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What’s your least favorite roadway in the Bay Area? It could be worth $50: Roadshow

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

Q: Around three years ago, I wrote you about the bad (maybe even horrible by now) condition of Highway 87 from Taylor Street to where it joins Highway 85.You said then that repairs were coming in a few months. What they did comes closest to being called Band-Aids, and there were not very many of them. The road is now in even worse shape. Some of the Band-Aids now need Band-Aids. There are many potholes and problems where the pavement adjoins another lane, side by side.Many of these flaws are dangerous and nearly all of them are a supreme embarrassment to our city for visitors to see and experience.Let me ask you again: Are any genuine repairs (new pavement in all lanes and ramps) slated for any time in the 21st century, but hopefully sooner than the turn of yet another century?Donald C. BarnettA: Caltrans reports that pavement repairs will be coming prior to October, 2023. The exact schedule is still needed from the contractor.Q: Why is the southern section of Highway 87 the most ne...

Paul Sorvino got the same Oscars tribute as alleged ‘Pretendian’ Sacheen Littlefeather

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

Oscar winner Mira Sorvino is speaking out against the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for omitting her father, the late great character actor Paul Sorvino, from the “In Memoriam” segment that was played on the show Sunday night.The “Goodfellas” star, who died in July at age 83, was relegated to an online tribute page on the Academy’s website, as were “Wag the Dog” star Anne Heche and Charlbi Dean, the South African star of this year’s best picture nominee, “Triangle of Sadness.” These three actors and several others have emerged as the Oscars’ most troubling omissions from the video segment that played during Sunday’s live broadcast, with a moving tribute by John Travolta and musical accompaniment by Lenny Kravitz.What could be even more troubling for Sorvino’s family, friends and fans is that he received the same level of attention from the Oscars as problematic Bay Area activist and actor Sac...

Inbound flight delay at SFO due to weather

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Strong winds caused a ground delay for incoming flights at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. This is causing some incoming flights to be delayed for about 80 minutes. Bay Area atmospheric river updates: Flood Advisory in effect This story is developing and will be updated.

All northbound 680 lanes reopened following traffic collision

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) -- Northbound 680 near Castlewood Drive in Pleasanton was shut down due to a traffic collision Tuesday morning. A semi-truck jackknifed in the road around 4:10 a.m. creating delays, according to the California Highway Patrol incident page.As of 7 a.m., all lanes were reopened according to CHP.Wet weather may impact Tuesday morning's commute. Make sure to slow down and plan for extra travel time.This story is developing and will be updated.

States shield addresses of judges, workers after threats

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Following threats and attacks on public officials, state lawmakers across the U.S. have stepped up efforts to shield personal information from being publicly disclosed about judges, police, elected officeholders and various public employees.The measures generally are winning widespread support in state capitols — adding a layer of secrecy, in the name of safety, that could make it more difficult to determine whether public officials are complying with residency laws and paying their property taxes. The efforts to exempt more information from public disclosure come despite the fact that many governments are more transparent than ever when it comes to their meetings — making permanent the online streaming options spurred as a response to coronavirus-related restrictions on public gatherings. That’s led to a split assessment of government openness during Sunshine Week, an annual recognition of public information laws that began Sunday and runs through S...

1 victim’s life still in danger after Hamburg shooting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — One victim’s life is still in danger after last week’s shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness hall in Hamburg in which a former member of the congregation killed six people and then himself, authorities said Tuesday.Police and prosecutors said they are still working to pin down the motive of the shooter, a 35-year-old German who has been identified only as Philipp F. in line with local privacy rules.Officials say nine people were wounded in Thursday evening’s shooting during a service, including a woman who lost her unborn child. Seven had gunshot wounds. Senior police official Uwe Stockmann said six were still in hospitals on Tuesday and one person’s life was still in danger.The Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany have said that the man police identified as the gunman was a former member who left the church voluntarily two years ago.Investigators said last week that his departure from the church was “apparently not on good terms.”Hamburg prosecutor A...

For an Irish feast, traditional lamb stew is simple, hearty

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

A simple lamb stew is one of the hallmark dishes of Irish cooking and a hearty centerpiece for a St. Patrick’s Day meal. Rich and brothy, with only a handful of ingredients, this is a lamb stew at its most elemental, though different cooks will embellish it in different ways.A basic lamb stew includes meat, potatoes, onions, water and not much else. Parsley is a typical finishing touch, and sometimes another root vegetable or two are added for more flavor and possibly color. Turnips, parsnips and carrots are typical examples.Mutton is the type of lamb most used for stews in centuries past. Mutton is lamb that is older than 2 years, usually between 2 and 3 years of age. It can be very tough, and only low and slow simmering makes it tender enough to enjoy. These days, especially in the U.S., this kind of stew is more often made with lamb under a year old.With Irish stew – unlike many other stews – the meat usually is not browned before being added to the pot, which eliminates a step m...

Oprah Winfrey reflects on book club, announces 100th pick

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — For her 100th book club pick, Oprah Winfrey relied on the same instincts she has drawn upon from the start: Does the story move her? Does she think about it for days after? In a work of fiction, do the characters seem real to her?“When I don’t move on, that’s always a sign to me there’s something powerful and moving,” Winfrey told The Associated Press in a recent telephone interview. On Tuesday, she announced that she had chosen Ann Napolitano’s “Hello Beautiful,” a modern-day homage to “Little Women” from the author of the bestselling “Dear Edward.” The novel was published Tuesday by Dial Press, a Penguin Random House imprint, and Winfrey believes its themes of family, resilience and perspective give “Hello Beautiful” a “universal appeal” that makes it a proper milestone.A Winfrey pick no longer ensures blockbuster sales, but it retains a special status within the industry; for authors, a call from Winfrey still feels like being told they’ve won an Oscar...

Novo Nordisk plans price cuts for several insulins

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

Novo Nordisk will start slashing some U.S. insulin prices up to 75% next year, following a path set earlier this month by rival Eli Lilly. The Danish drugmaker said Tuesday that pre-filled pens and vials of long-acting and short-acting insulins will see price reductions. They include Levemir, Novolin, NovoLog and NovoLog Mix70/30. Novo also will drop the list price of some unbranded products to match the lower price of the branded insulins.The price cuts go into effect Jan. 1. Eli Lilly and Co. said March 2 that it will cut the list prices for its most commonly prescribed insulin, Humalog, and for another insulin, Humulin, by 70% or more in the fourth quarter, which starts in October.List prices are what a drugmaker initially sets for a product and what people who have no insurance or plans with high deductibles are sometimes stuck paying.Patient advocates have long called for insulin price cuts to help uninsured people who would not be affected by price caps tied to insurance cover...

UK cybersecurity center looking into risks posed by TikTok

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:57:24 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s security minister said Tuesday he has asked the country’s National Cyber Security Center to review threats posed by TikTok amid calls for the U.K. to impose a ban on the Chinese-owned social media app.Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said he was waiting for a review from the government’s cybersecurity experts before deciding on the “hugely important question.”Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hinted a day earlier that the U.K. could follow the U.S. and the European Union in banning the app from government-issued mobile phones and devices. “We take security of devices seriously … and we look also at what our allies are doing,” Sunak said during his visit to the U.S. on Monday. “We want to make sure that we protect the integrity and security of sensitive information,” Sunak told ITV News. “And we will always do that and take whatever steps are necessary to make sure that happens.”The U.S. government said last month that employees of federa...