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How California’s historic wet winter could make wildfire season even worse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

By David R Baker, Brian K Sullivan and Mark Chediak | BloombergDon’t let all the flooding fool you: The same rain and snow that have drenched California this winter and spring risk making the state’s next seasonal calamity — fire season — even worse.An epic winter left parts of the Central Valley underwater, a problem that may persist for months as one of California’s largest mountain snowpacks on record melts. That elevated moisture is now fueling an explosion of plant growth unlike anything the state’s seen in years. Whole landscapes are blossoming into so-called “superblooms,” as flowering bushes starved by years of drought make the most of the bounty. Soon, that growth will dry out, transforming buds and blossoms into kindling.“What we expect to see out of the rains is an increase in the amount of fuel there is to burn,” said Issac Sanchez, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.Although the full price tag won’t become clear ...

‘A house of cards’: When the Big One comes, will Alameda be ready?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

When the “Big One” eventually hits, the city of Alameda will have plenty to worry about.Like many East Bay cities, it’s covered in older, wood-frame buildings that would serve as tinder for post-quake fires. The island doesn’t have neighborhood water reservoirs, meaning there is less water readily available within city limits. And there are only five roads on and off Alameda — all in hazardous liquefaction zones.But perhaps the most pressing concern is the structural reality of the island. Much of it is manmade. Although there have been efforts to improve the island’s earthquake readiness, including a new drinking water connection installed just last week, Alameda still faces serious concerns about its construction.“All those apartment houses along the South Shore, that’s all soup,” said Dennis Evanosky, a longtime resident, documentarian and community historian. “Everything the water side of Otis, everything the water side of Clement, everything the water side of Main a...

Bay Area tech bust emerges after yearslong regional hiring boom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

The Bay Area tech sector is shedding jobs in a big way after a prolonged pandemic-era hiring boom, an ominous turn for an industry that has spent decades as the primary engine of the region’s economy.Throughout its history, the tech industry has been known for its cycles of cataclysmic hiring downturns followed by equally dramatic upswings. But job losses in the early months of 2023 have unleashed warning signs, and even some soul-searching, in a sector that once again seems to have overstaffed for conditions.“The best way to make sense of this is to understand that tech is having a ‘moment,'” said Russell Hancock, president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a San Jose-based think tank. “If you’ve been around long enough, you know that Silicon Valley goes through downturns like this, usually about every eight to 10 years.”Long-time Valley watcher Tim Bajarin agreed. “Hiring and layoffs are not a precise science,” said Bajarin, a p...

San Jose police arrest 4, cite 21 during sideshow over weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

(KRON) -- The San Jose Police Department reported a sideshow that happened Sunday night at the intersection of Old Almaden Road and Curtner Avenue. Police arrested three suspects for fleeing or evading police and one suspect on a felony warrant. They also issued 21 spectator citations and impounded three cars for 30 days, officials said. SJPD officials said tow fees can range from $3,000 to $4,000."Sideshows have no business in San Jose," officials said on social media. "It’s just not worth it. Stay home."This event joins two other sideshows that happened in the Bay Area over the weekend: one in Oakland and another in San Francisco both on Saturday. Video from the San Francisco sideshow shows a red Mustang spinning donuts in front of St. Matthews Lutheran Church. The crowd ebbs and flows around the vehicle to avoid being hit. VIDEO: Sideshows bombard Bay Area intersections overnight The incident in Oakland reportedly had over 100 vehicles participating. Video from the scene shows ...

SpaceX calls off launch attempt of its giant new rocket

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) — SpaceX calls off launch attempt of its giant new rocket.Source

Malala Yousafzai working on new book, her ‘most personal’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is working on a new memoir, the latest book by the young activist from Pakistan known for her advocacy for education for girls and for surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban when she was in her teens.Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced the memoir Monday. It is currently untitled and has no scheduled release date. Yousafzai’s previous works include the million-selling “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” published in 2013, the year before she won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17. She has since graduated from Oxford University and married Asser Malik, a manager with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Her production company, Extracurricular, has a deal with Apple TV+ for a wide range of film and television projects.“The last few years of my life have been marked by extraordinary transformation, and all the anguish and joy that accompanies growth,” Yous...

