Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Thursday.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
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Italy on Sunday released an Iranian businessman detained last month over his alleged involvement in a drone attack that killed three American service members and wounded dozens more.
Mohammad Abedini, 38, was arrested in Milan in December on a warrant and extradition request made by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The U.S. DOJ had charged Abedini and Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, an Iranian-U.S. national, with conspiring to export sensitive U.S. drone technology to Iran. Abedini also faced charges of supplying material used in the drone strike at a base in Jordan last year.
On Sunday, Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio put in a request to Milan’s court of appeal to revoke Abedini’s arrest after the Italian Justice Ministry determined it didn’t have the grounds to follow through with the U.S. DOJ’s extradition request, Reuters reported.
The U.S. DOJ did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment on the case.
By Sunday evening, IRNA, Iran’s state media, reported that Abedini had safely arrived in Tehran.
The Iranian Judiciary told IRNA that Abedini had been arrested following a “misunderstanding.”
Abedini’s release comes just days after an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, was freed after being detained while on a reporting trip in Tehran. Sala, who came to Iran on a journalist visa, was accused of “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Sala was detained on Dec. 19, just three days after Abedini’s arrest in Italy. The timing of both arrests and releases has led to speculation that Sala was used as a bargaining chip in exchange for Abedini’s release.
Sala’s release also came just days after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to Florida to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Meloni said Sala’s release was the result of a “diplomatic triangulation” with Iran and the U.S.
As officials try to determine the cause of a wildfire that has burned an estimated 7,000 structures in and around Altadena, investigators keep returning to one place: an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon.
The once-lush hillside has been charred by flames spread by intense winds from the open space into the heart of suburban communities.
Photos and videos showed what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton fire around an electrical transmission tower.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Errico)
Investigators were coming and going up the mountain, an area off-limits to media, utilities and fire departments.
“Nobody is allowed up there besides investigators,” said Wayne Howerton, an investigator for the California Department of Fire and Forestry Protection. “It’s currently an investigation into the start of the Eaton fire.”
Early photos and videos taken by residents captured what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton fire, burning at the base of a Southern California Edison electrical transmission tower before racing down the canyon toward homes. Howerton confirmed to The Times that the area had become a focus of their inquiry, but it is unclear what investigators have discovered. It is also unclear what other potential sources and locations are being studied.
Southern California Edison officials have so far said they do not believe their electrical equipment was responsible.
Video and images from four residents and obtained by the The Times appeared to show that before the Eaton fire exploded — scorching more than 14,100 acres, damaging and destroying more than 7,000 structures and killing five people — the first flames of the fire burned behind Pasadena homes, at the base of a nearby electrical tower.
Marcus Errico was pulling into his driveway just after 6 p.m. Tuesday when, he said, he noticed a red glow above his house on Canyon View Lane.
“At first it didn’t click,” he said. “Then I realized it was a fire, and there was at this point, just a small ring of flames around the base of one of the [electrical] towers.”
Winds were whipping at about 70 mph, the Palisades fire was already tearing at the other side of the county, and Errico knew his family would have only a few minutes before the flames sliced down the canyon toward their home.
“I just tore through the front door,” he said, calling to his wife to grab their daughter and their dog. “‘We need to go! There’s a fire on the hill.’”
Errico and his wife went down their cul-de-sac, knocking on neighbors’ doors and urging them to run while they called 911.
His wife, Jennifer, stopped for just a few seconds, capturing the flames on her cellphone before they ran down the hill.
Errico said he’d been contacted by investigators about what he witnessed, and what his wife recorded, at the start of the fire.
Jane and David Stover were among the neighbors Jennifer alerted to the fire, banging on their door just as the couple were finishing dinner.
The two looked out and saw the flames at the base of the electrical tower, now starting to bleed toward them.
On Saturday, the couple were at their home as a group of five investigators milled around the same tower.
“The fire started right below that tower,” Jane Dover said, pointing toward the investigators.
“It was like a little ball, and it just went off,” David Stover said. “It just exploded.”
Embers were raining down on their cars as neighbors fled.
Early photos and videos taken by residents capture what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton fire, burning at the base of the same electrical transmission tower before racing down the canyon toward homes. (Courtesy of Pedro Rojas)
Pedro Rojas also said he captured the first flames on video on his cellphone, just before he and his family fled.
“There was only flames right at the base of the power [tower],” he said. “And it just exploded.”
Rossana Valverde was having dinner with her husband and watching television when their internet went out, she said. Then Marcus Errico banged on their door, yelling that they needed to leave.
“We were clueless, and when we opened the door, we were stunned,” she said. “It hadn’t exploded yet, it was still on the [tower].”
By the time they got into their car, the fire was already racing out of control.
“It had already gone down to the ground,” she said. “Everything was ignited.”
A few blocks away, other residents said they saw similar events unfolding.
Matthew Logelin, who lives at the base of Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, heard a loud bang about 6:11 p.m. Tuesday as he was preparing dinner for his children.
