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It is party time! Mardi Gras is here and this weekend you are invited no, expected to go to at least one carnival season shindig.

If you're feeling the need for beads, New Times has scoped out a few events sure to offer plenty of fantastical fun.

Of course, there are more and sometimes more fun things to do than party. February is Black History Month, with 29 days this year full of interesting events and activities.

Check out this weekend's top things-to-do picks.

If you've ever been to Mardi Gras, on Bourbon Street, you know what a crazy and pretty much adults-only good time it can be. This weekend, that side of New Orleans comes tothe Wharf Fort Lauderdalewith the events venue's first Mardi Gras Riverfront Festival. The three-day party, running Friday through Sunday, will have Mardi Gras-style entertainment and musical performances it wouldn't be Mardi Gras without brass bands along with specialty New Orleans-inspired cocktails, contests and prizes, and more beads than you need. RSVP online, and you will receive complimentary Mardi Gras swag at check-in. Noon to 3 a.m. on Friday, February 21, and Saturday, February 22; noon to midnight on Sunday, February 23, at the Wharf Fort Lauderdale, 20 W. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; whartftl.com. Admission is free.

Jimmie Walker and Michael Winslow bring their comedy stylings to Pompano Beach this weekend.

Courtesy of Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Pompano Stand-Up Liveon Friday night will feature comedians Jimmie JJ Walker and Michael Winslow. Walker, who gained fame on the 1970s hit show Good Times, and Winslow, who starred in the Police Academy franchise, team up to reprise their comedy special We Are Still Here."

Walker burst into America's living rooms playing JJ on Norman Lear's iconic black-focused sit-com that debuted in 1974, and is often remembered using his signature catchphrase "Dyn-o-mite!" Walker has been outspoken some would say out there in recent years, criticizing former President Barack Obama, dating right-wing blond bomb-thrower Ann Coulter, and for his vocal support of Donald Trump. Walker still tours nationwide. He became such a major celebrity in the 1970s that Time named him Comedian of the Decade. Winslow is an actor, beatboxer, and comedian known for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his role as Larvell Jones in all seven Police Academy films. If you haven't attended a Pompano Stand-Up Live show before, just know there's a two-drink minimum. 8 p.m. Friday, February 21, at Pompano Beach Culture Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd.; pompanobeacharts.org. Tickets are $40 via tickets.ccpompano.org.

As the comedians' appearance coincides with Black History Month, Walker will also hold a "Live on the Set" session from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Pompano Beach Cultural Center. Tickets are $10 via eventbrite.com.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. One thing Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has is plenty of swing. Formed in 1989 in Southern California as a two-man lounge act, the now 12 or so member band brings its swing and jazz revival show to Parker Playhouse on Friday. Their catchy, often bluesy tunes include "Save My Soul" and fast-paced swing hits like Why Me? Mr. Pinstripe Suit will get you on your feet even if you don't know a thing about swing. One of my favs is Daddy's cover of Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher. They have played venues ranging from the Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center and have appeared with symphony orchestras, in a Super Bowl Halftime Show, and Dancing with the Stars. If you dig that crazy music, then this is the show for you. Heck, don't take my word, just go daddy, go. 8 p.m. Friday, February 21, Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale; parkerplayhouse.com. Tickets cost $26 to $56 via ticketmaster.com.

"Hued Songs" is among the featured events that are part of the Norton's celebration of Black History Month.

Courtesy Norton Museum

"Celebrating Black Florida" at the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach showcases the art and cultural histories of black Floridians through the Nortons growing collection of works by artists of African descent.

The West Palm Beach showcase museum will have a range of interesting performances, talks, and activities on Saturday's Community Day so many that some are scheduled as pop-ups and stop-bys. Special tours are part of the plan, along with workshops, artist talks, performances, a documentary film screening, and a teen art studio. Mr. Trombone Wayne Perry will serve as opening Master of Ceremonies.

Among the highlights of the day-long event is a retrospective of the Sunset Lounge, often called the Cotton Club of the South. The historic jazz venue in northwest West Palm Beach counted among itshabitussome of America's greatest performers, including Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. The Norton will feature images and music from the era.

