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Baltimore-born comedian Stavros Halkias, appearing at The Lyric, is more than his Ravens-loving ‘Ronnie’ persona

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

Stavros Halkias wants you to know he’s more than just Ronnie.The comedian, a native of Greektown, has picked up a robust social media following thanks in part to his embodiment of Ronnie, a Ravens-loving, obscenity-spitting, Dundalk- or Essex-residing character who posts video recaps after each of the team’s games. When the Ravens are winning, according to Ronnie, they’re headed straight to the Super Bowl. But when they lose, as they did against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, Ronnie is apoplectic.Ronnie is also the reason, Halkias suspects, that all six Baltimore shows of his new standup act, the Fat Rascal Tour, are nearly sold out. His residence at The Lyric kicks off Thursday night at 7 p.m., with two shows a night scheduled through Saturday. The tour comes as Halkias’ career is skyrocketing, with a debut special, “Live at the Lodge Room,” garnering more than 5 million views on YouTube and more in the works.“I never expected to...

Bruins notebook: All-Centennial team unveiled

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

From Stanley Cup winners to the scrappers and everyone in between, the Bruins’ All-Centennial team represented all eras of B’s hockey.Unveiled on Thursday night at the B’s Gala at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, the team of 20 players – 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies – consisted of members from all six Stanley Cup teams, some current Bruins and the wildly popular Lunch Pail AC team that was far more talented than the nickname would indicate.The top 20 players came from a paring down of the “Historic 100” that was voted on by Bruins’ media members and hockey historians. The Herald had a vote on the committee. There were some obvious no-brainers – Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Phil Esposito, to name a few – but also some tough tough cuts.Current captain Brad Marchand is fifth among Bruins forwards in all-time points – and counting – and is one of the 12 forwards on the Centennial team. But he’s still star-struck at events like the ones that have been st...

1 of 2 Colorado officers convicted in death of Elijah McClain after police stop, ketamine injection

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer of homicide Thursday and acquitted another of all charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became a rallying cry in protests over racial injustice in policing.Aurora police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault by a 12-person jury. They found officer Jason Rosenblatt not guilty.Roedema, who kept his head bowed after the verdict was read, faces up to three years in prison on the more serious homicide charge. Rosenblatt hugged his supporters as he walked out of court.McClain’s mother listened to the verdict from the front row, where Attorney General Phil Weiser had his hand on her shoulder. Sheneen McClain held her right hand high in a raised fist as she left the courtroom. She expressed disappointment in the verdict.“This is the divided states of America, and that’s what happens,” she said as she walked away from the court house.Mc...

Unpublished works and manuscript by legendary Argentine writer Cortázar sell for $42,120 at auction

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — A buyer from Argentina paid $42,120 for a manuscript of works, including seven unpublished stories, by legendary Argentine writer Julio Cortázar at an auction Thursday in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.The bundle of 60-year-old sheets bound together with metal fasteners bearing the inscription “Julio Cortázar. Historias de Cronopios y de Famas. Paris. 1952” was the basis for the writer’s iconic “Cronopios and Famas” book, published in 1962.The buyer paid $36,000, plus the auction house’s 17% commission, for the typewritten manuscript containing 46 short stories that make up the heart of what ended up becoming one of Cortázar’s most famous works.Of the total stories, 35 were published in “Cronopios and Famas.” Some were printed exactly as found in the manuscript that was once thought to be lost forever. It was discovered in Montevideo last year, while others underwent editorial changes. Three other stories were published in magazines before Cortáza...

South African authorities target coal-smuggling gang they say contributed to a power crisis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African authorities said they conducted raids across five provinces Thursday to break up a coal-smuggling syndicate they blamed for stealing more than $26 million in coal, degrading state-owned power plants and contributing to an electricity crisis.The criminal gang diverted trucks carrying high-grade coal to power stations, stealing the coal to sell, and replacing it with sub-standard product, the country’s tax and revenue agency said in a statement. The substandard coal has caused crippling damage to the country’s power plants, authorities said. The South African Revenue Service worked with other law enforcement agencies to carry out the search and seizure operations in the Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Limpopo provinces. No arrests have been made yet, national police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said.Africa’s most advanced economy is in the midst of a power crisis that has resulted in scheduled rolling blackouts...

