The Mercury News

Map: Where the PG&E outages will be

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 01:31:33 GMT

Due to extreme fire weather conditions and a red flag warning running from Sunday to Tuesday across most of Northern California, PG&E announced late Friday that it will be shutting off power to more than 466,000 customers. The outage will the largest ‘public safety power shutoff’ of 2020 so far. Forecasters say winds of up to 70 mph at higher elevations and 50 mph at lower elevations acre expected across the Bay Area on Sunday night and early Monday morning. Shutoffs reduce the chances that high winds will topple power lines causing major fires amid very low humidity and extremely dry conditions.

To see specifics for your community, go to: https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/updates/

Here’s a map of where the outages will be.

Palo Alto: Police probe ‘rare’ overnight home burglary

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 01:18:57 GMT

PALO ALTO – An investigation is underway into a rare overnight burglary of an occupied residence in Palo Alto, police said.

The burglary occurred at a home on the 1100 block of Hamilton Avenue between 4:10 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Thursday, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a news release Friday.

Police said the suspect stole electronic items and keys to a vehicle.

No force was used to enter the residence, and police said they believe the suspect found a key hidden outside the home and used it to gain entry while the residents slept. Both the residence and the vehicle have since been rekeyed.

Overnight burglaries in Palo Alto are “extremely rare,” police said.

“Most residential burglars commit their crimes during the day, when homes are unoccupied and the chance of a confrontation with a resident are correspondingly reduced,” police said.

Police said there is no evidence linking the burglary to a pair of similar crimes on Oct. 12.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact police at 650-329-2413. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-383-8984 or email paloalto@tipnow.org.

Former Marin caretaker accused of $500K theft

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:57:28 GMT

A former in-home caretaker at a residence in Mill Valley has been arrested on allegations she stole more than $500,000 worth of gold, jewelry and cash from her clients.

Brandy Bernice Bullard, 41, of Stockton was booked into Marin County Jail on Thursday on suspicion of grand theft, burglary and other crimes.

The victims reported the alleged theft earlier this month, Marin County sheriff’s Sgt. Brenton Schneider said. They provided evidence of an attempted break-in to a safe inside their home, Schneider said.

Investigators executed search warrants at Bullard’s residence on Thursday. They found two unregistered loaded firearms hidden in children’s bedrooms, a large number of identity theft documents, fraudulent Employment Development Department debit cards and forged checks, Schneider said.

The EDD and Stockton police are also investigating the case.

Bullard worked for the Marin family from late 2018 to the middle of this year. The alleged thefts are believed to have started in early 2019, Schneider said.

Bullard is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Blogger links SJPD officers to more bigoted social media a day after DA moves to dismiss ...

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:33:53 GMT

SAN JOSE — A day after the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss 14 criminal convictions they deemed were tainted by San Jose police officers associated with bigoted social-media posts, the blogger who exposed them has published a new dispatch linking more retired and active officers to extremist, transphobic, and Islamophobic posts.

In one passage of the new Medium article posted Friday, the blogger shows that three active, retired, or reserve officers “liked” a post from May that put Adolf Hitler’s mustache on a photo of Gov. Gavin Newsom, with a Nazi flag in the background, in apparent protest of his shutdown of state beaches to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Another segment indicates that three retired SJPD officers made disparaging remarks about Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who was imprisoned, and then had her sentence commuted by former President Barack Obama, for releasing a trove of classified documents to WikiLeaks. Manning since has identified as a trans woman.

One retired officer reportedly responded to a post commenting that Manning “dresses up so he can be in a protected group. BS.” A related remark from a retired officer stated, “Obama thought he was cute…I mean look who Obama married right?” In another post outlined in the Medium article, a reserve officer, who sources confirmed was investigated after the blogger’s last exposé, appears to mock trans athletes and rules deciding whether trans people can participate in sports outside of their birth gender.

The blogger, who writes under the pseudonym “Charlie Paulsen” and identifies as the partner of a police officer, also outlines an array of posts by retired officers that espouse anti-Muslim sentiments. Among them, lambasting a series of New York City settlements paid out to three Muslim women who were forced to remove their hijabs when they took police booking photos.

That directly evokes the blogger’s previous article where, in response to a story about a Muslim woman whose hijab was pulled off by a Ventura County Sheriff’s Office deputy, an active officer wrote, “Hell, I would have pulled it over her face,” and a retired officer suggested using hijabs as nooses. In the new article, Paulsen lays out an array of posts by retired officers seeming to revel in anti-Muslim stances, mocking racial-justice movements, and lampooning Mexican people.

Paulsen wrote about deciding to come forward again after the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that prosecutors were moving to dismiss 14 mostly misdemeanor convictions dating to 2005 after an examination found they hinged entirely on one of about a half-dozen officers who were determined to have engaged in bigoted social-media activity highlighted by Paulsen’s initial June 26 post.

“It is because innocent citizens who may be victims of racist cops are being exonerated, I decided to release this next article,” Paulsen wrote Friday.

Paulsen later told this news organization that potential retaliation was worth facing because “the truth needs to be told.” Paulsen said that the DA’s prospective dismissals offered a sense of direct impact beyond prompting misbehaving officers to start scrubbing their social media posts.

“All of the posts that I included in my article today are available to anyone. These cops are so bold in their beliefs that they’ve made it public,” Paulse said. “All I did was compile them, present the information, ask questions, and allow the public to decide for themselves.”

San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a statement Friday that upon learning about Paulsen’s article that his department “immediately began an investigation. As the author points out, most of these postings appear to have been made by former employees, but that does not make them any less harmful or offensive.”

He added that, “any current employee involved will be swiftly identified and investigated. While I can’t comment specifically on discipline matters, I have no problem saying that we have held officers accountable for these types of actions. We also have found in the past that not every blog post includes a complete account of information.

“I can also comfortably say that if some of these former employees were still working here, I would be seeking their termination.”

After the June 26 article from Paulsen, four active SJPD officers were placed on administrative leave and an internal investigation was launched. Thursday, the department stated that the investigation of those officers was ongoing and could not comment on the status of those officers. But the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, in criticizing the DA dismissal announcement, asserted that two of the four officers were “completely exonerated and are back at work.”

The combination of the DA’s move to dismiss cases as a result of Paulsen’s June article, Paulsen’s new article, and the public defender’s promise that her office’s own review of biased officers will yield more case dismissals figure to keep alive a critical bias question about the department as the city begins to hold public-input sessions to inform its search for a new chief to replace Garcia, who announced his intention to retire around year’s end.

“We want a chief who will encourage an environment of accountability, allowing officers to report racist and illegal behavior without facing retaliation,” Paulsen wrote. “We need a chief who will address the systemic racism at SJPD and will be committed for the long haul.”

