32 Awesome Events In Southern California This Weekend - LAist

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• 32 Awesome Events In Southern California This Weekend - LAist
• Amazon sale for Prime members from tomorrow. Check best smartphone deals - Livemint
• Teen Vaping Didn’t Cool Juul’s Celebrity Push - The Wall Street Journal
• 10th Annual "What If..." Festival returns to Colorado Springs - KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News

32 Awesome Events In Southern California This Weekend - LAist Posted: 26 Sep 2019 06:00 AM PDT Get wild with the wildlife at Roaring Nights at the L.A. Zoo. (Courtesy of GLAZA) Climb the Bank Tower in DTLA. Watch Killer Crocodile. Attend Tegan & Sara's book launch. Check out Ava DuVernay's Array 360 film series. Catch the L.A. Opera — at the beach. Eat your heart out at gelato and chocolate festivals. And get spooky — or spooked — with our SoCal Halloween Guide. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 6 - 10:30 P.M. Roaring Nights at the Zoo Los Angeles Zoo — 5333 Zoo Dr., Griffith Park Hang with (some) creatures of the night at a party with music provided by DJ Richard Blade, Flashback Heart Attack, DJ Severe, The Detroit Nights and HUSH Silent Disco. Check out close-up animal experience stations throughout the zoo. Food trucks will be onsite to feed partygoers. The event is 21+. COST: $21; MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 11 A.M. - 9 P.M. YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles U.S. Bank Tower — 401 S. Hope St., downtown L.A. Be one of the 4,000 participants to take on the tallest stairwell west of the Mississippi, nd it's for a good cause. Race or walk up the U.S. Bank Tower's 1,664 steps (that'd be 75 stories) then treat yo self by taking the elevator down to a block party with games, bands, food trucks and a 21+ beer garden. Funds raised will benefit the YMCA's community programs. COST: $150 - $50 (for Elite racers); MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 5 - 9 P.M. Van Nuys Arts Festival Van Nuys Civic Center — 14350 Sylvan St., Van Nuys This year's arts festival, The Glow Up, focuses on art and tech, nature and empowerment, with a glow nature garden by artists Debi Cable, Black Light King, Todd Meyer and Darlene Kerns. Listen to music by the Selena tribute band Selenamos and DJ Les Ortiz as well as performances by The Gr818ers Dance Crew, Champs Charter High School of the Arts & Panorama High School. COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO The inaugural Groove Island Festival on Catalina Island features DJs, dance music, outdoor activities, meditation, yoga and comedy. (Courtesy of Prism Cam) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Groove Island Festival Various locations in Avalon, Catalina Island The first immersive music dance festival on the island features 40 artists and DJs such as Andrew Rayel, Chus & Ceballos, Mark Knight, Oliver Heldens, Sam Feldt and Shiba San. The event includes themed costume parties; a chillout experience with yoga, meditation and wellness workshops; a silent disco; and stand-up comedy. Travel and lodging packages are available. This festival is 21+. COST: Single-day tickets start at $99.; MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 7 P.M. Frankie Quiñones The Wiltern — 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown The stand-up comedian brings some of his best-known characters to the stage, including Creeper (a reformed cholo turned fitness guru) and Juanita Carmelita (a suburban drama queen). If you can't make the Wiltern show this week, he also has four shows at the Irvine Improv on Oct. 4 and 5. COST: $25; MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 6:30 - 10 P.M. Haunted Little Tokyo Film Festival: Prince of Darkness David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts —120 Judge John Aiso St. downtown L.A. Go Little Tokyo presents spook-tacular events throughout the month, including a film festival that opens on Friday with John Carpenter's 1987 horror film. It screens in the church it was filmed (fka Union Church) with special guest, actor Dennis Dun. Guests 21+ can partake in themed cocktails at a cash bar, listen to a Q & A session with Dun and tour of the filming location with Horror's Hallowed Grounds' Sean Clark. COST: $20 - $25; MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 10 P.M. Beyond Fest: Killer Crocodile Egyptian Theatre — 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood Friday Night Frights presents the 30th anniversary screening of the 1989 film, written and directed by Fabrizio De Angelis. A take on the "animals gone extra wild" subgenre, the movie follows a croc that has grown unnaturally large due to chemical dumping in the river. The film stars Richard Anthony Crenna (son of Rambo's Richard Crenna) who tries to save the community from this predator. Tickets are only available at the