The pandemic, social unrest, and presidential election upended life as usual in 2020. It was also an unprecedented and devastating year of violence. It is almost certain that the 2020 rise in the homicide rate will go down as the largest on record. Denver bucked the national trend but in the wrong direction. The city’s homicide rate jumped by 50% — there were 95 homicide victims last year, compared to 63 in 2019. That’s well above the 30% average rise observed by the Council on Criminal Justice in 34 large U.S. cities. Why did violence rise so dramatically in Denver? Our evidence points to a legitimacy crisis with the criminal justice system. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its cascading consequences, was no doubt important. In fact, it’s quite possible that the legitimacy crisis wouldn’t have

Summary List PlacementNorth Korean hackers attempted to breach the servers of the US-based vaccine manufacturer Pfizer, and its German partner BioNTech, in hopes of gathering scientific data that could be used to manufacture bootleg copies of a COVID-19 vaccine to sell on international black markets, according to intelligence officials in Europe. North Korea's intent was likely to raise funds in foreign currency. The hermit dictatorship's domestic currency is mostly worthless outside its borders. Two European security officials briefed on cyber-operations told Insider the attempted intrusion was likely an official North Korean operation to gather scientific data on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, one of just three vaccines so far approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization. B...

Your Negroni, your martini, your Manhattan and many more would fall perilously short without vermouth. A backbone to heavyweight and newcomer cocktails alike, vermouth doesn’t exist solely to amplify others. Rather, the fortified, aromatized wine is a complex, complete pour all on its own. Begin with the three traditional styles: sweet, dry and blanc, also called bianco. Each starts with a neutral wine base that is flavored, or aromatized, with an often-secret blend of herbs, barks and spices, and fortified with a strong, neutral spirit. Sweet vermouth sits at the top of the supposed family tree. Rich in color and flavor, spiced and pleasantly sweet, it originated in northern Italy and is sometimes referred to as rosso or Italian vermouth. Dry vermouth, born across the border in France, is

Artist Ephraim Asili describes his feature debut “The Inheritance” as a “speculative re-enactment” of his time in a West Philadelphia Black Marxist collective. The result is an experimental collage that surely name-checks Jean-Luc Godard, and bends genres and time to create a shape-shifting kaleidoscope of Blackness. Acclaimed during its fall festival run including in Toronto and New York, “The Inheritance” arrives from Grasshopper Film in virtual cinemas on March 12. Watch the exclusive trailer below. Following almost a decade exploring the African diaspora, Asili sets his ensemble work almost entirely within a brightly colored, West Philadelphia house occupied by a community of Black activists and artist. Woven into a documentary recollection of the Philadelphia liberation group MOVE —

The Centennial State has two new Scenic and Historic Byways to explore. Called the Scenic Highway of Legends and Silver Thread, the newly designated roads are two of 13 across the state — more than any other in the country — designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as America’s Byways. In total, Colorado has 26 byways, including the ones defined by the state itself. Already a part of Colorado’s Scenic and Historic Byways, these two roads are now part of the National Scenic Byway System. Both are in southern Colorado. “These new designations are a tribute to this great state and characterize the breadth of its beautiful landscapes, history and culture,” said Shoshana Lew, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation. “In addition to providing new and exciting ad

The Golden Globes (Sunday, February 28) may not have the industry respect of the Academy Awards, but the annual ceremony is at least known for the parties it spawns. This year, that’s obviously off for everyone–even the stars. Per a memo from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, even nominees should stay home with only household members (as Variety pointed out, that means no gatherings like the one the Schitt’s Creek cast threw for themselves in Toronto to accept their massive Emmy haul as a pod last year). So whether you’re affiliated with a film or show that’s up for awards or you just want an excuse to do something a little different on a Sunday night, here are some food and drink options to help you turn your living room into the most exclusive Hollywood shindig. Moët & Chand

Reggie Jackson cut short his postgame comments after Tuesday’s 135-116 victory over Washington; the All-Star of the evening had arrived. Jackson didn’t go, though, without giving his friend a properly hyped introduction: “The man y’all want is coming up — Pauuul George! Big buckets … No. 13, that man, P.G. — Paul George is coming to talk to you all, so here you all go! “Oh,” Jackson added, “Seven-time All-Star, don’t forget that!” A grinning George took his seat in front of the Zoom screen, fresh from having welcomed Tuesday’s news that he’d been selected to participate in his seventh All-Star Game with a 30-point exclamation point. Yes, he said, this All-Star selection — his fourth in five years and first as a Clipper, after shoulder rehab ate into his production to start his tenure with

Spring training is underway for the A’s in Mesa, and things are slightly different — at least, from a reporter’s standpoint. All interviews with players, coaches, staff are conducted over Zoom and only Zoom. What we see is far more limited than what we’d see in any other, non-pandemic year. Even if the beat looks a little different, baseball is back. From what we’ve heard, bench coach Ryan Christenson has done a nice job making the new normal feel as much as the old normal as the team goes through intake testing and social distancing with protocols in place. Baseball has learned how to make this normal feel a bit more normal. Cactus League games start in a few days, some fans will actually be in the stands for that, and this 2021 A’s team is finally starting to take place. You all have que

Student Officer Khadeejah Mansur is trialling the new-look hijab (Picture: Leicestershire Police/SWNS)A police force is trialling sporty anti-grab hijabs to attract more Muslim women. Leicestershire Police have given the hi-tech headwear to a Muslim officer with a view to rolling them out to female cops on the frontline. Bosses hope the covering will not only improve the safety of female officers but also encourage more Muslim women to join the force. They are made from technical sports material and are fastened by magnetic buttons for quick release if a thug attempts to grab the hijab. The hijab is designed to sit comfortably with police issued headwear such as caps and radio ear pieces. New Zealand Police introduced them into their uniform last November and they are now ex

Summary List PlacementBryce Stewart was 35 years old when he retired from his 9-to-5 job as a middle school teacher — and he now works one to two hours a day as a real-estate investor. In an interview with Insider, he broke down how he went from bringing in around $5o,ooo annually to pocketing around $17,000 to $20,000 a month from his rental units. They're located in Bethlehem, a small city in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania about an hour and a half away from both New York City and Philadelphia that's home to just over 75,000 people. Stewart, now 41, published House Hacker's Guide to the Galaxy: Use Your Home to Make Millions and Retire Early in December, which highlights the strategies he used to achieve financial freedom. He didn't have a big pile of savings he was able to d...

When I was young, I really, really wanted to visit the great museums of the world. And I saw many of them. Nowadays, I just want to have a cocktail. That’s right. I’ll sit right here at this lovely cafe and sip my tasty glass of wine, while you go stand in that endless line to view the Mona Lisa. Here’s a clue: It’s underwhelming. Maybe because you have to elbow your way through the thundering hordes to even see it. Maybe because it’s way smaller than you expect. I’m not disrespecting museums. Seriously. I happily hiked my way through 1.82 million of them in my lifetime. Plus, my friend is a museum director and she would hurt me. I grew up on various Air Force bases, and in those days I wouldn’t have known a Great Masterpiece of Art if I tripped over one. I definitely would not have been o