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Opinion: Why we should not dismiss plans for a new Solano County city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

News that a group of tech billionaires has purchased 55,000 acres in eastern Solano County with plans to create a new city is meeting with criticism from local politicians and consternation from Bay Area thought leaders. But some objections to the new city do not hold water and Northern Californians should regard this development with cautious optimism.Critics fault the proposed city for not being near transit, with the implication that it will lead to more driving and greenhouse gas emissions than the urban infill projects that local planners prefer. But the land accumulated by the investor group, Flannery Associates, is near the Capitol Corridor rail line which provides service to Sacramento and San Jose, along with transfers to BART in Richmond and Oakland. Today, departures on this line are limited and travel times are relatively long, but the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority has a plan to increase and accelerate service.Further, as communications technology improves and ...

What’s next for the ‘Pac-2’: Could Washington State, Oregon State attempt a reverse merger with the Mountain West?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

The Pac-12 hurtled toward dissolution Friday as two of the remaining schools, Stanford and Cal, received invitations from the ACC, according to a source close to the process.Only Washington State and Oregon State remain as members for the 2024-25 sports season — at least for the moment.The Cougars and Beavers are exploring several options, including traditional conference realignment moves into either the Mountain West or American Athletic Conference.The most intriguing play is also the most complicated: Rebuild the Pac-12 by raiding other leagues or executing a reverse merger with the Mountain West.Everything had been on hold as the schools waited for Stanford and Cal to make a decision.“The rebuild with four (schools) was the best option but also had challenges,” a source said. “Now, it’s time to figure out what it looks like with two.”The unprecedented nature of the Pac-12’s collapse, with 10 schools scheduled to depart next summer, has cluttered the terrain for Washington State ...

In wake of Pac-12 collapse, lifeboat emerges for Stanford and Cal as ACC offers membership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

Stanford and Cal, bastions of major college sports on the West Coast for more than a century, are on the brink of securing a new home for their athletic departments — on the Atlantic Seaboard.In a momentous vote that reshapes the college sports map, the ACC presidents on Friday approved membership invitations for the Bay Area’s academic powerhouses and SMU starting next summer, according to multiple sources close to the process.No other details were immediately available. However, the schools are expected to accept — the ACC is viewed as the best available option — and compete in all sports sponsored by their new home, including football and men’s and women’s basketball.With the additions, the ACC will have 18 schools in total, although Notre Dame does not compete in football.For Stanford and Cal, the lifeboat arrives exactly four weeks after the collapse of the Pac-12 forced the schools to seek salvation 3,000 miles away — and potentially d...

Smith River Complex grows to nearly 84,000 acres, one of the largest wildfires in California this season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

The Smith River Complex has now grown to 83,974 acres in Del Norte County and southern Oregon. Following a gusty 24 hours, firefighting efforts will be aided by some higher humidity and forecasted rain on the complex in the coming days, which is made up of at least 12 fires sparked by lightning more than two weeks ago. The complex is 8% contained.Fires in upper elevations on the complex saw higher winds Wednesday into the evening, causing the Kelly Fire to merge with the Coon Fire. Many of the fires in Northern California are in difficult steep terrain, and officials noted the notoriously rugged environment of the dense woods in Six Rivers National Forest where the fires burn.Map: Two wildfires merge in Northern California’s Smith River complex As for the northern part of the complex that has entered Oregon, “winds out of the northeast have been pushing the fire back on itself the past several days but are expected to shift again this weekend and come from the southwest,” an Inciweb...

Missing Bay Area woman presumed dead, warrant issued for former partner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

Erica Brown, a Fairfield resident who has been missing since August 20, is now presumed dead according to a press release from the Fairfield Police Department.The Fairfield Police Department is searching for Erica Brown’s boyfriend, Mark Randle, in connection with her disappearance. (Fairfield Police Department) A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Mark Randle, a 45-year-old with strong ties to Fairfield and Vallejo. Randle’s known aliases include Tweezy, Tweez and Mark Twain.“Information provided to detectives leads them to believe Miss Brown is no longer alive,” the release read.The department said their officers and detectives have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to resolve this case.“Although we hoped to safely return Ms. Brown to those who care for her, we felt from the outset that her disappearance was suspicious in nature, and have treated it as such,” police said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Police investigate ‘suspic...

Shelter-in-place lifted in Novato, suspect still at large

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

(KRON) -- A shelter-in-place order has been lifted in Novato following an unsuccessful search for a burglar Thursday night, according to police. Novato police say a resident on Marin Valley Drive came home around 7 p.m. and discovered a burglary in progress. Officers searched the area using drones, K-9 units and a helicopter, but were unable to locate the suspect. Both Marin Valley Drive and Bolling Drive were given a shelter-in-place order until around 10 p.m. The burglar left the area leaving behind small items, police said. He was last seen wearing a light brown baseball cap, neon green shirt and brown pants. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Novato Police Department.

Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiations Advance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

Insulin, the lifesaving drug for tens of millions of Americans, is among the 10 drugs Medicare will negotiate for lower prices, by the power vested in the White House through the Inflation Reduction Act. This week on Deconstructed, Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, joins Ryan Grim to discuss the decadeslong struggle against the pharmaceutical lobby to lower drug prices and how the Biden administration secured Medicare drug pricing negotiations. Grim and Lawson discuss the pharmaceutical industry’s enormous power, their aggressive efforts to stop the legislation and water it down, the history of political infighting and betrayal that led to this moment, and what the future of drug price negotiation may look like.Transcript coming soon.The post Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiations Advance appeared first on The Intercept.

Atlantic Coast Conference inviting Stanford, California and SMU to join the league in 2024-25, sources tell AP

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference inviting Stanford, California and SMU to join the league in 2024-25, sources tell AP.Source

Thailand’s king reduces former Prime Minister Thaksin’s 8-year prison term to a single year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s king on Friday reduced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s eight-year prison term to a single year following the divisive politician’s return last week from 15 years of self-imposed exile.The decision by King Maha Vajiralongkorn was published in the Royal Gazette, making it effective immediately. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, giving the king the final word on pardons of convicted criminals. Thaksin was ousted as prime minister in a military coup in 2006 and accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespecting the monarchy. He fled Thailand in 2008 when he faced prison time on charges he described as politically motivated. It is widely believed that Thaksin, 74, returned out of hope that a new government friendly to him would reduce his sentence, and that he may have made a deal with authorities. Hours after Thaksin’s return, Srettha Thavisin of the Thaksin-affiliated Pheu Thai party won enough votes in Parliament to become pri...

India’s opposition parties team up to challenge Modi’s Hindu nationalist party in 2024 elections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s fractured opposition parties decided Friday to jointly contest the 2024 national elections in their bid to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and prevent his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party from achieving a third straight win.The 26 opposition parties decided to work out seat-sharing arrangements in different states in “a collaborative spirit of give-and-take″ to avoid splitting votes in favor of Modi’s party. India’s national elections are scheduled to be held around May next year.Congress party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi joined other key opposition leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Arvind Kejriwal, Sitaram Yechury and Laloo Yadav, at a two-day meeting in Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital.Their goal would be to set up a direct fight by putting one contestant against a BJP candidate in each voting district.The opposition parties formed the alliance in June, named the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance...