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As If by Isabel Waidner review – surreal doppelganger story
CultureThe Guardian3h ago

As If by Isabel Waidner review – surreal doppelganger story

Two uncannily similar men switch places in an existential farce that playfully explores the precarity of working life In Isabel Waidner’s previous novel, 2023’s Corey Fah Does Social Mobility, a working-class writer wins a literary prize. As the trophy takes the form of an elusive UFO, Corey Fah – an outsider unfamiliar with the baffling inner workings of the system – is unable to collect or even confirm the award. Waidner has said that the novel was partly inspired by the experience of winni...

Books Based on True Crime Stories Explored
Culturednevnik-bg22h ago

Books Based on True Crime Stories Explored

An article discusses books inspired by real-life criminal cases, from 'In Cold Blood' to 'The Monster of Florence', highlighting how reality often serves as the best scriptwriter.

JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette died in a plane crash 27 years ago. It fueled rumors of a 'Kennedy curse.'
WorldBusiness Insider2d ago

JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette died in a plane crash 27 years ago. It fueled rumors of a 'Kennedy curse.'

John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, attended the Municipal Art Society Gala in 1998. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and her sister died in a 1999 plane crash near Martha's Vineyard. Rumors of a "Kennedy curse" were fueled by multiple family tragedies over the decades. JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's relationship is now the topic of an FX series, "Love Story." The Kennedy family has been subjected to many tragedies over the years, including two assassinations and a plane crash that took the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr. and two other passengers. Nearly 27 years ago, on July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and her older sister Lauren Bessette were killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. There were no survivors from the accident. The relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is now the topic of an FX series executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, "Love Story." Their deaths became a major news story and perpetuated rumors of a "Kennedy curse." JFK Jr.'s father, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963. His uncle, Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, was assassinated five years later in 1968. And two years before JFK Jr.'s death, his cousin Michael Kennedy also died after hitting a tree while skiing in Aspen, Colorado. Here's what we know about the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. and two others. John F. Kennedy Jr. frequently made headlines throughout the 1990s. John F. Kennedy, Jr. at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. Bettmann/Getty Images As the son of a president and a member of one of America's most prominent political dynasties, John F. Kennedy Jr. was destined for the spotlight. JFK Jr. was born on November 25, 1960, just two weeks after his father was elected president. His father was assassinated on November 22, 1963, just three days shy of JFK Jr.'s third birthday. JFK Jr., affectionately nicknamed "John-John" by the public, attended the funeral on his birthday and was famously photographed saluting his father's casket. Throughout much of his adolescence and adulthood, he mostly remained out of the public eye. However, his public image began to change after he introduced his uncle, Ted Kennedy, at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. In September 1988, People named Kennedy, who was then a 27-year-old third-year law student at NYU, the "Sexiest Man Alive." JFK Jr. also dated a few celebrities throughout the 1990s, including "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, Cindy Crawford, and Daryl Hannah. John F. Kennedy Jr. began dating Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein, in 1994. John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1995. Rose Hartman/Getty Images They met in the fitting room at Calvin Klein, where Bessette helped JFK Jr. pick out wardrobe items, Elizabeth Beller wrote in "Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," cited by People. Tall, sophisticated, and beautiful, JFK Jr.'s new girlfriend captivated the public. After two years of dating, the pair married in an intimate ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia, People reported. While their wedding ceremony was private, their relationship was anything but, thanks to the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Evan Agostini/Getty Images; NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images The media attention may have even inspired Kennedy to get his pilot's license in 1998. "That was some of the happiest times he ever had. Floating around with the buzzards in his Buckeye [plane]. It was the freedom," his close friend Robbie Littell told "JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography" author RoseMarie Terenzio, according to People. "He said, 'It's the only place I can go where no one is bothering me. I have complete silence, and no one can get to me except the air traffic controllers.' Maybe that gives you insight into what he was really dealing with on the ground," his college friend Gary Ginsberg said, People reported. John F. Kennedy Jr. was traveling to Martha's Vineyard with his wife and her older sister when their plane was reported missing. The hangar where John Kennedy Jr. kept his Piper Saratoga airplane. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that Kennedy departed Essex County Airport near Fairfield, New Jersey, at around 8:38 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 1999. The sun was already beginning to set and "hazy conditions," which had been reported earlier in the evening, were getting worse, People reported. Kennedy planned to drop his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette on Martha's Vineyard before traveling to his family's compound in Hyannis Port with Carolyn. The couple was due to attend his cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding the following day, according to People. However, the plane never landed in Martha's Vineyard. An unidentified driver reported the plane had failed to arrive at Martha's Vineyard Airport as expected, according to the Post, citing an NBC report. It kicked off a search for the missing aircraft in the early hours of July 17. The Kennedy family notified the Cape Cod Coast Guard that the couple had not made it back to Hyannis. A Coast Guard helicopter searching for debris from John Kennedy Jr.'s plane. Daniel Goodrich/Newsday RM/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that the Coast Guard then began investigating whether the plane had landed at another airport. By 4 a.m., the Coast Guard began searching for the missing plane, and by 7:30 a.m., the Air Force and Coast Guard had launched 20 aircraft vehicles and two boats to search the area between Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, according to the Post's timeline. On Sunday afternoon, what was presumed to be debris from the plane was found on Philbin Beach on Martha's Vineyard. Among the debris was a headrest that was later concluded to be from the missing aircraft and a black suitcase that contained Lauren Bessette's business card. Rory Kennedy's wedding, scheduled for 6 p.m. that night, was put on hold as the family awaited more news. The Washington Post reported that after more debris was found in the days to follow, the search-and-rescue mission became a search-and-recovery mission. All three of the plane's passengers were now presumed dead. John F. Kennedy Jr. was 38 years old. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was 33, and her sister Lauren Bessette was 34. Five days after the crash, the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were recovered. Massachusetts State Police divers left Menemsha on Martha's Vineyard on July 19, 1999. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images The debris field was identified off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, relatively near the estate once owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Kennedy's mother, The New York Times reported. (Kennedy Onassis died in 1994.) The bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were discovered by Navy divers on July 22, 1999, after an extensive search approved by President Bill Clinton. The bodies of the crash victims, which were ''near and under'' the main body of the aircraft, were still strapped in, according to the Times. Details began to emerge about what led to the crash. A television technician holds up the official handout map of the search and rescue area off Martha's Vineyard. JOHN MOTTERN/AFP/Getty Images Kennedy had only flown about 72 hours without a flight instructor, and had only about 300 total hours of flying experience, The New York Times reported in July 2000. He had reportedly rejected an offer to have a flight instructor accompany the group on their journey. As a newly trained pilot, Kennedy was not licensed to fly and navigate the air using flying instruments. Instead, he had only trained to fly using sight alone, which would have been extremely difficult in dark or hazy conditions such as those on the night of July 16. Warren Morningstar, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, told the Times that "flying at night over featureless terrain or water, and particularly in haze or in overcast, is a prime setup for spatial disorientation." About an hour into the trip, the plane's flight path became irregular as it began its descent into Martha's Vineyard, indicating that the pilot may have become disoriented by the darkness of the sky and the water, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded. "His flight path into the water is consistent with what is known as a graveyard spiral," Jeff Guzzetti, an NTSB investigator in the accident, told Terenzio, according to People. "The airplane makes a spiral nose down … kind of like going down a drain. The plane went into one final turn and it stayed in that turn pretty much all the way down to the ocean." The aircraft went down in the water about 7 miles from its intended destination of Martha's Vineyard. Mourners pay respects at the floral shrine outside of the building where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn lived in 1999. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that the plane did not send out a distress call. Instead, it made its final descent and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in under 30 seconds. Kennedy, Kennedy-Bessette, and Bessette's bodies were cremated and buried at sea off the coast of Martha's Vineyard on July 22, 1999. "We are filled with unspeakable grief and sadness by the loss of John and Carolyn and Lauren Bessette," Ted Kennedy said in a statement on behalf of the Kennedy family. "John was a shining light in all our lives and in the lives of the nation and the world that first came to know him as a little boy." As the country mourned the loss, rumors of a "Kennedy curse" were reignited. John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy attended the White House Correspondents dinner in 1999. Tyler Mallory/Liaison/Getty Images The extensive search captured the nation's attention, as did the tragedy of the three young passengers' deaths. Yet another tragic accident for the Kennedy family, the plane crash only added to rumors of a Kennedy family curse. "I've looked high and low and cannot find another family since the ancient Greek House of Atreus that has suffered more calamities and misfortunes than the Kennedys," Edward Klein, the author of "The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years," said, according to The Washington Post. While there are many logical reasons for the fateful plane crash, it's nevertheless poignant that the Kennedy family, one of the wealthiest and most influential political families in the world, has suffered so much tragedy throughout the last 100 years. "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged," Kennedy family biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli told NBC News in 2019. "We peer behind the scenes of their wealthy lifestyle, and we see, for all the advantages they have, tragedy can still happen." Read the original article on Business Insider

