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Series, a social networking app that's grown popular on college campuses, announced a $5.1 million pre-seed round from some big names in tech.

The Justice Department this week announced criminal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging that the longtime civil rights watchdog had defrauded its own donors by secretly paying large sums of money to informants within various hate groups. “The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence,” asserted Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement. “The SPLC allegedly engaged in a massive fraud operation to deceive their donors, enrich themselves, and hide their deceptive operations from the public,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

A number of commentators—including vocal SPLC critics from across the political spectrum—have expressed skepticism about the DOJ’s case.  But for President Donald Trump and his supporters, the indictment appears to be just the beginning. At 1:13 am Friday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social:

The Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the greatest political scams in American History, has been charged with FRAUD. This is another Democrat Hoax, along with Act Blue, and many others. If it is true, the 2020 Presidential Election should be permanently wiped from the books and be of no further force or effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.

It’s not clear on what legal basis the SPLC prosecution could justify overturning the election of a president who left office 15 months ago. Even so, the current president’s allies seem increasingly eager to find other disfavored organizations to target. 

By Thursday afternoon, Trump megadonor Marc Andreessen was asking Grok—the AI chatbot available on Elon Musk’s X—to speculate about which “other activist pressure groups” might be involved in similar activities. He then announced to readers that “Grok has thoughts on who to look at next.”

Grok is a large language model and does not, in fact, have thoughts. But Grok did have plenty of suggestions. Among them: the Anti-Defamation League, Media Matters for America, GLAAD, and the Human Rights Campaign. Grok was careful to note that for these groups, there was “no proven SPLC-style fraud yet.” (Of course, none has been proven for SPLC itself, either.)

Groups like the ADL (which tracks "hate" and pushes deplatforming while accused of overreach on critics), Media Matters (drives ad boycotts against conservative speech), and CCDH (reports targeting platforms for censorship) operate on similar models: identifying enemies to fuel…

— Grok (@grok) April 23, 2026

“Interesting thread,” Musk commented, as he promoted Andreessen’s research to his 239 million followers.

These are all large nonprofits, generally center-to-center-left in political leaning, and not particularly radical. In a separate X post Thursday evening, Andreessen elaborated on his grievances against a constellation of activist groups he didn’t identify by name. 

“I sat in so many meetings for a DECADE where these groups determined who got cancelled/debanked/censored,” he said. “Wholly un-American. People need to go to jail.”

Meta has been poaching talent from Thinking Machines Lab. But it's a two-way street.

Keeping our eye on the Clock

My father, an Air Force fighter pilot, and our family, were stationed in Yokohama Japan in 1947 as part of the post-World War II occupation force. Fortunately, I was too young to understand the magnitude of the complete obliteration of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the vaporization of their 170,000 residents.
Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, and other creators of these first atomic bombs, horrified at what they had created, and realizing the potential of nuclear weapons to end humanity, created The Doomsday Clock, which is maintained by The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists today and assesses how close civilization is to the apocalypse. In 1947 it was set at seven minutes to midnight and it has risen to 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 (due to Strategic Arms ReductionTreaties [START] around the world), but the clock has been ticking down since then, and in 2017 it shifted the scale from minutes to seconds.
Two months ago, The Bulletin reset the clock to 85 seconds to midnight—the closest we have ever been to annihilation of life on Earth. Several of the reasons it was reset are: The expiration of the nuclear START treaties between the US and Russia, and aggressive geopolitics by Russia, China, and the USA.
About two weeks ago, our president, referring to Iran, said,
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
Those are the facts.
Please review the unspeakable horror of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and take whatever political action you can at bit.ly/4cZVrl0

Don Eggleston

Aptos

•••

Getting rest critically important

A couple of years back, I was involved in a car accident after falling asleep while driving. It’s something I never imagined would happen to me. One moment I was on the road, and the next I woke up to the sound of impact. It was terrifying, and it forced me to confront how dangerous exhaustion can be.

I’m sharing this because I don’t want anyone else to learn this lesson the hard way. We often push ourselves, long hours at work, stress, meltaly drained, and we convince ourselves we’re fine to drive. I thought the same thing. I was wrong.

I’m grateful to be here today, and that gratitude is exactly why I want to raise awareness. If my story encourages even one person to pull over, rest, or ask for help instead of pushing through fatigue, then speaking up is worth it.

Please take care of yourselves and each other. No destination is worth risking your life.

Manuel Gomez

Watsonville

•••

Support for Tony Nuñez

I first met Tony Nunez when he was a Sports Journalist for our local newspaper. I then saw him become the Editor of the newspaper. He left and became a Spokesperson for a nonprofit that gives great services to those in our County. And during that time he was elected to the new Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board.

He is currently the Chair of the Board. As a former city councilmember and Mayor I have observed Tony develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to be a successful Supervisor for District 4.

As a journalist and editor of our newspaper Tony needed to learn to ask insightful questions and become an active listener to build trust and rapport with those being interviewed so their information would be authentic. He learned to deliver accurate and impactful journalism.

