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☆ Westminster Dog Show 2024: Sage the Miniature Poodle wins Best in Show
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sage the Miniature Poodle has won best in show at the 2024 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. She’s a Miniature Poodle, and is the 4th of her kind to claim Westminster’s Best in Show. Sage, a Miniature Poodle from Houston, Texas, wins Best in Show during the 2024 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Westminster Dog Show has been delighting lovers of finely-groomed pups since 1877, making it the second-oldest continuously held sporting event in the US after the Kentucky Derby. The Westminster Dog Show is also the perfect place to learn fun facts about dogs, like the fact that three US presidents have owned Scottish Terriers or that dogs from Canada hold six Westminster “Best in Show” titles.

Persons: CNN —, Mercedes, Shepherd, Sage isn’t, Kena Betancur, Louis, Frankie, Monty, Rosalind Kramer, Kramer, ”, “, Kaz Hosaka Organizations: CNN, Westminster Kennel, Westminster, Getty, Kentucky Derby, Shepherd, Afghan, Tzu, Kennel Club, Scottish Terriers, Westminster “ Locations: Houston , Texas, New York City, Kena, AFP, Tzu Woking, Canada

☆ Opinion: In a two-issue election, Biden should act now on immigration
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Bill Maher recently said on his show that the 2024 election was going to be fought over two issues: immigration and abortion. Each party has an advantage, the Democrats on abortion and the Republicans on immigration. Now, it’s abortion rights voters who are energized, fueled by states like Arizona that are putting in place draconian restrictions on abortion. With the margins small in many swing states, abortion could be the issue that brings out suburban women, who could tilt those states blue in November. Joe Biden needs to be caught trying to solve the immigration crisis.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, Bill Maher, Roe, Wade, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, don’t, Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Bill Clinton Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, Republican Party, Republican, Trump, US, EU, Homeland, Democratic, Senate, National Guard Locations: Arizona, America, Sweden, United States, New York City, El Paso, Stockholm, Europe

☆ Book bans are accelerating across the country amid right-wing pressure campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But, as they try to claim that mantle, many of those same forces in media and politics are behind a disturbing wave of book bans sweeping the nation. PEN America, a non-profit organization committed to protecting free expression, published an alarming report Tuesday indicating that the “book ban crisis” is only getting worse. “There were over 4,000 instances of book bans in the first half of this school year—more than all of last school year as a whole. In doing so, they have also disproportionately targeted books by women and nonbinary authors,” PEN America said. Ted Shaffrey/APSuch brazen book bans — unprecedented in modern American history — is at its worst in the red states of Florida and Texas.

Persons: New York CNN —, Nikole Hannah, Margaret Atwood’s, ” Amy Reed’s, Rupi, “, ”, ’ ‘, Ted Shaffrey, Ron DeSantis, Abdi Nazemian, I’ve, ” Nazemian, “ I’ve, ” Kasey Meehan, Read, we’re Organizations: New York CNN, PEN America, The New York Times, ” PEN America, Central Library, Brooklyn Public Library, PEN Locations: New York, USA, birthed, ’, New York City, Florida, Texas, In Florida, In Texas, Iranian, Iowa

☆ ‘Rust’ shooting: Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed to be sentenced Monday for involuntary manslaughter
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Christina Maxouris | Cheri Mossburg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the “Rust” film armorer who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month for the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday morning in a New Mexico courtroom. Bowles maintains his 26-year-old client has been scapegoated for the safety failures of film set management and other crew members. Prosecutors also cited jail calls in which Gutierrez Reed allegedly complained “about the negative affects this incident has had on her life” and called jurors derogatory names. “She had six, six live rounds on that movie set, the earliest date that I can track them for you is October 10, (2021),” the prosecutor said. “(Gutierrez Reed) could not anticipate what Baldwin would do.

