Pelican Press

China’s LandSpace launches improved methane rocket China’s LandSpace launches improved methane rocket A new methane-powered rocket developed by China’s LandSpace Technology has launched six satellites into orbit, doubling down on a cheap, cleaner fuel that the private startup hopes will help it develop reusable rockets. The Zhuque-2E Y2 carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, marking the fifth flight for the Zhuque-2 series, according to a company statement. Beijing-based LandSpace became the world’s first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket in July 2023, ahead of US rivals including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Interest has grown in recent years in launching carrier vehicles fuelled by methane, which is deemed less polluting, safer and cheaper than more commonly used hydrocarbon fuels and a suitable propellant in a reusable rocket. LandSpace has increased the rocket’s payload, reflecting increasing demand in China’s expanding commercial space industry amid growing competition to form a constellation of satellites as an alternative to Musk’s Starlink. Its first successful methane-powered launch did not carry any real satellites, but the second launch in December 2023 successfully sent into orbit three satellites. Saturday’s launch put six satellites into orbit. Reusable rockets, pioneered by SpaceX, have demonstrated that they can lower costs for launch vehicles and space transportation. LandSpace founder and CEO Zhang Changwu has said the company had started developing reusable rockets and expected to conduct a test launch in the second half of 2025. The latest model in its Zhuque-2 series includes technical improvements that will help the company’s goal of launching a reusable rocket. Saturday’s launch marked the first time LandSpace has deployed a propulsion method that involves chilling both liquid oxygen and methane below their boiling points, boosting thrust. ******** commercial space firms have rushed into the sector since 2014, when the government allowed private investment in the industry. LandSpace was one of the earliest and best-funded entrants. Source link #Chinas #LandSpace #launches #improved #methane #rocket Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Rubio speaks to Israel’s Netanyahu, says US troubled by Gaza humanitarian situation Rubio speaks to Israel’s Netanyahu, says US troubled by Gaza humanitarian situation By Humeyra Pamuk ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that Washington is troubled by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Rubio, speaking to reporters in Antalya, Turkey, said the U.S. was “not immune or in any way insensitive to the suffering of people in Gaza,” where no humanitarian assistance has been delivered since March 2. He repeated the Trump administration’s stance that ****** militants, who launched the October 2023 attacks that began the conflict, are to blame for the situation in Gaza. “We think that the elimination of ****** is what achieves peace. We’re troubled by the humanitarian situation,” Rubio said. It was the first time Rubio has addressed the situation in Gaza since the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced it will start work in Gaza by the end of May under a heavily-criticized distribution plan. He said he had heard criticism of the plan and that the U.S. was open to an alternative plan. “It allows people to get aid without ****** stealing it,” Rubio said. “We’ll continue to work towards that in ways that we think are constructive and productive.” (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; writing by Simon Lewis; editing by Deepa Babington) Source link #Rubio #speaks #Israels #Netanyahu #troubled #Gaza #humanitarian #situation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rampant Knicks blow out Celtics to advance to first East finals since 2000 – The Guardian Rampant Knicks blow out Celtics to advance to first East finals since 2000 – The Guardian Rampant Knicks blow out Celtics to advance to first East finals since 2000 The GuardianKnicks finish off Celtics as fans rejoice in NYC ESPNJosh Hart records first Knicks playoff triple-double in over 50 years to help eliminate Celtics in Game 6 Yahoo SportsCeltics-Knicks: 5 takeaways as New York oust Boston to advance to East Finals NBAWhy Knicks snubbed Stephen A. Smith after Celtics triumph New York Post Source link #Rampant #Knicks #blow #Celtics #advance #East #finals #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hot Pies cool Crows as eight-year streak continues Hot Pies cool Crows as eight-year streak continues Collingwood have extended their winning streak over Adelaide to 10 consecutive matches after prevailing in cold and wet conditions at the MCG. Source link #Hot #Pies #cool #Crows #eightyear #streak #continues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Reptile wranglers find ‘weird’ diamondback rattlesnake in Arizona Reptile wranglers find ‘weird’ diamondback rattlesnake in Arizona May 15 (UPI) — Rattlesnake wranglers in Arizona shared a photo of a “weird” snake they came across in the backyard of a Scottsdale home. Rattlesnake Solutions posted photos to social media showing what appears to be a western diamondback rattlesnake with a leopard-like color pattern. The snake’s bright white tail base with ****** spots is “the only normal thing about it,” the business said. Western diamondbacks normally have diamond-shaped patterns on their bodies, but Rattlesnake Solutions said leopard-like pattern is “weird.” “In the many thousands of diamondbacks we’ve seen over the years, this is a first,” the post said. The cause was said to be likely a “big pattern mutation.” “The area it was in rules out hybridization possibilities with most species … not that there’s anything morphologically that indicates that,” the post said. “Of all the possibilities, it’s likely it’s just a funky-looking diamondback.” The business said the snake, which some commenters on the post speculated to be dead, was captured alive and “healthy.” Source link #Reptile #wranglers #find #weird #diamondback #rattlesnake #Arizona Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Who owns France's highways? Who owns France's highways? France’s highways have sparked controversy for decades—not just because of steep tolls, but because most are run by private companies, not the state. So how did these roads become so costly, and is the system really serving the public? Source link #owns #France039s #highways Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

10 escape from New Orleans jail through hole in cell wall while lone guard left to get food – AP News 10 escape from New Orleans jail through hole in cell wall while lone guard left to get food – AP News 10 escape from New Orleans jail through hole in cell wall while lone guard left to get food AP NewsVideo shows 10 inmates escape from jail in New Orleans as manhunt continues Fox NewsLouisiana law enforcement agencies searching for Orleans Parish jail escapees WGNO2 captured, 8 remain at large following an escape from Orleans jail in overnight breach fox8live.com’To Easy LoL’ – New Orleans jail break may have been inside job BBC Source link #escape #Orleans #jail #hole #cell #wall #lone #guard #left #food #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Titans CEO has say on Hasler, shuts down Walters talks Titans CEO has say on Hasler, shuts down Walters talks Gold Coast boss Steve Mitchell has launched an impassioned defence of his club, while making a clear statement on coach Des Hasler’s future at the Titans. Source link #Titans #CEO #Hasler #shuts #Walters #talks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Could signal the beginning of the end’ ‘Could signal the beginning of the end’ Major Icelandic whaling company Hvalur has just announced that it will not hunt fin whales this summer, Mongabay reported. This announcement comes after a controversial decision by the government of Iceland to allow the company to operate, despite a total moratorium on