AG Garland appoints special counsel in Hunter Biden probe

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

AG Garland appoints special counsel in Hunter Biden probe By Lindsay Whitehurst | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday he has appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president’s son ahead of the 2024 election.Garland said he was naming David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has been probing the financial and business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son, as the special counsel. It comes as plea deal talks in Hunter Biden’s case hit an impasse.The attorney general noted the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter in making the announcement at the Justice Department.Garland said that Weiss asked to be appointed to the position and told him that “in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel.”“Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded it is in the public ...

Judge Chutkan: Trump’s right to free speech ‘not absolute’

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

Judge Chutkan: Trump’s right to free speech ‘not absolute’ By Hanna Rabinowitz and Tierney Sneed | CNNUS District Judge Tanya Chutkan said that she plans to put serious limits over how sensitive evidence is handled in the Donald Trump 2020 election interference case, in a dramatic hearing Friday in Washington, DC, that could set the tone for the upcoming trial.The former president has a right to free speech, but that right is “not absolute,” Chutkan said. “Mr. Trump, like every American, has a First Amendment right to free speech, but that right is not absolute. In a criminal case such as this one, the defendant’s free speech is subject to the rules.”She also said that the more that a party makes “inflammatory” statements that could taint a jury pool, “the greater the urgency will be that we proceed to trial quickly” to ensure a fair trial.This is the first hearing before Chutkan. She has already shown a habit of responding quickly and tersely on the docket to debates between the parties over scheduling. An Obama appointee and former public...

Sale closed in Oakland: $1.8 million for a three-bedroom home

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

Sale closed in Oakland: $1.8 million for a three-bedroom home 6590 Oakwood Drive – Google Street ViewA 2,822-square-foot house built in 1999 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 6500 block of Oakwood Drive in Oakland was sold on June 23, 2023. The $1,750,000 purchase price works out to $620 per square foot. The layout of this two-story house consists of three bedrooms and three baths. In addition, the house includes a two-car garage. The property occupies a sizable 6,431-square-foot lot.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:In June 2022, a 1,763-square-foot home on Oakwood Drive in Oakland sold for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $1,049. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Arrowhead Drive, Oakland, in May 2023, a 1,772-square-foot home was sold for $1,075,000, a price per square foot of $607. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 3,052-square-foot home on the first block of Villanova Drive in Oakland sold in October 2022, for $1,925,000, a price per square foot of $631. The home has 5 bedrooms an...

Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms, studies show

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms, studies show By Amanda Musa | CNNThe percentage of US adults reporting long Covid symptoms has fallen since the summer of 2022, but some people say they are still coping with changes to daily life brought on by the condition, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The CDC analyzed data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey from June 2022 to June 2023. The national survey is designed to measure the social and economic effects of Covid-19 on US households.RELATED: COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surgeLong Covid questions were added to the survey in June 2022. Respondents were then asked to report whether they had ever tested positive for Covid-19 or whether a doctor had ever told them that they had the virus. They were also asked if they had long Covid, which the CDC describes as the “wide range of ongoing respiratory, neurologic, cardiovascular, and other symptoms that ca...

At least 55 people died on Maui. Residents had little warning before wildfires overtook a town.

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

At least 55 people died on Maui. Residents had little warning before wildfires overtook a town. By TY O’NEIL, CLAIRE RUSH, JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that killed at least 55 people and wiped out a historic town. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations — but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats.But many survivors said in interviews Thursday that they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare and only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby. The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster si...

SUV gutted in fiery Oakland crash; no one found inside

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

SUV gutted in fiery Oakland crash; no one found inside OAKLAND — An SUV was destroyed after it crashed into a fence and burst into flames Friday morning in the city’s Chinatown district, authorities said.Whoever was in the vehicle fled before police and firefighters got to the scene. Investigators were trying to determine if the vehicle had been stolen before the crash.The fiery crash happened about 7 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Seventh and Harrison streets.Police said the white Ford Explorer apparently was speeding when it came out of the Posey Tube from Alameda, headed northbound on Harrison Street.It struck a traffic signal on the south side of Seventh Street and continued across the traffic lanes before crashing into a metal and wooden parking lot fence on the northeast corner and catching fire.A passerby knocked out some of the windows of the burning vehicle before police and firefighters arrived to search for anyone who needed rescue, but no one was inside, authorities said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safet...

