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Bay Area Day Trips: Two great Christmas towns worthy of any Hallmark holiday movie

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

For many, the holiday season begins when the Hallmark and Lifetime networks unspool their marathon screenings of holiday movies set in idyllic small towns. In this cinematic universe, two people invariably fall in love amid an enchanted, Main Street setting of lights, carolers and down-home charm.Turns out there are two Gold Country towns just a two-hour drive from the Bay Area that offer that magical setting, if not necessarily the love story. Nevada City and Grass Valley lie six miles apart along Highway 49 and offer historical downtowns and unique holiday traditions. They also boast the most natural Christmas backdrop possible: Tahoe National Forest, whose sea of conifers stretches from the foothills overlooking the Sacramento Valley to the state line amid the Sierra Nevada. Occasionally, snow falls in these towns, both at 2,500-foot elevations, adding to the winter wonderland feel.Grass Valley’s Christmas festivities this December, including his Cornish Christmas events, c...

SF police arrest 17 adults at 1 store in 1 day during shoplifting ‘blitz’ operation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A retail store on Mission Street in San Francisco experiencing a “high number of shoplifting incidents” was host to a one-day shoplifting enforcement operation this week, the San Francisco Police Department announced Thursday. During the “Blitz '23” operation, 17 adults were arrested, police said.Two of the 17 suspects who were arrested in the Nov. 28 operation at a business of the 700 block of Mission St. had outstanding arrest warrants, police said. Marcus Terrell, 42, of Richmond, was arrested for shoplifting and booked on outstanding warrants from San Francisco and Milpitas. Tennyson Jackson, 42, of San Francisco, was arrested for petty theft and booked on an outstanding warrant from San Mateo. The other 15 arrests were for petty theft, with suspects’ ages ranging from 23 to 60. 14-year-old girl arrested in connection to 15 SF retail thefts, $30K loss The stolen property was recovered by police officers and returned to the store, SFPD said.The “Blitz '2...

On Top of Everything Else, Henry Kissinger Prevented Peace in the Mideast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on Sept. 1, 1975.Photo: David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesThe encomiums have flowed voluminously for Henry Kissinger, and there have been some condemnations too. But even in the latter, little attention has been paid to his efforts to prevent peace from breaking out in the Mideast — efforts which helped cause the 1973 Arab–Israeli War and set in stone the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. This underappreciated aspect of Kissinger’s career adds tens of thousands of lives to his body count, which is in the millions.Kissinger, who died at 100 on Wednesday, served in the U.S. government from 1969 to 1977, during the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford administrations. He began as Nixon’s national security adviser. Then, in Nixon’s second term, he was appointed secretary of state, a position he held on to after Ford became president following Nixon’s resignation.In June 1967, two years before the start of N...

Jason Dufner and Kevin Chappell among 73 players in LIV Golf Promotions qualifier

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

Former PGA champion Jason Dufner, Kevin Chappell and Kyle Stanley are among 73 players who signed up for the LIV Golf Promotions qualifier next week in Abu Dhabi, where three spots are up for grabs to be part of the 2024 rosters.The PGA Tour had said players would not be suspended for playing the qualifier, although they would need to get a media rights release. Players have to request a release 45 days in advance, which left them no time from when the LIV dates were set and the start of the event.No players are believed to have received a release for the Dec. 8-10 LIV qualifier.Still unclear was what punishment, if any, PGA Tour members would face for simply trying to qualify. The media rights release was required because unlike European tour qualifying school, the LIV Golf Promotions events is being streamed by LIV Golf Plus and the LIV Golf YouTube channel.Dufner, who won the PGA Championship in 2013 at Oak Hill and played in the Ryder Cup (2012) and Presidents Cup (2013), was No...

Suspect in custody after 2 troopers fatally struck while aiding driver on Las Vegas freeway

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two Nevada state troopers were killed Thursday when they were struck by a vehicle while helping another driver, authorities said.Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said a suspect had been taken into custody hours after the crash, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.“It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy to have these troopers lose their lives in the manner they did,” Wolfson said.Las Vegas police are investigating the collision and expected to release more information later Thursday at a news conference.According to police, the two Highway Patrol officers were “conducting a motorist assist” early Thursday on Interstate 15 when they were struck.The slain troopers’ names have not been released.Gov. Joe Lombardo said he was “profoundly saddened” by the troopers’ deaths.“This is a devastating loss for Nevada law enforcement, the city of Las Vegas, and our entire state,” Lombardo said in a statement. “As we mourn these troopers, we w...

