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DeSantis’ board says Disney stripped its power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

By Skyler SwisherLAKE BUENA VISTA — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handpicked board overseeing Disney World’s government services is gearing up for a potential legal battle over a 30-year development agreement they say effectively renders them powerless to manage the entertainment giant’s future growth in Central Florida.Ahead of an expected state takeover, the Walt Disney Co. quietly pushed through the pact and restrictive covenants that would tie the hands of future board members for decades, according to a legal presentation by the district’s lawyers on Wednesday.The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s new Board of Supervisors voted to bring in outside legal firepower to examine the agreement, including a conservative Washington, D.C., law firm that has defended several of DeSantis’ culture war priorities.“We’re going to have to deal with it and correct it,” board member Brian Aungst Jr. said. “It’s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It comp...

John Grisham’s sequel to ‘The Firm’ coming out this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

The king of the legal thriller is coming back — and he’s bringing a fan favorite with him.John Grisham has written a sequel to his smash-hit novel “The Firm,” which will also see character Mitch McDeere return as the protagonist.“The Exchange: After The Firm” is scheduled to be released by Doubleday on Oct. 17.Published in 1991, “The Firm” was Grisham’s second novel and quickly became a bestseller. It kicked off a series of legal thrillers, mostly set in the American South, including “A Time to Kill,” “Runaway Jury” and others, many of which were later turned into movies.The first novel was adapted by Sydney Pollack in 1993 and starred Tom Cruise as Mitch, among other A-listers including Gene Hackman and Ed Harris. A TV series sequel aired in 2012.“When last seen in ‘The Firm,’ Mitch McDeere and his wife Abby were fleeing Memphis with the bad guys in hot pursuit,” Grisham said in a statement. “Now they’re back, 15 years later, and living in New York, where Mitch is an international ...

Evacuations end after fiery Minnesota ethanol derailment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

By JOSH FUNK and TRISHA AHMED (Associated Press)PRINSBURG, Minn. (AP) — Hundreds of people had to evacuate their Minnesota hometown after a train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire early Thursday, but authorities are hopeful that the quick response and cold weather will help limit the impact of this latest crash.Still, those pushing to improve rail safety said Thursday’s derailment only adds urgency to the debate over reforms Congress and regulators are considering even as officials seemed to apply some of the lessons learned after last month’s fiery derailment near East Palestine, Ohio.Minnesota officials said the BNSF train derailed around 1 a.m. Thursday in the town of Raymond, roughly 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Minneapolis. That prompted the evacuation of essentially all of the town’s 250 homes because they were within 1/2 mile (0.8 kilometers) of the derailment. The evacuation order was lifted around noon.The nation has been ...

Easton Police identify Clark Grant, indicted on federal fraud charges with wife Monica Cannon-Grant, as person who died in motorcycle crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

Clark Grant, who along with his wife Monica Cannon-Grant was federally indicted on a string of fraud charges, has died in a motorcycle accident in Easton. He was 39.Easton Police responded to a crash on Route 138, the nearest address being 479 Turnpike Street, at around 5:50 p.m. Wednesday and found a motorcyclist “suffering from traumatic injuries” lying in the roadway, according to a statement the department issued this afternoon.That motorcyclist was identified as Clark Grant, 39, of Taunton. He was treated by local firefighters and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.A spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney’s office confirmed that Grant is the same Clark Grant facing federal charges.“We are horrified and deeply saddened by the loss of this great man. He will forever be missed,” said Chris Malcolm, Monica Cannon-Grant’s attorney, in a statement for the family. “Monica heard fro...

Severe thunderstorm warning issued for San Diego

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO - A severe thunderstorm warning was issued Thursday morning for several cities in San Diego County.The National Weather Service in San Diego issued the warning for San Diego, National City and Coronado. The warning expires at 11 a.m.NWS said wind up to 60 mph and penny-sized hail was possible. Tornado warning briefly issued in North County: NWS Earlier Thursday, a tornado warning was briefly issued for parts of North County. That warning expired at 10:30 a.m.

