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These South Bay teens are competing in a global science competition — and you can vote until Sept. 20

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

Arjun Gurjar and Sophia Tran have always been interested in science. For 17-year-old Arjun, that began when he got a DK Encyclopedia at age 5. For 16-year-old Sophia, it started with her high school psychology class, and a fascination with the inner-workings of the brain. For years, the two South Bay teens dove into different scientific topics — from trying to understand Alzheimer’s disease to attempting to unravel the immune system.But now, both South Bay high schoolers have put that knowledge to the test: they are among 30 finalists in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global competition that challenges students to create original, digestible videos about a complex scientific topic. Arjan focused on how viruses can cure diseases; Sophia explained how neurotransmitters affect the nervous system.“Science has always been something where you go into a classroom, take out a textbook, read something and learn it,” said Sophia, who lives in San Jose and attends St. Francis High,...

Alameda County DA promised to hold police accountable. Why are reopened shooting cases languishing?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

OAKLAND — When Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price became the county’s top law enforcement official in January, she vowed to hold police accountable for misconduct.She quickly announced that her office would review six fatal police shootings and two in-custody deaths to determine whether any of the officers involved should face criminal charges.So far, however, the DA’s Office has not publicly announced any charging decisions in any of the police shooting cases, which had previously been reviewed and cleared by former longtime District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, who retired at the end of her term last year. Price said the goals she originally set for these cases were ambitious — and the process of re-examining them has taken longer than she would have liked.“Our goal is to be far more timely than the office — my predecessor’s administration — was,” Price said in a recent interview. “So we started off with our own internal goal of try...

49ers report card: Interceptions, field goals and, voila, a 2-0 record

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Here is how the 49ers (2-0) graded in Sunday’s 30-23 win over the host Los Angeles Rams (1-1):PASS OFFENSE: B+Brock Purdy has thrown 153 passes since being last intercepted, seven games ago on New Year’s Day in Las Vegas. So he may have overthrown a trio of deep shots Sunday but he left the turnovers to Rams counterpart Matthew Stafford (two interceptions). Deebo Samuel had a team-high 63 yards and six catches, and that did not include his 11-yard touchdown, which came on a backward pass and staked the 49ers to a 27-17 lead with 11 1/2 minutes to go. Brandon Aiyuk hurt his left shoulder a third-down conversion on the opening touchdown drive, and although he played through it by rotating with Ronnie Bell, that marked the biggest injury concern of the day. Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey each had three catches. Jauan Jennings’ 31-yard catch early in the fourth quarter marked Purdy’s longest completion and set the stage for...

How an illegal jailhouse snitch operation backfired, derailing an California murder conviction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

Days before suspected killer Paul Gentile Smith arrived at Orange County jail in June 2009, sheriff’s investigators were already plotting to put him with a group of informants.Cold-case investigators had used DNA evidence to link Smith to the 1988 killing of his childhood friend and sometimes marijuana supplier, Robert Haugen, in Sunset Beach. Orange County sheriff’s investigators arrested Smith in Nevada, where he was in custody on a domestic abuse charge.According to court papers, investigators Raymond Wert and Donald Voght drove Smith from Las Vegas with two goals in mind: get a confession and develop evidence that Smith was orchestrating an attempt to kill Wert.What was secret at the time was that prosecutors and deputies had previously created a clandestine network of jailhouse informants to coax confessions out of targeted inmates. Such an operation is illegal when used on charged defendants who have attorneys because it violates their right to counsel under the 1964 case Mass...

California deputy accused of extorting female inmates for sex

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

A Riverside County corrections deputy was arrested this week on suspicion of extorting four female inmates and sexually assaulting one of them, authorities said Saturday, Sept. 16.Christian Heidecker, 32, was booked Friday at the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of four counts of extortion, sexual penetration under color of authority and three counts of attempted sexual assault of an inmate, according to inmate records.He was being held on $1 million bail, inmate records show.Riverside County sheriff’s investigators were notified on Aug. 31 of possible crimes being committed by an employee, who was formerly assigned to the Riverside Alternative Sentencing Program at the Coordinated Custody Management Unit in Banning, Sgt. Steve Brosche said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | How an illegal jailhouse snitch operation backfired, derailing an California murder conviction Crime and Public Safety | They said it: Cop watcher owning up ...

