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U.S. set to destroy its last chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

At a sprawling military installation in the middle of the rolling green hills of eastern Kentucky, a milestone is about to be reached in the history of warfare dating back to World War I.Workers at the Blue Grass Army Depot are close to destroying rockets filled with GB nerve agent that are the last of the United States' declared chemical weapons and completing a decadeslong campaign to eliminate a stockpile that by the end of the Cold War totaled more than 30,000 tons.The weapons' destruction is a major watershed for Richmond, Kentucky, and Pueblo, Colorado, where an Army depot destroyed the last of its chemical agents last month. It's also a defining moment for arms control efforts worldwide.The U.S. faces a Sept. 30 deadline to eliminate its remaining chemical weapons under the international Chemical Weapons Convention, which took effect in 1997 and was joined by 193 countries. The munitions being destroyed in Kentucky are the last of 51,000 M55 rockets with GB nerve agent — a de...

Cydnee with a C Digs NMIXX with an N

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

Cydnee with a C Digs NMIXX with an N: Atlanta-raised, L.A.-based singer Cydnee with a C told us about her NMIXX experience.Cydnee with a C: On May 5, I went to see NMIXX at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Anytime I have the opportunity to see Kpop in the states I’m there! I did a contest on Instagram to have reels made to one of my songs from my EP ‘Confessions of a Fangirl’.I’m grateful to Hunimoon for making a reel to my song “Jealous” and all the hard work she put into it using Blender and After Effects! I picked her as the winner and took her with me to see NMIXX! My favorite NMIXX member ever is Lily. Lily is Korean Australian and during the show she spoke a lot for the group in her Aussie accent, it was so cute! Her voice is so powerful and amazing. She inspires me to be an international artist and perform in countries that don’t even speak my native language.All of the girls did so good and I can tell they worked very hard on their English to communicate with their international ...

New study reveals what can calm snakes in times of stress — and it’s surprisingly relatable

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

By Jackie Wattles | CNNSnakes: They’re just like us — at least in one respect.Like humans, the slithery reptiles may rely on others of their kind to stay calm in times of stress, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Ethology.The study authors focused their research on Southern Pacific rattlesnakes, or Crotalus helleri, which are common in Southern California. They found the snakes that went through stressful situations in the presence of a companion exhibited reduced heart rates compared with those that endured the stress alone.These findings marked the first time that social buffering — a phenomenon in which having companions around can reduce biological responses to stress — has been recorded in reptiles, according to lead study author Chelsea Martin, a doctoral student at Loma Linda University in California. It has been observed previously in humans, rodents, birds and nonhuman primates.“Snakes and reptiles are really interesting because I think...

‘It’s going to change baseball’: Inside the revolutionary hitting program behind LaMonte Wade Jr.’s success

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Ever since he can remember, LaMonte Wade Jr. has had an innate ability to track the baseball.That has manifested this season in the best year of his career. He is one of four players in the majors to get on base at a 40% clip or better and sees more pitches, on average, every time he steps to the plate than all but nine players in the National League.In the rare instance he is called out on strikes, manager Gabe Kapler said, “I believe LaMonte deserves the benefit of the doubt because of how good he’s been at making swing decisions. … It’s not passiveness; it’s controlled aggression.”Only recently, however, has Wade begun to learn why.Through a series of tests, Wade learned that his right eye — the one closest to the pitcher — was his motor eye, one of up to 13,000 permutations that make up his personal motorpreference profile. This little detail allows him to track pitches deep into the zone before switching at the last split-seco...

‘We were spinning pretty quick’: Ruby Princess cruise ship crashes into San Francisco pier

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

By Conor Powell and Holly Yan | CNNA Princess Cruises ship crashed into a pier in San Francisco as it was preparing to dock after a 10-day Alaskan cruise, officials said.The 113,561-ton Ruby Princess “made unexpected contact with the dock at Pier 27” at the port of San Francisco Thursday morning, Princess Cruises said in a statement obtained by CNN.“There were no injuries and at no time were any guests or crew in danger,” the company said. “The ship is safely alongside and disembarkation is complete.”Passenger Paul Zasso said he knew something seemed off as the ship approached the pier.“I noticed we were spinning pretty quick, to be that close to the dock,” Zasso told CNN affiliate KGO. “I was mid-ship, portside, looked out the window, and we smacked into the dock.”The US Coast Guard is now investigating the crash, Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel told CNN.The ship, which can accommodate 3,080 guests and 1,200 crew, suffered damage to its left rear side. The dock was also damaged, Prin...