whaling since 1986 by the International Whaling Commission. Iceland is one of three countries that still allow commercial whaling, along with Norway and Japan, which recently expanded operations. Hvalur cited the lack of demand from Japan as the reason it will not exercise its license to kill 209 fin whales this year. CEO Kristján Loftsson told Icelandic media Morgunblaðið that the price of Hvalur’s fin whale meat in Japan is “unfavorable and is worsening,” making it not commercially viable this year. “The market for Icelandic fin whale meat in Japan has been struggling for years — there is both a declining demand and a large stockpile of surplus of imported meat that remains unsold — so a lack of market in Japan is nothing new,” Sharon Livermore, director of marine conservation at the U.S. advocacy group International Fund for Animal ********, told Mongabay in an email. “It’s clear that killing hundreds of whales a year is an economic and environmental loser.” Ending whaling would be a major win for the environment. These fascinating species are some of the most intelligent creatures on the planet, play a key role in regulating their ocean ecosystems, and are becoming increasingly rare because of centuries of whaling and the rapidly shifting climate. Ending their unnecessary hunting could help ensure that they are preserved for future generations. Fin whale hunting in Iceland has already been an on-and-off proposition for the last several years. There was no commercial fin whale hunting from 2019 to 2021, and in June 2023, Iceland’s minister of food, agriculture, and fisheries suspended the activity in response to a report about how much whales suffer after being harpooned. Hvalur and another company, Tjaldtangi, were granted permission to resume operations last December, only for Hvalur to issue this announcement. Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City? However, minke whales are still being targeted. “The news that Hvalur hf. will not hunt fin whales this summer could signal the beginning of the end for whaling in the country,” U.K. NGO Whale and Dolphin Conservation said in an email to Mongabay. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Source link #signal #beginning Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nissan considering plant closures in Japan, overseas, sources say Nissan considering plant closures in Japan, overseas, sources say Vehicles are offered for ***** at a Nissan dealership on December 18, 2024 in Libertyville, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Nissan is considering plans to shut two car assembly plants in Japan and overseas factories, including in Mexico, sources said on Saturday, as part of a cost-cutting plan the company flagged earlier this week. The automaker is mulling closing Japan’s Oppama plant, where Nissan started production in 1961, and the Shonan plant operated by Nissan Shatai, in which Nissan is a 50% stakeholder, the sources said, which would leave it with just three vehicle assembly plants in Japan. Overseas, Nissan is considering ending production at plants in South Africa, India and Argentina, and cutting the number of factories in Mexico, one of the sources said. Japan’s third-biggest automaker unveiled sweeping new cost cuts on Tuesday, saying it would reduce its workforce by around 15% and cut production plants to 10 from 17 globally as it seeks to push through a turnaround. The Yomiuri newspaper, which first reported the automakers’ possible closing of plants in Japan and overseas, said two factories in Mexico are under consideration. Nissan said in a statement on its website that reports on the potential closure of certain plants were speculative and not based on any official information of the company. “At this time, we will not be providing further comments on this matter,” Nissan said in the statement. “We are committed to maintaining transparency with our stakeholders and will communicate any relevant updates as necessary.” The more aggressive turnaround steps unveiled by new CEO Ivan Espinosa mark a sharp break with Nissan’s strategy under his predecessor Makoto Uchida, who had high hopes of expanding global production and had refused to close domestic plants. The automaker’s fiscal 2024 sales stood at 3.3 million vehicles, down 42% since the 2017 business year. In its statement on Saturday, Nissan said it had previously announced it would consolidate production of Nissan Frontier and Navara pickups from Mexico and Argentina into a single production hub centralised around the Civac plant in Mexico. It also said that it had announced in March that French alliance partner Renault would buy out its stake in their joint Indian business, Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL). The domestic plant closures would mark Nissan’s first since closing its Murayama factory in 2001. Keeping just three home plants open — its Tochigi factory and the Nissan Motor Kyushu and Nissan Shatai Kyushu plants in southern Fukuoka prefecture — would be more than enough to service the domestic market and maintain exports from Japan, one source said. The Oppama plant has annual capacity of around 240,000 cars and employed about 3,900 workers as of end-October. In 2010, it became Nissan’s first plant to start producing the Leaf, widely considered the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. The Shonan plant, which produces commercial vans, has an annual capacity of around 150,000 units and employs about 1,200 people. Source link #Nissan #plant #closures #Japan #overseas #sources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Watch Josh Freese Rip a ‘Monkey Wrench’ Solo at Last Public Gig With Foo Fighters – Rolling Stone Watch Josh Freese Rip a ‘Monkey Wrench’ Solo at Last Public Gig With Foo Fighters – Rolling Stone Watch Josh Freese Rip a ‘Monkey Wrench’ Solo at Last Public Gig With Foo Fighters Rolling StoneFoo Fighters drummer Josh Freese ‘booted’ from the band: ‘Shocked and disappointed’ USA TodayFoo Fighters drummer Josh Freese says he was booted from the band NBC NewsFoo Fighters Fire Josh Freese, Drummer Is ‘Shocked and Disappointed’ VarietyJosh Freese Issues Statement That He’s Being Replaced in Foo Fighters Loudwire Source link #Watch #Josh #Freese #Rip #Monkey #Wrench #Solo #Public #Gig #Foo #Fighters #Rolling #Stone Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super season over for tired Force after Drua thumping Super season over for tired Force after Drua thumping The Western Force’s finals hopes are over for another year after their understrength side was crushed 38-7 by Fijian Drua. The Force struck early in Fiji via outside centre Sio Tomkinson to take a 7-0 lead in Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific match played in hot and humid conditions. But Drua piled on the next 38 points in the five-tries-to-one romp to make it nine consecutive victories at their home fortress of Churchill Park. The result left the Force (22 points) in ninth spot, meaning even if they beat the NSW Waratahs in their final match of the season next week, it won’t be enough to secure a top-six berth. Drua (20) got off the bottom of the ladder with the bonus-point win, with the wooden spoon battle now between the Drua, Force and Highlanders (19). The Force’s hectic travel schedule meant they entered the match without rested Wallabies trio Nic White, Hamish Stewart and Harry Potter. With Nick Champion de Crespigny (concussion) and try-scoring machine Carlo Tizzano (pectoral) also unavailable – and star flyhalf Ben Donaldson starting on the bench to manage his minutes – the Force were missing more than a third of their best starting XV. Fijian Drua capitalised on the Force’s numerous handling errors and missed tackles, with Elia Canakaivata crossing for two tries in the second half as the visitors tired. The fatigue was no surprise for a Force outfit that will have travelled a whopping 49,050km for the season by the time they return to Perth this weekend. Coach Simon Cron hit out at the criss-cross nature of the Force’s fixture, with