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Bay Area lawmaker’s bill to outlaw discrimination based on caste clears California Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

By DEEPA BHARATH | Associated PressThe California Senate voted 34-1 Thursday in favor of legislation outlawing caste discrimination in the state. If it passes in the state Assembly and is enacted, California could become the first state in the nation to make caste bias illegal by adding it as a protected category in the state’s anti-discrimination laws.State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the legislature, introduced the bill in March. Caste is a division of people related to birth or descent and those at the lowest strata of the caste system known as Dalits, have been pushing for legal protections in California and beyond. They say it is necessary to protect them from bias in housing, education and in the tech sector — where they hold key roles.Thursday’s vote was swift, with only Sen. Brian Jones voting against the legislation, which has been controversial. On April 25, hundreds on both sides of the issue came to voice their opinions du...

Enough explosive material to 'level entire building' found in San Jose facility

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

(KRON) -- One man is in custody after a destructive device making facility was discovered during a burglary investigation Monday, according to the San Jose Police Department. Officers responded at around 4:17 a.m. to a report of a commercial burglary in the 1200 block of Old Bayshore Highway. Law enforcement officials said the explosives found were far more powerful than fireworks and there were enough on-hand to level an entire building. Police, FBI investigating 1996 missing woman cold case in Redwood City park During a security sweep of the building, police said they located what appeared to be a destructive device manufacturing operation inside the business. The San Jose PD Bomb Squad responded along with Assaults Unit Detectives to assist with the investigation.San Jose resident Adam Mirassou was identified as the primary suspect in the course of the investigation. Search warrants were obtained for Mirassou's business and residence, police said. He was located and arrested at...

OUSD claims union's demands cost $1 billion, Oakland strike enters Day 6

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- The Oakland teachers union strike entered Day 6 on Thursday as thousands of teachers continue to push for a long list of demands and a new contract with higher pay.The district has agreed to raise teachers' salaries, but there's no still end in sight to the standoff between Oakland Unified School District and Oakland Education Association teachers union.On Wednesday night, district officials released a shocking estimated price tag for the union's list of demands -- $1 billion. "Fully implementing OEA’s initial common good proposal would cost the district more than $1 billion," OUSD officials wrote.There’s only 10 school days left in the 2022-2023 academic year, and most of the district's 34,000 students have chosen to stay home rather than cross picket lines. A major sticking point between the two sides centers on "common good" proposals, such as housing homeless students, investing in Black Thriving Community Schools (schools with 40 percent or more Black ...

Hayward K9 officer helps locate missing special needs child

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

(KRON) -- A missing 6-year-old special needs child was safely reunited with his loved ones thanks to the efforts of a Hayward Police Department K9 officer. The incident in question concerned a 6-year-old boy with special needs who walked away from his babysitter near a local park in Hayward last month, according to Hayward PD. Walnut Creek police warn residents of trending ATM scam throughout area Hayward PD officers responded and began a search of the surrounding area with assistance from HARD Rangers, East Bay Regional Parks, a Hayward PD drone, and a Hayward K9 officer named "Blaze."Blaze had just completed tracking school a few weeks earlier, according to police. Within minutes, K9 Blaze was able to locate the child and lead search teams right to him. They boy was thankfully found uninjured in a heavily wooded area along the Hayward Plunge Trail, police said. He was safely reunited with his loved ones. Corgi accurately predicts Warriors win over Lakers in Game 6 "Our Police ...

Berkeley homeowners could qualify for up to $13K in earthquake retrofit grants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

(KRON) -- If you own property in Berkeley, parts of it could be eligible for up to $13,000 in retrofit grants for living spaces above a garage. This feature used to be an easy way to add square footage to a home, but living spaces built above a garage—or soft stories—before the year 2000 are especially prone to collapsing during an earthquake. Retrofitting eligible spaces can help with that.In order to qualify for retrofit grants, the property must be:Owner-occupiedBuilt prior to 2000Have one floor of living space above a garageLocated in certain zip codesRetrofitting a soft story includes strengthening the walls of the garage near the door or any other large opening, bracing the perimeter walls and bolting the house to its foundation.The grants can cover up to 75 percent of the cost of the retrofit. Grant money comes from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program.Apply for a retrofit grant by May 31 online to enter the lottery.For more information on how a retrofit grant works,...

