ReportWire

Tag: Around the US

  • Request for Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at Capitol denied

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — The late Rev. Jesse Jackson will not lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office due to past precedent.

    What You Need To Know

    • House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office has denied a request to have the late Rev. Jesse Jackson lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda due to precedents that such honors are usually only designated for presidents

    • Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol

    • The Jackson family has announced scheduled dates for memorial services to honor the civil rights icon in Chicago, South Carolina and Washington, DC

    • No locations or times have yet been outlined for the events in South Carolina and Washington

    Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol, but the request was denied, because of the precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, the military and select officials.

    The civil rights leader died this week at the age of 84. The family and some House Democrats had filed a request for Jackson to be honored at the U.S. Capitol.

    Amid the country’s political divisions, there have been flare ups over who is memorialized at the Capitol with a service to lie in state, or honor, in the Rotunda. During such events, the public is generally allowed to visit the Capitol and pay their respects.

    Recent requests had similarly been made, and denied, to honor Charlie Kirk, the slain conservative activist, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

    There is no specific rule about who qualifies for the honor, a decision that is controlled by concurrence from both the House and Senate.

    The Jackson family has announced scheduled dates for memorial services beginning next week that will honor the late reverend’s life in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and South Carolina. In a statement, the Jackson family said it had heard from leaders in both South Carolina, Jackson’s native state, and Washington offering for Jackson to be celebrated in both locations. Talks are ongoing with lawmakers about where those proceedings will take place. His final memorial services will be held in Chicago on March 6 and 7.

    Typically, the Capitol and its Rotunda have been reserved for the “most eminent citizens,” according to the Architect of the Capitol’s website. It said government and military officials lay in state, while private citizens in honor.

    In 2020, Congressman John Lewis, another veteran of the Civil Rights movement, was the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda after a ceremony honoring his legacy was held outside on the Capitol steps due to pandemic restrictions at the time.

    Later that year, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed services for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Capitol’s Statuary Hall after agreement could not be reached for services in the Capitol’s Rotunda.

    It is rare for private citizens to be honored at the Capitol, but there is precedent – most notably Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, in 2005, and the Reverend Billy Graham, in 2018.

    A passionate civil rights leader and globally-minded humanitarian, Jackson’s fiery speeches and dual 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns transformed American politics for generations. Jackson’s organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, became a hub for progressive organizers across the country.

    His unapologetic calls for a progressive economic agenda and more inclusive policies for all racial groups, religions, genders and orientations laid the groundwork for the progressive movement within the Democratic Party.

    Jackson also garnered a global reputation as a champion for human rights. He conducted the release of American hostages on multiple continents and argued for greater connections between civil rights movements around the world, most notably as a fierce critic of the policies of Apartheid South Africa.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Eric Dane, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Euphoria’ star, has died at 53

    [ad_1]

    Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53.

    His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dane developed a devoted fanbase when his big break arrived in the mid-2000s: He was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy”

    • In 2019, he did a complete 180 from the charming McSteamy and became the troubled Cal Jacobs in HBO’s provocative drama “Euphoria,” a role he continued in up until his death

    • In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body

    • He became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization

    “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”

    Dane developed a devoted fanbase when his big break arrived in the mid-2000s: He was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021.

    Although his character was killed off on the show after a plane crash, Dane’s character left an indelible mark on the still-running show: Seattle Grace Hospital became Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

    In 2019, he did a complete 180 from the charming McSteamy and became the troubled Cal Jacobs in HBO’s provocative drama “Euphoria,” a role he continued in up until his death.

    Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world’s population, in the TNT drama “The Last Ship.” In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.

    In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.

    ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients die within three to five years of a diagnosis.

    Dane became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. “Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS,” he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.

    Dane was born on Nov. 9, 1972, and raised in Northern California. His father, who the actor said was a Navy veteran and an architect, died of a gunshot wound when Dane was 7. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, landing guest roles on shows like “Saved by the Bell,” “Married…With Children,” “Charmed” and “X-Men: the Last Stand,” and one season of the short-lived medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing.”

    A memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in late 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” will be released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane’s memoir covers key moments in his life, from his first day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he had ALS.

    “I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement about the book. “If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”

    Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and their two teen daughters, Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart and Dane wed in 2004 and separated in September 2017. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, but later filed to dismiss the petition. In a December essay for New York magazine’s The Cut reflecting on Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart called their dynamic “a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people.” She said they never got a divorce, but dated other people and lived separately.

    “Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love,” she said. “Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that.”

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • NASA sets March 6 as earliest moon mission opportunity

    [ad_1]

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — NASA’s Artemis II team says that after a successful test launch countdown Thursday night, they can press on with the moon mission no earlier than March 6.

    What You Need To Know

    • If a Flight Readiness Review next week goes well and a launch date is set, the crew will head from Houston to KSC not long after

    • RELATED coverage:

    A key will be the Flight Readiness Review at the end of next week.

    The team conducted a successful wet dress rehearsal on Thursday, a full simulated launch day countdown including fully fueling the Space Launch System rocket at Kennedy Space Center.

    They say the liquid hydrogen seal issues that plagued the first wet dress rehearsal performed well.

    The replacements revealed just a 1% leak rate, far within specifications and not concerning.

    The team says that the rehearsal was a success, as it is continuing to work through the challenges revealed during the first test earlier this month.

    “The hardware was talking to us, so we listened, and the mediation activities we took turned out really well,” said John Honeycutt, Chair, Artemis II Mission Management Team.

    NASA also says it has addressed the ground systems communications issue that it had during the rehearsal.

    It has back-up radios if needed, should the problem come up again.

    The team says after the successful test, the reality of going back to the moon gets stronger.

    “Every night I look at the moon, and I see it, and I get real excited, because I can really feel she’s calling us, and we’re ready,” says Lori Glaze, Acting Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems.

    If the Flight Readiness Review goes well and a launch date is set, the crew will head from Houston to Kennedy Space Center not long after.

    [ad_2]

    Greg Pallone

    Source link

  • Jesse Jackson, who led Civil Rights Movement for decades after King, has died

    [ad_1]

    CHICAGO — The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination, died Tuesday. He was 84.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson has died at the age of 84

    • Jackson was a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King and became a leader of the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King was assassinated in 1968

    • A two-time presidential candidate, Jackson led a lifetime of political crusades, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care

    • He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders and channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, using his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to pressure executives to make America a more open and equitable society

    • His family confirmed he died Tuesday




    As a young organizer in Chicago, Jackson was called to meet with King at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, shortly before King was killed, and he publicly positioned himself thereafter as King’s successor.

    Jackson led a lifetime of crusades in the United States and abroad, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

    And when he declared, “I am Somebody,” in a poem he often repeated, he sought to reach people of all colors. “I may be poor, but I am Somebody; I may be young; but I am Somebody; I may be on welfare, but I am Somebody,” Jackson intoned.

    It was a message he took literally and personally, having risen from obscurity in the segregated South to become America’s best-known civil rights activist since King.

    Santita Jackson confirmed that her father died at home in Chicago, surrounded by family.

    “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement posted online. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”

    Fellow civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton said his mentor “was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself.”

