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‘Full River Red’ overflows with comedy, drama & intrigue

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

MOVIE REVIEW“Full River Red”Rated tk. In Mandarin with subtitles. At AMC Boston Common and suburban theatersGrade: BYimou Zhang, the great Fifth Generation Chinese auteur and director of “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991), “Hero” (2002), “House of Flying Daggers” (2004), “A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop” (2009) and the Matt Damon-starring (also with Pedro Pascal) “The Great Wall” (2016), sets his sights on the Song Dynasty and a patriotic poem attributed to the real-life Chinese hero General Yue Fei.In “Full River Red,” a film that has made a fortune in its homeland, Zhang brings a piece of Chinese history to life in the form of a sometimes comedic drama, featuring enough court intrigue to choke a dragon.Set almost entirely within the walls of a large brick and mortar collection of large stone buildings and homes separated by cobblestone walkways and courtyards, the film plays out like a medieval game of Chinese chess. Set in the 12th century, the story starts with traditional-sounding...

Patriots’ free agent All-Pro punter visiting with Dolphins; Miami still looking for another linebacker?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

The Miami Dolphins are bringing in New England Patriots punter Jake Bailey for a visit, according to a report from ESPN.Bailey had an All-Pro and Pro Bowl season in 2020 and is considered among the league’s best. Miami could be moving on from veteran punter Thomas Morstead, who is a free agent after punting for the Dolphins in 2022.Bailey has a 45.9 yards-per-punt average in his career with 45.9 percent of his boots landing inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.He signed a four-year contract for $13.5 million with the Patriots last offseason, but while on injured reserve, he was placed on the suspended list late last season, voiding his guarantees. Bailey’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, filed a grievance contesting the suspension.“While Jake Bailey was on IR, he never missed a single treatment, meeting or practice,” Hendrickson said in a statement released at the time. “He was hoping to come off IR to play last weekend, but Jake was informed he was being ...

Bruins notebook: Red-hot Wild will be a tough road test

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

The Bruins stopped the bleeding on Thursday with a win in Winnipeg. We’ll find out on Saturday if they’re fully stitched up with the victory or if it only served as a temporary Band Aid.The B’s will face the hottest team in the NHL for an upper Midwest matinee at the Xcel Energy Centre when they face the Minnesota Wild, who are riding a 14-game point streak (11-0-3). A win on Saturday could put the Wild in first place in the Central Division as Minny trails the Dallas Stars by just one point.An identical performance to the one they gave to beat the Jets on Thursday probably won’t get it done against the Wild.That’s not to say the B’s didn’t do some good things in their 3-0 victory over the Jets. They were committed to doing the hard tasks it takes to win. They blocked 20 shots, seven by Charlie McAvoy, who saved a goal on one of them. Their league-leading penalty kill, which had allowed four goals in the previous three games, was back on the...

Patriots add special teams ace Chris Board

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

The Patriots have signed ex-Lions linebacker Chris Board, according to reports.The deal was for two years, with a maximum value of $6.7 million.While listed as a linebacker, Board is more known as being a core special teamer, one Patriots head coach Bill Belichick praised to the hilt last season.Prior to the Pats hosting Detroit in Week 5, Belichick said of the 27-year-old: “Board, that’s the best special teams player we’ll play against all year. He’s a great player.”Board, a part-time off-the-ball linebacker, recorded 21 tackles and a forced fumble last season largely on special teams. He started his career with a four-year stint in Baltimore, where he played from 2018-2021 and started two games.Board is projected to help a kicking game group that surrendered three kickoff return touchdowns in 2022. He also offers depth at a linebacker position that has Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai Raekwon McMillan and Mack Wilson on the roster.

Westbound SR-78 closure extended to Monday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The closure of all westbound lanes on State Route 78 has been extended to Monday as crews continue to make emergency repairs.Westbound SR-78 lanes from College Boulevard to El Camino Real will be closed until at least Monday as Caltrans crews work to repair a sinkhole that formed due to heavy flooding, Caltrans said in a news release.On Thursday, Caltrans said the westbound closure was expected to last until Saturday, but the expected closure time has now been extended.Drivers will be detoured to the College Blvd./ Vista Way off-ramp, then go west on Vista Way and then to the SR-78 on-ramp at El Camino Real.The closure began Thursday, following a storm that brought significant rain to the region, causing heavy flooding in the area. Initially one westbound lane was closed, but it was later extended to all lanes for the impacted area. Bluff collapses in North County Crews are working to repair the metal pipe culvert that runs underneath the highway, which is coll...

