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Southern California hit with more rain; NWS warns of possible flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

Yet another storm is hitting Southern California on Friday, and though there won't be nearly as much snow as two weeks ago, rain presents its own dangers.Steady rain is expected Friday and Saturday, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of possible "significant road/urban & small stream flooding." Interactive Storm Coverage “It won’t be one of those cold, wintery storms,” said KTLA Meteorologist Kaj Goldberg. “But nonetheless, we will see measurable rainfall.” The issue could be compounded by the relatively warmer rain falling on snow that has already amassed in San Bernardino County and other mountain communities in Southern California. The additional precipitation is likely to melt some of the snow, creating even more runoff, and in some cases, the rain might make the snow atop buildings even heavier, increasing the likelihood of roof collapse.With the ground already saturated from previous storms, the NWS warned the public to pro...

Red is out: Oscars roll out champagne-colored carpet for the 95th Academy Awards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

When Hollywood's biggest names walk head to the Oscars on Sunday, they'll notice something a little different. The normal red carpet has done a color swap and it's now a Champagne color. On Wednesday, crews rolled out the new color, but it will be still referred to as the red carpet. Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel was on hand to assist with the rollout. He joked that the switch from red to Champagne showed how confident producers are that no blood will be shed this year, following last year's slap involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. Workers roll out the champagne-colored carpet for the 95th Academy Awards. March 8, 2023.This year's ceremony will be the third time Kimmel will have hosted. Days ago he revealed that he is "ready" if another slap were to occur but was choosy as to when he'd intervene. “If somebody comes up on the stage and slaps me? Well, I size them up, and, if I’m bigger than they are, I beat the s— out of them on television. And if it’s the Rock, I run,” he said.KTLA 5's ...

Dekarriay Rayvion Burrell Killed in Big-Rig Crash on Highway 58 [Bakersfield, CA]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

25-Year-Old Man Dies in Big Rig vs. SUV Crash near California City BoulevardBAKERSFIELD, CA (March 10, 2023) – Tuesday afternoon, a big-rig collision on Highway 58 claimed the life of Dekarriay Rayvion Burrell.The incident happened on March 7th, at around 1:50 p.m., in the westbound lanes of Highway 58 near California City Boulevard.According to reports, a big rig and an SUV were traveling on Highway 58 when they collided. Due to the impact of the collision, Burrell was ejected from his vehicle. The incident left Burrell with serious injuries.First responders arrived to the site of the collision shortly after. There, medics pronounced 25-year-old Dekarriay Rayvion Burrell dead at the scene.At this time, it was unknown if there were other occupants involved in the crash. However, further investigation is still ongoing.No words can mend the broken hearts and sorrow felt during this delicate moment. The Sweet James team sends their deepest condolences and sympathies to the family...

DT Michael Pierce agrees to pay cut as Ravens continue to clear cap space

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

Ravens nose tackle Michael Pierce agreed to take a $2 million pay cut as part of a contract restructure that will give the team about $2.7 million in salary cap space.Pierce, 30, signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal to return to the Ravens before last season but played just three games before he had season-ending surgery to repair a torn biceps. He was a candidate to be cut as the Ravens clear cap space to accommodate the $32.4 million nonexclusive franchise tag they placed on quarterback Lamar Jackson.Instead, the Ravens will keep an interior run stuffer who was playing well before his injury last season. Pierce played his first four seasons in Baltimore before he signed a free agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. Though he played at least 14 games every year during his initial stint with the Ravens, he has not played more than eight games in a season since 2019.Pierce could earn back much of his pay cut if he meets a series of incentives.In a previous move to clear ca...

One dead, one injured in Oakland warehouse roof collapse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

OAKLAND — A man was killed and a woman injured early Friday when a roof collapsed at the East Oakland warehouse where they were working, authorities said.No other information has been released yet about the victims.Authorities said a portion of the roof at the warehouse in the 600 block of 85th Avenue collapsed about 3:20 a.m. Friday. It was not immediately known what business occupied the warehouse.A man working inside was brought outside before first responders arrived, fire officials said. He was pronounced dead there.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Atmospheric river rocks Bay Area, causing closures, evacuations Crashes and Disasters | With La Niña officially over, El Niño will form during this hurricane season, forecasters say Crashes and Disasters | Coroner: 1 death in San Bernardino Mountains linked to recent storms; 8 others being investigated Crashes and Disasters | Gov. Gavin Newsom requests emergency declar...