their tired display in Fiji further evidence of the toll it has taken. The Force haven’t won outside of Australia since round 15, 2022, and their latest defeat was another demoralising reminder about the gap that still needs to be breached to become a genuine finals threat. “I thought we started really well and then they gained the momentum and we couldn’t get it back,” Force captain Jeremy Williams told Stan Sport. “(We had) poor discipline and we turned the ball over too easily. “It’s the second week in a row we’ve done those things. Against a quality side like the Drua, you’re going to pay.” A wayward pass from the Drua gifted the Force the opening try in the third minute, with scrumhalf Henry Robertson breaking a tackle in the counter-attack before offloading for Tomkinson to go over. That was as good as it got for the visitors. The Force held firm for the 10-minute ******* Robertson was off the ground for a yellow card. But the Drua were able to strike in the 29th minute when a brilliant pass while being tackled to the ground by Iosefo Masi helped gift Philip Baselala a try. And when the Force failed to deal with a short chip over the top in the 36th minute, Masi pounced for a try to help extend the margin to 17-7 by halftime. The second half was all one-way traffic. No.8 Canakaivata twice busted through the Force wall on the line to ****** over. And the bonus point was safe when Selestino Ravutaumada chased a long kick down the field and got the ball from a frenetic breakdown to touch down in the 72nd minute. Source link #Super #season #tired #Force #Drua #thumping Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

An alleged smuggler to Colombia’s cartels had a secret ally: the DEA An alleged smuggler to Colombia’s cartels had a secret ally: the DEA MIAMI (AP) — In the sordid annals of Colombia’s underworld, Diego Marín stood out as the ultimate survivor. Time and again, the reputed henchman for the Cali cartel evaded capture — or worse fates — as he built a money-laundering network stretching across four continents. He did so, authorities have alleged, with ruthlessness, street smarts and a willingness to bribe a slew of South American police officers and politicians. All the while, Marín had an even more powerful ally in his corner: the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. For years, the elite narcotics agency claimed it was investigating the Colombian importer, telling the U.S. Justice Department he was among DEA’s top targets. In reality, the relationship was more fraught, with Marín briefly signed up as an informant even as he assiduously corrupted agents with a movable feast of prostitutes, fine dining and expensive gifts, an Associated Press investigation found. In return, at least one of those agents helped Marín launder money and smuggle contraband — throwing law enforcement off his tracks. As the DEA looked the other way, Marín’s business flourished into a criminal empire that generated up to $100 million a year, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The AP’s findings — based on interviews with current and former agents, as well as a trove of highly sensitive Justice Department files — offer an unprecedented glimpse into the fraud, shoddy oversight and profligate DEA spending that enabled Marín’s ascent. The corruption was so extensive, the officials said, that it reminded them of one of the most infamous law enforcement scandals in U.S. history — the FBI’s unscrupulous dealings with ******* Bulger, the Boston mob boss. “It’s an embarrassment for the DEA,” said retired Colombian Gen. Juan Carlos Buitrago, who spent years trying to take down Marín only to see his own career derailed by the pursuit. “They ended up creating a monster.” After decades in the shadows, Marín has recently become front-page news in Colombia, where he’s been dubbed the “Contraband Czar” over bribery charges that led to his arrest last year in Spain. Among the revelations aired in Colombian media: Marín provided a private plane and an ******** $125,000 campaign donation to President Gustavo Petro. Marín attorneys declined to comment. The DEA did not respond to requests for comment. The revelations are the latest stain for an agency at a crossroads under President Donald Trump. DEA agents already have been redirected to assist in immigration enforcement, and the Justice Department is considering merging the DEA with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — a restructuring that could change how the U.S. fights the drug war. ‘Untouchable’ Marín, 62, learned to hustle from an early age. He was raised in Palestina, a western frontier town settled by devout Catholics who eked out a modest existence from the surrounding coffee farms. To help provide for his family, as a kid he sold candies in the town’s plaza. It’s not precisely known how he got into the drug business. But it was sometime during Colombia’s bloody ******** wars, an era popularized by drug lord Pablo Escobar’s infamous phrase of “plata o plomo”: money or bullets. His first brush with the law came in 1993, when he was arrested on accusations of hiding dope money in Colombia-bound home appliances for the leaders of the Cali cartel, Gilberto and Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Escobar’s main rivals. The evidence, obtained through wiretapped phone calls, tracked with DEA’s own intelligence at the time that Marín was involved in drug trafficking, according to Colombian court records. Colombian authorities declined to charge him and the case fell apart when a police officer — himself later convicted of leaking confidential information to the cartel — recanted his testimony against Marín. In the ensuing years, the U.S. government records show, Marín sought to line the pockets of law enforcement. An FBI report from 2020 said Marín “paid everyone off” as he developed a niche in what’s known as trade-based money laundering, a complex method of hiding and moving drug proceeds through the use of offshore shell companies and misvalued cargo shipments. Even as he amassed a fortune, Marín was careful to eschew the narco bling of infamous drug lords. Few photographs are known to exist of him. He carefully avoided opening bank accounts and limited his electronic communications. “He was pretty much untouchable,” said Luis Sierra, a longtime U.S. criminal investigator who served as the Homeland Security Investigations attaché to Bogota. “His tradecraft was compromising and corrupting Colombian — and even a few U.S. — officials.” Buitrago, the Colombian general who investigated Marín, said he obtained reliable intelligence that Marín had offered $5 million to officials to have him ousted. Buitrago retired rather than accept an unwanted transfer. “The message was clear: I had to get out of the way or I had to get out of the way,” Buitrago said. “It’s incalculable the number of institutions he co-opted.” Over time, authorities said, those relationships helped Marín emerge as a key money launderer to remnants of the defunct Cali cartel. In that role, they said, contraband he smuggled would end up converted into pesos at Colombia’s ubiquitous “San Andresitos”: informal shopping areas packed full of budget-priced electronics and appliances. The name is a play on the Colombian island of San Andres, a duty-free zone in the Caribbean. That sophisticated system was starting to draw scrutiny from law enforcement when Marín befriended an impressionable, up-and-coming DEA agent. The corrupt agent Special Agent José Irizarry — a former air marshal from Puerto Rico hired by the DEA in 2009 despite failing a polygraph — landed a coveted overseas post in Cartagena, Colombia, in part because he was bilingual. He met Marín in 2011, not long after the head of Colombia’s police publicly identified Marín as a major smuggler. The DEA’s elite Special Operations Division also had pegged Marín as a major player. The agency even sought to classify him as a so-called Consolidated Priority Target, reserved for the most prolific drug traffickers and money launderers, according to