Spanish Olympian complains of measures hurting nursing moms

Biographer delves deep into the comedy and the tragedy of Robin Williams' troubled life

Whenever I’m asked with whom I’d love to dine, entertainer Robin Williams always tops my short list of three. Still.

It’s immaterial that we didn’t move in the same social circles. Or that our career paths never crossed, even though one of his many movies, The Big White, was partially shot in Winnipeg in 2005. Something about him — that hairy persona, those kind blue eyes, the “aw shucks” grin — had intrigued me since watching the debut of his Mork & Mindy TV sitcom in 1978. His off-the-wall goofiness simply sealed the deal.

Comedian Williams became movie-star Williams, and I bought every flick — the good, the not-so-good and the real stinkers. His raunchy standup recordings, often released between his movies, were just an added, adult-only bonus.

So I, like many, was gutted when, at age 63, Williams took his own life in 2014. I didn’t “get” it: how could an award-winning, funny guy, admired by so many for so long, get so beaten up inside that he’d off himself?

House of horrors burned for TV film

The boy watched as fire began to consume the farmhouse, while a film crew taped the blaze for a movie.

As flames engulfed the two-storey farmhouse near Kipling, Sask., the boy was looking at more than a movie moment -- he was witnessing the destruction of the house of horrors where he was held prisoner and raped three years ago by one of Canada's most notorious child molesters, Peter Robert Whitmore.

"He didn't really care about the movie," the boy's father said Wednesday, recalling the blaze that bitterly cold day in February.

"We were all glad to see the place go."

Klein claims PCs offered him party position to exit 2022 mayoral race to help Gillingham win

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein said he was offered a position with the provincial Tories if he pulled out of the 2022 mayoral race that saw then-city councillor Scott Gillingham defeat former mayor Glen Murray.

Klein made the revelation on Monday as he and Mike Vogiatzakis swapped accusations of offering an inducement to leave the current mayoral race. Both candidates allege that they were offered a position at city hall by the other — if victorious in the Oct. 28 election — in exchange for withdrawing.

“When I ran for mayor last time, a person with the (Progressive) Conservative Party of Manitoba came to my office and sat me down and said, ‘Look, we would like you to pull out of the race. There’s two weeks left. We would like you to pull out of the race, we’ll get you something in the party, but we need to open the door so that Glen Murray doesn’t win and Scott (Gillingham) does,” Klein told the Free Press.

“They didn’t really offer a lot. How it was described to me, and we’re talking four years ago now, so it’s memory, was that (they said) ‘Kevin, you’re only splitting the vote, so let’s find a place for you with the (Progressive) Conservative party. Back out and throw your support behind Scott. That would be the best thing for you to do’… I disagreed.”

Police seize cocaine valued at $1.5M, about $750K in cash in raid on St. Vital house

A St. Vital homeowner and her husband were going about their business during an afternoon last month when police officers in tactical gear suddenly appeared, walking across their front lawn.

The target was a few doors down: a maroon split-level home on a quiet stretch of Satinwood Place, within earshot of children playing outside at a nearby school.

The homeowner, who asked not to be named to protect their privacy, said the police presence caught the couple by surprise in the Southglen neighbourhood, where they weren’t accustomed to seeing that kind of activity.

“We never heard the (police) cars pull up, but there were cars blocking the entrance to the street from both sides,” said the neighbour. “They had a shield, a battering ram — everything. Just not used to seeing that.”

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Caution. Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions from 5 a.m. until 10:15 p.m. After that, the moon moves from Leo into Virgo.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

This is a fantastic day to shmooz and romance is also favoured. In fact, this is most romantic day of the week. Intimate relationships will be affectionate and exciting. Enjoy socializing, sporting events and fun activities with kids. The arts are blessed.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

The women’s 100 metres in Tokyo ended with Elaine Thompson-Herah’s celebration. It might have cost her a world record

Thompson-Herah beats compatriot Fraser-Pryce and leads a Jamaican sweep of the podium.