I've been selling on Amazon for a year. After storage fees bled me dry, I'm pivoting my e-comm strategy away from it.
BusinessReutersBusiness Insider4d ago2 sources

I've been selling on Amazon for a year. After storage fees bled me dry, I'm pivoting my e-comm strategy away from it.

After writing about Amazon sellers for years, the author decided to try e-commerce for herself. Kathleen Elkins In early 2025, a friend and I launched a pickleball paddle company with about $10,000. We haven't yet cracked the Amazon code, and the learning curve has gotten expensive. After paying hundreds of dollars in long-term storage fees, we removed a bunch of inventory from Amazon. When Amazon tried to charge my business account $288.56 last month, the payment didn't go through. Instead, I got an "insufficient funds" notification on my phone. Turns out, it's expensive to let inventory — especially "aged inventory" — sit in an Amazon warehouse. The "aged inventory surcharge" quite literally bled my business partner and me dry. By February 2026, our business bank account balance sat just above $6. Kathleen Elkins Let me back up. In 2024, inspired by the successful e-commerce entrepreneurs and Amazon sellers I write about, I decided to start my own business. I convinced a friend to join me, and we each put in $5,000 from our own savings to launch a pickleball paddle company. We hired my high school English teacher to design our logo, we worked with a sourcing company to find a manufacturer, and we spent about a year developing our paddle before placing our first inventory order in early 2025. The minimum order quantity was 500 units. We shipped 250 paddles to ourselves in Los Angeles and sent the other 250 to Amazon. The plan was to run a hybrid Shopify-Amazon model while we figured out who our typical customer was. That was advice from an e-commerce industry veteran. He told us that, on Shopify, we'd earn better margins because there are fewer platform fees, but we'd have to generate our own traffic through social media, ads, and word of mouth. On Amazon, we'd sacrifice margin, but gain visibility. As he put it: "Amazon is guaranteed traffic. There's a guaranteed flow of people who are going to see your product every single day." After a year, we haven't cracked the Amazon code, and the learning curve has gotten expensive. Among the various Amazon seller fees is an "aged inventory surcharge." It's charged on units stored in its fulfillment network for 181 days or more, in addition to its standard monthly storage fees. The surcharge increases the longer your inventory sits. Items aged 181 to 210 days cost $0.50 per cubic foot. At 211 to 240 days, it jumps to $1 per cubic foot. Our inventory, sitting in the 331- to 365-day range, costs $5.90 per cubic foot. We didn't fully understand the cost structure until it started hitting our bank account. Here's a screenshot from our Amazon seller account showing our service fees between November 2025 and February 2026. Kathleen Elkins Last month, we owed nearly $300 in service fees — much more than we were bringing in in sales. Rather than continue to see that number climb (items aged 456 days or more would cost us $7.90 per cubic foot or $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater), we decided to pull most of our inventory out of Amazon. The removal process took five minutes. We submitted a removal order for about 200 paddles, and were surprised when 40 of our units arrived on my doorstep the next day. According to Amazon's website, removal orders can take 90 days or more to process before leaving a fulfillment center, plus another two weeks for delivery. We're still waiting on the rest of the inventory, and we haven't fully escaped fees. There's a removal fee, which is charged per unit and based on the unit's shipping weight, that we expect to show up on our next statement. Plus, the 30 or so paddles that we left in Amazon's warehouse will trigger storage fees. We don't want to abandon Amazon entirely; we just don't have the time and resources to dedicate to figuring out that sales channel. For now, we're shifting our focus to Shopify, in-person events, and wholesale partnerships. If we hit another sales dry spell, at least we won't be paying hundreds of dollars a month just to store our own product. We're not discouraged. It's just one more lesson in our crash course in e-commerce, but it's a big one: Understand the fees. On Amazon, unsold product isn't harmless. It's expensive. Read the original article on Business Insider

Australian police probe threatening letter to country’s largest mosque ahead of Ramazan
WorldThe IndependentDawn4d ago2 sources

Australian police probe threatening letter to country’s largest mosque ahead of Ramazan

Australian police said on Thursday they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country’s largest mosque, the third such incident in the lead-up to Ramazan. The letter sent to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west on Wednesday contained a drawing of a pig and a threat to kill the “Muslim race”, local media reported. Police said they had taken the letter for forensic testing and would continue to patrol religious sites, including the mosque, as well as community events. The latest letter comes weeks after a similar message was mailed to the mosque, depicting Muslims inside a mosque on fire. Police have also arrested and charged a 70-year-old man in connection with a third threatening letter sent to Lakemba Mosque’s staff in January. The Lebanese Muslim Association, which runs the mosque, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) it had written to the government to request more funding for additional security guards and CCTV cameras. Some 5,000 people are expected to attend the mosque each night during Ramazan. More than 60 per cent of residents in the suburb of Lakemba identify as Muslim, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Bilal El-Hayek, mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown council, where Lakemba is located, said the community was feeling “very anxious”. “I’ve heard first-hand from people saying that they won’t be sending their kids to practice this Ramazan because they’re very concerned about things that might happen in local mosques,” he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the recent string of threats. “It is outrageous that people just going about commemorating their faith, particularly during the holy month for Muslims of Ramazan, are subject to this sort of intimidation,” he told ABC radio. “I have said repeatedly we need to turn down the temperature of political discourse in this country, and we certainly need to do that,” he said. Anti-Muslim sentiment has been growing in Australia since the beginning of Israeli onslaught in Gaza in late 2023, according to a recent report commissioned by the government. The Islamophobia Register Australia has also documented a 740pc rise in reports following the Bondi mass shooting on December 14, where authorities allege two gunmen inspired by the militant Islamic State killed 15 people attending a Jewish holiday celebration. “There’s been a massive increase post-Bondi,” Mayor El-Hayek said. “Without a doubt, this is the worst I have ever seen it. There’s a lot of tension out there.”

