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With 32nd tie-breaker, VP Harris breaks nearly 200-year-old record

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

By Chris Megerian and Lisa Mascaro | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in the Senate when she voted Tuesday to confirm a new federal judge in Washington, D.C.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called Harris’ 32nd tiebreaking vote a “great milestone.”Related ArticlesNational Politics | Mathews: Come home, Kamala Harris, and run for governor National Politics | VP Harris heads to Dubai with challenging tasks ahead National Politics | I-10 reopens in Los Angeles in time for Monday commute The previous recordholder was John C. Calhoun, who cast 31 tiebreaking votes during his eight years as vice president, from 1825 to 1832. Harris, a Democrat, tied Calhoun’s record in July.Casting tiebreaker votes is among the only constitutional duties for vice presidents, and Harris has been repeatedly called ...

San Jose’s acclaimed Adega plans its final Michelin-style meals, including an 11-course NYE menu

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

The final December reservations are filling up for Adega, the Portuguese standout that became San Jose’s first-ever Michelin star honoree in 2016.In July, owners Carlos and Fernanda Carreira announced the end-of-year closure of the acclaimed restaurant that opened in 2015 in the city’s Little Portugal neighborhood, with David Costa in the executive chef role then and now. They plan to transform the space into the second outlet of their more casual concept, Petiscos, which is located in downtown San Jose, in early 2024.“We are so overwhelmed by the well-wishes and sincere sadness that so many have expressed,” Carlos Carreira said. “Many have even begged us not to close Adega, or at least not just yet. We tell them that we are simply ‘saving it up in the cloud’ (to use Silicon Valley tech language) and who knows what the future has for Adega? The brand and the business itself will remain active for the foreseeable future.”Meantime, he said, &#...

Here we go again: ‘Mamma Mia’ back on Bay Area stages

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

There are all kinds of touring musicals. Some of them feel like once-in-a-lifetime theatrical events. Some are long-anticipated glimpses of what all the fuss was about in New York or elsewhere. A few even start their Broadway-bound journey right here in San Francisco.And then there are the shows whose draw lies greatly in comforting familiarity.Coming to San Francisco and San Jose on its 25th Anniversary North American Tour, the Abba musical “Mamma Mia!” certainly falls into the latter category. It’s a show that people have either seen or at least seen around a lot, after many tours and countless local productions. And then there was the star-studded 2008 movie that even had a sequel (2018’s “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”), digging up more Abba songs that didn’t make the cut for the original.As a jukebox musical of the 1970s Swedish pop phenomenon’s greatest hits, “Mamma Mia!” relies heavily on nostalgia appeal to begin with. That hankering for days gone by is baked into playwright C...

Four-bedroom home sells for $1.5 million in Pleasanton

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

7717 Cottonwood Lane – Google Street ViewA house located in the 7700 block of Cottonwood Lane in Pleasanton has new owners. The 1,593-square-foot property, built in 1966, was sold on Oct. 10, 2023, for $1,513,000, or $950 per square foot. This single-story home offers a spacious layout with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space. The property’s backyard also includes a pool.Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:A 2,109-square-foot home on the 7600 block of Desertwood Lane in Pleasanton sold in September 2023, for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $877. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Bristolwood Road, Pleasanton, in July 2023, a 1,355-square-foot home was sold for $1,656,000, a price per square foot of $1,222. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,854-square-foot home on Cherrywood Court...

U.S. tourist killed in shark attack while paddle boarding in Bahamas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

By DÁNICA COTO | Associated PressSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A female tourist from Boston was killed Monday by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters.The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. She was paddleboarding with a man who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson.“We extend our heartfelt condolences…for this most unfortunate situation,” she said.Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts.It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman. A police superintendent did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment.Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been a ...

