Author: theparknews

Director Edward Berger says the behind-the-scenes power politics in his Vatican intrigue thriller “Conclave” resembles the recent switch of the Democratic Party nomination from US President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris. The German director told audiences at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday that the script for his thriller about Vatican intrigue was written well before the current U.S. presidential election. “But this is a human story that contains mechanisms of power that could potentially replace Nancy Pelosi, who would ensure that the Democratic nominee is replaced,” Berger said, referring to the former House speaker who insisted he…

A plan by House Republican leaders to avert a partial government shutdown scheduled for later this month could be derailed by growing opposition from fiscal hawks within the party.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, introduced legislation last weekend to extend current fiscal year government funding levels through March through a continuing resolution to give congressional negotiators time to hammer out spending priorities for next year.This is a companion to a Republican-sponsored bill that would require proof of citizenship as part of the voter registration process.At least five House Republicans opposed the plan as of Monday night, meaning Johnson will almost certainly…

A relatively quiet lull in terms of hurricane activity for Americans appears to be coming to an end, as a storm that formed in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to become a hurricane when it reaches the U.S. coast on Wednesday.The storm, called Tropical Storm Francine, is located about 300 miles south of the mouth of the Rio Grande River and is expected to move north to strike the Gulf Coast of Louisiana as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane. Such storms have sustained sustained winds of at least 74 mph (119 km/h) or 110 mph (177 km/h), depending…

Smoke from fierce wildfires in the Amazon rainforest and other parts of Brazil blanketed major cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on Monday and spread to neighboring countries. Smoke from Brazil’s fires blankets major cities and neighboring countries Carla Longo, a researcher at the National Institute for Space Research, said satellite images showed 60 percent of Latin America’s largest country was affected by the smoke. “Taking into account affected areas in neighbouring countries and the Atlantic Ocean, the area affected on Sunday was around 10 million square kilometres,” she added. Authorities in Argentina and Uruguay reported Monday…

September 10, 2024, 3:00 AM RFK Jr. Fails in Attempt to Withdraw Michigan Vote LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the ballot for the state’s November presidential election, ending Kennedy’s efforts to withdraw his name to help endorse former President Donald Trump. RFK Jr. Fails in Attempt to Withdraw Michigan Vote Kennedy ended a third-party presidential campaign in August to endorse Trump, and on August 30, he sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, to remove his name from the Michigan ballot to avoid taking votes away from…

At times, the nasty sewer of election-year politics can feel all too close to home, as we watch a national debate unfold that is wildly disconnected from the reality and lived experiences of the communities we care about most. That’s exactly what happened to me on Monday when I watched Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio lie about legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, making abhorrent insinuations about them without any sign of conscience. His purpose seemed to be a trolling attempt to mislead the public and play on people’s hatred and fear. I guess he thinks it’s good politics. Meanwhile,…

Scott Laird Last updated: Monday, September 9, 2024 at 8:55 AM When the cruise industry first began, ship layouts deviated from the shipping industry’s previous standards. Until the 1960s, passenger ships were strictly divided into classes, with each ticket class having its own designated area on the ship where it was expected to stay for the entire voyage, with designated restaurants, public spaces, and staterooms all in designated locations on the same ship. The cruise industry turned that on its head: There were a variety of room categories available, from simple inner cabins to spacious suites, but otherwise passengers had…

DANA: Hi. This is Dana (ph).BRIAN: And Brian (ph).DANA: And our black lab, Brook (ph).BRIAN: And we’re starting our road trip back from Wisconsin to Idaho, after two weeks of fun visiting family and friends.DANA: This podcast was recorded at…ASMA KHALID, HOST: 2:38 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, September 9 of 2024.DANA: Things may have changed by the time you hear this.BRIAN: But we’ll still be enjoying our drive across this beautiful country.DANA AND BRIAN: OK, here’s the show.(SOUNDBITE OF THE BIGTOP ORCHESTRA’S “TEETER BOARD: FOLIES BERGERE (MARCH AND TWO-STEP)”).KHALID: I’m really envious of these vacations in the midst of…

You squirm and roll your eyes. It’s election season and your pastor is voicing his opinion on another political issue in the newsletter. You like your pastor. He’s a good priest and you appreciate him very much. But when it comes to this topic… you just don’t see it the same way he does. Does being Catholic mean listening to your pastor on politics? Can your pastor tell you how to vote? How does “separation of church and state” apply? Be aware that your pastor’s position on an issue may be very different from that of the priest across the…

Republicans are warning that Donald Trump’s campaign has spent far less money on voter turnout efforts in battleground states than it has in past presidential elections, and that attempts to bridge the gap with political action committees are overdue.The Republican National Committee (RNC) had previously envisioned a massive field operation in the must-win state of Pennsylvania for the 2024 election, including deploying about 90 staffers to the state.But the Trump campaign abandoned those plans when it took control of the Republican National Committee in March, redirecting its field efforts to combat voter fraud and pursuing a dual turnout strategy that…