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Paul Krugman: The paranoid style in American plutocrats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

Recently Dr. Peter Hotez, a leading vaccine scientist and a frequent target of anti-vaxxer harassment, expressed some puzzlement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He noted that many of those taunting him were also “big time into bitcoin or cryptocurrency” and declared that “I can’t quite connect the dots on that one.”OK, I can help with that. Also, welcome to my world.If you regularly follow debates about public policy, especially those involving wealthy tech bros, it’s obvious that there’s a strong correlation among the three Cs: climate denial, COVID-19 vaccine denial and cryptocurrency cultism.I’ve written about some of these things before, in the context of Silicon Valley’s enthusiasm for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But in the light of Hotez’s puzzlement — and also the rise of Vivek Ramaswamy, another crank, who won’t get the GOP nomination but could conceivably become Donald Trump’s running mate — I want to say more about what these various forms of crankdom have in common a...

Jamelle Bouie: The forgotten radicalism of the March on Washington

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

As remembered and commemorated by most Americans, the 1963 March on Washington — its 60th anniversary fell on Monday — represents the essence of the Civil Rights Movement, defined in our national mythology as a colorblind demand for neutrality and fairness in the face of discrimination, embodied in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream that his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”Less well remembered, in our collective memory at least, is the fact that both the march and King’s speech were organized around much more than opposition to anti-Black discrimination. It was officially known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, with a far more expansive vision for society than formal equality under the law. The march wasn’t a demand for a more inclusive arrangement under the umbrella of postwar American liberalism, as it might seem today. It was a demand for something more —...

Defense casts doubt in St. Paul triple murder trial as witnesses testify masked shooter had dreadlocks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

Written closing arguments are due this week in the court trial of a man who stands accused of shooting to death three people and wounding two others in a duplex on St. Paul’s East Side nearly one year ago.Antonio Wright’s trial began Aug. 22 before Ramsey County District Judge Kelly Olmstead, who will decide the case on the issues of guilt and whether facts would support an aggravated sentence. Wright, 42, of Minneapolis, waived his right to a jury trial.Antonio Dupree Wright (Courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Corrections)Prosecutors say Wright was the masked intruder who repeatedly fired a Glock handgun at the victims during a violent rampage Sept. 4 at 951 Case Ave. in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Killed were Angelica Gonzales, 33, Cory Freeman, 42, and Maisha Spaulding, 44.The state and defense rested their cases on Monday, when Wright also waived his right to testify. Wright’s decision came after Olmstead ruled that his testimony could include questioning by the pr...

Twins’ Byron Buxton will play center field for the Saints on Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

Byron Buxton, a Platinum Glove outfielder who hasn’t played defense in more than a year, is scheduled to play center field for the St. Paul Saints on Wednesday, the start of a rehab assignment as he returns from a right hamstring injury.On Tuesday afternoon, Buxton, Alex Kirilloff and Nick Gordon took live batting practice against right-hander Jorge Alcala, who hasn’t pitched since May 14 — a clean mop-up inning in a 16-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs — because of a forearm extensor muscle strain.“I’m just happy to face batters again and I felt really good,” Alcala said through an interpreter.Next for Alcala is another live BP session later this week in St. Paul.Kirilloff is penciled in to be the Saints’ designated hitter in a 7:07 p.m. start against Columbus at CHS Field on Wednesday. Baldelli said he likely will play first base on Thursday before having a day off.The plan for Buxton, on the IL since Aug. 4, is to have him play in center on Wednesday and take Thursday off.“It’s goi...

Loons likely to be without Bongi Hlongwane for ‘important’ game against last-place Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

Minnesota United will likely remain without leading scorer Bongi Hlongwane for Wednesday’s match against the Colorado Rapids at Allianz Field.Hlongwane, who has 15 goals in all competitions in 2023, did not train with the Loons in Blaine on Tuesday and is expected to miss his second consecutive game. After hurting his knee during the 2-0 win over New York City on Aug. 20, Hlongwane sat out the 1-1 draw with Seattle on Sunday.“Will we rush him back?” manager Adrian Heath said. “Probably not.”Heath was initially hopeful Hlongwane, who does not have structural damage in his knee, could return to play against Seattle or Colorado. The new goal might be for the South African to return for a game at San Jose late Saturday night or New England at home on Sept. 9.But it looks like Emanuel Reynoso (ankle) will remain in the starting XI on Wednesday after swelling in the joint set in before the NYCFC match. The Argentine played against New York and the Sounders, but tweaked his ankle in the fi...

