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‘Afire’ crackles with tension, desire & dread

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

German filmmaker Christian Petzold has turned his attention to making films about the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Petzold began with actor Paula Beer (“Frantz”) and “Undine” (2020), a marvelously mysterious and watery entry with her in the seductive title role.Now, he brings us “Afire,” a film about a group of young people vacationing in a home near a Baltic Sea resort town in danger of being engulfed by nearby wildfires and by their own own overlapping desires. Leon (Thomas Schubert) and Felix (Langston Uibel) are, respectively, a judgmental, brilliant young writer, working on a new manuscript for his hovering, paternal editor; and a young photographer completing a portfolio to apply for admission to a prestigious art school. The two of them engage in some homo-erotic roughhousing in an early scene.After their Mercedes breaks down in the nearby woods, which are alive with the sounds of their insect and animal inhabitants, Leon and Felix discover that Leon’s mot...

Ambrosi: Raising pilots’ retirement age bad for aviation safety

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

Flying has never been safer in the United States. Our country’s current approach to aviation safety is clearly working — the U.S. is the gold standard for aviation safety around the world.Despite this achievement, lawmakers working on the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill are considering introducing new risk and rolling back safety regulations just as passengers are returning to the skies.Right now, some in Congress are seeking to unilaterally raise the airline pilot retirement age from 65 to 67 without scientific study or safety research. What we do know is that this ill-conceived proposal could introduce more risk into our aviation system, disrupt airline operations, cause more flight delays and cancellations, and increase ticket prices for passengers.This political exercise would also put the U.S. in conflict with the international retirement age standard. As a result, some pilots would be limited to flying only domestic routes, and thousands would need to be r...

Hilarious ‘Shortcomings’ comes up a winner

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

“Shortcomings,” a film directed by the Korean-American actor Randall Park (TV’s “Fresh Off the Boat”), making his solo feature debut, and written by Adrian Tomine (“Paris, 13th District”) who also wrote the 2007 graphic comic version, is like no other comedy I have seen and yet like most of the classic comedies I love. For one, we have the pairing of Ben Tanaka (Justin H. Min, “After Yang”), the film-school-drop-out, manager of a Bay Area art house cinema, and lesbian-on-the-make Alice (Sherry Cola, “Joy Ride”). These two make quite a team.Ben lives in a comfortable, minimalist flat with long-term girlfriend Miko Hayashi (Ally Maki, TV’s “Hacks”), a film festival director from a wealthy family. Miko and Ben fight all the time, mostly about his attitude, which is sarcastic, intellectual, combative and often miserable. Alice is Ben’s best friend and confidant, who is currently flirting with a waitress at one of her and Ben’s favorite restaurants.The troub...

Howie Carr: So when is free speech a crime?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

So now it’s against the law to believe that an election was stolen?That is what former president Donald J. Trump was essentially charged with in a federal courtroom in Washington yesterday.Amazing stuff, and it raises the question, who will be the next politician charged with saying publicly that an election was stolen?Jimmy Carter? Hillary Clinton? Joe Biden? Kamala Harris? Bernie Sanders? Jim McGovern? Jamie Raskin? Stacey Abrams?That’s just a tiny sampling of the Democrats who have publicly stated that they believe that the evil Republicans have stolen elections, or words and phrases to that effect, like “illegitimate” or “not on the level.”If you include those Democrats who’ve said it privately, you’d also have to throw John Forbes Kerry and his lovely wife Mama T for… wrongthink, as George Orwell would have put it.But of course, all the above are Democrats. So it’s okay for them to say whatever they want. It’s only against the law for Trump to think that something was amiss, af...

Yankees open 4-game Astros series with win over rivals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

The Yankees won their second consecutive game over a rival on Thursday, beating the Astros, 4-3, before a rowdy crowd at Yankee Stadium.The foes traded blows throughout the game, but Anthony Volpe’s sixth-inning RBI single gave the Yankees the lead for good. The hit scored Harrison Bader, who walked and stole second base.The Yankees scored their first three runs in the opening frame with a pair of dingers off Astros right-hander Cristian Javier. Giancarlo Stanton got the scoring started with a two-run blast, his second home run in as many days. Billy McKinney immediately followed with a solo shot.A thorn in the Yankees’ side in the past, Javier only gave the Astros 4.2 innings. The pinstripers made him throw 102 pitches.Houston responded quickly after the first inning, however, as a Jake Meyers groundout and a Martín Maldonado single gave them two runs off Clarke Schmidt in the second inning.But Schmidt didn’t allow any more runs to the Astros, who the Yankees...

