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Readers and Writers: A rom-com, F. Scott Fitzgerald as a spy and kayaking the Twin Cities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

A rom-com set in the world of TV comedy, F. Scott Fitzgerald as a spy, and a couple of books welcoming spring make up our menu today.“Romantic Comedy” by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House, $28)I was thinking in an abstract way about how I had been one kind of person up until my divorce, a resigned and constrained person. Then I had been another kind of person for the last decade, a cynical and compartmentalized person. Was there any reason I couldn’t now become a third kind of person, made more confident by experience and bravery … — From “Romantic Comedy”If you are still a fan of Saturday Night Live, you will probably love Minneapolis-based Sittenfeld’s humorous new novel, in which Sally Milz is an insecure sketch writer for The Night Owls (TNO) late-night comedy show. Sally is 36, divorced, and resigned to giving up on love after a few bad experiences. She’s also the best writer on the show.The first third of the story is an hour...

Improving Investor Behavior: Quit beating yourself up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

Netflix has a new documentary chronicling the Bernie Madoff story. My wife and I aren’t the biggest TV watchers, but we started the series at the recommendation of a friend. If you haven’t heard the name, Madoff was the architect of arguably the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, carefully orchestrating the flow of billions of dollars into his private equity fund while falsifying returns and documents to fool his investors.What may seem less familiar is his history and deceptively clean background. For a great while, Madoff was the head of the NASDAQ stock exchange. He worked closely with regulators, even going so far as to pen rules and regulation for the industry. With connections in both private and public entities, in many ways he appeared to be as legitimate as they come.Steve BoorenThis façade caused regulators to turn away from facts when evidence effectively proved Madoff’s wrongdoings. As a result, he was able to perpetuate his crime far longer, and with more impact, than if ...

How to appeal your 2023 Colorado property assessment — and win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

Years ago, a Denver homeowner who was unhappy with the assessed value of his property mailed a square of purple shag carpet as evidence his home’s value needed to be lower.The carpet sample came sealed in a plastic Ziplock bag as part of the homeowner’s appeal package, Denver Assessor Keith Erffmeyer said.“I keep thinking back to that and think, ‘Why didn’t you send a picture instead of cutting up a sample?'” he said. “We’ve seen all kinds of things.”But did it work?Erffmeyer, who has worked in the Denver Assessor’s Office for 29 years, said he doesn’t remember exactly.“My guess is if they went to that length, it was an ‘A’ for effort and we gave them something,” he said.But Erffmeyer doesn’t recommend people who appeal their property valuations this year take the same strategy. A picture will do.Colorado’s county property assessors calculated unprecedented gains in home values and mailed...

East Timor votes in parliamentary election aiming to break political impasse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

DILI, East Timor (AP) — Vote counting was underway in East Timor’s parliamentary election Sunday with two former independence fighters considered for the post of prime minister.Two main political parties — the incumbent Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, or Fretilin, and opposition National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, or CNRT — are believed to be in a close race for the 65-seat National Parliament. A total of 17 parties were running. No parties have formed any pre-election coalitions, but analysts said CNRT, a party led by former prime minister and independence leader Xanana Gusmao, is favored to win following a successful presidential campaign in 2022 that saw its candidate, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, back in office. “I believe the CNRT will win a majority of seats in Parliament this time and I’m ready to be the prime minister for the sake of people’s prosperity and justice,” Gusmao said after casting his vote in Dili, the capital.Polls c...

Police: Prince George’s Co. man shot, killed in Southeast DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

A Prince George’s County, Maryland, man was found dead after being shot in Southeast D.C. Saturday morning.Police said Little Price Jr., 36, of Bladensburg, was found with gunshot wounds just after 8 a.m. in the 3400 block of Stanton Road in the Congress Heights neighborhood. D.C. Fire and EMS officials believe he died at the scene.First responders said Price remained in the area until transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.Police have not identified a suspect in the shooting and no other injuries were reported.They are offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone with information who offers information that helps arrest and convict a suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 202-727-9099 or by anonymously texting tips to 50411.Source

Prince George’s Co. MS-13 member sentenced to 28 years in prison for role in 2 murders, racketeering conspiracy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

