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In a polarized US, how to define a patriot increasingly depends on who’s being asked

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

Millions of Americans will attend parades, fireworks and other Independence Day events on Tuesday, celebrating the courage of the nation’s 18th century patriots who fought for independence from Great Britain and what they considered an unjust government. Those events also will honor the military and those who sacrificed in other conflicts that helped preserve the nation’s freedom over its 247-year history.That is only one version of a “patriot.” Today, the word and its variants have morphed beyond the original meaning. It has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying definitions, while being appropriated by white nationalist groups. Trying to define what a patriot is depends on who is being asked.THE ORIGINAL PATRIOTSWhile the word’s origins come from ancient Greece, its basic meaning in American history is someone who loves his or her country.The original patriots come from the American Revolution, most often associated with figures...

A hot, increasingly humid July 4th on tap in Chicago—but thunderstorm prospects and a severe weather threat due Wednesday; longer range: next wet weather system late Saturday/Sunday to keep above normal precipitation pattern going

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

CHICAGO’S WEEKEND DELUGE — A RECORD-BREAKERWidespread 3-8” rains centered on central Cook CountyNothing like the drenching rain of this past weekend has happened in more than 3 years at our official Chicago observation site at O’Hare. There, the total weekend rainfall came to 3.82.” Nothing close to that amount has taken place on a single day there for more than 3 years, report my NWS Chicago colleagues.At Midway Airport, 4.01” fell Sunday which, reports veteran Chicago NWS observer Frank Wachowski, sets a new July 2nd record at the South Side site, eclipsing the previous July 2nd of 2.50” set back in May 2020.Other sections of the Chicago area were swamped by rains totaling 4 to nearly 9 inches—in particular a site one mile north/northeast of Berwyn—where an astounding 8.96” of rain fell, most of coming down Sunday. That's an amount of rain twice that which falls in the full month of May—and it came down in a single day!A WEATHER RADAR ANIMATION covering the entire weekend rain eve...

Concert review: Bryan Adams brings nostalgic rush of rockers and ballads to Xcel Energy Center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

We all made questionable decisions during the depths of the pandemic and in the case of Bryan Adams, it was writing a song called “Kick Ass.”The 63-year-old Canadian opened his concert Monday at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center with the track, which I guess is supposed to be funny. It began with a lengthy spoken-word bit from John Cleese that said after God created everything, man started making bad music, so he sent an angel (Bryan Adams) down to earth to invent rock and roll. The chorus of the song itself includes the lines “If you love some kick ass rocking music, we’re a kick ass rocking band.” (I am not making any of this up.)Adams emerged from Ontario in the ’80s and his handsome mug helped him establish a foothold in the early days of MTV, which put the likes of “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Run to You” and “Summer of ’69” into heavy rotation. Even though his cloying smash “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” was No. 1 the week Nirvana released “Smells Like Teen S...

Louie Varland ‘trending in the right direction’ with Saints, who beat Stripers 6-4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

Trevor Larnach was the hero Monday night in the Saints’ come-from-behind 6-4 victory over the Gwinnett Stripers at CHS Field.  Louie Varland was the local hero looking to get his mojo back.Larnach’s two-run home run in the eighth inning broke a 4-4 tie as the Saints won their sixth straight. Varland, making his third start for the Saints since being sent down by the Twins on June 20, pitched five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five.“I’m trending in the right direction,” Varland said when asked to assess his performance.Although he throws an above-average fastball that hits 96 mph, Varland pointed out that it is not regarded as a “plus” pitch. As a result, when he struggles with location the results can get ugly — as they had been for his previous six starts.“I need a lot better movement on my fastball,” he said, while acknowledging that is not something easily taught. Instead, he has starting working on a couple of new pitches. He’s been working ...

Federal drug-trafficking probe ends in Pinole man’s arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

REDWOOD CITY – A 36-year-old Pinole man was arrested last week in Redwood City as part of a federal drug-trafficking investigation, according to authorities.The Redwood City Police Department’s Street Crime Suppression Team helped the Drug Enforcement Agency with the probe, Lt. Nick Perna said in a statement Monday.Perna said detectives stopped the man near Whipple Avenue and Highway 101 on June 28.The man had roughly two pounds of cocaine and a loaded 9mm “ghost gun,” or an unregistered privately made firearm, Perna said. Detectives also found evidence of drug sales, he added.Federal authorities took the man into custody, Perna said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Redwood City man charged in rape of 16-year-old Crime and Public Safety | San Mateo Boys and Girls Club supervisor arrested in child sex abuse investigation Crime and Public Safety | Man held to answer for two South San Francisco bank robberies Crime and Public Saf...

