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What to watch this weekend: ‘Succession’ finale, John Wick, Matchbox Twenty, ‘American Born Chinese’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

Sure, lots of folks are eagerly anticipating this Sunday’s “Succession” finale. But what if you haven’t followed the Roy family drama? There’s plenty of new don’t miss new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists this week are streaming arrival of the latest “John Wick” film, the end of a long drought of new Matchbox Twenty music, a video game that lets you play one of Middle Earth’s most recognizable characters and a television adaptation of the graphic novel “American Born Chinese.”NEW MOVIES TO STREAM— It can be hard to believe when corporate folks make genuinely altruistic gestures, especially involving their fortunes, but neither Kris McDivitt Tompkins, the first CEO of Patagonia, nor her late husband, Doug Tompkins, the founder the North Face and Esprit, were ones to play by the rules. “Wild Life,” a new documentary from the Oscar-winning “Free Solo” filmma...

Ejected for 4th time this year, Yanks’ Boone doesn’t want robot umps

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Ejected for the fourth time this season and second time in a four-game span, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t think there was a need for robot umpires.“I don’t want that,” Boone said after Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.Boone was tossed in the middle of the third inning by Edwin Moscoso over the umpire’s strike zone. Boone held up four fingers while arguing, signaling Boone thought the plate umpire missed four calls on pitches by Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt. A graphic posted by the Yankees’ YES Network indicated at least six of Schmidt’s pitches that caught the edge of the strike zone were called balls.“Clearly he shouldn’t have had to throw almost 30 pitches in that first inning,” Boone said. “But, no, I’m not advocating for the robo. I think these guys do for the most part a great job and work really hard at it. When you’re playing for a lot, there’s going to be some issues from time to ...

CANNES PHOTOS: In the festival’s blur, someone’s always watching

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

CANNES, France (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it blur, can never be seen in full.Though a wide-screen spectacular, Cannes is often spied only in fleeting glimpses — the back of a star’s head, the flowing train of a gown. Outside the festival hub, the Palais des Festival, throngs teeter on ladders and rise on tiptoes to catch a view of the French Riviera pageant that has unspooled over the last two weeks.Along the main boulevard, the Croisette, faces on billboards, posters and magazine covers look out on the sea of people rushing by. In Cannes, someone is always watching.AP Photographer Daniel Cole has spent the festival looking to capture the glances and impressions of a splintered spectacle. His images offer snapshots of life in Cannes, whether lost in a crowd or in stolen moments of isolation. The Cannes Film Festival draws to a close Saturday with the presentation of the Palme d’Or.Source

AP PHOTOS: A proliferation of gold mines in Venezuela offers grueling, dangerous work

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

EL CALLAO, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is known to have the world’s largest oil reserves, but its soil holds another valuable resource: gold. The government in 2016 established a huge mining development zone stretching across the middle of Venezuela to diversify its revenue. Seven years later, there is a proliferation of mines burrowing for gold, diamonds, copper and other minerals.The Mining Arc of the Orinoco is plagued with violence and shrouded in secrecy because many mines operate outside or on the margins of the law. They offer lucrative jobs for ordinary Venezuelans, but conditions are brutal.At an underground mine in Bolivar state, operators use dynamite to loosen rocks some 260 feet ( 80 meters) below the surface, where workers descend daily to toil in oppressive heat with no safety gear.The miners typically begin their day strapping themselves to a thick steel wire, holding on as best then can while dropping about 200 feet (60 meters) down a shaft, entering a world where he...

Riopelle slams 2 homers, Gators top Vandy 6-3 in SEC

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — BT Riopelle hit two home runs, including a grand slam, to lead top-seeded Florida to a 6-3 win over fourth-seeded Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament on Thursday.Riopelle, who had a game-winning three-run home run in Wednesday’s win over Alabama, had a solo shot before his 13th home run of the year made it 6-2.Florida (44-13) advances to a semifinal on Saturday, facing the winner of the Alabama-Vanderbilt loser-out game, which is Friday.Davis Diaz drove in two runs on a groundout in the top of the first and a single in the fifth that tied the game at 2 for Vanderbilt (38-18). Luke Heyman tied the game for Florida with a homer in the second and Riopelle gave the Gators a 2-1 lead in the fourth.Ryan Slater picked up the win in relief for the Gators to improve to 9-0 while Bryce Cunningham (2-3) took the loss. Philip Abner struck out three in the ninth for his third save.Jonathan Vastine had a solo home run leading off the eighth for Vandy.___AP college sports: h...