Egyptian's box office one hour before showtime; two tickets per person maximum. (Also at Beyond Fest on Friday at 8 p.m. is a free screening of Paganini Horror (1989), the story of a female metal band that accidentally opens a portal to hell while playing cursed sheet music.) COST: FREE; MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Ohana Fest Doheny State Beach — 25300 Dana Point Harbor Dr., Dana Point Say goodbye to summer with a three-day music festival at the beach. The all-ages event includes performances by Eddie Vedder, The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glen Hansard, Las Cafeteras, Jenny Lewis and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. COST: Single-day tickets start at $128.50; MORE INFO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27; 8 P.M. Robot Chicken 10th Season Spectacular: Night of 1000 Bawks The Theatre at Ace Hotel — 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. Adult Swim promises an evening of laughs (at least 1,000) with a celebration of the show's greatest sketches and untold stories. Hear behind-the-scenes tales from co-creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich. They're joined by writers, producers, craftspeople, voice actors and celebrity guests who've contributed to the show. Guests will also get a sneak peek at Season 10. The event is 18+. COST: $10; MORE INFO Filmmaker Euzhan Palcy presents her classic 1983 film, ,Sugar Cane Alley,' on opening night of Array 360. (Film still courtesy of Euzhan Palcy ) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 - NOVEMBER 2 Array 360 Amanda Theater @ Array — 180 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park The new film series, which is curated, funded and presented by Ava DuVernay's nonprofit, Array Alliance, brings together filmmakers, emerging artists and the community for six weekends of screenings and conversation. The opening weekend features the two-day program, A Woman's Work, highlighting the films of trailblazers Euzhan Palcy, Barbara Loden, Kathleen Collins, Marilou Diaz-Araya and Suzana Amaral. Palcy and Nina Collins, the daughter of late Kathleen Collins, are expected to attend. The series runs through Nov. 2. COST: FREE, seats on a first-come, first-served basis; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Gelato Festival America Pacific Design Center — 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood This festival and competition pits artisanal gelato makers against each other as they vie for title of best of the fest. Guests can taste all the gelato they want among competing flavors. The winning flavor and chef will head to the Gelato Festival World Masters 2021. The weekend also includes games, contests and a laboratory of frozen desserts. COST: Admission $10 - $25; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. Nigerian Independence Day Veterans Park — 22400 Moneta Ave., Carson The 59th edition of the community carnival celebrates Nigeria's independence from British rule, which occurred on Oct. 1, 1960. Listen to tunes spun by DJ Lenitini, take part in cultural activities, taste Nigerian foods available for purchase and shop the wares of local vendors. COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO It's a weekend of culture, community and music at the Watts Towers, built by hand over 33 years by sculptor and designer Simon Rodia. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Watts Towers' Festivals Watts Towers Arts Center — 1727 E. 107th St., Watts Saturday marks the 38th Day of the Drum Festival, which includes performances of Aztec drumming and dance, Korean classical music, Japanese taiko, capoeira and West African beats. Sunday's 43rd annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival features spiritual music, Italian jazz, Afro-Cuban and R&B music. Look for performances by David Ornette Cherry with Organic Nation, Lynne Fiddmont and Dwight Trible. The festivals include kids activities, food and craft vendors. COST: FREE; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Main Day Event The Pico Union Project, 1153 Valencia St.. Pico-Union This lit festival for LGBTQ writers culminates with a closing celebration and performances. Tegan & Sara read and discuss their recent memoir, High School. You can also catch readings and performances by Katherine Agyemaa Agard, Charlie Jane Anders, Myriam Gurba, Dynasty Handbag, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Phranc, Tommy Pico, Danez Smith and Karen Tongson (who also hosts karaoke to end the day). Doors open at 11 a.m. Free lunch provided by L.A. Habana. COST: FREE, but there's currently a waitlist; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 6:30 - 10 P.M. Queer Prom First Christian Church of Whittier — 6355 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier The city holds its first-ever gay pride festival from Sept. 26-28, and one of the big events is the