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Contra Costa County DA's office joins other agencies to penalize Martinez refinery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

(BCN) -- The agencies with various environmental and legal complaints against Martinez Refining Company are teaming up to seek a common penalty against the refinery for issues going back to last year's Thanksgiving weekend release of more than 20 tons of spent catalyst into the community. The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Thursday jointly announced a common civil enforcement action that also includes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Contra Costa County Health. All the agencies have notices of violation and enforcement referrals against MRC. They're working with the refinery to reach an acceptable penalty for the Thanksgiving night 2022 release, as well as at least three smaller chemical releases the past year. 5-year-old killed after being stabbed by twin brother in Santa Cruz County: sheriff "The goal of this joint effort with the air district is to achieve a resolution that ensures environme...

California regulators approve PG&E to raise rates in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

The California Public Utilities Commission voted on Thursday to approve a plan that will allow the state's biggest utility provider, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, to raise rates for its customers next year in order to pay for projects that seek to lower the risk of the company's equipment from starting wildfires. PG&E serves millions of customers across Northern and Central California, and the vote will allow it to raise rates for its electricity and natural gas customers. Dozens of members of the public dialed in and appeared in person to comment at the CPUC's hearings on the proposed rates, with many of them emphasizing the additional economic hardship and citing the company's role in several deadly fires. Elon Musk no longer listed as speaker at APEC The commission acknowledged the public's concerns but voted unanimously to approve the changes. They also emphasized state programs that could help lower energy bills.“We as a commission have struggled mightily with the ...

Biden joins 21 APEC member economies for discussions as protests rage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

(BCN) -- Leaders from the 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference assembled for their traditional family photo opportunity, deep within the bowels of San Francisco's Moscone Center Thursday. About 75 photographers from the media along with from official delegations and the White House Press Corp were present to record the event. The leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, came out onstage and in an almost balletic performance smoothly moved to their individual markers for photography. 80 protesters cited after Bay Bridge shut down Thursday Absent from the spectacle this year was the wearing of traditional costumes from the host country, often a point of whimsy in previous years. That tradition started in 1993 in the United States when then-President Bill Clinton gave attending leaders matching leather flight jackets.Photographers duly recorded the ritual after waiting about 90 minutes. The whole event was over in ...

KRON4 Anchor Vicki Liviakis receives distinguished Silver Circle recognition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

San Francisco, CA – November 16, 2023 – KRON4 in San Francisco (DMA #10) a Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), owned and operated station, celebrates Vicki Liviakis on her induction as a Silver Circle honoree. Each year the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honors those who have made a significant and impactful contribution to the industry through induction into the Gold & Silver Circle honor society. The Silver Circle recognizes those professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry for 25 years or more. Silver Circle members are honored for more than their longevity -- they are honored for making an enduring contribution to the vitality of the television industry and for setting standards of achievement we can all hope to emulate. These honorees also give back to the community as mentors, educators, and volunteers. To be considered for induction in the 2023 Silver Circle, a candidate’s career must have begun before 19...

Sizzling Dak Prescott, Cowboys look to continue to build momentum against spiraling Panthers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dak Prescott is sizzling, and the Dallas Cowboys are winning the games they should win while eyeing a playoff run.The Carolina Panthers are heading toward a sixth straight losing season.The NFC foes are heading in opposite directions and will clash on Sunday in what is expected to feel like a home game for the Cowboys (6-3), even though it will be played at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.Since Week 8, Prescott leads the NFL with 1,082 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes and ranks second with a 129.4 rating. He has recorded at least 300 yards passing and three touchdown passes in each of Dallas’ last three games, one shy of matching a record shared by Peyton Manning, Steve Young and Patrick Mahomes.Prescott is coming off a 404-yard, four-TD performance against the Giants.“They are hot on offense,” Panthers coach Frank Reich said. “Dak is extremely effective in the pocket and out of the pocket. Obviously CeeDee Lamb is a big-time playmaker and they are ha...

