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Soucheray: Like a moth to a flame, like a squirrel to a squirrel-proof feeder, I’m drawn …

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

My horrible summer compulsion began with the “weight-activated squirrel-proof” bird feeder, advertised on social media in videos of spinning squirrels thwarted in their endless pursuit of bird food. Imagine a small child, uninjured, flung off a spinning tilt-a-whirl.Joe SoucherayThe sales pitch shows an outdoorsy homeowner in L.L. Bean flannel installing a tall, sturdy cylindrical feeder with a round, wire platform on which the birds perch. Ah, but if a squirrel grabs the same wire, it spins wildly — weight activated! — and the squirrel flings off into the bushes or onto the ground.This looked like colossal fun. I ordered immediately. Two feeders hang outside the window of what passes for my office. I have immensely enjoyed watching the feeding birds only to have the birds frightened away by marauding squirrels who grab onto the feeder inelegantly and devour its contents.Now, thanks to some genius, I had the solution on order. With excitement normally reserved for ...

Police searching for suspects after bar shooting in Downey 

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

A search is underway for the suspects who opened fire and wounded four people at a bar in Downey early Saturday morning. According to the Downey Police Department, the shooting took place shortly before 1:20 a.m. at Joseph’s Bar and Grill, located in the 11000 block of Downey Avenue. Upon arriving on scene, officers discovered four victims – three men and one woman – suffering from gunshot wounds. They were each transported to area hospitals in serious condition.  The shooting took place shortly before 1:20 a.m. at Joseph’s Bar and Grill, located in the 11000 block of Downey Avenue. (KTLA)The shooting took place shortly before 1:20 a.m. at Joseph’s Bar and Grill, located in the 11000 block of Downey Avenue. (KeyNews)A man being transported to a nearby hospital after being shot at a bar in Downey, California on Sept. 23, 2023. (KeyNews)The men have since been downgraded to stable condition, but the woman is fighting for her life, authorities said.  Woman ar...

Cleaning up the city’s mess is downright criminal in San Jose

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

The old saying that “No good deed goes unpunished” was on full display in San Jose this week when city officials suggested that fines might be in order involving the historic but dilapidated First Church of Christ, Scientist building overlooking St. James Park. Not just for property owner Z&L Properties, which allowed the site to become blighted, but for Garden City Construction’s Jim Salata — whose crews removed the tarp and boarded up open windows last month.City Councilmember Omar Torres says city staff told him Salata’s team trespassed to do the work and that while Salata was well-intentioned “a crime is a crime.”Madness! This is real “Alice in Wonderland” stuff, and — based on the responses on neighborhood email lists, letters to the Mercury News and social media posts — a lot of people think so, too. Jon Ball, a retired construction executive who has lived in San Jose for nearly 30 years, wrote an email to t...

Caltrans closes Highway 87 for major pavement repairs

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

Highway 87 closuresAfter closing northbound Highway 87 for major pavement repair work from Sept. 22-25, Caltrans is set to do the same in the southbound direction the weekend of Oct. 20. Closure will start Fridays after 9 p.m. and conclude the following Monday by no later than 5 a.m.Highway 87 will be closed between highways 280 and 85  to allow for concrete pavement in traffic lanes to be replaced. Detours will be in effect. All work is dependent on weather and other conditions. These weekend closures are intended to reduce the number of overnight lane closures needed to complete this work by 2024 instead of completing in late 2025.Caltrans will perform major pavement rehabilitation on the two center traffic lanes in both the northbound and southbound directions of Highway 87. The roadway has become worn and in need of major repairs due to decades of high traffic use.For more information, visit https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-projects/d4-santa-clara-sr87-roadway-r...

Sharpening focus on crime, Oakland reverses major cuts to violence prevention

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

OAKLAND — Of all the budget cuts approved this year by Oakland’s leaders amid a deficit described as the city’s worst ever, reduced funding for the Department of Violence Prevention drew the most public outcry.But in a climate of high tensions around local crime, the city dug up a solution from the proverbial couch cushions this week — saving the department from an anticipated squeeze on about two dozen nonprofits to which it outsources work.Late Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously approved tapping a combined $28 million from a parcel tax and the general purpose fund that will allow the nonprofits to continue working on core social problems that result in gun and gender-based violence. As of Friday, there have been 91 deaths investigated as homicides by Oakland police this year.The money will save the council from planned budget cuts that had ignited fury among residents who said they had directly benefitted from programs associated with the city̵...

