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Abcarian: To today’s GOP, Justice O’Connor would be considered liberal

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

Years ago, I had the good fortune to be in Washington, when the National Portrait Gallery had a show starring portraits of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who died last week in Phoenix at 93.In October 2006, nine or so months after she’d stepped down from the high court, O’Connor had agreed to sit for members of the Painting Group, two dozen or so artists who had been meeting to paint a different person each week since 1958.“In 20-minute intervals from 9 to 5 (with five-minute breaks in between and time for lunch),” reported the New York Times, “she told stories about her childhood and sat very still.”The 25 portraits that emerged from that sitting were as wonderful as they were varied. Seventy-seven years old at the time she posed, the legal pioneer was depicted literally, figuratively, abstractly. But every portrait, regardless of style, exuded integrity, decorum and even a sort of inscrutability, all aspects of the measured tem...

Opinion: California should protect concert fans from ticket sale abuses

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

In the ever-evolving world of live entertainment, being able to attend or put on a concert is a cherished privilege for fans and artists alike. Unfortunately, the ticketing ecosystem in California is riddled with issues like bots, deceptive websites and speculative ticketing.Industrialized, third-party resellers have upended the live entertainment ecosystem. In California, the live music and entertainment industry has a total economic impact of $12.3 billion, generating over 83,456 jobs and $675 million in total state and local tax revenues. Yet bad actors repeatedly take money out of the hands of fans — as well as the artists and venues that make concerts happen.No one cares more about music fans and creating a great live experience than artists. Lawmakers in California need to protect these relationships and communities they create and take action to stop harmful resale practices.One of the most critical reforms would enshrine the right for artists to control ticket resale. ...

What the Warriors can learn from Jonathan Kuminga’s big game against Portland

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors’ worst moments this year have gone mostly the same: A younger, athletic and often bigger opponent makes their tried-and-true lineups look stale, a little too tried.Some of the Warriors’ best moments are when they’ve taken on that brawn with a little of their own. In their meltdown loss to Sacramento weeks ago, it was Moses Moody who nearly saved the day, matching Malik Monk’s flurry with scrappiness and timely shooting. Rookie Brandin Podziemski forced his way into the lineup with his smarts and pace, and even blew up one of the star-studded Clippers’ pet plays in a win just days later.In Wednesday’s comeback win against the lowly Portland Trial Blazers, it was Jonathan Kuminga who saved the day. With Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul back from injury, Kuminga was a pre-determined rotation sacrifice. He watched all from the bench Portland’s young tandem of Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons take an 11-point lea...

Sonoma County supervisors pass anti-sideshow ordinance

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

(BCN) -- Sideshows and some related peripheral activities were outlawed by a vote of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.   In a 4-0 vote, with Supervisor James Gore absent, supervisors made it a crime to promote, watch and participate in "street races and reckless driving exhibitions" in any unincorporated part of the county.   UNLV shooting: Here’s what we know about the victims, suspect "These types of events, which have become more common across the Bay Area recently, create an unsafe environment often causing damage to vehicles and property, reducing air quality due to burning rubber, and producing noise pollution and litter," Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram, who proposed the ban, said in a press release Wednesday.   Violators can face up to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and are responsible for property damage.   The county's ordinance is similar to existing rules in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Windsor, and proposed ordinances in Petaluma, Sonoma and...

More away supporters hit by travel bans in France following death of a soccer fan

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

PARIS (AP) — More away fans are being banned from attending matches in France after the death of a supporter in Nantes last weekend prompted authorities to call for a crackdown on violence.Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said this week that preventing supporters from traveling to rival clubs could help to restore calm following a series of incidents this season. The message has been heard.Reims said on Thursday that its fans were not authorized to travel to Nice because their French league match on Sunday in the Riviera city has been identified as “at risk” of violence.“Stade de Reims has therefore closed the sale of tickets in the visitors’ sector for this match, and will automatically refund all Reims fans who had already booked their tickets,” Reims said.Lyon fans were not allowed to attend Wednesday’s 3-0 loss at Marseille, and Lens supporters have been banned from travelling to Friday’s match in Montpellier.In France, traveling fans are regularly banned from hi...

