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Beach bounce back? California’s largest volunteer event seeks to restore former glory after COVID downturn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

It is the largest annual volunteer event in California: Every September since 1985, tens of thousands of people have flocked to beaches, rivers and lakes across the state to pick up tons of trash, beautify the environment and help protect wildlife.But like downtown office buildings and public transit, Coastal Cleanup Day — which takes place this Saturday from 9 am to noon at 695 locations — is struggling to rebound from the COVID pandemic.“We’ve been seeing the volunteer numbers tick back up slowly,” said Eben Schwartz, marine debris program manager at the California Coastal Commission, which oversees the event. “We’re ramping back up to the size that we previously had. But I do think it is going to take time.”In 2019, before COVID hit, 74,410 volunteers picked up 918,000 pounds of litter.There was no organized Coastal Cleanup in 2020 due to the pandemic. And although the traditional cleanup day returned in 2021 and 2022, turnout last year was sti...

Berkeley police exchange gunfire with suspected shooter inside Albany car service center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

ALBANY — Berkeley police officers exchanged gunfire Thursday morning with a suspect who had just shot someone inside an Albany vehicle service center, officials said.The city’s mayor said in a statement that the shooter had been “shot and subdued” by police. The status of the person who had been shot inside the business was not immediately clear.Police were called at 11:14 a.m. to a Toyota dealership and service center at 1025 Eastshore Highway on a report of a shooting, Berkeley police Officer Jessica Perry said Thursday afternoon. Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín later said in a statement that Berkeley officers had responded to a mutual-aid request from Albany police on an active-shooter situation.When officers entered the building, they found a person who had been shot and encountered an armed individual, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Multiple Berkeley officers fired their weapons, Perry said.The shooting prompted a huge police response to the area, wh...

San Francisco man convicted of raping, murdering woman in SRO

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Thirteen years ago, 37-year-old Amy Mustain was viciously raped and murdered inside a single-room-occupancy hotel room in San Francisco. The man who carried out the killing, Henry "Mickey" Hall, is now facing life in prison without possibility of parole, prosecutors said.Hall, 72, of San Francisco, was convicted of murder, rape by force, and sodomy this week following a jury trial. In September of 2010, Mustain was inside Hall's SRO room when fellow Krishna Hotel residents heard her scream, prosecutors said.According to trial testimony, Mustain had gone to stay with Hall after an argument with her husband. They were friends, and she would often spend time Hall.Hall provided the victim heroin and cocaine before he began to violently sexually assault her, the DA's Office said."She was yelling for him to stop and he was telling her to shut up. If I would have known he was killing her I might have tried to help, but I know Mickey would have done something to me t...

Dubs in talks to bring in Dwight Howard after completing interview with team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

(KRON) -- The Golden State Warriors are searching for another big man. Eight-time NBA All-Star center Dwight Howard completed a two-day interview process with the Warriors on Wednesday, according to KRON4's Jason Dumas. The veterans on the team have signed off on potentially bringing in Howard, Dumas reports. The three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year is set to be in Los Angeles on Thursday to work out with current Warriors Chris Paul and Draymond Green. Warriors issue fraud alert for 2023-24 single game tickets Green confirmed the KRON4 report after tweeting, "...one day, everything won't leak. One day. Good for you btw Jason. But one day, EVERYTHING won’t leak. I have a dream." That was in response to Dumas' post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. If Howard, 37, were to sign with the Warriors, he would be the tallest player on the current roster at 6-foot-10 (Dario Saric is also listed at 6-foot-10). Starting center Kevon Looney is listed at 6-foot-...

UAW Files Labor Complaint Against Sen. Tim Scott for Saying “You Strike, You’re Fired.”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

After invoking the legacy of Ronald Reagan to suggest that striking United Auto Workers members should be fired for demanding higher wages, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., may soon find himself before the National Labor Relations Board. On Thursday, Shawn Fain, the president of UAW, filed a complaint claiming that Scott’s utterance violated federal labor law. Under the National Labor Relations Act, or NLRA, anyone can file a charge against an employer, even if they do not work for that employer. The complaint accuses Scott of violating the section of the NLRA that lays out employees rights to participate in labor actions: “Within the past six months, the employer has interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act. On Monday September 18, 2023 Tim Scott threatened employees with adverse consequences if they engage in protected, concerted activity by publicly responding to a question about striking workers as follows: ‘...

