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Here we go again: ‘Mamma Mia’ back on Bay Area stages

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

There are all kinds of touring musicals. Some of them feel like once-in-a-lifetime theatrical events. Some are long-anticipated glimpses of what all the fuss was about in New York or elsewhere. A few even start their Broadway-bound journey right here in San Francisco.And then there are the shows whose draw lies greatly in comforting familiarity.Coming to San Francisco and San Jose on its 25th Anniversary North American Tour, the Abba musical “Mamma Mia!” certainly falls into the latter category. It’s a show that people have either seen or at least seen around a lot, after many tours and countless local productions. And then there was the star-studded 2008 movie that even had a sequel (2018’s “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”), digging up more Abba songs that didn’t make the cut for the original.As a jukebox musical of the 1970s Swedish pop phenomenon’s greatest hits, “Mamma Mia!” relies heavily on nostalgia appeal to begin with. That hankering for days gone by is baked into playwright C...

Four-bedroom home sells for $1.5 million in Pleasanton

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

7717 Cottonwood Lane – Google Street ViewA house located in the 7700 block of Cottonwood Lane in Pleasanton has new owners. The 1,593-square-foot property, built in 1966, was sold on Oct. 10, 2023, for $1,513,000, or $950 per square foot. This single-story home offers a spacious layout with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space. The property’s backyard also includes a pool.Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:A 2,109-square-foot home on the 7600 block of Desertwood Lane in Pleasanton sold in September 2023, for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $877. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Bristolwood Road, Pleasanton, in July 2023, a 1,355-square-foot home was sold for $1,656,000, a price per square foot of $1,222. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,854-square-foot home on Cherrywood Court...

U.S. tourist killed in shark attack while paddle boarding in Bahamas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

By DÁNICA COTO | Associated PressSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A female tourist from Boston was killed Monday by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters.The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. She was paddleboarding with a man who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson.“We extend our heartfelt condolences…for this most unfortunate situation,” she said.Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts.It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman. A police superintendent did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment.Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been a ...

GOP presidential hopefuls use Trump’s COVID record to court vaccine skeptics

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

Darius Tahir, Daniel Chang | KFF Health News (TNS)Former President Donald Trump often seems proud to advertise his administration’s record on speedily developing COVID-19 vaccines.On the campaign trail to win another term in the White House, though, he also has knocked the use of those very vaccines. In October, for example, he unleashed a barrage of social media attacks on Ron DeSantis’ pandemic record by reposting claims that the Florida governor — who is running against him in the Republican presidential primaries — was too active in vaccinating Sunshine State residents.In a further twist, Trump simultaneously circulated an MSNBC article suggesting DeSantis wasn’t vaccinating his constituents enough.Trump’s tap dance — touting Operation Warp Speed’s success at developing vaccines while criticizing vaccine use — is emblematic of how pandemic politics are intensifying broader vaccine politics. Republican presidential candidates currently trailing the former president in polls are c...

DVC coach accused of assaulting women in converted bus pleads not guilty

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

(KRON) -- A Diablo Valley College professor and track coach accused of human trafficking entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday at a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors allege that Kyle Whitmore coerced a woman to be his girlfriend for hire and then abused her. ‘Thrill Kill’ murderer released back into Santa Clara County He's also accused of sexually assaulting women on a makeshift bus that he used as a dungeon. A criminal complaint alleges one of his victims is a student at Diablo Valley College. A judge has already ruled there is enough evidence for this case to move forward. At Tuesday's hearing, the prosecution amended the criminal complaint against Whitmore to add back a count of pimping, which was approved by the judge.The defense requested and was granted a speedy jury trial. The trial is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and is expected to last seven to 10 days.

