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Letters: Historic buildings | Retire Harris | Voting rule | Israeli violence

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Razing historic buildingswon’t help housing crisisRe: “Are NIMBYs weaponizing historic preservation?” (Page A1, Dec. 3).Destroying historic buildings won’t solve the housing shortage.Oakland’s General Plan designates historic Areas of Primary and Secondary Importance. Structures citywide are rated “A” to “D” by the Cultural Heritage Survey.Yet both the state-mandated Housing Element and the proposed Downtown Oakland Specific Plan zoning rules allow “infill” construction that sometimes looms over significant older buildings.“C” or “D” rated structures are disposed of through owner neglect. Even higher-rated buildings, like the Fruitvale Hotel, are allowed to deteriorate, then be demolished.Many communities, including ours, have surpassed state targets for new housing in all but the “affordable” category. Yet builders argue that only with luxury apartment towers will their projects pencil out.T...

‘We failed her.’ Santa Clara County social workers publicly rebuke boss, agency over handling of high-risk kids like baby Phoenix

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

SAN JOSE — In an extraordinary show of force, Santa Clara County social workers spoke out against their own agency Tuesday during a county Board of Supervisors meeting, criticizing leaders for “family preservation” practices that left Phoenix Castro in the care of her father despite drug problems and other red flags that led to the three-month-old San Jose baby’s death.More than two dozen social workers and their supervisors shared emotional accounts of being hamstrung in protecting children from drug-addicted parents by policies that emphasize keeping families together over removing abused or neglected children from their parents. Some broke down in tears.“I want you to know that this tragic and preventable loss of life is just one example of a child left in harm’s way despite the workers assessment to the contrary and is a direct result of a shift in department practice,” social worker supervisor Susannah Moore told the board members. ”On my team alone there have...

Israeli officials: ‘Widespread’ sexual assaults during Hamas attack

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

By Sam Mendick | Associated PressJERUSALEM — A man hiding in a pit during the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on an outdoor music festival in Israel said he heard someone nearby screaming she was being raped. Elsewhere in the area, a combat paramedic saw the body of a young woman with her legs open, her pants pulled down, and what looked like semen on her lower back. An army reservist who was tasked with identifying those killed by the militants said some of the women were found wearing only bloodied underwear.Such accounts given to The Associated Press, along with first assessments by an Israeli rights group, show that sexual assault was part of an atrocities-filled rampage by Hamas and other Gaza militants who killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 240 hostages that day.While investigators are still trying to determine the scope of the sexual assaults, Israel’s government is accusing the international community, particularly the United Nations, of ignorin...

Mum on Ohtani, SF Giants don’t hide interest in 2 other prominent free agents

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The mere mention of Shohei Ohtani’s name made Pete Putila clam up.“Uh, we’re not going to comment on any free agent players,” Farhan Zaidi’s top lieutenant said Tuesday, responding to a reporter’s direct questioning of the San Francisco Giants’ reported meeting with the two-way superstar over the weekend at Oracle Park.It was a different tact than that of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, but otherwise fell in line with the general consensus among executives here at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, the site of MLB’s Winter Meetings. The first rule of pursuing Shohei Ohtani, apparently, is to not talk about Shohei Ohtani.Roberts confirmed that the Dodgers had hosted Ohtani for “two to three hours,” calling him their “top priority.” Hours later, general manager Brandon Gomes hung him out to dry, telling reporters, “Dave made a comment” and otherwise declining to discuss the two-time MVP, who...

SF State strike empties classrooms as faculty pickets for higher pay

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

Libby Black usually spends her Tuesdays in the classroom, teaching painting and drawing at San Francisco State University.But today, the associate professor was on a picket line — one of thousands of CSU professors, lecturers, and other faculty members demanding higher wages across the 23-campus system.“We were already behind inflation,” said Black, speaking over the cheers of the rally around her. “We’re not asking for anything luxurious here.”The one-day strike at SF State was the second of four planned at CSU campuses this week. It began with Cal Poly Pomona on Monday, continues at CSU Los Angeles on Wednesday, and ends at Sacramento State on Thursday. On Tuesday, that meant many SF State teachers had cancelled their classes, trading teaching for chanting on the northeast corner of campus.“Seeing professors struggle to just do what they have to do — that’s hard, as a student,” said Manisha Singh, a 20-year-old student wh...

