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COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in Wuhan market

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

By Dave Kang and Maria Cheng | Associated PressBEIJING — Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus, suggesting the pandemic may have originated from animals, not a lab, international experts say.Other experts have not yet verified their analysis, which has yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal. How the coronavirus began sickening people remains uncertain. The sequences will have to be matched to the genetic record of how the virus evolved to see which came first.“These data do not provide a definitive answer to how the pandemic began, but every piece of data is important to moving us closer to that answer,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday.He criticized China for not sharing the genetic information earlier, telling a press briefing that “this data could have and should have been shared three years ago.&#...

Alzheimer’s report hints at a future health crisis bigger than COVID-19

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

The costs of Alzheimer’s disease – human and financial – are rising sharply in California and nationally, and census projections for America’s rapidly aging population suggest the scope of the disease soon might rival what America saw during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.In fact, new data from the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2023 Facts and Figures report, released Wednesday, March 15, points to several ways that the disease is already reshaping American life:• Last year, about 200,000 Americans over the age of 65 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, bringing the number of dementia patients in that age group to about 6.7 million. By 2050, the Alzheimer’s Association projects that number will nearly double, to about 13 million. (In California, the number of people with Alzheimer’s has been growing at a slightly faster clip, and by 2025 is expected to hit 840,000, up 21.7% in a five-year window.)• Annual spending on care for people with Alzheimer’s and other...

With all the rain, expect plants to grow and pests to proliferate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

1. With all the rain we have had in recent weeks, expect an explosion of vegetative growth and the pests likely to appear along with it. There is a tried and true non-toxic contact bug spray that you can make by mixing a tablespoon of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap (available at drbronner.com) into a gallon of water. Not only will this mixture effectively zap aphids and mites, but it will control ants, who do not damage plants themselves, but facilitate damage by carrying sucking insects or their eggs from one plant to the next. It is advisable to spray in late afternoon so that the solution stays on the leaves and stems instead of quickly drying out if you were to spray earlier in the day.2. Where mildew on roses is concerned, Tom Carruth, a famed rosarian, has controlled spider mites by adjusting sprinklers so that they spray the undersides of rose leaves, where the mites spin their webs, since “they drown easily.” He also employs sprinklers early in the morning to deter the growth...

The seven most expensive reported home sales in Palo Alto the week of March 6

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

A house in Palo Alto that sold for $3.9 million tops the list of the most expensive real estate sales in Palo Alto in the past week.In total, 7 real estate sales were recorded in the area during the last week, with an average price of $2.8 million, $1,733 per square foot.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of March 6 even if the property may have been sold earlier.7. $1.6 million, single-family home in the 3300 block of Saint Michael DriveA sale has been finalized for the single-family residence in the 3300 block of Saint Michael Drive in Palo Alto. The price was $1,585,000 and the new owners took over the house in January. The house was built in 1955 and the living area totals 1,679 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $944. The house features 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.Saint Michael Drive6. $1.8 million, condominium in the 100 block of Emerson StreetThe 1,656 square-foot condominium in the 100 block of E...

First Disneyland appearance for rare Disney character older than Mickey Mouse

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

A Disney character created before Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Rabbit will make his first meet-and-greet appearance at any Disney theme park in the world when the villain-turned-pal debuts at Disneyland.Pete will make photo op appearances along with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto when Mickey’s Toontown reopens on Sunday, March 19 after a yearlong renovation of the kid-centric land at the Anaheim theme park.The gruff, cat-like anthropomorphic cartoon character was created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1925 — three years before Mickey Mouse appeared on the scene in 1928 and two years before Oswald the Rabbit in 1927.The former arch-nemesis to Mickey and later Donald, Pete has seen his demeanor softened and appearance changed over the decades by Disney artists.Pete will pose for photos in Mickey’s Toontown. (Disney) Known through the years as Peg Leg Pete, Black Pete and Bad Pete, the rival-turned-pal now tries his best to be thankful, warm and welcoming alongside...

