text
stringlengths 10
159k
| url
stringlengths 19
865
| crawl_date
timestamp[s]date 2022-02-01 01:02:23
2024-12-02 05:16:38
| lang
stringclasses 1
value | lang_conf
float64 0.65
1
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, the potatoes, corned beef and cabbage are piled high in the supermarkets.
Millions of Americans claim some Irish ancestry and honor the patron saint of Ireland on March 17. But the holiday has an inclusive feel, and you don’t need to be Irish to celebrate.
One traditional St. Patrick's Day dish is colcannon, a classic Irish medley of potatoes and greens.
Potatoes were and remain one of the central foods of Irish cooking, and this dish celebrates the humble tuber with the addition of milk and cream, as well as whatever green vegetables and members of the onion family are available.
According to an old Irish cookbook called “Feasting Galore,” published in 1952 and written by Maura Laverty: “a heaped portion" of colcannon is served on each plate. "A well is made in the center of the heap to hold a generous lump of butter. The colcannon is eaten from around the outside of the heap, each person dipping his fork first into the colcannon and then into the melting butter. The perfect companion to a class of colcannon is a glass of fresh buttermilk.”
(Also according to the old cookbook, “in the Midlands colcannon is called “Thump” and in the North and West it is called “Champ.")
There are a whole lot of opinions on the right way to make colcannon.
The potatoes are non-negotiable, though what they are mashed with (milk, cream, butter, scallions, onions) is up for discussion. It‘s the greens that are cause for debate. Many recipes call for cabbage, another vegetable that sustained the Irish people for many years. Other recipes (even some very old ones) call for kale or other greens.
I have made colcannon with both, and frankly, I don’t know which I like better – so I made a version that combines them. The point is that in Ireland they would have made this dish with whatever was available, so we can use whatever greens make sense for our colcannon on St. Patrick’s Day (or any other day some classic Irish comfort food is warranted.)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
COLCANNON
Kosher salt for cooking the potatoes, plus 1 teaspoon more, or to taste
2 pounds Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided
½ cup whole milk
½ cup light or heavy cream or half and half (see Note)
½ cup sliced scallions or chopped onion
1/2 pound kale, tough stems removed, rinsed well, drained and sliced thinly into ribbons
½ pound shredded cabbage
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt, return to a boil, then add the potatoes (the water should cover the potatoes by at least 2 inches.) Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to simmer for 20 or so minutes, partially covered, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife.
2. While the potatoes cook, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the kale and cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables have wilted and are lightly golden in some spots. Meanwhile, heat the milk and the cream together with the scallions in a pot over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and return them to the pot, and place the pot back over medium-low heat. Toss the potatoes in the hot pan occasionally for 3 minutes or so until they have begun to dry out (but not to brown). Remove the pan from the stove, and put the potatoes through a ricer, or mash with a potato masher until they are smooth, or as smooth as you like them. Return them to the pot.
4. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons of the butter, and the hot milk and cream mixture to the potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk until well combined. Add the kale and cabbage mixture, season with black pepper to taste, and stir until the vegetables are well blended with the potatoes.
5. Serve the colcannon in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the colcannon, and put the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the center of the well to melt. Alternately you can make a mound on each person’s plate, create a small well in the center, and add a bit of butter to each portion.
Note: If you don’t feel like using the creamier items here, or you don’t have them in the house, just add another ½ cup of whole milk and call it a day.
—-
Other St. Patrick’s Day Recipes to Round Out the Menu:
Shepherd’s Pie, https://themom100.com/recipe/shepherds-pie/
Irish Scones with Smoked Salmon, https://themom100.com/recipe/irish-scones-with-smoked-salmon/
Irish Soda Bread, https://themom100.com/recipe/irish-soda-bread/
Slow Cooker Corned beef and Cabbage, https://themom100.com/recipe/slow-cooker-corned-beef-and-cabbage/
Roasted Cabbage, Wedges https://themom100.com/recipe/roasted-cabbage-wedges/
Simple Beer Braised Cabbage, https://themom100.com/recipe/simple-beer-braised-cabbage/
Lamb Stew, https://themom100.com/recipe/lamb-stew-with-white-wine-orange-and-fennel/
—-
Katie Workman writes frequently about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/living/article/FOOD-Colcannon-a-classic-Irish-medley-of-16983621.php
| 2022-03-07T18:28:47
|
en
| 0.945714
|
Smithsonian to end mask mandate Friday at museums, National Zoo
WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian will end its policy requiring visitors to wear masks at its museums and the National Zoo beginning Friday, March 11.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
Officials say the change comes following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- as well as local and national masking guidelines.
There will also be a gradual transition to museums being open more days per week, officials say.
Beginning Monday, March 14, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoo will be open to the public seven days a week.
The official global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 6 million on Monday.
SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 5 DC ON YOUTUBE
Smithsonian's National Zoo
The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe.
Advertisement
|
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/smithsonian-to-end-mask-mandate-friday-at-museums-national-zoo
| 2022-03-07T18:28:48
|
en
| 0.925486
|
Updated: March 7, 2022 11:08:17 pm
Two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the state of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and other small businesses in Maharashtra continues to be precarious with rise in NPAs (non-performing assets) and outstanding dues recorded during the period.
As the pandemic hit both formal and informal businesses, MSMEs and other small firms were hit particularly hard with the double whammy of loss in business and increase in price of raw material. Raw material prices have more than doubled in the last two years, which has affected operating profits of the manufacturing MSMEs.
For firms and businesses in the service sector, the pandemic and restrictions had seen businesses evaporating almost overnight. But even as Covid-19 restrictions are being eased, business for smaller firms seem to be far from normal.
Experts say sector-wise NPA is a good measure of financial health of a sector. Thus, higher NPA means increase in number of instances of loan default, which can cause problems to businesses and banks.
The minutes of meeting of SLBC (State-Level Banker’ Conference), the apex body of bankers in the state, over the past three years point at a steady increase in NPA and outstanding for lending to MSMEs. Similar trend has been witnessed in case of MUDRA loans, the special lending programme aimed at providing loans up to Rs 10 lakh to small, non-corporate, non-finance firms and business.
On December 31,2019, NPA and outstanding for finances to MSMEs stood at 14.69 per cent and Rs 2.27 lakh crores respectively. MUDRA NPA and outstanding on the same date stood at 19.43 per cent and Rs 25,406 crore respectively. Both the parameters have increased during 2020-21 and 2021-22. Thus, on December 31,2020, SLBC’s minutes recorded 13 per cent NPA and Rs 2.66 lakh crore outstanding for MSMEs. On the same date, NPA and outstanding for MUDRA loans was 20 per cent and Rs 26,897 crore respectively. SLBC’s minutes of the meeting noted that on December 31, 2021, NPA and outstanding for MSME sector stood at 20 per cent and Rs 2.81 lakh crore respectively whereas MUDRA NPA and outstanding stood at 23 per cent and Rs 37,556 crore.
For MSMEs, government measures, including the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), have failed to provide the relief they were expecting. While credit was extended, an unusual increase in cost of raw material such as steel and iron has seen margins being hit. For non-manufacturing businesses, the overnight stoppage of trade has seen incomes plummeting. Industry sources say this trend is sign of a deep financial distress in the sector, which can lead to many units going out of business soon.
Sandeep Belsare, president of Pimpri Chinchwad Small Scale Industries Association, said, “Just when things were getting normal, the escalating raw material prices have added to our troubles.”
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
|
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/loss-in-business-costlier-raw-material-spell-double-whammy-for-msmes-amid-pandemic-7805646/
| 2022-03-07T18:28:49
|
en
| 0.962757
|
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Midday Daily 3" game were:
3-8-1
(three, eight, one)
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Midday Daily 3" game were:
3-8-1
(three, eight, one)
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Midday-Daily-3-game-16983702.php
| 2022-03-07T18:28:54
|
en
| 0.934933
|
Last week, members of Dozhd, or TV Rain, a small and independent television channel in Russia, resigned live on air, signing off with the message, “no to war”. Dozhd was important, as every other television channel in Russia is in state control and obeys Kremlin’s orders. In 2015, The Guardian reported that when Dozhd held a rock concert to celebrate its fifth birthday in Moscow, the crowd reserved its loudest ovation not for the rock group but for the independent journalists of the channel.
Dozhd had not started out to speak truth to power; it was supposed to be a lifestyle, cultural and intellectual channel. As a documentary F@ck This Job shows, in 2008, Alexander Vinokurov and Natalia Sindeyeva, a happy, newly-married and fabulously wealthy couple, decided to launch an independent television channel in Russia. It would have attitude, glamour and youthfulness.
Vinokurov was the head of an investment bank, came from old oligarchy money and lived in a great mansion. Sindeyeva was a prominent socialite and dancer who drove a bright pink Porsche Cayenne and flaunted her fashion sense and zest for life. She was “looking for fame, reputation, and the realisation of her dreams” with Dozhd.
According to the imdb description of F@ck This Job, the channel quickly drew “an open-minded team of outcasts”. “You are watching Dozhd TV, the optimistic channel,” said the anchors. It was a time when Dmitry Medvedev was President of Russia and seen as a modernising influence. Putin was the Prime Minister.
In 2012, Medvedev was removed, Putin became President and sweeping changes were brought to the Constitution to keep the latter in the top job. “Nothing went according to plan,” says the film between montages of Putin and scenes of human rights violations, clampdown on press freedom, protests by marginalised communities such as the LGBTQ+ and the war in Ukraine. “I realised just how much injustice there was around us, which I simply did not see before,” says Sindeyeva.
Dozhd chose truth over propaganda in their coverage. It focussed on news, discussions, culture, politics, business reports, and documentaries. Mostly, though, Dozhd shows were live broadcasts. The channel’s motto became: “Talk about important things with those who are important to us”.
When protests erupted across Russia over the rigged elections, Dozhd reporters were on the streets showing events that other media channels were ignoring. When they were arrested, the journalists reported over cellphones from prison vans. Wars in Chechnya and Ukraine, interviews of dissidents and the Opposition as well as the realities of the LGBTQ+ community, officially considered second-class citizens in Russia, were given airtime.
Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox
In a report on the documentary in The Observer, veteran filmmaker Vitaly Mansky is quoted from the film: “When Natalya started her journey with the Dozhd TV channel, she was naive enough to believe that it was possible to create independent, light and, let’s say, glamorous television in Russia. Instead, this innocent young woman drove her Porsche into a war zone and her glamorous car got very dirty and hit by shrapnel.”
The state came down hard on the channel.
When the channel were forced to move out of their headquarters, they continued to work out of their founders’ home. Dozhd continued to be a platform for dissidents and hired “oppositional reporters and minorities” and turned into “the lone island of political and sexual freedom”.
By 2020, Sindeyeva had, reportedly, lost all her money. In August 2021, the Justice Ministry of Russia announced that Dozhd TV was a “foreign agent”. Sindeyeva hit back saying that they were transparent about funding and were a responsible media outlet that had been working for 11 years and was well-known among decision-makers.
Today, it is a crime in Russia to criticise its war against Ukraine. Media outlets who use terms such as invasion and war, or report the Ukrainian side of the story, face the brunt of state machinery.
Dozhd TV, which was threatened with closure, ended it their own way last week — by airing Swan Lake. After the staff walks out, the screen fills with black-and-white images of dancing swans, a reminder of August 1991 attempted coup to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev, when Russian television kept showing Swan Lake as confusion reigned in the country. The famous Tchaikovsky ballet, however, has layered allusions for Russians, most importantly that the forces of virtue will ultimately win over evil.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
|
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-is-natalia-sindeyeva-why-has-russia-cracked-down-on-her-tv-channel-dozhd-7805660/
| 2022-03-07T18:28:55
|
en
| 0.982004
|
NFL QB prospect Malik Willis captured on video giving clothing to homeless woman
WASHINGTON - NFL quarterback prospect Malik Willis is rising up team draft boards based on his talent and athleticism. But the former Liberty University signal-caller is garnering more attention for what he recently did off the field.
Following his impressive workout at the 2022 NFL scouting combine, Willis was captured on a March 3 video, posted by Twitter user Ryan Lacey, giving some clothing from his bag to a homeless woman outside the Indianapolis Convention Center, the site of the annual NFL event.
Lacey in the trending social media wrote, "Was having lunch yesterday and saw one of the Combine guys helping out someone on some hard times…@malikwillis being great even when nobody is watching. How can you not be a fan of this guy?"
RELATED: Atlanta native Malik Willis' path to NFL Draft 'some movie stuff'
Willis, an Atlanta native, explained during an NFL Network broadcast last week why he helped the woman. "I walked past her on the way to the Nike suite and I chopped it up with them and I walked out with a suitcase and whatnot. And I felt bad because I saw her son. It was a pregnant lady and she was homeless."
Willis continued: "And I was just like, ‘Shoot, I don’t have no money, but I can give you a couple of shirts.'" He didn't know anybody was watching his spontaneous act of kindness.
"I just felt like I had to do that," he said. "I mean, I'm at a position right now where I'm not worried about much of anything except getting better. So, if I can help her out any way, I felt like I had to," Willis concluded.
Willis, a three-star prep prospect, initially went to Auburn University, but later decided to transfer to Liberty University in Virginia in 2019.
During the 2020 season, Willis threw for 20 touchdowns and 2,260 yards, rushing for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns, and led the Flames to a 10-1 record and its first Top 25 ranking.
But last year, he saw a slight dip in his production. Willis threw for 1,105 yards and 11 touchdowns, no interceptions, and rushed for 418 yards and six touchdowns in Liberty’s first five games. But over the final eight contests, he threw 12 picks, including three three-interception games.
Willis is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL draft with many analysts and scouts projecting him to be selected in the first round.
Advertisement
FOX5 Atlanta and The Associated Press contributed to this story. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.
|
https://www.fox35orlando.com/sports/nfl-qb-prospect-malik-willis-video-gives-clothing-homeless-woman
| 2022-03-07T18:28:55
|
en
| 0.983613
|
BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Massachusetts Lottery's "Numbers Midday" game were:
7-2-4-4
(seven, two, four, four)
BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Massachusetts Lottery's "Numbers Midday" game were:
7-2-4-4
(seven, two, four, four)
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Numbers-Midday-game-16983674.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:00
|
en
| 0.886301
|
What is your understanding of how China is viewing the conflict in Ukraine, given its own close relationship with Russia, and also simultaneously its tensions with the US?
I am not aware as to whether the Russian President discussed his plans regarding Ukraine with the President of China when the two met in Beijing on February 4 this year. What can be reasonably surmised is that (from) the joint statement that was issued, Russia would have drawn the conclusion that China had their back. After the invasion took place, of course, I think the Chinese found themselves in a difficult situation.
To my mind, they are still grappling with a policy to come up with. So far we have seen a general statement regarding upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter and talk of safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity in all countries. Secondly, they have described the issue as complicated. That means it is not only a matter that concerns the security of Ukraine, but of other parties, including Russia.
Currently, they have called for negotiations and peaceful settlement through dialogue. They have also clearly stated that those actions are not conducive to promoting a diplomatic solution. And I suspect that this is the idea that the United States and the European Union not aggravate matters by providing military material and support to Ukraine but should try to bring both parties together through negotiations. And we know the Chinese have been quite specific about supporting Russia’s position that while addressing the crisis in Ukraine, the larger issue of Russia’s security in Europe has to be addressed. So everybody can take something away from the Chinese statements. It suggests they are still grappling with the specific course of action.
They must also be worried about the sanctions on Russia, isn’t it?
Yes, I presume the sanctions on Russia will have a knock-on effect on the global economy. So it’s reasonable to expect that China will be watching the actual implementation of sanctions carefully, since they are very interconnected, both in terms of global trade and in terms of global financial flows.
So what is the big picture? What is at stake for China in this conflict? How does it affect China’s aspirations, its rise as a global power, its competition with the United States?
A little historical context: Since the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921, Russia — first the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Federation — has been front and center of Chinese foreign policy for the past 100 years. After the Cold War ended, it is important to recognise that China adjusted its outlook towards the new state of Russia very quickly.
We have now, as a matter of public record, a speech that Deng Xiaoping gave to the Central Committee in March 1990, within months of the fall of the Berlin Wall, in which he said Russia will remain a pole. And that China needs to steadily expand relations with Russia. And he said this because, I think, China’s biggest worry was that a democratic Russia, aligning with the West was, for China, the worst possible global outcome they could face. So as early as 1990, they already understood the strategic value of Russia once the threat of the Soviet Union against China had degraded, and what you see beginning with Deng and through his successors right up to the current president is a steady focus on the improvement of China-Russia ties.
After the current Russian president came to power, we have seen a sustained and substantial convergence of interests based on common concerns. Some of their biggest concerns are American hegemony, the idea of containment, and the concern that the objectives of the West include regime change, not just in Russia but in China as well.
Of course, along with this convergence, there are some dissonant factors. The relationship is becoming more and more asymmetric with Russia.
The strategic partnership that has been formed between Russia and China would suggest to me that for the current leadership in China, the Russian Federation is the key factor that underpins their foreign policy. The February 4 joint statement, for instance, is a full-on theoretical counter position to Western narratives.
It says there is no “one- size-fits-all” template for democracy. It also goes on to say that China and Russia have had a positive effect in multilateral and international institutions on issues relating to global development, including through the BRI, and through the Eurasian Economic Union, as compared to the West. And, finally, of course, they stood together by saying that external forces are undermining security and stability in their common adjacent areas. Now, this last formulation is an important, it doesn’t talk simply of external forces undermining security in the homeland. The adjacent areas, essentially, are Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Indo Pacific. So to my mind, the Sino-Russian relationship has evolved into an extremely close strategic partnership,
Of course, the Ukraine crisis, and the way it will develop in future will have a very fundamental impact on China. In the short term, I would think its concern is the stability of the Russian government, because President Putin’s continuance in office is critical to China’s security. If for whatever reason, there is a change in government, any government that comes to power in Russia will be less accommodative towards China… China will be less secure than it feels today.
They (China) are waiting, watching to see whether Russia falters in Ukraine or is able to achieve its objectives, because these will have an impact on the domestic situation in Russia. They are also watching to see whether the sanctions the West imposes are so debilitating to the Russian economy that it leads to a collapse of the Russian economy, and, therefore, to weakening of the regime, and even, in an extreme case, to the collapse of the regime. Over the next six to 12 months, I presume they will have to craft a policy, which will allow them to play some sort of a role in the resolution of this crisis, because it will enhance their global acceptability.
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and Wang Yi, the foreign minister of China, have spoken twice in the last two weeks, they had a conversation (on Saturday) as well. That suggests to me that it is not beyond the realm of possibility that both of them are discussing ways and means to bring the crisis to some sort of resolution, although each has, of course, sort of taken a position.
In this context, it’s also very interesting that there was acknowledgement of the 50th anniversary of Nixon’s visit to China by the Chinese side…
The speech was on February 28. That was four days after the Russian invasion began. The challenge for China is how to hold firm on the partnership with Russia, without there being collateral damage on the Sino-US relationship. We do know this is a relationship of rivals filled with tensions already. China, I think, nonetheless recognises that in the world of today, the United States is still the greatest power. And, therefore, I think the objective of that speech was to flag areas of commonality that would allow the United States and China to maintain their relationship, and to avoid it becoming collateral damage.
Because when it comes to Russia, and the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese have been fairly blunt in pointing fingers at the United States and NATO. They have said, in as many words and more than once, that it is the NATO expansion since 1990, which is the cause of the Ukraine crisis and not Russian actions. So to maintain that balance, I think that speech is important.
What might the impact of this be on the Belt and Road Initiative, given the willingness of the Russians to cooperate with China on this through the Eurasian Economic Union. How is this going to be affected with Russia’s preoccupation with its own security?
Two general observations: while there is some willingness on the part of both to acknowledge each other’s grand economic plans, which is the Belt and Road of China and the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, I don’t believe there is a complete convergence on this issue.
The second point is that long before the Ukraine conflict started, there has been a rethink or a readjustment in China’s policy on the Belt and Road Initiative, as a result of the impact of the coronavirus. If you look at the investments that China has made in the Belt and Road Initiative, going by reports in the public domain, it fell by half since 2019. And my sense is that they are looking at spreading the risk.
One sentence that actually leapt out of the text of Wang Yi’s Shanghai Communique anniversary speech was the foreign minister acknowledging that China was willing to consider coordinating with President Biden’s Build Back Better initiative to provide quality public goods to the global community.
This is perhaps the first time at a leadership level that China is signalling its willingness to dovetail the Belt and Road Initiative with specific infrastructure initiatives of the United States. It has already done so with the European Infrastructure Initiative. But this is an important point that underlines that it is looking at risk mitigation.
One further point: in the entire work report annually presented by the Chinese Premier to the National People’s Congress – the report was presented on 5 March 2022 – what struck me was that although the Belt and Road Initiative is the Chinese President’s signature project, there was hardly a mention of it in the entire text. The text of the speech runs into several dozen pages. BRI gets such a brief mention, you have to scour through the text to find it.
But what was interesting was what premier Li Keqiang said — he actually said that, going forward, on the Belt and Road initiative, China should adopt and act on market principles, and that it will set up a sound and diversified investment and financial framework.
It’s also interesting that China raised its 2022 defence budget by 7.1% over the previous year. What does that say about how China’s viewing the new security order that will take shape after this conflict, and of course, its own issues in the region?
The defence budget this year does not give any new insight into China’s approach on the geopolitical and geo-strategic situation, in the region and in the world. Since 2013, if you look at the white papers, published every two years, China has clearly declared that it has overseas interests, and that it must develop a military that is capable of preserving and protecting those overseas interests as well. And China has never defined what these interests are. Are they limited to economic objectives? Or are there also geopolitical and geo-strategic and security objectives?
On the other hand, the fact that they have their first military base in Djibouti, and given the reports of possibly another Chinese logistics facility or base in Cambodia, as well as the probability that Gwadar port will also become a dual use facility for China, we must presume that there is a larger objective, which is to establish by the end of this decade, a permanent or semi permanent presence in the Indian Ocean. And to that extent, the defence budgets over the last certainly 15 years and, more particularly, after the current leader has taken office are consistent with that strategy, consistent with that plan.
My sense is that their study of the Ukraine crisis is to make a hard assessment of United States and Western capabilities of waging a financial war and of learning lessons from that to harden their economy against a weapon of that nature being deployed against China in the future. I think this will be the central focus of all study in China today. On the financial and economic side, the American and Western sanctions of Russia, the speed with which they were imposed, the spread of the sanctions, and also whether these are going to be actually applied as well as what its impact is going to be on Russia will serve as an “Aha” moment.
We are also talking of a systematic policy that has been expressed by the Chinese leadership since 2013, to harden their economy, and to firewall their economy in many ways, while remaining connected to it.
