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Sportswashing allows autocrats to burnish their reputations — and leaves a stain on hosts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

Alex King is a freelance journalist writing about climate change, employment and politics.Given that Manchester City just won the Champions League for the first time in its history, it might sound like a strange time to argue that Abu Dhabi’s purchase of the club has had damaging impact on the city.But that’s the conclusion of “Easy Cities To Buy” — a new report examining the costs cities pay when autocratic states buy their football clubs. A comparative study of the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates’ takeover of Manchester City in 2008 and the Saudi-led Public Investment Forum’s (PIF) takeover of Newcastle United in 2021, it shows how sportswashing projects can not only burnish the reputations of these states, but also undermine the institutions that are meant to sustain local democracy in their host cities.In both Manchester and Newcastle, local political leaders have largely turned a blind eye to the dismal human rights records of their Gulf state partners, ranging from w...

Private jets and a rock star lifestyle for EU politicians

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

Welcome to Declassified, a weekly humor column.“I can’t believe I’m on a private plane. It’s like I’m in a band. A very white, very wealthy band. It’s like I’m in U2.” So said cousin Greg in TV’s “Succession.”Important people do of course take private planes: This publication’s own jet — Despair Force One — is kept next to the bins around the back of POLITICO Towers. And so many world leaders wanted to get to Lithuania this week for the NATO summit that the European Air Transport Command didn’t have enough to go around, so little Luxembourg was given Depeche Mode’s private plane instead.When Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn and Defense Minister François Bausch arrived Tuesday in Vilnius, reporters were surprised to see a “big red skull on the plane used by peaceful little Luxembourg,” wrote AP journalist Philip Crowther on Twitter. Turns out, Luxembourg&#...

Police make arrest after 12-year-old boy killed in shooting in Mattapan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy in Mattapan on Thursday, police announced. Boston police said first responders were first called to a triple-decker off Fessenden Street just after 2 p.m. for a report of a shooting. Once on scene, police said officers found the boy inside the home with a gunshot wound. The boy was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where officials said he was pronounced dead. In a statement Thursday night, police said Walter Hendrick, 22, has been arrested and charged with multiple charges including improper storage of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.He is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on Friday morning.Boston Mayor Michelle Wu previously rushed to the scene in Mattapan on Thursday afternoon, joining Police Commissioner Michael Cox and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden.“For a child of this age, being lost t...

Kentucky man arrested in connection with Harvard Medical School stolen body parts case

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

A 40-year-old man has been arrested at his Kentucky home, accused of participating in a ring of purchasing and selling stolen human remains from Harvard Medical School, officials said. The man was arrested on Wednesday after the FBI said it found dozens of human bones, including 40 skulls in his residence in Mount Washington, Kentucky.Officials said some of the body parts were tied back to the Harvard Medical School scandal. A former morgue manager at the medical school has been accused of moving, selling and purchasing body parts that were donated for educational purposes. Several other people are also facing charges.Harvard is working with federal authorities in the case.

Record-breaking temperatures expected during peak of heat wave this weekend in San Diego County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - We are experiencing the hottest temperatures in San Diego County so far this year, and it's only going to get hotter in the coming days.This summer's first major heat wave is bringing scorching heat to inland areas for multiple consecutive days, elevating heat risk for the entire population through Tuesday evening.An Excessive Heat Warning is already in effect for some areas like mountains and deserts where maximum temperatures could reach up to 108 degrees and 120 degrees, respectively.Inland valleys including Escondido, Poway, Santee and El Cajon will join the Excessive Heat Warning starting Friday through Tuesday. Daytime highs could climb to up to 103 degrees in some places.The peak of the heat is scheduled for Saturday through Monday and daytime high temperature records could be in jeopardy for places like Borrego Springs. The heat record for July 16 in that area is 118 degrees, with the forecast being 119 degrees Sunday. Push these over, say rangers at Yo...

