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Los Angeles

How NATO is preparing for a possible second Trump presidency

How NATO is preparing for a possible second Trump presidency – CBS News Watch CBS News As former President Donald Trump emerges as the likely Republican presidential candidate, Europe’s NATO countries are watching with alarm. The organization’s head said that Trump is weakening the alliance, especially after he said he would encourage Russia to do what it wants to a NATO country that isn’t meeting defense spending benchmarks. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Bay Area

Sunnyvale public safety gets new paramedics in midst of county-wide shortage

Sunnyvale public safety officers are relieved to have new and much-needed paramedics for the city, but desire a long-term solution to address a local and county-wide shortage. City firefighters and police officers are trained EMTs, but for years the department had no paramedics, who are more qualified to perform advanced procedures and offer advanced life support during emergencies. The Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association, which represents more than 200 city public safety officers, rang the alarm about their concerns earlier this year to city leaders and local media outlets. In February, ambulance company AMR reached out to the association and agreed to finance two full-time paramedics for the city, a gift that has been well-received, said association president Lt. Devon Klein. “Officers appreciate being supported by paramedic personnel on scene at these intense, rapidly evolving medical emergencies,” he said. “It helps us deliver a better service to the community.” The paramedics serve in city-wide quick response vehicles, which typically allow first responders to arrive on scene faster than ambulances. They are dispatched and managed by the county during an emergency. AMR’s Santa Clara Division will continue funding

Bay Area

In bid to keep Roots soccer in town, Oakland to buy county’s shares of former Raiders practice site, Coliseum lot

After months of back-and-forth negotiations with Alameda County went nowhere, Oakland officials have proposed spending a combined $20 million to buy the county’s ownership shares in two notable pieces of East Bay real estate — both with ties to professional sports. For years, the city and the county have co-owned the former Raiders practice site, which houses an athletics facility and multiple soccer fields in Alameda, as well as the Malibu property, a giant parking lot adjacent to the Coliseum in East Oakland. It is an arrangement that both sides agree has often been awkward, particularly when negotiating with sports franchises who want to use one of the sites — most recently, Oakland Roots SC, a popular minor-league soccer club. Now the city is proposing to buy the county’s half-ownership share of the old Raiders site for $12 million, and its equal share of the Malibu lot for $8.7 million. The acquisition plans will go before the City Council on April 30. Precise details of the sale still need to be worked out, but if successful it would keep the fast-growing Roots franchise — plus

Bay Area

Moore: Three reasons the Warriors’ season went up in flames

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appeared on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show the day after his Golden State Warriors were pummeled by the Sacramento Kings in an embarrassing season-ending beatdown in the play-in tournament, lamenting what could have and frankly, what should have been. “This felt like a 50-win team to me. Feels to me like we should be down 1-0 in a series, not having the season finished,” he said. Kerr is right, the Warriors were supposed to be in contention. They constructed, albeit awkwardly, a veteran-leaning roster expecting to compete. The shame of it all is the Warriors’ season didn’t have to end the way it did. They flamed out and now face a pivotal offseason. Here are three reasons why the Warriors’ season ended like it did. Blown leads Golden State lost 13 games while having a lead of 12 points or more heading into the fourth quarter. Losses against the Thunder (Nov. 18, Dec. 8), Kings (Nov. 28), Clippers (Dec. 2) and Nuggets (Jan. 4)were the most notable. What stands out to me is that the Warriors had the

Bay Area

Opinion: Make Bay Area transit seamless as a condition of new funding

Despite our region’s long-standing support for public transit, it’s frustrating that Bay Area transit doesn’t work well for more people. Ridership was stagnant prior to the pandemic, and is now at about 70% of pre-pandemic levels — one of the weakest recoveries in the nation — creating a financial crisis for Bay Area transit agencies that threaten a future downward spiral of cuts. The pandemic has forced us to confront two important truths about why more people don’t use transit: We don’t run enough fast reliable service to attract riders from cars, and transit is too fragmented, run by 27 agencies with little coordination and creating an inconvenient and inefficient network. Fortunately, there is reason for optimism. After years of advocacy, there is finally a serious effort to confront both issues head on. Senators Scott Wiener and Aisha Wahab have introduced The Connect Bay Area Act (SB 1031), which would authorize a regional ballot measure for sustainable transportation funding and introduce governance reforms to integrate fragmented systems. The bill is our best hope for transit transformation. Bay Area transit funding has historically focused on system expansion while neglecting frequency and reliability of core services. It

Bay Area

Opinion: Local DA’s effort to dismantle death sentences is misguided

About 2,000 homicides were committed in Santa Clara County since 1978, but only 15 killers — the worst of the worst — are under sentence of death for the murders they committed over that period. District Attorney Jeff Rosen wants to dismantle those sentences. His reasons are incoherent, contrived and legally baseless. Earlier this month, Rosen realized, apparently for the first time, that the death penalty is irreversible. In his view, this causes capital punishment to violate due process. The Supreme Courts of both the United States and California, however, have found otherwise. While Rosen is free to disagree with those decisions, his responsibilities to the public are properly defined not by his personal opinions but by the law as enacted by the voters and interpreted by the courts. Rosen thinks it is unfair to maintain death sentences imposed by Santa Clara juries between 1978 and 2020 because for the last four years he has refused to seek that penalty against anyone, no matter how heinous their crimes. He believes “it offends equality under the law to have people serving a capital sentence when they

