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Walters: Shipping needs are at odds with California’s climate goals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

In retrospect, Southern California’s political and civic leaders may have erred a half-century ago in deciding that the region’s economic future would depend on developing a massive logistics industry centered on the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.Countless billions of public and private dollars were committed to upgrading the ports to handle ever-larger container ships, erecting dozens of warehouses and other facilities in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and improving rail and highway corridors linking them to the ports.In macro terms, it paid off.As shipment of goods from Asia — particularly China — blossomed, the twin ports eventually claimed as much as 40% of the nation’s import traffic and logistics became, by some measures, Southern California’s largest single generator of employment. It propped up the region’s economy when another mainstay, aerospace, plummeted three decades ago after the Cold War ended.That said, the industry may have peaked. Factors such as...

Brock Purdy timeline: Step-by-step view of 49ers quarterback’s comeback

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy is having a whirlwind year, to say nothing of his 2022, when he went from the NFL Draft’s last pick to the 49ers’ unbeaten (and No. 3) quarterback.What happened next? Here are the mile markers of Purdy’s comeback bid entering Sunday’s regular-season opener at Pittsburgh:Jan. 29: The ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow is torn when struck by Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Hasson Reddick, six plays into the 49ers’ opening possession (second-and-6 from the 50-year line) of their ensuing 31-7 loss in the NFC Championship Game at hostile Lincoln Financial Field. That ended the 49ers’ 12-game win streak, the final eight of which were led by Purdy, including playoff wins at home over Seattle and Dallas.Feb. 22: Purdy’s initial date for surgery is postponed after Dr. Keith Meister’s examination reveals that Purdy’s elbow remains swollen. Over a week later, a follow-up exam takes place in Purdy’s home state of Arizona, where Dr. Meister doubles...

College Football Corner: Late night for Maryland, long day for Virginia Tech

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

Maryland Terrapins running back Roman Hemby (24) celebrates during an NCAA football game against the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in College Park, Md. (AP/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Maryland Terrapins running back Roman Hemby (24) celebrates during an NCAA football game against the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in College Park, Md. (AP/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. See his latest rankings online here.The best college football broadcasters always over prepare with the knowledge that they won’t use all of their material but enter the booth with the comfort knowing they can fill during the latter stages of a blowout, or if there’s a delay due to injury on the fi...

Southern Swiss region rejects a plan to fast-track big solar parks on Alpine mountainsides

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Voters in a southern Swiss region on Sunday rejected a plan to allow large solar parks on their sun-baked Alpine mountainsides as part of the federal government’s push to develop renewable energy sources.The referendum in the Valais canton centered on economic and environmental interests at a time of high and rising concerns about climate change. Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that 53.94% voted against the proposal. Turnout was 35.72%.The vote was a noteworthy test of public opinion. “Not-in-my-backyard”-style opposition to the plan over a presumed blight on bucolic Swiss mountain vistas had made for some unusual political allies in the Alpine country.The rejection does not torpedo solar parks entirely if the private sector wants to develop them. But the “no” did set back the region, seen as one of the sunniest and most apt for solar parks in Switzerland, against others like central Bern Oberland or eastern Graubünden vying for generous federal funding for such ...

Canada holds off US to win bronze at Basketball World Cup in OT, 127-118

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The U.S. played the bronze-medal game short-handed, and Canada sent the Americans home from the World Cup empty-handed.Dillon Brooks scored 39 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 12 assists and Canada — after surviving a miracle from Mikal Bridges that forced overtime — medaled at a global men’s basketball tournament for the first time in 87 years by topping the U.S. 127-118 in the third-place game at the World Cup on Sunday.RJ Barrett scored 23 for Canada (6-2), which improved to 2-21 all-time against the U.S. in FIBA senior men’s competitions. The lone previous win came at a FIBA Americas event in 2005, a game that wasn’t loaded with big-name NBA players. This one was, Canada having seven on its roster and the U.S. having all 12 of its players hail from the league.But three of those U.S. players — Brandon Ingram, Paolo Banchero and Jaren Jackson Jr. — missed the game with illness. Anthony Edwards led the Americans (5-3) with 24 points, Au...