prom. Taking place after Whittier Pride, the event features sound and lights by three DJs, two photo booths, snacks and a space to chill. The evening closes with a ballroom- style pose-off to crown three prom winners. LGBTQ+ community members, friends, family and allies are welcome to the dance. COST: Admission $5 - $50; MORE INFO Relive the 1940s aboard the historic Battleship IOWA. (Courtesy of '40s on the Fantail) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 5 - 10 P.M. 40's On The Fantail - Wine, Beer & Food Festival Battleship USS Iowa Museum — 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro This 1940s-themed festival doubles as a charity fundraiser benefiting Mission 22, a nonprofit organization that combats suicide among veterans. Guests will be treated to USO-style entertainment from headliner Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, the Satin Dollz and the Hollywood It Girls as well as swing dance lessons, vintage cars and costume contests. COST: $65 - $120; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 12 - 7 P.M. Michelada Rumble on the Beach SeaLegs at the Beach — 17851 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach This festival devoted to beer cocktails features a competition among 24 of the best micheladas (a combo of beer, tomato juice and spices) from California and Texas. The day also includes luche libre wresting, a performance by Baby Bash and, of course, beer. This event is strictly 21+. COST: $25 general admission; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 2 P.M. Disney's That Darn Cat New Beverly Cinema — 7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax Watch a family matinee of the 1965 Robert Stevenson film in a 35mm print. Hayley Mills and Dorothy Provine star as sisters with a trouble-making Siamese cat. Dean Jones co-stars as an FBI agent. Kids of all ages are welcome, and attendees 12 and younger get a free child size popcorn and raffle ticket. COST: $6; MORE INFO LA Opera's 2019 production of 'La Boheme' will be simulcast to Santa Monica and Torrance on Saturday night. (Cory Weaver ) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 7:30 - 10:30 P.M. Opera at the Beach and Opera in the Park Santa Monica Pier — 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Columbia Regional Park — 4045 190th St., Torrance L.A. Opera opened its 2019-20 season with a new take on Puccini's romantic tragedy, La Bohème (the inspiration for Broadway's Rent). For the fifth year, catch the production on HD-livestreams in Santa Monica and Torrance. Bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets. COST: FREE; MORE INFO A woman plays 'Mortal Kombat 2' on an 1980s console by Arcade 1Up at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, opening in Los Angeles, California on June 11, 2019. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Retrocade Union Station — 800 N. Alameda St., downtown L.A. The old-school gaming weekend is back by popular demand with more than 50 cabinet games from the '70s, '80s and '90s, including Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. (We got dibs on Galaga and Donkey Kong.) All games are set to free play and the admission fee covers two-hour sessions. Serious gamers can enter the Pac Man tournament each day from 5 to 7 p.m. A DJ spins while arcade food, beer, wine and cocktails are available for purchase. COST: $5 admission, $10 for Pac Man tournament; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 11 A.M. - 4 P.M. Los Angeles Libros Festival Los Angeles Central Library — 630 W 5th St., downtown L.A. The free, bilingual book festival includes storytelling, music performances, international and local authors, books and workshops throughout the day in dos idiomas. COST: FREE; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. Nature for All: National Public Lands Day Multiple Locations Experience L.A. County's public lands for free, while taking public transportation. Start at Union Station then head to the mountains, beach or parks either on your own or via a guided trip. All participants need to have their own TAP card, with $3.50 pre-loaded for the roundtrip ride on Metro. Destinations include L.A. State Historic Park in Chinatown, the L.A. River (Steelhead Park), Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Baldwin Hills, Santa Monica Beach Pier and Sturtevant Fall in the San Gabriel Valley. RSVPs required for guided tours. COST: FREE / donations accepted; MORE INFO The Hammer Museum opens a retrospective on the artist Lari Pittman, including 'How Sweet the Day After This and That, Deep Sleep Is Truly Welcomed.' (© Lari Pittman, courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 8 P.M. Lari Pittman: Declaration of Independence Hammer Museum 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles The museum presents the opening celebration of the most comprehensive retrospective of the L.A.