Category: Bay Area

ST. LOUIS — The San Jose Earthquakes are the worst team in Major League Soccer, and it’s really not even close. Facing a St. Louis City team that hadn’t won a game in almost two months and had given up 20 goals in its last nine matches, the visiting Earthquakes were shut out 2-0 on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to seven games. San Jose’s next game is Sunday at home against Chicago. Hosei Kijima scored his first goal in MLS, Eduard Löwen also scored a goal for St. Louis, which snapped a nine-game winless skid. Löwen, on the left side, slipped a shot between a pair of defenders, past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Will Yarbrough, and into the net to give St. Louis (4-7-10) a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute. Kijima scored on a volley off a set piece to make it 2-0 in the 41st. Indiana Vassilev lofted a perfectly placed free kick over a line of defenders to a charging Kijima for the tap-in finish. On Monday, St. Louis fired head coach Bradley Carnell and replaced him with technical director

OAKLAND — Joey Estes, in his own words, plays baseball with personality. He’ll display his passion. He’ll skip to the mound. He’ll roar for all to hear. On a hot, sweltering Wednesday that gave way to a warm summer night, Estes invited the Oakland Coliseum to roar with him. In his 12th career start, the 22-year-old Estes tossed his first career shutout on 92 pitches — a Maddux – as the A’s defeated the Angels, 5-0, at the Coliseum, the first Maddux thrown by an A’s pitcher since Kendall Graveman on Aug. 19, 2016. “It’s an unreal feeling,” Estes said. “I’m still processing it myself and enjoying what this feels like.” The ensemble of emotions that Estes experienced after blanking the Angels is completely and totally unique. Estes has thrown one other complete game in his professional career, striking out 14 batters but allowing two runs over nine innings on Aug. 14, 2021. That outing was with the Augusta GreenJackets, the Braves’ Low-A affiliate. The attendance at SRP Park didn’t crack five thousand. In Estes’ estimation, that outing was the last time he experienced anything

President Joe Biden told a group of Democratic governors on Wednesday that he was staying in the 2024 campaign, as the group peppered the president with questions about the path forward after Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week. After the meeting, a handful of governors spoke with reporters outside the White House, with one, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, declaring, “President Joe Biden is in it to win it, and all of us said we pledged our support to him.” Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said: “He has had our backs through COVID, through all of the recovery, all of the things that have happened. The governors have his back, and we’re working together just to make very, very clear on that.” But he added, “A path to victory in November is the No. 1 priority, and that’s the No. 1 priority of the president.” Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland echoed the sentiment. In a statement, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said, “I heard three words from the president — he’s all in. And so am I.”

The Giants’ once-maligned offense entered their matchup with Chris Sale boasting one of their most impressive streaks of the season, 12 straight games with at least three runs, tied for the longest active streak in the majors and the longest such stretch by the club since 2004. Held hitless into the fifth inning, they looked like a club facing a seven-time All-Star making a strong bid for his eighth — and first since 2018 — in a bounce-back age-35 season in Atlanta while being handed a 3-1 loss to even their series against the Braves. The Giants’ first hit of the game came courtesy of catcher Curt Casali, and he was promptly erased when the next batter, Tyler Fitzgerald, popped up the first pitch of his at-bat to right field to end the inning. Leading off the sixth, the Giants’ designated hitter-turned-doubles machine, Jorge Soler, laced his 11th two-bagger since the start of June and came around to score their only run of the game on two-out, two-strike double from Matt Chapman two batters later. Another two-strike knock from Chapman with one out in the ninth

By Michael Phillis and John Hanna | Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Early last week, floodwater in rural Minnesota pushed debris against a more than century-old dam and then carved a path around it, eroding so much of the riverbank that most of a house fell into the river. Several days later, intense rain damaged a dam that holds drinking water for Houston, forcing officials to issue a potential failure warning. “Something like this could happen, and it has happened, all over the country,” said Del Shannon, former president of the U.S. Society on Dams. There are roughly 90,000 significant dams in the U.S. At least 4,000 are in poor or unsatisfactory condition and could kill people or only harm the environment if they failed, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They need inspections, upgrades and even emergency repairs. It’s a difficult problem in part because dams in the U.S. are roughly 60 years old, on average. It requires costly maintenance to keep decades of wear and tear from degrading dams, and resources to fix problems are often scarce, Shannon said.

