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‘Tori and Lokita’ a harrowing, heartbreaking tale of African immigrant life

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

MOVIE REVIEW“Tori and Lokita”Not Rated. In French with subtitles. At the Coolidge Corner,Grade: A- Another modern-day, neo-realist effort from the brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (“Rosetta,” “La Promesse”) from the French-speaking region of Belgium, “Tori and Lokita” tells the heartbreaking tale of two immigrant children from Africa, 11-year-old Tori (newcomer Pablo Schils) and 16-year-old Lokita (newcomer Joely Mbundu). They pose as brother and sister in a Belgian city for reasons presumably having to do with access to social services. Tori has his citizenship papers. But Lokita, who cannot prove Tori is her brother, does not, so she cannot work full time, get them an apartment of their own and make enough money to send to her mother back in Benin.Tori had to leave the country because he was accused of being a sorcerer, and his life was in genuine danger. Tightly bonded by their shared experience, they are inseparable, and now work for Belgian chef Betim (Alban Uka...

Dear Abby: Grandma blackmailed into hosting ‘granddaughter’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

Dear Abby: My son is in a relationship with “Cheryl.” They live together. Cheryl has a daughter and is demanding that I treat the girl as one of my granddaughters. I have bought birthday presents, Christmas gifts and generally spend the same amount on all the kids. But I have been told that Cheryl doesn’t like what I buy her daughter and tosses the clothes at one of my other granddaughters who lives there and says, “Here! YOU take it. It’s ugly!”I know she talks bad about me to my son, and so does her mother. Interestingly, Cheryl’s mother doesn’t have to buy anything for my granddaughters on their birthdays or Christmas. I’m frustrated because I’m not allowed to have my granddaughters spend the night with me without being told that I must include her daughter. My granddaughters prefer it’d be just them and me.Am I wrong in feeling that I shouldn’t have to take Cheryl’s daughter every time my granddaughter...

Foot guide accused of sexually abusing teenage girl near border

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 26-year-old man was charged Thursday on suspicion of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl in June 2022 while guiding her from Tijuana, Mexico into the United States, prosecutors said. Cecilio Jimenez-Bautista, along with his 20-year-old brother Alexander Jimenez-Bautista, who also was allegedly traveling with the underage girl, face several charges, Kelly Thornton with the Office of the United States Attorney Southern District of California stated in a news release.The two brothers are accused of guiding the girl and other Mexican citizens from Mexico to the U.S. through the Otay Mountain Wilderness area for three days with the intent to violate the immigration laws of the U.S., according to allegations in a grand jury indictment. Boy, 14, among 2 arrested in deadly park shooting The group was brought along remote, rugged and desolate paths before U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended them at an area near Otay Lakes Road, per officials. The indictment said Cecilio J...

Most oppose Social Security, Medicare cuts: AP-NORC poll

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most U.S. adults are opposed to proposals that would cut into Medicare or Social Security benefits, and a majority support raising taxes on the nation’s highest earners to keep Medicare running as is. The new findings, revealed in a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, come as both safety net programs are poised to run out of enough cash to pay out full benefits within the next decade.Few Americans would be OK with some ways politicians have suggested to shore up the programs: 79% say they oppose reducing the size of Social Security benefits and 67% are against raising monthly premiums for Medicare. About 65 million older and disabled people access government-sponsored health insurance through Medicare and rely on monthly payments from Social Security.Instead, a majority — 58% — support the idea of increasing taxes on households making over $400,000 yearly to pay for Medicare, a plan proposed by President Joe Biden last month....

SKorea, US, Japan call for support of ban on NKorea workers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, the U.S. and Japan called for stronger international support of efforts to ban North Korea from sending workers abroad and curb the North’s cybercrimes as a way to block the country’s means to fund its nuclear program.The top South Korean, U.S. and Japanese nuclear envoys met in Seoul on Friday in their first gathering in four months to discuss how to cope with North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal. The North’s recent weapons tests show it is intent on acquiring more advanced missiles designed to attack the U.S. and its allies, rather than returning to talks.Despite 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions and pandemic-related hardships that have worsened its economic and food problems, North Korea still devotes much of its scarce resources to its nuclear and missile programs. Contributing to financing its weapons program is also likely the North’s crypto hacking and other illicit cyber activities and the wages sent by North Korean workers remaining in Chin...