LeBron James breaks silence after Savannah James backlash
CultureTimes of India5d ago

LeBron James breaks silence after Savannah James backlash

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah James, have been together since they were only 16 year olds. While their marriage has inspired billions around the world, some of Savannah James' recent comments have sparked outrage. Amid this, LeBron James has shared a few words on how a marriage and a relationship should be treated and the impact it has on one's life.

Tourism workshop in Prague on Sardinia, 'island of wonders'
CultureANSA6d ago

Tourism workshop in Prague on Sardinia, 'island of wonders'

(ANSA) - ROMA, 17 FEB - In Prague, the fourth European tourism workshop, which ends today, was dedicated to the island of wonders, Sardinia, with a focus on Grazia Deledda. For two days, in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and with the support of the Italian Embassy in Prague, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the focus was on promoting tourism on the island. Twenty-five Sardinian operators participated in B2B sessions with around thirty industry representatives from Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Sweden. The discussion focused on sustainable, multi-theme travel with new seasons. Particular attention was paid to the need to offer international users alternatives to mass tourism, through themed trips linked to wellness, sport, culture, food and wine, and popular traditions. This objective is also facilitated by direct connections between Prague and the airports of Cagliari and Olbia. Furthermore, on the centenary of Grazia Deledda's Nobel Prize, the European workshop combined the business aspect with a cultural event dedicated to the writer from Nuoro, the first and only Italian woman to have won the Swedish Academy's highest literary award, with a themed evening held in the Boccaccio theater of the Grand Hotel Bohemia, where Italian chef Riccardo Lucque presented food and wine delicacies inspired by Deledda's work. The event, opened by a greeting from Italian Ambassador Alessandro Gaudiano, featured a speech by Neria De Giovanni, essayist and literary critic, who spoke about the life and work of the author, of whom she is one of the world's leading experts. Among the tributes of the evening were the presentation of the Czech and English translations of Marianna Sirca's monologue from 'Donne di Grazia' (Women of Grace), a short theatrical tribute by the famous Czech actress Lenka Termerova, and the performance of several pieces for transverse flute by Elisa Ceravola, who also accompanied the screening of a silent film on Deledda's itineraries made available by the Società Umanitaria di Cagliari. Read article...

English Football Club Updates
SportBBCThe Guardiantimes-uk+3The IndependentYahooAhram Online6d ago6 sources

English Football Club Updates

This cluster includes news from Guernsey FC, Preston North End's draw against Watford, Stoke City's manager defending his goalkeeper, and West Ham's Crysencio Summerville finding opportunity.

Curry fishball toys a hit as Hong Kong nostalgia shines at Lunar New Year fair
CultureSCMP6d ago

Curry fishball toys a hit as Hong Kong nostalgia shines at Lunar New Year fair

Curry fishball plushies, novelty minibus signs and products inspired by Hong Kong iconography emerged as bestsellers at the city’s biggest Lunar New Year fair, with one vendor saying he made more than HK$100,000 (US$12,790) in daily sales. From first-time sellers to charities, vendors were busy attracting customers with their locally designed merchandise on Wednesday as tens of thousands of festivalgoers lined the booths at Victoria Park’s Lunar New Year Fair. Among the busiest stalls was Lo...

Art as advocacy: Philippine mural contest adds to South China Sea messaging push
PoliticsSCMP3h ago

Art as advocacy: Philippine mural contest adds to South China Sea messaging push

A nationwide mural contest backed by Philippine government agencies has been launched in Manila, the latest in a string of cultural initiatives aimed at shaping public narratives around the South China Sea dispute. Organised by a Manila-based maritime think tank and supported by state institutions including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the competition invites artists, students and ordinary Filipinos to create large-scale works inspired by the “West Philippine Sea” – Manil...

Guessand strikes late as Palace grab crucial victory over 10-man Wolves
SportThe GuardianThe IndependentYahoo19h ago2 sources

Guessand strikes late as Palace grab crucial victory over 10-man Wolves

“Opportunities missed. Board inept. Fans disrespected. Glasner finished,” read the banner unfurled by the Crystal Palace supporters behind Dean Henderson’s goal after barely 30 seconds of their meeting with bottom side Wolves. If it was meant to inspire a first league victory here since 1 November then it somehow had the desired effect. Having huffed and puffed against a side playing with 10 men for half an hour after Ladislav Krejci was shown a second yellow card for stupidly kicking the bal...

BJP protests nationwide in response to Congress' 'topless' AI Summit protest
PoliticsNYTTimes of India2d ago2 sources

BJP protests nationwide in response to Congress' 'topless' AI Summit protest

BJP staged nationwide protests after Indian Youth Congress workers disrupted the India AI Impact Summit, displaying slogans against PM Modi. Four IYC leaders were arrested. BJP workers also showed black flags to Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai, accusing the Congress of an 'anti-national' act and demanding an apology for the 'shameful' summit disruption.

Temples tell us about their “Kylie Minogue meets Daft Punk” return on ‘Jet Stream Heart’ and euphoric new album ‘Bliss’
Culturenme2d ago

Temples tell us about their “Kylie Minogue meets Daft Punk” return on ‘Jet Stream Heart’ and euphoric new album ‘Bliss’

"This is our most forward-thinking record yet. No one can pigeon-hole us and say we’re a garage rock band or a psych band," frontman James Bagshaw told NME of their new album, inspired by '90s and early '00s dance music The post Temples tell us about their “Kylie Minogue meets Daft Punk” return on ‘Jet Stream Heart’ and euphoric new album ‘Bliss’ appeared first on NME.

An-Li Bogan Joins Emily Deschanel in Criminal Profiler Pilot at NBC
Culturevarietydeadline3d ago2 sources

An-Li Bogan Joins Emily Deschanel in Criminal Profiler Pilot at NBC

An-Li Bogan has been cast in the untitled NBC drama pilot from Dean Georgaris and John Fox, Variety has learned. Bogan will star alongside previously announced lead Emily Deschanel in the pilot, which is inspired by the real-life work of internationally renowned expert profiler and author Dr. Ann Burgess. The logline for the pilot states, […]

I've traveled to all 20 regions in Italy. The whole country has great food, but one region is a step above the rest.
CultureBusiness Insider4d ago

I've traveled to all 20 regions in Italy. The whole country has great food, but one region is a step above the rest.

