California Dolphin

Scrolling through TikTok, interspersed with cooking tutorials, outfit checks and dance challenges, storytimes are dominating For You Pages. They’re videos of creators sharing vulnerable experiences, or “lore,” as they like to call it. Since early 2022, the app has allowed videos up to 10 minutes in length, but for some of the epic storytimes on the platform, 10 minutes is simply not enough time. Second, third and 10th parts of video series are now crowding the app more frequently. Just like TV cliffhangers, videos often end on a suspenseful note, building anticipation for the next installment. Of course, there is no one path to virality. The app lends itself to short content, with the average video length for accounts with fewer than 50,000 followers clocking in at 35 seconds, according to the data gathering platform Statista. More popular accounts tend to produce content with an average length of 55 seconds. But there’s no doubt that long-form storytelling is on the rise. Most recently, no one has done it bigger and better than Tareasa Johnson. Johnson, known online as Reesa Teesa, started posting her “Who TF

Naomi Osaka’s comeback season has been pocked by fits and starts as she reacquaints herself with her athleticism and competitive fire. She hasn’t played especially good tennis, but her body language, frequent smiles and playful interactions with fans indicate her state of mind is much better than it was when she walked away from the sport in 2021. On a conference call to promote the upcoming U.S. Open in New York, 18-time major champion Chris Evert openly wondered whether Osaka can compete anywhere close to the level she established when she won the major in 2018 and 2020. Is Osaka too content? “She’s going through some doubtful times,” Evert said. “We’ll see if she can get that magic, because it is the U.S. Open. She has won this title, so let’s see if she can get that magic going. I think her story, her journey, remains to be seen.” A year after Osaka gave birth to her daughter and eight months into her return to competitive tennis, the 26-year-old who was born in Japan and raised on Long Island seems intent on enjoying the return

The Tesla driver who became notorious for violent, pipe-wielding incidents of road rage through video captured by a victim may be back on highways sooner than expected. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón described Nathaniel Radimak’s “reign of terror” when he was charged in January 2023. Now, the 37-year-old could be freed after serving less than a year of his five-year sentence, according to files from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation . His earliest eligible parole date is listed as August 2024, though the department noted the date was “subject to change.” Dash-cam video captured an incident of road rage on Jan. 29, 2023. (California Highway Patrol) Radimak is being held at the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown, about 50 miles southeast of Stockton. The minimum- to medium-custody facility also serves as a training center for incarcerated people who aid in firefighting efforts. He’s been there since Oct. 3, 2023. Radimak was initially charged with four counts of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, four counts of criminal threats and one felony count of vandalism, along with

August 21, 2024 / 2:06 PM EDT / CBS/AP What voters are saying about the economy What voters are saying about the economy 04:00 Target’s comparable sales rose for the first time in a year as grocery aisle deals for cash-strapped customers began to pay off. Sales at stores and digital channels operating over at least the past 12 months rose 2% in the second quarter reversing months of declines, including a 3.7% drop in the previous quarter, and a 4.4% decline during the company’s final quarter of last year. The number of transactions at the Minneapolis retailer increased 3% compared with the same period last year, with all six main merchandising categories, including fashion and home goods, showing strength. Online sales rose 8.7% and comparable sales in clothing increased 3% compared with a year ago as customers embraced new store brands like All in Motion and Wild Fable. Target’s profits and sales beat Wall Street expectations and the company increased its annual profit outlook, but said sales this year could come in at the low end of its guidance for unchanged to a 2%

August 21, 2024 / 2:04 PM EDT / CBS/AP Gun locks handed out on Chicago’s South Side after toddler killed in “accidental” shooting Gun locks handed out on Chicago’s South Side after toddler killed in “accidental” shooting 00:46 A Kansas mother whose 2-year-old son fatally shot his 4-year-old sister has been sentenced to life in prison. Mariann Belair, 24, won’t be eligible for parole until she’s served 25 years under the sentence imposed Tuesday in Shawnee County District Court, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Jurors found her guilty in May of aggravated child endangerment and first-degree murder in the commission of a felony. Belair testified at her trial that she removed a loaded 9mm handgun from her diaper bag and placed it on the couch next to her in October while she was home with her 4-year-old daughter, Lawrencia Perez-Belair, and her 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter. She said she had planned to go get food with her family and was making sure she had everything she needed in the bag. She said Lawrencia then “distracted” her by asking her to take a cellphone photo of

