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☆ A Lego Crime, a YouTube Rivalry, and the End of a Star Wars Friendship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Those who are into Lego Star Wars are among the most popular. It was at an informal contest where Louis met Victor, a fellow Lego Star Wars fanatic. Soon they ranked among the most popular Lego Star Wars YouTubers in France, known for the size and scope of their MOCs. The two friends no longer fit with that satisfying click that comes from snapping together two Lego bricks. Though it must have taken a truck to haul away all of Louis' Lego, no neighbor reported seeing anything suspicious.

☆ A New York university fired two employees after they included their pronouns in work emails, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Houghton University has dismissed 2 employees over the usage of pronouns in emails, per The New York Times. Raegan Zelaya and Shua Wilmot pointed to their gender-neutral names in explaining their use of pronouns. A university spokesperson told The Times said the institution has never "solely" terminated anyone over pronoun usage. Zelaya and Wilmot told The Times they had a reason for choosing to utilize pronouns in their emails, pointing to their gender-neutral names that sometimes cause people to misgender. The firings at Houghton University are the latest flashpoint amid an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation and movements across the country.

☆ Shermane Billingsley, Guardian of the Stork Club’s Legacy, Dies at 78
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Shermane Billingsley was barely 2 years old when the Broadway gossip columnist Dorothy Kilgallen revealed that Shermane was bedridden with a fever of 104. Less than a year later, Walter Winchell reported that Shermane had vamped to an inquiring columnist, “I will break your heart someday with my big blue eyes!”She was still a tot when Johnny Weissmuller, the Olympic swimmer and movie Tarzan, was about to present her with a bunny on live television but froze; she filled the void by ad-libbing, “You know, my father once gave me two rabbits, and in a short time I had 200.”Shermane Billingsley, who died on April 16 in a Manhattan hospital, was the last living link to the storied Manhattan nightspot that made her such endearing fodder for the society pages, the Stork Club. She was the youngest daughter of its impresario, Sherman Billingsley, and after the club closed in 1965, she became the faithful guardian of its legacy for nearly six decades. Her son Austin Billingsley Drill said she died of cancer at 78. The family delayed the announcement of her death until this month, he said, to give them time to mourn.

☆ This ‘Magic Flute’ Has Ringtones, Bird Tracks and a Foley Artist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elisabeth Vincentelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It can go up and down, and it can be inclined as various angles; the singers can scamper on top or scurry below. “It is much more secure when you’re on it,” Morley said. But McBurney’s North Star remains the music, and trying to stay faithful to what it meant for its creator. “I think that for Mozart, if you can make music so beautiful, people will come out changed,” he said. “We can debate whether he was right or not well, but it’s called ‘The Magic Flute.’ The flute changes the way that people behave.”Mozart, he added, had confidence in his music: “He knew that it could move people in a way that might alter their lives.”

☆ Almodovar's gay Western draws Cannes crowd - even without Pedro Pascal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Pedro Almodovar and cast members Ethan... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Throngs of people eager to watch Pedro Almodovar's "Strange Way of Life," a 31-minute Western film starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as lovers, at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday afternoon were turned away after waiting more than an hour in the rain. "There is some very robust and old-fashioned storytelling here and 'Strange Way of Life' feels quite old-fashioned in its way," wrote The Guardian newspaper, which gave it four out of five stars. The film will be released later this year and is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, according to the trade paper Variety. Reporting by Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Andrew McCarthy Wrote a Book About a Father-Son Pilgrimage. His Son Gets His Say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Andrew Mccarthy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It further declared that anyone willing to make a pilgrimage to the spot would receive plenary indulgences, or the remission of punishment for their sins. The Camino de Santiago sprang into existence and has been traversed, with varying degrees of popularity, ever since. I’d always wanted to return to the Camino and in the summer of 2021, I invited my then 19-year-old son, Sam McCarthy, to join me. We arrived in Spain in late July and walked through a scorching August to Santiago de Compostela. Why would a teenager say yes to a month of walking with his father?

☆ Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert files for divorce from husband of nearly 2 decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert confirmed that she filed for divorce from her husband Jayson. The Colorado Sun first reported that Boebert filed for the separation from her husband, Jayson, late last month. According to an affidavit, when Jayson Boebert was served with the petition he became "extremely angry." In her statement, Boebert said that she will not "discuss this matter any further in public" in deference to their kids. The Republican previously announced that her oldest son, Tyler, is about to have a son, making her a 36-year-old grandmother.

☆ Turkey’s opposition faces an uphill battle in runoff with Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Istanbul CNN —A hushed silence fell over the crowd outside the Istanbul headquarters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) party. Sullen faces turned to the election count on the large screen — Erdogan’s vote had dropped below the 50% threshold needed to clinch the first round of Sunday’s historic election. Erdogan secured a five-point lead over his principal opponent, destining them to a run-off vote. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan meet supporters outside a polling station in Istanbul, Turkey May 14, 2023. Then our President Erdogan saves us.”Ahead of the run-off vote, Erdogan now has two weeks in which to save himself – and all the indications are that he begins, as ever, from a place of strength.