India is part of the Quad and sees China as a direct rival for influence in the Indian Ocean. How is the Quad going to be impacted by America’s preoccupation in Europe, in European security, and how much attention is it going to have in the Indo Pacific and in the Indian Ocean?
It’s too early to assess the impact. If one was cynical, one would say that the prolongation of the Ukraine conflict actually helps China, because the attention of the United States is divided. Their focus is also on the situation in Europe, and not just on the situation in the Indo Pacific. But on the other hand, the statement made by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Secretary Blinken also suggests that both sides realise that in a new global situation, these are the two anchors of the global economy. It does not suit either side, to allow the ripple effects of the Ukraine crisis and the economic boycott of Russia to have a wider impact on an economy just coming out of the Coronavirus epidemic.
As yet, we have seen very few writings by Chinese strategic experts and think tanks on how the Ukraine crisis will play out in the Indo Pacific.
Russia’s preoccupation on the continent, is that going to change its attention to its eastern borders, and in that way change China’s influence or role in the Central Asian republics?
I don’t think that the Ukraine conflict is going to change what was a clear trend even earlier. My own sense is that rightly or wrongly, the Russians perceive that the Europeans are unwilling to accept Russia as a legitimate European power with reasonable security interests. And, therefore, there has been an eastward or a China-ward turn for a long time before this crisis has happened.
We have to only read the joint statement of February 4. It talks of both sides standing together so that no external forces can undermine security and stability in their common adjacent regions, which automatically suggests Central Asia, and the Pacific. One would have to assume the Ukraine crisis is going to deepen an existing trend.
After the “Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India”, and “Tiananmen Square:The Making of a Protest”, you’re working on your third book on China. What’s it about?
One of the reasons I wrote The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India, as well as Tiananmen Square: The Making of a Protest, because I’ve been convinced for a long time that as a general population, we are poorly informed about China.
Tiananmen Square covers the entire period of 10 years of the reform from 1978 to 1989. And I have tried to give it an Indian perspective. And one of the points I’ve made is that we have to stop looking at China from a Western prism. I’m in the process of writing another book, which is about the post-1989 situation. We are facing a situation we have not faced in our 75 years of independence, which is a superpower at our doorstep. It’s an absolute necessity to understand China, and anybody who can write on China should write.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
|
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/challenge-for-china-how-hold-firm-on-partnership-russia-without-collateral-damage-sino-us-relationship-7805651/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:01
|
en
| 0.975322
|
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Airline passenger traffic at North Dakota’s eight commercial airports improved significantly in January compared to the same month last year, but still remain below pre-pandemic levels.
According to the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, 73,117 passengers used the airports in January, 73% more than the same month in 2021, but below nearly 100,000 passengers in January 2020, about two months before COVID-19 struck.
“Air service demand is significantly stronger than where we were one year ago; however it is also still approximately 18% below 2019’s pre-pandemic passenger counts,” state Aeronautics Commissioner Kyle Wanner said.
“Airlines continue to cite difficulties with their ability to increase flights and capacity due to workforce shortages and fleet availability,” he said. “These challenges as well as a sustained lower demand for business travel are all factors that contribute to the difficulty for passenger numbers to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels in the short term.”
Airports in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Jamestown, Dickinson and Williston all experienced an increase in passenger traffic last month, ranging from 54% in Bismarck to 154% in Dickinson, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Hector International in Fargo, the state’s largest airport, saw an increase of 87%. Williston’s rise was 72%.
All airports but Jamestown and Devils Lake saw declines from January 2019. Bismarck’s drop was 25%.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Airline-passenger-traffic-makes-significant-gains-16983528.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:06
|
en
| 0.961461
|
A Guwahati court Monday directed the police to register a case against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the basis of a complaint by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque last year.
On December 28, 2021, Khaleque had filed a police complaint against Sarma in the Dispur Police Station, accusing him of “hate-mongering” and making inflammatory remarks in connection to an eviction drive in Assam’s Darrang district.
When the Dispur Police Station did not register the FIR, Khaleque approached the court.
“The MP had earlier lodged FIRs at Dispur Police Station and DCP (East) Guwahati but police did not register them,” said Khaleque’s advocate Shamim Ahmed Barbhuyan, adding: “We filed a case with the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate on February 28. On March 5, it was referred to the court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate in Guwahati.”
On Saturday, the court said: “The OC Dispur P.S. is directed to register a case on the allegations mentioned in the complaint and investigate the matter fairly and to submit the Final Form at the earliest.”
It added that the police had “failed in the discharge of its duty” by “failing to register the FIR”. “The veracity of the allegations is not something which can be enquired prior to the registration of the FIR. By failing to even register the FIR, it appears that the police has failed in the discharge of its duty. Hence, this Court is of the considered opinion that it is a fit case to invoke Sec 156(3) of Cr.P.C.” the order said.
In his complaint, Khaleque had referred to a part of the Chief Minister’s speech in Morigaon district on December 10, 2021, on the occasion of Swahid Divas (Martyrs’ Day), where he purportedly described the Gorukhuti eviction exercise as an “act of revenge” for the incidents of 1983, and accused Sarma of giving a “communal colour to what was supposed to be an executive exercise”.
The Assam government’s eviction drive in September in Darrang district’s Dholpur, where primarily Bengali-speaking Muslims live, was aimed at removing “illegal encroachers” to free up government land for “landless indigenous communities” for an agricultural project at Gorukhuti. It had turned violent, leaving two people, including a 12-year-old, dead.
In his Morigaon speech, Sarma had purportedly referred to the deaths of young Assamese boys in 1983 (during the Assam agitation) in Darrang district, and said that Assam was “bound to take some degree of revenge for those deaths.”
In his complaint, Khaleque said that the eviction drive had seen “brutal killings” as well as homes being “burnt to the ground”.“By calling such horrendous acts as revenge, Sri Himanta Biswa Sarma has not only justified the killings and arson committed there, the legality of which is sub-judice before the Gauhati High Court, but he has gone far ahead and communalised the whole exercise – the target of which was the Muslim population living there,” Khaleque had added, seeking an FIR against Sarma under Sections 153 and 153-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). “
Barbhuyan said that the court had directed Dispur Police to register an FIR against Sarma under sections 153, 153A of the IPC.
The Indian Express reached out to the Officer in-charge (OC) of the Dispur PS asking if an FIR had been registered but the official did not comment.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
|
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/assam-court-directs-police-to-register-case-against-assam-cm-based-on-congress-mps-complaint-7805658/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:07
|
en
| 0.977306
|
The body of Australia cricket legend Shane Warne has been transported to Thailand’s capital Bangkok before being flown back to his country of birth.
The convoy of ambulance and police drove overnight from Surat Thani province, south of Thailand, to an airport in Bangkok.
Thai police have concluded 52-year-old Warne died of natural causes while on holiday on the resort island of Koh Samui.
Warne was considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket and helped Australia win the World Cup in 1999.
He was also part of five Ashes-winning teams during his 15-year international career.
The family of Warne has requested a quick return of his body to Australia.
Thai authorities said they have been working closely with the Australian ambassador in Thailand, to expedite paperwork and formalities in order to accommodate the family’s request.
Warne’s family have also accepted the offer of a state funeral in the wake of the cricketing icon’s sudden death.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
|
https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/body-of-shane-warne-transferred-to-bangkok-before-flight-to-australia-7805641/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:13
|
en
| 0.977575
|
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — An adviser to Ukraine's president says third round of talks with Russia ends; progress made on humanitarian corridors.
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — An adviser to Ukraine's president says third round of talks with Russia ends; progress made on humanitarian corridors.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Alert-An-adviser-to-Ukraine-s-president-says-16983676.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:18
|
en
| 0.93339
|
A little more than a decade ago, Owen Coyle was seen as the man who could save Arsenal’s sinking ship. Back then, around 2010-11, Coyle was the man with the magic touch in English football. He got Burnley promoted to the Premier League after more than 30 years. Then, he turned relegation-rustlers Bolton Wanderers into a respected mid-table side. Just around that time, when Arsene Wenger came under scrutiny after a string of poor seasons, Coyle, whose stock continued to rise, was linked to the top job with the Gunners.
The move never materialised. But Coyle’s teams never stopped overachieving. He worked his magic, albeit briefly, with Houston Dynamo in USA’s Major League Soccer, and a couple of years later, came to India and turned around Chennaiyin’s fortunes in the Indian Super League (ISL).
And on Monday, he pulled off another big heist. His team, Jamshedpur FC – a perennial mid-table side in Indian football that finished sixth last season, operates on a moderate budget and has modest talent – won the League Winners Shield with a 1-0 win over heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan. It’s an outcome not many would have predicted at the start of the season. But Coyle did what he always does – taking charge of under-confident, struggling teams and turning them into overachievers.
The semifinalists
This has been a strange ISL season. There have been a some screamers but at the same time, quite a few goalkeeping howlers; some eye-popping performances by young Indians and some cause for concern vis-à-vis the seniors; two highly-underrated sides, Jamshedpur and Hyderabad, enjoying their moment under the sun and a couple of heavyweights left with a lot of thinking to do; and there were some frustrated outbursts and a lot of bio-bubble fatigue.
It reached a stage where players simply wished to ‘get done with’ the season, especially when dozens of them went down with Covid during the third wave. Despite off-the-field struggles, the teams that have qualified for the semifinals indicate how competitive and unpredictable the season has been.
🔝 @JamshedpurFC create 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 by finishing their #HeroISL 2021-22 campaign with a new high of 4️⃣3️⃣ points 😱🔥#HeroISL #LetsFootball #JamshedpurFC pic.twitter.com/6AFgqYTrvu
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 7, 2022
The two teams – Jamshedpur and ATK Mohun Bagan – that fought for the top place on Monday are into the top-four along with Hyderabad and Kerala Blasters. It’s a well-rounded line-up, former Shillong Lajong, Bengaluru FC and Pune City coach Pradhyum Reddy points out. The qualification of teams from Kolkata and Kerala takes care of two of the biggest centres in Indian football while the success of Jamshedpur and Hyderabad is a reward for persistence and patience.
“It’s good to see that continuity is rewarded,” Reddy said. “The coaches have been given a second term, even though they didn’t make the playoffs last season. So, that proves the old adage right – stick with the same coaches, trust them and back them on and off the field.”
Ritwik's strike helped @JamshedpurFC clinch the win against @atkmohunbaganfc! 💥
Watch the #ISLRecap of the #ATKMBJFC game 📺#HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/dwgqNe3HyP
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 7, 2022
Jamshedpur’s march to the top
Despite being an important centre in Indian football, Jamshedpur hasn’t ever been in the limelight. The traditional hotbeds like Kolkata, Kerala and Goa have had bragging rights because of the performances of their clubs on the big stage.
Jamshedpur has always remained under the shadows of these regions, even though it has been a finishing school of sorts for Indian footballers. A lot of players who have gone on to become stalwarts have passed through the famous Tata Football Academy, based in Jamshedpur. For decades, it has been honing talent. At last, though, there’s something for Jamshedpur to cheer; the ISL crown will add heft to its footballing reputation.
The 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 they all have been waiting for tonight! 🛡🔴#ATKMBJFC #HeroISL #LetsFootball #JamshedpurFC | @JamshedpurFC pic.twitter.com/fSR7kHHhhU
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 7, 2022
And Coyle has been at the forefront of Jamshedpur’s remarkable campaign.
In 2009, then Burnley chairman Barry Kilby described Coyle as a ‘master of the art of finding and developing good players even when money is tight,’ according to The Evening Standard. One look at some of Jamshedpur’s performers this season and it’s evident that Kilby’s observations hold true even today.
The player who scored the goal which sealed the top spot for Jamshedpur on Monday, Ritwik Das, barely got any game time with his previous club, Kerala Blasters. Under Coyle, he played a majority of the matches and scored a few important goals. Not just Das. The three players Coyle used the most this season – goalkeeper TP Rehenesh, left-back Ricky Lallawmawma, and defender Laldinliana Renthlei – were unwanted by their previous clubs. Under Coyle, they have blossomed.
Relive the exciting battle between @JamshedpurFC and @atkmohunbaganfc where Ritwik's goal helped the men of Steel clinch the #HeroISL 2021-22 League Winners Shield! 🛡
Watch the full highlights, ICYMI ⚽#ATKMBJFC #LetsFootball https://t.co/Dc07ajSafn
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 7, 2022
Not just Indian players. Greg Stewart, who was released by Scottish league giants Rangers after winning the league with them under Steven Gerrard, adjusted smoothly in India and became Jamshedpur’s focal point in attack whereas Nigerian striker Daniel Chima Chukwu, who has had a nomadic career, has averaged almost a goal per game and looked menacing under Coyle.
Reddy said that in a season where teams and players have struggled with bio-bubble fatigue, Coyle’s charisma played a crucial role in the team’s success. “If you looked at Jamshedpur’s players, there was happiness around the camp. And that comes from the coach,” Reddy said.
The result on Monday was Jamshedpur’s seventh consecutive win, an ISL record. Whether they can maintain that form in the semifinals remains to be seen. But if the past is anything to go by, Coyle’s team will continue to upset the odds and overachieve.
Semifinals
Jamshedpur vs Kerala Blasters (March 11 & 15)
Hyderabad vs ATK Mohun Bagan (March 12 & 16)
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
|
https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/jamshedpur-fc-lift-maiden-isl-league-shield-with-win-over-atk-mohun-bagan-7805657/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:19
|
en
| 0.960757
|
The Batman smashed into theaters over the weekend, and now that fans have had a taste of director Matt Reeves‘ vision of Gotham City and the Robert Pattinson Batman that dwells within, the big question is how soon can we return to the gothic noir world. In the lead-up to The Batman‘s pandemic-delayed release, Warner Bros. announced two HBO Max spinoff series that would take a deeper dive into Gotham and presumably arrive before Reeves (presumably) gets another crack at a sequel. However, the state of those projects appear to be in flux, so here’s the latest update on where each of them stand on the heels of The Batman‘s release:
Penguin
In December 2021, Colin Farrell officially signed on to reprise his The Batman role in a Penguin spinoff series focused on his character. In a recent interview, The Batman producer Dylan Clark said the series will have a “Scarface” feel to it, which echoed what Farrell told Entertainment Tonight in late February:
“We have to get into what made him the man he is. And also, it will pick up where this film finished off I think. I think it’ll pick up a little short time after the last frame of this film,” Farrell teases of the series about Penguin, aka Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. “We’ll get to go on a little kind of left turn off to the world of Oz and how he’s beginning to kind of dream of filling a potential power vacuum that may exist.”
However, in the same interview, Farrell cautioned that the series is still in its “early days,” and judging by what’s happening with the previously announced Gotham PD series, things could quickly change.
Gotham PD/Arkham Asylum Series
Announced all the way back in July 2020, the untitled Gotham PD series was originally set to be a prequel that would explore how the department handled the first year of Batman kicking off his one-man war on crime. However, problems emerged quickly when showrunner Terrence Winter (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire) exited the project just a few months later. There hasn’t been much in the way of updates on the series until very recently, and it appears to have drastically shifted focus — if it’s even happening at all.
In two recent interviews, Reeves signaled that the Gotham PD series is dead in the water. While talking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via The Wrap), Reeves basically said the show was not happening (especially anytime soon).
“One thing that we’re not doing that I was gonna do — so there’s the Gotham police show, which, that one actually is put on hold,” Reeves said. “We’re not really doing that.”
However, while talking to The Cyber Nerds podcast (via IGN), Reeves said the show has “evolved” and will now focus on Arkham Asylum:
“I really want Arkham to exist as a character, so that you go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh. And so in our work on Gotham, that story started to evolve, and it started feeling like, ‘Wait, we should really lean into this.’ And that’s kind of where that’s gone.”
So for those keeping score at home, the two The Batman spinoffs in play are now the Penguin and an Arkham Asylum series in lieu of Gotham PD. Obviously, the situation is fluid, and with The Batman doing well at the box office, that could lead to Warner Bros. wanting more from the hit franchise. We’ll keep you posted.
The Batman is currently playing in theaters.
|
https://uproxx.com/movies/batman-hbo-max-spinoff-gotham-pd-penguin-arkham-series/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:24
|
en
| 0.96544
|
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Republican-authored bill that would authorize local election clerks to begin counting absentee ballots a day earlier is likely dead.
Right now clerks can’t start counting absentee ballots until the day of the election. Assembly Republicans last week amended a Senate bill that would have protected clerks who report irregularities to allow clerks to to being counting absentee ballots the day before the election. Releasing results early would be a felony. The Assembly passed the measure that same night and sent it over to the Senate.
The Senate's last session day is Tuesday and the bill isn't on the agenda. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu's spokesman, Adam Gibbs, said in an email to The Associated Press on Monday that the chamber won't take up the bill. He didn't offer any explanation.
Conservatives have pushed back against the bill over the last several days. Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chairwoman of the Assembly's elections committee, has said the bill just gives partisan election officials an extra day to cheat.
Republicans continue to insist that President Joe Biden somehow stole the election from Donald Trump, although they haven't produced any evidence widespread fraud. A number of court challenges, a recount and a state audit have confirmed that Biden defeated Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Bill-setting-up-early-absente-ballot-count-likely-16983656.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:24
|
en
| 0.960775
|
Richard Linklater is going where none of his films have gone before: a Netflix release. Also, space! Linklater’s latest film Apollo 10 1/2 tells the story of a young boy who is recruited to go on a top-secret space mission in 1960s Texas, since he is the only one small enough to do it.
The movie stars Glen Powell, Zachary Levi and Jack Black and was inspired by Linklater’s own childhood. The film will be released on Netflix on April 1st after premiering at SXSW this week. When asked about the film’s inspiration, Linklater said:
“Eighteen years ago, I was pulling out memories of 2nd grade to help me construct the narrative of Boyhood’s second year. Even though that movie is a celebration of the non-extraordinary, it became clear to me I had lived through and close to something truly extraordinary – the grandest and most enduring engineering feat in human history I think it took decades for us to fully process that the Apollo program and walking on the moon was the apex because we’d all believed it was just a great beginning.”
The director has combined two key elements of two of his greatest movies: childhood wonder from Boyhood and rotoscope animation from the very underrated A Scanner Darkly in order to create the dream-like look of Apollo 10 1/2. Also another key Linklater element: Jack Black. Check out the trailer above.
|
https://uproxx.com/movies/richard-linklater-netflix-space-movie-apollo-10-1-2-trailer/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:30
|
en
| 0.965204
|
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials announced Monday that they have identified bird flu in a commercial turkey flock in northwest Iowa, the state's second case of a virus that has been identified in multiple U.S. states.
Iowa agriculture officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the case in Buena Vista County, about 100 miles north of the case identified March 1 in a backyard flock of 42 ducks and chickens in Pottawattamie County.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista County to allow state resources to help with disposal of the affected flock and disinfection of the farm. Officials didn't immediately disclose the number of birds involved. The emergency declaration also provides resources for tracking, monitoring and the rapid detection of bird flu.
The discovery of avian influenza is especially troubling in Iowa, the nation’s leading egg producer. In 2015, an outbreak led producers to kill 33 million hens in the state and 9 million birds in Minnesota, the nation’s leading turkey producer. Smaller outbreaks were reported in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement that state and federal agriculture officials are working with producers "to trace back, control and eradicate this disease from our state.”
Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can spread from flock to flock by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the recent bird flu detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. While it can be transmitted to humans, it is unusual and typically due to close contact with infected birds.
The first infection this year was identified in a commercial flock of turkeys in Indiana on Feb. 9. Since then, five additional flocks have been found with cases in Indiana, where more than 171,000 birds have been killed and removed. The virus also was detected in a flocks of turkeys and broiler chickens in Kentucky last month, resulting in the destruction and disposal of more than 284,000 birds. A commercial chicken flock in Delaware also was infected, leading to the disposal of 1.2 million birds, the USDA said.
In the past few days officials have identified the virus on a southeast Missouri farm with 240,000 broiler chickens, a commercial mixed species flock in southeastern South Dakota and an egg-laying hen operation in northeast Maryland.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Bird-flu-confirmed-in-northwest-Iowa-commercial-16983699.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:30
|
en
| 0.956246
|
Every cinematic detective story needs a montage in which the protagonist rummages through evidence and covers their home in the research. In Matt Reeves’s The Batman, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), the billionaire descendant to the Wayne empire, peruses old files in his family home, searching for answers that could connect to the murders The Riddler is committing throughout the endlessly corrupt city of Gotham. Bruce opens file cabinets and sprawls photos and newspaper clippings on the floor while the score builds and builds to an aha moment. It’s all very standard, except for the fact that Bruce Wayne is shirtless and his greasy, dark emo Peter Parker-inspired hair falls into his face the entire time. Superheroes – including Bruce Wayne/Batman – have been seen shirtless on screen to show off their ripped biceps and torsos, and a shirtless man is not the sexiest thing you could show in a movie. But the specific choice to have Robert Pattinson act out this entire montage shirtless instead of in a t-shirt, sweater, robe, or hoodie elevates the film’s erotic, sexual undercurrent. In an era when major motion pictures are completely devoid of the concept of sex, The Batman is practically bursting with sexual energy.
The Batman establishes its underlying sensual vibe instantly as it opens with an erotic thriller signature: cinematic voyeurism. The film’s consistent moody atmosphere combines sexiness and looming death. Most scenes take place at night, or in darkness. It is almost always raining. A majority of the film’s rousing action sequences take place in the shadows, the only light coming from alternate sources such as nightclub strobe lights, the fire from a gun, or a scoreboard. The film’s dark and neutral color story uses colors such as the deep, passionate blood-red all over the film’s marketing intentionally and sparingly, which adds to the sexual mystery; a sharp contrast to an overwhelming amount of black (and black leather). A titillating score and quiet, patient dialogue amplify The Batman’s erotic visuals.
The slightly antagonistic but instantly deep connection between Batman and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) is the emotional heart of the film, but also its sexual center. Pattinson and Kravitz don’t have to do much to exude eroticism. Their presence alone – especially in skin-tight black leather costumes – brings the heat. Even if Pattinson and Kravitz were wearing Uncle Baby Billy wigs and teeth, they would be hot. Like the leads in an erotic thriller, Batman and Catwoman are drawn together despite their differences and even though they know they are bad for each other. While Batman and Catwoman do not have sex on a bed of money, scenes between the two characters are shot up close and include shots of their mouths, which are desperate to touch. Longer shots place them against gorgeous city landscapes at the top of a building overlooking the dimly lit gothic architecture of Gotham at sunset or riding motorcycles through a graveyard.
