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Review: ‘Iron Claw’ is great, misses a chance to point fingers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

By Jocelyn Noveck | Associated PressIt doesn’t take long to understand the level of commitment Zac Efron brings to “The Iron Claw” as Texas wrestling brother Kevin Von Erich. Just one look at the taut mass of muscle and sinew he’s become for the role will do the trick.It’s also clear from the get-go how invested writer-director Sean Durkin was in telling the true-life tale of the Von Erich family wrestling dynasty, which — shockingly, to those of us unfamiliar with the story — suffered a set of tragic losses almost too staggering to imagine. It’s hardly a spoiler alert to say that Kevin, by 35, was the only surviving brother of an original six. (He is now 66). Indeed, so devastating is the story that Durkin felt the need to excise brother Chris, one of three lost to suicide, from this retelling entirely.Durkin has said he was a committed wrestling fan from his childhood in England, where he scoured magazines to learn more about the exploits of the...

Horoscopes Dec. 22, 2023: Diane Sawyer, don’t waste time

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jordin Sparks, 34; Brooke Nevin, 41; Ralph Fiennes, 61; Diane Sawyer, 78.Happy Birthday: Your verbal abilities are skyrocketing. It’s time to negotiate and put things in place that will improve your life. Consider what makes you happy, and implement changes to help you reach your goal. Don’t waste time procrastinating when there is work to do if you plan to get your life heading in a direction that surpasses your expectations. Your numbers are 5, 12, 22, 27, 33, 42, 45.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Set a pace and keep going until you are satisfied with your achievements. Don’t expect to get much help or to please everyone. Make a point to take care of your needs and give yourself a pat on the back for what you accomplish. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take notes, make a list and get organized, and everything else will fall into place. You can improve a meaningful relationship by supporting that person and helping them get where they wa...

3 foreign nationals are among the wounded after a Prague university shooting in which 14 died

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

People lay candles light outside the building of Philosophical Faculty of Charles University for victims of mass shooting in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. A lone gunman opened fire at a university on Thursday, killing more than a dozen people and injuring scores of people. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)(AP/Denes Erdos) People lay candles light outside the building of Philosophical Faculty of Charles University for victims of mass shooting in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. A lone gunman opened fire at a university on Thursday, killing more than a dozen people and injuring scores of people. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)(AP/Denes Erdos) PRAGUE (AP) — Three foreign nationals were among the 25 people ...

Troy and Duke both enter the Birmingham Bowl in between coaching regimes

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

Birmingham Bowl: Troy (11-2, Sun Belt) vs Duke (7-5, ACC), Dec. 23, noon Eastern (ABC).Line: Troy by 7 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Duke leads 2-0.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Led by interim head coaches, both teams are trying to finish the season strong. The Trojans claimed their second straight Sun Belt Conference championship and are riding a 10-game winning streak. Coach Jon Sumrall left to take over the Tulane program, and Greg Gasparato is interim coach. Duke’s Mike Elko left for Texas A&M, with assistant Trooper Taylor handling interim duties. Duke has already hired Manny Diaz and Troy turned to Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker.KEY MATCHUPDuke’s offense against Troy’s aggressive defense, which has already set the Sun Belt Conference record with 45 sacks. The Blue Devils’ former starting quarterback Riley Leonard has announced plans to transfer to Notre Dame after an injury-shortened season. The Trojans rank sixth nationally i...

South Alabama gets home field advantage against Eastern Michigan in 68 Ventures Bowl

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

South Alabama (6-6, Sun Belt) vs. Eastern Michigan (6-6, Mid-American Conference), Dec. 23, 7 p.m. ETLine: South Alabama by 16 1/2, according to FanDuel.com Sportsbook.Series record: First meeting.WHAT’S AT STAKE?South Alabama is seeking its first bowl win in four tries, while Eastern Michigan hopes to improve on its 2-4 bowl record. Eastern Michigan became bowl eligible with victories in its last two games, winning in double overtime against Akron and 24-11 over Buffalo. Both teams need a victory to finish with a winning record. For South Alabama, that would mean back-to-back winning marks for the first time as a full Division I participant.KEY MATCHUPEastern Michigan’s struggling offense against South Alabama’s defense. The Eagles rank ninth in the MAC in scoring (20.3 points per game) and 11th in total yards, averaging just 273.6. Led by All-Sun Belt first-team defensive back Jaden Voisin, South Alabama has one of the league’s top defenses. The Jaguars are third...

