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The Passenger Makes for a Disturbing Road Trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

Some people need to face their demons, even if they’re forced to at gunpoint. At least that’s the conceit of Carter Smith’s The Passenger, a white-knuckled thriller that redefines the term, “therapy session.” This Blumhouse indie might seem like your basic psychopath/his impressionable hostage story, but underneath the carnage it touches on a lot more– millennial fatalism, capitalist failing, and the search for one’s identity. Reminiscent of character-driven movies from the 70’s, it unspools a simple narrative while retaining a rich subtext. Imagine if Jack Nicholson’s character in Five Easy Pieces went on a shooting spree instead of revisiting his childhood home and you’ll get an idea of what you’re in for.Set in a desolate town that can only be described as Nowheresville, America, we open on Randy Bradley (Johnny Berchtold), a malnourished 21-year-old, who awakens from a nightmare regarding an incident from his childhood. The kid works at a local fast-food joint, which looks like ...

Fire breaks out at Schnitzer Steel in Oakland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

OAKLAND – Crews on Wednesday night were battling a fire at Schnitzer Steel at the Port of Oakland.The blaze was reported shortly before 6 p.m. at the business, said Michael Hunt, a spokesperson for the Oakland Fire Department. The business, located at 1101 Embarcadero Road, specializes in collecting, processing and selling recycled steel.As of 6:20 p.m., the fire was contained to a single pile but not yet under control, Hunt said.A fire engine was putting water on the fire and was expected to remain at the scene for several hours, Hunt said. The incident commander also requested the Alameda Fire Department’s fire boat to provide support from the estuary.There was no fire threat to surrounding residences and businesses, according to Hunt.The cause of the fire is under investigation.Crews are on scene responding to a fire at Schnitzer Steel at the Port of Oakland. (Image via Citizen app). pic.twitter.com/G0dHN300fF— Oakland Fire Department (CA) (@OaklandFireCA) August 10, 2023Ch...

Ecuadorian presidential candidate killed at campaign event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

Associated PressQUITO — Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed Wednesday by unidentified gunman while at a political rally in the country’s capital of Quito, President Guillermo Lasso said.The killing comes amid a startling wave of violence in the South American nation, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise.“I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” Lasso said in a statement. “Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law.”The politician, 59, was the candidate for the Build Ecuador Movement. He was one of the most critical voices against corruption, especially during the government of former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2017. He filed many judicial complaints against high ranking members of the Correa government.He was married and is survived by five children.Early accounts show that several others were injured from shrapnel, though authorities d...

Man hit and killed by box truck driver in San Martin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

SAN MARTIN – A 36-year-old Riverside man was hit and killed by a truck driver Wednesday on southbound Highway 101 in San Martin, the California Highway Patrol said.The crash happened at 12:31 p.m. just south of San Martin Avenue. The CHP said the man was standing next to his vehicle, which was stopped on the right shoulder, and re-securing his cargo when the driver of a 2017 International two-axle box truck made an “unsafe turning movement,” traveled onto the shoulder and hit him.The man received medical care at the scene and was taken to San Jose Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office will release his identity once it is confirmed and his next is notified.The truck driver, identified as a 53-year-old Oakland man, was not injured in the crash.The circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation, but the CHP said it did not believe alcohol or drugs played a role.Anyone who witnessed the crash...

Dozens dead as migrant ship overturns off Tunisia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

By Nicole Winfield, Renata Brito and Frances D’Emilio | Associated PressROME — Forty-one people are believed dead after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Tunisia in rough seas, the Italian Red Cross and rescue groups reported, citing four survivors who were rescued and brought to land Wednesday.The survivors reported having left Sfax, Tunisia, on a metal boat with a total of 45 people on Aug. 3. About six hours into their voyage, a huge wave overturned the vessel, RAI state television reported.The Red Cross said in a statement that the four survived using inner tubes and managed to climb onto another empty vessel nearby, evidence of the large number of boats setting out from Sfax and the rough seas that hit the area in recent days, causing several other capsizings too.Photos released by the Sea-Watch humanitarian rescue group taken by its monitoring aircraft showed the four survivors waving for help from the boat and making their way to a commercial tanker, the Maltese-fla...

Fire causes heavy smoke near Port of Oakland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

(KRON) -- Heavy smoke was visible in Oakland Wednesday after a fire broke out near the city's port. Oakland fire crews responded to 1101 Embarcadero West for a fire at Schnitzer Steel. Fire crews have contained the fire to one pile of debris, the Oakland Fire Department confirmed. OFD expects to be at the scene for several hours to knock down the fire. There is no major threat to the area. This is a developing story. Stick with KRON4 for updates.

Car collides into tree, causes road closure in Piedmont

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

(KRON) -- A driver crashed into a tree Wednesday afternoon, the Piedmont Police Department said in a Facebook post. The crash led to a road closure at Grand Avenue between Arroyo and Lower Grand Avenue. 2 taken to hospital after major car crash in Fairfield: police Around 4:45 p.m., a white four-door sedan crossed over the double yellow lines and went into oncoming traffic, police said. The engine of the car then caught fire. The driver was taken out of the vehicle with the help of Piedmont Fire Department crews who used a hydraulic rescue tool. Police did not mention any injuries suffered by the driver.The road closure is expected to last until around 7 p.m.This story will be updated.

2 taken to hospital after major car crash in Fairfield: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

(KRON) -- Two people were taken to the hospital after a major vehicle collision Wednesday afternoon, the Fairfield Police Department said. The two-car crash happened near Vanden Road and Leisure Town Road.Vanden Road near Leisure Town was shut down and reopened at approximately 2:30 p.m., police said. Two of the victims needed fire crews' help to get out of their respective vehicles. Their injuries were described to be "moderate," officials said. Vacaville fire crews were also at the scene in response. Photos of the scene can be viewed below. (Fairfield Fire Department)(Fairfield Fire Department)Fairfield police said the crash did not happen at the newly installed all-way stop sign. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. FPD will continue to investigate.

The Hunt: Was the coup in Niger manufactured by Russian operatives?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

In this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent JJ Green,” he speaks with retired U.S. General Ben Hodges about why it’s happening and the problems it could cause. toggle audio on and off change volume download audio $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); SIGN UP TODAY for J.J. Green’s new national security newsletter, “Inside the SCIF.” The weekly email delivers unique insight into the intelligence...

Hit ball gets lodged in red light of Fenway Park’s Green Monster

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:49 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Kyle Isbel hit a liner that crashed through a red light near the base of the Green Monster at Fenway Park and lodged inside the broken light for a ground-rule double on Wednesday night.The Kansas City Royals had just taken a 1-0 lead on MJ Melendez’s home run to open the second inning. With two outs and Matt Duffy on first base, Isbel lashed a drive to left field that looked like it would be caught by Boston’s Masataka Yoshida, who lunged for the ball and clasped his glove. But Yoshida missed the ball.The sound of the ball hitting the Green Monster was clearly heard around the park. Yoshida, who crashed into the base of the wall in his futile catch effort, got up and started to run in, attempting to field the ball. Clearly befuddled, Yoshida turned around a couple of times trying to locate the ball. But the ball was not on the field.Rather than hitting the wall and bouncing off, the ball crashed through one of the red lights that denote the number of outs. Yoshida reac...