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New England, Canada prep for Hurricane Lee’s arrival

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

By David Sharp and Patrick Whittle | Associated PressPORTLAND, Maine — New England harbors and fishing villages were being emptied of boats — and some were becoming ghost towns — as commercial fishermen and recreational boaters scrambled Friday to make final preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Lee, a storm threatening to bring tropical-storm-force winds across a swath hundreds of miles wide.Hundreds of out-of-state utility workers poured into Maine amid fears of widespread power outages because of a combination of heavy winds and rain-saturated soil in the nation’s most heavily wooded state.A tropical storm warning was in place from Maine to Massachusetts, but forecasters removed a hurricane watch for eastern Maine, as the storm with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells approached. Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40 mph (64 kph) across an area spanning more than 400 miles (643 kilometers) ahead of landfall Saturday afternoon.On Friday, there was little else to be...

Bay Area adds jobs in August, but clear signs of economic slowdown emerge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

The Bay Area gained jobs in August, but signs have emerged that the region’s economic engine has begun to sputter and isn’t creating employment as briskly as before.The nine-county region added 3,000 jobs last month, powered mainly by sturdy employment gains in the East Bay that offset big job losses in the San Francisco-San Mateo region and smaller losses in the South Bay, the state Employment Development Department reported.The East Bay added 3,500 jobs in August, but the San Francisco-San Mateo metro area chopped 1,200 jobs while the South Bay lost 500 jobs, according to the most recent EDD report. All the numbers were adjusted for seasonal volatility.California added 23,100 jobs during August and the statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6% compared with the prior month, the EDD reported.While employment can fluctuate month to month, an analysis of the pace of job gains over the most recent one-year period shows a definite shift towards a job slowdown &...

Mayo Clinic expert answers questions about the new COVID-19 vaccine

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

DeeDee Stiepan | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)Ahead of the fall respiratory virus season, the Food and Drug Administration has approved two updated COVID-19 vaccines. The new messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are formulated to better target variants that are currently circulating and will replace outdated vaccines.“The new vaccine that was just approved by the FDA is essentially a COVID vaccine targeting a different strain of the COVID virus than was in the original vaccine or in the bivalent vaccines that came out last year. It’s still a COVID vaccine, but it’s now targeting the XBB.1.5 strain, which has been the omicron-type virus that’s been circulating throughout the U.S. and most parts of the world since the beginning of this year,” says Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert.Is it considered a booster?“It’s not exactly a booster. I would liken it to the updated influenza vaccin...

The Roxy is 50: Here’s how the landmark Sunset Strip venue is celebrating

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

Fifty years ago, Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers walked on stage at a brand-new Sunset Strip nightclub and the Roxy Theatre was born.On Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 – 50 years to the day later – Young returns to the West Hollywood theater to celebrate the kind of anniversary few music clubs ever achieve.In the half-century in between, the club co-founded by Lou Adler and the late Elmer Valentine, and still co-owned by Adler, now 89, with his son Nic Adler, has held a rare place in the history of pop culture and the dreams of artists and fans alike.The Roxy Theatre was co-founded by music and film producer Lou Adler and club owner Elmer Valentine, who also owned the Whisky A Go Go and the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Adler, seen here second from left, who still co-owns the club with his son Nic Alder, also had a handful of investors, seen here with him outside the club around the time it opened. Left to right are concert promoter Bill Graham, Adler, Chuck Landis, who owned the Largo ...

Get burgers for as little as 1 cent on National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

We have a reason to like Monday. That’s because Sept. 18 is National Cheeseburger Day.Here are some restaurant chains that have announced promotions.Applebee’s: This casual chain will be selling the Classic Burger, Classic Cheeseburger or Classic Bacon Cheeseburger with fries for $8.99 at participating locations on Sept. 18, according to a news release.  applebees.comEureka!: The casual restaurant is offering a chile relleno cheeseburger that is being served throughout September, according to its website. eurekarestaurantgroup.comMcDonald’s: Diners can get a Double Cheeseburger for 50 cents at participating locations on Sept. 18 if they order through the chain’s app, according to representatives. mcdonalds.comRelated ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Bay Area jobs slowdown becomes pronounced Restaurants, Food and Drink | Want to find the best Bay Area restaurants near you? Try this neat mapping tool Restaurants, Food and Drink | The 6...

