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Clendaniel: A parting wish for readers as I retire from the editorial page

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

Time really does fly when you’re having fun.In 1985, I walked into The Mercury News for the first time and couldn’t believe my good fortune to be working at a newspaper in one of the most beautiful and intriguing regions in the world. Except for a five-year stint from 1997-2002 as a stay-at-home dad and editor for Forbes ASAP magazine, I’ve been here ever since.But on Friday, after writing about 2,000 editorials and columns and editing more than 25,000 letters to the editor, I retired as The Mercury News editorial page editor and a member of the East Bay Times editorial board.As a lifelong newspaper junkie, I know I’m going to miss the job — a lot. For the last two decades of my career, a newspaper paid me to have an opinion. How cool is that? I, in turn, did my best to fulfill our opinion-page mission of advancing debate on key issues facing our readers.Who else gets to identify the leading topic of the day and then call the best experts to discuss it?...

Mahan: Time for the blame game on homelessness to end

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

After the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco quickly constructed over 5,600 cottages to house those made homeless by the catastrophe. City leaders didn’t say “a cottage isn’t good enough” or “someone else is to blame” or, worse, “this is unsolvable.”They recognized that in an emergency, you take emergency action — such as building simple, decent shelters for everyone affected.They placed these cottages on public land and then, as the emergency ebbed, residents were allowed to relocate them. They were the first homes for thousands of families. You can still find them across the region.We’ve seen elected officials offer excuse after excuse for our state’s failure to adequately address homelessness. We’ve blamed the courts, we’ve blamed the cost of building housing, and we’ve blamed the homeless.It’s time for the blame game to end. It’s time California created safe, decent and affordably constructed shelter for everyone — and then required those sleeping outdoors to use it. It’...

Video of YouTuber prank reveals moments leading up to Dulles Town Center shooting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

New video obtained by NBC Washington shows the minutes before and after a serious shooting in Virginia's Dulles Town Center on April 2, 2023. (Courtesy NBC Washington/Drew Wilder)(Courtesy NBC4/Drew Wilder) New video obtained by NBC Washington shows the minutes before and after a serious shooting in Virginia's Dulles Town Center on April 2, 2023. (Courtesy NBC Washington/Drew Wilder)(Courtesy NBC4/Drew Wilder) A Loudoun County, Virginia, jury found Thursday that the delivery driver who shot 21-year-old content creator Tanner Cook was not guilty of aggravated malicious wounding. On Friday, new video from the shooting inside Dulles Town Center revealed what happened in the moments before shots rang out.In the final ...

After 28 hours, the U.S. finally wins a full point at the Ryder Cup with rookies Homa and Harman

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Max Homa had already taken his hat off and was walking toward playing partner Brian Harman for a celebratory hug before his chip for eagle rolled in on the reachable par-4 16th.Nearly 28 hours into the Ryder Cup, the two rookies clinched the Americans’ first full point by beating Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka 4 and 2 in morning foursomes Saturday at Marco Simone.“We needed something to go our way,” Homa said. “Somebody had to start a spark, so I’m just glad it was us.”The only problem was that was the only point the U.S. earned in the session, leaving Europe extending its advantage to 9½ to 2½.“We obviously are in a big hole but we have the right guys to dig ourselves out of it,” Homa said.Homa went 4-0 in his first team experience at the Presidents Cup last year and also earned a half point with Wyndham Clark in afternoon fourballs on Friday against Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose. But that felt like a loss after Homa missed a putt on 18 to win it —...

Truck accident in Illinois causes “multiple” deaths and an ammonia leak that leads to an evacuation

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

TEUTOPOLIS, Ill. (AP) — A semitruck carrying anhydrous ammonia overturned in Illinois, causing “multiple fatalities” and prompting an evacuation of area residents, police said Saturday.The accident, which involved “multiple” vehicles, happened about a half-mile east of Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40 on Friday at about 9:25 p.m., Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement.Due to the plume from the ammonia leak, an evacuation was ordered within an approximate one-mile radius of the crash, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis, police said.“At this time, there are multiple fatalities,” the statement said. The number of deaths was not immediately disclosed.The highway between Teutopolis and Montrose is closed. Crews were working to contain the leak.Anhydrous ammonia is toxic and can be a health hazard if safe handling procedures are not followed. Effects of inhalation of anhydrous ammonia range from lung irritation to severe respiratory injuries, with possible death at highe...

