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What the heck is Grimace? And why is it getting its own McDonald's meal?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

Twitter users who follow the official McDonald’s account were greeted with a nostalgic sight on Monday: the large purple face of Grimace — bug-eyed and nearly expressionless — staring directly back at them.McDonald’s ultimately revealed that Grimace is back to promote its upcoming “Grimace Birthday Meal,” which comes complete with a brand-new (and very purple) berry-vanilla shake.There’s just one thing McDonald’s declined to fully explain: Just what the heck are we looking at, here?Grimace, by McDonald’s own admission, is an “ambiguous” blob of a mascot. Introduced in 1971 as “Evil Grimace,” the character was first depicted as a villain — with four arms — who was singularly focused on stealing McDonald’s milkshakes, as seen in early TV commercials.Over the years, Grimace eventually lost his mad lust for milkshakes (and two of his arms) and became best buds with Ronald McDonald.Grimace apparently resides in Malibu, stands at 9 feet tall, and is legally permitted to operate ...

Get Garbage and Gallagher to the Greek

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

Get Garbage and Gallagher to the Greek: Quite the double bill, this one. Shirley Manson, Butch Vig and co. return to L.A. with their ‘90s electro-alt-rock outfit Garbage, alongside former Oasis man Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds. Rumors are, ahem, flying around that Oasis will be reforming sooner rather than later, but this will very much do for now. Metric also perform. June 2 saw Gallagher’s High Flying Birds release new album Council Skies. “It’s going back to the beginning,” he said in a statement. “Daydreaming, looking up at the sky and wondering about what life could be … that’s as true to me now as it was in the early ‘90s. When I was growing up in poverty and unemployment, music took me out of that. Top of the Pops on TV transformed your Thursday night into this fantasy world, and that’s what I think music should be. I want my music to be elevating and transforming in some way.”Get Garbage and Gallagher to the Greek: The event takes place at 7 p.m...

Woman shot multiple times while sitting in car in Oakland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

OAKLAND — A 65-year-old Richmond woman was shot multiple times early Tuesday as she sat in a parked car in East Oakland, authorities said.She was in stable condition at a hospital..The shooting was reported about 2 a.m. Tuesday in the 6700 block of MacArthur Boulevard. Police said the woman was sitting in a parked car when at least one person and possibly more began shooting at the vehicle.The woman was hit at least twice. She was able to make it to a home in the area where police and medical personnel were called.Some parked vehicles and structures were also hit by the gunfire but no other injuries were reported. Dozens of shell casings were recovered in the area.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man fatally shot in East Oakland Crime and Public Safety | Bay Area sex offender sentenced for deadly crash Crime and Public Safety | Former KTVU anchor Frank Somerville arrested after getting into fight with family member Crime...

All Tesla Model 3s now eligible for full $7,500 tax credit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

By Keith Laing | BloombergAll of Tesla’s Model 3 sedans are now eligible for the full US tax credit under new criteria for battery-sourcing set by the US Treasury Department, part of a Biden administration plan to spur adoption of electric vehicles.The US government confirmed the tax credit of as much as $7,500 for all variations of the Model 3 in an update on its website Tuesday.The change brings the total number of electric vehicle models eligible for the full tax credits to 22, including those from General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG.Related ArticlesBusiness | Love the VW Bus? The new electric version was just unveiled in California’s Surf City Business | VW to launch electric version of venerable Bus in 2024 Business | The easiest way to get a $7,500 tax credit for an electric vehicle? Consider leasing. Business | San Francisco clean-energy startup aims for trucking breakthrough Business | ...

Discounted Disneyland tickets for California residents return this summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

Disneyland is bringing back discounted multiday ticket offers for California residents in the middle of summer just as the kids are getting out of school and the vacation season kicks into high gear.Beginning Tuesday, June 6, California locals can purchase $249 three-day single-park tickets that allow access to either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure on weekdays or $299 three-day tickets good on weekends as well.That’s a pretty good deal for the typically pricey tickets, with the weekday tickets running $83 per day and the weekend tickets costing $100 per day.By comparison, the lowest-priced single-day ticket costs $104 while the highest-priced tickets cost $179. Upgrades are available for parkhopper tickets and to add the Genie+ line-cutting perk.Disneyland typically offers Southern California resident discounts just as the Christmas holiday decorations get put away for another season and the slower winter months begin. But after the pandemic closure, Disneyland began offe...

