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Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price barred from prosecuting former prosecutor and loudest critic

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

OAKLAND — A judge barred Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s office on Wednesday from prosecuting her biggest critic in a misdemeanor case.The case will now be handled by the California Attorney General’s Office.Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer ruled that Price’s office has a “significant conflict of interest” in prosecuting Amilcar “Butch” Ford, a former employee of hers who was charged over the summer with violating a little-used section of the state’s business and professions code.In making his ruling, Cramer said Price had “every right” to speak out against Ford and his alleged actions. But he raised concerns about how often — and with how much apparent vigor — Price appeared to publicly speak about Ford, citing numerous press releases issued about Ford’s case since charging him in July. It was particularly unusual, given Ford only faced a misdemeanor.“I’m ...

2023 was a great year for Bay Area films and TV shows — here are some of the best

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

The 2023 film and TV year brought a whole lot of drama.Strikes usurped productions. Actors went jobless. And star-studded film festivals, often the door openers for upcoming awards seasons, lacked notable star power on the red carpet.But on screens big and small — where it most mattered for fans — the creative juices flowed on and on, so much that it resulted in one of the most robust and dynamic entertainment years in some time. That held true to Bay Area filmmakers and movies with local ties.Here are some of best Bay Area-connected films and series that emerged in 2023, all of which you can watch at home now or in the near future.“I’m a Virgo”: Among the few series this year that has floored viewers with originality is Boots Riley’s seven-part Amazon Prime series. The Oakland resident, a gifted filmmaker, gave us the wildly entertaining “Sorry to Bother You,” and follows it with this tale about an Oakland boy/teen/man Cootie (Jharrel Jerome in a pitch-perfect performance) who is 1...

House speaker demands hard-line policies during border visit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

By Valerie Gonzalez and Stephen Groves | Associated PressEAGLE PASS, Texas — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson led about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit Wednesday to the Mexican border to demand hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing President Joe Biden’s emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine. He expressed serious doubts about whether he would support a bipartisan compromise.The trip to Eagle Pass, Texas, came as the Senate engages in delicate negotiations in hopes of striking a deal.With the number of illegal crossings into the United States topping 10,000 on several days last month, the border city has been at the center of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, his nearly $10 billion initiative that has tested the federal government’s authority over immigration and elevated the political fight over the issue.An agreement in the lengthy talks in Washington could unlock Senate GOP support for Biden’s $110 billio...

New at Starbucks: Customers may use their own cups for mobile, drive-thru orders

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

Starbucks announced Wednesday that customers may use clean, personal cups for drive-thru and mobile orders — a major move that extends its sustainability efforts.The new policy goes into effect immediately at all company-operated and participating licensed Starbucks stores across the United States and Canada, the coffee juggernaut said.With this decision, Starbucks aims to reduce cup waste and the number of cups sent to landfills. The company’s overall goal is to decrease waste by 50% by 2030.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | High-end Oakland Mexican restaurant to shutter Jan. 6 Restaurants, Food and Drink | 10 highly anticipated Bay Area restaurant openings for early 2024 Restaurants, Food and Drink | ‘Like losing a family member’: Beloved Berkeley restaurant that fed the needy closes after 45 years Restaurants, Food and Drink | Bird flu infects Northern California’s historic poultr...

Eddie Bernice Johnson dies at 88; trailblazing Texas legislator was first nurse elected to Congress

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

Associated PressDALLAS, Texas — Trailblazing longtime U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a nurse from Texas who helped bring hundreds of millions of federal dollars to the Dallas area as the region’s most powerful Democrat, died Sunday. She was 88.President Joe Biden, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and many other leaders issued statements about her death after her son posted about it on Facebook. The Dallas Morning News also confirmed her death with an unnamed source close to the family. No cause of death was given.Biden hailed her “immense courage” and called her “an icon and mentor to generations of public servants, through whom her legacy of resilience and purpose will endure.”“She was the single most effective legislator Dallas has ever had,” the mayor said in a statement. “Nobody brought more federal infrastructure money home to our city. Nobody fought harder for our communities and our residents’ interests and safety. And nobody knew how to navigate Washington better for the pe...

