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Lowry: Trump has a spinoff in Vivek Ramaswamy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

Just how dominant is Donald Trump in the Republican Party?He’s so far ahead in the polls that he felt comfortable skipping the first GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee, while on the actual debate stage, his epigone, Vivek Ramaswamy, soaked up an outsized portion of the attention.The 38-year-old billionaire biotech entrepreneur shows that the Trump brand is so strong that it can create successful subsidiaries, the Trump storyline so compelling that subplots can be spun off into their own programs.Thursday night was a ‘MAGA’ tag team, with Trump trying to detract from the debate from the outside and Ramaswamy shaking it up on the inside.When Trump declared a victor afterwards, it was, unsurprisingly, Ramaswamy — for having the courage and perspicacity to declare Donald Trump the greatest president of the 21st century.If Ramaswamy minds these occasional condescending pats on the head, he hasn’t yet showed any sign of it. He is making history as the first...

‘Ahsoka’ often plodding, but also promising

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

In the production brief for the new live-action “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka,” its creator and writer, Dave Filoni, says you need not know anything about the goings on a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away to follow the story.While that’s technically true, there’s a reason some are calling this show the fifth season of “Star Wars Rebels.”“Ahsoka” (streaming Tuesdays on Disney+) brings back key characters from that animated gem, including heroines Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, now portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, respectively.And the new series’ namesake, onetime Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano, was featured intermittently in “Rebels.” However, the co-creation of Filoni and the father of “Star Wars,” George Lucas, was introduced in the 2008 animated theatrical release “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and became a fixture in the series of the same name that followed it.The character, who long ago left the Jedi Order, made her live-action debut in th...

Editorial: Congress must take action on Ukrainian refugees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

In a welcome move last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the extension and re-designation of temporary protected status for Ukrainians, allowing those who’ve arrived as of Aug. 16 to remain in the country with work authorization and protection from deportation at least through April 19, 2025. The move was a no-brainer, providing some security for those fleeing a brutal invasion.Still, it’s not the moment to call it a day. TPS is, as the suggests, structured to be temporary, though in practice it often isn’t. There are current TPS holders from countries including Somalia and El Salvador that have been living here in a sort of status limbo for decades, getting renewals but no fundamental security.That’s because Congress failed to build in a path to residency and eventual citizenship, apparently having not considered that it would never quite be safe for nationals of certain countries to return.So we don’t have to speculate about the fate that will befall h...

Schoen: Winner of the Republican debate wasn’t even there

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

Without even participating in Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate, former President Donald Trump walked away the clear winner, as none of the eight other candidates who were on stage in Milwaukee did anything to close the gap with the GOP frontrunner, who was barely even discussed. Put another way, the first Republican debate was more notable for Trump’s absence – both physically and as the target of attacks – rather than anything that other candidates did or said, as no candidate did anything to stand out from the pack or weaken Trump’s commanding lead over the rest of the field. And, while it is too early for post-debate polling, one should expect little, if any, decrease in Trump’s lead.Indeed, even when the candidates did discuss Trump – whose interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson aired at the same time on X (formerly Twitter) – they mostly offered weak criticism, clearly afraid of alienating the party’s base and drawing Trump’s ire. When asked whether they would ...

Patriots QB Bailey Zappe on re-entering preseason finale: ‘That was the head man’s decision’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe left Friday’s preseason finale at Tennessee midway through the second quarter.As the team’s No. 2 quarterback, Zappe’s exit seemed to indicate his preseason was over. Trace McSorley took the reins of the offense on the next series, and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham waited for his turn. McSorley even took a knee on the following drive to run out the clock on the first half.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots have difficult decision to make with Malik Cunningham as cutdowns loom New England Patriots | Callahan: The Patriots’ preseason finale shouldn’t dampen a successful summer New England Patriots | Patriots fall to Titans in preseason finale as Bailey Zappe’s tepid summer continues New England Patriots | Patriots’ offensive line suffers another apparent injury in preseason finale New England Patriots | Patriots’ ...