Halvah! Torshi! First-ever East Bay Nowruz Market hits this weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

Nowruz, the arrival of the spring equinox, is an ancient celebration of hope and renewal. A group of East Bay students and makers are organizing a one-stop shop for the holiday, also known as Persian New Year, to raise funds to support the ongoing fight for women’s rights in Iran.The market, the first of its kind in the East Bay and likely the Bay Area, will feature a dozen vendors, mostly of Iranian descent, selling homemade foods — think tangy Persian torshi and nutty halvah — plus art, jewelry, vintage clothing, plants and other DIY goods on March 12 at 2727 California Street, a cooperative art gallery in Berkeley.Jars of Persian torshi are among the foods for sale at a first-time Nowruz Market in Berkeley. (Shaverdi Torshi) Organizer Helia Sadeghi, chef-founder of Big Dill Kitchen, says she noticed a lack of community around Nowruz when she immigrated to the Bay Area from Iran in 2016. That was one of the reasons she and the other vendors wanted to hold a ...

‘Redaction Palooza’ costs California cities, agencies $750, but what price do we pay?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

Talk about fun — it’s “Redaction Palooza” time!A large law firm specializing in public agency representation — including dozens of cities and special districts in California — is offering a series of online seminars so public workers can learn how to use exemptions under the California Public Records Act.What a hoot!We turn, for clarity, to the dictionary definitions of “redaction” (the censoring or obscuring of part of a text) and “palooza” (a wild, crazy and extravagant party). This bacchanalian fete costs just $750 per attendee — public money spent, if we’re understanding this correctly, to help keep records from the public.“If you are a public agency who wants to learn more about exemptions available through the California Public Records Act, this training series is for you!” the Redaction Palooza website crows. “In half-hour sessions, presenters will provide an in-depth look into specific exemptions, including best practices for common exemptions.”Screenshot of BB&K website...

Why is everyone talking about SVB? Here’s everything we know about the bank right now

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

By Low De Wei | BloombergThe startup world was thrown into chaos Thursday when a lender little-known outside of Silicon Valley sparked a wave of panic in tech circles that dragged down banking shares around the world.Events snowballed after Silicon Valley Bank announced a share sale to shore up its finances, following a significant loss on its portfolio. After that, things went rapidly downhill. So what does SVB bank do and why has it sparked panic? Here’s everything we know right now — and what could happen next:What’s happening at SVB?Santa Clara-based SVB’s ordeal began after its parent company,  SVB Financial Group, announced that it sold $21 billion of securities from its portfolio and said it was holding a $2.25 billion share sale to shore up finances. The move was prompted by high deposit outflows at the bank due to a broader downturn in the startup industry, analysts say.  SVB also forecast a sharper decline in net interest income.All of that spooked a number of prominent ve...

Bank run fear: Silicon Valley Bank is reportedly exploring a sale as Wall Street calls for a bailout

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

SVB Financial Group is reportedly exploring a sale after selling billions of dollars of assets to make its customers whole and sparking a panic on Wall Street this week.Reuters and CNBC, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the financially strapped bank was considering a potential sale to a larger institution. SVB didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.Shares of SVB were halted Friday morning after falling more than 60% in premarket trading. The stock tumbled 60% Thursday after the bank said it had to sell a portfolio of US Treasuries and $1.75 billion in shares at a loss to cover rapidly declining customer deposits — essentially facing a run on the bank.SVB, a relatively unknown bank outside of Silicon Valley, lends to higher-risk tech startups that have recently been hurt by higher interest rates and dwindling venture capital.The bank partners with nearly half of all venture-backed tech and health care companies in the United States, many of which...

San Jose’s ‘Plant Slut’ wants Gen Z to have green thumbs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:30 GMT

Natalie Nijmeh’s downtown San Jose store may be small — roughly equal to a single-car garage — but it packs a rebellious punch. Starting with its name.Plant Slut, located smack dab in the middle of San Pedro Square, is what you could call a bohemian Gen Z-ers paradise. There are the plants of course, from little cacti to a 9-foot-tall fig tree. Other goodies also fill the store, from marijuana-themed ashtrays to body-part-shaped mini ceramic pots to a turquoise-colored bar of soap with a two-word phrase etched in it that can’t be printed in this newspaper.Hint: it rhymes with “bucket.”For 25-year-old Nijmeh, a San Jose native, the shop is a dream come true. After graduating from Cal State Long Beach three years ago, she was in a job that just wasn’t doing it for her. While selling plants as a side business, Nijmeh made a leap of faith and turned the gig into a full-time job when she opened her store almost exactly a year ago in February. We ...