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Book Review: Clever new novel uses museum wall labels to narrate life story of rich American woman

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

Christine Coulson, who spent 25 years working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has written a short, clever novel that tells the story of a woman over the course of her life in a series of museum wall labels. In doing so, she acknowledges a sad but undeniable truth — that for much of the 20th century and perhaps even today, a certain kind of wealthy, white socialite in America was nothing more than an object to be critiqued, described, evaluated and displayed.The woman’s name is Caroline Margaret Brooks Whitaker, better known as Kitty, and she is indisputably the star of “One Woman Show.” We are meant to read her life story as if we were walking through an exhibition at a museum like the Met, gazing at a set of related decorative objects laid out in chronological order in a series of vitrines.At the start of the show, it is 1911 and Kitty, a girl of 5, is declared to be “a masterpiece,” “all fireworks,” a “golden child,” depicted under the watchful gaze of her doting parents, Minty...

Miami residents aid Israel as more Americans return home

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

In the face of recent Hamas attacks on Israel, Miami resident Nati Schnitman, an Israeli native, wasted no time in extending a helping hand to his homeland, where his wife and three children reside.“It’s scary — every single person in Israel has been affected by this one way or another, either friends,” he said. “We got a guy who works in our company that was in the party who got killed. My friend’s cousin got killed. We have all my cousins who are serving in the military now, they all got drafted. So everybody’s affected in one way.” Schnitman’s heartfelt response to the crisis resulted in the creation of “America for Israel” in just one day. This initiative swiftly gathered resources, establishing a website, mobilizing warehouses filled with supplies, securing hundreds of donors, and rallying over a thousand volunteers.“The only good thing that has happened from this horrible day and horrible war is that it...

Trump has narrow gag order imposed on him by federal judge overseeing 2020 election subversion case

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the 2020 election subversion case against Donald Trump in Washington imposed a narrow gag order on him on Monday, barring the Republican former president from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses and the judge’s staff.The order from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is a milestone moment in the federal case that accuses Trump of illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.Special counsel Jack Smith’s team had raised alarm about a barrage of statements disparaging prosecutors, the judge and prospective witnesses. Those comments, prosecutors said, risked undermining public confidence in the court system and causing witnesses or people who might be picked as jurors for trial to feel harassed and intimidated.Chukan said there would be no restrictions on statements criticizing the Justice Department generally or statements about Trump’s belief that the c...

Miami’s own Nick Sanchez revs up for NASCAR Truck Series championship bid

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

Nick Sanchez, a 22-year-old Miami native, is making waves both on and off the NASCAR Truck Series track in his debut full season. “To show that you’re you’re not going to take any crap from anyone and you know, I think you obviously have to earn respect on the track but also off the track,” he said.Following a recent incident with veteran driver Matt Crafton after a race in Talladega, Sanchez is more determined than ever as he prepares for this Saturday’s 200 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A victory or a strong top-ten finish at Homestead could secure his spot in the final four vying for the championship in Phoenix.“I approach the race like I need to win it, like I’m in a must-win situation,” said Sanchez. “I want to sit on the pole, I want to win both stages, lead every lap, and win the race. That’s my expectation,” Sanchez stated.Sanchez’s connection to Homestead runs deep; he attended races at the Homestea...

Borrell to join EU-US summit as Brussels seeks to present united foreign policy front

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will attend Friday’s EU-U.S. summit in Washington as the EU seeks to put forward a united front after a week of mixed messages on Israel policy.Borrell had not originally been scheduled to attend Friday’s summit at the White House, but now will join European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel in their meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, two officials told POLITICO. The officials were granted anonymity as they are not authorized to discuss the meeting publicly. Friday’s meeting will deal with a host of transatlantic issues, including efforts to resolve a long-running dispute over steel and aluminum. As POLITICO previously reported, Brussels and Washington plan to team up to create a joint tariff zone that will impose duties on steel and aluminum imports from non-market economies such as China, according to a draft document circulated ahead of the meeting. Under the proposed interim...

