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How California’s current COVID wave ranks among the pandemic’s Top 5

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

California’s sneaky summer COVID wave is reaching heights not seen in more than a year as highly contagious strains of the virus continue to spread with the promise of a new vaccine days away.The state’s test positivity rate has now topped 14%, the highest since July of 2022 and the fifth highest mark since the pandemic began in early 2020, according to the latest California Department of Public Health data.Since federal and state authorities have stopped tracking COVID case counts, the percentage of lab-processed COVID tests that are positive has become one of the best indicators of how much the virus is spreading in the community, similar to how influenza has been tracked historically.The virus has been active from coast to coast, with some East Coast schools requiring masks, and First Lady Jill Biden testing positive at the end of the Labor Day holiday weekend. In an appearance at the White House Wednesday, President Biden caused some confusion by contradicting CDC gu...

Huge South Bay office campus occupied by high-profile tech firm lands buyer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

MILPITAS — A huge South Bay office campus occupied by a top-notch tech firm has been bought by a Midwest buyer in a deal that points to pockets of strength in a wobbly Bay Area office sector.The five-building research and office campus in Milpitas was purchased for slightly under $192.5 million, according to documents filed on Sept. 9 with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office.The campus is bounded by Sandisk Drive, Murphy Ranch Road, Technology Drive and McCarthy Boulevard, public records on file with the County Assessor’s Office show.A tech campus consisting of five office and research buildings on Sandisk Drive in Milpitas. (Google Maps)Chicago-based Blue Owl Capital bought the vast campus, which totals 580,400 square feet, according to the county real estate documents.Western Digital, a manufacturer of computer drives and data storage systems, acting through an affiliate called Sandbox Expansion, sold the tech campus. Western Digital also occupies the f...

Opinion: Why negotiating drug prices won’t hinder new cures

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

Big Pharma is pulling out all the stops to avoid lowering drug prices for seniors.Several pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb; the key pharma lobbying group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have recently filed lawsuits against President Joe Biden’s administration, arguing that the Inflation Reduction Act provision that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies is unconstitutional.Their legal strategy is tantamount to “throwing the kitchen sink at the government,” as one expert described it, with various lawsuits arguing violations to the First, Fifth and Eighth amendments.The pharmaceutical industry has argued that negotiating Medicare prices with the federal government will force them to pull back on developing groundbreaking new treatments. As Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said in an interview this summer with CNBC, “I’m really worried about ...

49ers captains: Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel join six-man crew

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy is not just the 49ers’ season-opening quarterback. He is a first-time captain, which is a distinction that eluded Trey Lance a year ago.A key difference: Purdy proved his leadership ability – and availability — on the field.“I mean, it’s hard to be seen as a leader when you haven’t been out there before,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Guys can think you’re a leader, you can act like a leader, but guys don’t follow many people who don’t produce on the field.”Purdy produced eight straight wins, up until his elbow injury in last season’s NFC Championship Game.“That’s why (Purdy) got so many votes this year, because I think they believed in him and felt he was one of the leaders last year,” Shanahan said. “Not because he’s being some vet and talking to guys a certain way. (It is) just because of how he prepares, that they can count on him and how he handled a number of situations when he got in there.”Teammates elect...

Attempt to rescue stranded sailboat near Stinson Beach traps second vessel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

A vessel was stranded near Stinson Beach after attempting to help tow a sailboat stuck since July, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said.The rescue boat appeared to run aground over the weekend amid heavy surf while trying to tow the Chandalar, a 33-foot-long, 10-ton sailboat, during a high tide, sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said. The boats are trapped on Upton Beach, near Stinson.The Chandalar has been stuck in the sand since July 31. Authorities gave the vessel’s captain until the end of August to remove the boat.On Aug. 29, U.S. District Court Judge James Donato granted a temporary restraining order preventing authorities from removing the boat. The restraining order ends in a few days, Schermerhorn said.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | ADA-compliant dock installed at Vasona Lake in Los Gatos Crashes and Disasters | Sailboat stays stuck at Stinson Beach as owner works to remove it “In the event the judge extends it further, the owner wi...

