Big snowstorm hits Colorado, closing schools, government offices, highways
DENVER (AP) — A massive snowstorm has hit Colorado, closing numerous schools and government offices and closing portions of highways leading into the Denver area. Meteorologists have warned that travel will be difficult or nearly impossible. The storm started Wednesday night and was not expected to subside until Friday. The heaviest snowfall will be in the Front Range and foothills, where wide areas are expected to receive 18 to 36 inches, with some areas expected to exceed 4 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service said 10 to 20 inches of snow is expected in the Denver area, with up to 2 feet expected in the western suburbs.
Paul Alexander grew up in an iron lung for decades after contracting polio as a child
DALLAS (AP) – A Texas man who contracted polio as a child and used an iron lung for decades has died at age 78. Paul Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital, said Daniel Spinks, a longtime friend of Paul Alexander. Spinks called his friend one of “the world's brightest stars.” Friends of Alexander, who graduated from law school and pursued a career as a lawyer, said he had great joy in his life. The air pressure in the room forced air into and out of the lungs.
'Freaknik' documentary tells the story behind Atlanta's wildly popular street parties
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new Hulu documentary focuses on Freaknik, the legendary street party that took place in Atlanta in the '80s and '90s. Stories abound of nudity, freeway debauchery, and traffic jams. However, “Freaknik: The Wildest Story Never Told'' looks like it will deliver a more substantial story. The documentary explores how the event started as a simple cookout at Atlanta Negro College during spring break and grew to draw thousands of people from across the country. The documentary will premiere Tuesday at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and begin streaming on Hulu on March 21st.
Dollar Tree closes approximately 1,000 stores, records unexpected loss in fourth quarter
Dollar Tree closed about 1,000 stores and swung to an unexpected loss in the fourth quarter as the discount retailer took on a related $1.07 billion goodwill impairment charge. Shares fell more than 14% on Wednesday. Dollar Tree plans to close about 600 Family Dollar stores in the first half of this year, and about 370 Family Dollar stores and 30 Dollar Tree stores over the next few years. Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar for more than $8 billion nearly a decade ago in a bidding war with rival Dollar General, but it had trouble absorbing the chain.
Musk abruptly cancels X's 'The Don Lemon Show' after attending the show's first interview
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk abruptly canceled his talk show “The Don Lemon Show” on his social media network X. The move to cancel the show came after Lemon, a former CNN anchor, recorded interviews with billionaires for the show. The first episode has not yet aired. Musk owns the site formerly known as Twitter and has frequently declared himself a “free speech absolutist.” X said only that it had decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with Lemon's show. Lemon said Musk's episode will air on YouTube and the podcast on Monday.
Women break gender barriers in Colombia's emerald mines, but struggle to escape poverty
COSQUEZ, Colombia (AP) – Deep in Colombia's mountain tunnels in headache-inducing heat, women with power tools chip away at rocks in search of gemstones. They carved out a difficult path for themselves in the emerald industry, which had long been dominated by men. Some people once believed that if women worked in the mines, the emeralds would be hidden away. Women miners are now calling on the government to formally recognize women miners and legalize the small number of mines owned by women. Work is hard, and women also have to support their families. It is rare to become very rich. “But we continue to fight,” says one woman.
Oklahoma seeks to ease cockfighting penalties, but cockfighting opponents are frustrated
WILSON, Okla. (AP) — Before Oklahoma became one of the last places in the United States to ban cockfighting in 2002, it was common for bloodsports to draw hundreds of spectators. More than 20 years later, some worry that Oklahoma State is starting to waver. A proposal to ease penalties for cockfighting has passed the Oklahoma House. A political action committee is raising money to support game bird farmers. And in a video that has since been removed from YouTube, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt recorded a message of support for a group known as the Oklahoma Gamecock Commission. A recent spate of cockfighting-related arrests both in Oklahoma and elsewhere is a reminder that the practice has not been eradicated so much as to be driven underground.
Dog's death reignites calls to abolish Iditarod, an endurance race deeply rooted in Alaskan tradition
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — For the past five years, the annual Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska has pitted teams of dogs and their owners against the elements in a 1,000-mile endurance test through the frozen wilderness. It has been held with little controversy. This year, three dogs died during races and five more died during training, drawing renewed attention to the dark side of the sport. Questions are being raised again about the ethics of letting animals pull heavy sleds hundreds of miles in sub-zero temperatures. Animal rights groups are calling for the race to be canceled. The Iditarod is committed to applying what it learns once the full autopsy report is back and if there's anything it should have done differently.
After 50 years, Tommy John surgery is evolving to improve success rates and, in some cases, faster return.
NEW YORK (AP) — Tommy John surgery, like baseball itself, is evolving to increase success and sometimes speed return. Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas has developed a treatment that reduces recovery time to as little as nine months for some pitchers who tear elbow ligaments. He envisions more innovations to come within five to seven years. TJ Surgery saved my career and earned me wealth. Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal El-Atrache estimates that 80% of pitchers will return to their previous performance level. Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister performed a so-called hybrid procedure that combines traditional TJ ligament replacement with Dugas' internal brace.
Olivia Munn reveals she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy
Olivia Munn has revealed that she has undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, thanking her doctors and urging fans to calculate their own risk assessment. She said in a post on her Instagram Wednesday that she was lucky to have made it in time. Mann said she underwent genetic testing in February 2023 and came back negative for all of her cancers. Still, her doctor decided to calculate her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score, which “saved my life,” Mann wrote. She had a double mastectomy 30 days after her biopsy and in the past 10 months she has had 4 surgeries. She kept it private because she “needed to catch her breath,” she said.
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