    “He taught me that protest must have purpose, that faith must have feet, and that justice is not seasonal, it is daily work,” Sharpton wrote in a statement, adding that Jackson taught “trying is as important as triumph. That you do not wait for the dream to come true; you work to make it real.”

    Despite profound health challenges in his final years including a rare neurological disorder that affected his ability to move and speak, Jackson continued protesting against racial injustice into the era of Black Lives Matter. In 2024, he appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and at a City Council meeting to show support for a resolution backing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

    “Even if we win,” he told marchers in Minneapolis before the officer whose knee kept George Floyd from breathing was convicted of murder, “it’s relief, not victory. They’re still killing our people. Stop the violence, save the children. Keep hope alive.”

    U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and NAACP President Derrick Johnson march across the Edmund Pettus bridge during the 60th anniversary of the march to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote, March 9, 2025, in Selma, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

    Calls to action, delivered in a memorable voice

    Jackson’s voice, infused with the stirring cadences and powerful insistence of the Black church, demanded attention. On the campaign trail and elsewhere, he used rhyming and slogans such as: “Hope not dope” and “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it,” to deliver his messages.

    Jackson had his share of critics, both within and outside of the Black community. Some considered him a grandstander, too eager to seek out the spotlight. Looking back on his life and legacy, Jackson told The Associated Press in 2011 that he felt blessed to be able to continue the service of other leaders before him and to lay a foundation for those to come.

    “A part of our life’s work was to tear down walls and build bridges, and in a half century of work, we’ve basically torn down walls,” Jackson said. “Sometimes when you tear down walls, you’re scarred by falling debris, but your mission is to open up holes so others behind you can run through.”

    In his final months, as he received 24-hour care, he lost his ability to speak, communicating with family and visitors by holding their hands and squeezing.

    “I get very emotional knowing that these speeches belong to the ages now,” his son, Jesse Jackson Jr., told the AP in October.

    A student athlete drawn to the Civil Rights Movement

    Jesse Louis Jackson was born on Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, the son of high school student Helen Burns and Noah Louis Robinson, a married man who lived next door. Jackson was later adopted by Charles Henry Jackson, who married his mother.

    Jackson was a star quarterback on the football team at Sterling High School in Greenville, and accepted a football scholarship from the University of Illinois. But after he reportedly was told Black people couldn’t play quarterback, he transferred to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, where he became the first-string quarterback, an honor student in sociology and economics, and student body president.

    Arriving on the historically Black campus in 1960 just months after students there launched sit-ins at a whites-only diner, Jackson immersed himself in the blossoming Civil Rights Movement.

    By 1965, he joined the voting rights march King led from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. King dispatched him to Chicago to launch Operation Breadbasket, a Southern Christian Leadership Conference effort to pressure companies to hire Black workers.

    Jackson called his time with King “a phenomenal four years of work.”

    Jackson was with King on April 4, 1968, when the civil rights leader was slain. Jackson’s account of the assassination was that King died in his arms.

    With his flair for the dramatic, Jackson wore a turtleneck he said was soaked with King’s blood for two days, including at a King memorial service held by the Chicago City Council, where he said: “I come here with a heavy heart because on my chest is the stain of blood from Dr. King’s head.”

    However, several King aides, including speechwriter Alfred Duckett, questioned whether Jackson could have gotten King’s blood on his clothing. There are no images of Jackson in pictures taken shortly after the assassination.

    In 1971, Jackson broke with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to form Operation PUSH, originally named People United to Save Humanity. The organization based on Chicago’s South Side declared a sweeping mission, from diversifying workforces to registering voters in communities of color nationwide. Using lawsuits and threats of boycotts, Jackson pressured top corporations to spend millions and publicly commit to diversifying their workforces.

    The constant campaigns often left his wife, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, the college sweetheart he married in 1963, taking the lead in raising their five children: Santita Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson Jr., and two future members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Jonathan Luther Jackson and Jesse L. Jackson Jr., who resigned in 2012 but is seeking reelection in the 2026 midterms.

    The elder Jackson, who was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1968 and earned his Master of Divinity in 2000, also acknowledged fathering a child, Ashley Jackson, with one of his employees at Rainbow/PUSH, Karen L. Stanford. He said he understood what it means to be born out of wedlock and supported her emotionally and financially.

    Presidential aspirations fall short but help ‘keep hope alive’

    Despite once telling a Black audience he would not run for president “because white people are incapable of appreciating me,” Jackson ran twice and did better than any Black politician had before President Barack Obama, winning 13 primaries and caucuses for the Democratic nomination in 1988, four years after his first failed attempt.

    Democratic presidential primary candidate Jesse Jackson speaks to a group of his supporters at a rally held at a Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio, April 14, 1984. (AP Photo/Rob Burns, File)

    Democratic presidential primary candidate Jesse Jackson speaks to a group of his supporters at a rally held at a Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio, April 14, 1984. (AP Photo/Rob Burns, File)

    His successes left supporters chanting another Jackson slogan, “Keep Hope Alive.”

    “I was able to run for the presidency twice and redefine what was possible; it raised the lid for women and other people of color,” he told the AP. “Part of my job was to sow seeds of the possibilities.”

    U.S. Rep. John Lewis said during a 1988 C-SPAN interview that Jackson’s two runs for the Democratic nomination “opened some doors that some minority person will be able to walk through and become president.”

    Jackson also pushed for cultural change, joining calls by NAACP members and other movement leaders in the late 1980s to identify Black people in the United States as African Americans.

    “To be called African Americans has cultural integrity — it puts us in our proper historical context,” Jackson said at the time. “Every ethnic group in this country has a reference to some base, some historical cultural base. African Americans have hit that level of cultural maturity.”

    Jackson’s words sometimes got him in trouble.

    In 1984, he apologized for what he thought were private comments to a reporter, calling New York City “Hymietown,” a derogatory reference to its large Jewish population. And in 2008, he made headlines when he complained that Obama was “talking down to Black people” in comments captured by a microphone he didn’t know was on during a break in a television taping.

    Still, when Jackson joined the jubilant crowd in Chicago’s Grant Park to greet Obama that election night, he had tears streaming down his face.

    “I wish for a moment that Dr. King or (slain civil rights leader) Medgar Evers … could’ve just been there for 30 seconds to see the fruits of their labor,” he told the AP years later. “I became overwhelmed. It was the joy and the journey.”

    Exerting influence on events at home and abroad

    Jackson also had influence abroad, meeting world leaders and scoring diplomatic victories, including the release of Navy Lt. Robert Goodman from Syria in 1984, as well as the 1990 release of more than 700 foreign women and children held after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. In 1999, he won the freedom of three Americans imprisoned by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

    In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.

    “Citizens have the right to do something or do nothing,” Jackson said, before heading to Syria. “We choose to do something.”

    In 2021, Jackson joined the parents of Ahmaud Arbery inside the Georgia courtroom where three white men were convicted of killing the young Black jogger. In 2022, he hand-delivered a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, calling for federal charges against former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke in the 2014 killing of Black teenager Laquan McDonald.