Mailbag: UCLA and Arizona as bluebloods(?), SMU’s potential, Colorado State’s future, issues for the WCC and MW and more

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

The Hotline mailbag is published every Friday. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line — or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.*** Please note: Several topics related to Pac-12 media rights and expansion will be answered separately, in forthcoming articles.(Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.)What is it about Arizona’s one national championship that causes people to mistake them for a powerhouse blueblood program? — @scottyrevThe blueblood debate is tricky, but we’re perfectly willing to dive right in.Many UCLA fans, or folks who simply don’t like Arizona, are quick to mock any reference to the Wildcats as a college basketball blueblood.But there isn’t a firm definition of the term, and the Hotline would argue that UCLA’s status as a blueblood program is questionable.If you’re semi-relevant on the national scene for a half-century, are you actually a blueblood?The Bruins hav...

Is Guinness beer really ‘good for you’?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

By Lisa Drayer | CNNGuinness, like other Irish stouts, enjoys a seasonal popularity every St. Patrick’s Day. It has also been touted as being “good for you,” at least by its own advertising posters decades ago.But can this creamy, rich and filling beer really be added to a list of healthy beverages? Or is its reputation just good marketing? We researched the beer’s history and talked to brewing experts and break out the good, the not-so-great and the ingenuity of Guinness.The goodThe original Guinness is a type of ale known as stout. It’s made from a grist (grain) that includes a large amount of roasted barley, which gives it its intense burnt flavor and very dark color. And though you wouldn’t rank it as healthful as a vegetable, the stouts in general, as well as other beers, may be justified in at least some of their nutritional bragging rights.According to Charlie Bamforth, distinguished professor emeritus aof brewing sciences at the University...

Malian music stars Amadou & Mariam bring ‘Eclipse’ tour to Bay Area

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

At its best, music can ease the barriers for empathic experience, imbuing a room full of individuals with a shared consciousness.For the superstar Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, a catalog of incantatory, relentlessly grooving tunes is fuel enough to turn just about any assembly into a writhing celebration. But a decade ago they were looking for a different kind of communion, and set about to create a concert experience that invited audiences into their world.Guitarist and vocalist Amadou Bagayoko and vocalist Mariam Doumbia return to the Bay Area on a tour marking the release of their new live album, “Eclipse,” a project inspired by the 10th anniversary of the much-discussed Manchester International Festival concert where they performed completely in the dark. They won’t be replicating the black-out conditions during their four-night run at the SFJAZZ Center March 16-19 or at Kuumbwa Jazz’s March 20 Rio Theatre show, at least not for the audience.Bagayoko lost his vision at 16, wh...

After conspiracy conviction, reputed Oakland gang member racked up 18 parole violations in three years, feds say

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — An East Bay man was sentenced to 33 months in state prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm that police found during a traffic stop last year, court records show.Zayonta Casmire, 31, was sentenced March 9 by U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. Casmire pleaded guilty in November to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a federal offense that carries up to 15 years in prison. He was indicted in August 2022, two months after San Francisco police say they found a gun in his car during a traffic stop.Casmire was paroled in 2019 from a 15-year state prison term for conspiracy to commit attempted murder. From his release date to the June arrest, he racked up 18 parole violations, prosecutors said in court records.Casmire was part of a major 2013 prosecution targeting an Oakland-based gang, and in 2016 pleaded no contest to the conspiracy charge in exchange for the 15-year prison term. The case was based on a wiretap that allegedly captured pl...

Elizabeth Holmes court updates: Holmes arrives in federal court

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- The disgraced Silicon Valley entrepreneur is back in court Friday. A federal judge is slated to make a ruling over how much restitution she must pay her victims. Elizabeth Holmes, 38, of Woodside, defrauded sophisticated investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars through Theranos. Judge to rule on Elizabeth Holmes’ restitution, freedom U.S. District Judge Edward Davila sentenced Holmes to serve 11 years in prison and she is scheduled to report to prison next month. Friday will mark Holmes’ first court appearance as a mother of two. She recently gave birth to her second child. The baby’s father is Holmes’ current boyfriend, millionaire Billy Evans, who accompanies her for every court appearance.In court documents filed recently by her attorneys, Holmes cited her newborn baby as a reason why she should be allowed to delay when she reports to prison. Holmes argues that she deserves to remain free while appealing her conviction, a legal process that co...