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OpenAI: The cast of characters of Silicon Valley’s latest, juiciest upheaval

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

By Jennifer Korn and Paul Glader | CNNWhen technology firm OpenAI ousted its CEO Sam Altman last week with little warning and less explanation, it set off shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Late Tuesday, in a complete reversal, he rejoined the controversial firm he had helped found, effectively bouncing from the board some of the people who had fired him.Altman has served as a poster boy of the company’s groundbreaking efforts in artificial intelligence, including its ChatGPT generative AI product. But the drama pushed a web of other characters key to AI or internet history into view of the public. Some have worked together for years and have invented some of the household name products of the internet.What has made this tale so unusual and so magnetic? The speed at which it went down, the diversity and (relative) youth of the board of directors and the nature of the company — a non-profit thought to become a tremendously profitable one at one point. Marquee names like...

San Francisco resident charged with murder of man whose body was found in the Presidio

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – A 20-year-old San Francisco resident has been charged with the murder of a man whose body was found earlier this month at Crissy Field in the Presidio, according to federal prosecutors.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Peninsula man convicted on felony sex trafficking, pimping charges Crime and Public Safety | Jury signs off on aggravating factors for San Carlos beheading killer Crime and Public Safety | Daly City man sentenced to 9 years in prison after assaulting police officer Crime and Public Safety | Former San Mateo resident pleads guilty to embezzling $1.19 million from law firm Crime and Public Safety | Second suspect in Peninsula carjacking arrested Leion Butler appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charge, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. If convicted, he could potentially be sentenced to death or life in prison.The victim’s body was ...

Review: Billy Crudup is way more than a con man in compelling ‘Harry Clarke’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

In “Harry Clarke,” the protagonist who gives the play its title claims to have worked for the singer Sade. While that’s a big fat fib, he is certainly the smoothest operator you will ever have the pleasure to meet.Played to dapper perfection by Billy Crudup, whose theatrical instincts remain as captivating as his boyish good looks, Clarke is a charmer and a rogue indulging in a full-throttle confessional about sex, lies, and shape-shifting. Who among us hasn’t fantasized about becoming someone new?For a woebegone Midwestern man toiling as a barista in New York City, it begins with a deep desire to shed his old identity and be reborn as his childhood alter ego Harry, a devil-may-care bloke from London.Crudup, an Emmy- and Tony- winner known for an eclectic body of work including “Jesus’ Son,” “Almost Famous,” and “The Morning Show,” relishes the art of the solo, filling the empty space with sheer theatrical bravado. The cavalcade of accents, from Midwestern to Cockney, is a delight a...

Divorced man doesn’t have to keep paying ex-wife who tried to kill him with a hatchet

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

A woman who tried to kill her ex-husband with a hatchet cannot demand that he continue paying her under their divorce agreement, the Massachusetts Supreme Court said.Julie Rabinowitz had alleged breach of contract by Mark Schenkman because he stopped his monthly payments of $3,533.33 after she attacked him in August 2015 at his dental office in North Attleborough.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s latest extravagance: A ‘10,000-Year Clock’ built into a mountain Crime and Public Safety | Female visitor inadvertently locked overnight at California jail Crime and Public Safety | US-bound plane takes off with missing window panes as crew fails to spot damage Crime and Public Safety | California medical examiner investigator stole valuable items from dead people, prosecutors allege Crime and Public Safety | Stop putting rhinestones on your steering wheel, fe...

Pac-12 picks: Heavy favorites across the board on the final weekend (ever) of conference play

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

The final game of the final Saturday of the final Pac-12 regular season matches Cal and UCLA — a fitting pairing under the circumstances.The schools have turned out the lights before.In the summer of 1958, a massive pay-for-play scandal rocked what was then known as the Pacific Coast Conference. The Bears and Bruins, along with USC and Washington, agreed before the season that it would be their last school year of competition in the PCC.Sound familiar?It has been 110 days since the Pac-12’s version of Black Friday, Aug. 4, when Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah announced they would depart the conference next summer. USC and UCLA already had one foot out the door. Stanford and Cal would follow a few weeks later.For three months, riveting on-field competition has played out against the backdrop of collapse.Each week, we listened to marching bands play the national anthem but heard the bugle call of ‘Taps.’The same was true for the PCC in the fall of...

