Latest news with #Cathy
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tastries owner to ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear case after state court declines to hear appeal
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Cathy Miller, owner of Tastries Bakery, is seeking to have the U.S. Supreme Court hear her case after the California Supreme Court this week declined to hear an appeal in the yearslong saga, which has as its focus whether she discriminated against a gay couple by refusing to bake them a wedding cake. 'Cathy has always been clear that she was only trying to follow her faith and her conscience in standing up for what she believes in — and did so in a respectful, polite, and loving way,' Charles LiMandri, partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP and Thomas More Society special counsel, said in a news release. 'While it is disappointing the California Supreme Court has refused to correct the injustice Cathy has endured, we hope the U.S. Supreme Court will chart a different path and restore Cathy's religious liberty,' he said. In 2017, Miller refused to bake a wedding cake for Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez Del-Rio after learning their sexual orientation. They sued her. 'Still being considered': DHS says reports of Bakersfield girl being deported are false State attorneys argued at trial Miller discriminated against the couple, while Miller's attorneys said she's a devout Christian who believes baking a wedding cake for a same-sex couple would violate her religious beliefs. They also argued the creation of a wedding cake is a form of artistic expression — and Miller can't be compelled to create a work of art against her will. Superior Court Judge Eric Bradshaw ruled in Miller's favor, finding her 'pure and expressive speech is entitled to protection under the First Amendment' and the baking of a Tastries wedding cake is 'labor-intensive' and 'artistic.' The state appealed, and in December a state appeals court reversed Bradshaw's ruling, finding the bakery's refusal to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple established 'intentional discrimination.' The California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied to hear an appeal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's suburban Pride and Prejudice is back on TV - we can't wait
And do we wish to see a show in which nothing ever happens, the central characters rarely move except to eat, regularly featuring plot lines thinner than Cathy's G-string? Well, we do actually because this is Comedy of Manners at its best. It's Pride and Prejudice set in a suburban Scottish street. It's a modern-day Moliere, a satirical take on events which looks closely – but without being too obvious – at the social conventions and mores of the world we're all part of. Read more As Jane Austen dived deep into layers of social class so too does Two Doors Down. Yes, the inhabitants of Latimer Street aren't separated by great financial gulfs, but their dreams are quite different; they are Aldi versus Waitrose, they are Primark and Princes Square. They are fancy new home extension and can't-be-ar***d-throw-some-Dulux-at-it later. The characters are kindness personified, yet can be city banker greedy. They are Labour, Conservative and nationalist. Sure, TDD doesn't highlight the clear class divide of a Pygmalion, but we do have rampant snobbery and judgementalism. In the previous seven series, Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp beautifully managed to find the dry laughs from acute observations of ordinary Scottish lives, blessed by the fact that Scotland has suffered for years from an ailing health service and tragically poor transport systems. They made much (by way of passing comment) of our overblown sense of self-importance, to hold a mirror up to the unfairness in our little world, our inability to get things done. Properly. The writers have also noted cleverly that the stain of bigotry can't be removed, even with by a deep soak in Beth's deepest sink. And they have created a series of wonderful characters to reflect what makes Scotland Scotland; our innate kindness, dark sense of fun, cutting cruelty and a technique for being pass remarkable that is international class. And it's from this disparate, but highly relatable bunch that the dark laughs emerge - and the pathos permeates. Two Doors Down is full of wonderful characters who reflect what makes Scotland Scotland (Image: free)We all know a Christine, with skin thicker than a trainee butcher's sausage and a neck redder than an Aberdeen football shirt, the self-obsessed, attention-desperate with a searing sense of ingratitude, who makes the likes of Inferno's Dante, Sex in the City's Carrie Bradshaw and Abigail from the Crucible seem like warm appreciative human beings. We all know a Colin, a man so hen-pecked you can see the pock marks on his face, yet so much of a social climber he wears crampons indoors, a creature