Even The Batman’s supporting cast adds to the eroticism, albeit more subtly. Jeffrey Wright, who plays Batman’s literal bestie Lieutenant James Gordon, adds to the film’s sensuality with a muted but significant performance that adds a mystical element to the character. Wright’s performance calls to mind David Fincher’s Zodiac, another stunning crime thriller that has a similar sensuality due to its style and performances. John Turturro, whose effortless performance as the cruel but charismatic crime lord Carmine Falcone feels as if he made up his lines on the fly, is seductive and stunning in tinted glasses and standing over a pool table. Colin Farrell, meanwhile, is very ironically the antithesis of the film’s eroticism as the Penguin.
The Batman’s story, themes, characters, and technical elements make it more erotic thriller than superhero film. Although the film does not include any fucking, it suggests that its hero fucks, a sadly unique and new element to the genre. In doing so, the film plays with the idea that superhero movies (such as those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) do not have to be sexless copies of each other. The Batman is not only proof that a comic book movie can be sexy, but an indication that the long-gone genre that defined Hollywood in the 80s and the 90s is making a slow but sure comeback.
|
https://uproxx.com/movies/the-batman-sexy-erotic-thriller-superhero-sex/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:36
|
en
| 0.935908
|
BULL VALLEY, Ill. (AP) — A millionaire businessman convicted of trying to kill his wife during a 2004 attack in their suburban Chicago mansion has been released from prison.
Billy J. Cox, 80, was released on Feb. 25 after serving the required 85% of his 20-year sentence, according to a notice from the Illinois Department of Corrections, The (Crystal Lake) Northwest Herald reported.
A jury found Cox guilty in 2007 of attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery for trying to kill his then 65-year-old wife, Carolyn Cox, in September 2004 in their 15,000-square-foot Bull Valley mansion.
He struck her with a blunt object and dragged her through their home before locking her in the garage, where he left two vehicles idling so carbon monoxide fumes would kill her, court records state.
Carolyn Cox was found alive by police who went to the couple's home after concerned relatives were unable to reach her on the day of a planned trip to Paris.
She divorced Billy Cox in 2008 and remarried, changing her name to Carolyn Mahoney and later speaking out against domestic violence, saying it affects everyone, no matter how rich or poor. She died in 2019.
Cox and his late former wife had become wealthy by building Exacto Inc., a chemical company based in Sharon, Wisconsin.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Businessman-convicted-in-attack-on-wife-released-16983685.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:36
|
en
| 0.987788
|
After going sequel-heavy in the late-2010s (Finding Dory, Cars 3, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4 were released in a three-year span), Pixar has been on a strong run of original films. Onward was a successfully charming attempt at fantasy; Soul won Best Animated Feature Film at last year’s Oscars; Luca is up for Best Animated Feature Film at this year’s Oscars; and Turning Red is being called the studio’s best movie in years.
Directed by Domee Shi (Bao), Turning Red is about a boy band-loving teenage girl who turns into a red panda whenever she experiences strong emotions (“which is practically ALWAYS,” as the official plot description notes). In her glowing review, Thrillist‘s Emma Stefansky wrote, “What’s so wonderful about Turning Red is that its themes of growing up and learning to live with a complex and mature set of feelings are clear without being obvious or simplistic,” while Polygon‘s Petrana Radulovic noted, “With a bright visual style and specific, evocative storytelling, Turning Red is an incredibly special addition to the Pixar canon, and one of its best films.” The praise is near-universal.
Turning Red is original, funny, and tender, an affectionate reminder that adolescence is a time of life not easily tamed, and sometimes the animal inside us demands release.
There may not be a gut-punch moment of overwhelming emotion like, say, the climax of Toy Story 3, the profoundly unexpected imagination of Up, or the form-busting audaciousness of Wall-E (though the plush-toy-ready Panda Mei is as easy a product to sell as Toy Story 4′s Forky). But Turning Red immediately announces itself as top-tier Pixar.
Turning Red is another Pixar home run, a low-stakes adventure turned high-stakes thanks to its heightened emotions and envelope-pushing animation style. It’s loud and unapologetic, and while that frenzy of stuff can sometimes turn frantic, it’s one of the most accurate cinematic depictions of what it was like to be a hormonal teenage girl — city-destroying kaiju fights, and all.
With all of its visual delights and expert use of its colourful onscreen spaces, its ever-a-shame that it’s the latest Pixar movie exiled to Disney’s streaming services – because it’s one of their best animated movies in years.
It’s not only the studio’s best movie (and metaphor) since Inside Out — it’s one of their best movies ever. Wherever the company’s next project premieres, I just hope they keep getting to make original, heartfelt, beautiful films like Turning Red. It’s one of those special movies where during your first viewing you already know there’s going to be a 100th viewing someday.
It sure would be nice to see Turning Red in a movie theater. Instead, it’s coming out on Disney+ in March 11.
|
https://uproxx.com/movies/turning-red-review-roundup-pixar/
| 2022-03-07T18:29:42
|
en
| 0.94024
|
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former Macomb County judge and prosecutor Carl Marlinga announced Monday his campaign for a new House seat in suburban Detroit, becoming the fourth Democrat to enter the primary for what may be among Michigan's most competitive congressional races this fall.
Marlinga, 75, retired from the bench last month after serving nine years. He said if he is elected, he would focus on ensuring there are good-paying U.S. jobs and bringing back the supply chain from countries like China.
“I love the community and as someone who has lived in the community all my life, I understand the hopes, aspirations and challenges of the families and small businesses who are my neighbors and whom I have served for nearly 40 years,” he said in a statement.
The contest for the 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Macomb and Oakland counties, has no incumbent after redistricting. Other Democratic candidates are ex-state lawmaker and current Sterling Heights council member Henry Yanez, Warren council member Angela Rogensues and activist Huwaida Arraf.
The Republican candidate is businessman and Iraq War veteran John James, the party's two-time nominee for U.S. Senate.
Marlinga was Macomb County's elected prosecutor for 20 years until 2004, when he was charged with helping a man obtain a new rape trial in exchange for contributions to Marlinga's failed 2002 congressional campaign. A federal jury acquitted Marlinga in 2006.
Republicans called Marlinga “corrupt” and said he cannot run for Congress because the state constitution prohibits judges from seeking a non-judicial office until one year after leaving office. Marlinga's campaign said the provision cannot supersede the U.S. Constitution's eligibility requirements, which include no such restriction.
___
Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Ex-judge-prosecutor-Carl-Marlinga-running-for-16983626.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:42
|
en
| 0.963633
|
BALTIMORE (AP) — One person is dead after a fire at a Baltimore fuel facility on Monday morning, a fire official said.
Baltimore Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Adams said four employees were working outside the Petroleum Management facility Monday morning when flames engulfed one of them, The Baltimore Sun reported. Coworkers tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze and it spread to the building, Adams said. The employee was pronounced dead on the scene.
Firefighters called to the facility on Curtis Avenue just before 7 a.m. Monday found it engulfed in flames and smoke, officials said. Firefighters from Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties and BWI Airport Fire & Rescue helped battle the fire and Adams said it was extinguished just after 8 a.m. Firefighters remained on the scene to check for any flare-ups, she said.
Officials at Petroleum Management’s corporate office declined to comment, the newspaper reported. The company handles petroleum product spills and offers environmental monitoring and other services, according to its website.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Fire-official-1-dead-after-fire-at-Baltimore-16983618.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:49
|
en
| 0.960934
|
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said Monday that the state will formally recommend against COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children.
Ladapo made the announcement at a roundtable event organized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that featured a group of doctors who criticized coronavirus lockdowns and mandate policies. It was not immediately clear when the state would release its health guidance.
“The Florida Department of Health is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children,” Ladapo said at the end of the roundtable discussion.
“We’re kind of scraping at the bottom of the barrel, particularly with healthy kids, in terms of actually being able to quantify with any accuracy and any confidence the even potential of benefit,” he added.
Late last month, Ladapo and DeSantis announced new virus policy recommendations that discouraged mask-wearing and directed physicians to exercise their own judgment when treating virus patients, including the use of emerging treatments and off-label medications.
The Florida state Senate confirmed Ladapo as surgeon general despite criticism that his virus health policy is too aligned with the anti-lockdown and mandate politics of DeSantis.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Florida-to-recommend-against-COVID-vaccines-for-16983586.php
| 2022-03-07T18:29:55
|
en
| 0.965679
|
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas are advancing a measure to prevent the governor from entering into legal agreements that change state election practices without getting prior approval from the GOP-controlled Legislature or its top leaders.
A Senate committee approved a bill Monday in response to an agreement Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly reached in October with voting-rights groups to head off a lawsuit. The agreement allows Kansas residents to register to vote at state agencies that provide social services benefits.
The measure goes next to the full Senate.
Federal law requires states to allow people to register when they interact with social services agencies. Kelly acknowledged that the state fell out of compliance and began working with voting rights groups in 2019.
Some Republicans argue that the Legislature should be involved such agreements because it has the power to write and revise election laws. A law enacted last year prevented the secretary of state from making such agreements without legislative leaders' approval first.
The bill approved Monday by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee would require the full Legislature to sign off first on an agreement involving either the governor or secretary of state if lawmakers are in session. If they are out of session, either official would need permission from the Legislature's top eight leaders.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/GOP-looks-to-limit-governor-s-power-on-Kansas-16983623.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:01
|
en
| 0.95831
|
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When her daughter was diagnosed with cancer, Tetiana Chatokhina didn't hesitate to make the trip back to Ukraine to help her recover from surgery and care for her 14-year-old grandson.
But the 75-year-old disabled American citizen found herself trapped alongside her family in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, targeted by nightly shelling and bombs after Russia invaded a little more than a week ago.
Their underground shelter wasn't big enough for all three of them, so Chatokhina, her daughter Olena Iarova, and Iarova's son stayed above ground despite the risk. Two lay beneath a table; Chatokhina, nearby, on the floor. They took turns sleeping and keep the lights off, and voices low, in the hopes the Russian military would think the home was abandoned and pass them by.
“Every time we go to bed, we don't even sleep,” Chatokhina said in whispers in Russian over the phone before the family left the city and headed West toward Poland, hoping to make it across the border.
The family is one of many stranded in Ukraine since the Russian invasion, including American citizens caring for family members who are Ukrainian citizens. The closure of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv postponed many visa interviews and limited the services the country can provide to people seeking to leave Ukraine. Families have been contacting Congress and immigration lawyers in the U.S. pleading for help.
There’s no known estimate of how many Americans remain in Ukraine after weeks of warnings urging them to leave before the invasion.
The State Department has been “just completely unhelpful,” said U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a New York Republican whose office worked for several days to push forward the visa application of a Ukrainian woman whose husband lives in Malliotakis' district. “I know some of my colleagues are facing that same experience, and it’s just really reminiscent of what occurred in Afghanistan when we were trying to evacuate families and help people get out of Afghanistan.”
The department has support teams near the Ukrainian border in four neighboring countries to assist U.S. citizens and opened a “welcome center” in Poland. But people seeking immigrant visas who are trying to transfer their case to another U.S. embassy have to contact that specific embassy for a list of requirements, the department said this week.
After several emails sent by Malliotakis' office, the State Department agreed to transfer the woman's case to Moldova and the couple has now reached that country.
Thousands of miles away, in a hilltop home in Los Angeles, Chatokhina's son and daughter-in-law have been sleepless as well. They've called their congressional representative and the State Department, desperate to get the family out.
They want to get them to the border with Poland — a stretch for Chatokhina, who recently underwent surgery herself and needs walking assistance — and then to a U.S. consulate for a long-awaited interview for a green card for Iarova, for which she was sponsored years ago.
“I actually called the State Department and I was told that there's nothing they can do until she's in a EU country or any country outside of Ukraine," said Galina Blank, Chatokhina's daughter-in-law. ”The State Department can't do anything. They're not doing anything for United States citizens."
“She’s old. She’s sick. She’s a citizen,” she said.
In 1990, then-21-year-old Edward Chatokhin left his hometown of Kharkiv in what was the Soviet Union to try to make a life in the United States. Years later, he married Blank, who had moved to Los Angeles as a Soviet refugee when she was a child.
After Chatokhin became an American citizen, he sponsored his mother for a green card and she went to live with them in California. Once she, too, became a U.S. citizen, she applied for Iarova to join them.
Although U.S. authorities have approved her application, Iarova still needs a consular interview to get a green card. Since the coronavirus pandemic, many of these interviews have been delayed, and Blank said she's unsure how long it would have taken before the invasion. She said the State Department told her that if Iarova can get to another country they would expedite her interview.
The situation in Kharkiv is dire, the family said. They were running out of food. Their water was cut off. The weather is extremely cold.
When the invasion began, they thought the Russians were trying to scare them. But it only got worse, Iarova said.
“There is no mercy, not to anyone at all. We could imagine anything, but not that they would drop bombs on us," she said. “I just want to save my child.”
In Los Angeles, Blank, a lawyer, and Chatokhin, an internet entrepreneur, have been working the phones, trying to find someone to help the family flee. Initially, a friend offered to drive them to the border, but a nearby bridge blew up and he couldn't reach them, Blank said.
When his mother left Los Angeles about two months ago, Chatokhin said he didn't have any worries about the situation in Kharkiv. Even as chatter surfaced about a possible attack, he said he and his friends saw it as no more than media bluster, adding that the two countries have a shared language, history and culture.
Last Wednesday, his nephew went to school, like always. A day later, there was war.
“We’re the same people. It just makes no sense," Blank said. “That’s why nobody ever believed that anything like this could happen.”
___
Merchant reported from Washington. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee and AP journalists Padmananda Rama and Lynn Berry in Washington contributed to this report.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/In-Ukraine-under-attack-American-hopes-for-16983502.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:07
|
en
| 0.984314
|
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Proposed cuts to Indiana’s individual income tax rates might not be automatic under methods legislative leaders discussed Monday.
A push led by Indiana House Republicans for broad cuts to business and individual taxes is a major remaining issue as lawmakers look to finish this year’s legislative session this week.
Senate Republican leaders have resisted making major tax cuts now, citing concerns about the economy’s future even as state tax collections have recorded big jumps over the past year. Gov. Eric Holcomb dropped his previous reluctance on tax cuts last week by proposing cuts to the state’s current individual income tax rate of 3.23% to 2.9% in small steps over the next seven years.
The leader of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee said Monday that talks with senators included possibly linking tax rate cuts to whether state tax collections remain strong.
A similar process is already in place for the state’s automatic tax refund that will result in $125 payments to all Indiana taxpayers based on the size of the state government’s cash reserves.
“We’re looking at — can we formulate that and put that into a staged reduction that has some trigger mechanisms?” said committee Chairman Tim Brown, a Crawfordsville Republican.
Holcomb’s income tax cut proposal would reduce state revenue by a projected $900 million a year when fully implemented in 2028, according to the governor’s office. House Republicans have also backed cuts to several business taxes, potentially worth $700 million to $850 million a year.
The Senate’s top budget leader said he remains more focused on taking steps to reduce the state’s future teacher pension liabilities and recoup what now amounts to more than $1 billion a year in state spending for those pensions.
“I would rather do something more transformative when we have that billion,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ryan Mishler, a Republican from Bremen. “Instead of kind of guesstimating on the billion, I want to wait until we could actually have that billion and make some of these tax cuts. That’s my preference.”
The proposed changes would result in state government becoming even more dependent on its 7% sales tax, which is already its biggest revenue source and the second-highest rate in the country. Indiana’s individual income tax is currently lower than any surrounding state.
Republicans who dominate the House and Senate have turned aside proposals from Democrats for steps such as lowering the sales tax to 6.5%, increasing the state’s tax deduction on rent from $3,000 to $5,000 a year and eliminating the sales tax on diapers and tampons.
Democrats argue the Republican proposals would continue a “bad habit” of continuing to shift reliance to the sales tax with steps in recent years of cutting corporate income tax rates and eliminating the state inheritance tax.
Democratic Sen. Tim Lanane of Anderson said the “highly volatile” world situation should lead to prudence on major state tax changes until a new two-year state budget is written in 2023.
“We don’t know what the economy is going to be like in 30 days, not to mention a year from now,” Lanane said. “So, I think the better approach is to wait till next year, when it’s a budget year.”
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Indiana-lawmakers-discuss-trigger-for-income-16983581.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:14
|
en
| 0.965346
|
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man is accused of stealing more than two dozen parking meters from the downtown area.
Police say the 32-year-old suspect was arrested Monday and faces several charges.
Officers had been investigating the theft last week of 26 coin-operated parking meters. Around midnight Monday, a caller told police they saw someone walking with a shopping cart in an area of downtown and possibly stealing meters.
Officers arrived and arrested the suspect. They say he was in possession of several recently-stolen meters.
The man is jailed without bond.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Man-accused-of-stealing-several-Topeka-parking-16983469.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:20
|
en
| 0.982306
|
MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A man driving a stolen car was shot twice by police during a pursuit that went through two counties in northern Ohio and ended after he stole a state highway patrol cruiser and a minivan, authorities said.
The chase started Sunday afternoon in Richland County, when troopers spotted what they believed was a stolen vehicle at a rest stop on westbound Route 30. As they prepared to check the license plates, a 31-year-old Mount Gilead man drove off in it but soon crashed into a home in Ontario.
A standoff between the man and several law enforcement agencies ensued for about 30 minutes, during which authorities said a gunshot was heard coming from the stolen vehicle. Officers returned fire, and the man was struck by at least two shots, authorities said.
The man and a female passenger then left the vehicle and drove off in a state highway patrol cruiser that had been parked at the scene, authorities said. The pursuit resumed and, a short time later, the driver of a minivan on eastbound Route 30 pulled over as a courtesy as the cruiser approached.
The Mount Gilead man stopped and exited the cruiser and forcibly removed the driver from the minivan while a passenger jumped out. The man then drove off, leaving on the highway the female passenger who had been traveling with him.
The pursuit continued but ended in Ashland County when troopers were able to crash the minivan and remove the man from the vehicle.
The man was being treated at a hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening. He was expected to face numerous charges, authoritie said.
The two people in the minivan were treated for minor injuries.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Man-shot-during-pursuit-involving-stolen-police-16983471.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:26
|
en
| 0.986943
|
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man was killed after he was hit by a stray bullet from what was described as a “large shootout,” police said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said in a news release on Monday that James Freiberg, 48, was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency personnel.
Police said officers on the south side of the city reported hearing gunshots around 3 a.m. on Saturday and found several casings in the parking lot of an apartment complex that had been fired into one of the units. The incident was between two groups of people unrelated to Freiberg, according to police.
Freiberg is a Chicago native who was a realtor and a sports card expert for a local business. He also served as a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps while stationed at the Air Station New River in Jacksonville.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/North-Carolina-man-dies-after-stray-bullet-hits-16983613.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:32
|
en
| 0.98904
|
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Burke man who runs a business that provides outdoor education has been appointed to the Vermont Legislature, Gov. Phil Scott announced Monday.
John Kascenska, a Republican, is replacing Rep. Patrick Seymour, who resigned.
“John has demonstrated a commitment to public service and has a wide range of experience that will be valuable in the House of Representatives – from his time as an educator to being a small business owner,” Scott said in a statement.
Kascenska is the founder and owner of Kingdom Adventures Mountain Guides in East Burke. His primary work includes wilderness first aid and wilderness first responder training.
He has also worked in higher education for 32 years, including as a faculty member and dean on the Lyndon campus of Northern Vermont University. During the winter, he teaches courses in avalanche safety and rescue on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
“I look forward to working alongside House colleagues through the remainder of the current legislative session and beyond,” Kascenska said.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Outdoor-first-aid-educator-appointed-to-Vermont-16983582.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:38
|
en
| 0.973979
|
JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian stabbed two police officers in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday before he was shot and killed by police, the second such incident in as many days.
The Magen David Adom emergency service said it was treating two men in their 20s — the two officers — who were in moderate condition. The police said the attacker was critically wounded and later died.
On Sunday, police shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian after he stabbed an officer in the Old City. The officer was lightly injured.
Palestinians have carried out dozens of stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks targeting Israeli civilians and security personnel in recent years. Most of the attacks were carried out by individuals with no known links to armed groups.
Palestinians and rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force in some instances and of killing attackers who could have been arrested.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized by most of the international community.
The Palestinians seek the occupied West Bank and Gaza for a future independent state, with east Jerusalem as its capital. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Palestinian-shot-killed-after-stabbing-2-Israeli-16983461.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:44
|
en
| 0.984831
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Monday finished presenting testimony against a Texas man who is the first person to be tried on charges related to the riot at the U.S. Capitol last year.
Guy Wesley Reffitt told U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich that he won't be testifying at his trial on charges that he stormed the Capitol while armed with a holstered handgun and interfered with police. After prosecutors rested their case, defense attorney William Welch said he didn't plan to call any defense witnesses.
Jurors will hear attorneys' closing arguments before they begin deliberating.
Reffitt was arrested less than a week after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. He also is charged with threatening his teenage children if they reported him to law enforcement after the attack.
Two Capitol police officers who tried to repel Reffitt outside the Capitol and an FBI agent who investigated the case were the last three government witnesses to testify.
Reffitt, 49, of Wylie, Texas, is a member of the “Texas Three Percenters” and bragged about his involvement in the riot to other members of the militia-style group, according to prosecutors. The Three Percenters militia movement refers to the myth that only 3% of American colonists fought against the British in the Revolutionary War.
On Friday, jurors heard testimony from a self-described Texas Three Percenters member who drove from Texas to Washington, D.C., with Reffitt. The witness, Rocky Hardie, said he and Reffitt both had holstered handguns strapped to their bodies when they attended then-President Donald Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally just before the riot erupted.
On Thursday, Reffitt's 19-year-old son, Jackson, testified that his father told him and his sister, then 16, that they would be traitors if they reported him to authorities and said “traitors get shot." Jackson Reffitt's younger sister, Peyton, was listed as a possible government witness but didn't testify.
On Jan. 6, Reffitt had the holstered gun under his jacket, was carrying zip-tie handcuffs and was wearing body armor when he and other rioters advanced on police officers on the west side of the Capitol, according to prosecutors. Reffitt is not accused of entering the building. He retreated after an officer pepper-sprayed him in the face, prosecutors said.
More than 750 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 220 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. and over 110 of them have been sentenced. Approximately 90 others have trial dates.
Reffitt faces a total of five counts: obstruction of an official proceeding, being unlawfully present on Capitol grounds while armed with a firearm, transporting firearms during a civil disorder, interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, and obstructing justice.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Prosecutors-rest-case-against-man-in-1st-Capitol-16983458.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:50
|
en
| 0.981607
|
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday thanked Israel for its efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine as he and his Israeli counterpart met to discuss the conflict and ongoing nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna.
Blinken said that any initiative to try to halt the conflict would be welcome as long as the move is consistent with U.S., NATO and European principles that Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.
