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How Ziwe became your ‘Black Friend,’ and why she’d rather be loved than feared

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Jireh Deng | Los Angeles Times (TNS)On Ziwe’s eponymous late-night talk show, which Showtime tragically canceled earlier this year, everything was carefully curated: the cartoonish graphics, the confrontational style, the contrast of the gaudy pink set with Ziwe Fumudoh’s knack for leaping into cringe and controversy with questions like: How many Black friends do you have?But in her first book of essays, “ Black Friend,” out this week, the writer-comedian plays Bad Cop with herself on topics ranging from her Nigerian immigrant upbringing to the impact of fame on body image, and the result feels unrehearsed. Though her terse acknowledgments section (in its entirety: “Thank you”) feels very Ziwe, an essay titled “ Wikifeet” veers from jokes about foot fetishists to memories of growing up “an ugly duckling.” Throughout, Ziwe toggles between sincerity and absurdity, personal anecdotes and ample footnotes, in search of a subject much harder to pin down than dumbfounded Chet Hanks or blas...

Larry Hogan slams Harvard ‘anti-Semitism’ in wake of incendiary open letter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a top Republican, is pulling all his support from Harvard University over what he says is the school’s “anti-Semitic vitriol” in the wake of the Hamas terror attack on Israel.“I cannot condone the dangerous anti-Semitism that has taken root on your campus,” Hogan wrote in a letter to Harvard President Claudine Gay that he also posted to X, the former Twitter platform.“While these students have a right to free speech,” he added, “they do not have a right to have hate speech go unchallenged by your institution.”He said he was previously “honored” by the fellowships to both Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, but he will no longer accept them “especially” after “more than 30 Harvard student organizations attempting to justify and celebrate Hamas’ terrorism against innocent Israeli and American civilians” posted an open letter righ...

Detroit police say they’ve identified several people of interest in synagogue president’s killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

By ED WHITE (Associated Press)DETROIT (AP) — Investigators have identified several people of interest in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president but would not talk about their connections to the woman during a press conference Monday.Authorities found 40-year-old Samantha Woll’s body outside her home early Saturday after a caller told police about a person lying on the ground. Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Woll — who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue — attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12:30 a.m. He said there was no sign that anyone forced their way into her home and investigators believe Woll was stabbed inside before stumbling into the yard.“We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect,” he said, adding that investigators believe a suspect “acted alone.”Police have repeatedly said they have fou...

Gretchen’s table: Apples sweeten this chicken pot pie

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a roasted chicken, whether it’s homemade or purchased in the supermarket deli section, because it can be dressed up or down to the season with any number of side dishes.Once the kids are out of the house and smaller appetites prevail, however, a 4- or-5-pound bird can yield a lot of leftovers. Those who don’t like to eat the same thing two (or three) days in a row might consider that a curse.I’m on the plus side. When it’s tucked under a flaky, buttery crust in a flavorful gravy, leftover chicken can be nothing short of magical.In addition to being an economical way to stretch your grocery store dollars, a leftover chicken pot pie is the perfect comfort food for these early days of fall, when we instinctively reach for warmer, heartier dishes to compensate for shorter days and chillier weather.Chicken pot pie traditionally features a mix of carrots, peas and sometimes potatoes along with shredde...

Off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down engines of San Francisco-bound jet midflight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. — An off-duty pilot riding in the extra seat in the cockpit of a Horizon Air passenger jet tried to shut down the engines in midflight and had to be subdued by the crew, according to a pilot flying the plane.Authorities in Oregon identified the man as Joseph David Emerson, 44. He was being held Monday on 83 counts each of attempted murder and reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.The San Francisco-bound flight on Sunday diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it was met by officers from the Port of Portland, who took Emerson into custody.Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, a regional carrier, did not name Emerson, but said Monday that the threat was posed by one of its pilot who was off duty but authorized to occupy the cockpit jump seat.The airline said the captain and co-pilot reacted quickly, “engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incide...

