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Belgium is celebrating flowers and surrealism. And nothing is what it seems

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — If elephants are really known for their sense of direction, what are nine of them doing in the heart of Brussels, seemingly lost between the gothic and baroque houses lining the UNESCO-protected Grand Place? As of Friday, nothing is quite what it seems as the Belgian capital celebrates the nation’s love of surrealism. The nine life-sized wooden elephants were brought in from the Verbeke art center about an hour’s drive north of Brussels to be the prime attraction of Flowertime, a biennial festival highlighting the nation’s fling with flowers. Only this time, surrealism adds a twist. And no symbol more potent than Rene Magritte’s pipe, subtitled, “This is not a pipe.” It is a painting of a pipe, after all — and it has come to define Belgian surrealism ever since.Now a similar non-pipe — a sculpture of a pipe — graces the interior yard of City Hall, which for the occasion has been renamed, “This is not a city hall.” On the pipe sculpture, flower...

Poland’s ruling party seeks referendum on privatization as it steps up attacks on opposition leader

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s ruling party leader said Friday that Polish voters will be asked to decide whether they support the sell-off of state-owned enterprises in a referendum, saying it would be about “whether the wealth of generations will remain in Polish hands.”The move came as the conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, stepped up its attacks on the main opposition leader, Donald Tusk, ahead of parliamentary elections in the fall, which the president scheduled this week for Oct. 15.Law and Justice has for some time expressed a wish to hold a referendum on the topic of migration alongside the election. Critics view the plans to hold referendums on such emotional issues as an effort by the ruling party to mobilize its conservative base as its seeks an unprecedented third straight term. The party is leading in the polls but cannot be assured of an outright majority.Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Friday that the party now plans more than one r...

This Colorado spa resort claimed top spot for best in US

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Sometimes all it takes is a trip to a spa resort to rejuvenate the mind and body. One Colorado resort was named the best in the whole country.USA Today's 10Best combines a list of 20 nominees for contests that cover food, lodging and travel. Then, readers get to make the final decision and vote for their favorite picks.USA Today made a list of the top 10 spa resorts in the U.S., and Colorado's very own The Springs Resort and Spa in Pagosa Springs claimed the top spot. The Springs Resort and Spa is home to 25 mineral pools in one of Colorado's most picturesque mountain towns. The resort said its pools contain 13 minerals: Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Lithium, Iron, Manganese and more. "The Springs Resort is built around one of the Earth’s original wellness destinations. The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of our hot springs run deep," said the resort on its website. Colorado brewpub named best in the country The resort sits in a small southwestern town that...

Here’s how much your grocery prices rose last month

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

New York (CNN) — Grocery prices ticked up 0.3% in July, after staying flat in June, driven largely by rising beef prices.From June to July, adjusted for seasonal swings, the price of uncooked beef roasts spiked 6.5%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Thursday. Uncooked beef steaks prices rose 2.3% and uncooked ground beef rose 1.5%. Altogether, beef and veal got 2.4% more expensive last month.The higher prices were recorded as the country’s beef supplies have been contracting. Extreme drought in recent years caused farmers to rapidly sell cattle because the conditions, plus with higher feed costs, made it expensive or impossible to maintain herds. That wave of sales, particularly of cows used to breed, led to supply constraints this year.“Herd liquidation continues to tighten supply, leading to higher cattle cost,” said meat processor Tyson (TSN) CEO Donnie King during a call with analysts this week. The USDA said in July that the country’s cattle inventor...

Teen lifeguard struck by lightning in North Carolina shares story

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

Brynnlee Steger was working her regular lifeguard shift at the pool when a storm was on the horizon in Landis, North Carolina. The 15-year-old and her boss had to take down the umbrellas before the wind carried them away, but as Brynnlee was completing her duties, a strike of lightning changed her life. “I was standing here, and I had bent down to unscrew the bolts underneath the table,” said Brynlee as she explained what she was doing before the lightning struck. “By the time I turned around, I felt it. It hit me, and I felt like my arm had literally got cut off.” On Monday, Sonya, Brynlee’s mother, and lifeguard manager Mackenzie Chabala, helped to quickly take down umbrellas in the middle of a severe storm. Chabala said she regrets sending her staff member to work in the middle of the storm.“We were just doing our best, and what we thought was the best thing for the pool,” said Chabala. “We were just grabbing those umbrellas, we did...

