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California regulators suspend recently approved San Francisoc robotaxi service for safety reasons

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE | AP Technology WriterSAN FRANCISCO  — California regulators have revoked the license of a robotaxi service owned by General Motors after determining its driverless cars that recently began transporting passengers throughout San Francisco are a dangerous menace.The California Department of Motor Vehicles’ indefinite suspension of the Cruise robotaxi service comes just two months after another state regulator, the Public Utilities Commission, approved an expansion that authorized around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco — the second most dense city in the U.S.That approval came over a chorus of protests, including some lodged by police and fire officials who asserted the driverless vehicles had been impeding traffic in emergencies during a testing phase.Now Cruise is being forced to slam on the brakes on its operations after the DMV concluded its robotaxis posed “an unreasonable risk to public safety,” according to a statement issued by the agency.The DMV di...

Off-duty Bay Area pilot told cockpit crew “I’m not okay” before trying to shut off engines in flight

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

The harrowing encounter that nearly doomed a Horizon Air plane flying Sunday from Seattle to San Francisco began without warning when an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot from Pleasant Hill riding in a cockpit jump seat blurted out to the flight captain and first officer: “I’m not okay,” according to a federal court affidavit.Joseph David Emerson, 44, then reached up and pulled red handles that cut off fuel to the plane’s engines, intended as an emergency safety measure if they catch fire, the affidavit said. The pilot grabbed Emerson’s wrist and the men struggled for about 30 seconds, then Emerson “quickly settled down,” it said. The pilot asked Emerson to leave the cockpit, and Emerson left on his own, it said.The plane landed in Portland, where officers arrested Emerson, 44, on charges of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and endangering an aircraft, and he was expected to be arraigned in court Tuesday.Federal authorities have since ch...

Review: Disney princesses hilariously rage against the machine in ‘Disenchanted’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

The princesses are done with this namby-pamby nonsense, and they ain’t taking it no more.They’re not speaking about their dreams of possessing feet or meeting frogs who await just around the riverbend. These foul-mouthed fancies have desires less to do with landing a milquetoast man with sweet hair; they are all about wearing their tiaras with a ‘tude, blazing an overdue, long-awaited feminist trail with butane.The San Jose Playhouse production of “Disenchanted” is a delight with a razor’s edge, pushing mightily against the Brothers Grimm and Disney marketing magic. The edge tends to be dulled in moments in an otherwise solid direction of Scott Evan Guggenheim’s staging. The satisfying production lands with a verve, offering a good time while railing against marginalized nostalgia.The show features three of the more archaic princesses in Disneydom: Snow White (Susan Gundunas), Sleeping Beauty (Krista Wigle) and Cinderella (Osher Fine). In modern sensibilities, the theme of these thr...

‘Hardhat Wombat’ is a puzzle game focused on a marsupial’s unique trait

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

George Fan, the mastermind behind “Plants vs. Zombies,” has a mission. He wants the world to know the magic behind every wombat. The Australian marsupials aren’t only cute, they’re the only species known to have cube-shaped poop.Armed with this knowledge, he along with his friend Andy Hull incorporated that fact into a PC puzzle game called “Hardhat Wombat.” The idea for this mix of platforming, construction and puzzle-solving came out of a Ludum Dare game jam in 2013 based on the theme of 10 seconds.Fan built a game where players are in the role of a construction worker, who has to build structures but every 10 seconds, the protagonist had to take a lunch break or he’d perish. It wasn’t the best idea and the time limit interfered with a solid idea, so he let it sit for nearly a decade.AN IDEA BROUGHT BACK TO LIFEThe idea was resurrected when he brought up the idea of working on a game together with Hull, who needed a change after work...

Cursive returned to California school curriculum by new law

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

Cursive handwriting is again part of the California elementary school curriculum under a bill signed into law this month.Assembly Bill 446, sponsored by Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-La Palma), amends the education code for grades 1 to 6 to specify that cursive will be taught “in the appropriate grade levels.”Related ArticlesEducation | How to talk to kids about conflicts like the Israel-Hamas war Education | A third of schools don’t have a nurse. Here’s why that’s a problem Education | Saratoga students qualify for National Speech and Debate Tournament Education | County honors Saratoga, Los Gatos teachers at annual awards event Education | Cupertino high school district seeks public input on trustee areas The legislation adds California to a list of 18 states that require cursive in the curriculum of public schools.Instruction in cursive dropped off sharply around 2010, with the enactment of the Co...

