Threads hits 100 million users days after launch

• July 10, 2023

By Vlad Savov | Bloomberg

Meta Platforms’ answer to Twitter has rocketed to 100 million users in less than a week, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday.

“Threads reached 100  million sign-ups over the weekend,” Zuckerberg said in a post. “That’s mostly organic demand and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet. Can’t believe it’s only been 5 days!”

The Threads app, a spinoff from Instagram that uses people’s accounts for that service, got off to a scorching start on Wednesday and racked up 70 million users within two days, going “way beyond our expectations,” according to Zuckerberg.

It’s still early days, but Threads could generate some serious cash for the social media giant, according to Evercore ISI.

SEE MORE: How will sports fans navigate social media going forward?

Threads will reach close to 200 million daily active users and generate about $8 billion in annual revenue over next two years, Evercore ISI analysts led by Mark Mahaney estimate.

The text-centric service closely resembles Twitter in look and functionality, earning the displeasure of Twitter owner Elon Musk who has accused it of being a copycat and an “Instagram minus pics.” The two billionaire owners have traded jibes in recent weeks and Threads is now at the center of an intensifying rivalry.

The new app’s launch has benefited from Meta’s immense reach — Instagram alone has more than a billion regular users — and changes at Twitter that have alienated large swathes of its most active user base. Threads still lacks a number of basic features, such as a chronological feed composed solely of people you choose to follow, but it provides a very familiar experience and doesn’t yet have any advertising.

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​ Orange County Register 

FDA allowing more cancer drug imports from China amid US shortage

• July 10, 2023

By Ike Swetlitz | Bloomberg

US regulators are allowing imports of additional supplies of a cancer drug from China amid a nationwide shortage that has forced doctors to ration care, putting patients’ lives at risk.

The Food and Drug Administration has allowed distribution of 10 more lots of cisplatin, an essential chemotherapy drug, from Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., an agency spokesperson said Monday. The FDA previously cleared four lots of Qilu’s version of the drug, which is unapproved in the US, but similar to approved cisplatin sold there.

The current US shortage of cisplatin started at the beginning of the year when Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd., the company that makes much of the country’s supply, shut down a factory in India after the FDA found that workers apparently destroyed documents. Soon after, carboplatin, another chemotherapy drug that can sometimes be used as a substitute, fell into short supply.

Shortages of generic drugs like cisplatin are common in the US. Experts say the medicines don’t make enough money for companies to set up reliable supply chains. Drug shortages are at a five-year high, according to the University of Utah’s drug information service, which tracks the data. The FDA lists at least nine cancer drugs in short supply.

When there is a shortage of a medicine, the FDA regularly allows importation from companies that manufacture versions of the drug that aren’t approved in the US.

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​ Orange County Register 

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Snacking for meals

• July 10, 2023

(TNS) Mayo Clinic News Network 

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: During warm weather months, I find myself eating less formal meals and, instead, reaching for more snacks. I also tend to exercise less when it’s hot outside. Do you have advice on how to ensure I’m snacking healthfully as I realize the potential to overeat and not be as active?

ANSWER: Regardless of the time of year, maintaining healthy habits is important for good health. This includes exercise, eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

When snacking is done correctly, it can give you a boost of energy between meals, help meet nutrient needs for the day and help keep hunger at bay to prevent overeating at the next meal. And managing your hunger can help you maintain a healthy weight and reach weight-loss goals.

Consider these snacking tips to keep you feeling good as you adjust your eating schedule:

Plan your snacks. What do you like to eat? Make a list of various nutrient-rich foods that would work as a snack. Focus on incorporating whole foods, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Whole fruit or vegetables, air-popped popcorn, fat-free or low-fat yogurt, and nut mixes are all great options. Stay away from packaged items high in calories, fat and sodium, such as chips, candy or cookies.

Prepare your snacks properly. Package snack items into more convenient serving sized portions. Consider purchasing single-serve containers or preparing small servings of snacks in advance. Eating out of a package often can lead to mindless eating and result in eating more than intended. Also, it will make it easier if you take lunch to work, for instance, to help lessen the temptation of less-healthy options, such as from a vending machine.

Make healthy snacks easily accessible. Put fruits and vegetables in easily accessible locations, such as the front of your fridge or counter, which will stop you from reaching for unhealthy foods when you’re hungry. Throw a bag of dried fruit or other snacks in your purse, pocket or backpack to take with you out of the house. This will help you avoid buying unhealthy snacks.

Pay attention to protein and combine snacks to make a more satisfying meal. To ensure you are being fulfilled, combine carbohydrates, protein and fat for long-lasting, satisfying snacks. Aim for snacks to be less than 200 calories. Good sources of protein include hard-boiled eggs, pouches of seasoned tuna, cheese sticks, cottage cheese, yogurt with no added sugar, or soups made with lots of vegetables and legumes.

A healthy go-to snack could be apple slices or baby carrots dipped in small amounts of peanut butter or almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Eat when you are hungry — not bored. In general, a person will be hungry three to four hours after a meal. But having snacks around can lead to overeating. When you feel hunger setting in, be sure to ask yourself, “Am I physically hungry, or am I mind hungry —bored, stressed or frustrated?” before you grab for a snack. If you find you are, in fact, experiencing physical hunger, it’s time to grab a filling, satisfying snack. If you realize you were reaching for a snack because of mind hunger, feed the urge by doing another activity, such as going for a walk, talking with a friend on the phone, playing a game or meditating.

Review your fridge and pantry. While stocking up on healthy food choices, take time to also purge unhealthier options from your home. Remove foods that you know will tempt you.

Be aware of your weight. If you’re concerned about gaining weight, track your intake of snacks.

There are several apps you can use to track your eating and exercise routines. Women need 10 calories per pound per day to maintain their weight, and men need 11 calories per pound per day. Keep track of what and how much you eat, and build in enough exercise so you can control weight gain. — Compiled by Mayo Clinic staff

___

©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

WNBA Power Rankings: Aces still No. 1, Sparks fall to No. 11 via five-game losing streak

• July 10, 2023

The Sparks season has been described as “uncanny” by head coach Curt Miller when asked about the team’s recent rash of injuries and illnesses.

However, the Sparks have one more opportunity to break their now five-game losing streak before the WNBA All-Star break, which will mark the halfway point of the 2023 season.

The Sparks (7-12) will host the Las Vegas Aces (17-2) at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday at 7 PT.

Dearica Hamby (ankle), Karlie Samuelson (foot), Nia Clouden (knee), Lexie Brown (non-COVID illness), Chiney Ogwumike (foot), and Layshia Clarendon (foot) are all currently sidelined, with Hamby and Samuelson’s injuries being the most recent.

The current number of healthy Sparks is seven; Jordin Canada, Jasmine Thomas, Azurá Stevens, Nneka Ogwumike, Zia Cooke, Destanni Henderson, and Rae Burrell. Henderson and Burrell are currently on temporary emergency hardship contracts with the Sparks, granted by the league when it was deemed that they did not have enough healthy players to safely play games.

That’s not to mention Katie Lou Samuelson (pregnancy) and Steph Talbot (ACL) who were already slated to miss the entire season before training camp in May.

Despite all that adversity, the Sparks are ninth in the WNBA standings, one spot outside playoff contention but have dropped two slots below that in the latest WNBA power rankings.

The rankings (and records through Monday, July 10):

1. Las Vegas Aces (17-2): Kelsey Plum’s 40-point performance in 31 minutes at Minnesota on Sunday, is the latest reason why the Aces are the team to beat in the WNBA. Las Vegas is led by All-Star captain, two-time MVP, and DPOY A’ja Wilson, who alongside All-Star guards Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Plum, give the Aces a dynamic core group of players. However, you know Las Vegas is the quintessential definition of a ‘superteam’, when two-time MVP, DPOY, and future Hall of Famer Candace Parker is the team’s fifth option and the lone starter to not make the 2023 All-Star team.

Previous: 1

2. New York Liberty (13-4): The Liberty are led by All-Star captain Breanna Stewart, who averaging a career-high 23.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season. The Liberty are 8-2 in their last 10 games, vaulting over Connecticut after an 89-81 win on June 27. However, New York still has work to do in chasing a WNBA title, after their borderline blowout 98-91 loss at Las Vegas on June 29.