He ran outside to see whether one of the big pine trees in their backyard, which backs up to Eaton Canyon, had fallen in the high winds. Seeing no major damage, he went back into the house, looked through the kitchen window and saw that a fire had ignited on the ridge beneath a massive metal power line.
He called 911 at 6:13 p.m. when the blaze “was the tiniest fire — it looked like a camp fire at that point,” he said.
“It’s clear that’s where the fire started,” he said. “It was right under the power lines.”
Southern California Edison on Thursday notified the California Public Utilities Commission it had received a number of notices from attorneys representing insurance companies, to preserve evidence regarding the Eaton fire.
The company states in the notice that preliminary analysis of electrical circuit information for transmission lines in the area showed no interruptions or anomalies until more than an hour after the Eaton fire started.
“To date, no fire agency has suggested that SCE’s electrical facilities were involved in the ignition,” the report states.
It will probably take weeks or months to determine what sparked the devastating blaze. Some of California’s worst firestorms have been ignited by electrical equipment, including the 2018 inferno that destroyed 16,000 structures and killed more than 80 people in and around Paradise.
Southern California Edison said in a news release the day after the fire started that their “distribution lines immediately to the west of Eaton Canyon were de-energized well before the reported start time of the fire.”
Distribution lines refer to electrical poles, often wooden, that directly serve neighborhoods and residents. The larger transmission tower is where the fire appears to have ignited.
On Sunday, the utility company said transmission lines were energized.
“Southern California Edison conducted preliminary analysis of the electrical circuit information for the four energized transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area. That analysis shows no interruptions or operational slash electrical anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire’s reported start time, until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire,” Jeff Monford, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, said in a statement to The Times.
The photos provided by residents could prove key in the investigation, but they seem to clash with Southern California Edison’s claims, one expert said.
“The fact is, Edison says there wasn’t any evidence of a problem on those lines, but there are pictures and video of fire starting under that tower and Cal Fire is there now,” said Michael Wara, the director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University.
“We need to get more facts about what Edison knows about the performance of those lines in the canyon. We also need to know if there is any physical evidence at the site of whether the transmission line was the cause,” he said.
He stressed that it was still possible that the fire had a another cause.
Although a fire caused by Southern California Edison could cost the utility a billion dollars, most of the damage would be covered by the state’s Wildfire Fund, established in 2019 and worth $21 billion. The fund protects utilities from going bankrupt when fires break out and would pay for insured and uninsured losses caused by utilities, Wara said.
Still, if it was utility-caused, the Eaton fire could eat up half the $21 billion fund, which would affect the market’s perception of the Wildfire Fund and could negatively affect Southern California Edison’s credit score, according to Wara.
On Sunday, the law firm Edelson PC sent a notice to Edison, asking it to preserve evidence and equipment involving the Eaton fire.
The firm has also obtained videos and images from residents showing the fire appears to have started at the base of the tower, and preserving evidence will be important to determine what caused it and who is responsible for it.
“This could be the most devastating disaster in U.S. history,” said Ali Moghaddas, an attorney with Edelson PC, of all the fires burning in the region. “I’ve seen estimates that the damage could be in excess of $100 billion.”
Times staff writer Laura Nelson contributed to this report.
Crime in the world of Apple continues with bad guys misusing AirTags in Florida, while others elsewhere use them for good. A few thousand in merchandise were stolen in California, and a disco ball was taken with an iPad in Nashville.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider feature, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.
iPad, disco ball stolen from Uber driver’s car
An Uber driver in Nashville had an eclectic array of items stolen from her vehicle in late December: An iPad, a disco ball, and a karaoke machine. Per WKRN, the whole setup is part of the party atmosphere that the driver seeks to cultivate in her vehicle.
According to the driver, the theft cost her hundreds of dollars and hurt her business on New Year’s Eve, a busy night for Uber drivers.
Two different Apple Store robberies by teenagers in London
An Apple Store robbery at Brent Cross in London on January 5 led to the arrest of five teenagers, who are accused of stealing a total of 50 iPhones, Your Local Guardian reported. A sixth was also arrested but “has been bailed while enquiries continue,” the report said.
The majority of iPhones were recovered. Video of the thefts was posted to social media:
This is not to be confused with a separate incident, also in London, when three other teenagers admitted their part in a conspiracy to steal 32 iPhones from the Atria Watford shopping center on January 6, per Ham High. Conditions of their bail include a ban from entering Apple Stores in the country.
Man arrested with “thousands” of dollars in stolen Apple products in California
Police in Orange County, Calif., arrested a 30-year-old man after he was found with thousands of dollars worth of stolen Apple products at a mall.
According to KTLA, police say the man took around $1,200 worth of merchandise from the Apple Store in the Spectrum Center mall, placing them in an Apple shopping bag that he brought with him.
An additional $5,000 more in Apple merchandise, including 15 wireless keyboards and three Pencil Pros, were found in the suspect’s vehicle, police said.
The man was charged with burglary, committing theft with prior convictions, and possessing stolen property, under California’s new Proposition 36.
