Latest news with #Shivers
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Stretch of California highway with a bloody history to close for repairs
An infamous 20-mile stretch of Central California highway will close for five days in June for construction, according to the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans will close Highway 41 between Cholame and Reef Station from June 9-13, Caltrans said. Drivers traveling in either direction on the east-west road can detour on Highways 46 and 33 but should expect delays. Caltrans said the closure stems from construction of a new highway interchange in Cholame (San Luis Obispo County), roughly 85 miles northwest of Bakersfield. Workers will replace a previously dangerous intersection with a modern, elevated ramp to connect highways 46 and 41, said Jim Shivers, a Caltrans spokesperson. 'There will be some lengthy detours, which we have acknowledged. The flip side of that is we'll have a brand new interchange opening up soon,' Shivers said. 'It's a major upgrade, it's a major safety enhancement.' The interchange is also known as the James Dean Memorial Junction, a tourist attraction that features a cafe and sculpture in memory of the 24-year-old Hollywood movie star who died in a crash there in 1955. It was far from the only fatal crash on the treacherous roadway, which reportedly came to be known as 'Blood Alley.' The Chronicle previously reported that dozens of people had died and hundreds more had been injured near the interchange. For two decades, Caltrans has been working on the State Route 46 Corridor Improvement Project, which aims to minimize fatal accidents, improve safety and reduce congestion between Paso Robles and Cholame, according to the agency.
CNBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
The most—and least—expensive U.S. states based on the median monthly costs of essential household bills
In May, bill pay service doxo released its 2025 Cost of Bills Index, which breaks down comparative household costs across the country. The report focused on the 13 most common household bill categories: To determine the ranking, doxo compared the median cost of the most common household bills across the United States. They used the number 100 to represent the national average in the index. Then, states were assigned a number either above or below 100 based on how they compared to the national average. doxo's index found that the average U.S. household spends $24,695 annually on the 13 essential household bills. The median mortgage is $1,775, while the median rent is $1,453. "We've got a different economic environment than we had two or three years ago, most acutely in the categories that impact consumer debt because interest rates are different," Steve Shivers, Founder and CEO at doxo, tells CNBC Make It. "The cost of mobility is much higher. People have to be a lot more careful and thoughtful about discretionary spending. The debt categories have shifted so dramatically that starting a new significant purchase is something that most consumers, especially right now, with a lot more uncertainty, are going to be much more conservative about," he adds. "That obviously has broader economic implications because if consumer spending slows, it ripples through a lot of things." California dethroned Hawaii as the most expensive state based on the cost of monthly household bills. Residents spend $2,854 — 39% above the national average. The doxo report found California's household bills are $9,588 per year higher than the U.S. median. In the Golden State, household bills account for 33% of California residents' annual household income of $104,029. "California is sort of a double-edged sword. You've got the high housing costs, and on top of that, every single category of bills in California is higher than the national median," Shivers says. For the third year in a row, West Virginia ranked as the least expensive state based on monthly costs. The average cost of bills in West Virginia is $1,149 per month — 44% lower than the U.S. median. The report also found that household bills make up 23% of the annual household income of $59,859 in the state. "West Virginia is remarkable because the cost of bills is still lower than any other state and it's no surprise. It's a state where the cost of living is lower but its economy is still struggling. It suffers from trying to create diversity beyond some traditional industries," Shivers says. "You don't want to move into a state and just sort of exploit the fact that it has a living wage. You want to move into a state where you can say we're going to provide new jobs and where we know we can be confident that our employees can have a living wage and a reasonable quality of life," he adds. The Mountain State also ranked as the cheapest state to live in for 2024, according to CNBC's America's Top States for Business Study. ,
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ed Sheeran given unusual secret code name ahead of Big Weekend surprise set
Only 10 people knew that Ed Sheeran would be performing at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today - and they used a secret code name when talking about the Shape of You singer Ed Sheeran was given a secret code name ahead of his surprise appearance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, we can reveal. The announcement of his performance came just 45 minutes before the Shape of You singer, 34, took to the stage and security had to close the area after it reached capacity. Opening with Castle on the Hill, Ed performed old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph. Insiders said the performance had been in the planning for two months - but only 10 people knew about it. And to keep Ed 's appearance secret, they would refer to the singer as John Smith up until today. Radio 1 breakfast show host Greg James was one of the few people that knew about Ed's secret gig from the beginning. "I don't even tell anyone at work," revealed Greg. "I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to do it as a surprise. He wanted to build that excitement. "I saw him an hour before in his dressing room and he said 'I'm worried because no one knows I'm here, no one's going to turn up and the tent's going to be empty.' I said 'You're Ed Sheehan mate, the tent's not going to be empty.' Big Weekend throws up those surprises. The tent was full, people got turned away." During his performance, Ed told fans he chose to sing on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. He told the audience at Sefton Park: "I'm glad you turned up. I know this was a secret. "I'm gonna play some songs that hopefully you know; If you don't know, it's gonna be a long hour for you." The singer added that by using his loop station, his set would be unique: "Everything you hear today is completely live. There's no backing track whatsoever. "It's made live on the spot - control of my feet - and at the end it's deleted and it won't be the same at the next show. The way that it works is you press record like this, and when you press play, it plays back and loops, and you can add layers on top of it." During his performance of latest song Azizam, Ed stopped and restarted his loop recording, telling the crowd: "I'm going to have to do this again again. This is how you know it's live. One more time." Ed, who has 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums and headlined the Big Weekend music festival in Coventry in 2022, finished his surprise set with Bad Habits. A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set." Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Blossoms, Myles Smith and the Sugababes all took the stage for the second day of the three day event. Haim and JADE are among those performing on Sunday.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Watch Ed Sheeran wow fans with surprise festival gig as security step in
