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Former Arkansas U.S. Rep. Marion Berry, who served 7 terms, dies at 80

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Robert Marion Berry, an Arkansas Democrat who served seven terms in Congress and was known for blunt rhetoric and his advocacy for farmers and elderly residents, has died. He was 80.Berry, who was known as “Marion,” died Friday, his family confirmed in a statement Saturday. A cause of death was not provided. “With his signature quick wit and way with words, he lived his life in service to others,” said Berry’s son, Mitch. “He truly believed that the role of government was to help people, and it was a charge he took very seriously. He was generous with his time and talents as his dozens of mentees can attest.”Berry was first elected to Congress in 1996 but decided against reelection in 2010 for health reasons. He underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in July 2011. A licensed pharmacist and farmer, Berry was elected to represent the 1st District in eastern Arkansas after serving in President Bill Clinton’s administration as a s...

Scorsese debuts ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ in Cannes to thunderous applause

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

CANNES, France (AP) — Martin Scorsese unveiled “Killers of the Flower Moon” at Cannes on Saturday, debuting a sweeping American epic about greed and exploitation on the bloody plains of an Osage Nation reservation in 1920s Oklahoma. Scorsese’s latest — starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro — is one of his most ambitious. Adapting David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, it stretches nearly three and a half hours and cost Apple $200 million to make. Nothing has been more anticipated at this year’s Cannes Film Festival than “Killers of the Flower Moon” — a historical epic, a bitter crime film and a Great Plains Western — which appeared to meet those expectations. It drew a lengthy standing ovation and repeated cheers for Scorsese, 80, who premiered his first film at Cannes since 1985’s “After Hours.” “We shot this a couple of years ago in Oklahoma. It’s taken its time to come around but Apple did so great by us,” Scorsese said, addressing th...

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet scores 97.25% in confidence vote

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet scored 97.25 per cent in a confidence vote at his party’s national convention on Saturday.It was the first test of his leadership since Blanchet was acclaimed leader of the sovereigntist party in January 2019.Under Blanchet, the party has won 32 seats in back to back federal elections in 2019 and 2021.During a speech earlier in the day, Blanchet sought to bring together all sovereigntists in the different parties, describing his party as a one-stop shop for all sovereigntists but insisting the Parti Québécois was the party’s “main vehicle in Quebec.”The members adopted a proposal to that effect, recognizing the Bloc’s role is to bring separatists of all stripes under one roof while recognizing its historical links to the PQ, whose leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, addressed the convention on Friday.More than 100 proposals are up for debate during the convention which will wrap up on Sunday in Drummondville, Q...

March for Justice: Victims exonerated of wrongful convictions from former CPD detective rally in Chicago

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

CHICAGO — A group of at least two dozen people made up of exonerated individuals and families impacted by a former Chicago police detective's alleged misconduct led a march for justice Saturday, with the goal of making their voices heard at CPD's Area Five headquarters."I served a term of 21 years," said Jacques Rivera, President of Innocent Demand Justice. "I was sentenced to 85 years and thank God that this all came to light. The eye witness came forward, he recanted and he said ‘yes, this is not the guy I saw shoot and kill the victim in my case back in 1988.'"Rivera and others who joined in on Saturday's rally have accused form CPD detective Reynaldo Guevara and his associates of fixing murder cases by ways of forcing wrongful confessions, intimidating witnesses and manipulating lineups."This detective and his associate have caused this city and the tax payers millions upon million upon million of dollars," said attorney Lauren Caeseverg, Co-Director of the Illinois Innocence Pr...

Residents hope to make wellness village in Garfield Park a reality

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Garfield Park residents hope a new development will help transform their neighborhood with jobs and resources.An open house was held Saturday to give residents a chance to connect and weigh in on a massive development they hope will move the area forward. Family remembers miracle at Indiana Dunes’ Mount Baldy The hope is to see Sankofa Wellness Village become a reality.After being awarded a $10 million Chicago prize from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative is aiming to break ground at Madison and Kildere later this year.The village will include a gym, medical center, arts facility, small business incubator, space to hold before and after school programs and critical resources for a disinvested neighborhood.On Tuesday, a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy were shot outside a Garfield Park library branch near Pulaski and Madison. Man charged in shooting that injured 2 boys outside Chicago library In a show of solidarity, ...