He made the comments as he and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid sat down for hastily arranged talks in the Latvian capital of Riga just two days after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
“We very much appreciate the efforts that any of our close partners and friends and allies can make to see if there’s any opening to end the war consistent, of course, with the principles that we’ve all established,” Blinken told Lapid.
“I look forward to hearing your ideas, hearing about some of the engagements that Israel has had, but we appreciate all efforts by friends and allies to look for a diplomatic resolution,” he said.
Lapid, who flew to Latvia especially to brief Blinken on Bennett's meeting with Putin and express Israel's grave concern at the prospect of a new nuclear deal with Iran, said the meeting was taking place “at the moment the world order is changing.”
“The war that is going on in Ukraine and the nuclear talks in Vienna are events that are changing the world as we know it,” he said. He said Israel is “totally committed” to doing everything in its power to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
On Iran, Lapid noted Israel's concerns about the nuclear negotiations potentially at the point of a breakthrough, saying Israel has well-known differences with the U.S. on a deal even if they share the end goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“It’s no secret we have our differences on this, but it’s it’s a conversation between allies that have a common goal, which is preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold country and to stop Iran’s ability to spread terror and instability all around the world," Lapid said.
Blinken responded that both Israel and the United States are “united and committed to the proposition that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.”
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Russia-Ukraine-central-to-Blinken-talks-with-16983576.php
| 2022-03-07T18:30:56
|
en
| 0.963519
|
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is expected to be investigated after displaying a symbol on his uniform supporting the invasion of Ukraine.
Kuliak taped the “Z” symbol — seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles in Ukraine and embraced by supporters of the war — to his vest for a medal ceremony at a World Cup event on Saturday in Doha, Qatar. He took bronze in parallel bars and stood next to a gold medalist from Ukraine.
The International Gymnastics Federation, known as FIG, denounced the “shocking behavior” by Kuliak and pledged to ask its independent integrity unit to investigate.
“We can confirm that (FIG) has informed us that they will formally be seeking the opening of disciplinary proceedings against male artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak,” the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation said Monday.
The 20-year-old Kuliak was able to compete in Qatar because the exclusion of all gymnasts and officials from Russia and Belarus did not take effect until Monday. The Russian flag was already barred from his uniform by an earlier FIG decision.
Kuliak, a former national junior all-around champion who did not compete at the Tokyo Olympics, now faces a ban under the FIG disciplinary code. The code allows gymnasts to be punished for acts that "behave in an offensive way," “damage the image of gymnastics” or "demonstrate anti-sport behavior."
The sport's ethics foundation was created in 2018 following the sex abuse scandal involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Russian-gymnast-facing-ban-for-pro-invasion-16983419.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:03
|
en
| 0.967805
|
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A state audit faulted Nevada’s prison system for overcharging inmates for supplies and medical co-pays, racking up overtime costs in the director’s office during the coronavirus pandemic, and lax oversight in assigning state-owned vehicles to staff.
The routine audit by the governor’s finance office also found the Nevada Department of Corrections assigned weapons purchases to the wrong cost categories, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
It recommended changes by September that it said could save more than $14 million annually, almost all of it by reducing overcharges to prisoners.
In a response included with the audit’s public release on Feb. 22, the department accepted recommendations calling for it to write rules on pricing prisoner supplies, set reasonable co-pays, review its overtime costs and fix its weapons purchasing accounting.
The audit’s findings and recommendations were reviewed at a meeting of the seven-member Executive Branch Audit Committee: Gov. Steve Sisolak, Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead, Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, Treasurer Zach Conine, Controller Catherine Byrne, Attorney General Aaron Ford and public member Trudy Dulong.
Corrections Director Charles Daniels defended the department at the meeting, citing the effect of the pandemic on staffing and operations including statewide travel to visit facilities, the Review-Journal reported.
“We rose to the occasion and I’m proud of my people,” Daniels said. “They did stellar work.”
“We did all we could to be out there face-to-face with our staff to ensure that we gave them the attention that they needed,” Daniels said. “For those that seem to imply that there may be something amiss, I challenge anyone to work the schedules we worked. We never took time off. The only time we were gone is when we had COVID ourselves.”
The 36-page audit found there is no system for determining cost markups, which during the last two years fueled an average 37% profit margin — about $14 million per year — for what is known as the Offenders Store Fund.
The department sets a 10% markup on religious items available for purchase in prison commissaries and 40% on food, drink, clothing and hygiene items.
Auditors wrote that inmates with limited funds have to rely on rations allotted to them by the department to meet personal needs because they can't afford to buy items.
The audit tallied $10 million in debts owed by released prisoners for charges such as court fees and medical costs, and recommended setting “a reasonable medical co-pay” for inmates.
The $8 co-pay the department now charges is more than twice the national average of $3.47, auditors found.
The department proposed dropping the copay to $2.
It also promised to monitor costs of the use of vehicles, “excessive” overtime and standby pay for staff in the director’s office. Those things totaled more than $77,000 annually.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/State-audit-Nevada-inmates-overpay-for-medical-16983479.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:09
|
en
| 0.968832
|
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday defended his government’s treatment of Ukrainians fleeing war, after France accused U.K. authorities of “inhumane” behavior towards the refugees.
Johnson said Britain was being “very, very generous,” but wouldn't have “a system where people can come into the U.K. without any checks or any controls at all.”
Britain says it expects to take in as many as 200,000 Ukrainians displaced by Russia's invasion, and has set no upper limit on the number it will accept.
But very few have managed to reach Britain so far. The Home Office said “around 50” visas had been granted by Sunday, though Johnson said Monday he wasn't sure that number was correct.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Sunday that hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in the English Channel port of Calais had been turned away and told by British authorities that they must obtain visas at U.K. embassies in Paris or Brussels.
Calling that “a bit inhumane,” Darmanin urged Britain to “stop the technocratic nit-picking” and be more generous. He said he had urged Britain to set up a consulate in Calais to deal with applications.
Home Secretary Priti Patel denied Britain was turning anyone away, though the British government confirmed Monday that it didn't have a visa center in Calais, meaning applications need to be made elsewhere.
Patel said Britain had set up a visa application center “en route to Calais” but not at the port, to avoid bottlenecks.
“It is wrong to say we’re just turning people back, we’re absolutely not, we’re supporting those that have been coming to Calais,” she said in the House of Commons.
European Union nations are allowing Ukrainians live and work for up to three years without having to go through a formal asylum-seeking process. The U.K., which left the bloc last year, isn't waiving the paperwork, citing security reasons, though it is loosening its rules.
Ukrainians based in Britain can bring over family members, including spouses, parents and children. The government has also announced a separate route for groups in the U.K. to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, but details of that were still being worked out.
Patel said the U.K. was flying staff out to countries neighboring Ukraine “so we can fast-track and speed up applications.”
The United Nations says more than 1.7 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, in what it calls Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/UK-government-denies-giving-cool-welcome-to-16983577.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:21
|
en
| 0.977974
|
Gasoline prices rose overnight, pushing Monday's national average above $4.06 a gallon, the highest price American motorists have faced since July 2008, according to auto club AAA.
Calls are increasing for the United States to ban imports of Russian oil, and that is adding to prices that were rising long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The conflict, however, has helped push U.S. gasoline prices up 45 cents a gallon in just the past week.
The price of regular broke $4 a gallon on Sunday for the first time in nearly 14 years and is now up nearly 50% from a year ago.
Prices for gasoline in Europe is even higher, averaging 1.75 euros per liter last week, according to the European Commission, the equivalent of $7.21 per gallon.
GasBuddy, which tracks prices down to the service-station level, said Monday that the U.S. was likely to break its previous record price of $4.10 a gallon, but that does not account for inflation. In today's terms, the record price would be equal to about $5.24 after accounting for inflation.
“Forget the $4 per gallon mark, the nation will soon set new all-time record highs and we could push closer to a national average of $4.50," said GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan. “We’ve never been in this situation before, with this level of uncertainty ... Americans will be feeling the pain of the rise in prices for quite some time."
In late-morning trading, benchmark U.S. crude was up 3% to around $119 a barrel, and the international price gained 4% to around $123 a barrel. Major U.S. stock indexes were down more than 1%.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/US-gasoline-prices-rise-again-on-talk-of-banning-16983426.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:27
|
en
| 0.960712
|
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Two former top executives at a city-owned utility company in north Florida have been charged with conspiring to steal millions of dollars from the city of Jacksonville through an attempt to sell the utility, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.
Aaron Zahn, the former CEO of the Jacksonville Electric Authority, and Ryan Wannemacher, its former chief financial officer, were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy. If convicted on all counts, each could face up to 25 years in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the grand jury indictment, the top officials at the Jacksonville Electric Authority worked together to devise a lucrative bonus plan that would have paid them millions of dollars if the city-owned utility were sold.
In 2019, they falsely projected to the utility's board that the Jacksonville Electric Authority was in a “death spiral” that would lead to mass layoffs, rate hikes and reduced revenues unless it was sold or privatized, according to the indictment.
Under one calculation, if the utility sold for $3 billion, Zahn, Wannemacher and other officials stood get tens of millions of dollars in payouts, the indictment said.
Online court records showed no attorneys listed for Zahn or Wannemacher. As of Monday, no plea had been entered.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Utility-executives-accused-of-conspiring-to-steal-16983495.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:33
|
en
| 0.973268
|
NEW YORK (StudyFinds.org) – Can’t go a day without a bag of peanuts or a granola bar to munch on at some point? It turns out nearly every American needs a mid-afternoon snack.
According to a poll of 2,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 41 (1,125 Gen Zers and 875 millennials), only three percent claim they don’t eat snacks at all. Meanwhile one in four (26%) respondents snack most frequently in the early afternoon, making it the most preferred snack time — particularly among millennials when compared to Gen Z (33% vs 21%).
Story continues below
- Crime: Alleged kidnapping victim arrested, charged in deadly crash
- Trending: APS confirms one of Katie Riford’s children attended local school
- Weird: Missing Florida woman found inside her own septic tank, deputies say
- Data: New Mexico has millions potentially tied to Russia
Why we get the munchies
Sixty-eight percent admit they reach for snacks more frequently in times of anxiety or stress. That could be why two-thirds find themselves snacking more now than they did before the start of the pandemic. Those who snack with a specific purpose in mind are typically looking for an energy boost (42%), some extra calories (33%) or protein (33%).
The poll, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of National Peanut Board in honor of National Peanut Month in March, finds that 57 percent of respondents confess to snacking regularly before meals. But three in four snackers stop at least an hour ahead of their next meal.
Americans are strong-willed when it comes to avoiding midnight snacks, too. Just two percent of respondents say they reach for a late-night bite.
Results also reveal that 63 percent prefer their food to have “a little kick.” To that end, 36 percent of Gen Zers and 41 percent of Millennials are challenging themselves to try more spicy foods during the pandemic. In fact, close to half of peanut-eaters (47%) enjoy adding some spice to the mix.
Almost half (47%) of all respondents prefer a snack with some crunch. Results show that 49 percent of millennials favor crunchy, versus slightly fewer Gen Zers (46%). And when searching for new snack inspiration, 42 percent of respondents head to social media. “Spice has become a huge food trend,” says Ryan Lepicier, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at the National Peanut Board. “It could be because Gen Z and millennials are being inspired for new snack ideas by global social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.”
The dividing line between meal and snack
When asked to categorize certain foods into either snacks, meals or both, respondents are divided. For example, is soup a meal? The results say no, as only 45 percent of respondents consider it hearty enough to qualify. Classics like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are just as debatable. Two in five people categorize it as a snack, but 39 percent call it a meal.
One-third of respondents think they could make a meal out of nothing but peanuts, compared to half who believe the legume to be snack material only.
However, what Gen Z and Millennials agree on is that the most common way to distinguish a snack from a meal: namely, is that a snack can be eaten on-the-go (37%) and a meal can’t. Respondents also define snacks as foods that don’t require prep time or cooking (35%), and claim that meals are more difficult to find time for (35%).
When asked about their favorite strange snack pairings, 23 percent praised the combination of peanut butter and pickles, putting it towards the top of the list.
“Smart snack choices deliver a boost of energy, and satisfy cravings to keep you fuller longer,” says Sherry Coleman Collins, MS, RDN, LD. “Peanuts deliver seven grams of protein and good fat, and are a good source of fiber. They are a crunchy, nutritious, affordable, on-the-go snack option.”
|
https://www.krqe.com/health/studies-research-findings/does-soup-count-as-a-meal-survey-on-snacking-reveals-45-of-americans-say-it-doesnt/
| 2022-03-07T18:31:35
|
en
| 0.94228
|
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a state ruling that would enact legislative maps submitted by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, saying allowing it to stand would put in place “racial gerrymandering.”
Republicans asked the nation's highest court to put on hold the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling from last week and take an expedited appeal of the case. The court does not have to take the case. If it declines to hear it, then the state Supreme Court ruling would stand.
In a 4-3 ruling on Thursday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court chose Evers' maps over ones submitted by Republicans and other interest groups.
The decision was a marginal victory for Democrats because the new maps were more favorable to Democrats, but they are still projected to result in districts that would keep Republicans in the majority. That's because the state Supreme Court said it would only consider new district boundaries that adhered closely to the ones already in place that were drawn by Republicans in 2011.
The current districts have helped Republicans increase their majorities in the Legislature and Congress over the past decade. Democrats had wanted to draw new maps from scratch, but the state Supreme Court didn't allow it. Democrats also have a pending federal lawsuit they could revive.
“Overall, it's a step forward,” Evers said of the maps he submitted that the court adopted when asked about it following a bill signing Monday. “Overall, it's not where we need to be.”
Republicans on Friday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to put its ruling adopting the Evers legislative maps on hold pending the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court has not yet acted on that request.
Republicans, in their filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, argued that Evers' map moves too many people in Milwaukee to create more districts with a majority of Black and Hispanic voters in violation of the Constitution and federal Voting Rights Act. There are currently six Assembly districts with a Black majority, but that would grow to seven under the adopted Evers map.
“Wisconsin is now home to the 21st-century racial gerrymander,” attorneys for Republicans said in their filing with the U.S. Supreme Court. “The redraw is nothing short of a court-ordered maximization of majority-Black districts.”
Justice Brian Hagedorn, writing for the court's majority last week, said it adopted Evers maps because they made the least changes of all the proposals.
“It is not a close call,” Hagedorn wrote.
The Legislature redraws Wisconsin’s congressional and legislative district maps every 10 years to reflect population changes. The process, known as redistricting, can solidify the partisan majority in the Legislature for a decade. With the stakes so high, Evers and Republican lawmakers couldn’t agree on a plan, leading to both sides asking the state Supreme Court to choose between each side’s maps.
The new maps will be used for races this fall, starting with the Aug. 9 primary. Elections officials have pushed for quick resolution of the legal fight so the district boundaries are known before candidates take out nomination papers next month.
Republicans asked that the current districts remain in place while the court battle plays out.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Wisconsin-Republicans-take-redistricting-fight-to-16983560.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:39
|
en
| 0.96654
|
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Keep Albuquerque Beautiful and Locker 505 are teaming up to sponsor the 10th Annual Recyclothes event at Hinkle Family Fun Center. Recyclothes is a clothing drive that directly benefits students around Albuquerque. Locker 505 partners with Albuquerque schools to make sure students in need have clothes, shoes, underwear, socks and coats so they can focus on learning.
Story continues below
- Crime: Alleged kidnapping victim arrested, charged in deadly crash
- Trending: APS confirms one of Katie Riford’s children attended local school
- Weird: Missing Florida woman found inside her own septic tank, deputies say
- Data: New Mexico has millions potentially tied to Russia
The Recyclothes clothing drive will be held March 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hinkle Family Fun Center. People can bring new or gently used clothes for students ranging from K-12. Last year the drive was able to collect over 10,000 pounds of clothing for kids and they have hopes to top that number this year.
For more information visit cabq.gov/recyclothes and locker505.org.
|
https://www.krqe.com/news/community/city-of-albuquerque-to-host-clothing-drive-for-kids/
| 2022-03-07T18:31:41
|
en
| 0.945324
|
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With over 180 members, the Albuquerque Coin Club is the biggest coin club within a 400-mile radius. The club sponsors two coin shows a year, including this year’s Great Southwest Coin Expo.
New Mexico is tied to a unique coin that features a prominent Native American woman, Sacagawea. The Sacagawea coin is unique and collectible. Sacagawea was a 16-year-old Shoshone woman who joined Lewis and Clark on their exhibition as an interpreter. In 2000, the mint desired to make a new dollar coin. Sacagawea was chosen to grace the front of the coin, and Glenna Goodacre, a Santa Fe artist was chosen to create the design. She enlisted a young Shoshone woman, Randi L. Totem, a student at UNM, to be the model for the coin.
Story continues below
- Crime: Alleged kidnapping victim arrested, charged in deadly crash
- Trending: APS confirms one of Katie Riford’s children attended local school
- Weird: Missing Florida woman found inside her own septic tank, deputies say
- Data: New Mexico has millions potentially tied to Russia
Beginning in 2009 they began putting different Native American scenes on the back of these coins. The coins are still being minted today. They are affordable and a great set to acquire if you are starting a coin collection. You can find sets of these coins and plenty of other unique coins at The Great Southwest Coin Expo.
The Expo is being held in Albuquerque at the Marriott Pyramid on April 8-10. The event will feature dealers from seven different states. For more information on the Albuquerque coin club and coin collecting, you can visit abqcc.org.
|
https://www.krqe.com/news/community/the-great-southwest-coin-expo-coming-to-albuquerque/
| 2022-03-07T18:31:47
|
en
| 0.938552
|
NEW YORK (AP) — POLL ALERT: Kentucky into top five, 'Nova, Tennessee into top 10 in AP Top 25; Gonzaga, Arizona remain 1-2, UNC returns.
NEW YORK (AP) — POLL ALERT: Kentucky into top five, 'Nova, Tennessee into top 10 in AP Top 25; Gonzaga, Arizona remain 1-2, UNC returns.
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Alert-POLL-ALERT-Kentucky-into-top-five-Nova-16983540.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:51
|
en
| 0.794753
|
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An Oklahoma City woman said she broke into the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare building to take back her dog Hazel, which was hours away from being euthanized for being dangerous.
Toya Stewart was arrested and is now accused of breaking into the animal shelter after taking off with the pit bull.
Stewart told KFOR on Friday she had just been released from jail after going to the shelter to take Hazel after officials deemed the dog to be dangerous.
“She doesn’t deserve it, and they knew that I loved her,” Stewart said. “Why would you kill somebody that somebody loved so much?”
Stewart said she got Hazel when the dog was two months old. It was her dog through what she said was an abusive relationship and when she was homeless.
“She helped me through a lot,” Stewart said. “She protected me through this relationship and protected me through life.”
However, Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Superintendent Jon Gary said Hazel had some issues.
“We originally impounded the dog due to dangerous charges being filed against the dog,” Gary said.
Stewart said Hazel had been involved in multiple biting incidents and one dog fight. However, Stewart said she never had any problems around their family.
“She was just real protective,” she said.
When the dog was put in the shelter and ordered to be euthanized by a judge who reviewed the incidents, Stewart decided to go after her.
“I couldn’t let her die like that,” Stewart said. “I had to let her know that I’ve tried everything for her.”
“We have a secure area that was broken into, and they were able to break a window and get into the building,” Gary said.
Stewart said after she broke in, she pried Hazel’s cage open and took off.
“We army crawled together under this fence to get out of there,” Stewart said. “We took off running through the woods.”
Stewart said she kept Hazel at her home for a few days until police tracked them down. Hazel was put back in the shelter while Stewart was taken to jail.
“She stayed beside me,” Stewart said. “She just doesn’t deserve that.”
No official charges have been filed yet. Stewart and Gary both told KFOR that Hazel has since been euthanized as part of a judge’s orders.
|
https://www.krqe.com/news/weird/woman-breaks-into-pound-to-get-her-dog-before-its-euthanized/
| 2022-03-07T18:31:53
|
en
| 0.994387
|
Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll Monday while Tennessee cracked the top 10 for the first time this year and North Carolina returned to the Top 25 for the first time since November.
Mark Few’s Bulldogs claimed 52 of 61 first-place votes to hold the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week and eighth time this season going back to the preseason poll. The Wildcats stayed at No. 2 for the third straight week under first-year coach Tommy Lloyd and claimed six first-place votes, while Scott Drew’s Bears – who held the top spot for five weeks earlier this season – took the other three.
Auburn and Kentucky rounded out the top five, followed by Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee. The Boilermakers and Volunteers tied for the No. 9 spot, with Tennessee tying No. 13 UCLA and No. 16 Illinois with the week’s biggest jump of four spots.
Southern California had the biggest fall of the week, tumbling five spots to No. 21 after losses to Arizona and UCLA last week. No. 18 Houston fell four spots.
No. 23 Colorado State joined the 25th-ranked Tar Heels as the poll’s new additions, bumping Ohio State and Alabama from last week’s rankings. The Rams spent four weeks in December and January in the poll, peaking at No. 20.
The Tar Heels opened the year at No. 19 but fell out of the rankings by Thanksgiving – part of the Atlantic Coast Conference having just one ranked team in the Blue Devils for most of the season.
They hadn’t received any votes in the past six polls, but jumped back in Monday after winning at Duke on Saturday in retiring Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
___
Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap
___
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Gonzaga-remains-atop-AP-Top-25-Tennessee-cracks-16983482.php
| 2022-03-07T18:31:58
|
en
| 0.944821
|
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Tickets for the Albuquerque Isotopes are now on sale, the tickets officially went on sale Monday morning. The home opener for the Isotopes is scheduled for April 12, at 6:35 p.m. against the Tacoma Rainiers. This season’s calendar features six Mariachis games, 15 fireworks shows, and 21 giveaway nights.
Story continues below
- Crime: Alleged kidnapping victim arrested, charged in deadly crash
- Trending: APS confirms one of Katie Riford’s children attended local school
- Weird: Missing Florida woman found inside her own septic tank, deputies say
- Data: New Mexico has millions potentially tied to Russia
Starting this season the stadium is going completely cashless. Credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments can be used for all transactions including parking. The stadium will also be updating its clear bag policy, any size of the clear bag will be allowed.
|
https://www.krqe.com/sports/local-sports/isotopes-tickets-are-officially-on-sale/
| 2022-03-07T18:32:00
|
en
| 0.931865
|
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The International Judo Federation has removed the titles and jobs Vladimir Putin and a long-time Kremlin-supporting oligarch held at the organization.
“The International Judo Federation announces that Mr. Vladimir Putin and Mr. Arkady Rotenberg have been removed from all positions held in the International Judo Federation,” the Budapest-based governing body said in a statement late Sunday.
Putin’s honorary presidency of the IJF was suspended last week with the organization citing “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.”
