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50 shades of ballet? Melanie Hamrick on her steamy novel that makes ‘Black Swan’ seem tame

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Melanie Hamrick, who knows her way around a quick pirouette, had to move fast when her 6-year-old son Deveraux recently picked up a copy of her new novel, “First Position,” as she was signing books.“I didn’t realize how well he was reading,” the former ballerina and first-time author says of her first-grader, whom she shares with partner Mick Jagger. “He opened it and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, give me that book!’” She suggested an alternative: “The Cat in the Hat.”Wise move. “First Position” (get the pun?) is what they call a romance novel but might easily have been called “Fifty Shades of Ballet.” Hamrick, who spent 16 years at American Ballet Theatre before leaving to raise Deveraux, writes about a young dancer, Sylvie, who joins a prestigious national ballet company and tries to make her mark.As the dancers move vertically up the workplace ladder, there’s also a lot of, er, horizontal action. Hamrick says she wanted to give readers a good time, but also a view of w...

Ex-Ohio GOP chair, lobbyist Matt Borges gets 5 years for role in $60M bribery scheme; vows appeal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ohio lobbyist Matt Borges was sentenced Friday to five years in prison and three years of probation for his part in the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history, a sentence the former Ohio Republican Party chair vowed to appeal. The punishment by U.S. District Judge Timothy Black came just a day after former Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, who was convicted of racketeering alongside Borges earlier this year, was sentenced to 20 years and escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs. Householder also plans to fight his sentence.Borges had asked to be sentenced to 12 months, while prosecutors recommended 5 to 8 years.Following sentencing, Borges was immediately taken into custody and escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs.A jury found the pair guilty in March, determining that Householder orchestrated and Borges participated in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to secure Householder’s power, elect his allie...

Tajik man fatally shoots two officers at a Moldova airport after he was denied entry, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — A Tajikistan national who was denied entry into Moldova at its main international airport grabbed a guard’s weapon and fatally shot two security officers Friday, officials said. One traveler also was wounded.The suspect was being escorted by officials at Chisinau International Airport when he “took the gun of a border guard” and opened fire, authorities said. The individual was then neutralized and handcuffed by special forces who intervened. All passengers were evacuated from the airport.Moldova’s Prime Minister Doren Recean said in statement that the suspect was from Tajikistan. He said a wounded passenger was being treated by doctors.Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said that the two people killed were a border police officer and an airport security employee.“We send our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and relatives, the loss of loved ones is a great pain for the families,” Sandu wrote in a statement on Facebook. “It’s a sad d...

Map shows which internet provider is fastest where you live

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Before you sign a contract and set up your wifi, you probably want to know what your options are. A map maintained by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lets you examine which internet provider offers the fastest speed where you live. You start by typing in your address on the FCC's website. Then, a list of provider options pops up, plus the types of technology they have (like copper or fiber, for example), as well as their maximum advertised upload and download speeds for that address. If you're lucky enough to have multiple options, that last part is where you'll want to pay extra attention, as internet speeds can vary greatly between providers at the same address. You need a download speed of around 10 Mbps to download files, between 5 and 8 Mbps to stream HD video, and 25 Mbps to stream Ultra HD 4K video, the FCC says. Popular Android app reportedly started spying on users, making recordings Each listed number is for one person doing one activity. So if y...

DeSantis signs bill allowing new roads to be built with mining waste linked to cancer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

(The Hill) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill on Thursday that will allow new roads in the state to be built with "radioactive" mining waste that has been linked to cancer.HB 1191 adds phosphogypsum to a list of “recyclable materials” that can be used for the construction of roads. The list also includes ground rubber from car tires, ash residue from coal combustion byproducts, recycled mixed-plastic, glass and construction steel.Phosphogypsum, a waste product from manufacturing fertilizer, emits radon — a radioactive gas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The material also contains radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium and radium.Radon is second to smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer. The gas has been linked to 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year in the U.S, according to the EPA. The agency previously confirmed to CBS News that the mining waste — leftover material from phosphate rock — is potentially cancer-causing. The material ...

How the city is quickly able to reopen splash pads following an issue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Liz Carpenter splash pad reopened Thursday morning after the City of Austin shut it down due to an electrical issue and a pipe leak. The city said the heat could also impact operations.Paul Slutes, the Aquatic Program Manager with the city, said he believed the heat could cause a lot of the pump motors to overheat.“We see this in splash pads that have enclosed pump rooms they are more susceptible to heat,” Slutes said.The Austin Parks and Recreation Department said it has fans to cool off the equipment.Slutes said shutdowns were normal because several splash pads have automated timers, so they might stop operating for a few minutes.For one nanny, a splash pad closure led her to something new.“Our actual first experience here was because there was another splash pad closed and this was the closest one,” Rebecca Ritchie, a local nanny, said.Austin Parks and Rec said its proactive approach was helping with repair work, which included ordering parts early. Prior to t...

Teachers to get extra pay in Senate property tax plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas Senate on Wednesday approved a $3.2 billion supplemental pay package for teachers as part of a constitutional amendment proposal they hope to send to the voters this November.The plan would provide a $2,000 check for full-time classroom teachers in districts with more than 20,000 students and a $6,000 check for teachers in districts with fewer than 20,000 students.The plan came as a last-minute amendment to the Senate's $18 billion property tax relief plan."We need to do something that takes care of homeowners, takes care of teachers, and gets us out of the Capitol so that people can have some certainty as they go into the fall," said State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, who proposed the amendment. "The governor is playing politics with people's pocketbooks. Texans all over the state are in pain, and they have trouble paying the bills and trouble making ends meet.""320K Texas teachers will get a 2-for-1 with the $100k homestead exemption and supp...

Supreme Court rules for designer who doesn’t want to make wedding websites for gay couples

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

By JESSICA GRESKO (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled on Friday that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. One of the court’s liberal justices wrote in a dissent that the decision’s effect is to “mark gays and lesbians for second-class status” and that it opens the door to other discrimination.The court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. Smith had argued that the law violates her free speech rights.Smith’s opponents warned that a win for her would allow a range of businesses to discriminate, refusing to serve Black, Jewish or Muslim customers, interracial or interfaith couples or immigrants. But Smith and her supporters had said that a ruling against her would force artists — from painters and photographers to writers and musi...

Troy's Winter Street Bridge to close for resurfacing work

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Starting Monday, July 10, Troy's Winter Street Bridge will close for resurfacing work, along with minor curb and sidewalk work. Traffic on Pawling Avenue will be detoured to Main Avenue (Rte. 66) to West Sand Lake Road (Rte. 150), to Whiteview Road (Rte. 136), and onto Winter Street Extension. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Traffic on Winter Street Extension will be detoured to Whiteview Road (Rte. 136), to West Sand Lake Road (Rte. 150), to Main Avenue (Rte. 66) to continue onto Pawling Avenue. "Maintaining our roadways is maintaining essential emergency and economic infrastructure, and improves the quality of life experienced by community members of all abilities," said Troy Mayor Wm. Patrick Madden. "As always, my thanks go to the workers of our Department of Public Works, who put themselves in harm's way and make themselves available to respond to emergencies at all hours to ensure our...

Some state beaches going without lifeguards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:48:13 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - If you're going for a swim at a state beach around New York's Capital Region or North Country, there may soon not be a lifeguard onsite. It depends on where you go, though. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! This week, the Department of Environmental Conservation announced that swimming would become unsupervised at DEC-managed beaches around the state. The change affects swimming spots around the Adirondack Park, as well as the Catskill Forest Preserve.“Swimming, fishing, and boating are among the many activities that bring more than a million campers and day-users back to our facilities year after year," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "To continue to offer a quality recreational experience, DEC is transitioning our campground beaches in the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve to unsupervised swimming areas to allow the public to continue enjoying this part of the camping experience and we...