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For Asian American actors, playing a hot mess is liberating

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

By Matt Stevens, The New York TimesAshley Park did not tell her mother much about the drugs, the sex or any of the other debauchery in “Joy Ride,” the over-the-top comedy in which she is co-starring.So perhaps it was understandable when, at South by Southwest, just before the Lionsgate film was set to premiere, Park’s mother approached one of the screenwriters, Teresa Hsiao, with a question: If swear words were removed, would the movie still have to be rated R?“Teresa was like, ‘Oh, I don’t even know how to explain it,’” Park recalled in an interview.Moviegoers will be able to decide for themselves, starting Friday. Compared with “The Joy Luck Club” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” in which the most egregious transgressions involved earning poor grades or simply being middle class, the threesomes and cocaine reveries of “Joy Ride” are eye-popping. Arriving in the months after “Everything Everywhere All at Once” made Oscar history with its best-picture win, “Joy Ride” is one of several film ...

Fiery crash into parking lot of elementary school in Murrieta kills 3, seriously injures 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

Three people were killed, and another was seriously injured after a single-vehicle crash that caused the car to burst into flames in the parking lot of an elementary school Saturday night in Murrieta, authorities announced.  Officials with the Murrieta Police Department received calls about the crash, which ended in the parking lot of Alta Murrieta Elementary School located at 39475 Whitewood Road, at around 11:09 p.m. At the scene, officers found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. “One male occupant was discovered outside the vehicle with severe injuries,” a MPD new release stated, and was rushed to a local hospital. Authorities have not provided any updates on the man's condition. Personnel with the Murrieta Fire Department worked to extinguish the car fire and later discovered three victims inside the vehicle, including the driver, who were pronounced dead at the scene.  Footage of the scene showed the burnt out wreckage under a carport in the school's parking l...

MLB Draft: Oakland A’s select Jacob Wilson, son of former big leaguer, at No. 6 overall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

After becoming the first casualty of MLB’s new draft lottery, the Oakland A’s watched five of the best prospects in baseball get drafted ahead of them on Sunday night.Despite having the second-worst record (60-102) last year, the A’s drew the sixth selection in the 2023 MLB Draft in the inaugural lottery, then chose Jacob Wilson, a 21-year-old shortstop from Grand Canyon University.“It’s a dream come true,” Wilson said on MLB Network. “This is a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time now.”Wilson hits and throws right-handed. He’s considered a solid overall player who can hit for power and average, has average speed and is an acceptable defensive shortstop, though some think he could eventually shift over to third base.Here’s part of the scouting report on Wilson from MLB.com: “He might be one of the better pure hitters in the class, one who consistently finds the barrel and struck out just seven times in 275 plate appearances as a sophomore. He’s starting to tap into his...

Family contracts COVID on board Ruby Princess cruise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

(KRON) -- Four family members contracted COVID and one also battled an undiagnosed illness while on board the Ruby Princess this week, according to medical records obtained by KRON4. This comes days after the Ruby Princess suffered damages when it crashed into Pier 27 in San Francisco. The family says the illnesses were just the latest issues that ruined their family vacation aboard the Princess Cruise lines ship. More than 100 people arrested after Dolores Park riot The passengers have asked to remain anonymous to avoid sharing their personal medical details publicly. However, they confirmed their diagnoses to KRON4 by sharing medical bills from the Ruby Princes Medical Center and and diagnostic reports from their doctors. One passenger tells KRON4 that everyone in the family had managed to avoid COVID for the entirety of the pandemic but "ended up with it on this vacation." The passenger says her family boarded the Ruby Princess on June 26 and were so excited to take one of thei...

Pittsburgh selects hard-throwing LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with top pick of amateur draft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates selected hard-throwing LSU right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes with the top pick in baseball’s amateur draft on Sunday night, with teammate Dylan Crews going No. 2 to the Washington Nationals. Skenes went 12-3 with 209 strikeouts in 122 innings in helping lead the Tigers to the College World Series championship. The pick was announced by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., the top pick of the 1987 draft by the Seattle Mariners. Skenes was the first college pitcher selected No. 1 overall since Casey Mize by Detroit in 2018.For the second time in three years, the Pirates held the top overall selection after picking catcher Henry Davis at the top of the 2021 draft. Davis made his major league debut last month for Pittsburgh.Skenes’ slot value is expected to be about $9.7 million. It seemed to be a debate between Skenes and Crews for the top pick. It didn’t take long for Crews to come off the board after hitting .426 with 18 home runs while play...

