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Music Review: On ‘Scarlet,’ Doja Cat’s demons demand attention — as if it was possible to look away

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Before Doja Cat, the adventurous and often absurdist rap phenomenon born from internet celebrity, released her stellar fourth full-length album, the take-no-prisoners “Scarlet,” she bit the hand that feeds.Sort of.On social media, she told her followers, who call themselves “kittenz” to “get a job.” A few of her fan pages demanded an apology and then deactivated their accounts when it wasn’t received. No stranger to bucking convention, Doja Cat had inspired conversation about celebrity and the fans that make them that way. Did she owe them anything? Were they wrong to assume she did?“Attention” was the first single she dropped — a biting treatise on parasocial relationships, particularly, the one between her fans and herself. The sonics amplify the delivery: a ‘90s hip-hop beat, the opening lines of the first verse: “Look at me / Look at me,” and a break before “You lookin’?” Fame has its demons, and it’s usually the source material for very unimaginative pop musi...

Chicago Cubs fall into a tie for the No. 3 wild-card spot with an 8-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates: ‘We’ve got to turn it around’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

The calendar is working against the Chicago Cubs.The Cubs’ postseason hopes could not afford a series loss to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, yet their spiral continued Thursday with an 8-6 defeat at Wrigley Field. They have dropped 10 of their last 13 games and lost four consecutive series for first time since May.The Cubs enter Friday tied with the Miami Marlins for the No. 3 National League wild-card spot, but the Marlins own the tiebreaker.The Cubs (79-74) went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.“That’s not a good team that just took two of three from us — or not our caliber team, I believe — and we’ve got to turn it around,” manager David Ross said. “It’s on me. It’s on the guys in that room.”“When things aren’t going your way, you’ve got to turn it, you’ve got to make things happen. You’ve got to pay attention to details. We’ve got to focus every at-ba...

Parking meters being installed in Pacific Beach

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

SAN DIEGO – Parking meters are beginning to be installed this week in the business district as part of a pilot program.“They weren’t here last night, so they definitely were a shock this morning a little bit,” said Griffin Borman, who works at nearby Shop Meta.The program was approved by the Pacific Beach Community Planning Group in 2020 and San Diego City Council in 2021.The areas where people will see the meters include along Garnet Avenue between Mission Boulevard and Fanuel Street as well as some parts of Cass Street, Hornblend Street and Bayard Street.“Right now if you look at Garnet Avenue, especially on a weekend, it’s ultimately kind of a parking lot. Cars aren’t really incentivized to move,” said Eric Marenburg, president of Discover Pacific Beach. City of Encinitas moves forward with purchase of ‘Hippie Hill’ for $6 million Marenburg says several community stakeholders were part of the parking advisory board to help implement this project. With meters largely focused in ...

Some crossings on US-Mexico border still shut as cities, agents confront rise in migrant arrivals

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — The week began in Eagle Pass with rumors that large crowds of migrants might show up. On Friday, the small Texas border city was scrambling: nearly 9,000 asylum-seekers and counting had crossed from Mexico, an international bridge remained closed and a 3-year-old boy had drowned in the Rio Grande. “Before we would hear rumors, nothing happened,” Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber said. “But this time something happened.”The unfolding response in Eagle Pass, where the mayor declared a state of emergency, illustrates how Border Patrol agents have become overwhelmed in recent days by asylum-seekers on parts of the U.S. border with Mexico. In San Diego and El Paso, Texas, officials this week also closed border crossings so agents could help with the influx. After a dip in illegal crossings that followed new asylum restrictions in May, President Joe Biden’s administration is again on its heels. Democratic mayors and governors are seeking more relief for ...

The Big Story is Above Normal Temperatures with a "Rex Block" Pattern Developing; Tropical Storm "Ophelia" threatens East Coast

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

Weather-slowing REX BLOCK which is to develop and hold over North America over the coming week. REX BLOCKS are often called "HIGH OVER LOW" blocks because they occur when a broad area of high pressure/warm air loft is located north of LOW PRESSURE to the south.A "spaghetti plot" of a series of computer storm track forecasts for "Ophelia"Tropical weather systems, like the one developing along and off the Southeast U.S. coast, derive moisture and critical latent heat energy from the warm ocean waters—like those we see in these ocean analyses out of CIMSS at the University of Wisconsin-MadisonBoth of these graphics and analyses are courtesy of CIMSS (the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison:Seasons on Earth ARE DUE TO EARTH'S ORBIT OF THE SUN and the tilt of Earth on its axis relative to the SunThis ORBIT AND AXIS TILT results in a shift in the amount of sunlight which falls on Earth at different times of the year.As we appr...