Previous: 3

3. Connecticut Sun (14-5): The Sun are 7-3 in their last 10 games but dropped to No. 3 because of their 89-81 loss to the Liberty on June 27. However, as long as All-Star reserve forwards Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are on the court, Connecticut will give every team in the league fits and matchup nightmares.

Previous: 2

4. Dallas Wings (10-9): The Wings moved into the top four of this week’s rankings after their thrilling 80-78 win at home against the Las Vegas Aces Friday. Dallas is 5-5 in its last 10 games but any team that beats the Aces is squarely in the conversation to make some noise in the playoffs. Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard are all playing like All-Stars.

Previous: 6

5. Washington Mystics (10-8): The Mystics had seemingly cemented their position as a top-four team in the league but injuries to Elena Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Shakira Austin, and Kristi Tolliver mean Washington could be one of the teams that benefit the most from this weekend’s All-Star break. The Mystics are 5-5 in their last 10 games.

Previous: 4

6. Atlanta Dream (10-8): The Dream are 7-3 in their last 10 games, including a five-game winning streak against Mystics, Sparks (twice) and Sky (twice). Dream guard Rhyne Howard is now averaging a team-high 18.7 points per game, despite not being selected as an All-Star reserve alongside her teammates Allisha Gray and Cheyenne Parker.

Previous: 7

7. Minnesota Lynx (9-10): The Lynx are also 7-3 in their last 10 games but suffered a 113-89 loss at home to the Aces on Sunday. Meanwhile, All-Star forward Napheesa Collier is averaging 21.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Collier is playing at an All-WNBA level as rookie guard Diamond Miller, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 Draft, continues her impressive play adding 12.7 points per game.

Previous: 11

8. Chicago Sky (8-11): The Sky are in transition after the sudden resignation of general manager/head coach James Wade, who accepted a new position as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors. All-Star guard Kahleah Copper is averaging a team-high 17.0 points per game but the Sky are 3-7 in their last 10 games.

Previous: 9

9. Indiana Fever (5-14): The Fever are on a seven-game losing streak but six of the seven games have been close losses to the No. 1 Aces, No. 4 Wingsm No. 5 Mystics, No. 7 Lynx, and No. 8 Sky. Despite the losses, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and NaLyssa Smith have all played at an All-Star level. The Fever are 2-8 in their last 10 games.

Previous: 8

10. Phoenix Mercury (4-14): Brittney Griner threw down the first dunk of the WNBA season to lead the Mercury to a 78-72 win at home against the Sparks Sunday. The 6-foot-9 Griner finished with a double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds. That’s the type of tantalizing play that always gives Phoenix a chance. The Mercury are 2-8 in their last 10 games.

Previous: 12

AIR TIME! BRITTNEY GRINER HAS THE FIRST DUNK OF THE 2023 SEASON! pic.twitter.com/9Kwg0hJCjp

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 9, 2023

11. Sparks (7-12): Injuries may be the reason but the fact remains the Sparks are on a five-game losing streak heading into Wednesday’s home game against the No. 1 ranked Aces. The Sparks entered Sunday’s 78-72 loss at Phoenix with eight healthy players and headed back to LA with just seven healthy players after Dearica Hamby’s ankle injury. This weekend’s All-Star break, in which Nneka Ogwumike will be an All-Star starter for the second consecutive season, will be a great time for the Sparks to reset and rest up for the second half of the WNBA’s 40-game regular season. The Sparks are 2-8 in their last 10 games but veteran point guard Jasmine Thomas believes there’s still time to turn around this season.

Previous: 5

Sparks PG Jasmine Thomas on her current confidence level after playing her first 11 games with the Sparks after returning to play from a torn ACL injury that she suffered in May 2022. @jaszthomas is encouraged about Sunday’s game at Phoenix and the rest of the 2023 WNBA season. pic.twitter.com/IoS2ysZM74

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 8, 2023

12. Seattle Storm (4-14): The Storm are on a five-game losing streak and All-Star starter Jewell Loyd, who is leading the league at 24.9 points per game, suffered a sprained ankle on Saturday. The return of Storm forward Gabby Williams can’t come soon enough as the team is 2-8 in its last 10 games.