The Thompson Fire, the most dramatic and potentially dangerous of the half a dozen wildfires that broke out Tuesday across Northern California and the Central Coast, ignited around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday at Cherokee and Thompson Flat roads in Oroville. By Wednesday afternoon, authorities evacuated more than 28,000 people from Oroville and surrounding communities in Butte County as the fire spread to 3,560 acres with no containment and temperatures hitting 109 degrees. More than 1,400 firefighters battled the blaze with eight helicopters, 199 engines and 46 bulldozers. Several large fixed-wing tanker planes also were involved. Firefighters knock down a structure fire that ignited from a burning generator and briefly spread to a small spot fire at a home during the Thompson fire in Oroville, California on July 3, 2024. A heatwave is sending temperatures soaring resulting in red flag fire warnings throughout the state. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)  A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. An extended heatwave blanketing Northern California has resulted in red flag fire

Steven Kwan has gone from patrolling the outfield at Fremont’s Washington High to joining megastars Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper as All-Star Game starters. MLB announced the final results of its fan ballot on Wednesday night, and Kwan, 26, will be the American League’s centerfielder for the July 16 game at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field. He’ll be flanked by Yankees stars Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the A.L. outfield. Kwan, whose high school also produced six-time All-Star Dennis Eckersley, is one of eight first-time All-Star starters, joining Soto, the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, the Phillies’ Alec Bohm, the Brewers’ William Contreras and the Padres’ Jurickson Profar. The Los Gatos-born Kwan took the baseball world by storm in April 2022 when he became the first player since at least 1901 to reach base 12 times in his first three career games,  and in just his third season in the majors is now considered one of the game’s top leadoff hitters. Kwan, who checks in at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, has already hit a career-high seven home

A heat bomb blasting the Bay Area and Central Valley has sent residents fleeing to cooler coastal climates for the Fourth of July weekend, packing hotels, roads and beaches from Pacifica to Monterey. “This heat wave, everybody’s trying to get away,” said Kevin Scanlon, a manager at the Beach House hotel in Half Moon Bay, booked solid through Saturday night. “We’re getting a lot of calls from the inland areas where people are really suffering.” Guests from hot zones “come in and say, ‘Oh my god, it’s so much nicer here, I can breathe,’” Scanlon said. In Santa Cruz, visitors escaping scorched earth to the east were arriving at the Mission Inn & Suites this week “shell shocked” from the heat, said general manager Rebecca Issa. For many residents of the Bay Area and beyond, navigating the twists and turns of Highway 17 in the morning and again in the evening was a small price to pay to get out of the blazing-hot weather. San Jose mental health therapist Ilene Gilmore fled the city for Santa Cruz around 10 a.m. Wednesday with her mother Blanche

By Wafaa Shurafa | Associated Press KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike slammed into a residential building next to the main medical center in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, wounding at least seven people, hospital authorities and witnesses said Wednesday. Nasser Hospital sits in the western part of the city, which is inside the Israeli-designated humanitarian “safe zone” where Palestinians have been told to go, according to maps provided by Israel’s military. The latest Israeli evacuation order affected about 250,000 people earlier this week across wide swathes of Gaza, the United Nations estimated. As dust from Wednesday’s strike billowed through a street near Nasser Hospital, an Associated Press contributor filmed people running in all directions — some rushing toward the destruction and some away. Men carried two young boys, apparently wounded. Later, civil defense first responders and bystanders picked their way across chunks of cement and twisted metal, searching for people who might have been buried. Displaced families ordered out of eastern Khan Younis on Monday have struggled to find places to live in overcrowded shelters and open areas in the western

With California sweltering under a week-long heatwave, firefighters on Wednesday battled the most dramatic and potentially dangerous fire of the year so far, as flames from the Thompson Fire spread around Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, even at one point burning on the dam itself. Authorities evacuated more than 28,000 people from Oroville and its surrounding communities in Butte County, as the fire spread to 3,560 acres with no containment and temperatures hit 109 degrees. “They made good progress last night,” said Robert Carvalho, a battalion chief with Cal Fire, the state’s main firefighting agency. “But the humidity is low. Temperatures are very high. It’s windy. And there’s steep terrain. That makes it hard to put the fire out. We have air and ground resources working hard.” More than 1,400 firefighters battled the blaze with eight helicopters, 199 engines and 46 bulldozers. Several large fixed-wing tanker planes also were involved. Images from some local TV stations and on social media showed that numerous homes had burned in the area between Lake Oroville, the state’s second-largest reservoir, and the town of Oroville

