Kirill newsmaker person

WHEN Lyle Lovett went to Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein last Sunday -- it's the church his family has attended forever -- several members congratulated him on headlining the upcoming RodeoHouston. "I could tell from the greetings that, finally, because I'm playing the rodeo, I'm doing OK. This (music career) might work out," he says with a grin. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter, who has won several Grammy Awards and acted in movies (he's a favorite of director Robert Altman 's), is thrilled about performing at the rodeo for the first time, on Feb. 19. But if music is Lovett's passion, motorcycles rank a close second. When Lovett was 7, his family vacationed in Galveston. His father rented a small Honda sport bike, and they took a ride on the beach. "It was exhilarating. I had never felt anything like it," he recalls. "And I felt comfortable and safe, because I had my arms around my dad." Ever since that day on the beach, Lovett has held intense feelings about … [Read more...] about Lyle Lovett found peace on the seat of a Harley

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 11 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia. The 27-nation bloc is banning Russian refined oil products like diesel fuel and joining the U.S. and other allies in imposing a price cap on sales to non-Western countries. Europe's ban takes effect Sunday following its embargo on coal and most oil from Russia. The move is meant to further slash reliance on Russian energy and payments into the Kremlin's war chest as the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine nears. The newest energy sanctions have risks: Diesel prices have already jumped since the war started on Feb. 24, and there's uncertainty about how the EU embargo and price cap by the Group of Seven major democracies will affect the market for a fuel crucial to the global economy. Most things people buy or eat … [Read more...] about How will EU ban and West’s price cap on Russian diesel work?

Jost Capito has praised new Williams team principal James Vowles and said he has given his congratulations, after taking over his role at the team. Capito confirmed that “exhaustion” played a part in his decision to take a sudden step away from Williams and Formula 1 at the end of 2022, with former Mercedes strategy director Vowles being approached to take on the role he vacated. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff did not stand in his way, allowing Vowles to head to Grove and take on his first team principal role in Formula 1 with Williams. But for Capito, he feels Vowles is a fine choice to pick up where he left off with the team, with the challenge ahead of pulling themselves off the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship in 2023. “Yes, I’ve already worked closely with James, also with Mercedes and their drivers,” Capito told Auto Bild in Germany. “He’s incredibly competent, I like him a lot and he’s also a great person. I congratulated him accordingly, of course.” … [Read more...] about Jost Capito delivers his verdict on his Williams replacement James Vowles

With the French GP absent from the 2023 calendar, Jean Alesi has hit out at what he believes is the “politics” behind its removal. The French Grand Prix was one of the seven circuits in the inaugural season of Formula 1 and remained a near permanent fixture on the calendar up until 2009. The race was brought back for the 2018 season but is again absent from the 2023 schedule with no sign of a second comeback any time soon. Getting any race on the F1 calendar can be a political minefield but nowhere does that seem more true than in France with the host of the grand prix frequently being shifted depending on whose voice was loudest. In total, seven different tracks have held the race and in 1991, the venue moved from Paul Ricard to Magny-Cours as the French Federation of Automobile Sport sought to increase attendances. The centrally located Paul Ricard is 600km south of Magny-Cours. But in 2018, the race returned to Paul Ricard after the French government refused to subsidise … [Read more...] about Jean Alesi blames ‘politics’ for end of French GP, not the circuit

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 DALLAS (AP) — Texas high school quarterbacks guru Todd Dodge got what he wanted when Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia won their conference championship games. “I really like Joe Burrow,” Dodge said with a chuckle in reference to Cincinnati's star quarterback, “but I'm not going to root for Joe Burrow over Patrick Mahomes, that Texas quarterback.” The Mahomes-Hurts matchup is the first showdown between a pair of Texas high school signal QBs and the latest milestone for a football-crazy state once known much more for Earl Campbell and Eric Dickerson than whoever was handing off to those future Pro Football Hall of Fame running backs. Dodge, a recently retired high school coach who won seven state championships, played a big role in the start of the transformation around 1980. He was the quarterback for what he considered the father of … [Read more...] about Mahomes-Hurts matchup rep Texas prep QBs on Super Bowl stage

