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The Best Jedi Jams on Star Wars Day

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

Happy Star Wars Day! Star Wars as a culture is not only enduringly popular, it keeps growing in new ways thanks to Disney, and mostly,  thanks to those who want more from the iconic franchise. Fans are keeping the force alive, and it goes beyond nostalgia. It’s about the dress-up, the stories and the message that good can triumph against evil. The “holiday” known as May the 4th (be with you) and the weekend that follows is, as always, full of exciting sci-flavored events in L.A. Here’s our picks and (Jedi Mind) tricks.The Return of Star Girls should be out of this world. In settings both big and small, Courtney Cruz’s Star Girls has made nerding out about The Empire sexy. Often imitated, but never duplicated, the show returns for one night on Star Wars Day to celebrate alluring character cosplay and themed performance. Devils Playground Burlesque put the (eye) pop in pop culture strip tease with sultry stormtroopers, luscious Leia’s and jiggly Jedis. Come dre...

Rider Killed after Truck Crash on Interstate 805 [Chula Vista, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

Motorcyclist Killed in Truck Accident near Telegraph Canyon RoadCHULA VISTA, CA (May 4, 2023) – Wednesday morning, a motorcyclist died in a truck crash on Interstate 805 near Telegraph Canyon Road.The incident happened on April 26th, at around 6:00 a.m., in the northbound lanes of the freeway, just south of Telegraph Canyon Road.According to reports, a 2001 Kawasaki motorcycle ridden by a man in his 30s rear-ended a white tow truck that was immobilized in the center divider. The impact of the collision left the rider with serious injuriesFirst responders arrived to the site of the collision shortly after and paramedics took him to UCSD Medical Center.Unfortunately, the rider did not survive the extent of his injuries and officials pronounced him dead at the hospital.Meanwhile, the two truck drivers did not suffer any injuries. Afterward, crews closed down the HOV lane and the number one northbound lane of the Interstate 805 to perform cleanup and preliminary duties.The team at...

A new East Bay beer is made from the finest EBMUD tap water

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

Internet historians might recall that one goofy video where a man’s friends modify all the plumbing in his house – kitchen and bathroom sinks, plus shower head – to pour icy-cold beer.While this is not exactly the same experience, folks who want to drink tap-water draft now can, thanks to a new beer made from the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s finest H2O.Water Wings is a light lager from San Leandro’s Drake’s Brewing Co. that was brewed with up to 95 percent EBMUD tap water. The collaborative beer is meant to honor the water utility’s 100th anniversary this year, as well as mark a shared interest in water quality and sustainability. Some of the sales will support EBMUD’s Water Lifeline, a program that helps customers who cannot pay water bills due to emergencies.The beer was brewed with Zuper Saazer and Czech Saaz hops and barley, oats and toasted rice flakes. Drake’s says it “highlights what EBMUD does best: clean, high-quality...

Formerly homeless East Bay woman’s life changed with just one scratch

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

Lucia Forseth was waiting for an oil change when her life took a 180-degree turn.As the formerly homeless woman waited at the Pittsburg Walmart Supercenter, she decided to buy one Lottery scratcher ticket, and to her great surprise, she won the top prize: $5 million.“I only bought one ticket,” Forseth said in a California Lottery lottery news release.“I closed my eyes and picked that one, and it won!” she told lottery officials. “I first thought I’d won a free ticket, but I checked, and it said I won $5 million!”California Lottery officials said on Wednesday that Forseth is one of the state’s newest millionaires after buying the lucky Scratchers ticket at the Pittsburg Walmart.Forseth told the officials that she was homeless in 2017 before turning her life around. And now, the lucky win will add even more to her life.“This year I am getting married, getting my associate degree, and won $5 million,” she said. “You never think you have a chance to win it. It is...

Was Joey Bart the SF Giants’ answer at catcher all along?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

HOUSTON — The Giants this week effectively gave a vote of confidence to their young catching tandem, Joey Bart and Blake Sabol, when they released veteran two-time All-Star Gary Sánchez from his minor-league contract.But Bart, the Giants’ highest draft pick since Will Clark, the supposed successor to Buster Posey, didn’t take it as a coronation. He viewed the news in exactly the same way as he did this spring, when the Giants brought in all the competition they could and challenged him to earn the job.“That’s stuff I don’t really pay attention to,” Bart said. “I can’t really get caught up with what’s going around with the buzz and the media. If you get too caught up on that it’s going to really take a toll on you. I’m just coming into the yard excited every day to compete, trying to do my best job I can all the way around.”Quietly, the former No. 2 overall draft pick and top prospect just might be establishing himself as the Giants’ answer b...