Previous: 10

WNBA Power Rankings: Aces are No. 1, Sparks rise to No. 5 after clinching season series against Dallas

WNBA Power Rankings: Aces are No. 1, Sparks at No. 6 after close losses to Sun, Lynx

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​ Orange County Register 

Like Wordle for baseball nerds, the Immaculate Grid has become this summer’s viral internet sensation

• July 10, 2023

These days the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is grab my phone, open up my new favorite game and plunge myself into the deepest recesses of my memory bank, straining like hell to remember Carlos Pena.

All my friends are doing it too, and the group chat blows up around 9 a.m., as we eagerly await to share which Guys we’ve Remembered, kind of like friends calling each other on Christmas morning to discuss their presents. “You got Octavio Dotel?! Dude, nice, I can’t believe it!!”

This has become a way of life for sports fans over the last week and a half or so, a ritual that feels perfect for this moment, as the summer heat sets in, Fourth of July leftovers are still in the fridge and many of us are looking for a reason to text our friends as we tackle that latest work project from our couches.

The Immaculate Grid has become a viral sensation, like a Wordle or Sudoku for sports fans, only with childhood memories included.

Since its Twitter account became active in April, the Immaculate Grid has amassed more than 25,000 followers. Its popularity has exploded since the last two weeks of June, with interest hitting its peak on June 30 according to Google Trends, as searches for “Astros Rays players” “Astros Rays Cy Young,” “Shane McClanahan 200 Ks” and “David Price” prove people are not beyond cheating in order to impress their friends.

Immaculate Grid 93:#immaculategrid #mlbconnectgridhttps://t.co/4raWyQmE70
Retweet or reply with your score! pic.twitter.com/CFHiIYj5Bz

— Immaculate Grid (@immaculategrid) July 5, 2023

Savvy search-oriented websites are cranking out content daily surrounding answers to the grid, giving people a place to chea– er, look up the correct answers after they’ve been stumped and sent the results to their friends.

Like most internet things, the grid has emerged from a groundswell, going from niche find to popular culture novelty almost overnight.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone brought up the grid on the latest episode of the popular podcast Talkin’ Yanks, incidentally hosted by a pair of Central Connecticut State grads, Jimmy O’Brien (Jomboy) and Jake Storiale.

“Have you guys been doing the Immaculate grid?” Boone asked. “It’s big in our clubhouse.”

“I ripped off a 16 this morning,” he continued. “Rarity score.”

Aaron Boone says he’s good at the Immaculate Grid and the Yankees clubhouse loves doing it pic.twitter.com/wxW9Tp42GT

— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 5, 2023

The game has made its way into clubhouses around the league, with Milwaukee Brewers beat reporter Curt Hogg excitedly delivering the news that the grid has reached the Brewers clubhouse, and that players are printing out sheets and filling them out. Hogg reported that outfielder Jesse Winkler, who would be a correct answer to a Brewers-Reds, Reds-Mariners or Brewers-Mariners square, scored a perfect 9 on June 28.

The most important news coming from the lower level of Citi Field right now: The Immaculate Grid has reached the Brewers clubhouse in printed-out sheets. Jesse Winker scored a 9 today.

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) June 28, 2023

The rules of the grid are pretty simple: Name any player who played for both the team shown on the x and y axis of the graph, or when a stat such as .300 batting season or Cy Young award is shown on the axis, name one who did that, too. The grid is unrelenting in its ruthlessness, however- there is no room for wrong answers. Hence the word immaculate, like an immaculate inning, in which a pitcher strikes out the side on just nine pitches.

In my group chat on the day of this writing, myself and two of my friends and former colleagues at NBC Sports were able to guess all nine answers correctly. The other friend in our chat, current Metsmerized.com writer and editor Ross Bentley, made eight correct guesses before staring down the final box in the grid, needing to name a former Rays and Astros player. He guessed Carlos Lee.

Devastating.

When Ross shared his result on the chat, it felt like a combined perfect game had been broken up with two outs in the ninth.

“Took a shot in the dark, but it didn’t pay off,” he said, before lamenting that he should have thought of Charlie Morton.

