Category: Bay Area

Beyoncé lit up an NFL stage on Christmas Day, performing a medley of hits from her newest album, “Cowboy Carter,” at halftime of a game between the Baltimore Ravens and her hometown Houston Texans. The performance went ahead with no technical issues on the Netflix streaming broadcast. Netflix’s ability to successfully stream both the NFL games and Beyoncé’s performance was questioned before the event — so much so that Beyoncé even teased it in an Instagram post. Beyoncé performs during the halftime show for the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)  After two pretaped songs, she appeared on field in an all-white outfit backed up by dancers and a band in white cowboy outfits. The first surprise guest was Shaboozey, who was followed barely a minute later by Post Malone delivering his verse on “Levii’s Jeans.” And though she didn’t sing, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue Ivy joined her mom for a dance on “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Beyoncé performs during the halftime show for the game between

Music producer Richard Perry, who was behind hits by Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Tiny Tim and scores of other singing stars, died Tuesday. He was 82. His death was confirmed by his friend Daphna Kastner, who said the cause was cardiac arrest and that he died at a Los Angeles hospital. “He maximized his time here,” Kastner told The Associated Press. “He was generous, fun, sweet and made the world a better place. The world is a little less sweeter without him here. But it’s a little bit sweeter in heaven.” Perry started out as a drummer, oboist and doo-wop singer before turning that experience into producing cultural touchstones ranging from “You’re So Vain,” with Carly Simon, to “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” with Tiny Tim, to “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” sung by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias. Actress Jane Fonda (L) and music producer Richard Perry attend the 26th Anniversary Carousel Of Hope Ball presented by Mercedes-Benz at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 20, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)  Over the years, he produced The Pointer

Health-related bills signed into California law will take effect on Jan. 1 and directly impact Californians in 2025. Many bills are enacted each year. The California Chronic Care Coalition annually reviews proposed bills to ensure that patients’ voices are heard and their needs are addressed. These five enacted bills may have the most impact on California patients with chronic and rare diseases. 1. AB 2258 (Zbur) – Health Care Coverage: Cost-Sharing This bill codifies federal guidance requiring health plans and health insurers to cover services that are integral to the delivery of recommended preventive services without out-of-pocket cost. Under AB 2258, patients can expect reduced financial strain as health plans are barred from adding cost-sharing for services related to preventive care services and screenings considered crucial under the California Code. 2. AB 2613 (Zbur) – Rare Disease Advisory Council This bill establishes the Jacqueline Marie Zbur Rare Disease Advisory Council to improve patient access to rare disease services by developing recommendations, seeking grants, and advocating for individuals with rare diseases. 3. SB 729 (Menjivar) – Health Care Coverage: InferClity Diagnosis & Treatment This bill expands

Sean “Diddy” Combs and Luigi Mangione spent Christmas Day inside the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where one report online said Cornish hen and green beans were on the menu. However, a Daily News source familiar with the MDC says that culinary option is unlikely. According to People, Mangioni, who’d complained of serious back pain prior to his arrest for allegedly gunning down insurance CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown earlier this month, awoke on a 1- to 2-inch-thick mattress Wednesday. A prison consultant familiar with MDC reportedly said whether the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate spent the holiday in isolation or with other inmates depends on which section he’s calling home. The Metropolitan Detention Center on 29th St. in Brooklyn. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)  Other inmates in the MDC include Combs, who has been incarcerated since September on charges including conspiracy and sex trafficking. Lawyers for the 55-year-old “I Need a Girl” rapper have argued that being kept in the notoriously uncomfortable detention facility makes it hard for their client to participate in his criminal defense. They asked in September for Combs to