Check back later for updates to this story.

Photos: Newsom pledges extra $200M for homeless housing, funds more Bay Area projects

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:25:39 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $200 million boost to his Project Homekey homeless housing fund in San Jose on Friday — a major cash infusion that will back several Bay Area projects.

But he also acknowledged the challenges his administration faces with its anti-homelessness efforts, even admitting there’s not enough housing for everyone temporarily sheltered in pandemic hotels.

SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and the City of San Jose’s housing policy and planning administrator, James Stagi, tour during the grand opening of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: A view of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, is photographed during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Sound
The gallery will resume inseconds
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, right, and the City of San Jose’s housing policy and planning administrator, James Stagi, left, tour during the grand opening of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: An interior view of the computer lab at an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, is photographed during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: An interior view of the community room at an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, is photographed during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: Helen Johnson, a resident at an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, listens to a speaker during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center right, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, left, and Assemblymember Ash Kalra left, listen to a resident, Sandy Escobar, 67, during the grand opening of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: Sandy Escobar, 67, a resident at an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, talks to California Gov. Gavin Newsom during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, right, tour during the grand opening of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: A view of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, is photographed during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during the grand opening of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long-term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo speaks during the grand opening of an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, the governor announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 23: An interior view of the community room at an emergency interim housing community site on Monterey Road, is photographed during the grand opening of the site on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an additional $200 million for Project Homekey, the state’s program for turning hotels and other buildings into long term homeless housing. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

Expand

Click here to read the full article.
Click here if you’re having trouble viewing the slideshow on your mobile device.

Coronavirus: Should the FDA OK an emergency vaccine?

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:18:34 GMT

Within months, healthy Americans could be offered an unlicensed vaccine that has not yet completed rigorous study — and the immense implications are slowly becoming clear.

Confronted by the growing coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is debating the historic use of “emergency use authorization” to permit the use of vaccines when only preliminary — and incomplete — data shows evidence of safety and efficacy.

And the urgency grows as the nation reached a dismal new milestone on Friday, with more than 79,000 new cases reported, 3,000 more than the single-day record set on July 16.

In a Thursday meeting, the FDA insisted that it will enlist “unwavering regulatory safeguards” and not cut any corners if it allowed the early deployment of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

But scientific advisers at the marathon meeting warned that the rapid timetable could jeopardize critical research and damage public confidence in a vaccine. And with such limited data, they added, there may not be enough evidence to prove that a vaccine protects people at highest risk, such as the elderly and members of minority groups.

“There’s only one chance to do this,” said Sheldon Toubman, a Connecticut lawyer and the consumer representative for the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. “If we do it wrong, then we’re done for.”

The debate comes as two vaccines — made by Pfizer and Moderna – are in the final stage of testing. Trials of the other two leading candidates — by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson — have been suspended because of possible side effects.

If granted, such permission would be unprecedented. Only once before has the FDA authorized the emergency use of a vaccine. And that application — to prevent anthrax poisoning in members of the military — was very narrow.

Adding to the unease is the new design of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. They use the power of genetics to produce their vaccines, enlisting a “messenger RNA,” or mRNA, technology. While promising, it has never before received regulatory review.

Because this approach has been proven safe in other applications, the main worry is over efficacy: It’s hard to get it to do precisely what you want it to do.

New poll results released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California show that two-thirds of Californians surveyed are concerned about a rushed approval process for a COVID-19 vaccine. There was particular distrust among Black respondents, with only 29% saying they would definitely or probably get vaccinations, compared to 70% of Asian Americans, 62% of whites and 54% of Latinos.

Traditionally, manufacturers must prove a vaccine’s safety and efficacy by completing studies of at least 30,000 people, including people in high-risk categories. And they must track participants for at least two months — when most problems appear — after the last injection.

Even a vaccine that is little-studied and works just 50% of the time — the current FDA standard — could save many lives.

What is “emergency use authorization”? It says, in essence: “We’re in crisis. And we’ve collected enough data to think that we’ve got something that could help.” Based on the FDA’s interim analysis, it allows a vaccine’s use with only partial data and before completion of the gold standard: a large and lengthy randomized trial.

Rather than offering the vaccine to everyone, experts say the safest, although most conservative, step is to issue a “narrow” emergency use authorization. This would mean, for example, that only health care workers would get access.

“I think the solution is give emergency use, based on partial data, if it looks good — but keep it narrow,” said Arthur Caplan, bioethicist at New York University Langone.

At the Thursday meeting, the FDA broached the prospect of even more-limited access, providing a vaccine on a case-by-case personal basis.

Advisers warned that a hastily-granted emergency authorization could create major problems.

For instance, there might not be adequate data to show efficacy in subgroups of vulnerable people.

“Since severe disease and death are occurring primarily among minorities with this virus, if we put a vaccine out there that does not address that issue, it’s going to perpetuate the perception that segment of our population does not matter much,” said committee member James E.K. Hildreth Sr., president of Meharry Medical College.

It also could interrupt a vaccine trial’s longer and more thorough ongoing research.

Why? Because if there’s evidence that a vaccine is working, everyone getting the inactive placebo might want the real thing.

While the FDA asserted that companies would be expected to continue the trial, some bioethicists said it is not fair to insist that research volunteers can’t switch over. They may just drop out.

This could end the study, because no one would be left in the placebo “arm” of the trial. And valuable information about the vaccine — how do the two groups compare over time? — would be lost.

An emergency use authorization could also sabotage other vaccine studies.

This is a problem, because the first authorized vaccine may not be the best. And different vaccines may work differently in diverse populations. For instance, some may offer better protection to the elderly, while; others might be better in pregnant women.

But why would anyone volunteer for a research study if there’s a product already on the market?

Even if a potential vaccine holds the promise of working better — if it’s effective 60% of the time, as opposed to 50%, for instance — that may not be enough to convince people to volunteer.

Incremental improvements in safety and efficacy take time to reveal themselves. And that’s expensive.

And because an emergency authorization looks at short-term data, it doesn’t capture more subtle downstream issues — such as whether a vaccine protects against disease but not transmission, dangerously fueling the spread of the virus.

Thursday’s FDA meeting was a milestone in the nation’s effort to conquer COVID-19. But the debate is just beginning. The committee will hold more meetings as vaccine makers submit their applications — which could begin arriving as soon as mid-November.

Millbrae: Suspect arrested in $60,000 wine caper

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:09:52 GMT

MILLBRAE – Authorities on Friday arrested a 57-year-old man on suspicion of stealing $60,000 worth of “exquisite wine” from a Millbrae storage unit.

The storage unit at 210 Adrian Road was burglarized multiple times between August and October, said Sgt. Joe Cang of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office in a news release Friday.