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. A $75,000 HELOC could be the solution to your borrowing needs — but make sure you know the true costs first. Getty Images With borrowing rates still high overall, many homeowners have been turning to their home equity as a way to tap into the funds they need at an affordable rate. After all, the average homeowner currently has about $200,000 in accessible home equity alone, and about $300,000 in total equity, meaning that they have plenty of funds to borrow from. Plus, your home is used as collateral when you tap into your equity, which typically results in securing a more favorable interest rate — especially compared to unsecured loans.  But the landscape for home equity borrowing could become even more attractive soon. Inflation has cooled significantly over the last four months, and the Federal Reserve is now expected to conduct its first rate cut of the year when it meets in September. That could have an impact on the rates being offered on

Pumpkin Spice Lattes and other seasonal menu items are returning to Starbucks menus earlier than ever as people anticipate the return of fall. The coffee chain announced Wednesday that its famous latte will return to menus on Thursday, two days earlier than it did in 2023. Along with the PSL, the fan-favorite Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is returning, as are new menu items. The company also said two drinks, the Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte and Iced Honey Apple Almondmilk Flat White, will be exclusive to the Starbucks app. Pumpkin spice season is near: Here’s what stores and eateries have planned Here’s what fans can expect from Starbucks’ seasonal fall menu: Drinks Pumpkin Spice Latte Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte Iced Honey Apple Almondmilk Flat White Food Items Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin Pumpkin & Pepita Loaf Baked Apple Croissant Raccoon Cake Pop For those who prefer to enjoy a cup of jo at home, Starbucks announced that pumpkin spice-flavored coffees and

Police released surveillance footage Wednesday showing the brutal murder of a man who was seated in his car at a Los Angeles gas station in December of last year. Marquette Scott, a 32-year-old Victorville resident, was seated in his parked vehicle next to a gas pump on the 8500 block of South Hoover Street when he was approached by an unknown gunman and shot to death, the Los Angeles Police Department stated in a news release. The video shows a suspect in a green hooded jacket and green pants getting out of the back seat of a white four-door SUV and then firing multiple rounds through the driver’s side window of Scott’s vehicle. Gunmen in a fatal shooting at Los Angeles gas station are seen on surveillance video. December 2023. (LAPD) Gunmen in a fatal shooting at Los Angeles gas station are seen on surveillance video. December 2023. (LAPD) Gunmen in a fatal shooting at Los Angeles gas station are seen on surveillance video. December 2023. (LAPD) A second suspect wearing all black is also seen exiting the SUV from the passenger side back seat

Two people were hospitalized with severe injuries Wednesday after being pulled from a burning two-story home in North Hollywood. Fire crews were called at 2:33 a.m. to 11015 W. Sarah St., west of Vineland Avenue, where a 80-year-old man and a 35-year-old man — who are residents and were alerted to the flames by a smoke alarm — told firefighters there were two other people trapped inside the 3,300-square-foot residence, according to LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey. Firefighters managed to rescue the two people from the home. A 50-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in grave condition, while an 83-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition, according to the LAFD. Fire crews also found three cats dead in the fire. A dog was rescued from the burning structure and successfully resuscitated. The animal was placed in the care of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, according to the fire department. It took 57 firefighters 27 minutes to contain and extinguish the fire, which began in the rear of the residence. American Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers were called to the scene to provide

A man wanted for assault was arrested Wednesday after barricading himself in a van in Malibu, where a section of Pacific Coast Highway was closed for several hours as a precaution. The standoff began early Wednesday in the Point Dume area near Zuma Beach, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and reports from the scene. All lanes of PCH were closed from Heathercliff Road to Busch Drive, and drivers were advised to seek alternate routes around the area, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The man was arrested about 8:30 a.m., and the roadway was reopened about an hour afterward. The suspect’s name was not immediately available.

As if! Alicia Silverstone blithely bit into a toxic berry and lived to tell about it. The “Clueless” star sparked concern this week after she nibbled on the fruit during a trip to England, even though she knew it wasn’t a run-of-the-mill cherry tomato. “OK, I’ve discovered something that I can’t figure out what it is and I need your help,” the 47-year-old actor said Monday in a video posted on TikTok and Instagram, adding that she had found the brightly colored berry on a sidewalk. “I just bit into it because it was on the street and we are discussing whether it is a tomato or not.” The “Blast From the Past” and “Excess Baggage” star then dropped the orange-hued berry, adding that it was “definitely not” a tomato because of the leaves growing from the plant — a bush that was partially behind a gate. “So what the heck is this? Because when you open it up it looks like that [shows white seeds] and if I bite it — I don’t think you’re supposed to eat this, but it’s almost like a