NEW YORK  — Blake Lively’s claims that “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Justin Baldoni unleashed a smear campaign against her have gained support from a new lawsuit that Baldoni’s former publicist filed against him. The lawsuit was lodged Tuesday in New York state court in Manhattan by Stephanie Jones, who began representing Baldoni in 2017. It said the actor and his movie production company, Wayfarer, expanded their contract in 2020, agreeing to pay a $25,000 monthly fee. The lawsuit alleged that Baldoni, 40, and Wayfarer last August, when the film was released, teamed up with publicists to try to “bury” and “destroy” Lively amid fears that allegations of misogynistic and toxic on-set behavior as the romantic drama was made might harm his reputation and career. Jones sought unspecified damages from the defendants, including Jennifer Abel, a former employee who she says carried out the campaign to damage Lively and muddy the reputation of Jones. The lawsuit alleges that Abel was fired after Jones learned on Aug. 21 that Abel had “stolen more than 70 proprietary and sensitive business documents and additional client leads”

By Deidre McPhillips | CNN Whooping cough has been surging in the United States for months and the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests there are no signs of slowing. There have been more than 32,000 cases reported so far this year, according to preliminary data from mid-December — about six times more than there were at this time last year and more than there have been since 2014. RELATED: Flu surges in US as vaccinations lag, and here’s where COVID, RSV infections are climbing Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a very contagious respiratory illness. For many, the bacterial infection starts with symptoms similar to the common cold — a runny nose, sneezing, a low-grade fever and a tickly cough — but a painful, full-body cough can develop after a week or two. These coughing fits can be so severe that they cause patients to vomit or break ribs, and they’re often accompanied by a whooping sound as the person tries to catch their breath. This coughing can last for weeks or months, and people can spread

By Amanda Musa | CNN Officials in Hawaii are investigating after a body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane that flew from Chicago to Maui on Christmas Eve. “Upon arrival at Kahului airport in Maui on Tuesday, a body was found in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on a United aircraft,” the airline said in a statement to CNN Wednesday. RELATED: Azerbaijani airliner crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38, officials say The body was discovered on a Boeing 787-10 aircraft, the statement added. Flight UA202 arrived in Hawaii Tuesday afternoon and was on time, according to flight tracking website, FlightAware.com. “The wheel well was only accessible from outside of the aircraft,” United Airlines said. “At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well.” United is working with local law enforcement, the statement said. Police on Maui did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for more information. The Maui Police Department is investigating the body’s discovery, according to CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now. It is unclear how the body ended up

A man who woke up his family amidst a house fire that broke out early Christmas morning was able to get them to safety, but died in the blaze himself. The fire broke out around 6 a.m. in the Oak Knoll neighborhood, and around 20 firefighters responded, said Oakland Fire spokesperson Michael Hunt. People on the scene told firefighters that the 37-year-old man, who officials presume to be the father, was able to get four family members out of the house. But he didn’t come out with them. Firefighters searching the house found the man unconscious inside. He was likely overcome by the smoke and died around 6:30 a.m., Hunt said. No one else was found inside the home. The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, officials said. It’s unknown if smoke detectors were functioning or present. Originally Published: December 25, 2024 at 11:53 AM PST

The Solano County Office of Emergency Services announced a Local Emergency on Monday due to storm damage to levee infrastructure in the Suisun Marsh and Sacramento San-Joaquin River delta. The announcement follows king tides during mid-December, a release from the OES reads. RELATED: Huge waves pause, then return to smash Bay Area coast through Saturday morning An emergency meeting of the Solano County Board of Supervisors has been called for 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, to ratify a local emergency proclamation. Chris Lanzafame, President of Reclamation District 1607, explained that “Van Sickle Island took a direct hit from the storm at high tide. Our levee, which was recently repaired from the February (2023) storms, failed at a 150-foot breach, and Van Sickle is now flooded again.” The most recent storm saw 57 mph winds and 2.27 inches of rainfall from Dec. 13-16, and included damage from king tides. King tides are the highest high tides of the year, rising one or two feet higher than a standard high tide. They are predictable, and the next series of king tides are expected from Jan. 11-13, 2025

By Chris Isidore | CNN New York  — The best time to buy an electric vehicle may be right now. That’s because a $7,500 federal tax credit could soon disappear. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will move to eliminate the tax credit, possibly as soon as he takes office. It is even conceivable that the tax credit’s elimination could be made retroactive to the beginning of January, which would give EV buyers only a week left to be certain of locking in the credit. RELATED: ‘Alarming’ new car prices push Bay Area buyers toward used vehicles, but they’re pricey, too “I would be very inclined to say yes, it’s going away,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at car buying site Edmunds. While it’s unclear exactly how Trump would eliminate the credit, Drury said he expects it won’t last long into the new administration. It could be done as part of tax legislation that Republicans are promising early in 2025. Or a Trump-controlled Internal Revenue Service could simply issue a new rule making the credit unavailable. “The simplest route that’s possible, is the one