Cars set on fire in Bernal Heights on New Year's Eve, police investigating

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The San Francisco Police Department is investigating an incident in which multiple vehicles were set on fire on New Year's Eve. Officers responded on Sunday at approximately 9:27 p.m. to the 300 block of Park Street regarding reports of multiple vehicle fires, police said.At the scene, officers spoke with witnesses who said they saw people set the vehicles on fire and then immediately flee the scene. Thieves ram-raid San Francisco bank, steal cash The San Francisco Fire Department received calls from 911 dispatchers reporting a vehicle on fire. The caller, SFFD said, saw someone near the vehicles but did not give a description. Firefighters arrived on the scene and found multiple cars burning.After the fires were extinguished, firefighters determined that four vehicles had been damaged. SFPD and SF Fire investigators are working together to investigate the cause of the fires, officials said.

South San Francisco police search for runaway teen

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

(KRON) -- The South San Francisco Police Department is searching for an at-risk teen girl who ran away from home. Amaya Castro-Birch, 15, was last seen in the area of McLaren Park in San Francisco at an unknown date. She was wearing purple shorts and slide-on sandals. Brock Purdy will not play in regular-season finale vs. Rams, Shanahan says Amaya is 5-foot-5, 100 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. An image of her is attached above. Anyone who sees Amaya or knows where she might be is asked to contact SSFPD at (650) 877-8900.

Pleasanton police search for person of interest in 'sexually-related investigation'

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

(KRON) -- Authorities are searching for a person of interest in connection to a "sexually-related investigation," the Pleasanton Police Department said on social media. The person was wearing a red crewneck sweatshirt, black pants and a New Era baseball cap. A video posted by the Pleasanton police shows the person of interest (below). The images were captured on Dec. 1, 2023. Dispatch audio: Oakland officer Tuan Le’s killer is in custody (Pleasanton Police Department)(Pleasanton Police Department)(Pleasanton Police Department)It appears the person of interest was last seen inside a store. Pleasanton police did not specify what store. PPD did not reveal what the investigation specifically entails. No other information about the case was available. The department says anyone with information about the person of interest should contact 925-931-5170.

Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner says he intends on playing past the 2023 season

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — No matter whether the Seattle Seahawks season ends on Sunday or not, linebacker Bobby Wagner doesn’t plan on it being his last game.The 33-year-old, six-time first-team All-Pro selection said Wednesday he has every intention of playing next season, which would be his 13th in the league.“There’s no might. I never thought anything else outside of that,” Wagner said.The Seahawks will close the regular season in Arizona needing a win over the Cardinals and a Green Bay loss at home to Chicago to make the postseason. Wagner will be in the middle of Seattle’s defense on Sunday as he has for nearly every snap of this season in his return to the Seahawks.Wagner will go into the finale with 168 total tackles and 3½ sacks and he’s played more than maybe he and the Seahawks first thought when he returned. Wagner has been on the field for nearly every defensive snap, playing 100% of the snaps in 15 of Seattle’s 17 games. The only two games where he wasn’t on the field for ev...

Departamento de Justicia demanda a Texas por ley que permitiría al estado arrestar a migrantes 

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:21:27 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas – El Departamento de Justicia federal demandó el miércoles a Texas por una nueva ley estatal que permitiría a la policía detener a los migrantes que entren ilegalmente en Estados Unidos, llevando de nuevo al gobernador republicano Greg Abbott ante los tribunales por sus medidas contra los migrantes que cruzan la frontera sur del país.La demanda lleva a Texas a otro enfrentamiento sobre inmigración en un momento en el que Nueva York y Chicago están tomando medidas contra los autobuses y aviones que transportan a migrantes y son enviados por Abbott a ciudades con gobiernos demócratas. Texas también está librando batallas judiciales por separado para mantener alambre de púas en la frontera y una barrera flotante en el río Bravo (o Grande).Pero una ley que Abbott firmó el mes pasado plantea un desafío mayor y más amplio a la autoridad del gobierno federal en materia de inmigración. Además de permitir a la policía de cualquier lugar de Texas detener a migrantes acusad...