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Bay Area lawmaker’s bill would discourage California employees from confronting shoplifters

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

How do you keep retail workers safe from ransacking shoplifters and keep the doors open for business?A bill aimed at curbing workplace violence has sparked pushback from the California Retailers Association, which says the legislation would only dissuade employees from confronting shoplifters, leaving an open invitation “to come in and steal.”Senate Bill 553, submitted by Sen. Dave Cortese, D-Campbell, was approved in the Senate and is headed to policy committees in the Assembly.“Under my SB 553, employers would be prohibited from forcing their workers to confront active shoplifters, and all retail employees would be trained on how to react to active shoplifting,” he said following last month’s Senate’s approval.In a recent interview with Newsweek, Cortese said the bill doesn’t prohibit employees from stopping theft, although “we don’t want rank and file employees to be forced to place themselves in harm’s way.”The senator’s office notes that SB 553 “does not prohibit dedicated secu...

Bay FC finds its general manager in Rushton, former D.C. United GM

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

Bay FC made its first hire official on Wednesday and found the head of its business side.But the club has its first soccer-side hire, too.A source confirmed to Bay Area News Group that Bay FC is tapping Lucy Rushton, former general manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United, to the same role for the Bay Area team. ESPN was first to report Rushton’s hiring.Rushton, 34, is a native of England who spent 18 months as the GM in the nation’s capital. She had previously worked as head of technical recruitment and analysis at Atlanta United in the MLS for five years, helping that club win an MLS Cup, and in England for Reading and Watford.When she was hired as GM in Washington D.C., she was only the second female general manager in MLS history. The first was Lynne Meterparel with the San Jose Earthquakes from 1999-2000 (though she was not as involved in on-field personnel decisions).Now, Rushton will move to Meterparel’s old stomping grounds in the Bay Area on the women’s side of the s...

How the Oakland A’s became the hottest team in baseball

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

OAKLAND — There’s something about the timing of all of this that doesn’t seem accidental, not to those on the inside of the A’s clubhouse, where a team that was on pace to be the worst of all time has suddenly become the hottest team in baseball.“Everything happens for a reason,” Tony Kemp said smiling at his locker on Tuesday afternoon, just before the A’s stormed back to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1, extend their winning streak to seven games and do it all in front of a roaring crowd of 27,759 at the Coliseum.“Tonight was as close to a playoff crowd as I’ve experienced managing a game,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “The energy, the atmosphere, was everything that this stadium can be.”The electric crowd on hand for the reverse boycott of the team’s expected move to Las Vegas came at the perfect time: The A’s are finally winning.How did this happen?For the first two months of the season, the A’s rarely looked competitive. They rotated players from Triple-A to the ...

Lake Oroville is back at 100% capacity after being hit hard by yearslong drought

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

By Rachel Ramirez and Cheri Mossburg | CNNOnce a stark example of the drastic effects of California’s yearslong megadrought, Lake Oroville has rebounded and is once again filled to capacity, data from the state’s Department of Water Resources shows.California’s drought-stricken reservoirs have seen a remarkable recovery in recent months after a barrage of storms. It’s a much-needed improvement after they had been hovering at critically low levels for the past several years, officials said.Lake Oroville, the state’s most beleaguered and second-largest reservoir, is at 100% of its total capacity and 127% of where it should be around this time of year – a huge boost after the climate-change-fueled megadrought sucked away nearly all its water supply.A series of heavy winter storms and the following runoff from snowmelt have added 2.5 million acre-feet of water to the lake, raising levels by more than 240 feet since December 1, the state water agency said in a community update.“Condition...

Contra Costa District Attorney finds fatal shooting of Discovery Bay man by deputies, officers justified

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

A Discovery Bay man shot to death by Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputies and Oakley police officers last year assumed a classic firing stance as he pointed what they thought to be a rifle barrel as he approached them, justifying their actions, according to a report released Wednesday by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.District Attorney Diana Becton released the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident report on the death of 51-year-old Robert Steven Jones, who was shot 10 times by the three sheriff’s deputies and two Oakley police officers on March 22, 2022. The fatal encounter happened after deputies yelled at Jones for more than 20 seconds as he advanced about 40 feet toward them, Becton wrote in the report.Deputies had responded about 8:45 p.m. to the 8000 block of Westport Circle in Discovery Bay.Those who fired were Contra Costa sheriff’s Sgt. Amanda Sears, Deputy Antonia Powell and Deputy Kevin Duke; and Oakley police Sgt. Kevin Mor...

