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Sacramento

NFL Draft: Identifying the 49ers’ five greatest positions of need

SANTA CLARA – At minimum, 262 reasons exist to not overreact about the 49ers’ first-round pick Thursday in the NFL Draft. So careful about obsessing on who they pick, where they pick, who they acquire, or what they trade, be it their No. 31 overall selection or, gasp, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Brock Purdy changed the draft game years ago. Specifically, his arrival with the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 draft. It showed that no one knows who might become a franchise’s most important player. It certainly was not Trey Lance, their 2021 selection with the No. 3 overall pick, which they splurged to obtain by shipping three first-round picks and a third-rounder to Miami, only to have Lance start four games for them before getting traded to Dallas last summer. Alas, in this boom-or-bust world, a first-round pick must become a full-time starter who merits a second contract to earn kudos. So much is weighted into who that subject will be. John Lynch can always claim to take the best player available on the 49ers’ draft board. But that still involves targeting

Sacramento

Without hitting a ball out of the infield, Jung Hoo Lee has a night to remember at Oracle Park

SAN FRANCISCO — Jung Hoo Lee never hit the ball out of the infield on Thursday night, and yet those in the Giants clubhouse were in awe of his performance. He did it with his legs, with his glove, and with his bat-to-ball skills, reaching base three times, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and making one of the catches of the season as the Giants steamrolled the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-0, at Oracle Park. “Watching him day in and day out do his thing, I think the sky’s the limit for him, to be honest with you,” said starting pitcher Logan Webb, who tossed seven scoreless frames. “Saving runs, saving hits, hitting the ball — everything he does is pretty cool.” It’s going to take years to decide whether or not the Giants made a smart move in handing a 25-year-old from the Korean Baseball Organization a six-year, $113-million contract. But after three weeks in a Giants uniform, they’re feeling pretty good. Thursday night was a prime example of what he’s capable of, as Lee began his night with an infield single on a

Los Angeles

Body of unidentified man washes ashore on Ventura County beach

April 19, 2024 8:14 AM PT A man’s body washed ashore a beach in Ventura County on Wednesday afternoon, and sheriff’s investigators are looking into the case of the unidentified man. The Ventura County Fire Department and Naval Base Ventura County Fire Department received a call about the body that came ashore on Sandy Dune Beach along the Pacific Coast Highway, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department announced in a news release. The man is described as being in his mid-30s, authorities said. Medical personnel who arrived on the scene at 4:20 p.m. said the man was dead and sheriff’s investigators were notified about the discovery. Major crime investigators with the sheriff’s department and personnel with the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived at the scene and did not release any additional information about the man’s death. All deaths that are suspicious in nature become the focus of a major crimes investigation, which is ongoing, officials said. Anyone with information about the investigation can call Ventura County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Sgt. Craig Hennes at (805) 384-4744. Anonymous tips can be made with Crime Stoppers at (800)

Los Angeles

Body found in back of abandoned U-Haul truck in Los Angeles identified

A man found dead in the back of an abandoned U-Haul truck in Los Angeles’ Mid-City neighborhood on Thursday has been identified by the county medical examiner. Police were alerted to the U-Haul Thursday morning after a resident reported smelling a foul odor coming from the truck left near Apple Street and Redondo Boulevard, just north of the 10 Freeway. Officers and a U-Haul employee found the body, identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s office as 50-year-old Henry Jernigan, wrapped in a tarp in the back of the vehicle. The victim’s body was found wrapped in tarp in the back of the U-Haul. April 18, 2024. (KTLA) A body was found wrapped in a tarp in the back of a stolen U-Haul truck on April 18, 2024. (KTLA) A body was found wrapped in a tarp in the back of a stolen U-Haul truck on April 18, 2024. (KTLA) A body was found wrapped in a tarp in the back of a stolen U-Haul truck on April 18, 2024. (KTLA) Detectives said the vehicle had been stolen about a week before