Padres announce Opening Day roster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Happy Opening Day!The San Diego Padres have finalized their roster for the first game of the 2023 season, the team announced Thursday.Ahead of the roster announcement, Padres General Manager A.J. Preller announced several roster moves. The club selected the contracts of outfielder David Dahl, infielder Rougned Odor and pitcher Domingo Tapia. Going to Padres opening day? Here’s what to know Catcher Brett Sullivan was optioned to Triple-A El Paso and pitcher Michel Baez was designated for assignment, according to team officials.Here is the 26-man roster for the Padres on Opening Day at Petco Park:Right handed pitchers: Nabil Crismatt, Yu Darvish, Luis García, Brent Honeywell, Seth Lugo, Nick Martinez, Domingo Tapia, Michael Wacha, Steven WilsonLeft-handed pitchers: Josh Hader, Tim Hill, Blake Snell, Ryan WeathersCatchers: Luis Campusano, Austin NolaInfielders: Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter, Jake Cronenworth, Nelson Cruz, Ha-Seong Kim, Manny Machado, Rougned ...

College ends partnership with school over the David issue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

HILLSDALE, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan college has ended its partnership with a Florida charter school whose principal was forced to resign after a parent complained sixth graders were exposed to pornography during a lesson on Renaissance art that included Michelangelo’s David sculpture.A Hillsdale College spokesperson said Tallahassee Classical School no longer is affiliated with the small, Christian classical liberal arts college in southern Michigan, MLive.com reported Thursday.“This drama around teaching Michelangelo’s ‘David’ sculpture, one of the most important works of art in existence, has become a distraction from, and a parody of, the actual aims of classical education,” spokesperson Emily Stack Davis wrote in a statement. “Of course, Hillsdale’s K-12 art curriculum includes Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and other works of art that depict the human form.”Tallahassee Classical School was licensed to use Hillsdale’s classical education curriculum, but its license was “revok...

Biden calls to revive bank regulations that Trump weakened

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Weeks after the failure of two banks, President Joe Biden called Thursday for independent regulatory agencies to impose tighter rules on the financial system, telling them that they can act under current law without additional steps taken by Congress.The recommended changes outlined by the White House try to put a clear blame on the Trump administration for weakening supervision of regional banks, issuing a fact sheet that said Biden’s predecessor “weakened many important common-sense requirements and supervision.”Rattling the financial markets and U.S. voters alike, the California-based Silicon Valley Bank and New York-based Signature Bank failed over the course of a weekend and required government intervention. Then another financial institution, First Republic Bank, received an emergency $30 billion infusion of funds from 11 large private banks.Biden wants to revive and expand rules for mid-size banks that face less scrutiny than the industry’s behemoths, with a...

Boston auction of signed Zelenskyy painting to help Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — An original painting of Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed by the Ukrainian president is being sold at auction, and proceeds from the sale will be used to benefit the nation’s people suffering during its war with Russia.Bidding on the 40-by-24-inch (101.5-by-61-centimeter) painting by American artist Oleg Jones starts at $50,000, and the goal is to sell it for at least $100,000, Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of auctioneer RR Auction in Boston, said Thursday.The painting features an image of Zelenskyy against the background of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag. Several raised stars in the upper left of the piece form a heart around the gold trident from the nation’s coat of arms.The acrylic paints are coated in resin sprinkled with glass dust, giving it a sparkling effect.It is signed, in English, “Zelenskyy, Glory to Ukraine.” It’s also signed by the artist.The auction, which concludes April 12, includes photos of the president signing i...

Kentucky House panel advances medical marijuana bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:42 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky House committee advanced a medical marijuana bill Thursday, putting lawmakers on the brink of legalizing access to medical cannabis for people suffering from a series of debilitating illnesses.The long-debated measure was sent to the full House, setting up a potentially historic vote on final passage in the waning hours of this year’s legislative session.If the bill clears the Republican-led legislature, it would go to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. The governor took executive action last year to relax the prohibition on medical cannabis, but has said it’s no substitute for outright legalization, which requires legislative approval.Under the measure, medical cannabis could be prescribed for a list of conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder.“We need your help to make us be safer, so we don’t have to use all these pharmaceuticals and opioids,” said longtime m...