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Movie review: ‘Poor Things’ with Emma Stone is rich in lessons of humanness

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

In the middle of “Poor Things,” the new film from Oscar-nominated oddball auteur Yorgos Lanthimos, our heroine Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) toddles off on a solo adventure for the very first time. Wandering the streets of a pastel storybook Lisbon in silky shorts and a blouse with enormous puff sleeves, her long mane of raven hair swaying down back, Bella heads for a pastry stand, where she crams as many custard tarts as she can into her mouth. Later, she vomits them up on a balcony overlooking a picturesque vista of the city. Cause, meet effect. Bella observes this bit of data and reports it back to her scientist father figure, Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) in a crudely scrawled postcard home.This kind of self-experimentation is the backbone of “Poor Things,” Lanthimos’ strange and ravishing masterpiece about a young woman who receives one of life’s rare gifts: a chance to start over, from scratch. What will Bella do with her new lease on life? She’ll devour every last crumb, without a...

STL Help medical equipment drive every Friday this month

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - Help is on the way for those in need of medical equipment. 'STL Help' will be in St. Charles every Friday this month.They're taking donations of unused medical equipment and providing free, refurbished ones to those in need. The care service is at 4116 McClay Road in St. Charles. Missouri’s top educator warns of ‘domino effect’ with four-day school weeks STL help will be there from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Friday.

Xcel Energy-Colorado’s $15B resource plan called “transformational,” but “jarring” for cost

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

While calling Xcel Energy’s proposed blueprint for the next several years transformational, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is balking at nearly $3 billion in additional transmission costs — “jarring” one member called it — in the proposal.The PUC weighed in during a meeting Wednesday on the second phase of Xcel’s energy resource plan, which will help chart the utility’s spending and mix of resources to generate electricity through the rest of the decade. The company’s preference out of the different scenarios proposed would add roughly 6,500 megawatts of wind and solar power and storage on Xcel’s system while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 87% from 2005 levels by 2030.“This is likely to be the most impactful decision I’ll make during my term,” Eric Blank, commission chairman, said in what he called the beginning of regulators’ conversation on the proposal.PUC members will discuss the ...

Hit musical “Six” brings Henry VIII’s exes to vivid life | Theater review

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

If the Six were a girl group, it’s not clear how much they’d have topped the charts. Which doesn’t mean the women in the Tony-winning — and just plain winning — musical “Six” don’t have beautiful voices. They do, and each puts her mark on a breakout number.But the arrival of King Henry VIII’s six wives to the Buell Theater (through Dec. 24) is proof that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.Terica Marie as Anna of Cleves (center) in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of “Six.” (Joan Marcus, provided by the Denver Center)In what can be considered one of the best concerts of Denver’s fall season, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s blast-from-a-past, her-story lesson brings together Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez), Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), Jane Seymour (Amina Faye), Anne of Cleves (Terica Marie), Katherine Howard (Aline Mayagoitia)  and Catherine Parr (Adriana Scalice) for a rock show. Or, as the opening song “Ex-Wives” so deftly and drolly introduces...

Family alleges UCHealth cut off Indigenous patient’s hair, then lied about it

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

The family of an Indigenous man receiving medical care at UCHealth alleges the Aurora hospital cut and disposed of their relative’s waist-length hair — something that goes against sacred Native American cultural practices — and then lied about it when confronted.Now, the family of 65-year-old Arthur Janis is seeking an apology.“They continued to deny that they cut his hair,” said Keith Janis, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, of his brother. “They tried to make us all sound crazy.”On Thursday, UCHealth officials released a statement saying they had determined through an investigation that Arthur Janis arrived at their hospital with shoulder-length hair that hospital staff cut shorter to prevent the intensive care patient from developing a pressure ulcer.Dan Weaver, UCHealth’s vice president of communications, said the patient was not identified as someone with Native American roots before hospital staff cut his hair.“Our medi...

