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Juanita Castro, anti-communist sister of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul, dies in Miami at 90

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

By TERRY SPENCER and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON (Associated Press)MIAMI (AP) — Juanita Castro, the sister of Cuban rulers Fidel and Raúl Castro who worked with the CIA against their communist government, has died in Miami at 90. Florida had been her home since shortly after fleeing the island nearly 60 years ago. Journalist María Antonieta Collins, who co-wrote Juanita Castro’s 2009 book, “Fidel and Raúl, My Brothers. The Secret History,” wrote on Instagram that she died on Monday. “Juanita Castro was ahead of us on the path of life and death, exceptional woman, tireless fighter for the cause of her Cuba that I love so much,” Collins wrote.The Cuban government and media had not mentioned her death as of Wednesday.In her book, Juanita Castro, a staunch anti-communist, wrote that she began collaborating with the CIA shortly after the United States botched the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. She had originally supported her older brothers’...

12 Christmas and holiday romance novels to warm your winter or give as gifts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

As the temperature drops and the nights grow longer, the idea of a date night with a good romance novel sounds like an ideal plan. So grab a glass of wine or cup of hot cocoa and curl up in front of the fireplace with one of these holiday reads. You won’t be the only one.“I love holiday romances! What could be better than being snowed in at a remote cabin with your work nemesis – or needing a fake date for your work holiday party?” says Leah Koch, co-owner of the Culver City (and now Brooklyn) romance bookshop, The Ripped Bodice. With romance novels booming — sales were up 34.6% in the first half of 2023, according to “Publishers Weekly” — and a bounty of subgenres catering to virtually any interest, there’s no shortage of holiday-themed stories of love and adventure. Along with Koch, we turned to local romance experts for guidance, including Wendy Crutcher, head of collection development for L.A. County Library, Thomas Murtland, co-owner of Monrovia’s Underdog Bookstore and Sara Ha...

Air Force Reserve staff sergeant arrested on felony charges for role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER (Associated Press)A staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from Texas was arrested Wednesday on felony charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, where authorities say he pushed and grabbed police officers and called one officer a “traitor.” Kyle Douglas McMahan, 41, of Watauga, was taken into custody in Dallas nearly three years after authorities say he joined the pro-Trump mob that attacked the Capitol wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat with “God” written on it in black marker. After the riot, his Google search history included: “Can I resign from the military if I do not want to serve an illegitimate president?” and “capitol terrorists identified,” according to court papers. He faces felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and obstruction of law enforcement, as well as additional misdemeanor offenses. There was no lawyer immediately named in the court docket. ...

Red Sox lose pitchers Shane Drohan, Ryan Fernandez in Rule 5 Draft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

The Red Sox lost a pair of pitching prospects in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, with left-hander Shane Drohan selected No. 4 overall by the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Ryan Fernandez going No. 6 to the St. Louis Cardinals.Drohan, 24, was Boston’s No. 19 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The left-hander got off to a fantastic start this past season in Double-A but struggled badly following his promotion to Triple-A. The Red Sox subsequently left him unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and it was widely expected he might be taken by another team.Fernandez, 25, is another arm believed to be a candidate for Rule 5 selection. The hard throwing reliever boasts great stuff, including a fastball touching 99 mph, and he projects as someone who could realistically stick in a big league bullpen.By rule, players selected in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 Draft must stay on their new team’s active big league roster for the full season. If they do...

Ballot initiative to nix MCAS graduation requirement hits highest signature count this election cycle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

The ballot initiative to toss out the MCAS graduation requirement reached 135,000 signatures ahead of the deadline, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and allies announced Wednesday — the most signatures collected by any initiative this election cycle.“The people are letting us know that all students deserve an education that is well-rounded and focused on students – not a one-time test score,” MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy said.The MCAS petition was one of several ballot initiatives to meet the Wednesday deadline to collect 75,000 signatures and move forward to being placed on the November 2024 general election ballot.Educators, parents and advocates behind the MCAS initiative met on the steps of the State House on Wednesday morning to announce the signature count and walk the last 20,000 signatures over to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.The question would end the use of the test as a graduation requirement, not nix the test altogether. The un...

