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Dan Rodricks: Birds and bubbly, Moore and Angelos, carry-on chaos and five other things nobody asked about | STAFF COMMENTARY

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

Nobody asked me, but nobody in Birdland should be even mildly upset with baseball experts who predict that the Houston Astros — and not the Orioles — will represent the American League in the World Series. The Birds are underdogs, and Orioles fans should be fine with that. Better to be underestimated than overrated, I always say. (Actually, I have never said that. But, now that I have, I declare it my intellectual property, all rights reserved. Any reproduction or other use of this phrase without the express written consent of this columnist is prohibited.)Nobody asked me, but maybe Gov. Wes Moore should put some distance between himself and Orioles CEO John Angelos until he signs an actual 30-year lease at Camden Yards. Moore seems to be more concerned with bright, shiny optics than substance when it comes to this lingering matter. Thus, the big reveal last week that a deal had been struck, with Moore and Angelos appearing in celebration — the governor far more...

FTX co-founder testifies against Sam Bankman-Fried, saying they committed crimes and lied to public

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

By LARRY NEUMEISTER (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors went to the heart of their case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on Thursday as the company’s co-founder began his testimony, telling a New York jury that he and Bankman-Fried committed financial crimes and lied to the public before the cryptocurrency trading platform collapsed last year.Gary Wang, 30, said he committed wire, securities and commodities fraud as the chief technical officer at FTX after also sharing ownership in Alameda Research, a cryptocurrency hedge fund that he and Bankman-Fried started in 2017 and eventually used to withdraw $8 billion in FTX funds illegally. He said Bankman-Fried directed the illegal moves.His assertions came on the second day of testimony at a trial expected to last up to six weeks as prosecutors try to prove that Bankman-Fried stole billions of dollars from investors and customers to buy luxury beachfront real estate, enrich himself and make over $100 million i...

These were the top baby names in San Diego County last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The most popular names for babies born in San Diego County last year have been revealed.For boys, Mateo was the top name, and for girls, it was Olivia, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency announced Wednesday. Two-hundred thirty-four boys were named Mateo, while 211 girls were named Olivia.In 2022, 139 boys were given the name Santiago -- a name that first made the top 10 list in 2020 but fell off in 2021. Disneyland offering discounts on kids’ tickets Last year, 129 girls were named Mila. It was the second year the name cracked the top 10 list -- the first time was in 2018.Both Sophia and Sofia have been on the leading list of girls names every year since 2010.The top 10 names for males and females are below:BoysMateoLiamNoahSebastianOliverBenjaminLucaSantiagoAlexanderJulianGirlsOliviaEmmaIsabellaMiaCamilaSophiaLunaMilaSofiaCharlotteSee the top baby names for each year dating back to 1996 on the county's website.

Harris, Breed, Pelosi pay tribute at Feinstein memorial service held at SF City Hall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A memorial service for the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is to be held on the front steps of San Francisco City Hall on Thursday, in the city where she served as its first female mayor. The service is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., and several dignitaries and notable people will speak.The memorial will not be open to members of the public after Sen. Feinstein’s office previously said it would be. The service will be broadcast live on KRON4 and streamed on KRON On Thursday at 1 p.m. with special coverage beginning at noon. Speakers at Sen. Feinstein’s memorial service include:U.S. President Joe Biden (recorded)U.S. Vice President Kamala HarrisSan Francisco Mayor London BreedU.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck SchumerU.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy PelosiEileen Mariano (Sen. Feinstein’s granddaughter)California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in attendance but is not among the speakers.Sen. Feinstein will be buried at a private, family-only ceremony after th...

Protesters angry about Ramaswamy’s Ukraine aid comments ram his empty car in Iowa, campaign says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Protesters upset about Vivek Ramaswamy’s remarks in opposition to aid for Ukraine yelled and swore at the presidential candidate in Iowa on Thursday before jumping into a vehicle, ramming a campaign car and speeding off, according to his campaign.Ramaswamy spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said no one was in the campaign vehicle when it was hit in the central Iowa city of Grinnell, and no one was hurt in the incident. The campaign filed a police report, McLaughlin said.“Things clearly escalated,” McLaughlin said. “(Ramaswamy) is used to dealing with protesters and handled it very calmly. So he was maybe a little more calm about it than the rest of us.”Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur and the author of “Woke, Inc.,” was in Grinnell for a scheduled interview with Des Moines’ local CBS affiliate before heading to Des Moines to host a fall-themed, family campaign event. Campaign aides said Ramaswamy planned to go ahead with the event.The candidate...