100-plus homes are being eyed on north San Jose office building site

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

SAN JOSE — A big housing development is being eyed at an office site in north San Jose, fresh signs of the shifting nature of the area’s real estate sector in a post-coronavirus economy.A veteran San Jose real estate firm has floated a preliminary proposal to build more than 100 residences at the corner of North First Street and Trimble Road in San Jose, documents on file with city planners show.Location of of a proposed residential development at 2611 and 2635 North First Street near Trimble Road in north San Jose, shown within the outline. Boundaries are approximate. (Google Maps)Valley Oak Partners wants to build townhomes on a 4.9-acre parcel with addresses of 2611 and 2635 North First Street in San Jose, according to the city planning files.A 107-unit development consisting of townhouses would be built at that site, the city files show. The plans were filed as a preliminary proposal to gauge the reaction of local residents, political leaders and San Jose planne...

Why road trips can make you exhausted just by sitting still

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

By William Emond | CNNTravel sickness isn’t just hearsay. Nearly a third of people experience motion sickness – and to this day we don’t exactly know what causes it. The prevailing theory suggests it is triggered by a poor perception of movement.Departure to and return from summer vacations seem moments especially prone to the stealthy advances of this sickness. We (or at least those of us inclined to travel sickness) are more often ill during these particular journeys than during our normal comings and goings.Let’s note too that lots of travelers feel a sense of fatigue, drowsiness, apathy or lack of energy without having done any particularly exhausting activity. These are in fact symptoms of mild motion sickness, which show that many more people are affected by the condition than you’d think.Why this apparent heightened susceptibility during vacation trips? There are many reasons. Compared to normal travel, these journeys feature certain conditions, all with the potential to incr...

SF Giants poach Bob Melvin from Padres to become next manager: report

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

Looking for a steady hand to stabilize their franchise, the San Francisco Giants will reportedly hire Bob Melvin, poaching the soon-to-be 62-year-old Menlo Park native from the San Diego Padres to become the 17th manager in the club’s West Coast history.The Athletic was first to report the news, which hasn’t been formally announced by the club.The process has moved quickly since the Padres granted the Giants permission to speak to Melvin last week. According to The Athletic, Melvin, who had one year left on his contract in San Diego, was given assurances that he would be a serious candidate upon accepting the interview and did nothing to dissuade the Giants from hiring him in a lightning round of interviews over the past 48 hours.After firing Gabe Kapler with three games left in the season, the Giants’ search seemed to hinge on San Diego granting permission to speak to Melvin. He was in the opposite dugout for Kapler’s 543rd and final game in San Francisco an...

'I'm not OK': Moments before off-duty pilot allegedly tried to bring down plane revealed in court docs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- An off-duty pilot who allegedly tried to bring down a commercial flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco Sunday evening engaged in casual conversation prior to "losing it," according to court documents. Documents recount the on-duty pilots who were flying Horizon Airlines Flight 2059 said that during the initial stages of the flight, "there was zero indication of anything wrong" with Joseph Emerson.Emerson, a Pleasant Hill resident and a commercial pilot with Alaska Airlines, is accused of reaching up and grabbing the plane's red fire handles and pulling them down.While sitting in the cockpit's jump seat, Emerson reportedly said, "I'm not okay," before grabbing the handles and pulling them down. Pulling the handles activated the plane's fire suppression system which shuts off fuel to the engine, according to court documents. Cruise driverless taxi and testing permits suspended by DMV It's common for off-duty pilots to ride in the jump seat on their...

Crow Canyon Road reopens following gas line break

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:05:30 GMT

(KRON) -- Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon is back open in both directions from Barbados Drive to Alcosta Boulevard following to a 2-inch gas line break, according to the City of San Ramon.According to Jenn Starnes, a public information officer, the gas leak is situated just north of Crow Canyon Road on El Capitan. "There is no need for evacuations, but individuals within a few hundred feet of Crow Canyon Road and El Capitan should remain indoors," said Starnes. San Ramon police officers are on the scene, officials said, and the Pacific Gas and Electric company is en route. Authorities are advising motorists to use alternative routes.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.