Zoo Miami welcomes cheetah cub ‘Winston’ as newest ambassador for endangered species

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

Zoo Miami announced the newest addition to its family, a cheetah cub named Winston Eugene Portland III, known as Winston, as he prepares to take on the role of ambassador for his species. Born on May 9th at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon, Winston’s journey has now brought him to the heart of Miami. His full name pays tribute to the cities that played a pivotal role in his journey from Oregon to Miami.As per the recommendation of the Cheetah Species Survival Plan (SSP), Winston and his littermates have been chosen to become ambassadors at various zoos across the nation. Upon his arrival at Zoo Miami, Winston underwent a meticulous series of tests and examinations while in a quarantine area. This comprehensive health assessment, overseen by a team of Animal Science and Animal Health specialists, ensured Winston’s well-being and normal development. During this period, Winston was introduced to his new surroundings at a gradual pace, preparing him for his forthcoming rol...

French court suspends ban on climate movement accused of ‘ecoterrorism’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

A top French administrative court on Friday suspended the government’s decision to disband a climate activist movement following clashes with police during protests earlier this year.France’s Council of State court ruled that the disbanding order would restrict the activists’ freedom of assembly and said the interior ministry did not provide enough evidence to back up its claim that the group is inciting violence.“Neither the documents in the file, nor the discussions at the hearing, make it possible to consider that the grouping in any way endorses violent acts against individuals,” the court said in a statement.Protests organized in March by the leaderless group Les Soulèvements de la Terre (“Earth’s uprisings”) against the construction of large water reservoirs led to violent clashes with police that left hundreds injured and two people in a coma.French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin ordered the group to be disbanded following the inci...

Judge warns of limits to what Trump can say about election case, agrees to limited protective order

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the election conspiracy case against Donald Trump agreed with the defense on a looser version of a protective order for evidence in the case, but she largely sided with the prosecution on what sensitive materials should be protected as she vowed to keep politics out of her rulings.U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington on Friday repeatedly said that Trump was subject to the court’s rules as a defendant before trial even though he is also running for president at the same time. She warned that she would not let political considerations affect her rulings.“Your client’s defense is supposed to happen in this courtroom, not on the internet,” Chutkan said.Chutkan rejected prosecutors’ broader protective order proposal that sought to prevent the public airing of all evidence they hand over to Trump’s defense as they prepare for trial. She instead seemed poised to impose a more limited protective order that would bar th...

Town of Bourne issues boil water order

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

The Town of Bourne has issued a boil water order after e. coli was detected this week, according to officials.In an alert Friday morning, the town’s Emergency Management Department said the order affected residents who get their water from the Bourne Water District, which encompasses the Cape side of Bourne, “from the Sandwich town line to the Falmouth town line,” according to the police department.Speaking with 7NEWS, the water district’s treasurer, Paul Moriarty, said e. coli had been detected in the water, and that officials hoped to resolve the issue within the next 2-3 days.In the meantime, he said the water remains safe for all purposes other than drinking and ingesting.Anyone with questions is asked to contact the water district at 508-563-2294 or 508-209-4863.

Tennessee hospital faces civil rights investigation over release of transgender health records

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:15:40 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt University Medical Center is facing a federal civil rights investigation after turning the medical records of transgender patients over to Tennessee’s attorney general, hospital officials have confirmed.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ investigation comes just weeks after two patients sued VUMC for releasing their records to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti late last year.“We have been contacted by and are working with the Office of Civil Rights,” spokesperson John Howser said in a statement late Thursday. “We have no further comment since this is an ongoing investigation.”VUMC has come under fire for waiting months before telling patients in June that their medical information was shared late last year, acting only after the existence of the requests emerged as evidence in another court case. The news sparked alarm for many families living in the ruby red state where GOP lawmakers have sought to ban gender-affirming care f...