captiontk modena Kaitlyn Rosati I've spent a lot of time in Italy, and my favorite region for food is Emilia-Romagna. This part of the country is home to Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mortadella, and balsamic vinegar of Modena. I especially love eating truffles and tortellini whenever I visit. It's no secret that Italy has some of the world's best food. However, after visiting all 20 regions, I've learned that the country isn't one-size-fits-all when it comes to dining in la dolce vita. Each region has niche dishes and products that locals wear like a badge of honor, like mozzarella di bufala from Campania, pesto alla Genovese from Liguria, and arancini from Sicily. Although I would gladly choose to eat anywhere in Italy over any city in the US, Emilia-Romagna gets the gold for the best cuisine in the country. The region is home to delicious foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano This region is home to Parmigiano-Reggiano, among other exports. Kaitlyn Rosati From Parmigiano-Reggiano and balsamic vinegar of Modena to Prosciutto di Parma and mortadella from Bologna, Emilia-Romagna is home to some of Italy's most beloved exports. These are just a few of the products that are PDO and PGI-certified. This is a high standard in the world of food that signals an official link between a product and a region. Emilia-Romagna has 44 PDO and PGI products in total — more than any other Italian region. You'll also find some of the country's most famous restaurants here, like Osteria Francescana and Al Gatto Verde in Modena, and Trattoria da Amerigo in Savigno. Beyond the accolades and fancy titles, though, I believe that what makes Emilia-Romagna's cuisine a standout is simply the care and attention put into the food I've had here. After visiting the region at least twice a year for the past six years, I have yet to have even a subpar meal. You can get a taste of all the best parts of Italy, from cheese to truffles, in this one region In Savigno, you can hunt for truffles with the help of trained dogs. Kaitlyn Rosati In Italy, some regions just do certain products better. For example, Tuscany is famous for its red wine; meanwhile, many head to Piedmont for truffles, and Campania's tomatoes are top-notch. However, Emilia-Romagna really has a city or town for everything you could ever want on your plate. Savigno has a sign when entering that says "Cittá del Tartufo," which quite literally translates to "City of Truffles." A visit to Appennino Food Group, a food production group explicitly known for its truffle exports, is a great way to plan an afternoon of truffle hunting with trained pups. The company was founded by Luigi Dattilo, who, at 17, refused his father's offer of a car and asked for a truffle dog instead. As for tomatoes, Mutti, the famed canned tomato brand, has its headquarters in Parma. Plus, if you're looking to enjoy Parmigiano-Reggiano in its rightful birthplace, the only place in the world you can do just that is in Emilia-Romagna. Tortellini has some roots here, too. There was a long-standing debate between Modena and Bologna about who made tortellini first. However, a popular legend holds that tortellini originated in Castelfranco Emilia, a small town between the two hubs. Some Italians theorize that tortellini's shape was inspired by Venus's belly button after she spent a night at an inn in town. After years of visiting, I have some favorite spots in the region Tortellini in crema di Parmigiano at Franceschetta58 in Modena. Kaitlyn Rosati As someone who constantly craves a taste of Emilia-Romagna — and who spends a lot of time in Italy — I'm in the region often. I love trying new places, but I have a few favorite spots. One is Franceschetta58 in Modena, known for its decadent tortellini en Parmigiana crema dish (where, yes, I do lick the plate clean every single time). For something more traditional, I prefer Sfoglia Rina in Bologna for tortellini en brodo. In Parma, Salumeria Garibaldi is an ideal spot for a sip of Lambrusco, the region's most famed wine, paired with bites of prosciutto and mostarda. Meanwhile, an hour and a half away in Ferrara, check out Al Brindisi, a historic wine bar dating back to 1435, making it the world's oldest. Despite its prominent history, Al Brindisi has an unfussy feel, still preserving its medieval charm in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Pro tip: Order the cappellacci di zucca, or pumpkin-stuffed pasta, a staple of Ferrarese cuisine. Read the original article on Business Insider

Bloody brilliant or toothless? Cynthia Erivo’s Dracula – reviews roundup
CultureBBCThe Guardiantimes-uk5d ago3 sources

Bloody brilliant or toothless? Cynthia Erivo’s Dracula – reviews roundup

The Wicked star plays all 23 characters in a hi-tech London staging of Bram Stoker’s novel by Kip Williams. Here’s a bite-sized look at the critics’ verdicts Dracula, the Ur-vampire and ultimate outsider of the literary canon, is played by Cynthia Erivo, along with every other character, in this deliciously wicked tale of the blood-sucking count. Except it’s not deliciously wicked in adapter-director Kip Williams’ stage reinvention. Williams has proven himself a Midas-touched spinner of old stories to new. His one-woman version of The Picture of Dorian Gray was deliriously original. His take on Jean Genet’s The Maids was punk inspired. What has happened here? Arifa Akbar, the Guardian As in the Australian director’s hit adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray (immaculately interpreted by the Succession star Sarah Snook), the stage is sometimes so crowded with camera operators and stage crew that it’s not always easy to see Erivo. The shallow rake in the stalls makes this theatre a less than ideal setting for Marg Horwell’s handsome scenic design: I spent at least half the evening watching the action on the large screen hanging overhead. Yet it becomes a hallucinatory experience all the same. Erivo dons wigs and skirts and recalibrates her voice to play Harker’s fiancee Mina and her friend Lucy; then spectacles to play psychiatrist Dr Seward and comic Saruman tresses for a guttural Van Helsing. It’s to her credit, and Williams’, that one sometimes loses track of which character is being broadcast live and which is recorded. The integration is mostly seamless. Personifications of Irish and American characters are knowingly ridiculous, but Dracula always had a vein of camp. It’s refreshing to see Erivo get to own her queerness on stage, licking her lips lasciviously as a lace-decked Lucy who’s in sexual thrall to an androgynous Dracula – or strutting confidently in a masculine vest with silver chains (a welcome escape from her feminine get-ups in Wicked). She unleashes her ethereal voice to haunting, vulpine effect in the final scenes, where she finally gets to embody Dracula’s power on a bare stage, unobscured by tech and crowds. The multi-faceted approach speaks to the way that Stoker cut between first-person perspectives using a document-sharing and epistolary form. Equally, Williams’ boundary-breaking artistic toolkit brings out the thematic heart of the matter; it emphasises the way in which the predatory count stokes fears but also embodies deep-rooted desires. Erivo seems ill at ease with the material. There’s a hesitancy about her performance, as if she were wrong-footed by the technology that surrounds her. A scattering of arch, self-conscious moments and sly humour are part of the deal in Williams’ interpretation, but nothing feels truly felt and, as she switches between characters, the individual voices are not always properly differentiated. The overall effect is slightly ramshackle, sluggish and, in the end, frustratingly short on dash and drama. Erivo’s range is remarkable – alternately placid, pert, prowling and predatory. A Tony award-winning star of musical theatre in The Color Purple, she despatches one melancholy torch song by Clemence Williams with wistful nonchalance. Otherwise, her athletic efforts are magnified by a filmic soundtrack encompassing Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Chopin, Björk and even a bit of electro-trance music. For truly this is a mind-bogglingly complex show, which goes beyond the kitchen sink in its attempts to create an audio-visual hallucination. The effects, with Craig Wilkinson as video designer, are impressive: a vampire flying by, Dracula crawling down the wall. The camera operators, wig providers, stage managers and props assistants are all assiduous and wonderfully efficient. Marg Horwell’s design is effectively flexible, Nick Schlieper’s lighting and the sound design by Jessica Dunn suitably dramatic, though Clemence Williams’ score becomes increasingly over-emphatic. Despite stumbling over the odd line, Erivo is charismatic, game, and essentially does her best as a cog in Williams’ elaborate machine. But if you agree to tie your big comeback to a very specific directorial vision, there’s not much even a superstar actor can do if that vision is faulty. Continue reading...