If you ever find yourself cruising around Los Angeles, you might see Erika Nuri Taylor's signs announcing a house for sale in Simi Valley or a condo listing in Van Nuys. What you might not know is that the Realtor is also a Grammy-nominated songwriter with a long and storied career working with the likes of Enrique Iglesias, Janelle Monáe and Fantasia. Or that she co-wrote the Meghan Trainor song "Woman Up" playing in that "80 for Brady" movie trailer that's sure to dominate our televisions during the Super Bowl. So, you might wonder, why on earth is she selling houses? The 65th Grammy Awards ceremony, that annual celebration of (mostly mainstream, American, Top 40) radio, arrives once again on Sunday, with performances from the industry's top earners, including Lizzo, Harry Styles and Luke Combs. The glitzy gathering can obscure the fact that making a living in the industry is increasingly hard for most songwriters and musicians in the streaming era. Royalties tend to be … [Read more...] about In the Spotify era, many musicians struggle to make a living

One of the things that makes Carwow videos interesting is how they compare cars in different ways. In this case, a power-to-weight comparison between a BMW M240i, AMG A45, Audi RS3, and Golf R. But the best part? It's entertaining to watch. It starts with the Volkswagen Golf R . Powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with an advertised 320 horsepower, it's equipped with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive. The owner thinks his car makes somewhere around 325 horsepower, which turns out to be almost on the nose. The highest of three dyno runs came in at 324.6 horsepower. Next up is the BMW M240i. As one of the more powerful versions of the BMW 2 Series , the M240i came equipped with a 3.0-liter turbo cranking out 347 horsepower. Like the Golf R, the owner of the BMW thinks 347 is a bit low, in this case, it should be closer to 400 horsepower. Again, the car makes more power than advertised, but at 375 horsepower, it's shy of what the owner expected. Moving … [Read more...] about BMW M240i v AMG A45 v Audi RS3 v Golf R Dyno Comparison

Winter is rough on cars. Extreme cold lowers tire pressure and saps energy from the battery. Oil thickens up, and antifreeze might freeze. Then there's the snow, ice, and slush, in addition to sand and salt used to treat roads. That's why some people drive winter beaters. But while most people's winter car is a Subaru or some SUV, one hero drives a 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S across the frozen landscape. Tasked with cleaning it, the Detail Geek calls it "the world's most expensive winter beater." That might be a stretch since we're talking about a Mercedes-AMG GT S and not a $3,000 rust bucket. But considering most owners hide their supercars under a cover in a climate-controlled garage, there's something admirable about a person who drives their supercar year-round. The black exterior is caked in grime. Inside, the red leather interior is surprisingly clean, except for some trash and what looks like dog hair. Black silt pools on the floor as the Detail Geek starts by rinsing the … [Read more...] about Mercedes-AMG GT S Used During Winter Gets The Cleaning It Deserves

His beloved Buffalo Bills may not be there but Daniel Ricciardo has picked out his favourite for the Super Bowl. When he is not busy driving fast cars around the circuit, F1’s Ricciardo is known for being quite the sport enthusiast, especially when it comes to American ones. In the past, he has shown his love of UFC but he is also a huge NFL fan, regularly attending games when he can and being a big Buffalo Bills fan. February 12 sees the biggest game of the season when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs for the Super Bowl at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona and while his beloved Bills are not going to be there, Ricciardo revealed he would be in attendance. “I’m actually going to be there next week, which is really cool,” Ricciardo told media including PlanetF1. “So that’s another perk about not racing this year. The upside is I will get to do some fun things which deep down I’ve wanted to do for a long time and scratch some itches.” In terms of who he … [Read more...] about Daniel Ricciardo makes his prediction ahead of Eagles v Chiefs Super Bowl showdown