The fun and vibrant Sunshine Junkanoo Band will perform, and you can also join a conversation with R.L. Lewis, a Florida Highwayman and art teacher in Brevard County. He will create one of his signature paintings while discussing his art, life, and the story of the Florida Highwayman. There will be a "Hued Songs" performance that illuminates the works of black composers and works inspired by black history, culture, or text. This work highlights musical and theatrical work by African-American artists and explores black history through dance, song, and spoken word.The museum restaurant also gets in on the action by offering island favorites like jerk chicken over dirty rice, Caribbean slaw, Jamaican beef patties, and coconut jerk shrimp and grits. Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, February 22, Norton Museum, 1450 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach; norton.org. Admission is free.

There is no place like home and nothing better than your own backyard. So come on over to America's Backyard where Damn Good Hospitality presents the fourth annual Fort Mardi Gras Festival on Saturday. There will be authentic New Orleans food, drinks, live music by Big Chief Band and the Rock N Jake Band. You can also look forward to seeing street performers, which include stilt walkers, jugglers and fire dancers. Then have your face painted, and check out the Indy crafts. Grown-ups, stick around and, at 10 p.m., join the Y100 After Party. 4 p.m. Saturday, February 22, America's Backyard, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; fortmardigras.com. Admission is free.

Original post:
The Five Best Things to Do in South Florida This Weekend - New Times Broward-Palm Beach

During a speech this week, Donald Trumps acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney admitted that the United States is desperate for more immigrants to enter this country, though he admits that they only want the legal kind of immigrants. The problem is that the U.S. has become so angry towards immigrants that they simply dont want to come here, and it is going to be devastating for our economy. Ring of Fires Farron Cousins discusses this.

Transcript:

*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

Earlier this week at a private meeting in England, MickMulvaney, Donald Trumps acting chief of staff, told the people there at thatmeeting that the United States is actually desperate for more immigrants. MickMulvaney coming from one of the most anti-immigrant administrations in recenthistory telling a crowd in private, obviously, yeah, we actually need moreimmigrants coming into the United States. Now, he did preface it by saying,obviously Im talking about the legal kind of immigrants, you know, not theillegal immigrants, but either way, we really need these people coming intothis country. And the reason Mick Mulvaney said is because, we are running outof people to fuel the economic growth that weve had in our nation over thelast four years. We need more immigrants. Those are his exact words, accordingto the people in attendance. And that just kind of hits on what we have beensaying since the start of the Trump administration.

And that is you cannot have sustainable economic growth ifwe do not have these immigrants coming into our country. Believe it or not,folks, there actually are jobs that American citizens do not want to do andthose are the jobs that typically get filled by these immigrants. Great case inpoint, many years ago, about seven or eight years ago, state of Georgia enacteda tough immigration policy that actually limited and in many instances outrightrestricted the use of temporary guest workers coming into the state of Georgia.What happened that year was that farmers didnt have anyone to go out there andharvest their crops. You had fruit rotting in trees, vegetables rotting in thefields, farmers losing tons of money because they couldnt find anybody elsewilling to do it. So when I say that, yeah, sorry, there are jobs someAmericans just simply refuse to do or theyre physically not able to do.

I know what Im talking about because weve seen it happenwithin the past decade. We have seen reports over the last three years of smallbusinesses across this country, typically in the landscaping industry, losingmoney, some of them having to shut down because Donald Trump has actuallyclamped down on legal immigration. Limited the number of those temporary guestworker visas that were distributing every single year. And because of that,our economy is suffering and at least Mick Mulvaney understands that, which isactually a more classical Republican approach to immigration. They understandthat, yeah, we have to have these people coming over. They do jobs, theycontribute to the economy, but if were ever pressed on the issue, of coursewere going to say that these people are evil, that we need to keep them out,that theyre taking your jobs, even though we know thats a lie. And thatsessentially what Mick Mulvaney was admitting in that private room in England.