As Supervisor Tony will continue to ask those “why?” questions, be transparent and connect with our District members.

As a Spokesperson Tony has learned to remain calm in handling difficult questions in crisis situations. He has learned to connect with the community members with clear communication and relatability. As a Supervisor Tony will not offer opinion but instead be prepared for challenging questions with genuine information.

As a member of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board and now as Chair Tony helped bring the Watsonville Hospital into community ownership. This included leading the largest fundraising effort in the County. It meant winning support for Measure N to fund long overdue improvements to the hospital. 

For the future Tony intends for the hospital to offer the best healthcare available to our community and stay under local control. As a Supervisor Tony will continue to be a leader for our Watsonville/Pajaro Valley community.

Tony advocates the expansion of health care, housing for working families, safer roads and streets, more parks and open spaces, good jobs and small businesses, child care and support for schools, and services that help seniors age with dignity. As I have illustrated he has developed the skills, knowledge and experience to make these challenges happen. Please volunteer, donate, and/or vote for Tony Nunez, Supervisor District 4.

Rebecca García

Watsonville

International Worker’s Day

The Monterey Bay Central Labor Council will hold its annual Labor Day Picnic May 1 on International Worker’s Day, also known in many countries as Labor Day.

With a theme of “Honor Working People” the day starts with a 1pm car caravan that stops at the Target Store on Main Street in Watsonville in the Overlook Center. A protest is scheduled there from 2- 3pm followed by a march from Target to Romo Park in downtown Watsonville. 

At 4pm a rally and escuelita (little school) is set for Romo Park on Main Street. Topics to be addressed at the rally include “Tax billionaires and corporations,” Fund healthcare and education,” and “Not war and deportation.”

The event is co-sponsored  by Santa Cruz Immigration Coalition and Indivisible.

•••

Reel Work Festival

Also, in line with Labor Day and labor issues, the 25th Annual Reel Work Festival takes place from Apr. 22 to May 16. A few of the films featured include:

“A Hobo in the Great Depression – Hard time history of the US in 1932,” Apr. 26, 5pm.

“Baristas vs Billionaires,” Apr. 29, 7pm.

“The Mamdani Effect – Socialism delivers in NYC,” May 1, 7 pm.

“Iron Ladies – Women confront Thatcher in UK mine closures,” May 2, 7pm.

“Built on Hope – International short films on labor rights,” May 3, 5pm.

“Big Scary ‘S’ Word – Socialism is as American as apple pie,” May 6, 7pm.

For information, visit reelwork.org/schedule.htm.

•••

Spring Mariachi Festival 

Cabrillo College will host its Spring Mariachi Festival featuring six local Mariachi ensembles, this Sunday April 26 at 3pm at Cabrillo’s Crocker Theater on the Aptos Campus, 6500 Soquel Drive. 

Performances will be by Cabrillo Mariachi, UC Santa Cruz’s Mariachi Eterno, Mariachi Monarca, Mariachi Alma de Mexico, Mariachi El Sistema de Juveníl, and Mariachi Libertad.

The community is invited to the 3pm event. For tickets and information, visit  bit.ly/4mHscGQ

•••

Public invited to local bike ride

Anyone interested in bicycling is invited to the Watsonville Community Bike Ride Sunday. Headed up by Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and Watsonville Mayor Kristal Salcido, the ride will follow the Ohlone Loop Trail. 

People can learn about bike safety as well as take part in a fun raffle that features bike gear giveaways. Free burritos and refreshments will be provided for all riders and bikes will be available for loan for those without bikes.

The ride starts at 11am at 150 Westridge Dr. off of Ohlone Parkway. For information, visit bikesantacruzcounty.org/events.

•••

Cinco de Mayo Festival 

The annual Cinco De Mayo Festival will unfold in downtown Watsonville on May 3 at Watsonville Plaza from 11:30am-5pm.

Includes live music, dance performances, food booths, arts and crafts and information tables.

It’s the season of The Mummy. First up, we have Lee Cronin’s The Mummy coming our way this year. But now, it seems The Mummy 4 is a go. After a lot of conversation around the idea, a fourth The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz returning to the action is officially happening. The original The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz is widely regarded as a classic (and many people’s queer awakening), but its sequels are a bit less beloved. Indeed, Weisz did not even perform in The Mummy 3, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Hopefully, The Mummy 4 will bring back the spirit that drew so many to the franchise to begin with. After all, Brendan Fraser has gone on the record saying that the idea for The Mummy 4 is “the one I wanted to make,” but never got to. Well, it looks like it’s all happening now. And here’s hoping it’s good.

Universal Pictures

As for when we could see The Mummy 4 with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, Deadline revealed it would arrive on Friday, October 15, 2027, and not May 19, 2028, as was first reported. Additionally, The Mummy 4 will be directed by Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and written by David Coggeshall. By the end of March, 2026, THR reported that costar John Hannah, who played Jonathan, the brother of Weisz’s Evelyn, will also return.