San Diego Pride gears up for heat, multiple free county services offered

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Pride is a day away, starting on Friday with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally. The Hillcrest Business Association is putting on their “Pride of Hillcrest Block Party” on Thursday and Friday. Both organizations are offering plenty of shade for guests during the hot temperatures soaring across the city.  “I think we are really looking forward to this moment of defiance this moment of celebration. And just coming together as an act of love,” said Fernando Lopez, San Diego Pride Executive Director. Temperatures are expected to be hot this weekend, as thousands gather for San Diego Pride activities including their parade and festival Saturday and Sunday.  “Wear a hat, get your sunblock on. There is going to be water all throughout the parade route,” Lopez said. Health experts advise people to drink plenty of water, stay in shaded areas, wear lightweight clothing to keep cool and avoid heat-related illnesses. San Diego will have 250 medical voluntee...

Kettner Exchange, Better Buzz Coffee among businesses coming to Terminal 1 at SAN

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- There will be a plethora of things to do while you wait for your flight when Terminal 1 opens at San Diego International Airport.Featuring 19 restaurants and seven retail stores, the new terminal opens in two phases: the first (19 gates) in 2025 and second (11 gates) in early 2028, according to the Airport Authority.Some popular San Diego-based flavors coming to Terminal 1 include:Kettner Exchange: a Little Italy rooftop bar known for its innovative cocktailsPuesto: classic Mexican cuisine with three locations in the San Diego areaBetter Buzz Coffee Roasters: this local chain offers fresh brewed small batch coffees and handcrafted lattes Sonic the Hedgehog-themed pop-up restaurant opening in East Village Other food and beverage concessions that offer a mix of local, regional and some national brands include Mostra Coffee, Parakeet Café, Cutwater Restaurant & Bar, Lofty Coffee, Understory Bar & Restaurant, NOVO Brewing, El Pez, Taco Stand, Ambrosio 15, Herb &am...

Rice crops are being threatened by El Nino after grain supplies were disrupted by the war in Ukraine

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Warmer, drier weather because of an earlier than usual El Nino is expected to hamper rice production across Asia, hitting global food security in a world still reeling from the impacts of the war in Ukraine.An El Nino is a natural, temporary and occasional warming of part of the Pacific that shifts global weather patterns, and climate change is making them stronger. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this one in June, a month or two earlier than it usually does. This gives it time to grow. Scientists say there’s a one in four chance it will expand to supersized levels.That’s bad news for rice farmers, particularly in Asia where 90% of the world’s rice is grown and eaten, since a strong El Nino typically means less rainfall for the thirsty crop.Past El Ninos have resulted in extreme weather, ranging from drought to floods.There are already “alarm bells,” said Abdullah Mamun, a research analyst at the International Food Policy Re...

Las Vegas police officer’s brother testifies against him, says they rehearsed for $73k casino heist

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — At first, Josiah Rogers said he thought his older brother, a Las Vegas police officer, was joking when he brought up the idea of robbing a casino. But then the conversation took a turn, and soon they were putting a plan together for a heist in November 2021, he said.Rogers revealed details of the extensive planning that went into the robbery when he took the stand Thursday and testified for several hours against his brother, Caleb Rogers, who was on trial this week over a trio of casino heists in late 2021 and early 2022. The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon and will resume Friday morning.Caleb Rogers, 35, could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of brandishing a department-issued weapon in one of the robberies. He was employed as an active-duty patrol officer at the time of the heists.Josiah Rogers said his role in the scheme was the getaway driver. To prepare, he said, he drove to the Red Rock Casino off the Las Vegas Strip to find the best esca...

Biden administration suspends satellite monitoring of Colombian coca crops as cocaine surges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The Biden administration has quietly ditched a key gauge used for decades to measure success in the war on drugs, suspending satellite monitoring of coca crops in Colombia as cocaine production surges in South America. A State Department spokesperson said the move was “temporary” but gave no timeframe for data collection to resume or explain why it was suspended in the first place. It was also unclear whether satellite surveys would continue in Peru and Bolivia, which together account for about half of coca production in the Andean region.The move, first reported by Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper, has drawn outrage from Republicans in Congress from Florida, who have been calling for the president to decertify Colombia’s government for failing to cooperate in U.S. anti-narcotics efforts. But it tracks with leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s efforts to refocus law enforcement efforts away from the rural backwaters where coca is grown to instead chase ...