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Is it time for these film franchises to go away?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

The lyrics to iconic Kenny Rogers’ song “The Gambler” could double down as the realization that should be coming to movie franchise biz.In that No. 1 1978 hit written by Don Schlitz, Rogers croons:You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, Know when to fold ‘em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run. … Hollywood should tap into that sage advice when it comes to the proliferation of reboots, sequels and franchises that is choking the film industry. But with millions and millions of dollars at stake, and with audiences apparently still hungry for more “Fast and Furious” films (10 are in the books and at least two more are planned), the big-studio norm is to churn out sequels, reboots and origin stories.Sure, some indeed work, but others just clog up the cineplex and offer one empty shot after another.The story is the same for this summer, with franchises ruling the season and familiar faces suiting up to play familiar characters in familiar predicaments. Indiana Jones is back. Ethan ...

FBI: Cyber crimes cost U.S. $10 billion in 2023, $300 million from New England

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

Cyber criminals stole over $10 billion from U.S. citizens and entities last year, an ‘unprecedented’ amount of loss resulting from a threat which is both growing in sophistication and increasingly harder for victims to protect themselves from, agents with the FBI said Wednesday.Speaking at Boston College for the seventh Boston Conference on Cyber Security, FBI Boston Division Special Agent in Charge Joe Bonavolonta said that in his division alone — one of the Bureau’s largest, covering Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island — “victims reported more than $298 million in losses” as a result of cyber crime.“FBI Boston continues to receive as many as four reports per week from new victims, and in some cases they’ve suffered tens of millions of dollars in losses per individual report,” Bonavolonta said.In April, the city of Lowell was attacked by a cyber criminal group calling themselves “Play” which used malware — that’s computer software made...

Researchers created a pocket-size blood pressure monitor that attaches to a smartphone

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a new kind of blood pressure monitor that’s small enough to fit in your pocket and attaches to a smartphone.The team out of the Jacobs School of Engineering outlined their invention and findings in a paper that was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Scientific Reports, last week.Researchers note that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a leading cause of preventable premature death and disability worldwide. Monitoring blood pressure is also crucial for pregnant mothers who could be at risk of life-threatening conditions like preeclampsia.Edward Wang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC San Diego and one of the authors of the study, highlighted the low cost to produce the BPClip as a key for making this tool more accessible.It costs less than $1 to make a BPClip, while traditional at-home blood pressure monitors with a cuff can cost between $30 to $75.Ultimately, he said the goal is not to replace t...

The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

Americans will soon celebrate Juneteenth, marking the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts. The U.S. government was slow to embrace the occasion — it was only in 2021 that President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday. And just as many people learn what Juneteenth is all about, the holiday’s traditions are facing new pressures — political rhetoric condemning efforts to teach Americans about the nation’s racial history, companies using the holiday as a marketing event, people partying without understanding why.Here is a look at the origins of Juneteenth, how it became a federal holiday and more about its history.HOW DID JUNETEENTH START?The celebrations began with ensl...

Pat Casey dies in crash at Ramona motocross track

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

RAMONA, Calif. — Officials have identified the man who died Tuesday at a motocross track in Ramona.Patrick "Pat" Michael Casey, 29, died after he lost control of the motocross bike he was riding and was ejected from the vehicle, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said.The incident happened around 2:45 p.m. at Slayground Motocross Park, which is owned by Axell Hodges, a three-time gold medal winner in X Games Moto X competition.According to authorities, Casey crashed his motorcycle while performing a jump on the park ramps. Bystanders called 911 after the crash and paramedics were dispatched to the track. Medics found Casey pulseless and apneic. Despite life-saving measures, he was not able to be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene."We are deeply saddened by Pat Casey's passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, children, parents and siblings," X Games said in a post on Instagram. "A true legend in the action sports community, Pat will alw...