Two arrested after “dozens” of iPhones taken from Verizon store
Police arrested two suspects for their alleged part in a Verizon Store robbery in the Sacramento area in late December, which netted “dozens” of iPhones worth over $100,000.
According to CBS News Sacramento, after Verizon supplied police with real-time tracking information, they chased the suspects and ultimately caught them, after a car chase that continued on foot.
Thief disguised as Amazon driver steals iPhone package
Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean porch pirates aren’t still active. According to Boston 25 News, a suspect dressed as an Amazon delivery driver took a package, containing an iPhone, off a porch in Reading, Mass., just minutes after FedEx delivered it.
The suspect was driving a grey 2019 Nissan Sentra, the report said.
A Key West man was arrested on January 6 and accused of placing AirTags on the cars of two people, in order to track them.
According to The Miami Herald, the man was caught after two people went to the police to tell them they received notifications of unrecognized AirTags.
Detectives, working with the Department of Homeland Security, figured out that the AirTags had been purchased by a 52-year-old man. After they showed him evidence, the man confessed, and he was arrested on two counts of installation or use of tracking devices.
Two arrested in AirPod “swap scam”
Two men have been arrested for a scam in which they bought AirPods and then returned the boxes for cash with a counterfeit product inside.
According to WRAL, the two men are from New York but were caught after a low-speed chase in North Carolina, having executed the scam at a Target and Walmart in the Raleigh area.
The two men face several charges, including conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense and counterfeit trademark.
AirTag used to track stolen U-Haul
A man driving across the country had a U-Haul truck, with all of his belongings in it, stolen in New Mexico. But he was able to locate it, thanks to an AirTag that he had attached to some music equipment.
According to KOB, the man tracked the location and notified police when he received a ping. The U-Haul, which had been “ransacked,” was found in the backyard of a home, along with what was described as a second stolen U-Haul.
The public has been asked to be on the lookout for Nine Inch Nails memorabilia, including a poster signed by the band, which the man called “priceless.”
In another example of Apple AirTags locating stolen merchandise, the devices helped police find a stash of stolen bikes that had been lifted from throughout the Colorado Rockies.
According to Summit Daily, a suspect has been charged with stealing the bikes, which had been taken from Vail, Boulder, Aspen, and Buena Vista, over about two years. The break in the case came when a man told police that a pair of Specialized Stumpjumper bikes, equipped with AirTags, had been stolen from a rack at his condo complex.
The signal was followed to a van, leading to their recovery, while a search warrant found the rest of the bikes.
Capturing Fight of the Night honors has its drawbacks. Just asked UFC middleweight, Roman Kopylov, who walked away with an extra $50,000 and a slicing cut above his eye following a bloody war with Chris Curtis on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 101.
While the middleweight clash may have ended in last-second controversy, Kopylov still did what he needed to do in order to squeak out a win. The Russian striker went toe-to-toe with Curtis over the course of three hard rounds and was bloody all over his face as a result. Curtis may not be known for his one-punch knockout power, but his lead jab and inside uppercut were getting through all night and did some serious damage.
Kopylov, who has never been stopped by strikes in his professional MMA career, kept plodding forward and welcomed the violence. The former Fight Nights Global champion ended up pulling away in the third and final round to score a head kick stoppage with one second left on the clock. The finish was a bit controversial, but it was still an incredible shot by Kopylov.
Despite the controversial knockout, Kopylov still walked away with the win and a Fight of the Night award. That’s all well and good, but the Russian contender also suffered a nasty gash above his right eye from the shots landed by Curtis. UFC CEO, Dana White, shard the aftermath via Instagram so fight fans can get an up close and personal look at the cut.
Check it out below:
For complete UFC Vegas 101 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
Landman has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity, rising to the #1 most viewed Paramount+ original of all time since its premiere in November of 2024. Starring Billy Bob Thornton as oil “landman” Tommy Norris, the cast also includes heavy hitters like Jon Hamm, Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Andy Garcia, and Final Destination‘s Ali Larter, among others. It was created in part by Taylor Sheridan, creator of the groundbreaking western Yellowstone.
On January 11, 2025, the first season of the contemporary western drama — already having its audience in a tight grip of suspense — ended. If you’re just catching on, scroll down to find out how to you catch up on the relentlessly intense new series.
Where to Watch ‘Landman’ For Free
Paulina Chávez, Michelle Lee Randolph, Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Ali Larter, and Jacob Lofland. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Landman is currently streaming on Paramount+. You can watch the series for free with a seven-day trial, if you don’t already have an account. You can also watch by purchasing a subscription. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME is currently a steal at $12.99 per month, and Paramount+ Essential is just $7.99 per month
What Happened at the End of Season 1 of ‘Landman’
Spoiler alert: The finale episode, entitled “Crumbs of Hope,” has Tommy’s boss Monty Miller (Hamm) in critical need of a heart transplant. Tommy assumes control of Texas oil company M-Tex amid Monty’s incapacitated state. By the end of the episode, Monty has passed, leaving Tommy to oversee the company indefinitely. He suggests to Monty’s wife Cami (Moore) that she should sell the company and live lavishly off the profits for years to come. She rejects that proposition, and in the meantime, Tommy is saved by a drug lord called Gallino (Garcia), after being captured and tortured by the Cartel.