-based artist, teacher and social justice advocate's work. Featuring approximately 80 paintings and 50 works on paper, the exhibition marks the first time the Hammer has devoted all of its major exhibition spaces to a single living artist. The opening night party features food trucks, a cash bar and a live DJ. The exhibition runs through Jan. 5, 2020. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 9 P.M. NY Night Train Shakin' All Over Under Sideways Down! w/Jonathan Toubin Zebulon — 2478 Fletcher Dr., Elysian Valley DJ, producer, writer and party ringleader Jonathan Toubin brings his NY dance festivities to the West Coast, spinning vinyl soul along the way. There's a $100 dance-off at midnight. Ages 21+. COST: $10 ; MORE INFO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28; 11:59 P.M. Barton Fink Vista Theatre — 4473 Sunset Dr., Los Feliz The Secret Movie Club screens the Coen Brothers' 1991 film, which stars John Turturro as the title character, a mildly successful New York playwright who moves to L.A. to write screenplays. Once here, he encounters writer's block, a traveling salesman neighbor (John Goodman) and a dead woman in his bed. COST: Tickets start at $12.75; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 12 P.M. Offal Closing Events Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery — 4800 Hollywood Blvd., East Hollywood It's the closing weekend of the Offal exhibition at the gallery. The group show is based on the practice of consuming innards as well as an examination of culture and food. The two final public programs are a walkthrough with artists Matt Hollis, Sarah Julig and Alex Nazari then a pickle-tasting led by artist Robert Farid Karimi. Sample pickles that have fermented during his installation's run or create your own as you listen to Karimi's poetry. COST: FREE; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 7:30 A.M. Alive & Running West 88th St. & La Tijera Blvd., Westchester The 5K run/walk remembers loved ones lost to suicide while raising funds for the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center. The org offers training, research and services to people who have thought, attempted or lost someone to suicide. Hosted by actor Catherine Hicks, the featured speaker is Talinda Bennington, widow of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, with music by Alex Boyé. COST: $35; free for children 12 and younger; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 10 A.M. - 6 P.M. 35th Annual Abbot Kinney Festival Abbot Kinney Blvd. — between Venice Blvd. and Main St., Venice The annual Venice block party takes over a one-mile stretch of the trendy boulevard with four live music stages, five beer gardens (21+), more than 350 vendors as well, and food booths and trucks. The festival also features games, rides and music for kids. There are beer garden fast passes ($35, includes one beer) and KidsQuad wristbands (games/rides) available for purchase ($90 - $100 for unlimited rides). COST: FREE admission; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 10 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. Los Angeles Chocolate Salon Pasadena Convention Center — 300 E. Green St., Pasadena Sample sweet treats from artisanal chocolatiers and confectioners such as Michael's Chocolates, Mignon Chocolate, Amano Artisan Chocolate and Andrea's Truffles. In addition to tastings, there are chef and author talks, wine tastings (for those 21+) and cooking demos. COST: $20 - $25 for adult admission; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 5 - 8 P.M. 45th Annual AbilityFirst Festival of Fall Laurabelle A. Robinson House — 195 South Grand Ave., Pasadena Held on the grounds of the historic house, the festival showcases the tastes of more than 25 top chefs, restaurants, cocktail bars, wineries and breweries, along with live culinary demonstrations and music. Sample delights from vendors including Bone Kettle, Bacchus' Kitchen, Celestino Ristorante & Bar, El Cholo Café, Sushi Roku andTam O'Shanter, among others. Special cocktails and spirit tastings from Dulce Vida Tequila, Krafted Spirits, Mi Piace and The Raymond 1886. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the nonprofit AbilityFirst, which helps people with disabilities achieve their full potential. COST: Tickets start at $250; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 10 A.M. - 7 P.M. Community Classroom The Row Downtown LA — 767 Alameda St., downtown L.A. The digital media company ATTN teams with UCLA to present a day of ideas and art, with alumni speakers taking on topics of culture, sustainability and entrepreneurship. Presenters include: actor and LGBTQ+ advocate George Takei; chef Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish; and Coolhaus founder Natasha Case. The day also features a community mural, art installations, the "Human Library" and Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29; 8 P.M. Rosh Hashanah Community Dinners Shul on the Beach — 505 Ocean Front Walk, Venice Watch the sunset over the ocean and share the first meal of 5780 with a welcoming community. The event will be led by Rabbi Shalom Rubanowitz. COST: Dinner tickets start at $35.; MORE INFO