    Jackson, who stepped down as president of Rainbow/PUSH in July 2023, disclosed in 2017 that he had sought treatment for Parkinson’s, but he continued to make public appearances even as the disease made it more difficult for listeners to understand him. Earlier this year doctors confirmed a diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy, a life-threatening neurological disorder. He was admitted to a hospital in November for nearly two weeks.

    During the coronavirus pandemic, he and his wife survived being hospitalized with COVID-19. Jackson was vaccinated early, urging Black people in particular to get protected, given their higher risks for bad outcomes.

    “It’s America’s unfinished business — we’re free, but not equal,” Jackson told the AP. “There’s a reality check that has been brought by the coronavirus, that exposes the weakness and the opportunity.”

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Jordan Stolz wins second speedskating gold of Olympics

    [ad_1]

    MILAN — For a while now, Jordan Stolz’s talent and dominance as a speedskater, and his much-anticipated potential for Olympic success, prompted many to repeatedly mention his name — prematurely, no doubt — alongside that of Eric Heiden. Now they really do belong in the same sentence, at least in one regard.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jordan Stolz has won his second speedskating gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics by finishing first in the 500 meters in an Olympic-record time. Saturday’s race was the American’s second of the Winter Games

    • The 21-year-old from Wisconsin was coming off a victory in Wednesday’s 1,000, the first of his four individual events in Milan

    • He came to these Games as someone considered a contender for gold in all four

    • The men’s record for most speedskating titles at one Olympics is the five for Eric Heiden at Lake Placid in 1980

    Stolz established himself as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, halfway to his goal of four at the Milan Cortina Games, by winning the 500 meters on Saturday to follow up his victory in the 1,000. Those twin triumphs allowed Stolz, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin, to join Heiden as the only men to complete the 500-1,000 double in speedskating at one Olympics.

    Heiden, of course, did it as part of his record sweep of all five individual events at the 1980 Lake Placid Games for the U.S., taking everything from the 500 to the 10,000, and all in Olympic-record time.

    Stolz finished the 500 in an Olympic-record time of 33.77 seconds, after also setting a Games mark in his win in the 1,000 on Wednesday. Both times, the silver went to Jenning do Boo of the Netherlands, who clocked 33.88 in the shortest speedskating event. Both times, they raced head-to-head in the same heat.

    Stolz was leading Wednesday as they came out of the final curve, then they were even entering the last stretch. But Stolz, who overcame a deficit in the 1,000, turned on the speed and leaned across the line first again in the 500. De Boo slipped and fell into the wall afterward, while Stolz skated past and shook his right fist overhead.

    Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil got the bronze in 34.26.

    The last American to win Olympic gold in the men’s 500 was Casey FitzRandolph in 2002.

    The soft-spoken Stolz acknowledges that, yes, his aims are high, and, sure, he is flattered by the comparisons to Heiden. But Stolz, who isn’t entered in the 5,000 or 10,000 in Milan, also knows he isn’t trying to recreate the same sort of unprecedented and all-encompassing performance turned in by Heiden.

    Still, Stolz does have a real shot at the four medals, maybe even four golds, he is seeking at his second Winter Games.

    At Beijing in 2022, just 17 years old, Stolz finished 13th in the 1,000 and 14th in the 500. In the time since, though, he has established himself as the best in the world at his sport, including two world titles each at the 500, the 1,000 and the 1,500. And right now, Stolz is so far living up to the outsized expectations and accompanying pressure that follow his every stride on the ice at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility created for this event.

    Two races, two golds, two Olympic records.

    Now there are two more to go for the six-time world champion: the 1,500 meters on Thursday, and the mass start on Feb. 21.

    The last man with three gold medals in speedskating at one Winter Games was Norway’s Johann Olav Koss, who won the 1,500, the 5,000 and the 10,000 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games

    Stolz took to the ice to warm up Saturday about 2 1/2 hours before his race. He paused at one point to plop himself down for a seat on the low boards along the ice, retying his black-and-green skates and smiling while chatting with his coach, Bob Corby.

    No sign of nerves. None at all.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Disney parks chief D’Amaro named to succeed Bob Iger as CEO

    [ad_1]

    FLORIDA — Disney has named its parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as the entertainment giant’s top executive.

    What You Need To Know

    • Disney has named its parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as the entertainment giant’s top executive

    • D’Amaro has been Disney Experiences Chairman, spearheading efforts for the company’s theme parks, cruises and resorts

    • The decision on the next chief executive at Disney comes almost four years after the company’s choice to replace Iger went badly, forcing Iger back into the job

    D’Amaro has been Disney Experiences Chairman, spearheading efforts for the company’s theme parks, cruises, and resorts.

    The decision on the next chief executive at Disney comes almost four years after the company’s choice to replace Iger went badly, forcing Iger back into the job.

    Only two years after stepping down as CEO, Iger returned to Disney in 2022 after a period of clashes, missteps, and a weakening financial performance under his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek.

    Chapek had been viewed by many as too gruff and buttoned up, focusing intently on business and not taking enough care with the creative and imaginative elements that have helped Disney flourish over decades.

    Iger, for his part, strengthened the Disney brand through his acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, oversaw the expansion of the company in China and India, and had a laser-like focus on technology that both made the Disney product better and more accessible. Iger, at the same time, is approachable, media savvy, and has deftly managed a company that is like no other.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • More than 11,400 flights canceled Sunday across the U.S.

    [ad_1]

    NASHVILLE — A massive winter storm made for a brutal travel day Sunday, with widespread cancellations and delays at some of the nation’s busiest airports.

    What You Need To Know

    • Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people — more than half the U.S. population — in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night

    • After sweeping through the South, the storm moved into the Northeast Sunday, and was expected to dump about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston

    • Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that as of Sunday morning, the storm is the highest experienced cancellation event since the pandemic
    • New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport had 466 flights canceled, about 80% of flights, according to FlightAware

    Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people — more than half the U.S. population — in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, the storm moved into the Northeast Sunday, and was expected to dump about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.

    More than 11,400 flights were canceled on Sunday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that as of Sunday morning, the storm is the highest experienced cancellation event since the pandemic.

    By Sunday afternoon, the majority of flights were canceled at busy airports in the Northeast and elsewhere. LaGuardia Airport in New York closed Sunday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said on its website the busy Queens airport grounded flights until 8 p.m.

    In Philadelphia, 94% of flights, 326 flights, were canceled. Ninety-one percent of flights, 436 flights, were canceled at LaGuardia Airport in New York. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport had 466 flights canceled, about 80% of flights, according to FlightAware.

    Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport said on its website that all airlines had canceled departing flights for the day, about 421 flights.

    Significant disruptions also hit major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nation’s busiest airport.

    Allan Lengel of Detroit planned to return Monday from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the temperature has been in the 80s. But he’s staying until Wednesday after Delta suggested he change his reservation because of the weather impact on flights.

    “Can’t say I’m disappointed. Frankly, I had been thinking of returning later because of frigid weather,” Lengel, 71, said, referring to conditions in Michigan.

    American Airlines had canceled over 1,790 flights for Sunday, about 55% of its scheduled flights for Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta Air Lines reported over 1,470 cancellations and Southwest Airlines reported over 1,340 cancellations for the day, while United Airlines had about 1,016. JetBlue had more than 590 canceled flights, accounting for roughly 72% of its schedule for the day.

