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REVIEW: Barbie is more than Kenough

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

Whether you’re a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, whether you hate the standard the doll has set for femininity, or whether you’re a dude, this film is universal to all those experiences. It’s pretty rare we get a film as hugely cultural as this, one that becomes such a juggernaut before it comes out. We’ve all seen Ryan Gosling talk about his Kenergy, we’ve seen the numerous trailers for this film and the gorgeous sets and costumes. But to watch this film is a beautiful, powerful experience.Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in Barbie, courtesy of Warner Bros.It’s been hard to avoid Barbie, but in case you have this is a film about the doll many young girls have played with for decades. Barbie (played by Margot Robbie from Babylon) lives a perfect life in Barbieland. Everything is amazing until one day everything starts feeling off. Her feet become flat, she feels grumpy when waking up, and she finds herself contemplating her own mortality. Confused an...

Man wanted in sexual assault on walking trail near U of T Scarborough

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

Toronto police are searching for a man following a sexual assault that occurred on a walking trail near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus.Investigators said the victim was walking in the Valley Land Trail area in Scarborough between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on July 10.The male suspect allegedly attempted to engage in a conversation with the victim. The victim then tried to walk away from the suspect.Police said the male suspect sexually assaulted the victim. The suspect then fled the area in an unknown direction.It’s unclear if the sexual assault victim is a student at U of T in Scarborough.The man is described as white, around six-foot-four, 20-30 years old, unshaven, with light brown hair.He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, khaki pants and sandals.Land Valley Trail, a 500-metre trail that connects to the Highland Creek Valley, opened to the public in August 2019.A school spokesperson told The Varsity at the time of its introduction to the public that the mo...

Police seized laptops, memoir from Vegas-area home of witness to Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A home that Las Vegas police raided this week in connection with the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur is tied to one of the only surviving witnesses to the crime, a man long known to investigators whose nephew was seen as a suspect shortly after the rapper’s killing.Detectives sought items “concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur” from Duane “Keffe D” Davis, according to warrant documents obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. Davis, now 60, is a self-described “gangster” and the uncle of Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, one of Shakur’s known rivals. Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s killing, and died two years later in a shooting in Compton, California.Police reported collecting multiple computers, a cellphone and hard drive, “documentary documents,” a Vibe magazine that featured Shakur, “purported marijuana,” several .40-caliber bullets, two “tubs containing photographs” and a copy of Davis’ 2019 tell-all memoir, ”Compton Street Legend.”The ...

Parched conditions push B.C.’s wildfire battle south, as rain brings relief in north

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s wildfire fight is set to move toward the province’s more populated southern areas amid hot and windy weather, while cooler temperatures and rain are expected to bring some relief in scorched northern regions.In the province’s southeast corner near Cranbrook, an unconfirmed number of homes have been lost to the out-of-control St. Mary’s River fire, B.C. government and Aq’am First Nation officials said Thursday.“We are certainly seeing a shift further south,” BC Wildfire Service spokesman Cliff Chapman said at a news conference. The rain forecast in the north will likely ease threats in the Fort Nelson area where crews have been battling the massive Donnie Creek fire, the largest fire in B.C. history, he said.“But with that, though, we’re also going to see continued hot, dry weather in the south, predominantly in the Cariboo and Kamloops fire centres and the Southeast fire centre,” said Chapman. ...

A timeline of the Paul Bernardo case and controversial prison transfer

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

The Correctional Service of Canada announced Thursday that a review found Paul Bernardo’s transfer to a medium-security prison from a maximum-security penitentiary was sound and followed proper policies and laws.Public backlash had erupted following its decision to move the convicted murderer and serial rapist, engulfing the Liberal government with questions about its handling of the matter and who knew what and when.Here is a timeline of events that led to Thursday’s announcement, including key dates from the Bernardo case and his recent controversial transfer.1991June 15 — Leslie Mahaffy, 14, disappears from outside her home in Burlington, Ont., in the early hours of the morning.June 29 — Mahaffy’s body parts are found encased in concrete blocks in Lake Gibson near St. Catharines, Ont. The same day, Paul Bernardo marries Karla Homolka.1992April 16 — Kristen French, 15, is abducted as she walks home from school in St. Catharines.April 30 — French’s body is found i...

