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7 amazing Bay Area things to do this weekend, Jan. 5-7

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

It’s important to establish a Good Weekend Groove (GWG) early in the year, before bad habits like being constructive and doing household chores settle in. So here are some fun and yummy ideas to get 2024 off to a good start.As always, be sure to double check event and venue websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 SEE & HEAR: Great shows are all overYes, January has a reputation for being a dead zone when it comes to live arts and entertainment, but there are still a goodly number of great shows and exhibits to catch in the Bay Area.2 MAKE & DEVOUR: It’s taco timeWe believe there are two kinds of people in the world, those who worship tacos with a passion strong enough to move the earth and sun, and those who just like them a lot. Regardless of which ...

All-Bay Area News Group high school football 2023: Wide receivers/tight ends

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

ALL-BAY AREA NEWS GROUP FOOTBALL 2023WIDE RECEIVERSFirst teamJason Auzenne, Palo Alto, 5-11, 190, seniorReceiver of the year in the PAL De Anza. Caught 61 passes for 1,220 yards and 15 touchdowns while helping Palo Alto capture the CCS Division IV championship.Chris Lawson, Archbishop Riordan, 6-0, 190, juniorWCAL wide receiver of the year. Four-star prospect per 247Sports led the Crusaders with 68 receptions for 969 yards and 11 touchdownsOwen Scott, San Ramon Valley, 5-10, 160, juniorFirst-team all-EBAL Mountain. Had a huge season for the 10-win Wolves, catching 84 passes for 1,405 yards and 10 touchdowns.Second teamAmari Bluford, Christopher, 5-9, 165, seniorMost outstanding receiver in BVAL Mt. Hamilton. Caught 44 passes for 828 yards and 10 TDs. Also intercepted three passes, returning one for a TD, and brought back a kick for a TD.Noah Quesada, Pittsburg, 6-1, 175, seniorFirst-team all-Bay Valley Athletic League recognition. Led the 13-1 Pirates in receiving with 44 receptions...

Man arrested after flying stolen plane from North Las Vegas into California

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev.  — An Idaho man was arrested after stealing a plane from a North Las Vegas hangar, flying it over 100 miles into a southern California airport and eventually running into a desert area after officers inquired about the aircraft.The man, who is currently in custody in San Bernardino County, faces charges of possession of a stolen airplane and taking stolen property across state lines from the incident, which occurred on Saturday, according to the county sheriff’s department. There could be additional charges in Nevada, according to KSNV-TV.North Las Vegas officials said the man could also be behind attempted airplane burglaries in the three previous days before his arrest, according to the station.The aircraft was valued at about $80,000, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Central California restaurant’s comeback shows how outdated, false Asian stereotype of dog-eating persists

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

By TERRY TANG | Associated PressFRESNO — David Rasavong’s cultural pride is evident all throughout his restaurant.It’s on the wall of family portraits and where a stunning mural depicts his family’s journey from Laos to California. It’s on the menu filled with Lao and Thai dishes like the crispy coconut rice salad of Nam Khao and the stir-fried rice noodles of Pad See Ew.And it’s in the fact that Love & Thai in Fresno, California, restaurant is open at all. A baseless accusation grounded in a racist stereotype about Asian food using dog meat brought a six-month barrage of harassment so heated that Rasavong, 41, closed down its previous location over fears for his family’s safety.His earlier restaurant had itself only been open for seven months when a so-called animal welfare crusader in May implied on social media that a pitbull tied up at an unconnected home next door was going to be served on the menu.A day after the initial commentary, vitriolic statements, voicemails and cal...

Program to offer 50% discounted transit fares to lower-income Bay Area residents

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

(BCN) -- Lower-income Bay Area residents are invited to apply for a pilot program aiming to offer them 50 percent discounted fares, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority said Tuesday.The Clipper START initiative, administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, will give eligible participants a 50 percent discount on single adult fares for the VTA, AC Transit, Marin Transit, SolTrans, BART, Muni, Sonoma County Transit, Caltrain, and Napa VINE, among others.According to the VTA, individuals must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the program:Be a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area.Be aged 19-64 years.Not possess an RTC Clipper Card for people with disabilities.Have a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Brock Purdy leads all players in Pro Bowl votes, nine 49ers named to roster The VTA said applying residents must also provide proof of identity and income​ to receive a personalized Clipper card in the mail to get their...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts following signs that job market remains solid

