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Facing more than 500 abuse lawsuits, San Francisco Archdiocese says bankruptcy ‘very likely’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

Facing a staggering stack of more than 500 lawsuits alleging long-ago child sexual abuse by clergy, the Archdiocese of San Francisco, one of Northern California’s oldest Roman Catholic institutions, says it will “very likely” join more than a dozen dioceses across the U.S., including Oakland and Santa Rosa, and file for bankruptcy.The lawsuits have come under a recent state law that made it easier to bring forward decades-old complaints. But this latest wave is five times what the archdiocese faced two decades ago when the state last relaxed limits on filing long-ago abuse claims. A bankruptcy filing would add to a dark chapter for an archdiocese established during the California Gold Rush that now serves 450,000 Roman Catholics in three Bay Area counties and once oversaw the faith throughout Northern California and beyond.“For several months now, with the assistance of our financial and legal advisors, we have been investigating the best options for managing...

49ers camp: Refresher on NFL gambling rules required for Las Vegas visit

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

SANTA CLARA – The 49ers are leaving for a five-night residency in Las Vegas before Sunday’s preseason opener. A gambling tip: Count on them to know the NFL’s increasingly enforced sports-betting policy.Stressing the NFL’s rules are a shrewd and necessary move, not just because of the “Vegas, baby, Vegas!” allure, but also with this year’s crackdown on betting violations.At what length have the 49ers informed their players and staff on the NFL’s gambling rules?“Definitely more than we have in the past,” coach Kyle Shanahan answered Monday. “We did it in OTAs (spring workouts), in the beginning of training camp, and we’re going to do it again tomorrow before we head down there (Tuesday after practice).”Of all the guidelines – set forth by a league that now counts casinos as sponsors — the simplest for the 49ers to follow is that players are not allowed inside a sportsbook, since the “season” officially began with last week’s ...

Silicon Valley electric vehicle tech maker Proterra files for bankruptcy

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

By Amelia Pollard | BloombergProterra Inc., which makes heavy-duty electric vehicle components like chargers and batteries, filed for bankruptcy on Monday.The Burlingame -based company listed assets and liabilities of at least $500 million each in a Chapter 11 petition in Delaware. The filing gives Proterra protection from creditors while it finds a way to repay them. Shares of the company fell as much as 65% in premarket trading on Tuesday.Proterra plans to either recapitalize its businesses or sell them off, according to a statement. The firm will continue operating as normal by using existing money to fund its business operations.Related ArticlesTechnology | Opinion: How California can fix its transmission lines bottleneck Technology | Tesla is under investigation again after 12 drivers complain of steering problems Technology | #VanLife gets electrified: Six places to rent electric camper vans around the globe Technology | ...

Opinion: How off-shore wind farms could solve California energy needs

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

Offshore wind could be the economic engine and energy solution California needs, but only if our state policymakers lead the way — and we’re running out of time to get it right.Last year California set its first offshore wind goal — 25 gigawatts by 2045, enough to power 25 million homes. That announcement was soon followed by the first federal Pacific offshore wind lease, and port investment announcements in Humboldt County and Long Beach that could support such development.While this is the boldest goal of any state, California should aim higher to fight climate change, bolster the electric grid and strengthen our economy.New research from Energy Innovation, GridLab and UC Berkeley shows smart state and federal policies could help install over 100 gigawatts’ worth of offshore wind farms along the West Coast by 2050, primarily off California’s shores. Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives and falling technology prices, electricity costs from offshore wind turbines would b...

Group ends San Jose brutalist building case, focuses on “endangered 8”

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

SAN JOSE — A San Jose group has terminated its lengthy court fight over a downtown brutalist building and now hopes to rescue what it calls an “Endangered Eight” set of structures that include a neglected old church.The Preservation Action Council has decided to drop its legal challenges against the city of San Jose’s decision-making process that ultimately cleared the way for a developer to bulldoze the brutalist building at 199 Park Avenue.Demolition equipment is visible next to the “brutalist” bank building at 199 Park Avenue in downtown San Jose, November 2021. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)The group decided to terminate the legal fight after it lost a 3-0 state Court of Appeal ruling in April that upheld the procedures San Jose officials employed when they approved a big tech campus at CityView Plaza, a process that also enabled the removal of structures ahead of the development.“We have chosen not to pursue any further appeals...