Windy weekend to bring dangerous fire conditions to Southern California

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

A windy forecast combined with dry conditions has fire officials on alert this weekend.Gusty overnight winds in many Los Angeles and Ventura County areas will temporarily calm down late Friday morning but are expected to return as Santa Ana winds Friday night.Wind advisories are in place until 10 a.m. Friday morning in the San Fernando Valley and until 7 p.m. in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to the National Weather Service. Gusty winds blow through Porter Ranch on Dec. 8, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Those advisories will turn into high wind warnings for both areas when the Santa Anas arrive Friday evening, according to the Weather Service.The windy weather is then expected to continue into early next week along with warming temperatures. "Sunday is the big warmup," KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said. The strong winds will combine with low relative humidities to bring an elevated fire risk to the region. A fire weather watch is in effect from Saturday morning through Sunday morning f...

Carjacking suspect arrested after pursuit through Southern California

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

Police pursued a carjacking suspect across multiple counties and freeways in Southern California on Thursday night.The male suspect was believed to be armed and driving a stolen red pickup truck, according to California Highway Patrol. The pursuit began around 8 p.m. with six patrol units from Fontana police chasing the suspect. The pursuit traveled on the westbound 10 freeway as they passed through downtown L.A. The driver merged onto the northbound 101 toward the San Fernando Valley, later to the northbound 405 Freeway and then to the 5 northbound.Fontana police K-9 tackling the suspect after he quickly turned his head toward officers while being arrested following a pursuit on Dec. 7, 2023. (KTLA)A carjacking suspect was arrested after a pursuit spanning multiple counties and freeways across Southern California on Dec. 7, 2023. (KTLA)Officers tackling the suspect after he quickly turned his head toward officers while being arrested following a pursuit on Dec. 7, 2023. (KTLA)A car...

Cover Story: The Biltmore Los Angeles Celebrates 100 Years

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

It was home to the 1960 Democratic National Convention when John F. Kennedy was announced as the party’s presidential nominee, one of the last sightings of the Black Dahlia in 1947, the site of a significant gay rights protest against the psychiatric establishment listing homosexuality as a disease, and for its role in the death of the famous Pershing Square critter, Benny A. Squirrel. The Biltmore Los Angeles celebrates its centennial this year, and if only those walls could talk.Recently designated as a Los Angeles Historic cultural monument, the building was originally designed by architecture firm Schultze & Weaver, inspired by the Italian and Spanish Renaissance with travertine walls and painted Mediterranean landscape murals throughout and two bronze light fixtures imported from Italy that hang between the ceiling’s ribs. There are detailed carvings throughout, and the rooms are finished with paint that’s accented in 24-karat gold. The hotel commissioned artist Giova...

Wish Book 2023: Animal Assisted Happiness brings smiles to kids in need

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

Bada Bing, Lollipop and Jingle Bell – an alpaca, a miniature horse and a miniature donkey, respectively – need to be fed. The rabbit hutches need mucking. And, uh oh, now there’s a sheep on the loose.It’s a typical Saturday afternoon at Sunnyvale’s Baylands Park, where Michael Porrovecchio, one of Animal Assisted Happiness‘ staffers, is leading a crew of 28 youth volunteers as they take care of the 100 or so animals who live here — pot-bellied pigs, alpacas, goats, ducks and more.The nonprofit group helps children with challenges — they’re disabled, for example, medically fragile, economically disadvantaged or in foster care – find respite and joy in the company of barnyard animals at this Sunnyvale farm.“Need is a large umbrella,” says Animal Assisted Happiness cofounder Vicki Amon-Higa.The organization arranges private farm visits for kids in need, sends animals out to visit kids who are unable to travel via its mobile barnyard buddy program and offer...

Borenstein: Alameda County demands A’s make $45 million payment for leaving Oakland

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:06:50 GMT

Alameda County officials on Thursday demanded $45 million in payments from the A’s because the baseball team is leaving Oakland for Las Vegas.It’s a move the county should have taken eight months ago when the team first announced its departure.But late is better than never.The demand, in a letter signed by Nate Miley, president of the Board of Supervisors, was prompted by my recent column questioning why the county was not seeking money it was entitled to as part of a contract it had with the team.That deal, struck in 2019 and expected to close in 2026, calls for the county to sell its half-interest in the Coliseum site to the team. The city of Oakland owns the other half interest.The county’s sweetheart deal with the A’s bypassed any competitive bidding and probably undervalued the land. It was misleadingly billed by county officials and team President Dave Kaval as an incentive for the team to stay in Oakland.It proved to be no such thing.Indeed, not only are the A’s leaving town,...