Universal

Well, we’re not out. We’re in. It sounds like a good team in front of and behind the camera. And we’re always here for an exciting action-adventure romp, with some romance, and maybe a little horror. And nothing like a really good movie to wash away the taste of a few bad ones. We’d just like to ask The Mummy 4 to keep the flesh-diving sacarbs off our screens; they give us the heebie-jeebies.

We can’t wait to hear more about The Mummy 4 soon and see Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz back in action.

Originally published February 10, 2026.

The post THE MUMMY 4 Sets 2027 Release DAte appeared first on Nerdist.

Editor’s note: This the second part of a two-part series on travel writer Tarmo Hannula’s recent trip to Paso Robles. To see part 1, click here.

On a recent overnight road trip to Atascadero, after exploring the innards of the Salinas Valley, my wife Sarah and I checked into the historic Carlton Hotel in the downtown Atascadero.

Much like nearby Paso Robles, we noticed the downtown area was festooned with wine bars, tasting rooms, microbreweries, wineries, beer gardens and the like. Then add a bunch of cafes, coffee houses and ice cream shops.

An early model Cadillac that is dressed up like a car in the movie, “Ghost Busters,” is shown in Atascadero.(Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Our big night out, by plan, was a dinner in Paso Robles with our longtime friends Brett and Lucia, who live there. They suggested Catch Seafood Bar and Grill, 836 West 11th St. We met them and were lucky to squeeze in for a fine dinner.

The area was abuzz with life and the Downtown City Park across the street was charged with people milling about. 

After dinner we walked around the town and wandered into a large art gallery—Studios on the Park—dedicated to scores of artists who stacked the place with everything from neon lighted art to photos, paintings, ceramics, weavings, quilts and on and on. 

Downtown Atascadero features buildings old and new. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Our night at The Carlton proved to be a quiet and comfortable spot with ample parking right outside on surrounding streets.

The following morning started at JonnyBoy’s Bagelry & Jewish Delicatessen for bagels and lox, a short walk from The Carlton. We wandered past the Historic Atascadero City Hall which was completed in 1918 before catching Hwy 101 north.

Our drive back to Watsonville took us through endless vineyards, rolling farms and vast stretches of dramatic green pastures and hills punctuated with oak and eucalyptus trees.

On many of our road trips up and down California, we’ve made efforts to visit most of the 21 California Missions. On this trip we stopped by the missions at San Miguel, built in 1797, Mission San Antonio de Padua (1771) and Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad (1791).

Just south of San Ardo, we went west off of Hwy 101 on Jolon Road to Mission Road past Fort Hunter Liggett to the majestic San Antonio de Padua. Adding to the drama were the snow-dusted Santa Lucia Mountains as a backdrop. The historic displays inside the building, the chapel, the outdoor “kitchen” and remains of crumbling outbuildings painted a rich picture of life 255 years ago. 

Years ago we stayed at a hotel, The Hacienda, on the grounds of Fort Hunter Liggett. Our room was called The Cowboy Room. There was even a bowling alley nearby and a restaurant. Now, on this trip, when we approached the fort, we were met by two soldiers armed with assault rifles at the sentry booth. Their tone was serious and plainly unwelcoming. So, of course, we left.

Again, taking as many backroads as possible, we passed King City and Greenfield and got on San Ardo Road to the mission at Soledad. The cactus, the tile roof, aged walls, surrounding flowers and wild birds put a colorful cap on our short journey.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) Board of Directors announced Tuesday the hiring of Taylor Honrath as its next Executive Director. 

“We are pleased to welcome Taylor to this new role,” said Board President Susan Matcham. “He has been an outstanding Deputy Director, and we’re confident that he will excel as Executive Director.”

Taylor Honrath

Honrath has guided ESF’s fundraising efforts for the past seven years, including the recently completed Elkhorn Forever conservation campaign, which raised more than $13 million

for land acquisition and habitat restoration in the Elkhorn Slough watershed, said ESF spokesman Ross Robertson.

“I’m honored to be selected by the Board to lead the organization at such a pivotal moment in its history,” Honrath said. “I’m excited to work with my colleagues at ESF and our partners at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve to increase the scope and visibility of our conservation efforts.”

He succeeds ESF’s long-serving founding Executive Director, Mark Silberstein, who is transitioning into an advisory role.

Prior to joining ESF, Honrath worked in nonprofit management and fundraising, led legislative advocacy for renewable energy policy in California, and worked on a variety of state and national political campaigns.ESF is a community-supported nonprofit land trust whose mission is to conserve and restore Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. ESF protects more than 4,200 acres of rare habitat, including oak woodlands, coastal prairie, maritime chaparral, and wetlands. For information, visit elkhornslough.org.

Grey Bears, which has been helping seniors for more than five decades, has unveiled plans to renovate an 11,000 square-foot warehouse next to its existing mid-county facility. 

The space, formally a warehouse for Palace Art & Office Supply, will serve as a home of the Grey Bears Healthy Food Program. 

“This critical infrastructure expansion supports the organization’s mission to meet rapidly growing demand for senior nutrition and community services,” said Executive Director Jennifer Merchant. “We’re bursting at the seams. This is an opportunity for us to create a home where we can live in for the next 50-plus years.”