Is There a ‘Landman’ Season 2?
Per Pinkvilla, Moore strongly suggested at the Cannes Film Festival that Landman would return for a season — in fact, the outlet claims she said she would begin filming season two in early 2025. “I’ve already completed the first season and I’m excited for us to start the second, which will be at the beginning of next year,” she reportedly said back in May of 2024.
However, in recent comments to Deadline following the season 1 finale, Thornton sounded a little less promising on the topic. When asked if Garcia would potentially play a larger role in the second season, Thorton told the outlet, “If there is a second season, God willing.”
Passengers were plunged into panic after a “rapid decompression” caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling in a horrifying mid-air incident. The United Airlines aircraft, cruising at approximately 40,000 feet over Ohio, was forced into a swift 10,000-foot descent.
Terrified fliers on social media praised the exceptional poise of the cabin crew amidst the mayhem. At 7.45am local time, distress signals flickered in the plane’s cockpit, prompting an urgent call to air traffic control and triggering the deployment of emergency masks.
One relieved passenger praised the crew’s efforts on social media: “Yo United, your crew did an amazing job with this (rapid depressurization) and unexpected visit to Detroit. Seriously! Flight Attendant did a fabulous job, kept everyone calm.”
The compromised plane, originally bound for Chicago, was rerouted to Detroit, where passengers disembarked without any reported injuries. But this technical fault is just one of many in recent weeks, including the disastrous Korean plane crash that resulted in the deaths of 179 people.
This harrowing incident comes on the heels of last week’s evacuation debacle, where passengers had to escape a Delta Airlines jet via inflatable slides as the Minneapolis-bound flight aborted takeoff, resulting in numerous injuries, reports the Mirror.
A Delta spokesperson revealed that a plane had experienced an engine problem, causing a significant delay. This incident occurred amidst a snowstorm in Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport, leading to widespread cancellations and delays.
However, officials have not confirmed if the freezing weather currently affecting parts of the US was the cause of the issue. The 201 passengers, along with two pilots and five flight attendants, were forced to evacuate the Boeing 757-300 using inflatable slides and were subsequently transported back to a concourse by bus.
Among the four injured passengers, one was taken to a hospital, while three received treatment at the airport for minor injuries.
In a separate incident at Melbourne Airport, an Etihad plane carrying nearly 300 passengers was compelled to abort take-off after two wheels exploded. The Etihad Airways flight EY461, destined for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, was just moments away from take-off when the incident occurred.
Video footage captured at Melbourne Airport shows the Boeing 787 jet surrounded by fire trucks, with foam being applied to the landing gear as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and all 289 passengers disembarked safely, returning to the terminal, according to the airline.
This incident resulted in both departure and arrival delays as the runway at the Australian airport was temporarily closed.
While the age-old adage “less is more” is sound filmmaking advice, the opposite applies to Jason Statham’s relentless action movies. A case in point is Crank 2: High Voltage, a balls-to-the-wall action sequel that goes so far over the top that it dwarfs the absurdity of the original to leave a big, fat grin etched on the faces of hardcore Statham fanatics. Critics were also impressed, giving Crank 2 slightly better reviews than its predecessor.
Boasting a wild premise that forces Statham’s Chev Chelios into a ticking-clock health scenario, Crank 2‘s high-voltage electricity derives from the extreme plot, flagrant fight scenes, hyper-violence, morbid humor, kinetic camerawork, Statham’s breathless stunt work, and more. With the film recently celebrating its 15th anniversary, it’s time to hook up the jumper cables and bring Crank 2: High Voltage back to life.
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Release Date
April 16, 2009
Runtime
85 minutes
Cast
Jason Statham
, Amy Smart
, David Carradine
, Dwight Yoakam
, Bai Ling
, Clifton Collins Jr.
, Jose Pablo Cantillo
, Efren Ramirez
, Julanne Chidi Hill
, Reno Wilson
, Keone Young
, Art Hsu
, J. J. Soria
, Corey Haim
, Geri Horner
, William Brent
, Jamie Harris
, John de Lancie
, Ho-Kwan Tse
, Galen Yuen
, Shu Lan Tuan
, Anne Girard
, Yeva-Genevieve Lavlinski
, Reid Harper
, David Scott Rubin
, Chester Bennington
, Setu Taase
, Eidan Hanzei
, Najja Meeks
, David Rolas
, David Dooyun Kim
, Portis Hershey
, Atticus Todd
, Peter Mark
, Chad Damiani
, Jai Stefan
, Tom Roach
, Maynard James Keenan
, Danny Lohner
, Danna Hansen
, Keith Jardine
What Is ‘Crank’ All About?
Lionsgate
Understanding why Crank 2 out-energizes its predecessor requires context. Written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor in their feature film debut, Crank stars Jason Statham as assassin Chev Chelios. Chev is a hardened British hitman based in Los Angeles, assigned to kill a Triad mafia leader.
