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WNBA reportedly finalizing Bay Area expansion; Warriors confirm ‘productive’ talks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

The Bay Area may soon be awarded a WNBA expansion team.The league is “finalizing” a deal to add a team in the region, according to The Athletic, which reported Tuesday night that the team would be owned by Warriors owner Joe Lacob.A team spokesperson said Tuesday evening that the Warriors have had “productive conversations” with the WNBA, but no actual deal has materialized.Ever since the WNBA announced in 2022 its plans to expand in the coming years, the Bay has been seen as a legitimate target market to be the home of a new franchise, with the Warriors appearing to be a frontrunner between the two Bay Area-based ownership groups vying for a team.Golden State has spent the last year meeting with WNBA executives about potentially being part of the league’s plans to expand. This news organization previously reported the Warriors even hosted the WNBA on a site visit in San Francisco within the last 12 months.“[The Warriors] look forward to the possi...

Lake Merritt's Rotary Nature Center catches fire Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

(KRON) -- Oakland's Rotary Nature Center, located at Lake Merritt, caught fire Tuesday night, the Oakland Fire Department said. OFD responded to the building at 7:25 p.m. The fire affected about 10-15% of the building's exterior wall and roof but was contained there, per the fire department. The blaze was brought under control at 7:45 p.m. The cause is under investigation. The nature center is located at 600 Bellevue Ave., on the northern shore of Lake Merritt. It holds educational displays and exhibits.This is a developing story. Stick with KRON4 for updates.

Stanislaus deputy arrested for sex crimes against a minor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

(FOX40.COM) -- Stanislaus County Deputy Matthew Dessert was arrested Tuesday for allegedly committing multiple sex crimes against a teenager over a span of nearly five years.Stanislaus County detectives say they were contacted by a school counselor at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday regarding a student who disclosed sexual abuse. The teenage victim said they knew Dessert and explained to detectives that the abuse began at the age of nine years old. Rancho Cordova man, who used Tinder to torture and murder in Rocklin, convicted Officials say Dessert voluntarily came to the Sheriff’s Office for an interview on Tuesday and was subsequently arrested for alleged continual sexual abuse of a child, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor 14 or 15 years of age, penetration with a foreign object of a victim under the age of 18, sexual battery, and physical abuse of a child.Dessert was booked into jail with $425,000 bail. He posted bail and was released a few hours after being booked, according to...

Column: Chicago Cubs’ blown game in Atlanta is a blast from the past — the 1998 Brant Brown ‘Oh no’ drop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

Seiya Suzuki’s missed eighth–inning fly ball that sent the Chicago Cubs to a crushing 7-6 loss Tuesday will no doubt go down in infamy.The immediate reaction from Cubs fans watching at home was one of horror, as many flashed back to a similar play on Sept. 23, 1998, at County Stadium in Milwaukee.Like Suzuki, Cubs outfielder Brant Brown had been a key player in their wild-card race. But when a fly ball by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins bounced off his glove with two outs in the ninth inning, bringing home three runs in an 8-7, walk-off loss, Brown felt like his world caved in.“Basically my whole philosophy all year, no matter if I’m starting or coming off the bench, is just to try to contribute,” Brown said that day. “Today wasn’t the best contribution. You just have to go on. Life goes on. It’s not the worst thing that’s ever going to happen to me. Hopefully it is, but you know, it’s just something that happene...

San Diego shop makes Yelp's 'most unique paletas in US' list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Paletas are a frozen treat on a stick made from fresh natural fruits.Yelp recently highlighted the Mexican dessert during Hispanic Heritage Month, creating a list of the 25 most unique paletas in the U.S.A downtown San Diego ice cream shop called Pop Pops Paleta, located at 1740 India Street in Little Italy, was recognized for its Guava Cheesecake paleta."Guava cheesecake is sooo good and I got hazelnut chocolate dip and pistachio toppings. The guava jam inside compliments the creaminess/richness of the cheesecake outer layer so well! A must try!" Yelper Vivi L. said. 2 San Diego spots rank among top pan dulce places in US: Yelp Other popular flavors on Pop Pops Paleta's menu include Passion Fruit, Cappuccino, Mangonada, Belgium Chocolate Wonder and Cotton Clouds. "Lots of bases to choose from - from ice cream to frozen fruit based and even a vegan option. Topped off with your choice of sprinkles and chocolate dips. Great dessert or treat," Yelper Mary Ann C. added.O...

