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Hollywood actors strike imminent after contract talks fail

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

Hollywood actors are set to strike Thursday after a contract between the union and studio producers expired at midnight.The sides had been in negotiations for months. Still, as the contract expired, the SAG-AFTRA negotiating board recommended striking against Hollywood studios and streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple. Federal negotiators were brought in for the last two days of talks to help work out a deal, but that effort has failed.Picketers pass near a studio entrance during a Writers Guild rally outside Warner Bros. Studios, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher described recent negotiations as “disrespectful” and “insulting.” Drescher released a statement Wednesday night.“Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity ... with a strike recommendation to our national board,” a portion of the statement read. Historic face...

Santa Monica police apologize for classical music mishap

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

Santa Monica Police are apologizing after a program meant to deter crime and improve public safety instead angered neighbors near the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Broadway.Last week, police installed traffic signals that play classical music as part of a broader city-wide initiative, the police department said.Residents complained, including one caller who contacted KTLA to say the music was too loud and made sleeping difficult.On Facebook Wednesday, police blamed a glitch."The cameras were installed on Thursday and the volume was set at an acceptable level and unfortunately the software glitched on Tuesday and reset the volume to the highest level possible," the department explained. "We truly do apologize to all those impacted."The music has now been turned off, police said.A music-playing traffic sign is seen in Santa Monica on July 12, 2023. (KTLA)Public response to the Facebook post has been mixed."I don’t know about you but, as long as it was safe, I would freaking love to...

LA Gourmet Tours and Caviar Dreams – Here’s What’s Popping Up

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

On Bastille Day, Friday, July 14, Caviar Kaspia on Melrose Place will transform its al-fresco space for a one-day party celebrating France, featuring all-day $10 French 75s, a special $35 bouillabaisse, and happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Later throughout the evening, Kaspia’s Marseille-born chef Antoine Teychene will be DJing with afro-funk beats. Then on National Caviar Day,  Tuesday, July 18, the caviar will be flowing during Kaspia’s signature jazz night with caviar specials including toro tartare; and a $100 caviar flight featuring some of Kaspia’s prestige collection. Also on Friday, July 14, starting at 4:30 p.m., Coucou in Venice will celebrate Bastille Day by serving classic French dishes plus a Francophile-approved Domaine Ott Frosé, freshly baked mille-feuille by Baked on Rose, alongside the charming bistro’s ice cold martinis, steak frites and special desserts for the holiday. Giving Back: To celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Americana at Brand in Glendale, Bourbon ...

Sharper Image — Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment promise big things for Comic-Con

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

Sharper Image: After a two-year break, San Diego Comic-Con returned last year with, if not a bang, a moderate bump. It was one of those “should we shouldn’t we” situations – comic books fans were craving normalcy and so they congregated as they are apt to do.This is the first proper post-COVID (don’t jinx it) year, and Comic-Con is back again. This time though, it’s the writer’s strike that is playing hell with the schedule (a writer’s strike, incidentally, that we fully support). Marvel, fucking Marvel, is skipping it this year, as are Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Netflix and HBO. That’s some big names.The absence of those corporate giants allows us to focus harder elsewhere, however. Todd McFarlane’s Image Comics will be there, and that umbrella also means that imprint Skybound Entertainment (founded by Walking Dead man Robert Kirkman) also will be there.Image has a few panels from Thursday to Sunday, with McFarlane himself speaking at 10:30 a.m., on Friday.Spawn (Todd McFar...

FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

(CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the birth control pill Opill to be available over-the-counter — the first nonprescription birth control pill in the United States.“Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.”Opill is a “mini-pill” that uses only the hormone progestin.Its manufacturer, Perrigo, called the FDA action a “milestone” and a “giant leap for women’s empowerment ” in a statement. It said the company is committed to making the pil...

Bay Area water sports: 7 ways to get out on the water, even if you’re a sailing newbie

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

One of the main attractions of the Bay Area is, well, the Bay. Vast and sparkling blue, those waters offer an open invitation to adventure, but they can be a little intimidating to those who haven’t quite gotten their sea legs — or a yacht.But here are a few ways to get out on the Bay, its estuaries and lakes — no experience necessary.1 The Schooner Freda BThis classic, meticulously maintained, 80-foot schooner is beloved by locals and tourists alike. The boat is available for public sails, as well as private charters, and offers gourmet bites and fine wines along with those breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz and, of course, the Sausalito and San Francisco skylines.Details: Public sailing events, which range from sunset sails to holiday events, start at $99. The schooner is moored at Slip 465 at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor. Find details at schoonerfredab.com/.2 Discovery Bay pontoonsYou can explore Discovery Bay and ...

Take a peek at San Francisco’s new public park in the Presidio, Outpost Meadow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

San Francisco continues to disprove that old Mark Twain saying, “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore” – at least in terms of creating new parks. Last year, it debuted the stunning Tunnel Tops in the Presidio that sits athwart a busy freeway, and now it’s revealed designs for a nearby green space called Outpost Meadow that will completely transform a parking lot. (See below for the renderings.)The 1.5-acre park is technically part of the Tunnel Tops and was designed by the same landscape architecture firm, James Corner Field Operations, famed for creating the New York High Line. The new stretch will take the place of an asphalt lot near the Sports Basement sporting goods store, which will remain open during construction that’s slated to start in August. The tentative date for the Outpost Meadow’s public opening is at the end of 2025.What should visitors expect? Well, there will be an array of large picnic “banquettes,” some with bar...

7 terrific Bay Area things to do this weekend, July 14-16

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

With a red-hot summer weekend ahead, we have no shortage of ideas for how to have fun and stay cool. So let’s get to it, shall we?As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 SEE & HEAR: Great shows are all over the placeFrom an international dance festival to free music in Richmond to the brilliant Savion Glover, there are a lot of great live shows to see this weekend and beyond.2 PLAY & SLURP: An ice cream adventureThere are some Bay Area ice cream parlors that refuse to color within the lines, offering eye-popping flavors like basil, beet balsamic and chocolate tarragon. Here’s where to find them.Fog drifts over the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Grou...

Photos: Cristian Espinoza propels Earthquakes to 2-0 victory over Sounders

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco (21) celebrates his goal with San Jose Earthquakes' Judson (93) against the Seattle Sounders in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco (21) scores a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco (21) celebrates his goal with San Jose Earthquakes' Judson (93) against the Seattle Sounders in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Carlos Gruezo (7) fights for the ball against Seattle Sounders' Nouhou (5) in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Carlos Gruezo (29) an...

Did you file for pothole reimbursement from California? Don’t hold your breath: Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:13 GMT

Q: I have a question about the Caltrans program supposedly for reimbursing a driver that has vehicle damage due to the condition of the roads.I hit a huge pothole in March on southbound Interstate 880. I filed a claim. After 75 days of waiting, they denied the claim. I am so annoyed and am also out over $400.Do you have a suggestion for how I might escalate this?Susan SnyderA: Appeal, but it is a long shot. Caltrans typically receives 4,000-plus claims a year, and fewer than 1 in 10 are upheld. No fee is required to file a claim for $10,000 or less.The state pays out nearly $1.2 million for road-related damages under $5,000, but it received roughly $200 million in claims over roughly the same period. It’s difficult to say how many are upheld, because many are turned over to contractors and those are not tracked.Visit the Department of Transportation’s website for more details.Q: Parallel parking is so easy! I spent my senior year at Claremont High School and took driver’...