Grey Bears in Santa Cruz is currently working on transforming this 11,000 square-foot warehouse into their Healthy Food Program facility. (Tarmo Hannula/The Panaronian) 

Building plans, submitted to the County of Santa Cruz in February, include a renovated multi-use warehouse space, expanded ADA restrooms, permanent indoor market designed to feel like a neighborhood grocery store, expanded interior refrigeration and storage capacity, and a state-of-the-art kitchen nearly double the size of the existing kitchen. That kitchen in 2025 was used to serve 63,000 meals.

“This new facility allows us to support the next generation of seniors,” said Kayla Traber, Development Director. “We all know that Santa Cruz County has the fastest growing senior population in the state of California and this project will allow us to support local seniors to thrive in their community and have a place where they belong.” 

Grey Bears purchased the warehouse in 2024 for $4 million and has already begun transitioning some administrative operations into the building. Full renovation efforts will take several years, with projected completion by 2028. The total project is anticipated to cost $9.6 million dollars. 

Community support for the project includes philanthropists Rebecca and Bud Colligan, Julie Packard, the Packard Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. Grey Bears also received a matching grant from the 1440 Foundation, which agreed to match dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 in donations to support the project.  

The project is 80% funded, with $1.8 million remaining to be raised. Grey Bears is asking the community to help with donations.

Additionally, Grey Bears runs a large thrift store of repurposed donated household items that helps with their funding.“We promote activity, seniors learning and volunteering to keep our community engaged and connected,” Grey Bears said. To donate and learn more, visit greybears.org.

These women take part in the Mother’s March in Watsonville on Jan. 30, 1957.

More than 400 women were set to take part in the event to raise money for polio. They raised $4,800 the previous year, and that year were aiming for $5,000.

Agricultural emissions, industry in Watsonville, heavy machinery and semi-trucks that transport produce from across the country: there are countless pollutants in the Pajaro Valley that can affect air quality. But for many years, residents of the Pajaro Valley have lacked access to timely, accurate data on air quality. 

Javier Gonzaléz-Rocha, a Watsonville native and applied mathematics professor at UC Santa Cruz, is looking to change that. 

González-Rocha is developing a network of drones and small sensors that can be attached to homes. He uses data collected from these monitors to try and paint a clearer picture of the air quality in the Pajaro Valley, as data that appears on common weather apps is often inaccurate. His team has deployed 35 monitors across the region, mostly on the outside of homes in Watsonville, Corralitos and Castroville. 

“People who live and work in the Pajaro Valley spend extensive amounts of time outdoors. We’re surrounded by fields that are harvested by humans, they’re out there all day,” said González-Rocha. “This is very much impacting their quality of life. It all has implications for their health.”

The Pajaro Valley often sees air pollution in the form of particles like PM2.5. Measuring only 2.5 micrometers—about 30 times less than a human hair—PM2.5 particles can easily enter the lungs and are known to worsen conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and heart disease.

Pursuing the project has led González-Rocha and his team to uncover unexpected sources of pollution.

While flying a drone to collect measurements, his team noticed that air quality began to worsen as the sun set over the Pajaro Valley. Investigating why this was, they found that the change may have been caused by people burning their trash in the evening. 

“The idea would not be to reprimand someone for doing that, but to try to understand the root cause—why they’re burning trash, and how do we create education and programs that support community members so they don’t have to do it,” Gonzalez-Rocha said. 

González-Rocha developed the data alongside graduate students at UCSC and is working with the community organization Regeneración to get information out to people in the Pajaro Valley. 

Eloy Ortiz, a special projects manager at Regeneración has been working with González-Rocha for the past two years on ensuring that those living in the Pajaro Valley are making good use of the air quality data. The organization hosts listening sessions to present data and understand the concerns that the larger community has. 

“For me, it’s about educating people about health issues and what they might be exposed to and potentially building resources to help people,” said Ortiz. “For residents, for people who are working outside, for people who are working in agriculture, for people who are working in gardens, for people who are labouring outside.”

The goal of the project is to ensure that people of the Pajaro Valley can make informed decisions about air quality. Those involved believe that decisions about whether or not to go for a run, to allow children to play outside, to wear a mask while working should be strongly and accurately informed.

“What’s really exciting about this is that it opens the conversation.” González-Rocha said. “It creates a great opportunity for thinking about the systems in place to protect our community and make decisions. This gives us an entry point to really think about how all stakeholders can work together to make meaningful progress towards climate resilience.”
Anyone interested in getting involved can visit regenerationpajarovalley.org or contact Eloy Ortiz at El**@**********************ey.org.

Investors flocked to nuclear power startup X-energy in its first day of public trading on the Nasdaq.

