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Australia apologizes for thalidomide tragedy as some survivors listen in the Parliament gallery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Survivors of the harmful morning sickness drug thalidomide were in the public gallery Wednesday when Australia’s Parliament made a national apology to them on the 62nd anniversary of the drug being withdrawn from sale in the country.Thalidomide, also sold under the brand names Contergan and Distaval, was available in 46 countries and caused birth defects, stillbirths and miscarriages.Survivors with limb deformities and one with no limbs were in the House of Representatives gallery to hear Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s apology.“Today, on behalf of the people of Australia, our government and this Parliament offers a full unreserved and overdue apology to all thalidomide survivors, their families, loved ones, and carers,” Albanese said.“This apology takes in one of the darkest chapters in Australia’s medical history,” he added.Doctors had assured pregnant women that the drug was safe.“There was no system for properly evaluating the safety of medicines, an...

Opinion: The Bears won, but Luke Getsy's time as offensive coordinator may be up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears squandered a lead and Justin Fields bucked his fourth quarter woes to lead them to a comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings Monday, but Luke Getsy's play-calling continued to be the bane of the Bears' offensive existence, and change needs to happen fast if he wants to keep his job. Last Week: The Chicago Bears lack vision – literally and metaphorically Before I go on this tangent, I am not going to sit here and advocate for Getsy to be ousted outright. At the end of the day, this is a man who's built his life around working as a coach for one of America's most recognizable football teams — and if he get's the boot — I don't want to be counted toward the crowd who metaphorically danced on his grave as his life was thrown into chaos.I am sure Bears fans, Getsy and I would all prefer things to be sunshine and daffodils when it comes to the football team who plays their home games at Soldier Field. Unfortunately, that is not our reality.I am just here ...

Dolly Parton reveals why she won't send text messages

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – If country megastar Dolly Parton doesn't respond to a text message, don't take it personally.While chatting with Drew Barrymore on the actress' self-titled show Monday, the 77-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revealed why she'd rather send a fax than a text message."I'm a low-tech girl in a high-tech world," Parton said. "I surround myself with all these people that are into that high-tech world, but I don't want to talk to everybody that wants to talk to me."The decision to keep texting out of her "9 to 5" is a conscious one."I don't text because I don't want to have to answer," Parton continued. "If somebody calls me I'll answer if I want to talk to them, or I'll call them back when I can. Otherwise I've got too much to think about than to clutter my mind up with everything else." Dolly Parton has a ‘secret’ song locked in a time capsule, but she’s upset no one will hear it until 2045 The "Jolene" singer made it clear that she could text ... if she wanted to."I...

California man accused of allowing teen daughter to sell nude photos online

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. (KTXL) — A California man accused of allowing his 16-year-old daughter to sell nude photos online has been arrested, according to authorities.In August, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said detectives began investigating a 16-year-old girl who they learned had a very well-known online presence on a variety of social media platforms. During their investigation, officials said the teen was allegedly selling illegal content online and made about $40,000. Homeless woman living in vehicle with six dogs arrested for animal abuse Detectives said the girl's father was aware of her online activity and the profits made from selling the photos. On Nov. 15, the sheriff's office said detectives served a search warrant on the father's home and he was arrested for a variety of charges including sex trafficking, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child abuse. The sheriff's office said Tuesday that the investigation was ongoing and anyone who has informa...

Georgia's Fran Brown becomes the new SU Football head coach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) -- The Syracuse University Football Team officially has a new coach. There were numerous names floating around Monday night into Tuesday Evening, but Syracuse University has officially revealed that Fran Brown, Georgia Defensive Backs coach, is the new head coach for the Orange. LOCAL SPORTS SU Head Coach could be named in next 24-36 hours Fran Brown is actually ranked as the number one recruiter in the country right now for the class of 2024 by 247 Sports.And that's not just because he's at Georgia. He was known for landing top talent during his time at Baylor and Temple as well. Brown also has northeast ties which John Wildhack, SU's director of athletics, said was going to be important.He's a New Jersey native who actually spent a couple of years on the same staff as SU's interim head coach, Nunzio Campanile, at Rutgers.Coach Brown joined the Georgia coaching staff in February of 2022 and prior to that was Rutgers' secondary coach from 2020 to 2021. Durin...