hundreds of pages of Justice Department reports obtained by the AP. The investigative records, which include FBI interview notes, internal DEA memos and private text messages among agents, show Marín had been on the radar of at least five federal law enforcement agencies by the time Irizarry was charged. But Irizarry believed Marín could be more valuable as an informant. “Marín would come over and they would play cards and have girls over,” according to an investigative IRS report. The meetings in Colombia were the first of many that would flout DEA rules forbidding agents from socializing with informants. Soon, the government records show, Marín tried to compromise the DEA, showering Irizarry with expensive Hublot watches, luxury cars and a $750,000 condo. Instead of providing Irizarry with intelligence, Marín gave him a Tiffany ring for his Colombian wife, as well as $5,000 in cash so the agent could buy a gift for his mistress. One internal government record said Marín “viewed Irizarry like a son.” Irizarry began protecting Marín and his organization, signing him up as an informant in 2013. “He would pay me,” Irizarry told the AP, “and if he ever needed me, he had me.” Irizarry helped Marín expand his empire, the government records show, by steering undercover DEA wire transfers to his associates, providing safe passage for containers full of contraband and even seeking to throw off other federal agencies. Once, the records show, Irizarry told a suspicious federal investigator that “people make up stories about Marín,” calling him an “open book.” ‘White Wash’ Irizarry avoided suspicion in part by exploiting a powerful Justice Department tool that long lacked proper oversight. That tool, known as an Attorney General Exempt Operation, or AGEO, gives DEA authority to launder money on behalf of cartels with the goal of carrying out major seizures and arrests. Like actual money launderers, the DEA charges hefty commissions for the transactions — money that agents can spend more freely than government funds. The DEA has long refused to discuss the stings, which involve setting up front companies, buying property and making wire transfers on behalf of cartels. But internal records show the number of such money laundering operations ballooned at one point to 53 around the country. In 2011, Irizarry and other agents launched an AGEO to target Marín. In a memo spelling out the operation, they wrote to top Justice Department officials that they hoped to strike “a devastating blow” against Marín, whom they described as a “primary launderer” and investor in ******** shipments leaving Colombia. They gave the operation a now-ironic name: White Wash. Marín, however, was only a target on paper. And two years later, Irizarry and his Miami-based colleagues quietly converted him to an informant, a process that typically involves careful vetting and supervisory signoff. All the while, income generated by White Wash allowed Irizarry and other agents to party around the world with Marín in what the agents described as a blur of booze, drugs, prostitutes and high-end dining. “It was a very fun game that we were playing,” Irizarry said. The debauchery also included tickets to premier tennis and soccer matches in Spain, Caribbean cruises on a yacht seized from drug traffickers and lap dances at a strip club in the Dominican Republic paid for by a hitman nicknamed Iguana. The same “sicario,” Irizarry told authorities, boasted of killing 15 people on Marín’s behalf. The atmosphere was captured in a 42-second video clip obtained by the AP in which Marín can be seen lording over booze-filled revelry at a Madrid restaurant. “It’s your birthday, bro,” an agent shouts to a colleague as a cellphone camera pans the private salon and a reggaeton beat livens the mood. Also captured on camera is a longtime DEA informant who was charged last year in Texas with failing to pay taxes on more than $3.8 million in snitch money. The clip was shot in April 2018, at the apex of Marín’s power, when he had even become the godfather of Irizarry’s twins. The agents running White Wash ultimately claimed that the operation generated 125 arrests and the seizure of $107 million in assets and nearly 9 tons of ********. However, a 216-page DEA audit in 2020 found White Wash’s statistics were wildly inflated, and a memo prepared for then-DEA Administrator Anne Milgram described the operation as a “mirage.” For instance, a large chunk of the operation’s total seized assets — some $30 million — was attributed to two stolen Van Gogh paintings recovered by Italian investigators in the villa of notorious drug trafficker Raffaele Imperiale. In the end, the audit attributed just five convictions to White Wash. White Wash seized only $1.3 million in illicit funds — a little more than the $900,000 tab DEA agents racked up in travel, according to the audit. Paid DEA informants helped hide much of the partying, as agents would falsely book unneeded hotel rooms and charge alcohol and dinners to them. To this day, the U.S. government is unable to account for another $19 million in DEA-laundered funds tied to White Wash. The fall After so many years with so little oversight, Irizarry grew overconfident. In 2016, he tried to block authorities in Colombia from seizing a container of Marín’s that was later revealed to contain $3 million in contraband liquor, cigarettes and clothing. Irizarry falsely told U.S. customs officials the shipment was part of an undercover DEA operation, the government records show. Within days, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia kicked him out of the country. Irizarry was indicted in 2020 and pleaded guilty to 19 counts of money laundering. He’s now serving a more than 12-year federal sentence. None of his colleagues was charged, but more than a dozen were either disciplined or investigated. “I messed up,” Irizarry told the AP. “The indictment paints a picture of me, the corrupt agent that did this entire scheme. But it doesn’t talk about the rest of DEA. I wasn’t the mastermind.” Marín’s good fortune also appears to have run out. Last year, he was arrested in Spain on a Colombian warrant over bribes he allegedly paid to three public officials to provide safe passage for dozens of containers arriving each week, some of them from China. After being released on bail, he fled to Portugal, where he was re-arrested and is seeking asylum. The allegations tying him to Petro, the Colombian president, recall some of the darkest episodes of that country’s long fight against ******** and corruption. The money he’s accused of giving Petro’s 2022 presidential campaign was received by a close aide, though the president has said he later ordered it returned. “I know how hard Marín fought to get to me,” Petro said on X in February, “thinking I was like the others.” ____ Contact AP’s global investigative team at *****@*****.tld or Source link #alleged #smuggler #Colombias #cartels #secret #ally #DEA Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nine reported killed in Russian strike on civilian bus in Ukraine – BBC Nine reported killed in Russian strike on civilian bus in Ukraine – BBC Nine reported killed in Russian strike on civilian bus in Ukraine BBCUkraine-Russia war latest: Nine killed in Russian strike on bus hours after Moscow and Kyiv peace talks The IndependentThe enemy may launch missile strikes on several targets in Sumy today. The National Security and Defense Council calls for responding to threats Українські Національні НовиниUkraine updates: Russian strike hits civilian bus DWRussian missile attack kills three in Ukraine’s Sumy Reuters Source link #reported #killed #Russian #strike #civilian #bus #Ukraine #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Belize’s Northern Cayes: what to do in tropical paradise Belize’s Northern Cayes: what to do in tropical paradise Aussies are spoiled for nearby tropical island destinations, but for those who want something different, I am visiting Belize, a tiny Central American country just south of Mexico. Belize sits right next