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William Friedkin, ‘Exorcist’ director, dead at 87

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

(CNN) — William Friedkin, director of iconic 1970s films including “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” has died, his wife Sherry Lansing, the former CEO of Paramount Pictures, told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.He was 87.Friedkin won the Oscar for best director for “French Connection” in 1972, going on to be nominated for the same trophy again two years later for occult horror “Exorcist,” the genre-defying hit that racked up ten nominations and two statuettes.Friedkin’s first directing credit came in 1965 with the TV movie “The Bold Men,” but it was 1970’s “The Boys in the Band” — still considered ahead of its time in terms of exploring gay themes in cinema — that began a golden age for the filmmaker.Other notable titles in Friedkin’s oeuvre include 1980’s “Cruising,” starring Al Pacino, and “To Live and Die in L.A.” in 1985, with Willem Dafoe. He also directed 2006’s “Bug” with Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon and Harry Connick Jr., and “Rules of Engagement” from 2000, with ...

Surgery to remove leg denied by insurance

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

She got an aggressive tumor in her foot surrounded by cancer. But when her doctors said we have to amputate the foot, her insurance company said no. She was afraid she was going to die and so she called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.It started with a small bump on Tina’s foot.Tina Bakr: “So I went to the doctor and he said, ‘Let’s just keep an eye on it.'”It started growing. Doctors did a biopsy.Tina Bakr: “And I was informed that it was a synovial sarcoma.”Patrick Fraser: “Cancer.”Tina Bakr: “Yes. Your whole world stops?”At that time, Tina was a property manager where her compensation included an apartment and health insurance. When she told her boss she had cancer, they fired her.Tina Bakr: “I lost my apartment, my health insurance, my job, my source of income. I lost everything in a day.”Since Tina was unemployed, she was able to get insurance through Medicaid. They paid for the chemotherapy that w...

Pickup truck hit by cargo train in Deerfield Beach; no injuries reported

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

A pickup truck was hit by a cargo train that was heading northbound in Deerfield Beach.The crash happened at South Dixie Highway and Southwest Fourth Street, Monday night.The driver of the pickup truck wasn’t hurt and no one on the train was hurt.The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating this incident. A representative from the Florida East Coast Railway was also notified as the investigation is underway.

Putin’s world is shrinking

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

Fredrik Wesslau is a distinguished policy fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and a board member of The Reckoning Project.BRICS leaders will be meeting in South Africa for their annual summit later this month. Absent, however, will be Russia’s Vladimir Putin.After months of insisting he would attend the annual gathering for the member countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Putin finally decided against traveling, as the South African government couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t be arrested and sent to The Hague.The Russian leader’s no-show demonstrates the geopolitical impact of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Putin. The warrant — issued in March for the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children — is already hampering his ability to represent Russia in international gatherings and engage with other world leaders, as South Africa, along with 122 other states, have ratified the Rome Statute and are obliged to arrest Pu...

Residents rattled after coyote spotted carrying body of small dog through Jamaica Plain

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

Residents of a neighborhood in Jamaica Plain are calling on the city to do something to help them deal with what they say are increasingly dangerous interactions with coyotes after one was caught on camera carrying the body of a small pet dog down the sidewalk.Anthony Barron, who caught the coyote with the dog on camera, said he was surprised to see the coyote trotting down the street with the dead animal in broad daylight.“I pulled up and I saw the coyote coming across the street, and I thought it had a fox in its mouth but it dropped what was our neighbor’s dog onto the ground, looked at me, and carried on about its business,” he recalled. Melissa Foley said it’s “unfair” that she has to live with coyotes coming in and out of her yard, where her children play.Mass Wildlife spokesman Dave Wattles said the behavior the coyotes are exhibiting are not unusual and don’t require intervention.Residents are being urged to keep their pets on a leas...