While asleep one night, assailants break in and intoxicate Chev with a synthetic drug called “The Beijing Cocktail.” The drug stops the flow of adrenaline in the human body, forcing Chev to remain as physically active as possible to avoid his heart fatally stopping.
The title “Crank” is a slang reference to methamphetamine, an illicit stimulant with similar properties as The Beijing Cocktail. As Chev rushes across Los Angeles to find an antidote and keep his health intact, he must defeat several Triad henchmen while his heart nearly beats out of his chest. Statham does some of his craziest stunts and driving in the film, which only escalates in the sequel.
The silly B-movie premise is balanced by Neveldine and Taylor’s relentless direction and wildly over-the-top action scenes, which are increased to breakneck pitch and pace in the superior sequel.
‘Crank: High Voltage’ Ups the Amperage
Lionsgate
Bigger, better, and bolder like every movie sequel should be, Crank 2: High Voltage doubled down on its extreme premise and elevated the intensity to another level. The action commences with Chev being dropped from a helicopter, where he is picked up on the L.A. streets and taken to a hospital. When he awakes, Chev watches mobster Johnny Vang order doctors to remove his heart and replace it with a much weaker, artificial one.
Rather than keeping his adrenaline flowing as in the first film, Chev must ensure his inferior battery-operated heart retains enough electricity to keep him alive. The battery back will run out in 60 minutes, presenting Chev and the audience with a harrowing ticking-clock scenario that plays in real-time and adds to the jarring immediacy and urgency. Perhaps the most extreme example, as seen in the poster and trailer, includes Chev using car jumper cables to kickstart his heart while breathlessly pursuing Vang’s henchmen and a gang of Mexican mobsters.
They may not offer the same level of bone-crunching thrills as his action roles, but these Jason Statham non-action movies are worth a watch!
Instead of dialing down the action, Neveldine and Taylor cranked the volume to 11 to treat Statham fans with a ridiculous shoot-em-up extravaganza that revels in its silliness and embraces the lunacy of its plot. Whether having sex with his stripper girlfriend Eve on a horse racetrack, engaging in feverish car chases and shootouts, or ingesting synthetic epinephrine and other designer drugs, Chev learns that friction will keep his heart going despite the lack of an antidote, recharging his fake heart nine times before the story ends.
Crazier yet, Chev learns his original heart has been transplanted into a Triad leader named Poon Dong (seriously) and sets out to get it back with grueling pain and anguish. If that wasn’t wild enough, Chev learns that one of his victims’ heads has been artificially kept alive long enough to watch him be vengefully killed by a Mexican mafia leader with ties to Vang.
While the life-and-death stakes remain the same in Crank and Crank 2, the histrionic insanity of the latter eclipses the former so much that it proves Jason Statham action movies are at their best when they do more, not less.
Critical Response to ‘Crank’ Vs. ‘Crank: High Voltage’
Lionsgate
While a fairly close race, Crank 2: High Voltage received better reviews from critics than Crank, at least according to Rotten Tomatoes.Crank holds a 62% Rotten Tomatoes rating, while High Voltage has a 64% approval rating. High Voltage’s critical consensus reads:
“Crank: High Voltage delivers on its promises: a fast-paced, exciting thrill ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
“The result, an eye-popping strobe of flesh and blood, is as visually stunning as it is absurdly offensive, sure to thrill some while leaving others in a state of outrage-induced catatonia.”
Jason Statham is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated action superstars, with his deliciously over-the-top flick Crank helping elevate his status.
Oddly enough, non-critics responded oppositely, giving Crank a 71% Popcornmeter rating and Crank 2 a 49% Popcornmeter score. While the novelty may have worn off with Statham fans, critics appreciated how much further Neveldine and Taylor pushed the envelope with their gonzo pacing, kinetic handheld camerawork, and Grand Theft Auto-like aesthetics. Still, the tepid audience response may have sealed Crank‘s fate as a potential Statham action movie franchise.
Whereas Crank grossed $43 million globally on a modest $12 million budget, Crank 2 cost $20 million and only grossed $34 million internationally (via The Numbers). That means the original netted $30 million while the sequel gained less than half that with $14 million, hardly enough to justify a sequel. Although critics preferred High Voltage, word of mouth among moviegoers hindered the movie’s box office success.
As fans look forward to Statham’s latest action movie, A Working Man,Crank 2 is a cautionary reminder that bigger, bolder, and better action movies may work for critics but necessarily the target audience. However, for Jason Statham specifically, more isn’t less. More is more. Crank 2: High Voltage is available to rent on AppleTV & Amazon Prime Video
Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman stand tall as the three pillars of the DC Universe, hence their shared title as the Justice League‘s Trinity, and there are few heroes who stand a chance against their combined might. However, Aquaman just revealed that he has a critical advantage over them. As powerful as the Trinity is, Aquaman might have them beat for one key reason.
