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Comic-Con brings welcomed boost to local economy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Since its inception in 1970, Comic-Con has grown into one of the most significant events in the entertainment industry, but it also has a profound impact on San Diego's economy.Last year, 135,000 people attended the convention and that generated $3 million in hotel and sales tax for the city. That doesn't include the money spent at stores and restaurants in the area.In 2019, the San Diego Tourism Authority estimated that Comic-Con brought in $150 million to the region. This year it's estimated at $160 million.Every year Comic-Con attracts hundreds of thousands of pop culture fans from all over the globe. They come dressed to impress -- ready to spend their hard-earned cash in San Diego.“We probably spent $500 just on marching the con," said Jill who attended this year's convention "That doesn’t count you know hotel stay, restaurants we’ve gone to, so we're definitely helping the economy here in San Diego.” Don’t have a Comic-Con badge? Check out these events that don’...

Spaniards vote in an election that could oust a leftist coalition and herald a return to the right

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spanish voters go to the polls in a general election Sunday that could make Spain the latest European Union member to swing to the right. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and its far-left partner, Unidas Podemos, took a beating in local and regional elections in May. Sánchez has been premier since 2018.Most opinion polls for Sunday’s voting have put the ring-wing Popular Party, which won the May vote, ahead of the Socialists but likely needing the support of the extreme right Vox party if they want to form a government. Such a coalition would return a far-right force to the Spanish government for the first time since the country transitioned to democracy in the late 1970s following the nearly 40-year rule of dictator Francisco Franco. Opposing them are the Socialists and a new movement called Sumar that brings together 15 small leftist parties for the first time ever. With no party expected to garner an a...

Covering the heat wave in sizzling Phoenix, an AP photographer recounts a scare from heat exhaustion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Heat never scared me before. I’ve spent 23 years covering Phoenix as a photographer for The Associated Press, shooting golf tournaments, baseball games and other outdoor sporting events, the city’s growing homeless population, immigration and crime. And, of course, heat.Like most people around here, I talk about temperatures being in the teens as if it’s a given that people know to always put a one in front of that number.But this summer’s record-shattering heat wave has been like no other. No amount of water or Gatorade can keep you going in these conditions without adequate cool-downs throughout the day. My phone and cameras continually glitch out and stop working. Even my car’s air conditioning has struggled to keep up.In my car, I keep a thermometer that I once used to check the temperature of chemicals in a darkroom. The heat inside when the air conditioner is off is way hotter than the air outside, and the thermometer often goes up to 125 degre...

Calf rescued from Orange County drain canal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

Fire crews rescued a calf that was trapped in a drain canal in La Habra on Saturday.The calf was found near Sonora High School on the 400 block of Palm Street around 6:15 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.The young animal had jumped from the high school’s farming area before landing in the canal, officials said.Video from the scene showed multiple fire crews making their way down into the drain area and securing the cow onto a harness. A rescue truck was used to lift the calf out of the canal before placing it safely back on land.Fire crews rescued a baby calf that was trapped in a storm drainage canal in La Habra on July 22, 2023. (Key News)Fire crews rescued a baby calf that was trapped in a storm drainage canal in La Habra on July 22, 2023. (Key News)Fire crews rescued a baby calf that was trapped in a storm drainage canal in La Habra on July 22, 2023. (Key News)Fire crews rescued a baby calf that was trapped in a storm drainage canal in La Habra on July 2...

Hazardous 'coke dust' released from Martinez refinery again

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

(KRON) -- Another "coke dust" release was reported coming out of the refinery in Martinez Saturday evening, the Bay Area Air Quality District said on Twitter. Air quality officials teamed up with Contra Costa Health (CCH) to investigate further.Upon review, CCH hazmat crews and the Bay Area Air Quality District did not find evidence of the coke dust in the surrounding neighborhoods of the refinery located at 1801 Marina Vista Ave.Coke dust is a byproduct of refining petroleum. The release of the coke dust was reported to be at 6:04 p.m. Paramore concert at Chase Center rescheduled two hours before show Earlier in the month, hazmat crews responded to a similar incident on July 11. A petroleum coke release was reported at the refinery.

