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Author dives into legacy of film critics Siskel & Ebert

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

Matt Singer has written the Ultimate Geek History of one of the movies’ – and television’s – most dysfunctional couples with “Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever” (Penguin).For those who remember Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert on their highly rated and influential weekly show that was all about film reviews, “Opposable Thumbs” hits at the heart of the duo’s trademark Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down verdict on each film.“Their influence is still felt today,” said Singer, 42, a film critic and film writer for decades.  “I watched the show growing up and it absolutely was the thing that really got me first interested in movies.”But did these two Chicago film critics – Siskel reviewed for the Chicago Tribune and Ebert, the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, was at the Chicago Sun-Times — really “change movies forever”?“You know, they had this very contentious relationship. They fought all the time. They were legitimate rivals and competitors that ...

Dear Abby: Dad loves to cook, but food is horrible

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

Dear Abby: My husband loves cooking for the family. Unfortunately, he’s a horrible cook. My kids hate what he prepares, so most of the food goes in the trash.I have had many conversations with him about this, begging him not to do it and telling him if he wants to cook, he should make something for himself. His reply is always, “I’m not forcing you guys to eat my food. You are welcome to eat something else.” But when we do that, he sulks and ruins everyone’s day, so we end up giving in. I don’t know how to get through to him about this. — Tastes Bad in the EastDear Tastes Bad: You can talk till you’re blue in the face, and your husband still won’t get the message because he doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t CARE about the waste.Of course, you and the kids could explain EXACTLY what you don’t like about what he has prepared, and offer suggestions about the seasoning, etc., which might help him. And perhaps you ...

San Diego among top 20 worst city for renters in 2023: study

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With homebuying at all-time high prices, many people have settled for renting.Renter-occupied housing units have increased to 44 million in 2022, which is up from 40 million 10 years ago, according to Forbes Advisor. However, renting during this time is also a pricey alternative in some U.S. cities. Forbes Advisor recently conducted a report analyzing the 96 big U.S. cities across 23 metrics, including rental prices, sizes, affordability, amenities and neighborhood features. San Diego ranked as the No. 14 worst city for renters in 2023.The average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego is $2,012.00, per Forbes Advisor. The report found that 52.78% of households spend 30% of their income or more on rent, compared to the study average of 50%. Woman rescued from East County cave after spending 16 hours stuck San Diego placed the third-highest in rental prices for one-bedroom apartment while two-bedroom apartments ranked ninth-highest, the study said.America...

Donald Trump expected back at civil fraud trial with fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen set to testify

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Cohen once proclaimed he’d “take a bullet” for Donald Trump. Now, after breaking with the former president amid his own legal troubles, the fixer-turned-foe is poised to testify against his old boss Tuesday as a key witness at the civil fraud trial that threatens to upend Trump’s real estate empire and wealthy image.Trump is expected to be in court for the highly anticipated testimony, detouring from his usual campaign haunts to the Manhattan courtroom for a sixth day this month. Cohen scrapped their expected showdown last week, citing a health issue. Cohen has said it will be his first time seeing Trump in five years.Trump attended the trial for two days last week — having planned the trip when it was expected that Cohen would be testifying. Trump was also in court for the trial’s first three days in early October. The trial wasn’t held Monday because of issues related to an apparent COVID-19 exposure. Trump is expected to testify lat...

Georgia prosecutors are picking up cooperators in Trump election case. Will it matter?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Sidney Powell was present for a now-infamous December 2020 meeting at the White House where participants hatched far-fetched schemes to keep Donald Trump in power and was so tied to the then-president that he once considered naming her a special counsel to probe claims of election fraud.Kenneth Chesebro was part of a small coterie of advisers who prosecutors say prodded Republicans in battleground states to submit slates of fake electors who would falsely assert that Trump, not Democrat Joe Biden, was victorious.Yet rather than continue to stand behind Trump, the two lawyers cut deals last week with prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, agreeing to plead guilty and cooperate instead of face trial in the indictment that charged them, the ex-president and 16 others with illegally plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The deals ensure the cooperation of two witnesses who could presumably offer insider accounts of the desperate scheming to help Trump remain president —...

