Hong Kong grants quarantine exemption to Nicole Kidman
Hong Kongโs government says it has granted a quarantine exemption to an individual to perform โdesignated professional workโ following reports that Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman did not have to spend time in quarantine when she arrived in the city to film a TV series.
โVirginia Woolf,โ โGoldbergsโ star George Segal dies at 87
Actor George Segal appears in a portrait from 1965. โThe family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery," Sonia Segal said in a statement. George Segal was always best known as a comic actor, becoming one of the screen's biggest stars in the 1970s when lighthearted adult comedies thrived. But his most famous role was in a harrowing drama, โWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In โVirginia Woolf,โ he played Nick, one half of a young couple invited over for drinks and to witness the bitterness and frustration of a middle-aged couple.
New hosts for 'The Bachelorette' after racial controversy
(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)Chris Harrison will not host the upcoming season of โThe Bacheloretteโ following controversy over racially insensitive comments, and will instead be replaced with two former contestants, ABC Entertainment and Warner Horizon said in a statement. Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will pick up hosting duties for the show's next season, the statement issued late Friday said. Harrison stepped down from hosting for โThe Bachelorโ in February following the controversy connected to an interview with โExtra.โ He had defended โBachelorโ contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after she was accused of racially insensitive past behavior. Past photos of her resurfaced in which she is dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball. He later apologized for his comments, saying in a statement: โBy excusing historical racism, I defended it.โAdโWe support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing,โ ABC and Warner Horizon said Friday's statement.
US jobless claims tick up to 745,000 as layoffs remain high
Thursday's report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims rose by 9,000 from the previous week. Though the pace of layoffs has eased since the year began, they remain high by historical standards. Counting supplemental federal unemployment programs that were established to soften the economic damage from the virus, an estimated 18 million people are collecting some form of jobless aid. And jobless claims rose by more than 17,000 in Ohio, where the weekly totals have been thrown off by potentially fraudulent claims. Additional relief is likely for American households and businesses as Congress considers President Joe Bidenโs proposal for a new aid package amounting to $1.9 trillion.
Will Paramount+ be a mountain or a molehill in streaming?
It's betting that consumers are willing to add yet another paid streaming service in an increasingly crowded field. โParamount+ has a mountain of challenges ahead of it," said Tim Hanlon, CEO of Vertere Group, playing off the Paramount+ tagline, โA mountain of entertainment." CBS All Access, Showtime and BET+ now have nearly 30 million subscribers, some of who will shift to Paramount+. ViacomCBS said some of the studioโs films, including โMission: Impossible 7โ and โA Quiet Place Part II,โ will go to its fledgling streaming service, Paramount+, after 45 days in theaters. โIf they want to act like a second tier streaming service, they're doing a fantastic job."
US service sector growth slows sharply in February
The U.S. services sector, where most Americans work, registered its sixth consecutive month of expansion in November. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)WASHINGTON โ Growth in the services sector, where most Americans work, slowed sharply in February with hurdles related to the pandemic hindering growth. Even with the decline, it was the ninth straight month of growth in the services sector. Many analysts saw the slowdown in services sector activity in February as just a brief pullback from January's high level with further gains coming in the months ahead. โThe services sector is locked and loaded for a summer surge,โ said Oren Klatchin, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
NASA rover lands on Mars to look for signs of ancient life
(NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ A NASA rover streaked through the orange Martian sky and landed on the planet Thursday, accomplishing the riskiest step yet in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on Mars. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days last week. AdPerseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the ninth spacecraft since the 1970s to successfully land on Mars, every one of them from the U.S. โAre we alone in this sort of vast cosmic desert, just flying through space, or is life much more common? Two older NASA landers are still humming along on Mars: 2012โฒs Curiosity rover and 2018โฒs InSight.
Service sector operates at highest level in almost two years
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)WASHINGTON โ The services sector, where most Americans work, operated in January at the highest level in almost two years. Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM service business survey committee, said that service businesses at the moment believe 2021 will be a good year. The service sector, which includes everything from restaurants and retail stores to the health industry, has been hard hit by the virus. AdPrivate analysts were encouraged by the increase in services sector activity. โThe stage is set for a strong rebound in the services sector heading into the summer,โ said Oren Klachkin, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
Interest continues to grow in inaugural poet Amanda Gorman
Eric and Tess from Pasadena, Calif., enter the Skylight Book store, decorated with a poster of American poet Amanda Gorman, in Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. Public health officials said Monday that the state will return to a system of county-by-county restrictions intended to stem the spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)NEW YORK โ Within hours of Amanda Gorman's reading of the inaugural poem last week, bookstores were hearing from their customers. Gorman, who at 17 became the country's National Youth Poet Laureate, is a longtime Los Angeles resident who credits poetry with helping her work on a speech impediment. Gorman is by far the youngest of the poets to read at presidential inaugurations since Robert Frost was invited to John F. Kennedy's in 1961.
