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Author Kam Majd inspires and thrills with “High Wire,” a fast-paced aviation novel featuring a heroine that critics are calling “Erin Brockovich meets Jack Ryan”

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

Combining the high-stakes action of a blockbuster thriller with the dynamic relatability of a fascinating protagonist, Kam Majd’s “High Wire” continues to receive critical praise from the media and the readers.The novel follows pilot and single mother Captain Kate Gallagher, who faces vicious backlash and scrutiny, in the wake of a plane crash in which six people die. Blamed by the public and media, fighting to protect her daughter and clear her name, no one believes that the flight controls refused to follow her commands. Alone, desperate to find the cause, Kate delves into the worlds of technology and corporate greed, until she learns the true cause of her crash—a computer virus designed to kill, and one that has already zeroed in on another plane. With minutes to go, Kate becomes the only hope of saving the 262 passengers over the Atlantic. And the price of saving all those lives, just one… hers.Setting out to write a high-tech thriller with a human touch, Majd uses his 44 years ...

Donald Trump to appear in court and be charged in historic moment Tuesday

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

Donald Trump will officially become the first former president to face criminal charges Tuesday when he’s arraigned in a New York courtroom — an appearance that is expected to be quick and routine but represents a surreal and historic moment in US history.Trump is set to arrive at the courthouse in downtown Manhattan Tuesday afternoon, where his arrest will be processed by the district attorney’s office and he will be brought to the courtroom to hear the charges against him.News outlets will not be able to broadcast the arraignment live, a judge said Monday night, rejecting a request from several media organizations, including CNN. Five still photographers, however, will be allowed to take pictures of Trump and the courtroom before the hearing begins.The indictment returned last week by a grand jury against Trump is also expected to be unsealed Tuesday, providing the public — and Trump’s legal team — with the first details about the specific charges he will face. The investigation s...

Andrew Wiggins’ return to Warrios imminent but is it too late?

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

Andrew Wiggins can be a difference maker for the Warriors in the playoffs, but how long he takes to get back to his elite two-way form will impact how far the team will go.Wiggins missed 22 straight games and has been away from the team since Feb. 14 to deal with a family matter. While he’s been training on his own during his absence, individual work is much different than live-action speed and physicality.With his arrival coming with a week left in the regular season and two weeks before the first round of the playoffs, a few questions arise.For starters, when will he be cleared to play and back to the “two-way Wiggs” who locked down stars like Luka Doncic in the conference finals and Jayson Tatum in the finals whom fans adored during last year’s title run?Wiggins is expected to be at Tuesday’s home finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors are scheduled to have two practices between their two additional road games, which are scheduled for Friday at Sacramento and in P...

Walters: Gov. Newsom wins feud with oil industry — or did he?

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

So, the third time was the charm for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s crusade to punish oil companies for what he described as price-gouging — sort of.Newsom spent six months vilifying the oil industry after retail gasoline prices surged last year to as much as $2.60 a gallon over the national average, and initially proposed a tax on windfall profits.However, that didn’t wash with enough Democrats in the Legislature to pass, since new taxes require a two-thirds vote. Newsom then exchanged the tax for penalties, but while they would have required only a simple-majority vote, legislators were also cool to deciding what profit margins would be allowed.Finally — and almost in desperation — Newsom cut a deal that would dump the whole issue onto the California Energy Commission to gather data about refinery operations, establish a reasonable profit allowance and assess penalties for exceeding it.“Finally, we’re in a position to look our constituents in the eye and say we now have a better understandin...

Office vacancies rise in Silicon Valley and balloon in San Francisco

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

SAN JOSE — Office vacancy rates have increased in the South Bay and have ballooned to scary heights in San Francisco amid a wobbly economy punctuated by wide-ranging job cuts in the tech and biotech sectors.The worsening state of the tech sector fueled jumps in the availability of office space during the first three months of 2023 in the South Bay and San Francisco, according to a new report by Savills, a commercial real estate firm.Silicon Valley’s office vacancy rate increased to 23.1% in the first quarter of 2023, a level that Savills described as a “new historical high”, and up from 22.7% in the final three months of 2022, the company stated in the report.San Francisco’s office vacancy level rocketed 32.7%, “a new all-time high,” in the 2023 first quarter, up from 32.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022, Savills reported.Asking office rents in San Francisco averaged $5.89 a month in the January-through-March quarter of 2023, down from $5.94 ...