GOP presidential hopefuls use Trump’s COVID record to court vaccine skeptics

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

Darius Tahir, Daniel Chang | KFF Health News (TNS)Former President Donald Trump often seems proud to advertise his administration’s record on speedily developing COVID-19 vaccines.On the campaign trail to win another term in the White House, though, he also has knocked the use of those very vaccines. In October, for example, he unleashed a barrage of social media attacks on Ron DeSantis’ pandemic record by reposting claims that the Florida governor — who is running against him in the Republican presidential primaries — was too active in vaccinating Sunshine State residents.In a further twist, Trump simultaneously circulated an MSNBC article suggesting DeSantis wasn’t vaccinating his constituents enough.Trump’s tap dance — touting Operation Warp Speed’s success at developing vaccines while criticizing vaccine use — is emblematic of how pandemic politics are intensifying broader vaccine politics. Republican presidential candidates currently trailing the former president in polls are c...

DVC coach accused of assaulting women in converted bus pleads not guilty

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

(KRON) -- A Diablo Valley College professor and track coach accused of human trafficking entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday at a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors allege that Kyle Whitmore coerced a woman to be his girlfriend for hire and then abused her. ‘Thrill Kill’ murderer released back into Santa Clara County He's also accused of sexually assaulting women on a makeshift bus that he used as a dungeon. A criminal complaint alleges one of his victims is a student at Diablo Valley College. A judge has already ruled there is enough evidence for this case to move forward. At Tuesday's hearing, the prosecution amended the criminal complaint against Whitmore to add back a count of pimping, which was approved by the judge.The defense requested and was granted a speedy jury trial. The trial is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and is expected to last seven to 10 days.

Accident on northbound 680 near Martinez blocking lanes

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

(KRON) -- An accident on the northbound lanes of Interstate 680 near Martinez is blocking lanes, according to Contra Costa County Fire. The accident is near the Pacheco Boulevard/Arthur Road offramp. DVC coach accused of assaulting women on bus converted into ‘dungeon’ in court today Multiple lanes are blocked or impacted, according to Contra Costa County Fire. Drivers are being advised to find alternate routes.No estimated time for when the roadway would be reopened was provided.KRON On is streaming live news now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }A photo from the scene showed dense fog on the roadway, however, it is not known if weather was a factor. Much of the Bay Area remains under a Dense Fog Advisory Tuesday morning.This is a developing story. Check back for upda...

Dutch government pledges 2.5 billion euros for Ukraine in 2024 as Zelenskyy to address US senators

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Dutch government has allocated 2.5 billion euros (nearly $2.7 billion) to support Ukraine in 2024, the country’s foreign minister announced during a visit on Tuesday. The announcement comes as the 21-month war drags into another winter and concerns grow that Kyiv’s war effort may falter without continued Western support.Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot sought to assure Ukrainian authorities, telling journalists after a meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba: “My main message to Minister Kuleba was the same as to all of you here. Be assured of our support.”Bruins Slot said her country opened a training center for F-16s in Romania on Nov. 13 and is working with the U.S., Denmark and other countries to see that Ukraine can deploy the fighter jets as soon as possible.“Your security is our security,” she said.She added that the meeting also touched on Ukraine’s aspiration to become a member of the European Union: “Your future is...

Prince Harry challenges the decision to strip him of security in Britain after he moved to the US

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:08:09 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry was unfairly stripped of his publicly funded security detail after giving up his status as a working member of the royal family and moving to the U.S., his lawyer said in court Tuesday.The Duke of Sussex wants protection while visiting the U.K. and claims he and his family are endangered because of hostility toward him and his wife on social media and relentless news media hounding them.Attorney Shaheed Fatima said the government group that evaluated Harry’s security needs — known by the acronym of its former name, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, or RAVEC — acted irrationally and failed to follow its own policies that should have required a risk analysis about the duke’s safety.“RAVEC should have considered the ‘impact’ that a successful attack on the claimant would have, bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the royal family — which he was born into and which he will have for the rest of his life,” Fatima said. “RAVEC should hav...