Lazio present project to renovate Rome's Stadio Flaminio
SportANSA6d ago

Lazio present project to renovate Rome's Stadio Flaminio

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 17 - Lazio on Tuesday presented their project to renovate Rome's Stadio Flaminio and make it the new home of the Serie A club. The complex has fallen into a state of neglect after the Italian national rugby team stopped using it for its Six Nations games following the 2011 tournament and moved to the larger Stadio Olimpico. "Today we're not simply presenting a building project, we're presenting a vision," said Lazio Chairman Claudio Lotito. "What we do today will impact future generations. "The redevelopment of the Stadio Flaminio isn't just about Lazio, it's about Rome, its urban history, and its ability to look to the future with responsibility". The club currently plays its home games at the Stadio Olimpico, which is owned by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). AS Roma, who play at the Olimpico too, plan to build a totally new stadium in the Pietralata area of the capital. Lotito said Lazio have already presented a formal expression of interest in the renovated Stadio Flaminio hosting matches at Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host with Turkey. "It is an act of responsibility and vision to put Rome and the Stadio Flaminio in a position to participate in a major international event, should the technical and institutional requirements allow it," Lotito said. "We are aware that the venue selection process will be competitive and that our city is expected to field multiple candidates. "For this very reason, we want to address this issue methodically, transparently, and with planning. "The Stadio Flaminio was created for the 1960 Olympics. "Today, it can aspire, with balance and seriousness, to return to the circuit of major European events". Most of Lazio's season-ticket holders did not attend the club's last two home matches in protect at Lotito's running of the club and his failure to build a team capable of competing for the Serie A title or international trophies. They are currently ninth in the league table, 28 points behind leaders Inter. (ANSA). Read article...

My rookie era: I attempted only the easiest Australian Women’s Weekly birthday cakes. Then came the duck cake
CultureThe Guardian6d ago

My rookie era: I attempted only the easiest Australian Women’s Weekly birthday cakes. Then came the duck cake

When I shared my attempt online, my duck cake was described as ‘Big Bird on crack’ Read more summer essentials I assume no parent aspires to give their offspring an unmemorable and vanilla childhood. I wanted to be a fun mum, creating love-soaked memories and quirky family traditions for my children right from the get-go. I wanted to be Bluey’s parents before Bluey even existed. The Australian Women’s Weekly birthday cakes were destined to be a pillar of my perfectly imperfect parenting rituals. One child quickly became three, and that iconic recipe book was in constant rotation. In the early years, I would simply choose a cake that matched my very basic baking skills. I also only owned a round tin, so my kids’ early cakes were circle-shaped, or circle-adjacent: the swimming pool (a round cake filled with jelly), the cat (a round cake with ears) and the race track (two round cakes with the centres removed). Continue reading...

Blind Couple Shares Story of Love and Inspiration
CultureBBC7d ago

Blind Couple Shares Story of Love and Inspiration

Malcolm and Sarah, a visually impaired couple from Scarborough, are sharing their story to inspire other blind individuals, emphasizing that sight loss is not a barrier to love. Their journey highlights resilience and connection.

Winter Olympics 2026: Daily Highlights and Key Moments
SportAPBBCNYT+8The GuardianFox NewsDWNHK WorldThe IndependentYahooKorea Heraldenews7d ago11 sources

Winter Olympics 2026: Daily Highlights and Key Moments

The Winter Olympics continue to deliver drama with multiple gold medal wins, notable upsets, and off-field incidents, including a robbery attempt involving Jonathan Owens and a curling dispute.

House Burns Down in Risør, Norway
Worldnrk21h ago

House Burns Down in Risør, Norway

A detached house in Spirekleiv, Risør, Norway, was completely destroyed by fire on Thursday evening, with emergency services responding to the incident.

Merkel and CDU Challenge Merz's Leadership
Politicsluxemburger-wort22h ago

Merkel and CDU Challenge Merz's Leadership

At a party conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel attempted to inspire her party and the republic with a rousing speech, failing in her immediate goal but being rewarded with a record election result.

Quiz on Lies, Deception, and Affairs
Culturejutarnji-list22h ago

Quiz on Lies, Deception, and Affairs

A quiz on lies, deception, and affairs was presented on the anniversary of the death of a German whose stories inspired one of the most famous fictional liars.

Finnish Singer Kaija Koo's Early Career Often Overlooked
Culturehelsingin-sanomat22h ago

Finnish Singer Kaija Koo's Early Career Often Overlooked

A column highlights that discussions about Finnish singer Kaija Koo frequently overlook her beginnings in 1979 with a band founded by Esko Toivonen, which aimed to create original music inspired by North American disco and funk.

The rail ahead: as high-speed lines saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?
BusinessSCMP2d ago

The rail ahead: as high-speed lines saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their...

SPIRE Academy (Ohio) announces landmark $6M jersey patch sponsorship
SportYahoo3d ago

SPIRE Academy (Ohio) announces landmark $6M jersey patch sponsorship

SPIRE Academy (Ohio) is set to announce a landmark $6 million sponsorship with Vensure HR on Thursday that will see its boys basketball team sport a commercial patch on their jerseys. According to Sportico, Vensure will pay SPIRE $6 million across five years, with $500,000 coming this year. In addition to having a jersey patch, […]

Terrorism spiral
WorldDawn3d ago

Terrorism spiral

WITH a spate of terrorist attacks occurring in the country, a national-level response is required to address the issue. The latest atrocity has occurred in Bajaur, where a suicide bomber reportedly belonging to the banned TTP attacked a checkpost in Bajaur on Monday. At least 12 people were martyred in the incident — 11 security personnel and one minor girl. Meanwhile, on the same day, a motorcycle rigged with explosives was blown up outside a police station in Bannu, causing two fatalities. Furthermore, law enforcers said on Wednesday that terrorists attacked a police station and a customs office in Dera Ismail Khan, martyring a policeman and a customs officer. They added that the terrorists also fired at passenger buses in the area. Several acts of deadly violence have occurred in this area over the past few weeks. Following the Bajaur attack, the prime minister commented that “under the vision of Azm-i-Istehkam, security forces are gaining major success in the fight against terrorism”. While that may be so, Pakistan continues to pay a high price as it loses security personnel and civilians in frequent terrorist attacks. For example, apart from the latest violence in KP, an imambargah in Islamabad was attacked earlier this month causing major casualties, while only days before the atrocity in the capital terrorists had launched coordinated attacks in Balochistan. Unless the state takes a fresh approach towards terrorism, we may see the same high levels of violence in the current year as we did in 2025. Last year was said to be the bloodiest in over a decade. The threats may be varied — separatist terrorists in Balochistan, religiously inspired elements in KP — but the response must ensure that all violent elements are neutralised, and the state is able to establish peace in the disturbed areas. There has been some welcome recent cooperation between the KP government — which remains the hardest hit province — and the centre in the field of counterterrorism; such efforts must be intensified. A whole-of-nation approach is needed, applying kinetic measures where required, conducting intel-based operations as well as sociopolitical interventions as needed, to defeat terrorism. The federal and provincial governments, lawmakers and the security apparatus, along with CT experts, must put their heads together to arrive at a solution that can bring lasting peace to Pakistan. Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2026

Look inside Vizcaya, Miami's 45,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion that now counts Ken Griffin as a neighbor
CultureBusiness Insider4d ago

Look inside Vizcaya, Miami's 45,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion that now counts Ken Griffin as a neighbor

