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Should Venezuela invade its oil-rich neighbor? Maduro will put it to a vote Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

By Jacqueline Charles and Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami HeraldVenezuelans going to the polls Sunday will be asked to answer an unusually provocative question:Should their government be given a blank check to invade neighboring Guyana, and wrest away three-quarters of its oil-rich territory?The government of Nicolás Maduro is putting the query before voters, part of a century-old territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana that is raising tensions in the region and threatening to escalate into a shooting war.The question will be on the ballot in a five-part referendum that, among other things, would grant Maduro special powers to invade Guyana and create a new Venezuelan state encompassing 74% of English-speaking Guyana’s current landmass. The new area would be called Guayana Esequiba.Some experts see the whole thing as a political ploy, though many Guyanese see the threat as real and fear, among other things, the loss of their citizenship.“Clearly Maduro has domestic constituenc...

House Republicans reiterate their demand for Hunter Biden to appear for a private deposition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

By FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans demanded Friday that Hunter Biden appear this month for a closed-door deposition, rejecting his offer to testify publicly while pledging to release a transcript of the private interview for transparency.House Oversight Committee chair James Comer and Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan reiterated the parameters of the subpoena issued last month to Hunter Biden in a letter — obtained by The Associated Press — to his attorney. The president’s son refused their request this week for closed-door testimony, saying it could be manipulated. “The subpoenas Mr. Biden has received compel him to appear before the Committees for a deposition; they are not mere suggestions open to Mr. Biden’s interpretation or preference,” the Republican chairmen wrote in a letter to attorney Abbe Lowell. Lowell this week had called the nearly yearslong GOP investigation into his client a “fis...

‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé’ review: A bonafide superstar captures a very big tour, for concert movie posterity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

Michael Phillips | (TNS) Chicago TribuneThey work on different planets, and they do their superstar thing in very different ways, but the recent Taylor Swift concert film was, you know, fine. Whereas “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” is really good.Beyoncé’s outrageously lavish five-month 2023 concert tour’s mixture of spectacle, spangle, video immersion and dance party has been captured, deliriously, for fans who caught the show live and those who didn’t.The movie’s generous footage — a lot of it — of the rehearsal, setup, backstage beehive and fan adoration, crystallized by one tear-stained rapturous close-up after another, reveals only (and precisely) what Beyoncé wants to reveal. She directed it, wrote the narration, produced it, ran the whole shebang. And there’s enough moviemaking going on in the results to activate the experience.Released by AMC Theatres, which made hay on Swift’s concert movie a few weeks ago, “Renaissance” opened for the public Thursday night. I caught...

‘A big brother to me’: David Ortiz dedicates annual charity event to Tim Wakefield

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

David Ortiz’s annual Celebrity Golf Classic is always a Red Sox family affair.The three-day social and golf outing happening this weekend on Marco Island, Fla., is attended by some combination of Ortiz’s former teammates. Johnny Damon, Clay Buchholz, Brock Holt and John Lackey are expected to attend this year. Manny Ramirez famously swung and missed at the event in 2014. Pedro Martinez has attended numerous times.Sadly, the former teammate who always showed up for Ortiz’s event will be noticeably absent for the 15th annual event.It’s been two months since Tim Wakefield passed away suddenly on Oct. 1, the final day of the Red Sox season. His teammates, colleagues, fans and loved ones were stunned. His battle with cancer had been brief, and only been made public days prior, against his wishes.“That was very devastating to me. Having someone like my man passing away, there’s no way to describe it,” Ortiz told the Herald on Friday. “He was like a big brother to me, you know?...

Thousands of San Diegans will now pay more for water. What customers can expect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego residents that receive their water from the city will soon be paying more on their bills, as the first increase of the city's progressive hike in rates is set to go into effect on Friday.Starting Dec. 1, customers' water rates will go up by 5%. The adjustment is one of three in a comprehensive increase over two years that was approved by the San Diego City Council earlier this year — the first such change in pricing for city water customers in nearly eight years.The next increase will be about 5.2%, going into effect on July 1, 2024. A final 8.7% rate hike with this round of changes will be on Jan. 1, 2025. Oceanside City Council approves 12% water rate increase over next two years All three adjustments will total a change of 19.8% over the next two years for about 300,000 San Diegans. According to city officials, how much the changes could add on varies based on type of account, size of the water meter, water usage and use of the wastewater system.Estimates...

