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Book Review: Mitch Albom spins moving Holocaust tale in ’The Little Liar’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

Mitch Albom’s books often capture the zeitgeist, but his new novel about the fate of Greek Jews during World War II packs a particular punch in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.“The Little Liar” tells the story of four interconnected characters, three of them Jews living in Salonika, Greece, at the onset of Germany’s invasion, and the other a Third Reich devotee carrying out Hitler’s orders on the Mediterranean island. Nico Krispis is the title character and it’s his journey from a beautiful boy who has never told a lie to a Nazi pawn that drives the novel. Nico and his brother, Sebastian, are just boys when the story begins and by the end they’re middle-aged men who have lived lives defined by the choices they made during the war. Between them is their childhood friend Fannie, who both boys crushed on when they were growing up, and who Sebastian throws off a train bound for Auschwitz at the start of the novel.The book’s narrator presents as the definition of re...

In crowded field of psychedelic startups, Filament CEO makes case for ‘natural’ drugs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

A recent boom in psychedelic research has given way to a bumper crop of startups seeking to harness the potential of mind-altering drugs for treating depression, addiction and other conditions.In this crowded field, Vancouver-based Filament Health has a unique approach: extracting drugs like psilocybin and mescaline from natural sources, including mushrooms and cacti, rather than synthesizing the ingredients in a laboratory.Filament is studying its mushroom-based psilocybin as a treatment for opioid and stimulant use disorder. And more than a dozen other companies and academic centers are using the company’s drugs in trials of depression, chronic pain and other disorders.Filament CEO Benjamin Lightburn spoke with The Associated Press about the ethical, therapeutic and medical case for using naturally derived psychedelics. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.Q: What do you mean by “natural psychedelics” and how are they produced?A: It means we’re deriving them f...

Cargojet CEO Ajay Virmani moving to executive chair role, names co-CEOs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Cargojet Inc. says founder and chief executive Ajay Virmani is stepping down and moving to the role of executive chair at the start of next year.In his new job, the air cargo carrier says Virmani will focus on strategy, strategic customer partnerships, acquisitions of major assets including aircraft and corporate governance.Virmani will be replaced by a pair of longtime Cargojet executives.The company says chief corporate officer Pauline Dhillon and chief strategy officer Jamie Porteous will become co-chief executives, effective Jan. 1, 2024.Both Dhillon and Porteous have been with the company since its start 22 years ago.Cargojet provides air cargo services across North America with a fleet of over 40 aircraft. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:CJT)The Canadian Press

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 19-25

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 19-25:Nov. 19: Talk show host Dick Cavett is 87. Media mogul Ted Turner is 85. Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 81. Sportscaster Ahmad Rashad is 74. Actor Robert Beltran (“Big Love,” ″Star Trek: Voyager”) is 70. Actor Kathleen Quinlan is 69. Actor Glynnis O’Connor is 68. Journalist Ann Curry is 67. Actor Allison Janney (“Mom,” “The West Wing”) is 64. Drummer Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver (and Guns N’ Roses) is 63. Actor Meg Ryan is 62. Actor Jodie Foster is 61. Actor Terry Farrell (“Becker”) is 60. Actor Erika Alexander (“Living Single,” “The Cosby Show”) is 54. Drummer Travis McNabb (Better Than Ezra) is 54. Singer Tony Rich is 52. Singer Jason Albert of Heartland is 50. Country singer Billy Currington is 50. Dancer-choreographer Savion Glover is 50. Singer Tamika Scott of Xscape is 48. Rapper Lil’ Mo is 46. Actor Reid Scott (“Veep,” “My Boys”) is 46. Director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) is 44. Guitarist Browan Lollar of St. Paul and the Bro...