That’s a wrap for the student body of Godolkin University. In news that may be shocking to fans, Prime Video has canceled Gen V, its spin-off series from The Boys. The news comes in a report from Variety. Executive producers Eric Kripke and Evan Goldberg said of the cancellation, “While we wish we could keep the party going another season at Godolkin, we’re committed to continuing the Gen V characters’ stories in The Boys Season 5 and other VCU projects on the horizon. You’ll see them again.” Some of the Gen V characters have already appeared in The Boys‘ final season, with more sure to come before it’s over. Prime Video

The first season of Gen V premiered to great streaming numbers back in 2023. But it only cracked the top ten of streaming shows again one time in season two, which probably spooked Prime Video. Especially as it’s not a cheap show for them to produce. And much of the appeal of Gen V was that it informed The Boys’ overall narrative in a significant way. But with the flagship series ending this season, Amazon Prime probably wondered if Gen V could sustain its viewership without the main series to feed into. The tragic death of actor Chance Perdomo, who played Andre Anderson in the show’s first season, may have been a factor in Gen V‘s cancellation as well. And so, alas, Gen V has been canceled before its third season.

Although Gen V is ending, the prequel series to The Boys called Vought Rising is apparently still happening. That series will focus on Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and Stormfront (Aya Cash) back in the ’50s. With that show set decades before the events of The Boys, it probably can stand on its own much more. There’s also The Boys: Mexico, which Prime Video announced back in 2024. But it has been some time since we heard anything about that one. Hopefully, other projects resolve Gen V’s loose plot threads eventually.

The post GEN V Canceled at Prime Video appeared first on Nerdist.

ComfyUI, whose tools give creators more control over AI image, video, and audio generation, just raised $30 million.

X's new app promises private chats, disappearing messages, audio and video calls and more.

Uhoh. If you thought Ascended Astarion was painful to contend with, get ready for a brand new Baldur’s Gate 3 prequel novel, Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion… which will literally dive into Astarion’s darkest days. Gear up, Astarion fans, this novel is going to get into Astarion’s time in servitude to the vampire lord Cazador Szarr… Something that gave Astarion one of the most serious cases of trauma we’ve ever seen in fiction. Gulp. And to make it better/worse, Neil Newbon himself will narrate the audiobook for the Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion prequel novel. Here’s what we know.Larian Studios

A release from Random House Worlds shares, “Random House Worlds will publish Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion by award-winning, New York Times bestselling fantasy author T. Kingfisher on September 29, 2026. This prequel novel follows the beloved character Astarion during his time in servitude to the vampire lord Cazador Szarr in the years leading up to the events of the video game. Subsequent to its completion, Stephen Rooney, one of the senior writers of Baldur’s Gate 3, was consulted to ensure the novel’s authenticity within the game’s world and lore. The audiobook, published by Penguin Random House Audio, will be narrated by Neil Newbon, the acclaimed actor behind Astarion’s voice and PCAP [performance capture] in the game.” It seems you can pre-order the Astarion novel here.

RELATED ARTICLE

BALDUR’S GATE 3’s Neil Newbon Gets Candid About Astarion’s Most Emotional Scene, Head-Canons, and How ‘Darling’ Came to Be

Yes, that Cazador Szarr. The one who carved up Astarion’s back and mentally and physically broke him every which way. We’re honestly not sure what this Baldur’s Gate 3 Astarion prequel novel will read like… But you can be sure we’ll be listening/reading it… Especially with the original voice actor for Astarion bringing it to life.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion will release on September 29. Additionally, Random House Worlds will publish the following two Baldur’s Gate 3 titles:

Clarkson Potter will publish Baldur’s Gate 3: The Necromancy of Thay onJuly 21, 2026, a blank, grid-paper notebook that is a faithful reproduction of the Necromancy of Thay, an important quest item found in the game, featuring an embossed skull on the cover, foil stamping, and illustrated “clasps” to protect the book’s unholy content from prying eyes.

Ten Speed Press will publish The Official Baldur’s Gate 3 Coloring Book on August 11, 2026, illustrated by Jaki King, featuring 40 gorgeous black-and-white line drawings of characters, creatures, and settings from Baldur’s Gate 3. On November 3, 2026, Ten Speed Press will also publish A Feast for a Tenday: The Official Baldur’s Gate Cookbook by Andrew Wheeler,featuring 65 recipes organized by course and camp location, with dishes for sharing marked as Romanceable. The book will also have original chapter-opener illustrations and 45 photographs.

It just goes to show you, the adventure is never over. We’ll be busily enjoying these titles as we wait for the Baldur’s Gate 3 TV series to take shape.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

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As a kid, finding a toy in your cereal was like striking gold. Plenty of us share memories of fixing our breakfast cereal and beaming with excitement as a fun little toy topples out of the box. It’s the same level of joy as getting a toy with your McDonald’s Happy Meal. Sadly, cereal boxes with toys inside of them haven’t been around for a long time. Thanks to Kellogg’s, the younger generation is about to experience that joy for the first time. The cereal brand announced on Thursday, April 23, that it’s bringing back toys to its cereal boxes to celebrate Toy Story 5.Check Your Cereal Boxes! Kellogg’s

It’s been more than a decade since toys have been in cereal boxes. Starting on April 27, cereal munchers in the U.S could be surprised to find an colorful plastic spoon floating amongst their flakes. Each spoon is inspired by characters from Toy Story 5. You could get a green Buzz, an orange Woody, or a red Jessie. The spoons will live in most Kellogg’s brand cereal boxes, including Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and Corn Pops.