A Prince George’s County, Maryland, man, who was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his part in two murders and a broad racketeering conspiracy.Officials said 25-year-old Franklyn Edgardo Sanchez was a member of a local segment of MS-13  — Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (WLS), which operates in Adelphi — from August 2018 through July 2021.Two years into his membership with WLS, on Feb. 23, 2020, Sanchez and another member Hernan Yanes-Rivera said a gang leader told them to shoot and kill a former leader who they believed was working with law enforcement.The Department of Justice said Sanchez’s decision to go through with murdering the unidentified victim allowed him to move up through organizational ranks. MS-13 members are often expected to attack and kill rival gang members when possible if they want to move up in the gang.“Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs...

Buffalo Chicken Sliders / Belkys

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

Ingredients:1 package Hawaiian rolls (12 count)3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded1/2 cup ranch dressing1/2 cup buffalo sauce1/4 cup butter, melted1/2 tsp. garlic powder1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded1 cup mozzarella cheese, shreddedMethod of Preparation:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix together the melted butter and garlic powder. Set aside.In another bowl, mix the chicken, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce and half of the cheese. Stir until combined.Split your rolls in half, and place the bottom half in a prepared 9 X 13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. *For Hawaiian rolls: slice the entire package in half all at once. Set the top half aside.*Spread the chicken mixture on the bottom half of the rolls and top with the remaining cheese.Place the top half of the buns on top and brush the top of the rolls with the melted butter mixture.Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown.Remove from the ...

Biden ratchets up the pressure as US debt-ceiling fight strains his presidency

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

The nation stands on the precipice of an unprecedented financial calamity, testing whether the president’s theory of governance can continue to work.President Joe Biden has prioritized deal-making through much of the debt ceiling talks, laboring to work across the aisle even at the risk of alienating the liberal wing of his own party.But with talk taking a turn for the worse this weekend, he and his team are now being forced to tinker with their approach, dialing up criticism in hopes that the specter of default and public blame for it will move GOP negotiators.On Sunday, Biden called on Republicans “to move from their extreme positions because much of what they’ve proposed is simply, quite frankly, unacceptable.”“There’s no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms. They have to move as well,” he said during a news conference that closed his visit to Japan for the G-7 summit.Biden’s reluctance to play hardball up to this moment had been driven by twin polit...

Dry and mild Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

7Weather- The rain is out of here! We end the weekend dry, mild and breezy. Temperatures drop for everyone tomorrow, especially the coast. We rebound midweek. It’ll be a mainly dry week with chances for showers later in the 7-day forecast.We needed the rain, and we got it! After most of Southern New England was in a rainfall deficit for the month of May, most towns picked up 1.5″ – 2″. Here are some of our rainfall winners…Behind the cold front that brought the rain, we have a northwest wind. It’ll be breezy today. We’ll warm into the 70s with a mixture of sun and clouds.We’ll be mainly clear with a slight breeze overnight. Temperatures will fall into t he 50s. The wind direction is key as we start tomorrow. That’ll affect our temperatures by the end of the day.Tomorrow, a Canadian high takes control of our forecast. This will bring a northeast wind. Tomorrow it’s all about location! The Atlantic water is in the mid-50s. Wi...

Could the Fed raise rates again in June?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:43 GMT

New York (CNN) — Will the Federal Reserve hike interest rates at its next meeting in June — for the 11th time in a row — or pause? Wall Street seems to be betting on the latter, but it was a topsy-turvy journey to that consensus last week.What happened: The Fed’s meeting earlier this month fueled hopes that it was done with rate hikes, at least for now. Then, a slate of economic data last week came in stronger than expected.Retail spending rebounded in April after two months of declines, suggesting that consumers are still spending despite tightening their purse strings. Jobless claims declined more than expected for the week ended May 13, staying below historical averages.Traders saw a roughly 36% chance last Thursday that the Fed will raise rates by another quarter point in June, up from around 15.5% on May 12, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.Then, Fed Chair Jerome Powell weighed in mid-morning Friday. In a panel with former Fed head Ben Berna...