MLB will discuss postponing games in New York, Philadelphia due to wildfire smoke

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball plans to discuss whether to postpone games in New York and Philadelphia on Wednesday night because of poor air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.The New York Yankees are scheduled to host the Chicago White Sox, and the Philadelphia Phillies are slated to host Detroit.MLB said it planned to speak with the teams involved at about 4 p.m.The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City, saying: “the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.” In Philadelphia, the NWS issued a Code Red.The Yankees and White Sox played through a lesser haze on Tuesday night.The National Women’s Soccer League postponed Orlando’s match at Gotham in Harrison, New Jersey, from Wednesday night to Aug. 9.“The match could not be safely conducted based on the projected air quality index,” the N...

‘The Righteous,’ an opera set among American Southwest church communities, to premiere in 2024

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Santa Fe Opera will present the world premiere of “The Righteous” by composer Gregory Spears with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy K. Smith on July 13 next year. The opera, set among church communities in the American Southwest, stars baritone Michael Mayes as a preacher who becomes governor during a period stretching from the Iran hostage crisis in 1979 to the Gulf War in the 1990s, the company announced Wednesday. The cast includes countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, bass-baritones Greer Grimsley and Nicholas Newton, sopranos Amber Wagner and Elena Villalón, and mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano.Spears and Smith collaborated on “Castor and Patience,” which premiered at the Cincinnati Opera last July. Smith won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for poetry and was the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2017-19.Jordan de Souza conducts a production directed by Kevin Newbury, which will be given six performances through Aug. 13, 2024.Santa Fe’s 2024 season ...

Justice Jackson reports flowers from Oprah, designer clothing as Thomas delays filing disclosure

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson disclosed Wednesday that she received a $1,200 congratulatory floral display from Oprah Winfrey and $6,580 in designer clothing for a magazine photo shoot in her first months as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. The details of gifts given to Jackson were among the reports provided by most members of the court in their annual filings, which give a partial window onto their finances. The reports were released Wednesday. But the report that was most anticipated — that of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has been under scrutiny for his receipt of undisclosed gifts from a Republican donor — was not among the filings. Thomas, along with Justice Samuel Alito, sought an extension for up to 90 days.Thomas’ receipt of gifts, valued at several hundred thousand dollars, from the Republican donor Harlan Crow has prompted calls for ethics reform on the nation’s highest court. It was not clear why either man needed more time.Once a year t...

Los Angeles Times announces 74 job cuts due to economic challenges

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday announced plans to cut 74 jobs due to economic challenges as the newspaper strives to transform itself into a digital media organization.In a message to staff, Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida wrote that employees whose positions are eliminated from the Pulitzer Prize -winning newspaper were being notified and that a staff meeting would be held to answer questions.“We have done a vast amount of work as a company to meet the budget and revenue challenges head on. But that work will need acceleration and we will need more radical transformation in the newsroom for us to become a self-sustaining enterprise,” Merida wrote.The cuts will eliminate about 13% of newsroom positions and affect full-time and temporary workers including editors, audio producers and managers, the Times reported. The cuts follow a series of layoffs at news organizations including the Washington Post and NPR.The move also comes days after journalists at two ...

Missouri governor signs ban on transgender health care, school sports

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:18:58 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Transgender minors and some adults in Missouri will soon be limited from accessing puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries — as well as some school sports teams — under bills signed Wednesday by the state’s Republican governor.Beginning Aug. 28, Missouri health care providers won’t be able to prescribe those gender-affirming treatments for teens and children. Most adults will still have access to transgender health care under the law, but Medicaid won’t cover it. Prisoners in the state must pay for gender-affirming surgeries out-of-pocket under the law, the governor’s spokesperson Kelli Jones said.Gov. Mike Parson called hormones, puberty blockers and gender-affirming surgeries “harmful, irreversible treatments and procedures” for minors.“We support everyone’s right to his or her own pursuit of happiness,” Parson said in a statement Wednesday. “However, we must protect children from making life-altering decisions that th...