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Broadway’s Denée Benton calls Ron DeSantis ‘grand wizard’ on Tony Awards broadcast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

Broadway veteran Denée Benton referred to Gov. Ron DeSantis as the “grand wizard” of Florida at the 2023 Tony Awards, receiving a large round of applause from the Washington Heights audience.“Grand Wizard” historically is the title given to the national leader of the Ku Klux Klan.Benton, who is from Orlando, made the remark as she presented Jason Zembuch-Young, a teacher in Plantation, Fla., with a special Tony Award.“I’m sure he will be changing the name of this following town immediately,” Benton said of DeSantis from the United Palace stage.Last month, DeSantis announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, setting up a race against Donald Trump.Benton received a 2017 Tony nomination for her portrayal of Natasha in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812″ and has also starred on Broadway as Eliza Hamilton in “Hamilton” and Cinderella in “Into the Woods.”Zembuch-Young received the honor for incorporating deaf and blind students, as ...

Denver jury finds Warren Simpson guilty of murder in Park Hill shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

A Denver jury has found a 43-year-old man guilty of murder in the 2021 fatal shooting in Northeast Park Hill.After a five-day trial, jurors on Friday found Warren Simpson guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 54-year-old Robert Turner. Police in October 2021 found Turner in an alley behind 3683 N. Monaco St. and paramedics saw he’d been shot once in the upper chest and he was pronounced dead.Denver police investigators obtained video surveillance that showed two cars pulling into the alley. On the videotape, a male voice can be heard ordering a person to get out of the car, followed by the sound of one gunshot. A second voice can be heard on the video saying, “Mama!”Denver district attorney prosecutors proved that Simpson ordered Turner to get out of the car and that Turner called out “Mama” before Simpson shot and killed him. The sentencing is scheduled for July 20.

Deion Sanders defends CU housecleaning on Joel Klatt podcast, says Buffs football had bad attitude.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

To hear Deion Sanders tell it, the CU Buffs needed a change of attitude when Coach Prime showed up at altitude.The Buffaloes’ first-year football coach detailed the mess he inherited in Boulder and defended his wholesale and historic roster changes during an interview with FOX Sports analyst and former CU quarterback Joel Klatt that dropped Monday.“I walked into this one room and they had music playing,” Sanders recalled to Klatt in the debut episode of Klatt’s “Big Noon Conversations” series.“Yo, first time meeting me, and I just finished telling you, ‘I’m bringing my Louis (Vuitton).’ I go into this one room, music is playing. I said, ‘Excuse me. What is this?’“(They said), ‘Uh, coach, we always bring the boom box into our position meeting room.’“I said, ‘Have you lost your mind? If you ever bring music into one of my meetings, I promise you, we will never see each other again in life.’”Of the 80 players who started spring ball with Sanders, 45, or 56% of that group, are no longer...

Bad behavior among airline passengers soars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

Mask mandates and COVID protocols may be largely gone, but airlines are still grappling with a spike in bad behavior among passengers.An analysis by the International Air Transport Association found a 47% spike in unruly passenger incidents from 2021 to 2022. In 2022, the analysis found that one incident was reported for every 568 flights, up from one per 835 flights in 2021.Footage provided by Barrie Livingstone shows an airline passenger assaulting a flight attendant on Sept. 21, 2022.The typical examples of non-compliance were passengers smoking or vaping, failure to fasten seatbelts when instructed, not following carry-on bag rules, or passengers drinking their own alcohol on board.“The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General. “While our professional crews are well trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persist...

Peter Binz Killed in DUI Crash on Herndon Avenue [Clovis, CA]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

Jonathan Petty Arrested on DUI Charges after Fatal Hit-and-Run near Langley AvenueCLOVIS, CA (June 12, 2023) – Thursday night, a suspected DUI hit-and-run on Herndon Avenue claimed the life of Peter Binz.The collision happened around 7:00 p.m. along Herndon Avenue near Langley Avenue.According to the investigators, a pickup driver rear-ended a bicyclist going west on Herndon Avenue. However, the driver did not render aid to the bicyclist and immediately fled the scene.Tragically, the first responders declared the bicyclist deceased. He was identified as 33-year-old Peter Binz of Clovis.A short time later, a family member of the suspect contacted 911 and reported the suspect’s whereabouts. Police arrested the suspect at his home on North Locan Avenue, a mile and a half away from where the fatal collision happened.On Wednesday night, authorities booked 36-year-old Jonathan Petty of Clovis in jail for felony DUI, hit-and-run, and gross vehicular manslaughter.At this time, Petty i...

