Latest news with #Krause
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forsyth County leaders approve $225 million development in hopes of attracting the NHL
Forsyth County leaders voted unanimously to approve a major development, all in hopes of bringing a pro hockey team to north Georgia. This was the final vote on the $225 million project and a critical step in efforts to attract a hockey team. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Developer Vernon Krouse was at the meeting that included the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, the Forsyth County Board of Education and the Development Authority. Members of all three boards met, and all voted unanimously to approve the final, official documents for the project. It's a milestone. 'Without this vote, we could not go to the NHL. This was a prerequisite,' Krouse told Channel 2's Bryan Mims. TRENDING STORIES: Officer hit by car in Carrollton while directing traffic 'Senseless': Brothers, ages 13 and 14, accused of Clayton party shooting, posting it to social media Sheriffs' Assoc. sues Judge Hatchett after sheriff's guilty plea for groping her It was April 2023 when Krause publicly announced his plans to build a mixed-use development centered around an 18,000-seat hockey arena in Forsyth County. It's named 'The Gathering at South Forsyth' and would be located along Georgia 400 between Alpharetta and Cumming. The National Hockey League has not said it plans to expand and bring a franchise to the Atlanta market. However, Krause says the demand is here and his development can accommodate a team. 'A lot of people in this state believe we should have a hockey team. I believe we're gonna have one,' Krause said. Forsyth County commissioners agreed to provide $225 million in bond financing, but only if The Gathering lands a pro hockey team. With county officials approving these final, critical documents, Krause plans to meet with the NHL commissioner after the Stanley Cup playoffs. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Krause said to see three governing bodies in Forsyth County unanimously approve the project brings him to tears. 'It's emotional. It's been a lot of hard work by a lot of people. It's nice to see when your hard work, our team has worked hard, it has paid off,' Krause explained. Krause says he talked with Commissioner Gary Bettman this week. He says if this final approval from the county came today, Bettman would meet with him after the NHL finals. Krause says he expects a decision from the NHL about expansion at the latest by the end of this year.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Impact of Trumps travel ban in the Tri-State
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — President Donald Trump's complete travel ban of 12 countries and a partial ban of 7 others certainly has implications on an international level, but a University of Evansville professor says even locally some impacts can be felt. Dr. Amanda Krause is the dean of the college of arts and sciences with her phd in political science. She says that message comes with ripple effects. 'It kind of sends a message to the international community that the United States as a country wants to limit the influx of people into the country,' Krause said. 'The way you would see that in a community like Evansville is that you might see a decrease in some economic activity.' This policy from the Trump administration is similar to the one that went into effect during the president's first term in 2016. Since the first travel ban UE leaders say the university has seen a decline in international students. Dr. Krause says a number of factors can contribute to that decline but these bans play a role. 'This particular travel ban and more broadly speaking this administrations' policies in the last 100 days are probably sending a message internationally that will result in lower international student enrollment across the country, likely I can't say 100 percent,' Krause said. Away from campus some in the community say they were shocked by the decision. Haiti was one of the 12 countries completely banned from travel into the U.S. The Haitian Group of Evansville provided a statement. Below is their full statement: 'Like many, we were surprised by the President's announcement of a travel ban last night. Weare actively researching the details of this policy to ensure we can provide clear, accurateinformation to our Haitian neighbors in Evansville and across Southwest Haitian Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that empowers the Haitian communityby offering vital resources, opportunities, and support. Our top priority at this time is to ensureour community is informed and prepared, and we remain committed to standing with themthrough this uncertainty.' Director, Haitian Center of Evansville Gelina Mascoe Dr. Krause says she doesn't expect the bans and restrictions to be as contentious as it was in 2016 because the administration gave a more detailed list as to why countries were banned. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Some global LGBTQ travelers are skipping America this Pride season
