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South Bay lawmaker’s bill aims to bolster hate crime charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

A South Bay assemblymember is looking to expand the state’s definition of a hate crime, a pursuit he says will ensure that crimes targeting populations like Asian Americans and LGBTQ+ people are fully prosecuted when bias is evident but not demonstrated explicitly enough to satisfy existing legal thresholds.Evan Low, D-Campbell, is pushing Assembly Bill 1064, which would add “bias motivation” and “selective targeting” components to the statutory description of a hate crime. He says the idea is to empower law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue hate crime investigations by making it more likely that charges get in front of juries rather than get dismissed in pretrial stages.“Our community has been suffering,” Low said in an interview. “Many of the cases we’ve seen, the individual did not shout out a specific slur, but we know by the consistency of the targeted individuals that selective targeting exists. That evidence of bias is...

Roadshow: Do I have to pay a toll invoice that didn’t arrive for a year?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

Q: I received an invoice on March 22 for $7 from FasTrak, showing that I was on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge on March 21 a year ago, almost to the day. Must I pay an invoice that old?Nanette Haile, PleasantonA: You’d be smart to pay. To ignore these tolls could lead to significant penalties. I understand your frustration with a billing delay that long.Q: I read the March 26 article about the people who owe huge sums for unpaid tolls. While I am very sympathetic to those who incurred undeserved charges as a result of toll agencies’ mistakes, I have no sympathy for those who intentionally abuse the system. The fees and penalties incurred by Brenda Angulo were entirely avoidable. If you can’t afford the tolls, or don’t want to pay them, don’t use the toll lanes.As for the claim that toll lanes can be confusing, it’s true that a lack of uniformity can sometimes be confusing, but anyone capable of getting a driver’s license should be able to figur...

Will this winter’s megastorms end the Bay Area’s toxic algae problem?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

In recent years, thick layers of cyanobacteria—commonly known as blue-green algae—have closed popular local swimming spots Lake Anza and Lake Temescal for weeks at a time.Last summer, a toxic algae bloom in the San Francisco Bay killed thousands of fish.Although algae is always present in some quantity in lakes and the bay, higher temperatures, stagnant water, and excessive nutrient levels can cause the algae to multiply.If the particular species has toxins in it, such as blue-green algae or the Heterosigma akashiwo species that bloomed in the bay last summer, the water can become unsafe for humans and animals.Algae blooms and cyanobacteria have become state and nationwide problems. In the Bay Area, water managers were beginning to wonder if the extreme drought conditions of recent years had pushed the problem into a dangerous new phase in local waters.But the steady and sometimes torrential rainfall this winter means that the bay’s waterways could avoid a repeat of last year’s out-...

“FEMA help is actually on the way” — Gov. Newsom takes key step to bring FEMA aid to California flood victims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom took a key step on Tuesday in getting FEMA aid to California communities recovering from devastating damage caused by recent atmospheric river storms, including the small town of Pajaro where about 3,000 residents were flooded out of their homes.Newsom’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration comes two weeks after an aging neglected levee broke and flooded the small farmworker community and aims to bolster emergency response and recovery in Calaveras, Kern, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.The Presidential Major Disaster Declaration request encompasses the communities impacted by flooding, snow, mudslides, avalanches, and debris flows that resulted from storms beginning February 21.“Over these past months, state, local and federal partners have worked around the clock to protect our communities from devastating storms that have ravaged every part of our state,” said Governor Newsom. “We will ...

As the Bay Area urbanizes around it, Livermore is one of the last ag cities standing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

From certain places on Darrel Sweet’s ranch near Altamont Pass, the world looks no different than it did 150 years ago. Wildflowers blanket the hillside. A ranch dog named J.J. chases squirrels across a muddy dirt track. Cows stand near a cattle pond, looking out at a range of rolling hills that seem to act as a bulwark against time.But from one of the ranch’s hilltops, it’s clear that much has changed. Towering wind turbines dot every mountain. To the west are sprawling developments in Dublin. To the south, the suburban center of Livermore.“When you’re in downtown Livermore, you’d think this place is all developed,” Sweet said. “But it’s not.”The construction site of an upcoming apartment complex on Railroad Avenue in Livermore. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Livermore is the home of San Franciso Premium Outlets, which houses over 180 store brands. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Show Caption of ExpandAs cities around it have undergone explosive growth, residents say Livermo...

Governor Newsom signs gas price gouging law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

(KRON) -- California Governor Gavin's Newsom's bill to hold oil companies accountable is now a law. According to Newsom's office, this bill will go into effect on June 26, ultimately giving officials the power to penalize California-based oil companies for making too much money.This bill is the first of its kind and was put together by Democratic Senator Nancy Skinner of Berkeley. It was backed by Attorney General Rob Bonta. More rain means more money for East Bay MUD customers. See how. This new law provides an independent watchdog that will root out price gouging by oil companies and gives the state more information than ever before, including data from last year when the governor's office said it appeared oil companies suppressed supply to drive up prices and brought in record profits.Republicans with opposing views have long argued that the proposal could lead to higher prices. But this week the bill cleared the State Assembly with only one Democrat voting against it.Governor ...

FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan. Here’s what it means

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.It’s a move that some advocates have long sought as a way to improve access to a life-saving drug, though the exact impact will not be clear immediately.Here’s a look at the issues involved.WHAT IS NARCAN?The approved branded nasal spray from Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions is the best-known form of naloxone.It can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year. The majority of those deaths are tied to opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl that can take multiple doses ...

Milestone Pharmaceuticals: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

MONTREAL (AP) — MONTREAL (AP) — Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MIST) on Wednesday reported a loss of $13.2 million in its fourth quarter.On a per-share basis, the Montreal-based company said it had a loss of 31 cents.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 35 cents per share.The biotechnology company posted revenue of $3.5 million in the period.For the year, the company reported a loss of $58.4 million, or $1.38 per share. Revenue was reported as $5 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MIST at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MISTSource

‘A full circle type of moment’: Robert Griffin III could be part of Commanders new ownership group

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

The former quarterback once considered the future of Washington’s NFL football team is “head over heels” about the possibility of being part of the Commanders new ownership group.Robert Griffin III, a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at Baylor, led Washington to the playoffs in his first season in 2012, but was released by the team after four seasons.More Washington Commanders NewsMore DC Sports NewsMore Sports NewsGriffin said Tuesday he’s “been having some really great conversations” with the potential ownership group led by Josh Harris, which includes Mitchell Rales and Magic Johnson — one of two groups to submit a $6 billion bid to buy the team from Daniel Snyder.“I’m head over heels about that process,” he told the Rich Eisen Show.“To be a player for that team, to not have my career to go the way that I wanted it to, or the fans wanted it to, it would be a full circle type of moment to come back and try to help that ...

Sharon Madison named 2023 'Remarkable Woman of Denver'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:32 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) – A mother who started a nonprofit to honor the son she lost has been named 2023's "Remarkable Woman of Denver." Sharon Madison was announced as this year's honoree Wednesday morning.Madison followed her passion for cycling to create the organization We Ride 4. She is honoring the memory of her eldest son Eric, who died six years ago at age 27, by getting kids on bikes.“We try to work more around kids to get those kids in need, get them outside, get them on bikes, give them fresh air,” Madison said in a recent interview.As part of Women’s History Month, FOX31 and Colorado’s Very Own Channel 2 have been recognizing the contributions of women in the community. From more than 400 nominations received, four finalists were selected and profiled in recent news stories. Meet all of this year's 'Remarkable Women of Denver' finalists Along with Madison, the finalists were: Claudia Folska who helps make the world accessible to others with disabilities; Gina Schreck who opened ...