California reveals data used to lift stay-at-home order
Last week, state health officials told The Associated Press they were keeping all the data secret because it is complicated and might mislead the public. Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious-diseases control expert at University of California, San Francisco, was among the critics. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order that was based on ICU capacity in each of five regions. At a news conference with Newsom, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly promised to reveal some of the information behind the projections. But itโs currently stuck at 9.9% โ virtually the same level it was two weeks ago when state officials abruptly lifted the stay-at-home order there.
LA real estate investors buy David Cassidy's Florida home
Amy L. Raff and her husband, Abe Rotchel told the South Florida SunSentinel they weren't looking to buy Cassidy's waterfront home when they started looking at listings in Fort Lauderdale. โIt turned out to just be a nice benefit that it used to be his house,โ Raff told the newspaper. โItโs a fabulous home in a great location.โThe house sold for $2.6 million, the newspaper reported. Raff told the newspaper she had his poster on her wall when she was a young girl. The house was sold at an auction for about $2 million to investors from Maryland.
US services sector grows for seventh consecutive month
The U.S. services sector, where most Americans work, registered its sixth consecutive month of expansion in November. The Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday that its index of services activity declined slightly to a reading of 55.9 last month, from a reading of 56.6 in October. โ The U.S. services sector, where most Americans work, grew for the seventh consecutive month in December even as coronavirus cases surged through the holidays. The Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday that its index of services activity grew slightly to a reading of 57.2 last month, from a reading of 55.9 in November. The services sector had been growing for 122 consecutive months โ more than a decade โ before contracting in April and May as the coronavirus outbreak forced many businesses to close and people to stay home.
Army left out in Bowl Day marred by cancellations, opt outs
When that bowl game was called off because there was not another team available, it suddenly left Army looking for a postseason opponent. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)At a time when team after team had opted out of bowl games, Army found itself in a different sort of situation โ left out. โIt was a difficult day for all of college football,โ said Nick Carparelli, the executive director of Bowl Season, the renamed Football Bowl Association. For the Hokies, the decision ended a 27 straight bowl game run. Some of the canceled bowl games โ 15 in all, including three on Sunday alone โ included the Bahamas Bowl, Celebration Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl, Redbox Bowl and Sun Bowl.
Alabama to meet Notre Dame in relocated CFP semifinal game
4 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal originally scheduled to serve as the 107th Rose Bowl, the playoff committee announced Sunday. โOur guys recognize what theyโll need to do relative to the mental preparation of playing a great football team in Alabama. But instead of a week amid the pomp and pageantry of the Rose Bowl, the teams will spend their semifinal week in Arlington, Texas. Oregon State beat Duke in Durham, North Carolina, in that version of the Rose Bowl. The festive week of genteel celebrations around the Rose Bowl game had already been mostly canceled.
CFP semifinal moved from Rose Bowl to AT&T Stadium in Texas
FILE - This Jan. 2, 2017, file pool photo, shows an aerial view of the empty Rose Bowl stadium before to the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game between Southern California and Penn State in Pasadena, Calif. The Rose Bowl asked the state for an exception to the restriction, but was denied twice, including earlier this week. Hancock said it had not yet been determined if the semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington would still be called the Rose Bowl. The first Rose Bowl was played Jan. 1, 1902. The last time the Rose Bowl game was played outside Pasadena, California, was 1942.
Performers set for TV special replacing canceled Rose Parade
Sheryl Crow leads a long list of performers and celebrity guests who will appear in a Jan. 1 television special replacing the 132nd Rose Parade, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Performers will also include Mickey Guyton, Tori Kelly, Lady A, Rascal Flatts and husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty. Celebrity guests will include Rita Moreno, Emeril Lagasse, Gary Sinise, Daddy Yankee, Shanola Hampton, Dascha Polanco, Vin Scully, Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez and Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductee Matt Leinart. The special will also include marching bands, equestrians, floats from previous years and segments on the Rose Bowl football game that usually follows the parade. Cancellation of the 2021 Rose Parade was announced earlier this year.