Is California healthy again after rain? What to know about especially green landscapes

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

SAN DIEGO – Driving around California, it’s hard not to notice just how lush and green vegetation has become after the overwhelming amount of rain the state has gotten.Some residents have taken to social media to express their bewilderment at the state’s vibrant landscape: “Growing up here I have never seen California this green in my life!” one resident said in a tweet.“The rain this year has been crazy. I have never seen California grass this healthy and green before,” another said.The series of storms this winter has eased nearly half of the state out of drought conditions, and for some, the especially green landscapes is the physical manifestation of that change.But experts say that the state's lands still have a long way to go to mend from years of drought: what residents are seeing after this particularly wet winter is considered fairly normal growth for the Golden State given the dynamics of the region’s climate.Photo of Palos Verdes, Calif. at sunset earlier this March. (Cou...

March Madness: How to watch San Diego State vs. Furman in NCAA Tournament

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State University Men’s Basketball team will be leaving it all on the court Saturday as they look to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third time in team history.The Aztecs are headed to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Charleston College 63-57 on Thursday. The victory marks SDSU’s first win in the first round of the tournament since 2015. SDSU advances to 2nd round of NCAA Tournament Looking ahead, 5-seeded SDSU will faceoff against 13-seed Furman on Saturday. The South Carolina team beat out Virginia 68-67 in an a Cinderella-story upset Thursday, propelling them forward.Tip off is scheduled for 9:10 a.m. Pacific time. With the game taking place in Orlando, Florida, Aztecs fans ready to root on their team have a several different viewing options for the tournament game.Here's a breakdown on how to watch SDSU vs. Furman on Saturday.Streaming options:-- Youtube TV and fuboTV have free trials available that fans can take ...

New Mexico passes bill to safeguard abortion providers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators raced against the clock Friday to advance hard-fought proposals to safeguard abortion access, deliver tax relief and limit access to guns in the final hours of a 60-day legislative session.Republicans in the legislative minority raised a series of objections during a House floor debate to a bill that aims to protect abortion providers and patients from out-of-state interference, prosecution or extradition attempts. In a victory for abortion rights advocates in New Mexico and states where the procedure is banned, the House secured final passage of that bill, in a 38-30 vote with Republicans and some Democrats in opposition. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is expected to sign it. The governor already signed a law to block local abortion-ban ordinances.Legislators have until noon on Saturday to send bills to the governor for consideration.The Democrat-led Legislature passed bills in the final days of the session that would boost pay f...

Officials discussing security in case of Trump indictment

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement officials in New York are making security preparations for the possibility that former President Donald Trump could be indicted in the coming weeks and appear in a Manhattan courtroom in an investigation examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with him, four law enforcement officials said Friday.There has been no public announcement of any timeframe for the grand jury’s secret work, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president. The law enforcement officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said authorities are just preparing in case of an indictment. They described the conversations as preliminary and are considering security, planning and the practicalities of a potential court appearance by a former president. The Manhattan district attorney’s office and Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, had no comment. A message was...

Former Air Force officer gets prison term for Capitol attack

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired Air Force officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol dressed in combat gear and carried zip-tie handcuffs into the Senate gallery was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison.Larry Brock, 55, of Grapevine, Texas, joined other rioters on the Senate floor only minutes after then-Vice President Mike Pence, senators and their staff evacuated the chamber to escape the mob attacking the building on Jan. 6, 2021.U.S. District Judge John Bates also sentenced Brock to two years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service. Brock, who declined to speak in court before the judge imposed his sentence, remains free until he must report to prison at a date to be determined.Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.Bates convicted Brock in November after a trial without a jury. Brock waived his right to a jury trial.The judge said Brock expressed ̶...