Thats what happened. The truth is that the United Stateseconomy is dependent upon immigrants, and as long as Donald Trump is serving aspresident of the United States, and hes got Stephen Miller whispering in hisear, were going to continue to suffer because this man knows that he cantgive an inch on the issue of immigration. He has backed himself into a cornerbecause of Stephen Miller. If he were to allow more guest workers to come overhere to the United States, Miller would erupt. Ann Coulter would erupt as wehave seen her do in the past. His base would go into a frenzy, claim that heconned them on the issue of being tough on immigration, and he simply wontrisk that. So he would rather see the economy suffer because were not bringingin enough immigrants, as Mick Mulvaney says, than half to anger his base byletting a few more people come in.

See original here:
Mick Mulvaney Says America Is Desperate For More Immigrants - The Ring of Fire Network - The Ring of Fire Network

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iranians voted for a new parliament Friday, with turnout seen as a key measure of support for Irans leadership as sanctions weigh on the economy and U.S. pressure isolates the country diplomatically.

The disqualification of more than 7,000 potential candidates, most of them reformists and moderates, raised the possibility of lower-than-usual turnout. Among those disqualified were 90 sitting members of parliament who had wanted to run for re-election.

Voting was extended for five hours, but there was no official announcement on turnout after the polls finally closed late Friday.

Initial results were expected to be announced Saturday. Presidential elections are expected to take place in 2021.

The election comes at a time of growing economic hardship for many in Iran. U.S. sanctions have strangled Irans ability to sell its oil abroad, forcing its economy into recession.

Also looming over the election is the threat of the new coronavirus. Many voters headed to the polls with face masks on.

Iranian health authorities on Friday confirmed two new deaths from the virus, which first emerged in China in December, bringing the total death toll in Iran to four, from among 18 confirmed cases. Authorities say all the cases have links with city of Qom, where the first two elderly patients died on Wednesday. Concerns over the spread of the virus prompted authorities in Iran to close all schools, universities and Shiite seminaries in Qom.

Irans leadership and state media haf urged people to show up and vote, with some framing it as a religious duty. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast his ballot at a mosque near his Tehran office shortly after polls opened at 8 a.m.

Anyone who cares about Irans national interests should participate in the election, he said. Earlier in the week, Khamenei said high voter turnout will thwart plots and plans by the U.S. and supporters of Israel against Iran.

After the disqualifications, around 7,000 candidates were left vying for a place in the 290-seat chamber across 208 constituencies.

Tensions with the United States could strengthen hard-liners by reinforcing long-held distrust of the West. A parliament stacked with hard-liners could favor expanding the budget for the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. It could also tilt public policy debates toward hard-liners who are opposed to engagement with the U.S.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who had initially criticized the disqualification of so many moderate would-be candidates, cast his ballot on Friday and urged the public to stage another victory by voting in large numbers. Our enemies will be disappointed more than before, he said.

On the eve of the vote, the Trump administration ratcheted up its campaign of pressure on Iran by imposing sanctions on two senior officials of the Guardian Council, the body of clerics and judges that decides which candidates may run in elections. The U.S. also sanctioned three members of Irans elections supervisory committee, saying all those targeted were responsible for silencing the voice of the Iranian people by rejecting thousands of people from running.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the election as a sham and a vote that is not free or fair.

The 92-year-old head of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who was among those sanctioned on Thursday, mocked the U.S. decision and its apparently limited impact. I am thinking what to do with the money that we have in American funds. Also, we cannot go there for Christmas and other occasions, he was quoted as saying in local media.

Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted in official media saying the election showcases that Iranians are choosing their own fate and do not allow a person sitting in Washington to make decisions for them.

Ali Motahari, one of the pro-reform lawmakers who were barred from defending their seats in this election, said the incoming parliament will not be truly representative of the people. Still, he urged people to vote.

We should still try to find moderate and clear-headed candidates from the existing ones and vote for them, he said.

The parliament in Iran does not have power to dictate major policies, but it does debate the annual budget and the possible impeachment of ministers. Power in Iran ultimately rests with Khamenei, who has final say on all key matters.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington spiked after a U.S. airstrike in January killed Irans top general, Qassem Soleimani. The strike led to a tense confrontation in which Iranian forces accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Most of those killed were Iranian.

The shoot-down, and attempts by officials to initially conceal the cause of the crash sparked public anger and protests in Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranians have seen the price of basic goods skyrocket, inflation and unemployment rise and the local currency plummet since President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from Irans nuclear agreement with world powers and imposed sanctions.

