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Sandra Bullock’s ‘The Blind Side’ long reviled for its ‘White savior’ view of a Black athlete

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

Not all Americans fell in love with Sandra Bullock’s inspirational football movie “The Blind Side” when it was released in November 2009.Sure, “The Blind Side” made $309 million at the box office and Bullock won her long-awaited Academy Award, but many Black viewers “never cared much for it” according to The Root. Discerning critics also saw the movie, based on a best-selling book by Berkeley author Michael Lewis, as another Hollywood project that uses “White savior” tropes.Now, critics of the movie have more ammunition in the wake of bombshell court documents filed by Michael Oher, the Black athlete at the center of the story. Oher’s documents allege that the White savior character played by Bullock and her family basically exploited his life story for their own financial gain.In the movie, Bullock plays plays Leigh Ann Tuohy, a Memphis interior decorator who rescues Michael Oher, a homeless Black teenager, from grinding p...

Photos: A week after Maui wildfire, islanders survey aftermath and look ahead to recovery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

The wildfire that swept across Maui a week ago turned one of the nation’s most celebrated island vistas into an ashen moonscape and killed at least 99 people, a number that officials warn could rise by scores as the search continues.The deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century devoured homes and businesses, blackened cars and left only ruins where thriving neighborhoods once stood. In some places, the flames advanced as fast as a car at highway speed — a mile a minute.A burnt tree stands in front of a home destroyed by a wildfire on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Kula, Hawaii. Kula was ravaged by a wildfire the same day one ripped through Lahaina. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)People watch as smoke and flames fill the air from raging wildfires on Front Street in downtown Lahaina, Maui on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Maui officials say wildfire in the historic town has burned parts of one of the most popular tourist areas in Hawaii. County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said in a phone...

Russia tries to prop up plunging ruble with large rate hike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

By Dasha Litvinova and David McHugh | Associated PressTALLINN, Estonia — Russia’s central bank made a big interest rate hike Tuesday, an emergency move designed to fight inflation and strengthen the ruble after the country’s currency reached its lowest value since early in the war with Ukraine.The ruble has lost more than a third of its value since the beginning of the year as Moscow increases military spending and Western sanctions weigh on its income from energy shipments. The flagging currency does not mean the Russian economy is in freefall — though it is facing challenges, including rising prices for households and businesses, according to analysts who study Russia.A lower exchange rate allows Moscow to transfer the dollars it earns from selling oil and natural gas into more rubles to pay pensions and run government agencies. But the drop in value went a bit too far, and officials are now tightening it up, analysts say.While over time sanctions will erode long-term ...

Young woman killed in rope swing accident at Folsom Lake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

A young woman was killed when she fell from a rope swing and landed on a rocky shore at Folsom Lake, state parks officials said.Kathryn “Katie” Hoedt, 23, was on an outing with friends Saturday, Aug. 12, when she fell about 30 feet from the swing near Rattlesnake Bar, where the North Fork American River enters the lake. She received CPR from an off-duty doctor at a nearby boat ramp and then was taken to a Roseville hospital, where she died.Hoedt had worked since October as a news producer for Sacramento TV station KCRA. Previously, she worked for KTXL, also in Sacramento, and for student publications at San Jose State University and then New York University. She grew up in the Sacramento area and attended Antelope High School.A parks official told the Sacramento Bee that rope swings aren’t permitted at Folsom Lake and that rangers cut them down when they see them.Her parents told KCRA that they think park employees should make a greater effort to remove the swings ...

GOP rivals prepare for possible Trump-less debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

By Steve Peoples and Hannah Fingerhut | Associated PressDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — He says he won’t sign the pledge required to participate, but former President Donald Trump’s Republican rivals are actively preparing as if he will be onstage for the GOP’s first 2024 presidential debate next week.Former Vice President Mike Pence is hosting mock debate sessions with someone playing the part of the former president. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been participating in weekly debate prep sessions for several weeks with an eye toward drawing clear contrasts with Trump. And Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, is planning to show she can stand up to bullies.In all, eight Republican candidates have met the Republican National Committee’s fundraising and polling thresholds required to qualify for the debate next Wednesday, Aug. 23, hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee. Trump is among them, although he has said publicly and privately that he’s leani...

