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While ‘Barbie’ bonanza continues at the box office, ‘Oppenheimer’ holds No. 2 spot

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.” Your vintage Barbie dolls might be worth a pretty penny — if you have the right ones “Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each othe...

Why is hazing so hard to eliminate?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

(The Hill) – Northwestern is the latest in a long line of universities to come under public scrutiny due to a scandal over hazing, a practice that has refused to go extinct in colleges and high schools despite multiple concerted efforts to end it.Hazing, which in rare instances has proven fatal, in particular plagues sports teams and Greek Life. Experts say education on the issue and increased consequences are needed to create a real change, although they are skeptical the dangerous practice will exit school life anytime soon.“Hazing has always been prevalent in society, not just in colleges. It's anywhere that you see a different power dynamic between people who are trying to join a group [and] people who are in the group," said Todd Shelton, executive director of the Hazing Prevention Network. "There's research that shows that hazing starts long before college and in those younger ages. It's especially prevalent in athletic teams camps, performing arts groups." The lates...

Heat peaks Monday and Tuesday before fading slightly

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today was our 23rd triple digit day in a row, the second longest stretch on record in Austin. The current record is 27 days in 2011, but we should be alone in first place by Friday.Tonight should be very similar to the last several nights with mostly clear skies and lows in the upper 70s.We'll be in for a mostly sunny and hot Monday with feels like temperatures reaching 105-110º signaling the return of Excessive Heat Warnings for much of the area.Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat AdvisoriesHigh pressure will move back overhead on Monday and Tuesday, which should make for our hottest days of the week. We're currently forecasting a high of 107º both days, which would set a record high Monday and tie the record on Tuesday.Heat dome settles over the stateLater in the week the center of high pressure drops southwest and weakens slightly, which may be enough to knock 2-3 degrees off our high temperatures. Still, the heat continues.The Saharan dust that's been in our sky th...

3M Open: North Oaks’ Frankie Capan III savors PGA Tour home game, looks forward to earning his full-time card

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

3M Open tournament director Mike Welch declared an event first Sunday. He couldn’t recall a sponsor’s exemption ever having his name chanted as he strolled down the fairway.But that was the life of North Oaks native Frankie Capan III at this week’s PGA Tour stop, which was played just 15 minutes from his home. Endless swaths of Capan’s family and friends followed the 23-year-old around the TPC Twin Cities course in Blaine all week, cheering him as he finished at 4-under-par 280 to place 62nd overall at the 3M Open.“It was a pretty special week. Obviously to make my first cut on the big-boy tour in my home state is pretty special, but to have pretty much my entire family out here supporting not only myself but my mom (who was his caddie), I’m just really thankful for them. And also the support that I got from the fans outside of my family,” Capan said after his final-round, even-par 71 on Sunday. “You know, I was trying to tip my cap an...

Rookie center Dorka Juhasz comes up big to cap Lynx’s 87-83 upset of Sun

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

For much of Sunday’s WNBA game, rookie Lynx center Dorka Juhász was getting educated by an opponent with 14 years of experience.Obviously, things were learned.With the Lynx leading by two points, it was Juhász coming up clutch at the defensive end to secure Minnesota’s 87-83 road victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon.“We were riding Dorka pretty hard with her defense this game, her defense on (DeWanna) Bonner where she’s jumping, leaving her feet and just getting schooled by Bonner. We needed a play and she felt like she redeemed herself. She really was challenged by that,” said coach Cheryl Reeve.Out of a timeout with 11.7 seconds left, Bonner, who led Connecticut with 31 points, was one on one against Juhász. Bonner dribbled to the right side and let go with what likely would have been a game-winning three-pointer.Juhász, a 6-foot-5 rookie who played two years at the University of Connecticut, kept her feet on the ground, and had her arms outstretched to...