Kansas passes anti-ESG bill, but it’s milder than some want

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposal designed to thwart investing that considers environmental, social and governance factors has cleared the Kansas Legislature, but divisions within its GOP majorities kept the measure from being as strong as some conservatives wanted. Lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill that would prevent the state, its pension fund for teachers and government workers and its cities, counties and local school districts from using ESG principles in investing their funds or in awarding contracts. Such investment strategies have become the target of GOP lawmakers across the country who argue they are focused more on pushing political agendas rather than earning the best returns.At least seven states, including Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia, have enacted anti-ESG laws in the past two years. GOP Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Gianforte of Montana also have moved to ensure their states’ funds aren’t invested using ESG principles.Some conservatives lawmakers in Ka...

Filipinos to be nailed to crosses despite church objection

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) — At least 12 Filipinos are to be nailed to crosses to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a gory Good Friday tradition that is rejected by the Catholic church but draws huge crowds of devotees and tourists to the Philippines, an Asian bastion of Christianity.The real-life crucifixions in the farming village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga province north of Manila were resuming after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. At least 12 men would participate, including 62-year-old sign painter Ruben Enaje, who will be nailed to a wooden cross for the 34th time in Cutud and two other nearby villages, organizers said.Enaje said he would use his extraordinary penance, probably among his last because of his age, to pray for the eradication of the COVID-19 virus and the end of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has contributed to gas and food prices soaring worldwide.“I really want to retire from this because of my age, but let’s see if m...

Asian stocks follow Wall Street up ahead of US jobs update

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Friday ahead of a U.S. job market update that traders hope might encourage the Federal Reserve to ease off plans for more interest rate hikes.Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul gained. Hong Kong and Australian markets were closed for a holiday.Traders who worry higher interest rates might tip the global economy into recession looked ahead to U.S. government data that are expected to show the job market is cooling. They hope that might prompt the Fed to decide aggressive rate hikes are no longer needed to extinguish inflation.Other data have “confirmed a clear trend that a labor market slowdown has begun,” said Edward Moya of Oanda in a report.The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4% to 3,325.92 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced 0.2% to 27,512.81. The Kospi in Seoul rose 1.2% to 2,488.24.On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 rose 0.4% on Thursday to 4,105.02 after a U.S. government report showed fewer workers filed for u...

Are inflation pressures easing? Jobs report may offer clues

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a year, the Federal Reserve’s inflation fighters have been tightening their grip on the American economy with nine straight interest rate hikes. A key goal has been to slow the sizzling pace of hiring to help cool price pressures.So far, the job market has refused to crack.Hiring was surprisingly robust in both January and February, confounding forecasters. The unemployment rate remains barely above half-century lows.The latest economic signs, though, increasingly suggest that an economic slowdown may be upon us. Employers are posting fewer job openings. More Americans are lining up for unemployment aid. Manufacturers are in retreat. America’s trade with the rest of the world is shrinking. And though restaurants, retailers and other services companies are still growing, they are doing so more slowly. “The economic data seem to show the economy slowing down dramatically in the first quarter of 2023, bolstering the hopes of Fed officials that less...

It’s “cooler near the lake” season — but 2023’s warmest weather yet builds in next week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:40 GMT

It's “cooler by the lake season” and this will be evident both Friday and Saturday where inland high temperature will be significantly milder than areas in close proximity to Lake Michigan.Friday afternoon temperature snapshot — 50s inland but low 40s near the lake. Saturday afternoon temperature snapshot — low 60s inland but only near 50 lakesideFULL-DAY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES FROM NORMALExtended spell of above normal temperatures begins on SaturdayDaytime high temps are predicted to surge to/above 70-degrees each day next week, making it the warmest run of weather here to date in 2023. It’s even conceivable a temperature could approach 80 in the area Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. The expansion of warm temps over a good swath of the country is reflected in the predicted percent of the Lower 48 which is to reach or exceed 70-degrees. 17% of the country is to do that Thursday down to 11% Friday. But warming begins for the Easter weekend with 21% of the country looking fo...