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‘Transformers’ edge out ‘Spider-Verse’ to claim first place at box office

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

It was Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse versus the “Transformers” at the box office this weekend and the bots came out on top. “ Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the seventh entry in the series, took the No. 1 spot in its first weekend in North American theaters with $60.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday. “ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ” wasn’t too far behind, however, with an estimated $55.4 million in its second weekend.Paramount Pictures released “Rise of the Beasts” in 3,678 locations starting with Thursday previews. Set in 1994, it’s technically a sequel to the 1980s-set “Bumblebee” and a prequel to the other films. With a new cast led by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback and a new director in Steven Caple Jr., it’s also an attempt to reset and breathe fresh life into the $4.8 billion franchise.Critics didn’t love the movie, but that’s also par for the course for this franchise. Overall, Rotten Tomatoes aggregated a less-than-fresh 5...

Pakistan’s army says shootout near Afghan border kills 3 soldiers, 3 militants

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Militants attacked a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan, triggering a shootout that left three soldiers and three militants dead, the army said Sunday.Four militants were also wounded, the military said in a statement.The overnight shootout early Saturday took place in the Miran Shah tribal area of North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, a militant group also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.The Pakistani army carried out search operations to track down those responsible for the attack. They also seized a cache of ammunition found with the dead militants.The military said it was “determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism.”Although the army says it has cleared North Waziristan of militants, occasional attacks and shootouts continue, raising concerns that the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, are regrouping in the area.Though a separate group, the TTP...

SEC lawsuits against cryptocurrency companies raise questions about industry’s future

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — First came the crypto winter, then the alleged fraud wrought by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and now the lawsuits. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuits last week against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance and Coinbase, deepening tensions between the government and a volatile industry that has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns.Binance and Coinbase are both alleged to have violated the law by operating as securities exchanges without registering their businesses with the SEC. Binance faces additional charges, along with its CEO, of diverting customer funds to a separate business, among other accusations. Most recently, the SEC asked a federal judge to freeze the assets of Binance’s U.S. platform. The lawsuits are the latest in an ongoing tussle between government officials who describe the crypto industry as the “ Wild West,” and creators of digital assets who seek to legitimize cryptocurrency as a currency ...

Ukraine says it recaptured a village; Russia insists it is repelling attacks

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military on Sunday reported recapturing a village in the southeast of the country amid Russian claims of repelling multiple attacks in the area, the latest indication that a highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive might be underway even as officials in Kyiv stop short of publicly acknowledging it.The 68th Separate Hunting Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces posted a video on Facebook showing soldiers installing a Ukrainian flag on a damaged building in what the post said was the village of Blahodatne in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region. In a separate social media post, Ukraine’s Ground Forces confirmed that the brigade had retaken Blahodatne. Myroslav Semeniuk, spokesman for the brigade, told The Associated Press that an assault team captured six Russian troops after entering several buildings where some 60 soldiers were holed up. “The enemy keeps shelling us but this won’t stop us,” Semeniuk said. “The next village we ...

AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile? Maps show which cell provider gives your area best coverage

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Considering changing your wireless carrier to get better service? You may want to check this map first. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created an interactive map comparing coverage from cell providers. We took a closer look at the coverage from the three largest companies, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.Looking at the country as a whole, Verizon and AT&T have the most coverage, with 55.05% and 55.11% of the country covered, respectively. While Verizon has some gaps in coverage around Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, and Kentucky, AT&T's gaps appear to be in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Meanwhile, T-Mobile covers 35.3% of the country, according to the FCC. Its coverage looks stronger in the eastern half of the country than it does out west. An FCC map shows Verizon's 4G LTE coverage nationwide. (Map: FCC)An FCC map shows AT&T's 4G LTE coverage nationwide. (Map: FCC)An FCC map shows T-Mobile's 4G LTE coverage nationwide. (Map: FCC)When it comes to the fastes...

13 people shot, stabbed or hit by cars after large gathering in New York

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- At least 13 people were either shot, stabbed or hit by vehicles after a large gathering in Syracuse early Sunday morning, police said. Police were called to the scene just before 12:30 a.m. for a report of shots fired in the area of Davis Street and Massena Street. When they arrived, officers found a large gathering in the street. Officers entered the crowd and discovered several victims that had been shot, as well as people who were stabbed or struck by vehicles fleeing the scene after the shots were fired.Syracuse Police say all victims are currently expected to survive, but the extent and severity of their injuries were not immediately released.The shooting victims included: 20-year-old female, gunshot wound to the right hip22-year-old female, gunshot wound to the abdomen17-year-old female, gunshot wound to the hip and midsection20-year-old male, gunshot wound to the forearmThe stabbing victims were:23-year-old female, laceration to the hand19-year-old...

Deadly brain-eating amoeba: How concerned should you be this summer?

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

(WJW) – As temperatures heat up, many of us will be headed to the water to cool off. However, there’s a deadly amoeba that lives in freshwater and thrives during the summer months. US warns of violent crime at popular tourist destination Naegleria fowleri, commonly called "brain-eating amoeba," is rare – there are only about 3 cases per year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it's almost always fatal.How can you get it?“They like to grow in water,” Dr. Christine Alexander, chair of family medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center in Ohio, told Nexstar's WJW in a previous interview. “Especially warm water.”Naegleria fowleri infects people in only one way: when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, according to the CDC.The amoeba then makes a beeline for the brain. Man contracts flesh-eating bacteria after being bitten by person at family function Naegleria fowleri is naturally found in warm freshwater environments such...

State Fair of Texas performance lineup released — see who is playing

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — The State Fair of Texas has released its 2023 performance lineup. Get ready for 24 days of music, essentially giving Texans the choice to create their own Texas music festival lineup."Only in the Lone Star State can these many Texan musical artists be experienced in one place! No matter the genre, the State Fair of Texas has something for you and it’s all FREE with your admission ticket," the State Fair of Texas said. According to the fair, there would be multiple stages located throughout the grounds filled with live music every day.Acts include Chrisette Michelle, Lil Jon and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Get your tickets for the state fair here.@StateFairOfTX

Other voices: A win for representation

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

A Supreme Court that’s grown increasingly deferential to state legislatures in redistricting, even when they draw lines in obnoxiously partisan ways, ruled Thursday that Alabama ran afoul of the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. It’s an important correction that should — but almost surely won’t — signal the judiciary’s willingness to serve as a check on more of the pernicious ways in which vote counts are effectively rigged.The Constitution generally gives states the power to draw congressional district lines. But there are limits: The federal judiciary has rightly ruled redistricting illegal when it violates the 1965 statute designed to protect the franchise for citizens regardless of their race.Largely ignoring that law, Alabama’s Republican legislature in 2021 redrew congressional districts and continued just one district among seven where Blacks constitute the voting majority, despite their comprising 27% o...

Denver weather: Thunderstorms could bring hail, tornado Sunday

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:35:28 GMT

Thunderstorms could bring large hail and an isolated tornado to the Front Range Sunday, according to the National Weather Service at Boulder.The storms are expected to move across the Denver metro in the late afternoon and evening hours, according to the forecasters. A few of the scattered storms will likely be severe, with Denver and areas to the south of the city seeing the most risk.Some storms could bring up to 2-inch hail, and an isolated tornado is also possible as the storms move from the mountains into the plains, according to the weather service. Residents in Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties face the most risk of a severe storm, according to a hazardous weather warning issued by the weather service.Related ArticlesWeather | Scattered storms moving across NE Colorado with rain, hail and lightning Weather | Denver weather: Pattern of p.m. showers and possible storms roll on Weather | Severe weather causing flight delays at Denver...