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Los Angeles-Based Alternative Music Artist X Li’s First NFT Music Drop Surpasses Snoop Dogg to Top Sound.xyz Charts, Making History for the Genre

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

Independent alternative music artist X Li from Los Angeles has made history in the web3 space with his debut NFT single, “Think I’m In Love With You,” from the project “California Love Stories.” Within just 24 hours of release, the track sold 1,800 mints and raised an impressive 9 ETH, surpassing Snoop Dogg’s sales and becoming the best-selling track of the month on Sound.xyz, the world’s largest NFT music platform.X Li’s success led him to top the Sound.xyz charts as the best-selling artist of the week and month in both mint quantity and total sales. This achievement marks the first time an alternative music artist has reached the number one spot on this prestigious platform. The artist, known for previous collaborations with major companies such as Sony Music Entertainment, Dolby Laboratories, and ByteDance, has successfully transitioned into the NFT music world. His recent achievements include ranking fourth of all time and securing...

Porn industry group sues over Utah’s age verification law

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

By Sam Metz | Associated PressSALT LAKE CITY — An adult entertainment industry group filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging a new Utah law that requires porn websites to implement age verification mechanisms to block minors from accessing sexually explicit materials.The law, which took effect Wednesday, made Utah the second state to require adult websites to verify the age of those who want to view their pages — either through an independent contractor or digital ID. Lawmakers likened the requirement to those for alcohol or online gambling and argued that stronger protections were needed to shield kids from pornography, which is ubiquitous online.The Free Speech Coalition — along with an erotica author and companies that manage adult websites and are party to the suit — argues that Utah’s new law unfairly discriminates against certain kinds of speech, violates the First Amendment rights of porn providers and intrudes on the privacy of individuals who want to view sexually ex...

Warriors, Lakers fans relish rare playoff meeting — and possible final Steph-LeBron showdown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors vs. Lakers, NorCal vs. SoCal, Steph vs. LeBron.For California fans, the tantalizing playoff matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers was a long time coming, representing what will perhaps be one final chance to see Steph Curry and LeBron James face each other in a postseason series at or near the peak of their powers.“I’m born and raised here. Diehard Laker fan, a Kobe tattoo,” said Shannon Reed, an Antioch native, at Chase Center before Game 1 on Tuesday. “But to be able to see the clash of the titans in our generation is what I’m most excited for.”It’s also a rare opportunity to have some bragging rights over friends, family members, and even spouses who might wear purple instead of blue, as the two teams compete in their first playoff series against each other in 32 years.“Admittedly, there’s some tension in the house, to say the very least,” said Warriors fan Matt O’Reilly, who went to Tuesday’s game with roommat...

King Charles III’s coronation: How to watch the historic spectacle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

By Brian Melley | Associated PressLONDON — Great Britain’s royal family turns the page on a new chapter Saturday with the coronation of King Charles III — a spectacle that echoes medieval times but featuring modern flourishes.The pomp, pageantry and symbolism dates back more than 1,000 years, but the crowning of this king will feature new twists on the tradition and changes from the coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, 70 years ago.Plans for the ceremony at Westminster Abbey call for a more toned-down affair than the last one, even though royals from other nations, heads of state and most of Charles’ family will be there, and the monarch plans to wear the same vestments as Elizabeth did.Here are some things to know about the coronation:What time is the service, and how can I watch? According to the New York Times, “King Charles’ coronation service is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. London time, meaning that it will begin very early in the morning in the Unit...

SF parking ticket scam going around in city: Here's what to look out for

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco drivers should be warned. There are fake parking tickets being issued. SF supervisor ‘disappointed’ in Nordstrom closure, another major retailer leaving city The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) confirmed Thursday a Reddit post of a picture showing a fake parking citation going around the city. The parking ticket also has a QR code where scammers can collect payments. Also, the date on that ticket is for May 5, 2023, which is one day after the ticket was posted online. The photo on the right is a photo of what a real SFMTA parking ticket looks like; the left is a photo of the fake citation. The QR code in the fake parking ticket brings you to this website (pictured below on the left). In comparison, the official SFMTA website to pay your citation is pictured on the right. The two websites look almost identical. The main difference is found in the URL of each website. The official SFMTA parking citation website ends with a ...

Skittles ditches rainbow packaging to highlight LGBTQ+ artists

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

Skittles is celebrating Pride Month by ditching its signature rainbow design and instead using its packaging as a canvas to celebrate the work of artists within the LGBTQ+ community.The candy's annual Pride packs will go on sale ahead of June, which is designated as Pride Month in the U.S. and other countries. Skittles has partnered with five prominent artists in the community who have lent their talents to design special packaging in honor of Pride Month. Skittles said each artist chosen brings a unique perspective and has designed packaging that tells "a visual story of Pride."The chosen artists are:Zipeng Zhu (he/him) of New York City: A Chinese-born artist, designer, art director, illustrator and animator who "wants to make every day a razzle-dazzle musical."Symone Salib (she/her) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A first-generation Cuban/Egyptian street artist, muralist, and educator.Mady G (he/they) of Hudson Valley, New York: An illustrator who high...

Ex-UC Davis student arrested as suspect in stabbings, believed to be from Oakland

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

(KTXL) — Davis Police announced the arrest of a suspect in three recent stabbings that left two men dead and a woman injured, saying that a 21-year-old former UC Davis student has been linked to the crimes. At a news conference on Thursday, police said 15 people called on Wednesday around 5 p.m. to report someone who was wearing the same clothes as the suspect description near Sycamore Park, the site of the second stabbing.Police Chief Darren Pytel said Carlos Dominguez was detained as a person of interest, and police said they found a large hunting knife in a backpack he was wearing. According to police, the knife appeared to be consistent with the first stabbing, but they still have to evaluate if it is the knife used in the attacks.Police believe the suspect is originally from Oakland. UC Davis said he attended Laney College before UC Davis. Police interviewed him, and they said he was “compliant” throughout the whole process. He also appeared to know police were searching for hi...

Acco: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

LAKE ZURICH, Ill. (AP) — LAKE ZURICH, Ill. (AP) — Acco Brands Corp. (ACCO) on Thursday reported a loss of $3.7 million in its first quarter.On a per-share basis, the Lake Zurich, Illinois-based company said it had a loss of 4 cents. Earnings, adjusted for amortization costs and restructuring costs, came to 9 cents per share.The maker of office supplies posted revenue of $402.6 million in the period, topping Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $392.5 million.For the current quarter ending in June, Acco expects its per-share earnings to range from 29 cents to 32 cents.The company expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.08 to $1.12 per share.In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, the company’s shares hit $4.42. A year ago, they were trading at $7.30._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ACCO at https://www.zacks.com/ap/A...

Goldman Sachs BDC: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — Goldman Sachs BDC Inc. (GSBD) on Thursday reported first-quarter net income of $28.1 million.On a per-share basis, the New York-based company said it had net income of 27 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 45 cents per share.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 54 cents per share.The specialty finance company posted revenue of $107.4 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on GSBD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/GSBDSource

Altair Engineering: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:24 GMT

TROY, Mich. (AP) — TROY, Mich. (AP) — Altair Engineering Inc. (ALTR) on Thursday reported a first-quarter loss of $2 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.The Troy, Michigan-based company said it had a loss of 2 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 36 cents per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 29 cents per share.The company posted revenue of $166 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $157.1 million.For the current quarter ending in June, Altair Engineering said it expects revenue in the range of $138 million to $140 million. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $150 million.The company expects full-year revenue in the range of $614 million to $624 million.Altair Engineering shares have risen 47% since the beginning of the year, while ...