Julien’s pinch-hit homer starts 5-run inning; Twins beat Royals 8-4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Edouard Julien hit a pinch-hit, solo homer to start a five-run eighth inning and the Minnesota Twins went on to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Monday night.Carlos Correa tied a career-high with four hits from the leadoff spot and Byron Buxton drove in a pair of runs with sacrifice flies for Minnesota, which beat Kansas City for the seventh time in eight games this season.Julien, the Canadian rookie second baseman, hit for Kyle Farmer to lead off the eighth and sent the first pitch he saw from Royals reliever Taylor Clarke for a no-doubt homer to right field. It was the first pinch hit for Julien, who was told he was pinch-hitting but didn’t realize it was leading off the inning.“I was sitting on the couch and they yelled, ‘Eddie, you’re leading off,’” Julien said. “I rushed back to the dugout and I couldn’t find my elbow guard. It was not there. I just picked a random elbow guard, put it on and had no idea what the pitcher had. I just swung.” Kansa...

Today in History: July 4, Declaration of Independence adopted in Philadelphia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

Today in History Today is Tuesday, July 4, the 185th day of 2023. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. On this date: In 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point, New York. In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. In 1831, the fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, died in New York City at age 73. In 1863, the Civil War Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, ended as a Confederate garrison surrendered to Union forces.In 1910, in what was billed as “The Fight of the Century,” Black world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson defeated white former champ “Gentleman” Jim Jeffries in Reno, Nevada. In 1912, the 48-star American flag, recognizing New Mexico statehood, was ...

La cagnotte de la discorde et son million de questions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

Notre newsletter quotidienne sur les enjeux de lobbying et de transparence en France.Par OCÉANE HERREROAvec PAUL DE VILLEPIN et ALEXANDRE LÉCHENETInfos, tuyaux et mini-drames à partager à @Heroceane, @DevillepinPaul, @alphoenix ou [email protected] | Voir dans votre navigateurLE MENU DU JOUR— La cagnotte de la discorde et son million de questions.— Sexe et violences au programme du PJL numérique, en séance au Sénat.— Passage en revue des amendements sur l’industrie verte, en commission à l’Assemblée.Bonjour à toutes et à tous, nous sommes mardi, bienvenue pour votre dose d’infos influ. Aujourd’hui, toutes nos paires d’yeux sont dirigées vers le Parlement. TECHCASTAGN’OTTE. La cagnotte destinée à la famille du policier qui a tué Nahel M., et qui a dépassé hier le million d’euros, sera bien maintenue sur la plateforme de crowdfunding Gofundme, nous a-t-elle indiqué hier par email. Malgré la polémique tant sur l’opportunité que l’objectif d’une tell...

Legitimacy of ‘customer’ in Supreme Court gay rights case raises ethical and legal flags

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and COLLEEN SLEVIN (Associated Press)A Christian graphic artist who the Supreme Court said can refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named “Stewart” and his husband-to-be. The twist? Stewart says it never happened.The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith’s case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation’s highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case last week, has any legal recourse.It has served as another distraction at the end of a highly polarizing term for a Supreme Court marked by ethical questions and contentious rulings along ideological lines that rejected affirmative action in higher education and President Joe Biden’s $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts.Here’s a look at the legal questions surrounding the mysterious would-be customer, R...

Why a Guatemalan court’s decision to freeze presidential election results is stirring criticism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:44 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A week after Guatemala’s June 25 elections boosted a relative long-shot candidate into the final second round of voting, the country’s top court has frozen certification of the election results.Several political parties filed appeals questioning the vote, and the court agreed to freeze certification of final tallies until those complaints can be reviewed. The United States and international bodies have criticized the freeze as a lack of respect for the will of almost 5.5 million people who turned out to vote. The elections were already marred by the official disqualification of several popular candidates, often on questionable technical grounds.WHAT HAPPENED IN THE JUNE 25 ELECTIONS?In a crowded field, the center-right candidate and former first lady Sandra Torres of the National Hope Unity part came in first with 15.8% of the vote.Coming in second was left-of-center candidate Bernardo Arévalo, whose father was president before Jacobo Arbenz, who was overthrown...