Latest news with #Pappas
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Owner of Savannah's Olympia Cafe dies
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Nick Pappas, owner of Savannah's popular Greek restaurant Olympia Cafe, passed away. The family shared the news on social media, saying his love, passion, hard work and humor made him one of a kind. Olympia Cafe, located on River Street, has been an iconic Savannah staple for more than 30 years. The restaurant won several awards and accolades over the years. It's a favorite of locals, tourists and even celebrities. Pappas was often seen at the restaurant greeting guests and bringing smiles to everyone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gay Senate candidate Chris Pappas: The government shouldn't limit trans people's health care
If U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire's open Senate seat in 2026, he will become the first out gay man ever elected to the U.S. Senate and only the third LGBTQ+ person. But Pappas, a 44-year-old Democrat now in his third term in the House of Representatives, says his campaign isn't about making history. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. 'To me, I've never sought to make history,' he told The Advocate in an exclusive interview in his Capitol Hill office. 'That's just happened along the way while I've tried to be of use to people in New Hampshire through public service.' Still, he added, 'I do think it's a moment where we need to ensure that the community is represented in the halls of Congress.' Related: Democrat is lone LGBTQ+ vote in Congress for anti-trans national defense bill Pappas is running to succeed U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a fellow Democrat who announced she would not seek a fourth term. The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched in the country, with potential challengers including Republican former Gov. Chris Sununu and ex-Sen. Scott Brown, who previously represented Massachusetts before relocating to New Hampshire. Pappas enters the contest with the backing of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and a reputation as a seasoned campaigner who has flipped a congressional district and then defended it since. If elected, Pappas would take office in 2027 in the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term. For LGBTQ+ Americans, he said, that reality heightens the urgency of the moment. 'I've worked very closely with my colleagues in the LGBTQ Equality Caucus to help meet this extraordinary moment and make sure that we're standing up for the community and giving voice to the concerns, fears, and outrage that people have with what they see this administration doing on a day-to-day basis,' he said. A Manchester native and Harvard graduate, Pappas launched his political career at 22. He was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2002, and served in several elected offices in the state. In 2018, he became New Hampshire's first out LGBTQ+ member of Congress. He now serves as the top Democrat on the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and is also a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member. Pappas is one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Hellenic Caucus and is active in bipartisan mental health, addiction, and infrastructure efforts. Related: Out U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas Marries His Boyfriend Related: U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas announces Senate bidRelated: Out U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas Marries His Boyfriend Pappas says his LGBTQ+ advocacy remains central to his mission. In the House, he's co-led the Equality Act, introduced a federal ban on the gay and trans panic defense, and fought for access to Veterans Affairs benefits for LGBTQ+ veterans — including those discharged under 'don't ask, don't tell' When he's not in D.C., he said he tries to unwind with a daily run, yard work (he's notably not a plant person), or — when lucky — some time on the hiking trails back home. 'There's very little downtime,' he admitted, adding that staying active and rooted in New Hampshire helps him reset. Pappas faced backlash last year for voting in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act, which included a Republican-backed provision barring Tricare, the military health insurance program, from covering gender-affirming care for trans minors. Pappas was the only LGBTQ+ member of Congress to support the final bill. 'Look, that was not an easy vote,' he told The Advocate. 'I made clear at the moment that I opposed the specific provision that targeted trans individuals in the NDAA. I believe that people should be able to access health care that's between families and their doctors, and that the government doesn't have a role to play.' He cited essential investments in defense and district priorities, including support for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which employs thousands of civilian workers. Still, he said, 'I regret that through the negotiations between the House and Senate last year, that we weren't able to have the kind of traditional process that we need on bills like that, which keeps out any amendments that are dealing with issues that are not at the core of our national security.' Related: Gay Democratic reps demand Pentagon resolve cases of 'don't ask, don't tell' dishonorable discharges Since then, Pappas has affirmed his support for trans rights and the right to medical care without political interference. 'I just am really committed to doing what I can to make sure we bring this nation closer to the promise of its founding for everyone,' Pappas said. 'That includes the trans community, which I know is under a great threat and attack from the White House to state capitals across our country, and I want to continue to engage with community members and make sure that they feel heard.' Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) talks to members of the press on November 8, 2022 in Manchester, New threat Pappas described is not theoretical. Since returning to office in January, Trump has issued sweeping executive orders aimed at erasing transgender people from federal policy. His first major directive redefined sex under federal law as immutable and binary — male or female, assigned at birth — eliminating recognition of gender identity across the U.S. government. Federal agencies have begun rewriting regulations to remove references to gender identity. Social security records, passports, and other identification documents must now reflect a person's sex assigned at birth. Trans women are being forced into men's prisons. Schools and shelters are no longer required to accommodate trans students or residents. Federally funded health care programs, including Medicaid and the VA, are barred from covering or providing gender-affirming care. Major U.S. medical associations have condemned the Trump administration's moves as dangerous, unscientific, and discriminatory. 'This administration continues to pursue efforts to deny people health care,' Pappas said. 'We've got to be willing to meet this moment and make sure there's no discrimination — whether that's in the military or public spaces.' He added, 'Whether it's the military ban which this administration continues to pursue or other efforts to deny people health care, I think there's a way for us to focus Americans' attention on how we include everyone because I think that generally has broad support. People want their neighbors to be able to live their own lives and be themselves and have the protection of the law." In May, Pappas joined more than 100 House Democrats in demanding that the Trump administration reverse its plan to eliminate LGBTQ+-specific services from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The specialized line for LGBTQ+ youth has fielded more than 1.3 million contacts since 2022. 'Ending this mental health support for youth in distress would devastate a vital resource for some of our nation's most vulnerable young people,' he and his colleagues wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump. The letter called the proposed cut 'shortsighted and dangerous,' warning that it would 'undermine suicide prevention efforts that have already saved countless lives.' Pappas said the erosion of civil rights is part of a broader unraveling of constitutional norms under Trump's second term. 'Our constitutional principles cannot be inconveniences,' he said. 'They can't be mere suggestions. They have to be bedrock principles that all Americans are willing to rally behind.' 'We are a nation of laws. No one is above the law, including the President of the United States.' Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., speaks during a House Democrats news conference on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images He said bipartisan concern about democratic backsliding exists even in New Hampshire. 'I talk to conservative people who share the same beliefs as progressives about the nature of what we've been given in this country,' he said. 'We have to make sure that our democracy continues to stand the test.' That divide, he noted, is just as stark inside the Capitol. 'You quickly learn that some people in this building are serious legislators and others aren't,' he said. 'And frankly, Marjorie Taylor Greene and the kind of people that use the rhetoric that she does are not serious legislators.' He added: 'They just want to throw bombs and try to throw sand in the gears of the ability of Congress to work and make things happen.' Pappas married his husband, Vann Bentley, in 2023. But he said Justice Clarence Thomas's call to revisit past rulings in his Dobbs concurrence — including Obergefell — should be taken seriously. 'What Thomas has laid out is a roadmap for how the far right is going to continue to attack reproductive rights and get at the right to privacy, which is well established by the court,' he said. 'That intersects with the way all of us live our lives — who we are, the protections that exist in statute and constitutionally.' 'I'm from a state that cherishes liberty and freedom,' he said. 'They want to make sure that the government is not in your bedroom, is not interfering with how you live your life.' Pappas came out in college with the support of his parents. 'They were unequivocal in terms of their love and support for me,' he recalled. But even with that foundation, the journey wasn't easy. 'To that younger self, I would say: There's a place for you,' he said. 'You'll be able to find a loving relationship, and really, you'll be able to get everything you want to get out of life.' For LGBTQ+ youth watching today's political climate with fear or dismay, he had a message: 'We've got to take democracy into our own hands,' he said. 'Especially for people of a younger generation, they're going to be dealing with the consequences of the decisions that are being made far longer than me or anyone else here in Washington.'
Axios
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
County Treasurer Pappas makes big announcement
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas made a big announcement at our Hideout show Thursday night. Why it matters: Pappas is widely rumored to be planning a mayoral run and told WGN last week she thinks "the city needs a grey-haired grandmother." The latest: The 75-year-old curator of Chicago's best free Christmas tree show, a prize-winning baton twirler and star of the county's most prized calendar, tells Axios she is now… a professional senior model. What she's saying: "I went on the internet and was fascinated by Elon Musk's [model] mother and I'm like, 'Really? I look better than her,'" Pappas tells Axios. "So I got all dressed up, took a copy of my calendar and a bunch of photos from Victor Skrebneski's studio where I'm lying on a couch in phony fur jackets to Lily's Talent Agency and I signed up." What's next: Pappas also announced the fall release of her biography, a new report from her office on tax increment financing and a video series documenting her visits to cultural institutions like the Balzekas Museum, Saturday Polish school classes and the Mongolian consulate.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Popular Texas restaurant chain will buy Dallas-based On the Border
