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Syphilis cases in US newborns skyrocketed in 2022. Health officials suggest more testing.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

By MIKE STOBBE and KENYA HUNTER (Associated Press)NEW YORK — Alarmed by yet another jump in syphilis cases in newborns, U.S. health officials are calling for stepped-up prevention measures, including encouraging millions of women of childbearing age and their partners to get tested for the sexually transmitted disease.More than 3,700 babies were born with congenital syphilis in 2022 — 10 times more than a decade ago and a 32% increase from 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. Syphilis caused 282 stillbirth and infant deaths, nearly 16 times more than the 2012 deaths.The 2022 count was the most in more than 30 years, CDC officials said, and in more than half of the congenital syphilis cases, the mothers tested positive during pregnancy but did not get properly treated. The rise in congenital syphilis comes despite repeated warnings by public health agencies and it’s tied to the surge in primary and secondary cases of syphilis in adults, CDC o...

No arrests in death of Jewish man after Thousand Oaks protest confrontation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

Paul Kessler died due to head injuries consistent with a fall, but it remains to be seen if charges will be filed against the person who allegedly struck him, according to Ventura County officials.On Tuesday, Ventura County Sheriff's Office officials provided an update into the death of Kessler, an elderly Jewish man who died after a confrontation with pro-Palestinian demonstrator in Thousand Oaks.Kessler, 69, was "struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor," the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles said."While we wait for more information from our law enforcement partners, we remind you that this is the fourth major antisemitic crime committed in Los Angeles this year alone," a statement from the organization reads. "Violence against our people has no place in civilized society."Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said investigators have "not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime," and said Kessler's death is being investigated as a homicide.However, th...

Airbnb renter who stayed at Brentwood home moves out

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

Elizabeth Hirschhorn, referred to as the “tenant from hell," has moved out of the Brentwood Airbnb rental she has been staying in since 2021.Hirschhorn was escorted out of the guest house last Friday by police after she had been living there “rent-free” for 575 days, People magazine reported. Before moving out, Hirschhorn refused to leave unless she received $100,000 for relocation costs. Airbnb renter stays at Brentwood home for more than a year without paying Sascha Jovanovic, the landlord, met Hirschhorn when she rented his guesthouse through Airbnb for six months at $105 per night. When her stay was over and she refused to leave, that’s when the trouble started.Hirschhorn’s attorney previously told the Los Angeles Times that “she was not required to pay rent because the city had never approved the unit for occupancy and that its shower was constructed without a permit.”“This is like a nightmare, to be honest,” Jovanovic previously told KTLA. “This is extortion. This is like ma...

Captain of dive boat that caught fire and sunk near Channel Islands convicted in deaths of 34 passengers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

The captain of the Conception dive boat that sunk to the bottom of the ocean near Santa Cruz Island in 2019 has been convicted in the deaths of the 34 souls on board.Jerry Nehl Boylan, 69, of Santa Barbara was found guilty of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, better known as "seaman's manslaughter." Boylan could face up to 10 years in federal prison.Boylan captained the Conception dive boat, a 75-foot wood and fiberglass vessel that was well known in the diving community and offered overnight stays and early morning diving excursions near the Channel Islands.In this photo provided by the Ventura County Fire Department, VCFD firefighters respond to a fire aboard the Conception dive boat fire in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of Southern California on Sept. 2, 2019. (Ventura County Fire DepartmentOn Sept. 2, 2019, while the boat was anchored off of Santa Cruz Island, about 25 miles south of Santa Barbara, a fire broke out on board, quickly engulfing the vessel and trappi...

Vikash Kumar Arrested following Fatal DUI Crash on Highway 180 [Fresno, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

Two-Vehicle Collision Near Armstrong Avenue Resulted in FatalityFRESNO, CA (November 7, 2023) – Police arrested Vikash Kumar last Saturday morning following a deadly DUI collision on Highway 180.CHP received reports of the crash around 12:25 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Highway 180, just east of Armstrong Avenue.According to the police, an eastbound Honda Accord tried to correct his wrong way of travel by attempting to make a U-turn.However, the Honda driver turned left, directly into the path of an oncoming Buick Enclave traveling westbound.Police said the Buick collided with the passenger side of the Honda, leaving the Honda passenger with fatal injuries.At this time, the identity of the deceased passenger remains undisclosed to the public, pending notification from the next of kin.Additionally, paramedics transported the Honda driver, 30-year-old Vikash Kumar of Fresno, to Community Regional Medical Center for life-threatening injuries. Kumar is expected to be booked in F...