Far North

Music Tonight: Saturday, April 20

I’m too far removed from cannabis culture to comment on the current street value of 4/20 as a holiday, but I have to imagine it’s been a cycle of diminished returns regarding coolness in the wake of legalization, market busts and gross spurts of venture capital. Like music festivals and world travel, the online cult of the self has turned everything spontaneous and exciting into a teeming social media world of curated projections lacking anything resembling human reflection. All populated by a hierarchy of influencers whose language is a megaton chorus of babble. I try not to think about it too much. However, I do need to think about a fun gig for today, and rather than make a list of the many hyped-up musical smoke-outs, I’m going to suggest the OTT. show at the Arcata Theatre Lounge at 9 p.m. ($25, $22 advance). This British electro artist has been pumping out his ambient dub and club tracks for more than 20 years while holding it down as a respected engineer and producer in the professional level of the industry. This show looks like a

Los Angeles

RFK Jr.’s quest to get on the presidential ballot in all 50 states

By Allison Novelo, Kathryn Watson April 20, 2024 / 9:04 AM EDT / CBS News How might third-party candidates impact 2024? How might third-party candidates impact the 2024 race? 07:40 Washington — In mid-April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was on the ballot as an independent presidential candidate in Utah and Michigan, though his campaign says it is working to get him on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Kennedy’s backers insist he’s not pursuing his White House bid just to hand the election to another candidate. They say he’s the real deal and has a shot at winning the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidential election.  Getting on the ballot in enough states to secure 270 votes — just over half the 538 votes in the Electoral College — is no small feat for a third-party contender. But it’s possible.  “I think he has a very good chance of getting onto all 50 ballots,” said Bernard Tamas, an associate professor of political science at Valdosta State University who studies third parties. “The short answer is, I can’t say definitively

Los Angeles

World appears to downplay Israeli strike on Iran as world leaders call for calm

World appears to downplay Israeli strike on Iran as world leaders call for calm – CBS News Watch CBS News The U.S., Israel and Iran all appear to be downplaying the Israeli attack on Iran overnight Thursday. CBS News has learned that Israeli aircraft operating outside Iran fired a small number of missiles on a city after suppressing air defenses, but officials have refused to say more about the matter as world leaders call for calm in the region. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Los Angeles

Congress prepares to vote on security funding bill for Ukraine, Israel

Congress prepares to vote on security funding bill for Ukraine, Israel – CBS News Watch CBS News The House is poised for a rare Saturday vote on a bill that will provide nearly $61 billion in security funding to Ukraine. The bill will also provide billions to Israel and other U.S. allies. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Los Angeles

Woman found dead inside Sunland trash bin identified

The Los Angeles medical examiner has identified a 32-year-old woman whose body was found inside a trash bin in Sunland on Tuesday morning. Aerial footage taken that day shows officers standing near the trash bin. (KTLA) The Los Angeles County medical examiner on Friday identified a woman whose body was discovered inside a trash bin this week in Sunland. The woman was identified as 32-year-old Heather Hass. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Her body was discovered Tuesday morning in the 8500 block of Wentworth Street after officers responded to a call from a resident, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Upon arrival, the officers discovered the body inside the trash bin. Helicopter video from KTLA-TV at the time of the discovery showed police investigating near a closed black bin at a curb in the neighborhood. William Elliot, a Sunland resident, told KNBC-TV that someone dumped the trash bin onto his property. He said he moved the bin to the street without knowing what was inside it but called police when something seemed off. “It smells bad and it was zip-tied and

Los Angeles

Letters to Sports: What’s going on with the Dodgers’ broadcasters?

The letter last week is spot on. The constant banter between the occupants of the Dodgers broadcast booth has required me to mute the audio and watch the game in silence. Sometimes the subject is not even the game in progress, and they have been known to miss a play or two. I understand that each commentator has their own style. Having been raised on Vin Scully, who spoke to each of us like he was sitting beside us in our living room, we are pained by being ignored while the commentators talk to each other. Richard Rorex Apple Valley :: I am in complete agreement with the Joe Davis-Orel Hershiser talk show antics that fall way short of the incredibly high bar set by Vin Scully. However, fans with a similar opinion will not find the Dodgers brass, either individually or collectively, responsive to their calls for change. Over the years I’ve written to everyone ranging from each Guggenheim group member to Stan Kasten, and never once had so much as an acknowledgment. Fans only receive attention when the Dodgers press takes a negative

Los Angeles

House to vote on aid bills for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

By Caitlin Yilek April 20, 2024 / 7:21 AM EDT / CBS News House votes set for foreign aid, TikTok House votes set for foreign aid bills, TikTok forced sale 03:49 Washington — The House is set to vote Saturday afternoon on a $95 billion foreign aid package, a pivotal moment for House Speaker Mike Johnson as he tries to stave off a right-wing rebellion.  The package consists of four bills that will be voted on separately and then combined into one before being sent to the Senate. The first three bills include $60.8 billion to help Ukraine in its war with Russia; $26.4 billion to support Israel, which is fighting Hamas and Iran; and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Humanitarian aid for Gaza, which Democrats said was necessary for their support, is also included.  The fourth bill would allow the sale of frozen assets of Russian oligarchs to help fund future aid to Ukraine, potentially force the sale of TikTok and authorize stricter sanctions on Russia, China and Iran.  The speaker said separating the bills will allow members to vote their