Two men wounded in Oakland shootings

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

OAKLAND — Two men were shot — one multiple times — less than two hours apart Tuesday night in different areas of the city, authorities said.Both men were in stable condition.Police said it did not appear that the shootings are connected.About 10:12 p.m. Tuesday a 35-year-old man was shot multiple times in the 6200 block of Hayes Street in East Oakland.Officers responding to a gunshot detection system alert found the man outside on the ground. Rescuers provided life-saving measures before the man was transported by ambulance to a hospital.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | A masked man leapt from a bush to kill an East Bay man. Photos, phone records and a Selena Gomez song led to arrest of wife, lover Crime and Public Safety | Fire ravages celebrated Oakland pitmaster’s Horn Barbecue Crime and Public Safety | McDonald’s employee in East Bay suspected of trying to run over teen customer with car Crime and Public ...

UCSF study reveals cannabis smoke can affect blood vessels

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

(KRON) -- It's long been known that people who smoke tobacco are at a higher risk of having heart problems. Now, a team of researchers at UCSF have found that marijuana products also pose the same risk.What's particularly interesting is that burning any plant can release toxic chemicals, but apparently eating THC products can be risky too. Since last summer, UCSF cardiovascular researchers have studied 44 people to learn the effects that marijuana has on their blood vessels and hearts. The control group included healthy adults between 18 and 50 years old. Other groups include chronic tobacco smokers, those who smoke weed at least three times a week, people who only take THC edibles and people who aren't exposed to any of these. "We've been doing a lot of research in rats that's indicated that marijuana smoke has similar cardiovascular harmful effects as tobacco smoke," said Dr. Matt Springer, UCSF cardiovascular researcher. "Now we actually see for the first time that the smoke is h...

Suspects who stole $20K worth of property from Santa Rosa storage units arrested

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

(KRON) -- Two suspects were arrested following a months-long investigation into multiple burglaries from a storage unit complex, the Santa Rosa Police Department announced Wednesday. The investigation began on Sept. 30 when Santa Rosa PD began looking into burglaries at a storage unit complex located in the 400 block of Hearn Avenue.Investigators learned that at least three separate units were burglarized within a short span of time. Property stolen in the burglaries, police said, included musical instruments, sports memorabilia, and other items. The stolen items were valued at around $20,000.Santa Rosa PD Property Crimes Investigation Team (PCI) Detectives took over the investigation in October. With assistance from employees at the complex, detectives identified a "suspicious" unit at the complex. Wife and lover who allegedly conspired to kill her husband arrested for murder in Hayward The lease for the unit in question began around the time the burglaries did. Detectives obtain...

San Jose mellows cannabis rules to help industry grow

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

(BCN) -- San Jose officials are relaxing cannabis regulations and instead want to refocus efforts to end the black market industry.The San Jose City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to reduce fines on dispensaries that violate city policy. Councilmembers also expanded hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The move is aimed at helping the legal cannabis industry remain competitive and profitable, but officials said there is more work to be done to crack down on illegal weed sales.A dispensary will receive a $250 fine for a first-time violation, lowered from $1,200. That can escalate into $5,000 for a litany of reasons, including repeat offenders, issues with registration or failure to display identification badges clearly. In comparison, a first offense in Redwood City is $100. UCSF study reveals cannabis smoke can affect blood vessels Councilmember Peter Ortiz wants to take changes a step further by having the San Jose Police Department's cannabis division...

Thousands in DC area travel Wednesday ahead of Thanksgiving celebrations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:52 GMT

Reagan National Airport is packed with travelers as the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen an additional 6,000 to 7,000 passengers at the airport alone Wednesday. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin) Reagan National Airport is packed with travelers as the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen an additional 6,000 to 7,000 passengers at the airport alone Wednesday. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin) Holiday travelers are leaving the D.C. area in droves Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving feast.Travelers on the road got an early start, with some drivers telling WTOP they headed out of town late Tuesday night.Meanwhile, Reagan National Airport is expecting to accommodate as many as 7,000 additional travel...