SAN JOSE – Sharks fans will have to wait a bit longer to see center prospect David Edstrom in a San Jose uniform full-time. Edstrom revealed on Wednesday at the Sharks’ development camp that he intends to return to the Swedish Hockey League for the 2024-25 season. Edstrom joined San Jose’s prospect pool after he was traded to the Sharks along with a first-round pick in the stunning deal that sent alternate captain Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Edstrom was Vegas’ first-round pick in 2023 and the No. 32 overall selection in the NHL draft. San Jose also sent two third-round picks to Vegas to consummate the deal. “One more year in Sweden, and then we’ll see what happens,” Edstrom said. The 19-year-old centerman plans to round out his game with another year of seasoning in the SHL, but he’s eager to seize the opportunity available for playing time with the Sharks when he returns from Sweden. “It’s a good step for me,” Edstrom said. “It’s an organization that is in a rebuild. They want the young guys to

By Cedar Attanasio | Associated Press NEW YORK — Competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut will take his hot dog-downing talents to an army base in Texas for America’s Independence Day this year after a falling out with organizers of the event that made him famous, the annual 4th of July eating contest in Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Chestnut, a former San Jose and Vallejo resident who now lives in Indiana, will compete against soldiers in Fort Bliss, in El Paso, in a 5-minute hot dog eating contest. That’s instead of the 10-minute Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, where he competed against the world’s top competitive eaters since 2005 and hadn’t lost since 2015. In 2021 he set the current record of 76 hot dogs, in 10 minutes. Organizers of that event initially said he couldn’t attend due to a sponsorship conflict, which Chestnut said involved a deal with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs. Chestnut said he was “gutted” he couldn’t compete in the event in Coney Island, where he said he loved the atmosphere and the sometimes-sweltering crowds. “Those people

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks are adding a fan favorite from the team’s golden era to their front office.  General manager Mike Grier announced Wednesday that San Jose has hired Ryane Clowe as an assistant general manager. Clowe was seen sitting with members of the Sharks’ front office during the first day of development camp on Tuesday. Clowe, 41, spent the majority of his decade-long NHL career in the South Bay after being selected by the Sharks in the sixth round of the 2001 NHL Draft. He played in 423 games for San Jose, scoring 101 goals and dishing out 170 assists. Clowe’s 271 points are the 14th-most in franchise history, and his 567 penalty minutes are fifth-most all-time.  The forward also played well in the postseason, scoring 18 goals and putting up 27 assists in 68 career games. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in playoff penalty minutes with 97. Clowe, who will work with Grier and fellow assistant general managers Tom Holy and Joe Will, has spent the past three seasons with the New York Rangers in an advisory role.  Before

OAKLAND — One woman was killed and another woman critically injured Wednesday afternoon when the car they were in crashed into a freeway overpass support pillar, authorities said. No information has been released yet about either woman. The crash happened about 12:51 p.m. at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Harrison Street, a few blocks from Kaiser Hospital. Initial reports were that the vehicle the women were in crashed into an Interstate 580 overpass support pillar. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was taken to a hospital where she was in critical condition undergoing surgery, police said. What caused the crash is under investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call police traffic investigators at 510-777-8570. Check back for updates on this developing story. Oakland police investigate a fatal crash along MacArthur Boulevard at Harrison Street in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. One woman was killed and another woman critically injured when the car they were in crashed into a freeway overpass support pillar, authorities said. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)  Oakland police investigate a fatal

By Jonel Aleccia | Associated Press A fourth farm worker has been infected with bird flu in the outbreak linked to dairy cows, health officials reported Wednesday. The Colorado worker is a man who had direct exposure to infected dairy cows, Colorado health officials said. He developed pink eye, or conjunctivitis, received antiviral treatment and has recovered. Three previous cases of human infection linked to cows have been reported in dairy workers in Texas and Michigan. Another person was previously infected after being exposed to poultry, officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the new infection “does not change” the agency’s assessment that the risk to the general public remains low. Surveillance systems tracking flu in the U.S. have shown no unusual activity, officials said. As of Wednesday, more than 135 dairy herds in a dozen states had reported infections with the Type A H5N1 virus that originated in poultry, according to the Agriculture Department. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all

