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Imprisoned Kremlin foe Navalny refuses to leave his cell and skips a court hearing as a protest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Monday refused to leave his cell and skipped a court hearing, protesting after prison officials took away all of his writing supplies, his allies said. Navalny, who is serving a 19-year prison term, was due to participate in a court hearing via video link on Monday on one of many lawsuits he had filed against his prison. His ally Ivan Zhdanov said the politician refused to leave his cell after prison officials took away all of his writing supplies. After that, “security operatives in helmets entered the cell and, using force, dragged him to the investigator,” Zhdanov said, as the politician was also expected to attend unspecified “investigative procedures,” He didn’t clarify why Navalny’s supplies were taken away and didn’t say whether he was then returned to his cell. Russia’s independent news site Mediazona reported that after Navalny’s refusal to appear, the court hearing was ...

Book Review: ‘America Fantastica’ entertaining journey that looks at consequences of lies

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

The premise of “America Fantastica,” the latest work by novelist Tim O’Brien, feels like the standard plot for a crime caper. A JCPenney employee in a small California town walks into a bank to rob it and goes on the run with $81,000 on hand and the teller who’s been flirting with him.But O’Brien is no standard novelist, and “America Fantastica” is anything but a standard novel. O’Brien’s first book in two decades is a funny and sad satire that explores the consequences of misinformation on society.The protagonist of O’Brien’s novel, Boyd Halverson, is the disgraced former reporter and JCPenney employee who strolls into a bank with a gun and a note seeking $300,000 in cash. He walks out with a much smaller amount and Angie Bing, the teller who becomes his somewhat reluctant partner in crime during Halverson’s quest to confront his father-in-law.They encounter along the way Bing’s boyfriend, Halverson’s ex-wife and a odd ass...

‘Superfog’ made of fog and marsh fire smoke blamed for traffic pileups, road closures in Louisiana

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A “superfog” made of smoke from marsh fires and dense fog was blamed for at least two dozen traffic accidents, including multi-car pileups, on interstate highways Monday in southeast Louisiana.Sections of Interstates 55 and 10 west of New Orleans remained closed as of late morning. The 24-mile-long causeway over Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans was closed at times.On social media, the National Weather Service said there were several wetland fire in the region. It said smoke from the fires mixed with fog to create a “superfog.” Visibility was expected to improve as the fog lifted. But it was unclear how long the marsh fires, smoke from which could be seen and smelled in the New Orleans area over the weekend, would be a factor.The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported several schools in an near New Orleans announced class cancellations or delayed openings due to the smoke and fog.The Associated Press

CBC docuseries ‘Black Life: Untold Stories’ recaptures Black Canadian history

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

A new docuseries dedicated to unearthing the little-told stories of Black Canadian experiences is as much about the present as it is about relearning the past, says its showrunner.“Black Life: Untold Stories” traces 400 years of contributions that helped shape the nation and underpin ongoing efforts toward racial justice, says executive producer Leslie Norville.Through archival footage, recreations and testimonies from Black Canadians, it also dispels common myths, such as Canada being a utopia for Black people during slavery.“There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done here in Canada and the first step is grappling with our history,” says Norville, whose doc credits include 2021’s pandemic hospital portrait “The First Wave.”“I didn’t know a lot of these stories myself. The process of doing this research unearthed a lot of information as a Black Canadian I should have known about and didn’t, so that was really shocking for me.”The CBC series features eight hour-long episodes a...

Book Review: Sandra Newman puts a feminist spin on ‘1984’ with ‘Julia’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

Rejoice, comrades! Almost 75 years after George Orwell’s “1984” was published in 1949, readers can return to Airstrip One with its Newspeak and Ministries of Truth, Peace, Love and Plenty. On second thought, maybe it’s not a place anyone wants to revisit. Maybe Orwell’s depiction of an ultra-totalitarian society in which “doublethink” — “Truth is Hate. Plenty is Hate. Peace is Hate. Love is Hate” — rules, hits a little too close to the real world in 2023.But don’t let that argument dissuade you from reading Sandra Newman’s remarkable new novel, “Julia.” Marketed as a “retelling” of “1984” (Orwell’s estate actually approved its publication), it’s not quite as bleak as its progenitor. And the omniscient third-person feminist perspective from inside the head of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia, is refreshing.Julia is a mechanic in the Ministry of Truth’s Fiction Department, “perpetually fascinated by the plot machinery, how it worked and the ways it could go wrong.” When we first meet her,...