Machado has 2 homers, 5 RBIs off Scherzer; Musgrove sharp as the Padres beat the Mets 6-2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado homered twice off Max Scherzer and drove in five runs for the San Diego Padres, who got six strong innings from Joe Musgrove to beat the New York Mets 6-2 Sunday and take two of three in a series between high-priced, yet underwhelming, teams.The teams came in buried in fourth place in their respective divisions with identical 42-47 records. The Padres head into the All-Star break with five wins in six games, while the Mets have lost two straight following a season-best six-game winning streak.The Mets and Padres have failed to live up to the enormous expectations brought on by their massive payrolls. After the 101-win Mets were eliminated in the wild-card round by the Padres, they went on a spending spree that sent their payroll soaring to a record $360 million. The Padres, who reached the NL Championship Series, have the third-highest payroll at about $250 million.The Padres got to Scherzer (8-3) right away and handed him his first loss since May 3 at...

Sepp Straka wins John Deere Classic by 2 shots with final-round 62

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Sepp Straka won the John Deere Classic on Sunday with a final-round 9-under 62 that could have been much better, making double bogey on the final hole but taking the title by two shots when Brendon Todd and Alex Smalley were unable to catch him.The 30-year-old Austrian who played in college at Georgia won for the second time on the PGA Tour, moved to No. 27 in the world and increased his chances of representing Europe in the Ryder Cup this fall in Rome. He shot 73 on Thursday but followed with rounds of 63, 65 and 62.Straka, who teed off an hour ahead of the final group, started birdie-eagle and made four more birdies on the front nine to turn in 7-under 28 at TPC Deere Run, then ran off four birdies in a row on the back nine to reach 11 under for the day and 23 under for the tournament.He needed to pay his final four holes in 1 under to shoot 59 but made three straight pars and then dunked his approach on the par-4 18th into the pond left of the green.Todd and S...

Sepp Straka wins John Deere Classic with final-round 62 despite closing double bogey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Sepp Straka won the John Deere Classic on Sunday with a final-round 9-under 62 that could have been much better, making double bogey on the final hole but taking the title by two shots when Brendon Todd and Alex Smalley were unable to catch him.The 30-year-old Austrian who played in college at Georgia won for the second time on the PGA Tour, moved to No. 27 in the world and increased his chances of representing Europe in the Ryder Cup this fall in Rome. He shot 73 on Thursday but followed with rounds of 63, 65 and 62.“At my best, I do feel like I can compete with anybody. Obviously the last three days I could have competed with just about anybody in the world, but growing up I never would have thought I would have a chance to even play on the PGA Tour,” Straka said. This is all just a big dream come true.”Straka, who teed off an hour ahead of the final group, started birdie-eagle and made four more birdies on the front nine to turn in 7-under 28 at TPC Deer...

Major League Baseball No. 1 Draft Picks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

2023 — Paul Skenes, rhp (Pittsburgh Pirates)2022 — Jackson Holliday, ss (Baltimore Orioles)2021 — Henry Davis, c (Pittsburgh Pirates)2020 — Spencer Torkelson, 1b (Detroit Tigers)2019 — Adley Rutschman, c (Baltimore Orioles)2018 — Casey Mize, rhp (Detroit Tigers)2017 — Royce Lewis, ss (Minnesota Twins)2016 — Mickey Moniak, of (Philadelphia Phillies)2015 — Dansby Swanson, ss (Arizona Diamondbacks)2014 — Brady Aiken, lhp (Houston Astros)2013 — Mark Appel, rhp (Houston Astros)2012 — Carlos Correa, ss (Houston Astros)2011 — Gerrit Cole, rhp (Pittsburgh Pirates)2010 — Bryce Harper, c-of (Washington Nationals)2009 — Stephen Strasburg, rhp (Washington Nationals)2008 — Tim Beckham, ss (Tampa Bay Rays)2007 — David Price, lhp (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)2006 — Luke Hochevar, rhp (Kansas City Royals)2005 — Justin Upton, ss (Arizona Diamondbacks)2004 — Matt Bush, ss (San Diego Padres)2003 — Delmon Young, of (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)2002 — Bryan Bullington, rhp (Pittsburgh Pirates)2001 — Joe Mauer, c (Min...

Yankees fire hitting coach Dillion Lawson in rare midseason change under GM Brian Cashman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Hitting coach Dillon Lawson was fired by the New York Yankees after Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs, a rare midseason change by a franchise that has prized stability since Hal Steinbrenner took over from his father as controlling owner.New York’s .231 batting average is 28th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Detroit and Oakland. The Yankees are batting a major league-worst .218 in 31 games since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3, going 14-17 and entering the All-Star break in fourth place of the AL East 49-42.No replacement was announced.“It has been well documented that I have been reluctant in the past to make changes to our coaching staff in the middle of a season,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “I am a big believer that successes and failures are collective efforts. However, I ultimately felt that a change was needed and that a new voice overseeing our hitting operations would give us the best chance t...