Culture Moves Europe: International, diverse, and here to stay

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

The largest EU cultural mobility scheme is about to re-open two calls. After its launch; only eight months ago, Culture Moves Europe has already supported more than 1,800 grantees and enabled more than 35,000 days of cultural and artistic project implementation between Creative Europe countries.During the first Call for Individual Mobility, more than 4,500 artists and cultural professionals have applied for support from the most recent and significant initiative of the European Union for the artistic sector.  Choosing one of the core Culture Moves Europe objectives (to explore, to create, to learn, and to connect), more than 1,800 grantees have been selected to implement their projects in the 40 participating countries.   But who are Culture Moves Europe’s grantees?  The grantees are artists and cultural professionals active in at least one of the following sectors: architecture, cultural heritage, design and fashion design, literature, music, performing arts and visual arts. The gr...

An 'Are you going to miss your mom?' reunion 8 years later

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

It was the meme seen around the world.KTLA 5's Courtney Friel made a preschooler cry on his first day of school eight years ago. The video has since been viewed millions of times, turned into memes in different languages and recently it even caught the attention of Netflix.  Andrew Macias, now 13, was just a preschooler at City Terrance Elementary School in East Los Angeles when he became internet famous.  In 2015 on his first day of school, when Friel asked him, “Are you going to miss your mom?” young Andrew initially said no and laughed, but then he paused, put his hands to his face and began, adorably, to cry.  Andrew Macias teared up suddenly as he talked to KTLA about his his first day of pre-kindergarten in East L.A. on Aug. 18, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)Ever since those viral tears, Friel and Andrew have kept in touch. Even after the seventh grader and his family left L.A. for Nebraska, he says he may never live down that classic KTLA moment. “Everyone says, ‘Are you the ...

Kurtenbach: The 49ers lead the NFL in dudes. That makes them the team to beat

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

SANTA CLARA — In football, there is no higher compliment than “dude.”On the field, a dude combines skill and physicality, toughness and speed.They’re not just big. That’d be a hoss. They’re not just athletes, either.No, these guys are the whole package. I’m talking about the kind that will run right through an opponent and leave his teammates in the dust.I’m talking about the kind of player that will force you up and out of your seat.The kind of player that makes you, a fan, grunt in glee at the TV.Dudes are the reason we love this ridiculous, dangerous, beautiful game.And the Niners lead the NFL in dudes.That might not be a stat you can find in a spreadsheet — and don’t go looking for the position in fantasy football — but it’s wildly evident on the field. It’s showing up in the standings, too.There’s a downright preponderance of dudes in Santa Clara, folks, and for my money, that makes the Niners the league’s ...

Discovery of ‘unknown substance’ in Menlo Park home prompts hours-long road closure

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

MENLO PARK — A Belle Haven neighborhood street was closed for several hours Thursday after an “unknown substance” was discovered inside a residence, police said.In an advisory issued around 5:50 p.m., the Menlo Park Police Department said the 1300 block of Henderson Avenue was “closed until further notice due to a hazmat situation.”“A homeowner found an unknown substance in a rental unit they were cleaning out,” Sgt. Kevin Paugh said, adding that a hazmat team was summoned to identify the material.The substance was ultimately deemed nonhazardous and the street was reopened around 10 p.m., police said in a follow-up advisory.Additional details about the incident, including the exact nature of the material, were not available.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | 2 dead as bus carrying high school students crashes in NY Crashes and Disasters | Family sues Google alleging its Maps app led father to drive off collapsed bridge to his death Crashes and Di...

49ers: Christian McCaffrey matches Jerry Rice’s long-held record

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:50:04 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey has been with the 49ers for less than a year and he’s already etched his name in franchise lore.McCaffrey extended his streak of games with a touchdown to 12 with a four-yard endzone dash in San Francisco’s 30-12 win against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football. That 12-game streak ties Jerry Rice’s 12-game touchdown streak set in 1987 —  Rice led the league with 22 touchdown receptions that year.McCaffrey’s streak extends back to last season and includes the 49ers’ playoff run that ended in an NFC Championship Game loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. The dynamic 27-year-old back has three touchdowns this season — one per 49ers win.“That’s a huge honor,” McCaffrey said. “Obviously scoring touchdowns is a team line. O-line did a great job blocking, I just had to hit the hole.”McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers on Oct. 20, 2022 and his touchdown streak began on Dec. 4 2...