Live updates | Two Israeli hostages are released after Hamas and Israel extend their cease-fire

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

A temporary cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war has been extended another day, according to mediator Qatar. The announcement Thursday morning came minutes before the cease-fire was set to expire.Hamas freed two Israeli hostages Thursday afternoon and they were brought back into Israel, with more expected to follow, the Israeli military said. Israel had agreed to extend the truce by one day for every 10 militant-held hostages who are freed. The cease-fire, which began Nov. 24 and was originally set to expire on Monday, has paused the deadliest fighting between Israel and Palestinians in decades.Israel has vowed to resume the war in an effort to end Hamas’ 16-year rule of Gaza, but it’s facing mounting international pressure to spare southern Gaza a devastating ground offensive like the one that has demolished much of the north.Roughly 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that ignited the war. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been ki...

Steelers hope offensive uptick against Cincinnati wasn’t a mirage as struggling Cards visit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

ARIZONA (2-10) at PITTSBURGH (7-4)Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.OPENING LINE: Steelers by 5 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Cardinals 6-6; Steelers 7-4.SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 35-23-3.LAST MEETING: Steelers beat Cardinals 23-17 on Dec. 8, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz.LAST WEEK: Cardinals lost to Rams 37-14; Steelers beat Bengals 16-10.CARDINALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (28), RUSH (16), PASS (31), SCORING (28).CARDINALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (23), PASS (23), SCORING (7).STEELERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (14), PASS (28), SCORING (28).STEELERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (22), PASS (24), SCORING (5).TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Cardinals minus-1; Steelers plus-11.CARDINALS PLAYER TO WATCH: Safety Jalen Thompson has had interceptions in back-to-back games and is playing some of the best football of his five-year career. Thompson has 55 tackles this season, which is the most on the team for a healthy player after linebacker Kyzir White (biceps) went on injured reserve last ...

No. 7 Texas meets No. 19 Oklahoma State in Big 12 title game before Longhorns’ SEC move

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

Big 12 Championship Game: No. 7 Texas (11-1, No. 7 CFP) vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State (9-3), Saturday Noon ET, in Arlington, Texas (ABC)Line: Texas by 14½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Texas leads 26-11.WHAT’S AT STAKE?SEC-bound Texas looks to leave the Big 12 with a fourth conference title. The Longhorns won the championship game in the Big 12’s inaugural season in 1996, and again in 2005 and 2009. They have to win to stay in contention for the four-team College Football Playoff, but they would also need help. Oklahoma State, which lost to Baylor in its only other Big 12 title game two years ago, has won seven of its last eight games. KEY MATCHUPOklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II against Texas defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II. Gordon is the national rushing leader with 1,580 yards, and he averaged 163.4 yards in his nine conference games. Sweat is a top candidate for Big 12 defensive player of the year and one of finalists for the Ou...

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney lets go of offensive line and defensive ends coaches

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is letting go of offensive line coach Thomas Austin and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall.Swinney announced Thursday that the two staffers would not return next season.Hall had joined Clemson as an analyst in 2015 and was part of the program through both its national championships after the 2016 and 2018 seasons. He was promoted to defensive ends coach in 2018.Swinney said he and Hall talked this week and agreed to mutually part ways.Austin was a former Clemson center who joined the staff as analyst in 2021 and took over the offensive line the next season when Robbie Caldwell moved to another role.Swinney said it’s his responsibility as head coach to do what’s best for the program going forward.“After a few days of deep thought and evaluation, I believe this was a change we needed to make,” he said.Clemson’s offense ranked sixth in the ACC this season in total yards, most touchdowns and rushing yards.It’s the s...

USC’s Bronny James cleared by doctors for return to basketball 4 months after cardiac arrest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:22:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James has been cleared by doctors for a full return to basketball four months after suffering a cardiac arrest, and the Southern California freshman is expected to make his collegiate debut soon.A James family spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that the 19-year-old will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week and resume practice next week. He will be able to play in games “soon after,” it said.The Trojans (5-2) play No. 11 Gonzaga in Las Vegas on Saturday. Their next home game is Dec. 10 against Long Beach State.The son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was found to have a congenital heart defect that was treatable. The younger James suffered a cardiac arrest in July during a workout at Galen Center.___AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballSource