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The story of Big Junior and other wonders at 5 Bay Area birding sites

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

When famed Central Park birder Christian Cooper wrote that watching birds in the wild opens a window “into the wondrous,” he could have been describing Big Junior and her amazing story of birth, tragedy, bonding and survival.Big Junior is the female in a pair of bald eagles who established a nest this winter at Alameda’s Corica Park Golf Course. But on March 21, when a catastrophic “bomb cyclone” storm lashed the Bay Area with hurricane-force winds, the eagles’ egg was knocked from the nest.Rick Lewis, a Corica Park neighbor and Golden Gate Audubon Society eagle expert, began tracking Big Junior and her partner after discovering their nest on Dec. 29. Lewis and his fellow monitors found the egg on the ground after the storm.“We were devastated,” he says.Lewis shared Big Junior’s story during a recent Audubon Society-sponsored field trip to the golf course, one of many “into the wondrous” adventures hosted by conservation groups around the Bay Area.Rick Lewis,...

7 amazing Bay Area things to do this weekend, Nov. 10-12

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a weekend perfect. A warm-hearted comedy to take the edge off. Or the exact-right beer to serve with that heavenly slice of pizza. We’ve got both on tap here, and more, so let’s dive in, shall we?Note that if you are headed into San Francisco, the massive APEC international conference running Nov. 11-19 is going to pose traffic issues. More about that is here. And here is a map detailing the more heavily affected areas.And, as always, be sure to double check event and venue 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: Great shows are all overDespite the possible complications from APEC, there are a ton of great shows, concerts and exhibits to catch this weekend and beyond, from a new “Barber ...

San Jose: An animal lover’s guide to hanging at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

Even at 16 acres, San Jose’s Happy Hollow Park & Zoo could be considered a hidden gem, tucked as it is behind a gateway along Story Road. First conceived in the mid-1950s, the attraction opened in March 1961, with the zoo added in 1967. Many expansions and upgrades have taken place in the years since.Today, Happy Hollow is partly devoted to gentle rides and amusements for children and partly devoted to the survival of global species, from the adorable (meerkats) to the slightly intimidating (jaguar). About 130 animals representing over 50 species call this home.We took our zoo cues from the youngest animal lovers on a recent visit. Here’s our guide:An endangered blue and gold macaw is a vivid — and loud — presence at Happy Hollow. (Jocelyn Cervantes/Mosaic) Jocelyn Cervantes/Mosaic1 Squawk with the macaws: Many of Happy Hollow’s inhabitants reside quietly in their habitats. Not the macaws. Their piercing cries make them wildly popular with kids...

5 fantastic things to do at the Oakland Zoo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

Founded in 1922 by naturalist Henry Snow, the Oakland Zoo is tucked neatly onto 100 hilly acres filled with nearly 1,000 animals and at least that many scenic views.The legendary zoological park has a proud history of providing sanctuary for animals that have been abused or misused and helping care for wildlife injured or sickened, often by humankind’s misadventures.Two of its tigers were liberated from an abandoned roadside attraction where they were once part of the cub-petting industry, a lucrative if unethical endeavor. As adults — no longer safe for tourists looking for a cute photo op — they were left on their own, trapped inside cages. Others, including the zoo’s Fennec foxes, Aldabra tortoises and Amazon macaws, were part of the illegal wild animal pet trade, living as someone’s pet until the creatures became too unwieldy for their owners.The zoo offers ways to participate and appreciate its serious side, but there are more ways to appreciate its spectacular sigh...

Can a person live out of a 3×3 space? One East Bay city says homeless must.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

BERKELEY — How much stuff can fit in a 3-by-3 foot square outlined in neon pink spray paint on a city sidewalk?For the handful of people swept off two blocks of the city’s Harrison Street encampment early Tuesday morning, the answer was “not much.”Six hours after backhoes started scooping up scores of pillows, water jugs, clothing and other personal property that didn’t fit and tossing them into dump trucks, Clarence Galtney was one of the last residents sorting through his things.For the 65-year-old, who has lived for nearly a decade along the Harrison Corridor where the Gilman District’s industrial hub and residential neighborhoods collide in Northwest Berkeley, deciding which things to pack and which things to leave behind was simple.“I’m just trying to grab the most valuable stuff and go,” Galtney said, eying the public works crews power-washing and fencing in the sidewalk, slowly inching closer to his camp that’s been swept before.But it wasn’t easy. Whi...

David DePape, charged in last year's attack against Paul Pelosi, goes to trial in San Francisco

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — David DePape, the man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home, bludgeoning her husband with a hammer and seeking to kidnap her, goes on trial Thursday.Opening statements are scheduled in the federal trial of DePape, who prosecutors say assaulted then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi, sending shockwaves through the political world just days before last year’s midterm elections. The attack in the early hours of Oct. 28, 2022, also highlighted how conspiracy theories and misinformation that spread online can fuel political violence.DePape pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Paul Pelosi is expected to testify next week.DePape posted rants on a blog and an online forum about aliens, communists, religious minorities, and global elites. He questioned the results of the 2020 election and echoed the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory tha...

Student is suspected of injuring another student severely with a weapon at a German school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German police said Thursday that a student with a weapon is suspected of having severely injured another student at a school in the country’s southwest, German news agency dpa reported.The suspect, a teenager, was detained as part of a large-scale police operation in the town of Offenburg.The injured student was treated by emergency services and then taken to a hospital, dpa reported.“The police are on site with strong forces,” local authorities said in a statement. “There is no further danger.”Police said it appeared that there was only one suspect and one victim.The motive for the attack is likely to be personal, dpa reported.The school was initially cordoned off and students were asked to stay in their classrooms for their safety, dpa reported. Later Thursday, around 180 students were led out of the school to another location where they were being counseled by special staff. After that, they would be able to return to their parents, dpa reported.No furth...

Las Vegas hotel workers union and MGM agree to tentative contract after deal with Caesars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas hotel workers union reached a deal with MGM Resorts International, the largest employer on the Las Vegas Strip, on the heels of its breakthrough agreement with Caesars Entertainment.The Culinary Workers Union announced the tentative 5-year agreement Thursday that it said covers about 25,000 workers at the Aria, Bellagio, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York and Park MGM. The union said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the agreement followed nearly 20 hours of negotiating.MGM didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.The union had threatened to begin a strike in the pre-dawn hours Friday at properties along the Strip if negotiations failed. Experts said that move would have been catastrophic for the Las Vegas Strip.The casino company’s CEO Bill Hornbuckle had said Wednesday in an earnings call at the same time negotiations were taking place in a casino ballroom that he was confident ...

Kelso Technologies: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

SURREY, British Columbia (AP) — SURREY, British Columbia (AP) — Kelso Technologies Inc. (KIQ) on Thursday reported a loss of $103,000 in its third quarter.The Surrey, British Columbia-based company said it had a loss of less than 1 cent on a per-share basis.The railroad equipment supplier posted revenue of $3.1 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on KIQ at https://www.zacks.com/ap/KIQSource

ClearOne: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:00 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — ClearOne Inc. (CLRO) on Thursday reported a loss of $1.4 million in its third quarter.The Salt Lake City-based company said it had a loss of 6 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for amortization costs and stock option expense, were 5 cents per share.The provider of videoconferencing products posted revenue of $4.9 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CLRO at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CLROSource