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Opinion: Newsom says CEQA is broken. So why won’t he fix it?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

In February, after yet another court decision stalling sorely needed housing development, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that California’s landmark environmental law is “broken.”The California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, is supposed to protect the environment by requiring governments to study and mitigate any harms of development before they approve it. But as Newsom noted, CEQA has been “weaponized” by “wealthy homeowners” (among others) to block housing — often in the urban and suburban areas where people have the least environmental impact.And housing isn’t all that’s on the line. To meet the state’s greenhouse-gas emission targets — and secure its share of federal green-energy funding — California needs to quickly approve wind and solar energy projects, electricity transmission lines, car-charging networks and mass transit. To that end, in May, the governor unveiled an 11-bill infrastructure package to “assert a different paradigm.” No longer would we “screw it up” wit...

Collins: West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has a lot of explaining to do

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

Sen. Joe Manchin, behave.Perhaps you’ve heard the rumor that Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who made his name by driving his party crazy on close votes, is now possibly running for president. Sort of.“If I get in a race, I’m going to win,” he predicted at an appearance in New Hampshire this week. “With that being said, I haven’t made a decision.”A crowd had packed the auditorium, straining to hear his every word. Really. A lot of them were undoubtedly drawn not so much by the promise of thrilling rhetoric as by rumors Manchin might announce he was going to be a third-party candidate in 2024.Didn’t happen. Although Manchin was certainly dropping hints. He appeared onstage with Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor of Utah and former Sen. Joe Lieberman.Lieberman is now one of the public faces of No Labels, a new would-be political party that’s all about being, um, against political parties. No Labels is busy qualifying for the presidential ballot in as many states as possibl...

Review: ‘Underrated’ explores the resilience of Steph Curry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

By Lindsey Bahr | Associated Press“Stephen Curry: Underrated ” is easily one of the most inspirational movies of the year.This is a portrait of a man — the greatest three-point shooter of all time — who has felt inferior playing the game he loves since he was a scrawny kid playing on his local under-10 team. It’s easy to roll your eyes at supermodels who say they were teased when they were kids or famous actors who look like the captain of the football team insisting they were outcasts in high school. In the rear-view mirror, when things have gone so well after that origin story, it just always rings a little false.But in this documentary, directed by Peter Nicks and streaming on Apple TV+ Friday, the filmmakers put you in Curry’s shoes. They show you video of him on that under-10 team, indeed looking scrawnier than his counterparts and with the posture of someone who’s already self-conscious about it.They have Reggie Miller on hand to read the draft re...

Good Samaritan spots ‘Help me!’ note in California parking lot, triggers rescue of kidnapped 13-year-old girl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

A 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Texas and repeatedly sexually assaulted was rescued in Long Beach earlier this month after a Good Samaritan came to her aid, authorities said.On July 6, the young victim was walking down the street near a bus stop in San Antonio, Texas, when a man in a sedan approached her at gunpoint and ordered her to get into the vehicle. The suspect threatened the girl, saying, “If you don’t get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.Once in the vehicle, the girl told the suspect, identified as Steven Robert Sablan of Cleburne, Texas, that she had a friend in Australia. He told the victim he could take her to a cruise ship to visit her friend, but she “had to do something for him first,” according to court documents.He drove her for two days from Texas to California, with Sablan, 61, suspected of sexually assaulting her at least three times during the commute.Three days after the kidnapping,...

California man convicted of killing elderly neighbor during rape attempt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

A 36-year-old man was convicted Thursday of beating an elderly woman to death during an attempted rape in an early-morning attack that took place in the Garden Grove neighborhood where they both lived.An Orange County Superior Court jury on Thursday afternoon found Michael Aon Varela guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of 68-year-old Dzung Thi Nguyen on Sept. 9, 2017. The jurors also determined that the slaying occurred during an attempted rape, court records show.A drunken Varela committed the “brutal, horrific, senseless murder” after returning home from a night out drinking, Deputy District Attorney Casey Cunningham told jurors during his trial. The prosecutor alleged that Varela “brutalized” Nguyen, ripping her clothes off and beating her unconscious when she “didn’t submit.” Nguyen died several days after the attack.Varela’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Arlene Speiser, countered that Varela was an innocent bystander who discovered an unresponsive Nguyen and tried ...

