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December 4, 2024 / 3:04 PM EST / CBS/AP Ceasefire being tested by Israel, Hezbollah Israel, Hezbollah exchanging strikes despite ceasefire 03:59 A Palestinian health official said at least 21 people were killed Wednesday by an Israeli strike on a camp housing displaced people in Gaza . A spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense agency said five children were killed in the strike. Atif Al-Hout, the director of Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, said at least 28 people were wounded. The Israeli military said its aircraft struck senior Hamas militants involved in terrorist activities in the area. The military said that the strike had set off secondary explosions, indicating explosives present in the area were set off. It was not possible to independently confirm the Israeli claims, and the strike could also have ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters or other materials in the camp. At least 15 bodies arrived at the hospital, but reaching a precise number was difficult because many of the dead were dismembered and some were badly burned. The strike hit in the Muwasi area, a sprawling coastal camp

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. A home equity loan could provide homeowners with access to the low-interest rate financing they need in 2025. Getty Images/iStockphoto If you’re a homeowner, you may have access to a large sum of money that can be accessed via a much lower interest rate than many popular alternatives. Right now, the average homeowner has around $320,000 worth of equity in their home. And that money can be accessed in a variety of simple ways ranging from reverse mortgages to home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) to home equity loans . Home equity loans, in particular, are especially attractive for owners right now. The average home equity loan interest rate is just 8.41% right now – almost three times lower than the average credit card interest rate of 23.37%. And that rate is fixed , meaning that it won’t adjust upward if the rate climate heats up again. If the rate climate cools, however, it can be refinanced to take advantage of a better rate. So

(NEXSTAR) — Online cinephiles are abuzz Wednesday afternoon after the film community’s main social network, Letterboxd, made a cryptic announcement: “January 8, 2025.” The date was paired with an emoji of a wrapped present — sparking much debate about the treat to come. Popular theories in the Letterboxd subreddit include a “year-end recap” akin to Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay — two automatically generated modules that summarize a user’s activity over the year. Each year, the release of these stats takes over social media. Some online pointed out that this feature is already available, however, for paid Letterboxd users in both the Pro and Patron tiers. We’re all saying Daniel Craig’s name wrong That said, the treat could be a nice surprise for free users. Another theory was a year-in-review for the whole site, across all users. This hypothetical report card could potentially show which movies were the most-watched and highest-rated across genres and audiences. Additionally, as with the benefits of the paid tiers, a full-site year-in-review might also indicate which directors, actors and countries of origin are the most popular based on all

A longtime teacher in Beverly Hills has filed a claim against the school district after she claims she was fired for an anti-Trump post on Facebook. Joanie Garratt, who worked for more than 30 years as a Beverly Hills Unified School District teacher and has recently been serving as a long-term AP U.S. History substitute, was fired on Nov. 13, well before her planned last day of Dec. 5, Garratt’s attorney said in a news release. After a Nov. 6 rally in support of President-elect Donald Trump at Beverly Hills High School, Garratt wrote on Facebook that she was “disheartened” by the march, during which the Make America Great Again supporters “harassed & intimidated many other non-MAGA students and specifically targeted the class where the Black Student Union was meeting, yelling all kinds of racial slurs,” she said. “Some students arrived at school truly upset & even crying only to be bullied later by their classmates,” she wrote. “And don’t blame the administration for this. They are dealing with it. This comes from their leader, His Majesty, King Trump.” Parents defend Beverly Hills H.S. wrestling

Police are searching for a pickup driver who used his truck to shove a woman’s car into multiple parked vehicles in the Florence-Firestone area of Los Angeles County early Wednesday morning. The incident was reported around 4:45 a.m. in the area of East 92nd Street and Bandera Street. Surveillance video of the incident showed both vehicles stopped for several moments in the street before colliding. The pickup truck then shoves the smaller vehicle to the side of the road, where it slams into several other cars. Damaged vehicles are seen following a crash in Watts on Dec. 4, 2024. (OnScene.TV) Surveillance video shows the moment before a truck shoved another vehicle into parked cars in Watts on Dec. 4, 2024. (OnScene.TV) Police are searching for the pickup driver who fled the scene while carrying a dog, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson said. The woman involved in the crash was taken to a local hospital with injuries, including a broken leg, police said. There was no immediate word on a motive for the incident.

It’s National Cookie Day, and Insomnia Cookies is offering a sweet deal to its reward members to celebrate. In honor of the chain’s “favorite day of the year,” rewards members can get one free classic cookie in-store, no purchase necessary, or with any in-app pick-up or delivery orders. A delivery minimum purchase is required for online purchases. Wendy’s customers can get free Frostys for a year when they purchase this key tag In addition, Insomnia is also adding two limited-time cookie flavors to its menu from now until Dec. 15 while supplies last: Strawberry Cheesecake Filled Classic: This brown sugar cookie is packed with bites of sweet berries, filled with a creamy cheesecake center, and topped with crushed graham crackers. Red Velvet Cookies ‘N Cream Classic: A red velvet and cream cheese base mixed with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and vanilla-flavored chips. Customers can become Insomnia Rewards members by signing up online or in the app for free with a name, mobile number, and email address. Members have until Dec. 5 at 3 a.m. PST to redeem the deals.

