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What to play: ‘Starfield’ dominates the weekend, but there are other RPGs to explore

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

“Starfield” doesn’t officially come out for another few days, but those who purchased the Premium or Constellation edition will have an early jump on the epic space-faring role-playing game. It’s an ideal time to jump in because the long three-day weekend offers ample opportunity to take a bite out of the adventure.But if weeks-long adventures aren’t your thing, there are other titles coming out this week that can keep you occupied. Here’s a roundup of what to play this weekend.“Starfield” — Bethesda Game Studios’ first new universe in 29 years will have you hooked from the get-go. Players create a character, and through a mining job on a distant moon, they touch an artifact and become the protagonist in a mystery that will take them to more than a 1,000 planets and tackle adventures big and small throughout the cosmos.“Starfield” is such an enormous game that I’ve played 20 hours and I still haven’t...

Stanford, UC Berkeley to join Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

(KRON) -- Stanford University and University of California Berkeley announced Friday morning they will be joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024.Stanford says the academic success of its student athletes as well as their wellbeing remained an important factor throughout the process following an invitation from the ACC. The university is working with the ACC on scheduling in order to ensure travel does not hinder the academic success of their athletes.Stanford anticipates 22 of its 36 sports will see little to no scheduling impacts. "Student-athletes come to Stanford to pursue their highest academic and athletic potential, and joining the ACC gives us the ability to continue offering them that opportunity at a national level. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of Commissioner Jim Phillips and the leaders of the ACC member institutions to create this promising path forward," said Stanford University President Richard Saller.UC Berkeley said they accepted ACC's invitation after...

Santa Rosa apartment fire leaves 3 people without a home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

(KRON) -- A loud "boom" was heard at a two-story apartment complex prompting fire crews to respond Thursday afternoon, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department.SRFD arrived in under four minutes and located a fire in the backyard of an apartment that had spread to both floors of one unit and into the attic. The blaze had broken all sliding glass doors on both floors which made easier access for crews to enter, the fire department said. Driver in Vallejo police chase crashes into car, kills occupant before escaping: police Firefighters climbed to the roof to cut ventilation openings while crews inside the apartment as well as in the backyard worked to extinguish the blaze. The fire was contained within 20 minutes of crews arriving, SRFD said.The fire did not spread to the other two apartments. Crews searched all three apartments and found no occupants. It was later learned, a neighbor had knocked on the door of an apartment to alert the occupants of an exterior fire. The occupa...

Company behind mysterious Solano County land acquisitions launches website after criticism from lawmakers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

(BCN) -- A group of Silicon Valley investors behind a land acquisition company called Flannery Associates LLC launched a website Thursday previewing plans for building a new city in Solano County, days after California lawmakers at the state and federal level urged more transparency from the company. The California state Senate's agriculture committee held a hearing Tuesday that covered threats to California's agriculture industry and heard testimony on the land acquisitions, which have included 400 parcels bought up over the last five years by a company that had no identifiable officers or investors. San Jose women charged after infested langsat fruit seized Flannery Associates has bought 55,000 acres of land since 2018, much of it owned by family farmers, but investors in the company remained hidden because it was registered in Delaware, which does not require a corporation's officers to be public. "Just last week, Aug. 22, Flannery Associates finally revealed, afte...

Stolen truck crashes into SUV in Sonoma County hit-and-run, injures 74-year-old woman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

(KRON) -- A 74-year-old woman was injured after a hit-and-run Wednesday morning in Sonoma County, CHP Santa Rosa said on Facebook. The driver of a stolen septic truck lost control and crashed head-on into a Mercedes-Benz SUV near Calistoga Road and Alpine Road around 11:38 a.m. The septic truck rolled onto the roadway before crashing into the SUV. The 74-year-old female driver suffered major injuries, CHP said. ‘Sick and tired’: Oakland restaurant acquires parking lot, hires security to prevent car break-ins The male driver of the stolen truck ran away from the scene before authorities arrived. Photos of the crash were posted by CHP (below).(CHP Santa Rosa)(CHP Santa Rosa)As of Thursday evening, CHP has not reported that the suspect driver was located. Anyone with information about this crash or the suspect who left the scene is asked to call 707-588-1400.

