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In ‘Backspot,’ director D.W. Waterson wants you to see the ‘grit and dirt’ of cheer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

TORONTO — D.W. Waterson wasn’t a cheerleader — but they did perform as one.The director, whose first feature “Backspot” is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, said they used to wear the uniform while DJing and playing drums on stage.“I just loved the idea of being the cheer captain of an audience,” they said by video call ahead of the fest. “That uniform really brings something out in people.”But when it came to making a film about cheer, Waterson said they were more interested in the athleticism than the esthetics. “Backspot” tells the story of Riley, played by Canadian actress Devery Jacobs, who along with her girlfriend Amanda makes an elite cheer team led by an exacting coach, portrayed by Evan Rachel Wood. Growing up in the early 2000s, Waterson said they were immersed in a veritable Eden of cheerleading media. From TV shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to the movies “Br...

‘Freedom Convoy’ to hear from Ottawa police as trial enters its second day

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

OTTAWA — A court in Ottawa is expected to hear from additional members of city’s police service today on the second day of the trial of two key ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers.The 16-day hearing began Tuesday with a Crown prosecutor presenting the case against Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who are jointly charged with mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, intimidation and obstructing police. Prosecutor Tim Radcliffe told the court in his opening statement that the pair’s political views against COVID-19 health orders are not on trial, but rather the means by which they tried to bring those orders to an end. The court viewed a 12-minute video compilation of footage shot by police body cameras as well as drones that captured the honking and atmosphere as hundreds of protesters blocked downtown Ottawa streets for three weeks in the winter of 2022.It was the first of many videos the Crown anticipates showing in court including some videos taken by Lich and...

Alberta’s ‘war room’ is back with massive ad spend revealed in annual report

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

EDMONTON — New documents outline a massive increase in public funding for the Canadian Energy Centre’s campaign to change attitudes toward Alberta’s oil and gas. An agency founded by Alberta’s United Conservative government to fight what it calls misinformation about the province’s industry and otherwise known as the “war room,” the centre’s most recent annual report shows it signed a $22-million contract last fiscal year for a media campaign. That’s about three times its entire government grant from the previous year.“There’s a lot of things the government could do with that money,” said Opposition New Democrat energy critic Kathleen Ganley. The spending is mentioned only in the line item “RFP — Agency of Record” in the centre’s annual report, filed late last month. The ad campaign was to take place in the U.S., Europe and the United Kingdom and Canada. Little information is available on how the mon...

Daily horoscope for September 6, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Gemini.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023:You are hardworking and very creative. You often encounter unexpected events. This year, simplicity is the key to your life. It’s time to create solid foundations. Take charge of your health. Physical exercise is important. Stay grounded and levelheaded. Hard work is required to maintain your lifestyle.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★Communications with others will blow hot and cold today. When talking to your kids or a romantic partner, or enjoying a fun social situation, your words will be like gold! However, work-related discussions might be a tad sticky. Have patience. Tonight: Conversations and travel.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★This is a lovely day for family conversations, especially about plans to entertain or redecorating ideas. Likewise, real estate discussions will go well. Ironically, you might find yourself at odds with your k...

When do young Europeans leave their parental home?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

In 2022, young people across the EU left their parental home on average at the age of 26.4 years. However, this average varied among EU countries.The highest average ages, at 30 years or above, were recorded in Croatia (33.4 years), Slovakia (30.8), Greece (30.7), Bulgaria and Spain (both 30.3), Malta (30.1) and Italy (30.0). In contrast, the lowest average ages, all under 23 years old, were registered in Finland (21.3 years), Sweden (21.4), Denmark (21.7) and Estonia (22.7). In the space of 10 years, the average age of young people leaving their parental home increased in 14 EU countries, most notably in Croatia (+1.8 years), Greece (+1.7) and Spain (+1.6). In 2012, the lowest average in the EU was in Sweden, where young people left their parental home at 19.9 years old, however, in 10 years that average increased by 1.5 years. At the EU level, between 2012 and 2022, the average age varied slightly, with the lowest being 26.2 years (2019) and the highest 26.5 (2012, 2014,...