We are experiencing the result of this marathon with you tonight," Erdogan, 69, told thousands of flag-waving supporters from the balcony of his party's headquarters. But Erdogan, a veteran of a dozen election victories, emerged comfortably ahead of Kilicdaroglu, though just short of the majority needed to win. The outcome reflects the strong support Erdogan still commands, especially in religiously conservative regions where voters long felt marginalised by a once-dominant secular elite. Over two decades, Erdogan has redrawn Turkey's domestic, economic, security and foreign policy, rivalling historic leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who founded modern Turkey a century ago. Erdogan's government said the purge was justified by threats from coup supporters, as well as Islamic State and the PKK.

☆ Erdogan's milestones as Turkey faces May 28 runoff vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/2] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets supporters at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkey May 15, 2023. August 2001: He establishes the Justice and Development Party, or AK Party (AKP), and is elected chairman. November 2002: The AKP wins elections with nearly 35% of votes after the worst economic slump since the 1970s, promising to break with past mismanagement and recessions. June 2018: Erdogan wins snap presidential elections. Though his popularity has suffered due to a cost-of-living crisis, Erdogan wins more votes than his rival but falls short of the 50% threshold needed to win in the first round, teeing up a May 28 runoff.

[1/2] Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, looks up at the crowd during the general election in Bangkok, Thailand, May 14, 2023. Move Forward has shaken the political landscape, long dominated by military-backed parties or the opposition Pheu Thai party driven by the billionaire Shinawatra family. Move Forward's charismatic prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat was jubilant. A chunk of Move Forward's support has come from young voters, including 3.3 million eligible to vote for the first time. "I feel like my vote has improved the country," she said, dressed in orange, Move Forward's colour, at party headquarters.

☆ Miami’s Love Affair With Crypto Is Souring as Bitcoin Faithful Flock to the City
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Deborah Acosta | Photographs James Jackman For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A year ago, when the annual bitcoin conference opened in Miami, the city was arguably the country’s biggest booster of digital currencies. MiamiCoin traded on a global crypto exchange. The Miami Heat basketball team played at FTX Arena, and cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com was preparing to move its headquarters to a splashy office in the city’s Wynwood neighborhood. Today, as Miami prepares to host Bitcoin 2023 on May 18, none of those things is true anymore.

☆ Erdogan's milestones before Turkey's election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

August 2001: He establishes the Justice and Development Party, or AK Party (AKP), and is elected chairman. In his early days, Erdogan tours Europe and the United States to promote his policies and advance Turkey's bid to join the European Union. May 2013: Protests against Erdogan's plans to redevelop Istanbul's Gezi Park accelerate into unprecedented nationwide demonstrations over what critics see as his authoritarianism. March 2019: Nationwide municipal elections produce Erdogan's first electoral defeat in nearly two decades. The lira hits all-time lows, inflation soars to its highest levels during Erdogan's rule, and his approval ratings sink.

☆ Thousands of Afghans escaped the Taliban with the help of private veteran groups. Today, many remain in limbo in the UAE
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Several thousand were brought there by the State Department directly from Kabul and have since been relocated to the US or Canada. Consequently, thousands of Afghans evacuated by private groups were left in a legal limbo with seemingly no clear path to the US – or anywhere else. It was unclear whether that documentation is sufficient for what the State Department has required. The first two groups were evacuated from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in August 2021 by both the State Department and private groups working independently. In her responses to CNN, Tekach said the State Department “had limited information” about refugees who came on those separate flights.

☆ Kentucky Derby Live Updates: Scratch of Favorite Forte Shakes Up Already Chaotic Derby
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Melissa Hoppert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Secretariat, with jockey Ron Turcotte up, passed his rival, Sham, in the homestrech and ran away with the 99th Kentucky Derby in record time on May 5, 1973. Rumors swirled: he was injured, he lost a step during his 3-year-old season, he just wasn’t the superhorse everyone thought he was, his Wood rival Sham would be the true king of 1973. His rival Sham sat near the lead and made his move to catch the leader, Shecky Greene, at the top of the homestretch. Then, and only then, did Turcotte ask his horse for more, and Secretariat, like the finest of racecars, found another gear. Nearly half of the horses in Saturday’s Derby have Secretariat in their bloodlines.

☆ Here’s something most racing fans agree on: 50 years later, Secretariat is still the GOAT.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Melissa Hoppert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Coming off a stunning loss in the Wood Memorial, Secretariat, who was named the 2-year-old champion, was suddenly the beneficiary of doubt among the horse racing faithful, despite having won 10 of 11 races going into the derby. Rumors swirled: he was injured, he lost a step during his 3-year-old season, he just wasn’t the superhorse everyone thought he was, his Wood rival Sham would be the true king of 1973. He broke a step slow, a Secretariat trademark, and settled in behind his 12 challengers. His rival Sham sat near the lead and made his move to catch the leader, Shecky Greene, at the top of the homestretch. Then, and only then, did Turcotte ask his horse for more, and Secretariat, like the finest of racecars, found another gear.

