What to expect — and not to expect — from SF Giants at MLB Winter Meetings

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

What to expect — and not to expect — from SF Giants at MLB Winter Meetings NASHVILLE — The 2,888-room Gaylord Opryland Resort, set on nine acres east of downtown, is the kind of sprawling place in which you can get lost. Multiple forested atriums, winding walking paths that circle the artificial island and the lazy river surrounding it. Christmas trees stand 50 feet high, below oversized decorative guitars suspended from glass ceilings.The scale of it is massive.And, for the first time since 2015, it is the site of MLB’s Winter Meetings, with executives from all 30 clubs getting into town Sunday and commissioner Rob Manfred kicking off the three-day gathering Monday morning with the announcement of MLB’s charity auction (featuring Gotham Club passes from Giants and batting practice at the Oakland Coliseum, which you can bid on through 7 p.m. PT Thursday here.)The week will be defined by Shohei Ohtani, the two-way sensation said to be nearing a decision in his free agency. Giants manager Bob Melvin, president Farhan Zaidi and part-owner Buster P...

UC Berkeley chef charged with filming explicit video chat with prepubescent girls

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

UC Berkeley chef charged with filming explicit video chat with prepubescent girls BERKELEY — A San Leandro man who works as a chef for UC Berkeley has been charged with possessing hundreds of child pornography files, including some he allegedly filmed during a video chat with young girls living in Vietnam and the Philippines, court records show.Gregory Andrade, 56, was charged Nov. 17 with possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, as well as two felony counts of using a minor for sex acts. The two latter charges stem from video chats on Feb. 26 and March 5, according to police.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Trial set for East Bay siblings linked to 2021 killing of Carmel woman Crime and Public Safety | Antioch releases video of officers shooting less lethal round at transgender woman whose hands were raised Crime and Public Safety | East Bay man guilty of murdering romantic rival on Valentine’s Day, faces life without parole Crime and Public Safety | Another ex-FCI Dubli...

Holiday Baking 2023: Three new cookbooks to inspire the perfect cookie platter

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

Holiday Baking 2023: Three new cookbooks to inspire the perfect cookie platter Looking for ways to boost your cookie-baking skills this holiday season? We paged through three hot new baking cookbooks to help and the results — Scandinavian honey cookies with chocolate, gingerbread and coconut almond slice-and-bake butter cookies — are sure to impress at your next holiday party or cookie exchange.But there’s more where these recipes came from. Here’s what to expect from the pages of these new baking-centric volumes.‘Scandinavian from Scratch’ by Nichole AccettolaScandinavian from Scratch is a cookbook by Nichole Accettola, the chef and owner behind Kantine, a Scandinavian cafe and bakery in San Francisco. (Courtesy Anders Schønnemann/Ten Speed Press) For guidance on what to bake when it’s cold out, why not seek guidance from the folks who weather some of the gnarliest winters out there, the Scandinavians?Nichole Accettola, the chef-owner behind San Francisco’s Kantine, a Scandinavian bakery and cafe, offers more tha...

Festival La Onda lineup announced by BottleRock

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

Festival La Onda lineup announced by BottleRock SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Alejandro Fernandez, Mana, Fuerza Regida, and Junior H are among the headliners for the inaugural Festival La Onda, BottleRock announced on Monday. The Latin music festival will be held at the Napa Valley Expo on June 1 and June 2 and is an offshoot of the long-running BottleRock festival."La Onda by BottleRock will offer the hottest Latin musical acts spanning several genres, including regional Mexican, Latin pop, Spanish rock, reggaeton, mariachi, rap, norteno, cumbia, bolero and more," read a press release from BottleRock. Places with the lowest cost of living in California: study In addition to the headliners, other notable acts appearing at the festival include Cafe' Tacuba, Los Angeles Azules and Gera MX.Festival La Ona lineup:ManaFuerza RegidaAlejandro FernandezJunior HFarrukoEslabon ArmandoCafe TacubaLos Angeles AzulesMon LaferteGabito BallesterosDianna PaolaYahritzia y Su EsenciaMaldita VecindadLa ArrolladoraEden MunozGera MXXimena SarinanaSiddhart...

Suspect caught with 43 fraudulent debit cards in Rohnert Park

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

Suspect caught with 43 fraudulent debit cards in Rohnert Park (KRON) -- A man who authorities said is a suspect in over a dozen cases of fraudulent transactions across California was arrested Friday in Rohnert Park after a traffic stop, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety (RPDPS) said.Rohnert Park officers responded to a bank on the 200 block of Rohnert Park Expressway at 6:04 a.m. on Dec. 1 after receiving a report that a suspicious person was using fraudulent debit cards. The suspect’s vehicle was found leaving the area, and officers initiated a traffic enforcement stop, RPDPS said. Rain returns to Bay Area Tuesday night and will last through Friday Antonio Kronidis, identified as the suspect, was in possession of 43 fraudulent debit cards and over $3,000 in cash, according to police. Kronidis is also suspected of over a dozen fraudulent transactions in California, RPDPS said.KRON On is streaming live.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container ifra...

San Franciso ranked as 5th most fun city in US

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

San Franciso ranked as 5th most fun city in US TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — When you think of the most fun cities in America, what comes to mind? WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 65 pertinent metrics. The three key dimensions were entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and overall costs."WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state," WalletHub stated.Las Vegas, Nevada, topped the list as the most fun city in America, with a score of 71.38. WalletHub gave the city the top spots in the entertainment and recreation rank and the nightlife and parties categories.Coming in at No. 2 and No. 3 were two Florida cities: Orlando and Miami.The report said Orlando's nation-leading theme parks helped the city rank toward the top of the list. 3 Bay Area cities named among CA towns with most holiday spirit The city has one of the lowest nightly rates for a 3-star hotel room and relatively low average prices for staple foods...

Two-car crash in Palo Alto closes street near Stanford

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

Two-car crash in Palo Alto closes street near Stanford Police in Palo Alto are advising motorists to avoid the area of a collision near Stanford University on Monday morning. Oakland school district responds to planned ‘unsanctioned’ pro-Palestine teach-in The two-car crash has closed down Alma Street in both directions between Lincoln Street and Addison Avenue, police said in an advisory shortly after 8 a.m.KRON On is streaming live news 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%; }Details about the collision were not immediately available.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

How to get a really low mortgage rate? Assume the seller’s mortgage, and have a pile of cash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

How to get a really low mortgage rate? Assume the seller’s mortgage, and have a pile of cash There is a way to get a much lower mortgage rate from the past, but it’s complicated, not common and requires what could easily be a six-figure equivalent of a down payment.Assumable mortgages are those that lenders will allow sellers to sign over to buyers, with the existing interest rate and existing remaining balance. Assuming the seller’s existing loan rate would almost certainly mean a much lower rate, depending on when they bought, and it gets the buyer around today’s much higher prevailing rates.Assumable mortgages are allowed in only certain circumstances, and not those loans that are conventional financing. Assumable mortgages can apply to VA, FHA and USDA loans.If a buyer finds a seller able and willing to sign over their existing mortgage, the buyer pays the selling price, which would most certainly be higher than the seller’s remaining mortgage balance.“The buyer has to bring cash to the table to cover that seller’s equity. The hurdle to getting into a situation like tha...

International Ice Hockey Federation to mandate neck guards after the death of a player by skate cut

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

International Ice Hockey Federation to mandate neck guards after the death of a player by skate cut The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Monday that it is making neck guards mandatory for all levels of competition in the tournaments it runs, including the Olympics and men’s and women’s world championships.The mandate would not apply to professional leagues, including the NHL, which currently does not have any cut-proof safety requirements for players.The IIHF’s move comes after American Adam Johnson was killed when his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England in late October. The exact date for the new mandates to go into effect is still to be determined, based on the supply of neck guards available amid high demand.The IIHF initially only had neck protection rules for under-20 and under-18 play, so the neck guards were already mandatory in tournaments like the world juniors championship. The organization that governs hockey around the world decided to widen the order based on the recommendation of its medical committee___AP NHL: https:...

20 years after ‘Sideways,’ Paul Giamatti may finally land his first best actor Oscar nomination

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:41:01 GMT

20 years after ‘Sideways,’ Paul Giamatti may finally land his first best actor Oscar nomination NEW YORK (AP) — When Paul Giamatti made “Sideways” with Alexander Payne, he stayed in a little house in the middle of a large vineyard. At the end of a day of shooting, he would drive home in darkness, with the hills of Napa Valley around him.Giamatti was then a respected character actor, but this was one of his first times as the lead. And he couldn’t believe it.“I remember Alexander saying, ‘You two guys are going to do it,’” recalls Giamatti of himself and Thomas Hayden Church. “And we were like, ‘Seriously?’”In the years since, Giamatti, 56, has remained a leading man, albeit an unlikely one. His ability to carry a movie is now, well, kind of obvious. That goes for indie gems like “Private Life” and “Win Win” or acclaimed series like “John Adams” and “Billions.”But two decades later, “Sideways” remains lodged in Giamatti’s memory. “I remember every second of making it,” he said on a recent afternoon in Manhattan. Wide as his travels have been since – “Hamlet” at Yale...