Comic-Con 2023: Fans say loss of Hollywood stars means more time for other attractions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

By Natallie Rocha and Phillip Molnar | San Diego Union-TribuneHollywood might have needed Comic-Con more than Comic-Con needed Hollywood.Most San Diego Comic-Con International fans said Thursday July 20, the convention’s first official day, that they were fine with almost all major studios, from Marvel to HBO, staying away this year. A writers’ and actors’ strike has ground Tinseltown to a halt, preventing creators and actors from showing up at San Diego’s big show.It might have sounded like Comic-Con would be a drag this year, but the show stayed sold out and tickets were still going for more than $1,000 on secondary markets a day before it started.RELATED: Netflix’s Los Gatos headquarters swarmed with protesters amid film and TV strikesAnthony Kalvans, 30, of San Luis Obispo, said he couldn’t care less about Hollywood not being there. On Thursday morning, he was with his girlfriend at an installation promoting several FX shows near San Diego Bay.“We’re here for the entire experien...

15 tips to stay cool: How to beat the triple-digit heat forecast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

The heat is here. And, for many residents in California, trying to get through the day of triple-digit temperatures is the name of the game.Here is a list of 15 tips for staying cool in hot weather, compiled from our news stories over the years:Read up on heat exhaustion and heatstroke.Drink plenty of water (in the fitness word they call this “hydrating”), even if you’re not thirsty.Wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, sunscreen and sunglasses. Your eyes need protection, too.Seek shade whenever you can. Many cities offer cooling centers to beat the heat.Check in on friends and family, especially senior citizens.Maybe not travel to visit Death Valley, where it can get over 100 degrees in the middle of the night.Eat cold foods for breakfast, like melon, yogurt or cottage cheese.Avoid high-protein foods, which require a cranked-up metabolism to burn. Eat shorter meals more frequently.Draw the blinds early in the day, say 9 a.m.; it’ll keep the house cooler.Check your medication an...

California schools chief Tony Thurmond booted from Chino Valley school board meeting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

State Superintendent of School Tony Thurmond is escorted out of the Chino Valley school board meeting Thursday, July 20, 2023, by security officers. Board President Sonja Shaw said he went over the one-minute time limit for speakers. (Photo by Jordan B. Darling, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Chino Valley Unified teachers must tell parents if their child identifies as transgender under a fiercely debated policy approved by the school board late Thursday, July 20.The 4-1 vote in favor of the notification rule came at the end of a contentious, four-hour meeting that at one point saw the ejection of state Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond, who was led away by security officers to shouts of “kick him out.”Thurmond was there to address the Chino Valley Unified School District board before its vote on the parental notification policy, an issue that drew more than 300 people to Don Lugo High School. Parents and community members brought flags, T-shirts, and signs to wave dur...

A custom-built Piedmont Pines modern masterpiece

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

Live on a coveted street mere blocks from Montclair Village.Embrace the charm of Montclair Village and enjoy the home’s easy access to trails. Quality exudes throughout this more than 3,600-square-foot open-concept contemporary. A formal living room wrapped in windows, dramatic vaulted ceilings and sweeping decks overlooking a majestic oak tree canopy are a few of the features that make this home special.On the main level, a gorgeous chef’s kitchen with center island, breakfast nook and generous great room flow seamlessly into the living and dining rooms.A fourth bedroom with a separate entry adjacent to a full bathroom completes the main level. The lower level boasts three bedrooms including a luxurious primary suite with spa-style bathroom plus a dual door walk-in closet and dressing room.There is a private home office on the street level across from the garage with interior access.This is truly a home to be envied.Location: 2707 Camino Lenada Street, OaklandListing age...

With 3-0 win in wintry Wellington, Spain sets the standard at Women’s World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:02 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When Alexis Putellas finally made her entry into Spain’s opener at the Women’s World Cup against Costa Rica on Friday, the match was already won.The two-time Ballon d’Or winner waited 77 minutes to leave the bench, to enter the tournament and to provide an early answer to questions about her fitness after her long recuperation from injury.Putellas damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee just before Spain’s European Championship campaign last year, returned for the first time in April and has been played sparingly since, mostly from the bench.Her appearance in the 3-0 win at Wellington on a night of stinging rain and cold was an affirmation of her fitness, the promise of better things to come as the tournament proceeds and the last component of a triumphant night for Spain.“Every single moment for her really counts. She’s a really good quality player,” Spain coach Jorge Vilda said. “We’re going to do our best to help he...