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California is almost 100% drought-free, latest data shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

The latest update from the official U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the Golden State is nearly 100% drought-free.Drought conditions have continued to retreat across the state after the winter season brought heavy rain and historic snowfall. Tropical Storm Hilary brought even more rain during the summer. This is how much California workers spend on their work commutes, study says The data, released on Aug., 24, shows that about 93% of California is free from any drought classification. This percentage has continued to increase since March, when researchers found that more than 50% of the state was out of a drought, an accomplishment that happened for the first time in three years.About 6% of the state is considered to be “abnormally dry,” the U.S. Drought Monitor’s least severe classification, while about 1% of the region is considered to be in a “moderate drought.No area in the Golden State is considered to be in an “extreme or exceptional” drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor’s two ...

Man fatally stabbed in Whittier area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

An investigation is underway after a man was fatally stabbed in the Whittier area Tuesday afternoon.The incident was reported around 3 p.m. in the 15300 block of Goodhue Street in South Whittier, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.Responding deputies found the victim with stab wounds on the floor inside the home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Authorities are expected to reveal more details about the incident during a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday.Check back for updates on this developing story.

Taco Bell is testing Mountain Dew gelato for the first time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

Taco Bell is testing gelato for the first time ever at one Southern California location for a limited time.The fast-food company announced Wednesday the release of a new test item, Mtn Dew Baja Blast Gelato, which will be available to customers beginning on Thursday.The fast-food company announced Wednesday the release of a new test item, Mtn Dew Baja Blast Gelato, which will be available to customers beginning on Thursday. (Taco Bell) Iconic Taco Bell food item is going vegan Customers interested in trying the exclusive new menu item can visit the Taco Bell restaurant in Irvine, located at 4101 Campus Drive.“This is the first time we are releasing a gelato and we are so excited to hear how fans enjoy the sweet and creamy indulgence,” Liz Matthews, global chief food innovation officer at Taco Bell, said in a statement.The new item will cost $2.99, not including taxes, for a 3.6 ounce to-go container.The company also teased a new Mountain Dew Baja Blast innovation expected to make...

Famous Monster Jam trucks damaged in California highway fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

Two of the beloved monster trucks featured in the Monster Jam motorsports event were damaged Tuesday morning when the semi-trailer they were being transported in became engulfed in flames. The tractor-trailer caught fire on Highway 50 in Sacramento around 8:30 a.m., according to the Sacramento Fire Department. A Sacramento driver spotted the fire from an overpass, capturing video, seen in the player above, of flames rising from the trailer as the truck traveled down the highway. Black smoke billowed from the trailer, casting the traffic behind the truck in a dark shadow.Fire officials said the driver was able to release the tractor from the trailer before it could be involved in the fire.Megalodon is one of the two Monster Jam trucks damaged in a fire on Highway 50. (KTXL)Unfortunately, the trailer and its cargo weren't entirely saved from the fire. Two monster trucks — Megalodon and Scooby-Doo — were damaged. Both trucks appear during Monster Jam events held throughout the U.S. and...

Court upholds Avenatti’s extortion plot conviction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

By Michael R. Sisak | Associated PressNEW YORK — A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti’s conviction for plotting to extort up to $25 million from Nike – one of several legal messes that have landed him behind bars.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Avenatti’s claim that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support his February 2020 conviction on charges of extortion and honest-services fraud for threatening to smear Nike in the media if he didn’t get paid.A three-judge panel weighing Avenatti’s appeal found that evidence, including bank statements, text messages, emails and witness testimony, was enough to permit “a reasonable jury to conclude that he had no claim of right to a personal payment from Nike, let alone to a $15-25 million payment.”The panel also rejected Avenatti’s claims that jurors weren’t properly instructed in the law and that the trial judge missed a deadline fo...

