Rubber dam on Russian River in Sonoma County lowered

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Rubber dam on Russian River in Sonoma County lowered (KRON) -- Ahead of the storms, Sonoma County water officials lowered the "Rubber Dam" on the Russian River in anticipation of elevated water levels."It's awesome you don't realize how much water is really in the river," said Andrea Rodriguez, a Sonoma County water spokesperson. Car crashes into Napa ditch, drivers urged to slow down on roads Rodriguez is showing us how much rain the Rubber Dam on the Russian River received over the last few days. The dam is downstream of the Wohler Bridge near Forestville. This is what it looked like in June. The dam is usually put up during the warmer months to hold back the water in the dry season and in August when visitors can line up closer to get a view.That view is now flooded."Now that we see the river flows are above 1,600 cubic feet per second," Rodriguez said. "We want to lower that dam so it doesn't damage it and also to let the clear passage of the water to go through the river." Bay Area storm updates: 72-hour rainfall totals revea...

Dixon hits go-ahead 3-pointer, scores 32 points in Villanova’s 68-66 OT win over No. 12 Creighton

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Dixon hits go-ahead 3-pointer, scores 32 points in Villanova’s 68-66 OT win over No. 12 Creighton OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Eric Dixon made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in overtime to finish his 32-point night and Villanova held off No. 12 Creighton 68-66 on Wednesday night in the Big East opener for both teams.The Bluejays (9-3) led by double digits until midway through the second half before Villanova (8-4) rallied to tie it and force overtime.Baylor Scheierman had a chance to tie it with seven seconds left but missed the front end of a one-and-one, and he missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.Trey Alexander scored all eight of Creighton’s points in overtime and finished with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Scheierman also had 16 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner added 14.Creighton led by 14 early in the second half before hitting a cold spell. The Wildcats chipped away to tie it at 56 with under four minutes left when a defensive breakdown allowed Jordan Longino to go in for an uncontested layup.It was 58-all when Alexander came away with a hard-earned reboun...

Toyota’s small car unit Daihatsu raided after faked tests lead it to suspend all vehicle shipments

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Toyota’s small car unit Daihatsu raided after faked tests lead it to suspend all vehicle shipments TOKYO (AP) — Japanese transport ministry officials inspected Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu on Thursday, one day after officials announced it was suspending the small car unit’s shipments of all vehicles in and outside Japan after an investigation found improper testing involving 64 models. The safety test irregularities earlier this year prompted an independent panel investigation, which found widespread and systematic problems at Osaka-based Daihatsu Motor Co. It is the latest of safety or other violations found at at least five of Japan’s major automakers in recent years. On Thursday, transport ministry officials began a deeper investigation at Daihatsu’s offices over the systematic safety scandal that apparently persisted for decades. “It’s extremely regrettable,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Thursday. “It damaged the trust of car owners and has shaken the foundation of the automobile certification system.” Hayashi urged Daihatsu officials ...

RJ Davis scores 23 points, No. 11 North Carolina knocks off unbeaten No. 7 Oklahoma 81-69

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

RJ Davis scores 23 points, No. 11 North Carolina knocks off unbeaten No. 7 Oklahoma 81-69 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — RJ Davis scored 23 points, Armando Bacot added 14 points and eight rebounds and No. 11 North Carolina handed seventh-ranked Oklahoma its first loss of the season 81-69 on Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center.Cormac Ryan had 13 points and Harrison Ingram added 11 for the Tar Heels (8-3), who snapped a two-game losing streak.Otega Oweh had 23 points and Javian McCollum had 14 for Oklahoma (10-1), which never led. The Sooners’ loss leaves No. 3 Houston, No. 20 James Madison and No. 25 Ole Miss as the only unbeaten teams in Division I basketball.It was the seventh straight game Davis has led the Tar Heels in scoring. He came into the game averaging 21.6 points per game.The Sooners cracked The Associated Press Top 10 this week for the first time since February 2021, but struggled from the onset in their first meeting with North Carolina since a 72-60 loss in the 2009 NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.North Carolina’s defense gave Oklahoma fits in the early goin...

3D holiday designs from NailBox Miami in Little Havana add festive flair to the season

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

3D holiday designs from NailBox Miami in Little Havana add festive flair to the season Christmas is only a few days away, and I know what you’re thinking: “I’ve got to get my nails done.” If you’re looking for inspo or for an appointment, don’t you worry. Deco is checking a really cool SoFlo spot that making manicures merry and bright.Bad day? Don’t worry. NailBox Miami in Little Havana is gonna make everything merry and bright.Karen Elmir: “I’ve been coming here since they opened, and I always leave super happy. I think that their nail techs do the best designs.”Daniel Moran: “Every time I come here, I bring an idea. I always want 3D, more glitter.”Ciro Orizondo: “We do very detailed nail art — a 3D chrome, anything popping out of your nails, any magnets that we can stick on your nails, almost anything you have on your mind, we can make it come to life.”Really? OK, I have holidays designs on my mind. What ya got?Ciro Orizondo: “You’re gonna see a lot of Christmas-the...

