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Tony La Russa wants nothing more to do with the Animal Rescue Foundation, family severs ties over ongoing leadership concerns

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

WALNUT CREEK — Tony La Russa and his family made it clear Wednesday that it was their idea to sever ties with the Animal Rescue Foundation, the East Bay animal welfare nonprofit they founded in 1991, because they believed its leaders are no longer committed to fostering a culture of “compassion and care for animals” and of “mutual respect” amongst employees.For that reason, the former Oakland As’ manager said in a statement shared with this news organization that he and his family have asked to have their names removed from ARF’s title and to no longer have their “reputations” associated with the nonprofit, which has long been synonymous with the Alamo-based family’s brand of local philanthropy. The family’s attorney also sent ARF a cease and desist letter Friday, demanding that ARF stop using La Russa names, likenesses and social media accounts within the next 90 days. The family is also demanding “the return o...

Kurtenbach: The Warriors are the NBA’s most generous team. That’s a big problem

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

The Warriors hold many titles. They’re the defending NBA champions, revolutionaries of the sport, and the league’s most valuable team.But they can add a new one to the list: They’re the NBA’s most generous team on the court, too.What else would you call a squad that has spotted their opponents first-half double-digit leads in each of their last six games?Yes, the Warriors have taken “unselfish play” to a new, unhelpful level.Those head starts didn’t matter much when the Warriors were playing at Chase Center — where the vibes are always positive and a comeback is always possible — the Dubs have now been burned in both road games they’ve played since capping off a five-game home winning streak last Friday.Sunday, they spotted the Lakers 20 points early in the first quarter. Tuesday, they let the Thunder run out to a double-digit lead to start the game, and then, after a run of their own, let OKC build up a 14-point lead in the second qua...

Feds launch probe into fatal East Bay crash involving Tesla: Was Autopilot system being used?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

By TOM KRISHER and MICHELLE CHAPMAN | Associated PressDETROIT — U.S. safety regulators are turning up the heat on Tesla, announcing investigations into steering wheels coming off some SUVs and a fatal crash involving a Tesla suspected of using an automated driving system when it ran into a parked firetruck in Walnut Creek.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday it is launching a special crash-investigation team to probe the Feb. 18 crash involving a Tesla Model S and a ladder truck from the Contra Costa County fire department.The firetruck probe is part of a larger investigation by the agency into multiple instances of Teslas using the automaker’s Autopilot system crashing into parked emergency vehicles that are tending to other crashes. NHTSA has become more aggressive in pursuing safety problems with Teslas in the past year, announcing multiple recalls and investigations.The driver of the 2014 Tesla Model S was killed in the crash and a passenger critical...

Recipe: How to do ‘quick’ corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

It can be argued that corned beef cookery isn’t an appropriate subject to feature in a quick-to-prepare recipe column. The point is well taken. But I defend its placement by presenting two justifications.One, the recipe can be divided into two parts on subsequent days. Day one, the beef is cooked in the oven with chopped vegetables, liquid, and spices. Covered with aluminum foil, it slow-cooks unsupervised for several hours. It’s then refrigerated, the meat separated from all but one cup of liquid and chilled separately. Day two, the meat is sliced and reheated, while the vegetables are cooked on the stovetop.The second reason for its inclusion is more obvious. March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, a day (in this country anyway) when the concoction marks the celebration.This recipe was developed by Cook’s Country, a division of America’s Test Kitchen. Their version contends that the spice packets enclosed in many corned beef packets are stale. They suggest using fresh peppercorns, allspice...

Tucker Carlson on Trump: ‘I hate him passionately’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

By David Bauder and Nicholas Riccardi | Associated PressNEW YORK — A defamation lawsuit is revealing scornful behind-the-scenes opinions by Fox News figures about Donald Trump, including a Tucker Carlson text message declaring “I hate him passionately.”Carlson’s private text conversation was revealed in court papers at virtually the same time that the former president was hailing the Fox News host on social media. Trump said he was doing a “great job” in presenting excerpts of U.S. Capitol security video of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection — though Carlson used the video to produce a false narrative of the attack.The documents are also coming to light at a time of increased tension between Trump and the dominant media force appealing to conservatives as he campaigns to regain the presidency.Voting machine manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox News for $1.6 billion, claiming the network broadcast false claims that the company was responsible fo...

