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Controversial Florida Senate bill bans minors from drag shows, sparks backlash from Democrats and LGBTQ community

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and other members of the community are set to speak out around 10 a.m. on Wednesday in opposition to the Florida Senate-passed bill preventing children from attending drag shows.They argue that the language of the bill is too ambiguous, raising concerns that it could lead to a chilling effect on businesses hosting drag shows and even prompt cities in Florida to deny permits for Pride parades.The Republican-controlled Florida Senate passed a controversial bill on Tuesday that would prohibit minors from attending drag shows, even if their parents consent. Under the proposed legislation, organizers and performers could be fined and possibly face criminal charges, including imprisonment, if the performance is deemed “lewd” by authorities.Opponents of the bill argue that it is an infringement on the freedom of expression and would harm the state’s LGBTQ community. The bill will now move to the House for a fi...

UK sanctions ‘fixers’ hiding money for oligarchs Abramovich and Usmanov

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

LONDON — New British financial sanctions will be levelled against “fixers” hiding money for high-profile Russian oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov, the U.K. Foreign Office today announced.The fresh sanctions are being targeted at people who have “knowingly assisted sanctioned Russia oligarchs to hide their assets,” which includes family members of several sanctioned individuals.Abramovich is the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, and a friend of Vladimir Putin. He was forced to sell the club after the British government froze the billionaire’s assets after the invasion of Ukraine. Usmanov formerly held a stake in Arsenal Football Club and still has close ties to Everton Football Club. Among those sanctioned today are Demetris Ioannides and Christodoulos Vassiliades — two Cyrpriots who have allegedly helped Abramovich and Usmanov avoid financial sanctions on their U.K. assets.Three London-based firms — USM, Curzon Squ...

EU top diplomat postpones China trip after positive COVID test

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has postponed a planned trip to China, after testing positive for COVID-19. The top diplomat was scheduled to travel to China from Thursday to Saturday, following last week’s visit by European Commission boss Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron.“I have tested positive for COVID-19 and therefore unfortunately will need to postpone my visit to China,” Borrell tweeted. “I am feeling well and have no symptoms.”Borrell was meant to conduct the annual EU-China strategic dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and meet China’s foreign policy chief Wang Yi, as well as the new Defense Minister Li Shangfu.Macron triggered a backlash from Western allies during his trip last week, telling POLITICO in an interview that Europe must reduce its dependency on the United States and avoid getting dragged into a confrontation between China and the U.S. over Taiwan.

Southern New Jersey wildfire has ballooned to 2,500 acres and prompted evacuations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

(CNN) — Dozens of buildings have been evacuated as a fast-moving wildfire raging in southern New Jersey swelled to 2,500 acres overnight and continues to threaten structures, officials said.The blaze, dubbed Jimmy’s Waterhole Fire, grew five times its size in about four hours after erupting in Manchester Township on Tuesday, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.Just before 10 p.m., it was at 500 acres and 10% contained. By about 2 a.m. Wednesday, the flames had ballooned to 2,500 acres while containment remained at 10%, tweets from the forest fire service show.The fire is primarily burning on federal, state and private property in Manchester Township, but it has jumped to the nearby borough of Lakehurst.About 170 structures have been evacuated, and at least 75 more remain at risk from the fire, the forest fire service said.Evacuated residents are being sheltered at Manchester Township High School, and are being aided by local agencies.“Unfortun...

NH to distribute more than 700 overdose reversal kits

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire is planning to distribute more than 700 drug overdose reversal kits in various public locations throughout the state.The “NaloxBoxes” provide access to naloxone, medication approved to reverse opioid overdoses.Any business or community entity is eligible to request a NaloxBox unit to install in an accessible and highly visible area, the state Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release on Tuesday.The department said it will partner with the state’s 13 Regional Public Health Networks, the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition, and Recovery Friendly Workplace locations to distribute the units.Community partners who receive a unit will be responsible for monitoring the NaloxBox location regularly and requesting naloxone refills after the unit is accessed, the department said.