Cang said the suspect “used Craigslist and false statements to arrange confirmed cash sales” of the wine and “received thousands of dollars from two unsuspecting buyers.”

The suspect, who was identified through surveillance cameras and by witnesses, was arrested in his own storage unit, Cang said. Detectives also seized numerous bottles of wine, some of which did not belong to the victim, leading them to believe there are other victims.

According to jail records, the suspect was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on charges of second-degree commercial burglary, grand theft, felony vandalism and criminal trespass. He is set to appear in superior court Monday.

Anyone who believes they are a victim or has information about the suspect can contact Detective Gordon Currie at 650-363-4051 or gcurrie@smcgov.org.

Oakland police working to "bring safety to our neighborhoods”

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:04:42 GMT

OAKLAND — Efforts to stem the spike in violence and return safety and calm to besieged neighborhoods will continue unabated, police officials said Friday as they announced arrests in several killings and displayed firearms they called “weapons of war” that have been seized in connection with those cases.

Interim Chief of Police Susan Manheimer called the increase “unprecedented” and vowed to “bring safety to our neighborhoods.” Speaking to the media at police headquarters in front of a table holding 16 firearms, Manheimer said the arrests and gun seizures were part of the “incredible efforts” the department is making. She told the community, “You are not alone. We will stand with you.”

She warned those involved in violent crimes that “we’ll be holding you accountable.”

Officials provided updates on several recent developments. Homicide Lt. Fred Shavies said a man arrested Thursday after a six-hour standoff with police in East Oakland is the suspect in the Oct. 14 fatal shooting of two men on 84th avenue. Shavies also noted that a man has been charged with the Oct. 15 fatal shooting of a man on 89th Avenue. Police recovered a large amount of heroin and multiple guns when the suspect was arrested, Shavies said.

Sixteen firearms seized by Oakland police in recent homicide cases are displayed during a Friday press briefing, Oct. 23, 2020 in Oakland, Calif., about a rise in violence in the city. (Harry Harris/ Bay Area News group)

And there have also been arrests made in fatal shootings at two illegal gambling shacks in East Oakland — one on Sept. 28 and the other Sept. 29 — that are believed to be linked. And a 22-year-old man arrested this week has been charged with a 2018 East Oakland killing.

Deputy Chief of Police Laronne Armstrong called the 16 firearms displayed Friday, including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols, “weapons of war” that “no one should have. They don’t belong in anyone’s community. They can do nothing but harm.”

Police officials say they have seized more than 1,000 firearms so far this year.

The majority of the increased violence, mainly homicides and shootings, have been reported in East Oakland neighborhoods. The city has already had 80 homicides this year considered murders, five more than all of last year, and a more than 40 percent overall increase in non-fatal shootings. One sobering statistic about this year’s death total is that six victims have been juveniles, compared to none in 2019.

Manheimer said cities across the country are seeing similar increases, with the pandemic and gang activity playing key roles. The pandemic has curtailed normal things people can do that might alleviate stress that can lead to violence, Manheimer said.

Assistant Chief Darren Allison said those killed or injured by violence, “are not a number but are real human beings” whose families are left traumatized and heartbroken. He said the department “will not back down” on its efforts to see that families get justice.

“Violence in our community doesn’t have to be,” he said.

Officials praised the help and support from the community. Manheimer said information from residents has helped investigators solve several cases and she highlighted the Cease Fire Program, which tries to persuade known gang members and violent offenders to get out of that lifestyle and become productive members of the community.

“Together we’ll continue to drive down the violence” and “bring people to justice,” Anderson said.

After seven months, Alameda County reopens for indoor dining

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:02:54 GMT

Michelle Rosenberger nibbles a late breakfast inside Livermore’s Riata Diner & Tavern, a ranching-themed restaurant off First Street. The Livermore resident had her choice of patio seating, but when she found out that Alameda County restaurants were allowed to resume indoor dining today, she chose to be the sole guest inside.

“They do a good breakfast,” Rosenberger said, cutting into her ham and eggs. “I saw that there was hardly anybody in here and that they were being careful, so I decided to come in.”

Under the county’s new rules, restaurants are allowed to seat 25 percent of their capacity, or 100 patrons, whichever is less, so long as they adhere to safety and social-distancing protocols. In this orange tier of California’s color-coded system of reopening, officials include churches, fitness gyms and movie theaters in the reopening category but caution that these indoor activities remain high risk.

Like other restaurateurs in the area, Lisa Scardina, Riata’s owner, has taken every precaution to make sure customers and staff feel safe.

“We’ve had a plan for months and we executed it,” said Scardina who, like other small business owners in this tight-knit Tri-Valley downtown, has received support from the City of Livermore for her COVID-19 expenses, which have included purchasing tents and barriers. Scardina also bolted tables to the bar so they remain appropriately spaced for six-foot social distancing and cannot be moved by customers.

Down the street, at the counter-service Plucked Chicken & Beer, Laurel and Don Eggenberger, also of Livermore, wrapped up their fried chicken lunch. Save for a few customers in line, they were the only people inside.

“They have the door open, the fans on and almost no one in here,” said Laurel, who said she chose to sit inside because the only alfresco seats available during the busy Friday service were directly in the sun.

Plucked is a new restaurant — opening day was Monday — but co-owner Barrett Gomes has been ready to unlock the doors since July. He said it’s “really not that different” opening for the first time under the county restrictions.

But if you’re an established restaurant, which has pivoted your operation to takeout or outdoor-only dining, the logistical challenges of resuming indoor dining can feel a lot like opening a new restaurant, said Demitri Kaplanis of Demitri’s Taverna in Livermore.

“When we pivot and move, it’s like starting all over,” said Kaplanis, who scrambled on Wednesday night to clear his 80-capacity dining room of takeout boxes and refrigerators when he heard that the county was allowing indoor dining to resume Oct. 23 instead of the scheduled Oct. 26. “But I’m very optimistic. It’s good to give people an option, especially as the weather cools down. There are places with big dining rooms who really need this.”

In addition to logistical challenges — restarting full janitorial services, replacing air filtration systems and Plexiglass-ing contact points — inviting customers inside means increased labor costs and health risks for workers. And while some restaurant owners are desperate to make up for losses since the pandemic struck, others who have gathered feedback from patrons and staff say they will wait until everyone feels safer.

Despite its large size, Gaumenkitzel, the airy Berkeley restaurant with high ceilings and seating for 90, is not reopening. Co-owner Kai Flache says the majority of his customers are not interested in indoor dining at this time.

“We don’t want to jeopardize our health or our customers’ health,” Flache said. “We are convinced that there will be another (COVID-19) wave coming this winter. We see that in Europe, it is already coming back. It’s rough.”