Keeler: CU Buffs, Sean Lewis should’ve been perfect football marriage. So why did Deion Sanders speed up the divorce?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

Winning at Kent State is two holy rungs down from turning water into wine. If Deion Sanders was the splash, Sean Lewis was the coup.And don’t be the schmuck on social media who tries to argue that because Lewis went 24-31 as the head coach of the Golden Flashes, his reported departure from the CU Buffs is no big loss.KSU averaged 2.8 wins in the five years before Lewis took over. They were 1-11 this past fall in the Flashes’ first season after he left. For all the grief CU gets as a “coaching graveyard,” Boulder’s Club Med compared to Kent. The man grew daisies in the desert. He made a shambling, zombified MAC program watchable.He also made the Buffs fun as heck, if only for seven or eight weeks. Which is why Aztec fans are giving each other virtual high-fives after multiple outlets reported Tuesday that Big Sean is expected to replace Brady Hoke as San Diego State’s football coach.Whether it’s Byron Leftwich, Hue Jackson or Hue knows, Lewis...

Google apologizes for sending drivers on off-road detours between L.A. and Vegas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

Google has issued something of an apology after sending some drivers using Google Maps to travel between Los Angeles and Las Vegas on dangerous desert road detours, at least one of which turned out to be a road to nowhere that left people stranded.  The I-15 corridor between SoCal and Vegas is a popular one, especially during the Thanksgiving Holidays, which is why Shelby Easler, and her family took that route to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, Nov. 18.  Everything went great, according to Easler, until they used a Google Maps detour on their way back to L.A. to avoid a dust storm that shut down portions of the 15 Freeway on Sunday. “We thought it would be safer to avoid the dust storm,” she told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “So, it was like dust storm warning on this side, then an alternative route that would save you 50 minutes.”  Skipping a high wind event in the Mojave Desert seemed like a good idea, so Easler’s brother opted for the app’s alternate rout...

Malibu is bracing for El Niño

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

Residents of Malibu are being urged to prepare for the potential impacts of El Niño this winter.El Niño is the temporary warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which experts say is occurring now and is likely to produce above-average rainfall in Southern California.  When the ocean water rises 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal, that’s considered a strong El Niño. El Ninos are far costlier than once thought, in the trillions, study says — and one’s brewing now “It does appear as though this 2023 is going to come pretty close to that if not exceed that,” Ben Reppert, a meteorology professor at Penn State University, recently told KTLA.In the past, these conditions have produced periods of heavy rainfall that trigger mudslides, flooding and debris flow, both along the coast and inland.Ocean water temperatures show El Niño conditions developing along the Pacific Ocean near the equator. November 2023. (NOAA)There is a 95% chance that El Niño conditions will continue...

Suspect arrested in double stabbing at San Mateo bar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

SAN MATEO – Authorities on Monday arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a double stabbing outside a San Mateo bar late last month.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Coast Guard calls off search for man swept into ocean near Half Moon Bay Crime and Public Safety | Don Horsley, former San Mateo County sheriff and supervisor, dies Crime and Public Safety | Redwood City man arrested on suspicion of trying to meet teen for sex Crime and Public Safety | Daly City man who molested child relative found guilty on 11 charges Crime and Public Safety | San Francisco resident charged with murder of man whose body was found in the Presidio The victims were stabbed during a drunken brawl at the Yuppie Cantina, located at 709 South B St., on Oct. 28, the San Mateo Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.Several other participants in the fight also suffered injuries that required medical attention. N...

Babies of near-extinct sea star species hatched by San Diego Zoo in scientific first

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:36 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Scientists with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance made science history after dozens of larvae of a critically endangered sea star species were hatched using new innovations in reproductive cell cryopreservation technology.For the first time, the nonprofit's reproductive sciences team produced offspring of the sunflower sea star — a massive 24-armed starfish that until recently thrived along the Pacific Coast — from frozen sperm that were thawed and later used to fertilize eggs. “We were excited to take on a new challenge for our lab," Nicole Ravida, laboratory manager for the Wildlife Alliance, said in a release. “The successful reproduction of dozens of sunflower sea stars through cryopreservation is an exciting step forward for sea star recovery efforts." San Diego Zoo unveils design of upcoming Rose Parade float The sunflower sea star was one of about 20 species that were devastated by a wasting syndrome linked to climate change that killed more than 90% of its p...