Category: Bay Area

A coalition of community and health advocacy groups are urging San Jose city leaders to secure health services commitments from HCA Healthcare as it seeks to rezone Good Samaritan Hospital’s campus in a rush to build new facilities to comply with state seismic laws by 2030. The Rescue Our Medical Care campaign had sought to engage the hospital in negotiations to restore acute psychiatric beds and create a patient protection fund, citing HCA’s business practices and divestment of health services. But after meeting with the healthcare provider Wednesday, the group has expressed doubt that the hospital will meet its demands as the City Council is set to hear the matter on Tuesday. “One of the things that became clear is that HCA offers no guarantee around what kind of services they will continue to offer at (Good Samaritan) moving forward,” said Joao Paolo Connolly, an organizing director at Working Partnerships USA. “There’s no guarantee and this all depends on market conditions and what’s in the best interest of this national corporation.” HCA intends to invest $1.2 billion in the new facilities on Samaritan Drive, with

ANTIOCH — After almost two years, Antioch is set to explore the possibility of having a police substation at the Sycamore Square shopping center to help beef up security and double as a community space for residents. The shopping center, which is part of the notorious Sycamore corridor, has experienced its fair share of gun violence. On Nov. 11, a 23-year-old man was shot and wounded inside Sycamore Square, where police found him. The areas of the city near Sycamore Drive, Mahogany Way, Peppertree Way, and L Street have been plagued with violence over the past three months. Antioch recorded 15 shootings in September alone, police said. The surge began with the killing of 21-year-old Elijah Scales, who was shot on Peppertree Way on Sept. 2. At the Antioch City Council meeting on Tuesday night, councilmembers directed staff to look for a potential space to lease for the substation. Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker believes that the city should invest in the potential space at Sycamore Square to attract visibility and investment. She clarified that a police substation is not similar to a mini police station with an

Bay Area Home Report 1420 Court Street – Google Street View The spacious historic property located in the 1400 block of Court Street in Alameda was sold on Aug. 6, 2024. The $1,705,000 purchase price works out to $800 per square foot. The house, built in 1910, has an interior space of 2,131 square feet. The layout of this two-story house consists of three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. In addition, the house is equipped with a garage. The lot size of the property measures an impressive 6,254 square feet. Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include: A 1,790-square-foot home on the 3000 block of Central Avenue in Alameda sold in October 2023, for $1,625,000, a price per square foot of $908. The home has 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom. On Court Street, Alameda, in July 2024, a 1,714-square-foot home was sold for $1,970,000, a price per square foot of $1,149. The home has 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. In June 2024, a 1,881-square-foot home on Lincoln Avenue in Alameda sold for $1,875,000, a

By JJ McKay, The Fresh Toast Going into 2025, the cannabis industry will have to be more limber. The election is done and Donald Trump will be returning to the White House and Republicans having greater control in Congress. The election showed the majority of people want recreational in Florida, Nebraska will finally have medical marijuana, and cannabis wasn’t a deciding factor in swinging votes. With the House firmly in Republican hands, Mike Johnson has greater power to battle legal cannabis, but don’t count the industry out yet. RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life Nebraska, passed two ballot initiatives to legalize medical marijuana and regulate the industry on Tuesday. A whopping 67% of the public said yes, which is great for a traditional lyconservative state. Nebraska was one of the few holdouts for medical marijuana. The legality of the ballot initiatives is being questioned regarding discrepancy over fraudulent signatures and fraudulent notarizations. It is a civil case with a ruling expected after the election is cleared up. The Governor spoke out against cannabis. Those arguing on behalf of the petitioners said there

SUBSCRIBER ONLY Sharks update: Blackwood’s strong play, power play tweaks, Nieto battles back Mackenzie Blackwood will start Thursday for the San Jose Sharks against the New York Rangers San Jose Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (29) makes a save against the Seattle Kraken in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, April 1, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Mackenzie Blackwood will start Thursday for the San Jose Sharks against the New York Rangers Originally Published: November 14, 2024 at 11:54 AM PST