Accident on northbound 680 near Martinez blocking lanes

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

(KRON) -- An accident on the northbound lanes of Interstate 680 near Martinez is blocking lanes, according to Contra Costa County Fire. The accident is near the Pacheco Boulevard/Arthur Road offramp. DVC coach accused of assaulting women on bus converted into ‘dungeon’ in court today Multiple lanes are blocked or impacted, according to Contra Costa County Fire. Drivers are being advised to find alternate routes.No estimated time for when the roadway would be reopened was provided.KRON On is streaming live news now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }A photo from the scene showed dense fog on the roadway, however, it is not known if weather was a factor. Much of the Bay Area remains under a Dense Fog Advisory Tuesday morning.This is a developing story. Check back for upda...

Dutch government pledges 2.5 billion euros for Ukraine in 2024 as Zelenskyy to address US senators

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Dutch government has allocated 2.5 billion euros (nearly $2.7 billion) to support Ukraine in 2024, the country’s foreign minister announced during a visit on Tuesday. The announcement comes as the 21-month war drags into another winter and concerns grow that Kyiv’s war effort may falter without continued Western support.Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot sought to assure Ukrainian authorities, telling journalists after a meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba: “My main message to Minister Kuleba was the same as to all of you here. Be assured of our support.”Bruins Slot said her country opened a training center for F-16s in Romania on Nov. 13 and is working with the U.S., Denmark and other countries to see that Ukraine can deploy the fighter jets as soon as possible.“Your security is our security,” she said.She added that the meeting also touched on Ukraine’s aspiration to become a member of the European Union: “Your future is...

Prince Harry challenges the decision to strip him of security in Britain after he moved to the US

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry was unfairly stripped of his publicly funded security detail after giving up his status as a working member of the royal family and moving to the U.S., his lawyer said in court Tuesday.The Duke of Sussex wants protection while visiting the U.K. and claims he and his family are endangered because of hostility toward him and his wife on social media and relentless news media hounding them.Attorney Shaheed Fatima said the government group that evaluated Harry’s security needs — known by the acronym of its former name, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, or RAVEC — acted irrationally and failed to follow its own policies that should have required a risk analysis about the duke’s safety.“RAVEC should have considered the ‘impact’ that a successful attack on the claimant would have, bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the royal family — which he was born into and which he will have for the rest of his life,” Fatima said. “RAVEC should hav...

Lawyers for woman accusing Dani Alves of sexual assault seek maximum 12-year sentence for player

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Lawyers for the woman accusing Dani Alves of sexual assault are asking for the maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for the Brazilian soccer player.The woman’s lawyers filed the request on Tuesday, two weeks after prosecutors sought a nine-year prison sentence for Alves.Alves is set to face trial over allegations he assaulted the woman in a Barcelona nightclub on Dec. 30. He was indicted by an investigative judge in August and the court said there was enough evidence to open a trial, which is expected to take place early next year.The former Barcelona defender has denied any wrongdoing, claiming he had consensual sex with the accuser. He has been in jail since January, when he was arrested after an initial investigation.Prosecutors also want Alves to pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in damages to the victim, and to be prohibited from having any contact with her for an additional 10 years. They also want Alves to remain supervised for a decade after serving his pris...

Judge again orders arrest of owner of former firearms training center in Vermont

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:54:24 GMT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A judge has again issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a former firearms training center in Vermont, ruling that he is in contempt of court for failing to bring his property into compliance after an inspection last week.“Respondent has failed to do so. As such, imprisonment is an appropriate coercive remedy in these circumstances,” Vermont Environmental Court Judge Thomas Durkin wrote on Monday. The Pawlet property, known as Slate Ridge, included multiple buildings and two firing ranges on land about the size of 30 football fields (12 hectares). After complaints from neighbors, the town attempted unsuccessfully for several years to get the facility owner Daniel Banyai to remove structures he built without a permit. In March 2021, the Environmental Court ordered Banyai to end any firearms training at the center and remove unpermitted structures. The Vermont Supreme Court rejected Banyai’s appeal in January 2022.Last February, the Environmental Court issued...