Connor Bedard takes the ice for his first NHL training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — After years of hype, highlights and piles of points — so many points at every level — Connor Bedard has arrived at his first NHL training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks.Even Bedard, used to the hockey spotlight and incredibly composed at just 18 years old, knew it was a moment.“Once you’re on the ice, it’s hockey, and you try not to be starstruck or whatever, anything like that,” Bedard said Thursday. “But yeah, waking up and talking to my parents last night about it, it’s pretty special. To be here with the fans in this city and everything, it’s remarkable. I feel super fortunate. It’s definitely a dream right now.”The Blackhawks feel the same way, after they used a surprise win in the NHL draft lottery to take the highly touted center with the No. 1 overall pick. The stands were packed for his first practice of camp, dotted with No. 98 Bedard jerseys.Bedard — and the hope he brought with him to Chicago — overshadowed everything else that happened on the Blackhawks...

Who are Rupert Murdoch’s children? What to know about the media magnate’s successor and family

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Media magnate Rupert Murdoch on Monday announced that he would be stepping down as the leader of both Fox News’ parent company and his News Corp media holdings — with his son, Lachlan, set to take his place.Through his decades-long career, Murdoch, 92, built an empire — beginning with his father’s newspaper in Adelaide, Australia — and became a multibillionaire. In the U.S., his creation of Fox News has notably influenced American politics, making Murdoch a hero to some and pariah to others.Over the years, Murdoch’s family has also risen into the spotlight — accompanied by stories of vindictive business tactics and inter-family rivalries. Murdoch and his family, particularly children James, Lachlan, Elisabeth and Prudence, were said to be the model of the HBO show “Succession.”Murdoch has been married four times and shares six children with three of his wives. WHO IS LACHLAN MURDOCH?Lachlan Murdoch is one of Murdoch’s sons with his second wife...

Remains of Michigan soldier killed in Korean War accounted for after 73 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The remains of an 18-year-old Army corporal from Detroit who was killed in the Korean War in 1950 have been identified, officials said Thursday.The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Cpl. Lewis W. Hill was accounted for on May 22 after agency scientists identified his remains using dental and anthropological analysis and other means.Hill went missing in action after his unit was forced to retreat from around Taejon, South Korea, on July 20, 1950, and his body could not be recovered, the agency said. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death more than three years later, on Dec. 31, 1953, the agency said.After regaining control of Taejon in the fall of 1950, the Army began recovering remains from the area and temporarily interring them at a United Nations military cemetery. A tentative association was made between Hill and a set of remains recovered at that time, but definitive proof could not be found, and the remains were determined to be unidentifi...

Is it the Pac-2 championship game when No. 14 Oregon State visits No. 21 Washington State?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

Most opponents who come to the Palouse when Washington State is good and its home stadium is packed walk into a buzzed environment where they are not welcomed. Then there’s Oregon State, which brings the No. 14 team in the country into that setting on Saturday to face the 21st-ranked Cougars. And right now, there’s no animosity from the Cougars toward the Beavers in any way.The events of the past couple of months have left Washington State and Oregon State as partners, bonded far deeper than being the Pacific Northwest’s land-grant schools based in true college towns.They are the Pac-2 – at least for now – starting next year and potentially into the future. The Beavers and Cougars are united as the outsiders no other conferences wanted when the foundation of the Pac-12 crumbled this summer.And they’re moving ahead on trying to rebuild their conference with themselves as the centerpieces.“Oregon State and Washington State belong competing at the highest level,” Oregon State coa...

Caratini, Perkins homer in Brewers 6-0 victory over the Cardinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:08 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Victor Caratini hit a three-run homer and Blake Perkins added a solo shot, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-0 victory on Thursday in the final game of a four-game series.The Brewers’ magic number to clinch their second National League Central title in three years fell to three with nine games to play.“We’re in a good spot right now,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “We’re playing well. We’re not there yet. Let’s take care of business. Right now, it’s finish the job.”Milwaukee (87-66) could wrap up the division title as soon as Friday in Miami with another victory along with two Chicago Cubs losses. The number to just clinch a postseason berth is two over the Marlins.The Brewers have won eight of their last 11 and 22 of their last 31 games.“We’re playing solid, all-around baseball in all three areas,” Counsell said.St. Louis (67-86) fell to 20 games behind first-place Milwaukee in enduring its first losing season since 2...