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Nearly 90 million across the US under severe storm threat with potentially violent tornadoes possible

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

By Rob Shackelford, Jennifer Gray and Aya Elamroussi | CNNSevere storms are expected to sweep across some central and southern states beginning Friday afternoon, bringing the threat of several strong tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds to nearly 90 million people across 21 states.A moderate, Level 4 of 5, risk of severe storms now stretches from northern Mississippi to Iowa, including Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock; Arkansas; Des Moines, Iowa; and St. Louis.“At least a few long-track, strong to potentially violent tornadoes are probable, particularly over portions of the Mid-Mississippi Valley to the Mid-South,” the Storm Prediction Center said. “Swaths of intense damaging wind gusts along with very large hail are expected as well.”Track the storms hereSome of the tornadoes may be EF-3 or higher, meaning they would have winds of at least 136 mph.Overall, the moderate risk area covers 10 million people.“We are concerned about strong tornadoes and w...

What stood out about A’s 2-1 win over Angels on Opening Night

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

OAKLAND — The Athletics are unbeaten and tied atop the American League West. With one of 162 precincts reporting, all things are possible.A two-run eighth-inning rally fueled by Esteury Ruiz with runs driven in by veterans Tony Kemp and Aledmys Diaz enabled the A’s to beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 Monday night.Rookie starter Kyle Muller didn’t get the win, but pitched five solid innings and was backed by four innings of scoreless relief.“The best day I’ve ever had on a baseball field,” Muller said.It sent a Coliseum crowd of 26,825 home happy — the ones that weren’t there to cheer for Angels starting pitcher and DH Shohei Ohtani, anyway.Exactly what it all means for the A’s and their undersized payroll remains to be seen. But here’s what we learned on Opening Night after sending the Angels to their sixth straight Opening Day loss:Kyle Muller might be a dudeFor the uninitiated, a “dude” is a game-changer, a pla...

Why Kerr says Donte DiVincenzo has had ‘wildly successful year’ with Warriors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Donte DiVincenzo signed with the Warriors last summer with the intent of relaunching his career after a devastating ankle injury and in-season trade last year set him back.In coach Steve Kerr’s eyes, DiVincenzo has been “wildly successful” in that endeavor.This season has been the best DiVincenzo has felt since his ankle gave out on a routine baseline drive in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. He’s looked the part, too, averaging numbers that compare to his breakout third season with the Bucks.In 67 games (32 starts), DiVincenzo is averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting 42.5% from the field and 39.6% from deep, both above his career averages. He’s also a menace on defense. He leads the Warriors in steals (86) and is second on the team to Draymond Green in deflections (166.)“I feel really good,” DiVincenzo said. “Biggest thing for me is to keep on my body. This year, ...

Bay Area News Group comics contest — the vote results are in!

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

Dear readers,Two weeks ago, we asked you to help us choose a newcomer — one of four contenders — for our comics pages. The votes have been tallied, and we’re delighted to announce that Loose Parts, the witty, offbeat strip by award-winning artist Dave Blazek, won by a landslide with more votes than the other three combined.

Study shows injuries decline up to 20 percent with slower city speed limits: Roadshow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

Q: Sadly, there was another speeding tragedy, at Leigh and Blossom Hill. When will this end? Yellow means STOP, if possible, not GO. I’m at Hamilton. Leigh is a racetrack here. I hear it every day. One second is all you get at a light before drivers hit their horn. Relax, y’all, and you and we will live longer, happier lives.Robert Wahler, San JoseA: Yes, yellow means come to a stop, not race through the intersection.As for speeding, a recent study in Seattle showed that lowering speed limits on arterial streets, where a large majority of accidents occur, cut the chance of injury in accidents by 20 percent.“Everybody thinks of highways when we talk about speed limits, but reducing speeds on city thoroughfares and residential streets is just as important,” said Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) president David Harkey. The IIHS sponsored the Seattle study.Researchers looked at the proportion of crashes involving fatal, serious or evident injuries, comparing inj...