Italia comienza a eliminar los nombres de madres lesbianas de los certificados de nacimiento de los niños

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

(CNN) — La ciudad de Padua, en el norte de Italia, comenzó a eliminar los nombres de madres homosexuales no biológicas de los certificados de nacimiento de sus hijos en virtud de una nueva legislación aprobada por el gobierno de “primero la familia tradicional” del primer ministro Giorgia Meloni.Estos certificados de nacimiento pertenecen a 33 hijos de mujeres italianas que se sometieron a inseminación artificial en el extranjero y luego registraron a sus hijos bajo el gobierno de centroizquierda de la ciudad, encabezado por Sergio Giordani, en 2017.La fiscalía de Padua confirmó a CNN que, hasta el jueves, 27 madres habían sido eliminadas de 27 actas de nacimiento.Giordani llegó al poder con la promesa de eliminar las designaciones tradicionales de “madre” y “padre” en los certificados de nacimiento, pero esto fue anulado cuando el gobierno de Meloni ordenó a las autoridades locales que dejaran de registrar a los hijos de padres del mismo se...

Endy Rodríguez hits his 1st major league home run to help the Pirates beat the Angels 3-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Endy Rodríguez appears right at home in the majors after acknowledging he was nervous playing in his first couple of big league games. The 23-year-old rookie catcher hit his first career homer and was behind the plate as five Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers combined on a five-hitter in a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.“It feels great to catch my first shutout and hit my first home run,” said Rodríguez, the third-ranked prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system when he was called up Monday.Rodríguez sent a full-count slider from Gerardo Reyes into the elevated stands in right-center leading off the sixth inning. At 23 years and 57 days old, he became the youngest Pirates catcher to homer since Jason Kendall (23 years, 42 days) on Aug. 7, 1997, against the Marlins.“Anytime you check a box off I think it’s really important,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He got the first hit the other night as a pinch-hitter and th...

Gelof hits first major league homer, Brown connects to help A’s snap skid against Astros, win 4-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Against a pitcher the caliber of Cristian Javier, Oakland manager Mark Kotsay appreciated his club’s patient approach to work counts and finally create some scoring chances.Jace Peterson hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth, Zack Gelof hit his first major league home run in the seventh and the Athletics snapped a nine-game losing streak to Houston by beating the Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.Seth Brown connected for his 10th homer in the eighth, his third straight year reaching double digits. With one out in the ninth, Tony Kemp made a catch on the wall in left with two runners on to rob pinch-hitter Yainer Diaz of at least an extra-base hit and help preserve the save by Trevor May.“The ball goes up you make a play, and whatever you can do to help the team win,” Kemp said. “I don’t think it would have cleared the fence but it definitely would have hit off the wall.” Houston starter Cristian Javier didn’t allow a hit until Gelof’s o...

As Spurs get ready for Wembanyama, a new practice home is taking shape

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — RC Buford has spent nearly a decade plotting this. He’s been all over the world, visiting 200 places, seeing what works for other teams. Ideas kept coming, not just from the basketball landscape, but from skiing and soccer and eSports and cycling and even Formula One. Hour after hour, day after day, he became more consumed by the idea and more immersed into how to make it reality.His task is almost done.The San Antonio Spurs — just in time for No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season — are about to get a new practice home, one that might be among the most advanced in the world. It’s called The Rock at La Cantera, which will host the Spurs’ soon-to-be-ready new facility as part of what will be a $500 million complex by the time all the building at the site is completed. It’s not just a practice gym with a big locker room and some toys; it’s going to be part of what the team envisions as a “global center for excellence in human and athletic p...

Israel’s Netanyahu recovers from heart procedure while tensions surge over judicial overhaul plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:10 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recovering in hospital on Sunday after an emergency heart procedure while opposition to his government’s contentious judicial overhaul plan reached a fever pitch and unrest gripped the country. Netanyahu’s doctors said on Sunday the heart pacemaker implantation went smoothly and that Netanyahu, 73, felt fine. According to his office, he was expected to be discharged later in the day. But tensions were surging as lawmakers were to begin a marathon debate Sunday morning over the first major piece of the overhaul, ahead of a vote in parliament enshrining it into law on Monday.Mass protests were set to continue. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Israel on Saturday night, while thousands marched into Jerusalem and camped out near the Knesset, or parliament, ahead of Monday’s vote.Netanyahu’s sudden hospitalization added another dizzying twist to an already dramatic serie...