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Editorial: CPUC incompetence lets autotaxis dangerously run amok

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

The California Public Utilities Commission, the regulator that for years let PG&E play fast and loose with our safety, is at it again.Only this time the commissioners, now all appointees of Gov. Gavin Newsom, are letting the companies that run autonomous vehicles endanger Californians’ lives.A day will come when robotaxis are ready to freely navigate our streets and roads. But that day remains in the distant future.The CPUC’s mission is serving the public interest by protecting consumers. But on Aug. 10, the commission ignored significant safety concerns and voted 3-1 in favor of allowing GM subsidiary Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo to expand their robotaxis to any hour of the day throughout San Francisco.Previously, Cruise was limited to offering only paid rides at night and only in parts of San Francisco. Waymo could only offer free rides.One day later, 10 robotaxis abruptly stopped and jammed traffic for 15 minutes in the city’s popular North Beach neighborhood...

Northern California fires: Smith River Complex grows to over 40,000 acres at 0% containment 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Wildfires continue to rage following lightning strikes across Northern California. The largest of the fires, the Smith River complex, has reached over 40,000 acres and is at 0% containment. Much of northeast Del Norte County is under evacuation orders due to the blaze. Dozens of other fires burn.Smith River ComplexFire personnel noted firefighters are facing complex weather conditions and challenging terrain in a morning briefing Tuesday.“This fire would be complex if it was just one fire, the Kelly fire. When we came here there were 12,” said Nic Elmquist, fire behavior analyst during the briefing. He noted that from aerial views, it looks like the fires want to grow together — two of the larger fires of the complex, the Kelly and Holiday fires, recently merged.The Kelly fire, which forced the closure of state Route 199 last week, reportedly moved southwest, growing 2.5 miles in the early morning Tuesday according to a U.S. Forest Service news release. More than 1,150 personnel are...

Monterey County track star runs down a bike-riding thief

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

SALINAS – Before her dad or any adult could react, 14-year-old track and field star Clara Adams took off in a dead sprint toward an apparent thief who was riding a BMX bike.Nikki Gillott, a family friend, was attending a recent birthday party for Adams’ father when she screamed realizing her purse had been stolen. That was enough for Adams to go after the man who she had seen lurking earlier.Gillott “was freaking out, I was scared for her,” Adams said. “I saw this guy with a bunch of stuff. When I looked, I saw (Gillott’s) purse.”That sent her running toward the man.Clara Adams “I got into my 200-meter mood and ran toward him,” said Adams, who ran the fourth fastest time in Monterey County history in the 200 meters last month at the Junior Olympics. “I just grabbed the purse from him and left.”No one was more grateful than Gillott, who was at El Dorado Park in Salinas that afternoon.“She was so brave,” Gillott said. “She is a champion with her heart. It was a huge act of braver...

Scary landing at California airport as jet’s landing gear collapses during Tropical Storm Hilary

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight to Orange County were shaken but unhurt when the plane’s landing gear collapsed shortly after touching down during Tropical Storm Hilary.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Pilots made errors before crash near Lake Tahoe that killed all 6 on board, investigators say Crashes and Disasters | ‘The absolute best’ – firefighters who died in California helicopter collision remembered Crashes and Disasters | Fatal Marin County plane crash report cites preliminary findings Crashes and Disasters | 2 men killed in fiery plane crash at California airport Crashes and Disasters | 3 dead after plane crashes into hangar at Southern California airport The Boeing 737 experienced “an issue with its landing gear” after landing at John Wayne Airport at 11:15 p.m. Sunday, the airline said in a statement.A passenger returning home on the flight from Seattle recorded a video of brigh...