For the guys in my group chat, simply getting the right answers and completing the grid is the goal, but it’s an even higher status symbol to fill out the grid by guessing the most obscure players possible.

Baseball Prospectus writer Jarrett Seidler has been posting his results to Twitter, completing the puzzle with outright ridiculous answers, asking us to believe that he somehow knew that relief pitcher Pat Mahomes (Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ father) hit .300 one season while playing for the New York Mets.

I’m not saying he didn’t know that, but the part of me that likes to think that my guess of Tony Womack as a former Pirate and Diamondback was a stroke of peerless sports genius thinks he’s cheating.

We both did guess Arthur Rhodes though, along with only 0.2 percent of other players who played the game that day. Now that’s a rarity score.

On a given day, Immaculate Grid’s analytics report hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of games being played. When you finish, the game gives you a chart showing the most popular correct answers, and allows you to share your score in a text or on social media without revealing your answers, much like Wordle.

It’s gotten popular enough that NBA, NHL and NFL versions of the game have been created in recent days.

If all of this sounds like nonsense, there’s one key thing to remember: It is.

But for those of us who spent our childhoods collecting memories about Pokey Reese and Mike Bordick and Lenny Dykstra, stashing away the information that Howie Kendrick was both an Angel and a National, or even that Jimmie Foxx once played for the A’s, this is a seminal moment.

It’s a chance to use the personal Elias Sports Bureaus we’ve built up in our heads, and to brag to our friends that we can remember Cecil Fielder. It’s also a reason to rip your friends, which is clearly the best part of all.

I mean seriously, Carlos Lee? Who thinks he played for the Rays?

​ Orange County Register 

Little Saigon’s night market draws largest crowd yet

• July 10, 2023

TikTok influencers have discovered Little Saigon‘s annual night market.

This year, the night market at Asian Garden Mall in Westminster has attracted the largest crowds yet, said Kathy Buchoz, one of the organizers of the night market and a director at the Westminster Chamber of Commerce.

In previous years, crowds were estimated at around 2,000 to 3,000 people each night, but this year Buchoz estimates an additional 1,000 people are attending each night. Returning vendors, too, have said this is the best night market yet, Buchoz said.

Non-Asian people, families and “a real mix of people traveling here from far away” have come to the night market to sample the various foods, enjoy the live music and shop the many vendors selling toys, clothing and other trinkets, she said.

One of the popular — and new — vendors at this year’s open-air market is the pho seller, she said. This is the first time the hearty Vietnamese soup dish has made an appearance at the night market, which is now in its 13th year.

Buchoz also recommends visitors try the fresh lobster.

“They have live lobsters. You can pick out which one you want, and they boil it right there, and so you get really fresh lobster,” she said.

And just like in previous years, the squid guy is the most popular vendor, Buchoz said. The vendor brings around 400 pounds of squid each night and grills it fresh for visitors.

The Little Saigon night market at the Asian Garden Mall at 9200 Bolsa Ave. runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. until Sunday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day weekend). Admission and parking are free.

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Hospitality workers strike at 8 more Southern California hotels

• July 10, 2023

Hundreds of cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen and other workers from eight area hotels walked off the job Monday, July 10, marking the second wave of the largest multi-hotel strike in Southern California history.

The employees, represented by Unite Here Local 11, are seeking an immediate $5-hourly wage increase for all hotel workers, regardless of their current pay level. They want the hotels to continue providing family healthcare coverage for employees and are seeking upgrades to their pension plan as well as “safe and humane” workloads.

SEE MORE: What’s behind the workers’ strike at Southern California hotels?

The union also wants to establish a fund to help pay for the construction of affordable housing for hotel workers who are struggling amid rising rents and mortgages. The fund would be supported through a 7% tax on hotel guests, replacing the “junk fees” they currently pay for wireless service and other amenities, Unite Here said.

The hotel workers are seeking an immediate $5-an-hour pay increase. They also want to create a fund to help pay for the construction of affordable housing for hotel employees. (Photo courtesy of Unite Here Local 11)

Lilia Sotelo, a housekeeper at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, fully supports the union’s demands.

“I am on strike because as a mom I will do anything to keep a roof over my kids’ heads,” Sotelo said “Rent is soaring but wages are not.”