Persons: CNN — Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Halyna Hutchins, Hutchins, Alec Baldwin, Gutierrez Reed, ”, Gutierrez Reed –, –, Jason Bowles, Bowles, Gutierrez Reed’s, Kari Morrissey, Morrissey, Jason Lewis, “, Prosecutors, Baldwin, Joel Souza, Souza, Hannah Gutierrez, ” Morrissey, Hannah, David Halls Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, “ Management Locations: New Mexico, Santa Fe, Russian

☆ Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed: Prosecutors ask for maximum sentence of 18 months in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Gutierrez Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March in relation to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Gutierrez Reed, who was responsible for firearm safety and storage on the movie’s set, is set to be sentenced Monday. Along with facing the maximum time in prison, Gutierrez Reed also faces a $5,000 fine as part of the sentence. Like Gutierrez Reed, Baldwin, who was holding the weapon, is now also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in Hutchins’ death. The special prosecutor’s office cited summaries of some of her jailhouse calls as one of the reasons why Gutierrez Reed should be given the maximum sentence.

Persons: “ Rust, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Gutierrez Reed, Halyna Hutchins, Hutchins, Alec Baldwin, Baldwin, Gutierrez Reed’s, ”, Hutchins ’ Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, ” CNN Locations: New Mexico

☆ Chicago police shooting: 96 shots fired in a fatal traffic stop. Here’s what the bodycam footage shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Omar Jimenez | Holly Yan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Across the country, police bodycam footage has played an increasing role in raising awareness and understanding about officer-involved shootings. A Chicago police officer gives Dexter Reed several commands before gunfire breaks out. Other bodycam videos show at least two other officers firing toward Reed from across the street in the residential neighborhood. “Upon stopping Mr. Reed, multiple officers surrounded his vehicle while giving verbal commands. “Review of video footage and initial reports appears to confirm that Mr. Reed fired first, striking the officer and four officers returned fire,” the office said.

Persons: Dexter Reed’s, Dexter Reed, ”, Reed, Dexter Reed Porscha Banks, Dexter Reed , Jr, COPA, “ Mr, “ Dexter, Steven Hart, ” Dexter Reed Porscha Banks, Roosevelt Banks, ” Banks, “, ” John Catanzara Jr, Kim Foxx, ” Foxx, –, Jack Hannah, Cheri Mossburg Organizations: Chicago CNN, Chicago, Chicago’s Civilian Office, Police, COPA Chicago “, Injury, Chicago Police, Civilian Office, COPA, “, of Police Chicago Lodge, CNN, Chicago Police Department Locations: Garfield, Chicago, Chicago's Garfield, Cook County

☆ Opinion: Why a booming economy isn’t helping Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It used to be that the public’s view of the president depended mostly on its view of the economy. Democrats who had previously thought the economy was in terrible shape now thought it was booming, and Republicans did the opposite. I argue in the book that it is identity — which encompasses culture, class and tribalism. And when people see their world in flux, they often move not left on economics but right on culture. The left needs to play more effectively on the new crossroads of politics, where culture and class have replaced economics.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, Joe Biden’s, haywire, It’s, Nate Cohn, Barack Obama’s, Donald Trump, ’, Trump, Ronald Inglehart, —, Inglehart, John Burn, “ Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, The New York Times, Immigration, Trump Locations: America, Sweden, Denmark, France, Austria, Germany, Japan, United States, Nigeria

☆ Opinion: The world’s dangerous place has only gotten more dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: Fareed Zakaria is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS, airing at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET and PT tonight on CNN, Fareed’s latest special report, “Taiwan: Unfinished Business,” will examine the complicated history and present dangers surrounding Taiwan. The backdrop to the tensions over Taiwan is, of course, the expanding geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States. Washington has been willing to accept China’s claims on Taiwan as long as it did not use coercion to achieve them. This is one place on Earth where there should be little room for macho rhetoric and provocative actions.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, Fareed’s, ”, —, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Graham Allison, “, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, Mao Zedong Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, Unfinished, Harvard, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Getty, America Locations: Taiwan, China, United States, Soviet, Asia, Woodside , Calif, AFP, Soviet Union, Pakistan, India, People’s Republic of China, Communist China, Washington, Beijing