Disney Lists $330,000 Crisis PR Job After CEO Insults Striking Actors and Writers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

Amid the Hollywood strike, Disney is looking to hire a senior executive to “lead crisis communications response efforts,” as well as other senior communications experts to “retain” and “motivate” employees, according to company job postings reviewed by The Intercept. One posting offers up to $337,920 for a vice president of public affairs to lead a “communications team to assist senior executives in preparing for media events” and “interviews.” The posting follows a disastrous July 13 interview by CNBC of Disney chief executive Bob Iger, in which he called the actors and writers strikes “very disturbing,” their demands “not realistic,” and coming at “the worst time in the world.”The interview was widely panned as a catastrophe, with the Hollywood Reporter calling it “infamous” in an article titled “Unpacking Bob Iger’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good PR Week.” The same week, one day prior to the interview, Disney announced that his contract was being extended to 2026, raising his t...

Wine growers in Maryland eligible for $1 million in grants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

The Maryland Department of Commerce has $1 million in grants available for new and existing wineries in the state, and is now taking applications for the grants.The funds are made available through the state’s Winery and Vineyard Economic Development Grant Program, and administered by the Commerce Department’s Office of Tourism.Applicants don’t need to be large vineyards. Any winery consisting of at least one acre used solely to grow grapes qualifies.Eligible expenses that grants will cover are wide ranging, including barrels and bins, canopy management machines, fermenters, fruit harvesters, irrigation equipment, presses, seeders and tanks. The full list of eligible expenses is online.Grants can’t be used for some expenses, including labor, maintenance or utilities.The application deadline is Sept. 15, with grants approved by Dec. 15.There are more than 80 wineries in Maryland now, with four distinct wine growing regions, including the Eastern Shore, Souther...

Correction: Hawaii-Wildfires-Philanthropy story

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

In a story published August 31, 2023, about the People’s Fund of Maui, The Associated Press incorrectly identified the nonprofit managing the fund. It is the Entertainment Industry Foundation, not the Entertainment Industry Fund.Source

A federal judge strikes down a Texas law requiring age verification to view pornographic websites

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

A federal judge has struck down a Texas law requiring age verification and health warnings to view pornographic websites and blocked the state attorney general’s office from enforcing it.In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge David Ezra agreed with claims that House Bill 1181, which was signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in June, violates free speech rights and is overbroad and vague.The state attorney general’s office, which is defending the law, immediately filed notice of appeal to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans.The lawsuit was filed Aug. 4 by the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry and a person identified as Jane Doe and described as an adult entertainer on various adult sites, including Pornhub.Judge Ezra also said the law, which was to take effect Friday, raises privacy concerns because a permissible age verification is using a traceable government-issued identification and the government...

Amrabat leaving Fiorentina could be biggest deal on quiet transfer deadline day in Italy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:27 GMT

MILAN (AP) — With the top Serie A teams having completed most of their transfer business, the biggest move of Friday’s deadline day in Italy could be a player leaving the country.Manchester United seems like the likely destination for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. The English club is reportedly set to pay 10 million euros ($11 million) for an initial loan deal with an option to buy the Morocco international for a further 20 million euros ($22 million).Amrabat was largely off the radar outside Italy before an outstanding World Cup. He was one of the players of the tournament, the shield for a Moroccan defense that didn’t concede a goal by an opposition player until the semifinals.The 27-year-old Amrabat hasn’t featured in either of Fiorentina’s Serie A matches this season as a transfer away from the team looked ever more likely.The Milan teams could wrap up a busy transfer window with deadline day signings.Davy Klaassen flew into the Italian city for a medical at Inter ...