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Penguin Random House sues Florida school district over book bans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Publisher Penguin Random House and PEN America sued a Florida school district Wednesday over its removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities, the latest opposition to a policy central to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda as he prepares to run for president.The federal lawsuit alleges the Escambia County School District and its School Board are violating the First Amendment through the removal of 10 books from library shelves.The case does not name DeSantis as a defendant though the Republican governor has championed policies that allow the censorship and challenging of books based on whether they are appropriate for children in schools, causing national uproar.DeSantis, who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy in the coming days, has leaned heavily into cultural divides on race, sexual orientation and gender as he moves to win support from conservative voters who decide Republican primary elections.“Books have the capacity to change lives for the...

Arab foreign ministers welcome Syria’s return to the Arab League ahead of Jeddah summit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Arab foreign ministers Wednesday in Saudi Arabia welcomed back Syria to the Arab League and called for a cease-fire in conflict-hit Sudan ahead of the organization’s annual summit taking place in the kingdom.This year’s summit, starting Friday in the city of Jeddah, will mark the readmittance of war-torn Syria into the 22-member league, after a 12-year suspension.Syria’s membership was frozen following Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on the 2011 mass protests against his rule. The country quickly descended into a civil war that has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Wednesday that the region is at a crossroads, facing a host of challenges. He called for cooperation between Arab countries to achieve security, stability and economic prosperity.Bin Farhan also welcomed Syria’s return, as did the leagu...

Thailand’s Move Forward Party in talks with 5 other parties in attempt to form coalition government

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s progressive Move Forward Party on Wednesday held its first face-to-face discussions with five other parties in an attempt to form a coalition government, three days after scoring a stunning national election victory.A new government will be formed in July when the House of Representatives and the appointed Senate select a new prime minister. Because of the joint vote, Sunday’s election victor is not assured of taking power.Representatives of the five parties, mostly members of the opposition to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s conservative government, met for several hours Wednesday. Afterward they emerged smiling and posed for photos with hands linked in a sign of unity.Chief among the potential partners is the Pheu Thai party, currently the biggest opposition group in the House, which had been favored to top the polls but ended up running a close second.“It went quite smoothly,” said Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, a 42-year-old Harvard-edu...

Here are all of the abortion debates happening this week in US courts and statehouses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

Abortion opponents are trying again to implement restrictions in the latest round of court and legislative action on the divisive issue.This round of efforts centers on states that have considered bans before and a policy that’s been bouncing around federal courts.Here are key things to know about the latest developments in the saga of how abortion policy will settle after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion.PURPLE STATE POLICYSince the Dobbs ruling last year, tighter abortion restrictions have been enacted in most Republican-controlled states and protections of abortion access have gone into effect in most that are dominated by Democrats.But there hasn’t been such a uniform story in the 11 states with divided government control. Virginia has kept its status quo, for instance, while Vermont has adopted a constitutional amendment to preserve abortion access and Louisiana and Kentucky have bans in place.Change came q...

Movie Review: Smelling dirt with Joel Edgerton in Paul Schrader’s murky ‘Master Gardener’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

Paul Schrader plants the seeds of an intriguing melodrama in his latest creation “ Master Gardener.” Sigourney Weaver is a wealthy dowager with a stately name (Norma Haverhill), a large house and a dog she’s named porch dog. She also has a horticulturist (Joel Edgerton) in her employ who she occasionally calls on for extracurricular, indoor activities. There’s even a big charity auction coming up that she and the gardening staff are intensely focused on.But this being a Schrader film (he wrote and directed), it is mostly window dressing. There even is a palpable (and, I’d imagine, intentional) artificiality to the whole endeavor, creating an unease that looms over the most mundane and superficially pleasant interactions. The ceremony never feels quite right. The house, though grand, is also sparse in its décor. It feels like a set — not a place that a real human being lives. We don’t even get to see the charity auction in full swing, never fulfilling Edgerton’s Narvel Roth (ye...