The situation was so dire last year at one Walgreens store in San Francisco, employees resorted to padlocking frozen foods. The effort to undo some aspects of Prop 47 comes amid a broader check on some other liberal crime enforcement policies in America. Police data shows that larceny theft, which includes retail theft and car break-ins, is down 37% from this time last year. On Tuesday, San Francisco voters approved two ballot measures spearheaded by Breed. Last September, the state announced it would be sending $267 million to law enforcement agencies throughout the state to tackle organized retail theft.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, It’s, ”, Jason Henry, “, Marlene Harden’s, Harden, Chloe, …, ” Harden, Marlene Harden's, Thanh Tran, Tran, Ella Baker, CNN Lenore Anderson, ” Anderson, Richard Bailey of Coronado, Breed, Tayfun, –, Miracle, don’t, We’re, Newsom, He’s Organizations: San Francisco CNN —, Republican, Democratic, Democratic Gov, CNN, Public, Institute of California, state’s Department of Justice, Walgreens, Walmart, ” Walmart, Westfield San Francisco Centre, New York Times, “ Walgreens, ”, National Retail Federation, Target, Ella Baker Center for Human, Attorneys, San Francisco Mayor London, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Anadolu Agency, San Francisco Chronicle, Police, “, San Francisco, Breed Locations: San, California, San Francisco, America, Oregon’s, San Diego County, Francisco, Texas, South Carolina

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The trial and conviction of a movie armorer in connection with a fatal shooting on the set of the Western movie “Rust” has given Alec Baldwin and his legal team a unusual window into how his own trial in the death could unfold. Baldwin’s trial is scheduled for July and will involve the same judge and prosecutors as well as many of the same witnesses. But Gutierrez-Reed's trial included previously undisclosed testimony from eyewitnesses to the shooting. “Alec Baldwin’s conduct and his lack of gun safety inside that church on that day is something that he’s going to have to answer for," prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in her closing arguments against Gutierrez-Reed. The filming of “Rust” moved to Montana after the shooting in New Mexico, under an agreement with Hutchins' widower, Matthew Hutchins, that made him an executive producer.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, convicting armorer Hannah Gutierrez, Reed, Halyna Hutchins, Baldwin, “, Hutchins, Joel Souza, Gutierrez, Emily D, Baker, wasn't, Hannah, ”, Reed's, Bryan Carpenter, Souza, Dave Halls, Mamie Mitchell, Alec Baldwin’s, Kari Morrissey, ” Morrissey, Jason Lewis, Attorney Mary Carmack, Altwies, Carmack, Ross Addiego, “ Rust ”, Matthew Hutchins, ___ Dalton Organizations: SANTA FE, New, Forensic Science Services, Gutierrez, Attorney, Democratic Locations: SANTA, New Mexico, Gutierrez, Angeles, Santa Fe, Arizona, Montana, Los Angeles

“She had six, six live rounds on that movie set, the earliest date that I can track them for you is October 10,” special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said during closing arguments Wednesday. “(Gutierrez Reed) could not anticipate what Baldwin would do. “She opened up the latch to the revolver, I recall seeing three to four, what I believed to be dummy rounds,” Halls testified. He later added: “I don’t recall her fully rotating the cylinder.”David Halls, assistant film director on "Rust," testifies February 29 during Hannah Gutierrez Reed's involuntary manslaughter trial. “Alec Baldwin’s conduct and his lack of gun safety … on that day is something that he’s going to have to answer for.

Persons: Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Halyna Hutchins, Alec Baldwin, Gutierrez Reed, Baldwin, Hutchins, Joel Souza, Souza, Gutierrez, “, Kari Morrissey, ” Gutierrez Reed’s, Jason Bowles, Luis Sánchez Saturno, Bowles, ”, Hannah, ” Bowles, David Halls, Hannah Gutierrez, Gabriela Campos, Halls, Morrissey, Alec Baldwin’s Organizations: CNN, Santa Fe, “ Management Locations: Russian, Santa, Mexican, Santa Fe County

☆ ‘Rust’ director recounts the moment he was shot on set, during testimony in trial of armorer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Cheri Mossburg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Joel Souza, the director and screenwriter of the “Rust” film, took to the stand Friday in the involuntary manslaughter trial of the film’s armorer, to testify about the moment he was shot on set. “There was an incredibly loud bang” unlike typical discharges on set, Souza testified. “I distinctly remember (Hutchins) being lowered to the ground, people had her sort of on either side. “I remember initially thinking, ‘Had she been startled by it?’ and then I saw the blood on her back.” Hutchins was fatally shot during the October 2021 incident. At the hospital, the filmmaker said did not understand he had been shot by a bullet.