    Vikrant Vaze, a Dartmouth professor specializing in commercial aviation logistics, said recovery from the storm cancellations and delays will take days if not longer. And even for travelers who aren’t in areas that were directly affected by weather, cascading delays could still affect their travel plans.

    “Because there are so many different airlines involved, I think it’s going to come down heavily to the individual airline’s network structure, the extent of hit that each of them has had, and just the intrinsic capacity of the airlines to handle these massive disruptions,” he said.

    My flight was canceled, now what?

    If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. If you’re still at home or at your hotel, call or go online to connect to your airline’s reservations staff. Either way, it helps to also research alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.

    Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge, but it depends on the availability of open seats.

    Can I get booked on another airline?

    You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including most of the biggest carriers, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then, it can be a hit or miss.

    Am I owed a refund?

    If your flight was canceled and you no longer want to take the trip, or you’ve found another way to get to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money — even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.

    The airline might offer you a travel credit, but you are entitled to a full refund. You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Thanksgiving Travel Forecast

    [ad_1]

    According to AAA, more Americans will travel for Thanksgiving this year than ever before. Whether you’re flying or driving, the weather could impact your trip. Here’s what to expect across the country this week.

    What You Need To Know

    • An early week system will bring rain from the Plains to East Coast

    • Thanksgiving looks mostly quiet across U.S.

    • Much colder air after Thanksgiving


    Here are the weather highlights for Thanksgiving travelers this week. 


    A more detailed forecast for each day can be found below.

    Monday

    A system will be on the move and bring widespread rain from the Southern Plains to Great Lakes. Scattered storms could create travel issues for places like Dallas, St. Louis and Memphis. 


    Tuesday

    By Tuesday, our system will continue its path to the east with showers and storms expected in the Southeast and up the East Coast. Areas farther north will see mostly showers, so nothing too concerning other than a wet commute up and down I-95.

    Wednesday

    By Wednesday, the system will be mostly gone with only a few areas of lingering rain chances in the East and lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes. Attention turns to the Pacific Northwest where the next system will be moving on shore. Rain and mountain snow will be likely in this region.


    Thanksgiving Day

    If you are traveling short and far on Thanksgiving Day, most of the country thankfully looks quiet and uneventful. The Pacific NW system will be pushing inland bringing snow across the northern Mountain West. Additionally, the lake-effect machine will continue in the Great Lakes.


    Black Friday

    Black Friday shoppers may need to deal with some winter weather from the Northern Plains to Great Lakes. Temperatures will be far colder behind the early week front setting this one up.

    Saturday

    Forecast info.


    Sunday

    Forecast info.


    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

    Source link

  • City of Akron releases Innerbelt Master Plan

    [ad_1]

    AKRON, Ohio — A small stretch of road known as the “Innerbelt” was meant to connect to major highways in Akron in the 1960s, but the construction project has since been abandoned.

    Now, the city is hoping to transform what’s become a point of division to a symbol of unity.

    What You Need To Know

    • Several courts have taken action to block part of the Trump administration’s ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs over the last few months

    • The DEI ban put a pause on a re-development project in Akron, which had been awarded $10 million dollars under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program

    • The city said it is hoping to overcome that roadblock by honoring the past and building a more connected future



    The city released a “Phase One Report” last year, detailing more than two years of engagement data, case studies and recommendations for carrying out its Reconnecting Our Community initiative. The development program was formally launched in 2022 and aims to rebuild the Innerbelt space through community-based collaboration. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said they’re now launching a master plan, implementing input from members of the community. 

    “I’m a little nervous because its like $200 million of work back there, and that’s a lot of years of work, but I am confident we can do it,” Malik said.

    The city said the plan covers the entire Innerbelt area, including Wooster Avenue and Howard Street – two historic Black commercial, cultural corridors – along with nearby neighborhoods.

    Roberta Rogers was born and raised on Poplar Street in the Akron Innerbelt area.

    She said her family and many others were displaced from the area during the Innerbelt’s initial construction.

    Urban Planner Siqi Zhu said the master plan includes enhancing Vernon Odom Blvd. to be a more walkable, active commercial destination. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

    “It was a beautiful home and beautiful community,” Rogers said. “We had neighbors and friends that we cared a lot about, and there were stores and post offices and businesses in the area too, that are all gone.”

    Now, Rogers said, she’s hoping to see the city revive the communities’ legacy.

    “Fortunately, however, this group is trying to rebuild the area and give us back community once again, which will be wonderful,” she said.

    The mayor invited other local leaders and the Innerbelt design team to discuss their strategies for supporting Akron residents. 

    Urban planner Siqi Zhu said the Sasaki design team has divided the restoration plans into the five stages, which include, making neighborhood-based investments, strengthing east-west corridors, and connecting open spaces and activating Innerbelt-adjacent assets.

    The design team is now handing off these plans to the city, Zhu said, also setting a timeline for reaching short-term and long-term goals.

    “This is the moment when we take these ideas, and again … start to turn them into reality in the next one year, five years, 15 years and 30 years,” he said.

    (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

    “The last idea is to focus on the actual highway infrastructure and how we can incrementally undue, untangle that infrastructure, which requires a lot of thoughtful studies and steps, for the reason that this is still an active highway,” he said.

    Millions of dollars in federal funds remain frozen for Innerbelt project after being halted during President Donald Trump’s DEI crackdown.

    Zhu said they’re working with the city to overcome this hurdle.

    “And that’s one of the big reasons why we broke up the master plan into these smaller, incremental steps,” he said. “That starts with, one to five years and then building on that. The one to five year projects are intentionally developed in such a way that they are within the sort of resource envelope of what the city has.”

    Still, repairing the Innerbelt means recognizing the lasting impact of its past, Zhu said, and looking beyond the geographical scar left behind.

    “It’s not just about putting back physically with the way it was, but rather looking at economy, housing, open space, culture, history, try to repair all of these different aspects, and not just the physical sort of highway and roads,” he said.

    [ad_2]

    Tanya Velazquez

    Source link

  • Akron Marathon celebrates 23rd anniversary and city milestone

    [ad_1]

    CLEVELAND — The 2025 Akron Marathon is taking off this weekend as the city continues to celebrate its 200th anniversary.

    What You Need To Know

    • Akron Public Schools laid off around 160 faculty members, including teachers, last summer

    • Now, the district said it is looking to fill around the same number of jobs before school starts this week

    • Statewide, the teacher attrition rate – or those no returning as a teacher – has risen in recent years, while the number of newly credential teachers has declined since 2013.

    Four months of training is paying off for Eric Westog who was the first half-marathoner to cross the finish line this year. 

    He is one of more than 8,000 participants who stood behind the start line at sunrise. Westog said he’s been running for around 15 years, but it’s only his second time participating in the annual Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay event.

    “This year I was actually entered for the full marathon, and I switched this morning because my daughter has a fever back home. So I wanted to get done sooner so I can get back home,” said Westog who is from Michigan.

    Anne Bitong, President and CEO of the Akron Marathon, said participants are traveling new revamped routes across the downtown area.