POLITICO Pro Morning Health Care: WHA wrap — UK trials boost — Cancer Plan project peek

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

Presented by PPTABy HELEN COLLISwith ASHLEIGH FURLONG, CARLO MARTUSCELLI, ELISA BRAUN and JOANNA ROBERTSPRESENTED BY View in your browser or listen to audioSNEAK PEEK— As the World Health Assembly winds down, we look at the latest news out of Geneva.— The U.K. Treasury unveiled a raft of measures designed to boost the life sciences sector, including speeding up clinical trials.— Two years since Europe’s Cancer Plan launched and a suite of projects are now up and running.Welcome to Friday’s Morning Health Care! Today, we say a fond toodle-pip to our brilliant colleague Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif, who leaves us to take up another worthy cause, saving lives as a doctor. She will be very much missed on the team and, I’m sure, among our readers too. Interested in filling her shoes? Drop us a line. Second public service announcement: We have a newsletter holiday Monday, but we’ll land back in your inboxes on Tuesday.Mark your calendars: Our weekly health care calendar lands in your inb...

Celtics continue to stay alive with dominant Game 5 victory over Heat, force Game 6 in Miami

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

When the Celtics fell into a 3-0 series deficit in these Eastern Conference Finals, they looked disconnected. But when all hope looked lost, they stuck together.Their humiliating Game 3 loss could have easily led to a sweep, to a painfully long summer. But they stayed together. The Celtics gathered the eve before Game 4, looked each other in the eye and made sure they were on the same page. One of their assistant coaches put their predicament in perspective.“The seasons are like nine months long, and we just had a bad week,” Mazzulla said of the assistant’s message. “Sometimes you have a bad week at work. We obviously didn’t pick the best time to have a bad week, but we did. “And we’re sticking together and fighting like hell to keep it alive, and the guys are really coming together.”And now, it just got interesting.As slim as their chances looked – facing a task no team in NBA history has accomplished – the Celtics have still believed. They still believed they were the ...

Del Mar personal trainer's trademark challenged by Monster Energy drink

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

DEL MAR, Calif. -- A Del Mar personal trainer has been forced to go up against an energy drink giant. When filing for a registered trademark, Monster Squad Del Mar was stopped by Monster Energy.“I’m not advertising their drinks. No logos, my logo looks nothing like theirs,” said Herman Jones, owner of Monster Squad Del Mar mobile training.Jones is now prepared to fight for his business of more than 20 years after Monster Energy filed an objection to his trademark registration.“This is a big company chasing me for what reason,” Jones said.According to Jones’ lawyer Andrew Dhuey, the energy drink giant has a reputation of going after the little guy.“They’ve done this nine times in the last week. They are averaging about one every calendar day,” Dhuey said.Dhuey said every time a trademark application is filed with the word "monster" or even just the letter “m,” Monster Energy files an objection. Owners of San Diego restaurants charged with COVID-relief fraud “I’ve been watching trad...

Climbers celebrate Mount Everest 70th anniversary amid melting glaciers, rising temperatures

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — As the mountaineering community prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest, there is growing concern about temperatures rising, glaciers and snow melting, and weather getting harsh and unpredictable on the world’s tallest mountain.Since the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) mountain peak was first scaled by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953, thousands of climbers have reached the peak and hundreds of lost their lives.The deteriorating conditions on Everest are raising concerns for the mountaineering community and the people whose livelihoods depend on the flow of visitors.The Sherpa community, who grew up on the foothills of the snow-covered mountain they worship as the mother of the world, is the most startled.“The effects of climate change are hitting not just the fishes of Antarctica, the whales or the penguins, but it’s having a direct impact on the Himalayan mountains and the peo...

Members of polygamous group to appear in court on child sex abuse charges

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:40:25 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Members of a small polygamous group accused of child sex abuse of underage girls who the group’s leader claimed as brides are expected to appear in federal court on Friday.Sam Bateman and the three women followers scheduled to appear for their arraignment were arrested last year and charged with kidnapping and impeding a federal investigation. Prosecutors earlier this month expanded the group’s charges. Now 11 members of Bateman’s group face 51 felony counts for transporting children across state lines to facilitate sexual activity, recording it, destroying evidence and witness tampering.The group’s appearance in court is the latest development in a sprawling federal investigation spanning at least five states that became public last fall after authorities raided Bateman’s compound in Colorado City, Arizona. The site was long home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, known by its acronym FLDS.Colorado City and Hildale — ...