Hamas calls on Palestinians to confront Israeli victory parade in Jerusalem

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday called on Palestinians to confront a flag-waving parade planned by Jewish nationalists through the main Palestinian thoroughfare in Jerusalem’s Old City.The comments by Hamas added to the already heightened tensions ahead of Thursday’s march and threatened to reignite fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, just days after a cease-fire took hold. Two years ago, an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas erupted during the annual march.While Hamas stayed out of the latest round of fighting, officials with the ruling Islamic militant group urged Palestinians to oppose Thursday’s parade.“We ask the people of Jerusalem to mobilize the masses to confront the march of the flags in Jerusalem tomorrow,” said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas official in Gaza.Hamas also urged Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and inside Israel to “clash with the occupation” and said it would hold a de...

Tiny Amerindian village in Guyana fights gold mine in key court battle over indigenous land rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

CHINESE LANDING, Guyana (AP) — One of Guyana’s smallest Amerindian villages is waging a monumental battle that could decide the amount of control that thousands of indigenous people have over their land in remote parts of this South American country.The village of 225 residents is fighting in court to regain full control over ancestral land where gold miners once were invited in to boost community development but who now are considered unwelcome interlopers who carve up lands that provide food and medicine, and block access for the villagers’ own, smaller-scale mining.“It’s like a part of us has been taken away,” said Orin Fernandes, the village’s toshao, or indigenous leader.Called Chinese Landing for reasons residents no longer remember, the village is deep within lush forests of northern Guyana accessible primarily by riverboat.The villagers, descendants of Caribs, have seen their land shrink as miners scrape back layers of rock and red soil that could otherwise produce pumpkin, ...

See how you can play golf at Wrigley Field in July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

CHICAGO — While baseball will take center stage for the summer at the Friendly Confines, another sport will have a few days in the spotlight.Upper Deck Golf is staging an event at Wrigley Field that will allow fans to play golf from July 6-9 at the iconic baseball park. Per the company's website, fans will have the opportunity to hit golf balls from the upper deck onto greens that are on the field, with rounds starting & ending at a clubhouse festival in the ballpark.Right now, Upper Deck Golf is having people sign up for either standard or VIP tee time waitlists to get the opportunity to play the sport at Wrigley Field. This is one of ten stadiums where an event like this is being staged, with fans being able to play golf at nine other venues in 2023.Levi's Stadium - Santa ClaraLumen Field - SeattleComerica Park - DetroitCitizen's Bank Park - PhiladelphiaCoors Field - DenverPNC Park - Pittsburgh Busch Stadium - St. LouisCleveland Browns Stadium - ClevelandTarget Field - Minneap...

6@6: How to retire at 55

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

CHICAGO — The dream of any person who works is to someday be able to call it quits on their terms. But in order to retire, you have to save, and that can take decades for some to do, with a few workers never being able to fully walk away from work.So on the "9@9" on Wednesday, we asked a simple question: What would it take to retire at 55?The hosts talked about the things one would have to do in order to be able to have an early retirement on the WGN Morning News while also giving their thoughts on the chances of making that happen. Along with that, the hosts discussed "Bougie Barbie," a new project that would create a robot to watch your kids, a look back at one of Chicago's most famous investigative reports, a "Demon Catshark," and more on the segment.You can watch the entire "9@9" from the May 17 show in the video above.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Mor...

Dean cooks Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad with Prosciutto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:20 GMT

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards shares his recipe for Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad with Prosciutto.Ingredients For the salad:1 pound pasta  (I recommend farfalle or cavatelli;  something twisted to absorb the dressing)1 cup chopped prosciutto1 grilled green bell pepper1 cup cherry tomatoes, no cooked,  halved1 onion,  rough cut  (I recommend sweet Vidalia onion)1 pound grilled asparagus 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved1/2 cup finely chopped parsley¼ cup toasted pine nuts (carefully, quickly toast the nuts in olive oil or butter until they “just” begin to turn brown.   Remove from heat so they don’t burn. 3/4 cup small mozzarella balls halved1 1/4 cups homemade (recipe below)  or store bought Italian dressing.½ cup grated parmesan cheese  salt and pepper to tasteFor the dressing:¾ cup extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup red wine ...