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‘Anatomy of a Fall’ weaves mystery, courtroom drama

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

A smash hit in France after winning the Palme d’Or, Cannes’ top prize, “Anatomy of a Fall” soars with its fresh approach to the classic courtroom drama.Like the great 1959 “Anatomy of a Murder,” whose aura this “Anatomy” invokes, what co-writer and director Justine Triet aims to emphasize with her “Anatomy” is ambiguity.  In Otto Preminger’s masterpiece the question is not if a jealous husband killed the man accused of raping his wife, it’s “was it really non-consensual?”“That movie is very important for me.  I saw that movie 10 years ago,” Triet, 45, said in a post-screening Q&A at the New York Film Festival. “It’s so modern the way they are playing in the courtroom.”In “Anatomy of a Fall” the question is whether Sandra (Germany’s Sandra Hüller), a writer, pushed her husband, also a writer, out the window of their Grenoble chalet. Or did he jump?His dead body is discovered in the snow by his partially blind 9-year-old son who had been out walking their dog.This “Ana...

Dear Abby: Cross-dressing man eager for Halloween

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

Dear Abby: I’m a cross-dresser who is able to enjoy wearing women’s clothes in private at home. With Halloween around the corner, I want nothing more than to be fully dressed as a woman and go outside to experience how it feels. I want to wear a nice dress, high heels, pantyhose, wig, makeup, etc.My wife knows I enjoy dressing up and tolerates it. But she’s unwilling to let me express myself out of the house or help me with the process. How can I get her to help me get dolled up and experience being a woman for one night? I feel so deprived not being able to be who I want to be. — Dressed and ReadyDear Dressed: Halloween is the one night of the year when many people, yourself included, can decide to dress up and become who they really are (or would like to be). Because your wife won’t assist you, consider visiting a makeup counter and asking one of the salespeople to help with your makeup that night. And, if nothing in your closet suits the real you, re...

Traffic stopped on northbound I-5 after pedestrian hit by vehicle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Traffic along all lanes the northbound Interstate 5 through downtown has been stopped after a person stepped out of their car and was struck by another vehicle, according to California Highway Patrol.Around 8:29 p.m., officers were alerted to a sedan that had apparently stalled while in the No. 3 lane of the freeway just south of State Route 94 off-ramp, according to CHP logs. The driver placed the hazard lights on while stuck in the lane.A person then exited the sedan and began running towards the shoulder when they were struck by another vehicle, CHP said.Medics were dispatched to the scene and attempted CPR on the pedestrian. They were transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital around 9:07 p.m. Their current condition or the extent of their injuries remains unknown.A SigAlert for a "hard closure" has been issued by CHP for the next two hours on northbound I-5 lanes south of the SR-94 connector. The F Street on-ramp to westbound SR-94 has also been closed.As of 9:45 p.m.,...

Hundreds gather in downtown San Diego for rally supporting Israel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Hundreds of people gathered at the San Diego County Administration Center Sunday afternoon for a rally in support of Israel as the war in Gaza enters its third week.Dozens waved Israeli flags and banners that read "We stand with Israel" during the protest, organized by a coalition of several organizations. Others held flyers with the names of people who were reported missing or held hostage by Hamas after the initial Oct. 7 attack."We're here to show our support for the hostages that Hamas took in their attack" said Bruce Levine, who attended the rally. "As time goes on, people's memories get a little bit fuzzy and there's been so much focus on Israel's response that a lot of people have forgotten." Vigil for Israel, peace held in Chula Vista In the wake of Hamas' invasion, Israel imposed a complete siege on Gaza and launched thousands of retaliatory airstrikes on the densely-packed enclave. By Oct. 22, Israeli attacks had widened to include targets Syria and the occu...

Sen. Menendez returns to New York court to enter plea to new conspiracy charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez returns to court Monday to enter an expected not guilty plea to a conspiracy charge alleging that he acted as an agent of the Egyptian government even as he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.Menendez, 69, was scheduled to appear in the afternoon before Judge Sidney H. Stein at federal court in Manhattan.The Democrat stepped down from his powerful post leading the Senate committee after he was charged last month. Prosecutors said the senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car over the past five years from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for a variety of corrupt acts.The other defendants entered not guilty charges to a superseding indictment last week. The senator was permitted to delay his arraignment so he could tend to Senate duties. He has said that throughout his whole life he has been loyal to the United States and that he will show his innocence.Menendez has resisted cal...

