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The Voltaggio Brothers Go Retro In Las Vegas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

When celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio was a kid, he was such a picky eater that his mom Sharon had to bribe him with a “Champion Eater” trophy to get him to finish his dinner. His older brother, Top Chef alumnus Bryan, was an athlete who wrangled his own trophies. Both have fond memories of getting home as the streetlights went on and sitting down to a pot roast dinner after a day of skateboarding and riding bikes.Their new Las Vegas restaurant that has taken up a year-long residency at the Mandalay Bay resort, Retro by Voltaggio, is a culmination of those childhood memories and the brothers’ professional careers, a nostalgic nod to simpler times.Entrance to the massive 9,000-square-foot space is at the casino level, and descends two floors down to the dining room either via a telephone booth elevator or via the staircase of the retro tower that feels like you’re walking into an ‘80s and ‘90s vintage store.  There are blockbuster videos, nintendos, bikes, skateboards, original mobil...

City Babies GBH are Back in LA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

City Babies GBH are Back in LA: Birmingham, UK, street punks GBH (originally called Changed GBH) released one of the genre’s great albums in 1982’s City Baby Attacked by Rats. “Time Bomb,” “Sick Boy,” “Boston Babies” — all are bonafide punk greats. But it’s not like they ever slowed down; 2017’s Momentum is a great record too. The Chisel and Niis also perform. “Momentum was recorded at Muther’s Studio in GBH’s hometown of Birmingham, England,” read a press release when it came out. Vocalist Colin Abrahall said: “We laid down all kinds of takes on the songs which made the mixing interesting as we’d send it all off to Michael (Rosen – Engineer) and him and Lars (Fredericksen – Rancid) would send back tracks. You’d think something was maybe a glitch or whatever and it’d come back and we’d listen and think ‘that’s f*cking amazing’!”“GBH formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band have released 11 albums, including City Baby Attacked By Rats (1982, Clay), City Babys...

BottleRock Exclusive: Here’s what’s really cooking on Culinary Stage in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

BottleRock Napa Valley announced the star-studded 2023 lineup for its incredibly popular Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage, where chefs join forces with rock stars and other celebs to have fun and make food.The bill includes Wu-Tang Clan, Sammy Hagar, Lil Nas X, John Taylor & Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, Bastille, Keanu Reeves and his Dogstar pals Bret Domrose and Robert Mailhouse, José Andrés, Giada De Laurentiis, David Chang & Chris Ying, Roy Choi, Andrew Zimmern, Aarón Sánchez and the Voltaggio Brothers.Yet, what promoters didn’t mention in the news release sent out on May 24 is what those celebrity chefs and rockers will actually be doing onstage during the three-day festival, which runs May 26-28 in downtown Napa.In an exclusive interview with our publication, organizers detailed what to expect to see on at the stage.“Every kind of food will be cooked, fried, grilled, tasted & tested — from C.R.E.A.M.sicles by the Voltaggio brothers to fish & chip...

‘He was a victim of an unprovoked ambush’: Murder count dismissed in East Bay freeway shooting that killed 1-year-old boy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

OAKLAND — After an intense court hearing that spanned nearly a month, an Alameda Superior Court judge dismissed murder charges against one of three Bay Area men accused of causing a rolling gun battle on Interstate 880 that led to 1-year-old Jasper Wu being shot and killed by a stray bullet.Judge Scott Patton ruled Wednesday that the evidence against Richmond resident Johnny Jackson was not enough to meet even the burden of proof presented in preliminary hearings, where prosecutors must merely establish probable cause in order for the case to proceed. It is a low bar that requires only a “strong inference” of guilt, far less than the reasonable doubt standard jurors are given at criminal trials.While dismissing all but a single felony gun possession count against Jackson, the judge upheld murder and gang charges against Trevor Green, 22, of Richmond; and Ivory Bivins, 24, of Vallejo, ruling that there was enough evidence tying both men to the Nov. 6, 2021 freeway s...