Search for gunman after Ferguson police chief’s niece killed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Authorities have confirmed that the niece of the Ferguson police chief was found shot to death inside her Black Jack apartment.Kayla Patterson, 25, was one of two people gunned down within minutes of each other Monday evening.Police found Patterson inside her residence at the Whisper Lake Apartments around 9 p.m.The St. Louis County Police Department is handling the investigation, Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle said in an email. Doyle went on to say that his family is heartbroken over Patterson’s death.Investigators are still working to find out what led to that shooting and have not said if a suspect is in custody. St. Charles asks residents to send pics of cars with illegal temp tags Residents are trying to come to grips with the tragic news.“Our women, they should not have to go through violence, physical, domestic, any type of violence at all. I also have a daughter. It would hurt me to my heart if something like that was to ever happen to her,” said ...

Alcohol kills more Coloradans than you might think. The Denver Post wants to talk to those who knew them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

Colorado has a high rate of alcohol-related deaths, ranging from car crash fatalities to suicide deaths and liver failure.Reporter Meg Wingerter would like to talk to people who lost a loved one to alcohol-related causes, as well as those who have experience trying to seek treatment for themselves or someone else. Personal stories shared will be used in a project running in The Denver Post this fall about how alcohol is affecting Coloradans’ health.If you’re interested in being interviewed, please fill out the information below:[contact-form] 

CSU Rams football’s five keys to success for the 2023 season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

Five keys to the CSU Rams’ success in Year 2 under head coach Jay Norvell. CSU opens the season Saturday against Washington State (5 p.m., Canvas Stadium).Keep Clay upright. After CSU rolled out the nation’s worst offensive front last year, the new-look O-line has to keep Clay Millen upright and give the sophomore time to make plays. Much of that onus falls on left tackle Saveyon Henderson (Lane College transfer) and right tackle Drew Moss (Lamar).Weather early adversity. Jay Norvell preached the need to start fast after his first year began with four consecutive blowout defeats. But the fact is the Rams open against Wazzu, a team that worked them by 31 points last year, and then take on CU and Coach Prime in Boulder. The Rams must realize 0-2 isn’t the end of the world if they’re there.Related ArticlesCollege Sports | CSU Rams eye Year 2 leap under Jay Norvell: “There’s not a team on our schedule we don’t match up well against.&#...

In trading for kicker Wil Lutz, Broncos coach Sean Payton opts to go with familiar face

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

The Broncos’ kicker situation has been a revolving door since the spring, but head coach Sean Payton hopes he has found the answer with a familiar face.Payton announced Tuesday that the team acquired Saints kicker Wil Lutz for a 2024 seventh-round pick. Denver also sent tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, the shining star in Saturday’s preseason finale, and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Payton said trading away Okwuegbunam was “pretty ordinary.”Payton, who coached Lutz for five seasons in New Orleans, said the 29-year-old kicker has been a target for the Broncos. Lutz has played in 97 career games, posting a career field goal percentage of 84.6%. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 but sidelined for the entire 2021 season due to a core muscle injury. Lutz returned in 2022, converting a career-low 74.2% of his field goal attempts.Denver monitored three to four kicking battles throughout the league, according to Payton. ...

Ronald Acuña’s encounter and Guaranteed Rate Field shooting raise questions about safety of players, fans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:14:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A shooting that likely happened inside of Guaranteed Rate Field, followed by a scary moment for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. in Colorado. Both in a span of four days.While Major League Baseball is on track for a marked increase in attendance this year, the pair of high-profile incidents raised questions about the safety of players and fans inside and outside of big league ballparks.A spokeswoman for the Major League Baseball Players Association said Tuesday that the union takes player safety “very seriously” and that it reviews club and stadium protocols throughout every season “to mitigate the possibility of similar future incidents.”Acuña had an encounter with two fans during Atlanta’s 14-4 win over Colorado on Monday night.One fan got his arms against Acuña during the middle of the seventh inning. Two security people quickly grabbed the fan and, as they tried to drag him away, a third security person approached.A second fan then sprinted ...