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Inside KCON LA 2023, an extravagant microcosm of K-pop’s macro influence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hours before doors would open, thousands of K-pop fans lined up in downtown Los Angeles, stretching long city blocks in the warm August sun. In pleated skirts and platform shoes, toting the clear bags that have become arena staples, they danced and traded homemade stickers, banners, bracelets and photocards. Inside was their paradise: an IRL space to commune over their URL passions. If anything, the 2023 LA KCON was a microcosm of K-pop’s macro influence on the music industry as a whole.Held from Friday to Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center and adjacent Crypto.com Arena, an estimated 140,000 fans from all over the world celebrated their favorite K-pop idols across three days of panels, premium meet-and-greets, interviews, dance breaks, concerts, and more. Inside the convention center, fans carried lightsticks of their favorite groups, showed off DIY shirts with simple, direct slogans like “I HEART MINGI”, collected sticker books and K-beauty products, and...

Austin's I-35 expansion clears final hurdle before construction start

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Transportation is poised to begin construction on its Interstate 35 Capital Expression Central project near downtown Austin, following approval of the project announced Monday.TxDOT released a final environmental impact statement and record of decision, marking completion of environmental clearance as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. With that decision delivered, TxDOT's I-35 Central project is slated to move into its final design and review phase before construction is anticipated to begin in mid-2024. Tucker Ferguson, TxDOT's Austin district engineer, told KXAN Monday the state agency is eyeing a project launch in either March or April.The I-35 Central project is an eight-mile project track running from U.S. Hwy. 290 East to SH 71 and Ben White Boulevard. AUSTIN NEWS: APD Chief Joseph Chacon to retire; chief of staff named as interim police chief Project components include the addition of two non-tolled high-occupancy vehic...

Suspected gunman in Pasadena taken into custody after hours-long barricade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

After an hours-long standoff, authorities have arrested a man suspected of shooting and killing a woman Monday in Pasadena. Around 10:30 a.m. Monday, Pasadena police responded to the 200 block of South Raymond Avenue, where a woman was found unresponsive after reports of several shots fired.The suspected gunman was eventually tracked down to an apartment complex near the intersection of Del Mar Boulevard and Raymond Avenue.Authorities were unable to contact the suspect at first, which led to a sweep of the building. They eventually located the apartment where the suspect was believed to be located and negotiations began.The relationship between the suspect and the victim are unclear at this time, police said.The Pasadena Police Department is being assisted by the Glendale Police Department and a SWAT Team.Video from the scene showed at least two armored vehicles and several heavily armed law enforcement officers surrounding the apartment building, which was located near a Metro stat...

A’s slugger made sure he could attend Oakland Arena concert before it ended

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

OAKLAND — Brent Rooker hit a two-run home run off Dylan Coleman in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Oakland Athletics a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the major leagues.Zack Gelof, Jordan Diaz, and Shea Langeliers also went deep for the MLB-worst Athletics (35-90), who snapped a three-game skid and won for the second time in 10 games.The A’s led most of the game, but squandered a 4-2 lead in the eighth when the Royals scored twice off Lucas Erceg, tying the game.Kansas City had another runner in scoring position when Michael Massey singled and appeared to steal second with two outs. Massey was initially ruled safe, but the call was overturned after a video replay, ending the inning.Ryan Noda, just activated off the disabled list, led off the ninth and was hit by a pitch from Coleman (0-2). Rooker then slammed a 2-0 slider into the seats in left field for his second game-ending homer of the season.As...

Santa Clara: Crash sends driver to hospital with life-threatening injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

SANTA CLARA – A driver suffered life-threatening injuries in a three-vehicle crash Monday afternoon in Santa Clara, police said.The collision was reported around 3:50 p.m. in southbound lanes of Lawrence Expressway at El Camino Real, said Santa Clara police Lt. Mike Crescini, citing preliminary information.Crescini said one driver was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported.Additional details about the crash were not immediately available Monday night.Southbound Lawrence Expressway was closed at El Camino Real for an investigation.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Unconscious man rescued after vehicle crashes into East Bay lagoon Crashes and Disasters | Traffic collision along Highway 101 leaves one dead Crashes and Disasters | DMV demands Cruise cut driverless fleet in half following crashes Crashes and Disasters | GM’s Cruise robotaxi collides with San Francisco firetruck, ...