San Jose Jazz 2023: What’s new to eat, drink at this weekend’s festival — plus returning favorites

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

San Jose Jazz 2023: What’s new to eat, drink at this weekend’s festival — plus returning favorites As jazz, blues and salsa return for San Jose Jazz Summer Fest from today through Sunday (Aug. 11-13), so too will jambalaya, barbecue, tacos and sweet potato pie.And some new food and beverage offerings, including jerk lobster rolls, pork belly bao, vegan pizza, hot mini doughnuts and kombucha on tap. There’s even a new vendor, Coffee Companions, with a mission to help dog rescue organizations give shelter animals a second chance at life — one cold brew at a time.RELATED: San Jose Summer Fest 2023: 8 shows you shouldn’t missAll told, more than 30 food and beverage booths will be located near the Main Stage at downtown’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Four will be situated at the Latin/Tropical Stage.Here are our music writer’s picks for the top acts to see. And when you want to plan your between-sets snacking, here is the vendor lineup for the festival, with some menu details. We’ve highlighted the vendors that are new.MAIN STAGEBarya Kitchen: Lumpia (birria, veggie,...

Massive amount of narcotics, ghost gun seized in Tenderloin bust

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

Massive amount of narcotics, ghost gun seized in Tenderloin bust SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Over two thousand grams of fentanyl along with a loaded ghost gun and other drugs were seized in Oakland in relation to a drug bust in the Tenderloin Wednesday, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The SFPD Narcotics Unit had been investigating 25-year-old Marcos Carcamo of Oakland for suspected narcotics dealing in the Tenderloin.Search warrants were obtained for Carcamo, his vehicles and his home. On Wednesday, SFPD Narcotics Unit officers located him on the 900 block of Eddy Street. He was taken into custody without incident, police said. Pilot error causes SF-bound United flight to nearly plunge into ocean, NTSB says Over 100 grams of narcotics and several hundred dollars were found on his person.Search warrants were then served on Carcamo's vehicles and his residence on Oakland's 27th Avenue, uncovering the following:2,168 grams of fentanyl158 grams of base rock cocaine72 grams of methamphetamine30 grams of heroin2 grams of cocaine saltA l...

They lost everything in the Paradise fire. Now they're reliving their grief as fires rage in Hawaii

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

They lost everything in the Paradise fire. Now they're reliving their grief as fires rage in Hawaii SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Melissa Crick was heartbroken this week while watching videos on her phone of people fleeing from a fast-moving wildfire in Hawaii.“Sending love and support from Paradise, California," Crick commented on one woman's social media post.To Crick's surprise, the woman wrote back. She knew Paradise — the small Northern California city in the Sierra Nevada foothills that was mostly destroyed by a wildfire in 2018. The woman told Crick her support meant a lot to her.“That was a really heavy moment,” Crick told The Associated Press.Lahaina, Hawaii, is a tropical paradise on the northwest coast of Maui. But wildfires ravaging the region have forever linked it to another Paradise, this one in California. The two small towns have the grim distinction of experiencing the two deadliest wildfires in U.S. history — tragedies that played out in a remarkably similar way.“It’s not what we want to be remembered for,” Crick said. Both blazes started in the overnight hours when...

Alleged Redwood City drug deal leads to shooting that injured 2 men

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:32 GMT

Alleged Redwood City drug deal leads to shooting that injured 2 men (BCN) -- An alleged drug deal gone bad led to an exchange of gunfire that injured two men Thursday in Redwood City, according to police. At an undisclosed time, several 911 callers reported shots fired somewhere near the Veterans Memorial Senior Center at 1455 Madison Ave., police said. Massive amount of narcotics, ghost gun seized in Tenderloin bust When officers got to the scene, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds and soon determined that an alleged failed drug deal preceded the shooting. The men were taken to a hospital and are expected to recover, according to police. Police said "not all" the people involved have been cooperative with investigators. Anyone with information is asked to call the Redwood City police tip line at (650) 780-7110 or Bay Area Crimes Stoppers at (415) 946-8733 or www.bayareacrimestoppers.com Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.