Bruce Springsteen and Lester Bangs after Patti Smiths 1975 show at The Bottom Line in New York. ( (Chuck Pulin1975 2002 Chuck Pulin Star File) Lester Bangs at 75: legacy of 'Americas Greatest Rock Critic' endures four decades after his death George Varga Dec. 9, 2023 Oscar-winning film director Cameron Crowe cq was just 15 when he met fellow San Diego native Lester Bangs here in 1973, but he remembers the encounter with his early mentor as if it happened last week. "Meeting Lester himself, at an interview he was doing at (radio station) KPRI while he was visiting home for the holidays, he ..read more

Juan Soto, left, celebrates with Fernando Tatis Jr. after hitting a home run. (K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune) Padres can still win minus Juan Soto, who was never going to stay here long Nick Canepa Dec. 9, 2023 Sez Me There never was a reason to even think about getting used to Juan Soto. He was just visiting. I truly believe the Padres can be better without Soto. Yes, I truly believe they can win 83 games in 2024. Hes a talented young batsman who always was going to be a comet with a good eye but a shortened tail over our skies. Now hes off to the Bronx. Has Juan been informed? H ..read more

San Diego, CA - November 14: San Diego State guard Lamont Butler (5), Micah Parrish (3), Jaedon LeDee (13), and Elijah Saunders walk back to the bench during timeout of their game against the Long Beach State at Viejas Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune) PREVIEW: No. 25 SDSU faces UC Irvine in final game before mini-break Mark Zeigler Dec. 9, 2023 UC Irvine at No. 25 Aztecs When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Viejas Arena Line: Aztecs by 9 1/2 On the air: FS1; 760-AM Records: UC Irvine 6-3 ..read more

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in action an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) NFL DFS Week 14 Optimal Lineup Eddie Brown Dec. 9, 2023 Devising the perfect Daily Fantasy Sports strategy for the NFL can be a challenge, which is why I'm here weekly to assist. On DraftKings, it's important to remember you're playing full-point PPR with bonuses if a player surpasses 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards or 100 receiving yards. Here is my optimal lineup for Sunday's $2.75 million Fantasy Football Millionaire con ..read more

People walk through the Plaza de Panama during the second day of December Nights at Balboa Park on Saturday, December 7, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Hayne Palmour IV/The San Diego Union-Tribune) From $45 parking to overpriced food trucks, December Nights has become a real rip-off U-T Readers Dec. 6, 2023 Re Thousands flock to Balboa Park for December Nights (Dec. 2): At last weekends December Nights, the amount being charged by the city of San Diego for preferred parking ($30 in one lot, $45 in the other) was robbery. The many food trucks that were given permits to sell their overpriced ..read more

San Diego States Jaedon Ledee warms up before a college exhibition game against CSU San Marcos October, 30, 2023 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy) (Denis Poroy) Aztecs get back to basics as they prep for UC Irvine Sports Newsletter,Weekend story lineup Mark Zeigler Dec. 8, 2023 If you wandered past the JAM Center at San Diego State the past two afternoons, you might have heard more than sneakers squeaking. Or put another way: The SDSU mens basketball team had some spirited practices. Weve gone hard for two days, coach Brian Dutcher said. I mean, were not saving legs. Were trying to get b ..read more

FILE - This Dec. 6, 2017, file photo shows one of the elevated sections of the high-speed rail under construction in Fresno, Calif. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, May 14, 2021, proposed spending $11 billion on transportation improvements, half of it for a troubled bullet train intended to eventually link Californias major metropolitan areas and for projects supporting the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Don't buy the myth that California's bullet train project flopped because of 'politics' The San Diego Union-Tribune Editori ..read more

The golden hour in Pacific Beach. (Gary Robbins / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Santa Ana winds will hit this weekend, extending what could be a long dry spell in San Diego County Gary Robbins Dec. 8, 2023 Santa Ana winds will sweep into eastern San Diego County this weekend, extending what could turn out to be a long and worrisome dry spell for the region, the National Weather Service said. San Diego International Airport has recorded 0.68 inches of precipitation since the rainy season began on Oct. 1. That's roughly 1 inch below average. Forecasters say it appears that the county will rece ..read more

CHULA VISTA, CA - FEBRUARY 03: At Otay Lakes Road, cars enter the South Bay Expressway on an onramp of the State Route 125 toll road on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 in Chula Vista, CA. (Eduardo Contreras / The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Eduardo Contreras/The San Diego Union-Tribune) 'Credibility is on the line': SANDAG struggles to digest and respond to failed toll system and wrongful termination suit Watchdog Newsletter Jeff McDonald Dec. 8, 2023 Directors of San Diego Countys regional planning agency wrestled Friday with long-running flaws in the South Bay Expressway toll system and a wrongful-t ..read more

FILE - Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump stand on vehicles and the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Jason Donner, a former Fox News producer says in a lawsuit filed Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, he was targeted and fired for pushing back against false claims about the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Donner said he was part of a purge of employees who refused to report information that would please Trump and his supporters. Donner was inside the Capitol during the riot and pressed his complaints about the networks coverage for months(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) (J ..read more