Beloved San Jose Little League to get big check from county to abandon home fields

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

A year-long scuffle over a renowned East San Jose Little League whose baseball players were compelled to leave the home fields they’ve used for over half a century is nearing its end — but their deal is far from a grand slam.Eastridge Little League President Johnny Cisneros on Monday signed an agreement with Santa Clara County that will inject $225,000 into his league’s coffers, with the money intended for finding future fields as well as equipment costs.In exchange, the league’s 135 players must not step foot on the three baseball diamonds at Reid-Hillview Airport, fields that the county claims are a public health risk because of the leaded fuel expelled by nearby airplanes.Johnny Cisneros, president of the Eastridge Little League, watches as the All-Star team practices at Eastridge Little League Monday, June 13, 2022, in San Jose, Calif. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer) The infusion of cash will last until 2025 when the county will reclaim any funds that the ...

Berkeley Unified School District creates reparations task force

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

(KRON) -- Berkeley Unified could become the first school district to offer reparation payments to black students. An informational meeting was held Thursday night to create a task force that will eventually give recommendations to the school board.The task force will be comprised of 15 to 20 volunteers from the community who will explore how the Berkeley School District should offer reparations. One of the biggest tasks of all is figuring out how they will pay for it. SJPOA executive accused of dealing fentanyl due in court Thursday's meeting gave people the opportunity to learn more about the task force to see if they want to join it. Members will meet seven times this year in effort to form recommendations to the Berkeley School Board on how reparations can be done successfully.Many Bay Area cities are considering reparations for black residents who are descendants of slavery. And so is the state of California, which would cost $800 billion. Major track work will delay East Ba...

Forensic Re-creations of Police Abuse Lead to Landmark Legal Settlements

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

In an unprecedented settlement, the city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $9.25 million to 343 protesters who were injured by police violence during the 2020 protests for racial justice.The announcement comes on the heels of another landmark settlement, reached earlier this month by New York City and the New York Police Department, which allocated $7 million to more than 300 protesters who were arrested and beaten in 2020 at a demonstration in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx.The two settlements are both historic in their size and implications for future lawsuits against police violence. Crucially, both cases relied on forensic reconstructions of the events, using video footage and eyewitness accounts to craft detailed timelines of police abuses.As technology advances and video footage of protests abounds, it’s becoming easier for protesters to win class-action lawsuits and settlements against cities and their police departments. While few staunch critics of the crimi...

WTOP’s Neal Augenstein: One-pill-a-day therapy clearing my stage 4 lung cancer, hoping for surgery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

WTOP reporter Neal Augenstein following a bronchoscopy for his stage 4 lung cancer. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)The biopsy results are pending, but it appears the one-pill-a-day targeted therapy I’ve taken since December has cleared all but the tiniest remnants of my stage 4 lung cancer — and I may be able to have surgery, which can go a long way toward preventing my cancer from coming back.On Thursday, I had what’s called a restaging bronchoscopy, at Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, Virginia, where my wonderful treatment team is based. It showed that four months after starting targeted therapy, almost all visible cancer has been resolved in both my lungs.More Health and Fitness NewsMore Inside WTOP NewsIn November, when I was diagnosed with stage 4 EGFR-mutated lung cancer, I had adenocarcinoma in my left lung. With follow-up tests in the hospital, I learned it had spread to include lesions and lymph nodes in both lungs, and a cancerous lymph node in the center of my ...

Biden to Russia on detained US journalist: ‘Let him go’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday urged Russia to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after the country’s security service arrested him on espionage charges — allegations that the newspaper denies.“Let him go,” Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday morning when asked about his message to Russia on the arrest of Gershkovich. Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, of trying to obtain classified information. It is the first time an American journalist has been detained on accusations of spying since the Cold War. The Journal has said it “vehemently denies” the charges. The Biden administration said Thursday that it was working to secure consular access to Gershkovich. Asked Friday morning whether he would expel Russian diplomats or journalists in the U.S., Biden responded: “That’s not the plan right now.” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, called the targeting of U.S. citizens in Russia “u...