In Aquaman #1 by Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe, Arthur Curry faces a devastating loss as the kingdom of Atlantis is destroyed right before his eyes. In its place is a mysterious pearl, and he enlists the Trinity’s help to uncover the truth about Atlantis’ whereabouts.
As he plunges into the sea to track an energy signature with Batman and Wonder Woman in tow, Aquaman says, “They could no sooner help me in these waters than a baby could climb a mountain.”DC’s Trinity can tap into impressive powers on land, but unlike Aquaman, they are far weaker underwater.
It’s Official: Aquaman Has a Major Tactical Advantage Over DC’s Trinity
Batman and Wonder Woman Are Weakened Underwater, Unlike Aquaman
Aquaman is often mocked as the worst Justice League hero due to his unassuming reputation, yet he’s now made a compelling case for why he’s much more formidable than meets the eye. In most settings, Batman and Wonder Woman are two of the team’s best assets, due in large part to Bruce’s strategic mind and Diana’s Amazonian powers. When they’re underwater, though, they require a ship and special diving suits that inhibit their movements. On the other hand, Aquaman can swim around on his own. The Trinity’s inability to maneuver freely in an aquatic environment gives Aquaman a clear edge over them.
Aquaman’s bold new era kicks off with a major overhaul to his powers as he prepares to battle the most dangerous opponents he’s ever faced.
In addition to Aquaman’s ability to move and breathe underwater without issue, he’s also unlocked a new ability that increases his underwater advantage. In the wake of Absolute Power by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, DC’s heroes have switched powers, and Arthur Curry has received hydrokinesis from his wife Mera. Aquaman’s new powers allow him to manipulate the water around him at will. Therefore, not only can Aquaman survive in the water while the Trinity cannot, but he can control that environment however he wishes as well to incapacitate opponents with ease.
Aquaman Can Defeat Most Justice League Heroes In an Underwater Setting
Sorry, Batman: In the Water, Aquaman Would Easily Win in a Fight
The Trinity – and the vast majority of the Justice League’s roster – wouldn’t stand a chance against Aquaman if they battled under the sea. Batman’s gadgets can help heroes like him and Wonder Woman embark on oceanic expeditions, but when it comes to a true fight, they’d be out of their depths in more ways than one. All Arthur would need to do is destroy their suits, exposing them to the water, and they’d be left incapable of breathing or fighting. Although Aquaman isn’t as renowned as the Justice League‘s Trinity, their weakness in his habitat reveals he has the potential to overpower them.
Albert Sanders Jr., the boy with the big dreams and the bigger drive, was scared. He was angry. Worried.
He wanted to become a lawyer, to wow courtrooms just like Ben Matlock and Perry Mason did on his family’s clunky console TV. But in 1994, when he was 14, that dream suddenly seemed beyond reach, hence the anger and worry. He had excelled at a private school but circumstances had brought him to Jefferson High School, one of the worst in Los Angeles.
Before his first day as a freshman, he and his mother, Paula Sanders, sat in front of the campus in her 11-year-old Volvo as she fought to hide tears.
“How am I going to realize this dream of being a lawyer and maybe working in politics one day when I’m at a school where half the kids don’t graduate?” Albert wondered to himself.
But that was on the inside.
“He said, ‘Mom, I know what to do,’” Paula Sanders remembered. “And I believed him.”
It was trust well-placed. Sanders would work on Capitol Hill, at the White House and at Google. These days he is head of referee operations in the NBA, and is one of the most important people in professional basketball.
The role may seem improbable. He’s never blown a whistle, never called a foul. But to those who know him and recall the boy who grew up in South L.A., his journey is not so surprising.
“Mom, I know what to do.”
The child of an aviation manufacturing worker and a nurse, Sanders made it abundantly clear early on that he wanted to be a lawyer. Sitting on the burgundy living room carpet, he devoured any TV show with a courtroom. He became a skilled arguer with his parents. And if he got sent to his room? The door would slam shut with the words “Sanders & Associates” taped on the outside.
In elementary school, Sanders carried a briefcase to campus and practiced his signature so it would perfectly adorn legal filings. Academically, he was thriving at a private Christian academy in Compton.
But there also were sports, especially basketball. Like many L.A. kids born in 1980, Sanders made sure the “Showtime” Lakers were on the television whenever “Matlock” was off it. He’d go to parks with his father, Albert Sr., who taught him how to put the proper spin, “some English,” on a finger roll layup and mimic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook.
They attended some Lakers games where Sanders would stand on his seat and occasionally yell “Bad call!” when he thought the home team was wronged.
But along with “amazing memories” of his dad and basketball — including always watching the Lakers’ Christmas Day games on television — there was “a time in my life where he was not there and he couldn’t be there.”
Albert Sr. lost his job and struggled with addiction. Paula, who was working in private nursing to make extra money for the family, slipped on a porch and injured her back.
With no money, they had to move.
“She can’t work. My dad’s unemployed. And now we’re moving from Carson and that private school and all that sort of stuff to South Central, where I did not expect to be in 1993, ‘94, ’95 — all the things that were happening in South Central.”