Single-family residence sells for $1.5 million in Danville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

223 Marigold Street – Google Street ViewA house located in the 200 block of Marigold Street in Danville has new owners. The 1,738-square-foot property, built in 1998, was sold on Aug. 18, 2023. The $1,500,000 purchase price works out to $863 per square foot. This single-story house has three bedrooms and two baths. Additionally, the house features an attached two-car garage.Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:In October 2022, a 2,311-square-foot home on Casablanca Street in Danville sold for $1,675,000, a price per square foot of $725. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,738-square-foot home on the first block of Lily Court in Danville sold in October 2022, for $1,425,000, a price per square foot of $820. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Anthurium Court, Danville, in April 2023, a 2,624-square-foot home was sold for $1,900,000, a price per square foot of $724. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Man on electric skateboard fatally struck in Gilroy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

(BCN) -- A pedestrian was struck and killed Saturday night in Gilroy, police said. Officers responded around 9 p.m. to First Street between Wren and Kern avenues after receiving several 911 calls about a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle.Police found a 34-year-old man at the scene suffering from major injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Investigators believe that the man was in the roadway on an electrically powered skateboard just before he was hit. The driver of the vehicle that struck him remained on the scene and is cooperating with law enforcement.Anyone who may have witnessed this collision is encouraged to reach out to Gilroy Police Sgt. Michael McMahon at (408) 846-0350 or [email protected] © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Hunter Biden sues the IRS, alleging agents illegally released his tax information

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden arrives for a court appearance, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Wilmington, Delaware. President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden arrives for a court appearance, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Wilmington, Delaware. (CNN) — Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service on Monday, alleging its agents illegally released his tax information and that the agency failed to protect his private records.President Joe Biden’s son alleges the IRS unlawfully disclosed his tax return information and did not establish safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of his records. He is seeking, among other things, all documents involving the disclosure of the tax information, $1,000 for each unauthorized ...

New-look PSG starts its Champions League campaign against Dortmund. Its recruits have yet to gel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain started its previous Champions League campaign with a team featuring Lionel Messi and Neymar and a win over Juventus.The two soccer greats didn’t score that night and PSG later was eliminated from Europe’s top competition in the last 16 for the fifth time in seven years. The premature exit, once again, highlighted the blatant failure of PSG’s strategy of assembling star-studded teams without a real backbone.The owners have changed their master plan during the offseason, though, and it’s a revamped PSG that takes on Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday as the group stage of the elite European tournament kicks off.As usual, the French champions spent a lot of money on new recruits, but they no longer seem obsessed with the need for big names.Taking part in the group stage for the 12th consecutive time, the PSG squad facing Dortmund on Tuesday is radically different from the one that was knocked out by Bayern Munich last season.Up front, Marc...

Irán anuncia intercambio de prisioneros con EEUU este lunes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:24 GMT

TEHERÁN – Irán y Estados Unidos intercambiarán cinco prisioneros de cada país este lunes, una vez completada la transferencia a Catar de 6,000 millones de dólares de fondos iraníes congelados, informó el Gobierno iraní.“Cinco ciudadanos iraníes detenidos en EE.UU serán liberados y cinco ciudadanos estadounidenses regresarán a Estados Unidos”, dijo el portavoz del Ministerio de Exteriores iraní, Naser Kananí.El diplomático indicó que dos de los ciudadanos iraníes regresarán al país persa, otros dos permanecerán en Estados Unidos y el quinto viajará a un tercer país. Estadounidenses detenidos en Irán son puestos bajo arresto domiciliario Tensión en el estrecho de Ormuz: Irán intenta capturar dos buques y realiza disparos De acuerdo con medios regionales, los presos estadounidenses Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz y dos otras personas sin identificar serán transportados a Catar a primera hora de la tarde.El intercambio ...