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Bouie: America’s rifle fetish is destroying its sense of freedom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

In Anthony Mann’s 1950 Western “Winchester ’73,” a rare and much-desired Winchester rifle brings misery and death to the unlucky souls who manage to bring it into their possession. In the West as brought to you by Mann — and his star, a troubled and morally ambiguous Jimmy Stewart — the gun isn’t a symbol of freedom as much as it is a curse, destined to ruin everyone who covets its power.It was a theme echoed that year in the Joseph H. Lewis noir “Gun Crazy,” a take of sorts on the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Our protagonists in this film are two young people so enamored of the power of guns — and the freedom they seem to provide — that they go on a wanton spree of theft and murder. It ends, predictably, with their own deaths.In both films, guns become truly dangerous when they become a fetish: an object worshipped for its supposed power and symbolic meaning. Guns, Mann and Lewis seem to say, aren’t actually totems of freedom or liberty or youth; they are instruments of...

2nd California case of local dengue fever reported

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

A Long Beach resident recently contracted dengue fever despite not traveling outside of the United States, city officials have announced — making this the second such case in California.Pasadena health officials confirmed a case of mosquito-borne dengue fever last month in a resident who had also not traveled outside the U.S.The Long Beach resident has recovered and there are no other suspected cases, city health officials said in a Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 1, press release. Local exposure risk remains low.“The health and well-being of the community is our most important priority,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “We are working closely with health officials to do everything we can to prevent more cases. We ask that everyone do their part by removing any standing water on their property to help us control the mosquitoes in our neighborhoods.”Dengue is one of multiple mosquito-borne illness, like yellow fever or the more locally common West Nile virus. Dengue is spread whe...

Horoscopes Nov. 2, 2023: David Schwimmer, explore your options

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Marisol Nichols, 50; David Schwimmer, 57; k.d. lang, 62; Stefanie Powers, 81.Happy Birthday: Pay it forward. The more you are willing to do, the more you’ll get back. Live in the moment, embrace change and enjoy the ride. It’s time to exercise knowledge, experience and ingenuity to reach your objective. Take the steps necessary to ensure you fulfill your expectations and reach the pinnacle of your aspirations. Explore your options and exercise your rights. Your numbers are 9, 14, 23, 28, 34, 38, 46.ARIES (March 21- April 19): Handle others with care. You will not get what you want if you aren’t sensitive to their needs. Someone will use manipulative tactics to take advantage of your enthusiasm and to steal your concepts. Pay attention; perceptiveness is necessary. 2 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Align yourself with friends and family. Share your thoughts and feelings, and you’ll get meaningful feedback. An unexpected opportunity...

Bridge: Nov. 2, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

“The man would drive up to the gates of Heaven — and honk,” Rose told me in exasperation. She meant Unlucky Louie, whose inability to play with deliberation is often his downfall.“We were East-West in a penny game,” Rose said. “I led a heart against four spades, and Louie took the ace and led the jack. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and let the ten of diamonds ride.“When Louie won, he gave the matter his usual one second of thought and … led a club. Declarer placed me with the ace — I needed something for my raise to two hearts — so he played low and made his game.”CLUB TRICKLouie knows that South has five spade tricks and four diamonds. South needs a club trick to make his four spades, so Louie need not break the clubs; he should return a diamond, and South must attack the clubs himself and lose two more tricks for down one.Another way to look at it is that after South runs the diamonds, he will still have two clubs le...

Man gets life without parole for murdering 2 in California burger restaurant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

A 25-year-old man was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Wednesday, Nov. 1, for fatally shooting seven years ago two men inside a Harbor City hamburger restaurant including the owner.Joey Alfred Mendoza was convicted in June by a Long Beach Superior Court jury of first-degree murder and second-degree murder.Killed in the Oct. 12, 2016, shooting were Louis Garcia, 23, a Wilmington resident, and Charalambos “Bob” Antonelos, 61, who lived in San Pedro and owned Bob’s Hamburgers near Pacific Coast Highway and Normandie Avenue.Despite Mendoza, a Harbor City resident, being 18-years-old at the time and having no criminal history, Judge Laura Laesecke gave him the maximum sentence and said Mendoza was a danger to the community.She characterized Bob’s Hamburgers as a small restaurant known in the community as a place that felt like home, where people went to see friends and the owner.“You destroyed that,” Laesecke said. “You not only took two lives, you destroyed that co...

KBR: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — HOUSTON (AP) — KBR Inc. (KBR) on Wednesday reported a loss of $21 million in its third quarter.On a per-share basis, the Houston-based company said it had a loss of 16 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 75 cents per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 73 cents per share.The the engineering, construction company posted revenue of $1.77 billion in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.78 billion.KBR expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.76 to $2.96 per share, with revenue in the range of $6.9 billion to $7.1 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on KBR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/KBRSource

OGE Energy: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) on Wednesday reported earnings of $241.9 million in its third quarter.On a per-share basis, the Oklahoma City-based company said it had net income of $1.20.The energy services company posted revenue of $945.4 million in the period.OGE Energy expects full-year earnings to be $2.02 to $2.07 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on OGE at https://www.zacks.com/ap/OGESource

Avient: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

AVON LAKE, Ohio (AP) — AVON LAKE, Ohio (AP) — Avient Corp (AVNT) on Thursday reported third-quarter net income of $5.1 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.On a per-share basis, the Avon Lake, Ohio-based company said it had profit of 6 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and amortization costs, were 57 cents per share.The results matched Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for earnings of 57 cents per share.The maker of resins used in plastic pipe and other products posted revenue of $753.7 million in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $783.3 million.For the current quarter ending in December, Avient expects its per-share earnings to be 47 cents.The company expects full-year earnings to be $2.30 per share, with revenue expected to be $3.13 billion.Avient shares have fallen nearly 7% since the beginning of the year. The ...

Duke Energy: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) on Thursday reported third-quarter profit of $1.25 billion.The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company said it had profit of $1.59 per share. Earnings, adjusted to account for discontinued operations and non-recurring costs, were $1.94 per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.92 per share.The electric utility posted revenue of $7.99 billion in the period, missing Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $8.11 billion.Duke Energy expects full-year earnings in the range of $5.55 to $5.65 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on DUK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/DUKSource

Starbucks posts record fourth quarter revenue after opening hundreds of new stores

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:17:58 GMT

Starbucks reported record revenue in its fourth quarter as it opened hundreds of new stores.Revenue for the July-September period rose 11% to $9.4 billion. That surpassed Wall Street’s expectation of $9.3 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet.The Seattle coffee giant opened 816 net new stores in the quarter, ending its fiscal year with more than 38,000 stores worldwide.Global same-store sales – or sales at stores open at least a year — rose 8%, also surpassing analyst forecasts for a 6.8% increase. U.S. same-store sales rose 8%, while same-store sales in China – the company’s second-largest market – rose 2%.Net income jumped 39% to $1.2 billion, or $1.06 per share. That was also higher than Wall Street expectations for 97 cents.Shares jumped nearly 7% before the opening bell Thursday. Source