Saints coach Dennis Allen pledges to ‘evaluate everything’ during the bye week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When Saints coach Dennis Allen spoke this week about the need to “evaluate everything we’re doing” during New Orleans’ bye week, he didn’t exactly sound like someone whose team has an inside track to the postseason. With seven games left, the Saints’ outlook could be summed up as a mystifying mix of promising prospects and troubling trends.“We’ve been way too inconsistent,” Allen lamented.The Saints (5-5) hoped to enter the bye week on a three-game winning streak and with a sense they were hitting their stride. Instead, they nearly got run out of the stadium in Minnesota, falling behind 27-3 before scoring 16 straight points to make the final score look more respectable.Derek Carr led New Orleans to just one field goal before being knocked out of the game with concussion symptoms. The Saints also lost receiver Michael Thomas (knee) and top cornerback Marshon Lattimore (ankle) to injuries during the game that are not expected to be season ending, Allen said, but we...

Patriots will come out of their bye week with an eye on the future for Bill Belichick and Mac Jones

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

For now, the New England Patriots need to figure out who will play quarterback when they return from the bye week.Long term, they have even bigger problems.With the team on track to miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons since Tom Brady defected to Tampa Bay, Bill Belichick’s job is at stake.Yes, you read that correctly: The six-time Super Bowl champion could be chasing Don Shula’s all-time coaching record from a new sideline next year.Belichick – whose boat is named “Eight Rings” because of the two other NFL titles he won as a New York Giants assistant – is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. With 330 career wins, including postseason, he needs only 17 more to surpass Shula for No. 1 all-time.That once looked like a sure thing — just a few more 12-win seasons like he routinely racked up with Brady during the team’s string of 17 AFC East titles in 19 years. But his failure to be competitive without Brady, including a 2-8 record this season, means the 71-y...

Arizona State’s Dillingham helped build Oregon QB Bo Nix and now must try to stop him

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Oregon’s Bo Nix has become one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season and has legitimate Heisman Trophy aspirations after leading the nation’s most prolific offense.Arizona State’s coach Kenny Dillingham deserves a big chunk of the credit.Nix and the No. 6 Ducks (9-1) try to keep their Pac-12 championship and College Football Playoff hopes alive when they travel to face Arizona State (3-7) on Saturday. Oregon has won four straight games.Dillingham was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn in 2019 when Nix won SEC Freshman of the Year. Nix broke the program’s freshman records for completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns after being the first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for Auburn since 1946.Dillingham would eventually end up at Oregon as the offensive coordinator and its a major reason Nix decided to transfer to the school after the 2021 season. The two had another productive se...

Stützle scores in final seconds of OT, leading Senators past Red Wings 5-4 in Global Series opener

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Tim Stützle scored with two seconds left in overtime as the Ottawa Senators beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Thursday in the opening game of the NHL’s Global Series in Sweden.Stützle batted the puck out of the air off a crossing pass from Drake Batherson that hit the stick of Detroit defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and beat goalie James Reimer just before the horn sounded as Ottawa earned the victory after squandering a four-goal lead.“I never really played (baseball) growing up,” Stützle, a German national, said. “I think it was pretty lucky, I knew we didn’t have a lot of time there left, and I just tried to get it on the net. It was a great play there by Drake to get it to me.”Brady Tkachuk had two goals — both set up by Stützle — and Josh Norris added a goal and an assist for Ottawa. Jake Sanderson also scored. Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves.Gostisbehere had a goal and an assist, and Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond and David Perron added goals for Detroit (8...

These 10 toys may not be safe to buy your kids for the holidays, group warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:19:31 GMT

For parents in the market for toys this holiday season, there’s a new list out with some products that could pose a safety hazard.The group W.A.T.C.H., World Against Toys Causing Harm, has released its list of the 10 worst toys this holiday season.“Although intended for fun and entertainment, many toys contain hidden hazards unnecessarily putting children at risk of harm,” the organization said in a news release.The following toys pose various risks to children, according to W.A.T.C.H.Disney The Little Mermaid King Triton’s All-Powerful TridentOriginal Squishmallows — RaisySoccer BoppersDiecast Fast-Food TruckOur Generation Hop In Dog CarrierOrbeez Seeds — RainbowSplat-R-Ball Dude Perfect BlasterB Toys Make A Melody Musical Instrument SetZoom-O Turbo Disc LauncherCarve Pro Stunt ScooterThe Diecast Fast-Food Truck, Our Generation Hop in Dog Carrier, Orbeez Rainbow Seeds and B Toys Make A Melody Musical instrument Set all have small parts that present a choking hazar...