Argentine economy minister has surprise win over populist, and they head toward presidential runoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Economy Minister Sergio Massa produced a big surprise by finishing first in the opening round of Argentina’s presidential election, reflecting voters’ wariness about handing the presidency to his chief rival, a right-wing populist who upended national politics and pledged to drastically diminish the state.Massa’s victory over Javier Milei, a chainsaw-wielding economist and freshman lawmaker, came despite the fact that on his watch inflation has surged into triple digits, eating away at purchasing power of salaries and boosting poverty. Still, he wasn’t punished in Sunday’s voting. With nearly all balots counted early Monday, Massa had 36.7% of the vote and Milei had 30%, meaning the two will go to a Nov. 19 runoff. Most pre-election polls, which have been notoriously unreliable, had given Milei a slight lead over Massa. Former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, of the main center-right opposition coalition, got 23.8% to finish third in the fiel...

Japan’s Kishida plans an income tax cut for households and corporate tax breaks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he is preparing to take bold economic measures, including an income tax cut for households hit by inflation and tax breaks for companies to promote investment, in what’s seen as a move to lift his dwindling public support.In his speech to start a new Parliamentary session, Kishida said it was time to shift from an economy of low cost, low wages and cost-cutting to one backed by growth led by sustainable wage hikes and active investment.“I’m determined to take unprecedentedly bold measures,” Kishida said, pledging an intensive effort to achieve stronger supply capability in about three years. He said he is determined to help people ride out the impact of soaring prices for food, utilities and other costs that have exceeded their salary increases, by implementing income tax cuts. He also pledged to introduce corporate tax incentives to promote wage increases, investment and optimization.Previously, Kishida...

Australians’ rejection of the Indigenous Voice in constitutional vote is shameful, supporters say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Indigenous campaigners who wanted Australia to create an advisory body representing its most disadvantaged ethnic minority have said its rejection in a constitutional referendum was a “shameful act.” Many proponents of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament maintained a week of silence and flew Aboriginal flags at half-staff across Australia after the Oct. 14 vote deciding against enshrining such a representative committee in the constitution. In an open letter to federal lawmakers, dated Sunday and seen by The Associated Press on Monday, “yes” campaigners said the result was “so appalling and mean-spirited as to be utterly unbelievable.”“The truth is that the majority of Australians have committed a shameful act whether knowingly or not and there is nothing positive to be interpreted from it,” the letter said.The letter said it was written by Indigenous leaders, community members and organizations but is not signed.Indigenous leader Sean Gordon said on Monday...

University of Michigan slithers toward history with massive acquisition of jarred snake specimens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Greg Schneider scans rows upon rows of liquid-filled glass jars containing coiled snake specimens, just a portion of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s reptile and amphibian collection believed to be the largest held by any research institution in the U.S. thanks to a recent donation. The museum this fall acquired tens of thousands of reptile and amphibian specimens from Oregon State University, many of which are snakes. The development places the university in a unique position, according to Schneider, the research museum collections manager for the museum’s division of reptiles and amphibians.“I’m fairly confident we’ll have the largest snake collection in the world,” he said. The extensive new additions also will allow scientists to conduct new snake and amphibian research, perhaps looking at trait evolution in mothers and their offspring. Numerous studies have been conducted in recent years about declining amphibian and reptile pop...

This procedure is banned in the US. Why is it a hot topic in fight over Ohio’s abortion amendment?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:45 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With Election Day closing in, anti-abortion groups seeking to build opposition to a reproductive rights measure in Ohio are messaging heavily around a term for an abortion procedure that was once used later in pregnancy — but hasn’t been legal in the U.S. for over 15 years.In ads, debates and public statements, the opposition campaign and top Republicans have increasingly been referencing “partial-birth abortions” as an imminent threat if voters approve the constitutional amendment on Nov. 7. “Partial-birth abortion” is a non-medical term for a procedure known as dilation and extraction, or D&X, which is already federally prohibited.“It would allow a partial-birth abortion,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters recently as he explained his opposition to the constitutional amendment, known as Issue 1. “For many years, in Ohio and in this country, we’ve had a law that said a partial-birth abortion — where the child is partially delivered and then killed...