How did the Maui fire spread so quickly? Overgrown gully may be key to the investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

Melted remains of an old car tire. Heavily burned trees. A charred stump of an abandoned utility pole.Investigators are examining these and other pieces of evidence as they seek to solve the mystery of last month’s deadly Maui wildfire: How did a small, wind-whipped fire sparked by downed power lines and declared extinguished flare up again hours later into a devastating inferno? The answer may lie in an overgrown gully beneath Hawaiian Electric Co. power lines and something that harbored smoldering embers from the initial fire before rekindling in high winds into a wall of flame that quickly overtook the town of Lahaina, destroying thousands of structures and killing at least 97 people.But as investigators sift through blackened debris to explain the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, one fact has become clear: Hawaiian Electric’s right-of-way was untrimmed and unkempt for years, despite being in an area classified as being at high risk for wildfires.Aerial and s...

Black Americans express concerns about racist depictions in news media, lack of coverage efforts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — In a new study, Black Americans expressed broad concerns about how they are depicted in the news media, with majorities saying they see racist or negative depictions and a lack of effort to cover broad segments of their community.Four in five Black adults say they see racist or racially insensitive depictions of their race in the news either often or sometimes, according to the Pew Research Center.Three years after George Floyd’s killing triggered a racial reckoning in the news media, Pew took its first broad-based look at Black attitudes toward the media with a survey of nearly 5,000 Black adults this past winter and follow-up focus groups.The survey found 63% of respondents saying news about Black people is often more negative than it is toward other racial or ethnic groups, with 28% saying it is about equal.“It’s not surprising at all,” said Charles Whitaker, dean of the Medill journalism school at Northwestern University. “We’ve known both...

China accuses Taiwan’s government of using economic and trade issues to seek independence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government on Wednesday accused Taiwan’s ruling party of seeking independence, a day after the self-governing island’s president lobbied for Australia’s support in joining a regional trade pact. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, also said the recent Chinese military drills around Taiwan were held to combat “the arrogance of Taiwan independence separatist forces.”China claims Taiwan, an island about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off its east coast, as its territory. The two split during the civil war that brought the Communists to power in China in 1949, with the losing Nationalists setting up their own government in Taiwan.Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, meeting with six visiting Australian lawmakers on Tuesday, sought their country’s support for Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, an 11-nation free trade agreement.The Australian parliame...

Russia or the West: How does Iran think?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

Whenever there is a slight thaw in relations between Washington and Tehran, it sparks the age-old question about how Iran handles its interactions with the rival powers vying for control and influence in the 21st century. Does Iran lean towards maintaining its close ties and new partnerships with China and Russia, or does it lean towards the West if there is a significant breakthrough achieved through a revived Iranian nuclear agreement, writes Salem AlKetbi, UAE political analyst and former Federal National Council candidate.Answering these questions involves numerous factors, some aligning and others conflicting, all of which influence the decisions made by the Iranian government concerning their relations with global powers.At the core of these considerations lies the very nature of the Iranian government itself. When it comes to dealing with the world, whether it is in the East or the West, Iranian leaders do not always see eye to eye, and their approaches vary.Indeed, there is...

Thousands of dollars in equipment lost after arsonist torches Santa Monica pickleball court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:51:40 GMT

A suspect remains at large after a pickleball storage shed in Santa Monica was set on fire, destroying thousands of dollars worth of equipment.The fire erupted Monday night at Memorial Park around 1 a.m. The storage shed housed pickleball equipment including nets, paddles, balls and more. A nearby fence was also damaged from the blaze.Boasting over 1,800 members, the Santa Monica Pickleball Club is a nonprofit organization created to allow the public to play the sport for free.City workers can transform an existing standard tennis court into four pickleball courts, allowing up to 16 people to play at one time.Community members are distraught over the targeted attack and want the arsonist to be caught before they strike again. Authorities are investigating the case as a suspected arson.“It’s still subject to an open investigation, but it would be a pretty far reach to call it anything but arson,” said Maryanne LaGuardia from the Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commission.Police are...