A new resident is required to apply for a California driver’s license within 10 days. Most of the process can be done online, but a visit to a DMV office is required to complete it. Who is considered a California resident? For the Department of Motor Vehicles’ purposes, you’re a California resident if you live in the state at least six months out of the year or if you meet certain other qualifications, such as registering to vote or paying in-state tuition. Here’s the full list of residency qualifications. Do I have to take a test? Drivers from out of state applying for a California license must pass the knowledge test or take the eLearning course, a no-fail option in which the applicant watches a video and answers questions. The course option takes about 40 minutes. Either the test or the course can be taken from a home computer. Most drivers who hold a license from another state don’t have to take a behind-the-wheel test for a California license, but it can be required if there are red flags on the driver’s record. How do

“Hell or High Water” star Ben Foster has filed for divorce from Laura Prepon after six years of marriage, though they’ve apparently been separated since days after her “That ’70s Show” co-star, Danny Masterson, was sentenced to prison for rape last year. The Emmy-nominated executive producer filed to divorce the “Orange is the New Black” actress, both 44, listing their date of separation as Sept. 9, 2023, Us Weekly and People report. That’s a mere two days after Masterson, 48, was sentenced to 30 years to life behind bars for the 2003 rapes of two women. Foster merely attributed the end of the marriage to “irreconcilable differences” and requested the court uphold his 2018 prenuptial agreement with Prepon, per TMZ. Insiders told the outlet that Foster has remained in Los Angeles amid their recent split, while the New Jersey native, who is no longer wearing her wedding ring, stays in Tennessee. Though she posted an Instagram Reel with her ring as recently as July, it was absent in her recent Halloween post. The former couple met as teens but weren’t romantically linked until July 2016

Despite blue skies in many parts of the Bay Area, residents can still expect a small amount of rainfall by the end of Thursday paired with cool temperatures as a cold front enters the Bay Area and settles in Friday. “Today is looking more showery, with best chances in the North Bay,” said Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. The East and South bay regions can still expect light rainfall, but not as much as is expected in the North Bay, Sarment said. The East Bay has a “somewhat better chance,” but still should not expect more than a few hundredths of an inch, she added. The highest elevations in the North Bay can expect to see the most precipitation, Sarment said, with rainfall up to a quarter of an inch. In San Jose, there are chances for showers throughout Thursday, but the forecast dries up Friday and Saturday, Sarment said. There will be another chance for rain on Sunday afternoon and into Monday morning. All rainfall will likely yield “very light totals,” Sarment said. The rain will be paired with cool

OAKLAND — A man has been charged with running a red light at an estimated 80 miles per hour on New Year’s Eve 2021, killing a local resident, court records show. Jamie White, 34, was charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter in the death of Davon Robinson-Bray, and two counts related to the possession of a firearm allegedly found in White’s car after the crash. White has been released from jail, but been ordered by a judge to take a gun safety class while he’s out. White allegedly ran a red light near Bancroft Avenue and Church Street in Oakland, broadsiding Robinson-Bray’s Chrysler 200 and striking a third vehicle as well. White was hospitalized with injuries, and admitted to driving his Dodge Caravan in the crash, authorities said. The third driver had a minor injury to his shoulder. Robinson-Bray, 21, had graduated from high school three years earlier and was working as a supervisor at a pharmacy and attending art school, according to his obituary. “He loved cars, especially Chevrolet. He enjoyed sports and was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan,” the obituary says. “He

By Brendan Rascius, The Charlotte Observer (TNS) Ahead of his inauguration in January, President-elect Donald Trump has begun assembling his Cabinet and other key members of his administration. So far, Trump has announced around a half dozen Cabinet picks, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, Fox News host Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. He’s also tapped South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for homeland security secretary, former Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe for CIA director and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, among others. But, before they can take their posts, many of these individuals must first receive the Senate’s seal of approval. How Senate confirmation works The U.S. Constitution stipulates that the Senate must approve of a number of presidential appointments, including ambassadors and Supreme Court justices. “All of the Cabinet officers — other than the vice president — are considered principal officers under the Constitution, which means that they require the consent of the Senate,” Josh Chafetz, a professor of law and politics at the Georgetown University Law Center, told McClatchy

By MATT O’BRIEN and TOM KRISHER, Associated Press In picking billionaire Elon Musk to be “our cost cutter” for the U.S. government, President-elect Donald Trump won’t be the first American president to empower a business tycoon to look for ways to dramatically cut federal regulations. President Ronald Reagan tapped J. Peter Grace to lead a bureaucratic cost-cutting commission in 1982. Still, the chemical business magnate had fewer conflicts of interest than the world’s richest man does today. FILE – President Ronald Reagan displays reports given to him by J. Peter Grace, right, of the Private Sector Survey on Waste and Cost Control in Government, at the White House in Washington, Jan 16, 1984. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File)  Musk’s SpaceX holds billions of dollars in NASA contracts. He’s CEO of Tesla, an electric car business that benefits from government tax incentives and is subject to auto safety rules. His social media platform X, artificial intelligence startup xAI, brain implant maker Neuralink and tunnel-building Boring company all intersect with the federal government in various ways. “There’s direct conflicts between his businesses and government’s interest,” said Ann Skeet

By Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times (TNS) LOS ANGELES — Nine months after U2 wrapped its 40-date residency at Sphere, the veteran Irish rock band is back at the dome-shaped venue just off the Las Vegas Strip. Well, sort of. “V-U2” is a new concert movie that documents the group’s high-tech “U2:UV” show, in which singer Bono, guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Bram van den Berg (filling in for Larry Mullen Jr.) revisited U2’s media-obsessed 1991 album “Achtung Baby” as they inaugurated the $2 billion building outfitted with the world’s highest-resolution LED screen. U2’s stay at Sphere was a critical and commercial success, blanketing social media with eye-popping video clips and raking in nearly $250 million, according to the trade journal Pollstar — and at a moment when the show’s stiff competition included Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour. So it’s no wonder that U2 followed Swift and Beyoncé in bringing its show to the screen. Unlike those pop superstars’ films, though, this one you can see only at the place where the band filmed it — at Sphere, that

If you’re up for some great films and TV shows, classic operas or a fun coastal brewery day trip, you’re in luck, as this weekend offers all of the above. So let’s get to it, shall we? (As always, be sure to double check event and venue websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines or other details.) Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters  or  www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters . 1 WATCH: A new ‘Jackal’ is on the prowl Frederick Forsyth’s gripping 1971 political thriller novel, “The Day of the Jackal,” gave rise to the excellent movie two years later. Now comes a new television adaptation of the classic book, starring Eddie Redmayne. 2 SHOP: It’s never too early … Holiday shopping is a lot more fun if you’re not panic-buying at the last moment (trust us, we know from experience). So here are a bunch of cool ideas of stuff to get the foodies and fun lovers on your list. WooYoung Yoon as Rodolfo and Kearstin Piper Brown as Mimi

By Nollyanne Delacruz | ndelacruz@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 14, 2024 at 6:30 AM PST The union represents more than 3,400 graduate students in teaching assistant and research roles. This is the union’s first contract with Stanford. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

Local News News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. SUBSCRIBER ONLY Local News | Sunnyvale City Council green-lights safe parking program The initiative that would allow those living in their cars or RVs to temporarily park in designated areas within the city By Stephanie Lam | slam@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 14, 2024 at 6:14 AM PST The initiative that would allow those living in their cars or RVs to temporarily park in designated areas within the city. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

SUBSCRIBER ONLY Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority takes ownership of former corporate campus site A $93 million deal was reached in November, 2019 for the city of San Jose, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and the Peninsula Open Space Trust to purchase 937 acres in Coyote Valley on San Jose’s southern edges to preserve the property for wildlife, open space and flood control. (Photo Ron Horii, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority takes ownership of former corporate campus site Originally Published: November 14, 2024 at 6:00 AM PST