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz was still reeling the day after a large section at the end of the city’s 110-year-old wharf collapsed into the sea under the pressure of a pounding ocean swell that also flipped boats and caused widespread damage at a nearby harbor. City officials said during a virtual press conference Tuesday that engineering crews were actively assessing the structural integrity of what remained from the formerly 2,745-foot-long local landmark after a roughly 150-foot section at its tip that was under construction dropped into the sea, dragging three constructions workers with it that were all safely rescued. No significant injuries or additional victims had been identified as of Tuesday, the officials said, and the wharf remained closed along with the beaches that surround it — Main Beach and Cowell’s Beach. Debris floats in a Santa Cruz Harbor channel on Tuesday as water is pumped from a damaged boat. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel) 1 of 8 Debris floats in a Santa Cruz Harbor channel on Tuesday as water is pumped from a damaged boat. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel) Expand

By KATIE MARIE DAVIES and DASHA LITVINOVA | Associated Press Kazakhstan officials say 38 people have died after an Azerbaijani airliner crashed Wednesday near the Kazakhstan city of Aktau. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev disclosed the death toll while meeting with Azerbaijani officials, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general’s office said previously that 32 of the 67 people on board the plane had survived. The plane crashed while en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus. In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region via AP) 1 of 5 In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region via AP) Expand THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier

Cal Bears played CJ Harris, EJ Caminong in LA Bowl loss after Mendoza entered transfer portal California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the third quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. North Carolina State Wolfpack defeated the California Golden Bears 24-23. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Mendoza, one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal, will join a team that made the College Football Playoff after a remarkable turnaround season. Originally Published: December 25, 2024 at 8:44 AM PST

San Jose State erased an 11-point halftime deficit but couldn’t beat South Florida Matthew Coleman #14 of the San Jose Spartans is taken down by Bernard Gooden #3 of the South Florida Bulls during the second half of the game at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on Dec. 24, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Image San Jose State erased an 11-point halftime deficit but couldn’t beat South Florida in a five-overtime thriller. Originally Published: December 25, 2024 at 8:11 AM PST

ANTIOCH — After Sara Quinones returned home last week, she was confronted with something no one would want to encounter, especially during the holidays. Police officers and concerned neighbors stood outside her home ready to inform her that it had been burglarized. As Quinones surveyed the damage, her heartbreak deepened. Like a scene from the classic tale of “Grinch,” thieves had reportedly vandalized her vehicle and stolen Christmas gifts – mostly toys and children’s clothes that she had wrapped and placed under the tree. She was devastated. To make matters worse, a few days prior to the burglary Quinones received news that she had been laid off from Savers in Antioch as a production lead. “I loved my job,” Quinones told this news organization. “I mean, what else could go wrong? When it rains, it pours, I guess. I was so stressed out.” Quinones tried to make the best out of the situation, adding she was thankful that her dog Simba, who is recovering after he got hit by a car a few months ago, was not home when the burglary occurred. “Things can be

Each morning, as sunlight peeks through Hebe Garcia-Bolio’s bedroom window in her Palo Alto apartment, she opens her blinds, and takes a deep breath. “Thank you for allowing me another day,” she whispers to God and exhales, beginning her morning with a quiet moment of prayer. Hebe Garcia-Bolio gets an assist from Michelle Shinseki, an executive with Avenidas, at the Rose Kleiner Center in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Garcia-Bolio receives therapy from Avenidas as she recovers from a stroke last year. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)  She prepares a simple breakfast for herself — sometimes oatmeal, other times eggs. After changing the calendar, she prepares for another prayer and does her morning exercises. For most people, these tasks might seem routine, but for Garcia-Bolio, they’re personal victories. Since a stroke in 2023 left her unable to use her right hand, each ability to manage daily tasks feels like a milestone. Following her stroke, Garcia-Bolio began attending Avenidas’ Rose Kleiner Center in Mountain View for physical therapy and group activities, which she credits with helping her maintain her independence. “I am very grateful

