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California’s bullet train faces new shortfall. With Newsom quiet, will Washington save it?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

California’s long-beleaguered high-speed rail project needs another $10 billion just to get the bullet train through farm country, much less reach San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a new report that outlines yet another dramatic funding shortfall for the Golden State’s most expensive and contentious transit project.The massive funding gap leaves the future of the project’s 171-mile Central Valley link – connecting Bakersfield to Merced – in jeopardy as Gov. Gavin Newsom is mum on spending increasingly scarce taxpayer dollars and political capital on the project while Republicans continue their calls to abandon the bullet train. Now, the High-Speed Rail Authority is turning to Washington, hoping to secure a massive $8 billion funding package to keep the initial link on track.“The Central Valley was supposed to be the easy part,” said Louis Thompson, head of the rail authority’s peer review group. “In this case, it’s become app...

49ers free agency: Who will pair with Talanoa Hufanga at safety?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

SANTA CLARA – Talanoa Hufanga may need a new wingman to form the 49ers’ next safety tandem.Tashaun Gipson, a steady veteran who arrived just before last season, is unsigned for 2023.So is Jimmie Ward, who did not hide his disdain last season in reverting to nickel back and losing his free safety job to Gipson while injured.Also slated for free agency is Tarvarius Moore, a once-promising safety who evolved into a special teams ace.Hufanga, fresh off earning his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, can’t patrol the back of an elite defense by himself — and especially not with an aggressive nature that occasionally led to big-play breakdowns last season.If the 49ers lose safeties in free agency, perhaps others could arrive. Here is a look at that landscape:WHO’S HEREHufanga, George Odum, Tayler HawkinsHufanga is entering his third season, so there’s plenty of tape on him, from when he’s been aided by a veteran sidekick. Odum is a special-teams star, not a starting safety. Hawkins e...

Editorial: BART and Newsom drove out the auditor voters had demanded

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

“Enough is enough.”Harriet Richardson has decided to retire March 17 rather than endure the remaining 4½ months of her four-year term as BART inspector general. There are no signs things are going to get better. Her announcement this week and explanation are completely understandable.Since mid-2019, she has had to put up with undermining behavior by a majority of the BART board members and, recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom. It’s clear that they are hellbent on fighting reasonable implementation of a voter-approved mandate for independent oversight.They are more interested in placating their labor union political backers than ensuring the transit agency provides riders with clean and timely train service and responsibly spends money.It was BART leaders’ misplaced loyalty to the unions that prompted state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, in 2018 to insist on an inspector general to oversee the transit agency’s expenditures and operations.Bay Area voters were being asked at the time to ap...

Opinion: How storms will impact San Jose residents’ water bills

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

The recent series of storms that swept through the region wrought havoc in many ways, but they did improve water levels in California. Without minimizing widespread storm damage and attending hardship, it is nice to see the hills green again and hope the rainy trend continues.It’s also a great relief to note that statewide Sierra snowpack was registering at nearly 200% of normal levels at the beginning of February, and that preliminary reservoir gauge readings published for the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s 10 local reservoirs at the same time showed five of those reservoirs at or above 80% capacity.And as reported in The Mercury News on Jan. 12: “For the first time in more than two years, the majority of California is in moderate drought, not severe drought.”That is all wonderful news, and it is not surprising that a lot of San Jose Water (SJW) customers and other residents across the region are wondering whether drought restrictions will ease or if they can expect their wate...

Opinion: Refusal to close Oakland schools threatens progress

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

Oakland Unified finds itself at a dangerous crossroads.Since moving into state receivership in 2003, the school district has improved fiscal responsibility while serving the needs of our diverse student population. But that progress is threatened by the rigid stance from some vocal advocates that we should not close any schools, even when they are too small to adequately support their students.As members of the Oakland Board of Education, who have each worked for many years on the ground in schools, we see the constant roller coaster of OUSD’s finances, coupled with chronic low pay, leading to high turnover. That is what truly harms our students.Advocating for good fiscal stewardship of our district is not a conservative position — it’s a very progressive vision. Persistent racial achievement gaps for our students can only be closed when we fully resource our schools equitably.It’s challenging to do this when enrollment is declining. From 2001 to 2017, students were leav...

Judge: California can’t ban alligator imports, sales

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

By KEVIN McGILL | Associated PressNEW ORLEANS — California cannot ban the importation and sale of crocodile and alligator products, a federal judge has ruled, in a victory for the state of Louisiana, which challenged the ban along with businesses in multiple states.Federal law controls trade in those products and preempts California from barring trade in them, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller in Sacramento, California, wrote in a ruling dated Tuesday.Mueller had already blocked enforcement of the law while lawsuits challenging it played out in her court. Plaintiffs included businesses based in California, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Montana and Wyoming.The California ban had covered products made from alligators and two species of crocodile — Nile and Saltwater. All can be sold legally under international treaty and U.S. federal law.Mueller rejected arguments that California was only seeking to regulate activity within the state. “California is not regulating crocodile taki...

Holes-in-one: Aces carded from around Bay Area golf courses

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

Raise a toast to the following golfers who made the most perfect shot in the game recently:Ralph Davis: Deep Cliff GC, No. 3, 115 yards, 8-ironArt Heaviside: Deep Cliff GC, No. 10, 148 yards, 7-ironPaul Knofler: Santa Teresa GC (short course), No. 8, 84 yards, pitching wedgeDan Madsen: Santa Teresa GC (short course), No. 7, 130 yards, 9-ironCraig Riesterer: Yocha Dehe GC, No. 16, 155 yards, 8-ironJaimi Solorzano: Mission Hills GC (Hayward), No. 4, 93 yards, pitching wedgeSteve Wight: Rossmoor Dollar Ranch GC, No. 16, 123 yards, 4-hybridAnnabelle Wu: Santa Teresa GC (short course), No. 7, 122 yards, 6-iron

Bay Area storm watch: Newsom issues state of emergency

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

(KRON) -- The first in a series of atmospheric rivers is set to roll into the Bay Area Thursday. The storm is expected to bring widespread rain, wind and wet weather conditions with a flood watch set to go into effect for the entire Bay Area. Rainfall is expected to arrive by Thursday afternoon and intensify throughout the weekend.Officials advise residents to prepare for the next storm by securing any property and stocking up on sandbags to prevent flooding. Bay Area storm: Here’s what to do if your house floods Stick with KRON4 for the latest updates on the storm.Bay Area storm updates:5 a.m. -- Newsom issues state of emergency for 21 counties Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to support storm response and relief efforts in 21 counties, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Bay Area communities are preparing for high winds and possible flooding as an atmospheric river approaches the region ...

Ukraine’s nuclear power operator says the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest, has been reconnected to the power grid

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s nuclear power operator says the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest, has been reconnected to the power grid.Source

France coach Corinne Diacre fired amid player opposition

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:09 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France coach Corinne Diacre was fired Thursday, only four months before the Women’s World Cup.The French soccer federation’s executive committee made the decision after several players expressed their discontent with Diacre.“The numerous hearings conducted have made it possible to establish a very important gap with some top players,” the federation said. “This gap has reached a point of no return that damages the team’s interests.”Diacre, who led the French national team to the quarterfinals at the last Women’s World Cup in 2019 and was under contract until August 2024, said Wednesday she was the victim of a smear campaign.The federation praised the “the involvement and the seriousness” of Diacre but deplored “irreversible” dysfunction during her tenure.Last month, France captain Wendie Renard said she would skip this year’s World Cup because she was unhappy with the team’s set up. Following Renard’s decision, strik...