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Wrap Battle: Brothers use concrete, riddles, a tarantula in competitive gift-giving tradition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

Sarah Hofius Hall | The Scranton Times-TribuneA competitive holiday tradition started with a steel box.Justin Gagliardi, a college student at the time, welded the box and put his younger brother’s Christmas gift inside.For more than an hour on that Christmas Eve more than 20 years ago, family watched as Joseph Gagliardi worked to cut the box open to free the remote control dog toy placed inside.“I thought, ‘I’m not going to let next year slide,’” Joseph said.For the Gagliardi brothers, what’s inside the box — or the concrete, ice or diaper, or buried in the neighbor’s yard — doesn’t matter. The tradition of hijinks and hilarity is the gift itself.“It’s about bragging rights, and who is smarter,” said Joseph, 37.Forget the wrapping paper, bows and ribbons. The brothers prefer mouse traps, tarantulas and PVC pipes, nestled — and greased — inside each other. Justin, 43, once poured a large concrete block, which weighed a few hundred pounds, containing his brother’s gift inside.Another ...

Report: 200+ threats made to Jewish facilities this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

By Holmes Lybrand | CNNMore than 200 false bomb threats and “swatting” calls were made against Jewish facilities across the US this past weekend, according to Secure Community Network, a non-profit that tracks threats against Jewish communities.According to the network, the false threats and swatting incidents – prank calls that are made to authorities to lure them to a location under the false pretense that a crime has been committed or is in progress – targeted facilities in California, Arizona, Connecticut, Colorado and Washington and other states.Related ArticlesNational News | Israel faces new calls for truce after killing of hostages raises alarm about its conduct in Gaza National News | U.S. military chief to visit Israeli, urging clarity on next phase of war against Hamas National News | Under the shadow of war in Gaza, Jesus’ traditional birthplace is gearing up for a subdued Christmas National News | Google workers...

Monday Morning Lights: Can anyone slow down sizzling De La Salle, Salesian in boys basketball?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

DE LA SALLE, SALESIAN BOYS: ON ANOTHER LEVEL?There is not much doubt about which boys basketball teams are the best in the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area three weeks into the season.De La Salle made a statement in its season opener, defeating Centennial-Corona 62-51 in the NorCal Tip-Off Classic at Dublin High.Since then, the Spartans have added eight more victories to their now 9-0 resume, winning two tournaments on their home court. Saturday, they won at home over Los Alamitos — another strong Southern California opponent — 75-70.Salesian has an equally impressive resume.The Pride improved to 9-0 on Saturday with a 62-51 victory over Centennial-Corona in the Pro Image Sports Holiday Classic final at Owyhee High School in Meridian, Idaho. Yes, the same score of the DLS-Centennial game.The previous weekend, Salesian captured the championship at the prestigious Gridley Invitational, beating Branson 63-60 in overtime in the final.The Pride, as always under longtime co...

Child killed in Martinez highway crash is identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

MARTINEZ — A 5-year-old girl killed in a vehicle crash Sunday morning on Highway 4 was identified by the coroner’s office Monday.Authorities said that Dearri Shula of Richmond was killed early Sunday in the crash on westbound Highway 4 near Morello Avenue. An 11-year-old who was in the same vehicle as Shula suffered major injuries; an update on that child’s condition was not available Monday morning.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Pedestrian killed in San Leandro hit-and-run collision; suspect later arrested Crashes and Disasters | Man convicted of murder at Montalvin Manor meth house Crashes and Disasters | One person arrested in fatal Antioch shooting Crashes and Disasters | Records raise new questions about County’s response to Fremont toddler fentanyl death Crashes and Disasters | Three detained after an East Bay shooting leaves one dead The woman driving the Honda SUV that ...

Best movies 2023: A great year for unconventional films; not for superheroes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

Even as two contentious strikes – the Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America – put a stopgap on numerous productions and tabled star-studded appearances, 2023 goes down as unexpectedly exceptional if somewhat weird year for movies.Veteran filmmakers such as 81-year-old Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and 86-year-old Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”) delivered massive, oft-discussed epics while first-time filmmakers such as Cord Jefferson (“American Fiction”) and Celine Song (“Past Lives”) astonished us and came out of the gate slugging out critical grand slams.The year, though, wasn’t so kind to superhero chums with both Marvel (Disney) and DC (Warner Bros.) confronting their version of Kryptonite: Dwindling audiences for the once-golden genre. (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” were exceptions.)So what did audiences show up for? “Barbenheimer,” for one. That kooky cultural phenomenon brought the scorching heat back to ...