But when you have zero outdoor seating and your sales are down 80 percent, indoor service is your only hope. Still, Jennifer Seidman, owner of Doc’s Refresher, also in Berkeley, is approaching her reopening with intention. She is building five individualized Plexiglass and wood “rooms” that will be placed into her existing dining room and separated by a “shower curtain-like” material. Each room will have a theme and hold parties of up to six.

The design, which cost Seidman about $10,000, allows air flow and is easy to clean, she says.

“I tried to devise a system that would protect my employees and customers,” Seidman says. “We’re going to take our time and reopen when we’re ready. I’m not rushing this. Obviously, I want to open. I miss our customers. But I want to make sure we do this thoughtfully and carefully.”

Ryan Dixon can relate to that. Rather than clamber to open today at The Hive in Oakland, the Calavera general manager and the rest of the management team of the 200-capacity restaurant decided to stick to their Monday game plan.

“We didn’t want to do it on a Friday,” he says. “Small mistakes happen when you get busy. For us, opening on a Monday, a slower day, makes more sense.”

Biden’s oil remark tests voter resolve on climate change

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:00:35 GMT

By Ellen Knickmeyer and Kathleen Ronayne | Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Joe Biden is confronting the harsh political realities of combating climate change.

The Democratic presidential nominee has spent months touting a $2 trillion plan to boost investment in clean energy and stop all climate-damaging emissions from the U.S. economy by 2050. The plan implied that he would wean the U.S. off oil and gas, but Biden wasn’t so explicit about the industry’s fate — until Thursday night.

During the final moments of the presidential debate, Biden said he would “transition away from the oil industry.”

President Donald Trump, trailing Biden in many national and battleground state polls, immediately sensed an opportunity to appeal to voters in competitive states like Texas and Pennsylvania that produce oil and gas.

“Basically what he is saying is he is going to destroy the oil industry,” Trump said. “Will you remember that, Texas? Will you remember that, Pennsylvania? Oklahoma? Ohio?”

With less than two weeks until the election, Biden’s comment is prompting a sudden test of whether voters who increasingly say they are worried about the climate crisis will embrace steps to confront it. During a season of worsening wildfires, hurricanes and other disasters, scientists are issuing urgent warnings that big cuts in burning oil, gas and coal are needed right away.

Republicans, eager to shift focus away from the president’s handling of the intensifying coronavirus pandemic, say Biden’s plan would cost jobs.

Biden “just killed paycheck(s) earned by hardworking families in Texas,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, tweeted after Thursday’s final presidential debate saw Trump and Biden spell out their worlds-apart stances on climate-damaging fossil fuels.

“Joe just wants to transition away from Texas. Remember that on election day,” Abbott wrote.

Even some Democrats distanced themselves from Biden’s comment. Rep. Kendra Horn, a Democrat who flipped a Republican seat in Trump-loyal Oklahoma in 2018, tweeted: “We must stand up for our oil and gas industry.”

So did Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, a first-term Democratic congresswoman in a tossup race in New Mexico, in the oil- and gas-rich Permian Basin.

“We need to work together to promote responsible energy production and stop climate change, not demonize a particular industry,” she tweeted, adding that she was ready to “stand up to” the Democratic Party.

Polling by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago shows a majority of Americans acknowledge people are causing global warming and link global warming to worsening natural disasters.

But Biden, who has mostly been disciplined in keeping the focus on Trump, seemed to sense the political peril. Shortly after the debate, he told reporters he wasn’t talking about any kind of fossil fuel ban.

“We’re not getting rid of fossil fuels for a very long time,” he said.

Biden’s energy plan spells out the time frame — three decades, zeroing out greenhouse gas emissions, which realistically would require substantially cutting fossil fuel use, by 2050.
Campaigning in Atlanta on Friday, Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, told reporters that he wouldn’t ban fracking, the technique used to extract natural gas.

“You know, the president likes to take everything out of context,” Harris said. “Let’s be clear: What Joe was talking about was banning subsidies, but he will not ban fracking in America.”

Biden has said he would ban new gas and oil permits — including fracking — on federal lands only. The vast majority of oil and gas does not come from federal lands.

That’s an especially sensitive point in a state like Pennsylvania, which may prove decisive on Election Day. Trump’s clearest path to reelection hinges on winning both Florida and Pennsylvania, states that he won in 2016.

National polls show Americans are increasingly skeptical of fracking. And even in Pennsylvania, voters in the suburbs and other spots have spoken out against the drilling and against massive gas pipelines.

Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, said fracking opinions there fall on regional lines and the comments could hurt Biden’s efforts to cut into Trump’s support in southwestern Pennsylvania, where the industry is strong.

“Anything that the president can do to try to make sure he’s able to maintain the sizable advantage that he had in 2016 in these fracking areas, he’s going to do,” Yost said.

But Biden’s call to end subsidies for the oil and gas industry may be politically popular. Biden must try to thread the needle in explaining his calls for a transition away from fossil fuels without an outright ban, Yost said.

Improving technology and falling prices mean renewables already are making huge gains in the marketplace. Solar, wind and other clean energy will surpass coal and nuclear next year in the share of U.S. electricity they produce, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says.

Rich Fitzgerald, a Democrat and the county executive in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County, said Biden expressed his views in an “inarticulate way” on the debate stage but called Trump’s efforts to capitalize on it a “desperation play.”

Royalties from a fracking project on land owned by the Pittsburgh airport in 2013 have kept the airport financially afloat, Fitzgerald said. Biden was supportive of that project and another large fracking-related project in a neighboring county during his time as vice president, Fitzgerald said.

He added that while natural gas is important to the regional economy, it’s not the only game in town.

“Is natural gas important to Western Pennsylvania? Certainly it is,” Fitzgerald said. “But it’s not everything we have.”

Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.

Headless horseman brings music, double-takes to Concord, MA

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:31:25 GMT

By Rachel Holt | WBZ via CNN

A bicyclist in Concord is turning heads with an attention grabbing costume.

“I just happened to look out the window to see the trees the other day and I saw a man riding a bicycle with no hands playing the guitar and I thought, ‘That’s amazing,’” said Carol MacDougall. “And then on a second look, I realized he didn’t have a head.”

Dressed as the headless horseman and playing the guitar, all while riding a bike, is Matthew Dunkle of Concord. And it’s not easy.

“I’m pedaling, I’m going up hills, I’m going down hills, I’m exerting myself. I’m sweating profusely under this costume right now,” Dunkle said.

You may be asking yourself, “Why?” Well, Dunkle says he simply does it for fun.

“I don’t get paid to do this, you know. I get home from work, I’m tired and I dust myself off and I put on the suit and I go out there and I dig into it,” Dunkle said.

Dunkle recently got attention for the getup with this tweet from former WBZ reporter David Robichaud.

But he tells us he’s been wearing various costumes while biking in the area since 2015.

“Sooner or later, day after day, I started adding little things to it, I would bring along a trumpet,” Dunkle said.

The headless horseman costume made its first appearance around town in April, and the people WBZ talked to gave it positive reviews.

Concord resident Ken Anderson said, “I think this is really clever. One of my grandchildren saw him and just absolutely freaked out and loved it.”

As you can imagine, it does at times get a little dangerous.

“I have fallen, yes. I have not had any serious falls as the headless horseman though,” Dunkle said.

Dunkle says plans on retiring the costume on Halloween.

Oakland attorney of Scott Peterson juror says client is being ‘vilified’

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:21:13 GMT

OAKLAND— An Oakland-based attorney Elliot Silver said his client, a juror from the 2005 Scott Peterson trial, is being “vilified” as accusations of her actions before the 2005 trial could cause the murder conviction to be overturned.

Richelle Nice, nicknamed “Strawberry Shortcake” during the trial for her bright red hair, has been accused of lying on her jury questionnaire back in 2005 in order to get herself on the trial. A San Mateo County judge will decide whether or not to throw out the conviction itself because of a tainted juror–Nice.

Prosecutors in Stanislaus County announced Friday that they would seek the death penalty again for Peterson, who was convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, 27, in Modesto and their unborn son, Connor, on Christmas Eve 2002. The trial was moved to San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City after the case gathered massive media attention.

According to Silver, lawyers for Peterson claim that Nice was a “stealth juror” and intentionally withheld information during jury selection so she could sit on the trial and convict Peterson. Silver said in a statement released Friday afternoon that Peterson’s attorneys are trying to “vilify her” in the media as a “rogue juror out on a mission.”

“Ms. Nice did not willfully withhold any information, she did not mislead the court, the attorneys, the parties, or anyone involved in the case,” Silver said.

In August, the California Supreme Court overturned Peterson’s 2005 death sentence in the case and the state’s high court upheld his conviction. Those same justices ordered this month that a new hearing be held in San Mateo County to determine whether his conviction should be tossed out because a juror committed “prejudicial misconduct.”

Nice had allegedly failed to disclose that she had sought a restraining order in 2000 against her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend when she was pregnant. In a 2017 interview with the Modesto Bee, she said the claims made in Peterson’s appeal were “flat-out wrong.”

“I did not lie to get on this trial to fry Scott (Peterson). I did not,” she told the Bee.

Peterson’s appeal petition claimed that Nice wished to punish Peterson for a crime harming his unborn son — a crime she personally experienced when her alleged assailant threatened her life.

Silver, a criminal defense attorney who has been practicing for 25 years handles cases mostly out of Alameda County, said Friday that Nice sat through the Peterson trial for eight months, and she and the 11 other jurors came to the conclusion of guilt based on the evidence presented.

Nice has worked in the medical field for over 20 years, and is a mother of four boys, and now is a grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Thousands protest across Poland against abortion ruling

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:20:57 GMT

By Alicja Ptak and Lewis Macdonald | Reuters

WARSAW, Poland – Tens of thousands of people protested across Poland on Friday in defiance of tight coronavirus restrictions, following Thursday’s ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal that imposes a near-total ban on abortion in the predominantly Roman Catholic country.

The court announced that abortions due to fetal defects were unconstitutional, ending the most common of the few legal grounds for abortion, and setting Poland further apart from the European mainstream.

Carrying banners that read, “This is War” and “1.5-meters from my uterus,” thousands gathered near the house of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party leader, in an affluent Warsaw neighborhood.

For the second night running, a cordon of police clad in riot gear blocked them from reaching his house, using loudspeakers to ask protesters to disperse and respect restrictions on public gathering.

Marchers, most of them wearing masks, played the “Imperial March” from Star Wars as well as Italian partisan song “Bella Ciao” and Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls).”

“I was initially scared but I figured, too bad if I catch the coronavirus. I’m scared for my daughter, but I think we don’t have a choice,” said Emilia Gwiazda, 46, who attended protests in Warsaw.

Polish media estimates put the Warsaw protest at 15,000 people, despite restrictions that limit public gathering at 10 in the capital. That number is due to go down to five from Saturday.

Thousands also took to the streets in the cities of Poznan, Wroclaw and Krakow, footage from private broadcaster TVN showed.

“Women are not respected in this country. No one is listening to us,” said Magda, 34, in the northern city of Gdynia.

Attempts by PiS to curb the already very restrictive abortion rules in recent years had ignited a public outcry, forcing the party to roll back legislative proposals.

Covid restrictions

In Warsaw, the protest spilled across the city late into the evening, with some walking more than 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) from Kaczynski’s house towards government buildings in the center which was lined with police vans flashing their lights.

More protests were planned for Monday.

From Saturday, more restrictions to curb the spread of the virus are due to come into force, including a two-week shutdown of restaurants and bars, after new coronavirus infections hit a daily record of more than 13,600 on Friday.

Protesters in Warsaw launched flares but the demonstrations were largely peaceful, unlike on Thursday when some threw stones and the police used pepper spray.

PiS lawmakers welcomed the Constitutional Tribunal’s decision but rejected accusations by the opposition that it had influenced it.

Conservative values have taken a more prominent role in public life since PiS took power five years ago, and access to abortion has declined even without legislative curbs as some doctors refused to perform the procedure on religious grounds.

After the tribunal’s decision goes into effect, women will be able to terminate a pregnancy only in the case of rape or incest or a threat to their health.

Zaneta, a 30-year-old woman from a small town in southern Poland who has an extremely rare genetic disorder, terminated a pregnancy on Tuesday after the baby was diagnosed with severe malformations.

The ruling came as a shock to her.

“I had no idea you could do that,” she said. “This ends any chances for me to have another child.”

Review: ‘Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit’ uses toys to bring series to life

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:03:14 GMT

Video games and toys have long been on a collision course. Technology has made playthings more realistic with talking dolls, remote-controlled cars and robotic pets. Meanwhile, video games have grown more immersive, trying to stretch beyond the flat screen with better controllers and graphics.

The two industries have started merging with the toys-to-life genre popularized by games such as “Skylanders,” and though the games aren’t white hot anymore, the category still has wide open fields of play to explore.

One of the developers pushing the genre forward is Velan Studios. The company has teamed up with Nintendo to create “Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.” It’s a racing game that combines remote-controlled cars with one of the world’s most popular racing franchises.

Players can let their imagination run wild when creating tracks for “Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit” but the courses have to be smaller than what they’re used to. (Nintendo)

On the real-world side, “Mario Kart Live” comes with a plastic kart of Mario or Luigi. But if you look at it closely, you’ll find high-tech wizardry underneath the hood. A camera is built into the vehicle along with a rechargeable battery and computer chips that controls the kart and connect it to the Nintendo Switch. The game also comes with four cardboard gates — they’re important — and arrow signboards.

The video game portion of the project requires players to download the title from the Nintendo eShop. From there, players fire up “Mario Kart Live” and go through the process of registering the remote-controlled car on the Switch. In a nice touch, players take a “driver’s license” photo using the camera on the toy, deepening the immersion.

Before racing, players have to set up the course by placing the gates within a space that’s at least 10 feet by 12 feet. Series staple Lakitu splashes the car with paint and players drive it through the four gates to create a track. The paint left on the ground marks the path.

Once that’s done, players roll to the starting line and jump into a contest against Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings. The magic comes from the augmented reality built into video game. The camera gives players a feed of the race from Mario’s perspective and the video game dresses up the track world with accoutrements.

In Cheep Cheep Reef, players explore an underwater track with a blueish filter on the footage and fish swimming back and forth on the course. In Bowser’s Castle, players encounter fire bars that rotate around the gates. Most of the in-game obstacles huddle around the gates but a few random objects, such as mushrooms or Thwomps, are scattered on tracks

It’s not more elaborate because players create the tracks and “Mario Kart Live” pushes out the obstacles based on markers the camera recognizes. If players want more obstacles, they can make their own with the do-it-yourself spirit, but they have to keep in mind that the other AI-controlled competitors won’t recognize a book blocking the way or an errant cat that walks through the track. They move on the established path.

World 1-1 is a retro-themed course in "Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit." (Nintendo)
"Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit" uses the camera on the remote-control car and augmented reality to bring the franchise to the real world. (Nintendo)
Sound
The gallery will resume inseconds
"Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit" hopes to bring the toys-to-life genre back with augmented reality racing on the Nintendo Switch. (NIntendo)
Players can let their imagination run wild when creating tracks for "Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit" but the courses have to be smaller than what they're used to. (Nintendo)
"Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit" features different track themes including ones that focus on ice. (Nintendo)
Arrow signboards take on an enhanced glow in "Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit." (Nintendo)
The famous Rainbow Road makes an appearance in "Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit," but it doesn't look the way you would expect. (Nintendo)
Mario gets ready to toss a red shell at Luigi in "Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit." (Nintendo)

Expand

Like much of “Mario Kart Live,” the mechanics are basic and players have to meet the developers halfway by crafting clever layouts. With that said, Velan Studios adds unexpected twists to the experience. In weather-impacted levels such as Windswept Prairie, gusts make the kart hard to control and the toy the vehicles use has a rightward drift that players must compensate for. In the madcap Magikoopa Mirage, the wizard Kamek flips the camera or sets the track to mirror mode. It’s disorienting at first before players realize the shenanigans. It’s a brilliant way to use the technology.

With 24 tracks available and nine cups, players have a lot of themes to explore with. Beyond that, though, players can create custom tracks by mixing and matching different gates, weather effects and the mirror mode as they unlock those options by competing in different cups.

Players will also unlock different speeds as they clear each cup, and interestingly enough, that has a huge impact on gameplay. On the slower divisions, it’s best to rely on gas and breaks, but as Mario jumps up engine classes to 200cc, “Mario Kart Live” feels more like its traditional counterpart. The drift button becomes essential as players round corners and the extra speed makes the whole experience feel more lively and difficult.

“Mario Kart Live” doesn’t bring the complete toys-to-life fantasy to fruition, but it’s closer to that road. Better technology that maps obstacles could make tracks more elaborate and less rudimentary. Local online play means that players will have to bring their own karts to compete together, and that’s a tough ask during the coronavirus pandemic.

The experience is reminiscent of the traditional “Mario Kart” but parts of the game feel limited despite having all the items and nearly all the obstacles in the regular game available. The constraints lie in the physics of the toy itself. It can only go as fast the motor allows. Meanwhile, courses have to be small and the players must stay fairly close — ideally in the same room — to the toy for everything to work.

Despite that, “Mario Kart Live” captures the essence of its mainline counterparts. Players just have to make more of an effort to create zany tracks and obstacles for the single-player experience.

‘Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit’

3 stars out of four
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Rating: E for Everyone

Reward offered in shooting death of Berkeley woman

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:58:09 GMT

Police investigating the shooting death of a woman in a South Berkeley neighborhood say a reward will be coming for anyone with information that can lead to an arrest and conviction.

The city of Berkeley is offering $50,000 as they look to solve the death of 19-year-old Sereinat’e Henderson on Wednesday. Henderson was wounded when gunshots rang out near Harper and Prince streets shortly before 7 p.m., police said.

Henderson died later after being rushed to a hospital with firefighters working on her.

She was inside a vehicle when officers arrived, Berkeley police spokesman Officer Byron White said. According to White, police do not know how many people took part in the crime.

“This is unheard of right here,” neighbor Ben Kinyatta said on the night of the shooting. “I was in the backyard, knocking one back, sipping Bud, some reggae, social-distancing. And we hit the deck. It was so loud.”

Police are asking for the public’s help, and in a statement White said “even the smallest detail could be critical.” Anyone with information can call Berkeley police at 510-981-5741 or 510-981-5900. Callers can remain anonymous.

Staff photographer Dylan Bouscher contributed to this story.

Asteroid samples escaping from over-filled NASA craft

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:57:02 GMT

By Marcia Dunn | Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA spacecraft is stuffed with so much asteroid rubble from this week’s grab that it’s jammed open and precious particles are drifting away in space, scientists said Friday.

Scientists announced the news three days after the spacecraft named Osiris-Rex briefly touched asteroid Bennu 200 million miles away.

The mission’s lead scientist, Dante Lauretta, said Tuesday’s operation collected far more material than expected for return to Earth — in the hundreds of grams. The sample container on the end of the robot arm penetrated so deeply into the asteroid and with such force, however, that rocks got sucked in and became wedged around the rim of the lid.

The team was scrambling to put the sample container into the return capsule as early as Tuesday — much sooner than originally planned — for the long trip home. Particles are continuing to escape, and scientists want to minimize the loss.

“Time is of the essence,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, chief of NASA’s science missions.

A cloud of asteroid particles could be seen swirling around the spacecraft as it backed away from Bennu — at least one-half of an ounce (5 to 10 grams) at any one time. The situation appeared to stabilize, according to Lauretta, once the robot arm stopped moving and was locked into place.

The requirement for Orisis-Rex — NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission, totaling more than $800 million — was at least 2 ounces (60 grams) of samples for return. The carbon-rich material holds the preserved building blocks of our solar system and could help scientists better understand how the planets were formed and how life originated on Earth.

Launched in 2016, the spacecraft arrived at Bennu in 2018. Regardless of what’s on board, it will still leave the vicinity of the asteroid in March. The samples won’t return to Earth until 2023.

Japan is awaiting its second batch of samples taken from a different asteroid, due back in December.

Newsom pledges extra $200M for homeless housing, funds more Bay Area projects

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:12:54 GMT

During a visit to San Jose, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $200 million boost to his Project Homekey homeless housing fund on Friday — a major cash infusion that will back several Bay Area projects.

Newsom’s office has already allocated $81.4 million of that new funding to six projects that will provide 430 new units of housing for homeless Californians. That includes two projects in Oakland, and one each in San Francisco and Santa Clara County.

“We are not walking away from our commitment, not taking our eye off the ball, at all,” Newsom said Friday. “And we are weathering the current economic storm, and we are doing more than we have ever done in the history of the state. And we are just winding up.”

Newsom launched Project Homekey — which helps cities and counties buy hotels and other buildings and turn them into homeless housing — with $600 million earlier this year. The goal was to create longer-term homes for unhoused Californians who had been temporarily sheltering in hotels during the coronavirus pandemic. But the funding was quickly used up as applications poured in. Last month, Newsom said he was seeking an additional $200 million. On Friday, he said the state’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee approved his request.

San Francisco won $29.1 million from the new funds to purchase the 130-room Hotel Diva near Union Square and convert it into permanent supportive housing.

“By expanding access to housing and other support, we can create real opportunities for people to get off the streets and create a path for them to live a fuller, healthier life,” Mayor Breed wrote in a news release.

Oakland won nearly $17.5 million for two projects — an 82-unit hotel and another 21-unit property for veterans. Santa Clara County won more than $9.5 million to buy a 54-unit building, which eventually will be developed into 110 new units of permanent supportive housing.

Check back for updates.

Hallmark holiday movies: Blizzard of festive flicks begins this weekend

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 21:50:09 GMT

Halloween is still a week away, but the Hallmark Channel — as usual — is all revved up and ready to celebrate Christmas.

The cable network’s annual blizzard of festive flicks gets under way on Saturday night with the 8 p.m. debut of “Jingle Bell Bride.” It’s one of 23 new holiday movies airing on the Hallmark Channel this season.

But that’s not all. The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel will have 17 debuts of its own, also beginning Saturday with “Christmas Tree Lane.”

The total output matches last year’s record of 40 films — and that’s in addition to the countless reruns of past classics airing throughout the season.

The feel-good films turned out by Hallmark are always embraced by their fervent fans. But in a turbulent year dominated by a global pandemic and divisive politics, they may carry even more meaning for viewers seeking some comfort and joy.

“Our movies are rooted in warmth and positivity, meaningful connections, family gatherings,” says Michelle Vicary, the executive vice president of programming for Crown Media Family Networks, who hopes it’s a “winning formula” that will bring viewers “much-needed levity and holiday cheer at the end of a tough year.”

In “Jingle Bell Bride,” wedding planner Jessica Perez (Julie Gonzalo) travels to a remote town in Alaska to find a rare flower for a celebrity client. There, she finds herself charmed by the small town during Christmas, as well as the handsome local (Ronnie Rowe Jr.) helping her.

Meanwhile, “Christmas Tree Lane” has a music store owner (Alicia Witt) spearheading a community efforts to save her street from demolition. She’s shocked to find out that the man she’s falling for (Andrew Walker) is actually working for the company she’s fighting.

The 2020 Hallmark slate appears to be more diverse than usual. It features a gay couple trying to adopt (“The Christmas House,” starring Jonathan Bennett and Brad Harder) as well as a woman who discovers via a DNA test that she’s Jewish (“Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” with Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage and Marilu Henner).

“This year, our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever,” says Vicary. “The movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, stories and families.”

Of course, Hallmark isn’t the only platform churning out holiday films these days. Lifetime is set to unleash 30 premieres of its own this year, starting tonight (Oct. 23) with “Christmas on Ice,” a story that has a former competitive figure skater (Abigail Klein) and a ex-professional hockey player (Ryan Cooper) teaming up to save a public rink for closure.

Lifetime also has a Saturday night offering — “Christmas Unwrapped” — about an investigative reporter (Amber Stevens West) assigned to get the scoop on millionaire Erik Gallagher (Marco Grazzini) and his charitable organization that gives away millions of dollars in gifts and holiday cheer—while insisting the gifts are from Santa.

Raiders-Buccaneers game will be played Sunday, Jon Gruden says

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 21:29:11 GMT

Raiders coach Jon Gruden said Friday his team’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will still be played Sunday at 1 p.m.

“We’re gonna play Sunday at 1 o’clock, they tell me, and we’ll be ready to go,” Gruden said.

There had been concern that multiple Raiders players had been exposed to the coronavirus after right tackle Trent Brown tested positive for the disease. However, the Associated Press and other outlets reported Friday that the Raiders’ most recent tests for COVID-19 had all come back negative.

Testing will continue over the next two days, including Sunday morning, when rapid result tests will be used.

The Raiders placed two players on the COVID-19 list following positive tests earlier in the week. Five more players — Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good, Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson and Johnathan Abram — were placed on the list because of “high risk” close contacts with Brown.

Abram will miss Sunday’s game since he last had contact with Brown on Tuesday. NFL protocols dictate that players in Abram’s position must quarantine for five days before they can return, so the earliest he can return is Monday.

Thursday, the NFL announced the Raiders’ game against the Buccaneers, originally scheduled for Sunday night football, has been changed to a Sunday afternoon kickoff because of concerns about the Raiders’ COVID-19 issues.

The league said Thursday the switch was a precautionary measure. Thus, the Raiders’ home game against the Buccaneers at Allegiant Stadium was changed to a 1:05 p.m. kickoff on FOX.

NBC will now broadcast the Seahawks-Cardinals NFC West showdown in Arizona, which moves into the 5:20 p.m. PT prime time slot.

Hotline newsletter: Potential tiebreaker trouble: Could the Pac-12 wait three days to crown a ...

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 21:24:11 GMT

*** The Pac-12 Hotline newsletter is published each Monday-Wednesday-Friday during the college sports season and twice-a-week in the offseason. (Sign up here for a free subscription.) This edition, from Oct. 23, has been made available in archived form.

Planning For Chaos

The Pac-12 testing program is designed to prevent outbreaks that could lead to disruption of the seven-games-in-seven-weeks season. But officials on the campuses and at the conference office are bracing for games to be postponed or canceled.