The Russian president is an avid judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.
Rotenberg is a long-time friend of Putin from their home city of St. Petersburg and was a member of the IJF executive committee as “development manager.”
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Judo-federation-removes-titles-from-Putin-16983505.php
| 2022-03-07T18:32:04
|
en
| 0.952652
|
South Carolina remained No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball poll Monday despite suffering its second loss of the season.
The Gamecocks (29-2) fell to Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game Sunday, but stayed atop the poll, edging No. 2 Stanford.
South Carolina received 17 first-place votes from the 30-member national media panel. Stanford, which won the Pac-12 tournament, got 11 first-place ballots. North Carolina State was No. 3 with two top votes. Baylor and Louisville rounded out the top five.
The Gamecocks' loss snapped an 18-game winning streak for the team, which has gone 11-0 against ranked opponents this season.
“We’ve put ourselves in a really good position. Going into the NCAA Tournament it doesn’t feel good, but we’ve got a lot of feel-goods throughout the season that we’ll draw on,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said after the loss Sunday. “The ultimate goal is still very much in front of us, and we’ll buckle down and try not to be the sad faces that are in the locker room today in the next couple of weeks.”
It's the second time this season that the Gamecocks still were No. 1 after losing a game.
Kentucky jumped into the poll at No. 16 after also beating then-No. 6 LSU and No. 18 Tennessee in the SEC tournament. Kentucky was ranked for the first 11 weeks of the season before falling out in the middle of January. The Wildcats have now won 10 straight games to get back in the AP Top 25.
UConn was sixth, with Texas, Iowa — jumping four spots from No. 12 — LSU and Iowa State rounding out the top 10. The Big 12 is the only Power Five conference yet to begin its tournament.
Central Florida earned its first ranking ever, coming into the poll at No. 25. UCF has won 10 straight games and is the top seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament that begins Tuesday.
Florida, Georgia and Georgia Tech all fell out of the Top 25.
The final poll of the season will be released next Monday, a day after the NCAA announces this season's field of 68 teams.
EYE OF THE TIGER
Princeton entered the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 24 after going undefeated in the Ivy League regular season. The Tigers are 22-4 and have won 15 straight games. Princeton was last ranked for the final five weeks of the 2019-20 season. The Ivy League didn't play sports last year because of the pandemic.
“We’re very grateful to be playing this year and being back together,” Princeton coach Carla Berube said. “It was over 18 months we hadn’t been all together playing any kind of organized basketball. In November and December we were trying to figure things out and the team came to work every day and worked really, really hard.”
GAME OF THE WEEK
The Big 12 championship game will be played Sunday with Baylor looking to sweep the regular season and tournament crowns again this year.
___
More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/South-Carolina-remains-atop-women-s-AP-Top-25-16983652.php
| 2022-03-07T18:32:22
|
en
| 0.974139
|
PHOENIX (AP) — Grand Canyon junior center Dima Zdor has tried to maintain a routine, a mix of schoolwork, practice and games. His attention for all the other hours in the day is halfway across the world.
One of a handful of Ukrainians playing college basketball in the United States, Zdor can only watch from afar in Phoenix as Russian troops roll through his home country and hope his family and friends remain safe.
“I watch a lot of news from back home and it’s just upsetting how little villages and towns are getting destroyed and overtaken, just for the reason of politics," he said. "It’s sad. It’s scary. It’s uncomfortable to open Twitter or watch the news every day and be scared of what’s going on there that could affect my family, friends or team back home.”
Russia's invasion has taken a massive toll across Ukraine as bombs pound cities in the Eastern European country. More than 1 million people have fled the country as Russian forces advance, millions more are stuck in the crossfire, many hiding underground.
Watching it unfold from long distance is excruciating, a helplessness overtaking Ukrainian players as they watch the news, follow social media, try to communicate with family and friends back home.
“It is difficult mentally,” said Denys Bobchuk, a sophomore at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. “Personally, I feel guilt just because my people are going through some rough things right now. And I’m here, I’m safe and there’s not much I can help with.”
The tension started when it appeared Russia was going to invade Ukraine. It intensified tenfold when the bombs began to fall and the troops crossed the borders.
Communication with Ukraine has been spotty at times. Hours without contact with family members is agonizing, days even worse.
The endless anxiety also comes with an attempt to understand why their home country is being invaded.
“It’s not OK. We live in this time where we have medicine, science, all this stuff and we’re still having war," San Francisco center Volodymyr Markovetskyy said. “Why is that happening? I don’t understand, my family doesn’t understand, nobody does.”
Markovetskyy's mother and sister were able to escape to Lithuania, but his father, a police officer, had to stay in Ukraine.
Zdor's parents, sister and numerous other relatives are in Ukraine and Crimea, which was occupied by Russia in 2014.
George Maslennikov, a senior forward at Canisius, is from Odessa and had some nervous moments when neither he nor his father, who's in Spain, were able to reach his mother Tetyanna while the city is under siege.
“I’m trying to keep my mindset positive as much as I can, though it’s difficult even without things like that going on back home since I only see my family once a year,” he said.
The Ukrainian players here still try to do what they can from afar, raising awareness on social media and funds for the military effort.
Bobchuk is trying to create a fund to raise money for soldiers in Ukraine and has contacted American manufacturers to send bulletproof vests to military friends back home.
Maslennikov has donated on a bank app to send money to the Ukrainian military, encouraging others to do the same through social media.
“It just takes a lot of courage to do things like that and having this country as small as ours to fight against Russians,” he said. "People thought it was going to be easy, but it’s just not. I’m trying to support it as much as I can even though I’m so far from home and I’m worried about them, but I’m doing as much as I can.”
But there's only so much the Ukrainian players can do from so far away. Much of their time is spent watching, waiting, keeping tabs on everyone back home.
Sticking to a routine is a key, takes the mind off what's happening — at least for a little while.
“It just feels not right to me, but at the end of the day, I think it is important to understand that I’m here and the only thing I can do is to do my job, which is playing basketball right now at the highest level," Bobchuk said. "And that’s what I’m trying to do right now, just trying to focus on something that I’m involved in and just have my daily routine and following it.”
___
AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley in San Francisco, Gary Graves in Louisville and John Zenor in Birmingham, Alabama, contributed to this story.
___
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Ukrainian-basketball-players-anxiously-watching-16983677.php
| 2022-03-07T18:32:28
|
en
| 0.979663
|
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest's Alondes Williams and coach Steve Forbes have earned the top individual honors from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The league announced Williams as its player of the year and Forbes as its top coach on Monday. The Demon Deacons were picked 13th in the preseason but have enjoyed a 23-win season and hold the No. 5 seed at this week's ACC Tournament in New York.
It marks the first time the Demon Deacons have won both awards since 2003, when late coach Skip Prosser and Josh Howard were the picks.
The results came after voting by a 78-member panel that included the league’s head coaches and media members.
Duke freshman Paolo Banchero was voted rookie of the year, while teammate Mark Williams was chosen as defensive player of the year. North Carolina State's Dereon Seabron was most improved player, while Florida State's Matthew Cleveland was sixth man of the year.
Alondes Williams and Banchero joined North Carolina's Armando Bacot, Miami's Kameron McGusty and Syracuse's Buddy Boeheim on the all-ACC first team.
Seabron joined Virginia Tech's Keve Aluma, Duke's Wendell Moore Jr., Notre Dame's Blake Wesley and Wake Forest's Jake LaRavia on the second team.
Mark Williams joined Notre Dame's Dane Goodwin, Miami's Isaiah Wong, Virginia's Jayden Gardner and Georgia Tech's Michael Devoe on the third team.
The AP releases its ACC awards on Tuesday.
___
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Wake-Forest-s-Williams-Forbes-earn-ACC-16983484.php
| 2022-03-07T18:32:52
|
en
| 0.973002
|
General Motors plans to build a $393-million cathode active material (CAM) plant in Bécancour, Que., adding Canada to its growing North American electric vehicle supply chain that will reduce reliance on battery materials imported from Asia.
The automaker and its joint venture partner on the project, South Korean battery material firm Posco Chemical, announced the facility that will process material for GM’s Ultium batteries March 7.
“GM and our supplier partners are creating a new, more secure and more sustainable ecosystem for EVs, built on a foundation of North American resources, technology and manufacturing expertise,” said Doug Parks, GM’s executive vice-president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain.
|
https://www.autonews.com/automakers-suppliers/gm-plans-393-million-ev-battery-materials-plant-quebec
| 2022-03-07T18:33:04
|
en
| 0.924491
|
Asbury grew to 10 Lexus stores with those acquisitions, and high-performing dealership groups are allowed up to eight Lexus stores nationally under framework agreements, Hult said.
Hult also told Automotive News in December that the auto retailer expected that with those big acquisitions — Larry H. Miller included 54 new-vehicle dealerships, and Stevinson included eight stores — it may have to sell a few dealerships stemming from a density issue with another manufacturer he didn't name.
A spokeswoman for Asbury didn't immediately respond to questions Monday.
Baxter Auto ranks No. 36 on Automotive News' most recent list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 21,889 new vehicles in 2020.
Asbury, of Duluth, Ga., ranks No. 6 on that same list, retailing 95,165 new vehicles in 2020. Asbury has estimated that incorporating Larry H. Miller and its other 2021 dealership acquisitions would make it the fourth-largest new-vehicle retailer when measured by pro forma annualized revenue.
|
https://www.autonews.com/dealers/asbury-automotive-group-sells-toyota-dealership-colorado
| 2022-03-07T18:33:14
|
en
| 0.968194
|
Uber Technologies Inc. raised its outlook for first-quarter core profit on Monday, as its ride hailing business was recovering faster than expected on the back of a surge in airport rides and an increase in the number of offices being reopened.
The company also said customers continued to order food at a high rate in February.
Shares of the ride hailing company were down about .85 percent in early trading Monday.
Uber said in a filing it now expected adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $130 million to $150 million in the first three months of the year, up from $100 million to $130 million it previously projected.
"Our mobility business is bouncing back from Omicron much faster than we expected," Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said. He said consumers were eager to book rides for travel, commuting or nightlife.
Khosrowshahi said gross bookings for airports, among the most profitable routes for Uber, were up more than 50 percent month-on-month in February and headed to be one of the strongest ever in the upcoming travel season.
Several companies are also bringing staff back to offices more than two years after the pandemic forced many to shift to working from home.
During the pandemic's peak, Uber's delivery business thrived as consumers became more dependent on ordering food and groceries online.
Ride-hail trips in February remain only 10 percent below pre-pandemic 2019 levels in the same month, Uber said. February mobility gross bookings had recovered to 95 percent compared with February 2019.
On the delivery side, gross bookings reached an all-time high in February, the company said.
|
https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/uber-raises-q1-profit-forecast
| 2022-03-07T18:33:24
|
en
| 0.983068
|
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday said it was proposing new rules to cut smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions from heavy duty vehicles.
The agency is proposing to require cuts in nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy trucks of 47 percent to 60 percent by 2045. The new standards would begin in the 2027 model year.
Separately, the Transportation Department is announcing nearly $1.5 billion in funding for 2022 to help state and local governments purchase U.S.-built electric transit buses and low-emission models. The department is also announcing $2.2 billion in funding to 35 transit agencies across 18 states.
The EPA is also proposing stricter new greenhouse gas emissions standards for some types of heavy vehicles.
"These new standards will drastically cut dangerous pollution by harnessing recent advancements in vehicle technologies from across the trucking industry as it advances toward a zero-emissions transportation future," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
The EPA said the rules would dramatically improve air quality and if the more stringent rules were finalized there would be up to 2,100 fewer premature deaths and 3.1 million fewer cases of asthma symptoms and other health issues.
EPA separately plans to set new greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles as soon as 2030.
EPA is proposing to tighten greenhouse standards starting in 2027 for 17 of the 33 subcategories like school buses, transit buses, commercial delivery trucks, and short-haul tractors and is seeking comment on whether it should increase the stringency of standards through 2029.
|
https://www.autonews.com/regulation-safety/epa-proposes-new-rules-cut-heavy-truck-emissions
| 2022-03-07T18:33:34
|
en
| 0.948215
|
Modern day laundry doers have it pretty easy: Soiled clothes, towels and sheets go into the washing machine and come out clean, job done. But knowing how to launder a garment by hand is more useful than you might think.
There are times when access to a washing machine is limited — when traveling, for example — and certain garments benefit from being washed by hand because they are very delicate. Lingerie, embellished sweaters, expensive workout clothes are all items that will look better and last longer if washed by hand rather than in the machine. And then there are the times when you can’t manage an entire load of laundry but you really, really want to wear your favorite sports bra to tomorrow’s spin class! Hand-laundering has many applications, and performing the task is easier than you might think.
To understand when, why and how to hand-wash an item of clothing, we spoke with Wayne Edelman, the founder and president of Meurice Garment Care, who shared his extensive knowledge of fabric care.
How to hand-wash clothing
Hand-washing clothes is surprisingly simple and straightforward. Edelman explains the 6-step process for hand-laundering your clothes at home.
- Step 1: Fill a basin with cool water, ensuring there’s enough water to submerge the garment and move through it.
- Step 2: Add detergent. In the case of no-rinse detergents like Soak Wash, a capful is enough; if using a regular detergent, Edelman says, “Only add enough detergent to create a slippery feel to the water and some sudsing. Using too much detergent will then require excessive rinsing to remove the soap.”
- Step 3: Agitate the garment with your hands.
- Step 4: If using regular detergent, rinse thoroughly to remove all detergent.
- Step 5: Remove the garment from the water, supporting the weight of it in your hands so it doesn’t stretch. Gently squeeze out water, but do not wring; wringing or twisting can damage fibers and distort the garment’s shape. Then, roll the item in a dry towel, jelly-roll style and squeeze to remove water.
- Step 6: Lay or hang the garment to dry. Garments like sweaters should always be dried flat, rather than hung (hanging a wet sweater will cause it to stretch and become misshapen) while clothing like gym shorts or yoga pants can be hung to drip dry. Avoid draping wet clothing on wood furniture or floors, or on metal radiators, to dry as it can cause damage to both the clothing and to those surfaces.
What to wash by hand (and what to skip)
Virtually anything can be washed by hand — after all, up until 1851, when the modern washing machine was invented, everything was washed by hand! But some items of clothing do lend themselves better to hand-laundering than others. If you’re looking to try your hand, literally, at hand-washing, workout gear is a good place to start because it’s lightweight and quick drying.
These are some garments that are good candidates for washing by hand:
- Lingerie and hosiery
- Activewear like sweat-wicking shirts, yoga pants and sports bras
- Sweaters
- Embellished clothing
- Garments with a fresh stain
There are also items that don’t lend themselves well to washing by hand. “Bulky items like quilts and bedspreads are difficult to hand-wash,” Edelman says, “and heavier outerwear are also difficult to hand-wash.” While it is certainly possible to wash bulky items by hand, when it comes to towels, sweatshirts and pants, jeans and other bulky garments, it’s best to stick with machine washing or professional cleaning.
Products that make hand-washing a cinch
You don’t need any fancy equipment to wash clothes by hand — water, detergent and a towel is all you’ll need! — but there are products that can make the job easier and more effective.
MontNorth Washing Basin With Drain Plug
$23.88 $16.99 at Amazon
Hand laundering can be done in a kitchen, bathroom or utility sink, or the bathtub. But if those options aren’t available or are inconvenient, a washing basin works just as well. Basins come in different styles, but one with a drain plug at the bottom makes cleanup very easy.
Soak Wash
$15.99 at Amazon
Regular laundry detergent can be used for hand-washing any type of garment. But a specialty detergent, like Soak Wash can be nice to have if you frequently hand-wash. Soak Wash, a no-rinse formula, is our top choice when it comes to detergents for hand-laundering because of its ease of use.
Le Blanc Silk & Lingerie Wash
$36 at Amazon
Specialty detergents make a great gift, since they’re items we typically don’t splurge on for ourselves. If you’re looking for a highly giftable delicates detergent to give to a knitter or fashionista, Le Blanc’s silk and lingerie wash is an excellent detergent with a luxurious scent.
Rainleaf Fast-Drying Super-Absorbent Microfiber Towel
From $8.99 at Amazon
After washing, it can be helpful to roll up a sweater in a towel to extrude water without wringing or twisting the garment, which can cause the fibers to stretch or break. Using a super-absorbent quick-drying towel for the job is ideal — they’re also a smart choice for use when doing hand-washing while traveling.
Honey-Can-Do Heavy-Duty Gullwing Drying Rack
$64.99 at Amazon
When it comes to choosing a multipurpose drying rack, look for styles that offer ample space for flat drying, like the Honey-Can-Do gullwing rack.
Oxo Good Grips Folding Sweater Drying Rack
$17.99 at Amazon
Regardless of whether you’re washing in the machine or by hand, sweaters should always be dried flat; hanging a wet sweater will cause it to stretch and become misshapen. A flat mesh drying rack is ideal for sweaters because it allows air to circulate evenly even when the sweater is flat.
Annaklin Plastic Laundry Clip and Drip Drying Hanger
$12.99 $10.99 at Amazon
Small items like socks and underwear can slip through the dowels of traditional drying racks. Clip-style drying hangers solve that problem.
Brightmaison Wall Mounted Drying Rack
$64.99 at Amazon
If your home is short on floor or storage space, a wall-mounted drying rack will give you plenty of space for air drying clothing without taking up room you don’t have to spare.
|
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/cnn-underscored/how-to-hand-wash-clothes/index.html?iid=CNNUnderscoredHPcontainer
| 2022-03-07T18:34:05
|
en
| 0.921102
|
The province confirms that it will be investing more than $700 million to provide retention payments of up to $5,000 to eligible nurses in the province.
In a news release issued Monday, the Ford government announced details of the lump sum payment, which was previously confirmed by the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) last month.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic nurses have stayed on the front lines with remarkable dedication and selflessness as they care for our sick and most vulnerable Ontarians, and we know that a strong nursing workforce is crucial to supporting the province’s recovery in the months and years ahead,” Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health, said in a written statement.
“As we continue to build up our nursing workforce, this investment will support the nurses we currently have so that Ontarians continue to have access to the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.”
Last month, the ONA confirmed that Premier Doug Ford and the union had negotiated "a good-faith retention bonus for all front-line nurses in publicly funded facilities."
ONA President Cathryn Hoy said during the negotiations, concrete commitments were made to "implement several measures to fix Ontario's serious nursing shortage."
"The government will resurrect the Late-Career Nursing Initiative, the New Graduate program, and will work with the Ontario Hospital Association to ensure exhausted nurses can take vacation. While the Premier has not agreed to repeal Bill 124 at this time, it is not off the table for further discussion and ONA will press the Premier on this issue," she said.
On Monday, the province said it is investing $763 million to provide the payments, which will be broken up into two installments.
To receive the first payment, the province said, nurses must be employed as of March 31 and to receive the second, nurses must be employed as of Sept. 1.
|
https://www.cp24.com/news/ford-government-spending-763-million-on-retention-payments-of-5-000-for-nurses-1.5809012
| 2022-03-07T18:35:52
|
en
| 0.975762
|
HALIFAX -- The federal government is announcing strict COVID-19 rules for the return of cruise ships to Canadian ports next month for the 2022 season.
Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told reporters in Halifax today that cruise ship employees and passengers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Alghabra says passengers will need to take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours before they board or take an antigen test within one day of boarding.
Passengers will also need a negative molecular test result within 72 hours before their return to Canada or an antigen test result within one day of their arrival.
Alghabra says cruise ship operators will be required to inspect proof of vaccination and monitor and report test results.
The minister says no passenger will be allowed off a cruise ship unless they meet the requirements, which will be enforced by the Canada Border Services Agency.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2022.
|
https://www.cp24.com/news/ottawa-announces-covid-19-rules-for-return-of-cruise-ships-to-canadian-ports-1.5808783
| 2022-03-07T18:35:56
|
en
| 0.947168
|
Ottawa's interim police chief Steve Bell has promised to rebuild the community's trust in the municipal force after a protest that filled the capital's streets with honking, diesel fumes and roadblocks has come to an end.
Crowds of protesters moved in with big-rigs and other vehicles in late January to protest the federal Liberal government, vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.
Ottawa police faced widespread criticism for failing to remove the protesters or enforce city bylaws, and allowing the streets of downtown to succumb to what many officials described as a state of lawlessness.
In the midst of the turmoil, Police Chief Peter Sloly resigned, the chair of the police oversight board was removed and several other members left in solidarity.
Bell says the service plans to continue internal investigations into inappropriate police conduct related to the illegal protests, and will develop a use-of-force review committee.
Bell says it's natural that questions have been raised about the direction of the service, and that the organization is focused on "cultural and systemic change."
|
https://www.cp24.com/news/ottawa-interim-police-chief-vows-systemic-change-in-wake-of-convoy-protest-1.5808791
| 2022-03-07T18:35:57
|
en
| 0.9623
|
A 20-year-old man is facing several charges after a taxi driver was carjacked outside a motel in Vaughan on Sunday morning.
York Regional Police say that at 6:25 a.m., they were called to a motel at Highway 7 and Costa Road for a report of a carjacking.
Investigators say the suspect got into a taxicab at Islington and Steeles avenues and was driven to the motel, about 7.8 kilometres away, where he then allegedly assaulted the driver “several times” and pushed them out of the vehicle.
Police said the driver was not seriously injured in the encounter.
Officers later found the taxi, a 2016 Toyota Corolla, in the area of 441 Jarvis Street, about 40 kilometres away from where it was taken.
A suspect police identified as Bassirou Niang of no fixed address was taken into custody at the scene.
He was charged with robbery, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and flight from a peace officer.
He is expected to appear in court in Newmarket on Monday.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6631.
|
https://www.cp24.com/news/suspect-charged-after-taxi-driver-carjacked-in-vaughan-police-1.5808935
| 2022-03-07T18:35:57
|
en
| 0.985758
|
Gas prices in the GTA have went up a staggering 25 cents per litre over the last week but one industry analyst is warning that this may be the “calm before the storm” amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe.
The average price of a litre of fuel in the GTA has already risen from $1.58.9 to $184.9 since last Monday.
But Dan McTeague, who is the president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, tells CP24 that residents can expect to face more pain at the pumps as the reverberations from Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine continue to push the price of Brent crude higher.
In fact, McTeaque says that he expects oil to approach US $150 a barrel within weeks, causing the cost of gasoline to surpass $2 a litre.
The cost of a barrel of oil was at $95 as recently as late February by jumped above $120 overnight on fears that the US would cut off oil imports from Russia, which accounts for about five per cent of the country’s supply.
“This is really just the calm before the storm because I think we're heading to $150 per barrel of oil and that would mean gasoline prices would easily surge to $2 a litre probably in the next few weeks unless matters should change dramatically between Russia and Ukraine,” McTeaque said.
