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Niles: Universal calls on its Minions to win the family market from Disney

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

Have the Minions become bigger than Mickey?Universal Studios seems to be trying its hardest to push its yellow mischief-makers to the head of the family entertainment business. Last week, Universal Studios Florida officially debuted its Minion Land, opening a new interactive attraction and an East Coast version of Minion Café next to its Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride.The newly designated land sits at the front of Universal Studios Florida, sending a visual message about the importance of the Minions franchise to Universal at the moment. This is Universal’s answer to Disney’s Mickey Mouse and friends — not just a franchise, but icons meant to help define a theme park brand.Universal Studios Hollywood has had a Minion area for nearly a decade, with its installation of the Despicable Me ride accompanied by a kiddie playland that name-checks the Super Silly Fun Land amusement park from the franchise’s original film. I appreciate that Universal chose not to duplicate a California seas...

Fire at mobile home park in Santa Rosa

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

(KRON) -- A structure fire involving a mobile home broke out around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department. 3.4-magnitude earthquake strikes East Bay Firefighters responded to the Sequoia Mobile Home Park off of Fulton Road as the blaze threatened two other structures. The fire was eventually contained, according to the fire department. Video shared by SRFD shows smoke from the blaze moving north of the structure.

20 gallons of gas leaks from big-rig in Emeryville crash involving 4 cars

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

(BCN) -- All lanes on Interstate Highway 80 in Emeryville reopened Tuesday morning after a four-vehicle crash blocked the highway the previous night, the California Highway Patrol said. The highway reopened to traffic around 5 a.m. Tuesday after crews cleared the roadway near Powell Street. A big-rig had plowed into the center divider there late Monday night, blocking all five eastbound and four westbound lanes on Highway 80. Fire at mobile home park in Santa Rosa Three other vehicles were involved in the crash, with at least one driver suffering significant injuries, CHP officials said. According to the CHP, at least 20 gallons of gas leaked out of the big-rig onto the highway. No drainages were affected. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Menlo Park to consider outdoor dining program

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

(KRON) -- The Menlo Park City Council will consider establishing an outdoor dining program at their next city council meeting on Tuesday. The city council will consider road closures along areas of Santa Cruz Avenue and Ryans Lane. Outdoor dining first began in Menlo Park back in 2015 with a pilot program that expanded during the pandemic, the city said. Trump indicted by Georgia grand jury in 2020 election interference case According to the city, the outdoor dining program would strengthen safety standards and create a consistent design aesthetic while ensuring fairness in the use of public right-of-way.The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chambers located on Laurel Street.

Anti-Press Hatred Is Alive and Well in Kansas

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

A pro-Trump protester holds a placard that says Fake News Is The Real Virus during a protest in Huntington Beach, Calif., on May 9, 2020.Photo: Stanton Sharpe/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesAn ugly strain of anti-press hatred is stalking the nation.The latest victim of this poisonous, anti-democratic virus is a small-town newspaper in Kansas. Most Read Secret Pakistan Cable Documents U.S. Pressure to Remove Imran Khan Ryan Grim, Murtaza Hussain UFO Whistleblower Kept Security Clearance After Psychiatric Detention Ken Klippenstein ...

Mar-a-Lago property manager pleads not guilty to charges in Trump’s classified documents case

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to scheming with Donald Trump to try to delete security footage sought by investigators probing the former president’s hoarding of classified documents. An attorney for De Oliveira entered the plea on his behalf during a brief hearing in the Fort Pierce, Florida, federal court, where Trump is charged with illegally holding onto top secret records at his Palm Beach club and thwarting government efforts to retrieve them. It’s the third court appearance for De Oliveira, who twice before had his arraignment postponed because he hadn’t yet finalized a Florida-based attorney, which is required under court rules. De Oliveira spoke only to answer the magistrate judge’s questions, such as whether he understood the charges against him. De Oliveira and his new attorney, Donnie Murrell of West Palm Beach, walked out of the courthouse without speaking to reporters. De Oli...

Jets running back Breece Hall activated from the physically unable to perform list

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall was activated from the physically unable to perform list Tuesday, a day after the team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Dalvin Cook.Hall was carted off the field in Denver in Week 7 last season after tearing the ACL and injuring the meniscus in his left knee in the second quarter of the Jets’ 16-9 victory — ending a promising rookie season.He has been working his way back to the practice field throughout the offseason and the Jets maintained optimism Hall would be ready to play in the season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 11. His return to practice is a big step toward that happening.The second-round pick out of Iowa State finished with 463 yards on 80 attempts — an eye-popping 5.8 yards per carry — and four touchdowns in seven games. Hall also was becoming an overwhelming favorite to win the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It went instead to teammate Garrett Wilson, who emerged as one of the NFL’s...

Most vacationers return to their campsites after a wildfire ripped through French tourist area

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Vacationers were mostly able to return to their campsites Tuesday after a wildfire ripped through 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of land near the seaside resort of Argeles-sur-Mer in southern France, close to the border with Spain, authorities said.Up to 3,000 vacationers on four campsites had been evacuated on Monday evening as a precaution. Authorities said Tuesday that the fire was contained overnight but remains under close surveillance. Local firefighters said one of the campsites and one house were destroyed by the blaze. That has left about 350 to 400 people without accommodation, Rodrigue Furcy, head of the administration in the Pyrenees-Orientales region, told local radio France Bleu Roussillon.They are being looked after by the Argeles-sur-Mer city hall, according to authorities.More than 600 firefighters, 11 firefighting aircraft and three helicopters were deployed at the popular tourist area as a combination of extremely hot weather, drought and strong winds led...

Autoridades migratorias de México rescatan a 231 migrantes de un tráiler en Puebla

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

(CNN) — El Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) de México dice que rescató a 231 migrantes que viajaban en la parte trasera de un tráiler en Puebla este lunes, dijo organismo en un comunicado este martes.El tráiler circulaba por la autopista México-Puebla cuando se pidió al conductor que se detuviera para una inspección; el INM dijo que, mientras se inspeccionaba el camión, se escucharon golpes y gritos desde el interior. Los migrantes fueron encontrados en la parte trasera del remolque, dijo el INM.No hay rastro de un naufragio de migrantes en las costas de Oaxaca, dicen las autoridades mexicanasLa mayoría de los migrantes son de Guatemala y El Salvador, detalló el organismo.“Agentes federales de Migración verificaron que 84 mujeres y ocho hombres adultos, 120 menores acompañados, 18 adolescentes no acompañados de Guatemala y un hombre de El Salvador fueron trasladados al interior del tráiler sin alimentación ni ventilación”, dice el comunicado.El conductor y su ...

Madonna announces rescheduled Denver date

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The "Queen of Pop" is hitting the road again, after she was hospitalized with a serious bacterial infection. Madonna announced her rescheduled tour dates for the "Celebration Tour" on Monday. She was originally going to take the stage at Ball Arena on July 25 but has rescheduled her Denver date to March 19, 2024. Tickets for Nathaniel Rateliff’s holiday show start at $25 The superstar was forced to postpone many of her 2023 tour dates while she dealt with health complications. “On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU,” Guy Oseary said on social media on June 28. “Her health is improving, however, she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected. At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.”Thankfully, Madonna's health has been improving ever since.“Thank you for your positive energy, prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your lo...