Los Angeles

Video appears to show ‘unauthorized person’ in pilot seat on MLB team’s flight

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show a Colorado Rockies coach sitting in the pilot’s seat of a charter flight while the plane is in the air. The incident allegedly happened on a United Airlines-operated charter flight on April 10, according to the Wall Street Journal. Nexstar’s KDVR does not have clearance to share the video, but it’s been circulating online. “The FAA is investigating this event,” a spokesperson confirmed in an email. “Federal regulations restrict flight deck access to specific individuals. We do not comment on the details of open investigations.” American Airlines flight interrupted by sounds of moaning, groaning PA system United Airlines also released a statement about the incident, saying the video seems to show the person there while the plane was on autopilot and that the pilots have since been removed from service. “We’re deeply disturbed by what we see in that video, which appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruise altitude while the autopilot was engaged,” the statement reads. “As a clear violation of our safety and operational policies, we’ve

Los Angeles

4/19: CBS Morning News

4/19: CBS Morning News – CBS News Watch CBS News Israeli missiles strike Iran in retaliation; Thousands of Black kidney transplant patients moved up on waitlist after testing bias found. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Sacramento

Renée Fleming talks new book, “Music and Mind”

Renée Fleming is a five-time Grammy winner, a Kennedy Center honoree and a longtime advocate for the healing power of the arts. For her new book “Music and Mind,” Fleming collected essays from leading scientists, artists and health care providers. They look at the powerful impact that music and the arts can have on our health.

Sacramento

Thousands of Black kidney transplant candidates moved up on waitlist after testing bias found

More than 14,000 Black kidney transplant candidates in the U.S. have been moved up on the waitlist after a widely used test was found to be overestimating how well Black people’s kidneys were functioning, making them seem healthier than they were. Dr. Fasika Tedla, medical director for kidney and pancreas transplant at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, joined CBS News to discuss the development.

Los Angeles

Here’s your fashion horoscope for what to wear this Taurus season

Here’s your fashion horoscope for what to wear this Taurus season (Photo Illustration by Beth Hoeckel) We find ourselves in that time of year dedicated to the most sensuous and worldly of the earth signs — that is, Taurus season. We are so grateful for our baby bulls, because they remind us that food, drink, sex and money exist to be experienced in all their glory. And what better way to indulge in all these things than by traveling? Liberate your carefully selected and impeccably preserved vintage designer purse strings (we’re talking Taurus, after all) and go somewhere. The ritual of travel is as visceral as it is spiritual. It’s the sweat collecting under your collar while you speed-walk to your gate (just to make sure it’s there, right?) as much as it is a 4 a.m. kiss on a starry beach accessible only by motorcycle. And the ritual before the ritual — packing — becomes a delicate, fraught dance of selection, a personal curatorial Everest that requires the traveler to dream, first and foremost, of how rainy the breeze might be on the way

Los Angeles

Analysis: ‘I think we owe them.’ Kings eager to flip the script with the Oilers

As rites of spring go, it’s not as celebrated as the swallows returning to Capistrano. But the Kings’ returning to Edmonton for the NHL playoffs is seemingly becoming just as common. And after a wild conclusion to the NHL season Thursday, that’s just where they’re headed for a third straight year. Know what else has become almost as predictable? The Kings ending their season against the Oilers, a script the team hopes to flip this spring. When the teams meet Monday in their playoff opener, it will mark the 10th postseason meeting between the two rivals; neither have faced a single postseason opponent more often. However the series has been anything but even with Edmonton winning seven of the nine previous series. In fact, the Kings haven’t beaten Edmonton in the postseason since 1989, Wayne Gretzky’s first season in Los Angeles. “There’s no question we’ve got a history with them,” Jim Hiller, the Kings’ interim coach said. “We definitely want to beat them now,” added forward Quinton Byfield, who scored his 20th goal of the season in a 5-4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks

Los Angeles

Topanga Canyon could remain closed into the fall after massive landslide

A massive landslide covering a large section of Topanga Canyon Boulevard still poses a safety risk and may not be cleared until fall, the California Department of Transportation said. Recent storms further saturated the unstable hillside, CalTrans officials said. Water has been seeping beneath the dirt, mud and rocks, an indication that the land may move again. That is especially concerning, officials said, because a large boulder sitting about 10 feet high has developed a crack that is 5 to 10 feet wide. The unstable hillside pose a challenge as well as a safety risk for crews who must bring material from the top of the hillside to the ground. The roadway is closed from Grand View Drive in the community of Topanga to Pacific Coast Highway. The landslide was one of several that occurred last month after a series of winter rainstorms drenched Southern California, dumping more than a typical year’s worth of rain on the region in a matter of weeks. CalTrans officials estimate the landslide is about 8,000 cubic yards and weighs about 9.2 million pounds. “That is enough material to fill