Elon Musk anti-trans tweets continue with views on Megan Fox and her kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

It shouldn’t be surprising that Elon Musk has weighed in on the social media spat between Megan Fox and Robby Starbuck over the conservative provocateur’s disputed allegations that the “Transformers” actor committed “child abuse” by forcing her three sons with Brian Austin Green to wear girl’s clothes.Musk has spent Pride Month promoting and “liking” various anti-LGBTQ messages, according to Insider, Them and TMZ. even though he has a transgender daughter who publicly disavowed her relationship with him last year. Among these messages, the Twitter CEO encouraged the parents among his 143 million followers to watch the 2022 online film, “What is a Woman?” by The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, which urges intolerance of trans people and opposes medical intervention for trans children, Insider said.BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 13: Actress Megan Fox (L) and actor Brian Austin Green arrive at the 70th Annual Golden Gl...

6 Berkeley fires traced to lithium batteries unattended while charging

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

At least six recent fires in Berkeley have been caused by lithium-ion batteries left unattended while charging, fire officials said Friday.The battery fires involved e-skateboards, e-scooters, and at least one e-bike, the Berkeley Fire Department said in a statement.“Electric bikes, scooters, and other devices are important to building sustainable transportation in our community,” Fire Chief Dave Sprague said. “As these and other devices become an increasing part of our lives, we also want to be smart in how we use and take care of them.”Lithium batteries have the potential to overheat, short circuit, or catch fire in a chain reaction from overcharging, the department said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Officials: Fire displaces eight residents of Oakland apartment building Crime and Public Safety | Officials: Fire guts clubhouse at Lake Chabot Golf Course in Oakland Crime and Public Safety | Man found dea...

Sharks’ Marleau, Quakes’ Wondolowski headline San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

There may be no two players who are more closely associated with “San Jose professional sports” than Patrick Marleau and Chris Wondolowski.It’s fitting, then, that the two will head into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame together.Marleau and Wondolowski will be half of the four-person Class of 2023, the San Jose Sports Authority announced on Monday. They will be joined by two South Bay natives in former all-star pitcher Dave Stieb and U.S. soccer star Lorrie Fair.Marleau was the Sharks’ second overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft (only behind future Shark teammate Joe Thornton) and immediately joined the San Jose roster at age 18. Over a 23-year career where he broke the NHL record for most games played (1,779), Marleau played for the Sharks in 21 seasons for a total of 1,607 games.Marleau was a key piece of San Jose’s surge to the top of the NHL and helped the Sharks reach their only Stanley Cup finals in 2016 with a strong postseason. Though he twice left the Sharks (once as a free a...

Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan is stepping down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

By David Bauder | Associated PressWashington Post publisher and chief executive Fred Ryan is leaving the newspaper after nine years in charge to lead a newly formed Center on Public Civility at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the newspaper said on Monday.Ryan will be replaced on an interim basis by Patty Stonesifer, formerly chief executive of the Gates Foundation and a member of the Amazon board, newspaper owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said. Ryan will stay on for two more months, Bezos said in a memo to staff members.The Post expanded during the Trump administration, in an aggressive transition into digital. Ryan, the former CEO and a founder of Politico, oversaw the appointment of Sally Buzbee — the former Associated Press executive editor — as the Post’s top editor, replacing Marty Baron in 2021.Like many news organizations, the Post has suffered from declining audience numbers and had to lay off staff members in recent years.Ryan said that his departure, h...

First lady Jill Biden to visit Bay Area on Tuesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:12 GMT

By Deidre Foley | Bay City NewsFirst lady Jill Biden will visit San Francisco on Tuesday to speak at three events.Biden will speak at two receptions for her husband’s presidential campaign in the afternoon.Related: Biden, DeSantis to visit Northern California June 19 in political cosmic collisionIn the evening, she will be a featured speaker at a Giffords Law Center celebration at Pier 27 in San Francisco. The event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the gun control research and advocacy group.Related ArticlesCalifornia Politics | Brooks: This is not the time for a third party presidential candidate California Politics | Letters: Myriad solutions | Clinton effect | Measures of fitness | Biden’s experience | Federal teeth California Politics | Biden, DeSantis to visit Northern California June 19 in political cosmic collision California Politics | Opinion: Biden, Feinstein, Trump: How old is too old for our le...