No one injured in shooting near Mississippi home of US Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP) — Federal and state law enforcement agencies are investigating a shooting near the Mississippi home of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, state investigators announced Monday.No one was injured in the shooting Sunday afternoon near Hyde-Smith’s Lincoln County home in south Mississippi, investigators said in a news release. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is working with federal and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the shooting. Investigators did not reveal whether the home was struck by bullets, what type of firearm was used, or whether they have identified a suspect, citing the ongoing investigation. Hyde-Smith has represented Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since 2018. “The Senator and her family were not harmed,” Hyde-Smith’s office said in a statement Monday. “Senator Hyde-Smith is grateful for the concern shown by many and the good work of federal, state, and local law enforcement.” The Associated Press

Qatar Airways CEO will step down after nearly 3 decades leading carrier

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker is stepping down after 27 years leading the company.Al Baker’s retirement will go into effect Nov. 5, Qatar Airways said Monday. He will be succeeded by Badr Mohammed Al-Meer — who currently serves as the chief operating officer of Hamad International Airport in Doha, the hub of Qatar’s national carrier.In Monday’s announcement, Qatar Airways said that it “has grown to become one of the most recognisable and trusted brands globally” under Al Baker’s leadership. The company pointed to seven “World’s Best Airline” wins, among other allocates.During his tenure at Qatar Airways, Al Baker became known for being one of the most outspoken leaders in the airline industry — with a hard-changing, sometimes confrontational approach that carried into negotiations with manufacturers and others.Al Baker has also made some controversial comments over his career — including suggesting that women can’t r...

Movie Review: A holiday movie with some bite in Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

Alexander Payne brings audiences to a New England boarding school in 1970 in “ The Holdovers,” a textured, nostalgic and often funny piece about three lonely and mismatched souls stuck together over Christmas break. It’s a keeper and possibly even destined to become a classic.The holiday movie genre is suspect — even the most well-intentioned entries can be too saccharine, too wistful, too “Lifetime.” But Payne, working with a sharp script written by David Hemingston, keeps “The Holdovers” grounded and real. Even absent your own memories of smoking indoors or handsewn outerwear, this is the kind of thoughtful, precisely constructed movie where you can almost taste the cigarette smoke and feel your fingers numbing through drafty wool mittens.With its knowingly retro production titles starting the film, “The Holdovers” lets you settle in and submit to something that could very well have been made in the time it was set, which was one of Payne’s goals. Similarly, the recurring Da...

Man killed in crash involving semi on I-55

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was killed in a crash on the Stevenson Expressway involving a semi-truck early Monday morning.The accident happened on I-55 between Harlem Avenue and Central Avenue around 2:06 a.m.According to Illinois State Police, troopers responded to the scene of the two-vehicle crash involving a semi and a Honda HR-V. ISP said the Honda rear-ended the semi.The driver of the Honda, a 31-year-old man from Summit, was pronounced dead on the scene. The man's identity has not yet been released.Preliminary information indicates that speed was a contributing factor.All outbound lanes were closed for an investigation at Central Avenue for nearly six hours Monday morning. 12-year-old boy killed in shooting on South Side; $15K reward offered for info leading to arrest No further details have been provided at this time.

Monday Forecast: Temps in mid 60s with chance of showers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:18:30 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly cloudy Monday with isolated showers possible. Wind: S 5-15 G25. High: 63. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight with isolated showers. Winds: SSW 10-15 G25. Low: 56.Tuesday Forecast: Mostly sunny, increasing clouds, 20% shower late day, SSW 15-20 G35. Low: 76.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog