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Sofia and Silvia: Sofía Valdés releases super-personal EP Silvia

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

Sofia and Silvia: Panamanian musician Sofía Valdés isn’t particularly happy right now. When we chat with her via Zoom, she’s professional and polite, friendly even, but you couldn’t call her vibe “happy.” All becomes clear when we ask about her move to Los Angeles from Panama.As it turns out, she’s been here for about two years, but she properly moved all her stuff to L.A. a year ago. When we ask her about the transition, her initial response is to say everything you’d expect — that this is the place to be for musicians, everything happens here, all of the producers and writers are here, etc. But then, in a flash of frustration, she decides to be totally honest.“I have to be here, honestly,” she says. “I want to be home in Panama. I don’t want to be here, but whatever. That’s the truth. I’m not homesick; I moved out of home when I was 15, so I understand. I get how it goes. But I’m definitely very bored. I have good friends. Great friends. But they’re very busy people. I don’t have ...

7 incredible Bay Area things to do Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-4

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

Fans of bagpipes, chickpeas and Fremont — this is the weekend for you. For everyone else, we have some fun suggestions for you, too. So let’s get to it, shall we?As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 SEE, HEAR & PLAY: Fun shows and fests are all overThe holiday weekend is just packed with cool recitals and stage productions as well as some awesome festivals, including the annual Scottish Games in Pleasanton. Here are some of your best options.A falafel sandwich at Falafel Drive-In in San Jose (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 2 EAT Fabulous falafelSure, hamburger joints and pizza parlors hog all the fast-food headlines. But when was the last time you succumbed to the the crispy, savory call o...

Gov. Newsom plans to transform San Quentin. Lawmakers and the public have had little input

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

By TRÂN NGUYỄN | Associated PressSACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ambitious and expensive plans for a dilapidated factory at San Quentin State Prison where inmates of one of the nation’s most notorious lockups once built furniture, and lawmakers have given him the greenlight to start with little input or oversight.He wants to spend $360 million demolishing the building and replacing it with one more reminiscent of a college campus, with a student union, classrooms and possibly a coffee shop. It’s part of his desire to make San Quentin, once home to the nation’s largest death row and where the state performed executions, a model for preparing people for life on the outside — a shift from the state’s decades-long focus on punishment.And Newsom wants it all to happen by December 2025, just before he leaves office.A 21-member advisory council Newsom selected to help shape the new facility’s design and programming does not have to follow open me...

San Francisco homicide: Clerk dies after attack during store robbery

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

A clerk at a market in San Francisco’s Richmond District died after being attacked during a robbery, authorities said Wednesday.The attack happened around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Richmond Market, 3950 Balboa St. Officers found a 60-year-old man on the ground unconscious. He was taken to a hospital, where he died on Tuesday, Aug. 29, according to San Francisco police.The victim has been identified as Yohannes “John” Tewolde, said Supervisor Connie Chan, who represents the Richmond District on the Board of Supervisors.Police have not made an arrest in the case or released any suspect details. Anyone with information about the attack is asked to contact the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with “SFPD” at the start of the message.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City New...

Canada warns LGBTQ residents of the risks of traveling to the US due to some state laws

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

By Jessica Xing and Paula Newton | CNNThe Canadian government is warning its LGBTQ citizens of risks they could face when traveling to the US, citing new laws in several states.“Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws,” reads the updated advisory posted on Tuesday.“2SLGBTQI+” is the acronym used by the Canadian government, with the “2S” referring to Two-Spirit, according to the government’s glossary of terminology.RELATED: California conservative groups promote anti-trans bills as state AG sues school district over anti-trans policy“Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the U.S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender affirming care and from participation in sporting events,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement to CNN.Neither the statement nor the travel advisory single out specific states or laws.The updated travel advice comes after U...

