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Latest line: A good week for hourly workers, a bad week for Google

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

Hourly workersStarting Jan. 1, California’s minimum wage increases from $15.50 to $16 — more than double the $7.25 federal minimum wage. And another new state law means employees will receive at least five days of paid sick leave a year, up from the current three days.    GoogleMountain View tech behemoth agrees to pay $700 million to settle a lawsuit from 36 state attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta, that it violated anti-trust laws by blocking competition in its Google Play app store and overcharging customers.   Steve GarveyNew poll shows Republican former L.A. Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman moving into second place in U.S. Senate race. He might make the top 2 finalists in November, but Democratic voters outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 in California. 

Wish Book: Pink Ribbon Good helps cancer patients focus on healing through life’s simple necessities

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

Turning 30 is a major milestone in many young adults’ lives. For Esther Ashford, celebrating her 30th birthday this October meant she was still alive.Ashford was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer at the beginning of the year, prompting her to return home to the U.S. with her two children — 10-year-old daughter Elisha and 7-year-old son E.J. — after more than a decade living in the Philippines.In March, her parents living in Milpitas convinced Ashford, a single mother who had recently earned her registered nursing license abroad, that flying back home would help provide support and a fresh medical perspective, especially since earlier routine health check-ups overseas, including ultrasounds and pap smears, had failed to detect a mass growing inside her body — despite her urging that something was wrong.But that new home address didn’t help ease the toll of undergoing months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.In fact, Ashford’s simple daily necessitie...

Top 10 Bay Area stories of 2023 — and what they mean for 2024

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

In a sea of highs and lows, 2023 left the world and the United States celebrating and reeling.Hamas brutally attacked Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, sparking a new war in the Middle East. The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 emergency finally over. Taylor Swift and Beyonce packed stadiums. Bruce Bochy won another World Series, only this time for the Texas Rangers.Tony Bennett, Rosalyn Carter, Henry Kissinger, Sandra Day O’Connor and Tina Turner died.India became the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the moon and passed China as the world’s most populous nation.  A wildfire wiped out the historic Maui town of Lahaina. A revolt in the Republican Party wiped out the House speakership of Bakersfield’s Kevin McCarthy.King Charles III was coronated in Westminster Abbey. Barbie reigned at the box office. Tucker Carlson was dethroned at Fox News.And for the first time in American history, a former president was charged with crimes. Donald Trump was indict...

49ers-Ravens preview: 5 keys to gift-wrapping Christmas night win

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

SANTA CLARA – If the NFL is the gift that keeps on giving, here comes the greatest present of the regular season.It’s the NFC-leading 49ers (11-3) against the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens (11-3) in the ultimate Christmas party at Levi’s Stadium on “Monday Night Football.”“It’s a hyped-up matchup. It’s Christmas. Everyone will be watching,” 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said. “In the football world, we’ve had some heavyweight matchups. Not just us, but every team. It’s been really good for the sport.”Only once before in NFL history have both conference’s leading teams met this late in a regular season, when Super Bowl-bound Seattle beat Indianapolis in 2005.Only once before have the 49ers played on Christmas, a 10-7 loss to the then-Houston Oilers at Candlestick Park 30 years ago. The Niners’ offensive coordinator was Mike Shanahan. His son, Kyle, is now in his seventh season as the 49ers’ coach, and this is looking like his best team.All of which paints this matchup as a potentia...

How Klay Thompson’s hot hand and patience fuels Warriors’ five-game win streak

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Nothing about Klay Thompson’s approach changed, he assures. But the numbers certainly have.It wasn’t long ago that Thompson reached the lowest point of his season, benched for the first time in his career during crunch time in a loss to Phoenix on Dec. 12. He threw towels, kicked chairs and yelled at anyone around him who could hear. For as ugly it looked, something sparked in his vexed mind.Since the Warriors game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 14, Thompson is averaging 25.7 points per game shooting 50% from 3 on 11 attempts per game. Golden State is a total plus-17 when Thompson is on the floor over those six games in which the Warriors have gone 5-1. He had 28 points, including 11 straight over a pivotal two-minute stretch in the Warriors’ 126-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.For the hot stretch coach Steve Kerr credits Thompson’s decision-making — better shot selection and making the extra pas...

