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Biden goes to an Illinois auto plant saved by a labor deal as he promotes a worker-centered economy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

By JOSH BOAK (Associated Press)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden went to Chicago on June 28 to give a landmark speech on “Bidenomics,” only to learn in private during the trip about a soon-to-close auto factory, news that was a challenge to his vision for the country.The prospect of a shuttered Stellantis plant in the small city of Belvidere became an immediate priority for Biden. He ordered up an economic analysis and spoke to company officials about the plant, according to White House officials. The Democratic president wanted to show that his policies could deliver for workers, rather than repeat the decades of factory closures that had gutted parts of the Midwest and fed into a deep political divide.On Thursday, Biden will visit Belvidere to showcase that auto plant, which has reopened as part of the settlement of a targeted strike by the United Auto Workers union. The reopening “goes to the heart of who he is, the heart of his vision for the country and how he’s led,” said...

Colorado weather: Foothills west of Denver, Boulder blanketed in heavy snow Wednesday evening

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

Some of the Front Range foothills in Jefferson, Gilpin and Boulder counties saw heavy snow during a snowstorm Wednesday evening.A corridor of the foothills from around Genesee to Nederland saw between six and ten inches of snowfall by 9 p.m. Wednesday before the storm cleared out.Some remnants of the storm are still dropping light snow south in Park County near Monument Thursday morning, but forecasters at the National Weather Service in Boulder expect the northern foothills and Denver metro area to see clear skies Thursday.Genesee received 9.3 inches of snow, and Nederland received eight inches by 10 p.m. Wednesday.Other areas that received heavy snow include Pinecliffe in Boulder and Gilpin counties with nine inches, Bergen Park in Jefferso County with 6.2 inches, and Brookvale in Boulder County with eight inches.The snow was so heavy in the early evening Colorado 119 through Boulder Canyon closed for several hours due to cars sliding off the road, the Boulder County Sheriff’...

Fire destroys Malibu-area home amid red flag conditions, prompts outages

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

A fire destroyed a home in the Santa Monica Mountains and left power out to hundreds of residents in the Malibu area Thursday morning. The blaze was reported at the two-story home in the 22300 block of Swenson Drive shortly after midnight and quickly spread to dry brush around the property. As many as five helicopters were used to help stop the progress of the fire, which scorched about three acres. A home burns in the Santa Monica Mountains on Nov. 8, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Power was out Thursday morning to about 230 customers just west of Las Flores Canyon Road in the eastern Malibu area, according to Southern California Edison. More residents could be impacted later Thursday if gusty winds in the area continue. An interactive map showing the outage areas can be found on the SCE website.The cause of the fire was unknown but the blaze sparked amid gusty Santa Ana winds and active red flag conditions in the area. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the Los Angeles...

Arrest made after woman’s torso found in Encino dumpster

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

Authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department have announced an arrest in connection with the torso of a woman found in a dumpster in Encino Wednesday morning.   At a press conference late Wednesday night, officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said 35-year-old Samuel Haskell was arrested at 11:25 a.m. at the Topanga Mall in connection with the crime. He has been charged with one count of murder.  While authorities believe the torso found in the bag is Haskell's wife, they said partial remains are harder to positively identify. “If a murder suspect is dismembering a body, it’s to delay identification,” said LAPD homicide detective Efren Guttierez.They also said they are looking for Haskell’s elderly parents who lived at Haskell’s Tarzana home in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace.  The gruesome discovery of a woman’s torso in a dumpster led detectives to a home in Tarzana where three people are unaccounted for on Nov. 8, 2023. (Carlos Sauced...

Pac-12 basketball power ratings: USC on top, followed by Arizona and Colorado

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

The Pac-12 power ratings will appear weekly on the Hotline until the conference tournament, although the publication day will change once football season ends.Pac-12 teams posted an 11-1 record in season openers, an encouraging start that nonetheless requires a morsel of context.Last year, the conference was 10-2 in openers, but the initial success quickly gave way to a gruesome overall showing in non-conference games that impacted its NCAA Tournament bids and seeds.November and March are deeply interconnected through the multiplier effect in the NET rankings.We’ll track the Pac-12 non-conference performance each week in this space.1. USC (1-0)Result: beat Kansas State 82-69Next up: vs. Cal State Bakersfield (Thursday)Comment: The Trojans couldn’t have scripted a better debut for heralded freshman Isaiah Collier, who had 18 points (on nine shots) and six assists. Check that — they could have scripted fewer than six turnovers and five fouls for Collier. But still, a...