McTeaque told CP24 that he initially thought gas prices wouldn’t hit $1.90 a litre until a week or two from now but he now expects that threshold to be reached as soon as this week, beginning with an anticipated three cent hike on Wednesday that will push the price at the pumps to an average of $1.88 a litre.
He says that a planned increase of the carbon tax from eight to 11 cents per litre as of April 1 could also further inflate costs.
A number of officials, including Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, are calling on the feds to hold off on that tax increase.
“I recommend three weeks ago today to the finance committee in budget consultations that it would be a good idea at least to hold off on that,” McTeaque said. “At the same time federal and provincial governments should be sitting down and ‘hang on here.’ Gasoline across the country was about a$1.24 a litre this time last year, that additional 60 cents is now being taxed at 13 per cent. Maybe they should be rebaiting some of that GST, especially to people who are having a tough time and a tough go of it. This is going to cascade as we know into other areas of the economy, most notably for those of us who don't drive into food and other areas of pricing. It's inevitable and I think the governments have no choice, they've got to find ways to slow that down.”
|
https://www.cp24.com/news/the-calm-before-the-storm-gta-gas-prices-set-to-surge-past-2-a-litre-1.5808575
| 2022-03-07T18:35:57
|
en
| 0.978276
|
This season Sergio Ramos joined the Dream Team the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but due to his injuries he did not have the expected continuity. This could lead to his early departure from the French entity with which he has a contract until June 2023. Meanwhile, the experienced defender trains to try to get revenge for the Champions League Round of 16 this Wednesday against his former team, the Real Madrid.
The arrival of the Spanish world champion with his team in South Africa 2010 and multiple winner with the Merenguewas one of the sensations of the PSG behind the addition of Lionel Messi. But the central defender arrived in the French capital injured and failed to establish himself. Even his last complaint was a muscle complication in the calf that ruled him out of several commitments. Since his arrival in Paris he only played five games and 284 minutes. In Ligue 1, Ramos has seen action against Saint-Etienne, Lorient, Brest and Reimswhile por French Cup had minutes against him Feignies-Aulnoye. The Sevillian also saw from outside the defeat 0-1 against Nice this Saturday in Ligue 1, which still maintains it as a firm leader.
In this context, the Italian journalist Fabrizio Romanowhich usually has good information on transfers, contract breaks and the transfer market in general, anticipated that Sergio Ramos, 35, he would leave the French team at the end of this season. This would imply the early termination of his relationship with PSG, with whom he signed until June 30, 2023.
Ramos’ last game was against Reims in Ligue 1 on January 23 (in that game he scored his only goal for PSG) and then he was injured in training. His situation bothered several including Jerôme Alonzo, who was a goalkeeper for the capital club for seven seasons and stated in an interview in The Parisian what “has the longest injury history of injuries”. The same media reported that in recent days the Sevillian has been training hard so that the coach, Mauricio Pochettino, can have him available for the second leg against Real Madrid, after the victory in the first leg, 1-0 with a as much of Kylian Mbbapé.
““We will see, we will assess it in the coming days. He is not part of the team, but it is clear that in a Champions League match, a player like Sergio can pass on that experience. Sergio can pass on that experience of having spent 17 years at a club like Real Madrid and give good advice to his teammates. It would be good if he were, beyond the conditions of participating in it. Any contribution is welcome, the smallest details can be decisive in favor of PSG”, said Pochettino in one of the last press conference.
Regarding the player’s situation, the sports director, Leonardo, assured The Team what “when we signed him, Ramos was physically fine. Unfortunately, what we wanted did not happen. But wait, the season is not over. The day we say that he can no longer play, everyone will be clear about it. That is not the case”.
Meanwhile, Ramos is excited about his return and on his Instagram account he left a hopeful message to his followers. “Breathing green. It is always good to be on the field”, wrote the player who accompanied the message with a photo in which he implies that he is fit. However, although he would accompany the delegation, he still has no chance of being able to play.
In the event that he returns to Madrid, in theory an emotional reception is expected from the fans at the White House for the player who was his leader during 16 seasons in which he won 23 titles.
In the event that his presence with the French delegation is confirmed, it will be Ramos’ return to after almost a year. His last time at the Santiago Bernabeu was on May 22, 2021, but he did not play 2-1 against Villarreal and the last time he played at home with the merengue shirt was on March 16, 2021 in a 3-1 win against to Atalanta for the Champions League.
KEEP READING
|
https://thenewstrace.com/concern-in-france-about-the-future-of-sergio-ramos-the-spaniard-could-bring-forward-his-departure-from-psg/223504/
| 2022-03-07T18:36:03
|
en
| 0.98748
|
Triangle Strategy also debuts in the top 10 physical sales of the British territory.
Last week, the data for the best-selling video games in the UK left us with a list dominated by Elden Ring. The game of FromSoftware It’s the biggest seller of the year so far, but a major new release arrived on Friday that could pull in big numbers: Gran Turismo 7.
The top only counts physical salesThe numbers collected by Games Industry bring us another top corresponding to the last seven days and, in the most recent, we see how driving title tops the list, overtaking an Elden Ring that remains strong in second place. It is worth noting, yes, that it is data corresponding to the physical salesso the impact through digital platforms is not reflected.
The PS4 and PS5 exclusive Polyphony Digital game is the fourth separate product to hold the top spot in the last four weeks, having sold 28% fewer physical copies than Sport in its launch week in October 2017. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the digital data is missing and the market is evolving towards that format, but what we do know is that 76% of sales have been for the PlayStation version 5.
Its about 4th best physical release of 2022, behind Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Elden Ring. The latter lags behind Gran Turismo 7 in the last week, with a 69% drop in sales compared to last week. Although it may not seem like it, this is great news, since the percentage decreases are usually around 80%.
Triangle Strategy has sold half as much as Octopath TravelerArceus remains in the top 3 being the best-selling Nintendo Switch at the moment, although it aims to be another undeniable success within the exclusives of the Japanese company. Meanwhile, Forbidden West is still hooked on fourth place with a strong business performance ahead of other great regulars in this type of classification.
The other new entry at the top is Triangle Strategy. The Square Enix game for the Nintendo hybrid debuts in seventh positionachieving only half the sales of Octopath Traveler in 2018 so far. We insist: these are sales in physical format, so we will have to wait for the digital data to make a better reading.
UK best sellers of the week
- Grand Touring 7
- Elden Ring
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- FIFA 22
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Triangle Strategy
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Dying Light 2
- Minecraft (Switch
Regarding Gran Turismo 7, it is worth remembering that our analysis of the game for which it is responsible is now available Kazunori Yamauchi. In it we make it clear that it is the most complete delivery of driving in the saga, a comeback in style that takes full advantage of the features of the new generation, having in the use of DualSense one of its strongest points.
Subscribe to the 3DJuegos channel on YouTube
More about: Gran Turismo 7, Elden Ring, Triangle Strategy, UK, Sales, Polyphony Digital and PlayStation.
|
https://thenewstrace.com/gran-turismo-7-overtakes-elden-ring-as-the-best-seller-of-the-week-in-the-uk/223502/
| 2022-03-07T18:36:04
|
en
| 0.916194
|
Nintendo has put the Russian eShop in “upkeep mode“, this means that that purchases of latest content material can’t be made within the nation.
As mentioned at the Nintendo Russia website online, the fee provider that Nintendo makes use of for the eShop not processes Russian rubles, this means that that Nintendo can not settle for bills. The commentary ends by way of pronouncing: “We say sorry for the inconvenience led to. We can proportion updates as the placement evolves“.
Whilst many massive sport corporations, together with Xbox, have intentionally suspended gross sales in Russia, Nintendo’s wording within the commentary means that that is an unintentional byproduct of any other corporate’s choices, as an alternative of a measure of its personal designed to sign up for the video games trade’s refrain of improve for Ukraine. We’ve got contacted Nintendo for remark in this level.
|
https://thenewstrace.com/nintendo-not-lets-in-bills-throughout-the-eshop-in-russia/223499/
| 2022-03-07T18:36:06
|
en
| 0.934665
|
The Batman has been the perfect grossing movie of the weekend globally setting up the second one very best efficiency in cinema within the pandemic technology with just about $250 million raised globally.
As reported via Selection, The Batman had the most efficient opening weekend of 2022 and is most effective the second one movie of the pandemic technology to earn greater than $100 million at america field workplace on its debut. Spider-Guy: No Means House was once the opposite film to do it and it made $260 million..
The manufacturing price range for The Batman was once about $200 million, so All the funding has already been recovered in one weekend in theaters. International, The Batman has grossed $248.5 million.
In our evaluation of The Batman, we commented that it’s “a gripping, stunning, and from time to time downright terrifying mental police mystery that provides Bruce Wayne the grounded detective tale he merits“.
The 57 million bucks of the primary day in theaters of The Batman was once sufficient to most sensible $44 million from Uncharted’s opening weekend. In spite of this, he has remained in 2nd position for 11 million bucks. Globally, Uncharted has already grossed $271.5 million.
Canine. Wild Rides, starring Channing Tatum, positioned 3rd at america field workplace with $6 million gross, and Spider-Guy: No Means House and Dying at the Nile rounded out the highest 5 with 4.4 and a couple of.7 million bucks, respectively. With No Means House staying within the most sensible 5 as soon as once more, Tom Holland has had two films within the most sensible 5 for 3 consecutive weeks.
If you happen to’ve already observed The Batman and you are left short of extra, be careful for the replace on Enigma’s mysterious site, as a result of it sort of feels that one thing is within the works…
|
https://thenewstrace.com/that-is-how-the-batman-has-completed-on-the-field-workplace-on-its-opening-weekend-breaking-information/223506/
| 2022-03-07T18:36:07
|
en
| 0.952538
|
A woman and two children have been taken to hospital following a reported disturbance in Mississauga’s Erin Mills neighbourhood on Monday morning that is now being probed by Ontario’s police watchdog.
Police were initially called to a townhouse complex on Southhampton Drive near Eglinton Avenue at around 10 a.m. for a weapons dangerous call.
They say that an adult female was found at the scene with injuries and was taken to a trauma centre in life-threatening condition. Two children were also taken to hospital. Police say that one of those children did sustain injuries and was transported in non-life threatening condition while the second was taken as a precaution.
One male has since been taken into custody in connection with the incident. Police say that individual has been transported to a trauma centre with unspecified injuries. The Special Investigations Unit has been notified.
Police have not released any details about the relationship between the individuals at this point.
They have also not commented on the nature of the injuries sustained by the woman and the child, though they initially said that one person had been stabbed.
One neighbour who spoke with CP24 at the scene said that he got a call from his wife earlier this morning after she heard someone screaming “please no, please no.” The man said that his wife also saw some police officers pulling out their guns as they responded to the incident.
Footage from the scene on Monday morning showed police tape restricting access to a garage at the back of a townhouse complex. Blood was also visible on the pavement outside.
An investigation is ongoing.
More to come…
|
https://www.cp24.com/news/woman-in-life-threatening-condition-and-two-children-taken-to-hospital-after-incident-at-mississauga-home-1.5808685
| 2022-03-07T18:36:12
|
en
| 0.990328
|
the russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak became the focus of the international media for a controversial initiative. Pictures of him went viral when she shocked the planet with the symbol “Z” on his chest, which represents the invasion of Ukraine of your country’s forces. The 20-year-old was third in the parallel bars discipline of the series of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup what do you do in Doha where he improvised said lyrics in his clothing on the podium.
The controversial athlete was born on February 28, 2002 and when he was four years old he began to practice sports in Kaluga, when his mother enrolled him in gym class. He was educated and trained in a Smolensk University of Sport and his idols are the Russian Olympic medalist Nikita Nagornyy and Artur Dalaloyancurrently suspended due to the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In the series of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup that takes place in Qatar, Kuliak He was third and on the podium he showed a reprehensible attitude: he did not greet and ignored the winner, who coincidentally is Ukrainian, Illia Kovtun. The gesture of the Russian gymnast impacted and generated a lot of controversy.
During his training he studied at the Smolensk State Sports University. On 2019 won the gold medal in the individual general test of the junior championship that developed in Russia. He also got the silver medal in the complete individual event, a bronze medal on floor and rings and a silver medal as part of the Russian team. At the senior level she started competing in 2020 and won 12 medals: 1 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze.
in 2021 Ivan Kuliak He received the award Master of Sport from Russian Federation. According to the Spanish newspaper Brand, does not hide his affinity for army in their social networksin which he even published a photo with a t-shirt, sweatshirt and a military bag. And his favorite sports are football and ice hockey.
A few months ago he completed military service in which Russian gymnasts receive political indoctrination, a measure imposed by the president of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation, Andrey Kostin, who is also the president of VTB Bank, one of those affected by international sanctions on Russian banks. He is a great follower of Putin’s thoughts and one of his trusted men, he did not hesitate to pressure athletes (under threat of expulsion) to position themselves politically in all competitions.
The reference you used Kuliak it is to the letter that Russian tanks and other military vehicles are carried over Ukrainian territory. “It is the mark that distinguishes the vehicles of the invaders so as not to confuse them with the Ukrainian ones that are of the same origin and, therefore, exactly the same”detailed the specialist Gustavo Sierra in his column in Infobae.
But Kuliak is not the only one who showed the mentioned symbol. the spanish medium The sixthreported that on her social networks the former gymnast Svetlana Khorkina, 43, who has the rank of colonel in the Russian army, also expressed himself. “Campaign of all those who are not ashamed of being Russians,” the military woman, married to a general, shared in the message.
The commented image of Kuliak with the “Z” on his chest was produced because the International Gymnastics Federation prohibited Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing under its flag as of March 7, so this World Cup in Doha was the last for them.
KEEP READING
|
https://thenewstrace.com/who-is-ivan-kuliak-the-controversial-russian-athlete-who-stood-on-the-podium-with-the-z-of-russian-tanks-in-ukraine/223497/
| 2022-03-07T18:36:13
|
en
| 0.982322
|
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Republicans in the Oklahoma House on Monday unveiled a package of new restrictions on the state's booming medical marijuana industry, designed to crack down on illegal growers who sell cannabis on the black market.
The 12-point plan includes a standardization of lab testing and equipment, more inspections of grow facilities, separate licenses for marijuana wholesalers and stringent new reporting requirements for electric and water usage by growers. One proposal would also make the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority a stand-alone agency, not a division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
“If you're an illegal operator in Oklahoma, you're time is up," said Rep. Scott Fetgatter, an Okmulgee Republican and a member of the House Republican working group on medical marijuana.
The marijuana industry has been booming in Oklahoma since voters in 2018 approved one of the most liberal medical programs in the nation. It's easy for patients to obtain a two-year medical license, and nearly 10% of the state's population is now authorized to buy and use marijuana. Unlike other states, there also are no restrictions on the number of dispensary or grow licenses, and the low cost for entry into the industry has led to a flood of out-of-state pot entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on the boom.
But the low barriers for entry and the loose regulatory environment also has led to a huge increase in the number of illegal operators, according to law enforcement.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics last month announced one of the state's largest-ever marijuana busts involving more than 200 federal, state and local officers and a dozen grow operations. Agents seized more than 100,000 plants and thousands of pounds of bulk processed marijuana destined for other states, including California, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas.
Even medical marijuana industry professionals agree there should be stricter enforcement, said Chip Paul, a marijuana processor who helped write the state question voters approved in 2018.
“Absolutely, I would think generally the industry feels like things are too loose on the back end," Paul said. “But we don't necessarily need more regulation. We just need our current regulations to be enforced."
Paul, who operates a marijuana processing facility in the Tulsa area, said he's had a license since 2018 and had his first state inspection last week.
|
https://www.chron.com/business/article/Republican-lawmakers-unveil-medical-marijuana-16983580.php
| 2022-03-07T18:36:46
|
en
| 0.958361
|
LONDON (AP) — British rapper Dizzee Rascal was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend, then smashed a press photographer’s camera outside the courthouse minutes after a jury found him guilty.
The 37-year-old musician, whose full name is Dylan Kwabena Mills, had denied headbutting Cassandra Jones at a home in south London in June.
Prosecutors said he pressed his forehead against hers and pushing her to the ground during a “chaotic” argument that began over custody arrangements for their two children.
When police, called by neighbors, arrived, Mills said “I’m the aggressor,” but later gave a prepared statement in a police interview, denying the allegations and claiming Jones had assaulted him.
After the guilty verdict, Mills left Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, grabbed a camera from Press Association photographer James Manning and threw if across the street, before walking away.
Dizzee Rascal released his debut album, “Boy in Da Corner,” in 2003 and was among the first breakout stars from the distinctly British genre of hip-hop known as grime. His hits include “Bonkers” and “Dance Wiv Me.”
He is due to be sentenced for assault on April 8.
|
https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Dizzee-Rascal-convicted-of-assault-then-smashes-16983700.php
| 2022-03-07T18:36:52
|
en
| 0.983902
|
NEW YORK (AP) — One of the planet's biggest celebrities will play a woman desperately craving fame when Pamela Anderson makes her Broadway debut next month in the musical “Chicago,” The Associated Press has learned.
Anderson will play Roxie Hart from April 12-June 5 at the Ambassador Theatre, a remarkable union of one of the most recognizable sex icons of the last few decades with a show that skewers fame.
“From ‘Baywatch’ to Broadway. I am inspired by the unexpected," Anderson told the AP in a Monday statement. "This is it, and I will not hold back anymore. I am letting go. I am ready to see what I’m capable of. For ‘Chicago,’ I’ll be putting all my cards on the table. I am doubling down — on me.”
Set in the 1920s, the musical is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. It has Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, skimpy outfits and killer songs such as “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango.”
“Chicago” tells the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to leave her. To avoid conviction, Roxie hires Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to help her dupe the public, media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by creating shocking headlines.
“Pam is a very moral person, extremely moral. She cares about animals. She cares about the planet. She cares about people,” said producer Barry Weissler. “The difference between her as Pam and Roxie is Roxie doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and she doesn't give a damn about the outside world as long as she can be famous. So Pam comes with totally opposite attributes in life, but she fits because of her celebrity, what she’s gone through in life.”
Anderson had a breakout role on “Home Improvement” as a “Tool Time girl” before getting global attention for playing C.J. Parker on “Baywatch.” Her credits include “Barb Wire” and “Superhero Movie.”
There’s been renewed interest in Anderson’s life story thanks to the Hulu series “Pam & Tommy,” which stars Lily James as Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee and fictionalizes their whirlwind romance. Anderson also this month announced a new authorized documentary about her life upcoming from Netflix.
Weissler said he had approached Anderson about the Roxie part over a decade ago, but their schedules didn’t work.
“Now that we’re doing it, it’s even more opportune. It’s more timely. She's really standing for something now — as a professional, as an activist, as a very talented lady. She can surprise a lot of people. The woman has acting chops. She certainly can dance, and her singing voice is quite good. So here we go.”
The celebrity-craving heroine at the heart of "Chicago'' has been played by dozens of women since the show opened in 1996, including Melanie Griffith, Christie Brinkley, Marilu Henner, Brooke Shields, Lisa Rinna, Gretchen Mol, Ashlee Simpson, Brandy Norwood, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Givens.
The revival has managed to last a quarter of a century thanks to the savvy decision to cast celebrity replacements in all the lead spots — basically asking famous performers to join a musical about the venality of celebrities — and mold the show around their strengths.
Just some of the other stars who have done stints in the show include Sofia Vergara, Paige Davis, Rita Wilson, Usher, Huey Lewis, Michael C. Hall, Jerry Springer and Billy Zane. A 2002 film version starred Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere.
___
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
|
https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Pamela-Anderson-set-to-make-her-Broadway-debut-in-16983293.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:04
|
en
| 0.957398
|
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, the potatoes, corned beef and cabbage are piled high in the supermarkets.
Millions of Americans claim some Irish ancestry and honor the patron saint of Ireland on March 17. But the holiday has an inclusive feel, and you don’t need to be Irish to celebrate.
One traditional St. Patrick's Day dish is colcannon, a classic Irish medley of potatoes and greens.
Potatoes were and remain one of the central foods of Irish cooking, and this dish celebrates the humble tuber with the addition of milk and cream, as well as whatever green vegetables and members of the onion family are available.
According to an old Irish cookbook called “Feasting Galore,” published in 1952 and written by Maura Laverty: “a heaped portion" of colcannon is served on each plate. "A well is made in the center of the heap to hold a generous lump of butter. The colcannon is eaten from around the outside of the heap, each person dipping his fork first into the colcannon and then into the melting butter. The perfect companion to a class of colcannon is a glass of fresh buttermilk.”
(Also according to the old cookbook, “in the Midlands colcannon is called “Thump” and in the North and West it is called “Champ.")
There are a whole lot of opinions on the right way to make colcannon.
The potatoes are non-negotiable, though what they are mashed with (milk, cream, butter, scallions, onions) is up for discussion. It‘s the greens that are cause for debate. Many recipes call for cabbage, another vegetable that sustained the Irish people for many years. Other recipes (even some very old ones) call for kale or other greens.
I have made colcannon with both, and frankly, I don’t know which I like better – so I made a version that combines them. The point is that in Ireland they would have made this dish with whatever was available, so we can use whatever greens make sense for our colcannon on St. Patrick’s Day (or any other day some classic Irish comfort food is warranted.)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
COLCANNON
Kosher salt for cooking the potatoes, plus 1 teaspoon more, or to taste
2 pounds Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided
½ cup whole milk
½ cup light or heavy cream or half and half (see Note)
½ cup sliced scallions or chopped onion
1/2 pound kale, tough stems removed, rinsed well, drained and sliced thinly into ribbons
½ pound shredded cabbage
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt, return to a boil, then add the potatoes (the water should cover the potatoes by at least 2 inches.) Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to simmer for 20 or so minutes, partially covered, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife.
2. While the potatoes cook, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the kale and cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables have wilted and are lightly golden in some spots. Meanwhile, heat the milk and the cream together with the scallions in a pot over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and return them to the pot, and place the pot back over medium-low heat. Toss the potatoes in the hot pan occasionally for 3 minutes or so until they have begun to dry out (but not to brown). Remove the pan from the stove, and put the potatoes through a ricer, or mash with a potato masher until they are smooth, or as smooth as you like them. Return them to the pot.
4. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons of the butter, and the hot milk and cream mixture to the potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk until well combined. Add the kale and cabbage mixture, season with black pepper to taste, and stir until the vegetables are well blended with the potatoes.
5. Serve the colcannon in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the colcannon, and put the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the center of the well to melt. Alternately you can make a mound on each person’s plate, create a small well in the center, and add a bit of butter to each portion.
Note: If you don’t feel like using the creamier items here, or you don’t have them in the house, just add another ½ cup of whole milk and call it a day.