Why are Oakland teachers on strike?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- Thousands of Oakland Unified School District teachers refused to return to their classrooms on Thursday and a strike is underway at hundreds of schools. The goal of the strike is to compel the district to approve a new contract with Oakland Education Association teachers union that will improve working conditions for teachers, as well as learning supports for students. Nearly 3,000 educators have been working without a contract from OUSD since October.Teachers are demanding a livable wage, improved services for students with disabilities, additional mental health support for students struggling post-pandemic, and investment in Historically Black Community Schools.The school district held a 25-minute-long news conference with reporters Thursday morning. (Watch the full OUSD press conference in the video player above.) There are about 34,000 students enrolled in Oakland Unified School District schools. Oakland teachers are seen striking on Thursday. (KRON4 im...

SF city leaders demand more information from PG&E on days-long power outage

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

San Francisco civic leaders are excoriating PG&E over what they say is the company's failure to keep them informed during and after a five-day power outage in the city's northeast neighborhoods. In a letter sent to PG&E Wednesday, Mayor London Breed, Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin, City Attorney David Chiu, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission general manager Dennis Herrera asked for information about the outages "that created significant public health and safety risks, as well as economic disruption" in the city. SF ‘feels post-apocalyptic,’ Musk tweets in response to latest store closures The outage, which initially impacted 9,454 customers, was reported at about 9:15 p.m. April 26 and appears to have involved some kind of underground equipment failure near Clay and Montgomery streets in the city's Financial District. By 6 a.m. April 27, nearly 3,000 customers had their power restored, with more people coming back online over the course of the ...

GOP boycott: What’s halting vote on guns, abortion and more?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Partisan tensions in Oregon skyrocketed this week because Republican state senators haven’t shown up to work since Tuesday, meaning the Democrats who control the chamber don’t have enough people to lawfully convene. The move is casting doubt on planned votes set for this week on legislation about gun control, abortion rights and gender-affirming health care. Here’s what to know about where Republicans and Democrats are divided and what’s at stake.WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE OREGON LEGISLATURE?Republican state senators skipped a Senate floor session Wednesday and Thursday. According to the office of Democratic Senate President Rob Wagner, 10 Republicans and the chamber’s lone independent were absent both days. In Oregon, two-thirds of the state House and Senate members need to be present to conduct business, or 20 of the 30 current members. Currently, 17 senators are Democrats, 12 are Republicans and one is an independent.Two bills on gun con...

Garcia yet to pay European tour fine for playing LIV event

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Sergio Garcia is the only defector to LIV Golf who hasn’t paid a fine imposed by the European tour for playing in the Saudi-backed competition without permission.The European tour said Thursday that 16 of the 17 players have paid the fine of 100,000 pounds ($125,000) for serious breaches of its conflicting tournament regulation policy.Garcia, the tour said, has not paid “nor has he given any indication that he intends to.”The tour said it will take “appropriate action” if Garcia continues to ignore the sanction.Garcia was one of four players — along with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Richard Bland — who resigned from the European tour following last month’s ruling by Sport Resolutions that a number of players committed serious breaches of the tour’s code of behavior by playing in LIV Golf events last year.Westwood, Poulter and Bland all paid their fines, the tour said.___More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_S...

Matthieu Pavon shoots 8-under 63 to lead Italian Open

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:51 GMT

ROME (AP) — Matthieu Pavon shot the lowest round of his European tour career at the Italian Open on Thursday on the same course that will host this year’s Ryder Cup.The 30-year-old Frenchman hit an 8-under 63 to boost his chances of capturing European captain Luke Donald’s attention.His impressive opening round gave him a two-shot lead over Maximilian Kieffer of Germany.Pavon carded nine birdies and a single bogey at the Marco Simone club outside Rome. Even he was surprised.“All in all it was just great playing,” said Pavon, who has never won a European tour title. “Nothing bad to say about today. I was really, really solid off the tee, probably only missed two fairways today — and every time it was by a few inches.“Everything was just excellent today. I was not really sure about a low, low score like this. I knew I could do great, but that great, I’m a bit surprised.”Six of the birdies came in an excellent first stretch and Pavon then made gains on two of the first three holes on t...