A whole new ballgame: Monkey business baseball heads to San Jose

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

Turkey Mike’s has been the star at San Jose’s 82-year-old ballpark on the corner of East Alma and Senter Road for years.But for one night this summer, it’ll be all about the Bananas instead of the barbecue.A batter on stilts – who also plays first base. Back-flipping outfielders. Yellow baseballs. Flaming baseballs … and bats. Twerking umpires. And a 76-year-old relief pitcher who isn’t opposed to chugging a beer in the stands before reaching the mound.The Savannah Bananas are coming to San Jose. And it happens to be the toughest ticket to score in baseball this summer. Savannah Bananas Luke Kelley (6), Matt Malatesta (11), Maceo Harrison (00), Christian Dearman (25) and Collin Ledbetter (23) perform after the second inning during a game against the Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field in May of 2022 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS) The Bananas have been playing their unique – and wildly entertaining – version of the national pastime for seve...

The eight most expensive reported home sales in Hayward the week of March 27

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

A house in Hayward that sold for $1.3 million tops the list of the most expensive real estate sales in Hayward in the past week.In total, 8 real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $888,500. The average price per square foot ended up at $487.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of March 27 even if the property may have been sold earlier.8. $710,000, condominium in the 200 block of Sullivan WayThe 1,860 square-foot condominium in the 200 block of Sullivan Way, Hayward, has now been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in February and the total purchase price was $710,000, $382 per square foot. The condominium was built in 2011. The condominium features 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.Sullivan Way7. $715,000, single-family residence in the 20200 block of Times AvenueA sale has been finalized for the single-family house in the 20200 block of Times Avenue in Hayward. The pr...

Opinion: California migrant-children program could be national model

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

Migration by unaccompanied minors remains a central topic in immigration. Adding to concerns for young migrants’ welfare, the New York Times recently exposed the prevalence of migrant child labor in the United States and the conditions under which unaccompanied Central American children fall into exploitative, dangerous and life-threatening jobs.Following these revelations, the Biden administration announced plans to increase enforcement of immigration and labor laws — actions that many advocate for. But this oversimplifies child labor in the U.S. as a failure of oversight and ignores that children engage in labor migration as a means of survival.Families need alternatives to support themselves. Thus, efforts to protect unaccompanied immigrant children in the U.S. must pair law enforcement with the provision of social services that offer new opportunities for migrant children and their families.We don’t have to look far to imagine this pairing. California, which is consistently one ...

Sale closed in Saratoga: $2.4 million for a three-bedroom home

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

12402 Woodside Drive – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 12400 block of Woodside Drive in Saratoga was sold on March 17, 2023. The $2,380,000 purchase price works out to $1,138 per square foot. The house, built in 1956, has an interior space of 2,092 square feet. The property features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces, as well as a pool in the backyard. The unit sits on a 10,206-square-foot lot.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:On Titus Avenue, Saratoga, in October 2022, a 2,520-square-foot home was sold for $2,500,000, a price per square foot of $992. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,230-square-foot home on the 18900 block of Easton Place in Saratoga sold in December 2022, for $3,000,000, a price per square foot of $1,345. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In November 2022, a 1,774-square-foot home on Easton Drive in Saratoga sold for $2,663,000, a price per square foot of $1,501. The home has...

San Jose mayor pushes back on bill criminalizing homelessness

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:26 GMT

(KRON) -- Homelessness has been a nationwide issue for years. In San Jose, there are close to 7,000 people that are currently unhoused. A bill criminalizing homelessness would ultimately not only make them move, but also could cost them a misdemeanor.Senate Bill 31 was introduced by Senator Brian Jones of San Diego and would ban people from sitting on a sidewalk within 1,000 feet of a sensitive area. Places like schools, daycares, parks and libraries. Those found within those 1,000 feet would not only be in violation and have to move, but would also get an infraction or a misdemeanor.Currently, San Jose already prohibits people from camping in some within 150 feet from schools and doesn’t allow the blocking of sidewalks streets or trails.What does San Jose mayor Matt Mahan say?Well, the homeless camps do need to be cleared out. In fact, his recent budget proposes more safe parking sites, sanctioned encampments and “no encampment zones" in commercial areas like downtown. But he doesn...