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‘Sham and charade’: Albany Lions Club, city argue over removal of controversial cross in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

HAYWARD — While the 28-foot cross that the Lions Club erected on public land atop Albany Hill 52 years ago may seem like an obvious violation of the Constitution’s “Establishment Clause” that is widely interpreted as requiring a separation of church and state, the community service group’s lawyers have gone to court to argue that city officials failed to find a solution that preserved the Christian symbol — without ever genuinely entertaining efforts to compromise.A trial kicked off Tuesday to decide whether local officials had the right to remove the controversial steel and plexiglass cross last month, culminating in four hours of witness testimony and a host of legal objections at the Hayward Hall of Justice.Instead of justifying the cross’ removal, attorneys representing the city of Albany called no witnesses, submitted no exhibits and asked scant questions during testimonies “because it’s (the Lions Club’s) challenge.”Rather, Albany’s legal team ask...

Bay Area air advisory issued as smoke from Oregon fires drifts toward region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

Nearly two dozen wildfires burning in Oregon are now affecting the air quality in the Bay Area, officials said Wednesday.The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory on Wednesday, saying smoke from the Oregon wildfires is creating moderate air conditions in the Santa Clara Valley.Cleaner air was expected throughout the rest of the region, the district said.The advisory was in effect late Wednesday afternoon and early evening, according to the district. The district did not issue a Spare the Air alert.The Oregon Wildfire Response and Recovery agency said 22 fires are burning currently in Oregon. Smoke from the Flat Fire, which is spreading quickly in southern Oregon between Gold Beach and Grants Pass, is the major contributor of smoke in the region, officials said.Officials said it might be possible to smell smoke in the air, especially in the higher elevations of the East Bay, Santa Clara Valley and North Bay. Smoky, hazy skies were expected throughout...

4 killed in 3 separate homicides in Oakland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

(KRON) -- Four people are dead following two separate shootings early Wednesday morning and another one that took place just before noon, according to the Oakland Police Department.First shootingAround 1:30 a.m., officers responded to reports of two people who had been shot in the 1100 block of 89th Avenue near D Street. After arriving at the scene, the officers located two people with gunshot wounds, police said. CHP investigating Oakland freeway shooting, 1 victim Despite receiving medical aid, both victims succumbed to their injuries and died at the scene. The victims’ identities are not being released at this time. OPD’s Homicide Section is currently investigating the incident.Second shootingJust before 5 a.m., officers responded to the 1200 block of 18th Avenue and located a person suffering from a gunshot wound(s). The victim ultimately succumbed to their injuries at the scene, police said. Shortly after this incident occurred, a second victim arrived at a local hospital wit...

'Prolific' thief charged in San Francisco burglary spree

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

(KRON) -- Investigators said a "prolific" thief has been charged with 29 counts in connection to home, business, and car burglaries across San Francisco.Patrick Potter, 29, was arraigned in court Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to charges including grand theft and residential burglary. Potter is accused of carrying out burglaries across a large swath of neighborhoods, including Chinatown, North Beach, Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill, Nob Hill, and Pacific Heights. Among the items alleged to have been stolen were laptops, video game consoles, and packages.District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, "Property crimes deeply impact residents and businesses across the city. I am grateful to the San Francisco Police Department for their efforts to solvethis burglary series that spanned many neighborhoods and involved numerous victims."Potter has remained in custody since he was arrested in Oakland on July 6. He is being held in jail without bail. Jenkins said, "We will seek justice for the victi...

Tesla’s Q2 income jumps 20%, but underlying profit concerns keep shares flat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk’s big bet that Tesla price cuts could boost sales and profits amid increasing competition and poor economic sentiment appears to be yielding mixed results. The company beat analyst expectations for net income in the April-June quarter, although its shares barely budged.The Austin, Texas, maker of electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries reported net income of $2.7 billion in the quarter, a 20% increase from a year ago. Earnings per share also rose 20% to 78 cents when measured via generally accepted accounting principles.Analysts, however, tend to focus on Tesla’s own measurement of profit, which excludes stock-based compensation expense. By that measure, Tesla’s net income zoomed to $3.15 billion, or 91 cents a share, sharply exceeding analyst estimates of 80 cents per share according to FactSet. Analysts had expected profits to fall because of the price cuts.Total revenue rose 47% to $24.93 billion.Tesla shares, however, initia...