A warning for 2024: The losers of the green revolution won’t go quietly

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

A warning for 2024: The losers of the green revolution won’t go quietly After pioneering the green revolution, Europe is now living under its shadow: the counterrevolution.I spent much of the past year reporting across northern Europe, where the pace of the transition to a clean economy is the greatest, talking to the people who will become the losers of the world’s desperately needed effort to bring our economies in sync with the environment.What they told me was that they won’t accept their fates in silence.I reported on Dutch farmers who have transformed their country’s politics and Polish coal miners who shaped the European Union’s climate policies. I talked to London drivers worried about their mayor’s efforts to rein in cars, and to reindeer herders at risk of having their lives upended by the pursuit of the metals and minerals needed for green technologies. In Germany I met the leaders and supporters of the far right, buoyant on a rising tide of rage.For some the impositions were minor, but for others they were life-changing. What all had in comm...

Germany aims to seize €720M of frozen Russian money

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Germany aims to seize €720M of frozen Russian money BERLIN — At a time when Germany’s ruling coalition is scrambling to find money due to its still-simmering budget crisis, it might be getting an unexpected windfall: a large chunk of frozen Russian money.Germany’s top federal prosecutor on Wednesday announced a motion to confiscate about €720 million held by a Russian financial institution in a Frankfurt bank account.“We will not allow Russian funds used to finance the illegal war of aggression against Ukraine to be held unchallenged in German accounts,” Justice Minister Marco Buschmann wrote on X, adding: “Liberal democracy defends itself on the side of the attacked and opposes violence with the law.”The motion represents an escalation of Germany’s efforts to sanction Russia. If prosecutors are successful, the frozen Russian funds would flow into Germany’s federal coffers, according to an official with knowledge of the case, providing the government with a potential financial boon.Until now, Germany has...

Jeffrey Wright elevates impressive ‘American Fiction’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Jeffrey Wright elevates impressive ‘American Fiction’ An impressive debut feature, Scituate-shot “American Fiction” is going to thrust Emmy award-winning director and co-writer Cord Jefferson (Netflix’s “Watchmen”) to the vanguard of new filmmakers.Meet Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright). He’s the semi-invisible, critically well-received, far from best-selling author of fiction that gets displayed in the Black studies section of bookstores. At the same time, a younger Black writer named Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) earns laurels and more money than Monk for writing a book entitled “We’s Lives in Da Ghetto” a tome that Monk believes is a crude, stereotypical depiction of Black people. Yet, at a writers’ festival in Boston her turnout is much larger and more enthusiastic than his. “Editors want a Black book,” says Monk’s friend and agent Arthur (a fine John Ortiz). Inspired by a challenge from Arthur, Monk writes a parody of the kind of book he claims to deplore, entitled “My Pafology” (later changed) b...

Lowry: Trump opponents not playing strictly by the book

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Lowry: Trump opponents not playing strictly by the book You might have heard that Donald Trump is going to be a dictator if he wins the presidency next year. Among other things, he’s threatening to target his political opponents.Let’s stipulate that Trump is a provocateur who freaks out his opponents even when he’s on relatively good behavior. And his conduct after the 2020 election was genuinely alarming and deeply wrong. He shouldn’t talk about going after his political enemies, let alone actually do it if he takes power again.But the vapors over Trump’s threatening statements are rich coming from people who have targeted their enemy by any means necessary for years now. The Russian-collusion investigation, the Hunter Biden cover-up and the ongoing, politically timed legal onslaught against Donald Trump are among the most shameful and tawdry efforts to destroy a political opponent in memory.They all have involved the abuse of power by national-security or law-enforcement officials, with the connivance of a...

Celtics respond with impressive, dominant bounce-back win over Kings

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:08 GMT

Celtics respond with impressive, dominant bounce-back win over Kings Joe Mazzulla has emphasized the importance for the Celtics to have a consistent mindset this season. No matter the circumstances, he wants the Celtics to bring the same focus, energy and commitment for every game.The circumstances were not ideal on Wednesday night in Sacramento. They were missing Jayson Tatum and Al Horford. Less than 24 hours after an exhausting overtime loss to the Warriors, they had to play the second leg of a back-to-back, shorthanded against a good Kings team that loves to run.Challenge accepted, and accomplished. The Celtics, once again, responded. They didn’t make excuses. They showcased the mental toughness that has been consistent through the first third of the season. They put on an offensive clinic, and didn’t let off the gas in one of their most impressive performances of the season, a convincing 144-119 rout over the Kings.Without Tatum and Horford, the Celtics had plenty of firepower. Five players scored in double figures. Derrick White put on a master...