James Deering's 1916 winter home is located less than 10 minutes away from the heart of Miami. Robin Hill/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museums and Gardens Vizcaya, built by James Deering more than a century ago, might be Miami's most valuable real estate. The 45,000-square-foot mansion has a total of 54 rooms, with the main house open to the public. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin began assembling a waterfront compound next to the historic mansion in 2022. The exorbitant price tags on Miami's luxury real estate are not a secret to anyone, least of all the flock of billionaires moving to the city. But unlike the high-rise apartments in the financial center of Brickell or exclusive mansions in Indian Creek — where you might be neighbors with Jeff Bezos or Ivanka Trump — the city's potentially most valuable piece of real estate is decorated with limestone, mangroves, and tiles salvaged from Cuban estates. Built between 1914 and 1922 by International Harvester heir and Gilded Age millionaire James Deering as a winter home, Villa Vizcaya sits fewer than 10 minutes from downtown Miami, in a waterfront neighborhood that's quickly becoming a magnet for the city's new billionaire residents. While built in the years following the Gilded Age, it is notable for its Gilded Age-era extravagance, technologies, and collection of fine art. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens estimates the mansion cost $26 million to build, which is more than $800 million in today's money, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Florida International University estimates that the mansion is worth over $1 billion today. In 1962, Miami-Dade County bought the property for $1 million, and today, the 45,000-square-foot mansion and its surrounding gardens operate as a museum open to the public. Shortly after announcing that Citadel would move its headquarters from Chicago to Miami, CEO Ken Griffin bought up a waterfront compound less than a half-mile from Vizcaya, in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove. The $106.9 million sale set a country record for the most expensive residential property purchase at the time. Since then, the hedge fund magnate has proposed relocating the historic Villa Serena mansion, located on his estate, to Vizcaya's campus after he donated $20 million to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Take a look inside James Deering's historic mansion and see how its new neighbor could alter the surrounding landscape. Vizcaya was James Deering's winter home from 1916 until his death in 1925. Robin Hill Photography/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum & Gardens Struggling with illness toward the end of his life, James Deering came to Miami, then a small city surrounded by mangrove forests and wetlands, looking for tropical warmth, which was believed to help improve health. By the turn of the century, the Deering family had begun to develop estates around South Florida, with patriarch William Deering purchasing a home in Coconut Grove in 1900. By the time James Deering began building Vizcaya, his brother, Charles Deering, was also developing a winter home in the south of Miami. The property, known today as Deering Estate, also operates as a museum and is open to the public. The main house features 54 rooms, including 34 rooms decorated with their original furniture. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Spanning over 45,225 square feet, Vizcaya's main house features the living spaces of James Deering himself, his guests, and the house staff. Envisioned by interior designer Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya drew inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, adapted to South Florida's subtropical climate, and showcases furniture, artworks, and artifacts purchased by Chalfin and Deering on their travels to Europe. Although Miami's population was estimated to be only 10,000 in 1916, the construction of the Vizcaya estate employed an estimated 1,000 workers, many of whom were Black immigrants from the Bahamas. Apart from the main house, Vizcaya is also home to the Vizcaya Village, the historic quarters of the mansion's workers and farmers that allowed Vizcaya to serve as a self-sufficient farm-to-table estate. The Village expands over 12 acres and includes 11 "architecturally significant" buildings, according to the museum's website. The tour begins in the courtyard, which is adorned with tropical plants. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Lined with tropical plants such as palms and philodendrons, the courtyard highlights South Florida's natural beauty while reflecting the mansion's European inspirations. While today the courtyard is covered by a glass canopy that allows for the estate's air conditioning, it was originally open to the elements, allowing the tropical climate to seep into the main house. Meant to be used as Vizcaya's main entrance, the East Loggia opens up to the Biscayne Bay. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Featuring marble floors and columns and decorated ceilings, the East Loggia was meant to serve as Vizcaya's main entrance for guests arriving by sea, which was Deering's intended — and preferred — way of entering the mansion. It was used as an entrance for guests who arrived by boat, while the current main entrance of the museum was used as a back entrance for guests arriving by car. The room also features a model boat hanging from its ceiling in honor of the explorers who inspired Deering's interpretation of Vizcaya. Although he began living in Vizcaya during his retirement, Deering included multiple working spaces in the property. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider James Deering was heir to the International Harvester manufacturing firm, which produced tractors and other agricultural machinery, and he worked as its vice president from 1902 until 1909. Deering might have been one of the first prominent Florida "snowbirds," retirees who travel South during the colder months. His downstairs library, located in the northwest corner of the main house, is steps from the entrance hall that welcomes guests. It features Deering's personal book collection, desks for him and a secretary, and seats for business guests. When closed, the door leading to the next room — a reception room meant for entertaining guests — is concealed within the book-lined walls. The reception room features a ceiling imported from Venice, which had to be resized to fit. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider The reception room is lined with tropical-inspired silk panels showing palm trees. Our tour guide brought our attention to the ceiling, which is decorated with sculpted panels that extend to the sides of the room. The ceiling was imported from Venice and purchased before construction on the property was finished. By the time workers were putting up the decorations in the mansion, they realized that the ceiling panel did not fit the room dimensions, leading to the restructuring of the panel, which curved into the walls. "We should remember that this house was built during the First World War," curator Flaminia Gennari said in the audio tour. "So to import large quantities from Italy in the middle of the war was very complicated." Vizcaya's telephone line was one of the first in Miami. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Wired throughout the house, Vizcaya features a highly innovative telephone system for the time. Only 17 years before the start of Vizcaya's construction, the Miami Telephone Company began providing telephone service to the city. Vizcaya's telephones also featured automatic electric exchange, allowing users to connect directly to the number they dialed without going through a human operator. The telephone room, located between two of Vizcaya's main entertainment rooms, was meant for guests to communicate privately without disturbing the flow of the entertainment. The living room showcased Deering's most impressive collections. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider The living room, with its 1600s limestone fireplace, features some of Vizcaya's most impressive items, including an "admiral carpet" originally commissioned in the 1450s by the grandfather of King Ferdinand II of Spain, the Spanish king who sponsored Christopher Columbus' exploration of the Americas. The room also features throne-like armchairs where US President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II sat in 1987 during the Pope's visit to America. A centerpiece of the room is the Welte Philharmonic Organ, designed to fill the house with music through elaborate sound systems. Designed for guests rather than full-time professional players, the organ uses perforated paper rolls to aid the musicians' performance by adjusting notes and volume. Concealing the organ pipes is an oil painting, which was cut in half to cover wooden doors. "Chalfin had the idea of cutting it in half and using it as the doors of the organs, which is not a very respectful thing to do for a representation of the Virgin Mary, the child, and the saints, but it somehow testifies to the freedom and positive carelessness that they had around old objects," Gennari said in the audio tour. The mansion's formal dining room features the house's oldest artifacts, although it was rarely used. Robin Hill Photography/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum & Gardens While Deering himself didn't often eat in the formal dining room, he made sure it was impressively decorated for his guests. Sitting to the side is the room's most awe-inspiring feature: a marble tabletop on carved bases resembling mythical creatures, historical artifacts unearthed near Pompeii, dating back to the times before Mount Vesuvius' eruption. Next to the dining room, on the south side of the mansion, the enclosed loggia gave guests a view of the gardens. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider The colorful glass panels, designed for Vizcaya, feature the estate's main symbols: the seahorse and the caravan. Providing a view of the garden through the glass panels and double doors, the enclosed loggia allowed guests to take in the garden views while staying cool from the Florida sun. The loggia also connects the gardens to the main house through sculpted iron gates. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Aside from giving guests an inside view of the gardens from the ground level, the room also connects the outdoors to the rest of the mansion. Downstairs, the kitchen worked as a serving space for staff to plate food and bring it to guests. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider When designing Vizcaya, Deering asked for the main kitchen to be built upstairs as he didn't want the smell of food to flood the main entertaining rooms on the first floor. To facilitate the transportation of meals and the serving of guests to the dining room, the entertaining rooms, and the loggia, he built a downstairs serving pantry. Today, the serving pantry cabinets display one set of Deering's fine dining china, the one designated for his 80-foot-long luxury yacht, Nepenthe. Commissioned in 1912 to be shipped from Europe, the original set of china purchased by Deering was transported to America as cargo aboard the Titanic. After the ship sank, a replacement set was ordered and is now displayed. The kitchens feature state-of-the-art Gilded Age technology. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Throughout the house, Deering incorporated cutting-edge technology, including annunciators with bells connected throughout the house that Deering or guests could ring at any time to get the house staff's attention. Another then-advanced feature of the serving kitchen were its refrigerators, which were rare at the time. The kitchen also featured a warming oven that helped keep food warm while guests were served. Connecting to the upstairs kitchen, which serves as the house's main cooking area, was a dumbwaiter: a food elevator meant to carry the food cooked upstairs to the downstairs plating area, where staff would then take it to the main entertaining rooms, like the dining and sitting rooms. Upstairs, 24 rooms housed guests, staff, and Deering himself. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Nine of the bedrooms were dedicated to guests and each was given a name and decorated uniquely, showcasing the artifacts and furniture purchased by Deering and Chalfin on trips to Europe. While not open to the public, an additional 14 rooms housed staff. Another then-advanced technological feature of Vizcaya was its elevator. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Deering was motivated to move to South Florida because of his illness, so accessibility features were built throughout the house, including an elevator he would use when using a wheelchair or to avoid walking upstairs. Today, the elevator isn't open to the public, and the museum's second floor is not wheelchair accessible. Deering's main office was inspired by the Napoleonic era. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Connected to Deering's bedroom and bathroom, the sitting room was his office where he would tend to business and personal matters, such as sorting his mail. The decoration style was inspired by Napoleonic France. Deering's bedroom was modest compared to some of his guest bedrooms. Robin Hill/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Unmarried all his life, Deering's room features a single bed rather than a larger size, and his room is furnished for practicality rather than aesthetics. His personal bathroom has one of the most breathtaking views of the property. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Opening onto a balcony, Deering's bathroom overlooks Biscayne Bay and offers one of the best views of the house, although it is not accessible to the public today. The closed-off balcony also leads to a secret door to the Espagnolette, the guest bedroom located next to his, usually reserved for Deering's dearest guests. Spiral staircases lead to the South tower. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider A set of spiral staircases leads up to the South tower, one of the two guest suites overlooking the estate. The tower bedroom has views of the bay and the gardens. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider The corner room atop the North tower was designed to transport guests to Europe. "Water reflects upwards to the ceiling and the sound of waves is audible in this room, precisely as upon the quay of this great canal of Venice," noted Chalfin about the room, according to the mansion's website. A central piece in the room is a large wardrobe assembled with 1700s Venetian panels, as well as antique painted closet doors. The breakfast room was Deering's preferred dining space. Robin Hill Photography/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum & Gardens Back on the second floor, the breakfast room was the central entertaining spot. The room is lined with oil paintings depicting ocean scenes, and the windows slide into pocket doors, revealing views of the garden. It also features a sound system, with a piano hidden in a room off the spiral staircase next door and connected to the breakfast room through floor vents that allow sound to travel into the space. Most of the time, Deering opted to dine in this room rather than the formal dining space. Tucked next to the breakfast room is the main kitchen. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Designed to maximize staff efficiency, the main kitchen upstairs has different areas for different tasks, including separate sinks for washing dishes and produce. It also features ice boxes, or refrigerators of the time, powered by salt water. During Deering's time at the estate, Vizcaya employed two French chefs dedicated to food and pastries. Food served at the mansion was sourced from the staff village built across the street, where a farm provided vegetables, dairy, chicken, herbs, and citrus. "You and I could come down and drive into the farm area, stop and buy a dozen Deering eggs and take them home and have them for breakfast, and I think that was probably particularly important during World War I," historian Arva Moore Parks said in the audio tour. "He was able to supply not only himself but his workers also." Inspired by European designs, the gardens feature mazes, terraces, fountains, and more. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Inspired by 17th- and 18th-century Italian and French villas, the Vizcaya gardens feature a variety of scenes, from a garden theater to multiple paths and mazes, intended to highlight and enhance the native South Florida flora surrounding the estate. The original layout of Vizcaya featured over 180 acres of subtropical forests. Today, that number has gone down to 50 acres. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan hosted Pope John Paul II at the estate. Diana Walker/Getty Images On September 10, 1987, President Ronald Reagan welcomed Pope John Paul II at Vizcaya, where the two conversed while exploring the gardens and the estate. Atop a garden mount is the Casino, a focal point of the gardens. Robin Hill/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museums and Gardens Located at the top of garden mounds designed to block the reflection of water ponds into the main house, the garden casino — Italian for "little house" — was a space where Deering and his guests could take in the garden views or enjoy the subtropical weather without being in direct contact with the sun. Inside the building, a painted ceiling depicts heavenly images. Underneath, bathrooms and other now closed-off areas hide under decorated ceilings. Originally, the casino overlooked a water park part of the estate, where gondolas would be launched, a crucial part of Deering's vision for Vizcaya. Today, the water park no longer exists, and the land is instead taken up by a Catholic church, hospital, and schools after the Deering family sold part of the property to the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in 1946. The opposite side of the estate was once used for clandestine entertainment; now, it is a café. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider While today a café sits underneath the mansion, the space served as a leisure center during Deering's stay. The rooms were filled with billiard tables, bowling alleys, and leather chairs. Hidden underneath the billiards table was also a roulette table, which Deering often used when his college friends visited the estate. The mansion, which opened at the peak of the Prohibition era, also had a decent supply of liquor, which Deering smuggled into the estate and hid in secret bars and cellars. The swimming pool is half-covered, providing relief from South Florida's relentless sun. Robin Hill/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Tucked next to the leisure rooms underneath the main house is the half-indoor swimming pool, in which Deering is said to have only swum once. Designed as the main entry point to the mansion, the east side of the mansion opens up to a stone barge in the Biscayne Bay. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider When he first moved into his winter home in December 1916, Deering arrived by sea on what he intended was the front entrance to Vizcaya. Opening up to the Biscayne Bay, the waterfront side of the property features a stone barge, a sculpted structure that acts as a breakwater and protects the main house from changing tides and waves. Today, the mansion hosts private events and has become a local staple for Quinceañera pictures. The mansion is often used for private events. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Purchased from the Deering family by Miami-Dade County for $1 million in 1962, Vizcaya today operates as a museum open to the public and for private reservations. The estate often serves as the backdrop for Quinceañera pictures among Miami's large Hispanic population. Walking around the gardens, I saw multiple young women dressed in extravagant gowns posing in the many stunning locations of the estate. Along with being a photographic hot spot, Vizcaya also hosts private events, from Miami Swim Week runway shows to floral-decorated weddings in the gardens. Today, the estate remains an icon of Miami, a city that many would often relate to modern luxury rather than the old and classic wealth on display in Gilded Age-style mansions like Vizcaya. The Vizcaya Village could be the future home of Ken Griffin's Villa Serena. Robin Hil Photography/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens After purchasing the historic Villa Serena estate in Coconut Grove in 2022, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin proposed relocating the 1913 Mediterranean Revival mansion to Vizcaya's Village campus. The home, designed by architect August Geiger for William Jennings Bryan, a three-time Democratic presidential candidate and former US secretary of state, is considered one of Miami's earliest grand waterfront residences. The proposal would move the century-old home from Griffin's property to Vizcaya's Village grounds, where it would be open to the public for the first time in its history and would benefit from an additional $5 million endowment provided by Griffin for its preservation. Any relocation would require extensive planning and government approvals, which have not yet been cleared. Skeptics have said that moving the structure would be an ambitious undertaking that wouldn't align with preservation goals. "Moving a historic structure is absolutely a last resort solution, to be done only if (there) is no other way possible to save a structure… It is not a preservation-minded alternative just because someone bought it and now doesn't want it," Kathleen Slesnick Kauffman, Miami's former historic preservation officer, told the Chicago Tribune in 2023. The Village originally served as Vizcaya's self-sufficient farm and the servants' quarters. Robin Hil Photography/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens The Vizcaya Village, which covers about 12 acres of agricultural fields and includes nearly a dozen buildings, was originally built as the quarters for the mansion's servants and farmers. Today, the campus houses a café and hosts a weekly farmers market, and is undergoing construction and expansions to transform the grounds into a cultural and community space. The Citadel CEO's $20 million donation will expand the village's role in the community. Robin Hil Photography/Courtesy of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens In November 2025, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens announced a $20 million capital donation from Griffin and said that the funds would be used toward building a brand new Center for Learning and Discovery in the village grounds. Once open, the center will offer educational programming like "hands-on artmaking and urban-agriculture experiences," the museum organization wrote in the announcement. The expansion will seek to expand Vizcaya's role in its community. Read the original article on Business Insider

