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Niles: Will Disney or Universal own the future of entertainment?

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

Which entertainment brand owns the future?For more than a generation, Disney positioned itself as the dominant brand for children’s entertainment. With movies, TV shows, toys and theme parks, Disney has provided kids countless hours of delight over its 100 years of operation.But that has not always enough to turn children into lifelong Disney fans. Too often — for the company at least — kids would outgrow Disney and leave behind the brand. That’s why Disney long has been trying to develop entertainment for older audiences, starting with the old Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures brands and continuing with the more recent acquisitions of Lucasfilm, Marvel and Twentieth Century Fox.While Disney has been trying to extend its brand to appeal to more grown-ups, its biggest rival has been going the other way. Once best known for horror, Universal now is making a big play for the kids, as it also tries to become the lifelong entertainment lifestyle brand that Disney has been working to crea...

NFC playoff picture: Don’t get too carried away with 49ers’ big win over tired Eagles

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

Before rendering the 49ers as the inevitable NFC top seed for the postseason, it’s worth revisiting Oct. 29.They came in on a two-game losing streak to Cleveland and Minnesota, but this one was different. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow did as he pleased, but beyond that, the 49ers looked a lot like the Philadelphia Eagles did on Sunday.Cincinnati won 31-17, but in the aftermath, coach Kyle Shanahan admitted his team looked “slow and tired” and need of the upcoming Week 9 bye.The 49ers returned healthy, refreshed and ready and have reeled off four straight, including Sunday’s 42-19 road win in Philadelphia, the site of last year’s NFC Championship Game title loss.The NFL being what it is, the 49ers — despite being a game back of the Eagles — are the uncrowned king and the Eagles are yesterday’s news with some tough games the horizon.Unlike the 49ers, the Eagles don’t have a bye to freshen up. But that doesn’t mean...

Britney Spears’ dad had leg amputated but she gives him hope for reconciliation: report

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

Britney Spears’ father Jamie had his leg amputated a month ago due to a “massive infection” and is “not doing well,” TMZ reported Tuesday.But this new TMZ report also said that the 71-year-old patriarch may at least be able to hope that his famous daughter is open to repairing their relationship, which was badly damaged by the years of “horrific abuse” she says she suffered as he managed her conservatorship.TMZ said Jamie Spears developed “a massive infection in one of his legs” that landed him in the hospital for weeks. He underwent five unsuccessful surgeries to contain the infection, “and doctors decided the only way to proceed was amputation.”It was reported in October that Jamie Spears had been living with his youngest daughter, Jamie Lynn, in her newly built home in Louisiana after another failed stint in rehab for his chronic alcohol addiction. The Daily Mail said he moved into a guest home on Jamie Lynn Spears...

Oakland freeway driver finds bullet fragment in popped tire

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

(KRON) -- A driver who experienced a typical flat tire on an Oakland freeway later learned that it was more nefarious than first presumed, according to the California Highway Patrol.The Dec. 1 incident occurred on Interstate 80 at the Interstate 580 transition heading eastbound, authorities said. CHP responded to the disabled vehicle to assist before the driver was able to leave the scene and visit a tire repair business. At the tire shop, a bullet fragment was discovered in the popped tire.The driver contacted the CHP on Monday to report the bullet fragment and provide additional details. A loud noise was heard at the time the vehicle’s tire popped, the driver told CHP, and it was recalled that an unknown suspect was extending their hand out of a vehicle. The suspect vehicle was described to CHP as “possibly an older model Nissan Altima.”KRON On is streaming live.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-con...

Crews removing invasive eucalyptus at San Bruno Mountain Park

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

(BCN) -- Crews are removing invasive eucalyptus across 2 acres on the northwest boundary of San Bruno Mountain Park for three days this week, San Mateo County officials said.The removal operations started Monday at the park near properties along Florence Street and Mountain View Drive and they will continue through Wednesday, depending on weather conditions, county officials said.Community members living nearby may hear noise during the operations. County officials said Parks Department contractors may be seen in the park wearing personal protective equipment while applying herbicides.The public is advised to avoid the project area.According to county officials, the operations aim to improve ecosystem health and reduce the threat of wildfire to neighboring communities.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Coloradans need $15,000 more just to live like they did in 2021, analysis finds