Air horns and moving trucks: How Oakland residents are facing a surge in crime

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

By Kyung Lah and Chandelis Duster | CNNOakland  — After 60-year-old retiree David Schneider was shot and killed here while trimming a tree in his yard, his neighbor, Toni Bird, said she retreated indoors.“People aren’t feeling safe out of their house,” she said. “It makes sense that you would want to protect your house then, right? You would barricade it.”Amid a surge in crime in Oakland, police have advised residents to use air horns to alert neighbors to intruders and add security bars to their doors and windows.RELATED: Borenstein: Oakland crime surges way beyond San Jose and SF levelsBird, who moved to Oakland 2 1/2 years ago, said she took their advice to heart. She now has three air horns and five security cameras around her home.Toni Bird holds an air horn, which Oakland Police suggested could scare away criminals and alert her neighbors.(Kyung Lah/CNN) “The types of crime that we’re seeing feel much more violent and the consequences feel much more severe,” she said. “An...

Opinion: Shadowy land deals near Travis Air Force Base require scrutiny

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

When it comes to our state’s agricultural preservation and our nation’s security, knowing who owns and controls land is crucial.In just five short years, a mysterious corporation called Flannery Associates, based out of Delaware – where corporations don’t have to disclose their owners or officers – has spent nearly $1 billion acquiring 52,000 acres in Solano County, becoming the largest landowner in the county. This includes important agricultural land, open spaces and, most concerningly, land encircling Travis Air Force Base, the largest hub for our Air Mobility Command.Yet, despite the scale, strategic location and potential risk of these acquisitions, we know surprisingly little about Flannery Associates. Who are they? Do they represent foreign interests? What are their intentions for this land?We have some troubling clues. As a state water quality regulator, I helped put in place stringent monitoring and enforcement standards for the controversial application of biosolids – trea...

Judge resentences jailed Bay Area mother of newborn twins

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

A Solano County Superior Court judge on Monday resentenced a 33-year-old Dixon mother of newborn twins to one year in jail, then suspended the punishment and ordered probation.Judge Carlos R. Gutierrez’s decision came after he denied bail for Patricia Anne McCleese on July 28 following her April conviction for fraud and a July 18 sentencing to two years and eight months.The judge, after hearing arguments from the prosecutor and defense attorney in Department 9, also accorded McCleese 61 days credit in custody but cautioned her, “If you violate probation, you’re going away for one year.”RELATED: ‘Heartless’ jail time for Bay Area mother of newborn twinsConditions for her probation, Gutierrez added, included not using illegal drugs, not possessing drug paraphernalia, submitting to drug testing and being subject to search and seizure at any time by a probation or law enforcement officer.Gutierrez also ordered McCleese, who was previously convicted of two felonies, not to possess firear...

Five-bedroom home in Oakland sells for $3.5 million

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

6219 Virgo Road – Google Street ViewA 5,359-square-foot house built in 1999 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 6200 block of Virgo Road in Oakland was sold on June 26, 2023, for $3,500,000, or $653 per square foot. This two-story house offers a spacious layout with five bedrooms and five bathrooms. In addition, the house features a two-car garage. The lot of the property is substantial, measuring 0.3-acre, and boasts a pool for relaxation and recreation.Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include:On Broadway Terrace, Oakland, in September 2022, a 2,004-square-foot home was sold for $1,500,000, a price per square foot of $749. The home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 2,970-square-foot home on the 6200 block of Swainland Road in Oakland sold in June 2022, for $2,245,000, a price per square foot of $756. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In March 2022, a 2,601-square-foot home on Broadway Terrace in Oakland sold for $2,040,000, a pri...

Elias: California’s rebellion against housing density mandates has begun

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:10:26 GMT

If any California news media had actually covered these two strongly-related stories, it would have been difficult to avoid seeing the irony in them.Related ArticlesLocal News | Walters: Newsom intervened on banned textbooks. Why not school closures? Local News | Elias: Forcing appliance electrification may cause California backlash Local News | Elias: GOP hopeful’s entry changes race for Feinstein’s seat considerably Local News | Active citizens are the cornerstone of the Saratoga community Local News | Simitian: Let’s make Santa Clara County a more accessible place for all On the same July day that California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a stern warning to cities and counties around the state about alleged misuse of local “urgency” zoning rules designed to frustrate the increased housing density laws Bonta loves to push, the rebellion against those very laws formally began.This happene...