Pruneyard Cinemas going all in on Martin Scorsese film fest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

Pruneyard Cinemas is going all out — or maybe that’s all in — with a five-week celebration of legendary film director Martin Scorsese that kicks off tonight with a screening of his 1995 hit “Casino” and a “casino night” pre-party at the adjacent Cedar Room Lounge.More Scorsese movies will follow over the next four Tuesdays: “Raging Bull” (Sept. 19), “The Last Waltz” (Sept. 26), “GoodFellas” (Oct. 3) and “The Departed” (Oct. 10). “Casino” also being screened again Sept. 18 as part of Pruneyard’s Culinary Cinema series, though that screening was nearly sold out.All this is in anticipation of Scorsese’s newest movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which is due out Oct. 20, but Pruneyard Cinemas co-owner Jack NyBlom says it’s also an opportunity to showcase newly remastered 4K versions of the 80-year-old director’s movies on the big screen for Bay Area...

Person 'engulfed in flames' in attempted homicide in Oakland

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

(KRON) -- A person was engulfed in flames in an attempted homicide early Thursday morning near BART's Fruitvale Station, according to the Oakland Police Department.Around 2:30 a.m., officers responded to the report of a person on fire in the 1400 block of 34th Avenue. According to police, officers located a person "fully engulfed in flames" inside of a car. Bay Area cities receive grants to fight organized retail crime, except Oakland The victim was removed from the car that was also heavily engulfed in flames. The victim was transported to a local hospital and is listed in critical condition, police said.This investigation is currently open and active. Anyone with information is asked to contact OPD's Felony Assault Unit at 510-238-3426. 

17-year-old boy charged with murder in shooting of teen girl outside Prince George’s Co. high school

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl, who was struck by gunfire trying to break up a fight outside of DuVal High School in Lanham on Monday.In a news conference Friday afternoon, police said the teen, of Glenarden, Maryland, is charged as an adult in the shooting of Jayda Medrano-Moore, 16.Authorities did not name the teen. He is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault and a firearms charge. He is being held without bond.Medrano-Moore, of Greenbelt, was walking on Palamar Drive in Lanham after leaving DuVal High School about 3:45 p.m. Monday when a fight broke out between two groups of students who had been involved in what Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz called “petty beef.”One group of students attended DuVal and the other group attended Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, Maryland, police said.During the fight, the 17-year-old pu...

Hagestad wins a 3rd title in US Mid-Amateur to earn a trip to the Masters

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

SCARSDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Stewart Hagestad won the U.S. Mid-Amateur for the third time on Friday, building a 7-up lead over Evan Beck and holding on for a 3-and-2 victory at Sleepy Hollow.His victory comes two weeks after Hagestad, a 32-year-old from California, went 2-1 in helping the Americans rally to win the Walker Cup at St. Andrews.Hagestad earns a third trip to the Masters and a spot in the U.S. Open next year at Pinehurst No. 2. He was the first U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to make the cut at the Masters in 2017 and was low amateur for the week.In the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at Stonewall Golf Club in Elverson, Pennsylvania, Kimberly Dingh of Midland, Michigan, won five of the last six holes to rally for a 2-up victory over Kelsey Chugg in the 18-hole championship match.Dingh earns a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open next year.Hagestad had a 5-up lead after 18 holes on Thursday, and the rest of the 36-hole championship match concluded Friday morning because of fog delays t...

Fiji faces ‘do or die’ against Wallabies at Rugby World Cup

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:14:57 GMT

When Fiji went back to basics in training camp in July, it wasn’t joking.The team left behind the resorts and umbrella drinks in Suva to travel by ferries and buses for more than a day to the tiny village of Welagi on the outer island of Taveuni. Accommodation was thin mattresses on the floor of a hall. Food was provided by villagers, with whom the team ate. The practice field beside a beach was sandy.The point was not just to train and bond for the Rugby World Cup but to reconnect with the people, remember what it meant to be Fijian. Many of the players — many of them well-paid stars in Europe — hadn’t trained in a village. But it reminded them of village life and games as kids. The humbling experience was a massive hit. The training, though, was brutal.Simon Raiwalui, the coach since only February, was determined Fiji would not fade in the last 20 minutes of any games. So the players’ fitness was upgraded. There were giant sand dunes to trudge up in bare feet. In...