Niño británico que estuvo desaparecido durante seis años dice que es “surrealista” estar en casa y envía mensaje a su madre

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

(CNN) — Alex Batty, el niño británico que fue encontrado en Francia después de estar desaparecido durante seis años, dice que se siente “surrealista” estar de vuelta con su abuela en el Reino Unido.En una entrevista con el diario The Sun publicada el jueves, Batty, que ahora tiene 17 años, dijo: “Cada vez que me voy a dormir, siento que me voy a despertar de vuelta en Francia. Todavía no me he dado cuenta de que he vuelto a Inglaterra”.El adolescente habló de los seis años que pasó viviendo en España y Francia después de que su madre y su abuelo lo llevaran de vacaciones en 2017 y nunca regresara.Dijo que los primeros años fuera de casa fueron como unas “vacaciones”, ya que pasó la mayor parte del tiempo “leyendo, dibujando, yendo a la playa.”Sin embargo, cuando cumplió 14 años, Batty dijo que “empezó a tener que buscarse la vida” para pagar la comida y el alquiler trabajando en la construcción, la demolición y la dec...

Denver weather: 1 more mild day before weekend rain, snow

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Mainly sunny skies will still be across the Front Range Friday with above-average highs. Big changes and a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day arrive this weekend in the Denver weather forecast.Weather today: Sunny and comfyWith mainly sunny skies, Denver will see mild highs in the upper 50s with light winds. Thursday was busiest air travel day of the holiday season Highs are above average on Friday with extra clouds in the mountains. Friday will also be the warmest day of the next seven.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on Dec. 22 Weather tonight: Clouds increaseOvernight lows are just above average in the low 30s with light winds. Clouds will increase Friday night as snow builds into the southwestern corner of the state.Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on Dec. 22 Looking ahead: Rain and snow this weekendSnow will impact the mountains south of Interstate 70 on Saturday with cloudy skies in Denver. Highs on Saturday will be in the low 50s with light rain chances in the ...

The Beatles created a painting together while on tour in Japan. Now it’s up for auction

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

The Beatles were in the middle of a tour that had them play five shows in just three days at Japan’s famed Nippon Budokan arena — but when they weren’t performing, they were holed up in the presidential suite of the Tokyo Hilton creating a work of art that came to be known as “Images of a Woman.”That painting, believed by some experts to be the only artwork jointly made by all four Beatles (or at least signed by all four), will be up for sale at Christie’s auction house in New York on February 1.“Images of a Woman” is estimated to fetch somewhere in the realm of $400,000 to $600,000 and “crystallizes a magic moment in Beatles history,” said Christie’s specialist Casey Rogers during a phone interview.“It’s such a rarity to have a work on paper outside of their music catalog that is (a) physical relic, this tangible object with contributions from all four of The Beatles,” she said of the 21.5- by 31-inch painting.“It’s memorabilia, it’s a work of art, it appeals to probably a much lar...

The weather most likely to ruin your flight plans

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

(CNN) — Chances are, you can blame the weather if your flight plans get upended during the holiday travel rush.Weather is the largest cause of air traffic troubles in the US and accounts for 75% of all reported delays, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.But not all weather is created equal when it comes to flight disruptions. Here are the four types of weather most likely to change up your itinerary, ordered from least to most-likely, according to Kyle Struckmann, the head aviation meteorologist for the National Weather Service.4.) Wild windsBoth wind speed and wind direction are critical for safe takeoffs and landings.“Airplanes ideally land and take off directly into the wind,” Struckmann told CNN.Headwinds give a plane the lift and stability necessary for smooth takeoffs and landings. Without them, planes run the risk of not getting off the ground or landing too fast.Airport runways are ideally built to run in the same direction as the airport’s ...

Octopus DNA seems to confirm scientists’ theory about a long-standing geological mystery

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:51:46 GMT

(CNN) — A study of octopus DNA may have solved an enduring mystery about when the rapidly melting West Antarctic ice sheet last collapsed, unlocking valuable information about how much future sea levels may rise in a warming climate.The innovative research focused on the genetic history of the Turquet’s octopus (Pareledone turqueti), which lives on the seafloor across the Antarctic, and what it could reveal about the geology of the region over time.Tracing past encounters across the species’ various populations suggested the most recent collapse of the ice sheet occurred more than 100,000 years ago during a period known as the Last Interglacial — something geoscientists suspected but had not been able to confirm definitively, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Science.“This project was exciting because it offers a brand-new perspective to solve a long-standing question in the geoscience community,” said lead study author Sally Lau, a postdoctoral research fello...