Former NBA star Kevin Johnson to open a soul food kitchen in Oakland

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

Kevin Johnson, the former NBA player and mayor of Sacramento, is planning to expand his soul food empire to Oakland.Called Fixins Oakland, the full-service restaurant is scheduled to open next spring near Lake Merritt. There are other Fixins Soul Kitchens in Sacramento, Los Angeles and Tulsa, and an upcoming one in Denver. Johnson will formally announce the new location on Sept. 6 at a private event in Oakland, with city mayor Sheng Thao and Fredrika Newton, widow of the Black Panther Party’s Huey P. Newton, in attendance.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Boichik Bagels forecasts October opening for first South Bay shop Restaurants, Food and Drink | Habit Burger Grill comes to new Hayward apartment village Restaurants, Food and Drink | Celebrity chef Chris Cosentino comes to West Marin Restaurants, Food and Drink | Bungalow on Rose opens in a quiet Danville spot Restaurants, Food and Drink | ...

Rare Sunday game will get San Jose State back on CBS for first time in 41 years

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

SAN JOSE — The last time San Jose State appeared on a nationally-televised regular season game on CBS, the No. 1 song in America was “Abracadabra” by the Steve Miller Band and the highest grossing movie was “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”The Spartans play No. 18 Oregon State on Sunday in their first nationally televised regular season game on CBS since 1982.“It’s our first time being on CBS national in 41 years, so it’s obviously very important for our program and for the visibility for our brand,” said SJSU athletic director Jeff Konya. “We’re all super excited to be featured in a TV window that has no other football going on.”A worker puts finishing touches on the balcony in this view of the football field from the new San Jose State University Spartans Athletics Center soccer lounge in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)The 12:30 game against Oregon State is the second in a CBS...

Where to find EV charging prices: Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

Q: It’s very easy to find the price of charging (which varies considerably). The very helpful PlugShare app gives locations, types of chargers, and cost for stations.Pam Sherwood, Palo AltoA: A Roadshow reader, Lou, is considering an EV and wondered how drivers know the price before charging vehicles.Q: Everything Lou needs to know about the price of charging an EV is on an app. There are several charging networks: ChargePoint, EVgo, PowerFlex, Chargeway. Choose one that works for you and where you would normally charge/travel, although most of these networks cooperate with each other by charging roaming rates.Charging the EV at home is always your best bet, although there are some free commercial stations. Charging an EV in California is expensive, like everything else. Typical commercial charge station off-peak rates are 45 cents/kilowatt-hour (kWh) or higher now. In Florida where I am regularly on business, I always rent electric and pay 30 cents/kWh at FPL, a network well-placed...

De La Salle’s 2001 team named best high school team ever by ESPN

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

For Maurice Jones-Drew, there was one topic throughout his NFL career that could always get teammates riled up and ready to argue:Which high school was better, mine or yours?Jones-Drew was always arguing on behalf of his De La Salle teams, particularly the 2001 one. Now, at least one major national outlet has agreed with him.ESPN’s Bill Connelly, a renowned college football analyst and historian, released his ranking of the top 50 high school football teams of all-time last Friday.And taking the No. 1 spot? Those 2001 Spartans that Jones-Drew (then known as Maurice Drew) shined for.“It’s awesome to hear that,” said Jones-Drew, who averaged almost 12 yards a carry and tallied 26 touchdowns as a junior for the 2001 team. “In the rich history of high school football in our country, to be ranked No. 1, it’s pretty awesome. It’s definitely something to be proud of, to be a part of it.”De La Salle’s Maurice Drew, #21, blows past Antioch’s defense and scores in the 2nd quarter ...

New cities in the East Bay? Alameda County report considers incorporation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:15 GMT

Alameda County is one of the densest, most urban regions in the country, but recent research has indicated that county services are failing many people living in unincorporated areas. As residents seek solutions, a new report has rekindled a longstanding debate over reorganizing local government in the East Bay.The issue at its core? Whether or not to create new cities.The report puts hard numbers on the financial feasibility of creating new municipalities, long a controversial topic. Although there have been discussions about turning the urban unincorporated areas of Alameda County into cities for decades, the report by the Alameda County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) provides some framework behind how it could be achieved.Rachel Jones, the commission’s executive officer, said the feasibility study was produced after inquiries from residents in the unincorporated communities about what incorporation would look like. Although the agency produced the report solely f...