Massive police response to shooting on UNLV campus, students told to run, hide, fight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Las Vegas police are reporting a suspect in the UNLV campus shooting Wednesday is dead. Metropolitan police responded to reports of an active shooter at the UNLV campus before noon and said "There appears to be multiple victims at this time." Maryland Parkway is closed to traffic near UNLV and drivers are urged to stay away from the area.UNLV Police sent out a social post about the shots fired in the BEH (Beam Hall) building. They told students and faculty to evacuate to a safe area. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT is what campus police posted and sent to students.One UNLV student spoke with 8 News Now. Officers from every police agency responded to the active shooting call.Beam Hall is the home of the Lee Business School and is near the Student Union building.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Degrassi lands three-part docuseries that will school fans in its enduring legacy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

TORONTO — Production is underway on a three-part documentary that promises a crash course on the history of Degrassi.WildBrain Ltd., which owns the rights to the Canadian-made teen franchise, says it has commissioned a TV project that aims to explore the backstory, creation and obsessive fandom of the show’s many iterations.While a release date hasn’t been set, the creators say the documentary will feature behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast members, crew and fans.The project is being directed by Lisa Rideout whose previous work includes “Sex with Sue,” about Canadian sex educator Sue Johanson, and the Netflix music docuseries “This is Pop.”Originally co-created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood, Degrassi began in 1979 as a run of CBC after-school specials known as “The Kids of Degrassi Street,” and spun off into “Degrassi Junior High” and “Degrassi High” in the 1980s.Across its six series and four d...

48 Haitian migrants have been detained on an uninhabited island west of Puerto Rico

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — U.S. federal authorities said Wednesday that they detained 48 Haitian migrants who were abandoned by smugglers on an uninhabited island between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.U.S. Customs and Border Protection said park rangers on Mona Island alerted authorities to the arrival of 41 men and seven women.Haitian migrants are increasingly being dropped off on the rugged island surrounded by treacherous waters as they flee poverty and gang violence consuming their country.In June 2022, at least five Haitian migrants died and 68 others were rescued after authorities said smugglers dropped the group off in waters near Mona Island.The Associated Press

New GOP-favored Georgia congressional map nears passage as the end looms for redistricting session

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia special session to redraw congressional and legislative voting district maps is likely to end Thursday after a House committee on Wednesday advanced a Republican-favored congressional map that targets Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s current district.However, the wrangling is unlikely to end there, with those who brought the challenges that overturned the current maps likely to argue in court that Georgia’s Republican-controlled General Assembly has violated the federal court order that directed them to produce new maps.The House Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, with little debate, voted 9-4 on Wednesday to send the congressional map to the full House for a vote. The plan, which passed the state Senate 33-22 on Tuesday, seeks a wholesale reconfiguration of a suburban Atlanta district now represented by McBath. Lawmakers were called into special session after U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled in October that Georgia’s congression...

Opening month of mobile sports betting goes smoothly in Maine as bettors wager nearly $40 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:47 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Bettors wagered nearly $40 million in Maine during the first month online sports betting became legal, with the state’s tribes, two vendors and state government receiving benefits, officials said.All told, $37.5 million was spent in Maine on online sports bets from Nov. 3 to the end of the month, according to the Gambling Control Unit, part of the Maine Department of Public Safety.Milt Champion, director of the Gambling Control Unit, said the rollout went smoothly with only a handful of complaints and no spike in calls to a hotline for people with gambling problems.“Everybody’s behaving, and it’s really nice,” he said Wednesday.Democratic Gov. Janet Mills gave exclusives rights to online sports betting to federally recognized Native American tribes in the state, providing an olive branch after she scuttled a proposal for greater sovereignty for the tribes in 2022. Existing casinos, meanwhile, are allowed to conduct in-person betting. Most of t...