Our 167th Year
Narrow defeat
Pictures worth a thousand words
Carpinteria’s Measure T rejected by just 83 votes - A3
Local author chronicles silent film era in Montecito - B1
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F R I DAY, DE C E M BE R 9, 2 02 2
WNBA star Britney Griner released by Russia via prisoner swap By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE
(The Center Square) – WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian prison and is returning to the U.S., the Biden administration announced Thursday. “Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner,” President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter. “She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home.” Ms. Griner was in Russia playing offseason basketball but was detained by Russian law enforcement after cannabis oil was
found in her baggage. Possession of cannabis is illegal in Russia. She lost her appeal in November and was moved to a penal colony. Her release was secured via a prisoner swap, the White House said. “After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along,” President Biden said during a speech from the White House Thursday morning. “This was a day we worked toward for a long time.”
President Biden asked for Ms. Griner to have “space, privacy, and time” to heal. “Brittney is an incomparable athlete, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for team U.S.A.,” President Biden said. “She endured mistreatment and a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity.” President Biden also gave a nod to Paul Whelan, an American accused of spying in Russia who has been in a labor camp there after being detained in 2018. He has a 16-year sentence but maintains his innocence.
“We have not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for years,” Biden said. “This was not a choice of which American to bring home. We brought home Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year. Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up. We remain in close touch with Paul’s family, and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.”
Targeted for demolition Proposal for Santa Barbara hotel calls for tearing down The Press Room pub, Restoration Hardware
Britney Griner had been confined in a Russian penal colony since November prior to her release on Thursday.
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Respect for Marriage Act sent to Biden’s desk Pacific Pride Foundation, Carbajal praise House’s vote for bill protecting same-sex and interracial couples By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The Press Room pub on Ortega Street would be torn down under a proposal for a four-story Santa Barbara hotel in the 700 block of State Street.
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A proposal to build a four-story, 66room hotel at 710 State St. would mean the demolition of two buildings that now house The Press Room pub and Restoration Hardware, the project’s case planner said Thursday. Associate Planner Kelly Brodison confirmed to the News-Press that 710 State St,, which houses Restoration Hardware, would be demolished, as would the building at 15 E. Ortega St., where The Press Room pub is located. A third building at 19 E. Ortega, which sits at the rear of 710 State St., would be torn down as well, she said. “The building at 15 E. Ortega is proposed to be demolished as part of the project,” Ms. Brodison said, adding that the project’s floor plan shows that hotel rooms are proposed for 15 E. Ortega St. When the News-Press visited The Press Room on Thursday, customers reacted to the hotel proposal with dismay and annoyance. Please see HOTEL on A4
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The building housing Restoration Hardware would be demolished if a hotel is built as proposed in downtown Santa Barbara.
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U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal
affirmed the right for millions of Americans to marry the person they love, regardless of sex, gender, or sexual orientation,” Rep. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, last year the radical Supreme Court explicitly opened the door to attacking that right, for both same-sex and interracial couples, as they’re gutting the right to reproductive health care,” Rep. Carbajal said. “My colleagues and I are not going to stand by as our courts threaten this important progress that we have made. We are acting to codify marriage equality and make it clear to our Supreme Court that this right is not theirs to erase. I am proud to cosponsor this important affirmation of the rights of millions, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law in the near future.” The Respect for Marriage Act requires that under federal law, an individual will be considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. The bill also prohibits any person acting under state law from denying full faith and credit to an out-of -state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the individuals in the marriage. It also provides the attorney general with the authority to pursue enforcement actions, and it creates a private right of action for any individual harmed by a violation of this provision. email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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in s i de Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
The House voted Thursday to send a bipartisan bill codifying marriage equality for samesex and interracial couples to President Joe Biden’s desk. In a vote of 258 to 169, the House approved the Respect for Marriage Act, which codifies the right of marriage of equality guaranteed by Supreme Court decisions in Obergefell and Loving. It also prohibit states from denying the marriages of other states based on the sex, race, ethnicity or national origin of the spouses. The legislation, which passed the Senate last week and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden in the coming days, also repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and provides additional legal protections for same-sex and interracial couples. “Today’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the House is an important step on the historic path to protection for LGBTQ+ families and all families,” Kristin Flickinger, executive director of Pacific Pride Foundation, told the News-Press in an email. The foundation serves the LGBTQ community in Santa Barbara County. “This bipartisan achievement is the work of many LGBTQ+ organizations, advocates, and members of Congress, who have been dedicated to ensuring its passage at this challenging time,” Ms. Flickinger said. “Once signed into law, this legislation will ensure the dignity, rights and protections of marriage for LGBTQ+ people and their families,” she said. “Congress’ next step must be to pass nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people to ensure equality under the law, so that individuals and families can live and work and support their families and communities, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Passage of the Respect for Marriage Act received praise from one of its co-sponsors — U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal. “Just less than a decade ago, we celebrated the landmark (Supreme Court) decision that
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 16-26-32-38-43 Mega: 4
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 3-6-8-0
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 15-16-19-28-47 Mega: 13
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 13-15-33-37-38
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 03-12-09 Time: 1:44.24
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 6-28-44-59-61 Meganumber: 21
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 5-9-2 / Midday 4-2-9