Rishi Sunak calls Hamas attacks a ‘pogrom’ as he confirms 6 Brits killed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak confirmed that six British citizens have been killed following Hamas’ “pogrom” in Israel, with a further 10 still missing.Updating the House of Commons on Monday, Sunak said Hamas’ deadly attacks — which killed more than 1,300 Israelis and prompted fierce retaliation by Israel — had “shocked the world.”But he invoked U.S. President Joe Biden as he said the U.K. would “as a friend” urge Israel to limit civilian casualties in its response.“We should call it by its name: it was a pogrom,” Sunak said of Hamas’ attacks, using the term for violent attacks targeting Jews.As the families of some of those missing from Israel looked on from the public gallery of the House of Commons, Sunak called for the “immediate release of all hostages” taken by Hamas and stressed: “We stand with Israel.”“The murdered and the missing come from over 30 countries, including the United Kin...

Settlement over Trump family separations at the border seeks to limit future separations for 8 years

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A settlement filed Monday in a long-running lawsuit over the Trump administration’s separation of parents and their children at the border bars the government from similar separations for eight years while also providing benefits like the ability for their parents to come to America and work, according to the Biden administration.The settlement between the Biden administration and the American Civil Liberties Union, which has been representing families separated from their children, still has to be approved by the judge. But if finalized, it would make it much more difficult for any administration including former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, to revive one of his most controversial tactics to halt immigration at the southern border if he wins next year’s election.“It is our intent to do whatever we can to make sure that the cruelty of the past is not repeated in the future. We set forth procedures thr...

Trump ‘does not have the right to say and do exactly what he pleases,’ Judge Chutkan says, issuing gag order

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

(CNN) — A federal judge on Monday issued a gag order on former President Donald Trump, limiting what he can say about special counsel Jack Smith’s federal prosecution into his alleged attempt to subvert in the 2020 presidential election.The order restricts Trump’s ability to publicly target court personnel, potential witnesses, or the special counsel and his staff. The order did not impose restrictions on disparaging comments about Washington, DC, – where the jury will take place – or certain comments about the Justice Department at large, both of which the government requested.“This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Judge Tanya Chutkan said. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.”Following the two federal indictments against the former president, Trump has lashed out against prosecutors, potential witnesses and the judge overseeing the election subversion case in Washington. Prosecutors with special counsel Jack...

Massachusetts shelters will be full by end of the month, Governor says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

The burgeoning flow of migrants into Massachusetts has strained the state’s shelter system, which is now forecast to hit the breaking point by the end of the month, according to the governor.On Monday, Gov. Maura Healey  announced that the tens of thousands currently living in state-provided housing may be among the last the state can afford to shelter. Without intervention by the Biden Administration, Healey said, the system will not be able to help any further.“For months now, we have been expanding shelter capacity at an unsustainable rate to meet rising demand. Despite the heroic work of public officials, shelter providers and the National Guard, we have reached a point where we can no longer safely or responsibly expand,” Healey said.According to the governor, as of October 16 there are 7,000 families — 23,000 individuals, she said, half of whom are children — using the state shelter system. Massachusetts is alone among the 50 states in guaranteeing women with children and fami...

Semitruck driver killed when Colorado train derails, spilling coal cars and closing major highway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:09 GMT

By JESSE BEDAYN and COLLEEN SLEVIN (Associated Press)DENVER (AP) — A semi-trailer truck driver was killed when a train derailed and a bridge collapsed, spewing coal and mangled train cars across a major highway near Pueblo, Colorado that was closed indefinitely, authorities said Monday. The 60-year-old driver was initially said to be trapped in Sunday’s accident along Interstate 25, but authorities said Monday that he had died. No other vehicles were involved, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gayle Perez said.The Colorado State Patrol and the sheriff’s office posted photos and videos showing a partially collapsed bridge over the interstate with the semi-truck caught beneath. The images also show a pileup of train cars, train wheels scattered across the scene and loads of coal covering a portion of the highway.The highway — the main north-south highway in Colorado — remained closed Monday morning. The Colorado Department of Transpor...