No fans to be allowed at Rose Bowl for CFP semifinal game
(The Tournament of Roses via AP, Pool, File)PASADENA, Calif. โ No spectators will be allowed at the Rose Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 1 because of COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the state, county and city of Pasadena. โWe continue to work closely with health department officials and the Rose Bowl Stadium to provide the safest possible environment for our game participants.โThe Rose Bowl is hosting one of the playoff semifinals; the other is at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The Fiesta Bowl also announced Thursday that no fans would be allowed at the Jan. 2 game in Glendale, Arizona, though the immediate families of players will be able to attend. The first Rose Bowl was played on Jan. 1, 1902, beginning the tradition of postseason college football games. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Pasadena bucks Los Angeles County to offer alfresco dining
โWeโre not out of the woods yet, but every day that goes by is a blessing that we can keep the outdoor dining open,โ Osborn said. A divided LA County Board of Supervisors rejected a measure Nov. 24 that would have kept outdoor dining open. โWe literally have seen COVID cases in a large percentage of businesses across the city,โ Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said. She had to close a sister cafe in nearby Sierra Madre under the county order. I canโt make this situation any better.โ___Melley reported from Los Angeles.
Halloween in the pandemic: Costumes and candy, at a distance
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Ghosts, skeletons, princesses and black cats roamed the streets as usual this Halloween, but they kept their distance, wore face coverings and carried hand sanitizer in their quest for treats. Like with everything else this year, the pandemic also left its mark on Halloween. Parades, parties and haunted houses were canceled due to bans on large gatherings and concerns that spooky celebrations could spread the coronavirus. In the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Tomeka Ray took her 4-year-old daughter, Diamond, trick-or-treating in the afternoon. Caden Korchuk, 11, and friend Jayden Schoning, 10, both dressed as skeletons, also appreciated getting their candy delivered from a distance.
Television special to replace canceled 2021 Rose Parade
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2020, file photo a 2020 Rose Parade float is seen at the start of the route at the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. The 2021 Rose Parade is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but viewers will still get a show with a two-hour television special on New Year's Day, organizers said. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker, File)PASADENA, Calif. โ The 2021 Rose Parade is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but viewers will still get a show with a two-hour television special on New Yearโs Day, organizers said. The Tournament of Roses Association said in a Thursday news release that the TV special will include โlive-to-tape musical and marching band performances, heartwarming segments related to the Rose Parade, celebrity guest appearances," and highlights from past Rose Bowl football games. The Rose Bowl college football game that traditionally follows the parade is still scheduled for New Year's Day.
Judge Judy to move her gavel to streaming service IMDb TV
FILE - Judge Judy Sheindlin arrives at the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, Calif., on May 5, 2019. Sheindlin, whose long-running syndicated courtroom show Judge Judy will end production in 2021, will be dispensing justice on an exclusive show in the U.S. for IMDb TV. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES โ Everyone's going to streaming, including Judge Judy. The broadcast television staple's next act will be with IMDb TV, Amazon's free digital service. When Sheindlin announced her eventual departure from โJudge Judyโ on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, she also said another show was ahead.
Golden Globes group gives $5.1 million in grants
Kidman was among the entertainers who appeared to discuss the charities that benefit from HFPA grants. More than $5.1 million in funds were given to over 70 nonprofit organizations during the โHFPA Philanthropy: Empowering the Next Generationโ virtual event on Tuesday. The event, formerly known as the Grants Banquet, celebrated some of the organizations with aspiring artists, filmmakers and storytellers. The organization is known for putting on the Golden Globes. Salma Hayek paid homage to the Las Fotos Project, a nonprofit organization that inspires teenage girls through photography.
Memorials grow in Eddie Van Halen's adopted hometown
Sean Costello, of Arcadia, photographs Eddie Van Halen's childhood home, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. Van Halen, who had battled cancer, died Tuesday at age 65. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.
Memorials grow in Eddie Van Halen's adopted hometown
Sean Costello, of Arcadia, photographs Eddie Van Halen's childhood home, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. Van Halen, who had battled cancer, died Tuesday at age 65. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)PASADENA, Calif. โ The childhood home of Eddie Van Halen and a sidewalk outside a nearby liquor store have been turned into memorials to the legendary rock guitarist in his adopted hometown near Los Angeles. The shrines began popping up shortly after Van Halenโs death from cancer at age 65 earlier in the week. โThis way people have a chance to come out and share their feelings,โ said Jackie Gibson, whose younger brother was childhood friends with the Van Halens. The Van Halens formed their first band, The Broken Combs, at Hamilton Elementary and played at lunchtime.