Other Kellogg’s cereals—such as Frosted Mini-Wheats, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and Cocoa Loops—relish in the nostalgia, too. Throughout the campaign, each box will contain classic toys and promotional items celebrating Toy Story 5. Examples include toys, spoons, trading cards, and movie ticket promotions.

RELATED ARTICLE

TOY STORY 5 Footage Shows Jessie Literally Fighting Lilypad

“At Kellogg’s, there’s a real sense of childhood nostalgia tied to the moments families remember most, and breakfast is a big part of that,” said Laura Newman, VP Brand Marketing at Kellogg’s. “Bringing toys back inside the box reintroduces that sense of discovery through a simple, screen-free moment of play that parents can now share with their own kids. Collaborating with Toy Story 5, which explores the role of toys in a tech-driven world, made this moment even more meaningful.”

For Los Angeles locals, there’s another surprise in store. Kellogg’s is bringing a massive, interactive claw machine to the Grove on Sunday, May 24.

Watch the Official Trailer for Toy Story 5 Here:

Toy Story 5 ignites a battle between toys and technology. It paints a picture that is scarily accurate to our very own reality. It has been quite some time since we’ve gotten a new Toy Story movie, so it will be interesting to see how this one measures up. Toy Story 5 hits theaters on June 19.

The post Kellogg’s Brings Back Toys in Cereal Boxes For TOY STORY 5 appeared first on Nerdist.

FX’s Alien: Earth just made a big move. Not to a new network or in-universe time period, but to a new base of production. The first season of creator Noah Hawley‘s prequel to the 1979 film shot in Thailand, which added a distinct tropical swelt. However, the production has just moved to London’s legendary Pinewood Studios for its forever home, for season two and beyond. Hawley spoke to Deadline about the process and reason behind the big move (guess what, it’s budget) as well as what he hopes for the future of the ambitious sci-fi series.FX

“What I can say is we start [shooting] this summer. We’re getting close,” Hawley told the publication. “I did a stage walk today past the props and costumes. Things are being built. It’s always exciting to see it. We had a great experience in Thailand, but for a couple of reasons London is a better home for us long-term.” The fact that London is less remote and offers a tax rebate might have something to do with it.

At any rate, for a series that aims to run long-term, a centralized filming spot does seem the most practical. Not to mention, Pinewood is where the first three Alien movies filmed, plus Prometheus, so the xenomorph acid blood has a history there. Hawley called the first season of Alien: Earth a “proof of concept” but that the move to England creates a “sustainable model.”

“It’s my hope – I have a place that I’m going, but I don’t know how long it will take me to get there,” Hawley said of the show’s future. “Assuming that the price of execution and the audience stays commensurate, we could go for as long as we want. If we nurture them, these franchises can give back for a very long time.”

Showtime/FX

Hawley also commented on the casting of Peter Dinklage for the next season. “Obviously, this franchise has a lot of iconic roles in it,” he said. “I am, for better or worse, an ensemble writer who has never met a character I didn’t like, but he’s got a major role, and people are going to feel it’s a worthy role for him.”

Unclear what that might mean, but we can see Dinklage fitting right in with the tech-corporate intrigue of Alien: Earth.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post Noah Hawley Hopes ALIEN: EARTH Will Go On ‘As Long As We Want’ appeared first on Nerdist.

Watsonville High senior Lisandro Pantoja last week got a sneak preview of what the best track-and-field athletes within the section have to offer.

The mighty and powerful Wildcat placed sixth in the discus event with a toss of 148 feet at the 45th annual Central Coast Section Top 8 Invitational at Los Gatos High on April 18.

“I feel like I belong in these types of meets,” said Pantoja, who also took 13th in the shot put event with a throw of 44 feet, 5 inches. “There’s always mixed feelings of what if I mess up, all those negative things.”

Nevertheless, the former Wildcatz football lineman continues to work on having a positive outlook as his final season in a gold and black uniform nearly comes to an end.

“I’ve had a few bad meets, so I’m trying to work on having a better attitude,” Pantoja said. “Be more optimistic.”

Watsonville head coach Rob Cornett said his stud hurler is having a successful spring campaign, yet Pantoja hasn’t been able to reach his top mark of 156-5 such as he did in last year’s Mission Championships at Rancho San Juan.

“A little bit of a form flaw that we have to fix. It takes a lot of repetition to do it,” Cornett said. “[Pantoja’s] working on it, but he’s consistently throwing over 140s, which is really good. Not a lack of strength, that’s for sure.”

Pantoja recorded a season-best throw of 153 feet at the Winter Time Trials on Feb. 28. He came close to beating that mark with a toss of 152-6, while also setting a personal best of 46-11 in the shot put at the Leland Don Bell Quicksilver Classic on April 4.

The following week, Pantoja made an appearance at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in Southern California, placing 14th with a throw of 146-10 in the discus.

