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Alameda County DA frees woman convicted in 2003 Oakland murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

OAKLAND — Twenty years after the crime that landed her in prison on a life sentence, an East Bay woman has been freed from incarceration through a court motion filed by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office, court records show.Ava McDonald, 53, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Oakland resident Stacy Alexander, who was shot and killed by McDonald’s romantic partner in 2003. But on June 14, prosecutors successfully moved to free her from prison, using a section of the penal code that allows a DA to commute or reduce a person’s sentence post-conviction.The motion, filed by Assistant District attorney Erin Loback, says that in the 20 years she’s been incarcerated, McDonald has had no “serious discipline” and “has taken advantage of countless opportunities to participate in rehabilitative programming.”“Before her first parole hearing was scheduled earlier this year, a psychologist evaluated h...

N1 Casino Bonus Codes (2023): Latest Promotions & Bonus Offers for Canadian Players

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

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Apple is now worth $3 trillion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

By Jennifer Korn | CNNNew York — Apple is once again worth $3 trillion, the only company ever to reach that milestone.Shares rose 1% Friday to hit a record $191.34. With 15.7 billion shares outstanding, that stock price pushed Apple to its historic market value.Apple has been here once before: On January 3, 2022, Apple hit the $3 trillion mark during intraday trading, but it failed to close there. If Apple closes above the $3 trillion mark, it will become the only company ever to achieve that feat.The company’s stock closed Thursday at a record high share price for the third-straight day, but it merely budged 0.2% higher. Apple easily surpassed the $190.73 level it needed to break $3 trillion Friday.The sky-high valuation for the tech giant comes on the heels of its risky launch of the Apple Vision Pro earlier this month and a stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings report in May – even though sales and profit slumped.Related ArticlesBusiness | Apple buys big and empty ...

SJ Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy: What to know before 97th California Clasico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES VS. LA GALAXYRecords: Earthquakes (7-7-6, tied for fourth in the Western Conference); Galaxy (3-9-6, 13th in the Western Conference)When: Saturday 7:30 p.m., Stanford StadiumStreaming: Apple TVRadio: The Spread (810) and KZSF (1370)Series history: Galaxy leads, 45-33-18.Storylines: This is the second meeting of the season between the regional rivals, with the Quakes allowing two second-half goals in a 2-1 loss at LA in May. At that time the Quakes were red-hot and the Galaxy off to the worst start in club history, and the trajectories of the teams hasn’t changed since the teams last met. San Jose has gone 2-3-3 in its past eight matches, and just past the midway point in the season is positioning to make the MLS playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Galaxy is 1-3-3 since beating the Quakes, is fighting to stay out of last place in the Western Conference, and has played to a draw in three straight games. … The Quakes have lost their past two mat...

12 great Bay Area pizza joints — and 12 reasons why you should eat there

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

The hottest, buzziest new whatever is always fun. We’ll never say no to gourmet pizza toppings or 72-hour dough fermentation. But there are times when our Italian food cravings are more, shall we say, niche — Detroit-style pizza, say, or a pizzeria where you don’t have to decide between barbecue and pepperoni. Or a pizza joint with an entire wall of microbrews.Here are a dozen fantastic Bay Area pizzerias for any and all occasions.Rocco’s Ristorante Pizzeria, Walnut Creek: When you want La Dolce Vita with your pizzaA Vespa scooter hangs from the ceiling at Rocco’s Pizzeria in Walnut Creek. The family-owned restaurant has been operating for over 23 years. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) The vintage Vespa hanging from the ceiling tells you everything you need to know about owner Rocco Biale’s love of great food and pop culture and his family’s Italian heritage.The Vespa appeared in Federico Fellini’s classic 1960 film, “La Dolce Vita.” Owner Rocco Biale purchas...