For many European gays, the festive Eurovision Song Contest each May marks the unofficial kickoff to the global Pride season. As usual, there were soaring highlights and scandalous lowlights among the competing Eurovision nations at the 2025 edition of the contest in Basel, Switzerland, this month. But another country was on the lips of many queer jet-setters this year: the United States, with its spate of new anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies that are causing some LGBTQ travelers to reconsider their upcoming American itineraries. Several European countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, have issued official cautions for LGBTQ travelers visiting the U.S., particularly those with an 'X' gender listed on their passport. Meanwhile, out of concerns for participant safety, Canada's leading LGBTQ rights group, Egale Canada, pulled out of participation in WorldPride DC, and the African Human Rights Coalition has called for a boycott of this edition of the international Pride event, coordinated by InterPride and usually held every two years. 'It doesn't feel right to at the moment,' Karl Krause told NBC News at Eurovision in Basel, referring to travel to the U.S. Krause, who is German by birth, lives in Amsterdam with his Dutch partner, Daan Colijn, and together they are travel-focused content creators known to their followers as Couple of Men. In 2021, Lonely Planet awarded them its first Best in Travel LGBTIQ Storyteller Award, a nod to their work for the LGBTQ community. 'As gay men traveling to the U.S., we are probably still the more privileged part of the community,' Krause said. 'But we had some interesting conversations recently in Bilbao with a trans person who was like, 'I cannot, I literally cannot travel to the U.S., because I have no idea how they would receive my diverse passport, if I would be put in detention or whatever. I have my little daughter — I'm not going to risk any of this.'' Krause said that was the moment he realized that while he and Colijn as gay men may not yet be feeling the full effects of the Trump administration's policies, they were already having an impact on other travelers within the LGBTQ community. 'So how can we in good feeling promote this destination?' he asked. 'How can I send a trans friend or nonbinary friend and try to inspire them to go to the U.S. when they are in what's supposed to be the best time of their year, to spend in a country where they don't feel safe?' Colijn added that he and Krause want to send their followers 'somewhere where they are safe, where they feel welcome.' 'At the moment, of course a lot of people will still feel very, very welcome in the majority of America — a lot of places are still the same, or maybe even trying to do better. But we just want to be careful in what we are supporting,' Colijn said. John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, or IGLTA, told NBC News that such concerns are commonplace this year. 'We've heard from travelers feeling uncertain about visiting the U.S., especially trans and gender-diverse individuals,' he said. 'These decisions are often driven by concerns about safety, treatment at the border and access to affirming health care. Some have canceled their trips. Many others are still coming, but they're being more selective about where they go.' Nicoló Manfredini, an Italian trans man living in Valencia, Spain, said he was recently able to enter the U.S. without incident thanks to having an 'M' marker on his passport, but the government's anti-trans policies currently make America a place he would rather not visit again. 'Originally I had planned to go to WorldPride, but not now,' he said. Given the current environment in the U.S., Manfredini added, he said he would only travel to the U.S. if he had to do so for work. Even American gender-diverse people are adjusting their travel plans because of Trump administration policies, according to a study released earlier this month by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Of the more than 300 transgender, nonbinary and other gender-diverse people surveyed, 70% said they are less likely to go on vacation to U.S. states they view as less trans-affirming. Krause said that despite usually attending at least one and sometimes several U.S. Pride events every year, this year will be different. 'We were actually planning to go to Washington, D.C., for WorldPride, but this is off the table for us … How safe can we be in Washington? Just saying that scares me a little bit,' he said, noting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was particularly concerning. 'I don't know what is going on there now and who is coming, and I don't feel safe with the idea that I'm going there and I'm walking and maybe there is a mob [coming] from whatever direction.' Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers behind WorldPride DC, which started earlier this month and continues through June 8, did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News, but the event's website details security protocols and includes a passport advisory for transgender and nonbinary travelers. Sahand Miraminy, director of operations for Capital Pride Alliance, told The Washington Post this week that security measures at WorldPride DC will include weapons screening at the entrance to the street festival June 7 and 8, which will also be fenced in. In addition to the local and federal "agency support that we have, we also hire private security and have many forms of safety measures and surveillance that we may not share at all times with the public,' he said, 'but there are certainly conversations that we're having with those agencies on a weekly basis.' Organizers at NYC Pride, arguably the most globally popular of U.S. Pride events each year and held like most big cities during Pride Month in June, are also stepping up security plans for 2025. 