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Beyoncé’s skin-lightening accusations are the latest she and other stars have dealt with

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

Beyoncé‘s mother, Tina Knowles, this week hit out at “racists,” “losers” and “self-haters” who accused the singer of lightening her skin for her appearance at the premiere of her new concert film.On Instagram, Tina Knowles said the accusations were “ignorant, self-hating, racist,” after social media users questioned her daughter’s look at the premiere Saturday for “Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé.” The star-studded event in Beverly Hills saw the mega-star wearing platinum-blonde hair and a silver-corseted dress with matching gloves. But people weren’t focused on Beyonce’s hair or dress when they asked, “Why she look so White?” or “She’s White now??” As Knowles herself shared on Instagram, people also declared, “She’s not a Black woman,” “She’s not Beyonce” and “She whitens her skin.”Whatever was going on with Beyonce’s look at the premi...

AZ election officials indicted for refusing to certify 2022 results

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

By Terry Tang | Associated PressPHOENIX — Officials in a rural Arizona county who delayed canvassing the 2022 general election results have been criminally charged, the state’s top prosecutor said Wednesday.A grand jury in Maricopa County Superior Court has indicted Cochise County supervisors Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby on one count each of conspiracy and interference of an election officer.“The repeated attempts to undermine our democracy are unacceptable,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I took an oath to uphold the rule of law, and my office will continue to enforce Arizona’s elections laws and support our election officials as they carry out the duties and responsibilities of their offices.”Judd and Crosby did not immediately respond to requests via text and email for comment.Jane Montgomery, spokesperson for Cochise County, declined to comment. She confirmed both supervisors will be responsible for their o...

Detached house sells in Monte Sereno for $3.2 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

15582 Dorado Lane – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 15500 block of Dorado Lane in Monte Sereno has new owners. The 2,244-square-foot property, built in 1973, was sold on Nov. 14, 2023. The $3,215,000 purchase price works out to $1,433 per square foot. This single-story house provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and two baths. Inside, there is a fireplace. Additionally, the house comes with a three-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:In April 2023, a 1,862-square-foot home on Pleasant View Avenue in Monte Sereno sold for $2,625,000, a price per square foot of $1,410. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Pine Cone Court, Monte Sereno, in October 2022, a 2,290-square-foot home was sold for $3,440,000, a price per square foot of $1,502. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,812-square-foot home on the 15600 block of Kavin Lane in Monte Sereno sol...

Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker to go to trial next year in 49ers report leak case

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker is set to go to trial next year for charges related to leaking a confidential civil grand jury report to the San Francisco 49ers and lying about it.On Wednesday afternoon at the San Jose Hall of Justice, Becker’s attorney, public defender Christopher Montoya, asked Judge Daniel Nishigaya to not set a trial date, citing that they didn’t have all the discovery materials. The judge, however, at the request of Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky set Becker’s trial date for March 4, 2024.A status hearing will be held on Feb. 7, as well.Becker, who was wearing a black trench coat, declined to comment outside the courthouse.Several Santa Clara community members were in attendance at the hearing including Councilmember Kathy Watanabe and Slice of New York business owner Kirk Vartan, who serves as a special advisor to Mayor Lisa Gillmor.In April, Becker was indicted on a misdemeanor charge for leaking a confidential civil grand jury report ab...

UPS employee charged in recent Oakland homicide

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

OAKLAND — A 42-year-old man has been arrested and charged with fatally shooting a man outside a fast food restaurant after police identified him from surveillance footage, according to court records.James Wheeler, of Oakland, was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of Johnny James Johnson Jr. in a Taco Bell parking lot in East Oakland on Nov. 21. Wheeler, an employee of UPS, was seen on video inside the Taco Bell wearing UPS clothing, and was later identified by one of his managers, authorities said.Wheeler has also been charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. He was barred from possessing guns due to convictions for robbery in 2004 and assault in 2001, court records show.Johnson, whose age and city of residence were not immediately available, was shot and killed around 11:30 a.m. in the parking lot, which is on the 6900 block of Bancroft Avenue. He was sitting in the driver’s seat of his mar...