so deliciously oleaginous the freckles simply slide off his face. But like Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice he's easily influenced by the bigger personalities around him. Such as his wife Cathy, an international class narcissist who drinks to convince herself the mirror on the wall has got it all wrong, that she really is the fairest of them all, the mutton-dressed-as- mutton creature with the tongue as sharp as her Manolo Blahnik stilettos. She's a dead ringer for Austen's Lady Catherine de Bourgh. There's Eric, a man who suggests inordinate decency in a comfy chair, the slightly put upon but genial bloke who's happy to watch the world go by and manages to avoid profanity even though his doorbell rings more often than Beth fills the kettle. Eric is a Stoic philosopher who preaches calm amidst crises; he's Mr Knightley with a Seventies cardy. Beth is of course Jane Bennett with a pinnie, a woman in love with Eric, despite his keenness to avoid exertion. She's a put-upon peacekeeper and a tea-cup-filling, sandwich and soup-making machine, a woman who cares and worries deeply about everyone. Even Cathy. Read more Ian and Gordon are the perfect double act, Tartuffe's Dorine and Elmire who can speak freely and sharply and thus expose the daftness all around. And allow the platform for Christine to (sort of) come to terms with the fact that a gay couple can be open with their lives. The Comedy of Manners motif is also clearly evident with the rough spoken, f*rt-dropping Alan, who is Eliza Dolittle with a tattoo, being worked upon constantly by his Professor Higgins of a wife, Michelle. So, yes, we need a show which reminds us how silly we can become. These neighbours represent modern day Scotland, and we need/deserve to see that reflected back at us. Can Two Doors Down survive without the searing, Wildean wit of Simon Carlyle? Hopefully, because Gregor Sharp knows the characters voices so well, each of them so distinct. And Two Doors Down won't appear dated; it transcends time because the characters are always in the moment. And that's when the doorbell rings. And Still Game enjoyed a happy revival, didn't it?
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘No Precious Truth': Promises Made and Delivered
'No Precious Truth,' from veteran author and native It's a great premise for a thriller series, and a potent combination of genre elements. On the one hand, you've got ground-level crime and corruption of a large British city, and on the other hand, you have all the wartime challenges that World War II comes with. Jolly good start, Mr. Nickson. Author Chris Nickson. Courtesy of the Chris Nickson As one of the few female uniformed constables in England, Cathy has earned her place through grit, intelligence, and local knowledge. The book opens with her hurrying to relate important news to her superior, pausing only to pull an unwary child out from the path of a speeding tram. Her supervisor, a stoic army sergeant named Faulkner, informs her that her act of bravery was noticed by some newspapermen. Her first reaction is embarrassment and a promise to dull her appearance a bit more to maintain anonymity. It's a smart introduction to Cathy; she's intuitive and fully committed to her team, even amid the personal and professional pressures of life during the Blitz. Points scored here, too, Mr. Nickson. A New Partner Cathy's news might be a break in a case the SIB has struggled with for some time. She's located a key figure surrounding the case of a stolen army petrol tanker and precious fuel needed for the war effort. It's also a link that might bring them closer to arresting a dangerous deserter and black-market ringleader, Jackie Connor, whom they suspect is behind the theft. But Cathy's elation at her discovery is short-lived when she finds her estranged brother, Dan Marsden, standing in the SIB office. Though he's always claimed to be a mere civil servant in London, it turns out Dan is in fact a member of MI5. Specifically, he's part of something called the 'XX Committee,' a fledgling counterintelligence unit focused on turning German spies into double agents. He's been sent to Leeds to track Jan Minuit, a Dutch engineer-turned-spy who escaped custody and may be targeting key industrial sites: Kirkstall Forge and the Avro aircraft factory in Yeadon. Having grown up in Dan's shadow all her life, Cathy isn't particularly happy to see him returning to his Leeds roots, especially since she believed he couldn't get away from them fast enough when they were younger. For his own part, Dan is also unenthusiastic about the arrangement, especially taking on a dangerous, clever spy with no backup from MI5. But personnel are stretched thin, and being a local kid makes him the man for the job, so he might as well make the best of it. As Cathy and the SIB team scramble for leads, the situation is becoming more dire. Minuit is charismatic and dangerous, with the skills to infiltrate factories or even signal their locations to the Luftwaffe. They don't know how much progress he's made towards completing his mission, or if anyone in the area is helping him. Related Stories 12/19/2022 11/4/2019 As Leeds endures the blackouts and air raid warnings, Cathy finds herself racing against time while working through the new world of espionage, along with issues of trust and duty at the same time. The Right Mix of Good Storytelling At its core, 'No Precious Truth' is a solid police procedural thriller set in the tense early days of the biggest war in history. Added to this is Nickson's in-depth understanding of the Leeds area, which he mines for our benefit in every chapter. 