Meanwhile, employees say rooms are no longer being cleaned on a daily basis.

“They’re only cleaning them on checkout, so that creates a heavier workload when they are cleaned,” said Christian Morales, a laundry worker at the Hilton Pasadena, said last month. “I was putting things in the laundry chute and it was clogged all the way up to the fifth floor.”

Unite Here co-President Kurt Petersen said the union hasn’t decided how long the latest walkout will last.

“We want to keep the companies guessing,” he said. “Right now, there are replacement workers sitting in these hotels waiting to be deployed to different jobs. So they’re paying for a second workforce.”

The latest walkout targets the Westin Los Angeles Airport hotel, Hotel June in Westchester and Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles hotel, among others. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown LA is the only location that has reached a labor agreement with Unite Here, union officials said.

Monday’s strike comes just days after hundreds of hospitality workers picketed 21 hotels in Santa Monica and LA over the July 4th weekend.

Two days later, a bargaining group representing 44 Southern California hotels filed unfair labor practice charges against the union, claiming they broke the law by attempting to force the hotels into a contract with elements that have nothing to do with their employees and “could harm the Los Angeles tourism industry.”

The Coordinated Bargaining Group said Unite Here is insisting the hotels support a controversial LA County ballot measure requiring them to house the homeless along with regular guests. And they say the union’s proposed 7% tax on hotel guests is simply a way to grow Local 11’s footprint outside Los Angeles.

Pete Hillan, a spokesman for the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, said the homeless mandate and tax issue fall under the purview of city governments — not hotels.

“This is a real head-scratcher,” he said in an interview last week. “And the demand that hotels provide housing for homeless individuals wouldn’t come without wrap-around services that address mental illness, drug addiction and safety precautions for housekeepers.”

More than 15,000 Southern California hotel workers voted last month to authorize a strike, with 96% voting in favor of a walkout.

The top concern among the workers is the rising cost of housing. In a recent union survey, 53% of employees said they have either moved in the past five years or will be forced to move in the near future because of soaring housing costs.

“No worker should have to sleep in their car between shifts because they cannot afford to live in Los Angeles,” Petersen said. “Workers are striking because they believe that all workers in this city – whether you teach, write, act, or clean hotel rooms – deserve a wage that allows them to live with dignity in Los Angeles.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Ozzy Osbourne bows out of Power Trip concert in Indio

• July 10, 2023

Ozzy Osbourne will no longer perform at the mega Power Trip concert in Indio in October.

The 74-year-old Black Sabbath frontman has had numerous health issues and on Monday, July 10, he said he wouldn’t be able to join Iron Maiden, Metallica, Tool, Guns ‘N Roses and AC/DC for the event, scheduled at the Empire Polo Club on Oct. 6-8.

“As painful as it is, I’ve had to make the decision to bow out of performing on Power Trip in October,” an emailed statement read. “My original plan was to return to the stage in the summer of 2024, and when the offer to do this show came in, I optimistically moved forward. Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed.”

“The band that will be replacing me on Power Trip will be announced shortly,” the statement continued. “They are personal friends of mine and I can promise that you will not be disappointed. Above all, I want to thank my fans, my band, and my crew for their unconditional loyalty and continual support. I love you all and I will see you soon. God Bless, Ozzy.”

Earlier this year, Osbourne announced he’d be retiring from touring, citing difficulties following several back and neck surgeries he’s undergone as the result of a 2003 ATV accident and subsequent fall in 2019. In 2020, he also revealed that he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was under a doctor’s care. Though he was unable to complete his final tour, he shared with fans that he wouldn’t rule out occasional one-off performances.

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The three-day festival, produced by Goldenvoice, still incudes Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden performing on Oct. 6, AC/DC on Oct. 7 and Metallica and Tool on Oct. 8. Tickets are still available starting at $599 for general admission; $799 for three-day reserved seating; and $1,599 for pit access at powertrip.live.

Power Trip is reminiscent of the company’s 2016 festival Desert Trip, which brought together the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Who and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd for two consecutive weekends, and the Big 4 Festival, which saw sets from Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica in 2011 at the same venue.

​ Orange County Register