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‘Locked up for a long time’: Here’s what legal experts say about criminal case against Antioch police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

The allegations of brutality and bravado among Antioch police officers who shared “gory pics” and vowed “blood for blood” are spelled out over 29 pages in one of four federal indictments returned this past week, adding even more outrage to a growing police scandal that has rocked two east Contra Costa County communities for months.But how would the evidence hold up in a criminal court?The Bay Area News Group shared copies of the federal indictments — stuffed with allegations of criminal activity ranging from wire fraud to conspiracy to distribute steroids to barbaric civil rights violations — with three local legal experts to see what they think.Their unanimous opinion: Compelling evidence of horrific crimes and betrayals of public trust suggests several Antioch police officers are headed for prison.“The indictments are very well detailed. They’re thorough and show a very meticulous investigation,” said criminal defense attorney and former S...

Sobriety checkpoint set for Sept. 9 in Sunnyvale

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

Sobriety checkpointSunnyvale’s Department of Public Safety will operate a safety and sobriety checkpoint on Sept. 9. The primary purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving and serve as a deterrent to potentially impaired drivers.Officers will randomly stop vehicles traveling northbound on Mathilda Avenue between Maude and San Aleso avenues and will evaluate drivers to determine their sobriety. Officers will also look at the safety of the vehicle, use of seatbelts and the validity of the operator’s license.The checkpoint is scheduled to operate from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.Youth Leadership AcademyAfter a three-year hiatus, the Department of Public Safety hosted a Youth Leadership Academy this summer. Twenty-eight students entering grades 7-9 participated in t...

Local teens named Eco-Heroes in international competition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

Two local teens, one from Milpitas and the other from Palo Alto, tied with another teen for third place in the 2023 International Young Eco-Hero competition. The two South Bay teens were among 17 young environmental activists from around the world to receive awards from Action For Nature. The awards honor eco-conscious youth ages 8-16 who are taking steps to solve environmental problems.Satvika Iyer, 15, from Milpitas aims to create a healthy and sustainable food system in schools by advocating for more plant-based nutrition and better waste management. She worked with various organizations and her school district to introduce a permanent plant-based menu with meat-free alternatives and salad bars. She also lobbied Congress to include provisions promoting plant-based meals in the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act.Thanks to Satvika’s efforts, her high school has already served more than 5,000 plant-based meals, and she plans to continue her work by helping other school districts ...

Latest line: A good week for South Bay Labor, a bad week for John Eastman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

South Bay LaborTwo public employee unions — MEF-AFSCME Local 101 and IFPTE Local 21 — secure a 15% wage increase over three years for 4,500 San Jose city workers, ending the threat of the biggest city strike since 1981.    John EastmanEx-dean of Chapman University Law School in Orange County, a former Trump advisor, is indicted on nine counts in Georgia as part of Trump’s sweeping racketeering case, and he also faces disbarment in California.   Home buyersThe median sale price of a single-family Bay Area home fell 5% from June to July, to $1.26 million. But due to Fed hikes, mortgage rates are topping 7% now — the highest in 21 years — spiking monthly costs. 

49ers’ Jake Moody comes through, but there’s still reason to be concerned

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

SANTA CLARA — So Jake Moody’s 32-yard field goal snaked through the right upright as the clock ticked to zero and now the 49ers can live happily ever after.Or can they?Based on what we saw from Moody in the 49ers’ 21-20 win over the Denver Broncos Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium, it’s not as if the Faithful going to be breathing easy in Week 1 when the 49ers visit the Pittsburgh Steelers.Same goes for coach Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the team, which pretty much took Robbie Gould for granted as he converted field goal after field goal in all kinds of weather.For whatever reason, the 49ers moved on from the 40-year-old Gould, instead using a third round selection to take Moody with the 99th overall selection out of Michigan.Under normal circumstances, it’s high for a place kicker. Too high in most cases. But the 49ers believe they are locked and loaded for a deep postseason run, so using such a high pick on the player who will likely be their le...

They said it: A dark day for law enforcement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

“I’m gonna f—- someone up and hopefully get you a (dog) bite.”“Exactly! Blood for blood.”— Text messages between Antioch Police officers charged Thursday in sweeping federal indictments that included a plot to “injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate citizens of Antioch.” 

Fusion breakthrough highlights Tri-Valley’s emergence as Bay Area tech mecca

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

For a brief moment in December, scientists inside a nondescript gray building in the Bay Area suburbs re-created the conditions of the sun.“It’s a singular moment in humanity,” said Vincent Tang, the principal deputy director for the National Ignition Facility and Photon Science Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. “The first time that anyone has brought star fire to Earth.”The breakthrough — fusion ignition — was a stirring moment for the team, some of whom had been working toward this for decades. The achievement was hailed by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm as “one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century,” portending the potential for a nearly unlimited source of clean renewable energy. According to Tang, it is “one of the most important missions on earth.”Laser Bay in the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on Wednesday, Aug 2, 2023, in Livermore, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) The Li...

The Dutch prime minister tells Zelenskyy the Netherlands and Denmark will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch prime minister tells Zelenskyy the Netherlands and Denmark will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.Source

Los ecuatorianos acuden este domingo a las urnas bajo una creciente ola de violencia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

QUITO, Ecuador – Más de 13.4 millones de ecuatorianos están convocados este domingo a las urnas para votar en unas inéditas elecciones generales, que se celebran en medio de una escalada de violencia atribuida al crimen organizado que tuvo uno de sus episodios más recientes y trágicos en el asesinato del candidato presidencial Fernando Villavicencio.En el proceso, que comenzó el pasado jueves con el voto de los presos sin sentencia en firme, y siguió el viernes con el voto en casa para mayores de 50 años o personas con discapacidad de más del 75%, los ecuatorianos designarán al sucesor o sucesora del actual presidente, el conservador Guillermo Lasso, y a los 137 nuevos integrantes de la Asamblea Nacional (Parlamento).Ello luego de que en mayo pasado, Lasso disolviera la Asamblea, de mayoría opositora, cuando se disponía a votar una moción de censura en su contra por presunto peculado (malversación), que él negaba, y pidiera la convocatoria a elecciones, amparado en el recurso ...

As mortgage rates soar over 7%, an unaffordable housing market is becoming even more expensive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:32 GMT

Washington, DC (CNN) — An already miserably unaffordable housing market is getting more expensive. As mortgage rates top 7% — the highest they’ve been in 21 years according to Freddie Mac — home buyers face ballooning costs. Some housing experts are warning that rates could keep climbing toward 8%.What does this mean for house hunters? Even ever-optimistic real estate pros say buyers and sellers must adjust their expectations.“I don’t like to be ‘doom and gloom,’ this is my book of business,” said Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, a national real estate firm. “I still say real estate is the best long-term investment. But there has been a shift. It is flawed for people to assume that just because inflation has started to move in the right direction, that mortgage rates will go down, too.” Despite recent reports that inflation is cooling, it’s still too high and the economy too hot — and for the housing market, that’s not good, said Freedman.“The fact that we are seei...