La última ola de migrantes en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México pone a Biden bajo una nueva presión

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

(CNN) — Una nueva oleada de migrantes en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México ha ejercido una inmensa presión sobre los recursos federales y ha puesto a prueba las políticas fronterizas del presidente Joe Biden apenas unos meses después de su entrada en vigor, lo que provocó nuevas críticas de los republicanos y preocupación dentro de la administración por un tema políticamente delicado.Biden ha estado plagado de problemas en la frontera desde sus primeros meses en el cargo, cuando Estados Unidos enfrentó una oleada de niños migrantes no acompañados que tomó a los funcionarios por sorpresa. Durante los últimos dos años, su administración ha seguido enfrentándose a una feroz oposición de los republicanos (y, en ocasiones, de los demócratas) por sus políticas de inmigración.Ese complicado panorama político se puso claramente de relieve esta semana cuando los funcionarios de la administración se vieron obligados a lidiar con imágenes de migrantes cruzando a EE.U. en grandes ...

Roger Federer says he is living a ‘beautiful life’ a year after retiring from professional tennis

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

(CNN) — After just over a year since his emotional retirement from professional tennis, Roger Federer says he is living a “beautiful, intense life.”The 20-time grand slam champion was speaking at this year’s Laver Cup in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday, where he opened up about the past 12 months.While sitting on court for an interview with former American tennis star Jim Courier, Federer quipped that he has become a “professional driver” for his four children, “an organizer and a logistics man so it’s definitely a test on completely another level.”But, at the same time, Federer said that he “misses everything about the game, the exciting moments spent on court, the break points saved, winning match points, holding up trophies, walking past fans, taking selfies.”Federer’s illustrious career containing more than 1,500 matches, 103 singles titles and 20 grand slams ended last year, as he played a doubles match alongside his longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup.He...

Trudeau pledges Canada’s support for Ukraine and punishment for Russia

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced several support measures for Ukraine, including military, economic and humanitarian assistance, while also pledging an additional show of diplomatic backing through steps intended to punish Russia over the war.“We’re continuing to impose costs on Russia and ensuring that those responsible for this illegal, unjustifiable invasion do not benefit from it,” Trudeau said Friday during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ottawa, the Canadian capital.Zelenskyy also addressed Canada’s Parliament on Friday. He flew into Ottawa late Thursday after meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and lawmakers in Washington. He spoke at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday.Canada and Ukraine agreed to establish a working group with G7 partners to study seizure and forfeiture of Russian assets, including from the Russian Central Bank, Trudeau said.Canada also added 63 Russian individuals and entities to the c...

Yankees and Diamondbacks rained out. More bad weather forecast for Sunday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks’ game at the New York Yankees on Saturday was postponed because of a forecast of sustained rain.The Yankees made the announcement more than four hours before the scheduled first pitch at 1:05 p.m. EDT.New York did not announce a date to reschedule the game. Rain also is forecast for Sunday.Zach Davies (2-5) had been scheduled to start for the Diamondbacks and Carlos Rodón (3-6) for the Yankees.Arizona (81-73) began Saturday in position for the second NL wild card, one game ahead of the Chicago Cubs (80-74), who were holding the third and final wild card spot. Miami (79-75) was one game behind the Cubs, and Cincinnati (79-76) another half-game back.New York (78-76) was seven games behind Houston (85-69) for the final AL wild card, also trailing Seattle (84-69).___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBSource

Lots of dignitaries but no real fireworks – only electronic flash – as the Asian Games open

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:27:34 GMT

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event.Dignitaries greeted General Secretary Xi Jinping, fans packed the 80,000-seat Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou to capacity, and many of the 12,417 participants from 45 nations and territories paraded to officially open the two-week show.By comparison, next year’s Paris Olympics will field about 10,500 competitors.One big thing, however, was missing: real fireworks, the exploding kind that smell of power and burnt fuses. Instead, the high-tech games — billed of course as “green games” — offered electronic flash, three-D animations, and a virtual torchbearer.Xi was greeted by wild cheers when he appeared, and fans were handed LED star lights, adding sparkle to the stands when the lights dimmed and eight well-polished soldiers arrived carrying the national flag above their heads.Delayed for a year by the pandemic, the Asian Gam...