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Netflix quietly ditches a subscriber option

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

Netflix has done away with its most affordable ad-free option for subscribers. Netflix has removed its $9.99 advertising-free Basic plan in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The move doesn't affect people who already have the Basic plan, but it does force new subscribers to either sign up for a $6.99 Standard with Ads tier, the $15.49 Standard without Ads tier, or the $19.99 Premium option. City investigating after trees cut near Universal property on strike day "The Basic plan is no longer available for new or rejoining members," Netflix posted on its FAQ page as of Wednesday morning. "If you are currently on the Basic plan, you can remain on this plan until you change plans or cancel your account."According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix executives said the ad tier draws higher revenue per subscriber than the Basic tier they just got rid of. Lindsay Lohan gives birth to first child Netflix launched its ad-supported plan late last year and, in May 2023, began c...

'UPS dug their heels in': Teamsters UPS strike plans emerge, could affect 30% of parcels

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

Spirits are high among the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters as negotiations with shipping giant UPS stay frozen ahead of a July 31 contract negotiation deadline, The Hill found in a range of interviews.If the Teamsters strike, some 340,000 drivers, warehouse workers and other employees could walk off the job in one of the largest labor actions in U.S. history.The potential strike is part of surging labor activity in the U.S. and around the world as a result of elevated inflation, which central banks have been attempting to fend off by raising interest rates in an attempt to take the wind out of the labor market.In the interim, companies have been raking in record profits during the recovery from the pandemic, changing the distribution of value in the economy from labor payments to returns on investment.Teamsters president Sean O’Brien told The Hill that the economic model must change, and UPS needs to start forking over more of its profits to improve the working conditions...

Get Tori Amos to the Greek (On One Leg)

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

Get Tori Amos to the Greek (On One Leg): You have to hand it to Tori — she recently broke her leg on this tour but has soldiered on wearing a cast. For an artist who spends a lot of time hitting those piano pedals, that’s not a small feat for her feet. Tow’rs also plays.We spoke to her last year as she was about to play some L.A. shows and she said that, “I lived there for seven and a half years, when big hair was the thing. I lived in L.A. at a specific time. I was in my twenties – I moved there when I was 21. I was all over the Canyons, in the Valley, and driving my little wannabe Mustang – a baby blue Capri – all over the place. Playing piano bars anywhere I could.”It was the events on January 6, combined with Cornish mythology and the environment, that inspired Ocean to Ocean.“It’s all of it, and it’s also having to get out even in the wintery Cornish weather – when the gales are blowing and the gusts of wind – it can be ferociously beautiful because it’s so powerful,” Amo...

Jorge Sedano Jimenez Dies in Motorcycle Accident on Grand Avenue [Lake Elsinore, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

22-Year-Old Rider Killed in Motorcycle Collision near Macy StreetLAKE ELSINORE, CA (July 19, 2023) – Late Monday afternoon, Jorge Sedano Jimenez was fatally injured in a two-vehicle crash on Grand Avenue.Authorities responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m., near Macy Street.The events leading up to the collision remain unclear. However, reports indicate that a pickup-truck and a motorcyclist collided in front of a business building in the area.Responding paramedics arrived and declared the rider dead at the scene. Authorities later identified the deceased motorcyclist as 22-year-old Jimenez, of Lake Elsinore.Meanwhile, the driver of the pickup-truck remained uninjured.Emergency crews closed off the surrounding area for a brief time during cleanup and preliminary duties. Once available, further details will be provided.At this time, the circumstances surrounding the fatal Grand Avenue motorcycle crash remain unclear.The team at Sweet James sends out their heartfelt sympathies to...

Puppet Up! Uncensored Offers Fuzzy Grown-up Fun

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

Brian Henson (Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island), and actor Patrick Bristow (Ellen, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whose Line Is It Anyway?) have popped up again for Summer with their wild improv experience Puppet Up! – Uncensored. The show boasts that it’s “never the same show twice” but the stars of the show do have a consistent thread (well, many threads)– they are cloth, felt and faux fur creatures come to life thanks to Henson top puppeteers.Suggestions from the audience create the storyline but expect these “Miskreant puppets” to do the unexpected. The Miskreant Puppets, by the way, have been seen in Henson Alternative productions such as the film The Happytime Murders, and Coldplay’s recent music video “Biutyful.” The unusual show has a unique element that those who’ve never seen it might not expect as well– the improvised puppet presentation is projected live on big screens, but guests also get to watch the puppeteers moving around on stage, making for a ...