Harriette Cole: Someone is threatening me online, and I think I know who it is

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: An anonymous account has been sending me strange, threatening messages, and I am beginning to suspect the identity of the sender.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I was drinking with new friends, and I regret telling this story Advice | Harriette Cole: My hobby scares my girlfriend, but she doesn’t like to be left out Advice | Harriette Cole: Why shouldn’t I live with my friend’s ex? Advice | Harriette Cole: Was I rude to this woman I passed in the restaurant? Advice | Harriette Cole: I hoped I was wrong about my son’s girlfriend. I wasn’t. I don’t want to jump to conclusions and falsely accuse the wrong person if my suspicions turn out to be wrong. What steps can I take to investigate and potentially confront the sender without damaging any innocent relationships? How can I approach this situation delicately without causing more problems?—...

Miss Manners: We aren’t invited to the shower but our co-worker wants gifts from us anyway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A young colleague is expecting her first child. I am very happy for her, although I feel conflicted about how the celebration has been communicated.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: My husband was upset by my request at the restaurant Advice | Miss Manners: Am I really ‘trying too hard to be liked’? Advice | Miss Manners: Please decree that people should not knock on a bathroom door Advice | Miss Manners: They say they’d rather die than live like I do. How should I respond? Advice | Miss Manners: How should I warn my neighbors about months of noise? She invited colleagues to purchase items from her registry by the date of her baby shower — to which there was no invitation. This communication went out via office email. I should add that this colleague’s superior is the head of human resources.Is it appropriate to ask for contributions from people who a...

Dear Abby: I thought I’d get over my husband’s misdeed but it haunts me

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

DEAR ABBY: Two years before he met me, my husband did something I feel was morally repugnant: He solicited a prostitute.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: She decided I can’t be near her children Advice | Dear Abby: The wedding is on hold, but the bride is apparently keeping my money Advice | Dear Abby: When he thought I was dying, he revealed his role in this painful deception Advice | Dear Abby: I don’t want to hear her fantasies about the priest Advice | Dear Abby: She offered no remorse for grabbing the spotlight at the engagement party When he committed this act, he was going through a dark period in his life. He was divorcing a woman who had cheated and left him for another man, raising his young son and dealing with immense feelings of insecurity.He told me all of this while we were dating, and I thought I would eventually get over it.However, almost five years into our relationship, ...

Stock market today: European shares lower after mixed Asian trading as China property shares soar

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

Shares opened mostly lower in Europe and Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday as Chinese benchmarks were lifted by hopes for fresh support for the country’s faltering property market. Germany’s DAX lost 0.5% to 15,695.66 and the CAC 40 in Paris sank 0.9% to 7,186.56. Britain’s FTSE declined 0.9% to 7,371.08.The future for the S&P 500 was down 0.2%, while that for the Dow industrials edged 0.1% lower.Losses in Hong Kong were trimmed by surging prices for heavyweight property companies after a Chinese media report raised hopes for new measures to prop up the real estate sector. The official newspaper Securities Times ran an article urging that restrictions on sales of property in smaller cities be lifted. Such limits have been used to prevent markets from overheating due to speculative buying, but the long slump in the industry justifies a rollback of those precautions, the article said. Chinese real estate developers have been struggling to meet their payment obligations...

El huracán Idalia trajo flamencos a Florida, el este de EE.UU. e incluso Ohio. Los científicos esperan que se queden

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

(CNN) — Cuando piensas en flamencos, las imágenes que te vienen a la mente probablemente sean de pozos de agua africanos, el Caribe, Florida o casi cualquier otro lugar que no sea Waynesville, Ohio.Entonces, cuando Jacob Roalef vio publicaciones en Facebook sobre flamencos en el Parque Estatal Ceasar Creek, cerca de Dayton, la semana pasada, se apresuró a verlos por sí mismo.“Rápidamente agarré mi equipo, le dije a mi esposa y salí por la puerta”, dijo a CNN Roalef, quien dirige recorridos de observación de aves.Cuando llegó allí, vio dos pájaros, un adulto y un juvenil, en el lago.“Los flamencos simplemente estaban pasando el rato y durmiendo aproximadamente a 30 cm de agua cerca de la costa”, dijo Roalef. “Se despertarían y beberían un poco de agua o mirarían hacia arriba si escucharan una gaviota volando”.Un flamenco avistado en Kentucky. (Crédito: Amanda Woods Frazier)Dijo que los pájaros permanecieron allí hasta alrededor de las 6 p.m., cuando un p...