The East Bay’s homeless residents rolled out sleeping bags across the hardwood gym floors at the Castro Valley shelter of First Presbyterian Church of Hayward Monday night — a refuge for those who don’t have a proverbial place at the inn. First Presbyterian’s effort to shelter the East Bay’s homeless population during Christmas goes to the heart of the Christmas season for Pastor Aaron Horner, the outreach director overseeing the church’s homeless program. He tied the church’s effort to shelter the unhoused to the Christian story of Christmas, in which Mary and Joseph are turned away from shelter due to “no room at the inn,” and Jesus is born in a stable instead. “As a Christian, as a pastor, as a father, I believe that we’re called to support people that are in need,” Horner said. “In the current day, I can’t think of folks who are in more need and more cast out of our society than folks who are unhoused.” Since 2019, the First Presbyterian Church of Hayward has welcomed shelter-seeking residents inside its doors in a time-honored tradition of giving to the

PITTSBURG – Laura Hernandez spent seven years avoiding her Pittsburg home’s backyard. The place that was so lively for over 20 years became another reminder of her parents’ absence while they were unable to legally leave Mexico. But thanks to help from the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, the Hernandez household is once again the place where weekly dinners and family hangouts happen. “There is joy, and we are doing the things we used to do again,” Laura said. “Cooking outside, the kids playing outside and those types of things, building more memories.” The IIBA helps immigrants, refugees and their families by providing high-quality, affordable immigration legal services, education and civic engagement opportunities. The organization is hoping to raise $20,000 in order to help provide 1,100 consultations, assist 80 survivors of violence, file 20 applications for asylum seekers and more. “We give a voice to people who are underrepresented,” senior representative Llanet Ramirez said. “We provide the community valuable legal immigration advice that otherwise, if not received, could make them vulnerable to receiving incorrect advice or make them susceptible to immigration scams, further making

The Warriors are in a familiar spot this Christmas: not sitting by the fire or caroling, but rather playing in primetime. Wednesday marks the Warriors’ 12th straight Christmas Day game. They’re hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m., ABC). It’s the signature matchup of the day, a clash between the generation’s two defining superstars: LeBron James and Steph Curry. Here are a few things to know about the game. The matchup The Warriors (15-13) and Lakers (16-13) are firmly entrenched in a large swath of middling Western Conference teams. Three games separate the 11th-place Suns to the fifth-place Nuggets. The Lakers and Warriors — seventh and eighth — are right in the thick of that group. After falling 111-105 to the Pacers, the Warriors have lost 10 of their last 13 games. The Lakers are also coming off a defeat, to the Pistons, but have played better ball lately. They won three straight — two against the Kings and another victory over the Grizzlies — last week. “Obviously, it’s a big game,” Curry said. “Another game with two teams who want to be in better

TODAY’S WORD — XENOLITH XENOLITH: ZEN-oh-lith: A fragment of a rock included in another rock. Average mark 28 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 38 or more words in XENOLITH? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — DIASPORA: dais drip drop adios aria arid said sapid sari soap soar soda sora spar paid pair proa prod osar radio raid rapid rasp road 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.

Dear Eric: I was riding my bicycle when, unbeknownst to me, my wallet fell out of my pocket. My driver’s license, credit cards and about $200 in cash were in the wallet. Later that day I received a telephone call from a cyclist who found my wallet on his ride and told me that I could come over to pick it up. What, if any, reward would be appropriate? I gave a $30 bottle of wine. – Grateful Cyclist Dear Cyclist: How lucky that your path crossed with such a good fellow citizen! Etiquette experts agree that the amount of a reward in situations like this is really up to you. Often people take into account the amount of money in the wallet or one’s own personal financial situation. If you don’t have cash to spare, a gift or some other gesture is perfectly fine. So, the bottle of wine you gave works. My only suggestion, however, would be that, if this ever happens again (fingers crossed your wallet stays in your pocket from now on), you check with the recipient to make sure that