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US, China close to agreement to crack down on fentanyl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

By Phil Mattingly | CNNUS officials are finalizing an agreement with China to crack down on the export of the source chemicals used to make fentanyl, according to two people familiar with the matter.The deal, which has been a priority for the Biden administration, is expected to be finalized and announced in coordination with President Joe Biden’s summit meeting in San Francisco Bay Area Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.The agreement will target companies that produce and export the source material to make the deadly synthetic opioid, said the people, who cautioned that the deal would not be finalized until its announcement. The goal would be to significantly limit the flow of precursor materials to Mexico, the people said.The agreement is one of several administration officials have sought to finalize with their Chinese counterparts in advance of Biden’s first meeting with Xi in a year. The visit will also mark Xi’s first visit to the US since 2017 and comes as the world...

High-stakes poker player, crypto whiz, pitch tribes on California sports betting plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

One is a jet-setting high-stakes poker player with a taste for fancy resorts, drinks and cars. Another is a blockchain and cryptocurrency entrepreneur.They’ve teamed up before for an online gaming venture in Southern California that made millions. Now they’re betting they can do it again. But first they’ll have to sell skeptical tribal leaders and the Golden State’s wary voters — who rejected two sports betting ballot measures in California last year — on a plan to legalize sports books in what would become the largest U.S. market.Whether Reeve Collins and Kasey Thompson’s 2024 California sports betting initiative campaign gets off the ground could be decided as soon as this week, when they pitch their plan Wednesday to California’s tribal gaming leaders — the same group of people who feel blindsided and disrespected because they weren’t consulted before the partners filed their proposals with state authorities last month.&...

Letters: Public and pets | No new books | Benefiting kids | Ukraine peace | Palestinian suffering | Age is an asset

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Public must dobetter by our petsRe: “At beleaguered shelter, care for pets criticized” (Page B6, Nov. 12).Our shelters should be providing adequate, if not better, care for the pets nobody wants. However, the greater public needs to take responsibility for the animal overpopulation problem as well.Assembly Bill 702, introduced in 2021 to regulate “hobby” or “backyard” breeders, and opposed by the American Kennel Club among others with money interests, was not even heard. People bought “pandemic pets,” then found out they require too much work and returned them.“Backyard breeders” breed dogs to earn extra income, and take the surplus to the shelter, if the animals are lucky. The rest are dumped.As for puppy mills, they are poorly run; dogs are treated like livestock, hence they arrive with behavior problems. Yet people support puppy mills every time they purchase a puppy from out of state.The public...

Letters: MTC tax proposal | South Bay jewel | Creating danger | Tuition hike | Using leverage | Array of technology

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.MTC should invest intransit, not impose feesI am disappointed to learn about the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s proposal to implement a per-mile fee on major highways. Many people rely on highways to commute to work, and due to the underdeveloped state of our public transportation system and the size of the Bay Area, it’s impossible for people to travel without driving on highways.We need a more effective transportation system that will incentivize individuals to use public transportation, rather than punishing them for using the only transportation that is available to them. Not only will this reduce the number of cars on the road by allowing large amounts of people that are going to the same place to travel together, but it will also lessen traffic pollution and long commute times that many people are struggling with.The MTC should invest in infrastructure that supports...

‘You have to turn yourself in’: San Carlos beheading defendant’s mother gives emotional testimony while son skips out on trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

REDWOOD CITY — After courtroom drama Monday abruptly ended the defense’s case in the middle of the defendant’s testimony, a man accused of beheading his child’s mother with a sword last year skipped out on his own trial Tuesday, while his own mother provided emotional testimony in court.Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta’s absence came just one day after a bizarre courtroom episode that unfolded when the 34-year-old defendant was cross-examined by prosecutors: He denied committing the killing and even denied recognizing a photo of the victim — 27-year-old Karina Castro — while testifying under oath. Solano then became nonresponsive for the rest of his cross-examination, prompting Judge Lisa Novak to recess court for the day.Solano is accused of the daytime killing of Castro, allegedly using a sword that he pulled from his car as the two were arguing. Authorities say Solano used the sword to hack Castro to death, cutting off one of her arms and striking her at least ...

Filoli estate confirmed as meeting place for Biden, Xi

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden said on the eve of his much-anticipated meeting with China’s Xi Jinping that his goal for the talks is simply to try to get U.S.-Chinese communications back on stable ground after a tumultuous year.Biden said Tuesday, shortly before departing for San Francisco to meet Xi and attend this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, that the nations must get “on a normal course corresponding” once again even as they have sharp differences on no shortage of issues.“Being able to pick up the phone and talk to one another if there’s a crisis. Being able to make sure our militaries still have contact with one another,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “We’re not trying to decouple from China, but what we’re trying to do is change the relationship for the better.”The two leaders will meet at Filoli Estate, a historical country house museum in the exclusive town of Woodside about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francis...

Police report uptick in crime targeting Danville on weekends

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

(KRON) -- The Danville Police Department reports an uptick in thieves targeting cars in the Danville area on weekends.Police said the majority of thefts occur because cars are left unlocked with keys inside.Police recommend people to:Always lock cars even when running a quick errand.Remove valuables or hide them from plain sight.Never leave keys in the car.If you see anything suspicious, report it to the police at 925-820-2144 for non-emergencies or 911 for emergencies.

Israeli military says it is carrying out “precise and targeted operation” inside Gaza’s Shifa Hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli military says it is carrying out “precise and targeted operation” inside Gaza’s Shifa Hospital.Source

Suspicious letter prompts Kansas to evacuate secretary of state’s building

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas secretary of state’s office received a letter Tuesday containing what Secretary Scott Schwab called “a suspicious substance.” Officials evacuated the building for the rest of the day.Schwab’s office serves as the state’s top elections authority, and the incident occurred less than a week after election offices in at least five states states received threatening mail. Some of that mail contained the potentially dangerous opioid fentanyl.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, taking the lead in the case, did not provide further details about the letter received Tuesday, and Schwab did not say what the suspicious substance was. “With recent events, we take such things as a suspicious substance very serious,” Schwab said in a text to The Associated Press. “Our team is trained if they see something, say something.”The KBI is working with the Kansas Highway Patrol, the state fire marshal’s office and the state Department of Health ...

Israeli defense officials agree to allow fuel into Gaza for humanitarian purposes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:35 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli defense officials say they have agreed to allow fuel shipments into the Gaza Strip for humanitarian operations.It is the first time that Israel has allowed fuel into the besieged territory since the Hamas militant group’s bloody cross-border invasion on Oct. 7.Israel declared war and barred fuel shipments after the attack, saying Hamas would divert supplies for military use. But the fuel shortages have crippled operations at Gaza hospitals, which run on generators, and hindered the U.N. from delivering humanitarian services.COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian affairs announced early Wednesday that it would allow U.N. trucks to refill at the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border later Wednesday. It said the decision was in response to a request from the U.S.UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, warned late Tuesday that its fuel-storage facility in Gaza had run dry and that it would soon be forced to halt operat...