How Montgomery County incubators cultivate, nourish new businesses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

New businesses face daunting challenges before and after they launch. Just navigating the path to launch can be overwhelming.Montgomery County, Maryland, aims to make that journey less challenging through its Business Center, which includes three innovation centers — in Germantown, Rockville and Silver Spring. These incubators help businesses achieve a soft landing in the county. The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) works in partnership with the Business Center and the incubators to help companies launch and gain access to the resources they need.Each incubator in the Business Innovation Network has specific industries that it focuses on, but the incubators can accept any business when it makes sense for the business and the county:The Germantown Innovation Center specializes in life science companies. It features wet lab space, offices, shared equipment and a partnership with Montgomery College’s state-of-the-art biotech facilities.The Rockville Innovation...

Bob Jones Award, List

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

FAR HILL, N.J. (AP) — The list of recipients of the Bob Jones Award, given annually by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf:2023 — Johnny Miller2022 — Juli Inkster2021 — Robert C. Lewis Jr.2020 — Se Ri Pak2019 — Lee Elder2018 — Dennis Walters2017 — Bob Ford2016 — Judy Bell2015 — Barbara Nicklaus2014 — Payne Stewart2013 — Davis Love III2012 — Annika Sorenstam2011 — Lorena Ochoa2010 — Mickey Wright2009 — O. Gordon Brewer Jr.2008 — George H.W. Bush2007 — Louise Suggs2006 — Jay Haas2005 — Nick Price2004 — Jackie Burke Jr.2003 — Carol Semple Thompson2002 — Judy Rankin2001 — Thomas Cousins2000 — Barbara McIntire1999 — Edgar Updegraff1998 — Nancy Lopez1997 — Fred Brand, Jr.1996 — Betsy Rawls1995 — Herbert Warren Wind1994 — Lewis Oehmig1993 — P.J. Boatwright, Jr.1992 — Gene Sarazen1991 — Ben Crenshaw1990 — Peggy Kirk Bell1989 — Chi Chi Rodriguez1988 — Isaac B. Grainger1987 — Tom Watson1986 — Jess W. Sweetser1985 — Fuzzy Zoeller1984 — R. Ja...

Bucks’ Jrue Holiday selected as NBA teammate of year for 2nd consecutive season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has been selected the NBA’s teammate of the year for the second straight year and third time in the last four seasons.The NBA announced on Thursday the voting results for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership and dedication to a team.Current players voted on the winner from a list of 12 finalists. The finalists were determined by a panel of league executives.Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges finished second and Golden State’s Stephen Curry was third in the voting. The other finalists, in order of finish, were New York’s Derrick Rose, Miami’s Udonis Haslem, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes, Phoenix’s Damion Lee, Cleveland’s Darius Garland, Boston’s Grant Williams, Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. and Denver’s Aaron Gordon.Lillard won the award in 2021, the only time in the last four seasons it hasn’t gone to Holiday. Holiday won t...

Sweden’s Loreen could win Eurovision — for the second time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Loreen’s favorite moment of Eurovision comes as she’s rolled onstage, lying flat between two horizontal screens and sporting spiky jeweled nails, waiting for the music to start.It’s a moment of calm, about 40 seconds, when the Swedish singer can look at the audience and connect with the crowd, she says. It’s also a stark contrast to the energetic performance that follows, one that has her tipped to come first at the Eurovision Song Contest — for a second time.Loreen won in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Eurovision 2012 with “Euphoria” and now it’s looking like she could do the double and triumph again more than a decade later with “Tattoo.” If she does win it all, she’d only be the second person in Eurovision history to win twice — and it’s been 36 years since Johnny Logan pulled off that feat for Ireland.Loreen has already made it through Tuesday’s semifinal to earn a place for Sweden in Saturday’s Grand Final in Liverpool. This time feels differen...

New blood donation rules allow more gay men to give in US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can give blood in the U.S. without abstaining from sex under updated federal health guidelines that focus on donors’ behavior, not their sexual orientation.The Food and Drug Administration guidelines finalized Thursday ease decades-old restrictions designed to protect the blood supply from HIV. The agency announced plans for the change in January and said this week the new approach can now be implemented by blood banks.The updated guidelines do away with a requirement that men who have sex with men abstain from sex for three months prior to giving blood. Instead, all potential donors — regardless of sexual orientation, sex or gender — will be screened with a new questionnaire that evaluates their individual risks for HIV based on sexual behavior, recent partners and other factors. Potential donors who report having anal sex with new partners in the last three months will be barred from giving until a later date. The ...