San Jose scrapyard accused of buying stolen catalytic converters to pay $2,500 settlement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

A San Jose metal scrapyard accused of trading in stolen catalytic converters and fueling a rise in property crimes in the South Bay has reached a settlement with the city, agreeing to pay $2,500 — with the possibility of additional penalties if it doesn’t follow industry regulations for the next three years.Tung Tai Group and its owner Joseph Chen faced a public nuisance shut-down order from the city starting in February 2022 after police targeted the business in an undercover operation dubbed “Cat Scratch Thiever” that investigated catalytic converter theft rings. A parallel criminal investigation was also filed against Chen but was eventually dropped because of insufficient evidence.Chen, who has a long history of run-ins with law enforcement stretching back to the late 2000s, recently came under scrutiny after a stolen statue from a San Jose public park was found at his scrapyard in February. Police say they have exhausted all leads trying to find out who stole ...

Bay Area brewery day trip: A trio of Alameda beer stops — and an exciting newcomer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

My Bay Area brewery tour this month took me to the island of Alameda, where breweries and distilleries dot the expanse of the former Alameda Naval Air Station. I hadn’t there since before the pandemic, but since Faction Brewing was the only Bay Area brewery to win two medals at this year’s prestigious World Beer Cup, I figured it was high time I stopped by for a visit. I visited a trio of taprooms on this trip and discovered there’s an exciting newcomer headed this way.Faction BrewingFounded by industry veterans Rodger Davis and Claudia Pamparana in 2013 in an old, 65,000-square-foot airplane hangar, the couple brought years of experience to Faction. Davis brewed at the old San Francisco Brewing and later at Pyramid, Drake’s and Triple Rock, while Pamparana managed the bar at the 21st Amendment brewpub.Faction’s outdoor beer space boasts amazing views of San Francisco, with room for 500 revelers indoors and out. Faction keeps more than 20 beers on tap in a wide variety o...

'Homophobia is everywhere': Rainbow flags stolen in San Jose

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

(BCN) -- More than 75 rainbow flags have been stolen in Willow Glen as National Pride Month kicks off. It's become a reoccurring issue. Local real estate agent Holly Barr buys and places the flags on Willow Glen's main street, Lincoln Avenue, annually beginning in June. Every year she says they get stolen, but she's not letting it deter her efforts to celebrate and support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, or LGBTQ+. More trouble for downtown SF as owner of Hilton, Parc 55 cease payments on hotel properties "Every year it is a controversy and I just don't get it," Barr told San Jose Spotlight. "But I'm just going to keep doing it because it's about inclusivity and acceptance and love and positivity." On Lincoln Avenue there are buckets at 12 different crosswalks with bright orange flags for residents to use to safely cross the street, with the expectation that people will put them back once they're done. Barr started that initiative on her ow...

Paolo Maldini out as AC Milan’s technical director after reported break with US owner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Paolo Maldini’s tenure as AC Milan’s technical director has ended, the club announced in a brief statement Tuesday following reports of a rupture between the former defender and Milan’s new American owner, Gerry Cardinale.“AC Milan announces that Paolo Maldini concludes his role at the club, effective as of June 5, 2023,” the club statement said. “We thank him for his years of service in the role, contributing to the return to the Champions League and to winning the Scudetto in 2021-22. His day-to-day duties will be performed by a team working in close integration with the first team manager, ultimately reporting to the CEO.”The 54-year-old Maldini was a longtime captain of Milan as a player and is a fan favorite, so the move immediately drew protests from Rossoneri supporters.Maldini and Cardinale reportedly diverged over how to handle the club’s approach to the transfer market, with Maldini having said the team needed a deeper roster to compete in the Champions League...

2 Chinese snooker players handed lifetime bans for role in match-fixing scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:43 GMT

SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — Chinese snooker players Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were handed lifetime bans from the sport on Tuesday for their role in a match-fixing scandal involving eight more of their countrymen.Liang and Li were found by an independent disciplinary commission to have fixed five matches in July last year, then encouraged or put pressure on others to fix matches between July and December.Liang is a former finalist in the UK Championship, one of the biggest events on the snooker calendar.A total of 10 Chinese players were sanctioned by the World Snooker Tour, including Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong — two of the biggest names in the sport.Yan — the 2021 Masters champion — was handed a five-year ban and Zhao — the UK Championship winner from the same year – was banned for one year and eight months.An investigation was launched following an alert in August last year from the International Betting Integrity Association and World Snooker’s integrity unit. The 10 players were th...