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DeSantis’ latest salvo against Disney: State oversight of park ride inspections

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

By Mike Schneider | Associated PressORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers ratcheted up pressure on Walt Disney World on Monday by announcing legislation that will use the regulatory powers of Florida government to exert unprecedented oversight on the park resort’s rides and monorail.Lawmakers will introduce a bill in coming weeks that would end an exemption for Disney parks when it comes to ride inspections by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, DeSantis said at a news conference near Disney World.The agriculture agency is responsible for inspecting amusement rides in Florida, but an exception was carved out for the state’s largest theme park operators, such as Disney and Universal Destinations & Experiences, which do their own safety inspections. Under the proposal, the exemption would end for rides in special governmental districts, which basically targets just Disney World.Disney said in a statement on Monday that its inspectors have...

Letters: Recall DA | Feinstein’s job | Tax-free retirement | IRA funds | Gun control | US oil

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.DA dropped the ballon shooting chargesRe: “3 charged in fatal freeway shooting” (Page A1, April 15).Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price will not charge three men with enhancement clauses who have been charged with the murder of Eliyanah Crisostomo, the 5-year-old caught in a crossfire on Interstate 880.When booked for murder by the CHP, they filed enhancement causes, which would potentially lengthen their prison sentences. We know Price will not charge enhancement or special circumstances in cases. She has indicated she would weigh enhancements in a crime that caused “extensive” physical injury. What could be more extensive than death?Whether or not those longer sentences deter others from using a firearm, there can be no doubt that a perpetrator who uses a firearm and is incarcerated for decades will not be injuring or killing other innocent victims during that incarceration.Unless...

49ers QB Brock Purdy ‘not really sure’ if he will be able to play 2023 season. What else is new?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

Brock Purdy admitted last week to Yahoo Sports that he is “not really sure” if he’ll play during the 2023 season.That may feel like a shocking pronouncement from the 49ers’ quarterback, but he was just saying what many have known since his ulnar collateral ligament was torn in the NFC Championship Game: There’s a long way to go before he can throw in an NFL game.Purdy, who said he would be at Monday’s opening of the 49ers’ offseason program, had an internal brace inserted into his right elbow during an operation last month. That procedure leaves his prospects of playing this fall in a much better place than a full replacement of the UCL, also known as Tommy John surgery, but there is still so much up in the air.Former 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens is the only NFL signal-caller known to have had such a surgery, as this news organization has reported.Mullens tore his UCL in December 2020 and was throwing by March 2021. He participated in the ...

Tax deadline for Bay Area residents, businesses is in October, not on usual ‘tax day’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

Preparing for some serious caffeinating and the usual tax-day sprint to file your returns? Relax — in 2023 you get six more months to procrastinate.That’s right: Residents and businesses throughout the Bay Area have until October 16 to file their 2022 state and federal individual and business tax returns.For most of the rest of the country, Tax Day is April 18. But in response to devastating storms this winter, the Internal Revenue Service and California’s Franchise Tax Board pushed back the deadline for filing returns — and making certain payments — for all nine Bay Area counties and most of the rest of the Golden State.And the extension applies to all residents and businesses in those eligible counties, not just those who were affected by the storms.

Former Stanford University employee arraigned on charges of lying about rapes that shook campus

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

A former Stanford University employee was arraigned Monday on charges that she repeatedly lied about being viciously raped as part of a revenge plot against a co-worker — fabricated claims that sparked widespread panic about a sexual predator stalking women across the campus.Jennifer Ann Gries, of Santa Clara, appeared solemn and did not speak Monday while making her first appearance in court on two felony counts of perjury and two misdemeanor counts of making a false crime report. She was ordered to return to enter a plea on June 21; in the meantime, she allowed to remain free on supervised release.Prosecutors say Gries, who works for housing services at the university, lied about being raped to in a vendetta against a co-worker, whom she felt had romantically spurned her.The first report came on Aug. 9, when Gries claimed she was in a parking lot near the Munger Residence Hall when an unknown man grabbed her, took her into a bathroom and raped her. She made the report at Val...

Jackson Jr. wins defensive player of year over Lopez, Mobley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

Nobody blocked more shots per game, nor had better defensive numbers at the rim this season, than Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr.And voters noticed.The Memphis big man was announced Monday night as the NBA’s defensive player of the year, becoming the second player to win the award while wearing a Grizzlies’ uniform. He joins Marc Gasol in that club, after the Spaniard did it a decade ago.Jackson led the league with 3.0 blocks per game this season, after finishing fifth in the defensive player of the year voting last season. He got 56 first-place votes and 391 voting points to finish ahead of runner-up Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks, who got 31 first-place votes and 309 points. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley — in just his second NBA season — was third with eight first-place votes and 101 points.“Team defense really helps us. It goes a long way,” Jackson said on the TNT broadcast that announced the award.The shooting percentage that Jackson allowed at the rim — 46.9% — was the best in t...