Dirty air, dangerous fire conditions bring Bay Area reminders of how August weather can be

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

On the penultimate day of the month, nature reminded the Bay Area of how August has normally felt and smelled over the past few years, while offering the region a reminder of the danger that usually comes with it.Amid a Spare the Air alert, air quality pollution figures soared around the region, and the National Weather Service issued its first Red Flag warning in more than a year. Temperatures were expected to creep into the 100s in the Bay Area’s hottest places and move well into the 90s throughout the region.Additionally, PG&E began a public safety power shutdown to conserve energy that was expected to affect approximately 8,400 customers in small portions of Napa, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Shasta, Tehama, Yolo and Butte counties. The Pit River Tribes and Grindstone Rancheria also were expected to be affected, according to the utility.Par for the course, normally, in many previous August months. Not so much in 2023.“That kind of speaks to the broader scale patterns,...

Nick Bosa holdout: Which other 49ers stars have skipped training camp practices?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

As the 49ers get closer to the start of the 2023 NFL season, the concern over the ongoing holdout of star defensive end Nick Bosa is growing.Bosa missed the entirety of the 49ers’ training camp and wasn’t in Santa Clara for Wednesday’s practice either, bringing the length of his holdout to 37 days.San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan has signaled he expected Bosa’s extended absence and both he and general manager John Lynch have expressed optimism that they’ll get things done.But still, it isn’t done yet, which means Bosa’s absence is starting to get uncomfortable. Sure, plenty of 49ers have skipped offseason workouts before, but most reported to training camp. Bosa didn’t, and now the worst-case scenario of Bosa missing a regular season game — or several — feels possible. If so, he could arguably be the most prominent 49er to ever miss a regular season game because of a contract dispute.Here’s a list of noteworthy holdouts in 49ers history (in chronological order):Ronnie Lott, 1984 (n...

Single-family residence sells in Oakland for $1.5 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

1965 Gaspar Drive – Google Street ViewA 1,488-square-foot house built in 1937 has changed hands. The property located in the 1900 block of Gaspar Drive in Oakland was sold on July 18, 2023, for $1,525,000, or $1,025 per square foot. The layout of this single-story house consists of three bedrooms and two baths. In addition, the home comes with a garage.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:On Gaspar Drive, Oakland, in December 2022, a 1,606-square-foot home was sold for $1,450,000, a price per square foot of $903. The home has 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In March 2023, a 2,237-square-foot home on Snake Road in Oakland sold for $2,150,000, a price per square foot of $961. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,904-square-foot home on the 6000 block of Snake Road in Oakland sold in March 2023, for $1,410,000, a price per square foot of $741. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Oakland man’s murder confession: He told cops he killed woman, then drove with her body in front seat to commit a second homicide, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

OAKLAND — Earlier this month, Oakland police arrested 34-year-old Amadi Monroe after identifying him as a murder suspect who went by the nickname “Bang” and who’d been stalking his victim, Jerald Larnell Clark II, since Monroe’s release from jail a month earlier.But when Monroe sat down in a police interrogation room after his Aug. 11 arrest and waived his Miranda rights, Monroe confessed not just to killing Clark, but also to fatally shooting 30-year-old Brenda Diaz in a Target parking lot hours earlier, authorities said. He then drove Diaz’s Lexus to Oakland to shoot Clark, with her body still in the front seat, according to authorities.Despite the confession, Monroe has thus far only been charged with murder in the killing of Clark. Authorities say the delay in charging him with Diaz’s death has been jurisdictional; investigators are working to confirm his story that he shot Diaz within San Rafael city limits, and whether the Marin or Ala...

Alex Cobb hopes near-no-hitter gets SF Giants’ momentum rolling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Oracle Park was still buzzing the morning after Alex Cobb’s near no-hitter. Though he was an out away from completing the rare feat, his complete game one-hitter, and Giants third straight win, signaled a rejuvenation.The Giants had lost seven straight series heading into the three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds. When rookie Kyle Harrison dazzled in Monday’s opener, 35-year-old Cobb wondered how he could top it.“I was watching his game last night thinking I can’t believe I have to follow this outing,” Cobb said on Tuesday. “Electric fans, hometown kid. Punched out every single player he faced.”With one of his best splitters going, Cobb kept the juju going and spun together arguably one of the best starts of his career. No-hitting the Reds through 8 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. With the adrenaline simmered down, reality will set in. Cobb threw a career-high 131 pitches — the most he’d thrown was 1...