Joe Biden’s brother says the president is ‘very open-minded’ about psychedelics for medical treatment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

By AAMER MADHANI and JESSE BEDAYN | Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s youngest brother said in a radio interview Wednesday that the president has been “very open-minded” in conversations the two have had about the benefits of psychedelics as a form of medical treatment.Frank Biden made the comments during a call into The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM. The host had just interviewed a Wall Street Journal reporter who recently wrote about powerful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and employees who believe the use of psychedelics and similar substances can help lead to business breakthroughs.“He is very open-minded,” Frank Biden said when asked by Smerconish about conversations he’s had with the president on the topic. “Put it that way. I don’t want to speak, I’m talking brother-to-brother. Brother-to-brother,” the younger Biden said. “The question is, is the world, is the U.S. ready for this? My opinion is that we are on the cusp of a consciousness that needs to b...

San Jose men arrested for storage building fireworks explosion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- Two San Jose men who allegedly caused an explosive fire at a public storage facility with illegal fireworks were identified on Friday. The June 14 inferno at Public Storage on Blossom Hill Road in San Jose exploded and spread so rapidly that witnesses said the blaze looked like something out of a "Call Of Duty" video game. Witnesses reported hearing "popping" sounds emanating from the three-alarm fire. San Jose Police Department Sgt. Jorge Garibay wrote, "The fire was a result of multiple illegal fireworks igniting in a storage unit. The large amount of fireworks stored in the unit caused the entire building to catch fire resulting in everything stored inside to be completely lost and unsalvageable."Investigators discovered that someone had stockpiled nearly 40,000 pounds of illegal fireworks ahead of the July 4 holiday. San Jose Fire Department arson investigators and SJPD police detectives identified two suspects: Anthony Dasilva, 45, of San Jose, a...

Exploring California State Parks just got easier -- it's as simple as three words

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

(KSWB) -- Whether it's picking a meetup location for a hike, choosing a campground from miles away or finding help if you strayed off the beaten path, California State Parks has announced a new tool that's as simple as three words.New innovative location technology -- known as what3words -- will now be used throughout the state parks system. This revolutionary technology pinpoints exact locations through the app, giving users the ability to communicate precisely where they are or intend to be.The main objective of this tool, according to California State Parks, is to keep parkgoers safe. The technology provides dispatchers with three dictionary words that represent an exact location. This is then used to quickly help lost or stranded visitors find their way. In some instances, it may improve response times in situations where emergency services are needed. How does it work?Through what3words technology, the entire world has been divided into a grid of 10 feet by 10 feet squares...

Supreme Court: Affirmative Action Is OK — If the Students Are Getting Sent to Die in Wars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

Affirmative action supporters and counterprotesters shout at each outside of the Supreme Court on June 29, 2023, in Washington, D.C.Photo: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesIn what is being described as a victory for a merit-based and colorblind approach to college admissions, the Supreme Court Thursday struck down affirmative action as a tool to redress race-based inequalities. The ruling by the court’s conservative majority dealt with affirmative action programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, but would apply across the country.The precedent set by the court’s decision is primed to transform college admissions standards around the country, yet there is one area where the law mandating diversity in recruitment is remaining conspicuously unchanged: U.S. military academies.When it comes to national priorities, the defense establishment has long been treated with kid gloves and afforded its own perks and protections. Think of the way fisca...

Kokrak shared LIV lead with DJ after wild travel plan to Spain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:20 GMT

SOTOGRANDE, Spain (AP) — Jason Kokrak had to go through four countries over three days to reach Spain and then managed a 4-under 67 to share the lead with Dustin Johnson in LIV Golf-Valderrama.Johnson was coming off a tie for 10th in the U.S. Open two weeks ago for his best finish in a major this year. He played bogey-free over his last 16 holes at Valderrama as he goes for his second LIV win this year.Kokrak was supposed to leave his home in northern Ohio on Monday until flight cancellations led to an unusual itinerary. He wound up going from Cleveland to Detroit to Amsterdam to Frankfurt, Germany, and then on to Malaga in the south of Spain. He arrived Wednesday morning. His golf clubs got there Thursday evening.He played Valderrama for the first time with six birdies and a pair of bogeys.Anirban Lahiri was one shot behind after a 68. Valderrama previously hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup, a pair of World Golf Championships and was a European tour event until it switched to LIV Golf.“You...