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Review: ‘Blue Beetle’ is a little more than a bug in in the superhero system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

Franz Kafka never realized how close he came to kickstarting a superhero franchise. Ever since Gregor Samsa awoke in his bed to find himself transformed into a monstrous dung beetle in “The Metamorphosis,” we’ve had spider-men, wasps, ant-men, crime-fighting ticks and mighty mantises — such a super swarm of insectoids that you might be tempted to reach for a fly swatter. We’re now back to the beetle with the new DC Comics film “Blue Beetle,” which opens in theaters Thursday. But what distinguishes “Blue Beetle” isn’t its place in the bug brigade but the person doing the metamorphosizing.Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is the first Latino superhero in a leading role in a DC film. It’s not just token casting, either. “Blue Beetle,” directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, is firmly rooted in the experience of the Reyes clan, a close-knit Mexican-American family scraping by in the shadow of the gleaming Miami-like ...

Hearing for suspect accused of 2022 armed robbery not long after his early prison release

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

CHICAGO — A court hearing was held Wednesday for a suspect in an armed robbery last year, not long after his early release from prison.38-year-old Michael Brewer is accused of robbing a man at gunpoint as he arrived home last summer in the city's West Beverly neighborhood. Court documents reveal he is accused of pointing a gun at the victim's face, who is a man in his early 30s.Brewer was on parole at the time of the alleged crime. His criminal history dates back to the early 90s, with multiple convictions related to gun crimes, including armed robberies.Brewer was convicted and sentenced in a 2014 case of aggravated vehicular hijacking, where he was accused of carjacking a 79-year-old at gunpoint. He was sentenced to 12-years, but was released early in January 2020.In this most recent case, an indictment filed in Cook County shows Brewer is accused of stealing multiple items at gunpoint from the victim in the area of 105th Street and Maplewood.Those items include a cellphone, walle...

Kids in mental health flooding emergency rooms — and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

For Wednesday, Aug. 16, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Kids in mental health flooding emergency rooms A joint report published in the journal, Pediatrics, says the emergency room is oftentimes the only place they get treatment. ER physicians say not only are they not equipped to deal with those cases, but they take away from the patients they are trained to treat. The report recommends emergency departments add dedicated spaces for psychiatric screening and treatment. But they still say it would be best if children had community centers and resources to treat them continuously. RSV vaccines for infants The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants older than eight months old be given the new RSV vaccine.   The contagious respiratory illness is common and can be deadly for high-risk children. The FDA has approved a new vaccine under the name Beyfortus. The CDC also recommends the shot. Clinical trials fou...

Aldi to buy 400 Winn-Dixie, Harveys Supermarkets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Discount grocer Aldi said Wednesday it plans to buy 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys supermarkets in the southern U.S.Under a proposed merger agreement, Aldi will acquire all outstanding shares of Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys. If the deal is approved by regulators, it's expected to close in the first half of 2024.Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Both Southeastern Grocers and Aldi are private companies. Aldi is based in Germany with a U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Illinois.Aldi said the deal supports its long-term growth strategy in the U.S., where it expects to have 2,400 stores by the end of this year. The Winn-Dixie and Harveys supermarkets it’s acquiring are primarily in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.Aldi said it will convert some locations to its own brand and format, which cuts costs with features like lean inventories and self-bagging. However, it will sti...

Brothers killed, 4 officers and hostage injured after standoff in Tennessee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Two brothers were killed and five people – including four police officers and a hostage – were injured in a standoff that began Tuesday afternoon and ended early Wednesday morning in Clarksville, Tennessee.According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Clarksville officers attempted to execute arrest warrants Tuesday afternoon for 31-year-old Brandon Green and 33-year-old Leonard Green, who were both accused of aggravated burglary.However, the brothers allegedly barricaded themselves in an apartment with a hostage, resulting in several hours of negotiations with officers. Late at night, as the standoff was ongoing, one of the suspects allegedly fired several shots toward police, injuring an officer. The officer was taken to the hospital with a foot injury.(Courtesy: Caitlin Marie Knight)(Courtesy: Caitlin Marie Knight)Officials said officers eventually entered the home and a shootout occurred, which led to the Green brothers being shot and kill...