Watchdog: White House press secretary has violated Hatch Act

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

By Chris Megerian | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Since taking on the role of White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre has become known for frequently dodging questions by citing the Hatch Act. The law bars civil servants from politicking during their day jobs, and Jean-Pierre uses it to deflect reporters’ questions involving campaigns.But apparently she wasn’t careful enough. The Office of Special Counsel, a government agency that enforces the Hatch Act, said in a recent letter that Jean-Pierre violated the law before last year’s midterm elections.Her offense: Making frequent references to “MAGA Republicans” during White House briefings.According to a letter from the Office of Special Counsel, Jean-Pierre “made those references to generate opposition to Republican candidates” and “accordingly, making the references constituted political activity.”The letter was posted online by The Washington Post. It was first reported by...

Driver dies on I-680 in San Jose after SUV bursts into flames

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

(KRON) -- An SUV was engulfed in flames on Interstate-680 in San Jose early Wednesday morning after a driver lost control and crashed. The driver never made it out of his Toyota RAV4, and died inside his vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol. The fatal wreck happened around 4:45 a.m. According to the CHP, the Toyota was traveling northbound on I-680 near McKee Road when the driver lost control and crashed into a metal box on the busy interstate's right shoulder. The Toyota burst into flames moments after impact. No other vehicles were tangled in the crash. "The driver did not get out of the vehicle, and was pronounced deceased on scene. Officers closed the two right lanes of I-680 northbound to perform an on scene investigation," the CHP wrote. Firefighters doused the blaze and CHP officers reopened all lanes before 7 a.m. Investigators did not release the driver's name. "This crash is still under investigation. It is unknown at this time whether alcohol or drug impair...

FIFA makes European TV deal for Women’s World Cup, ends standoff with broadcasters

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — FIFA ended a standoff with broadcasters in five major European television markets by agreeing to a Women’s World Cup rights deal Wednesday just five weeks before the first match.The deal struck collectively with the European Broadcasting Union ended nine months of jibes aimed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino at free-to-air networks in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.Infantino repeatedly aired his anger with the broadcasters — which all have national teams playing in the 64-game tournament — for offering as little as 1% of the fees they paid for the men’s World Cup.The July 20-Aug. 20 World Cup is being hosted by Australia and New Zealand with many group-stage games scheduled through the night and early hours of the European morning.No price was announced for adding the five countries plus Ukraine to the 28-nation rights deal FIFA already struck with the Geneva-based EBU last year.Instead, FIFA did hail European broadcasters committing to screen more women’s...

Stock market today: Wall Street drops as Fed signals more painful rate hikes to come

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are slipping on Wall Street Wednesday after the Federal Reserve hinted it may raise interest rates two more times this year, even if it’s taking a pause for now.The S&P 500 was 0.5% lower in afternoon trading after losing a modest gain from before the Fed’s announcement. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 391 points, or 1.1%, at 33,820, as of 2:22 p.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower.The Fed closed its latest policy meeting by saying it would hold rates steady, to give more time to see how its fusillade of rate hikes over the last 15 months is affecting the economy. It’s attempting the excruciating balancing act of slowing the economy just enough through rate increases to snuff out high inflation, but not so much as to break the job market and create a recession.The majority of Fed policy makers also indicated Wednesday that they expect its main interest rate to climb at least 0.50 percentage points by the end of the year. Th...

Thielen without a big-name running mate, but likes Panthers depth at wide receiver

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:42 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Whether it’s been Justin Jefferson or Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen always seemed to have an elite running mate at wide receiver during his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings.That isn’t the case with his new team, the Carolina Panthers.Thielen caught 534 passes for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in 10 seasons with the Vikings, including 30 TDs in the past three seasons. But he joins a Panthers wide receiving group that largely lacks another big-name receiver.“I think there’s always been that duo, right?,” Thielen said of his career. “But I think this is a talented group. It’s not just one or two guys; it’s a group effort. We are able to put a lot guys in there and not miss a beat.”The Panthers traded away their top wide receiver D.J. Moore as part of a package that allowed them to move up to the No. 1 spot in the NFL draft and select quarterback Bryce Young from Alabama.Carolina signed Thielen, D.J. Chark and Damiere Byrd and drafted Jonathan Mingo from Mississippi...