California college student with airsoft gun and pocket knife in class is arrested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

Officers arrested a Pasadena City College student who had an airsoft gun and a pocket knife while in a math class this week, authorities said.The college’s police force received an anonymous report at 7:26 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, that a student in a classroom had a weapon,  said Alex Boekelheide, a Pasadena City College spokesperson.The tip contained information about the student’s clothing, which enabled officers to identify him.College police asked Pasadena police for assistance, and they headed to the campus.Officers entered the classroom and detained the suspect without incident, Pasadena police Lt. Tim Bundy said.The suspect, a 25-year-old Rosemead man, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a weapon on campus, which is a misdemeanor, and violating a Municipal Code, which is an infraction, he said.Under the city code, no person shall carry an air gun in the city, except when going to or from a place designed for using one.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | ...

Opinion: How we can ease emotional struggles of family caregivers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

As family caregivers embark on a journey of compassion, selflessness, and dedication to those who need them most, behind the scenes lies a profound emotional burden that often goes unnoticed. The emotional aspects of family caregiving can be overwhelming, impacting the caregivers’ mental health and ability to provide the best possible care. It is crucial to shed light on the realities of this demanding role and acknowledge the dire need for adequate support.Family caregivers like “Jane” might feel isolated and overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn for support. Jane has a full-time job and also cares for her elderly and chronically ill mother. Jane’s job has good benefits, and her mother has some retirement savings, but Jane is still unable to afford more than occasional in-home care, and assisted living is far outside her budget. Like many caregivers, she and her mom have too much money to qualify for public benefits like MediCal but not enough to pay for long-term car...

WB I-780 reopens after overturned tanker truck spills asphalt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

(KRON) -- An overturned tanker truck collision that occurred on I-780 near 2nd Street in Benicia Wednesday morning has since reopened. The truck spilled asphalt across the westbound lanes, according to a Sig Alert. The truck that overturned was hauling 6,000 gallons of hot asphalt. All lanes are currently blocked and are expected to stay closed for most of Wednesday night. The California Highway Patrol said no one was hurt in the crash, which happened just before 9:30 a.m. Quarantine in effect for portions of Santa Clara County due to oriental fruit flies The tanker ended up leaking across all the lanes of the westbound I-780 and on the right embankment of the freeway and into a ditch.Environmental regulators have been called to assess whether any of the substance has reached local waterways. At least one resident asked authorities if the substance hit her fence.All traffic is being diverted off the freeway at Fifth Street. The CHP is asking people to avoid the area while the clea...

5 suspected fentanyl overdoses result in 2 deaths in Union City: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

(KRON) -- Two people are dead and three others are recovering following several separate suspected fentanyl overdoses within the span of 24 hours, according to the Union City Police Department. First IncidentOfficers responded to the report of an unresponsive person Tuesday morning in the area of Medallion Drive and Whipple Road. The person was taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. According to police, fentanyl is suspected to be a factor in their death.Second IncidentIn the evening, medical personnel responded to the report of an unresponsive person, "who was cold to the touch", at the Hayward-Union City border. The person, a 17-year-old, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. ‘It’s a ticking time bomb’: Bay Area moms who lost children warn of fentanyl dangers A second unresponsive person was found nearby and revived by paramedics before being taken to a local hospital. Foul play does not appear to have played a role in this incident. According to UC...

State of the league: NFL Future Fantasy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:00 GMT

Hindsight may be 20-20 — or even 50-50, according to former Washington NFL coach Steve Spurrier. And while 20 years ago I don’t think we saw Sunday games at 9:30 a.m. on the landscape or playoff games on Nickelodeon (slime included), there will definitely be changes in the NFL over the next 10 to 20 years. Will we be surprised to see them?Sometimes change is good, sometimes it’s simply change, and — more often than not with the NFL — change is what is used to make more money. And for every pipe-dream (I’m still waiting for the league to properly handle Thursday night by giving it to teams coming off bye weeks), there’s a development we hoped would come true (the two-point conversion).What comes next in the league that’s 2023’s indisputable ruler of American sports?Scheduling Up: Does anybody get psyched about the extra inter-conference game against a random team? I mean, instead of seeing the Washington Commanders play the Baltimore Ravens or the ...