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Elton John, Scorsese and more friends and admirers of Tony Bennett react to his death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

By The Associated PressReaction to the death of Tony Bennett at age 96:“So sad to hear of Tony’s passing. Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see. He’s irreplaceable. I loved and adored him. Condolences to Susan, Danny and the family.” — Sir Elton John, via Instagram. “Tony Bennett was a consummate artist. All you have to do is listen to any one of his hundreds of recordings to recognize that. Very early on, his music quietly wove itself into the fabric of our lives. His voice felt as familiar and as close as the voices of our loved ones. I know that this was true for millions of people around the world. For Italian-Americans who were growing up in the middle of the twentieth century, that familiarity ran even deeper. At a certain point, we started to imagine that Tony would live forever. Of course he didn’t. Nobody does. But the music? That’s another story.” — Martin Scorsese, in a statemen...

Dispose of unwanted items for free at this 'Dump Day' event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- For those working on summertime cleaning and clearing projects, a free dump day event is taking place in San Diego County this weekend.On Saturday, Caltrans says the public is welcome to bring non-hazardous, unwanted household items to their Clean California Dump Day in Carlsbad. Caltrans says staff will be on-site at the Caltrans Carlsbad Maintenance Yard, located at  6050 Paseo Del Norte, to accept approved waste and debris free of charge. Defiantly delicious: New seafood eatery opens on Oceanside Pier The dump day event will take place from 8 a.m. to noon, or until capacity is reached at the site.San Diegans are asked not to bring hazardous waste like batteries, paint, oils or flammables. Other undesired items include e-waste like televisions, computers, microwaves, stereo equipment and electronics, or construction debris like concrete, dirt, asphalt and asbestos.More information on prohibited items can be found here.According to Caltrans, four mat...

Police in Guatemala search party offices of progressive presidential candidate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan agents and police raided the offices of the Seed Movement of presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo on Friday as part of an investigation into alleged wrongdoing in the party’s formation.Andrea Reyes, a lawyer and party member, confirmed that the agents and police had come to search for documents. The Attorney General’s Office also confirmed the search.In an audio recording shared with journalists, Arévalo denounced the raid as illegal and said it “is part of the political persecution that the corrupt minority that knows it is losing power day by day is carrying out to try to intimidate us, to try to derail the electoral process … to try to topple democracy.”The raid followed allegations earlier Friday by Guatemalan electoral authorities that a number of state actors were attempting to interfere with the country’s presidential election. The electoral authorities sought an order from the country’s highest court to protect the electo...

A travel guide’s warning to avoid Lake Tahoe may jolt the region into managing huge tourist crowds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

SAND HARBOR, Nev. (AP) — Lake Tahoe tourism officials were surprised, and a bit miffed, when a respected international travel guide put the iconic alpine lake straddling the California-Nevada line on its list of places to stay away from this year because of the harmful ecological effects of overtourism. But with an influx of visitors and new full-time residents due to the COVID-19 pandemic already forcing local leaders to revisit the decades-old conversation about overcrowding, “Fodor’s No List 2023” may have served as a wake-up call that some sort of change is necessary. “I can’t go to my own beaches anymore,” said Susan Daniels, 70, a lifelong resident of Kings Beach, California, whose parents met at a Tahoe-area ski resort in 1952. That includes her favorite, Sand Harbor, which lies just across the Nevada border and is known for its turquoise water and rock formations. “I cannot go to Sand Harbor, where I grew up, unless I get in line at 7 in the morning.” Since Fodor’...

Police seek suspect after Porsche torched at Newmarket hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

York Regional Police have released images of a suspect after a Porsche was lit on fire at a hospital parking garage in Newmarket.Emergency crews were called to Southlake Regional Health Centre on Thursday, July 20, at around 9:45 p.m. for reports of a fire in the garage of the hospital on the south side of Davis Drive, east of Prospect Drive.Upon arrival, officers found a Porsche engulfed in flames on the fourth floor of the garage.“There was extensive damage to the unoccupied vehicle, as well as to the property,” police explained.No injuries were reported, and hospital operations were unaffected.Police are seeking this man in connection to an arson at a Newmarket hospital. HANDOUT/York Regional PolicePolice say video surveillance showed a male suspect loitering in the area before approaching the vehicle.“He appeared to place an accelerant on the vehicle, and it caught fire,” police added.The suspect was last seen fleeing on foot southbound on Prospect.HeR...