Protesters rally at courthouse for Bay Bridge protesters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

(KRON) – Monday, 300 people showed up at the San Francisco courthouse in support of the protesters arrested on the Bay Bridge last month, according to a spokesperson for organization behind protest. KRON4 has not independently confirmed this number. These individuals are calling for San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to drop the charges against the Bay Bridge protesters.  The 80 protesters who shut down the westbound Bay Bridge last month during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit are set to appear in court on Monday. 80 Bay Bridge protesters during APEC to be charged The Bay Bridge protesters’ goal was for President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and end United States military aid to Israel. The Bay Bridge protest lasted for over two hours, causing a multitude of California Highway Patrol officers to remove them from the bridge. The protesters have been charged with five misdemeanors:  false imprisonment, refusin...

NFL suspends Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for the rest of the season after illegal hit vs. Colts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee without pay for the remainder of the season for what the league described as “repeated violations” of rules designed to protect player safety.The ruling, issued by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan on Monday, means Kazee will miss Pittsburgh’s final three regular-season games and any potential playoff games if the Steelers (7-7) advance to the postseason.Kazee was ejected from Pittsburgh’s 30-13 loss to Indianapolis on Saturday after hitting diving Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the second quarter. Pittman laid out to try and catch a pass and Kazee made contact with Pittman’s head. Pittman left the game and went into the concussion protocol.Runyan wrote in a letter to Kazee that illegal contact with Pittman “could have been avoided.” Runyan pointed to Kazee’s repeated violations of safety rules as one of the driving forces behind the suspension.Kazee, a ...

A Kentucky family gets an early gift: an owl in their Christmas tree

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — One Kentucky family got a little something extra when they picked out their Christmas tree this year: an owl.Lexington resident Michele White told WDKY-TV that it’s a tradition for the family to pick out a Christmas tree every year and this year seemed no different. They had the tree in their home for four days and didn’t notice anything unusual.“I have three dogs,” White said. “We use this room nonstop: watch TV; the kitchen’s right here; no indication.”Bobby Hayes, who owns Magic Carpet Cleaning and was at the home while the family was out, first noticed the bird after plugging in a piece of equipment and seeing the tree start to sway.“The owl was literally sitting on a lower limb here,” Hayes said.“It crawled up into the tree further,” Hayes said. “It took me several minutes to even find it.”He sent photos to White, who said she was glad he was there to deal with the animal. Hayes said he was able to safely release the owl in the family’s backyard.“Everybody...

Shohei Ohtani’s video pitch helps lure pitcher Tyler Glasnow to his ‘dream team’ the Dodgers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has already notched a win for the Los Angeles Dodgers.The two-time AL MVP’s video pitch helped recruit pitcher Tyler Glasnow to reach a $136,562,500, five-year deal with the team. Ohtani agreed to his own record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract last week.“It definitely added a lot of points for me to go to the Dodgers,” Glasnow said Monday in a video interview. “It was awesome. He just said he wants me to come on the team and hopes to hit some home runs for me and join me on the pitching staff the following year.”Ohtani won’t be a two-way player next season after undergoing elbow surgery. Instead, he’ll be the Dodgers’ designated hitter.“I just want to pick his brain and know what he’s learned,” Glasnow said. “He just seems like such a cool dude and probably one of the best baseball players to ever live. I want to be on a field with that guy.”As part of the deal that sent Ryan Pepiot and Johnny DeLuca to Tampa Bay in exchange for Glasnow...

Live updates | UN seeks another a cease-fire vote as the US, Israel and Qatar hold talks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:11 GMT

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a vote Monday on an Arab-sponsored resolution calling for an urgent cessation of hostilities in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants.The U.S. has previously vetoed calls for a cease-fire at the U.N. and rushed munitions to Israel. The 10-week-old war has transformed much of the north of Gaza into a moonscape. Nearly 85% of Gaza’s population have fled their homes.U.S. and Israeli intelligence chiefs were holding talks with Qatar’s prime minister in Poland to broker freedom for more hostages, the first known meeting of the three since the end of a weeklong cease-fire in late November.More than 19,400 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Thousands more lie buried under the rubble of Gaza, the U.N. estimates. Israel says 127 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive...