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Former San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo steps into race for Congress

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

(KRON) -- The former mayor of San Jose, Sam Liccardo, officially filed his candidacy papers Friday in the race for the 16th Congressional District. The seat representing Silicon Valley and San Mateo County has been held by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo for three decades. Eshoo announced she will retire in 2024 at the end of her term. Eshoo's exit is shaking up the South Bay's political landscape as candidates jockey to replace her.Liccardo said his campaign will focus on "innovative solutions" to the region’s most pressing problems, starting with crime, homelessness, and the high cost of living.His campaign website states, "Silicon Valley needs bolder, more innovative solutions to our pressing challenges -- from homelessness, to crime, to climate change, to the rising cost of living that is leaving too many families struggling to pay their bills."Liccardo is a former criminal prosecutor and he currently teaches at Stanford University. Sam Liccardo reflect on two terms as San Jose Mayor...

Colma shoplifting suspect arrested after attempting to flee on bicycle

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

(KRON) – A San Francisco resident with a felony warrant was arrested after allegedly stealing over $180 worth of merchandise from a business, the Colma Police Department announced Tuesday. At 9:35 p.m. on Nov. 27, Colma police officers were conducting a passing check of a shopping center in the 200 block of Colma Boulevard when they were flagged down by employees from a local business that a theft had just occurred. Three Norteño gang members responsible for multiple murders sentenced According to police, the employees pointed out a male suspect who was fleeing the scene on foot while pushing a bicycle. Police said they made contact with the suspect and ordered him to stop. The suspect fled the scene on his bicycle. Additional Colma officers arrived on the scene and located the suspect hiding in the bushes at a nearby business.   According to police, the suspect resisted arrest. When officers were able to handcuff the suspect, he refused to identify himsel...

FDA approves 2 gene therapies for sickle cell. One is the first to use the editing tool CRISPR

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

Regulators on Friday approved two gene therapies for sickle cell disease that doctors hope can cure the painful, inherited blood disorder that afflicts mostly Black people in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration said the one-time treatments can be used for patients 12 and older with severe forms of the disease. One, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, is the first approved therapy based on CRISPR, the gene editing tool that won its inventors the Nobel Prize in 2020. The other is made by Bluebird Bio and works differently.“Sickle cell disease is a rare, debilitating and life-threatening blood disorder with significant unmet need,” the FDA’s Dr. Nicole Verdun said in a statement announcing the approvals. “We are excited to advance the field especially for individuals whose lives have been severely disrupted by the disease.” The two gene therapies are the first approved in the U.S. for sickle cell. The FDA has previously OK’d 15 gene the...

Californian passes state bar exam at age 17 and is sworn in as an attorney

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

VISALIA, Calif. (AP) — A county prosecutor’s office says one of its law clerks passed the State Bar of California exam at age 17.The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said this week that, according to research, Peter Park is the youngest person to pass the exam.The State Bar said Friday in an email to The Associated Press that it could not confirm that Park is the youngest, but it hailed his achievement.“Passing the California Bar exam is a major accomplishment at any age, and for someone as young as Mr. Park, it is quite an extraordinary feat and one worth celebrating,” Executive Director Leah Wilson said.Park took the exam in July and received the test results on Nov. 9, according to a news release issued by the District Attorney’s office this week. “It was not easy, but it was worth it,” Park said in a statement. Park began high school at Oxford Academy in Cypress, California, in 2019 at age 13 and simultaneously began a four-year juris doctor...

Man who fired shotgun outside New York synagogue cited events in the Mideast, federal agent says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A man who fired a shotgun into the air outside a synagogue in New York’s capital city is an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen who told investigators he felt affected by events in the Middle East, a federal agent said in a court filing.No one was injured by the gunfire Thursday afternoon outside Albany’s Temple Israel, but children attending preschool had to shelter in place while police searched the area.Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 28, was arrested a short distance away from the temple after laying down the shotgun, police said. He said “Free Palestine” when officers arrested him, according to Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins.Federal prosecutors charged Alkhader with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person — a charge authorities said was related to his admitted use of marijuana. He could also face state charges. Hawkins said the episode was being investigated as a possible hate crime.The episode happened on the first night of Hanukkah amid rising fears of antisemiti...