Man, 19, charged in fatal Vaughan crash that killed 72-year-old woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

A 19-year-old man has been charged in a fatal collision in Vaughan last month that took the life of a 72-year-old woman.York Regional Police were called to Pine Valley Drive north of Major Mackenzie Drive West just before 7:30 p.m. on June 1, 2023, for reports of a collision involving three vehicles.Police say the driver of a blue Mazda CX-3 travelling southbound stopped to help a dog cross the road when a grey Ford Escape stopped from behind. A white Mercedes then crashed into the rear of the Ford, causing a chain-reaction collision.Police say a 72-year-old woman who was in the Ford was rushed to a local hospital without vital signs and later pronounced dead.The occupants of the Mazda and Mercedes were treated for minor injuries.Officers have since arrested and charged the driver of the white Mercedes. He was identified as 19-year-old Frank Pirritano of Gilford, Ont. in Innisfil.He’s been charged with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm. ...

Environmental activists briefly disrupt British Open by dumping orange powder beside 17th green

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Environmental activists briefly interrupted play at the British Open on Friday by throwing orange powder beside the 17th green at Royal Liverpool, prompting American player Billy Horschel to intervene.Police and security guards quickly took action to keep the Just Stop Oil protesters from causing a bigger disruption during the second round. Play resumed not long after the protesters were removed.Horschel was playing the hole at the time and helped a greenside marshal lead one of the protesters away. The other players at the 17th were Corey Conners and Alex Noren. They were marking their balls and getting ready to hit their second shots when the disruption started. All three players made par on the hole.The affected area was cleaned up before the next group hit their tee shots.“They mentioned it to us when we were on 15, 16-ish,” said Zach Johnson, who was playing two groups behind. “They said there might be a slight delay. I couldn’t quite understand what the...

Ministers’ embrace of Rwanda’s Kagame undermines democratic values: governance prof

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

OTTAWA — A professor who studies how countries relate with authoritarian states says Canada has missed the mark in warmly embracing Rwandan President Paul Kagame.Rwanda is hosting a major development conference this week called Women Deliver in the capital of Kigali.Canadian cabinet ministers Harjit Sajjan and Marci Ien met with Kagame as part of their visit, saying they spoke about ways their two countries could co-operate more and posting photos of smiles and handshakes online.Freedom House says Kagame is an autocrat responsible for “surveillance, intimidation, torture and renditions or suspected assassinations of exiled dissidents,” while Human Rights Watch says Kagame’s regime arrests and threatens political opponents.University of Ottawa professor Marie-Eve Desrosiers says failing to raise such issues only emboldens leaders to continue repressing their populations, which undercuts democracy worldwide.She says Rwanda often touts having some of the world’s...

National Democrats file absentee ballot lawsuit in Wisconsin ahead of state Supreme Court flip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new lawsuit filed in Wisconsin by a national Democratic law firm seeks to once again allow voters to return absentee ballots in drop boxes, a practice that was barred by the state Supreme Court last year following criticism by former President Donald Trump.The lawsuit filed Thursday by the Elias Law Group comes less than two weeks before the Wisconsin Supreme Court flips from a conservative to liberal majority. Election law challenges like this one are among many issues the new liberal-controlled court is expected to rule on in the coming months.The rules for voting in Wisconsin are of heightened interest given its place as one of a handful of battleground presidential states. Four of the past six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a percentage point, including the past two.The 4-3 conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July 2022, just months before the midterm election, banned the use of absentee ballot drop bo...

Ayo Dosunmu is returning to the Bulls, report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:39 GMT

CHICAGO — A native of Chicago is returning to his hometown team for a few more seasons. Per a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, guard Ayo Dosunmu has come to an agreement on a new three-year, $21 million contract with the Bulls. The former Morgan Park High School and the University of Illinois standout played his first two NBA seasons in Chicago.The Bulls have yet to confirm the move. Dosunmu joins center Nikola Vucevic, center Andre Drummond, and guard Coby White as those who re-signed or opted in to return to the Bulls for the 2023-2024 season.A two-time IHSA state champion at Morgan Park, Dosunmu was a consensus first-team All-American and Bob Cousy Award winner at Illinois in the 2020-2021 season. For his efforts over three seasons, the Illini raised his number to the rafters at the State Farm Center in January 2022, an honor reserved for the program's elite players. Selected in the second round with the 38th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Dosunmu immediately cracked ...