Let’s say that happens.

And let’s say that game is the first one: Arizona State at USC.

And let’s say both teams — the preseason favorites in the South — run the table and finish with identical 5-0 records.

According to the tiebreaker rules unveiled earlier this week, the division winner would be determined by step No. 5: “Team with the highest College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking.”

One problem: The CFP penultimate rankings won’t be released until Tuesday, Dec. 15 — that’s three days after the Week Six games and three days before the conference championship.

Would the Trojans and Sun Devils have to wait 72 hours to learn their fate?

Would the conference have to wait 72 hours to learn the location of the title game?

At this point, it appears so.

Granted, that scenario is remote. But this is 2020, nothing is truly remote and the quandary would not be limited to USC and ASU.

It could be Utah and USC, or Oregon and Washington, or Cal and Oregon — any cancellation involving division contenders could lead to a delay in division resolution until the Tuesday of championship week.

Why? Because two of the top-four tiebreaker rules would be rendered moot.

1) Head-to-head results
2) Record in games played within the division
3) Record against the next highest placed team in the division (based on record in all games played within the Conference), proceeding through the division
4) Record in common Conference games
5) Team with the highest College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking

If there’s a cancellation, then head-to-head is removed. And because no two teams in one division play the same team in the other division, the fourth step would also be irrelevant.

Of course, nobody … nobody … would want to wait three days for resolution.

Our understanding is that the Pac-12 athletic directors are continuing to discuss the matter and, according to the conference, an adjustment could be made prior to the season.

It’s not an A-list problem. It’s not even a B-list problem.

But this being 2020, the conference should make sure it has sound plans for even the most unexpected events. — Jon Wilner

Hot off the Hotline

• Our season preview series began Thursday with Colorado, which has faced more challenges in 2020 than any program in the conference and has numerous holes on its depth chart.

• We also examined Utah and its quest to go where no team has gone before in the Pac-12 era, albeit with a revamped defense.

• ICYMI: The Tuesday newsletter used ratings for Big Noon games this season to project the audience for the USC-Arizona State showdown at 9 a.m. Previous editions of the newsletter are available in archived form.

Support the Hotline: Several Hotline articles will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve secured a rate of $1 per week for a full year or just 99 cents for the first month, with the option to cancel anytime. Click here. And thanks for your loyalty.

Key Dates

Oct. 26: Kickoff times for Pac-12 openers announced
Nov. 7: Pac-12 football opening day
Nov. 18: NBA Draft (New York City)
Nov. 25: NCAA basketball season begins
Dec. 16-18: NCAA early-signing period (football)
Dec. 18: Pac-12 championship game (on campus)
Dec. 19: Pac-12 champ weekend matchups
Dec. 20: College Football Playoff/bowl selections

Huddle Up

(Note: The Hotline newsletter includes links to sites that could require a subscription once the number of free views has been reached.)

• Strange story out of USC, where receiver Munir McClain has been suspended for what appears to be an issue related to unemployment benefits. McClain filed for state assistance to replace lost income, and eventually, federal agents came knocking. The L.A. Times’ Ryan Kartje has the details.

• Longtime Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen writes on the state of the Wildcats: “In its 42 seasons in the Pac-12, Arizona has never entered training camp with so many unknowns and uncertainties. Players, coaches, all of it.”

• Oregon fans “should not be concerned” that Mario Cristobal hasn’t received a contract extension, opines Oregonian columnist John Canzano. “Everyone involved seems to believe both sides will eventually get the security they desire. Shelving the extension was a shrewd, but polite and reasoned way of avoiding bad optics.”

• Why did Oregon State sackmaster Hamilcar Rashed turn down a chance to play in the NFL this season? “God put me on this earth to play another year.”

• What happens if Cal coach Justin Wilcox is unavailable on game day?

• Two years ago, ASU leaned heavily on receiver N’Keal Harry. Last year, Brandon Aiyuk filled that role. This fall, it’s Frank Darby’s turn in the spotlight.

• USC’s defensive scheme under new coordinator Todd Orlando could benefit two players in particular: safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Palaie Gaoteote

• Who’s next in line as Utah’s No. 1 tailback? That question isn’t easily answered, it appears.

• Colorado’s tailback tandem looks solid, especially if sophomore Jaren Mangham is able to apply what he’s learned.

• Washington bruiser Richard Newton is one of the toughest runners to corral in the conference, but can he stay healthy?

• The Holiday Bowl has been canceled.

• Lastly, please know that the bowl season has been officially named ‘Bowl Season’ — and no, I am not joking.

Dirty Play

Content related to the basketball corruption scandal …

• Arizona was expected to receive its Notice of Allegations from the NCAA on Thursday, according to a report by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde. The university is under no obligation to release the NOA, however. Writes Forde: “Of the 12 schools that have been investigated by the NCAA in the wake of the federal probe of corruption in college basketball, Arizona’s case has been considered one of the most significant. That’s due to the profile of the program and the potential for a wide swath of major allegations, some of which could be aimed at the head coach. Federal wiretaps, court testimony and Arizona’s own personnel actions indicate that the school could be facing a host of problems.”

On the Hardwood

• UCLA wing Chris Smith, one of the best players in the conference, needs to match his talent with coach Mick Cronin’s intensity. “When he gets there, he’s gonna be a first-round pick.”

• Arizona coach Sean Miller on the no-fans policy in place for Pac-12 basketball and other topics (including the topic he cannot discuss).

• CBS Sports likes Arizona State to collect the Pac-12’s top individual awards this season but Oregon to win the conference.

• One of the best-informed top-25 polls features three Pac-12 teams, but none in the top 15.

• The conference will have several representatives in a mammoth early-season tournament — it’s essentially a bubble — for men and women in Connecticut.

Looking Ahead

What’s coming on the Pac-12 Hotline:

• The usual one-two combo is set for the weekend, with ‘Saturday Night Five’ and my AP top-25 football ballot on Sunday morning. (FYI: AP preseason basketball ballots are due in two weeks. Mine will be posted as soon as it’s submitted.)

• The Hotline’s season preview series began with the Mountain schools and heads south from here, with Arizona and ASU up next. In addition to the team previews, we’ll have all-conference selections, bowl picks, our quarterback ratings, a look at the top newcomers and more over the next 10 days.

• What’s the programming plan for the Pac-12 Networks during the football and basketball seasons? We caught up with Larry Meyers, the executive vice president for content.

• Loads more scheduled on the Hotline, including our look at an enhanced role for one of the most familiar names in Pac-12 football.

The next newsletter is scheduled for Tuesday. Enjoy it? Please forward this email to friends (sign up here). If you don’t, or have other feedback, let me know: pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com.

*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.