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Opinion: Expanding RYDE enables senior mobility and empowerment

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

Mobility is a gift. But, as with health, it’s one of those things you don’t think much about until you don’t have it. And let’s face it, the older folks get, the more limited their mobility becomes.The ability to get around is foundational to a thriving society, enabling community members to access opportunities, essential services and social connections. This is especially true for older adults, who need reliable and affordable transportation options that support their mobility and independence.To meet this need in the West Valley, my office and I helped launch a senior transportation program known as RYDE (Reach Your Destination Easily). RYDE was successfully piloted in Saratoga in 2017 to provide affordable and responsive curb-to-curb transportation for adults over age 64. Thanks to the outstanding work and support of two great nonprofits that operate the program—the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council and West Valley Community Services—seniors in several West Valley cities...

Milpitas approves balanced $231.7M budget for FY 2023-24

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

Balanced budget approvedWith an eye toward transitioning the city toward fiscal stability, the Milpitas City Council this month unanimously adopted the budget for fiscal year 2023-24. The budget does not use any reserves and leverages American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.“Achieving a balanced budget of $231.7 million required making difficult choices and careful prioritization to meet the needs of our community,” acting city manager Ashwini Kantak said in a statement.The budget utilizes funding from ARPA to support impacted low-income residents and small businesses in the Milpitas community. It includes enhanced service levels in areas such as public safety, public works, and economic development and housing. Additionally, there are modest investments in recreation, community services and other strategic support functions.City officials expressed cautious optimism about Milpitas’s financial outlook, citing possible near-term economic impacts that may stem from high interest and inf...

Latest line: A good week for Gavin Newsom, a bad week for Ticketmaster

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

Gavin NewsomCalifornia governor’s national profile as a future presidential candidate rises after he gives an hour-long interview to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, and wins accolades for confidence and command of facts.    TicketmasterLA-based ticketing giant announces it will disclose up front the often huge service charges added onto ticket prices for concerts and other events, as President Biden and DC Democrats consider new laws to prohibit “junk fees.”   Lexi ReeseFormer Google VP has money and a Harvard degree. But as she considers a U.S. Senate run, the San Mateo County Democrat is largely unknown, and other tech types like Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina lost. 

New artificial intelligence: Will Silicon Valley ride again to riches on other people’s products?

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

Silicon Valley is poised once again to cash in on other people’s products, making a data grab of unprecedented scale that has already spawned lawsuits and congressional hearings.Chatbots and other forms of generative artificial intelligence that burst onto the technology scene in recent months are fed vast amounts of material scraped from the internet — books, screenplays, research papers, news stories, photos, art, music, code and more — to produce answers, imagery or sound in response to user prompts.Technology companies are falling over themselves to leverage this new and potentially lucrative technology. Google, valued at $1.5 trillion, has gone all in with its Bard chatbot after rival Microsoft, valued at $2.4 trillion, invested billions in San Francisco’s generative AI pioneer OpenAI. Meta, valued at $680 billion, just announced plans to add chatbots to its apps. Venture capitalists are pouring billions of dollars into generative AI startups.But a thorn...

They said it: A hard parting

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

“Sometimes, it just feels personal.”— Stu Clary, a fan of the Oakland Athletics baseball team who organized a June 14 “reverse boycott” that drew 27,759 to the Oakland Coliseum to protest the team’s planned relocation to Las Vegas, where Nevada’s lawmakers and governor approved public funding for the A’s stadium project last week.

Biden, DeSantis highlight parade of Silicon Valley fundraisers. Will all the talk focus on Trump?

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

In the week after news broke of Donald Trump’s historic federal indictment, his campaign announced the former president raised more than $6 million for his 2024 run for the White House.What’s also unique about Trump’s haul — he didn’t raise it the popular way, by flying hat in hand to Northern California.The parade of presidential hopefuls descending on the Bay Area has officially begun with even President Biden himself scheduled to attend three private fundraisers this week at some of the region’s most exclusive neighborhoods.Like Biden, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is coming to the belly of his blue-state rival on Monday — not necessarily to thumb his nose at his Golden State nemesis Gov. Gavin Newsom to rub in Florida’s sending three dozen migrants on a wayward journey to Sacramento earlier this month.DeSantis will be here for the money. A Woodside estate is also on his itinerary ​– just miles from Biden​’s $6,600-a-plate n...

I-80 collision involving big rig diesel spill, one hospitalized

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

(BCN) -- California Highway Patrol is investigating a series of collisions early Sunday on Interstate 80, in Contra Costa County, including a big rig that reportedly spilled diesel fuel after being punctured. 1 dead, 1 injured in shooting at Liberty Station Juneteenth event The crashes were first reported to CHP just before 1 a.m. on Interstate 80, east of Willow Avenue. One person was transported to the hospital with an unknown condition. KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }Several lanes of the interstate were shut down as emergency responders cleared the scene. Some lanes reopened at about 3 a.m. Sunday. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Correction: Obit-Egypt-AP Photo Assistant story

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — In a story published June 12, 2023, about the death of former Associated Press employee Moustafa Bassiouni, The Associated Press erroneously reported that he drove Associated Press photographer Amr Nabil back to Cairo after Nabil sustained a grave eye injury covering an anti-government protest. Nabil had been covering clashes between government supporters and voters after security forces blockaded polling stations in the Nile Delta town of Zagazig, Egypt. Source

Fowler, McIlroy, Scheffler headline the final round in a US Open full of possibilities

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the top of the U.S. Open leaderboard there are two players each going for their first major title. That’s about all they have in common.Rickie Fowler has contended in majors, won nine tournaments across the globe and has long been one of golf’s most recognizable players. Wyndham Clark is playing in only his seventh major and, no matter how he plays Sunday, this will mark the first time he’s finished better than 75th.“It’s a little surreal to be in this situation,” Clark said.In a way, the player one shot behind them, Rory McIlroy, feels the same. He is trying to break a nine-year drought without a major. He starts the day one shot behind the leaders. Does the fact he’s won four of these, including the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, give him an edge?“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve done it.”McIlroy is paired with Scottie Scheffler, who trails the leaders by three. With a win, he would join Tiger Wood...

2 dead, 3 hurt in shooting at Washington state music festival

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:56:44 GMT

GEORGE, Wash. (AP) — Two people were killed and three were injured in a shooting near a Washington state campground area hosting people attending a nearby music festival Saturday night, police said.The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday it received a report of a shooting shortly before 8:30 p.m. at the camping area near the small city of George, 149 miles (239 kilometers) east of Seattle. Officers pursued the suspect, who was then taken into custody.The names and conditions of the victims were not immediately available.Organizers of the Beyond Wonderland electronic music festival said on social media that Sunday’s events at the Gorge Amphitheatre were canceled. The shooting occurred on the campgrounds adjacent to the concert stages, the sheriff’s office said. Concert organizers described the location as an “overflow camping area.” KREM-TV reported the shooter was among the three injured. That was according to Kyle Foreman, public information officer with the Gra...