Six French teens convicted over their roles in an Islamic extremist’s killing of a teacher

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

PARIS (AP) — A French juvenile court on Friday convicted six teenagers for their roles in the 2020 beheading of a teacher by an Islamic extremist, an attack that shocked the country and shone a light on the real-world dangers of online hate speech.Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was killed near his school after showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression. Attacker Abdoullakh Anzorov, a young Chechen who had become radicalized, was killed by police.The court found five of the defendants, who were 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, guilty of involvement in staking out the teacher and identifying him for the attacker. The sixth defendant, 13 at the time, was found guilty of lying about the classroom debate in a comment that aggravated online anger against the teacher.After the ruling, the six defendants left the courtroom without speaking. Some had their heads down as they listened to the verdict. One appeared to wipe tears.The ...

He was a bricklayer who played soccer at night. Now Federico Gatti is deciding games for Juventus

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Federico Gatti once worked as a bricklayer and played soccer only at night. Now he’s taking over for Giorgio Chiellini as the physical presence in Juventus’ defense.The 6-foot-3 (1.90-meter) Gatti used his body to maximum effect to head in the only goal in Juventus’ 1-0 win over defending Serie A champion Napoli on Friday.Rising to meet a cross from Andrea Cambiaso, Gatti easily muscled his way up over Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani to redirect the ball into the far corner.It was Gatti’s third goal this season — more than any other defender in the Italian league. He also scored a late winner in a 2-1 win at Monza a week ago.“Federico is an example for all of us,” Juventus captain Danilo said. “He went through some tough times but he remained strong.”Juventus took the lead in Serie A by one point over Inter Milan, which hosts Udinese on Saturday.Napoli, which hasn’t scored in three of its last four Serie A matches, dropped 12 points beh...

Browns not naming starting quarterback for Jags, will be either Flacco or rookie Thompson-Robinson

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Joe Flacco ‘s second straight start for the Browns appears inevitable, if not essential.It’s just not official.Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski remained noncommittal about his starter for Sunday’s crucial game against Jacksonville despite Flacco getting all the first-team quarterback reps during the portion of Friday’s practice open to the media.Flacco had an impressive debut for Cleveland last weekend, the 38-year-old’s first start in nearly one year, and is expected to play against the Jaguars (8-4).But while Flacco seems to be his best choice — over rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson — for a game with massive AFC playoff implications, Stefanski said after practice he was not ready to publicly announce his starter.“Both guys practiced this week. Both guys practiced well, I got faith in both guys,” Stefanski said.Pressed on why he’s not revealing his choice, Stefanski remained coy.“You don’t have to, I guess is probably the b...

Prosecutors in Guatemala ask court to lift president-elect’s immunity; OAS cites ‘coup attempt’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Prosecutors in Guatemala on Friday asked a court to strip President-elect Bernardo Arévalo of his immunity, saying there could be enough irregularities to annul the election results, a move that the OAS called part of “a coup attempt.”It was the third time they have done so since he won election in August, and the Organization of American States said the moves were part of “a coup attempt.”Arévalo is scheduled to take office on Jan. 14, and it was unclear whether the prosecutors’ continued targeting of him and his party could interfere with the inauguration.The most recent request from prosecutors cites alleged irregularities in the way Arévalo’s Seed Movement party gathered signatures to register years earlier.Authorities arrested a number of Seed Movement members in recent weeks. They also previously requested stripping Arévalo of immunity over alleged mishandling of party funds, and requested that he and his vice president-elect also lose their i...

Hoffenheim beats Bochum to end four-game winless streak in Bundesliga

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:53:37 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric scored one and made another as Hoffenheim snapped a four-game winless streak with a 3-1 win over Bochum in the Bundesliga on Friday.Coming into the match, Hoffenheim had won only four points at home, the fewest of all 18 German clubs.But it was the hungrier of the two teams from the off and it took the lead in the 32nd minute, albeit thanks to a stroke of luck. Dutch striker Wout Weghorst took an inviting pass from Kramaric and, although his shot was saved, it hit Bochum defender Erhan Mašović and rebounded over the line.Kramaric was involved again 11 minutes later when Hoffenheim doubled its lead. He seized on a low cross from the right and neatly wrong-footed the Bochum defense before hammering home from close range.Bochum came more into the game in the second half but only five of its 22 shots were on target and substitute Ihlas Bebou sealed the game for the home side with the third goal 14 minutes from time. Gonçalo Paciência scored...