☆ The Coronation of King Charles: Order of Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +46 min

The Archbishop saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? Christopher Finney GC saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? We praise thee, we bless thee,we worship thee, we glorify thee,we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O clap your hands together, all ye people;O sing unto God with the voice of melody. The King touches the Ring and the Archbishop saysReceive this Ring, symbol of kingly dignity and a sign of the covenant sworn this day, between God and King, King and people.

☆ Napoli’s Serie A title win: From Maradona and financial bankruptcy to Scudetto
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Diego Maradona battles dribbles against Ruud Gullit of AC Milan in the Serie A in 1988. With Maradona’s arrival came a level of success Napoli had previously never seen, culminating in a 1987 title victory; the club’s first ever Scudetto. When Napoli won its first Serie A title in 1987, the Gentleman Ultra website notes: “In the city, mock funerals were held for Juventus. The dark yearsA year after the 1990 title success, the Napoli team began to unwind with players departing, leading to a drop in performances. Napoli fans celebrate the team's Serie A title victory on the streets of Naples.

☆ Summer movie preview 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Most moviegoers can pinpoint one summer movie – or perhaps, a summer of movies – in their formative years that really and truly cemented their love for going to the cinema, whether it be 1975’s “Jaws,” “E.T. And while streaming has clearly siphoned off part of the audience, particularly for more serious films, what we think of as “summer movies” still have the potential to rake in cash just like the old days. (CNN and DC are both part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Courtesy Warner Bros. PicturesInitially meant for streaming platforms, this vehicle will herald the cinematic arrival of DC Studios’ first Latino superhero, played by Xolo Maridueña of “Cobra Kai” and “Parenthood” fame. If the fast-paced trailer is any indication, the movie looks sure to whisk those dog days of summer doldrums away quite nicely.

☆ Girl wounded in Serbia school shooting is critical, doctor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] People pay tribute following a school mass shooting, after a boy opened fire on others, killing fellow students and staff in Belgrade, Serbia, May 4, 2023. "The girl who underwent an urgent surgery yesterday due to head injuries ... remains in critical condition and in intensive care," Sinisa Ducic, the acting director at the city's Tirsova hospital, told reporters. They are being treated in the Tirsova hospital and the city's University Hospital. Two wounded boys in the Tirsova hospital were in stable condition and were expected to be discharged in coming days, Ducic said. The suspected shooter used two pistols that belonged to his father, police said on Wednesday.

☆ Opinion: Why we’re still waiting for the Catholic women’s ‘revolution’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Opinion Opinion Celia Wexler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Editor’s Note: Celia Wexler is a journalist and the author of “Catholic Women Confront Their Church: Stories of Hurt and Hope.” She writes frequently on Catholicism, feminism and politics. That means in the United States, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, that bastion of conservatism, will do the choosing. Will Zagano, who has written extensively about the role of women deacons in the early church, be given a vote? How about British theologian Tina Beattie, who has worked tirelessly to amplify women’s voices in the church? In 2014, Beattie founded Catholic Women Speak, an international group of women focused on one goal: increasing women’s participation in the life and governance of the church.

☆ Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops' meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, a historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world's bishops together for periodic meetings, following years of demands by women to have the right to vote. At the end of the meetings, the bishops vote on specific proposals and put them to the pope, who then produces a document taking their views into account. In addition, Francis has decided to appoint 70 non-bishop members of the synod and has asked that half of them be women. He has appointed several women to high-ranking Vatican positions, though no women head any of the major Vatican offices or departments, known as dicasteries.

☆ Pope Will Allow Women to Vote at Meeting of Bishops
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Vatican announced on Wednesday that Pope Francis would for the first time allow women to vote at a coming meeting of bishops, an important step toward giving them more say in the affairs of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope also increased the number of laypeople who will participate next October at the meeting, the Synod of Bishops, which periodically meets at the Vatican to discuss issues such as how to deal with divorced couples. The coming synod is centered on fostering a greater involvement of the faithful as the church moves forward. The Synod advises the pope and is influential, although only he makes church policy. The rule changes for the bishops’ meeting were made public on Wednesday in a document outlining the norms governing the synod.

☆ Pope allows women to vote at bishops meeting for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pope Francis leaves following the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneApril 26 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in a historic move that could lead to more inclusiveness in decision-making in the Roman Catholic Church, will allow women to vote for the first time at a global meeting of bishops in October. The revolutionary rules, announced on Wednesday, allow for five religious sisters with voting rights. The 70 priests, religious sisters, deacons and lay Catholics will be chosen by the pope from a list of 140 people recommended by national bishops' conferences. In another last year, he named three women to a previously all-male committee that advises him in selecting the world's bishops.

☆ These CEOs offer a master class in how to not read the room
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Just this week, there have been two high-profile face-plants by company leaders who ostensibly wanted to inspire their staffs and wound up doing…the opposite of that. In a statement to CNN, Clearlink declined to address Clarke’s remarks in the video, though the company did not challenge its authenticity. And who could forget Better.com’s CEO laying off 900 people over Zoom? But I’d propose a simple mantra for executives when weighing in on unpopular topics like returning to the office or laying people off. (OK, most nights — we believe in a four-day work week around here.)

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