'NYC Pride has contracted a private firm with vast experience managing LGBTQIA+ events to lead on-site security,' spokesperson Kevin Kilbride said. 'Given the size and visibility of our events, NYC Pride is monitored and secured by municipal agencies at every level of government to protect our freedom of expression and ensure a safe space for our community.' Tanzella said that since safety is unfortunately never guaranteed for the LGBTQ community, careful planning is more essential than ever for LGBTQ travelers coming to the U.S. this year. 'Research destinations with strong reputations for inclusion and visible LGBTQ+ support,' he advised. 'Connect with local LGBTQ+ organizations for on-the-ground insights, stay informed about local laws and current events, and have a plan for accessing affirming health care if needed. Most importantly, prioritize places where you feel respected and supported.' Cities and states with long-standing reputations for LGBTQ inclusivity are getting more attention, Tanzella added. 'In this climate, a destination's visible commitment to inclusion through its policies, community engagement, and public support truly matters,' he said. In October, the IGLTA will host its annual global convention in Palm Springs, California, a destination Colijn said he and Krause can and will enthusiastically visit. 'We were there just last year, and we felt how amazing and welcome and how much old queer culture is there,' he said. 'So of course we want to go there, and we can fully tell people to go there. Unless of course we might get in trouble at the border.' Krause, however, noted that he and Colijn still haven't booked their Palm Springs trip just yet, because they fear that under the Trump administration 'everything can change overnight.' 'There is no long-term planning,' he said. Kilbride said he understands the need global queer travelers feel to exhibit caution this year, but he said he believes Pride remains one of the most powerful tools in the collective struggle for equality. 'We stand with the international LGBTIA+ community, particularly our trans and nonbinary siblings,' he said. 'But we also believe the fight for our community is more important now than ever. We need to show up big to make it clear: We're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Some global LGBTQ travelers are skipping America this Pride season
For many European gays, the festive Eurovision Song Contest each May marks the unofficial kickoff to the global Pride season. As usual, there were soaring highlights and scandalous lowlights among the competing Eurovision nations at the 2025 edition of the contest in Basel, Switzerland, this month. But another country was on the lips of many queer jet-setters this year: the United States, with its spate of new anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies that are causing some LGBTQ travelers to reconsider their upcoming American itineraries. Several European countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, have issued official cautions for LGBTQ travelers visiting the U.S., particularly those with an 'X' gender listed on their passport. Meanwhile, out of concerns for participant safety, Canada's leading LGBTQ rights group, Egale Canada, pulled out of participation in WorldPride DC, and the African Human Rights Coalition has called for a boycott of this edition of the international Pride event, coordinated by InterPride and usually held every two years. 'It doesn't feel right to at the moment,' Karl Krause told NBC News at Eurovision in Basel, referring to travel to the U.S. Krause, who is German by birth, lives in Amsterdam with his Dutch partner, Daan Colijn, and together they are travel-focused content creators known to their followers as Couple of Men. In 2021, Lonely Planet awarded them its first Best in Travel LGBTIQ Storyteller Award, a nod to their work for the LGBTQ community. 'As gay men traveling to the U.S., we are probably still the more privileged part of the community,' Krause said. 'But we had some interesting conversations recently in Bilbao with a trans person who was like, 'I cannot, I literally cannot travel to the U.S., because I have no idea how they would receive my diverse passport, if I would be put in detention or whatever. I have my little daughter — I'm not going to risk any of this.'' Krause said that was the moment he realized that while he and Colijn as gay men may not yet be feeling the full effects of the Trump administration's policies, they were already having an impact on other travelers within the LGBTQ community. 'So how can we in good feeling promote this destination?' he asked. 'How can I send a trans friend or nonbinary friend and try to inspire them to go to the U.S. when they are in what's supposed to be the best time of their year, to spend in a country where they don't feel safe?' Colijn added that he and Krause want to send their followers 'somewhere where they are safe, where they feel welcome.' 'At the moment, of course a lot of people will still feel very, very welcome in the majority of America — a lot of places are still the same, or maybe even trying to do better. But we just want to be careful in what we are supporting,' Colijn said. John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, or IGLTA, told NBC News that such concerns are commonplace this year. 