China, EU summit exposes divisions over Ukraine, trade, subsidies

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The leaders of China and the European Union held talks Thursday that focused on their disputes over trade, subsidies and a deep divide over the war in Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with the two European presidents, Ursula von der Leyen from the EU Commission and Charles Michel from the EU Council. The European Union is calling on China to improve market access to address an annual trade imbalance of more than $200 billion between the two sides. China is unhappy with EU restrictions on technology exports and an EU investigation into subsides for electric vehicles. The EU has also urged China to use its influence with Russia to help bring an end to the Ukraine conflict. Von der Leyen said the two sides need to manage their differences responsibly.“China is the EU’s most important trading partner,” von der Leyen said in opening remarks posted on the commission’s website. “But there are clear imbalances and differences that we must address.”Xi...

Blinken afirma apoyo de EE.UU. a Guyana en disputa territorial con Venezuela por el Esequibo

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

(CNN) — Antony Blinken reafirmó el apoyo de Estados Unidos a la soberanía de Guyana en una llamada telefónica este miércoles al presidente de Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, según un comunicado del Departamento de Estado.El presidente de Venezuela ordenó este martes la creación de un nuevo estado llamado “Guayana Esequiba”, luego de un controvertido referéndum dominical en el que los votantes venezolanos aprobaron la anexión de tierras de la vecina Guyana.ANÁLISIS | ¿Qué podría pasar en la disputa entre Venezuela y Guyana por el Esequibo?El área en cuestión, la región de Esequibo, densamente boscosa y rica en petróleo, representa alrededor de dos tercios del territorio nacional de Guyana. Venezuela ha reclamado durante mucho tiempo la tierra y desestimó un fallo de 1899 de árbitros internacionales que establecían los límites actuales.En la convocatoria, Blinken pidió una “resolución pacífica de la disputa” y que ambos “respeten el laudo arbitral de 1899”...

Leah Pruett to start family with Tony Stewart, who will drive her NHRA Top Fuel dragster in 2024

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

Leah Pruett will step away from the NHRA drag racing series in 2024 to focus on starting a family with Tony Stewart. Her NASCAR Hall of Famer husband will replace her next season in the Top Fuel dragster that Pruett drove to a career-best third-place finish in the NHRA standings this year.Pruett and Stewart married just over two years ago. “This is an incredibly personal decision, and what led to making this decision are other personal situations that have happened in my life and our lives,” Pruett told The Associated Press in an interview with Stewart. “Time is not on anyone’s side and time is not gender neutral. But when it comes to being a female and a female racer, time is particularly not on your side,” she said. “One of the decision-making factors was, ‘What do we want our life to look like when we have a family?’ And it is easy to sit back and have the immediate view that we’ve got this killer race team and we can do what we didn’t do this year —...

Health officials warn about cold weather after first seasonal death in Maryland

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

Health officials in Maryland are warning residents, especially seniors, to be careful while out in the cold.It comes after the state reported its first cold-related death of the season Wednesday.The Maryland Department of Health said an elderly man, who was between the age of 70 and 80 years old, died from a cold-related illness in Baltimore County. However, officials haven’t released any additional details.When the temperatures drop, the department recommends residents limit exposure to the outdoors, dress in layers and wear insulated clothing along with protective hats and gloves.As for heating your home, use caution to stay warm because sources like space heaters can cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning, if not properly installed or maintained.Marylanders in need of warming centers should contact their local health department or call 211 to find a location near them.More resources to help stay safe in cold weather are available on the Office of Preparedness and Response...

Salah aims for hat trick of African best player awards on shortlist with Hakimi and Osimhen

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:54:54 GMT

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Mohamed Salah will aim for a hat trick of African player of the year awards after being named on a three-man candidate list for the 2023 prize with Achraf Hakimi and Victor Osimhen on Thursday.There was no space for two past award winners, Sadio Mané and Riyad Mahrez, who moved this year to play for clubs in Saudi Arabia.For the women’s award, record five-time winner Asisat Oshoala is competing with Thembi Kgatlana and Barbra Banda.The Confederation of African Football announced the candidates ahead of its annual award ceremony to be held on Monday in Marrakech, Morocco.Voting is by the African soccer body’s technical committee, media, captains and coaches of national teams, plus clubs who took part in continental competitions, CAF said.Egypt star Salah won back-to-back African honors for 2017 and ’18 before his then-Liverpool teammate Mané won the next two editions awarded for 2019 and 2022. Salah was runner-up last year.Paris Saint-Germain right back Hakimi was...