Judge Orders ICE Not To Re-Detain Abrego Garcia
Politicszerohedge5d ago

Judge Orders ICE Not To Re-Detain Abrego Garcia

Judge Orders ICE Not To Re-Detain Abrego Garcia Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, A federal judge has blocked U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) from re-arresting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, one of the men at the center of the Trump administration’s deportation battles. The Salvadoran national’s case attracted attention across the country, including widespread protests, after the federal government detained him in March 2025 and shipped him to El Salvador’s maximum security prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center, along with an airplane full of other deportees. He was later returned to the United States, where he has had long-running legal battles with the administration. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return last year, ruled on Feb. 17 that he cannot be deported again because the federal government has not presented a feasible plan for removing him from the country. The judge said that despite releasing Abrego Garcia, the government appeared to be making plans to re-detain him, so Abrego Garcia filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent being re-detained. The court previously granted the requested order. In the new order, the court granted Abrego Garcia’s request to upgrade the temporary restraining order to an injunction to prevent him from being re-detained. Abrego Garcia, who entered the United States illegally more than a decade ago, had been living in Maryland when federal agents arrested him. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security takes the position that Abrego Garcia is a “violent criminal illegal alien, and MS-13 gang member,” who “belongs behind bars and off American soil.” Abrego Garcia, who is facing separate criminal charges, denies being a member of MS-13, which has been designated a terrorist organization. Xinis previously ordered his release on Dec. 11, 2025, finding that because the federal government had never issued a final order of removal against him, it could not detain him in order to force him from the country. The government said in a brief last month that Abrego Garcia may be detained because an immigration judge issued an order of removal on Dec. 11, 2025, that became final on Jan. 13 of this year. Detention after that order “does not require that the country of removal be certain in order for detention to be lawful,” the brief said. The judge suggested the federal government is not serious about removing Abrego Garcia from the United States. Since he secured release from criminal custody in August 2025, the government has “made one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success,” she said. The judge said that, given the federal government’s maneuvering in the case, it was doubtful that Abrego Garcia would be deported in the “reasonably foreseeable future,” so he may not be re-arrested or put into immigration detention. “Respondents have done nothing to show that Abrego Garcia’s continued detention in ICE custody is consistent with due process,” Xinis said. In April 2025, Xinis had ordered that Abrego Garcia be returned to the United States from the prison in El Salvador. The same month, the Supreme Court ordered that the federal government take steps to bring him back to the United States. The government of El Salvador cooperated, and Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States in June 2025. At the same time, Abrego Garcia is currently facing federal criminal charges in Tennessee related to the alleged unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens. He has entered not guilty pleas to the charges. The May 2025 indictment brought against Abrego Garcia alleges that he “conspired to bring undocumented aliens to the United States from countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, and elsewhere, ultimately passing through Mexico before crossing into Texas.” It alleges that Abrego Garcia and his co-conspirators obtained financial payments from the undocumented individuals for unlawfully transporting them into and around the United States. The indictment also alleges Abrego Garcia was “a member and associate of the transnational criminal organization ... [known as] MS-13,” which it describes as “a criminal enterprise engaged in ... acts and threats involving murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, firearms trafficking, alien smuggling, and money laundering.” Abrego Garcia “used his status in MS-13 to further his criminal activity” over the life of the criminal conspiracy during which he and co-conspirators “knowingly and unlawfully transported thousands of undocumented aliens ... many of whom were MS-13 members and associates,” according to the indictment. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have called the case “baseless.” “There’s no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,” attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. The Epoch Times reached out for comment to the U.S. Department of Justice, which represents federal agencies in court. No reply had been received as of publication time. Tyler Durden Tue, 02/17/2026 - 20:55

PSG fight back to beat Monaco in Champions League playoff
EnvironmentFrance 245d ago

PSG fight back to beat Monaco in Champions League playoff

Paris Saint-Germain rallied from two goals down to beat Monaco 3-2 on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off. Folarin Balogun struck twice early for Monaco, but Desire Doue inspired a PSG comeback at Stade Louis II to seize the advantage in the tie.

Women’s college basketball power rankings: South Carolina flexes its SEC dominance
SportYahoo6d ago

Women’s college basketball power rankings: South Carolina flexes its SEC dominance

It took until 2026 for ABC to air a women’s college basketball game in prime time on a Saturday. After the fireworks of No. 3 South Carolina versus No. 6 LSU, the network might want to dip into that well again. Even if you don’t believe the Gamecocks and Tigers played the game of the season (arguments can be made for Michigan versus Michigan State and Kansas versus Iowa State, among others), what transpired Saturday was inarguably the event of the women’s college basketball season. It was the ki

Olympic Slalom Drama and Winter Sports Highlights
SportAPBBCNYT+6The GuardianFox NewscnbcNHK WorldThe IndependentYahoo6d ago9 sources

Olympic Slalom Drama and Winter Sports Highlights

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath experienced an emotional meltdown after losing a gold medal in the Olympic slalom, while Switzerland's Loic Meillard secured the slalom gold. Meanwhile, predictions are out for the Czechia vs. Denmark men's Olympic hockey game.