Bay Area apartment complexes, old and new, land local buyers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

Midtown Court Apartments, a residential complex at 2721 Midtown Court in Palo Alto. (Google Maps)SAN JOSE — Local buyers have grabbed apartment complexes, one built 60 years ago in Palo Alto and the other built three years ago in San Jose, in deals that suggest investors still thirst for Bay Area residential sites.Scotia Apartments in San Jose and Midtown Court Apartments in Palo Alto were bought in recent days for a combined $51 million in recent days, according to documents on file with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office.The transactions indicate that Bay Area apartment complexes remain attractive for investors that want a piece of the Silicon Valley housing market.Interest in the residential centers has emerged even in the face of a rising tide of uncertainties, tech layoffs, soaring interest rates and skyrocketing inflation.Scotia Apartments in San Jose was bought for slightly under $31.3 million, documents filed on March 7 with the County Recorder’s...

Flood watch to go into effect Thursday as atmospheric river approaches

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- An atmospheric river poised to bring widespread storm conditions beginning Thursday now looks set to begin impacting the area a little earlier than first expected. A flood watch has been issued for the Bay Area beginning Thursday, the National Weather Service said. The flood watch will go into effect from Thursday afternoon and last through Sunday morning, according to the NWS website. Atmospheric river targets Bay Area: When will the rain stop? Residents are being warned of flooding caused by excessive rainfall across the entire Bay Area and Central Coast. Rain and winds in the coming forecast will make driving hazardous and present flooding danger beginning Thursday, according to a tweet from Contra Costa Fire. There will also be an increased risk of downed trees, power lines and power outages.In January, a series of atmospheric rivers brought unprecedented winter storms that wreaked havoc in the Bay Area and across the state. The weather pattern approach...

FBI releases more details on bizarre San Jose bombing case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- The FBI and police released more details Wednesday about a man who allegedly stockpiled highly explosive bomb-making chemicals inside his home and blew up PG&E transformers around San Jose. Peter Karasev, 35, lived at 668 Potomac Court in San Jose with his three young children and wife until last week, when he was arrested and a bomb squad descended on his house. During Wednesday's press conference, a San Jose Police Department bomb squad captain said the entire Potomac Court neighborhood, as well as a school across the street, faced a "huge danger" from how many explosives were inside.Investigators discovered that his 1-year-old baby, 3-year-old daughter, and 5-year-old son were living in a home riddled with extreme hazards, according to court documents.Police found "Chemicals, drugs, firearms within easy reach of children. It was not a safe environment for children, or for anyone," Assistant Chief of Police Paul Joseph said.Mayor Matt Mahan said, "Th...

Athletes sue Ivy League over its no-scholarship policy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A pair of basketball players from Brown allege in a federal lawsuit that the Ivy League’s policy of not offering athletic scholarships amounts to a price-fixing agreement that denies athletes proper financial aid and payment for their services. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Connecticut by attorneys representing Grace Kirk, a member of Brown’s women’s team, and Tamenang Choh, who played for the men’s team from 2017 through 2022. They are seeking class-action status to represent all current and former athletes at the eight Ivy League schools dating back to those recruited since March 2019. The suit argues Ivy League schools illegally conspired to limit financial aid and not compensate athletes for their services.“In either case, regardless of whether considered as a restraint on the price of education, the value of financial aid, the price of athletic services, or the level of compensation to Ivy League athletes, the Ivy Lea...

Este es el país “más represivo” con los derechos de las mujeres, según la ONU

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistán— Desde que el Talibán llegó al poder en Afganistán, el país se ha convertido en el más represivo del mundo para las mujeres y las niñas, privadas de muchos de sus derechos básicos, dijo la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) el miércoles.En un comunicado con motivo del Día Internacional de la Mujer, la misión de la ONU señaló que los nuevos gobernantes de Afganistán han mostrado un enfoque “casi singular en la imposición de normas que dejan a la mayoría de las mujeres y niñas atrapadas de facto en sus casas”.A pesar de las promesas iniciales de una postura más moderada, el Talibán ha impuesto duras medidas desde que tomó el poder en agosto de 2021, coincidiendo con la retirada de las fuerzas de Estados Unidos y la OTAN del país tras dos décadas de guerra.Prohibieron la educación para las niñas más allá del sexto grado y el acceso de las mujeres a espacios públicos como parques y gimnasios. Las mujeres tampoco pueden trabajar en organizaciones no gubernament...