The Bay Area is receiving $14.3 million from the state to help homeless families with children and unhoused young adults find lasting homes. The awards are part of the latest rounds of two statewide grant programs, which Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week. “These grants are critical for helping to connect some of the most vulnerable Californians with access to housing,” Newsom said in a statement. “Many of these young adults don’t have the support of friends or family that most of us take for granted.” The money will help local agencies provide housing and services for young adults under 25, prioritizing those currently or formerly in the foster care or probation systems. It will also help add transitional housing beds, bolster job training programs and offer financial assistance for homeless families with children. The awards include $5.6 million (two grants) for Santa Clara County, $2.1 million for San Francisco, $1.9 million for Alameda County, $1.9 million for Oakland, $1.8 million for Sonoma County, $1 million for Contra Costa County, $626,040 for Livermore, $283,050 for San Mateo County, $280,768 for Solano County and $173,160 for

DANVILLE — It’s not known if they gassed up, but someone playing the Mega Millions state lottery game Tuesday night at a gas station here definitely filled up their bank account after winning $810,362, officials said. The unknown winner was the only one statewide to pick the five regular game numbers, which were 4, 8, 19, 31 and 45. Had they picked the mega number, which for Tuesday night’s game was 11, he or she would have won the $137 million jackpot. The ticket was purchased at Diablo Chevron, 400 Diablo Rd., next to Interstate 680. A station employee reached by phone Wednesday morning said she was not aware the ticket had been sold there. “No way!” she exclaimed. “That’s so exciting.” Even though she has no idea who the winner might be, she hopes it might be a regular customer. Until then, “I can’t wait to find out who the winner is,” she said. “I’m so happy for them.” Since no one won the total jackpot Tuesday, it rolled over to at least $162 million for Friday’s game. Mega Millions is played Tuesday and

OAKLAND — One of the 14 people wounded in a mass shooting near Lake Merritt last month was charged Tuesday after authorities say he was among the gunmen in a shootout that left a large crowd of people scrambling for safety, court records show. JaJuan Kelly, 23, of Oakland, was charged with four felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm in the June 19 shooting, according to court documents. He was transferred to Santa Rita Jail on Monday from a hospital where he had been recovering from his wounds. He is being held in lieu of $1,630,000 bail. It is still unclear whether he actually hit anyone in the shooting on June 19. He also was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. Kelly was identified as one of the suspected shooters through video and other evidence, authorities said. According to court records, he and several other people were at Lake Merritt, which had been the site of a peaceful Juneteenth celebration, when they spotted another group of people walking nearby. A shootout ensued

Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories have been issued for parts of the Bay Area as several cities approach peak recorded temperatures. Alexis Clouser, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said a high-pressure system is moving over the region, resulting in very hot temperatures. An excessive heat warning for interior cities was put in effect until Tuesday. A heat advisory was also announced for coastal cities surrounding San Francisco Bay until Tuesday, but the advisory in San Francisco is expected to end Thursday. Clouser said temperatures in several Bay Area cities are forecast to either nearly reach or exceed record highs. San Rafael is expected to hit 100 degrees, which would break the 2001 record high of 99. In Oakland, temperatures are expected to hit 92, just one degree cooler than the record high of 93, which was set in 2001. The high in Livermore could reach 108, just under the previous record of 109, which was set in 2001. San Jose is expected to reach a high of 98, and downtown San Francisco’s temperature is forecast to peak at a mild 83. The lows Wednesday

By JULIA FRANKEL, Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, a settlement tracking group said Wednesday, a move that is likely to worsen already soaring tensions linked to the war in Gaza. Israel’s aggressive expansion in the West Bank reflects the settler community’s strong influence in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most religious and nationalist in the country’s history. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler himself, has turbocharged the policy of expansion, seizing new authorities over settlement development and saying he aims to solidify Israel’s hold on the territory and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process. Settlement monitors said the land grab connects Israeli settlements along a key corridor

SAN JOSE — Two East Bay men have been charged with an alleged scheme in which one used a credit card skimmer to illicitly buy thousands of gallons of fuel from a Safeway gas station, then resold it to the second man’s trucking company, authorities said. Yuniel Cordero, 40, of Oakland, and Henry Umana, 44, of San Leandro, were charged in the past week by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. They last appeared in court Monday, when a judge granted them supervised release. “These defendants were criminally filling up their fuel tanks and their pockets, using the stolen property of others,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. Prosecutors allege that Cordero used an electronic skimming device to steal credit card information from customers at undetermined businesses in the Bay Area. He then allegedly used those credit cards to buy diesel fuel from a Safeway gas station in South San Jose and pump it in a “makeshift bladder” he installed in the back of a truck. From there, investigators accuse Cordero of selling the stolen fuel to Umana’s trucking company in San