Dear Abby: 50/50 custody leaves mom lost, anxious

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

Dear Abby: Five months ago, my relationship of 10 years ended. I discovered my boyfriend had been unfaithful on more than one occasion. He didn’t want to fix the relationship, and I could no longer take more of his mental and emotional abuse.My biggest hurdle is our children, who are 3 and 6. I have done everything for them since they were born.My ex and I verbally agreed on a 50-50 schedule, so I have gone from being with them every day to half that time, and I hate it. I miss them terribly when they aren’t with me. My anxiety and worry have skyrocketed.I want to do what’s best for my kids, and I struggle daily with worrying if what I am doing is best. Is it best for them to be with their dad half the time when he hasn’t been around much these past two years? I have talked to a lawyer, who said it’s up to me since we were never married. Friends and family have told me to give Dad only every other weekend, but is that truly what’s best for them?I ...

After his hearing in federal court, Trump calls it a ‘very sad day for America.’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

Follow along for live updates of Donald Trump’s appearance in federal court Thursday after he was indicted by the Justice Department for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.— Here’s a breakdown of the sprawling election indictment— Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case— Republicans are remaining silent about the latest charges against Trump— The judge assigned to Trump’s case is a tough punisher of Capitol rioters— Here’s where the various cases involving Trump standTrump said it was a “very sad day for America” after pleading not guilty in Washington’s federal court to charges that he conspired to overturn the 2020 election.Trump addressed the proceedings in a brief statement on a drizzly tarmac before he boarded his plane back to New Jersey, characterizing the case as a “persecution” designed to hurt his 2024 presi...

Popular shop to serve plant-based donuts at San Diego vegan food popup

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Plant-based donuts are making its way to the North Park Vegan Food Popup next weekend.Huntington Beach's-own The Donunttery will be serving its vegan donuts Saturday, Aug. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at 3812 29th St, event officials announced Thursday.The food truck offers a variety of selections, from Keto Cake donuts, made with fresh milled nut flours, butter and avocado oil, to matcha tea, vanilla and chocolate cacao nibs-flavored gluten-free donuts. "We sought to transcend the vegan donut status quo of dry, dense, and dull equivalents without relying on synthetic preservatives, but rather, the use of hydration, a process inspired by our fellow bread bakers," the shop said on its website. Sesame Place San Diego’s free admission for kids begins With over 60 vendors, the North Park Vegan Food Popup has a choice for every type of foodie. The event features foods like pizza, burgers, sushi, tacos, noodles, corn dogs, lumpia, hot wings, croissants, stuffed waffles, curries, ...

Okinawa warned of high winds and rain this weekend once Typhoon Khanun starts its U-turn east

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Residents of Japan’s southwestern islands were warned of high winds and rain through the weekend once a nearly stationary Typhoon Khanun starts moving back east later Friday.The forecast U-turn will bring Khanun across Okinawa and nearby islands that were already lashed by its winds and rain earlier this week.Khanun had sustained surface winds of 126 kph (78 mph) with higher gusts Friday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Up to 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) of rain was expected in the Okinawa region by Saturday and up to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in the Amami region, an island group belonging to the southern main island of Kyushu, by Sunday, JMA said.Khanun had been stronger, with sustained winds of 180 kph (111 mph), when it crossed the islands Tuesday, damaging homes and knocking out power. The Okinawa prefectural government said 44 people were injured, three of them seriously. Two deaths were being investigated as typhoon-caused but are not in the ...

In Niger, US seeks to hang on to its last, best counterterrorist outpost in West Africa

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten days into a coup in Niger, life has become more challenging for U.S. forces at a counterterrorism base in a region of West Africa known as the world’s epicenter of terrorism.Flights in and out of the country have been curtailed as coup leaders require Americans to seek permission for each flight. Fuel shortages mean the U.S. commander must sign off whenever an aircraft is refueled.And yet, as several European countries evacuate Niger, the Biden administration is showing itself intent on staying. It sees Niger as the United States’ last, best counterterrorism outpost — and until the coup, a promising democracy — in an unstable region south of the Sahara Desert.Abandoning it risks not only a surge in jihadist groups, but even greater influence by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group. While some European governments shut embassies and evacuated their citizens on military flights this week, as scattered anti-Western protests broke out following the coup, U.S. diplomats ...