Austin hospital explosion suspect accused of asking someone to hide box of  'destructive device' components

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Recently-filed court documents reveal the man connected with an explosion at an Austin hospital Aug. 9 was accused of asking someone to remove something from his home prior to officials searching it.According to an arrest affidavit, Raymond Luke Garner, 38, was accused of corruptly concealing, attempting to conceal, and counseling, inducing, and procuring another to conceal an object with the intent to impair the object's availability for use in an official proceeding. When it announced his arrest, the Austin Police Department also said he was charged with a third-degree felony of Components of Explosives. KXAN has reached out to his attorney and will update this story when we receive a response. RELATED: 1 arrested after St. David’s parking garage explosion An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, conducted the report and said Garner, shortly after being detained for questioning and then released, sent a message to an individu...

Burnsville Starbucks employees announce petition to unionize

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

Employees of a Burnsville Starbucks are joining hundreds others nationwide in taking steps toward unionization.Employees at the Nicollet and Grand Starbucks store in Burnsville filed a petition Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize with Starbucks Workers United, according to a news release from the union which represents over 8,500 baristas.Baristas, shift supervisors and store managers are feeling the burnout from understaffing, inconsistent scheduling and the lack of a livable wage, said Abril Mendoza, a shift supervisor and organizer at the Burnsville store, which is located at 14214 S. Nicollet Ave.Mendoza, who has been a Starbucks employee since November 2020, began as a barista and never intended to be a shift supervisor. “I only agreed to be a shift supervisor so I could make rent,” she said. “When I became a shift supervisor at $16 an hour, I was still on food stamps.”In addition to a livable wage that accounts for recent inflation, employees are aski...

Stacks Espresso Bar opening new location in Colonie

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Stacks Espresso Bar is opening its fourth location in the Pioneer Bank building at 652 Albany Shaker Road. Stacks is going into the former Wired Coffee space, which closed on August 12. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "We are thrilled to welcome Stacks to Pioneer Plaza," said Tom Amell, Pioneer President & CEO. "As a local institution, we understand the importance of supporting Capital Region businesses, and Stacks – being a client of Pioneer with a stellar reputation - stood out as a perfect partner to occupy this space."Stacks will have its full menu at this location including espresso, tea, and coffee, bagels, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more. You can view the menu on the Stacks website. ‘The Empire Plate’ features eateries around NY, including the Capital Region "Stacks Espresso Bar's new Pioneer Plaza location is an exciting milestone that brings together our love for coffee, hospitali...

Police: Suspect arrested in fatal Cohoes shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

COHOES, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Cohoes Police Department has confirmed that Dontie Mitchell was arrested in connection to the fatal shooting on August 11. Charges are not being released at this time as investigations are ongoing. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The shooting happened late Friday night in the area of Main Street and Schuyler Street. Shieer Leggett of Albany succumbed to life-threatening injuries at the Albany Medical Center.Police say a few cars on the scene were struck by bullets. The incident marks the first homicide in Cohoes in three years, according to Cohoes Police Chief Todd Waldin.Mitchell is currently being held at the Albany County Correctional Facility.

Former Lions coach Buddy Parker picked as Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:20 GMT

Buddy Parker, who coached the Detroit Lions to back-to-back NFL titles in the 1950s, was picked as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2024.Parker was announced Wednesday as the candidate from a group of 12 coaches and contributors after multiple votes were needed from the 12-person committee. He will get into the Hall if he is supported by at least 80% of the full Hall of Fame panel of voters next January.Parker had a 107-76-9 record as a head coach for the Cardinals, Lions and Steelers but his greatest success came during his six years at the helm in Detroit.After spending one year as co-coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1949, Parker was hired to take over the Lions in 1951 and ushered in the only sustained period of winning in franchise history.Detroit had the most losses in the NFL in the six seasons before Parker took over as coach, with the only success in franchise history coming when the Lions won the title with Parker as a player in 1935.Parker helped de...