Another issue crops up for reeling Sharks, who enter break on lengthy skid

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

Positivity has been hard to come by for the San Jose Sharks over the first two-plus months of the season, but at least they had a chance this weekend to carry some good feelings into their three-day Christmas break.Instead, the Sharks arrived back in San Jose early Sunday morning bearing the weight of a five-game losing streak, while still in last place in the NHL’s overall standings.The Sharks erased one Vancouver Canucks lead Saturday but couldn’t fully overcome another in what became a 7-4 loss at Rogers Arena.Mikael Granlund and Tomas Hertl both scored first-period goals to tie the game 2-2 after Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko scored twice in the first 6:51. But Vancouver scored three times in the second period to take the lead for good, with Dakota Joshua’s goal at the 19:13 mark standing up as the winner.During the skid, the Sharks lamented their lack of energy, their penalty kill, and how they sometimes cheated for offense.Saturday, another issue cropped up.“There’...

Pistons match NBA single-season record with 26th straight loss, fall 126-115 to the Nets

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Pistons players sat in stunned silence, staring blankly ahead in their locker room after yet another loss.The worst stretch of basketball in their lives now ranks as one of the worst in NBA history.Detroit matched the league record for the longest losing streak in a single season, falling 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night for its 26th straight loss. “None of us went through this, ever,” center Isaiah Stewart said. “This is the hardest thing probably all of us went through, especially being in the pros.” The Pistons joined the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, dropping to 2-27 in their first season under Monty Williams. They were in the game in the second half before the Nets put them away with a 15-0 run to open a 21-point lead and ensure that Detroit would remain winless since Oct. 28.The teams will meet again Tuesday night in Detroit, with the Pistons nearing the overall longest skid in league history. The 76ers lost 28 ...

Leesburg man charged with multiple counts of child pornography

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

A man from Leesburg, Virginia, has been charged with multiple counts of child pornography, according to city officials.Authorities said that 34-year-old Christopher Collins had, “sexually explicit material involving a child” after getting a tip earlier this year.He was arrested on Sept. 7 at his residence in the 600 block of Constellation Square Southeast and was originally charged with one count of possession of child pornography, according to officials who searched his home and gathered digital evidence.However, a forensic analysis revealed more sexually explicit material involving a child, according to investigators. As a result, Collins was charged with four more counts of possession of child pornography.“At the time of his rearrest, Collins was free on bond on the initial possession of child pornography charge,” the department said. “Collins once again remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center with no bond.”Source

A man is killed and a woman injured in a ‘targeted’ afternoon shooting at a Florida shopping mall

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A man died in a shooting at a shopping mall in central Florida two days before Christmas in which the victim was “targeted” for the attack, police said. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken told reporters Saturday evening that the man was killed after he was shot multiple times in a common area at Paddock Mall in Ocala, located about 79 miles (127 kilometers) northwest of Orlando. A woman also was shot in the leg. She was treated at a local hospital and expected to recover, Balken said.The suspect fled the scene and left behind the firearm, Balken said.Police arrived at the mall around 3:40 p.m. after a call of multiple shots being fired at the mall. “Officers immediately made entry into the mall (and) ultimately discovered that this was not what we would consider an active shooter,” Balken told reporters.The attack was likely a “targeted act of violence” against the man, Balken said. Several other mall patrons suffered injuries during the shooting, with one person havi...

CLOUDY CHRISTMAS EVE

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:20 GMT

Merry Christmas Eve, South Florida!After starting our weekend off with on & off showers, drier air moved in, which cleared our cloudy skies and salvaged the rest of the day.  So today we saw a very pleasant start to our Sunday.  The brief drier air made it feel so nice!  However, as the drier air began to move away, a few showers were able to push through portions of South Florida. And it looks like those showers could push through our area from time to time before thins begin to quiet down. Temperatures were in the 60s and low 70s across our area with an Easterly breeze making it feel very comfortable. However, we are about to undergo changes as we continue into the start of the last week of the year!Given the fact that it is a holiday, all of South Florida is left wondering if Christmas Eve or Noche Buena plans will be able to be outdoors or not. The answer is yes!  After starting the weekend off with on and off showers on Saturday, today’s rain chances will be on the lo...