'No Precious Truth' makes the streets and people of 1940s Leeds come alive. This isn't too surprising, since Nickson's previous books delve into different periods of the area, such as the Richard Nottingham series (1730s), the Tom Harper series (1890s), and the Simon Westow series in the 1820s. "No Precious Truth" by Chris Nickson. Severn House Something I found refreshing in 'No Precious Truth' was Nickson's choice to make Cathy a fundamentally competent person, first and foremost, and not have her fixate on internal emotional turmoil or possible personal issues. Her past was neither easy nor glamorous by any stretch, but those details merely flesh out her character rather than define it. Like the way she saves a child from a potentially deadly accident, Cathy treats the rescue as a fact of her past, merely a thing that happened. Having said that, Nickson also shows Cathy can be very vulnerable and insecure in a heavily male-dominated field in a time that wouldn't be very open to her presence. But it's her competence and the way she gets results that wins over most of her teammates. After all, there's a war going on, and there are much more important things afoot than identity issues. Based on this first novel, color me impressed. I'm looking forward to the next installment of the Cathy Marsden series and, hopefully, many more after that. 'No Precious Truth' By Chris Nickson Severn House, April 1, 2025 Hardcover: 240 pages What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
Newsroom
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsroom
Trump's South African spotlight
Cathy is a 10th-generation white South African who moved to New Zealand 28 years ago, following the hijacking and killing of a man in her work car park. Her parents, dyed-in-the-wool South Africans, followed her 10 years later, after someone broke into their home and left knives in the ceiling. Today, from the safety of her Auckland home, she backs US President Donald Trump, who stunned the world last week with his orchestrated ambush of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office. Trump played videos that he claimed proved genocide is being committed against white people, driving farmers to flee to the US. The unexpected stunt turned the diplomatic setting into a stage for Trump's contention that white South Africans are being persecuted. 'I think that Donald Trump is a very astute gentleman,' says Cathy, who didn't want her last name used. 'And I believe that what he has intended to do with his reaction and his approach to the situation in South Africa is to put a spotlight on it. 'Media companies around the world wouldn't be talking about it unless he'd done that. So, let's give him some credit.' She says the current South African government isn't standing up to the opposition, which is making threats to different racial communities. In January, Ramaphosa also signed a bill into law allowing the state to seize land without compensation. 'A lot of the farmers and the Afrikaans community feel reasonably threatened by what is happening in the country,' Cathy says. 'I know of people who have had to run for their lives, leaving their farms. I know of people who live in New Zealand who have had to return home because their families have been murdered. It is real, it is true, and I don't believe it's being reported on.' Trump's meeting with Ramaphosa in the White House was billed as a friendly conversation about trade and regional cooperation, but it quickly turned sour with the South African leader visibly blindsided by the white genocide ambush, which critics have labelled 'inappropriate and undiplomatic'. Robert Patman, professor of international relations at Otago University, tells The Detail the stunt was performative, targeting MAGA supporters. 'I was appalled,' he says. 'It seems to me that America has humiliated itself – at least its president has humiliated America in the eyes of many people around the world. 'This is the second time that Mr Trump has applied 'gotcha' diplomacy, where he has ambushed someone in the Oval Office. It struck me as thoroughly unprofessional. 'If he had genuine concerns about white genocide, then he would have sent the documents in advance to the South African government to form the basis of a discussion … a discussion that would normally happen behind closed doors on sensitive issues. 