—-
Other St. Patrick’s Day Recipes to Round Out the Menu:
Shepherd’s Pie, https://themom100.com/recipe/shepherds-pie/
Irish Scones with Smoked Salmon, https://themom100.com/recipe/irish-scones-with-smoked-salmon/
Irish Soda Bread, https://themom100.com/recipe/irish-soda-bread/
Slow Cooker Corned beef and Cabbage, https://themom100.com/recipe/slow-cooker-corned-beef-and-cabbage/
Roasted Cabbage, Wedges https://themom100.com/recipe/roasted-cabbage-wedges/
Simple Beer Braised Cabbage, https://themom100.com/recipe/simple-beer-braised-cabbage/
Lamb Stew, https://themom100.com/recipe/lamb-stew-with-white-wine-orange-and-fennel/
—-
Katie Workman writes frequently about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
|
https://www.chron.com/living/article/FOOD-Colcannon-a-classic-Irish-medley-of-16983621.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:10
|
en
| 0.945714
|
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Midday Daily 3" game were:
3-8-1
(three, eight, one)
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Midday Daily 3" game were:
3-8-1
(three, eight, one)
|
https://www.chron.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Midday-Daily-3-game-16983702.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:23
|
en
| 0.934933
|
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Midday Daily 4" game were:
7-7-4-2
(seven, seven, four, two)
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Midday Daily 4" game were:
7-7-4-2
(seven, seven, four, two)
|
https://www.chron.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Midday-Daily-4-game-16983711.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:29
|
en
| 0.913651
|
- Bitcoin confirmed a major Ichimoku short signal on Saturday, but sellers have not followed through.
- Buyers have entered just above the lower trendline of the current bear flag pattern.
- A bear trap could be developing before a major bullish reversal.
Bitcoin price continues to show very bearish signals that downside pressure is likely to continue. However, early warning signs of a bullish reversal continue to play out despite the current bearish technicals.
Bitcoin price barely holding above its final support zone
Bitcoin price confirmed and Ideal Bearish Ichimoku Breakout on Saturday, creating the first confirmed entry of this type since December 4, 2021. Typically, this type of short entry triggers massive short interest and subsequent selling pressure. However, bears have been unable or unwilling to press BTC lower.
The only support level remaining for Bitcoin price on its daily chart is the bottom of the current bear flag at $38,000. If $38,000 fails to hold as support, Bitcoin price is likely to move towards the next Fibonacci expansion level between $30,000 and $30,500.
However, a spectacular bear trap could also be developing. The failed follow-through from a confirmed Ideal Bearish Ichimoku Breakout is uncommon, and given the proximity to confirm a standard bearish breakout from the bear flag, BTC’s daily chart had a prime shorting opportunity that shows signs of being avoided.
BTC/USD Daily Ichimoku Kinko Hyo Chart
If Bitcoin price repeated last Monday’s performance, it would instead convert into an Ideal Bullish Ichimoku Breakout, likely trapping a significant number of short-sellers within the $38,000 to $40,000 value area. The resulting rally would likely return Bitcoin to test the $50,000 zone next.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Latest Crypto News & Analysis
Editors’ Picks
Polygon’s MATIC price in negative spiral affected by escalation of war in Ukraine
Polygon (MATIC) price action is further slipping over the weekend after comments from Putin where he commits to see the war with Ukraine through until the end. With that, price pressure is mounting as inflation peaks even more, and energy prices are seeing more panic-buying across the board.
Avalanche price on the cusp of significant drop as dollar sets tone
Avalanche (AVAX) is set to shed around 36% of its market cap as, although being on the front foot at the moment, a broader technical bearish signal is set to be triggered. A death cross is when the 55-day Simple Moving Average crosses below the 200-day SMA – as is currently happening on AVAX.
Bitcoin price nears six month bottom against massive exchange outflow
Bitcoin price witnessed a massive drop after posting gains over the past week. Traders continued to scoop up Bitcoin across exchanges as the asset's price hovered close to a six-month bottom, but although this led to a supply shortage it failed to drive BTC’s price higher.
Dogecoin price stumbles after public release of MyDoge wallet for iOS users
Dogecoin price tumbled in the recent crypto market bloodbath, posting 4% losses over the past day. Analysts have a bearish outlook on the meme coin, predicting a further price drop.
Bitcoin: Bull run to flourish unhinged beyond $52,000
Bitcoin price is hovering between a weekly supply and a daily demand zone, leading to a bracketed movement. The recent run-up fell short of retesting the upper boundary and is currently correcting to find a stable support level.
|
https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/bitcoin-panic-selling-to-30-000-likely-if-btc-fails-to-hold-this-support-level-202203071743
| 2022-03-07T18:37:31
|
en
| 0.944051
|
BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Massachusetts Lottery's "Numbers Midday" game were:
7-2-4-4
(seven, two, four, four)
BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday afternoon's drawing of the Massachusetts Lottery's "Numbers Midday" game were:
7-2-4-4
(seven, two, four, four)
|
https://www.chron.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Numbers-Midday-game-16983674.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:35
|
en
| 0.886301
|
- FTX exchange announced its plan to get security approval in Cyprus before expanding to Europe.
- The native token FTX plunged in response to the news of the exchange's expansion.
- Analysts have a bearish outlook on the exchange's native token, predicting a further drop in FTX price.
FTX announced its expansion plans after receiving approval from regulators in Cyprus. The exchange has plans to offer products to European clients across the economic area. The exchange’s native token FTX suffered a price drop despite the latest announcement.
FTX price struggles post announcement of expansion plans
The trading giant FTX has revealed plans to expand into the European economic area, after securing approval from financial regulators in Cyprus. The exchange will offer its products to clients through its licensed investment firm.
FTX’s new investment entity will be headquartered in Switzerland. Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO and founder of FTX was quoted as saying:
We’ll be interacting with regulators in various countries across Europe to continue to provide a safe and secure environment for people to trade crypto.
Proponents expected FTX’s expansion plans to positively influence the exchange’s native token’s price. However, following the news of the expansion, FTX price started a downtrend.
FTX exchange recently listed Terra’s native stablecoin UST, adding to the list of supported cryptocurrencies and pushing the demand among investors higher.
The exchange has a wide user base, across US and its Europe expansion plans could boost the number of traders on its platform. This could drive higher adoption of the native token FTX. Analysts have evaluated the FTX price trend and presented a bearish outlook.
Analysts predict little improvement in FTX price over the next few weeks as the Russo-Ukrainian war rages on. FTX price has posted 1.5% losses over the past 24 hours. Analysts believe that FTX price could plummet further amidst the bloodbath in the crypto market.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Latest Crypto News & Analysis
Editors’ Picks
Polygon’s MATIC price in negative spiral affected by escalation of war in Ukraine
Polygon (MATIC) price action is further slipping over the weekend after comments from Putin where he commits to see the war with Ukraine through until the end. With that, price pressure is mounting as inflation peaks even more, and energy prices are seeing more panic-buying across the board.
Avalanche price on the cusp of significant drop as dollar sets tone
Avalanche (AVAX) is set to shed around 36% of its market cap as, although being on the front foot at the moment, a broader technical bearish signal is set to be triggered. A death cross is when the 55-day Simple Moving Average crosses below the 200-day SMA – as is currently happening on AVAX.
Bitcoin price nears six month bottom against massive exchange outflow
Bitcoin price witnessed a massive drop after posting gains over the past week. Traders continued to scoop up Bitcoin across exchanges as the asset's price hovered close to a six-month bottom, but although this led to a supply shortage it failed to drive BTC’s price higher.
Dogecoin price stumbles after public release of MyDoge wallet for iOS users
Dogecoin price tumbled in the recent crypto market bloodbath, posting 4% losses over the past day. Analysts have a bearish outlook on the meme coin, predicting a further price drop.
Bitcoin: Bull run to flourish unhinged beyond $52,000
Bitcoin price is hovering between a weekly supply and a daily demand zone, leading to a bracketed movement. The recent run-up fell short of retesting the upper boundary and is currently correcting to find a stable support level.
|
https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/ftx-token-price-drops-despite-new-license-to-expand-to-europe-202203071759
| 2022-03-07T18:37:37
|
en
| 0.949829
|
D'IBERVILLE, Miss. (AP) — A 120-mph (193-kilometer) chase in Mississippi ended with the arrest of a man accused of murder and sexual assault in Louisiana and of bank robbery in Mississippi, authorities said.
David Rester Jr. was being held on $150,000 bond on a charge of failure to stop for police, the Harrison County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Charges in Waveland, Mississippi, included armed robbery and three counts of kidnapping, according to the sheriff's office online inmate search page.
In Louisiana, Rester is accused of killing Bogalusa bar owner Marl Wayne Smith on March 3 and of robbing and physically and sexually battering a convenience store clerk Feb. 27 near Pearl River.
“We are charging Rester with first degree murder and will be seeking the death penalty upon conviction” in Smith's death, Sheriff Randy Seal of Washington Parish, Louisiana, said in a news release.
Rester was arrested Friday after a chase that started with an 11 a.m. bank robbery in Waveland, Mississippi, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Bogalusa. It reached 120 mph before ending in D’Iberville, about 30 miles further west, news outlets reported.
Seal said Rester's driver's license showed an address in the central Louisiana city of Vidalia, but he had been living in Bogalusa, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) east-southeast.
Detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Major Crime Unit and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office developed information that led them to believe that the Pearl River-area and Bogalusa crimes were committed by the same person, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said in a news release.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/120-mph-chase-nabs-man-accused-in-Louisiana-and-16983722.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:41
|
en
| 0.948983
|
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Airline passenger traffic at North Dakota’s eight commercial airports improved significantly in January compared to the same month last year, but still remain below pre-pandemic levels.
According to the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, 73,117 passengers used the airports in January, 73% more than the same month in 2021, but below nearly 100,000 passengers in January 2020, about two months before COVID-19 struck.
“Air service demand is significantly stronger than where we were one year ago; however it is also still approximately 18% below 2019’s pre-pandemic passenger counts,” state Aeronautics Commissioner Kyle Wanner said.
“Airlines continue to cite difficulties with their ability to increase flights and capacity due to workforce shortages and fleet availability,” he said. “These challenges as well as a sustained lower demand for business travel are all factors that contribute to the difficulty for passenger numbers to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels in the short term.”
Airports in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Jamestown, Dickinson and Williston all experienced an increase in passenger traffic last month, ranging from 54% in Bismarck to 154% in Dickinson, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Hector International in Fargo, the state’s largest airport, saw an increase of 87%. Williston’s rise was 72%.
All airports but Jamestown and Devils Lake saw declines from January 2019. Bismarck’s drop was 25%.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Airline-passenger-traffic-makes-significant-gains-16983528.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:47
|
en
| 0.961461
|
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — An adviser to Ukraine's president says third round of talks with Russia ends; progress made on humanitarian corridors.
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — An adviser to Ukraine's president says third round of talks with Russia ends; progress made on humanitarian corridors.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Alert-An-adviser-to-Ukraine-s-president-says-16983676.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:53
|
en
| 0.93339
|
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Republican-authored bill that would authorize local election clerks to begin counting absentee ballots a day earlier is likely dead.
Right now clerks can’t start counting absentee ballots until the day of the election. Assembly Republicans last week amended a Senate bill that would have protected clerks who report irregularities to allow clerks to to being counting absentee ballots the day before the election. Releasing results early would be a felony. The Assembly passed the measure that same night and sent it over to the Senate.
The Senate's last session day is Tuesday and the bill isn't on the agenda. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu's spokesman, Adam Gibbs, said in an email to The Associated Press on Monday that the chamber won't take up the bill. He didn't offer any explanation.
Conservatives have pushed back against the bill over the last several days. Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chairwoman of the Assembly's elections committee, has said the bill just gives partisan election officials an extra day to cheat.
Republicans continue to insist that President Joe Biden somehow stole the election from Donald Trump, although they haven't produced any evidence widespread fraud. A number of court challenges, a recount and a state audit have confirmed that Biden defeated Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Bill-setting-up-early-absente-ballot-count-likely-16983656.php
| 2022-03-07T18:37:59
|
en
| 0.960775
|
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials announced Monday that they have identified bird flu in a commercial turkey flock in northwest Iowa, the state's second case of a virus that has been identified in multiple U.S. states.
Iowa agriculture officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the case in Buena Vista County, about 100 miles north of the case identified March 1 in a backyard flock of 42 ducks and chickens in Pottawattamie County.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista County to allow state resources to help with disposal of the affected flock and disinfection of the farm. Officials didn't immediately disclose the number of birds involved. The emergency declaration also provides resources for tracking, monitoring and the rapid detection of bird flu.
The discovery of avian influenza is especially troubling in Iowa, the nation’s leading egg producer. In 2015, an outbreak led producers to kill 33 million hens in the state and 9 million birds in Minnesota, the nation’s leading turkey producer. Smaller outbreaks were reported in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement that state and federal agriculture officials are working with producers "to trace back, control and eradicate this disease from our state.”
Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can spread from flock to flock by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the recent bird flu detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. While it can be transmitted to humans, it is unusual and typically due to close contact with infected birds.
The first infection this year was identified in a commercial flock of turkeys in Indiana on Feb. 9. Since then, five additional flocks have been found with cases in Indiana, where more than 171,000 birds have been killed and removed. The virus also was detected in a flocks of turkeys and broiler chickens in Kentucky last month, resulting in the destruction and disposal of more than 284,000 birds. A commercial chicken flock in Delaware also was infected, leading to the disposal of 1.2 million birds, the USDA said.
In the past few days officials have identified the virus on a southeast Missouri farm with 240,000 broiler chickens, a commercial mixed species flock in southeastern South Dakota and an egg-laying hen operation in northeast Maryland.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Bird-flu-confirmed-in-northwest-Iowa-commercial-16983699.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:05
|
en
| 0.956246
|
BULL VALLEY, Ill. (AP) — A millionaire businessman convicted of trying to kill his wife during a 2004 attack in their suburban Chicago mansion has been released from prison.
Billy J. Cox, 80, was released on Feb. 25 after serving the required 85% of his 20-year sentence, according to a notice from the Illinois Department of Corrections, The (Crystal Lake) Northwest Herald reported.
A jury found Cox guilty in 2007 of attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery for trying to kill his then 65-year-old wife, Carolyn Cox, in September 2004 in their 15,000-square-foot Bull Valley mansion.
He struck her with a blunt object and dragged her through their home before locking her in the garage, where he left two vehicles idling so carbon monoxide fumes would kill her, court records state.
Carolyn Cox was found alive by police who went to the couple's home after concerned relatives were unable to reach her on the day of a planned trip to Paris.
She divorced Billy Cox in 2008 and remarried, changing her name to Carolyn Mahoney and later speaking out against domestic violence, saying it affects everyone, no matter how rich or poor. She died in 2019.
Cox and his late former wife had become wealthy by building Exacto Inc., a chemical company based in Sharon, Wisconsin.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Businessman-convicted-in-attack-on-wife-released-16983685.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:11
|
en
| 0.987788
|
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former Macomb County judge and prosecutor Carl Marlinga announced Monday his campaign for a new House seat in suburban Detroit, becoming the fourth Democrat to enter the primary for what may be among Michigan's most competitive congressional races this fall.
Marlinga, 75, retired from the bench last month after serving nine years. He said if he is elected, he would focus on ensuring there are good-paying U.S. jobs and bringing back the supply chain from countries like China.
“I love the community and as someone who has lived in the community all my life, I understand the hopes, aspirations and challenges of the families and small businesses who are my neighbors and whom I have served for nearly 40 years,” he said in a statement.
The contest for the 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Macomb and Oakland counties, has no incumbent after redistricting. Other Democratic candidates are ex-state lawmaker and current Sterling Heights council member Henry Yanez, Warren council member Angela Rogensues and activist Huwaida Arraf.
The Republican candidate is businessman and Iraq War veteran John James, the party's two-time nominee for U.S. Senate.
Marlinga was Macomb County's elected prosecutor for 20 years until 2004, when he was charged with helping a man obtain a new rape trial in exchange for contributions to Marlinga's failed 2002 congressional campaign. A federal jury acquitted Marlinga in 2006.
Republicans called Marlinga “corrupt” and said he cannot run for Congress because the state constitution prohibits judges from seeking a non-judicial office until one year after leaving office. Marlinga's campaign said the provision cannot supersede the U.S. Constitution's eligibility requirements, which include no such restriction.
___
Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Ex-judge-prosecutor-Carl-Marlinga-running-for-16983626.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:18
|
en
| 0.963633
|
BALTIMORE (AP) — One person is dead after a fire at a Baltimore fuel facility on Monday morning, a fire official said.
Baltimore Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Adams said four employees were working outside the Petroleum Management facility Monday morning when flames engulfed one of them, The Baltimore Sun reported. Coworkers tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze and it spread to the building, Adams said. The employee was pronounced dead on the scene.
Firefighters called to the facility on Curtis Avenue just before 7 a.m. Monday found it engulfed in flames and smoke, officials said. Firefighters from Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties and BWI Airport Fire & Rescue helped battle the fire and Adams said it was extinguished just after 8 a.m. Firefighters remained on the scene to check for any flare-ups, she said.
Officials at Petroleum Management’s corporate office declined to comment, the newspaper reported. The company handles petroleum product spills and offers environmental monitoring and other services, according to its website.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Fire-official-1-dead-after-fire-at-Baltimore-16983618.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:24
|
en
| 0.960934
|
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said Monday that the state will formally recommend against COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children.
Ladapo made the announcement at a roundtable event organized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that featured a group of doctors who criticized coronavirus lockdowns and mandate policies. It was not immediately clear when the state would release its health guidance.
“The Florida Department of Health is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children,” Ladapo said at the end of the roundtable discussion.
“We’re kind of scraping at the bottom of the barrel, particularly with healthy kids, in terms of actually being able to quantify with any accuracy and any confidence the even potential of benefit,” he added.
Late last month, Ladapo and DeSantis announced new virus policy recommendations that discouraged mask-wearing and directed physicians to exercise their own judgment when treating virus patients, including the use of emerging treatments and off-label medications.
The Florida state Senate confirmed Ladapo as surgeon general despite criticism that his virus health policy is too aligned with the anti-lockdown and mandate politics of DeSantis.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Florida-to-recommend-against-COVID-vaccines-for-16983586.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:30
|
en
| 0.965679
|
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas are advancing a measure to prevent the governor from entering into legal agreements that change state election practices without getting prior approval from the GOP-controlled Legislature or its top leaders.
A Senate committee approved a bill Monday in response to an agreement Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly reached in October with voting-rights groups to head off a lawsuit. The agreement allows Kansas residents to register to vote at state agencies that provide social services benefits.
The measure goes next to the full Senate.
Federal law requires states to allow people to register when they interact with social services agencies. Kelly acknowledged that the state fell out of compliance and began working with voting rights groups in 2019.
Some Republicans argue that the Legislature should be involved such agreements because it has the power to write and revise election laws. A law enacted last year prevented the secretary of state from making such agreements without legislative leaders' approval first.
The bill approved Monday by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee would require the full Legislature to sign off first on an agreement involving either the governor or secretary of state if lawmakers are in session. If they are out of session, either official would need permission from the Legislature's top eight leaders.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/GOP-looks-to-limit-governor-s-power-on-Kansas-16983623.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:36
|
en
| 0.95831
|
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When her daughter was diagnosed with cancer, Tetiana Chatokhina didn't hesitate to make the trip back to Ukraine to help her recover from surgery and care for her 14-year-old grandson.
But the 75-year-old disabled American citizen found herself trapped alongside her family in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, targeted by nightly shelling and bombs after Russia invaded a little more than a week ago.
Their underground shelter wasn't big enough for all three of them, so Chatokhina, her daughter Olena Iarova, and Iarova's son stayed above ground despite the risk. Two lay beneath a table; Chatokhina, nearby, on the floor. They took turns sleeping and keep the lights off, and voices low, in the hopes the Russian military would think the home was abandoned and pass them by.
“Every time we go to bed, we don't even sleep,” Chatokhina said in whispers in Russian over the phone before the family left the city and headed West toward Poland, hoping to make it across the border.
The family is one of many stranded in Ukraine since the Russian invasion, including American citizens caring for family members who are Ukrainian citizens. The closure of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv postponed many visa interviews and limited the services the country can provide to people seeking to leave Ukraine. Families have been contacting Congress and immigration lawyers in the U.S. pleading for help.
There’s no known estimate of how many Americans remain in Ukraine after weeks of warnings urging them to leave before the invasion.
The State Department has been “just completely unhelpful,” said U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a New York Republican whose office worked for several days to push forward the visa application of a Ukrainian woman whose husband lives in Malliotakis' district. “I know some of my colleagues are facing that same experience, and it’s just really reminiscent of what occurred in Afghanistan when we were trying to evacuate families and help people get out of Afghanistan.”
The department has support teams near the Ukrainian border in four neighboring countries to assist U.S. citizens and opened a “welcome center” in Poland. But people seeking immigrant visas who are trying to transfer their case to another U.S. embassy have to contact that specific embassy for a list of requirements, the department said this week.
After several emails sent by Malliotakis' office, the State Department agreed to transfer the woman's case to Moldova and the couple has now reached that country.
Thousands of miles away, in a hilltop home in Los Angeles, Chatokhina's son and daughter-in-law have been sleepless as well. They've called their congressional representative and the State Department, desperate to get the family out.
They want to get them to the border with Poland — a stretch for Chatokhina, who recently underwent surgery herself and needs walking assistance — and then to a U.S. consulate for a long-awaited interview for a green card for Iarova, for which she was sponsored years ago.
“I actually called the State Department and I was told that there's nothing they can do until she's in a EU country or any country outside of Ukraine," said Galina Blank, Chatokhina's daughter-in-law. ”The State Department can't do anything. They're not doing anything for United States citizens."
“She’s old. She’s sick. She’s a citizen,” she said.
In 1990, then-21-year-old Edward Chatokhin left his hometown of Kharkiv in what was the Soviet Union to try to make a life in the United States. Years later, he married Blank, who had moved to Los Angeles as a Soviet refugee when she was a child.
After Chatokhin became an American citizen, he sponsored his mother for a green card and she went to live with them in California. Once she, too, became a U.S. citizen, she applied for Iarova to join them.
Although U.S. authorities have approved her application, Iarova still needs a consular interview to get a green card. Since the coronavirus pandemic, many of these interviews have been delayed, and Blank said she's unsure how long it would have taken before the invasion. She said the State Department told her that if Iarova can get to another country they would expedite her interview.
The situation in Kharkiv is dire, the family said. They were running out of food. Their water was cut off. The weather is extremely cold.
When the invasion began, they thought the Russians were trying to scare them. But it only got worse, Iarova said.