Four-bedroom home in Fremont sells for $2.9 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

43936 Rosemere Drive – Google Street ViewA 2,638-square-foot house built in 1992 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 43900 block of Rosemere Drive in Fremont was sold on June 29, 2023, for $2,910,000, or $1,103 per square foot. This two-story home offers a roomy layout with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The home’s outer structure has tiles on the roof. Inside, there is a fireplace. Additionally, the house features a three-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs. The property encompasses a generous 6,179 square feet of land.Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:On Skye Road, Fremont, in April 2023, a 2,907-square-foot home was sold for $2,181,000, a price per square foot of $750. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In February 2023, a 4,091-square-foot home on Paiute Court in Fremont sold for $2,700,000, a price per square foot of $660. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.A 2,434-square-foot home on the 1900 bloc...

Meta criticized for making reproductive health an R-rated issue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

By Jessie Gretener, CNNFemale reproductive health experts are calling on Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to rethink its restrictions on reproductive health content.The company has long faced criticism for removing and restricting female reproductive health information with a prominent report from the Center for Intimacy Justice early last year accusing Meta of systematically rejecting many female and gender diverse reproductive health ads. The CIJ report also accused Meta of having bias algorithms, stating that male reproductive health ads were found to be permitted, including ads that referenced male sexual pleasure.In bid to combat those concerns, Meta tweaked its “adult products or services” advertising policy last October to include clearer guidelines about reproductive health, clarifying that it allows the promotion of “reproductive health products or services” if the content is targeted to “people aged 18 or older.”Meta (FB) argues the topic is sensitive, s...

Walnut Creek: Mendocino Farms (with summer specials) opens today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

The seasonal sandwich and salad specialist Mendocino Farms has opened its newest restaurant in Walnut Creek, and there are already plans for yet another Bay Area eatery.The 1895 Ygnacio Valley Road restaurant — in the former Chase Bank space at Ygnacio Plaza — is the first for central Contra Costa County. Up to now, the closest option for residents has been the San Ramon one.Owners Ellen Chen and Mario Del Pero (they’re NorCal expats, and she’s a native of Lafayette) began expanding their Southern California operation to the Bay Area in late 2017. They’ve got locations in Campbell, San Jose, San Mateo, San Ramon, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara and San Francisco, along with an Oakland delivery kitchen.Next up will be a Redwood Shores location. The website lists 242 Redwood Shores Parkway with a late summer opening timeframe.Mendo Farms partners with sustainable California farm and culinary artisans and changes the menu seasonally. This summer they are featuring a H...

3.0-magnitude earthquake strikes East Bay

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

(KRON) -- A 3.0-magnitude earthquake hit the East Bay at 7:44 a.m., according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake struck less than 2 miles from Alamo near Walnut Creek and Mount Diablo along the Calaveras Fault. The earthquake was previously a 3.4-magnitude during preliminary measurements, USGS said.This is developing news. Stick with KRON4 for updates.

Feinstein files lawsuit accusing trustees of husband's estate of financial elder abuse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:55 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein has filed a lawsuit to remove the trustees of the estate created to manage her late husband's assets. Feinstein's husband of more than 40 years, Richard Blum, died of cancer last year at age 86.The lawsuit, which was first reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, alleges the trustees of her late husband's estate have committed financial elder abuse. The suit was filed by Sen. Feinstein's daughter, Katherine Feinstein, who has power of attorney for the senator. Federal workers in SF told to work from home due to safety concerns: reports Among other things, the 140-page filing accuses the trustees of wrongfully withholding distributions by failing to respond to requests for disbursements. This is the third lawsuit Sen. Feinstein has filed in relation to her late husband's estate.An attorney representing the trustees told the Chronicle they have "never denied any disbursements to Senator Feinstein." The lawsuit seeks to, among other thing...