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting following signals that the job market remains solid, but may be a touch too strong. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% early Thursday, on track for its first losing week in the last 10. The Dow rose 65 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. Treasury yields rose. Walgreens Boots Alliance sank 10% after nearly halving its dividend. Stocks have regressed this week after rallying powerfully into the end of last year, driven largely by hopes that inflation is cooling enough for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Markets on Wall Street drifted higher early Thursday in search of their first gains of the new year.Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.1% before the bell, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average moved 0.3% higher.With earnings season still weeks away from kicking off, investors will have their eyes on more data from the Labor Department. Thursday brings the gov...

Microsoft’s new AI key is first big change to keyboards in decades

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

Computer keyboards are making room for an artificial intelligence chatbot button as Microsoft unveils its first major keyboard redesign in three decades. Starting this month, some new personal computers that run Microsoft’s Windows operating system will have a special “Copilot key” that launches the software giant’s AI chatbot.Getting third-party computer manufacturers to add an AI button to laptops is the latest move by Microsoft to capitalize on its close partnership with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and make itself a gateway for applications of generative AI technology.Although most people now connect to the internet — and many AI applications — by phone rather than computer, it’s a symbolic kickoff to what’s expected to be a competitive year as tech companies race to outdo each other in AI applications even as they haven’t yet resolved all the ethical and legal ramifications. The New York Times last month sued both OpenAI and Microsoft alleging that tools l...

With 2024 being a UK election year, the opposition wants an early vote. PM Rishi Sunak is in no rush

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The politician favored to become Britain’s next prime minister accused the governing Conservatives on Thursday of leading the country into decline and despair during their 14 years in power, and urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “bring it on” and hold an early election.Sunak, whose party is trailing in opinion polls, resisted pressure for an early vote, saying he planned to wait until “the second half of this year.”Kicking off a year likely to be dominated by electioneering, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer urged voters to reject a “tide of cynicism” about politicians. He said a Labour government would deliver “Project Hope,” though he ruled out major tax cuts or spending rises soon after an election.Starmer is aiming to return his left-of-center party, out of office since 2010, back to power in an election that must be held by January 2025.Opinion polls consistently give Labour a double-digit lead over Sunak’s Conservatives, who have churned through three prime mini...

Delays on I-95 as VDOT prepares roads for weekend snowstorm

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

A pre-storm treatment truck that will be treating highways and roads before winter storms to keep ice off roadways.(Courtesy VDOT) A pre-storm treatment truck that will be treating highways and roads before winter storms to keep ice off roadways.(Courtesy VDOT) Listen to WTOP Traffic on the 8s for the latest on road conditions.Snow is forecast for the D.C. area this weekend, leading to delays Thursday on Interstate 95 as roads are treated to keep ice off major highways.The Virginia Department of Transportation said trucks will be pretreating the highway with brine from Quantico to Hannover County, by Kings Dominion. Crews will start pretreating more than 300 lane miles of I-95 Thursday morning, covering ramps and ...

La reina de la cocina, Alana Lliteras, es la nueva participante de La Casa de los Famosos

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:18:05 GMT

MIAMI, Florida –  Telemundo, la casa de los realities, continua confirmando celebridades que se unen a La Casa de los Famosos que estrena en vivo el 23 de enero a las 7pm/6c. Iniciando el año nuevo, Alana Lliteras, la talentosa joven ganadora de la segunda temporada de Top Chef VIP, confirma su entrada a la casa más famosa de la TV hispana donde convivirá con otras personalidades tales como Pedro “La Divaza” Figueira, Thalí García, Gregorio Pernía, José Reyes, Lupillo Rivera y Maripily Rivera, y otros que se revelarán próximamente. Alana Lliteras es una distinguida personalidad de la televisión en su natal México que fue la ganadora y la participante más joven de la competencia culinaria de Telemundo, Top Chef VIP. Desde sus 18 años, fue uno de los rostros televisivos más prometedores de su país. Su primera experiencia en la televisión fue a través de la cocina ya que a los 12 años se coronó como la ganadora de una importante competencia culinaria de adolescentes. De ahí...