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – An economic analysis by a group of Congressional Republicans may have you feeling nostalgic for January 2021. There's not much to miss about that time – when many Americans were still out of a job or under stay-at-home orders because of the pandemic – but inflation hadn't yet exploded. Since then, the cost of just about everything, from groceries to gas to housing, has skyrocketed. An inflation tracker created by the members of Congress' Joint Economic Committee shows the impact of inflation on the average household in every state. (While the joint committee is chaired by a Democrat, the report and data was put out by the committees' Republican members.) The report uses January 2021 as a benchmark "because it was the last time inflation was within recent historical norms." Northern lights: More than 20 states have a chance at seeing the auroras Thursday Now, the report claims, most American household would need to spend an additional $10,000 or more just to afford...

Pueblo lottery player wins $5 million jackpot

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado has a new millionaire. The Colorado Lottery announced that one lucky player in Pueblo won the Colorado Lotto+ jackpot worth $5,214,531. In order to win the big prize, players had to match all six numbers, and the ticketholder in Pueblo did just that. The winning ticket matched the numbers 10-24-27-35-37-38 on the Nov. 29 drawing. If you are looking for some lottery luck, you might want to purchase your ticket at the same shop as this winner. According to the Colorado Lottery, the ticket was purchased at the Loaf 'N Jug located at 3980 Ivywood Lane. Colorado man wins $5 million on lottery, wants to buy watermelon Aside from the big win, another big event happened in Pueblo on Nov. 29. President Joe Biden visited CS Wind in Pueblo to tout his economic policies and investments in clean energy.The Colorado Lottery even joked that Biden could possibly be the big winner. Currently, the jackpot winner is anonymous as no one has claimed their prize. Once the winn...

Vote: Neighborhoods with the best holiday lights

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Driving around Denver, you might find one or two houses decorated with Christmas lights. The hard part is finding full neighborhoods that join in on the holiday spirit.Some Denver spots are known for their holiday lights. The Denver Botanic Gardens was just named one of the best light displays in the U.S. Meanwhile, most of the Denver metro area has Christmas tree lighting displays already up for the season.With less than a week into December, local houses are also getting ready for the dark days and holidays ahead.Decorated houses are easy to find. One family in Highlands Ranch even participated in a national competition for a prize of $50,000 for the best Christmas light display. But nearby neighbors with the same setups aren't as common. Highlands Ranch family competes for best Christmas light decorations in the country FOX31 is looking for neighborhoods that collectively participate in the fun. Houses side by side with lights glowing, streets covered in lights,...

Florida discontinues manatee winter feeding program after seagrass conditions improve

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A two-year experimental feeding program for starving Florida manatees will not immediately resume this winter as conditions have improved for the threatened marine mammals and the seagrass on which they depend, wildlife officials said.Thousands of pounds of lettuce were fed to manatees that typically gather in winter months near the warm-water discharge of a power plant on Florida’s east coast. State and federal wildlife officials launched the program after pollution killed off vast seagrass beds, leading to a record of over 1,100 manatee deaths in 2021.This season, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the seagrass has started to recover in key winter foraging areas on the east coast, and that there appear to be fewer manatees in poor physical condition going into the stressful colder months.“After careful consideration, the agencies are not providing manatees with a supplemental food so...

Young girl in Denver organizes pet drive to bring holiday joy to shelter animals

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:24:18 GMT

DENVER, Colo. (WSVN) — In the spirit of the season, a young girl in Denver made a “paw-sitive” impact on shelter animals’ lives, inspired by the memory of her beloved best friend, a border collie mix named Bella.Meet Milly Kukuczka, the 9-year-old girl behind a pet drive initiative aimed at providing toys, treats, and beds for dogs residing in shelters. “I thought it was sad that pets didn’t have owners, especially around the holidays,” she said.Milly’s journey began when her family asked her for her Christmas list. Instead of traditional requests, she surprised her parents by presenting a flier outlining her plan for a pet drive donation. “We asked her for her Christmas list, and she went into her art room and came out with a flier and wanted to do a pet drive donation,” said Milly’s mother, Ashley.Determined to ensure that shelter animals experience the joy of the season, Milly has committed to personally delivering the c...