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Sinéad O’Connor, gifted and provocative Irish singer, dies at 56

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

LONDON — Sinéad O’Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s but was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music, has died at 56.“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” the singer’s family said in a statement reported Wednesday by the BBC and RTE. No cause was disclosed. O’Connor had publicly struggled with mental health in recent years.Recognizable by her shaved head and elfin features, O’Connor began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame. She was a star from her 1987 debut album “The Lion and the Cobra” and became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a seething, shattering performance that topped charts from ...

Mayo Clinic Minute: What is Takayasu’s arteritis?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

Jason Howland | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)You’ve been feeling fatigued, lost a little weight, and had some muscle aches and pains, and your doctor can’t determine what’s wrong. What seem like symptoms of a common cold could actually be early signs of something called vasculitis, a group of disorders of the blood vessels that often go undiagnosed for years.In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Jason Howland explores one of the rarer forms of vasculitis, Takayasu’s arteritis.Takayasu’s arteritis is a rare type of vasculitis, a group of conditions that cause blood vessel inflammation.“It is in the category of large vessel vasculitis, meaning that it involves the aorta, that’s the largest artery in the body, and its main branches,” says Dr. Kenneth Warrington, a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist.The inflammation causes the arteries to narrow or thicken. It can weaken blood vessel walls and potentially cause aneurysms, and eventually lead to stroke or heart failure.“Takayasu’s arter...

Acclaimed Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor dies at age 56

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

By Theresa Braine, New York Daily NewsAcclaimed Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor, known for hits such as “Nothing Compares 2 U” and for shredding a photo of the pope while hosting “Saturday Night Live,” has died.She was 56.A cause of death was not given. The singer had lost her son, Shane, to suicide in January 2022, after which she was briefly hospitalized.Singer Sinead O’Connor attends the Giorgio Armani & Cinema Society screening of “Albert Nobbs” at the Museum of Modern Art on December 13, 2011 in New York City. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)Back in 1990, her famed cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” was named the number one world single at the Billboard Music Awards. During a decades-long career, the Dublin-based singer released 10 studio albums.Earlier this year she received a standing ovation at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards in receiving the first-ever award for Classic Irish Album, according to The Irish Times, which first reported her death.Singer Sinea...

Orioles lose to Phillies, 4-3, as All-Star Yennier Cano allows 2 runs in 9th: ‘I’m also human; I make mistakes’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

The Orioles have been experts of pressure this season — masters of the nail-biter — and entered Tuesday night 19-9 in one-run games. They came one out away from improving that figure once again.With All-Star Yennier Cano on the mound and the Orioles leading 3-2 with two outs in the ninth inning, Philadelphia’s Bryson Stott doubled in Bryce Harper to tie the game at 3. Then, after shortstop Jorge Mateo couldn’t throw J.T. Realmuto out at first base on a slow grounder, Alec Bohm ended the game with a single to left field.The result: a walk-off Phillies win and a one-run loss for the Orioles.Baltimore avoided a loss Monday night, winning by the same 3-2 score they took into the ninth Tuesday, but couldn’t replicate that result as the tense game concluded with Phillies players celebrating their victory in right field and an announced crowd of 37,200 shouting along with them.Before the ninth, it was an auspicious evening for the Orioles. Kyle Gibson pitched ...

On Nutrition: Clarifying food intolerances

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

Barbara Intermill | Tribune News ServiceIn response to a recent column in which I mentioned that many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of dairy foods, Theresa writes: “I don’t think you have any idea what you are talking about here. I cannot even handle a quarter cup of milk in a whole batch of biscuits. I know several who are anaphylactic even when getting a tiny bit of milk.”Dear Theresa: You may want to get tested for milk allergy, which is much different from lactose intolerance. A true allergy to the protein in milk (as opposed to an intolerance to lactose, the sugar in milk) can indeed cause serious reactions with even very small doses of milk products. It’s important to be correctly diagnosed.Lisa, who reads this column in the Lincoln Journal Star, writes: “I would like to see a column on the various intolerances, but especially fructose intolerance, which is what I have. There are so many articles that mention dairy and gluten intolerances, bu...

Dwyane Wade looks to bring creative thinking as a member of Chicago Sky ownership: ‘It just feels like the time’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

In his first appearance at Wintrust Arena since the Chicago Sky announced he joined the team’s ownership group, Dwyane Wade sat with Mayor Brandon Johnson and other Sky owners in a suite Tuesday night, then moved courtside where he posed for photos and signed autographs.A three-time NBA champion and 13-time All-Star, Wade is the second former NBA player to invest in a WNBA team. Magic Johnson was part of the ownership group that took control of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014.“Why the Sky? Because I’m a fan of basketball,” Wade told the Tribune before the team’s 107-95 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. “I love it to my core. It’s changed my life. It’s changed my family’s life. And I understand the need for support. I know what that looks like.“We’ve got some of the best players in the world playing in the ‘W’ and we’ve got some of the most generational players coming real soon. And it just feels like the ti...

Bankrate: How to negotiate a car lease

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

Allison Martin | Bankrate.com (TNS)Are you considering a car lease to ride in style for a fraction of what you would pay to purchase a new vehicle? Learning about the car lease process, including brushing up on the industry terminology and the ins and outs of lease agreements, is an important part of landing a good deal.Shopping around and exploring the specials and offers from multiple dealers is another valuable step to help you negotiate a car lease confidence, ensuring that you get the best possible lease agreement for your needs.When you walk into a dealership to buy a new car, the car salesperson expects you to offer below the asking price. This isn’t always the case with lease deals, but you can follow this step-by-step approach to negotiate a car lease.1. Learn the jargonIt is easy to get overwhelmed with the language of lease agreements, especially if you don’t work in the automotive industry. However, you can give yourself a slight advantage by learning the jargon dealers ...

Alleged North End shooter Patrick Mendoza ordered detained

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

The man accused of shooting at a man in front of Modern Pastry earlier this month is being held without bail after being found dangerous.Alleged shooter Patrick Mendoza, 54, faces charges including assault to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, intimidating a witness, and three charges related to unlawful possession of a gun.Boston Municipal Judge Paul Treseler found Mendoza dangerous following a detention hearing Wednesday morning.Police arrested Mendoza on July 21 — nine days after he allegedly fired three shots in front of Hanover Street’s Modern Pastry at a man he had a long-simmering relationship with. That history includes Mendoza previously striking the man on his head with a glass bottle in February 2019, for which he received six months probation.While Mendoza was able to hide away in the detention room next to for his arraignment on Friday, he appeared Wednesday in Boston Municipal Court wearing a lightly checkered gray suit — extensive hand tattoos visible, which inc...

Niger’s presidential guard surrounds leader’s home in what African organizations call a coup attempt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace Wednesday in what African organizations called an attempted coup against the country’s democratically elected leader. The U.S. said the rebelling soldiers had detained President Mohamed Bazoum.A tweet from the account of Niger’s presidency reported that members of the elite guard unit engaged in an “anti-Republican demonstration” and unsuccessfully tried to obtain support from other security forces. It said Bazoum and his family were doing well but that Niger’s army and national guard “are ready to attack” if those involved in the action did not back down. However, the commissions of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States described the events in Niger’s capital as an effort to unseat Bazoum, who was elected president two years ago in the nation’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960...

‘Huge kettle of fish’ faces new transport minister Pablo Rodriguez

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:15 GMT

Pablo Rodriguez has been sworn in as Canada’s new transport minister, taking the baton on a raft of turbulent issues as the aviation sector emerges from a period of crisis.Leaving his spot atop the Heritage Department, Rodriguez takes over from Omar Alghabra, who assumed the cabinet post in January 2021 while the pandemic pummelled the travel industry.Alghabra steered the government through negotiations with airlines on financial aid, COVID-19 testing at airports and a new passenger rights charter.But with the traveller complaint backlog at a record high topping 52,000, both advocates and airlines continue to find fault with parts of the overhauled regime, even as other issues demand ministerial attention.Rodriguez will take over on top-line items including nascent plans for a high-frequency railway between Toronto and Quebec City, ongoing supply chain hitches and infrastructure vulnerable to natural disasters amid increasingly extreme weather.Alghabra announced his decision T...