Un hombre le disparó a un adolescente que fue a su casa de manera equivocada para recoger a sus hermanos, dice la policía de Kansas City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

(CNN) — Un adolescente fue baleado y herido por el dueño de una casa después de que, por error, entrara a la casa equivocada para recoger a sus hermanos en Kansas City, Missouri, dijo la policía este domingo.Los agentes respondieron a los informes de un tiroteo en la noche del 13 de abril; cuando llegaron, encontraron a un adolescente que había recibido un disparo del propietario de una casa fuera de ella, según la policía de Kansas City.El adolescente fue llevado a un hospital local, donde este domingo estaba en condición estable, dijo la Policía.Los investigadores de Alabama reconstruyen los detalles del tiroteo en la fiesta de cumpleaños que dejó cuatro muertos y decenas de heridosLa Policía se enteró de que los padres del adolescente le habían pedido que recogiera a sus hermanos en una dirección en 115th Terrace, pero accidentalmente fue a una casa en 115th Street, donde recibió el disparo, según la Policía.El adolescente fue identificado como Ralph Yarl, estudiante de sec...

Yogurt flavors, protects tandoori-inspired chicken kebabs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

In Indian tandoori cooking, much of the flavor comes from the ripping-hot temperatures, up to 900 F, which send spice and smoke sizzling out the top of barrel-shaped clay ovens.The meat, usually chicken or lamb threaded on skewers, chars beautifully. But why does it emerge from the oven tender and juicy instead of incinerated? Yogurt.As part of a marinade, the dairy’s lactic acid gently breaks down the meat’s proteins in such a way that it retains more moisture during cooking without turning mushy. Thick yogurt also holds seasonings in place so they don’t run off into the fire. And, perhaps most deliciously, the natural sugars in the yogurt caramelize in the high heat. That leaves a charred, beautiful crust with a mellow tang and crispy, flavorful bits.We took inspiration from this tradition for these yogurt-marinated chicken kebabs from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals. Our weeknight-friendly, tandoori-inspired skewers f...

Liz Weston: Retiring? If you need a home loan, get one first

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

Retired engineers Kelly and Derek Barkey assumed they would be approved when they applied for a $50,000 home equity line of credit two years ago to fix up their new house.The Barkeys, now 56 and 59, had just sold their longtime home in Southern California and paid cash for a house worth about $850,000 near St. Louis, Missouri. They had retirement accounts worth $3 million, $500,000 in a taxable brokerage account and excellent credit scores.They were surprised when a national bank turned them down. They tried a local credit union, which also rejected them.“We haven’t been turned down for credit since about 1987,” says Kelly Barkey, remembering when the couple applied for a rewards credit card while she was still a college student.HOME LOANS CAN BE HARDER TO GET IN RETIREMENTThe federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against applicants based on age, but that doesn’t mean getting a home loan in retirement will be easy even for those with good credit,...

1st Quiznos location in Denver closed for unpaid taxes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The original Quiznos location in Denver has shuttered its doors after signs said it was seized due to unpaid taxes.The first sandwich shop opened in Denver in 1981 and is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood at 1275 N. Grant St. The location still has a sign out front that reads "Quiznos: The First Location est. 1981."On Monday, FOX31 stopped by the restaurant where documents were posted on the door saying the business was in possession of the manager of finance in the City and County of Denver for non-payment of taxes. Commerce City to hold council meeting following hit-and-run that killed a teen According to the City and County of Denver, the Grant Street location had an underpayment of sales tax that totaled close to $13,000. The restaurant's owner was listed as Dominik Mendoza. FOX31 has reached out to Mendoza for comment on the tax lien but has yet to hear back. According to the notice of final determination posted at the location, the restaurant has 30 d...