“There was so much more competition,” Pantoja said. “It was a really odd environment for track and field because it’s rare to see a lot of people go out of their way to view the meet…Stanford-packed like it was a football game.”

In the shot put, athletes have a choice between what is called the glide (linear) or spin technique.

But there’s no such thing as a linear throw in the discus, which is why most athletes will opt for the spin technique because throwing off a rotation is better than going in a linear motion. 

“But by doing so, it’s technically 10 times harder,” Cornett said. “[Pantoja’s] doing it well. So that’s getting him that rotational speed that’s getting him to where we need to be.” 

Pantoja added it’s not just about chucking a heavy ball or disc.

“A lot of coordination skills are required,” he said. “Of course, you have to be fast, explosive, balanced, and there’s the mental aspect of it.”

Luis Marquez, a senior, has been another good thrower who has been doing well inside the ring for the ‘Catz. He set a personal best in the discus with a toss of 139-11 at the Allen Dunn Haybaler Invite on April 18, and a record throw of 43-5 1/2 in the shot put at the 53rd Avis Kelley Invitational on March 28.

“I have high hopes for [Marquez], too,” Cornett said.

Watsonville sophomore Noel Navarro, who began the season with some lower back issues, is getting close to breaking 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles. He set a personal best of 41.91 while notching his sixth first place finish of the season during a Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division meet on April 21.

“[Navarro’s] starting to turn some heads,” Cornett said. 

Junior distance runner Nain Garcia-Ferreyra has held a steady pace throughout the season, earning three first place finishes in the 800 and three wins in the 1600.

Cornett is hoping Garcia-Ferreyra will have enough to take him to the CCS finals but it’s a really rough section. 

“There are some great runners in our section,” Cornett said. “But then again, that kind of competition breeds good marks for [Garcia-Ferreyra], too. That’s going to push him.”

On the girls side, sophomore Noemi Torres is having a record-setting season after tossing a personal best of 28-9 in the shot put at the Avis Kelley Invitational and hurling a 91-2 at the Haybaler Invite.  

The ‘Catz have a newcomer in sophomore Victoria Perez, who is leaving quite the impression in the shot put and discus. She set a personal best mark of 82-1 in the discus at the Haybaler Invite, and tossed a 26-4 in the shot put in last week’s Mission Division meet. 

Brianna Vanegas, a junior, hit a personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 31-11 at the Haybaler Invite.

“It’s going to put [Vanegas] in the mix of going to PCAL Masters to get to the CCS Championships,” Cornett said.

Cornett said last week they competed against a challenging Pacific Grove squad, and they faced a tough Monte Vista Christian group on March 26.

Both schools were promoted from the Cypress to the Mission following a successful season in 2025.

“[Pacifc Grove and MVC] were really good down there, and just got better,” Cornett said. “They came into our league with high expectations, and they’re doing it. So it’s gonna be tough against those two, they just got some very outstanding athletes.”

Monte Vista Christian senior Conor Gilliam placed eighth in 1 minute, 58.37 seconds in the 800-meters boys race at last week’s CCS Top 8.

Gilliam was also part of the 4×800 relay team with senior Gavin Beckmen, and freshmen Owen Beckmen and Joseph Palacios, who took 11th in 8:35.40. 

MVC junior Isaiah Ortega placed 15th with a jump of 10 feet in the pole vault, 

MVC sophomore Anna Conca (5:08.27) and junior Finley Castro (5:29.33) placed ninth and 17th, respectively, in the 1600 girls race. Teammate senior Nylie Joneson finished 10th with a jump of nine feet in the pole vault event.

Other formidable opponents in the Mission Division include Alvarez, Carmel, Monterey and Stevenson.

The goal for Cornett moving forward is to prepare the ‘Catz for the upcoming PCAL Mission Championships at Watsonville High on Friday at 4pm.

Then hopefully after that it’s on to the Masters Meet at Monte Vista Christian on May 8 at 4pm.

“Again, it’s the cliche of taking it one meet at a time,” said Cornett with confidence. “But we’re gonna get Masters and then see how many we can get through to CCS.”

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PAJ2617-CCS-Top-8-WEB-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PAJ2617-CCS-Top-8-WEB-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 2 Monte Vista Christian sophomore Anna Conca, left, competes in the 1600-meters race during the 45th annual Central Coast Section Top 8 Invitational at Los Gatos High on April 18. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Watsonville High senior Lisandro Pantoja placed sixth in the discus event during the 45th annual Central Coast Section Top 8 Invitational at Los Gatos High on April 18. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian)

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for its newsletters.

Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmental activist and self-styled progressive candidate for governor, is on track to run the most expensive gubernatorial campaign in state history, having already spent more than $132 million. 

He’s saturated the Internet and TV as special interest groups ramp up advertising of their own ahead of the June 2 primary and county officials prepare to mail out ballots. 

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Campaign finance disclosures filed late Thursday show that through mid-April, Steyer continued to outspend his opponents twenty- to thirtyfold, mostly to blitz the state with television ads that began airing early in the race. Nearly all of the money came from Steyer personally, $105 million of which he poured into the campaign from January through April 18.