to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — the world’s second biggest, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. And there are many islands (named “cayes” at these latitudes, and largely made of ever-shifting bases of coral) peppering the cerulean Caribbean along Belize’s eastern shore. Ambergris Caye is Belize’s biggest island — and its most popular. Even Madonna once sang about the seductive lure of its main town, San Pedro. An hour by water taxi from Belize City, San Pedro is small and compact and has an airport, and tourists from the United States and Canada come here in droves looking for a slice of “island paradise”. Roads are packed with golf carts (the most common form of transport in Ambergris Caye) alongside rows of shops, hotels, cafes and bars. Sandy Toes in the Corona Del Mar hotel is a good American-style one, but a weird bar experience. On Thursdays from 6pm, the “Chicken Drop” is one of the world’s quirkiest bingo nights. Players bet on which number the chicken will **** on. The winner gets a cash price. Get in Ambergris Caye’s water Ambergris Caye’s real attractions are under its ****-clear waters. Most tourists go to the island’s western side, to Secret Beach. It’s the opposite of “secret”, with a hedonistic string of driftwood ********* bars spilling sunbeds and stools even into the sea. You can sit and have a beer and seafood on partially submerged tables and chairs fixed to the sea bed. On the beach’s southern end, Blue Bayou is the most attractive bar, with an imposing palapa deck with a bar and waiters attending patrons even inside the water. But you can’t get to Ambergris Caye and not explore the Mesoamerican Reef at least once. The second-longest reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef, it runs just a few kilometres off the eastern coast, and the best thing is that even those without a diving certification can enjoy a few great local marine sites by snorkelling. Mexico Rocks, declared a marine park in 2015, is only 15 minutes from San Pedro with a maximum depth of just 2.4m, and has plenty of stingrays and nurse sharks. Six kilometres south of San Pedro, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve has dramatic canyons and ample sea life. Shark Ray Alley is a perennial favourite snorkelling spot known for its shallow waters populated by big southern stingrays and nurse sharks that come very close to swimmers. Camera IconOtherworldly feeding by the beach next to Iguana Reef Inn on Caye Caulker. Credit: Kit Yeng Chan Northern Ambergris delights The most offbeat part of the island is the north, where the Bacalar Chico National Park offers the chance to get on boat tours and view elusive wildlife. An easier, cheaper northern option is a tour of Eco Museum Belize (ecomuseumbelize.org). Started in January 2025 by the local community in Ambergris Caye’s Kate Subdivision, this outdoor museum in a coconut grove covers 2000 years of local island history. It has the artefact collection of the former San Pedro’s House of Culture History Museum, which closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Informational panels and reconstructions illustrate the life of early Maya fishermen, their dwellings, cooking habits and religious symbols. The tours end with a coconut scraping demonstration. Cooking classes based on ancient Maya methods are available upon request. Even further north along the coast, only 5km from the ******** border, Rocky Point is part of the Hol Chan Marine Park and has a reef within walking distance of the shore. It’s less visited because it takes two hours to get there on a bumpy golf cart ride from San Pedro. You can swim from the shore to the beautiful tropical beach and it’s perfect for catch-and-release fly fishing. Chill at Caye Caulker (before it changes) “Go slow” and “No shirt, no shoes, no problem” are just some of the slogans that apply to the two small islands of Caye Caulker. The water between them is called the Split, and it is said that Hurricane Hattie carved it in 1961. However, it’s more probable that the locals finished the job to make a navigable boat channel between the two chunks of the island. Right by the Split, the Lazy Lizard Bar and Grill is the most popular spot to lounge and enjoy the island’s best swimming, including a trampoline platform and other water games for children. Things wind down by sunset, which comes early around 6pm at these Caribbean latitudes. Camera IconAtlantic tarpons off the Tarpon Feeding Deck. Credit: Kit Yeng Chan Caye Caulker’s southern island is the most developed, with hotels, a few backpacker hostels and dozens of bars and restaurants. Caye Caulker is considered “the party island”, but with a mellow vibe. Two of the most interesting (and free) things to do besides diving on Caulker (and note that as San Pedro has most of the closest reef, dive operators usually go there) are going to the Tarpon Feeding Dock at Calle La Posa. Dozens of Atlantic tarpons (a fish that can grow to 2.4m long) gather and swim about, ostensibly waiting for a free feed. Just south on the beach outside Iguana Reef Inn (iguanareefinn.com) from 4pm to sunset, dozens of large stingrays arrive in the shallows and glide around, unfazed by humans, looking for food. I understand this is not the most ethical, as tourists feed the stingrays, but you’d hardly see such a spectacle elsewhere. Caulker north of the Split Small boats ferry passengers across the Split for $3.90. North of the Split, the upper chunk of Caye Caulker still has a few swathes of nature relatively untouched by the tourist *****. But remember that this is no secluded paradise: several resorts have already popped up and reclaimed most of the once unspoilt beachfront. The place where most people go for a nice stretch of beach these days is French-owned Bliss Beach Lounge and Beach Bar, where one can kick back with a ********* or have a nice gourmet meal. There are direct shuttles ($155) from the Split, or you can cross bringing a bicycle on the ferry to get there faster. See the Blue Hole Set on the sparse Lighthouse Reef, the Great Blue Hole symbolises Belize and is possibly the largest marine sinkhole on Earth. An aquamarine circle, it is roughly 300m wide and 125m deep. A scenic flight is probably the best way to see it. Maya Island Air (mayaislandair.com) and Tropic Air (tropicair.com) fly 11-seater planes from Belize City, Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker for about $390. Divers can also attempt a deep dive into the hole, with a quick descent to about 30 to 40m. Camera IconSan Pedro’s main beachside square. Credit: Kit Yeng ChanCamera IconPelicans on the shoreline in San Pedro. Credit: Kit Yeng ChanCamera IconAn iguana on Ambergris Caye. Credit: Kit Yeng ChanCamera IconArtefacts at Eco Museum Belize. Credit: Kit Yeng Chan Editor’s note Ambergris Caye is named for ambergris — a waxy substance produced in the digestive system of ****** whales. Pirates came to the island in the 1600s and found valuable ambergris washing ashore. It was highly prized in perfume production before the advent of modern synthetics. It was the main ingredient in oriental scents and in high demand for the parfumeries of Paris. Source link #Belizes #Northern #Cayes #tropical #paradise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

In Spain, a homelessness crisis unfolds in Madrid’s airport In Spain, a homelessness crisis unfolds in Madrid’s airport MADRID (AP) — Every morning at 6 a.m., Teresa sets out in search of work, a shower and a bit of exercise before she returns home. For around six months, that has been Terminal 4 of Madrid’s international airport. Teresa, 54, who didn’t want her full name to be used because of safety concerns, is one of the estimated hundreds of homeless people sleeping in the Spanish capital’s airport amid a growing housing crisis in Spain, where rental costs have risen especially fast in cities like Madrid, the country’s capital, and Barcelona. She and others sleeping at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport — the third-busiest airport in Europe in 2023, according to Eurostat — described a situation where for months, authorities have neither helped them find other living arrangements nor have they kicked them out from the corners of the airport that they have occupied with sleeping bags unfurled on the floor as well as blankets, shopping carts and bags. Soon, things could change. Limits on entry Spain’s airport operator AENA this week said that it would start limiting who can enter Madrid’s airport during low-travel hours by asking visitors to show their boarding passes. AENA said that the policy would take effect in the next few days, but didn’t specify exactly when. It said that exceptions would be made for airport workers and anyone accompanying a traveler. Teresa, a Spanish-Ecuadorian who said she has lived in Spain for a quarter-century, told The Associated Press on Thursday that she hadn’t heard of the new policy. She and her husband would be forced to sleep outside on park benches and other public spaces if they aren’t allowed back in. “We can’t make demands. We’re squatters,” Teresa said, using a controversial term common in Spain. “Squatters in what is private property. We are aware of that. We want help from authorities, but not a single one has come here.” Political blame game For months, a political blame game between officials at different levels of government has meant that the homeless encampments in the airport have largely gone unaddressed. In recent weeks, videos on social media and news reports of the airport’s homeless population put a spotlight on the issue. Madrid’s city council on Thursday said that it had asked Spain’s national government to take charge and come up with a plan to rehabilitate every homeless individual sleeping in the airport. Spanish airports are overseen by AENA, a state-owned publicly listed company. A city council spokesperson said that Madrid’s city government had recently called for a meeting with officials from AENA, the regional government of Madrid and several national ministries that declined. “Without them, there is no possible solution,” said Lucía Martín, a spokesperson for Madrid’s city council division of social policies, family and equality. She said that the national ministries of transport, interior, inclusion, social rights and health declined to participate in a working group. A day earlier, AENA accused Madrid’s city authorities of providing inadequate help and said that the city government’s statements about the unfolding situation confirmed its “dereliction of duty” and abandonment of the airport’s homeless individuals. “It’s like a dog chasing its tail,” said Marta Cecilia Cárdenas of the long list of authorities she was told could help her. Cárdenas, a 58-year-old homeless woman originally from Colombia, said that she had spent several months sleeping in Madrid’s airport. Exact numbers are unknown It’s not known how many people are sleeping in Madrid’s airport, through which 66 million travelers transited last year. Spain’s El País newspaper reported that a recent count taken by a charity group identified roughly 400 homeless people in the airport, many of whom, like Teresa, had previously lived in Madrid and were employed in some capacity. AP wasn’t able to confirm that number. Madrid city council officials, meanwhile, said that the Spanish capital’s social service teams had helped 94 individuals in April with ties to the city, 12 of whom were rehabilitated into municipal shelters, addiction treatment centers or independent living. Word of mouth Teresa said she had heard about sleeping in the airport by word of mouth. Before she lost her job, she said she lived in an apartment in Madrid’s Leganés neighborhood, earning a living taking care of older people. She currently earns 400 euros ($450) per month, working under the table caring for an older woman. With the earnings, Teresa said she maintains a storage unit in the neighborhood that she used to live in. Though the work is sporadic, she said it was still enough to also cover fees for the gym in which she showers daily, pay for transportation, and purchase food. Over the last decade, ​the average rent in Spain has almost doubled, according to real estate website Idealista, with steeper increases in Madrid and Barcelona. Spain also has a smaller public housing stock than many other European Union countries. Hope for the future Teresa said that she hopes to find a job soon and leave the airport, whatever authorities may force her to do in the coming days and weeks. She and her husband keep to themselves, avoiding others sleeping in the brightly-lit hallway dotted with sleeping bags who were battling mental health problems, addiction and other issues, she said. “You end up adjusting to it a bit, accepting it even, but never getting used to it,” Teresa said over the constant din of airline announcements. “I hope to God that it gets better, because this is not life.” Source link #Spain #homelessness #crisis #unfolds #Madrids #airport Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump officials reportedly consider TV gameshow with US citizenship as prize – The Guardian Trump officials reportedly consider TV gameshow with US citizenship as prize – The Guardian Trump officials reportedly consider TV gameshow with US citizenship as prize The GuardianDHS says it’s in beginning stages of ‘vetting process’ for immigrant reality TV show CNNA Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for U.S. Citizenship? D.H.S. Is Considering It. The New York TimesDHS Is Considering Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for Citizenship WSJTrump DHS considers reality TV show where immigrants compete for U.S. citizenship MSNBC News Source link #Trump #officials #reportedly #gameshow #citizenship #prize #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Rugby Pacific: Western Force’s finals hopes over as they slump to 38-7 loss against Fijian Drua Super Rugby Pacific: Western Force’s finals hopes over as they slump to 38-7 loss against Fijian Drua Western Force’s Super Rugby Finals hopes are dead in the water as they squandered an early lead and numerous opportunities in a 38-7 loss to Fijian Drua at Churchill Park. Source link #Super #Rugby #Pacific #Western #Forces #finals #hopes #slump #loss #Fijian #Drua Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla Robot Demo Stuns Audience, Mass Production Set for 2025 Tesla Robot Demo Stuns Audience, Mass Production Set for 2025 May 15 – Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) revealed new capabilities of its Optimus humanoid robot this week, showcasing improved balance, gait, and dexterity in a series of viral demo videos The robot performed complex movements, including ballet and coordinated dance sequences, that were reportedly learned entirely through simulation before being executed in real-world tests. Tesla said the training drew on its reinforcement learning expertise and highlighted a major step forward in mobility. CEO Elon Musk said the current version remains a work-in-progress, though Tesla is targeting production of 5,000 units in 2025, with potential to scale to 12,000 depending on parts availability. For now, Optimus is being tested inside the company’s Texas Gigafactory, where it is performing tasks for Tesla’s upcoming Cybercab production line. Looking ahead, Tesla expects to begin selling Optimus externally by 2026, with a projected price range of $25,000 to $30,000 per unit. Other players in the humanoid robotics race include Figure AI, backed by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and OpenAI, as well as Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, Sanctuary AI, and Xpeng (NYSE:XPEV). Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Meta (META) are also exploring robotic platforms at various stages of development. