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G7 ends with Ukraine in focus as Zelenskyy meets world leaders and Russia claims disputed gains

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy huddled with some of his biggest backers as the Group of Seven summit closed in Hiroshima on Sunday, building momentum for his country’s war effort even as Russia claimed a battlefield victory that was quickly disputed by Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader’s in-person appearance in his trademark olive drab underscored the centrality of the war for the G7 bloc of rich democracies. It also stole much of the limelight from other priorities, including security challenges in Asia and outreach to the developing world, that the leaders focused on at the three-day gathering. Hosting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the group was committed to “strong backing for Ukraine from every possible dimension.” Zelenskyy held two major rounds of meetings Sunday, one with G7 leaders and a second with them and a host of invited guests including India and South Korea. He also spoke one-on-one with several leaders.Hanging ove...

Tensions in heavily GOP Tenn. county after conservative takeover reflect wider battle over elections

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

GALLATIN, Tenn. (AP) — Shortly after being sworn in last fall, the new majority of the Sumner County Commission in Tennessee acted to update one of its official documents. The new version said county operations would not only be orderly and efficient, but “most importantly reflective of the Judeo-Christian values inherent in the nation’s founding.”It was an important moment for the 14 commissioners who had campaigned under the banner of the Sumner County Constitutional Republicans. The group had waged a political war on fellow Republicans in this fast-growing region north of Nashville during a bitter primary a few months before.Since taking control, that majority has halted plans for a new building, rejected federal grants and sought to give away a historical property, actions it said were in line with its commitment to fiscal responsibility. The group also has been involved in an escalating feud with the county’s election commission.The early moves have been cheered by their suppor...

Stepping into Spielberg’s shoes, James Mangold takes Indiana Jones on one last adventure

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

CANNES, France (AP) — When the lights came up after a screening on the Walt Disney lot of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Steven Spielberg was incredulous.“Damn!” he said. “I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these!” “Dial of Destiny,” which premiered Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival, is the first Indiana Jones film without Spielberg behind the camera. After years of development, Spielberg and Lucasfilm decided to pass the reigns to James Mangold, the “Ford vs. Ferrari” filmmaker, who was 18 years old when he saw “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in a Hudson Valley theater on opening day in 1981. “When I got over my initial hesitation of just: holy s—- this is a big challenge to step into these very big shoes that Steven Spielberg is leaving, the opportunity, on a very selfish level, to collaborate and learn and have the tools and the resources to play on this level was hard to resist,” Mangold said. Mangold was being tasked with not...

Chinese investigators blame building collapse that killed 54 on shoddy, illegal construction

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The collapse of a nine-story building in central China that killed 54 people last year was caused by shoddy, illegal construction and local officials’ failure to enforce standards, according to an official report released Sunday.At least nine people including the building owner were reported arrested following the April 2022 disaster in Changsha, which trapped survivors under rubble for up to five days. Nine people were injured.The report by investigators appointed by the ruling Communist Party said the collapse of the “self-built” structure was due by “illegal and irregular construction” and additions by residents, according to state TV. It said local authorities were “not serious” about enforcing building rules and “shirked responsibility.”The report gave no indication of possible punishment for the owner and local officials.News reports at the time said the building had six stories, but Sunday’s report said more were added up to a partial ninth level. It said that ...

Sunday Forecast: Sunny with haze and low 80s

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

Sunday: Mostly sunny with a bit more haze. Air quality is Moderate today in Chicagoland. W 5-10 turning NE in the afternoon. Highs inland near 80, upper 60s lakeside. Sunday Night: Mostly clear. SE 5-10 mph. Lows in the mid 50s. Monday: Hazy sunshine & warm, except near the lake. E 5-10 mph. High: 79Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for more lots of May sunshine the rest of the week. Temps stay in the low 80s Wed, but cool off a bit on Thu to near 70. Temps rebound back to near 80 into Fri/Sat. 