Amazon sale for Prime members from tomorrow. Check best smartphone deals - Livemint Posted: 27 Sep 2019 03:12 AM PDT NEW DELHI : Timed around the Navratri, Durga Puja and Diwali festivals, e-commerce major Amazon's flagship Great Indian Festival sale will begin tomorrow for its Prime members who will get early access from noon. After the 12-hour window is over, the sale will open to everyone from midnight of September 29 till October 4. Amazon has promised up to 40% off on smartphones with more than ₹2,000 crore worth of discounts and freebies in the Great Indian Festival sale along with free screen replacement worth ₹1,200 crore on smartphones purchases during the event period. Besides no-cost EMIs, Amazon is also bringing in exchange offers up to ₹6,000. Best smartphone deals during Amazon sale: - Gadget lovers are awaiting the sale of latest Amazon special smartphones including OnePlus 7T, Samsung M30S, Samsung M10S and Vivo U10 during the event. - Amazon has promised "irresistible extra offers" on Samsung Galaxy M30s, Redmi 7A, Redmi 7 and Vivo U10 for the first 36 hours of the sale. - OnePlus 7 series will see a massive price drop of up to ₹4,000. - For the first time, Samsung M30 smartphones, with a massive battery size of 6000mAh, will be put on sale with prices beginning ₹13,999. Amazon Pay wallet users will get an additional cashback of ₹1,000. - Newly launched Samsung M10s will also be available on flash sale every 4 hours only on Amazon at ₹8,999. - Flagship products of Amazon Specials - Samsung M series will be available at massive price drops up to ₹4,500, with the bestseller M30 now available in 3+32 GB variant at only ₹9,999. - Up to 40% off on flagship Samsung models with Galaxy Note 9 available at a rock bottom price of ₹42,990 and additional exchange offers up to ₹6,000 on Galaxy Note 10 and S10. - Xiaomi smartphones will be sold for up to ₹12,000 off during the Amazon sale. Redmi 7A will be available at ₹4,999, Redmi 7 at ₹5,999, inclusive of Amazon Pay cashback. The e-commerce portal has also promised never before offers on Redmi Y3, Mi A3 and Poco F1 smartphone models. - Exciting offers on Apple iPhones, never before offer on iPhone XR and 6S with new launches of iPhone 11, iPhone 11 pro, 11 pro max also available on sale. - Up to ₹16,000 off on Vivo smartphones with additional up to ₹3,000 on exchange. - Up to ₹20,000 off on OPPO smartphones with additional up to ₹5,000 on exchange. - Up to ₹19,000 discount on Honor smartphones. - Up to ₹30,000 off on Huawei smartphones.

Teen Vaping Didn’t Cool Juul’s Celebrity Push - The Wall Street Journal Posted: 28 Sep 2019 02:55 PM PDT Elijah Wood, left, and Nicolas Cage posed in front of a Juul backdrop at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Photo: Barry Brecheisen/Associated Press By Jennifer Maloney and Betsy McKay Updated Sept. 28, 2019 5:55 pm ET In a lounge at the Sundance Film Festival last year, Juul Labs Inc. doled out $1 bundles of e-cigarettes to guests passing through. A-listers, including Elijah Wood, Nicolas Cage and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, stopped in front of a Juul-branded backdrop and posed for photographs. On its face this was standard marketing practice, cozying up to celebrities to lend cachet to the brand. But by this time, Juul was already aware of teen use of its products, having learned about it in local media reports. In response, it had banned sales on its website to anyone under 21 and put together a teen prevention program to pitch to schools. The Sundance event in January 2018 was evidence to some that Juul was more interested in being seen as cool than it was in its stated mission of offering adult smokers an alternative to cigarettes. Juul's efforts to court celebrities and social-media influencers are part of a range of practices under investigation by both the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. "Juul engaged in a wide variety of promotional activities and outreach efforts to persuade potential customers, including youth, to use Juul products," Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, wrote in a recent letter to Juul's chief executive, seeking more information on its influencer program and other marketing. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS How did you first learn about Juul? Join the conversation below. Juul says it never targeted underage users and it has since taken additional steps to curb youth vaping. It has overhauled its marketing, closed its U.S. Facebook and Instagram accounts, and stopped selling in U.S. retail stores the sweet and fruity flavors that health officials say are appealing to kids. "We don't want this to be a glamorous lifestyle product," co-founder Adam Bowen told The Wall Street Journal in August 2018. "This is a serious product with a serious purpose." As sales of Juul took off in 2017, the number of Juul-related posts on Instagram, Twitter and other social media exploded, according to an analysis by Georgia State University researchers. That likely reflected the brand's growing popularity as well as aggressive promotion by the company, its retailers and fans, including high-school and college kids, said Jidong Huang, a Georgia State associate professor of health management and policy, and lead author of the analysis. One-quarter of users who shared tweets from the official @JUULvapor Twitter account between February 2017 and January 2018 were under 18, according to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In 2018, as regulators began scrutinizing the company, Juul ramped up its pursuit of movie stars and musicians who might promote the brand through word-of-mouth or be photographed on the street with a Juul in hand. In May 2018, a month after the FDA launched its probe, Juul created a VIP portal for celebrities on its website, offering codes that let celebrities order vaporizers and refill packs for $1 apiece. Thousands of dollars of essentially free merchandise was sent to stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and model Bella Hadid, according to people familiar with the matter. Juul confirmed those celebrities were among at least a dozen who received discount codes. Juul said it required those who used the portal to agree not to promote Juul to children or teens under the legal smoking age. The company said it invited to the portal only celebrities it had identified as having already used the product. The celebrities weren't asked in exchange to promote the brand or to give Juul permission to use their names. Before the celebrity portal was launched, a Juul employee reached out to Nora Lum, the rapper and actress who goes by the name Awkwafina, offering discount codes after hearing her mention Juul in a podcast, according to internal documents. "WOW—thank you so much for the codes!!" Ms. Lum replied. "I will forever and always rant about how much I love Juul and how it saved my life. Anything I can do to push it out." In the spring of last year, Ms. Lum recorded a video testimonial for Juul. And in an Oct. 30, 2018, tweet from Juul's official account, Ms. Lum said: "I don't think I could ever pick up a cigarette ever again." She was 29 at the time. Ms. Lum's representatives didn't respond to requests for comment. Underage vaping has continued to climb and the San Francisco startup is under scrutiny on several fronts. The FDA is preparing to pull from the market most flavors of e-cigarettes, a move that would wipe out products representing more than 80% of Juul's U.S. sales. Meanwhile, Juul is the subject of several investigations, including a criminal probe by federal prosecutors in California, the Journal has reported. This week, the company replaced its chief executive and said it would suspend all product advertising in the U.S. Juul also said it had decided not to push back against the administration's planned ban on all e-cigarettes except those formulated to taste like tobacco. Juul said its new CEO is reviewing its practices and policies. Write to Jennifer Maloney at jennifer.maloney@wsj.com and Betsy McKay at betsy.mckay@wsj.com Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

10th Annual "What If..." Festival returns to Colorado Springs - KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News Posted: 13 Sep 2019 12:00 AM PDT COLORADO SPRINGS — If you're looking for a fun, interactive event to enjoy with the whole family, the 10th Annual "What If..." Festival will be coming to downtown Colorado Springs. You'll be able to check out 140 hands-on experiences, including a chance to chat with folks across the world. Right in front of the Pioneers Museum, you'll find a gold shipping container known as "The Portal." Inside, you'll see a full-body screen where you can have conversations with people in different countries. There will also be live music at the museum's gazebo, and 20 different food vendors. "It's really showing off the creativity of the pikes peak region. In science, engineering, technology, food," said Deborah Thornton, Executive Director of Imagination Celebration, the non-profit organization in charge of the event. Event organizers say they hope people will step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Admission to the event is free. It kicks off at 10 a.m. and goes through 4 p.m. on Saturday. Event organizers say though they welcome donations, feedback on the event is also valuable. They also recommend you check out the event guide ahead of time to plan your visit. You can find it below and also download it here .

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