Mark Wahlberg spotted bagging groceries at Quincy Stop & Shop where he worked as a teen

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

Mark Wahlberg was spotted Tuesday morning bagging groceries at the Quincy Stop & Shop where he worked as a teenager. The Dorchester native surprised customers and employees, drawing a crowd at the front of the store. “Right here, this is where the whole hustle started,” Wahlberg said in a video. “In 1998, I was working at this Stop & Shop, I was bagging groceries, $3.65 an hour.”Raymond Li was grabbing his morning coffee when he heard the commotion. “I looked around the corner and I was like there’s no way I am looking at Mark Wahlberg bagging somebody’s groceries,” Li said.“Everybody was super excited, they have staff there who were jumping out of their registers trying to go up to him to get a picture,” he added.Walberg also stopped by to see several of his products on the shelves, including meat from Wahlburgers, the burger brand he shares with brothers Paul and Donnie. The celebrity appearance brightened up an o...

How the Chicago Bulls match up with the Toronto Raptors in tonight’s NBA play-in game

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

The Chicago Bulls aren’t quite in the NBA playoffs, but they have a chance to claw their way into the first round with two wins in the play-in tournament this week.The challenge starts Wednesday, when the 10th-seeded Bulls visit the ninth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first leg of the tournament (6 p.m., ESPN).The winner will advance to a Friday game in Miami against the Heat, who lost 116-105 to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. The Hawks earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with the victory, while Friday’s winner gets the No. 8 seed.The Raptors finished 41-41 after jockeying with the Hawks (41-41) and Bulls (40-42) for play-in positioning over the final weeks of the season. The Bulls went 1-2 against the Raptors this season, dropping both of their games in Toronto.Here’s what to expect from the matchup.Working through pressureThe Raptors have taken a clear approach in each of their matchups with the Bulls — get the ball out of the hands of DeMa...

Dolphins NFL draft options: Wide receivers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

The South Florida Sun Sentinel continues its eight-part series previewing top players in the 2023 NFL draft (April 27-29) with wide receivers. The Dolphins have one of the NFL’s best duos in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But quality depth is always desired. Miami lost Trent Sherfield to Buffalo, and although they return a good number of wide receivers, including Erik Ezukanma, last year’s fourth-round pick, not many have meaningful experience.Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio StateSmith-Njigba (6 foot 1, 196 pounds), a slot receiver who doesn’t possess outstanding speed, only played three games last season due to hamstring issues and he totaled five receptions for 83 yards. But in 2021, he was dynamic with 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns.Quentin Johnston, TCUJohnston has good size at 6-3, 208 pounds. He had 60 receptions for 1,067 yards and six touchdowns last season. He’s a downfield threat who will be better once he learns to use his size more eff...

Who will step up as Dolphins’ third wide receiver option behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

In Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Miami Dolphins possess what many would agree is the NFL’s top wide receiver tandem.After an initial wave of free agency that saw Trent Sherfield depart to the Buffalo Bills and Braxton Berrios come in from the New York Jets in a pair of intra-division moves, the question now is who the Dolphins will rely on after that star Hill-Waddle combination?Will it be Berrios, in a return to the stadium where he played his college football with the Miami Hurricanes? Could Cedrick Wilson Jr. have a bounce-back season after the Dolphins invested free-agent money in him last offseason? How about Erik Ezukanma making a Year 2 leap after a quiet rookie campaign? Or River Cracraft making another stride after proving himself a viable option in 2022?The Dolphins have all those receivers plus returning members from last season’s practice squad in Braylon Sanders and Freddie Swain to compete throughout the offseason and into training camp.It makes wide r...

Chicago Bears Q&A: Who would you take at No. 9 — Jalen Carter or Paris Johnson? What will Kevin Warren add as he starts his new role?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:23:39 GMT

The NFL draft is 15 days away, and the Chicago Bears could go in a number of directions with the No. 9 pick. Meanwhile, Monday marks the first official day on the job for new Bears President Kevin Warren.The Tribune’s Brad Biggs reaches into his weekly Bears mailbag to tackle questions on these two topics and more.If Jalen Carter and Paris Johnson are both there at No. 9, who do you see Ryan Poles taking? — @ryyzohThat’s an impossible question to answer without knowing how the Bears felt about Carter, the talented defensive tackle from Georgia, after his visit to Halas Hall earlier this month. There were ample questions about Carter’s makeup before his involvement in a road-racing incident in January that resulted in the deaths of a college teammate and a Georgia support staff member, who was driving the car that crashed. Carter, who did not share any details of this issue when he met with teams at the scouting combine, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charg...