Persons: CNN — Joel Souza, Souza, ” Souza, Halyna Hutchins, Hutchins, “, ‘, ” Hutchins, armorer Hannah Guttierez Reed, ”, ‘ I’m, Joel ’, ‘ It’s, ’, Gutierrez Reed, Alec Baldwin, Jason Lewis, Gutierrez Reed’s, Reed, Baldwin Organizations: CNN, New Locations: New Mexico

☆ Opinion: Why Iran hates America
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iran, and particularly its hostile relationship with the US, is firmly at the center. The story is more complicated than that, as I lay out in my CNN special report “Why Iran Hates America,” airing Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. But suffice it to say that America’s relationship with Iran has been hostile and confrontational for more than four decades. Washington has viewed the fall of the Shah’s Iran as a deep betrayal from which it has never really recovered. As Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif pointed out to me, the Iran nuclear deal was premised not on trust but on mistrust.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, CNNi, Yemen’s Houthis, jihadism, Majid Saeedi, Iran’s, Shah, Jimmy Carter, It’s, Ronald Reagan, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Hassan Rouhani, Javad Zarif, premised, Donald Trump, Rouhani Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, Sunday, US, Iranian, Washington Locations: Iran, Israel, Gaza, An Iran, Jordan, Washington, Tehran, Britain, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, —, Moscow, Roman, America, United States

☆ Opinion: Conflict is the new normal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Fareed Zakaria is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS, airing at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. But conflict is the new normal. The war is going badly for Ukraine, which is critically outgunned and outmanned by its much larger adversary. The IDF’s goal is to weaken Hezbollah to the point that the roughly 80,000 Israelis who fled their homes in northern Israel can return. At some point, Hezbollah might respond forcefully, which could trigger an Israeli incursion into Lebanon, truly widening the war.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Amir Levy, —, don’t Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, European, Gulf, Israel Defense Forces, United, British Navy, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, European, North Korea, Cuba, China, India, Turkey, Gulf States, Gaza, Hamas, British, Palestinian, Israel, Lebanon, North, Suez, United States, Red

☆ ‘Rust’ film armorer’s manslaughter trial opens with both sides debating whose negligence matters most
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Christina Maxouris | Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Gutierrez Reed, Bowles pointed out, was just 24 at the time and had to split her time as both armorer and props assistant. “When the state talks about Ms. Gutierrez Reed being negligent, what really happened is production was negligent,” he said. Gutierrez Reed is the first person to stand trial in a case that has highlighted the movie industry’s safety standards – and this specific set’s violations of them. "Rust" film armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed has pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the probable cause statement, Gutierrez Reed also left a cart that contained ammunition unsecured and unsupervised during the break.

Persons: “ Rust, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s, Halyna Hutchins, Jason Lewis, Gutierrez, ”, “, Jason Bowles, Alec Baldwin, Gutierrez Reed, Bowles, Hutchins, Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Pool Baldwin, David Halls, Gutierrez Reed’s, ” Bowles, –, Halls, Lisa Torraco, ” Torraco, Joel Souza, Souza, Mario Anzuoni, Gutierrez Reed “, “ Reed, Melina Spadone, ” CNN’s Josh Campbell Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, NBC, Getty, KOAT, –, Los Angeles Times, Times, Reuters, New, Rust Movie, OHSB, Sheriff's, Getty Images Defense Locations: Mexico, Santa Fe, California, New Mexico

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson and his Legacy Motor Club race team welcomed Creed to NASCAR with arms wide open. So singer Scott Stapp and the rest of the multi-platinum rock band filled them — they handed Johnson an autographed guitar. Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, joked he quickly needed lessons. 84 Toyota on the scoring pylon and now the band and the seven-time NASCAR champion are in the Daytona 500. Legacy Motor Club reached an associate sponsorship deal with the band to give Creed a spot on the Toyota for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Persons: — Jimmie Johnson, Creed, Scott Stapp, Johnson, ” Stapp, Gibson, Erik Jones ’, Jones, “ We’re, ”, Mark Tremonti, Richard Petty, “, Stapp, Tremonti, Brian Marshall, Scott Phillips, Madison Marsh, DJ Khaled, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Pitbull, ” Tremonti Organizations: DAYTONA, Motor, NASCAR, Toyota, of Fame, GNR, Daytona Locations: Fla

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former interim mayor of San Francisco announced Tuesday he's running for his previous job, joining a competitive field of candidates who say the city has crumbled under the watch of Mayor London Breed, who is up for reelection this year. The lawyer and former city supervisor said he had not planned to return to politics but feels he has the right skills to turn San Francisco around. While she's not on the March 5 ballot, Breed is pushing a pair of public safety proposals that are. Critics say the ballot measures are not in line with San Francisco voters who value privacy over surveillance and encouraging rather than mandating participating in drug treatment programs. Meanwhile, political action committees supporting Breed have raised $1.3 million, including $200,000 from Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor.