Celebs join Instagram 'freeze' to protest Facebook inaction
FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020 file photo, Kim Kardashian West speaks at the "Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project" panel during the Oxygen TCA 2020 Winter Press Tour at the Langham Huntington, in Pasadena, Calif. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio are taking part in a 24-hour freeze Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 on Instagram to protest against the failure of the social media platform's parent company, Facebook, to tackle misinformation and hateful content. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)LONDON โ Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio are among celebrities taking part in a 24-hour Instagram โfreezeโ on Wednesday to protest against what they say is parent company Facebook's failure to tackle violent and hateful content and election misinformation. The movement asks people to put up a message highlighting what they called the damage Facebook does but otherwise refrain from posting on Instagram for a day. With 188 million followers, Kardashian West is one of the most influential people on Instagram and support from her and other big names for the boycott saw Facebook shares slide in aftermarket trading late Tuesday.
Court: Trump can end temporary legal status for 4 countries
PASADENA, Calif. โ The Trump administration can end humanitarian protections that have allowed hundreds of thousands of people from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti and Sudan to remain in the United States, a divided appeals court ruled Monday. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a preliminary injunction that blocked the government from ending Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for people from those four countries that are affected by natural disasters and civil conflict. Since 1990, the policy has granted temporary legal status, which is often extended. But the Trump administration decided to end it for several countries, saying the conditions that justified protections in America no longer exist. More than 400,000 people from 10 countries have the protected status, including some 250,000 from El Salvador, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Paris Hilton says she 'feels free' after YouTube documentary
FILE - Paris Hilton speaks during the YouTube TCA 2020 Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 18, 2020. Hilton says she finally feels free after discussing her time at a Utah boarding school as a teenager. She opens up about her experience in a new documentary This is Paris, debuting for free on Sept. 14 on Hiltons YouTube channel. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)
Motorcyclist involved in fatal crash on Detroitโs west side
DETROIT โ A motorcyclist has died after being involved in a crash on Detroitโs west side on Tuesday night. The crash happened in the area of Lawton and Pasadena streets. Police said the motorcyclist swerved to avoid an oncoming minivan before crashing. He was pronounced dead at the scene. READ: More local news reports
Android phones to track quakes; California gets alert system
The state worked with the U.S. Geological Survey and Google, the maker of Android, to build the quake alerts into all phones that run the commonplace operating system. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)SACRAMENTO, Calif. Android phones will be used to sense earthquakes around the world and may one day be able to provide global warnings, with the first mass alert system unveiled Tuesday in California, Google announced. Google, which helped develop Android, worked with California and the U.S. Geological Survey to build the quake alerts into all phones that run the commonplace mobile operating system. By contrast, many millions of people own Android phones. Also Tuesday, Google announced that Android phones will begin detecting earthquakes from around the world through their motion-sensing accelerometers.
Demand for robot cooks rises as kitchens combat COVID-19
A technician makes an adjustment to a robot at Miso Robotics' White Castle test kitchen in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, July 9, 2020. Starting this fall, the White Castle burger chain will test the robot arm that can cook french fries and other foods. Starting this fall, the White Castle burger chain will test a robot arm that can cook french fries and other foods. White Castle and Miso have been discussing a partnership for about a year. Those talks accelerated when COVID-19 struck, said White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson.
Search of California lake resumes for missing "Glee" star
FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2018, file photo, Naya Rivera participates in the "Step Up: High Water" panel during the YouTube Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. The search to find Glee" TV show star Rivera in a Southern California lake ended Saturday, July 11, 2020, without any results, authorities said. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet Saturday night that the search of Lake Piru will resume Sunday morning. Authorities said Thursday they believe Rivera drowned in the lake. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)
Search of California lake resumes for missing "Glee" star
The search to find Glee" TV show star Rivera in a Southern California lake ended Saturday, July 11, 2020, without any results, authorities said. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet Saturday night that the search of Lake Piru will resume Sunday morning. Authorities said Thursday they believe Rivera drowned in the lake. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES The search to find Glee TV show star Naya Rivera in a Southern California lake resumed on Sunday, authorities said. The Ventura County Sheriffs Office said last Thursday that they believe Rivera, 33, drowned in Lake Piru, northwest of Los Angeles.