    “This is an all new finish line this year,” Bitong said. “We had a change in the course, so we flipped the first 13 miles of the race course, and then we’re finishing right here on South Main Street, the heart of Akron with the all new renovated lot three. So, we think our runners are going to love it.”

    And while the Marathon is celebrating it’s 23rd anniversary, Biton said the event is also recognizing a significant milestone in the city’s history.

    “It’s Akron’s birthday, the bicentennial. So all of our participant shirts and medals feature the 200 Akron logo, and it’s just a great way to celebrate Akron with that foot tour. Traveling around our city with amazing landmarks,” she said.

    Fhiannon Stevenson is an employee with FirstEnergy and long-time participant in the Akron Marathon. She is helping lift the spirit of celebration at the marathon.

    “I have run every day for the last five years. So I’ve run on plenty of birthdays, never a race like this,” she said. “So I think I’m just going to pretend they’re all cheering for me.”

    Still, for other participants, the race is only a piece of a longer journey that lies ahead.

    “I would love to qualify for the Olympic trials in the marathon,” Westog said. “So I’m going to go plan to go for that in the spring.”

    [ad_2]

    Tanya Velazquez

    Source link

  • A frigid storm drops rare snow as Florida readies plows in the Panhandle

    [ad_1]

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A rare frigid storm charged through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday, blanketing New Orleans and Houston with snow that closed highways, grounded nearly all flights and canceled school for more than a million students more accustomed to hurricane dismissals than snow days.

    What You Need To Know

    • New Orleans shattered its all-time snowfall record with more than 9 inches in parts of the city

    • Florida also broke its all-time snowfall record, more than doubling the old record of 4 inches

    • The storm prompted the first ever blizzard warnings for several coastal counties near the Texas-Louisiana border



    The storm prompted the first ever blizzard warnings for several coastal counties near the Texas-Louisiana border, and snowplows were at the ready in the Florida Panhandle.

    In the Texas capital, two people died in the cold weather, according to a statement from the city of Austin. No details were provided, but the city said emergency crews had responded to more than a dozen “cold exposure” calls. Officials said one person died from hypothermia in Georgia.

    Snow covered the white-sand beaches of normally sunny vacation spots, including Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida. The heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain hitting parts of the Deep South came as a blast of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.

    A powdery South made for some head-turning scenes — a snowball fight on a Gulf Shores beach, sledding in a laundry basket in Montgomery, Alabama, pool-tubing down a Houston hill.

    One of the country’s quirkiest cities, New Orleans, didn’t disappoint under the snowy spotlight. There was an attempt at urban skiing along Bourbon Street; a priest and nuns in a snowball fight outside a suburban church; snowboarding behind a golf cart; and sledding down the snow-covered Mississippi River levees on kayaks, cardboard boxes and inflatable alligators.


    High school teacher David Delio and his two daughters glided down the levee on a yoga mat and a boogie board.

    “This is a white-out in New Orleans, this is a snow-a-cane,” Delio said. “We’ve had tons of hurricane days but never a snow day.”

    The nuns at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School near New Orleans encouraged their students last week to pray to saints, including Our Lady of the Snows — a devotional term for Mary, mother of Jesus — for the snow day they received Tuesday, said the Rev. Tim Hedrick. The priest said he invited the nuns to make snow angels, and they challenged him to a snowball fight that has since received tens of thousands of views on social media.

    “It’s a fun way to show that priests and sisters are humans, too, and they can have fun,” Hedrick said.

    It has been more than a decade since snow last fell on New Orleans. With more than 9 inches of snow in parts of the city Tuesday, New Orleans has far surpassed its record — 2.7 inches on Dec. 31, 1963 — according to the National Weather Service. There were unofficial reports of 10 inches of snow in New Orleans in 1895, NWS meteorologist Christopher Bannan said.

    For Houston, the winter blast marks the latest dramatic fluctuation in extreme weather. Hurricane Beryl devastated the city in July, killing dozens and knocking out power to large swaths of the city. Several months later, a winter storm has dumped the most snow in decades over the Houston area.


    Nearly 2,000 flights to, from or within the U.S. were canceled Tuesday, with about 10,000 others delayed, according to online tracker FlightAware.com. Both Houston airports suspended flight operations starting Tuesday. Nearly every flight was cancelled at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, but most airlines planned to resume operations Wednesday.

    Alvaro Perez was hunkering down at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Tuesday after his flight to El Salvador was canceled. His new departure is scheduled for Thursday.

    “I’ll just ride it and stay here,” Perez said.

    Snow on the Gulf Coast

    Ahead of the storm, governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and even Florida — the Sunshine State — declared states of emergency and many school systems canceled classes Tuesday. School closures were planned in some coastal communities in North and South Carolina.

    The NWS said up to 4 inches of snow fell in the Houston area. Texas transportation officials said more than 20 snowplows were in use across nearly 12,000 lane miles in the Houston area, which lacks its own city or county plows.

    Forecasters say snowfall could stretch from north Georgia, through Atlanta, and into southern portions unaccustomed to such weather.

    Parts of the Florida Panhandle were coated white Tuesday. Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, last saw snow in 2018 — just 0.1 of an inch, according to the weather service. Tallahassee’s highest snowfall on record was 2.8 inches in 1958.

    “Believe it or not, in the state of Florida we’re mobilizing snowplows,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.


    Mobile, Alabama, hit 5.4 inches and counting Tuesday, topping the city’s one-day snowfall record of 5 inches, set Jan. 24, 1881, and nearing its all-time snowfall record of 6 inches in 1895, the weather service said.

    The blizzard warning in effect until midday Tuesday was the first issued by the office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to meteorologist Donald Jones.

    Louisiana transportation agency workers worked through the night to prepare bridges and roadways. Nonetheless, Louisiana State Police said they have already responded to more than 50 crashes Tuesday, and pleaded for people to stay home.

    Return of the Arctic blast

    This latest cold snap comes from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air usually trapped at the North Pole.

    Frigid cold persisted across the eastern two-thirds of the country as the East Coast was blanketed in snow while people from the Northern Plains to the tip of Maine shivered in bitter cold. The NWS said normal temperatures would return slowly by the end of the week.

    A state of emergency was declared in at least a dozen New York counties with up to 2 feet of lake-effect snow and extreme cold expected around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie through Wednesday.

    Wind chills are expected to reach minus 30 to minus 50 across the Dakotas and into the Upper Midwest through Friday, the NWS warned. Subzero wind chills were forecast from the Central Plains eastward through Wednesday night.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Heating vs. cooling: Which one is costing you more?

    [ad_1]

    Now that it’s winter, it’s time to prepare yourself to fork out some extra money each month on your energy bill. When it gets cold outside, turning on the heat is necessary, but it can become costly.

    It depends where you live, but most people see a spike in their energy bill during winter and summer when it’s time to heat and cool your home. But which is more expensive?

    What You Need To Know

    • Heating uses more energy than cooling


    • There is a bigger temperature difference between inside and outside during winter


    • There are various ways to help conserve energy and save money on your utility bill


    According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating your home uses more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home, making up almost 1/3 of your winter utility bill. Heating homes in the U.S. also uses more than four times as much energy as cooling.