Louise Perry is one of nearly 900 seniors or adults with disabilities in Santa Barbara County living independently thanks in part to Community Partners in Caring. “You know you can take care of business. Its a relief to know that theyre there,” said the 82-year-old quilter. Perry uses the non-profits free transportation services once a week for shopping and appointments. Without the service, Perry says she would be completely homebound. “I wouldnt be able to get out as much as I do and some of us can feel very isolated,” she explained. And, shes making friends. “Oh, it’s a wonderful way to spend your time. I do have one driver and he calls me his ‘girlfriend,'” Perry said smiling. Community Partners in Caring Executive Director Hilda Zacarias says social connections are essential to a thriving senior population. “Really, the relationship that develops during that drive, during that grocery shopping, during that phone call, during that visit that makes all the difference in the world,” Zacarias said. The organization has seen a 22% increase in clients since last year. “So we have just under 900 individuals

Local children who have been diagnosed with cancer received their very own Christmas party Tuesday night at the Madonna Inn. The Annual Oncology Christmas Party has been happening for 29 years, and Jack’s Helping Hand has been hosting it for 12 years. The organization says that families from across the Central Coast participate in the festivities. “These families are so thankful that they get to experience something as a family. They get to come have pure joy, happiness, and be around other families that are in a similar situation that they are,” said Bridget Ready, Jack’s Helping Hand co-founder. Eventgoers enjoyed dinner and other activities. They even got a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus who got a special ride to the party from the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department. Each child and their siblings also received a present from Santa.

Anyone looking for clarity regarding this year’s particularly diffuse and opaque awards season will likely not find it in the nominations for the 40th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, announced Wednesday morning. Rather, the nominating committees chose to recognize a broad array of films, from splashy awards-season favorites to little-known titles from the festival circuit. The nominees, with budgets ranging from $112,000 to $28 million, come from 17 different countries. Sean Baker’s “Anora,” a melancholy comedy of self-discovery about a stripper in Brighton Beach, earned six nominations, including feature, director and lead performance. Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw The TV Glow,” a trippy tale of identity and fandom as two outcasts bond over their love of a television show, also took in six nominations, including feature, director, lead performance and screenplay. Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn in the movie “Anora.” (Neon) Sean Wang’s coming-of-age story “Didi” earned four nominations. “Sing Sing,” “Janet Planet” and “The Apprentice” each brought in three noms, while “Big Boys,” “La Cocina,” “A Different Man,” “The Fire Inside,” “Ghostlight,” “In the Summers,” “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell.” “Jazzy,” “My Old Ass,” “Nightbitch,”

It seems that Barry Keoghan is no longer in Sabrina Carpenter’s good graces. The “Saltburn” star and the “Espresso” singer have split after a year of dating, according to several reports. Representatives for Carpenter, 25, and Keoghan, 32, did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ requests for confirmation. “They are both young and career-focused, so they’ve decided to take a break,” an “insider” told People , which was first to report the split on Tuesday. Entertainment Tonight, citing its own source, said the actor and the singer “have been on and off for a while, and right now they are not together.” Carpenter is currently focused on navigating her skyrocketing fame, the outlet reported, adding, “There’s a chance they will get back together.” Still, Us Weekly reported on the break-up with more finality, noting that the pair “had a little bit of a break a few months ago” and, with this more recent split, their friends don’t believe they’re getting back together. The break-up reports come exactly a year after Carpenter and Keoghan were seen having dinner together in 2023. The pair first crossed

SACRAMENTO —  California lawmakers are rushing to introduce legislation that reaffirms the state’s role as a reproductive rights “haven” as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House and abortion-rights advocates warn of an uncertain future. Abortion remains legal in California, home to the strongest reproductive rights in the nation — unlike in some states, there is no required waiting period or counseling before the procedure, and minors can get abortions without parental involvement. In 2022, voters solidified abortion access in the state constitution after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right, limiting healthcare for millions of women. But as Trump prepares to take the White House again, California’s Democratic leaders are adamant that not enough has been done to secure reproductive access in case of further federal rollbacks. “The truth is, this is an urgent and dangerous situation,” California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said at a news conference in Sacramento on Monday, pointing to renewed legal challenges to the distribution of abortion pills. “The right-wing extremists continue to wage attack after attack on our bodily autonomy at the expense of the health

Here comes “Black Doves,” premiering Thursday on Netflix. How is this thriller different from other thrillers? It does what most do, in terms of action and suspense and complicated plotting, and does them very well, but what’s more interesting is that it’s also what might be called a “thriller of the heart.” To begin with, it’s the one with Ben Whishaw — he’s played Hamlet and Richard II (and also Marilyn Monroe) — and Keira Knightley, whom you’ve loved since “Bend It Like Beckham,” and Sarah Lancashire (“Julia,” “Happy Valley”), who, like Knightley, is an OBE, or officer of the Order of the British Empire. I’m sure Whishaw will get to be one eventually if he wants it. And it’s a Christmas story, not a “Die Hard”-type “at Christmas” story, but a legitimate, if twisted Yuletide tale, with arcs, in their unusual way, fitting for the season. Sentimental without irony, it manages to balance relatable relationships with hot- and cold-blooded murder. (It’s something of a feat.) There are Christmas trees, too, and Christmas presents, and Christmas music, and children in a nativity play, and a

Why would anyone want to be a critic? As I’ve admitted before, it wasn’t in my case an aspiration but a series of accidents that only in retrospect seem inevitable. When I was growing up, the most visible critics were those who appeared on television, like Rex Reed, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and local broadcasters like Stewart Klein from New York’s Channel 5. John Simon fit the acerbic bill so well that he even appeared on an episode of “The Odd Couple,” along with the more gentlemanly example of Los Angeles Times theater critic Daniel Sullivan. Statler and Waldorf from “The Muppet Show” made a long-running joke of dyspeptic critics. Never once in my teenage years did I point to the TV and say, “Mom and Dad, that is what I want to be when I grow up.” They already thought I was odd enough. Why compound their image with an outlandish ambition? Theater critic isn’t a category of profession, like doctor, teacher, firefighter or astronaut, that young people imagine. Today, as newspapers and magazines are slipping into extinction, I wonder if anyone under