SpaceX successfully launches 100th Starlink mission

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

SpaceX lit up the West Coast sky early Tuesday morning, Aug. 22, as it launched another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit.A Falcon 9 carrying 21 Starlink satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:37 a.m.The rocket launch marks the Hawthorne company’s 100th dedicated Starlink mission and brought the total number of Starlink satellites it boosted to low-earth orbit to nearly 5,000. Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by the space exploration company that provides internet coverage on a global scale.SpaceX launches a Starlink mission early Tuesday morning 2:37am across the west coast from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Simi Valley CA, Aug 22, 2023. Space-X launch was delayed a few days from Hurricane Hilary passing through. Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)SpaceX launches a Starlink mission early Tuesday morning 2:37am across the west coast from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Simi Valley CA, Aug 22, 2023. Space-X launch...

Opinion: This valley fever vaccine could save dogs, eventually humans

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Outside of the Southwest, few Americans have ever heard of valley fever.That will soon change. Thanks to climate change, the geographical range of this fungal respiratory disease — technically known as Coccidioides posadasii — is rapidly expanding.John Murphy is the chief policy officer at Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Today, the United States sees about 20,000 reported cases of valley fever in humans each year, the vast majority in Arizona and California. The microscopic spores that cause the disease live in the soil. When they’re disturbed — by traffic, construction or wind — they can be carried through the air and inhaled, which causes infection.In people with weakened immune systems, valley fever can turn into chronic pneumonia and, on rare occasions, meningitis. The symptoms associated with these conditions often lead physicians to mistakenly diagnose patients as suffering from a bacterial infection and, thus, to inappropriately presc...

Peacocks to be trapped in Fairfield, relocated

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

(KRON) -- Peacocks have recently become a nuisance in the City of Fairfield. In recent council meetings, residents have reported that the birds have damaged cars and property. On Thursday, public works will begin trapping the peacocks. Accused Facebook killer enters plea in San Mateo County court They will then be relocated to a farm in Yolo County. The city will continue to trap the birds on a weekly basis until the nuisance is no longer a problem for residents.

SF appeals court to hold hearing on enforcing homeless sweeps in city

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

(BCN) -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will host a hearing Wednesday on whether to uphold a court order that bars the city of San Francisco from clearing tent encampments. In December, a federal magistrate judge ruled that San Francisco city officials cannot enforce or threaten laws against involuntary homeless people sleeping, sitting or lying on city streets. The federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on the basis that San Francisco did not have enough shelter beds for the city's unhoused population. Enforcing these laws when people did not have ample access to shelter would violate the Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause, she concluded. In response, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed an appeal challenging the definition of what it means to be "involuntarily homeless." Before the hearing Wednesday, a coalition of businesses and community groups will join a slew of San Francisco officials to speak out against the court order in a...

Virginia’s upcoming election is ‘most important election of the year,’ Sen. Warner says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

Early voting gets underway in a month across Virginia for this year’s legislative elections, which will decide political control of the state’s currently divided General Assembly.The election is set for Nov. 7, with early voting starting on Sept. 22.“We’ve got a House of Delegates that we could take back or a Senate that we could lose,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat.The Virginia House is currently controlled by the GOP with 49 Republicans, 46 Democrats and five vacancies.Of the 40 seats, there are 22 Democrats and 18 Republicans in the Senate.All 140 seats in the entire General Assembly will be on the ballot in November’s election.Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has made it clear that one of his main political priorities is to work toward flipping the Senate. In order to do that, Republicans would need to flip two seats currently held by Democrats.That would force a 20-20 tie in the chamber that could be broken by Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome...

Kohl’s beats on 2Q profits as department store cuts inventory amid cautious consumer spending

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Kohl’s reported on Wednesday that both profits and sales declined in the second quarter as the department store chain wrestles with shoppers’ cautious spending in a challenging economy.But the results beat Wall Street expectations as the retailer cut inventory and expenses. The department store chain also reaffirmed its annual guidance. Shares rose more than 2% in premarket trading. Kohl’s, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is among the last group of retailers to report second-quarter results in an earnings season that has shown how still-high inflation, despite some easing, and higher interest rates are making shoppers cut back on discretionary items like clothing in order to afford their larger grocery bills.On Tuesday, Macy’s said it was forced to discount its spring goods to make room for fall and holiday merchandise in the face of customers’ cautious spending. But the retailer’s adjusted second-quarter profits and sales still topped Wa...