Speaker McCarthy vows to pass debt bill — but can he do it?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged on Monday to pass legislation to raise the nation’s debt ceiling — but only on condition of capping future federal spending increases at 1% — as he lashed out at President Joe Biden for refusing to engage in budget-cutting negotiations to prevent a debt crisis.In a high-profile speech at the New York Stock Exchange, McCarthy, the Republican leader who was marking his 100th day as speaker, said the nation’s debt load is a “ticking time bomb” and Biden is “missing in action” as the deadline nears to raise the debt limit. But McCarthy’s own ability to bring his plan to passage in coming weeks as promised is highly uncertain. “Since the president continues to hide, House Republicans will take action,” McCarthy vowed.The White House hit back quickly, accusing McCarthy of “dangerous economic hostage taking.” And administration officials reupped Biden’s pressure on the Republican leader to approve a debt c...

NBA Defensive Players of the Year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

2023 — Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis2022 — Marcus Smart, Boston2021 — Rudy Gobert, Utah2020 — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee2019 — Rudy Gobert, Utah2018 — Rudy Gobert, Utah2017 — Draymond Green, Golden State2016 — Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio2015 — Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio2014 — Joakim Noah, Chicago2013 — Marc Gasol, Memphis2012 — Tyson Chandler, New York2011 — Dwight Howard, Orlando2010 — Dwight Howard, Orlando2009 — Dwight Howard, Orlando2008 — Kevin Garnett, Boston2007 — Marcus Camby, Denver2006 — Ben Wallace, Detroit2005 — Ben Wallace, Detroit2004 — Ron Artest, Indiana2003 — Ben Wallace, Detroit2002 — Ben Wallace, Detroit2001 — Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta-Philadelphia2000 — Alonzo Mourning, Miami1999 — Alonzo Mourning, Miami1998 — Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta1997 — Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta1996 — Gary Payton, Seattle1995 — Dikembe Mutombo, Denver1994 — Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston1993 — Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston1992 — David Robinson, San Antonio1991 — Dennis Rodman, Detroit1990 — Dennis Rodma...

Impresionante hallazgo en el cerebro de los ratones podría aportar a la investigación sobre el autismo

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

Un nuevo circuito cerebral que se desarrolla en el córtex durante una etapa temprana del desarrollo embrionario y que puede aportar nuevos conocimientos sobre los trastornos del espectro autista. Ese es el resultado de un nuevo estudio realizado en ratones que publica este lunes Cell.El equipo, encabezado por el Instituto de Oftalmología Molecular y Clínica de Basilea (IOB) comprobó que al alterar genéticamente ese circuito recién descubierto se produjeron cambios similares a los observados en los cerebros de personas con autismo.“Comprender el desarrollo detallado de los tipos de células y circuitos de la corteza cerebral puede aportar información importante sobre el autismo y otras enfermedades del neurodesarrollo”, afirmó Botond Roska, del IOB y uno de los autores del artículo.El autismo se asocia desde hace tiempo a circuitos defectuosos en el córtex, que es la parte del cerebro que gobierna la percepción sensorial, la cognición y otras funciones de alto orden, el cu...

Liverpool ends barren run by thrashing Leeds 6-1 in EPL

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

LEEDS, England (AP) — Liverpool won for the first time in five English Premier League games after thrashing Leeds 6-1 on Monday.Liverpool hadn’t tasted victory in more than six weeks, since routing Manchester United 7-0.But after Cody Gakpo’s opener and Mohamed Salah’s quickfire addition for a 2-0 halftime lead, Liverpool tore apart Leeds in the second half. Salah and Diogo Jota finished with a pair each, and Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score late.Leeds halved the deficit two minutes after the break when Ibrahima Konate was caught in possession by Luis Sinisterra, who lifted his effort over goalkeeper Alisson to make it 2-1.But the Leeds defense collapsed in familiar fashion, suffering consecutive heavy home defeats eight days after losing to Crystal Palace 5-1. Leeds has conceded 60 league goals, more than any other side,Liverpool remained eighth in the standings, two points behind Brighton. Leeds’ survival hopes were dealt another big blow by staying...