Live updates | The United States finally starts a session well at the Ryder Cup

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — The United States has finally started a session well in the Ryder Cup.The afternoon fourballs opened with Sam Burns and Collin Moriwaka, who were rested in the morning, winning three of their first five holes and going 2 up against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg — the Scandinavian pairing coming off a record 9-and-7 win in the foursomes.In the second match, Max Homa and Brian Harman built on their victory in the foursomes by moving 2 up after four holes against Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard.Homa might be the U.S. star this week and he poured in a long birdie putt up the hill at the par-4 fifth hole.It was a welcome splash of red on the boards for the Americans as they look to recover from a seven-point deficit and be within reach of the Europeans heading into the Sunday singles.___Europe didn’t sweep the foursomes session again in the Ryder Cup. But it was close.Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton won the last two holes and Xander Schauffele m...

El hombre acusado de matar a tiros a Tupac Shakur en 1996 está hace mucho tiempo ubicado en la escena del crimen. Esto es lo que sabemos sobre él

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

(CNN) — Ya en 1998, Duane Keith Davis le dijo a un canal de cable que era el pasajero del asiento delantero de un automóvil desde el cual un compañero de viaje disparó los tiros que mataron a Tupac Shakur.En 2009, Davis, conocido como “Keffe D”, confesó a la policía su papel en el caso, dijo a CNN un exdetective que investigó el tiroteo, pero las autoridades no pudieron utilizar la información en ese momento.Y luego, después de lo que la policía dice que fue un nuevo impulso a la investigación, Davis, de 60 años, fue arrestado en Las Vegas el viernes, y un jurado investigador lo acusó por asesinato con uso de un arma letal. El arresto se produce unos 27 años después de que el rapero recibiera un disparo cuando salía de una pelea de box en el Strip de Las Vegas.El tiroteo del 7 de septiembre de 1996 fue un ataque en represalia contra la estrella de 25 años, dijo la policía el viernes. Las autoridades alegan que Davis planeó y orquestó el tiroteo en cuestión de horas...

Police investigate possible shooting in Tamarac

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

The Broward’s Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of a shooting that happened in Tamarac. The incident occurred between Northwest 64th Avenue and Commercial Boulevard on Saturday.Details are limited as this investigation is ongoing.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

‘It’s crazy’: Shutdown caps week from hell for US Congress

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman has never seen a scenario like this week: “Not in real life — in movies. It’s crazy.”It’s practically a national adage to say that Congress is wracked by dysfunction. Yet in the days leading up to Sunday’s potential shutdown, the House and the Senate are witnessing a cinematic parade of horribles.The GOP-controlled House has failed to pass a spending plan. At the helm, Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces daily threats to his job from the right and recently launched an impeachment inquiry that some of its own members believe botched its inaugural hearing.The Democratic Senate has its own troubles, well beyond a military promotion blockade: The death of one member, Dianne Feinstein, and the indictment of another, Bob Menendez. With two more Democrats sidelined by Covid, the chamber is laboring to pass a spending bill as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) threatens to use the rules to force his very own brief government shutdown (again).“The dark part is losing Sen. Feinstei...

Kyiv removes Hungary’s OTP Bank from blacklist in bid to unlock EU aid

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:39 GMT

The Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced on Friday that it temporarily removed Hungary’s OTP Bank from a list of “international sponsors of war,” a move the agency said was aimed at securing Budapest’s support for the latest package of EU military aid to Ukraine. The anti-corruption agency said in a statement that the decision was the result of negotiations with the bank and officials in Budapest. A permanent removal from the blacklist will depend on the bank’s willingness to terminate cooperation with Russia, the agency said.The Hungarian bank was added to the blacklist in May because of the “position of the bank’s management to continue operations in Russia.” The “war sponsors” list was created in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in an attempt to deter companies from maintaining their operations in Russia.“The agency hopes that this decisi...