North Korea raises specter of nuclear strike over US aircraft carrier’s arrival in South Korea

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea lashed out Friday at the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in South Korea, calling it a provocation and again raising the specter of using nuclear weapons to defend itself.Emboldened by its advancing nuclear arsenal, North Korea has increasingly issued threats to use such weapons preemptively. But the North is still outgunned by U.S. and South Korean forces, and experts say it is unlikely to use its nukes first, though it will continue to upgrade those arms without returning to diplomacy for the time being.The North’s latest nuclear threat came a day after the USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group arrived at South Korea’s southeastern port of Busan, following U.S.-South Korean-Japanese naval exercise in international waters earlier this week.South Korean defense officials said the carrier is to be docked at Busan for five days as part of an agreement to increase the temporary deployments of powerful U.S. military assets in respons...

Movie Review: In the elated ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,’ every seat is the best seat in the house

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

It opens with a clock counting down until show time — the dropped stomach, rollercoaster slowly encroaching its apex sensation — and then, a gentle fake out. Taylor Swift is heard before she is seen. “It’s been a long time…” her voice carries. Then the drop hits: an abridged performance of “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” into “Cruel Summer,” a track that TikTok breathed new life into four years after its initial release on her 2019 album “Lover.”This is the moment it should become clear: “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” film is a near exact replica of her blockbuster concert performance, which recaps all 10 of her studio albums across 17 years of recorded work. There will be no narrative breaks, no behind-the-scenes footage, no additional ornamentation of the monolithic set (with the exception of a few CGI effects and album title cards to introduce each epoch.) The film delivers on the promise of its title: this is the Eras Tour in full — conveniently viewable ...

RCMP dispute photojournalist’s account of arrest while covering pipeline protest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

VANCOUVER — The RCMP say a photojournalist who is suing the force was not exempt from complying with a court injunction while reporting on protests over the Coastal GasLink pipeline that’s nearing completion in northern British Columbia.In a response to a lawsuit filed by Amber Bracken and news organization The Narwhal, the Mounties say Bracken’s status as a journalist would not place her outside the scope of the injunction that prohibits interference with the pipeline.“There is no general exception in law that exempts a member of the media from complying with valid court orders,” says the response filed in B.C. Supreme Court.The response, filed Oct. 5, alleges Bracken was “not engaged in apparent good faith newsgathering activities” and was instead “aiding or abetting” protesters ahead of her arrest during an injunction enforcement operationin November 2021.It says Bracken “knew or ought to have known” that she was breachi...

Taylor Swift returns to Arrowhead Stadium to see Travis Kelce and the Chiefs face the Broncos

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift was back at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night to watch Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos, one day after walking the red carpet at the premiere of her concert movie.Swift and Kelce have been in a budding relationship the past few weeks, ever since the All-Pro tight end invited her to a game when he failed to meet her during her Eras Tour. Swift took him up on his offer late last month, watching the Chiefs beat the Bears from an Arrowhead Stadium suite, then attending the Chiefs’ road win over the New York Jets.Swift was absent last Sunday at Minnesota, when Kelce hurt his ankle in a win over the Vikings. The injury at first appeared to be serious, but Kelce finished out the game, practiced a bit this week and was active Thursday night against the Broncos.Swift showed up wearing a red Chiefs jacket, a significant wardrobe swap from the floral Oscar de la Renta gown she wore at the premiere of “...

GOP's Scalise ends his bid to become House speaker after failing to secure the votes to win gavel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:25:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Steve Scalise has ended his bid to become House speaker after failing to secure the votes to win the gavel.Scalise told GOP colleagues at a closed-door meeting late Thursday of his decision.Next steps are uncertain as the House is essentially closed while Republicans try to elect a speaker after ousting Kevin McCarthy from the job.“I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designee,” Scalise said as he emerged from the closed-door meeting at the Capitol.Scalise, R-La., said the Republican majority “still has to come together and is not there.”He had been working furiously secure the votes after being nominated by a majority of his colleagues, but after hours of private meetings over two days and late into the evening at the Capitol it was clear lawmakers were not budging from their refusal to support him.“There are still some people that have their own agendas,” Scalise said. "And I was very clear, we have t...