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California hillsides are exploding with wildflowers after epic rainfall. Here’s what it looks like from space

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

By Stephanie Elam, CNNAfter one of the wettest winters on record, California hillsides are exploding with color. Swaths of yellow and streaks of orange, blue and purple paint the landscape this month as the state enjoys its extraordinary flurry of flowers.It’s the superbloom.Springtime road trips on California’s highways bring plenty of “oohs” and “ahhs” — not just from the spectacle of so much water in much fuller creeks, rivers and reservoirs, but also from the array of flowers putting on a show along the way.The Golden State is also a lot greener right now, too — landscapes are so verdant and lush it almost looks like a dreamscape.The wildflower takeover is dominating hillsides so intensely that the blooms are visible from space. Streaks of poppy orange and bright, lemony yellows can be seen in satellite imagery across canyons and hilltops that for years have been brown, barren areas, making the transformation that much more impress...

Road trips go long way in helping new drivers get savvy behind the wheel: Roadshow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

Q: One of your recent articles reminded me of the final stages of preparing my kids for their drivers’ license test. It included drives on narrow, winding roads that are heavily used by bicyclists. The goal was to teach patience and help them understand the amount of clearance needed to keep bicyclists and oncoming motorists safe.I used Wildcat Canyon Road and Pinehurst Roads in Contra Costa County for my daughter. My son got a longer test via Mines Road and State Route 130 to the Lick Observatory. After visiting the observatory, he fell asleep for the ride home!Don MahoneyA: How did some of the rest of you help your new drivers become road savvy, adaptable to different driving conditions?When Matt-the-Roadshow-Son needed to get a long drive in soon before he took the driving test, Mrs. Roadshow had him drive on a trip to Muir Woods. This also gave him the experience of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. He, too, was ready to ride on the drive home.Q: Your scolding of state ...

Review: ‘Poor Yella Rednecks’ a delightfully rambunctious immigrants’ tale

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

A badass rock ’n’ roll vibe made “Vietgone” a rollicking ride into the Vietnamese immigrant experience. Now playwright Qui Nguyen revisits the main characters, his parents, in a rambunctious sequel “Poor Yella Rednecks,” in its regional premiere at American Conservatory Theater.A cheeky sensibility, the unbridled marriage of slow-mo kung-fu, elegant puppetry, and retro-rap (music by Shammy Dee), makes Nguyen’s autobiographical odyssey so tart and refreshing. While all of the hip-hop elements don’t quite flow from the action as well as they should, undercutting our emotional connection with the tumultuous love story of Tong (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) and Quang (Hyunmin Rhee), few playwrights have as much breezy fun with issues of culture, language and identity.Tong and Quang certainly do not fit keep-your-head-down Asian parent tropes. These two swagger. They lust. They curse. They trade barbs like “Is that made outta beaver? ’Cause dayum.” They also struggle with strained commitmen...

The Oakland A's purchase land for new stadium in Vegas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

(KRON) -- The Oakland A's are officially leaving Oakland. The team issued a statement saying they have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a future ballpark in Las Vegas.Oakland A's president Dave Kaval said the deal with Las Vegas was finalized last week to buy a 49-acre site where the A's plan to build a stadium close to the Vegas strip, in a statement. The statement went on to say that they realize that this is a difficult day for the Oakland fans and community and that they are disappointed that they were not able to achieve a waterfront ballpark in Oakland.Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao also released a statement saying she is disappointed that the A's have decided not to negotiate with the city."In the last three months, we've made significant strides to close the deal," Thao said. "Yet, it is clear to me that the A's have no intention of staying in Oakland and have simply been using this process to try to extract a better deal out of Las Vegas. I am not interested in con...

Greene County: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

CATSKILL, N.Y. (AP) — CATSKILL, N.Y. (AP) — Greene County Bancorp Inc. (GCBC) on Thursday reported profit of $8.1 million in its fiscal third quarter.On a per-share basis, the Catskill, New York-based company said it had net income of 48 cents.The bank posted revenue of $25 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $18.3 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on GCBC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/GCBCSource

Appeals court halts House interview with ex-Trump prosecutor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked House Republicans from questioning a former Manhattan prosecutor about the criminal case against ex-President Donald Trump, the latest twist in a legal battle between Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office and the House Judiciary Committee.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay late Wednesday, hours after a lower court judge ruled there was no legal basis to block the Judiciary Committee’s subpoena to former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz. Committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, had sought to question him Thursday.In issuing the stay, Judge Beth Robinson noted that her order “reflects no judgment regarding the merits” of the case. A three-judge panel will ultimately weigh whether to uphold or overturn the lower-court’s decision. Robinson, a Biden appointee, set an aggressive briefing schedule, ordering Bragg’s office to file court papers detailing its appe...

Stock market today: Tesla leads Wall Street lower at open

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

Stocks are falling at the open on Wall Street Thursday after mixed earnings reports from Tesla, AT&T and other big companies, along with potentially discouraging reports on the economy. The S&P 500 is 0.7% lower in early trading while the Dow and Nasdaq are also down. Tesla is biggest loser in the S&P 500, dropping to a nearly three-month low after it told investors recent price cuts are hurting the electric car maker’s profit margins. Several banks are also tumbling after reporting weaker profits. Treasury yields are down. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story appears below. Shares were mostly lower in Europe and Asia on Thursday after they barely budged on Wall Street following a mixed batch of earnings reports from big U.S. companies.U.S. futures and oil prices also declined. Germany’s DAX slipped 0.9% to 15,761.62 and the CAC 40 in Paris gave up 0.4% to 7,520.78. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.3% to 7,877.39. The future for the Dow Jones Ind...

Sudan’s military rules out negotiations with rival paramilitary force to end crisis, says it will only accept surrender

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan’s military rules out negotiations with rival paramilitary force to end crisis, says it will only accept surrender.Source

SpaceX launches giant new rocket on first test flight, but fails minutes later

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) — SpaceX launches giant new rocket on first test flight, but fails minutes later.Source

Benfica unable to extend historic Champions League campaign

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:40 GMT

Benfica went into a slump at the worst time of the season, and it cost the team a spot in the Champions League semifinals.The Portuguese club couldn’t end its winless streak and was eliminated from the European competition after a 3-3 draw at Inter Milan on Wednesday. Benfica needed to reverse a 2-0 loss from the first leg at home to make it to the semifinals for the first time in more than three decades.It was the fourth straight match without a win in all competitions for Benfica, which before that poor run had lost only once all season and had won 13 of 15 matches.Benfica had been one of the surprises of the Champions League this season, going on an unbeaten run to win a difficult group that included Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. It then cruised past Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate in the round of 16.With a solid defense and a prolific attack, Benfica was seen as one of the teams to beat instead of one of the softer opponents ahead of the quarterfinals.But the first sign of trou...