    There are a few reasons for this. One of them? The temperature difference between the inside and the outside of your home during winter and summer. The bigger the temperature difference, the harder your HVAC system has to work.

    In the summer, that temperature difference in a warm-weather city between the inside and outside can be as high as 15 to 25 degrees on average, even higher in extreme cases. In the winter, the temperature difference in a cold-weather city between the inside and outside is much more significant than that.

    Take Louisville, Ky., for example, a city that sees cold winters and warm summers. You can see the average temperature difference between the inside and outside during winter and summer is a significant difference.

    Another reason is the process of heating versus cooling. Air conditioners remove heat from your home using electricity. It’s not creating cooler air, just displacing the excess heat from inside to outside.

    Electric heating systems have to create heat for your home, which takes more work to convert electrical energy to heat. Depending on your home, heating systems can also run on natural gas, fuel oil or propane. Those fuel options can become more expensive than the price of electricity.

    Everyone has a preference on what to set the thermostat at. It’s usually a balance between comfort inside your home versus conserving energy and saving money. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that the ideal thermostat setting in the winter is around the upper 60s, and the mid-to-upper 70s during the summer.

    One of the best ways to conserve energy and save money is to minimize the temperature difference between the inside and outside. In the winter, it may mean putting on some additional layers inside or lighting the fireplace. In the summer, it could mean turning on some fans to stay cool. 

    Here are some other tips on how to conserve energy and save some money on your utility bill during the winter and summer.

    Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

    Source link

  • Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November

    Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November

    [ad_1]

    Election Day falls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, this year. Like every year, it’s the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. 

    There’s solid reasoning behind why Election Day follows an unusual calendar process. That’s partly related to the weather.

    What You Need To Know

    • Election Day always falls on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November

    • Early November was after the harvest, but still ahead of winter

    • Tuesday was the most convenient day for farmers to get to the polls


    While the date itself may not align conveniently to most modern-day schedules, the date wasn’t just picked at random.

    When Congress agreed to make one national election day in 1845, they selected the date centering it around the lifestyles of farmers at the time. That included considering when the growing season ended. 

    Why November?

    Like daylight saving time, much of the decision to select a date for Election Day was geared toward the farmers, since they made up the bulk of the labor population back in the day.

    Farmers spent much of the spring, summer and early fall months dedicated to their cultivating crops, leaving them little to no time to head to the polls. However, their schedules opened up again once the harvest was complete.

    (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

    Choosing an early November date seemed to be the wisest option. Not only was it after the harvest, but it also occurred before winter. This allowed many citizens to get to the polls without worrying about the bitter cold or winter storms.

    Why a Tuesday?

    Carving out time to head to the polls on Tuesday may come as a modern-day inconvenience. But that wasn’t the case back in 1845, when Congress set that day of the week as a nationwide date to vote.

    Many 19th century farmers usually spent Sundays as a day of rest and worship. After the harvesting season, they would spend Wednesday through Saturday working in the marketplace.

    With that, Mondays and Tuesdays were the only two days farmers were available to vote. Unlike today, polling centers were few and far between, leaving only one or a select few within a day’s travel by foot or animal.

    As a result, farmers used Monday for travel, leaving Tuesday the designated Election Day.

    (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

    Election Day sometimes falls on the first Tuesday of November, but not always is the first Tuesday of the month.

    Rather, it falls on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November.

    This was to avoid Nov. 1, which many Christians honor as All Saints’ Day. As a result, Election Day typically falls between Nov. 2 and Nov. 8.

    A change in date is up for debate

    Even though many polling facilities stay opened for long hours on Election Day, many people nowadays argue that making it to the polls is a struggle during the workweek.

    Unlike the 1800s, though, there are now options to cast early votes. Absentee and early voting are offered by nearly all states.

    During the 2020 presidential election, implementation of the mail-in ballot was credited for the uptick in voter turnout. According to census data, approximately 66.8% of eligible Americans voted, making it the highest percentage in the century. 

    In attempts to increase voter turnout, some political leaders fought for making Election Day a national holiday to accommodate more citizens’ schedules. However, Election Day itself remains unchanged.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Shawnie Caslin

    Source link

  • Northern Kentucky University students get immersed in vampire lore

    Northern Kentucky University students get immersed in vampire lore

    [ad_1]

    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Everyone knows the classic vampire tropes: they come out at night and want to suck your blood, etc. But you might not know the real life folklore that influence these stories.

    What You Need To Know

    • After spending some time in Romania, Northern Kentucky University English Professor Kelly Moffett wanted to share that experience with her students

    • So she came up with the idea for “Creative writing in Transylvania,”  a class that culminated with a trip to Romania

    • Students traveled through Transylvania where vampire folklore is steeped in the culture

    • Students went to the Dracula castle, studied the rituals, history and folklore of vampires and how the two are intimately intertwined


    A group of Northern Kentucky University students now do after a trip to Transylvania.

    After spending some time in Romania, NKU English Professor Kelly Moffett wanted to share that experience with her students. So she came up with the idea for “Creative writing in Transylvania,” a class that culminated with a trip to Romania. Students traveled through Transylvania, where vampire folklore is steeped in the culture.

    “Their main job was to go to Romania, and soak everything in,” Moffett said. “And they wrote some of the best writing I’ve seen in ages.”

    Upon learning about the class, Lily Hotkewicz couldn’t sign up fast enough.

    “I’ve always loved folklore and especially vampires. When I told friends and family that I was going to be going on this trip, they were like, yeah that makes sense for you,” she said. “You’re in this country that has such a rich history, and you feel the weight of that and all the stories they tell for every second that you’re there.”

    Students went to the Dracula castle, studied the rituals, history and folklore of vampires and how the two are intimately intertwined. Folklore specialist Sara Moore Wagner came to help Moffett after immersing herself in vampire folklore for a year.

    “It turned from this sort of peasant monster who represents the plague or disease, who kind of prays on families, prays on the villages, into this grand sexy, rich vampire that we have now,” Wagner said.

    While the popular Bram Stoker Dracula story is highly influential and would have people think Dracula and Vlad the Impaler are one in the same, Wagner came to learn that’s not the case, and that Vlad has plenty of his own lore in Romania.

    “He’s a very heroic figure to the Romanians. And he is and isn’t Dracula. It’s very strange that those things kind of evolve,” she said. “Bram Stoker himself had never actually been to Romania.”

    Vlad was also vicious in his own right, as Ezra Knapp, an English major who signed up for the class, learned.

    “The field of stakes. And it’s talking about how all of his enemies, he would impale on these stakes, and then not only would leave them out there as a display of power, but would have a dinner table in the middle of this field, where he would invite adversaries or people who wanted to try to ally with him,” Knapp said.

    Knapp, who wants to be a writer, said the experience was so influential, they’re applying for a scholarship to go back to Romania to teach. Knapp learned the most from just talking to Romanian students.

    “What’s their country like? What’s the political climate? What their interests? What do they like to do? It was good to just get to know someone,” Knapp said. “My writing changed when I was in the Romania trip for the better, and it now reflects that.”

    From haunted forests to ancient architecture, it was an experience not many people at their age get to have. 

