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Meet Estella, the Chula Vista girl in Disney new Christmas special

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Meet Estella, the Chula Vista girl in Disney new Christmas special


Estella Madrigal spends most days attending fourth grade with her fellow students at Eastlake Elementary in Chula Vista.

However, this Friday, millions of strangers can listen to her when the animated “An Almost Christmas Story” begins streaming on Disney+.

And that’s not even the 9-year-old’s biggest achievement.

Estella Madrigal is the voice of “Luna,” a lost girl who befriends a lost and injured owl in New York City at Christmas-time.

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“I almost cried when I got the part,” beamed Estella Madrigal before school started Wednesday.

Her classmates didn’t believe her at first.

“But then I showed them the trailer and now they believe me.”

Producers for the animated short wanted “Luna’s” voice to come from someone with a similar background.

“It definitely felt like I had a connection with my character,” Estella Madrigal explained.

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“It was written for her,” said her mother, Karen Madrigal. “[The producers] were literally looking for a Latina girl that had an amputation.”

Doctors found a tumor in Estella’s right leg a few years ago. The young girl chose to have her right leg amputated instead of risk the cancer returning. The almost 10-year-old is now cancer-free.

“I always wanted to meet somebody my age who also had an amputation,” Estella Madrigal said. “So, I finally got to meet her.”

Estella Madrigal’s character “Luna” has a prosthetic leg. Her owl companion has a hurt wing.

Karen Madrigal said her daughter has been on an amazing journey.

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“Just the fact that we were able to do that and not be at Rady [Children’s Hospital], not be locked in a hospital, it’s a blessing,” she smiled. “I just hope that story inspires others.”

It seemed to be something Estella Madrigal is good at doing.

“When you’re going through something different, you can obviously beat it,” she said before beginning another day of fourth grade.



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San Diego, CA

“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” After Party for San Diego Comic-Con 2026

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“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” After Party for San Diego Comic-Con 2026


The Killer Tomatoes are loose in San Diego, and they’re ready to get sauced.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is taking over Good Night John Boy (401 G Street) in the Gaslamp on Saturday, July 25 from 7pm-11pm for the official Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence after party, celebrating the wild new chapter in the cult classic franchise that first got its start in San Diego back in 1978.

Fans can party alongside cast and crew with meet and greets, “killer” cosplay, exclusive giveaways, DJs, and dancing. There will also be specialty themed cocktails and bites available for purchase, because fighting off killer produce apparently works up an appetite.

Tickets will be available here, though they’re not yet available. We’ll update once we know more.

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Sports Night: Padres End 1st Half on Good Note, Midseason Grades, Manny Heats Up

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Sports Night: Padres End 1st Half on Good Note, Midseason Grades, Manny Heats Up




Sports Night: Padres End 1st Half on Good Note, Midseason Grades, Manny Heats Up – NBC 7 San Diego



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Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev to win Wimbledon again

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Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev to win Wimbledon again


Jannik Sinner is starting to make a habit of responding to adversity in Paris with Wimbledon titles.

The top-ranked Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 Sunday for his second consecutive title at the All England Club after his German opponent appeared bothered by a knee issue following a slip to the grass on a key point in the third set.

Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title came in his first tournament since a second-round meltdown at the French Open, when he wilted in a Paris heat wave.

A year ago, Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final at the All England Club after wasting three match points against his rival in the Roland Garros final.

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It was Sinner’s 10th straight victory over Zverev, who was coming off his first Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Linda Noskova beat Karolina Muchova in an all-Czech women’s final on Saturday for her first Grand Slam title.

Prince William joined his wife Kate and two of their children for the final in a star-studded Royal Box that also included actors Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Ben Stiller.

Zverev slips

The top two seeds appeared perfectly matched until Zverev earned his first break point of the match at 3-3 in the third set — 2 hours and 42 minutes in. Sinner produced a drop shot and Zverev slipped and appeared to hyper-extend his right knee as he attempted to change directions behind the baseline.

Zverev grasped his knee in apparent discomfort and Sinner went around the net and helped his opponent up off the grass. Zverev quickly resumed playing but he appeared slightly hampered and slung his racket across the baseline in frustration when he missed a forehand and handed Sinner the first break of the match and a 5-3 lead in the third. Sinner then served it out.

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Zverev had also lost 14 straight sets to Sinner and when he claimed the opening set of the final with a forehand winner up the line to conclude a tight tiebreaker, he let out a loud roar toward his box as he bent over in celebration.

Zverev continually cranked out serves at up to 139 mph (224 kph), while Sinner produced a series of well-placed aces at a slightly lower speed.

But Sinner began to read Zverev’s serve better in the second-set tiebreaker and Zverev started to miss forehands.

Paris meltdown

Amid stifling heat and humidity in Paris in late May, Sinner had his 30-match winning streak ended after coming within one game of a straight-set victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who was ranked No. 56.

Conditions were cooler in southwest London for the final, with clear skies and a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) but it was also breezy — which led to a series of shanked shots from both players.

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Sinner went in for medical exams in Milan after the Paris defeat and didn’t play an official match again until he arrived at Wimbledon, where he twice had to come back from a set down in a five-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.

Sinner then didn’t drop a set the rest of the way until the final, having dominated against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Despite the defeat in the final, Zverev will leapfrog Alcaraz into the No. 2 spot in the rankings on Monday.

Alcaraz missed both the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a right wrist injury.

Associated Press writer Mattias Karén contributed.

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Wimbledon is keeping the World Cup off its official screens, even in the players’ lounge. Fans and players can still watch on their phones, but tournament TVs will stay focused on tennis.



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