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Austin to host annual Oita Japan Festival as part of sister city program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin and Austin Sister Cities International will host a Japanese cultural festival at the Asian American Resource Center on Sunday, marking a 33-year partnership with sister city Oita, Japan.The event, which runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., will include performances, hands-on activities and vendors. Tickets for the event are already sold out, but Austin-Oita Sister City Committee Chair Kristie Bryant said that day-of tickets will become available as earlier attendees leave the event."It's pretty amazing for anybody who has looked at plane ticket prices recently. If you come on Sunday, you'll be able to experience the tastes, the sounds and the culture of Japan," Bryant said.Bryant, who has been with the committee since nearly the beginning of the partnership, said that Oita and Austin were fairly comparable back then."Oita has stayed about the same size as it did back then. Austin now has totally changed [in comparison]," Bryant said. "We have a really ...

Emo rockers Fall Out Boy set to return to Target Center in April

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

Emo rockers Fall Out Boy will wrap their early 2024 tour when they headline Minneapolis’ Target Center on April 6.Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 15 through Ticketmaster. Neither the promoter nor the venue announced ticket prices. Jimmy Eat World, Hot Mulligan and Carr are also on the bill.Fall Out Boy emerged from suburban Chicago in 2001 and took their name from a character on “The Simpsons.” After releasing a pair of EPs on the indie label Uprising, they signed to Fueled by Ramen and quickly became one of the emo label’s biggest acts. They played the Warped Tour in 2004 and continued to tour heavily.They broke through on radio with 2005’s “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” the first of a string of smashes that include “Dance, Dance,” “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” and “Thnks fr th Mmrs.” But by the end of the decade, the hits had dried up and the band went on a hiatus.Fall Out Boy re-emerged in 2013 and found s...

Alvaro M. Bedoya: Hollywood is scanning actors’ moves. What that could mean for the rest of us

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

Twenty years ago, Jet Li was offered a part in “The Matrix Reloaded.” It was sure to be a hit. But the martial artist said no. In his words, the producers wanted to “record and copy all of my moves into a digital library.” To Li, this would do more than copy his body; it would capture his trade. “I’ve been training my entire life,” he said. “And we martial artists could only grow older. Yet they could own (my moves) as intellectual property forever.”Jet Li’s account is jarring. Yet it’s notable that he was told the job would involve body scanning, told how and why he would be scanned and who would own the data — and then was given the option to accept or decline.That was thenRecent social media posts from background actors who underwent full body scans describe a different experience. Many actors were surprised with scans once already on set. Many were told little to nothing about how the scans would be used or ...

Jordan Hicks, the mentor, Brian Asamoah, the mentee, leading Vikings linebackers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

Jordan Hicks and Brian Asamoah flew under the radar for most of Vikings training camp.That’s because undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. was seemingly pushing for playing time at linebacker.When the Vikings host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, however, Hicks and Asamoah will be the starters with Pace likely mixing in throughout the game.“We will try to as best we can get as many guys in as possible,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. “We feel good about those three guys.”The mentor-mentee relationship between Hicks and Asamoah should help both players once they get on the field. It started last season when they were placed next to each other in the locker room of TCO Performance Center. It has continued this season with Hicks and Asamoah talking on a daily basis.“He’s grown up a lot,” Hicks said. “It’s fun to watch young players really mature from Year 1 to Year 2.”Why ...

Man charged after opening fire at St. Louis officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A man faces felony charges one day after he allegedly opened fire at a St. Louis officer following a stolen car chase that ended with a crash. Prosecutors have charged Byron Doss, 36, with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest, and tampering with a motor vehicle.This shooting happened just before noon Thursday in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of north St. Louis. No officers were injured, but Doss is accused of gunfire toward an officer. Doss was reportedly shot and treated for injuries at a hospital prior to his charges. FOX 2 photographer run over after community threatens to tow cars Police initially responded to a tip of a stolen vehicle in the area, leading to what the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department described as a "tactical pursuit." The driver fled eastbound on Dr. MLK Blvd. and encountered traffic at a gas station near Clara Avenue. Police say the driver of the stolen vehicle crossed the center turn lane into ...