Patriots have difficult decision to make with Malik Cunningham as cutdowns loom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

Undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham provided a jolt for the Patriots’ offense in his most extensive work of the preseason two weeks ago. Top decision makers now must determine whether that was enough to keep him on the 53-man roster or risk losing him on waivers before he lands on the practice squad.The Patriots must trim their roster from 89 players down to 53 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.Cunningham, a college quarterback, started the summer at wide receiver before taking more and more snaps at his natural position prior to Week 1 of the preseason. He scored the team’s lone touchdown against the Houston Texans in that game while showing some promise as a passer. The rookie only played wide receiver last week as the Patriots’ second preseason game was suspended after cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered a concussion. Cunningham didn’t complete his two passing attempts Friday night in the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. He rushed once for 5 yards in the loss.Related Ar...

Dear Abby: Cousin considers beer a driving beverage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

Dear Abby: A cousin I hardly know (he’s 20 years older than I am and has lived hundreds of miles away my entire life) was visiting. He offered to drive me to his brother’s house out in the country, about 30 miles from here, for dinner.The last 15 miles were on narrow country roads. Five miles from our destination, he stopped to buy beer. As we drove off, he asked his girlfriend to pop one open for him and he drank it while he was driving. It never occurred to me that he, a well-off professional, would do something so stupid.If this were to happen again, I think I would politely ask, “Would you please wait until you’re not behind the wheel?” If he were unreceptive, I would add (truthfully), “I lost a friend to someone who drank and drove, so I would really prefer that you don’t.” However, had he refused, I would have been in a bind.I don’t want to be in a car with a drinker, and I wasn’t in a position to get out of the car. ...

USPS supervisor slashed outside of post office in North County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

CARMEL MOUNTAIN RANCH, Calif. -- A United States Postal Service supervisor was slashed in the head by one of his drivers Friday evening outside of a post office in Carmel Mountain Ranch, authorities said.The incident occurred around 5:47 p.m. outside of a United States Postal Service building at 11251 Rancho Carmel Drive, the San Diego Police Department confirmed with FOX 5.When police arrived on scene, they found a man with a deep cut to his head.“During our investigation, we came to learn that there was an argument between the supervisor and an employee of the USPS facility during that time a knife was produced," SDPD Officer Darius Jamset Jee said.Jee says the employee, a USPS driver, slashed the supervisor and then took off. Pilot killed in jet crash near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar The victim went to the hospital for a knife cut to the head, but he is no recovering at home, police said.Authorities are currently searching for the attacker who is described as a man in his ...

I-5 to undergo major closures next month for maintenance: Caltrans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Major closures will be implemented along the Interstate 5 for two weekends in September to complete emergency repairs on the bridge deck over State Route 163, Caltrans said.Crews will close the lanes to repair the bridge deck in both directions of I-5 near the Fifth Avenue on-ramp for about 56 hours each on separate weekends. Messaging signs will be in place throughout the duration of each closure to help advise motorists of detours, as well as encourage alternate routes. Man hit, killed by car in downtown San Diego parking garage identified Closure and detour for the southbound I-5 emergency bridge repair. (Courtesy of Caltrans)According to Caltrans, the first closure will begin at the southbound connector to Interstate 8 on Friday, Sep. 8 at 9 p.m. and will last through Monday, Sep. 11 at 5 a.m. During this time, all traffic will be detoured to the eastbound I-8, while one lane of southbound I-5 will remain accessible from on-ramps south of I-8 for limited local and...

Schoolkids in 8 states can now eat free school meals, advocates urge Congress for nationwide policy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:56 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — When classes resume after Labor Day, Amber Lightfeather won’t have to worry about where her children’s next meals will be coming from. They’ll be free.Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, and Massachusetts will make school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, following in the footsteps of California and Maine. Several other states are considering similar changes and congressional supporters want to extend free meals to all kids nationwide.Lightfeather, who has four kids who attend public schools in Duluth, Minnesota, said her family has sometimes qualified for free or reduced-price meals but would have had to pay in the upcoming school year if Minnesota had not made the change. Her earnings as a hospital worker and her husband’s as a tribal employee would have put them over the limit. Last year, the family was paying over $260 a month for school ...