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Source link #Tesla #Robot #Demo #Stuns #Audience #Mass #Production #Set Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Yankees make loud statement with win over Mets, Juan Soto in first Subway Series battle – New York Post Yankees make loud statement with win over Mets, Juan Soto in first Subway Series battle – New York Post Yankees make loud statement with win over Mets, Juan Soto in first Subway Series battle New York PostSoto tips hat to booing Bronx fans, has quiet night ESPNFans shower boos on Soto, then Yankees’ Plan B outshines him MLB.comMets’ Juan Soto tips his cap to booing Yankees fans in return to Yankee Stadium for Subway Series Yahoo Sports’F – Juan Soto’ and a brand new insecurity in Yankeeland SNY Source link #Yankees #loud #statement #win #Mets #Juan #Soto #Subway #Series #battle #York #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sweden’s sauna song is hot favourite to win Eurovision Sweden’s sauna song is hot favourite to win Eurovision Sweden is the red-hot favourite for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in the Swiss city of Basel, with an offbeat song about saunas which could cool some recent controversies at the show. Bookmakers give Sweden’s entry, comedy trio KAJ, a 42 per cent chance to win the world’s biggest music event, which is taking place amid protests over participation by Israel, which is continuing a military assault on the ************ enclave of Gaza. A win for KAJ would be Sweden’s eighth overall, moving it clear of Ireland to become the most successful country in Eurovision history. KAJ’s song, Bara Bada Bastu, translates as “Let’s Just Sauna” and celebrates the power of saunas. “It is a cherished way of everyday life, just relaxing and connecting and like staying quiet,” KAJ member Kevin Holmstrom told Reuters before the final. Austria, represented by singer JJ who combines elements of opera and techno in his song Wasted Love, is second favourite. “If you look at the bookies, it’s a two-horse race,” said Eurovision expert William Lee Adams, who called KAJ’s song “fun, silly and camp” – key ingredients for Eurovision success. “You’ve got people dancing in towels and you’ve got men in suits at the start, very uptight but by the end of their act, they’re loose and ready to go. It’s feel-good fun.” More than 160 million people are expected to watch Eurovision, which could feature an appearance by ********* megastar Celine Dion, who won in 1988 representing Switzerland. Dion, who may be unable to attend due to health problems, said she would love nothing more than to be in Basel in a video message at Tuesday’s semi final. Switzerland won the right to host Eurovision after rapper and singer Nemo won last year’s contest in Malmo, Sweden. The event, which stresses its political neutrality, has again faced controversy this year due to the war in Gaza. Israel’s entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival during the October 7, 2023, attack by ****** militants on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. Pro-************ groups urged the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel over Gaza, where more than 50,000 people have been killed in the ensuing offensive by Israel, according to local health officials. They accuse EBU of hypocrisy by allowing Israel to compete while Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine. “How can Israel compete in a happy competition like Eurovision, which celebrates tolerance, when it is killing thousands of people and bombing hospitals in Gaza?” said Geri Mueller, president of the Association Swiss Palestine. The EBU said it hoped the contest could overcome divisions. Source link #Swedens #sauna #song #hot #favourite #win #Eurovision Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Couple set to open Biloxi bed and breakfast in 2023 didn’t see lawsuit coming Couple set to open Biloxi bed and breakfast in 2023 didn’t see lawsuit coming The Hoyes didn’t just quit their jobs, sell their possessions and move from Wisconsin to Biloxi. They had a plan. The couple, who have long worked in food service and hospitality, wanted to start their own business. They worked with business mentors, drew up a business plan for a bed and breakfast, and hunted for the perfect location — from South Carolina to Galveston, Texas, and elsewhere on the Gulf of Mexico. Heidi Hoye found the couple’s new home in Biloxi. It was the third or fourth property they visited and they knew when they toured the two-story brick house with a waterfront view that this was the place. The Hoyes bought the 7,500-square-foot house in November 2021 and moved in a month later. Their real estate agent had done some homework, so they thought they would have no problem getting the city’s permission for a bed and breakfast in their residential neighborhood. But their case was tied up with the city for most of 2022 and 2023. When they finally won approval, opponents appealed to Circuit Court. Both sides are still awaiting a decision on the court appeal, filed in October 2023. “Eighteen months is a long time to stay afloat and wait for an answer,” Heidi Hoye said. Dan Hoye added, “We’re trying to ride it out the best we can.” The hallway of Heidi and Dan Hoye’s home in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. The home was originally built in 2004 and survived Hurricane Katrina with no water in the house. The Hoyes home in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. The home features six guest rooms, each with its own bathroom. Couple fight misconceptions about B&Bs The house they bought seems to have been built with a bed and breakfast in mind. Each of the six bedrooms has a bathroom. A generous front porch wraps around to a side porch and swimming pool. There’s a pool house and living quarters over the garage. The home’s interior has a historic look, even though it was built in 2004. It has 14-foot ceilings, wood floors on the first floor and an oak staircase leading to the second floor, brick fireplaces in every room and wide crown molding. A living room in front is lined with windows overlooking a small courtyard subdivision and the Mississippi Sound. To operate a bed and breakfast, the Hoyes needed a conditional-use permit and a zoning change from medium-density residential to low-density multifamily residential. Before Hurricane Katrina, a hotel was located a short distance to the west in a business district on the beach highway, while property to the east is zoned for high-density multi-family residential development. Their immediate neighbors live in single-family homes. When they first requested city permission for a bed-and-breakfast, the Hoyes were expecting questions from the neighbors about their business plans. They were unprepared for the packed, raucous public hearing held before the Biloxi Planning Commission, where residents wondered if the bed and breakfast would be attracting murderers and drug dealers. “We were not prepared for that at all,” Heidi Hoye said. “We were saying, ‘This is not going well.’ “People thought we were going to come in and run a party house.” The Hoyes took a time out. And they started renting rooms to bring in some money. By right, homeowners can offer a rental for 30 days or more. They rent mostly to traveling nurses and tenants training at Keesler Air Force Base. They held an open house, where they served appetizers and invited guests to see for themselves that the house offered the perfect layout for a bed and breakfast. About 30 to 40 folks stopped by. The Hoyes say neighbors who live close by have been supportive of their business plans. They’ve been friendly and welcoming to the Hoyes. Those neighbors include the Lombardi-Bensons, who bought and renovated the historic Glenn Swetman home a stone’s throw away. “They’re amazing people, amazing,” said Frank Lombardi-Benson. “And they’ll do a great job.” “We’re all for it. Everybody is. They have their heart and soul in what they want to do.” A common area in the Hoye home in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. They hope the home will eventually be a bed and breakfast. The dining area in Heidi and Dan Hoye’s house in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. They also have seating at a bar