La Policía de Pensilvania dice que Danelo Cavalcante sigue en el área y cambió su aspecto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

(CNN) — El recluso fugitivo Danelo Cavalcante fue visto durante la noche de este sábado en “el área norte del condado de Chester, cerca de Phoenixville”, Pensilvania, y cambió su apariencia, según un comunicado de la Policía estatal.“El 9 de septiembre de 2023, durante las últimas horas de la tarde o durante la noche, se informó que Danelo Cavalcante fue visto en el área norte del condado de Chester, cerca de Phoenixville”, decía el comunicado difundido este domingo. “Cambió su apariencia. Está bien afeitado y fue visto por última vez con una sudadera con capucha amarilla o verde, una gorra negra estilo béisbol, pantalones verdes de prisión y zapatos blancos. Está operando un vehículo desconocido posiblemente de color blanco”.En una llamada telefónica con CNN, el agente Michael J. Carter Jr. dijo que está prevista una conferencia de prensa para este domingo más tarde, pero no está seguro de a qué hora.Según reportes previos, el asesino convicto fue visto dos veces el viernes d...

Fans anticipate improved Gillette stadium, halftime tribute to Tom Brady at Patriots opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

Fans heading to Gillette Stadium Sunday have a packed day ahead. During the Patriots’ home opener, fans should expect both improvements to the stadium and Tom Brady’s halftime tribute.The $250 million renovation includes a 22-foot lighthouse and a giant, curved jumbotron, which is the largest outdoor curved radius videoboard in the country. The renovations will enhance the fan experience for game highlights as well as Brady’s tribute.This week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft gave fans a hint of what to expect come halftime.“We’re going to do something special and unique with him,” Kraft said. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to be saying, but he’s got 20 members of this family coming. All his nephews, nieces, sisters, parents. We’re honored to be hosting all of them.”Tickets are still available for Sunday’s game with the cheapest tickets coming in around $175 and the most expensive hitting $888 as of Sunday morning.

Chicago Cubs sweep San Francisco Giants behind Jordan Wicks’ quality start as younger players help in the postseason hunt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

Jordan Wicks took time to look around Wrigley Field, taking in the standing ovation from Chicago Cubs fans to cap his home debut.Wicks had just produced his first quality start in the Cubs’ 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday to secure a sweep. The 27,443 fans acknowledged Wicks’ performance as he walked off the mound with two outs in the seventh inning. Wicks became the first Cubs starting pitcher since 1901 to record three straight wins to begin his big-league career.“It was especially nice to have fans cheering for you for once instead of against you,” a smiling Wicks said of his first start at Wrigley. “It was really special for me.”With their win, the Cubs (76-64) moved 12 games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 18, 2019. Coupled with the Milwaukee Brewers’ loss in Pittsburgh, they pulled within 1 1/2 games of first place in the National League Central.Wicks was able to maintain aggressiveness in the zone once Seiy...

Maldives presidential runoff is set for Sept. 30 with pro-China opposition in a surprise lead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Maldivians will return to the polls on Sept. 30 to vote in a runoff election between the top two candidates in the country’s presidential race after neither secured more than 50% in the first round, the elections commission said Sunday.Main opposition candidate Mohamed Muiz managed a surprise lead with more than 46% of votes, while the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was seen as the favorite, got only 39%. The election on Saturday has shaped up as a virtual referendum over which regional power — India or China — will have the biggest influence in the Indian Ocean archipelago state. Solih is perceived as pro-India while Muiz is seen as pro-China.The result is seen a remarkable achievement for Muiz, who was a late selection as a candidate by his party after its leader, former President Abdullah Yameen, was blocked from running by the Supreme Court. He is serving a prison term for corruption and money laundering. “People did not see this g...

Food recalls are pretty common for things like rocks, insects and plastic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:53 GMT

Rocks in Trader Joe’s cookies. Insects in its broccoli-cheese soup. Pieces of plastic in Banquet frozen chicken strips.In recent weeks, U.S. consumers have seen high-profile food recalls for an unappetizing reason: They’re contaminated with foreign objects that have no place on a dinner plate. And while no one wants to bite down on stainless steel in peanut butter or bone fragments in smoked sausage, this type of contamination is one of the top reasons for food recalls in the U.S. Food safety experts and federal agencies use the terms “extraneous” or “foreign” materials to describe things like metal fragments, rubber gaskets and bits of bugs that somehow make it into packaged goods. “Extraneous materials” triggered nine recalls in 2022 of more than 477,000 pounds of food regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service — triple the number of recalls tied to food contaminated with toxic E. coli bacteria. And the size of recalls can reach into...