Bay Area high school football 2023: Week 12 preview, schedule

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

The high school football playoffs start this weekend across the Bay Area.For the next three weeks, dozens of teams will compete for championships in the Central Coast Section and North Coast Section.After that, champions will move on to California Interscholastic Federation regionals on the weekend of Dec. 1-2, with the winners advancing to state championship games in Southern California on Dec. 8-9.The Bay Area News Group will have complete coverage throughout. If you have not already, please sign up for a digital subscription. Your contributions keep us going.Here are this weekend’s top matchups and schedule:No. 7 Campolindo (7-2-1) at No. 2 San Ramon Valley (9-1) in NCS Open/Division I playoffs, Friday, 7 p.m.: Third consecutive year in which these teams have met in the playoffs. Previous two times in Division II. Campo beat SRV 17-14 in a 2021 semifinal on its way to capturing the title. In a rematch last season, SRV toppled then-undefeated Campo 35-21 in the final. Campo gradua...

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak hospitalized in Mexico City, source says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

By Veronica Calderon | CNNEApple co-founder Steve Wozniak was hospitalized in Mexico City on Wednesday, a source from the organizers of the World Business Forum (WBF), an event he attended in the country’s capital, told CNN En Español.The source said Wozniak, 73, was taken to the hospital at 3 p.m. local time after fainting minutes before his participation at the event.CNN is working to get more details on his current health status.Related ArticlesBusiness | Apple has plans to eventually, maybe revolutionize health care Business | Apple unveils new laptops, iMac and trio of more powerful chips Business | Opinion: California boosts privacy laws, cracks down on data brokers Business | Tech companies are Santa Clara County’s top commercial property taxpayers Business | Apple raises prices for Arcade gaming subscription service, AppleTV+ streaming Wozniak is the tech genius behind the early Apple compu...

The story of Big Junior and other wonders at 5 Bay Area birding sites

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

When famed Central Park birder Christian Cooper wrote that watching birds in the wild opens a window “into the wondrous,” he could have been describing Big Junior and her amazing story of birth, tragedy, bonding and survival.Big Junior is the female in a pair of bald eagles who established a nest this winter at Alameda’s Corica Park Golf Course. But on March 21, when a catastrophic “bomb cyclone” storm lashed the Bay Area with hurricane-force winds, the eagles’ egg was knocked from the nest.Rick Lewis, a Corica Park neighbor and Golden Gate Audubon Society eagle expert, began tracking Big Junior and her partner after discovering their nest on Dec. 29. Lewis and his fellow monitors found the egg on the ground after the storm.“We were devastated,” he says.Lewis shared Big Junior’s story during a recent Audubon Society-sponsored field trip to the golf course, one of many “into the wondrous” adventures hosted by conservation groups around the Bay Area.Rick Lewis,...

7 amazing Bay Area things to do this weekend, Nov. 10-12

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a weekend perfect. A warm-hearted comedy to take the edge off. Or the exact-right beer to serve with that heavenly slice of pizza. We’ve got both on tap here, and more, so let’s dive in, shall we?Note that if you are headed into San Francisco, the massive APEC international conference running Nov. 11-19 is going to pose traffic issues. More about that is here. And here is a map detailing the more heavily affected areas.And, 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 overDespite the possible complications from APEC, there are a ton of great shows, concerts and exhibits to catch this weekend and beyond, from a new “Barber ...

San Jose: An animal lover’s guide to hanging at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:54 GMT

Even at 16 acres, San Jose’s Happy Hollow Park & Zoo could be considered a hidden gem, tucked as it is behind a gateway along Story Road. First conceived in the mid-1950s, the attraction opened in March 1961, with the zoo added in 1967. Many expansions and upgrades have taken place in the years since.Today, Happy Hollow is partly devoted to gentle rides and amusements for children and partly devoted to the survival of global species, from the adorable (meerkats) to the slightly intimidating (jaguar). About 130 animals representing over 50 species call this home.We took our zoo cues from the youngest animal lovers on a recent visit. Here’s our guide:An endangered blue and gold macaw is a vivid — and loud — presence at Happy Hollow. (Jocelyn Cervantes/Mosaic) Jocelyn Cervantes/Mosaic1 Squawk with the macaws: Many of Happy Hollow’s inhabitants reside quietly in their habitats. Not the macaws. Their piercing cries make them wildly popular with kids...