Pleasanton: Food Truck Frenzy visits the mall this July

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

A series of food truck events — a Food Truck Frenzy — are headed for Pleasanton’s Stoneridge Shopping Center this month offering cupcakes, Colombian food, rock band-themed burgers and even Hello Kitty treats and merch.The mobile restaurants will set up shop in front of the Cheesecake Factory and Macy’s Women on six days throughout July.Empanadas are among the offerings at the Crazy Empanada food truck, which is scheduled to come to Pleasanton’s Stoneridge Shopping Center on July 14 and 23. (Courtesy Stoneridge Shopping Center.) Here are the planned events:Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9, noon to 6 p.m.Sweet Back Cupcakes will bring its trailer featuring fresh, colorfully-frosted cupcakes. Started by Alane Webb, who grew up in Sunnyvale, the online cupcakery and delivery service offers a chocolate, vanilla, and fruit-inspired cupcake flavors. Among them, a chocolate cherry cordial cupcake, made with bittersweet chocolate cake and frosted with maraschino...

Photos: U.S. Women’s Open off and swinging

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

PEBBLE BEACH – With the coastline still thick with fog, and a handful of bleary-eyed fans bordering the fairway, Kelly Xu teed up. To the slowly building gallery, the 19-year-old amateur offered a small wave. They cheered, briefly, going silent at the course marshal’s signal.Xu swung back. She swung through.Crack.The first-ever U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links was underway.The long-awaited local debut of the championship began Thursday morning, sending 156 of the world’s top female golfers across the Monterey Peninsula’s famed 6,505-yard, par-72 course.Harigae and her caddy/husband, Travis Kreiter, could be seen chatting and discussing strategy as they traversed the course Thursday morning (Molly Gibbs – Monterey Herald).Monterey native and 2008 Stevenson School grad, Harigae came runner-up in the 2022 U.S Women’s Open and took home over $1 million (Molly Gibbs – Monterey Herald).She moved to 1-over after the seventh hole, thanks to back-to-back birdies (Moll...

How can I report my neighbor’s fraud concerning a handicap plate? Roadshow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

Q: I know you deal more with traffic/road conditions, but perhaps you could provide guidance on handling a longtime issue with the DMV and the city of Oakland.The next-door neighbor parked his RV in front of his home and mine. For decades, neighbors tried to get the RV moved because it is a safety hazard, creating a blind spot for residents with oncoming traffic. (Drivers use our street as a shortcut to avoid a traffic light at the next corner.) The city placed a sign prohibiting parking vehicles over 6 feet, but the neighbor got an exemption because he had a handicap placard (and later, a handicap license plate).The neighbor passed away in May 2022. The RV remains at the corner with the disabled license plate. His son doesn’t live at the property, but comes once a week to move the RV on street cleaning days. My guess is the handicap license plate was issued to the father, so I plan to contact the DMV about possible fraud.I went to the DMV’s website to see what’s r...

A’s failed bid to acquire Tigers pitcher illustrates team’s financial ineptitude

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

An innocuous, off-the-cuff remark from A’s manager Mark Kotsay after a loss offered yet another reminder of how depressing business is for Major League Baseball’s worst team.In the aftermath of Thursday’s 9-0 defeat in Detroit, Kotsay praised Tigers winning pitcher Michael Lorenzen’s performance before revealing how he pushed A’s management to sign him in free agency.“He’s an All-Star for a reason … He’s a guy I really wanted to acquire this offseason,” said Kotsay, who had good reasons for wanting the tough-nosed right-hander on his team, even beyond the fact both are proud Cal State Fullerton alums.DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JULY 05: Manager Mark Kotsay of the Oakland Athletics looks on in the seventh inning while playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 05, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)  Although it’s not known how seriously Oakland pursued Lorenzen, or how seriously Lorenzen considered Oakland, it was proof that even middli...

Damaged cruise ship under repair after hitting SF pier while docking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:25 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A cruise ship suffered visible damage after hitting Pier 27 while docking in San Francisco, Princess Cruise confirmed to KRON4. The ship, the Ruby Princess, made "unexpected contact with the dock at Pier 27 while docking," Princess Cruise said.No one was injured in the incident, and no passengers or crewmembers were in danger as a result of the accident, the cruise line said. Flight diverted to Oakland after AirDropped bomb threat The ship, which had just completed a 10-day roundtrip cruise to Alaska, is "safely alongside" with disembarkation taking place as scheduled, Princess Cruise said. The cruise line and local authorities are assessing damage to the ship and the pier.The crash into the pier occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the cruise line.Photos obtained by KRON4 showed what appears to be damage to the pier as well as to the ship.Photo: Rachel ArtzPhoto: Rachel ArtzPhoto: Rachel ArtzPhoto: Rachel ArtzThere were 3,328 passengers abo...