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UC system allocates $7 million to combat campus extremism amid Israel-Hamas war

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

Amid heightened tensions at universities across the country arising from the Israel-Hamas war, the University of California system will allocate $7 million to combat “alarming acts of bigotry, intolerance and intimidation,” including antisemitism and Islamophobia, on its campuses, officials announced this week.“As university leaders, we cannot solve the deep and long-lasting issues that resulted in the horrific violence we saw in Israel six weeks ago and the devastation we are seeing in Gaza,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, who announced the funding during a Board of Regents meeting Wednesday. “But we have an important role to play as an educational institution.”The UC allocation will include:$3 million to provide emergency mental health resources for students, faculty and staff who may be struggling with recent events or the climate on their campus. $2 million for educational programs at each UC campus to better understand antisemitism and Islamophobia, how to recognize and co...

City of Fairfield names new fire chief

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

(BCN) -- The city of Fairfield has a new fire chief, City Manager David Gassaway announced last week. John Sturdee has moved from interim fire chief to permanent fire chief. Thieves break in Hayward auto dealership, $100K worth of cars stolen "John has done a stellar job in his time as interim chief and despite incredible competition in the recruitment process, demonstrated what it takes to be a great chief," said Gassaway in a community newsletter. Sturdee became interim chief in August after former Fire Chief Matt Luckenbach retired. His career with Fairfield Fire began back in 1989 when he worked as a volunteer firefighter. By 1996 he had become a firefighter and paramedic with the department, a fire engineer in 2002, fire captain in 2005, battalion chief in 2013 and then deputy chief in 2020. According to Gassaway, Sturdee has been named Fire Officer of the Year and has twice been named Firefighter of the Year. He has also been given two city manager commendations and two awa...

State route 13 now open following fatal collision involving pedestrian

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

(KRON) -- All southbound lanes of State route 13 just south of Lincoln Avenue in Oakland are now open as of 1 a.m. Monday following an hour-long road closure in the wake of a fatal collision there late Sunday night. Thieves break in Hayward auto dealership, $100K worth of cars stolen The collision involving a pedestrian led authorities to shut down southbound State route 13 near Lincoln Avenue, a spokesperson for California Highway Patrol said just before midnight Sunday.CHP was notified of the collision at 10:46 p.m. on Sunday. The cause and circumstances of the collision have not yet been determined, but authorities will provide more information as it becomes available.

How a Montgomery Co. nonprofit is helping low-income residents preserve their homes

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

Help may be just around the corner if you are a low-income Montgomery County, Maryland, homeowner with a repair list as long as a nine-year-old’s Christmas gift list.Rebuilding Together Montgomery County provides critical home repairs and accessibility modifications to the county’s most vulnerable homeowners.Rebuilding Together Montgomery County provides critical home repairs and accessibility modifications to the county’s most vulnerable homeowners. (Courtesy Rebuilding Together Montgomery County)“Our goal is to preserve the affordable housing in Montgomery County and keep people in their homes,” Maury Peterson, executive director of Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, told WTOP.She said the organization focuses on senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities and members of marginalized communities.“Their home is their biggest asset and we don’t want them to have to move and then they can’t afford to go anyplace else,”...

Spike your Thanksgiving sweet potatoes with Korean flavors

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

Each November in South Korea, the streets fill with toasty aromas of roasted sweet potato as they are cooked outside over barrel drums full of glowing coals. Meanwhile, home cooks take advantage of the season to feature the tubers in a variety of satisfying dishes.One such dish, goguma-bap, would make for an interesting Thanksgiving side with very little effort. It marries the sweet potatoes with short grain rice and a sweet-spicy soy-based dressing for a hearty vegetarian offering. After the potatoes are peeled and cubed, they are steamed with the rice and seasoned at the table with soy sauce and chives. The result is a dish with pure sweet-potato flavor accented by fresh notes of allium and nutty sesame seeds.It’s also a perfect weeknight dinner. In the version from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy meals, we opt to season the sweet potatoes with just a little of this sauce before cooking to make them especially flavorful. And though we ...