He’s already dwarfed the $73 million Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign spent fighting the recall election against him in 2021 and surpassed the amount Newsom’s political committee spent last fall to pass Proposition 50, the Democratic gerrymander effort with intense national interest. 

If Steyer continues at this rate, he is likely to come close to or exceed the $159 million record that former eBay executive Meg Whitman burned through — also largely of her own money — in her unsuccessful 2010 run for governor. 

The campaign finance filings show that his competitor, tech-backed San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, dominated his fellow Democrats in fundraising over the past four months, bringing in $13 million. Former Rep. Katie Porter raised $2.8 million in that period, while former Attorney General Xavier Becerra brought in $1 million, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raised $707,000 and state schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond raised just $62,000. 

Katie Porter (second from left) speaks during a gubernatorial candidate forum hosted by the California Immigrant Policy Center, California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation and ACLU California Action in Sacramento on April 14. Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters

On the Republican side, conservative television commentator Steve Hilton’s campaign said he raised $4.4 million while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco raised $1.5 million. Both remain at the top of the polls. 

Steyer’s outsized spending is a flashpoint in a race defined by wealth, inequality and California’s affordability crisis. Progressives are eager to tax billionaires this year; the resulting backlash to those proposals has prompted wealthy Silicon Valley executives like Google’s Sergey Brin and venture capitalist Michael Moritz to spend in earnest this election year. 

Steyer is promising to rein in wealthy interests like them and corporations. He says he’ll implement publicly funded universal health care, reduce electricity bills and raise corporate property taxes to pay for state services. 

His own wealth is derived from a hedge fund where he once invested in fossil fuels and private prisons before pivoting toward liberal activism. It serves as both fodder for criticism from opponents across the political spectrum and an unlikely source of his own progressive credentials. He’s been able to convince several left-wing groups such as the California Nurses Association and the Bernie Sanders-founded political action committee Our Revolution that he “can’t be bought” by other special interests, earning him their endorsements. His ads have helped boost his standing among likely voters from relative obscurity to the top of the Democratic pack. 

Democrats still tied

Yet he’s hardly broken away, continuing to be essentially tied in recent polling with other Democrats just behind the two Republican front-runners, Bianco and Hilton. 

Instead, in the wake of fellow front-runner Rep. Eric Swalwell dropping out of the race this month over sexual assault and misconduct allegations from multiple women, it was Becerra who got a surge in support. The former Biden-era health secretary had been polling around 5% and fundraising poorly before getting a boost from small donors when Swalwell’s campaign imploded just two weeks ago. 

Becerra surged enough in polls to be included in the first of a series of televised debates on Wednesday night, during which he was eager to attack his opponents but faced criticism for lacking policy specifics and for giving Newsom an “A” grade “on effort” for his approach to homelessness. The number of Californians who are homeless has risen steadily during Newsom’s nearly eight years in office. 

Becerra will have to keep raising money to remain competitive. His campaign spent four times what he brought in between January and April 18, and he ended the cycle with just $507,000 as the race entered its most expensive stage. 

Porter, a former Orange County congressmember who has been stalling in the polls, raised less than she did in the second half of last year. But she still has $3.7 million on hand. 

Aside from Steyer, Mahan raised the most over the past four months. Little-known around the state, he is running on a platform of making state government more efficient. He has promised not to raise any taxes, to suspend the state gas tax and tie state agency leaders’ pay to performance. 

His campaign is funded by a who’s-who of Silicon Valley executives, billionaires and groups known to clash with Sacramento’s powerful labor unions. They’re also funding a pair of independent political spending committees supporting Mahan that raised $25 million and spent $19 million on ads through April 18. 

Other special interest groups are also ramping up their spending. A group opposing Steyer, funded by the state’s realtors, construction industry, electrical workers’ union and Pacific Gas & Electric, has spent $14 million on ads attacking Steyer’s prior investments. This week, PG&E and the California Chamber of Commerce poured in another $7 million. Steyer has proposed challenging PG&E’s monopoly status to lower Californians’ utility bills. 

Swalwell used campaign funds to pay attorney

The filings also revealed that Swalwell used campaign funds to pay one of the attorneys defending him against the misconduct accusations. 

His campaign paid $40,000 to Sara Azari, who sent media statements denying the accusations after he had already suspended his campaign and appeared on NewsNation, where she is a legal analyst, suggesting his accusers had “shame” or “regret” but that “doesn’t make it rape.” 

Swalwell had also used at least two other law firms to send cease-and-desist letters to the women and others alleging misconduct; those firms do not appear in his campaign finance statement. His gubernatorial campaign has returned at least $43,000 in donations since its implosion. 

Swalwell paid campaign funds to use his own campaign finance AI startup, and to cover about $22,000 in child care expenses, which he and his wife routinely did for years from his congressional campaign account. That is allowed under federal and California campaign finance law as long as the child care needs were campaign-related; Swalwell has been one of the biggest spenders in that category. 

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