Victoria ’embraces adventure’ for top spot on Condé Nast list of world’s best cities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

VICTORIA — An award-winning travel magazine said British Columbia’s capital city tops its 2023 list of the world’s best cities.Condé Nast Traveller, a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, said Victoria captured first place in its annual Readers’ Choice Awards.Victoria and Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende, which ranked sixth, were the only cities in North America to make the list.Condé Nast Traveller said Victoria’s restaurant and nightlife scene is “something to be celebrated,” while the city “embraces adventure,” and “draws outdoorsy types.”Readers gave Victoria, San Sebastián in Spain, and Singapore the top three spots on the list, followed by Tokyo, Seoul, San Miguel de Allende, Cape Town, Sydney, Copenhagen and Oslo.Victoria also topped the list of the world’s best small cities.Condé Nast, which publishes numerous magazines, including Vogue, GQ and The New Yorker, said its Traveller magazine reaches more than...

Nigeria’s president faces new challenge to election victory as opposition claims he forged diploma

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s main opposition said Thursday it will present new evidence to support its court challenge seeking to overturn this year’s presidential election, saying it can show the declared winner provided faked academic credentials to authorities.President Bola Tinubu forged a diploma from an American university that he presented to Nigeria’s election commission before the February vote and should be removed from office, first runner-up Atiku Abubakar and his lawyer alleged in a briefing with reporters. They cited records obtained from the university in a U.S. court hearing and shared with The Associated Press. Abubakar previously has argued Tinubu should not be president because the election commission did not follow due process in announcing the winner and Tinubu was not qualified to run, citing allegations of dual citizenship and of a criminal indictment in the United States. Tinubu has denied those claims. He did not comment on the new allegation, but h...

Republican leader of Wisconsin Assembly says he won’t move to impeach state’s top elections official

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Assembly said Thursday that he will not pursue impeachment for the presidential battleground state’s nonpartisan top elections official, despite calls from the Republican president of the state Senate to do so.Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told a WKOW-TV reporter that he will wait until a judge has determined whether the Republican-controlled Senate had the authority to vote last month to fire Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe before he takes any further steps to oust her.In the lawsuit he brought after the Senate’s vote, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul accused Republicans of attacking the state’s elections. The Senate acted despite not properly receiving a nomination from the bipartisan elections commission, where three Republicans voted to reappoint Wolfe and three Democrats abstained to force a deadlock and thus prevent the nomination from reaching the Senate. Wolfe has remained in ...

Father weeps as 3 charged with murder in his toddler’s fentanyl death at NYC day care

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Nicholas Dominici’s dad said he had hoped to have a photo of his son’s kindergarten graduation four years from now.“But sadly what I have is a reminder of his death,” Otoniel Feliz said, weeping as he held up a photo of his son. The toddler died last month after he and three other young children were sickened by what officials said was exposure to fentanyl at their Bronx day care center.Feliz joined Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and other officials as they announced the indictments on charges including murder and manslaughter of the center’s operator, her husband and the husband’s cousin in Dominici’s death. He was 22 months old and had spent only a few days at the Divino Niño day care center when he died on Sept. 15.Clark said day care operator Grei Mendez, 36, her husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, 34, and Carlisto Brito, 41, were arraigned Thursday and ordered held without bail.Mendez and Brito were arrested after Dominici and three other chil...

Group that brought Charter challenge on sex work laws to appeal Ontario court ruling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:06:24 GMT

OTTAWA — A group that challenged the constitutionality of laws criminalizing some aspects of prostitution is vowing to bring its fight to the Ontario Court of Appeal — even as some groups that support criminalization call on Ottawa to better protect vulnerable people in the sex trade.“Criminalization takes away our opportunities,” said Jenn Clamen, national co-ordinator for the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, which represents 25 sex-worker organizations across Canada.“What sex workers are saying is, ‘Yes, we need more opportunity. We don’t need less opportunity.'”In a decision last month, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein upheld prostitution-related criminal offences brought in by the former Conservative government of prime minister Stephen Harper in 2014.Clamen’s group argued that the laws, which prohibit paying for sexual services, violated the rights of sex workers by fostering stigma and preventing them from obta...