“There is no mercy, not to anyone at all. We could imagine anything, but not that they would drop bombs on us," she said. “I just want to save my child.”
In Los Angeles, Blank, a lawyer, and Chatokhin, an internet entrepreneur, have been working the phones, trying to find someone to help the family flee. Initially, a friend offered to drive them to the border, but a nearby bridge blew up and he couldn't reach them, Blank said.
When his mother left Los Angeles about two months ago, Chatokhin said he didn't have any worries about the situation in Kharkiv. Even as chatter surfaced about a possible attack, he said he and his friends saw it as no more than media bluster, adding that the two countries have a shared language, history and culture.
Last Wednesday, his nephew went to school, like always. A day later, there was war.
“We’re the same people. It just makes no sense," Blank said. “That’s why nobody ever believed that anything like this could happen.”
___
Merchant reported from Washington. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee and AP journalists Padmananda Rama and Lynn Berry in Washington contributed to this report.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/In-Ukraine-under-attack-American-hopes-for-16983502.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:42
|
en
| 0.984314
|
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Proposed cuts to Indiana’s individual income tax rates might not be automatic under methods legislative leaders discussed Monday.
A push led by Indiana House Republicans for broad cuts to business and individual taxes is a major remaining issue as lawmakers look to finish this year’s legislative session this week.
Senate Republican leaders have resisted making major tax cuts now, citing concerns about the economy’s future even as state tax collections have recorded big jumps over the past year. Gov. Eric Holcomb dropped his previous reluctance on tax cuts last week by proposing cuts to the state’s current individual income tax rate of 3.23% to 2.9% in small steps over the next seven years.
The leader of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee said Monday that talks with senators included possibly linking tax rate cuts to whether state tax collections remain strong.
A similar process is already in place for the state’s automatic tax refund that will result in $125 payments to all Indiana taxpayers based on the size of the state government’s cash reserves.
“We’re looking at — can we formulate that and put that into a staged reduction that has some trigger mechanisms?” said committee Chairman Tim Brown, a Crawfordsville Republican.
Holcomb’s income tax cut proposal would reduce state revenue by a projected $900 million a year when fully implemented in 2028, according to the governor’s office. House Republicans have also backed cuts to several business taxes, potentially worth $700 million to $850 million a year.
The Senate’s top budget leader said he remains more focused on taking steps to reduce the state’s future teacher pension liabilities and recoup what now amounts to more than $1 billion a year in state spending for those pensions.
“I would rather do something more transformative when we have that billion,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ryan Mishler, a Republican from Bremen. “Instead of kind of guesstimating on the billion, I want to wait until we could actually have that billion and make some of these tax cuts. That’s my preference.”
The proposed changes would result in state government becoming even more dependent on its 7% sales tax, which is already its biggest revenue source and the second-highest rate in the country. Indiana’s individual income tax is currently lower than any surrounding state.
Republicans who dominate the House and Senate have turned aside proposals from Democrats for steps such as lowering the sales tax to 6.5%, increasing the state’s tax deduction on rent from $3,000 to $5,000 a year and eliminating the sales tax on diapers and tampons.
Democrats argue the Republican proposals would continue a “bad habit” of continuing to shift reliance to the sales tax with steps in recent years of cutting corporate income tax rates and eliminating the state inheritance tax.
Democratic Sen. Tim Lanane of Anderson said the “highly volatile” world situation should lead to prudence on major state tax changes until a new two-year state budget is written in 2023.
“We don’t know what the economy is going to be like in 30 days, not to mention a year from now,” Lanane said. “So, I think the better approach is to wait till next year, when it’s a budget year.”
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Indiana-lawmakers-discuss-trigger-for-income-16983581.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:49
|
en
| 0.965346
|
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man was killed after he was hit by a stray bullet from what was described as a “large shootout,” police said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said in a news release on Monday that James Freiberg, 48, was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency personnel.
Police said officers on the south side of the city reported hearing gunshots around 3 a.m. on Saturday and found several casings in the parking lot of an apartment complex that had been fired into one of the units. The incident was between two groups of people unrelated to Freiberg, according to police.
Freiberg is a Chicago native who was a realtor and a sports card expert for a local business. He also served as a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps while stationed at the Air Station New River in Jacksonville.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/North-Carolina-man-dies-after-stray-bullet-hits-16983613.php
| 2022-03-07T18:38:55
|
en
| 0.98904
|
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Burke man who runs a business that provides outdoor education has been appointed to the Vermont Legislature, Gov. Phil Scott announced Monday.
John Kascenska, a Republican, is replacing Rep. Patrick Seymour, who resigned.
“John has demonstrated a commitment to public service and has a wide range of experience that will be valuable in the House of Representatives – from his time as an educator to being a small business owner,” Scott said in a statement.
Kascenska is the founder and owner of Kingdom Adventures Mountain Guides in East Burke. His primary work includes wilderness first aid and wilderness first responder training.
He has also worked in higher education for 32 years, including as a faculty member and dean on the Lyndon campus of Northern Vermont University. During the winter, he teaches courses in avalanche safety and rescue on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
“I look forward to working alongside House colleagues through the remainder of the current legislative session and beyond,” Kascenska said.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Outdoor-first-aid-educator-appointed-to-Vermont-16983582.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:01
|
en
| 0.973979
|
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday thanked Israel for its efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine as he and his Israeli counterpart met to discuss the conflict and ongoing nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna.
Blinken said that any initiative to try to halt the conflict would be welcome as long as the move is consistent with U.S., NATO and European principles that Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.
He made the comments as he and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid sat down for hastily arranged talks in the Latvian capital of Riga just two days after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
“We very much appreciate the efforts that any of our close partners and friends and allies can make to see if there’s any opening to end the war consistent, of course, with the principles that we’ve all established,” Blinken told Lapid.
“I look forward to hearing your ideas, hearing about some of the engagements that Israel has had, but we appreciate all efforts by friends and allies to look for a diplomatic resolution,” he said.
Lapid, who flew to Latvia especially to brief Blinken on Bennett's meeting with Putin and express Israel's grave concern at the prospect of a new nuclear deal with Iran, said the meeting was taking place “at the moment the world order is changing.”
“The war that is going on in Ukraine and the nuclear talks in Vienna are events that are changing the world as we know it,” he said. He said Israel is “totally committed” to doing everything in its power to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
On Iran, Lapid noted Israel's concerns about the nuclear negotiations potentially at the point of a breakthrough, saying Israel has well-known differences with the U.S. on a deal even if they share the end goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“It’s no secret we have our differences on this, but it’s it’s a conversation between allies that have a common goal, which is preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold country and to stop Iran’s ability to spread terror and instability all around the world," Lapid said.
Blinken responded that both Israel and the United States are “united and committed to the proposition that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.”
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Russia-Ukraine-central-to-Blinken-talks-with-16983576.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:07
|
en
| 0.963519
|
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is expected to be investigated after displaying a symbol on his uniform supporting the invasion of Ukraine.
Kuliak taped the “Z” symbol — seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles in Ukraine and embraced by supporters of the war — to his vest for a medal ceremony at a World Cup event on Saturday in Doha, Qatar. He took bronze in parallel bars and stood next to a gold medalist from Ukraine.
The International Gymnastics Federation, known as FIG, denounced the “shocking behavior” by Kuliak and pledged to ask its independent integrity unit to investigate.
“We can confirm that (FIG) has informed us that they will formally be seeking the opening of disciplinary proceedings against male artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak,” the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation said Monday.
The 20-year-old Kuliak was able to compete in Qatar because the exclusion of all gymnasts and officials from Russia and Belarus did not take effect until Monday. The Russian flag was already barred from his uniform by an earlier FIG decision.
Kuliak, a former national junior all-around champion who did not compete at the Tokyo Olympics, now faces a ban under the FIG disciplinary code. The code allows gymnasts to be punished for acts that "behave in an offensive way," “damage the image of gymnastics” or "demonstrate anti-sport behavior."
The sport's ethics foundation was created in 2018 following the sex abuse scandal involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Russian-gymnast-facing-ban-for-pro-invasion-16983419.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:13
|
en
| 0.967805
|
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A state audit faulted Nevada’s prison system for overcharging inmates for supplies and medical co-pays, racking up overtime costs in the director’s office during the coronavirus pandemic, and lax oversight in assigning state-owned vehicles to staff.
The routine audit by the governor’s finance office also found the Nevada Department of Corrections assigned weapons purchases to the wrong cost categories, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
It recommended changes by September that it said could save more than $14 million annually, almost all of it by reducing overcharges to prisoners.
In a response included with the audit’s public release on Feb. 22, the department accepted recommendations calling for it to write rules on pricing prisoner supplies, set reasonable co-pays, review its overtime costs and fix its weapons purchasing accounting.
The audit’s findings and recommendations were reviewed at a meeting of the seven-member Executive Branch Audit Committee: Gov. Steve Sisolak, Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead, Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, Treasurer Zach Conine, Controller Catherine Byrne, Attorney General Aaron Ford and public member Trudy Dulong.
Corrections Director Charles Daniels defended the department at the meeting, citing the effect of the pandemic on staffing and operations including statewide travel to visit facilities, the Review-Journal reported.
“We rose to the occasion and I’m proud of my people,” Daniels said. “They did stellar work.”
“We did all we could to be out there face-to-face with our staff to ensure that we gave them the attention that they needed,” Daniels said. “For those that seem to imply that there may be something amiss, I challenge anyone to work the schedules we worked. We never took time off. The only time we were gone is when we had COVID ourselves.”
The 36-page audit found there is no system for determining cost markups, which during the last two years fueled an average 37% profit margin — about $14 million per year — for what is known as the Offenders Store Fund.
The department sets a 10% markup on religious items available for purchase in prison commissaries and 40% on food, drink, clothing and hygiene items.
Auditors wrote that inmates with limited funds have to rely on rations allotted to them by the department to meet personal needs because they can't afford to buy items.
The audit tallied $10 million in debts owed by released prisoners for charges such as court fees and medical costs, and recommended setting “a reasonable medical co-pay” for inmates.
The $8 co-pay the department now charges is more than twice the national average of $3.47, auditors found.
The department proposed dropping the copay to $2.
It also promised to monitor costs of the use of vehicles, “excessive” overtime and standby pay for staff in the director’s office. Those things totaled more than $77,000 annually.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/State-audit-Nevada-inmates-overpay-for-medical-16983479.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:20
|
en
| 0.968832
|
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday defended his government’s treatment of Ukrainians fleeing war, after France accused U.K. authorities of “inhumane” behavior towards the refugees.
Johnson said Britain was being “very, very generous,” but wouldn't have “a system where people can come into the U.K. without any checks or any controls at all.”
Britain says it expects to take in as many as 200,000 Ukrainians displaced by Russia's invasion, and has set no upper limit on the number it will accept.
But very few have managed to reach Britain so far. The Home Office said “around 50” visas had been granted by Sunday, though Johnson said Monday he wasn't sure that number was correct.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Sunday that hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in the English Channel port of Calais had been turned away and told by British authorities that they must obtain visas at U.K. embassies in Paris or Brussels.
Calling that “a bit inhumane,” Darmanin urged Britain to “stop the technocratic nit-picking” and be more generous. He said he had urged Britain to set up a consulate in Calais to deal with applications.
Home Secretary Priti Patel denied Britain was turning anyone away, though the British government confirmed Monday that it didn't have a visa center in Calais, meaning applications need to be made elsewhere.
Patel said Britain had set up a visa application center “en route to Calais” but not at the port, to avoid bottlenecks.
“It is wrong to say we’re just turning people back, we’re absolutely not, we’re supporting those that have been coming to Calais,” she said in the House of Commons.
European Union nations are allowing Ukrainians live and work for up to three years without having to go through a formal asylum-seeking process. The U.K., which left the bloc last year, isn't waiving the paperwork, citing security reasons, though it is loosening its rules.
Ukrainians based in Britain can bring over family members, including spouses, parents and children. The government has also announced a separate route for groups in the U.K. to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, but details of that were still being worked out.
Patel said the U.K. was flying staff out to countries neighboring Ukraine “so we can fast-track and speed up applications.”
The United Nations says more than 1.7 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, in what it calls Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/UK-government-denies-giving-cool-welcome-to-16983577.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:32
|
en
| 0.977974
|
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Two former top executives at a city-owned utility company in north Florida have been charged with conspiring to steal millions of dollars from the city of Jacksonville through an attempt to sell the utility, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.
Aaron Zahn, the former CEO of the Jacksonville Electric Authority, and Ryan Wannemacher, its former chief financial officer, were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy. If convicted on all counts, each could face up to 25 years in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the grand jury indictment, the top officials at the Jacksonville Electric Authority worked together to devise a lucrative bonus plan that would have paid them millions of dollars if the city-owned utility were sold.
In 2019, they falsely projected to the utility's board that the Jacksonville Electric Authority was in a “death spiral” that would lead to mass layoffs, rate hikes and reduced revenues unless it was sold or privatized, according to the indictment.
Under one calculation, if the utility sold for $3 billion, Zahn, Wannemacher and other officials stood get tens of millions of dollars in payouts, the indictment said.
Online court records showed no attorneys listed for Zahn or Wannemacher. As of Monday, no plea had been entered.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Utility-executives-accused-of-conspiring-to-steal-16983495.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:38
|
en
| 0.973268
|
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a state ruling that would enact legislative maps submitted by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, saying allowing it to stand would put in place “racial gerrymandering.”
Republicans asked the nation's highest court to put on hold the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling from last week and take an expedited appeal of the case. The court does not have to take the case. If it declines to hear it, then the state Supreme Court ruling would stand.
In a 4-3 ruling on Thursday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court chose Evers' maps over ones submitted by Republicans and other interest groups.
The decision was a marginal victory for Democrats because the new maps were more favorable to Democrats, but they are still projected to result in districts that would keep Republicans in the majority. That's because the state Supreme Court said it would only consider new district boundaries that adhered closely to the ones already in place that were drawn by Republicans in 2011.
The current districts have helped Republicans increase their majorities in the Legislature and Congress over the past decade. Democrats had wanted to draw new maps from scratch, but the state Supreme Court didn't allow it. Democrats also have a pending federal lawsuit they could revive.
“Overall, it's a step forward,” Evers said of the maps he submitted that the court adopted when asked about it following a bill signing Monday. “Overall, it's not where we need to be.”
Republicans on Friday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to put its ruling adopting the Evers legislative maps on hold pending the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court has not yet acted on that request.
Republicans, in their filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, argued that Evers' map moves too many people in Milwaukee to create more districts with a majority of Black and Hispanic voters in violation of the Constitution and federal Voting Rights Act. There are currently six Assembly districts with a Black majority, but that would grow to seven under the adopted Evers map.
“Wisconsin is now home to the 21st-century racial gerrymander,” attorneys for Republicans said in their filing with the U.S. Supreme Court. “The redraw is nothing short of a court-ordered maximization of majority-Black districts.”
Justice Brian Hagedorn, writing for the court's majority last week, said it adopted Evers maps because they made the least changes of all the proposals.
“It is not a close call,” Hagedorn wrote.
The Legislature redraws Wisconsin’s congressional and legislative district maps every 10 years to reflect population changes. The process, known as redistricting, can solidify the partisan majority in the Legislature for a decade. With the stakes so high, Evers and Republican lawmakers couldn’t agree on a plan, leading to both sides asking the state Supreme Court to choose between each side’s maps.
The new maps will be used for races this fall, starting with the Aug. 9 primary. Elections officials have pushed for quick resolution of the legal fight so the district boundaries are known before candidates take out nomination papers next month.
Republicans asked that the current districts remain in place while the court battle plays out.
|
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Wisconsin-Republicans-take-redistricting-fight-to-16983560.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:44
|
en
| 0.96654
|
NEW YORK (AP) — POLL ALERT: Kentucky into top five, 'Nova, Tennessee into top 10 in AP Top 25; Gonzaga, Arizona remain 1-2, UNC returns.
NEW YORK (AP) — POLL ALERT: Kentucky into top five, 'Nova, Tennessee into top 10 in AP Top 25; Gonzaga, Arizona remain 1-2, UNC returns.
|
https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Alert-POLL-ALERT-Kentucky-into-top-five-Nova-16983540.php
| 2022-03-07T18:39:56
|
en
| 0.794753
|
Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll Monday while Tennessee cracked the top 10 for the first time this year and North Carolina returned to the Top 25 for the first time since November.
Mark Few’s Bulldogs claimed 52 of 61 first-place votes to hold the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week and eighth time this season going back to the preseason poll. The Wildcats stayed at No. 2 for the third straight week under first-year coach Tommy Lloyd and claimed six first-place votes, while Scott Drew’s Bears – who held the top spot for five weeks earlier this season – took the other three.
Auburn and Kentucky rounded out the top five, followed by Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee. The Boilermakers and Volunteers tied for the No. 9 spot, with Tennessee tying No. 13 UCLA and No. 16 Illinois with the week’s biggest jump of four spots.
Southern California had the biggest fall of the week, tumbling five spots to No. 21 after losses to Arizona and UCLA last week. No. 18 Houston fell four spots.
No. 23 Colorado State joined the 25th-ranked Tar Heels as the poll’s new additions, bumping Ohio State and Alabama from last week’s rankings. The Rams spent four weeks in December and January in the poll, peaking at No. 20.
The Tar Heels opened the year at No. 19 but fell out of the rankings by Thanksgiving – part of the Atlantic Coast Conference having just one ranked team in the Blue Devils for most of the season.
They hadn’t received any votes in the past six polls, but jumped back in Monday after winning at Duke on Saturday in retiring Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
___
Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap
___
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Gonzaga-remains-atop-AP-Top-25-Tennessee-cracks-16983482.php
| 2022-03-07T18:40:03
|
en
| 0.944821
|
Boat carrying hundreds of Haitian migrants runs aground off the Florida Keys
A wooden boat carrying hundreds of Haitian migrants in a suspected human smuggling operation ran aground in shallow water in the Florida Keys, where 163 people swam ashore and many needed medical attention, federal authorities said.
The boat teeming with people listed sharply to its side near Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, not far from where another boat carrying 176 Haitians was stopped in January.
Many of the migrants were in need of medical attention, according to a tweet sent by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Agent Walter N. Slosar on Sunday night.
The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies rushed to help the group of migrants, which included women and children.
“Multiple agencies responded quickly & worked closely to protect a lot of lives today,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jason Neiman tweeted Sunday night.
Video: Risky migrant crossings shared on social media
It was not immediately know how many people were taken to hospitals. Coast Guard images at the scene showed a large group of Haitians draped in towels on the shore.
Border Patrol officials said human smuggling is suspected and an investigation is continuing.
In the past week, the Coast Guard has stopped two other Haitian boats navigating near the Bahamas with dozens of migrants.
On Feb. 28, crews spotted a Haitian sailboat with 179 people aboard 30 miles off Andros Island, Bahamas. Last Friday, the Coast Guard stopped another Haitian sail vessel with 123 people, including 39 minors about 10 miles from Anguilla Cay, Bahamas.
|
https://www.4029tv.com/article/boat-carrying-hundreds-haitian-migrants-runs-aground-off-the-florida-keys/39351073
| 2022-03-07T18:40:04
|
en
| 0.966042
|
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The International Judo Federation has removed the titles and jobs Vladimir Putin and a long-time Kremlin-supporting oligarch held at the organization.
“The International Judo Federation announces that Mr. Vladimir Putin and Mr. Arkady Rotenberg have been removed from all positions held in the International Judo Federation,” the Budapest-based governing body said in a statement late Sunday.
Putin’s honorary presidency of the IJF was suspended last week with the organization citing “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.”
The Russian president is an avid judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.
Rotenberg is a long-time friend of Putin from their home city of St. Petersburg and was a member of the IJF executive committee as “development manager.”
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Judo-federation-removes-titles-from-Putin-16983505.php
| 2022-03-07T18:40:09
|
en
| 0.952652
|
Netflix, TikTok block services in Russia to avoid crackdown
Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and media outlets can say about Russia's war in Ukraine.
Pulling the plug on online entertainment — and information — is likely to further isolate the country and its people after a growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services, technology and a variety of consumer products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. credit card companies Visa, Mastercard and American Express all said over the weekend they would cut service in Russia. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, a leading supplier of both smartphones and computer chips, said it would halt product shipments to the country, joining other big tech companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Intel and Dell.
And two of the so-called Big Four accounting firms said Sunday they were cutting ties to the country. KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers both would end their relationships with their Russia-based member firms, each of which employs thousands of people.
Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, called on U.S. technology companies to do more Sunday to hit back against Russia. He tweeted open letters asking Apple and Google to shut down their app stores in Russia and for Amazon and Microsoft to suspend their cloud computing services.
Providers of internet-based services and apps have been mostly reluctant to take actions that could deprive Russian citizens of social media services and other sources of information.
That changed Friday when Russian President Vladimir Putin intensified a crackdown on media outlets and individuals who fail to hew to the Kremlin line on the war, blocking Facebook and Twitter and signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports.
Netflix didn't specify a reason for suspending services Sunday except to say it reflected “circumstances on the ground." The company had previously said it would refuse to air Russian state TV channels.
TikTok said Russian users of its popular social media app would no longer be able to post new videos or livestreams and they also wouldn’t be able to see videos shared from elsewhere in the world.
“In light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law, we have no choice but to suspend livestreaming and new content to our video service while we review the safety implications of this law,” TikTok said in a statement on Twitter. “Our in-app messaging service will not be affected.”
TikTok spokesperson Hilary McQuaide said the TikTok app in Russia now appears in “view-only” mode and won't let people post or see new videos or livestreams. They can still see older videos, but not if they came from outside the country, she said.
“The safety of employees is our top priority,” she said, adding that the video-sharing service — part of China-based tech company ByteDance — didn't want to put either its Russian employees or users at risk of severe criminal penalties. Some protesters who've taken to the streets in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities to decry the invasion of Ukraine have used social media platforms to broadcast their cause.
The new “fake news” legislation, quickly rubber-stamped by both houses of the Kremlin-controlled parliament and signed by Putin, imposes prison sentences of up to 15 years for those spreading information that goes against the Russian government’s narrative on the war.
Multiple news outlets have also said they would pause their work inside Russia to evaluate the situation. Russian authorities have repeatedly and falsely decried reports of Russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in Ukraine as “fake” news. State media outlets refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” rather than a war or an invasion.
The law envisages sentences of up to three years or fines for spreading what authorities deem to be false news about the military, but the maximum punishment rises to 15 years for cases deemed to have led to “severe consequences.”
|
https://www.4029tv.com/article/netflix-tiktok-block-services-in-russia-to-avoid-crackdown/39343193
| 2022-03-07T18:40:14
|
en
| 0.958788
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.