Los Angeles

CDs vs. high-yield savings accounts: What to consider before the Fed cuts rates

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. By Aly Yale Edited By Angelica Leicht Updated on: April 19, 2024 / 10:11 AM EDT / CBS News The Federal Reserve could cut rates at some point later this year, and if it does, it could have a hefty impact on CD and high-yield savings account rates.  Getty Images With the economy improving and inflation down quite a bit since its peak a few years ago, some experts think that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates later on this year. Should that happen, rates on high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) are likely to fall, too. Opinions on rate cuts in 2024 are mixed, however, as the inflation rate has ticked back up over the last couple of months.  Still, if rate cuts do occur, they could have a big impact on these types of deposit accounts. Right now, the average regular savings account offers just 0.46%, but it’s easy to find high-yield savings accounts offering rates that are 10 to

Los Angeles

Olympic sports bodies criticize track and field prize money pledge

April 19, 2024 / 10:04 AM EDT / CBS/AP Olympics flame lit ahead of Paris games Paris Olympics flame lit as athletes prepare for Summer Games 03:50 The decision to give track and field gold medalists $50,000 at the Paris Olympics is being criticized by Olympic sports bodies who said the move “undermines the values of Olympism and the uniqueness of the games.” Last week, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe broke with tradition when it announced that starting this summer, gold medalists across the 48 events on the track and field program would split $2.4 million from the sport’s share of the International Olympic Committee’s multi-billion dollar income.  World Athletics got about $39.5 million from the IOC for the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. “The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medalists is a pivotal commitment to empowering the athletes and recognizing the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games,” Coe said in a statement during the announcement. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe Gregorio Borgia / AP Coe, a two-time Olympic champion in the men’s 1,5000 meters and former lawmaker

Bay Area

How 4/20 grew from humble roots in the Bay Area to marijuana’s high holiday

By GENE JOHNSON | Associated Press SEATTLE – Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states thank their customers with discounts. This year’s edition provides an occasion for activists to reflect on how far their movement has come, with recreational pot now allowed in nearly half the states and the nation’s capital. Many states have instituted “social equity” measures to help communities of color, harmed the most by the drug war, reap financial benefits from legalization. And the White House has shown an openness to marijuana reform. Here’s a look at 4/20’s history: WHY 4/20? The origins of the date, and the term “420” generally, were long murky. Some claimed it referred to a police code for marijuana possession or that it derived from Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35,” with its refrain of “Everybody must get stoned” — 420 being the product of 12 times 35. But the prevailing explanation is that it started in the 1970s with a group

Bay Area

Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week: Isabella Flores, Piedmont Hills

Piedmont Hills softball player Isabella Flores is the Bay Area News Group’s girls high school athlete of the week for April 8-13. In online voting that ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Flores finished with 27.42% of the vote to edge Dougherty Valley lacrosse player Caitlin Osmond, who took second at 24.49%. Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition. Flores had a dominant pitching performance in her team’s 7-0 victory over Santa Clara. The sophomore struck out 20 and allowed just one walk in a complete game.  To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com by Monday at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results. We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration. Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.

Bay Area

San Francisco mayor announces the city will receive pandas from China

BEIJING — San Francisco is the latest U.S. city preparing to receive a pair of pandas from China, in a continuation of Beijing’s famed “panda diplomacy.” San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the panda loan in Beijing on Friday, alongside officials from China Wildlife Conservation Association, or CWCA. It will be San Francisco’s first time hosting the beloved animals long-term — the result of a yearlong advocacy campaign, Breed said. San Diego previously announced it was receiving two pandas back in February. China is home to the only natural habitat for pandas and owns most of the black-and-white bears in the world. Beijing loans the animals to other countries as a tool for diplomacy and wildlife conservation. “San Francisco is absolutely thrilled to be welcoming giant pandas to the San Francisco Zoo,” Breed said after signing a letter of intent for international cooperation on giant panda conservation. Breed said the city had been working with its Chinese and Asian communities to advocate for the pandas for almost a year leading up to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in San Francisco last November, during which