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Lowry: What Trump got wrong about the term ‘woke’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

Donald Trump hasn’t been known for his scrupulously correct use of language, but now wants to police the use of “woke.”“I don’t like the term ‘woke’ because I hear, ‘woke, woke, woke,'” he said the other day. “It’s just a term they use, half the people can’t even define it, they don’t know what it is.”Of course, Trump wasn’t volunteering his equivalent of an elementary rule of usage from Strunk & White at random. His newfound disdain for the term “woke” has everything to do with his contest with Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.The former president’s by-any-means-necessary approach to fighting DeSantis means that he doesn’t care if he’s adopting the arguments of the other side as long as he’s taking a dig at the Florida governor; it’s his version of what people who are woke — to use the offending word — call “a...

Four fab finger foods for casual summer feasts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

For many of us, summer is the best time to throw a party.Getting everybody outside onto the porch, yard or patio means you don’t have to worry about cleaning the house or squeezing a ton of people into a crowded space. Also, summer entertaining tends to be more casual, which lends itself to finger foods that aren’t as fussy or upscale as a big fall or winter bash.Which is not to say appetizers and hors d’oeuvres served with cold beer and fruity cocktails shouldn’t look impressive. We just want something that echoes summer’s laid-back vibes and is simple for you to make and easy for your guests to grab and devour.TAG GOES HERERoasted Olives with Lemon, Garlic and HerbsINGREDIENTS2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil6 3-inch sprigs fresh thyme2 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed fennel seeds1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes1 pound olives, such as Cerinola and Castelvetrano, in assorted colors and sizes (about 3 cups)1/2 lemon, cut i...

Dear Abby: Husband’s foray into phone sex irks wife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

Dear Abby: My husband and I are in our early 70s. We have been married seven years. I was celibate before we met and thrilled to have a partner I respected and was attracted to. Our sex life seemed normal and exciting with lots of kisses and hugs throughout the day.Recently, I caught him on a phone sex call and then discovered he visits sex chat rooms. I’m devastated. I feel betrayed and angry that my trust has been violated. After several attempts to lie, he finally admitted the truth, but said it was a “recent” thing — which was even more insulting!My therapist says men don’t suddenly take up phone sex and pornography in their 70s. When I shared that with my husband, he revealed it wasn’t “as often” in the past. He swears he loves me and will get help, but I can’t imagine how I can trust him again.He doesn’t seem to want to talk about it any further, other than taking some online classes dealing with porn addiction. Our r...

East Village residents want noise levels mitigated from Gallagher Square concerts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Some homeowners living in complexes near Gallagher Square are speaking out after loud concerts held at Gallagher Square have become unbearable to live near and has led to some people moving.Some of the homeowners in nearby condos have formed a group called Residents Concerned About Gallagher Square Noise, to address what they believe is unreasonable sound stemming from concerts held at Gallagher Square. The group has collected 79 statements from nearly 100 residents who feel adversely impacted by the concerts.The residents said they are not against the San Diego Padres or Petco Park, but are against the loud noise from concerts at Gallagher Square outside Petco Park and want the noise to a lower decibel level.“We enjoy baseball games, we enjoy crowd noise during the games, we enjoy the live concerts that happen inside the stadium, so with activities historically happen inside the baseball stadium, we’ve had no problems with, our concerns are with Gallagher Square and th...

Pedestrian killed by vehicle while lying in road identified

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man hit and killed by a vehicle while lying on a road in the Rolando Village neighborhood has been identified, local medical officials said.Roger Calahan, 42, was announced as the deceased, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said on its website.The crash occurred on May 20 in the 6300 block of El Cajon Boulevard, according to the San Diego Police Department. Motorcyclist dies at X Games freestyle motocross track in East County Calahan was walking southbound on El Cajon Boulevard when for unknown reasons he laid down in the road and was struck by a vehicle in the number one lane, police said.The pedestrian was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Calahan's health continued to decline throughout his stay and he later died, per the medical examiner's office.Anyone with information related to the above incident is encouraged to call the listedCommand handling the investigation or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

This Anza-Borrego cave system among largest in North America

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Southern California is home to countless natural wonders spanning the region’s diverse landscape. Among those destinations, hidden deep in the badlands of Anza-Borrego State Park, is a cave system that scientists believe is the largest of its kind in North America.Called the Arroyo Tapiado Carrizo Mud Caves, the cave system is estimated to be a distance of several miles long through the park’s southern badlands, with individual caverns measuring as large as 130 meters deep and 1,000 feet in length.The mud caves are just one of numerous distinctive geological formations in the Anza-Borrego southern badlands that includes popular destinations like Font’s Point and the Wind Caves. California agreed to reduce its Colorado River usage, but San Diego might not see a change But unlike some other formations in the area that are one-of-a-kind oddities, what makes the Arroyo Tapiado pseudokarst formation unique is not necessarily how the caves were made – it’s how it ended up.“...

Mexico investigates possible case of extrajudicial killings by soldiers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office is investigating a possible case of extrajudicial killings by soldiers that left five men dead in May in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo, according to a federal official.A video, originally reported Tuesday evening by U.S.-based Univision and Spain’s El Pais newspaper, apparently shows the daytime incident. The federal official who was not authorized to comment on the case and requested anonymity, confirmed that the Attorney General’s Office had opened an investigation. The official would not say when the investigation began.A security camera shows a black pickup truck crashing full speed into a wall. A Mexican military truck with a gun turret arrives shortly thereafter and runs into the passenger side of the pickup, blocking the front and back doors.Soldiers then pull five men from the pickup, disarming and kicking them, then lining them up against the wall.Soldiers then turn back toward the road and appear to ope...

Pence to launch presidential campaign against Trump in Iowa, staking hopes on leadoff voting state

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Mike Pence is staking his presidential hopes on Iowa as he launches a campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Des Moines on Wednesday that will make him the first vice president in modern history to take on his former running mate.Pence’s campaign will also test the party’s appetite for a socially conservative, mild-mannered and deeply religious candidate who has denounced the populist tide that has swept through his party under former President Donald Trump. And it will show whether Pence still has a political future after Jan. 6, 2021, with a large portion of GOP voters still believing Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen and that Pence had the power to reject the results.Pence and his advisers see Iowa — the state that will cast the first votes of the GOP nominating calendar — as key to his potential pathway to the nomination. Its caucus-goers include a large portion of evangelical Christian voters, whom they see...

China trade tumbles in May, adding to signs economic recovery is slowing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s exports fell 7.5% from a year ago in May and imports were down 4.5%, adding to signs an economic rebound following the end of anti-virus controls is slowing as global demand weakens under pressure from higher interest rates.Exports slid to $283.5 billion, reversing from April’s unexpectedly strong 8.5% growth, customs data showed Wednesday. Imports fell to $217.7 billion, moderating from the previous month’s 7.9% contraction.Trade weakness adds to signs China’s rebound is slowing following the December lifting of anti-virus controls that shut down industrial cities for weeks at a time and blocked most international travel.Retail spending is lower than expected as consumers worry about the economic outlook and possible job losses. Factory activity is contracting after interest rate hikes to cool inflation in the United States and Europe depressed demand for Chinese exports. A government survey in April found a record 1 in 5 young workers in cities were unemploy...

Protesters brawl as Southern California school district decides whether to recognize Pride Month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:15:58 GMT

GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — Protesters briefly scuffled and punches flew Tuesday as a Southern California school district decided whether to recognize June as Pride month.Several hundred people gathered in the parking lot of the Glendale Unified School District headquarters, split between those who support or oppose teaching about exposing youngsters to LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Some opponents wore T-shirts emblazoned with: “Leave our kids alone.”It was the same slogan used by some demonstrators last Friday outside Saticoy Elementary School in Los Angeles to protest a planned Pride assembly.As in Glendale, police officers had to separate groups of protesters and counterprotesters who came to blows.Across the nation, Pride month celebrations are kicking off amid rising backlash in some places against LGBTQ+ rights. Community parade organizers, school districts and even professional sports terms have faced protests for flying rainbow flags and honoring drag performers. While some Republic...