Singer Ed Sheeran has wowed fans as he made a surprise performance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend today, much to the delight of fans. Thousands packed into the new music stage after it was announced he was performing just 45 minutes before his set. Security had to close the area after it reached capacity for the secret performance. Opening with Castle on the Hill, he went on to perform old and new hit Shivers, A-Team, Don't, Old Phone and Photograph. He told fans he chose to perform on the new music stage as it's the only one he hadn't sang on and wanted to celebrate up and coming musicians. A source at Big Weekend said: "The BBC knew Ed would draw in a huge crowd on the BBC New Music stage. The crowd were filled with hysteria as the Red head took to the stage. "But just minutes after he took to the stage, the crowd was put on lockdown due to unprecedented demand meaning nobody else could get in until after his set.' The 34 year old Perfect singer's performance at the Liverpool-based festival was announced a mere moments before he appeared on stage. BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend fans were seen dancing, jumping and singing along with their hands in the air while the music star belted out his hits. Rumours had been swirling that a big name star was set to make an appearance at the festival and it was later announced that the special guest was Ed. BBC Radio 1 made the announcement on their Instagram. In the video announcement, BBC Radio 1 star Greg James says the secret set is "the best surprise we could possibly have done". And it appears festival-goers were also in agreement as the area was so packed during Ed's set that it was locked down. A photo from the festival shows the crowd stretching out way past the tent which Ed is performing in. Ed's performance wowed festival-goers as one wrote on the comments of Radio 1's Instagram announcement: "Absolutely everything Liverpool needed" another added: "The goat is in town". Ed's surprise set comes as the singer is currently on tour.
Hamilton Spectator
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Veteran linebacker Cam Judge back with Toronto Argonauts
GUELPH - Cameron Judge wasn't looking for a change, but he is thankful his new football home is a familiar one. The veteran linebacker is preparing for his second stint with Toronto after being traded Jan. 10 by Calgary for defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade. The six-foot, 230-pound Judge, from Montreal, played nine games with the Argonauts in 2021 before being dealt to the Stampeders before the 2022 season for Canadian defensive back Royce Metchie. 'Yeah, it was a surprise but it feels good to be back out here and getting to play some football again,' Judge said. 'A lot of the staff, like trainers, were here when I was here. 'Same head coach (Ryan Dinwiddie), same linebacker coach (Kevin Eiben). That's definitely made for an easier transition.' But the trade made for a stressful time as four days prior, Judge and his wife, Brittany, became first-time parents with the birth of their son, Jax. However, the move to Toronto has also allowed Judge to reunite with new Argos co-defensive co-ordinator Jason Shivers. Shivers was Saskatchewan's defensive co-ordinator in 2019, Judge's last season with the Roughriders. Shivers will share defensive co-ordinator duties in Toronto with Eiben. 'He (Shivers) is another familiar face,' Judge said. 'I think they (Eiben and Shivers) work well together. 'Just two guys I'm excited to learn from and work with.' Judge had a solid tenure in Calgary (2022-24), registering 241 tackles, three special-teams tackles, eight sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles in 52 regular-season games. He was also the Stamps' nominee for outstanding Canadian in 2022 and 2023 and a CFL and West Division all-star in 2022. Judge, 30, began his CFL career with Saskatchewan (2017-19) and was the West Division's top Canadian in 2019. The former UCLA Bruin, who went second overall in the league's '17 draft, has appeared in 95 career regular-season games, recording 356 tackles, 22 special-teams tackles, 15 sacks and nine interceptions. He'll be among many new faces on a Toronto defence that's minus seven starters from its Grey Cup depth chart. But with seven CFL seasons under his belt, Judge can also serve as a mentor for the younger, less experienced players. 'A lot of the guys (here) I know, whether I've played with them or against them over the years,' he said. 'That kind of makes coming to a new team not a big deal. 'I also feel I have some stuff I can share with younger guys coming into this situation. That's what I've been trying to do with some of the players I've met and I'm trying to meet more guys and help where I can.' But among Toronto's defensive returnees is veteran middle linebacker Wynton McManis, who was a key figure in the Argos' Grey Cup-winning 2024 campaign. 'I'm so excited to play with him,' Judge said. 'The communication on the field, it has been a lot of fun so far.' McManis said seeing Judge lining up beside him is comforting. 'It takes a little pressure off just knowing somebody else is as capable and might make a play before you get a chance to,' he said. 'Knowing he's comfortable understanding the game as well as anybody makes my job a whole lot easier. 'We're going to learn from each other. I want to learn some things from him and if he wants to learn some things from me, I'm here for him.' And while Toronto's defensive terminology might be different, Judge feels experience is a great equalizer. 'A lot of the defences I've played in are pretty similar, just with different terminology,' he said. 'So it's learning that and maybe a couple of different tweaks each team has. 'At the end of the day it's football. Just stay in my books and I'll be able to handle it.' And with so many different faces on defence, the challenge facing Judge and Co. during training camp is developing chemistry and quickly getting into sync. Toronto begins its Grey Cup defence June 6 visiting the Montreal Alouettes. 'With new guys coming in, you've got to buy in right away,' he said. 'Camp is just three weeks so especially with a lot of new faces. 'Obviously I'm one of those new faces so it's just trying to work together, develop chemistry and get to know each other. And then the rest should take care of itself.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