'We've heard from travelers feeling uncertain about visiting the U.S., especially trans and gender-diverse individuals,' he said. 'These decisions are often driven by concerns about safety, treatment at the border and access to affirming health care. Some have canceled their trips. Many others are still coming, but they're being more selective about where they go.' Nicoló Manfredini, an Italian trans man living in Valencia, Spain, said he was recently able to enter the U.S. without incident thanks to having an 'M' marker on his passport, but the government's anti-trans policies currently make America a place he would rather not visit again. 'Originally I had planned to go to WorldPride, but not now,' he said. Given the current environment in the U.S., Manfredini added, he said he would only travel to the U.S. if he had to do so for work. Even American gender-diverse people are adjusting their travel plans because of Trump administration policies, according to a study released earlier this month by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Of the more than 300 transgender, nonbinary and other gender-diverse people surveyed, 70% said they are less likely to go on vacation to U.S. states they view as less trans-affirming. Krause said that despite usually attending at least one and sometimes several U.S. Pride events every year, this year will be different. 'We were actually planning to go to Washington, D.C., for WorldPride, but this is off the table for us … How safe can we be in Washington? Just saying that scares me a little bit,' he said, noting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was particularly concerning. 'I don't know what is going on there now and who is coming, and I don't feel safe with the idea that I'm going there and I'm walking and maybe there is a mob [coming] from whatever direction.' Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers behind WorldPride DC, which started earlier this month and continues through June 8, did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News, but the event's website details security protocols and includes a passport advisory for transgender and nonbinary travelers. Sahand Miraminy, director of operations for Capital Pride Alliance, told The Washington Post this week that security measures at WorldPride DC will include weapons screening at the entrance to the street festival June 7 and 8, which will also be fenced in. In addition to the local and federal "agency support that we have, we also hire private security and have many forms of safety measures and surveillance that we may not share at all times with the public,' he said, 'but there are certainly conversations that we're having with those agencies on a weekly basis.' Organizers at NYC Pride, arguably the most globally popular of U.S. Pride events each year and held like most big cities during Pride Month in June, are also stepping up security plans for 2025. 'NYC Pride has contracted a private firm with vast experience managing LGBTQIA+ events to lead on-site security,' spokesperson Kevin Kilbride said. 'Given the size and visibility of our events, NYC Pride is monitored and secured by municipal agencies at every level of government to protect our freedom of expression and ensure a safe space for our community.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grandfather dies saving twin granddaughters from falling tree limb in Dacula
A 78-year-old Dacula man died Wednesday after pushing his twin 8-year-old granddaughters and his sister out of the way of a massive falling tree limb, his family says. Manuel Javier Pinzon was with the girls around noon on Ewing Chapel Road when they discovered a small animal in his backyard. The twins had been excited about their find, sending pictures to family members. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'My girls found a baby deer in the backyard. They've been playing back here for years,' said Jason Krause, Pinzon's son-in-law. Pinzon and his sister joined the girls to help give the deer water. That's when they heard a loud cracking sound from above. 'There was a very loud cracking sound, crashing. Cracking is kind of how they described it, and they got shoved out of the way. Then when they turned back, he had gotten them out of the way and taken the full hit of a falling branch, a falling limb on his head, and he didn't make it,' Krause said. The 20-foot branch had broken off about 80 feet up from a massive tree. Krause estimates it weighed 75 to 85 pounds. Eight-year-old Gabriela grabbed her grandfather's phone and called 911, her small hands covered in blood as she followed the operator's instructions. Her twin sister Isabella ran for help from adults inside the house. 'My other aunt came out here, and I told her to pass me the phone, and I called 911 and they just told me what to do,' Gabriela said through tears. Pinzon was rushed to Northside Hospital Gwinnett, where he died about four hours later. The heroic sacrifice was not the first time Pinzon had saved his family. Nearly 30 years ago, he fled Colombia with his wife and daughters after political violence claimed his mother's life, bringing them to safety in America. He is remembered as someone who put others first until the very end. 'He chose to protect his sister and these two girls instead of himself. And I don't think that should be forgotten. He was a hero,' Krause said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