There was a time when Jefferson represented the best of Black excellence in Los Angeles. Legendary singer Etta James, Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche and ground-breaking choreographer Alvin Ailey all attended Jefferson. But that was the past. In the 1990s, South L.A. was reeling from gangs and the aftermath of the 1992 riots.
Albert Sanders Jr., top center, with friends and basketball teammates at Jefferson High School in the late 1990s.
(Courtesy of Albert Sanders Jr.)
Even so, teachers steered him into the “Humanitas Academy,” a tract of classes for high-potential students. Teachers who were lifers at the school — who had taught Albert Sr. and his brothers when they attended Jefferson — kept close tabs on Albert Jr. and helped him overcome disadvantages he now faced, like a schoolbook shortage that meant texts needed to be kept on campus.
“There was a rich community of people there that spent their own money on supplies, that would drive us to mock trial competitions, that would stay after school, that would go above and beyond what teachers were paid to do or supposed to do to help us excel,” he said. “So between that, between my family and between my church, my world was full, right?”
Sanders also played on the basketball team, but it was Humanitas that prepared him for the future, recalled Sanders’ teacher and friend Cris Gutierrez.
“We would work together on whatever we were studying as if they were colleagues,” Gutierrez recalled, adding, “Albert thrived in that kind of situation — to know that he could be assuming responsibilities in new ways and he could push us as we pushed him.”
Sanders excelled and even accompanied Gutierrez to Washington, D.C., to give a speech to a group of educators, politicians and reformers. He had found his thing, and it had nothing to do with a basketball.
“My basketball coach gave me the best basketball advice I’d ever received,” Sanders remembered. The advice came just after a loss. “I’d done my best,” he said, “and I’m looking at him for, like, inspiration and some feedback. He’s like, ‘Go to law school.’
“There was no chance that I was going to get to the NBA.”
He went on to Morehouse College and to the University of Pennsylvania law school, specializing in labor and employment law before going to Washington to work with the Senate Judiciary Committee and as associate counsel to President Obama. After Obama’s second term, he joined Google, overseeing the intertwined roads of technology and public policy.
Albert Sanders Jr., left, and his mother, Paula, and father, Albert Sanders Sr., pose for a photo with President Obama in the White House.
(Courtesy of Albert Sanders Jr.)
Years later, there was another family car ride, this time with his father. They were driving from Los Angeles to Monrovia, where his parents now live.
“Dad, I’ve got a chance to work with the NBA,” he said. “And it’s a pretty challenging job they’re offering me.”
The men agreed to wait to tell Paula because it meant Sanders would again be leaving Los Angeles, but the choice was obvious.
“Well, you know what you gotta do,” Albert Sr. excitedly told his son.
The job required strong management skills to oversee officials in the NBA, the WNBA, the G-League and its African leagues. The league wanted someone who could identify and implement emerging technologies to help officials get more calls correct. And they needed someone who could navigate the political currents buffeting team owners, players, coaches, and referees and the unions representing them.
Whoever they hired, they’d work with veteran NBA official Monty McCutchen, who had transitioned to a leadership role after he left the court and was beloved by the officials he oversaw. Sanders wouldn’t be filling his shoes but would, at least, be sharing them.
The job made Sanders recall an article he’d read in the Harvard Business Review about “triple-strength leadership,” the value of having experience in the private, public and social sectors.
Albert Sanders Jr. stands next to White House Counsel colleague Mika Rothman after a pickup basketball game on the White House court.
(Courtesy of Albert Sanders)
He was convinced his experiences would apply. The NBA was too.
“We went through an extensive search actually a couple times on this, and found him to be the right guy because he brings a level of experience to deal with tough issues, yet is also a professional manager that can help us deal with stakeholders,” NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell said.
The job, Spruell added, is to “reenergize and bring a different perspective to referee operations, and set us up for the future. He’s a big fan of the game, has passion for the game, although he didn’t necessarily play or obviously officiate.”
In September of 2023, he signed his contract on a video call from downtown Los Angeles with family and friends. His mother said a prayer.
He’d need it.
Sanders wants you, basketball fan, to better understand the officials. To know that the NBA has the best in the game. And that maybe, at the final horn, you won’t leave the building convinced your team got hosed by the refs.
Good luck.
“My bet here is that if we educate the public and explain to them what our officials are doing — what we expect them to do — that will help move the needle a little bit over time,” Sanders said.
The NBA has been sharing videos explaining calls, increasing transparency about missed calls and even allowing their officials to do more interviews and participate in online content about their craft, which for generations had been taboo.
There are, of course, issues with this plan. Fans. Players. Coaches. Owners. Gamblers. Everyone is always willing to blame the refs.
“I think it’s like inherent to sport that people are looking for someone to blame,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “And referees and umpires, they’re low-hanging fruit.“
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Sanders has had to overcome the obvious gap in his resume — having never reffed.
Sources inside the league’s officiating department told The Times that there’s some hesitation about getting fully behind someone who hasn’t officiated. And some of the changes that have been instituted under Sanders, like having some veteran officials work Summer League games, have been unpopular.