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf pulls out of test tour of Australia

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Fast bowler Haris Rauf pulled out of the Pakistan team and three uncapped players were named Monday in an 18-member squad for the test tour of Australia.Left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub, fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and allrounder Amir Jamal got their maiden call-ups after an impressive run in recent cricket tournaments.Newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz said Rauf was in the plans for Pakistan’s three test matches in Australia, but the express fast bowler pulled out on Sunday night despite confirming his availability two days ago.“He (Rauf) gave his consent, but later he changed his mind because he was worried about his fitness and the workload,” Riaz said in Lahore while announcing the squad. “His absence will affect the team combination.”Riaz said the medical panel of the Pakistan Cricket Board informed him that there were no fitness issues with Rauf and he could play test matches. The chief selector and team director Mohammad Hafeez later sat together w...

Hong Kong’s Disneyland opens first Frozen-themed attraction, part of a $60B global expansion

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

Paul Chan, Hong Kong's financial secretary, left, and Josh D'Amaro, chairperson of Disney Experiences, right, pose with performers in front of the press during the opening ceremony of the World of Frozen themed area at Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)(AP/Louise Delmotte) Paul Chan, Hong Kong's financial secretary, left, and Josh D'Amaro, chairperson of Disney Experiences, right, pose with performers in front of the press during the opening ceremony of the World of Frozen themed area at Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)(AP/Louise Delmotte) HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong Disneyland opened its first Frozen-themed attraction o...

Microsoft hires Sam Altman as OpenAI’s new CEO vows to investigate his firing

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The new head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI said Monday that he would launch an investigation into the firing of co-founder Sam Altman, a shakeup that shocked the artificial intelligence world and led to Microsoft snapping up the ousted CEO for a new AI venture.The developments come after a weekend of drama and speculation about how the power dynamics would shake out at OpenAI, whose chatbot kicked off the generative AI era by producing human-like text, images, video and music.It ended with former Twitch leader Emmett Shear taking over as OpenAI’s interim chief executive and Microsoft announcing it was hiring Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former President Greg Brockman to lead Microsoft’s new advanced AI research team.Despite the rift between the key players behind ChatGPT and the company they helped build, both Shear and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella tweeted that they are committed to their partnership.Microsoft invested billions of dollars in the startup...

Bronny James warms up before USC game for first time this season after heart issue

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James warmed up with his USC teammates before a game for the first time this season after suffering a cardiac arrest in July.He has yet to make his collegiate debut after it was determined he had a congenital heart defect that was treatable.When asked how big a step that was for his son, Lakers superstar LeBron James smiled broadly Sunday night and said “Yeah. That’s awesome. I feel it. He’s almost there.” “It’s awesome having him back and on the team with us and participating with us,” USC guard Kobe Johnson said after the Trojans beat Brown 81-70. “We want him back as soon as possible but we want him to be as healthy as possible when he comes back. Every day we pray that he keeps getting better and hopefully sometime this year he’s able to get on the floor with us.”James has done some individual work before games, but hadn’t been on the court warming up with his teammates before Sunday’s game.Added USC coach Andy Enfield: “It was great. He wen...

UK leader Rishi Sunak urges world to use AI and science to end malnutrition

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:25 GMT

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday that the U.K. is setting up a new science initiative to help develop flood-tolerant rice, disease-resistant wheat and other crops that are more resilient to climate change.Sunak was joined by ministers, diplomats and philanthropists from about 20 countries at a one-day Global Food Security Summit in London, where he urged world leaders to harness artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technology to end malnutrition around the globe.Sunak told delegates that a “fundamental shift” is needed to confront a food-security crisis that is being worsened by climate change. He focused on the role of science and said the U.K. would set up a “virtual science hub” linking international researchers working on more resilient crops. The U.K. hub will be part of a global research partnership known as CGIAR.“Climate change, conflict and population rise mean ever greater challenges to food supplies,” Sunak said. “So we need a f...