There’s a long list of candidates for House speaker as Republicans try voting again on a new leader

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three weeks now since the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans will meet privately to try nominating a new House speaker to accomplish the seemingly impossible job of uniting a broken, bitter GOP majority and returning to the work of governing in Congress.Having dispatched their speaker then rejected two popular GOP figures as replacements, the House Republicans on Tuesday will be voting instead on a hodge-podge of lesser-known congressmen for speaker, a powerful position second in line to the presidency. The private session could take all day before a nominee emerges.“We’re going to have to figure out how to get our act together — I mean, big boys and big girls have got to quit making excuses and we just got to get it done,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a conservative caucus leader.The candidate list is long and jumbled with no obvious choice for the job. There’s a former McDonald’s franchise owner Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, a conservative...

Tennessee GOP is willing to reject millions in funding, if it avoids complying with federal strings

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican leaders are escalating their calls to reject millions of federal dollars rather than comply with requirements over LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access and other hot-button issues.Already this year, the Volunteer State has rebuffed federal funding designed to prevent and treat HIV and money that would help clinics serving low-income women. Now, GOP lawmakers are talking about cutting off nearly $1.8 billion in federal education dollars — much of it targeted to serve low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities. “I think this trend in declining federal funds really is alarming,” said state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Democrat from Memphis. “A big portion of our government and our budget… rely on federal funds. They are there to level the playing field with other states.”States declining to accept federal funding isn’t new. Tennessee is currently among 10 states that have long refused to expand Medicaid to thousands...

Gaza has oil markets on edge. That could build more urgency to shift to renewables, IEA head says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Tensions from the war in Gaza could help accelerate the move away from planet-warming fossil fuels like oil and gas and toward renewable energy, electric cars and heat pumps — similar to how sharp increases in the price of oil during the 1970s unleashed efforts to conserve fuel, the head of the International Energy Agency said.“Today we are again facing a crisis in the Middle East that could once again shock oil markets,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. That comes on top of the stress on energy markets from Russia’s cutoff of natural gas to Europe over its invasion of Ukraine, he said.“Put these two things together, and no one can convince me that oil are gas are safe and secure energy choices for countries or consumers,” Birol told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the publication Tuesday of the IEA’s annual world energy outlook, which analyzes the global picture of energy supply and demand. “This could further accele...

Is Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system ironclad?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Since Israel activated the Iron Dome in 2011, the cutting-edge rocket-defense system has intercepted thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.The system has given residents a sense of security, and Israelis can often be seen watching the projectiles flying through the skies and destroying their targets overhead.But the current war with Hamas might be its stiffest challenge yet.In just two weeks, Hamas has fired 7,000 rockets toward Israel, according to the Israeli military. That is more than any of the previous four wars fought between Israel and Hamas since the militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007. On Oct. 7 alone, the first day of fighting, Hamas launched at least 2,000 rockets, according to data from West Point. Lebanon’s Hezbollah has also fired hundreds of rockets along Israel’s northern front since the fighting began.Most of the rockets have been intercepted. But some have managed to get through, killing at least 11 people and hitting ...

Long list of candidates (including Minnesota’s Emmer) for House speaker as Republicans try again for new leader

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:25:49 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVING FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Three weeks now since the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans will meet privately to try nominating a new House speaker to accomplish the seemingly impossible job of uniting a broken, bitter GOP majority and returning to the work of governing in Congress.Having dispatched their speaker then rejected two popular GOP figures as replacements, the House Republicans on Tuesday will be voting instead on a hodge-podge of lesser-known congressmen for speaker, a powerful position second in line to the presidency. The private session could take all day before a nominee emerges.“We’re going to have to figure out how to get our act together — I mean, big boys and big girls have got to quit making excuses and we just got to get it done,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a conservative caucus leader.The candidate list is long and jumbled with no obvious choice for the job. There’s a form...