Cal Raleigh stars as Seattle Mariners pound Chicago White Sox 14-2 for 7th straight win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The Seattle Mariners played without Julio Rodríguez, and it didn’t matter. Not one bit.That’s how it’s going right now for Cal Raleigh and company.Raleigh homered twice and drove in six runs, and the Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 14-2 on Monday night for their seventh straight victory.With Rodríguez resting amid a torrid stretch at the plate, Seattle used a fast start to improve to 32-13 since July 1. Luis Castillo (10-7) pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his third consecutive win, finishing his outing with 47 straight fastballs.“We’re having good timely hitting. We’re taking our walks. When pitchers make mistakes, we’re taking advantage of it,” Raleigh said. “That’s just kind of what happens when you’re playing good clean ball.” The Mariners (70-55) remained in third in the AL West, just a half-game back of second-place Houston. Texas is on top of the division.“Everybody contributing, that’s what it&#...

From MLK to today, the March on Washington highlights the evolution of activism by Black churches

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

The March on Washington of 1963 is remembered most for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech — and thus as a crowning moment for the long-term civil rights activism of what is sometimes referred to as the “Black Church.”At the march, King indeed represented numerous other Black clergy who were his colleagues in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. But the march was the product of sustained activism by a broader coalition. Black and white labor leaders, as well as white clergy, played pivotal roles over many months ahead of the event.Moreover, the Black Church was not monolithic then — nor is it now. Many Black pastors and their congregations steered clear of civil disobedience and other nonviolent confrontational tactics in the civil rights era, just as some now steer clear of the Black Lives Matter movement and shun progressive Black pastors’ engagement on behalf of abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights.“The issues are multiracial. It’s too simplistic...

Stock market today: Asian stocks follow Wall Street higher ahead of Federal Reserve conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks followed Wall Street higher on Tuesday as traders waited for signs of interest rate plans from this week’s Federal Reserve conference.Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul rose. Shanghai declined. Oil prices edged lower.Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index rose Monday for its first gain in five days as tech stocks rallied.Traders hope officials at the Fed’s summer Jackson Hole, Wyoming, conference say they are finished raising interest rates that are at a two-decade high. But forecasters warn they might say inflation isn’t under control yet.Fed Chair Jerome Powell “may even mention that further rate hikes cannot be entirely ruled out,” said Clifford Bennett of ACY Securities in a report.The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo rose 0.8% to 31,802.54 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 0.2% to 17,653.43. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.1% to 3,090.13.The Kospi in Seoul added 0.2% to 2,515.07 while Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 was less than 0.1% ...

Judge to consider whether Texas can keep oversize buoy barrier on US-Mexico river border

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday will consider whether Texas can keep a floating barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border as both the Biden administration and Mexico push to remove Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest hardline measure to deter migrants from crossing. The scheduled hearing in Austin comes days after Texas, which installed the water barrier on the Rio Grande in July near the border city of Eagle Pass, repositioned the wrecking ball-sized buoys closer to U.S. soil. Texas is being sued by the Justice Department, which argues the barrier could impact relations with Mexico and pose humanitarian and environmental risks. During a trip Monday to Eagle Pass, Abbott said the barrier was moved “out of an abundance of caution” following what he described as allegations that they had drifted to Mexico’s side of the river. “I don’t know whether they were true or not,” Abbott said. It is not clear when U.S. District Judge David Ezra might rule on the barri...

As Tropical Storm Hilary shrinks, desert and mountain towns dig themselves out of the mud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:31 GMT

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (AP) — Crews worked to dig roads, buildings and care home residents out of the mud across a wide swath of Southwestern U.S. desert Monday, as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years headed north, prompting flood watches and warnings in half a dozen states.The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tropical Storm Hilary had lost much of its force as it headed to the Rocky Mountains, but warned that “continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” was expected in parts of the region. Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north on Monday was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho, with potential thunderstorms and localized torrential rains on Tuesday.As Hilary moved east into the neighboring state of Nevada, flooding was reported, power was out and a boil-water order was issued for about 400 households in the Mount Charleston area, where the only road in and o...