In no-surprise vigorous closing arguments, lawyers in the Quintanilla siblings murder trial on Wednesday built vastly divergent views of the evidence and what it shows about an Oct. 2021 fatal shooting in Fairfield that led to the death of a 19-year-old woman. Deputy District Attorney Ilana Shapiro, in her first statement, noted “the overwhelming evidence against the defendants,” briefly pointing to Jessica Yesenia Quintanilla and her brother, Marco Antonio Quintanilla, seated at the defense table. Jessica Quintanilla, 24, of Pittsburg, allegedly shot and killed Leilani Beauchamp, of Carmel, on the morning of Oct. 30 in a Cascade Lane home while she was lying in bed with Juan Parra-Peralta, with whom Quintanilla once had a romantic relationship with. Marco Quintanilla, 30, also of Pittsburg, is accused of being an accessory after the fact and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In an even-toned voice, using hand gestures to emphasize her points, Shapiro asked jurors if they noticed during the five-week trial that Jessica Quintanilla shed “no tears” for Beauchamp (which has been pronounced “BEECH-um during the proceedings). Using a computer-aided slide presentation, she reiterated

TODAY’S WORD — SCAPULAR SCAPULAR: SKAP-yoo-lur: A band of cloth worn as part of a monastic habit. Average mark 21 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 32 or more words in SCAPULAR? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — LUBRICIOUS: locus loris lubricous uric bilious bloc blur boil brio bris broil burl roil ibis iris club coil coir crib curb curio curious curl oculus ours scour scrub silo slob slub slur soil sorb soul sour To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

“You know Millard worked for the IRS,” Cy the Cynic said to me. “He told me his boss advised him to have a 401K. Millard said there was no way he could run that far.” Millard Pringle gets lost in the maze of defensive “rules.” He was today’s East, and against 3NT West led the six of spades. Dummy played the ten … and Millard paused. “He couldn’t recall whether he should cover an honor or play third hand high or what,” Cy said. “Finally, he compromised and played the seven.” LAST SPADE Declarer next led a diamond, and West took the king and led his last spade. Millard captured dummy’s king and led the jack, forcing South’s queen. When Millard took the ace of diamonds, he cashed the nine and deuce for down one. If Millard covers dummy’s ten with the jack, South can play low effectively. Then South’s eight will remain as a second stopper, and the defenders’ communication will be fatally cut. South will make 3NT. “You were South?” I asked the Cynic. “I was West,” he said. “For once, I wasn’t

Dear Eric: My good friend Helen and I both have 16-year-old daughters. Last year, my daughter made a small, beautifully decorated cake for Helen’s daughter’s birthday. This year, my daughter again decided to give Helen’s daughter a cake. I didn’t know this. Three weeks before the sweet-16 party, my daughter got a call from Helen’s sister who used to be a baker. She started talking about my daughter making the cake for the entire party of 60. A week later, the baker sent me a large list of ingredients, cake supplies and descriptions of eight cakes that she expected my daughter to make. I called Helen and told her this is nuts. Helen responded that she does indeed expect my daughter to do all of that because my daughter was the one who said she was gifting “the cake” for the party. My daughter had planned to make another small cake, which is what she told Helen’s daughter. Helen’s daughter told Helen my daughter was making the big cake. When Helen and her sister called my daughter, she just rolled with it. I am upset

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Olga Kurylenko, 45; Travis Barker, 49; Josh Duhamel, 52; Patrick Warburton, 60. Happy Birthday: Plan your actions carefully. Aim to keep the peace and to find innovative and positive ways to reinforce what you want to pursue or see transpire this year. A friendly demeanor and willingness to reach out and find common ground will help pave the way to a brighter future. Listen to complaints without letting emotions take over. Change is apparent and will help to transform your life. Your numbers are 5, 12, 24, 29, 33, 42, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get moving. Refuse to neglect taking care of yourself. Physical activity will ease stress and boost your confidence. Listen to your inner voice and broaden your scope regarding something or someone of interest. Ask questions and trust your instincts when dealing with authority figures, institutions or legal matters. 3 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Channel your emotional energy into love, learning and lifestyle changes. Participate in events that help you recognize what’s holding you back and offer insight into new possibilities. Distance yourself from anyone