Locals rejoice as beautiful weather sets stage for weekend activities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - Sunny skies and 70s are ahead for St. Louis, and it's shaping up to be a nice weekend weatherwise. Some clouds and small rain chances Friday afternoon set the stage for more comfortable weather ahead. Outdoor spaces were full of people getting a jumpstart on the weekend.Gorgeous weather at lunchtime meant a packed driving range at Landings at Spirit Golf Club in Chesterfield. FOX 2 photographer run over after community threatens to tow cars “The weather has been super great for the golf courses this year. Today is a beautiful day. Nice and cool out. It's sunny and shiny, and our tee sheet is full,” said Paul Gerson, the Director of Golf Operations at Landings at Spirit Golf Club.  Also full are the bellies of many of Gerson's co-workers following an afternoon feast at Faust Park.“We actually planned this event maybe a month or so ago. We were saying it's going to be a little bit cooler in September. We hope that it will be, and it worked perfectly,” said parkgo...

Colorado to receive $70 million from Kroger’s $1.4 billion opioid settlement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

One of the nation’s largest grocery chains is the latest company to agree to settle lawsuits over the U.S. opioid crisis.In a deal announced Friday, the Kroger Co. — the parent company of King Soopers and City Market — would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years. The amount includes up to $1.2 billion for state and local governments where it operates, $36 million to Native American tribes and about $177 million to cover lawyers’ fees and costs.Kroger currently has stores in 35 states — virtually everywhere save the Northeast, the northern plains and Hawaii. Thirty-three states would be eligible for money in the deal. The company previously announced settlements with New Mexico and West Virginia.Colorado is expected to receive approximately $70 million from the settlement.“The number of overdose deaths from opioids is a clarion call for action. By holding accountable those who contributed to this crisis, we are continuing to take action and we are bringing back funds...

Denver housing market: Strategic pricing drives success in August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

As interest rates remain high and more homes become available, pricing in the Denver metro housing market remains a science.“If a home is priced correctly, or even under market, it may still receive multiple offers,” said Libby Levinson-Katz, chair of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trends Committee in the September report.“However, if the price is slightly high, then days on the market climb until you find the right buyer or the right price.”According to the report, active listings in Denver increased 9% in August from July and 19% over August 2022. The average number of active listings for August is 15,900, so with 6,858 active listings last month, the metro area’s inventory remains historically low.The number of new listings increased about 2%. At the same time, pending sales dropped nearly 1%, and closed sales declined 2%. The median closed price dropped to $582,000 while the median days on the market increased to 11 days.“Buye...

Disneyland agrees to pay $9.5M in Magic Key lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

New details have emerged regarding the settlement between Disneyland and a Magic Key holder who filed a class-action lawsuit in 2021.The lawsuit, filed by Jenale Nielsen of Santa Clara County, claimed that the theme park misled and deceived Magic Key holders who bought the most expensive yearly passes into thinking they would get unlimited access to the theme parks only to be unable to secure reservations for certain days. Nevada man files lawsuit against Disneyland after alleged attack by security dog Terms of settlement revealed that a $9.5 million settlement fund will be established to pay those who purchased the Dream Key, a discontinued Magic Key pass type that was the focus of the lawsuit.The Dream Key has since been replaced with the Inspire Key, the resort’s most expensive pass that offers the fewest blackout dates.Disney fans who purchased the discontinued pass will receive an approximate payout of $67.41 without having to fill out any claim submission form. Eligible reci...

Bodyboarders ride bioluminescent waves in Southern California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

Bioluminescence is not an unfamiliar sight in California, but when it's spotted, it's often aquatic creatures playing in the lit waters.Earlier this week, however, a photographer and videographer captured some humans getting in on the fun.In Huntington Beach, boogie boarders took to the ocean to catch some glowing waves, which are usually the result of plankton called Lingulodinium polyedra, often shortened to L. poly."It’s been a while since we’ve seen it here but the waves this time around were unbelievably bright," Patrick Coyne, who goes by @patrickc_la on Instagram, shared on the social media platform. "The beach was crowded with people enjoying the show and we all had a blast."Coyne, who has a talent for capturing stunning bioluminescent scenes, previously shared videos of dolphins frolicking in the waves off Newport Beach in 2020 and a school of mullet playing in bioluminescent water last year. Video captured by Instagram user @patrickc_la shows boogie boarders riding on biol...