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‘Rich, white anti-housing men’: ACLU calls censure of Los Gatos commissioner for using “divisive” language unconstitutional

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

Los Gatos Town Council’s censure of a planning commissioner for using “divisive” language caught the attention of First Amendment advocates who say the council’s disciplinary process violated the commissioner’s constitutional rights and was “plain and simple, illegal.”The Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union wrote a letter to the town council March 1, urging them to revoke Commissioner Kylie Clark’s censure — a formal disapproval of her comments which she was given after calling out the “rich, white anti-housing men” in Los Gatos.“That’s just pure and utter censorship. They’re saying, ‘We don’t like this speech, and that’s why we’re going to discipline it,’ and that’s exactly what you can’t do,” said Shilpi Agarwal, legal director of the ACLU of Northern California.This letter is the first step in what could turn into a lawsuit between the ACLU and the town over Clark’s First Amendment rights. The ACLU argued that the censure was “flagrantly illega...

Bay Area Outdoors: Riding the electric mountain bike revolution

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

At the height of the pandemic, I yearned, like most folks, to get outdoors for some much needed fresh air. I’ve always loved to mountain bike, and I’ve ridden my knobby-tired steed for decades on the dirt trails of Marin County, considered by many the birthplace of mountain biking. But as lockdown claustrophobia set in, I realized that my bike was well-used and in need of an upgrade — a really good upgrade — and my knees were feeling a bit tired and knobby themselves. So I took the plunge and went electric. Then I hit the trails once more — and how.There are many places to ride in Marin, but I tend to gravitate to two spots: scenic, bayside China Camp State Park and the wide-open terrain of the Marin Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Why here? Besides the obvious — natural beauty, heart-stopping vistas and tempting trails — these local parks allow my new type of ride: an electric, pedal-assist mountain bike or e-MTB, which I think is the best bike ever inv...

Oscars 2023: Here’s how to watch, and everything else you need to know

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

NEW YORK — Hollywood is gearing up for the 95th Academy Awards, where “Everything Everywhere All at Once” comes in the lead nominee and the film industry will hope to move past “the slap” of last year’s ceremony. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Oscars, including when they are, where to watch the live show and this year’s controversies.When are the Oscars?The Oscars will be held Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 5 p.m. PDT and be broadcast live on ABC.Can you stream the Oscars?The broadcast can be streamed with a subscription to Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and Fubo TV. Some of these services offer brief free trials. You can also stream the show on ABC.com and on the ABC app by authenticating your provider.Related ArticlesMovies | Oscars 2023: Here’s who will win, and who should win at the Academy Awards Movies | Here’s where ...

7 awesome Bay Area things to do this weekend, March 10-12

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

From the Oscars to a new culinary attraction in San Jose’s Little Italy to a stirring play about a civil rights legend, there’s just a ton of great stuff to do this weekend in the Bay Area. So let’s get to it, shall we?As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 WATCH: It’s the Oscars!Hollywood’s biggest awards ceremony is back this weekend, and the questions are many. Will “Everything Everywhere All at Once” sweep the major awards? Will anyone get slapped? Are they even going to try and keep the show under 4 hours? We can’t answer all these questions, but we do have some predictions about who the big winners will be. And it you want to get acquainted with some of th...

Snow falling on telescopes: Astronomy shut down on Mount Hamilton

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

A huge slab of ice and snow slides off the huge domed roof of the Great Refractor telescope at Mount Hamilton’s Lick Observatory and smashes thunderously to the asphalt.“Don’t stand too close to the dome,” warns resident astronomer Elinor Gates, who has worked for 25 years at the research station atop the Bay Area’s highest peak. “That would’ve hurt.”Mount Hamilton and Lick’s nine telescopes spread out over a half mile of ridges and peaks east of San Jose have received more than five feet of snow this winter. Historical data is incomplete, but that amount is either the largest of any winter since record keeping began in 1947 or close to it, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dalton Behringer. After the latest series of storms began delivering heavy snow on Feb. 24, more than four feet have fallen on the mountaintop. “It’s definitely unusual to have that amount in this short a time,” Behringer said.Snow ...

3 dead following meningococcal disease outbreak in Virginia

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

A public health warning has been issued by Virginia state health officials as a deadly meningococcal disease outbreak continues to spread in eastern Virginia.A dozen cases of the more severe invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) type Y have been reported since June 2022, with three deaths tied to complications associated with the disease.The Virginia Department of Heath said the strain is believed to also be circulating beyond the state’s borders.More Virginia NewsMore Health NewsWhile it has not identified a common risk factor, all known Virginia cases are Hampton Roads residents, who are mostly Black adults between the ages of 30 and 60 years old.The health department said 11 cases involved patients who were not vaccinated for meningococcal disease type Y. In one case, a patient was only partially vaccinated.Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis and can spread from person to person through respiratory and throat secretions, according to state...

Saga: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. (AP) — GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. (AP) — Saga Communications Inc. (SGA) on Thursday reported earnings of $4.3 million in its fourth quarter.On a per-share basis, the Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan-based company said it had net income of 70 cents.The broadcasting company posted revenue of $30.1 million in the period.For the year, the company reported profit of $9.2 million, or $1.52 per share. Revenue was reported as $114.9 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SGA at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SGASource

¿Quiénes son los cuatro estadounidenses que fueron secuestrados en Matamoros, México?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

(CNN Español) — Los cuatro estadounidenses secuestrados el pasado viernes en Matamoros eran amigos: habían viajado desde Carolina del Sur a la ciudad mexicana para que una de las integrantes del grupo, Latavia “Tay” Washington McGee, se sometiera a un procedimiento médico.Dos de las víctimas del secuestro murieron, mientras que otras dos sobrevivieron y ya se encuentran en Estados Unidos.Esto es lo que sabemos de ellosLatavia “Tay” Washington McGee y Eric Williams, los supervivientes del secuestro en MatamorosLatavia “Tay” Washington McGee, de 33 años, fue una de las dos sobrevivientes del secuestro, hallada sin heridas.Había viajado a México para hacerse un procedimiento médico acompañada por sus tres amigos.Esta no era la primera vez que Washington McGee viajaba a México para someterse a un procedimiento de este tipo, dijo su madre, Barbara Burgess. Hace unos años, según Burgess, su hija se sometió a una intervención quirúrgica en México, ...

Hut 8: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — TORONTO (AP) — Hut 8 Mining Corp. (HUT) on Thursday reported a loss of $133.1 million in its fourth quarter.On a per-share basis, the Toronto-based company said it had a loss of 66 cents. Losses, adjusted for asset impairment costs and non-recurring costs, were 12 cents per share.The crypto currency mining company posted revenue of $16.1 million in the period.For the year, the company reported that its loss widened to $186.8 million, or 99 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $115.9 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HUT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HUTSource

Roma looking for Abraham to find scoring touch again

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:06 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Tammy Abraham celebrated Roma teammate Gianluca Mancini’s goal against Juventus as wildly as if he had scored himself.The Roma forward embraced his teammates as he screamed with passion and delight in front of the fans.Abraham, however, has not scored one himself in more than a month and had been on the sidelines when Mancini got his goal after being benched at the start for the third straight match.Abraham’s spirit pleased Roma coach José Mourinho, though.“There’s only one Abraham I’m interested in and that’s the team player,” Mourinho said. “The team player who was on the bench in our last match against Juventus and celebrated Mancini’s goal as if he’d scored it himself.“That’s the Abraham we need.”That win against Juventus lifted Roma into the top four of Serie A, above fifth-place AC Milan on goal difference in a tight battle for the Champions League places. Head-to-head is the first tiebreaker at the end of the season.Roma hosts Sassuolo on Sunday, a week before a ...