Blue Jays still in running as Shohei Ohtani field narrows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

The next few days will be pivotal for the free agency of Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar who’s soon expected to land the biggest contract in MLB history.While team executives are uniformly quiet on the sweepstakes out of respect for Ohtani, other industry sources with knowledge of the process say the negotiations are entering their final stretch with a small group of teams expected to meet with the 29-year-old and his CAA Sports representatives in Los Angeles this weekend.Industry sources continue to view the Los Angeles Dodgers as the clear leading suitor for Ohtani, who’s already comfortable in the Los Angeles area after spending his first six big-league seasons playing for the Angels. Not only are the Dodgers one of MLB’s most consistently competitive franchises, the L.A. media market offers endless marketing opportunities. Related: Ohtani possibility looks open as Atkins addresses Blue Jays off-season buzz Yet select other teams remain invo...

Tennessee’s penalties for HIV-positive people are discriminatory, Justice Department says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s decades-old aggravated prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday after an investigation, warning that the state could face a lawsuit if officials don’t immediately cease enforcement. Tennessee is the only state in the United States that imposes a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” if convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV, regardless of whether the person knew they could transmit the disease.LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates have long criticized the measure as discriminatory, making it almost impossible to find housing and employment due to the restrictions for violent sex offenders. Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Transgender Law Center filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the law in federal court. The department’s findings on Friday are separate from the ongoing lawsuit. The department is calling...

Christmas tree retailers say supply dwindling as demand increases

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

If you haven’t gotten your Christmas tree yet for this holiday season, you could be out of luck soon.Some Christmas tree vendors say the demand is outpacing supply, and it could be a bit more challenging to get your hands on one.In Leslieville, the East End Garden Centre is preparing for the Christmas rush and says customers are visiting from all over the GTA.“The demand is very high; people are coming all over to buy trees, not just in our area,” said Judy Clark with the garden centre.“They’re afraid of not getting trees. People are getting them and putting them in their backyards and holding them. Last year, we ran out on Dec. 10.”Judy said they have already sold over half of their supply of 2,000 trees. “It tells you people are smartening up; they know there’s going to be a shortage.”Executive Director for the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, Shirley Brennan, tells CityNews there are fewer Christmas trees now, compared to in the...

Philadelphia votes to ban ski masks to decrease crime. Opponents worry it’ll unfairly target some

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia City Council passed legislation to ban ski masks in some public spaces, a measure supporters say will increase public safety amid high violent crime, but opponents argue it will unfairly target people without proof of any wrongdoing.The legislation passed on Thursday with a 13-2 vote, and now goes to Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney. A spokesperson said he would review the legislation and “looks forward to our ongoing work with City Council on the urgent matter of ensuring public safety.”The measure would ban ski masks, or balaclavas, in public spaces like schools, recreation centers, parks, city-owned buildings and on public transportation. It defines the garment as a close-fitting covering over the whole head, with holes only for the eyes, nose, or mouth.A $250 fine would be imposed against anyone who violates the law. It has exceptions for religious garb and protests.The legislation comes as the nation’s sixth-largest city has been beleaguered by...

Iowa court affirms hate crime conviction of man who left anti-gay notes at homes with rainbow flags

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:42 GMT

The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the hate crime conviction Friday of a man who posted hand-written notes at homes with rainbow flags and emblems, urging them to “burn that gay flag.”The majority rejected the claim by Robert Clark Geddes that his conviction for trespassing as a hate crime violated his free speech rights. But a dissenting justice said a hate crime conviction wasn’t appropriate since it wasn’t clear if the people displaying the symbols were actually associated with the LGBTQ+ community.As the court noted, the rainbow flag has come to symbolize support for LGBTQ+ rights. The majority said the state statute in question does not criminalize speech, but rather conduct with a specific intent — trespassing because the property owners or residents had associated themselves with a protected class.“The individuals’ display of the LGBTQ+ flag or flag decal on their own properties was an exercise of First Amendment rights; the defendant’s surreptitious entry onto those properties ...