Larry Magid: Pixel 7A gives you more than you pay for

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

You know that adage, “you get what you pay for.” Well, it’s not always true. With Google’s new Pixel 7A phone, you get more than you pay for, compared with other phones.Related ArticlesBusiness | Magid: AI has risks but can also make us safer Business | Larry Magid: Google unveils new devices while focusing on AI Business | Larry Magid: Voice cloning makes virtual kidnapping more convincing Business | The caller said he’d kidnapped my wife. Here’s what I did wrong then. At $499, the 6.1-inch Pixel 7A is $100 less than the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 and $400 less than the 6.7-inch Pixel Pro. In terms of screen size, the 7A is more than big enough. It fits in my hand better than the 7 and the 7 Pro. The 7A is bigger and a lot less expensive than the iPhone 14, which starts at $799. It’s also less expensive than most Samsung phones. Size is only one of several things to consider when buying ...

BART introduces anime mascots to try and attract youth riders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The Bay Area Rapid Transit System has introduced a group of Bay Area-themed anime mascots. The five mascots are part of the transit system's effort to attract riders back, especially younger riders, according to a news release the transit agency put out this week.The five anime characters are "inspired by BART frontline employees and BART-contracted animals," like "Pac-Man the Harris hawk and the goats that graze BART property," BART said. "Pac-Man" is the name of a Harris hawk the transit system has deployed to scare away pigeons. Honolulu-bound flight from SFO turns back due to possible rudder issue The anime mascots also "contain numerous details highlighting the tight-knit connections between BART and the Bay Area."The mascots were also inspired by public transportation agencies in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where it's common to use anime mascots to connect with riders. The mascots were chosen from an open call for California-based artists BART put ...

UK police lift cordon after car crashes into Downing Street; counterterrorism officers not involved in investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

LONDON (AP) — UK police lift cordon after car crashes into Downing Street; counterterrorism officers not involved in investigation.Source

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers surprise commencement speech to Johns Hopkins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — During a surprise commencement address to graduates of Johns Hopkins University on Thursday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told them to take advantage of the time and resources they have to pursue their passions and uphold the democratic values at stake in his country’s war against Russia. He spoke via livestream from Ukraine, where the ongoing conflict has impacted the futures of countless young Ukrainians, robbing them of opportunities and loved ones, Zelenskyy said. He told Hopkins graduates to make the most of every moment. “Time is the most valuable resource on the planet,” he said. “Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones. Others realize it too late, when they lose someone or something.”He also thanked U.S. leaders for their support since the Russian invasion, including significant investments in humanitarian and military aid.President Joe Biden announced last week an agreement between the United States and European nati...

As South Carolina governor signs new law, abortion restrictions strain providers in US South

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A wave of newly approved abortion restrictions in the Southeastern United States has sent providers scrambling to reconfigure their services for a region with already severely limited access.South Carolina joined the Southern states putting stiff restrictions on the procedure Thursday when the governor signed a bill banning most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy, setting up an anticipated legal challenge from providers. The law goes into effect immediately.“This is a great day for life in South Carolina, but the fight is not over. We stand ready to defend this legislation against any challenges and are confident we will succeed,” Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. Pending bans at varying stages of pregnancy in North Carolina and Florida — states that had been holdouts providing wider access to the procedure — are threatening to further delay abortions as appointments pile up and doctors work to understand the new limitation...

Republican Karrin Taylor Robson says she won’t run for Sinema’s Senate seat in Arizona

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:37 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Karrin Taylor Robson, a wealthy Republican businessperson who was seen as the likeliest establishment candidate for a crucial Arizona Senate contest, said Thursday that she won’t run for the seat now held by independent Kyrsten Sinema.Robson ran for governor last year but lost the GOP primary to Kari Lake, a Donald Trump ally and darling of his Make America Great Again movement. Lake went on to lose the general election to Democrat Katie Hobbs and said this week she is considering a run for Senate. The Arizona Senate race is a pickup opportunity for the GOP, but many traditional Republicans worry Lake, who would be the clear front-runner in a GOP primary, can’t win a general election.Sinema left the Democratic Party last year. She is raising money for a potential campaign but has not said whether she will seek a second term, a decision that could set up a complicated three-way contest. U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego is the only major Democratic candidate in the r...