Thanksgiving: Talking Turkey And Beyond

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

Let’s talk turkey. Yes, the hallowed bird has been the centerpiece of Thanksgiving tables for centuries. As our tastes and eating trends have evolved over the years, so have our menus for that fourth Thursday in November.  Side dishes have taken over the spotlight, duck has replaced turkey and tempeh, tofu and seitan have given the not-so-friendly fowl a reprieve. Whether traditional or transcendental, go out on a limb with these Thanksgiving ideas…Surrounded by film studio ranches once populated by Hollywood stars and tucked into the city’s leafy Rancho Equestrian neighborhood, Hotel Amarano is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in Burbank. In the fall of 2020, the 132-room luxury boutique hotel unveiled a new brand identity and restaurant FYC Bar + Kitchen. Its reasonable $55 three-course Thanksgiving menu includes acorn squash soup or quinoa and kale salad with walnuts and dried cranberries in a blueberry vinaigrette, roasted turkey with stuffing and the fixings or pineapple glazed ...

Supreme Court likely to preserve gun law that protects domestic violence victims

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

By Mark Sherman | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Tuesday to preserve a federal law that prohibits people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.In their first guns case since last year’s expansion of gun rights, the justices suggested that they will reverse a ruling from an appeals court in New Orleans that struck down the 1994 ban on firearms for people under court order to stay away from their spouses or partners.Liberal and conservative justices sounded persuaded by arguments from the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer that the prohibition is in line with the longstanding practice of disarming dangerous people.The case before the court involves a Texas man, Zackey Rahimi, who was accused of hitting his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and later threatening to shoot her.The justices peppered Rahimi’s lawyer, J. Matthew Wright, with skeptical questions that seemed to foretell the outcome.“You ...

Heisman Watch: Nix closes on Penix just as Oregon shadows Washington

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

Welcome to our weekly look at the Pac-12’s leading Heisman Trophy candidates via an assessment of the top players in the conference. Consider this one Heisman voter’s view of the landscape. The rankings are based on individual performance, value to the team and quality of competition. And yes, we consider defensive players.One notable aspect of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix’s pursuit of the Heisman Trophy is how closely it tracks the Ducks’ quest for the Pac-12 title and potential berth in the College Football Playoff.Early-season attention but not the favorite.High-quality play on a weekly basis.Impressive performance at Washington but not quite good enough.Post-Washington dominance and November momentum.That trajectory describes Nix’s individual play and Oregon’s collective performance. And now, with three weeks remaining in the regular season, both player and team are ideally positioned to reach their goals.The Ducks are one game behind UW and would clinch a s...

Orinda film fest is back with another impressively wide-ranging lineup

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

It might not receive the same fanfare as other Bay Area counterparts, but the California Independent Film Festival in Orinda — celebrating its 25th anniversary — deserves to bask in the spotlight.Related ArticlesThings To Do | Evan Ellingson dies at 35; child actor had roles in ‘CSI: Miami,’ ’24’ Things To Do | ‘Black Panther’ stuntman, three of his children killed in car crash in Atlanta Things To Do | hould movie theaters provide intermissions, even if filmmakers don’t? Things To Do | Weekend box office results are muted without ‘Dune: Part Two’ Things To Do | Saratoga students earn film festival honors for ‘Environmental Justice’ This year’s program of 28 films from 14 countries runs Nov. 9-16 and reflects organizers’ emphasis of quality over quantity, particularly in the international selections.Screenings take place at the Orinda Theatre. Tickets for most sc...

Oakland A’s extend manager Mark Kotsay’s contract through 2025 season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:18 GMT

It’s unclear where the A’s will be playing in 2025, but manager Mark Kotsay has a spot in the dugout.The team announced on Tuesday morning that Kotsay’s contract has been extended through 2025. That eliminates a potential lame-duck situation next season, which very likely could be the team’s final one in Oakland. MLB owners are expected to vote next week on the A’s bid to relocate to Las Vegas. Even if the move is approved, a new stadium is still several years away, and the location of the franchise’s home base following next season is very much up in the air.Kotsay, who turns 48 next month, just completed his second season as the A’s manager. He was promoted from third base coach when Bob Melvin departed for the San Diego Padres following the 2021 season, signing a three-year deal that included this club option for 2025.Kotsay inherited a team in massive transition — all of the biggest stars have been traded off the past two seasons a...