PAWS Chicago hosts discounted adoption event for some dogs

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Adoption fees were cut in half for big dogs on Saturday at PAWS Chicago because so many of them are looking for a new home.Some of the dogs have been waiting for quite a while as PAWS is a no-kill shelter and does so much to help animals in need. PAWS Chicago to bring 30-plus rescued dogs and cats from tornado-ravaged Tennessee And not just in Chicago, but across the country as well. "We bring vans down and bring back animals," Joan Harris, the director of canine training, said. "Hurricanes, tornadoes, whatever we can do, we try to extend ourselves."The volunteers try the best they can to look after all of them. "We take them to the lake twice a week for fun runs," Harris said. "So we are a really special organization."But ultimately, the dogs are looking for a new home.The adoption fees vary based on the size of the animal, but those fees include spay or neutering services, microchipping and vaccinations.

Teachers get a special discount at some Disney hotels this summer

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

(WFLA) — Teacher Appreciation Week has passed, but educators can take advantage of this Disney deal all summer long. Certain hotels on Walt Disney World property are offering a special discount for teachers this summer. Educators at all levels — from daycare to college — are eligible for the offer, according to the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels website. In addition to the discounted stay, the Disney Springs Area Hotels also come with a free shuttle to the theme parks. Guests at these hotels are allowed to enter the theme parks 30 minutes before they open to the general public. Disney World’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will make its final voyage this fall Disney Springs Area Hotels guests receive a coupon booklet with special discounts at the Disney Springs shopping and entertainment complex. They are also allowed to book tee times at Disney golf courses up to 90 days in advance. The offer is available between May 15 and August 15 and applies to travel dates from May 29 t...

Growing pains? U of MN’s St. Paul soil testing lab to the rescue

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

Anxious about the rueful state of his peas, radishes and onions, Rod Marquardt arrived at the University of Minnesota’s soil testing laboratory with two lunch bag-sized containers of dirt.“We’re just trying to figure out if it’s too much compost or what’s going on with our soil,” said Marquardt, who tends both his Stillwater lawn and a community garden plot.As far as Marquardt is concerned, he went straight to the top to get his soil analyzed. The St. Paul facility anonymizes its testing, treating walk-in samples with as much care and prestige as those involved in an academic study or commercial agriculture. In fact, the Dudley Avenue laboratory on the U’s St. Paul campus is the only soil testing lab in the metro area certified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.Residents can opt for a basic $19 analysis, letting them know within a matter of days how much organic matter, phosphorous, potassium and lime resides in their soil, as well ...

Is it legal to kill a coyote in Missouri, Illinois?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Though peak coyote season recently passed, there's a chance you could see one roaming through Missouri or Illinois on any given day.Last year, the Missouri Department of Conservation warned people to be on the lookout for coyotes in early June. Coyotes could appear in broad daylight, though are more likely to be spotted during the evening hours. They can also create concerns to domesticated pets and their owners. New top prosecutor leaves high-powered law firm for public service Occasionally, coyotes can be a nuisance around the St. Louis metropolitan area. Does that make it legal to hunt or kill one in Missouri or Illinois if they pose a threat? It depends. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, in the Show Me State...Coyotes, by means of hunting, "may be taken all year except during the daylight hours from April 1 - 16." There aren't any specific limits as to how many can be hunted.Permits may be required if the time coyotes are being hunted coincides...

Nuggets vs. Lakers: Live updates from Game 3 Western Conference Finals

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:12:45 GMT

Live updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the Denver Nuggets’ Game 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on May 20, 2023.Game predictionsNuggets-Lakers Game 3: Must readsGrading the Week: Put down the remote, Michael Malone. Your Nuggets will get all the respect they deserve soon enough.Put down the remote, Michael Malone.Trust us, there are far better ways to spend your free time than lingering on what a few talking heads on ESPN and FS1 have to say about your Nuggets. Just because someone saw fit to give Kendrick Perkins and Nick Wright microphones doesn’t mean you have to listen. Read more…Nuggets vs. Lakers: Three keys to Game 3 victory in Western Conference FinalsIt’s time for the Western Conference Finals to move from the mountains to the beaches.No more altitude excuses for the Lakers after Denver took a 2-0 series lead at Ball Arena this week. Game 3 is in the City of Angels on Saturday (6:30 p.m. MT, ABC). Here ar...