This year’s Biden-Xi summit has better foundation but South China Sea and Taiwan risks won’t go away

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The course of events in the year since the last meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping offers cautious hope that they will have better luck this time around. But it also shows how easily any agreement they reach could once again veer off course. The U.S. and Chinese leaders meet Wednesday while attending the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.They go into the meeting on the back of five months of government-to-government talks that have accelerated in recent weeks and expanded to cultural and business exchanges. In contrast, the November 2022 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, took place after China had suspended talks to express anger over a visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.“This rests on a stronger foundation than the Bali meeting did,” said Jude Blanchette, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Substantively and contextually this meeting is taking place in a moderately bette...

Food delivery driver among several killed in Chicago weekend violence

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police are investigating at least six fatal shootings following a weekend of gun violence around the city.More than 20 people were victims to gun violence, including a deadly shooting involving a food delivery driver.The latest deadly shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. Sunday on the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Springfield Avenue in the Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said officers responded to a call of shots fired and found a man, between the ages of 20 to 25. The victim was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.He was transported to Norwegian Hospital where he was pronounced dead. No one is in custody.Early Saturday morning, another shooting left another man dead in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. According to police, it happened near the corner of Avers Avenue and Hirsch Street around 3 a.m.Two men were inside a vehicle when someone from a blue SUV fired shots, hitting the two men.26th Ward Ald. Jessie Fuentes said on her Facebook page the two victims w...

25-year-old woman shot, killed in South Shore

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman was shot and killed Sunday night in South Shore.Officers responded to a report of a person shot at around 11:25 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Crandon.A 25-year-old woman was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the body. She was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.No one is in custody.

Some of your nickels may be worth more than 5 cents, especially if they have this animal

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

MINDENMINES, Mo. (KSNF) — Throughout the history of the United States Mint, many different designs have made their way onto American coins, but few of them are more popular than the Buffalo Nickel."The buffalo nickel was introduced 110 years ago in 1913, and that series ran through 1938. The coin, which is very popular, features the date and an image of a Native American on one side, and on the reverse there's the image of a buffalo that was modeled after a Buffalo called 'Black Diamond' who was in the New York City Zoo," said Dave Sorrick, a coin expert and collector at In God We Trust, LLC.The coin's designer, James Earle Fraser, stated that he wanted to do something, "totally American and create a coin that could not be mistaken for any other country's coin." As part of our Western background, Fraser felt that the buffalo, "was 100% American, and that the North American Indian fitted into the picture perfectly." Your state quarter could be worth $55 "One of ...

OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

(KXAN) — “Trans rights are human rights!” one protester yelled into a bullhorn. “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re not going anywhere,” another chanted.Roughly a hundred LGBTQ+ activists and advocates chanted, raised banners and made their voices heard outside the gates of the Texas State Capitol.Dozens in opposition, meanwhile, stood nearby. One raised a sign: “Gender identity is a lie.” Feet away, dozens of others in biker gear stood watch – one with a Confederate flag patched to his leather vest. Another man in a ballistic vest stared silently from behind the crowd with his index finger perched just above the trigger of the AR-15 style rifle hanging from his shoulder.The juxtaposition played out on a sweltering August afternoon in the shadow of the building where the recent legislative session focused more than ever before on LGBTQ+ issues.Read the full story here.

Testimony continues at Kaitlin Armstrong trial Monday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:35:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The State will continue to call witnesses in the murder trial for Kaitlin Armstrong Monday.Armstrong is accused of shooting and killing pro cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson on May 11, 2022. LAST WEEK'S TESTIMONY: Armstrong’s first interview with APD played during murder trial On Thursday, testimony ended with a digital forensic detective with the Austin Police Department going through GPS data he analyzed from Armstrong's Jeep. The State presented an interactive map that showed Armstrong's Jeep in the neighborhood of the east Austin home where Wilson was killed on the night of the murder. Follow live updates from KXAN's Brianna Hollis on social media platform "X" below:Back at the courthouse this morning for #KaitlinArmstrong's murder trial. Testimony ended last week w/ an APD digital forensic detective addressing GPS data showing Armstrong's Jeep near the home where prosecutors say she killed Mo Wilson in May 2022. Follow live updates here. pic.twitter.co...