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Cinequest 2023: Here are the films to see at San Jose festival

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

Get ready for your closeup once again, Cinequest.In-person screenings of what’s been hailed as one of the best film festivals in the nation resume this month, a first since 2020 when the fest had to shut down midway through due to COVID-19 restrictions. And although the SAG-AFTRA strike is still going on, organizers say it is not affecting the Cinequest schedule,This year’s lineup features numerous world premieres, guest appearances, meet-ups and more And from what we’ve seen, it promises to be one of the best programs yet.The festival kicks off with a killer opening night feature on Aug. 15 in San Jose and closes — also on a high note — on Aug. 30.There are 253 films to pick from, 82 of which are world or U.S. premieres. While most are in San Jose, some screenings will also be held at the swanky Mountain View Showplace ICON Theatre.To get you started, we’ve come up with a dozen films you should mark on your calendars.For tickets, passes and more in the lineup, visit cin...

Alleged Los Angeles street racers charged with murder in pedestrian’s death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

Two men thought to have been street racing were charged with murder in the hit-and-run death of a 20-year-old pedestrian in Los Angeles, police said Thursday.A car fatally struck Anna Michelle Solis around 10:20 p.m. on July 21 as she was crossing Hill Street near 33rd Street, about four blocks from the University of Southern California campusWitnesses said the car that struck her, a Jaguar, was apparently racing a Dodge Challenger on Hill Street. One car reportedly stopped briefly after the crash, then both fled.Solis was pronounced dead at the scene. A police detective said at a news conference Thursday that she had just performed at a nearby music venue and was carrying her guitar and amplifier.Two men were arrested last week: the Jaguar’s alleged driver, a Palmdale man, on Aug. 3, and the Dodge’s alleged driver, a Los Angeles man, on Aug. 4. The cars were impounded as evidence.Both men face murder charges, and the Palmdale man faces an additional felony hit-and-run c...

Jason Momoa ‘devastated and heartbroken’ by Maui fires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

By Lisa Respers France | CNNOne of Hawaii’s biggest stars is expressing support in the midst of the lethal wildfires in Maui.Actor Jason Momoa has been posting on his verified Instagram account about the tragedy, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of people and massive destruction on the island.“We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and ‘ohana on Maui who have been impacted by the recent wildfires,” the caption reads on one of Momoa’s posts, which reposted information from the community organization ‘Āina Momona.Momoa, who was born in in Honolulu, also reposted information that included a locator list for those searching for their loved ones.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Maui mayor says Lahaina doesn’t resemble the town he knew after the fires. Follow live updates Crashes and Disasters | Deadly Maui wildfires: Here are some ways to help or donate Crashes and Disasters | Owners of iconic Cheeseburger In Paradise...

Man shot early Friday on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

OAKLAND — A 21-year-old Walnut Creek man was shot early Friday on Piedmont Avenue, authorities said.The man was in stable condition at a hospital, where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg.The shooting happened about 1:09 a.m. Friday in the 4400 block of Piedmont Avenue, an area that features a mixture of residences and businesses.Police said the man had just left a bar in the area and got into a dispute outside with another man who shot him.Police were still trying to confirm exactly what the dispute was about.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man dead after Antioch shooting Thursday night Crime and Public Safety | Man shot in arm at East Bay park Crime and Public Safety | Oakland police identify man who was recently shot and killed in front of his wife Crime and Public Safety | Livermore gang graffiti battle: Teen charged with a felony for tagging over rival gang’s tags, police say ...

California judge charged with murder for killing wife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

An Orange County Superior Court judge was charged on Friday, Aug. 11, with murder eight days after he was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife at their Anaheim Hills home.Judge Jeffrey Ferguson — formerly a longtime OC prosecutor and currently an elected judge — is facing a first-degree murder charge, along with two firearm-related sentencing enhancements for the Aug. 3 shooting of his wife, Sheryl Ferguson.A Glock .40 was used in the killing, which “involved domestic violence,” according the criminal complaint. Earlier that evening, the judge is accused of “making a hand gesture indicative of pointing a gun” at his wife, according to the filing.Ferguson’s attorneys Paul Meyer and John Barnett issued a joint statement saying that murder charges were unwarranted.“This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family,” they said. “It was an accident and nothing more.”The judge was arrested the night of the shooting after officers found his wife fatally shot inside the couple’s two-sto...