More hostages freed, mediators work to extend Israel-Hamas truce

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

By Wafaa Shurafa, Jack Jeffery and Melanie Lidman | Associated PressDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A new swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel got underway late Wednesday in the final hours of the current Gaza truce as international mediators raced to extend the halt of Israel’s air and ground offensive to allow further exchanges.The Israeli military said a group of 10 Israeli women and children and four Thai nationals had been handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza and were heading to exit the territory. Earlier, two Russian-Israeli women were freed by Hamas in a separate release. Israel was set to free 30 Palestinian prisoners in return.Negotiators were working down to the wire to hammer out details for a further extension of the truce beyond its deadline of early Thursday. The talks appear to be growing tougher as most of the women and children held by Hamas are freed, and the militants are expected to seek greater releases in return for fre...

Oakland City Council meeting speakers accused of 'supporting Hamas'

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

(KRON) -- Viral video clips of commenters at Monday night's Oakland City Council meeting backing a cease-fire resolution in the Israel-Hamas war have drawn condemnation. California State Sen. Scott Weiner retweeted one clip in which a speaker claimed, "Israel murdered their own people on October 7th.""Calling Hamas a terrorist organization is ridiculous, racist, and plays into genocidal propaganda," said another commenter in the same viral clip. "Oakland City Council passed a reso calling for Gaza ceasefire," Weiner posted on X, formerly Twitter. "When a council member asked to add language condemning Hamas, a stream of public comment praising & supporting Hamas ensued.""The council then rejected the request to condemn Hamas," he continued. "Just awful." Nearly two dozen Bank of America branches closing across Bay Area "The public comment praising Hamas & defending the October 7 massacre of 1,2000 mostly Jews is despicable & unconscionable," Weiner posted in a subsequ...

Jill Biden is bringing a holiday ice rink to the White House for children to skate and play hockey

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden is extending her holiday theme of “Magic, Wonder and Joy” to the White House grounds by putting an ice rink on the South Lawn for children to skate and play hockey in December. The first lady was set to announce the ice rink after sunset Wednesday in the company of Brian Boitano, who won a gold medal in figure skating in the 1988 Olympics, and the comic-strip dog Snoopy, among others. Earlier this week, she unveiled decorations inside the executive mansion that she said were designed to help visitors experience the “magic, wonder and joy” of the holidays as they did when they were kids.The 50-by-70-foot (15.2-by-21.3-meter) rink will operate throughout December, but the White House did not specify days and hours. Washington, D.C.-area schoolchildren and children from families with service members, frontline workers, first responders and teachers will be invited to skate. The National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association will provide lessons thro...

La-Z-Boy: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

MONROE, Mich. (AP) — MONROE, Mich. (AP) — La-Z-Boy Inc. (LZB) on Wednesday reported net income of $27.2 million in its fiscal second quarter.The Monroe, Michigan-based company said it had net income of 63 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 74 cents per share.The furniture company posted revenue of $511.4 million in the period.For the current quarter ending in January, La-Z-Boy said it expects revenue in the range of $515 million to $535 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LZB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LZBSource

Real Madrid beats Napoli 4-2 to clinch first place in its Champions League group

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:24 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham scored a goal each as already qualified Real Madrid beat second-place Napoli 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday.Teenager Nico Paz and Joselu also scored to give Madrid its fifth straight win in Group C and secure first place for the record 14-time European champion. Napoli is eight points behind Madrid and three points in front of Braga, which drew 1-1 at home against last-place Union Berlin in the other group match. Napoli will host Braga in the final round to try to secure its spot in the knockout stage.The visitors opened the scoring nine minutes into the match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with a close-range strike by Giovanni Simeone.Madrid answered two minutes later with Rodrygo finding the top corner for his sixth goal in the last four matches with the Spanish club, and Bellingham scored his fifth goal in the last five matches for Madrid with a header in the 22nd.Zambo Anguissa equalized with a powerful shot from a tight angle in...