Twins’ bats silenced in 2-1 loss, swept by division-worst Royals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

KANSAS CITY — The Twins have consistently said over the course of the past month that they intend to be buyers ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. And this weekend’s series sweep at the hands of one of the Major League Baseball’s worst teams was as clear an example as any of what the Twins need to address in the coming days.The Twins lost to the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, quieted by soft-tossing lefty Ryan Yarbrough for seven innings.It was yet another sign that the Twins, who have the worst batting average and OPS in the majors against left-handed pitchers, could use a right-handed bat to add to the lineup. The Twins’ one run actually came courtesy of the only left-hander in their starting lineup, Matt Wallner, who socked his fifth home run of the season 445 feet out to right field, in the third inning.Other than that, a Twins lineup that will now be without one of its most productive hitters — Alex Kirilloff, who suffered a shoulder strain — for...

Matz pitches six strong innings as Cardinals stop Cubs' eight-game win streak with 3-0 victory

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Steven Matz and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped the Chicago Cubs' eight-game winning streak with a 3-0 victory Sunday.Tyler O’Neill, Andrew Knizner and Paul Goldschmidt drove in runs in the first two innings for the Cardinals before the pitchers took it from there.Matz (2-7) allowed four hits in six innings with two strikeouts and no walks. He has not allowed an earned run over his last two starts, covering 12 innings.Giovanny Gallegos tossed two hitless innings. JoJo Romero threw a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save. Execution of Johnny Johnson will proceed on Aug. 1, stay lifted St. Louis salvaged the final game of the four-game set and had lost its previous six home games to the Cubs.Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (4-5) allowed three runs on eight hits over seven innings. He entered the contest with a 13-3 career mark against St. Louis.Chicago had been on its longest winning streak since an 11-game run July 31...

Ty Blach ends Rockies’ four-game skid with gem vs. A’s

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

Ty Blach is officially listed as a reliever, but the Rockies’ left-hander delivered a desperately needed five-inning gem Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.The Regis Jesuit graduate led Colorado to a 2-0 victory over Oakland, stopping a four-game losing streak and preventing the lowly A’s from a three-game sweep on the Rockies’ home turf.On Saturday, when asked how long Blach would pitch as the “opener” of a bullpen game, manager Bud Black joked, “I don’t mean this to be sarcastic, but if Ty goes nine, that would be awesome.”Blach didn’t pitch nine innings, of course, but he delivered big-time.He gave up just three hits — all singles — walked one and struck out two. The lefty has pitched 11 consecutive scoreless innings (in the majors), dating back to his April 23 game at Philadelphia before he was sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque.Ryan McMahon provided Colorado with all of the runs it needed.His opposite-field, bloop si...

Pedestrian struck and killed by driver while crossing Aurora street

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

A pedestrian died after she was struck by a car’s driver Saturday night while crossing an Aurora street, police said.Aurora police said the driver of the vehicle, a Mazda, was traveling north on North Dayton Street and hit the woman mid-block near 10th Avenue. The crash was reported just before 9 p.m.The woman was taken to a local hospital and later died from her injuries, police said in a news release issued Sunday afternoon. She has not been identified publicly.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man sentenced to life in prison for Aurora workplace shooting death Crime and Public Safety | Girl in suspicious incident found safe; Aurora police continue investigation Crime and Public Safety | Driver dies in a three-vehicle crash in Aurora involving a dump truck Crime and Public Safety | Aurora won’t deploy officers to Denver during protests until Denver agrees to protect them from all liability Crime an...

Barbie collector turned hobby into a 25-year design career at Mattel

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:24:07 GMT

Everyone has a Barbie story to tell.Bill Greening, principal designer for Barbie Signature at Mattel Toys and Barbie Brand Historian, always loves hearing other people’s stories. Greening, a 52-year-old Long Beach resident with roots in Orange County, began as a Barbie collector himself and the hobby led him to work at the company for 25 years.“Some of the Barbie collectors have known me since I was 16, so I think they’re happy to see that there’s a collector that is in the Dreamhouse, somebody in their community has made it to Mattel,” Greening said. “So now, I’m a collector designing for other collectors. That feels rewarding, giving back to my doll community.”Greening has collaborated with celebrities as well as the community and has helped create memories for the millions of kids and adults who get their hands on the popular Barbie dolls.As summer sizzles, “Barbie” is burning hotter than ever in the international consumer psyche. Greta Gerwig’s critically praised new comedy, sta...