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Future of state housing is at stake in UC ruling, governor says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking California’s highest court to resurrect UC Berkeley’s controversial plan to build student housing at People’s Park, a storied green space born in 1960s student activism.The state’s legal challenge claims that if the ruling stands, the case will lay the groundwork for opponents to use the California Environmental Quality Act to block sorely needed housing, exacerbating homelessness and the state’s current shortfall of roughly 3.5 million homes.“It is not difficult to imagine, for example, existing residents citing this case in opposing low- and moderate-income housing, or developments likely to attract young-adult residents or families with children, or designed to support the integration of individuals with disabilities into the community,” Newsom’s filing said.In February, a state appellate court ruled that the University of California failed to study how much noise the proposed $312 million student dorm would make on the 2.8-acre site....

In boost to Amazon, Brazil recognizes 6 Indigenous areas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

By Carla Bridi and Fabiano Maisonnave | Associated PressBRASÍLIA, Brazil — Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday granted official recognition of nearly 800 square miles of Indigenous lands, most of it in the Amazon, in a move that seeks to safeguard critical rainforest from the unchecked exploitation that marked his predecessor’s administration.Lula’s action was partial delivery on his promises to the Indigenous supporters and environmentally minded voters who lifted him to a narrow victory last year over far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who had encouraged widespread development of the Amazon — both legal and illegal — and pledged not to grant “one more inch” of land to Indigenous peoples.The land remains under the federal government’s jurisdiction, but the designation grants Indigenous peoples the right to use it in their traditional manner. Mining activities are prohibited, and commercial farming and logging require speci...

Bay Area students chosen as semifinalists in the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program — who made the cut?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

Seventeen Bay Area students have been selected as semifinalists for the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, one of the country’s highest honors for graduating high school seniors.Established in 1964, the awards recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts, along with those excelling in the “career and technical education” fields, which focuses on industry-specific training for a student’s future job. Students were selected based on their academic achievement, including scores on the SAT or ACT exams, talent in their respective areas of interest, and more.Nearly 3.6 million high school seniors around the country applied for the award, a pool that was then cut to 5,000 candidates. The 17 Bay Area students are part of just 628 throughout the nation to have made it to the semifinalist round.These students will now move to the next phase of the competition, where up to 161 students will be awarded a U.S. Presidential Schola...

Woman who was fatally shot by security guard at Walgreens identified

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A woman who was fatally shot on Market Street in San Francisco Thursday evening has been identified. Chynna Brown, a 24-year-old San Francisco woman, was allegedly shot and killed by a security guard in front of a Walgreens on the 800 block of Market, near Westfield Mall. Police are investigating the incident which happened just after 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Officers responded to reports of the shooting in front of the business. At the scene, police said they found a 24-year-old woman, later identified as Brown, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Antioch man arrested Thursday for 5th time this year Brown was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries where she later died. Police worked through the night on the investigation. Officers said they found that a theft had occurred during the incident and identified 33-year-old Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony as the prime suspect. Anthony was working as a private security guard at the time, police said....

Two overnight shootings in Oakland being investigated by police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

(KRON) -- Two separate overnight shootings are being investigated by the Oakland Department. One occurred just before 10:30 p.m. in the 5700 block of Foothill Boulevard, according to police. Officers responded following two ShotSpotter activations.When officers arrive on the scene, they located evidence of a shooting but couldn't locate a victim. A short while later, the OPD Communications Division was notified that two gunshot wound victims had self transported to a local hospital for treatment. National Guard steps into San Francisco fentanyl crisis: How will this work? One of the victims was in critical but stable condition and the other was listed as stable, police said.An investigation linked the victims to the shooting in the 5700 block of Foothill Boulevard.The second shooting OPD is investigating occurred shortly after 11:15 p.m. in the 3800 block of Midvale Avenue. Officers arrived and located a victim with gunshot wounds. Paramedics arrived and transported the victim to ...

Misterioso brote de infecciones cerebrales afecta a niños del sur de Nevada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

(CNN) — Los detectives de enfermedades de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC, por sus siglas en inglés) de EE.UU. están investigando un grupo de abscesos cerebrales raros y graves en niños de Las Vegas, Nevada, y sus alrededores. Los médicos de otras partes del país afirman que también pueden estar observando un aumento de los casos.En 2022, el número de abscesos cerebrales en niños se triplicó en Nevada, pasando de una media de cuatro a cinco al año a 18.“En mis 20 años de experiencia, nunca he visto nada igual”, dijo la doctora Taryn Bragg, profesora asociada de la Universidad de Utah que trató los casos.Los neurocirujanos pediátricos como Bragg son poco frecuentes. Ella es la única en todo el estado de Nevada y, como trató todos los casos, fue la primera en darse cuenta del patrón y en alertar a las autoridades sanitarias locales.“A partir de marzo de 2022, se produjo un enorme aumento” de los abscesos cerebrales, explic...

Montana becomes latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for trans children; bill had sparked House protest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana becomes latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for trans children; bill had sparked House protest.Source

Uber driver speaks out after wanted man takes his life in SUV with US Marshals in pursuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

A rideshare driver is sharing his story after witnessing a horrific scene when he picked up a passenger who made a desperate decision in his car.A pickup quickly turned to panic for Uber driver Samuel when a suspect wanted in a double shooting that took place at a Hallandale Beach resort on Monday, hopped into his car on Wednesday with U.S. Marshals close behind.“‘Get out of the car, get of the car,’ and then I heard ‘boom,'” he recalled. “In the beginning, I didn’t realize it was a shot.”Those shots, Samuel said, came from someone he thought was harmless.“It was traumatic — you didn’t know what’s going on,” said Samuel. “You know, you didn’t do anything, and you didn’t think somebody in your car seat did anything.”Without knowing, Samuel picked up a wanted man from the Sheraton Suites in Plantation, Wednesday, who the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force — along with other agenc...

‘A Taylor Swift Fan’: Taylor Swift-loving cat with unique name now up for adoption

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

The MSPCA is putting a cat up for adoption that they say has a very specific taste in music. The one-year-old cat from Texas has been named “A Taylor Swift Fan” because he calms down when he listens to the star’s music. Now, staff at the MSPCA Angell Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem said they’re looking for the perfect Swift fan to give “A Taylor Swift Fan” a new home. “He came with the name ‘Screamer,’ which doesn’t go very well for adopters and we thought it didn’t really fit him,” said adoptions coordinator Celia Jepsky, adding that the cat was known to meow loudly when he was uncomfortable. Later, Jepsky said staff members had a stroke of inspiration. “One day they were cleaning the kennels and they were listening to Taylor Swift and his meowing stopped,”  Jepsky said. “And he was kind of more listening, so we were like ‘Wow, he’s a fan!’” The team decided the name “A Taylor Swift Fan” fit this cat all too well. “With the Eras tour coming up and ev...

South Korean president makes stops in Boston, Cambridge during US trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:07 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivered a speech and took questions at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge on Friday where he spoke about the challenges facing his country including the threat of nuclear weapons from neighboring North Korea.Yoon pointed to a new plan he unveiled with President Joe Biden on Wednesday for intensified nuclear deterrence to counter any North Korean threat.“If we were to accept nuclear weapons by North Korea then South Korea may have to possess nuclear weapons,” Yoon said during a question-and-answer period after his speech at the Kennedy School. “This is not something we want to see happen.”Yoon went on to say that if North Korea were to use nuclear weapons “the result is quite obvious.”“As long as North Korea recognizes nuclear weapons as a means of survival we have to make sure to deter the usage of such weapons so that the Republic of Korea, our neighboring countries and the entire global community can be pr...