The economic woes faced by ordinary Iranians fueled anti-government protests in November. International human rights groups say at least 300 people were killed in the protests.

Neda Ghorbani, a 31-year-old mother, said she was not voting Friday because shes disappointed with Rouhani and other moderates in government.

We voted in the 2017 (presidential) election hoping that our countrys situation would improve under Rouhanis presidency, but we were wrong and we accept that we made a mistake (by voting), she said.

Local TV stations broadcast images from Qom, around 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, showing women and men, some wearing face masks for protection, lining up in separate lines to vote on Friday. Qom is a popular religious destination and a center of learning and religious studies for Shiite Muslims from inside Iran, as well as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.

The Tehran governor tried to calm fears over the new virus, saying voters didnt have to mark their fingers with ink after voting. Using the ink was optional, said Anoushirvan Bandpay, according to the official IRNA news agency.

People should not be worry about spreading coronavirus, he added.

Current parliament speaker Ali Larijani is stepping down after 11 years and is not running for reelection, though he was shown voting in his city of Qom. Mohammad Baqher Qalibaf, the former mayor of Tehran who is also the former head of the Revolutionary Guard air force, is seen as one of the front-runners to succeed Larijani.

The current parliament, elected in 2016, had more than 100 reformists and moderates, with the rest of the chamber split between independents and hard-liners. Some 90 current lawmakers were also barred from running in Fridays election.

Nearly 58 million Iranians, out of a population of more than 80 million, are eligible to vote. Every Iranian above the age of 18 can vote.

Turnout has been over 50% in previous parliamentary elections. In 2016, it was nearly 62%.

The polls were originally scheduled to close at 6 p.m., but officials extended that to 11 p.m. to give people more time to cast their vote. Friday is a day of rest in Iran, as is the case across most Muslim countries.

___

Associated Press writer Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

See original here:
Iranians vote in parliament elections favoring conservatives - The Associated Press

Iranians are scared and angry. Their government has been lying to them and their media was instructed not to report on the coronavirus outbreak as it rapidly spread from the religious city of Qom to other cities. On Saturday, Tehran was awash with rumors and riots occurred in the city of Talesh on the Caspian sea due to a quarantine.

The situation inside the hospital is very scary and terrifying, one man tweeted. Even the hospital medical staff, some of whom are infected with the coronavirus, are terrified." In Isfahan medical students protested at the local University of Medical Sciences due to lack of protective gear. Iranians are well educated and they know the risks as their government tried over seventy hours to stop the spread of information about the crises.

By Saturday evening at least six people were dead but official figures put the number of infections only in the twenties. In fact rumors were spreading that the numbers could be in the hundreds or a thousand cases. In Iraq the authorities moved to shut the border and stop Iranian pilgrims from coming from Qom. In addition Iran sought to clamp down on travel. A Lebanese woman returning from Qom tested positive in Lebanon. Lebanons Health Minister, who is linked to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, said everything was in order.

Yet Iranians were urged by their government to congregate in confined spaces on Friday to vote. The regime wanted the turnout to grow beyond the 11 million who were estimated to have voted. The government, seeking to censor information on the spread of the virus, likely contributed to misinformation by pushing the polls to stay open later with a national health emergency looming. Yet Fars News, Tasnim and other news outlets did not warn of the crises. The only information came later on Saturday when reports said that there was price gouging for protective medical masks. Anadolu, a Turkish news agency, photographed dozens of people in Iran already wearing the masks. The government sought to put price controls on masks so people could afford them.

In the afternoon on Saturday officials moved to close all schools on Sunday and Monday. A mayor, named Mortaza Rahmanzeda of a district in Tehran was taken to hospital. Rumors claimed he was badly ill from the virus. Other officials appeared to be concerned they might be sick. Mohsen Rafsanjani, head of the city council of Tehran, said he was visiting a hospital. By the evening Irans media announced universities would close. But media still wasnt allowed to report the reason. Educational facilities, according to Fars News, will be closed in Tehran, Alborz, Qazvin, Markzai, Qom, Hamedan, Isfahan, Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. There are thirty provinces in Iran, but there are the most central. It appears the virus may not have spread to outlying areas, such as the Kurdistan region. But the Kurdistan region of Iraq is taking no chances, quarantining people in Soran and considering to close the border. In Pakistan also some voices are calling for border closures. In Iran some expressed anger at Mahan Air and other airlines for continuing to fly pilgrims.