Stealing a few minutes of extra sleep via the snooze button seems beneficial, study says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Theresa Braine | (TNS) New York Daily NewsHitting the snooze button doesn’t hurt, and might even help one wake up, a new study has found.While use of the snooze button tends to carry negative connotations, a study published Wednesday in the Journal of Sleep Research found otherwise. Lead researcher Tina Sundelin said in a statement, “Those who snooze on average sleep slightly shorter and feel more drowsy in the morning compared to those who never snooze.” However, they found “no negative effects of snoozing on cortisol release, morning tiredness, mood, or sleep quality throughout the night.”Snoozing for an extra 30 minutes “improved or did not affect performance on cognitive tests directly upon rising compared with an abrupt awakening,” Sundelin and fellow researchers at the University of Stockholm said in the study. “A brief snooze period may thus help alleviate sleep inertia, without substantially disturbing sleep.”They were even a little more quick-thinking when they did get up, ...

Kingston police dole out hefty fines during wild homecoming weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

You can add some hefty fines to go along with the headaches from homecoming hangovers after Kingston Police cracked down on unruly partying in the Queen’s University District over the weekend.The largest fines of $2,000 were doled out twice for hosting a nuisance party, while 90 people were hit with $500 tickets for failing to leave the parties after being ordered to disperse.Other charges included amplified sound, open liquor, underage drinking and public intoxication.Two people were charged with obstructing a police officer.“Over the weekend, City Bylaw continued to work with Kingston Police to respond to large unsanctioned gatherings in the University District,” Kyle Compeau, Manager of Enforcement Services at the City of Kingston, said in a release.“Although we saw more cooperation with enforcement, officers still dealt with a substantial number of residential parties, along with a complete street takeover that posed safety risks to the community.”Police closed...

Boys arrested for bomb threat aboard TTC subway that forced evacuation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Three boys are facing charges after allegedly accessing the PA system on a subway train and telling passengers there was a bomb, leading to the TTC station’s evacuation during rush hour.Investigators were notified of a bomb threat at St. Patrick Station at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17. Police said three male youths were aboard a southbound train when they entered the rear operator cab and gained access to the PA system. The boys then told passengers that there was a bomb on the train and fled from the station with stolen property.Due to the incident, subway service was halted between St. Patrick and Union stations for just under an hour, with trains turning back at St. Andrew and Spadina stations.Police evacuated the subway station and train as a precaution while offers attended, searched and cleared the station of any threats before service was resumed.No injuries were reported. Police said three boys, aged 17, were arrested. The youths face several charges, including...

Chiefs hopeful court will approve landmark child-welfare settlement this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

OTTAWA — First Nations chiefs and advocates are hopeful the Federal Court will approve a landmark child-welfare settlement this week.The court is hearing final arguments in Ottawa this week on a proposed settlement agreement that would be the biggest in Canadian history if it passes. The settlement includes $23 billion in compensation for more than 300,000 children and their families, and another $20 billion to reform the child welfare system.The Assembly of First Nations interim national chief, Joanna Bernard, says families have been waiting decades for this settlement.Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society that took Canada to task in 2007, says there are still a number of issues.Blackstock says First Nations children living on-reserve are still subject to inequitable access to health care, and Ottawa must do more to protect them.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2023.The Canadian Press<!– ...

World’s oldest dog ever, 31, dies in Portugal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

A 31-year-old dog in Portugal that had been ranked as the world’s oldest dog ever has died, his owner said Monday.The guard dog, called Bobi, died over the weekend in a veterinary hospital, Leonel Costa told The Associated Press.Bobi lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal with Costa and four cats. He was born on May 11, 1992, when his owner was just 8 years old.In an interview earlier this year, Costa told the Associated Press that Bobi’s secret to a long life was good food, fresh air and lots of love.“Bobi eats what we eat,” said Costa. What’s more, Bobi had never been put on a leash.Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo Portuguese dog, poses for a photo with his owner Leonel Costa and his Guinness World Record certificates for the oldest dog at their home in Conqueiros, central Portugal, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Bobi’s owner said Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, that he passed away Saturday at 31 years and 165 days of age. (AP Photo/ Jorge...