US sending more warships, Marines to Gulf to counter Iran’s efforts to seize commercial ships

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending additional warships and thousands of Marines to the Middle East to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday approved the deployment of the USS Bataan amphibious readiness group and the 26th Marine Expeditional Unit to the Gulf region, according to U.S. officials. The readiness group consists of three ships, including the Bataan, an amphibious assault ship. An expeditional unit usually consists of about 2,500 Marines.In an announcement, U.S. Central Command said the deployment will provide “even greater flexibility and maritime capability in the region.” The announcement did not name the ships, but U.S. officials detailed the units involved in the deployment on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements.Along with the Bataan, the group includes two other warships, the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall. The group left Norfolk, Virginia, earlier th...

Jury deliberations begin in double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly in South Florida

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Jurors in a South Florida courtroom began deliberating Thursday afternoon in the double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly, and the 24-year-old artist could face a possible death sentence if convicted of the fatal shooting of two childhood friends. Broward County prosecutors delivered their closing argument Thursday morning in the October 2018 shooting deaths. They reminded jurors that the fatal shots came from inside a Jeep where the victims had been shot, and by every account, from the seat where YNW Melly was sitting, the Sun Sentinel reported. Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, had his breakout in 2017 and went on to work with Kanye West on “Mixed Personalities,” which was released in January 2019, a month before Demons was arrested on murder charges.Killed were Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. Williams and Thomas were both part of the YNW collective, known respectively as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy.According to prosecutors, Demons, W...

St. Charles police arrest 5 in human trafficking case in suburbs, Chicago

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Ill. — Five people have been charged in a months-long human trafficking investigation in several western suburbs.The charges were announced Thursday by the Kane County State's Attorney's Office and the St. Charles Police Department. Firefighters battle apartment fire in Elmwood Park Between Feb. 17 and Wednesday, the five people charged allegedly commercially sex trafficked seven people by causing or threatening harm to at least one person, according to a news release.It all started when officials said they found a brothel in St. Charles, which led them to a bigger enterprise that operated in Aurora, Chicago, Elgin, Hanover Park, unincorporated Palatine and South Elgin.On Wednesday, they said 10 women were taken into protective custody. All of them, officials said, are from South America and were flown to the United States for trafficking purposes.Hector Briseno, 54, of Chicago, Christian Hurtado, 27, of Elgin, Daniel Hurtado, 26, of South Elgin, Martha P. Hurtado-Her...

Arrest made in shooting death of youth football coach in Oakland

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

CHICAGO — A 34-year-old Northwest Indiana man is charged in connection with the deadly shooting of a youth football coach in Chicago's Oakland neighborhood.Loved ones said Jermone Baker, who coached the Chicago Seahawks Youth Football Team, was gunned down around 6:30 a.m. in the 700 block of 38th on May 11. The shooting occurred outside Baker's home as he prepared to take his daughter to school.Darius Jackson (Photo/CPD)SEE ALSO: Boy, 16, charged after 2 people shot, 1 killed at Scene75 Entertainment Center in RomeovilleThe 34-year-old was a father of five. “He was the strongest, most genuine, loving, caring, ambitious,” said Tishara Woodward, the mother of three of Baker's children. “He was so motivated. He wanted to help everybody.” Police on Thursday announced that Darius Jackson is charged with first-degree murder following his Wednesday arrest.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesJackson is due in court on Friday.

2 families displaced after apartment fire in Elmwood Park

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:46:05 GMT

ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. — Two families are displaced after an apartment fire Thursday in Elmwood Park.Flames could be seen coming from the apartment in the 2400 block of North 72nd Court. The fire started around 3:45 p.m.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesAccording to a spokesperson for Elmwood Park, the fire broke out on the top floor of the building.One person was home at the time but they were able to escape unharmed, the spokesperson said. No other injuries were reported.The cause of the fire hasn't been determined yet and is still under investigation.