Persons: —, London Breed, Mark Farrell, Breed, Ed Lee, San, ” Eric Jaye, “, ” Jaye, San Jose . San, Farrell, Ahsha Safaí, Daniel Lurie, Levi Strauss, she's, Lurie, E, Miriam Haas, Haas, Michael Bloomberg, Safaí Organizations: FRANCISCO, San Francisco, London, Associated Press, Democratic, New York City Locations: San Francisco, Francisco's, San Jose ., San Jose . San Francisco, New York

☆ Nine hours at the most unhinged hole in golf
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Zak Jason | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

But this was Saturday at the 16th hole of Phoenix’s Waste Management Open, also known as the loudest day at the Loudest Hole in Golf, also known as the Greatest Show on Grass. “We’re so back.”In theory, this was a professional golf tournament, one of the oldest on the PGA Tour. Iwas there as an inevitable result of being in all-male group chat, its own black hole of feral manhood. Few were watching golf; most were huddled in circles many yards from the 16th hole, drinking and people-watching. That’s worth the wait.”Inside our box, golf continued to happen, but if the golfers weren’t teeing off, no one was watching the course.

Persons: seltzer, “ He’s, ”, —, Vuori, Oxford —, there’d, Creed’s, Scott Stapp sauntering, Christian Petersen, Getty “ Scott Stapp, “, Miller, George Bush, Orlando Ramirez, Getty, ” He’d, ctT5HMvIyg, Happy, Thomas Jefferson, MAGA, Him Cook, Ross D, Jesus Christ, Johnny, weren’t teeing, Hey, Potter, hal, Ben Jared, shitshow ” Organizations: Waste, Oxford, PGA, NBC, Alabama, pats, BlackRock, Bulls, WM, SEC, Happy Gilmore Bruins, Mardi Gras, Franklin, Waste Management Locations: Patagonia, Phoenix

☆ Opinion: The border compromise would’ve helped—a lot
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Today, people come to the border and rather than running away from the law they run toward it. “He is enforcing the laws; the problem is that the laws need to change.”It’s not just the laws. But again, that requires changes to asylum laws. Were it to pass, it might well solve large parts of the border problem — which would not serve him politically. He wrote on social media, “This Bill is a great gift to the Democrats.”The rest of the West is facing a similar challenge and is grappling with how to adjust immigration and asylum laws.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk, Steve Scalise, ”, Trump, “, Oklahoma Sen, James Lankford, ’, ’ ” Trump, David Frum, ” Frum, ” It’s Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, Democratic Party, Republicans, Texas Gov, Florida Gov, Elon, Oklahoma, Customs Enforcement, Senate, White House, Democratic Locations: Texas, Florida, America

The heightened concerns over the RNC’s latest financial problems are just the tipping point in a yearslong struggle between Trump and the committee. Trump has asked allies and aides in the past why the RNC must remain neutral in the GOP presidential primary. Trump had previously endorsed both Gruters and Whatley for officer positions at the RNC, but both lost their respective bids. Still, two people familiar with Reed’s departure stressed that his move to the private sector was unrelated to the tensions between Trump and McDaniel. Trump and the RNC need each otherDespite the broader tensions that are playing out both privately and publicly, the Trump campaign and the RNC have a lot to gain from each other.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Ronna McDaniel, McDaniel’s, McDaniel, Michael Whatley, Drew McKissick, Sen, Joe Gruters, Gruters, Whatley, — Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, What’s, Mike Reed, ”, —, “ They’ll, he’s, “ That’s, “ Organizations: CNN, Republican National Committee, Republican, RNC, South Carolina, Trump, North Carolina Republican, South Carolina Republican, GOP, Victory, White Locations: Lago, Florida

☆ What Does Being Sober Mean Today? For Many, Not Full Abstinence.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Ernesto Londoño | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mike Reed, a musician and Uber driver in Arizona, said he quit drinking alcohol more than a decade ago when his roommates got so fed up with his unruly behavior that they threatened to kick him out. Sobriety became such a core part of Mr. Reed’s identity that he launched an online dating website called “Single & Sober,” but in 2020, Mr. Reed, a Navy veteran, said he found himself struggling as his sister, who had Down syndrome, was dying of cancer. Mr. Reed, 43, began smoking marijuana. More recently, he went to a clinic for infusions of ketamine, and tried tiny doses of psychoactive mushrooms. Mr. Reed said those substances improved his mood — and he still regards himself as sober, because he remains alcohol free.

