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Step by step, Francis has made the Catholic Church a more welcoming place for LGBTQ people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

The Catholic Church, in its doctrine, still rejects same-sex marriage and condemns any sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners as “intrinsically disordered.” Yet Pope Francis, during his nearly 11-year papacy, has done far more than any previous pope to make the church a more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people.It became clear early in Francis’ papacy that he was going to articulate a gentler, more tolerant approach. The initial high-profile moment came in 2013 — during the first broadcast news conference of his papacy — with his memorable “Who am I to judge” comment when he was asked about a purportedly gay priest.Signals of this approach had come earlier. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he had favored granting legal protections to same-sex couples as an alternative to endorsing gay marriage, which Catholic doctrine forbids. The Vatican confirmed in 2020 that this was indeed the pope’s belief.Some recent highlights:In January 2023, Francis assailed the laws on the books in ma...

New medical facility aimed at moms-to-be coming to Prince George’s Co.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

Luminis Health Pavilion has been approved for Lanham, Maryland, and will be focused on women’s health.(Courtesy Luminis Health) Luminis Health Pavilion has been approved for Lanham, Maryland, and will be focused on women’s health.(Courtesy Luminis Health) Coming to Prince George’s County, Maryland: A medical facility doing more to keep moms-to-be and their babies alive, healthy and close to home.When it comes to having babies, many women in Prince George’s County have to go out of the county to get the medical care they need.“Eight out of 10 moms who live in the county deliver their babies outside of the county,” said Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in a news release. ...

US says it will run out of funds for Ukraine this month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

The U.S. will run out of funding for Ukraine this month if Congress does not act to pass President Joe Biden’s emergency supplemental spending request that has been stalled for weeks on Capitol Hill, a top U.S. official said Monday.The Biden administration plans to announce one more package of military aid to Ukraine this month, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday. But after that, funding for Ukraine will dry up, he said.“When that one is done … we will have no more replenishment authority available to us. And we’re going to need Congress to act without delay,” Kirby said.The Pentagon still has $4.4 billion in presidential drawdown authority to provide weapons to Ukraine directly from Defense Department inventory, according to Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Garron Garn. But the weapons DOD can transfer to Ukraine are limited by the necessary funding to replenish U.S. stockpiles, and that’s what is almost gone.On Sunday, Pentagon Comptroller Mik...

Adobe abandons Figma takeover after Brussels, UK opposition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

Adobe abandoned a planned $20 billion takeover of design software rival Figma on Monday, saying there is “no clear path” to winning approval from European Union and United Kingdom merger authorities.“Despite thousands of hours spent with regulators around the world detailing differences between our businesses, our products, and the markets we serve, we no longer see a path toward regulatory approval of the deal,” Figma Chief Executive Dylan Field wrote in a blog post on Monday.The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority had told them to sell off a key Figma unit which the companies said earlier would destroy the rationale for the deal. The European Commission issued a warning on the companies over the deal last month and company executives had also met with U.S. officials to try and save it. EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said the deal would have terminated all current competition “and prevented all future competition between them,...

Man killed in Hanover after intense weather causes tree to fall onto trailer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

Authorities say an 89-year-old man was killed after high winds and heavy rain caused a tree to fall onto a trailer in Hanover Monday morning.The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office stated it was just after 9:45 a.m. when Hanover police first responded to the incident after learning a tree fell outside of a workplace at 99 Industrial Way.According to a 911 caller, the tree fell on a “small travel trailer,” trapping a man inside.Both Hanover police and firefighters arrived and were able to extricate the man, who was described as having severe head trauma as a result of the downed tree.“The victim had severe head trauma and was transported to South Shore Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries,” the DA’s office stated in a news release. “He has been identified as Robert Horky, 89, of Hingham.”Officials said an investigation into the incident was ongoing, with the DA’s office emphasizing that the area experience...