The Minister of Science spoke out Saturday about the coronavirus precautions. He urged people at University to visit health center as soon as they feel symptoms of a cold, flue or the like. Take the necessary measures to treat them at the centers. In Alborz a university head encouraged most people not to wear a mask. He said that news about the virus must come only from the Ministry of Health and that people should avoid rumors. There are no cases in the province, he claimed, according to ISNA in Iran.

The lack of response by authorities and rumors have caused a tense situation in Iran. It also appears to be contributing to the spread of the virus to other countries. Iraqs Muqtada al-Sadr flew home to Iraq as the virus spread in Qom. Oddly he did not have to be quarantined. Iran is already on edge because of protests last year where the authorities killed 1,500 demonstrators. But the authorities continue to provide little information on the extent of the outbreak. A head of a unit at Qom University said he had received no statistics. Women at a university in Tehran protested the lack of information. In Talesh people continued to protest mysterious closures and quarantines. Tear gas was used outside at least one hospital. In Rasht fires were lit and the authorities cracked down on protests. They resort to oppression instead of a solution to the coronavirus crises, wrote locals.

News programs in the evening in Iran gave advise on wearing masks and cleaning ones hands. But they didnt explain how to best prevent the spread of the virus. They gave only comfort one woman tweeted, complaining of the lack of information.

Iran covered up the downing of a Ukrainian airliner in January and the killing of protests in November. The regime sees no incentive to be honest with its people or the world, since it can act with impunity regardless of the international community and international standards, and still be greeted with a welcome in Europe and most countries. In this respect the response to the virus outbreak is the usual opaque and unclear answers from Tehran as people live in fear and dont know what to do as schools are closed. Neighboring countries are on edge as well.

Read more here:
Irans government and media lied about coronavirus outbreak, riots erupt - The Jerusalem Post

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif takes part in the panel discussion 'A conversation with Iran' during the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich on February 15, 2020.

Thomas Kienzle | AFP via Getty Images

MUNICH Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the deadly U.S. strike on Iran's top military leader an "act of terror" and blamed President Donald Trump's advisors.

"This moment is a very dangerous moment because the United States has been misled. I believe President Trump, unfortunately, does not have good advisers," Zarif told an audience Saturday during a discussion at the Munich Security Conference.

"Unfortunately somebody else is trying to mimic John Bolton and promised the president that killing Soleimani would bring people to dance in the streets in Tehran and Baghdad. And that the continuation of maximum pressure would bring us to our knees before his reelection campaign," he said, adding that none of it came to pass.

Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of funeral processions for slain top general Qasem Soleimani, in his hometown Kerman on January 7, 2020.

Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images

"That was an act of terror," he said of the Jan. 2 strike that killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani, a key military figure of Iranian and Middle East politics. "The United States conducts operations and wants to be immune from the consequences, that doesn't happen," he added.

On the heels of the strike, Iran launched at least a dozen missiles from its territory on Jan. 7 at two military bases in Iraq that house U.S. troops and coalition forces.

A day later from the White House, Trump said that Iran appeared "to be standing down" and warned Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon," Trump said speaking from the grand foyer of the White House.

But he suggested that the U.S. is open to negotiations with Tehran. "We must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place," he said on Jan. 8.

He then urged other world powers to break away from the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran and work out a new deal.

The Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and began a policy of "maximum pressure" to reign in Tehran's activities in the Middle East.

And while U.S. sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, slashing its oil exports, Tehran has said it will not negotiate with Washington while the penalties are in place.

"John Kerry and I spent more time together than we did with our wives for two years," Zarif said of the Obama-era agreement at the Munich Security Forum.

"It was a multilateral agreement and President Trump decided that he simply did not like Obama so he could leave. So there's no point in talking over something that you talked about. I mean, you don't buy a horse twice," he added.

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Iran's foreign minister blames Trump's advisors for 'very dangerous moment' in relations with the US - CNBC