and high-top tables in the kitchen for guests who prefer a more casual breakfast. Former bed and breakfast owner endorses plans The Hoyes are naturals at hosting guests. They love to cook. He is a trained chef. Her speciality is baking. They sometimes invite their tenants for dinner, just to have company and share a good meal. They host a “friendsgiving” Thanksgiving, Super Bowl parties and gatherings for the nonprofit Back Bay Mission. “We love to entertain,” Dan Hoye said. His wife added: “This is a huge, beautiful house. It should be used.” One of their Thanksgiving guests was Katherine Blessey, who ran her own bed and breakfast in Biloxi for seven years with her husband, Walter. It was on the beach, near the Biloxi Lighthouse. She met with the Hoyes, after being introduced by a mutual friend, to talk about their plans. Blessey had to close her bed and breakfast in 2017 when her husband passed away. “People want a place to stay like this,” she said. “They really do.” “They would have the same type of hospitality we did,” she said. “They’re just charming.” A library named after Heidi Hoye’s mother in the Hoye house in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Biloxi case winds up in court On their second try for a city permit and rezoning, the Hoyes hired an attorney. An impressive number of residents turned out to support their business venture, which passed the Planning Commission unanimously. The City Council vote was split, but the Hoyes convinced a majority to support their plans. They were jubilant. Many of their neighbors joined them at the house to celebrate. Ten days later, they got the call from their attorney, Wayne Hengen, who happened to grow up in the neighborhood. The news wasn’t good. Several residents had appealed the City Council’s split decision — 3 in favor, two opposed and two abstentions — to Circuit Court. Two of the women appealing the City Council’s decision live in the immediate neighborhood. A third, the sister of Council member George Lawrence, lives several blocks away. Lawrence, who voted against the bed and breakfast, did not return a telephone call seeking comment on his vote. His sister, Theresa Thompson, also failed to respond to a voicemail from the Sun Herald about the lawsuit. The appeal claims a bed and breakfast would be out of place in the neighborhood of single-family homes and that the character of the neighborhood has not changed, one of the factors considered when property is rezoned. But Community Development Director Jerry Creel said at one of the city hearings that the bed and breakfast ordinance was intended to accommodate houses such as the Hoyes’. Creel also said the house is in a transitional area between homes and commercial development. The Hoyes’ appeal quoted his remarks. Their opponents quoted Creel, too, saying he could point to no specific change since the commission had rejected the Hoyes’ first request 16-18 months earlier. Attorney Hengen also spoke at the hearing, saying the Hoyes had repaired extensive storm damage to the home, which had stood empty for almost 16 years. He also said the city has only two bed and breakfasts, and could use more. The judge on the bed and breakfast case, Randi Mueller, had to recuse herself after receiving a mysterious package in the mail. The contents of the package were entered into the court file but are sealed from public view. Judge Larry Bourgeois was assigned to the case in July. The Hoyes are trying to hold on financially until they get a ruling. They have a Plan B, but don’t really want to think about selling the house. “This community is our home and we want to stay here,” Heidi Hoye said. “We’re here for a reason — to be part of this community.” A suite dubbed “Ocean Springs” in Heidi and Dan Hoye’s house in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. They are hoping for permission to turn the home into a bed and breakfast. The pool at the Hoye home in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Source link #Couple #set #open #Biloxi #bed #breakfast #didnt #lawsuit #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

CVS to acquire & operate 64 Rite Aid stores in the PNW, buy customer prescription files – KOMO CVS to acquire & operate 64 Rite Aid stores in the PNW, buy customer prescription files – KOMO CVS to acquire & operate 64 Rite Aid stores in the PNW, buy customer prescription files KOMORite Aid offloads pharmacy assets of 1,000 locations to several rivals CNNMap and Full List of Rite Aid Store Addresses Closing Across the U.S. NewsweekCVS bids to take over Bartell Drugs, Rite Aid locations in Pacific Northwest KIRO 7 News SeattleAs Rite Aid collapses, customers and other pharmacies bear the impact TribLIVE.com Source link #CVS #acquire #amp #operate #Rite #Aid #stores #PNW #buy #customer #prescription #files #KOMO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Massive queues envelop Sydney as cult US restaurant chain opens first ever Aussie store in Kings Cross Massive queues envelop Sydney as cult US restaurant chain opens first ever Aussie store in Kings Cross Insane lines have built up as foodies race to get their hands on a taste of a cult US restaurant chain roosting down under for the first time. Wingstop opened their new flagship store in Kings Cross on Saturday – with a ****** wrapping around the block during Sydney’s bout of ********** weather. Camera IconWingstop has launched its very first Aussie store in Kings Cross, leading to massive queues. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp AustraliaCamera IconThe restaurant chain is renowned for its buffalo-style chicken wings. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia It marks the first store in Australia for the buffalo-style chicken wing giant, which was founded in 1994. Customers can be seen donning puffer jackets amid the brisk temperature, in a bid to become one of the first 500 guests who would receive free samples from the restaurant’s exclusive menu upon opening. Camera IconCrowds lined up around the block to get a taste. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp AustraliaCamera IconItish Vinayak tucks into a meal at Wingstop’s *********** Launch in Potts Point. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia Wingstop became a certified heavy-hitter in the fast food industry thanks to its popular food offering – with the chain now boasting over 2563 stores in the world. “We’re not in the wing business. We’re in the flavour business. It’s been our mission to serve the world flavour since we first opened shop in ’94, and we’re just getting started,” Wingstop’s investor toolkit reads. Camera IconCrowds are expected to last at least till the end of Saturday. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia “1997 saw the opening of our first franchised Wingstop location, and by 2002 we had served the world one billion wings. It’s flavour that defines us and has made Wingstop one of the fastest growing brands in the restaurant industry. The company has recorded 21 consecutive years of sales growth and currently trades for $321.08 on the NASDAQ. Camera IconThere are 12 different flavours for Aussie to try, on varying levels of spiciness. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia Founded in Texas, Wingstop offer 12 different flavours, ranging from lemon pepper to the extreme “atomic” seasoning, which uses habanero peppers. A Wingstop spokesperson said the opening of the Australia store represented the company wanting to “satisfy the flavour demands” of Australians. “Wingstop has big plans for Australia, and we’re excited to see how fans embrace our flavour,” the spokesperson said. Source link #Massive #queues #envelop #Sydney #cult #restaurant #chain #opens #Aussie #store #Kings #Cross Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Uber driver pulls gun on passengers in Florida Uber driver pulls gun on passengers in Florida Uber driver pulls gun on passengers in Florida Source link #Uber #driver #pulls #gun #passengers #Florida Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]