'We're still here': Austin African American Cultural and Heritage facility reopens

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)— There have been growing concerns about Austin changing, and some Black Austinites are questioning whether there are enough spaces dedicated to their culture. In fact, many have expressed their neighborhoods just aren't the same anymore. Some blame gentrification and even the fact Black neighbors have been pushed out to the outskirts of Austin with the rising cost of living and equity, among other things. Why Black people are leaving Austin, new efforts bringing culture to retain professionals The City of Austin has an African American Cultural and Heritage facility that’s been shut down for years because of the pandemic, undergoing renovations. "We were a little bit lost," long-time Austinite and Program Coordinator Florinda Bryant said. Its grand reopening was on Saturday at noon. The facility is located at 912 E. 11th St. on the historic east side."It's worth fighting for and fighting hard for," Bryant said. "I think that to a large degree, African Americans have...

Bilingual teacher shortage compounded by burnout, non-education competition

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Texas' population continues to soar, so, too has its non-English speaking student population. But that spike, paired with an ongoing exodus of teachers from the industry, has led to some students not receiving the level of individualized teaching they need. Austin ISD plans to pull millions from reserve funds to give educators 7% raise At Austin ISD, officials are seeking 60 candidates to fulfill open bilingual teaching roles throughout the district. Currently, there are 690 full-time bilingual teaching employees, meaning over 8% of bilingual positions remain unfulfilled.Any open bilingual teaching position has adverse impacts on both the students and fellow teachers themselves, said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers. On the student level, he said that means less one-on-one time and the risk of developmental delays in their learning. "If we don't have access to appropriate professionals that have the bilingual services that many ...

Readers and Writers: A rom-com, F. Scott Fitzgerald as a spy and kayaking the Twin Cities

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

A rom-com set in the world of TV comedy, F. Scott Fitzgerald as a spy, and a couple of books welcoming spring make up our menu today.“Romantic Comedy” by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House, $28)I was thinking in an abstract way about how I had been one kind of person up until my divorce, a resigned and constrained person. Then I had been another kind of person for the last decade, a cynical and compartmentalized person. Was there any reason I couldn’t now become a third kind of person, made more confident by experience and bravery … — From “Romantic Comedy”If you are still a fan of Saturday Night Live, you will probably love Minneapolis-based Sittenfeld’s humorous new novel, in which Sally Milz is an insecure sketch writer for The Night Owls (TNO) late-night comedy show. Sally is 36, divorced, and resigned to giving up on love after a few bad experiences. She’s also the best writer on the show.The first third of the story is an hour...

Improving Investor Behavior: Quit beating yourself up

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

Netflix has a new documentary chronicling the Bernie Madoff story. My wife and I aren’t the biggest TV watchers, but we started the series at the recommendation of a friend. If you haven’t heard the name, Madoff was the architect of arguably the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, carefully orchestrating the flow of billions of dollars into his private equity fund while falsifying returns and documents to fool his investors.What may seem less familiar is his history and deceptively clean background. For a great while, Madoff was the head of the NASDAQ stock exchange. He worked closely with regulators, even going so far as to pen rules and regulation for the industry. With connections in both private and public entities, in many ways he appeared to be as legitimate as they come.Steve BoorenThis façade caused regulators to turn away from facts when evidence effectively proved Madoff’s wrongdoings. As a result, he was able to perpetuate his crime far longer, and with more impact, than if ...

How to appeal your 2023 Colorado property assessment — and win

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:54 GMT

Years ago, a Denver homeowner who was unhappy with the assessed value of his property mailed a square of purple shag carpet as evidence his home’s value needed to be lower.The carpet sample came sealed in a plastic Ziplock bag as part of the homeowner’s appeal package, Denver Assessor Keith Erffmeyer said.“I keep thinking back to that and think, ‘Why didn’t you send a picture instead of cutting up a sample?'” he said. “We’ve seen all kinds of things.”But did it work?Erffmeyer, who has worked in the Denver Assessor’s Office for 29 years, said he doesn’t remember exactly.“My guess is if they went to that length, it was an ‘A’ for effort and we gave them something,” he said.But Erffmeyer doesn’t recommend people who appeal their property valuations this year take the same strategy. A picture will do.Colorado’s county property assessors calculated unprecedented gains in home values and mailed...