Reyes hits walkoff grand slam to lead Red Sox to 6-2 win over Royals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Pablo Reyes hit a walkoff grand slam to break a ninth-inning tie — his third hit of the night — and the Boston Red Sox recovered after blowing a two-run lead to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.It was just Boston’s second win in nine games, including a sweep over the weekend by the Toronto Blue Jays — the team they had hoped to pass in the AL wild-card race.Kenley Jansen (3-5) pitched a perfect ninth for the win. Brayan Bello took a shutout into the seventh inning before the Royals scored twice to tie it.It remained 2-2 until Rafael Devers one-hopped the short wall in right field beyond the Pesky Pole. Adam Duvall struck out — for the fourth time in the game — and Triston Casas was intentionally walked before Luis Urías, who had also struck out in his first three at-bats, walked on a checked-swing 3-2 pitch.The Royals appealed to first base umpire Vic Carapazza, who signaled that Urías did not go around, and Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro was qu...

Update: Somerville school to remain closed after asbestos found during review

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

Somerville says the closed Winter Hill Community Innovation School will remain closed until further notice after a consultant found asbestos on Monday.The school was closed in June after a large piece of cement fell from the ceiling after the school was closed.On Monday, a consultant informed the city that asbestos was found “in material not typically found to contain asbestos,” according to a statement from the school.For more information on the WHCIS building renovation and replacement efforts, visit www.somervillema.gov/WHCIS 

Mets Notebook: Starling Marte placed on IL with lingering groin injury

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

The Mets made a series of roster moves on Monday. In addition to the demotion of Brett Baty, outfielder Starling Marte has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain.The veteran has had an abysmal season slashing .248/.301/.324 with five homers and 28 RBI just a year after being one of the Amazins’ biggest contributors in the 101-win 2022 season — .814 OPS in 118 games.Manager Buck Showalter alluded the 34-year-old’s struggles to the double groin surgery he underwent in the offseason.“[Marte] is going to see the doctor [Tuesday] in Philadelphia,” said Showalter. “The doctor who did some of his surgeries in the offseason to kind of get our arms around everything. … I think we all know by the level we’ve seen him play at last year that he hasn’t been able to do that consistently [this year].“I don’t think he’s 100 percent [healthy]. And I think we need to try and get our arms around trying to...

Queretaro FC top Revolution in Leagues Cup play

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

Queretaro FC of LIGA MX outscored the New England Revolution 4-2 in penalty kicks in a 1-1 Leagues Cup round of 16 match at on Monday night at Gillette Stadium.The Revolution bowed out of Leagues Cup play at 2-0-2 and resume MLS play on Aug. 16 Nashville FC. Queretaro advanced to the quarterfinals and will play at either at the Philadelphia Union or Red Bulls New York. Queretaro goalkeeper Fernando Tapia made overtime stops on Nacho Gil and Ian Hawkes to secure the win.Revolution interim head coach Richie Williams was the field manager of record for the second straight Leagues Cup match. Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena is on indefinite administrative leave pending an investigation my MLS for making “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.”“Everybody is disappointed, we wanted to advance,” said Williams. “We are professional players and professional coaches and every time we step on the field we want to win.”To accommodate the short turnaround, Williams made si...

Suspect killed after allegedly shooting police dog identified

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Police identified a man who was killed in a shooting involving law enforcement in the Clairemont neighborhood last week. He was also suspected of firing his gun and killing a K-9 police dog.Benjamin Pickens, 33, was identified as the suspect, Lt. Joseph Jarjura with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) said in a news release Monday. His cause of death is due to a gunshot wound while the manner is homicide, according to authorities."Per the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Homicide Unit was called to the scene to conduct the officer-involved-shooting investigation," Jarjura said.The officer who shot the suspect was also identified as Addam Ansarie, who is currently assigned as a patrol officer in the Western Division and has been with the San Diego Police Department for 11 years, according to authorities.Police on Aug. 2 initially responded around 1:23 a.m. about shots fired in the 3500 block of Ben Street. The...