    “Supposedly sometimes people go there and they never return, but luckily all of our students came back,” Moffett joked.

    And for this particular fan of vampire lore, it only enhanced her appreciation.

    “Getting to live and using that as inspiration is so much more impactful than just being told write this about this,” Hotkewicz said.

    Moffett said she just returned from another trip to Romania. Her hope is to return with another group of students.

     

    [ad_2]

    Sam Knef

    Source link

  • Blink 2024 dazzles both sides of the Ohio River with expanded light displays

    Blink 2024 dazzles both sides of the Ohio River with expanded light displays

    [ad_1]

    NEWPORT, Ky. — BLINK, a biennial event, celebrated its milestone expansion across the river, featuring dazzling light installations and immersive art experiences, drawing thousands of visitors to explore its magic.

    What You Need To Know

    • BLINK one of the world’s largest public art shows, expanded over the Ohio River from Cincinnati into Newport for the first time

    • There are more than 80 light displays and installations spread across 30 city blocks

    • An estimated 2 million people are expected to attend the four-day event

    • BLINK runs from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20


    This year’s theme, “Let it Shine,” emphasizecommunity, art and creativity, as over 80 light displays and installations are spread across 30 city blocks. The festival officially kicked off with a vibrant parade as families and friends gathered to celebrate along the Ohio River. 

    Among the many participants in the parade was Dos Corazones Film Production, a small, local Cincinnati company eager to make its mark. “I think it’s special because it’s so diverse—not just the parade but all the performances, installations, and art around the city,” said Gabriel Martinez, a participant in the parade.

    One of the many installations was made by, “The Adventurer, organized d by Mike Demari and Kevin Kunz, who brought multiple artists to create an animated photo opportunity stand. Demaria said with so many installations, you may have to come back to see everything. “This is Newport on the Levee. There’s maybe 15 things here. Take your time and look at everything. There’s even the bridge… this is one of those events you have to see,” said Demaria.

    According to organizers, more than two million people attended the 2022 show. They expect approximately the same number to attend the four-day show.

    Festival attendee Chris Pinelo has been a fan since its early days. “This tradition goes all the way back to ‘Luminosity’. We love projection mapping, we love the artistry, and the fact that Cincinnati is an arts destination,” Pinelo shared as he danced with his family during the parade.

    For Pinelo, BLINK is about more than just the art—it’s about creating lasting memories with loved ones. “My boys are always going to remember this, just like I have memories from my childhood with my parents. Experiences like this are irreplaceable.”

    As families strolled through the streets, admiring the illuminated art displays, Demaria emphasized that BLINK isn’t just about the lights; it’s about bringing the community together. “This is one of those events where it just shows how cool and connected the community can be,” he said.

    [ad_2]

    Ryan Hayes-Owens

    Source link

  • Final preparations underway as BLINK 2024 approaches

    Final preparations underway as BLINK 2024 approaches

    [ad_1]

    CINCINNATI — The country’s largest immersive art event is just days away. 

    What You Need To Know

    • BLINK, which begins Oct. 17, is four days of free public art, spanning 30 city blocks from Cincinnati into northern Kentucky

    • It features more than 80 light, projection and mural projects from renowned artists

    • The projection project at Music Hall in Cincinnati features 12 projectors, 120 light fixtures and four different artists

    • There are six unique zones in the festival’s footprint 


    It has been a crazy couple of days for the people in charge of making sure BLINK runs smoothly. The festival of art and light returns Thursday, Oct. 17, and features four days of free public art, spanning 30 city blocks from Cincinnati into northern Kentucky. There will be more than 80 light, projection and mural projects from renowned artists.

    “Shutting down the city to throw a giant public art party every couple years is how we like to think about this work,” said Justin Brookhart, BLINK executive director. “You’ll see us running around, dropping a lot of equipment, building scaffolding towers. You’ll see mural artists up on lifts painting incredible artwork.”

    “We’re going to be running around right up until the last minute to get everything perfect for folks to come enjoy free public art in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.”

    Brookhart said guests should make sure not to miss the supernova laser bridge, which will run parallel to the Roebling Bridge, or the projection project at Music Hall in Cincinnati. That project features 12 projectors, 120 light fixtures and four different artists.

    Will Jennings, Four Wall Entertainment senior project manager, said it has been in the works for several months and will be “incredible.”

    “We’ve been figuring out how many projectors, what projectors to use, working with the content team to make BLINK happen,” Jennings said.

    This is the fourth edition of BLINK, which takes place every other year. The team is anticipating more than two million attendees, creating a $126 million economic impact for the region.

    A big focus for this year’s BLINK, Brookhart said, is the connectivity and walkability.

    “We’ve condensed our footprint a little bit and tried to make it more dense, having corridors where there’s a lot of activation, so if people are in that area they get to see a whole lot in a short period of time,” he said. “We do think this is a ‘nowhere else’ experience. There’s nowhere else in the United States where something like this happens at this grand of a scale.”

    Brookhart said he recommends attendees plan out their routes throughout the six unique zones in the BLINK footprint. Check out the festival’s website for more details and information. 

     

    [ad_2]

    Sam Knef

    Source link

  • Home ownership out of reach for many in northern Kentucky

    Home ownership out of reach for many in northern Kentucky

    [ad_1]

    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Housing affordability is a critical issue in northern Kentucky where home prices continue to outpace wage growth. Many of the essential workers the region depends on are struggling to achieve the “American Dream” of homeownership, according to a study.

    What You Need To Know

    • There is a large swath of what used to be considered “very solid middle class families,” but those occupations are no longer middle class, according to a new study

    • A household must earn at least $69,920 annually to afford a median-priced home in Northern Kentucky, which is currently $291,720

    • This follows the rule that no more than 30% of income should go toward housing costs, with those exceeding considered “house burdened”

    • Of the 630 detailed occupations in the study, just 177 or 28% can comfortably afford a median-priced home


    “The narrative has been for many years that we need affordable housing, which is kind of a euphemism for: we need subsidized housing. And we absolutely do need that. But there’s a whole other set of people that work full-time jobs, they’re not on welfare, they’re not on public assistance, but they can’t afford a home either. Because housing prices have risen so much faster than wages,” said Janet Harrah, senior director of the Center for Economic Analysis and Development in the Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University. 

    She said there is a large swath of what used to be considered “very solid middle-class families,” but “those occupations are no longer middle class. Things like teachers, LPNs, firefighters, police officers, they can no longer afford a median price home in northern Kentucky.”

    Harrah put together a study showing the disparity between median home prices and household income in northern Kentucky, which is further broken down by occupation.

    A household must earn at least $69,920 annually to afford a median-priced home in Northern Kentucky, which is currently $291,720. This follows the rule that no more than 30% of income should go toward housing costs, with those exceeding considered “house burdened.”

    “The bad news is we have lots of people that live and work here that really can’t afford to get into the housing market,” Harrah said. “The good news is that compared to other markets, Cincinnati is still very affordable. Not just northern Kentucky, but the whole metro area.”

    Of the 630 detailed occupations in the study, just 177 or 28% can comfortably afford a median-priced home. Harrah said if current trends continue, northern Kentucky risks becoming unaffordable for the very workers who keep the region running.