Grassroots college networks distribute emergency contraceptives on campus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

Michelle Andrews | KFF Health News (TNS)Limya Harvey and Cydney Mumford set up a folding table a few times a month on the University of Texas-San Antonio campus to give away kits containing emergency contraceptives, condoms, and lube, or menstrual products like tampons and pads. They typically bring 50 of each type of kit, and after just an hour or two everything is gone.The 19-year-old sophomores — Harvey is enrolled at UTSA and Mumford at Northeast Lakeview College — founded the organization Black Book Sex Ed last spring. Their mission is to educate students and others in need about sexual health and connect them with free services and products packaged into kits they distribute on campus, in the community, and through their website.“Both of us grew up rather lower-income,” Mumford said, “so there’s a soft spot as it relates to people who say, ‘Oh, I just don’t have it right now.’ That’s part of the reason we started doing this.”Harvey and Mumford aren’t alone. A growing number of...

Ticker: Apple pulls watches over patent dispute; EU takes up X probe 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

Apple Inc. will stop selling the latest versions of its smartwatch in the U.S. due to a patent dispute, taking the devices off the market in the middle of the busy holiday season.Sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be halted on the company’s online store on Dec. 21 and at its physical retail stores beginning on Christmas Eve.The move comes ahead of the anticipated import ban of Apple Watch models with a blood oxygen sensor — first added to the lineup in 2020 — stemming from a legal battle with Masimo Corp.The International Trade Commission ruled in October that Apple violates Masimo patents. The patents relate to an Apple Watch app that allows the device to calculate a person’s blood oxygen saturation.A presidential review of that order is now underway. “While the review period will not end until Dec. 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand,” the company said.EU takes up X probeThe European Union on Monday made Elon Musk’s online...

Bruins send Matt Poitras to World Junior Championships

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

The Bruins let the cat out of the bag before the official announcement was made.After coach Jim Montgomery called the team to the middle of the ice, whatever he said –muffled by distance – was met with stick taps all around. Then rookie Matt Poitras was given three shootout attempts on goalie Jeremy Swayman. The pride of Alaska and the University of Maine stopped all three shots from the Canadian kid, immediately eliciting a brief “USA! USA!” chant undoubtedly from some Americans.That served as the 19-year-old Poitras’ send-off to Team Canada and the World Junior Championship tournament to be held this year in Sweden, kicking off on December 26.The B’s had been wrestling with the decision of whether to send Poitras — whose skill, hockey sense and puck battle level surprisingly earned him a roster spot with the B’s — to the elite junior tourney that has become such a big deal, especially in Canada.With many factors considered, the team in the end chose t...

When raises fail: New study looks at downsides of performance-based pay

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

Many companies use raises or bonuses to motivate employees. But, new research suggests it doesn’t always work.Tony Kong, professor of organizational leadership at the University of Colorado Boulder, found that performance-based pay can backfire, causing decreased productivity and negative attitudes among employees.The factor that determines whether pay for performance will work relies on the leader being competent and personable.“A leader’s competence … is beneficial for employees engagement and performance under pay for performance,” Kong said. “The takeaway from this research is having pay for performance in place is one thing and leadership development is also important.”Michael Sturman is a professor at Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations. He said researchers have known that pay for performance systems can and usually do motivate people to perform better, but that they don’t always work, and leadership matters.“This paper takes the important step of com...

Amanda Bynes hits pause on podcast after one episode

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:20 GMT

A little more than a week after debuting her podcast — and streaming one episode — Amanda Bynes is pausing her latest media venture.The “She’s the Man” alum thanked her fans and listeners in a Sunday TikTok, explaining that she would be taking a break from the podcast because she hadn’t been able to book the guests she wanted for the show — namely top musicians she had been eyeing.“So even though the podcast is doing really well and the response has been great, I am going to take a pause on it for now,” the 37-year-old said in the video.“We are not able to get the type of guests that I’d like on the show, like say Jack Harlow or Drake or Post Malone,” Bynes said. “So maybe one day if we’re able to get those types of guests on the show, we will resume the podcast. But for now, I’m taking a pause on it.”The “Hairspray” and “All That” actor launched the show, “Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast,” with her friend on Dec. 9. They invited L.A. tattoo artist Dahlia Moth to spea...