Persons: Mike Reed, Reed Organizations: Navy Locations: Arizona

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A relative of a slain Black 14-year-old is calling for a white Kansas teen to be tried on federal hate crime charges in the shooting death, noting recent testimony about threatening racial slurs. Derrick Del Reed was 17 when Shaw was killed in March but is charged as an adult with first-degree murder. During the preliminary hearing in August, a detective testified Reed used threatening racial slurs in Snapchat messages sent the morning of the shooting. Reed said in the messages he was tired of fighting with Shaw and his friends and was ready to start shooting, the detective testified. Shaw was at least half a football field away from Reed’s front door when gunfire erupted, witness testimony showed.

Persons: LAWRENCE, Kan, Michael Berry, Kamarjay Shaw, Kate Brubacher, Derrick Del Reed, Shaw, Reed, didn't Organizations: Lawrence, Associated Press Locations: Kansas, Snapchat

☆ Bill Richardson Reveled in Role of Freelance Envoy to Dictators
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Michael Crowley | More About Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the U.S. government was urging Americans to stay away from Russia. That’s when Bill Richardson boarded a plane to Moscow. The former New Mexico congressman, governor and cabinet member was pursuing his passion: freelance diplomacy with a dangerous foreign government. In a call to Mr. Reed’s parents, an aide to Mr. Richardson said his boss was on a “guerrilla mission,” they would later recall. Either way, the Russian mission was classic Bill Richardson.

Persons: That’s, Bill Richardson, Richardson, Trevor Reed, Reed’s, ”, Reed, Richardson’s, Biden, — Organizations: U.S, New, U.S . Marine, State Department Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, New Mexico, U.S, Russian

☆ It’s not just crime: What’s really going on with San Francisco’s shrinking retail district
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Mapping the exodusUnion Square has historically been a major commercial hub in the heart of San Francisco’s downtown. A complicated decline in downtownThe reasons for downtown San Francisco’s economic troubles are multi-faceted. In addition, San Francisco’s downtown has experienced a rise in its unhoused population. As San Francisco’s downtown area has emptied over the last three years, property crimes and retail thefts have risen, according to San Francisco Police Department data. Travel to San Francisco has yet to recover fully to pre-pandemic levels, according to data from San Francisco International Airport.

Persons: —, ”, Elon Musk, Tesla, Francisco, “, Lori Lincoln, San Francisco —, Lincoln, Breed, Alexander Quinn, Breed’s, Sarang Peruri Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Lease, Google, city’s, Nordstrom, CNN, Westfield, San Francisco Centre, KGO, University of California, San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco International, San Francisco Travel, Tourism, San, Oxford Economics, Asia hasn’t, San Francisco Mayor London, Francisco’s, Oxford Capital Group, Ikea, IKEA Locations: Francisco’s, United States, San Francisco’s, Union, Westfield, San Francisco, San, California, Redfin, Palo Alto, Asia, Americas, Europe, Pacific, San Mateo, Lincoln, China, Downtown, Chicago

☆ How a Small Gender Clinic Landed in a Political Storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Azeen Ghorayshi | More About Azeen Ghorayshi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The small Midwestern gender clinic was buckling under an unrelenting surge in demand. Last year, dozens of young patients were seeking appointments every month, far too many for the clinic’s two psychologists to screen. Opened in 2017 inside a children’s hospital affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis, the prestigious clinic was welcomed by many families as a godsend. But as the number of these patients soared, the clinic became overwhelmed — and soon found itself at the center of a political storm. advocates have pointed to parents who disputed her account in local news reports and to a Washington University investigation that determined her claims were “unsubstantiated.”

Persons: Louis, —, Jamie Reed, Reed’s, ” Organizations: Washington University, Republican, L.G.B.T.Q Locations: St, Missouri

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