Big expectations and lots of attention greet Jets as they begin training camp with Aaron Rodgers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — It all now seems officially real for the New York Jets.Aaron Rodgers strolled into the team’s facility Wednesday with the rest of his raring-to-go teammates — veterans and rookies — and reported for training camp for the first time with the franchise that made the stunning trade for him in April.The Jets tweeted a photo of Rodgers wearing his green and white jersey — instead of the red no-contact practice version he wore during offseason workouts — for the first time, adding: “This is not an AI-generated photo.”Nope, no more clever edits needed. Rodgers is in camp and so is a throng of reporters, cameras and the film crew from HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”“I’m not going to lie,” cornerback D.J. Reed said. “The energy does feel different. It definitely feels like there’s more excitement coming into this year.”It has been that way since general manager Joe Douglas swung the deal to acquire the four-time NFL MVP from Green Bay and give New York ...

Diamondbacks’ rotation left short-handed after Davies lands on IL with back injury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zach Davies was placed on the 15-day injured list with lower back inflammation on Wednesday.Davies, who gave up nine runs in 3 2/3 innings in Tuesday night’s 16-13 win over the Atlanta Braves, was sent back to Arizona for evaluation.Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he learned after Tuesday night’s game that Davies “was feeling discomfort” in his lower back. Davies (1-5, 7.38) has been scheduled for an MRI on Thursday.Even though Davies’ injury leaves Arizona’s rotation with only three healthy starters, the Diamondbacks recalled a reliever, left-hander Joe Mantiply, before Wednesday night’s game against Atlanta. The move left the Diamondbacks with 10 relievers on their active roster.Lovullo said a bullpen game was a “strong possibility” this week. Mantiply has a 5.74 ERA in 13 games, all in relief, this season.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

P.A.M. Transportation: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

TONTITOWN, Ark. (AP) — TONTITOWN, Ark. (AP) — P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. (PTSI) on Wednesday reported profit of $9.3 million in its second quarter.On a per-share basis, the Tontitown, Arkansas-based company said it had profit of 42 cents.The trucking company posted revenue of $207.4 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PTSI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PTSISource

New Zealand police respond to a gunman in an Auckland building. Reports say 6 people are injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand police responded Thursday to reports that a gunman had fired shots in a building in downtown Auckland.The New Zealand Herald reported that at least six people had been injured, including a police officer, who was able to walk to an ambulance with assistance from colleagues. Police described it as a “significant incident” but said the situation had been contained to a single building that was under construction in lower Queen Street. Police were urging people to avoid the area or stay inside their buildings if already there. The incident comes as many soccer teams were gathering in New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The opening match is scheduled for Thursday between New Zealand and Norway. Source

Gorman’s 4 RBIs lift Cardinals over Marlins 6-4 for 2nd series sweep this year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:33 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Mami Marlins 6-4 on Wednesday for just their second series sweep this season.Nolan Arenado’s RBI single and Gorman’s 19th homer built a 4-0 lead in the first off NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, and the Marlins’ losing streak reached a season-high six.Gorman added a run-scoring single in the seventh against Huascar Brazobán, and another run scored on third baseman Jon Berti’s throwing error.St. Louis had just one previous sweep this season, from May 12-14 at Boston. The Cardinals have won a season-high five in a row, moving ahead of Pittsburgh and out of the NL Central cellar.Alcantara (3-9) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings, dropping to 0-3 in his last four starts. Miami arrived after losing three games at Baltimore and went winless on a trip of six or more games for the first time since August 2019.Zack Thompson (2-2), pitchi...