AURN News

A major Alabama health system is announcing it will pause all in vitro fertilization procedures in response to a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling. In a statement released Wednesday, a spokesperson for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System said the decision was made out of concerns over criminal prosecution.

The Alabama Supreme Court ruling, handed down earlier this week, categorized frozen embryos as children who are therefore protected under the state's wrongful death laws with respect to minors.

Attorneys for UAB are now evaluating the potential for doctors and patients in the IVF program to be prosecuted or forced to pay damages in civil lawsuits as a result of that ruling. 

Vice President Kamala Harris said the ruling was outrageous and was already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. On Tuesday, the White House called the ruling the type of chaos they expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade.

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Julius Erving, widely known as Dr. J, was born February 22, 1950, in Roosevelt, New York.

Attending the University of Massachusetts, Erving honed his skills before entering the professional realm, eventually landing with the New York Nets further. However, it was his move to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1976 that truly propelled him into the spotlight.

Paired with his exceptional talent, Erving's leadership and charisma helped elevate the 76ers to new heights, landing an NBA championship in 1983. Erving earned numerous accolades, including 11 NBA All-Star selections and two NBA All-Star Game MVP awards in 1977 and 1983.

His retirement in 1987 marked the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy that forever changed the way basketball was played and perceived.

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Beyoncé has made history yet again. She just became the first Black woman to top the Hot Country Songs chart with her hit track "TEXAS HOLD 'EM." And she's been welcomed into the country community by some of the genre's top artists, including Maren Morris and Lainey Wilson.

Now, "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," which was released on February 11 -- you know that ad in the Super Bowl gave us a clue. It serviced country radio just two days later and pushed back Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves' duet, which had been on the top of that chart for 20 weeks. So what can you say? Go Bey!

Of course, the Beehive can't wait for her to release an entire country album titled "Act II." That's coming up on March 29.

As you might guess, though, not everybody was happy about Beyoncé's success. Some of her fans had to convince one of the country stations to play her song. And, of course, they did. Well, the country stations finally complied after they initially refused, saying, we only play country music. Beyoncé doesn't do country music. Well, honey, welcome to the new world.

And when it comes to Tennessee's recent Grammy-winning musical heroes, the state's House Republicans are making it clear they're good with Paramore, which is a white musical group, but not so much with Allison Russell, who's Black, for reasons they cannot exactly explain.

Tennessee Representative Justin Jones, a Democrat from Nashville, brought resolutions before the body to honor the Grammy achievements of Paramore, who won for Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance, and also Russell, who picked up her first Grammy for Best American Roots Performance for the song "Eve Was Black."

Although both singers have made their displeasure with the GOP-controlled legislature known in the past, only one of the two proclamations was blocked. Yep, the resolution honoring Paramore sailed through, but the one celebrating Russell was effectively killed.

And that's where we're going to pick up the rest of this story. Stay tuned because something must be done about this one.

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President Joe Biden made a monumental move announcing the cancelation of $1.2 billion in student debt for nearly 153,000 borrowers under the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan.

The historic decision accelerates the administration's commitment to easing the student debt burden, bringing the total relief to nearly $138 billion for almost 3.9 million Americans.

What's more, this relief comes six months ahead of schedule, offering immediate financial breathing room to many. Under this plan, individuals who've been diligently making payments for as little as ten years, and have taken loans up to $12,000, will see their debt erased.

This is part of Biden's broader effort to make higher education more accessible and less of a financial strain. It's a significant step towards fulfilling the promise of education as a pathway to the middle class, not a barrier.

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On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while he was preparing to address a crowd of more than 400 guests for his new group, the Organization of Afro-American Unity, in Harlem, New York, at the Audubon Ballroom.

Malcolm X was born as Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. His early life was marked by profound racial hostility, compelling his family's relocation to Lansing, Michigan, following the brutal murder of his father by white supremacists.

Malcolm X later became a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, advocating for Black empowerment and self-defense against systemic oppression. His pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964 marked a significant turning point in his life, where he experienced a transformative spiritual awakening, leading him to reassess his views on race and advocate for a more inclusive approach to civil rights activism.

Malcolm X was assassinated at the age of 39, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations.

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The U.S. is pushing for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza that includes the release of hostages held by Hamas. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters an unconditional pause in fighting that doesn't include the release of hostages only benefits Hamas.

"A matter that we have been pursuing for some time, trying to get a temporary ceasefire in exchange for a release of hostages and something we think is critical to try to achieve and will continue to focus on."

This comes after the U.S. today vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution introduced by Algeria calling for a ceasefire. Here's Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield:

"[It] will not bring about a durable peace. Instead, it could extend the fighting between Hamas and Israel."

It was the third U.S. veto of a draft resolution since the start of fighting in the Gaza Strip on October 7. The U.S. is instead circulating its own resolution by trying to pause fighting and the release of the remaining hostages.

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On February 20, 1992, John Singleton made history as the first African-American to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director for his film "Boyz in the Hood."

Singleton, who hailed from South Central Los Angeles and graduated from film school at the University of Southern California, created Boyz in the Hood shortly after. The cast of the film included many famous actors and actresses of today, such as Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Nia Long. Despite his young age of 24, he was also the youngest to receive the honor.

Singleton's career continued to flourish with other popular films such as "Poetic Justice" (1993), "Higher Learning" (1995), "Shaft" (2000), "Rosewood" (1997), "2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003), and "Hustle & Flow" (2005).

In 2019, Singleton passed away due to a stroke at the age of 51.

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As Congress embarks on a two-week recess, the urgency to fund the government looms with high stakes. Lawmakers are slated to return to Capitol Hill on February 28, close to the March 1 deadline for funding certain government agencies, with a subsequent deadline of March 8 for others.

This scenario echoes past challenges where government funding efforts have gone down to the wire. Congress is stuck in a deadlock with no new funding plans passed since November, highlighting the struggle to decide how the government should spend money affecting everything from national security to public services.

Speaker Mike Johnson's commitment against another short-term funding measure mirrors previous fiscal crises where political deadlock threatened government operations. Johnson is refusing to consider the Senate-approved funding bill for Ukraine and Israel, demanded by Republicans to be paired with stringent border policy reforms, adding another layer of gridlock.

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A verdict in former President Donald Trump's civil fraud is expected today. The New York judge overseeing the case has already found Trump guilty of fraud and must now decide what penalties he and his company should pay.

State Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million and a ban on Trump from doing business in New York.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor in Donald Trump's Georgia election case will be back on the stand today. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis strongly denied wrongdoing when she took the stand Thursday. 

She told lawyers for one of Trump's co-defendants that her relationship with the deputy prosecutor should not disqualify her from the case and refuted allegations that she benefited financially from hiring the prosecutor.

Willis told the defense lawyer, "I am not on trial." Adding that "these people are on trial for trying to steal an election."

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LeVar Burton was born on February 16, 1957, in Germany. Burton pursued his education at the University of Southern California, supported by a theater scholarship.

Shortly after graduating, he secured his first role in Alex Haley's "Roots," marking the beginning of his illustrious career. Burton gained fame for his portrayal of Kunta Kinte in the iconic mini-series. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

Burton's achievements extended beyond acting; he garnered 12 Emmy Awards as the host and executive producer of "Reading Rainbow," which aired for 23 seasons.

Throughout his career, Burton has not only entertained but also educated and inspired audiences of all ages. His dedication to promoting literacy and diversity in media has made him a revered figure, earning him numerous accolades and awards.

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