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Oakland: High-end Mexican restaurant to shutter Jan. 6

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

Calavera, the upscale Mexican restaurant in Uptown Oakland, announced on Instagram that it will close Jan. 6.During its heyday, the restaurant was so popular, the noise levels were off the charts, according to our 2015 dining review. Clearly, diners found the atmosphere and menu of small plates, street tacos and creative cocktails irresistible. But the restaurant has faced a series of challenges in subsequent years.In April 2016, three former employees launched a class action lawsuit against the restaurant alleging wage theft. By the time the lawsuit was settled in April 2022 for an undisclosed amount, 263 employees had signed on, according to Oaklandside.In December 2022, the San Francisco Chronicle panned the restaurant with a review bearing the headline: “What does gentrification taste like? This dreadful Oakland restaurant serves it on a tortilla.”The bar area is photographed at Calavera Mexican Kitchen and Agave Bar on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 in Oakland, Calif. (Aric...

Sharks’ Couture explains what needs to happen before he returns, as timeline comes more into focus

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

SAN JOSE – Injured San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture said he wants to be a full participant in at least two practices before he thinks about rejoining the team’s lineup, meaning he could potentially play again as soon as this weekend if he continues to skate without any setbacks.The Sharks are at home this week and as of now are scheduled to practice on both Wednesday and Friday. San Jose closes a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Maple Leafs.“I want to practice twice,” Couture told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday.Couture, out with a lower-body injury since before the start of training camp, said he’s still taking things day-by-day, noting it was unclear whether he’ll be able to be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. He took part in another one of the Sharks’ morning skates Tuesday as they prepared to play the Detroit Red Wings at SAP Center.Couture has had at least two setbacks in his recovery from the undisclosed injury, with the most recent...

At least 5 dead, dozens hurt in wave of Russian missiles

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

By Illia Novikov and Hannah Arhirova | Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s two largest cities came under attack early Tuesday from Russian missiles that killed five people and injured as many as 130, officials said, as the war approached its two-year mark and the Kremlin stepped up its winter bombardment of urban areas.Air defenses shot down all 10 of the Russian Kinzhal missiles, which can fly at 10 times the speed of sound, out of about 100 of various types that were launched, claimed Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief.But other missiles got through in Kyiv and in Kharkiv, the provincial capital of the northeastern region. In Kyiv and its surrounding region, four people were killed and about 70 were wounded, while in the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and about 60 were hurt, the Interior Ministry said.The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile that is rarely used by Russian forces due to its cost and limited stocks. The barr...

Cold snap sends temps in Finland, Sweden to below minus 40

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

By Jari Tanner | Associated PressHELSINKI — Finland and Sweden recorded their coldest temperatures of the winter Tuesday when thermometers plummeted as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) as a cold spell grips the Nordic region.Cold and snow disrupted transportation throughout the region, including in Norway where a major highway in the south was closed due to the weather and ferry lines suspended operations. Swedish train operators said the cold snap caused substantial problems for rail traffic in the Arctic north.Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, recorded a temperature of minus 41.6 degrees C (minus 42.8 F) early Tuesday, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.“It’s the coldest temperature we have had so far this winter, and it will continue to be quite cold weather in the north,” SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist said.The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute reported temperatures o...

Kurtenbach: 5 under-the-radar free agents who could salvage the SF Giants’ offseason

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

Contrary to popular belief, the Giants do not need to spend the massive pile of money they allocated for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.In fact, the Giants would be foolish to sign a big-money free agent now that those two players are Dodgers.No, San Francisco needs to stay nimble. With big money comes long terms — the Giants might be able to afford the pay, but they can’t afford four-plus years of a second-tier free agent.(If those guys were sure things, they’d be signed by now.)After going for the big play and failing — again — the Giants need to stay true to their systems (it did win 107 games one season) and remain flexible. Don’t do anything this offseason that you’ll regret next offseason.Of course, the Giants still need to augment their whole roster, but director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi tries to turn the organization into a self-sustaining winning machine — one that might create a big-time free agent one day.Luckily, baseball’s ...

Former SF city employee charged with conflict of interest laws

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

(KRON) – A former employee of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, Van Zeng, has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of having a financial conflict of interest in a government decision. According to the District Attorney’s Office,  Zeng signed off on an inspection of his own home. He also signed off on inspections for two construction projects for Mutual Seiko Construction, his father’s company. Zeng was the contractor for the projects.  Inert bomb found on Santa Cruz County beach San Francisco law prohibits a city and county employee from participating in, making, or seeking to influence a governmental decision in which the employee has a financial interest. “San Franciscans should expect our public employees to act with integrity and not engage in self-serving behavior,” said the San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “My office is committed to rooting out employees who violate ethics laws and hold them accountable.”   Zeng was arraigned and plead...

Federal judge dismisses effort to block Trump from Virginia ballot

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Win McNamee) Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Photo by Win McNa...

Littler, 16, reaches final of world darts championship in one of the sport’s most unlikely stories

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Luke Littler reached the final of the world darts championship at the age of 16 on Tuesday, extending one of the most unlikely stories in the history of the sport.Littler, an unseeded player from Runcorn in northwest England who started throwing darts as a toddler, beat 2018 champion Rob Cross 6-2 to get into Wednesday’s title match against either Scott Williams or Luke Humphries.The winner of the final will earn 500,000 pounds ($630,000).The teenager has made front-page headlines with his amazing run at Alexandra Palace that also included eliminating multiple former world champion Raymond van Barneveld, his idol. It started on Dec. 20, when he beat Christian Kist in the first round to be the youngest player to win a match at the tournament and got serenaded with chants of “You’ve got school in the morning” by the boisterous fans.Littler’s new-found celebrity status has led to him and his family receiving complimentary tickets to watch Premier League ...

Buffalo Bills overcome deficiencies, missteps to set up showdown at Miami for AFC East title

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Don’t count the Buffalo Bills out of — or into — the playoffs just yet. This has, after all, been a team that’s not made much appear easy this season.It’s remarkable that the Bills (10-6) have made made it this far. They’ve won four straight and five of six as they prepare to close their schedule at Miami (11-5) with the AFC East title on the line on Sunday night.A win would secure the Bills their fourth straight division title and the AFC’s No. 2 seed. But a loss could leave them out of the playoffs altogether. If the Bills lose or tie, they would need a Pittsburgh loss or tie, a Jacksonville loss or tie or Houston’s game against Indianapolis finishing in a tie. The Dolphins have clinched a playoff berth.The Bills will know the math before kickoff, since their game is the last of the regular season.They’re in this position despite a patchwork defense, quarterback Josh Allen’s ongoing turnover troubles and an inconsistent offense that led to coordinat...

Price cuts boost Tesla’s 4Q sales, beating estimates as electric vehicle growth rate slows

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:19:23 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Steep price cuts helped electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc. increase its fourth-quarter vehicle sales by almost 20% as EV sales growth slowed across the industry.The Austin, Texas, company said Tuesday that it sold 484,507 vehicles worldwide from October through December. That handily beat Wall Street estimates of 473,000 for the quarter, according to data provider FactSet.For the full year, Tesla said it sold just over 1.8 million vehicles, up 37.7% from 2022 numbers. Full-year sales numbers fell far short of CEO Elon Musk’s prediction of 50% sales growth in most years. But the company did exceed an internal target for the year of 1.8 million vehicle sales.Tesla chopped prices in the U.S. multiple times during the year, at times by $20,000 on some of its higher-priced models. Even its lowest-price model, the rear-wheel-drive 3, saw a cut of at least $6,600. Industry analysts expect the price cuts to trim Tesla’s profit margins when it reports earnings on Ja...