California added 37,010 million-dollar taxpayers in 5 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: Despite all the talk about rich folks fleeing California, the number of million-dollar tax filings from the state grew 51% between 2021 and 2016.Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed IRS data looking at where taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $1 million or more lived in 2021 (with incomes for the previous tax year) compared with the size of this top-earning cohort five years earlier.ToplineIn 2021, 109,480 Californians filed federal returns with million-dollar incomes – No. 1 among the states and 18% of the US total.Next was New York at 54,370, Florida at 53,190, Texas at 49,420, and New Jersey at 23,950.Looking back five years, California added 37,010 million-dollar filers – also tops among the states and 22% of the US total.That jump was larger than the additions for the next two states combined: Flori...

Person rescued near Baker Beach after falling 50 feet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

(KRON) -- Crews rescued a person after they fell around 50 feet from a trail in the San Francisco's Presidio on Thursday. At least 55 people died in fires on Maui. Residents had little warning More than a dozen firefighters assisted with the rescue near Baker Beach. Ropes were used to bring the victim to safety as a helicopter rescue was not available due to heavy fog, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. San Francisco Fire DepartmentSan Francisco Fire DepartmentThe victim was taken to the hospital shortly after. The cause of why the person fell from the trail and their current condition is currently unknown.

Contra Costa Co. Animal Services offering free adoptions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

(KRON) -- The Contra Costa County Animal Services is offering free adoptions through the month of August after reaching maximum capacity. Here are some of the pets available for adoption, fostering or transferring:Butternut (A1005887) is described as a sweet pit bull puppy that came into the shelter with parvovirus. After recovering from parvo, Butternut contracted an upper respiratory infection that became pneumonia due to her weakened immune system. After support and care from the shelter, she is now ready for adoption. East Bay warned of smoke from wildfire training Sasha (A1006652) is described as a sweet and loving white German Shepherd that came into the animal shelter with history of maggots and severe draining tracts on his hind end. He is doing better after work up including culture of skin lesions, the shelter said.Dandy Lion (A1006777) is a sweet dog who came in severely matted with foxtail tracts all over his body. He had three head wounds resulting from a maggot infes...

Ally Ewing delivering good impression of Brian Harman with strong start to Women’s British Open

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

WALTON-ON-THE-HILL, England (AP) — There’s a golfer hailing from America’s south and with a passion for hunting who is running away with the British Open thanks to precise driving and a red-hot putter.Sound familiar?Ally Ewing is putting up a good impression of Brian Harman as she goes for a first major title this week at Walton Heath.The No. 39-ranked Ewing rolled in six birdies in her first 11 holes and shot 6-under 66 Friday to establish a five-stroke lead nearing the end of the second round of the Women’s British Open, the final major of the year.Ewing is delivering a golfing clinic southwest of London three weeks after Harman did the same four hours north of England at Royal Liverpool in the men’s event to win his first major championship.The similarities don’t end there.“I think a lot of people, I wouldn’t say they were rooting against him but a lot of people were rooting for other people,” Ewing said. “I can kind of attest to that in some sense. But, yeah, certainly hap...

Foundations seek to advance AI for good — and also protect the world from its threats

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:09:02 GMT

While technology experts sound the alarm on the pace of artificial-intelligence development, philanthropists — including long-established foundations and tech billionaires — have been responding with an uptick in grants.Much of the philanthropy is focused on what is known as technology for good or “ethical AI,” which explores how to solve or mitigate the harmful effects of artificial-intelligence systems. Some scientists believe AI can be used to predict climate disasters and discover new drugs to save lives. Others are warning that the large language models could soon upend white-collar professions, fuel misinformation, and threaten national security.What philanthropy can do to influence the trajectory of AI is starting to emerge. Billionaires who earned their fortunes in technology are more likely to support projects and institutions that emphasize the positive outcomes of AI, while foundations not endowed with tech money have tended to focus more on AI’s dangers.For example, form...