In a surprise move by Houston-based Pappas Restaurants, the owner of Pappasito's Cantina is buying Dallas-based On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, a 1980s fajitas-and-margaritas chain that had fallen on hard times. The Pappas family has been in the food business and dining business since the 19th century. It started Pappasito's in 1983 just before adding the popular Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. In the announcement, Pappas Restaurants described On the Border as 'value-driven' and serving at an 'accessible' price point. The restaurants can be strengthened with Pappas' business model and an enhanced menu, the company announcement said. On the Border, which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, operates nine restaurants in the Fort Worth area. Pappasito's has two, one in Fort Worth and one in Arlington. At the time, On the Border closed its landmark No. 1 and No. 2 locations on Knox Street in Dallas and at 2011 E. Copeland Road, Arlington. The company has been owned by an Atlanta-based franchisee for Applebee's and IHoP since 2014 after operating for most of its history as a Brinker International affiliate of Chili's. It is unclear how the Pappas Restaurants will position On the Border, although technically Pappasitos is a sharply more expensive restaurant. For example, Pappasito's charges $29.95 at dinner and $17.95 at lunch for its least expensive fajitas platter, and $17.95/$16.95 for enchiladas. On the Border charges $19.95 at dinner and $14.79 at lunch for chicken fajitas, and $12.49/$10.99 for enchiladas. 'On The Border has always stood out for its energy and bold flavors — it's a brand we've known and respected for years,' Pappas co-owner Chris Pappas was quoted as saying in the announcement. 'This gives us the chance to bring our passion for Tex-Mex to more guests.' Pappasito's Cantina locations in Tarrant County are at 321 W. Road to Six Flags St., Arlington, and 2704 West Freeway, Fort Worth. On The Border has three Fort Worth restaurants plus Lake Worth, Bedford, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Weatherford. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
What's On
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
9 fun things to do in Abu Dhabi this weekend: May 9 to 11
This week is going by quickly… But we're all about making it seem like your weekend will last forever. On that note, here are 9 things to do in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Friday, May 9 Head to La Petite Maison Abu Dhabi for their Cinq à Sept Head to La Petite Maison Abu Dhabi at The Galleria Al Maryah Island for its version of the ever-popular happy hour, the 'Cinq à Sept'. Perfect for a post-work catch up, this is the ideal way to say goodbye to the week that was and get a head start on your plans for the two fun days that await. La Petite Maison Abu Dhabi, The Galleria Al Maryah Island, Mon to Fri 5pm to 7pm, Dhs48. Tel: (0)2 692 9600, @lpmabudhabi Dine at Pappas for wholesome Greek fare Part of a duo of thrilling eats that's recently set up shop at the W Abu Dhabi Yas Island, Pappas invites you to your very own version of Mamma Mia , with a menu of traditional Greek eats paired with live entertainment. Pappas, W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, Yas Island, 6pm to 11pm, Weds to Mon. @wabudhabi Treat your little ones to a new menu at Café Bateel Let the kiddies get in on the weekend fun, while enjoying a menu that's both delicious and nutritious. Café Bateel's kids' menu includes dishes that pack in pure ingredients like Scottish salmon and Australian wagyu, brought together in playful dishes like the Grilled Chicken Superstars, Mighty Meatballs, Waffle Sandwich Treats and more. Café Bateel, various locations, Abu Dhabi. @ Saturday, May 10 Lose yourself to a masterpiece (or five) at teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi Set within the booming Saadiyat Cultural District, the unprecedented art megaproject spans 17,000 sq. metres and houses exhibits like nothing you've ever seen before. It comes to Abu Dhabi after being conceived by Tokyo-based art collective, teamLab. Check out this guide for the complete list of all their exhibits. Then head over and have the best time. teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 10am to 7pm daily. @teamlab_phenomena Have a beach day at Café del Mar One of Yas Bay's finest, Café del Mar is one beach club that's constantly on your list when you live in or visit Abu Dhabi. With Ibiza vibes and endless seaside views complemented by great seafood picks, make sure to drop anchor here when you're exploring the best beachside spots in the UAE capital. Cafe del Mar, Yas Bay, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Thurs 11am to midnight, Fri and Sat 11am to 1am. Tel: (0)50 402 2283. @cafedelmarabudhabi The comedy star's record-breaking performances have made him a household name in the UK and around the globe, and now he's about to bring the laughs to the UAE capital as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season. McIntyre's observational humour and unmistakeable stage presence guarantees you an evening of non-stop entertainment. Get set for quick wit and big laughs, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Comedy Season, May 10, Etihad Arena, Yas Island, from Dhs295. Sunday, May 11 Catch D Crab at St. Regis Abu Dhabi Catch at St. Regis, one of the capital's top seafood eats, is inviting you to indulge in some of the world's finest crab varieties for a week, beginning this Sunday. The specially-curated Catch D Crab menu includes dishes crafted from both soft-shell and king crab, served table side with signature sauces and seasonal sides. St. Regis Abu Dhabi, Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, May 11 to 18. @catchatstregis Five Guys UAE has just launched two new, never-before seen milkshakes in addition to their existing line-up of eight flavours. We're told they're both limited-edition releases – the mango milkshake and the coffee shake – priced at Dhs25. No better time to try these out than when these warmer days are upon us. Five Guys, various locations, Abu Dhabi. @fiveguysuae In celebration of Mother's Day this Sunday, Oak Room at the Abu Dhabi EDITION is offering unlimited mimosas and a special farewell gift for mums in the capital. Also, have you tried their steaks? Oak Room, Abu Dhabi EDITION, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, Sun May 11, 12.30pm to 3pm, Dhs325 soft, Dhs425 house, Dhs565 bubbles. @oakroomabudhabi And don't forget… Since we're discussing the weekend, ladies and gents – Only two weekends from now, Abu Dhabi's biggest, boldest summer party weekend is coming to town with a sweet 28-hour celebration that will include an overnight stay, brunch, afterparty, wellness activities, water sports, and more. Grab your tickets here before they sell out. InterContinental Abu Dhabi Hotel, May 24 and 25, Dhs449.5 (min. 2 guests). Book here to secure your spot.