'There is no basis in the allegations that Mr Trump has made. The whole thing was performative, and it may have won him some applause amongst MAGA supporters – Make America Great Again supporters – but it certainly hasn't won any international respect for the Trump administration.' He suggests that South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice was another factor in the attack. A number of South African billionaires, including Elon Musk, have Trump's ear, Patman says. Earlier this month, a group of 59 white South Africans arrived in the United States after being granted refugee status by the White House, which has fast tracked the processing of Afrikaner refugees but paused refugee applications for other nationalities. This follows Trump freezing aid to South Africa in February over claims it was mistreating its minority white population. Ramaphosa has vehemently denied all the claims. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Trump's South African spotlight
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa meets Donald Trump on 21 May amid tensions over Washington's resettlement of white Afrikaners that the US president claims are the victims of "genocide." Photo: AFP Cathy is a 10th-generation white South African who moved to New Zealand 28 years ago, following the hijacking and killing of a man in her work car park. Her parents, dyed-in-the-wool South Africans, followed her 10 years later, after someone broke into their home and left knives in the ceiling. Today, from the safety of her Auckland home, she backs US President Donald Trump, who stunned the world last week with his orchestrated ambush of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office. Trump played videos that he claimed proved genocide is being committed against white people, driving farmers to flee to the US. The unexpected stunt turned the diplomatic setting into a stage for Trump's contention that white South Africans are being persecuted. "I think that Donald Trump is a very astute gentleman," says Cathy, who didn't want her last name used. "And I believe that what he has intended to do with his reaction and his approach to the situation in South Africa is to put a spotlight on it. "Media companies around the world wouldn't be talking about it unless he'd done that. So, let's give him some credit." She says the current South African government isn't standing up to the opposition, which is making threats to different racial communities. In January, President Ramaphosa also signed a Bill into law allowing the state to seize land without compensation. "A lot of the farmers and the Afrikaans community feel reasonably threatened by what is happening in the country," Cathy says. "I know of people who have had to run for their lives, leaving their farms. I know of people who live in New Zealand who have had to return home because their families have been murdered. It is real, it is true, and I don't believe it's being reported on." President Trump's meeting with President Ramaphosa in the White House was billed as a friendly conversation about trade and regional cooperation, but it quickly turned sour with the South African leader visibly blindsided by the white genocide ambush, which critics have labelled "inappropriate and undiplomatic". Robert Patman, professor of international relations at Otago University, tells The Detail the stunt was performative, targeting MAGA supporters. "I was appalled," he says. "It seems to me that America has humiliated itself - at least its president has humiliated America in the eyes of many people around the world. "This is the second time that Mr Trump has applied 'gotcha' diplomacy, where he has ambushed someone in the Oval Office. It struck me as thoroughly unprofessional. "If he had genuine concerns about white genocide, then he would have sent the documents in advance to the South African government to form the basis of a discussion... a discussion that would normally happen behind closed doors on sensitive issues. "There is no basis in the allegations that Mr Trump has made. The whole thing was performative, and it may have won him some applause amongst MAGA supporters - Make America Great Again supporters - but it certainly hasn't won any international respect for the Trump administration." He suggests that South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice was another factor in the attack. Patman also says a number of South African billionaires, including Elon Musk, have Trump's ear. Earlier this month, a group of 59 white South Africans arrived in the United States after being granted refugee status by the White House, which has fast-tracked the processing of Afrikaner refugees but paused refugee applications for other nationalities. This follows Trump freezing aid to South Africa in February over claims it was mistreating its minority white population. President Ramaphosa has vehemently denied all the claims. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter .
