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The lesson Hollywood should learn from ‘Barbenheimer’? Let originality come through

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

Michael Phillips | Chicago Tribune“Barbenheimer” saved the movie universe this week by handing eager audiences an eyeful of two very different planets. Neither “Barbie” nor “Oppenheimer” was “just another,” meaning: not just another sequel to a proven, if fading, franchise. Or just another superhero, trapping in a quantum realm somewhere in a Marvel soundstage in Atlanta, looking for a decent return on the usual $300 million investment.Co-writer and director Greta Gerwig‘s triumph made $162 million in the U.S. alone from the July 21-24 weekend. That’s the biggest domestic opening ever for a non-superhero film or sequel. Oh, and Monday? Typically the dead zone? The weirdly delightful “Barbie,” a 1959-born doll’s adventures in angst and yearning, broke records for the Warner Bros. opening week-Monday box office, the studio’s previous record-holder being “The Dark Knight” (2008), directed by Christopher Nolan, who wrote and directed … “Oppenheimer.”That one made $82.4 million in its fi...

Mike Lupica: Last-place Yankees still have plenty to play for with Aaron Judge on his way back

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

Here is what Yankee fans saw this week in the latest edition of the Subway Series: They saw this season’s $280 million production for Yankee baseball. It happens to be about the same budget they had for “Mission Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.” Now the Yankees move up on another reckoning, one about how this particular movie ends, and which characters survive, and that doesn’t just mean the manager but also the general manager, Brian Cashman, whom Hal Steinbrenner allowed to spend all this money on a team that currently sits in last place in the AL East.The only consolation for the Yankees, as the Trade Deadline approaches, is that they’re much better off than the Mets. The Mets’ general manager, Cashman protegee Billy Eppler, spent even more money on players this season and is now as far away from a wild card in the National League as the Yankees are from first place in East.We all hear that Cashman is going to be a buyer at the deadl...

Longtime Celtics play-by-play broadcaster Mike Gorman will call final season in 2023-24

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

Mike Gorman, the longtime television voice of the Celtics, will call his final season in 2023-24 season after an iconic career that spanned more than four decades and saw him cover the likes of Larry Bird, Paul Pierce and Jayson Tatum, NBC Sports Boston announced on Thursday.The 77-year-old Gorman, a native of Dorchester, has been the Celtics’ primary play-by-play broadcaster since 1981 and is currently the longest tenured play-by-play voice of any professional sports franchise in Boston. He and the late Tommy Heinsohn made up the longest running telecast duo.“Being the play-by-play voice of the iconic Boston Celtics since 1981 has been a true honor and privilege,” Gorman said in a statement. “When I started on the broadcast team 43 years ago, I could not have dreamed what an amazing journey this would be. A world-class organization like the Boston Celtics and a television partnership which evolved over the years, ultimately allowing me the opportunity to be a part of NBC Spor...

Rhamondre Stevenson, Matt Judon limited on Day 2 of Patriots training camp

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson and outside linebacker Matt Judon were limited at Thursday’s training camp practice.Stevenson was a full participant in Wednesday’s opening practice, while Judon was held out of some team periods. It’s unclear why they’re limited Thursday. The Patriots’ practice attendance was otherwise identical to Wednesday, when only three players were absent. Second-year linebacker DaMarcus Mitchell has been limited both days and remains on the Non-Football Injury list.The Pats’ complete attendance report is below.Limited: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OLB Matt JudonNon-contact jersey: LB/S Marte MapuPUP: OL Mike OnwenuNon-football Illness: OT Calvin AndersonNon-Football Injury: DaMarcus Mitchel

Best credit cards for international travel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

Holly D. Johnson | Bankrate (TNS)Credit cards can be valuable tools when you use them close to home, but they should also be an essential part of your packing list any time you travel overseas. Not only do you normally need a credit card to put down a security deposit to rent a hotel room, but you’ll likely need a credit card to rent a car, too. And if you run out of cash while on a trip, a credit card lets you charge whatever you need and pay the balance when you return home.The best credit cards for international trips also let you avoid added fees on international transactions and earn rewards for each dollar you spend. Some even offer robust travel protections that can shield you financially if your flight is delayed or your bags are lost or stolen.If you’re planning a trip overseas this year, here are some of the best cards to consider.The Platinum Card from American Express: Best for international travel overallWhy we picked it: The Platinum Card® from American Express makes i...

DUI suspected in deadly crash near border

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A man was arrested in connection to a deadly freeway crash Wednesday near the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the California Highway Patrol announced.The crash happened shortly before noon on southbound Interstate 805 near Camino De La Plaza, which is the last U.S. exit.According to CHP, the driver of a white Audi sedan was driving the wrong-way on I-805 when they crashed head-on with the driver of a blue Honda van.“Our understanding at this point is they turned around at the point of entry and came the wrong way,” CHP Sgt. Hope Maxson said.The driver of the Honda was was killed as a result of the crash. The driver of the Audi was hospitalized with major, but not life-threatening injuries, according to CHP.During the course of their investigation, officials came to believe the driver of the Audi was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, CHP Public Information Officer Jesse Matias said. Man killed in Mira Mesa crash The driver of the Audi, identified a...

This is the most affordable housing market among San Diego metro's largest cities: report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect that the report is based on the largest cities inside the San Diego metro.SAN DIEGO -- Can you guess which of the largest cities in the San Diego metro has the most affordable housing market?If you don't want to spend over half of your yearly income towards homeownership, then San Diego may not be the place for you -- hypothetically speaking. Based on the average projected income of a household, median asking price, estimated mortgage cost and taxes, there's only one city among the largest cities in the San Diego metro where homebuyers will be forking out less than 50% of their income for a place to call their own. These 10 gas stations have the cheapest fuel prices in San Diego County: GasBuddy That's according to a report by real estate listing platform RealtyHop, which examined home affordability for the average American family in the 100 largest U.S. cities and their surrounding metros.Based on this report's key findings, Carlsb...

Animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to open TIFF this year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

Influential Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature in 10 years will open this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.“The Boy and the Heron” is a hand-drawn film, written and directed by Miyazaki. The coming-of-age movie centres on a boy who loses his mother during the Second World War and embarks on a journey into a magical world.The Studio Ghibli production, which set box office records in Japan earlier this month, is the first Japanese or animated film to fill the high-profile opening-night slot at the festival. The announcement signals a departure from the longtime event that often featured stateside directors and production studios.While current SAG-AFTRA strike rules may prevent Hollywood stars from promoting their work, such rules wouldn’t affect international talents like Miyazaki or the actors in his film. Film festivals have already seen the impact of the labour action — Venicelost its buzzy opener, Luca Guadagnino’s “...

White House rolls out measures aimed at lowering cost of housing, increasing supply

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

The White House is taking steps aimed at increasing the the supply of affordable housing while also bolstering protections for renters. The housing measures announced Thursday include providing communities with $85 million in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reduce barriers to affordable housing, such as zoning restrictions that in some places have become a hurdle to increasing the supply and density of affordable housing. HUD would provide grants upwards of $10 million.“HUD recognizes that communities have unique housing challenges and that’s why the resources announced today are not one-size-fits-all,” HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement. “Today, we are acting to increase the supply of affordable housing, which is crucial to lowering housing costs. We look forward to continuing this work in partnership with local communities.” The White House also announced that it was forming an inter-agency task force to develop ways to fund efforts to c...

His campaign forced Sinead O’Connor to scrap a 1997 Jerusalem concert. Now he is a Cabinet minister

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:24 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Death threats forced Irish pop singer Sinead O’Connor to call off a peace concert in Jerusalem in the summer of 1997. At the time, a young man named Itamar Ben-Gvir took credit for the campaign against her. Today, he is Israel’s national security minister.The transformation of Ben-Gvir from a fringe Israeli extremist trying to take down O’Connor’s coexistence-themed concert to a powerful minster overseeing the Israeli police force reflects the dramatic rise of Israel’s far-right.O’Connor, a spirited singer and frequent source of controversy who rocketed to fame in 1990, died on Wednesday in London. While most people remember the star for her hit cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U” or the uproar that followed her ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II on live TV, many Israelis on Thursday recounted an open letter she wrote castigating Ben-Gvir.Incensed after hearing Ben-Gvir, who was then 21, boast in a radio int...