Video: Brentwood Kohl's shoplifting suspect arrested

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

(KRON) -- Police bodycam footage captured the arrest of a shoplifting suspect who allegedly stole merchandise from Kohl's, according to the Brentwood Police Department. Brentwood PD were called to a local Kohl's location last week on a report of a theft at the store.The suspect had just left the store, police said. When officers were on their way to the scene, the county helicopter Star 3 happened to be in the area. The helicopter was able to tell officers where the suspect was located, which was nearby, police said. ‘Thrill Kill’ murderer released back into Santa Clara County Officers were able to immediately locate and detain the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Nicholas Robancho of Stockton. Robancho, police said, not only had stolen merchandise from Kohl's, but he also had other suspected stolen property (see video above).The property was confiscated and Robancho, who police said had two outstanding warrants, was placed under arrest for the warrants and related theft charges...

Sonoma County declares emergency after 250,000 chickens, ducks euthanized

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

(KRON) -- The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency Tuesday following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza at commercial poultry farms. To protect other flocks in the region, approximately 250,000 birds were euthanized to prevent further disease spread. The outbreak was investigated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.Supervisor David Rabbitt said he is concerned about potential financial impacts on the county's agriculture community, noting, "There are still in the South County one million farm birds within a five-mile radius of one facility" impacted by the avian flu.Southern Sonoma County poultry farms provide "hundreds of thousands of eggs each and every day" that supply the food chain for "the entire West Coast if not beyond," Rabbitt said. Farms where the infected flocks were detected are currently under quarantine.Tuesday's emergency proclamation by the Board of Supervisors provides additional public safety and emergency ...

Evan Low running for Silicon Valley congressional seat

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

Silicon Valley Assemblymember Evan Low is running for Congress, hoping to succeed longtime Rep. Anna Eshoo in a crowded field of competitors. Low confirmed to San Jose Spotlight he filed paperwork for the House of Representatives District 16 seat on Monday, making official a bid for the role he's been rumored to be pursuing since Eshoo announced last month her plans to retire at the end of this term."I am incredibly excited about this opportunity," Low told San Jose Spotlight.If elected, Low would become the first LGBTQ and Chinese-American representative in Congress from the Bay Area. Low, 40, said he planned a calm, relaxing time with family the week of Thanksgiving -- but when Eshoo confirmed her seat would be opening up he had to consider the opportunity to run. Eshoo has served her three-decade tenure in Congress with distinction and deliverable results, Low said. ‘Thrill Kill’ murderer released back into Santa Clara County "Those will be big shoes to fill, but I'm excited an...

The Yankees hope chance meeting, scouting helps land Japanese pitcher Yamamoto

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has met Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto.Once, very briefly.The Yankees hope to find out soon if Boone’s chance meeting with the 25-year-old right-hander pays off for the team.“I’ve met him once before in the past actually, and I do plan on meeting him again, yes,” Boone said Tuesday at Major League Baseball’ s annual winter meetings.When pressed for more details, Boone made it sound very much by chance.“Just in kind of passing at some point in the winter. He was in a place that I was, and I got introduced to him, so that was it,” Boone said.Yamamoto is the prized international free agent of this offseason after going 68-29 with a 1.84 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over his seven seasons in Japan. The Yankees had scouts evaluating Yamamoto this year with the Orix Buffaloes.New York general manager Brian Cashman said the team had a representative at every one of Yamamoto’s games, and he was on hand himself when Yama...

Atmospheric river soaks Pacific Northwest with record-breaking rain and unusually warm temperatures

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:45:12 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An atmospheric river has brought heavy rain, flooding and unseasonably warm temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, closing rail links, schools and roads as it shattered daily rainfall and temperature records in Washington state.Amtrak said Tuesday that no passenger trains will be running between Seattle and Portland, Oregon, until Thursday because of a landslide. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in parts of western Washington, including in areas north and east of Seattle and across a large swath of the Olympic Peninsula.The wet conditions also brought warm temperatures to the region. At 64 Fahrenheit (17.8 Celsius) in Walla Walla in southwestern Washington, it was as warm as parts of Florida and Mexico, according to the NWS. Seattle reported 59 degrees F (15 C) at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, breaking its previous daily record high, the weather service said.Atmospheric rivers, sometimes known as a “Pineapple Express” because the long and narrow ban...