Taste-Off: The best sour cream and onion potato chips at Bay Area markets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

If there is such a thing as the ultimate picnic food, it has to be potato chips. They’re a grab-and-go snack that goes with any menu, and they hit all the right notes — salty, crunchy, familiar and satisfying.Regular potato chips are great, but when the mood hits for a flavor tweak, its time to reach for the sour cream and onion-flavored variety. Crazy popular — second only to BBQ chips — sour cream and onion are an addictive nibble. If they’re made right.Infusing a chip with those flavors is a tricky process involving more science than cookery. Most recipes incorporate a handful of powdered flavorings, such as sour cream, whey, buttermilk, onion, parsley and some form of sugar. Finding just the right blend requires a great palate — and precision. Some brands lean so hard on buttermilk powder that it buries the flavor of the potato. Others add so little onion or sour cream that the result is bland and underwhelming.The best sour cream and onion chips are crispy rounds that balance p...

USWNT hopes its record diverse World Cup roster will inspire next-gen stars

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles TimesSAN JOSE, Calif. — As a child growing up just across the East River from Manhattan, Crystal Dunn played soccer. She didn’t have a lot of teammates — or opponents — who looked like her, however. Neither did Lynn Williams, who grew up in Central California, or Naomi Girma, who was born into an immigrant family in San Jose.“It hasn’t been the easiest road, obviously,” said Dunn, one of two Black players on her club team, the Portland Thorns. “There were moments where I felt like I needed to conform to the environment and say ‘OK, let me tone down who I am.’ “That moment might have passed because the team the U.S. will field in this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is the most diverse in history. The 23-player roster includes a record seven Black women and two Mexican Americans. There are three gay players and three others who became mothers since the last World Cup.Then ...

Historic East Bay theater gets new operator

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

The city of Pittsburg has agreed to hire Entertainment Lane Inc. of Salinas to manage and operate the historic downtown California Theatre.Previously operated by the Pittsburg Arts and Community Foundation, the 500-seat beaux arts theater at 515 Railroad Ave. has offered a blend of films, theater, comedy, live music and other cultural programming over the years.The council approved the three-year agreement on a 3-to-1 vote with Mayor Shanelle Scales Preston and Councilwoman Dionne Adams absent. The council also allocated $350,000 for the entertainment company to provide services for the first year, 2023-24, with the city’s Pittsburg Power Company providing the funding.Kolette Simonton, director of recreation, said two groups, including Pittsburg Theatre Company, were interviewed as potential operators, with staff later recommending Entertainment Lane, which has 30 years of experience managing performing arts venues and booking entertainment. The company produced the Festa Italia in ...

Alleged squatter in South SF home arrested after standoff

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

(BCN) -- A man has been charged with burglary after allegedly squatting in the home of a South San Francisco couple and causing several thousand dollars in damage while the homeowners were on vacation.On Saturday, an individual the homeowners hired to watch their pets found 43-year-old Levi Joe Smith, of Forestville, in the South San Francisco home on Lassen Street. According to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, Smith emphatically claimed that he was the owner and that she was at the wrong address. 3 pedestrians struck by car, infant dies in San Jose The pet sitter called the homeowners, who reported it to the police.South San Francisco police found evidence of forced entry in the back of the home when they arrived. Police called the home's landline and Smith answered, giving a false name, prosecutors said.At the home, Smith allegedly brandished a knife and threatened officers. After a two-hour standoff, a SWAT team was able to enter the home and arrest Smith, accor...

San Francisco deli chain burglarized eight times

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:10 GMT

(KRON) -- The Lee family says their remaining two delis are hanging on by a thread after their sandwich chain has been burglarized eight times this year. “We grew up in San Francisco. Our business started in San Francisco. We just don’t feel safe anymore,” said Frankie Lee, Sunset Subs and Irving Subs manager.In each case, tablets were stolen, windows were shattered and doors were broken. The break-ins became so bad the family decided to close their Mission location, Valencia Subs."Even our employees don't really feel safe. It was very hard to hire at that location. They never knew when someone would come in and steal something,” said Lee. 3 pedestrians struck by car, infant dies in San Jose Two locations still remain open in the Sunset District, Irving Subs on 12th Avenue and Sunset Subs on 9th Avenue. Lee says this has been happening for years and they can't afford for it to continue. "I can't even put a number to it. It's thousands a day, or we have to shut down for the da...