    “We need teachers, we need nurses, we need fire and police,” she said. “So we as a community need to figure out how do we make that job pay enough that they can still have a good quality of life and live in our community?”

    Harrah said she doesn’t expect housing prices to decrease anytime soon. However, she said if people can wait another six to 12 months, she expects interest rates to go down, making it easier for people to buy a home.

     

    [ad_2]

    Sam Knef

    Source link

  • Dual citizenship applications on the rise

    Dual citizenship applications on the rise

    [ad_1]

    LOS ANGELES — Reflecting on family photos from her vacations in Mexico always fills Cynthia de La Torre with a deep sense of happiness. It’s where she spent more than half of her childhood.

    “I was born here, and then when I was about… maybe 3, we moved to Mexico and came back when I was like 10, and I stayed here since then,” she said. “And I actually grew up in Ventura.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Over the past three years, there has been a sharp rise in the amount of people seeking Mexican citizenship

    • Three years ago, the Mexican Senate made the process of becoming a Mexican citizen easier for the descendants of Mexican nationals

    • Immigration experts say the political climate could also be a reason for the increase

    De la Torre visited Mexico several times a year, and those frequent trips are just one of the reasons she became a dual citizen of both Mexico and the United States. It also allowed her and her husband to buy land across the border, which is one of the reasons de la Torre is trying to gain dual citizenship for her two children as well.

    “If we inherit it to them, then they’re able to claim that as well,” she said. “And secondly, every time we go, if you’re there for more than seven days, you get charged a fee. So if you’re a Mexican citizen, you don’t.” 

    De la Torre isn’t alone. Over the past three years, there has been a sharp rise in the amount of people seeking Mexican citizenship. In 2022, the Mexican consulate saw an increase of 81.89% from 2021. In 2023, it saw an increase of 64.32%. And this year, it expects to see an increase of 28.77% from 2023.

    “There’s a great demand by far of all the services we provide,” said Carlos González Gutiérrez, consul general of Mexico in Los Angeles. “By far, the one in which we are overwhelmed by the demand is the dual nationality services.”

    González Gutiérrez added that three years ago, the Mexican Senate made the process of becoming a Mexican citizen easier for the descendants of Mexican nationals.

    “By making explicit that it didn’t matter how many generations, you could always transmit Mexican nationality to your children if you’re a Mexican national, even if you or your children were born overseas, beyond Mexican territory,” he said.

    González Gutiérrez noted that more people are understanding you can be a good and loyal citizen of both countries.

    Immigration experts say the political climate could also be a reason for the increase.

    “There’s another chatter in the background, about it happening now because of all of this rhetoric by the presidential candidate, former President Trump, about all these mass deportations that will take effect if he’s elected,” said Jean Reisz, clinical professor at the USC Gould School of Law who specializes in immigration.

    But Reisz also said that as a dual citizen, you have a farther global reach.

    For de la Torre, that’s what she wants for her children, who already feel comfortable traveling back and forth from Mexico.

    [ad_2]

    Lydia Pantazes

    Source link

  • Remembering Mike Nugent’s game-winning field goal against Marshall

    Remembering Mike Nugent’s game-winning field goal against Marshall

    [ad_1]

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Twenty years ago Ohio State almost lost to Marshall, but Buckeyes kicker Mike Nugent saved the day with a 55-yard, game-winning field goal.

    It’s something that Nugent continues to reminisce on.

    What You Need To Know

    • Former Buckeyes kicker Mike Nugent saved the team from a loss against Marhsall 20 years ago 

    • Nugent hit a 55 yard field goal with time running out to secure the win

    • It’s a memory he thinks about when thinking about his time spent as a Buckeye

    “When you have a game like Ohio State against Marshall, people are automatically going to assume we’re looking past them to our first Big 10 game next week,” he said. 

    Nugent explained he and his teammates treated the game like they would any other, because he knew Marshall was working just as hard as the Buckeyes.

    “We were very focused on that game and just, coming into it, you could just tell they just had sort of a vibe, Marshall did, that they were just ready to go,” he said. 

    Nugent was a senior when he hit the game-winning field goal. The game was tied 21-21, and there was 2 seconds left in the game when Nugent lined up the kick and made it as the time ran out.

    “Right when we got the ball in that series thinking to myself, this could be that opportunity that I get out there, but if its a 60-yard field goal or 20 just hit it the same it because it’s, again, one of those days where the ball is flying well, it’s a good day, it’s not windy, it’s not wet outside, so you just hit your regular ball, and it should go in,” he said. 

    The final score was 24 to 21, and Nugent said people began to thank him after making the field goal, but Nugent said it was his fellow teammates and coaches that people should have thanked.

    “Don’t thank me for doing anything, for playing the 6, 7 plays that I played, like you guys did all of this,” he said. “I was just glad that I was there to help out.”

    Nugent now works and lives in the Columbus area after several years playing in the NFL, but he still thinks about that game winning field goal every now and again. 

    [ad_2]

    Katie Priefer

    Source link

  • Haitian restaurants in Springfield packed with supporters following false claims

    Haitian restaurants in Springfield packed with supporters following false claims

    [ad_1]

    SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — In the middle of the threats and national attention about the Haitian population in Springfield, something else started happening. Supporters started packing Haitian restaurants.

    What You Need To Know

    • Several Haitian owned restaurants started popping up in Springfield, and after false claims making national headlines, supporters started lining up for a plate 

    • Supporters came from out of state to find a locally owned Haitian restaurant 

    • Workers say they’ve received calls about the false claims but are happy to be getting support

    Mia Perez had no idea when she helped get a Haitian restaurant open in Springfield that she would be taking a different kind of phone call.

    “People would call saying ‘can I get a side order of dogs, dogs or cats?’” she said. “You know, we just kill them with kindness and say ‘well, we don’t serve that, but this is what we can serve you if you come in.’”

    Perez is a Haitian lawyer who’s been volunteering at Keket Bon Gout Caribbean restaurant ever since those false claims became part of the national debate on immigration. 

    “To hear that, to become a reason why somebody is like making fun of us or downgrading us and talking about our cuisine, I was shocked….I felt disrespected,” Perez said.

    That’s when something else unexpected happened. 

    “I thought I would hunt down a locally owned Haitian restaurant just to come in and eat some delicious food and show my support,” said Jenny Smith, who was dining in at the restaurant. 

    Smith came from out of state to grab lunch, and several other supporters started to follow, packing local Haitian restaurants.

    “With all of the craziness and some things being said that, I just think it’s it’s wrong and it’s terrible, and so I wanted to show my support and let these people know that not everybody thinks that way and I, for one, am a believer that the United States of America is made better by immigrants and people from all over coming here,” Smith said.

    Workers say it’s the busiest they’ve been since opening earlier this year in a show of support that, for Perez, now outweighs everything else. 

    “I’m happy for the support because this could have gone another way,” she said. “People could have just stayed away from Haitian food, but they’re embracing it, and they’re making the Haitians feel like, you know what, you’re not by yourself, and we are coming to eat your food.”

    [ad_2]

    Sheena Elzie

    Source link