But other officiating sources praise his commitment to the job. Sanders read and reread the rule book and took the same weekly rules test as the league’s officials. Some officials were impressed with how Sanders carried himself as an observer eager to learn as he toured the league last season, watching and listening before implementing some of his new strategies.
“He is absolutely growing the trust of our staff — through the listening, through the listen-and-learn portion, right?” McCutchen said. “Through the portion of respecting the work, learning and hearing what works within the work, and then [he’s] giving good insight on how things can be changed and added to, to make the work even better. Of course that takes time.
“…What I do know is that the points he makes are always on point. And they always add to the expertise of our group.”
But what about everyone else?
Inside NBA locker rooms, players generally will admit that NBA referees are the best in the world, but many still question the quality of the officiating.
Two NBA officials stand on the court during a game between Houston and Oklahoma City in the semifinals of the NBA Cup on Dec. 14.
(Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
Adding to distrust are memories of former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who in 2007 pleaded guilty to two felony counts for his role in an illegal gambling scheme that sometimes involved games he officiated, memories that were reignited by a 2022 documentary.
One veteran NBA player, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity between player-official relationships, said too much of the rule book is too subjective. And that subjectivity, he said, tends to favor the league’s star players. It’s not uncommon to hear conspiracies about officiating in a league locker room.
A general manager, also speaking anonymously, pointed to the lack of veteran officials as a problem — the league having lost some of its more established officials to front-office jobs. Another left the league because he resisted its vaccine mandate following the COVID pandemic. Yet another retired after a league investigation into his use of a social media account.
“A large number, almost a third of our officials, have six or seven years of service or less,” Sanders said. “So that really represents a new generation of officials. And what I want to do is make sure that they get the focus and attention they need from our legendary referees who serve as our coaches to be able to be better on the floor.”
He also wants those younger refs to build relationships with coaches and players and get a chance “to show their stuff, build that credibility and buy-in over time.”
But patience, especially in sports, is in short supply.
And the relationship with fans remains eternally fraught, missed travel calls getting equal billing online alongside other highlights. On the Reddit page for NBA fans, a community with more than 14 million members, a video of Utah’s Keyonte George committing an uncalled carrying violation had nearly 350 comments. A video of Cleveland center Jarrett Allen dunking on a Pelicans defender elicited just 13 comments.
The routine for the Sanders family on Christmas usually consisted of three things — food, presents and Lakers basketball on television. But last December, the Sanders were going to see Lakers in person, together.
“This was full circle for us,” Sanders said.
In town as part of his rounds visiting the NBA’s 70-plus officials, Sanders went to Crypto.com Arena early for pregame meetings with the day’s officials, Scott Foster, Karl Lane and Jason Goldenberg.
He’s still a fan — just of the game and not a particular team.
Albert Sanders Sr., right, and Albert Sanders Jr. pose for a portrait during an event supporting mental health for Black men at SoFi Stadium in May 2023.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“I’m up close and personal in the game I’ve loved all my life,” he said. “Not only am I, you know, at the Finals, but I’ve got a vested interest in how the Finals play out. And I’m on the edge of my seat, but rooting for a good game and also rooting for our officials to do an incredible job.”
Every step, basketball was there. From the neighborhood parks with his father to the D.C. pickup games. It’s why his eyes brightened and his smile widened when, while visiting Jefferson’s campus recently, the old gymnasium doors swung open. He asked for a photo to be taken in front of the school mascot.
That was a nice day. But his trip to a different gym last Christmas was beyond special. At Crypto.com Arena, Sanders met up with his mom near mid-court, 15 rows up. His father, quick to hit the concession stand for pizza, walked down toward them. These were the league’s seats — some of the best in the house.
His parents wondered about proper decorum when sitting with the head of referee operations. “They’re like, ‘Oh, wait, can I stand up and cheer and yell because you’re sitting there like Switzerland?’” he said.
They would make their way down to the floor for pregame workouts, his parents getting to stand on the court they’d only watched from afar.
After tip-off, the family sat together for a Christmas they’d never forget, Albert Sr. watching the Lakers and the Celtics, Albert Jr. watching the refs.
“It was great for both of us,” his father said. “Knowing that this is my son, that he’s involved in this, I was so very proud.”
But his parents were not that surprised. They knew Sanders and Associates would be enforcing the rules in court; they just didn’t realize it’d be a basketball one.
ATLANTA — Saturday’s game between the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks has been postponed because of a winter storm.
The NBA said the decision was made “to prioritize the safety of the players, fans and staff due to the severe weather and hazardous icy conditions in the Atlanta area.”
The Rockets’ team flight had arrived in Atlanta before the postponement was announced.
A winter storm dumped snow and ice on the Atlanta area Friday, and roads were expected to refreeze Saturday night.
Power outage numbers around Atlanta crept up Friday night as falling trees on power lines became a widespread issue. More than 110,000 customers were without electricity, mostly in the Atlanta area.
The NBA said a date for a rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.
