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National Spelling Bee: Three Bay Area students make it to Day 2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

OXON HILL, Md. — Three Bay Area middle-schoolers remained in the running after the first day of competition at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.Tuesday’s rounds whittled the field from 231 contestants to 121. Among those still standing:Shradha Rachamreddy, 13, a seventh-grader at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Upper School, in San Jose. She finished 23rd last year, when she attended Quarry Lane School, in Dublin.Vikrant Chintanaboina, 14, an eighth-grader at Discovery Charter School – Falcon Campus, in San Jose. He was 49th last year.Dhruv Subramanian, 12, a seventh-grader at Windemere Ranch Middle School, in San Ramon.Shradha and Vikrant shared the title of California state champion this year.The post-pandemic bee is leaner and, in some ways, meaner. Because of the vocabulary-definition rounds, accomplished spellers can be bounced from the bee without ever misspelling a word. And because there is no alternative path to the bee as there was in the late 2010s, the regi...

Oakland: 10-year-old killed in stabbing lived in house with history of domestic violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

OAKLAND — The 10-year-old girl who allegedly was stabbed to death by her mother at their East Oakland home last week had long lived in a household with a history of domestic violence, according to court records and testimony from family and neighbors.Sophia Lorenzo Orozco, 10, was killed in an incident described by police as “a senseless and horrific act of violence” when her mother, Rosa Orozco, allegedly stabbed her with a paring knife before turning the knife on herself around noon on May 22.When officers forced their way inside their home at a two-story apartment building on the 4500 block of Bancroft Avenue, they found Sophia unresponsive and bleeding from cuts to her neck and Rosa suffering from apparent self-inflicted wounds. Sophia was pronounced dead in the apartment, and Rosa was taken to a local hospital where she is expected to recover.The killing left family and neighbors in shock, many of them wondering about the mother’s motives. Rosa’s n...

Bay Area man drowns in Feather River near Chico

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

(KRON) -- A young man from the Bay Area drowned after he jumped off a dam into the Feather River east of Chico. The drowning victim was identified by the Butte County Coroner's Office as 21-year-old Jonathan Nguyen of Livermore. Nguyen dove off the Magalia Head Dam on Saturday, plunged underwater, and vanished, investigators said. His lifeless body was found downriver on Sunday by search and rescue teams, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.Water flows over the Magalia Head Dam on May 27, 2023. (Image courtesy Cal Fire Butte Unit) Nguyen had gone to the Feather River with friends to enjoy hiking and swimming over Memorial Day weekend, according to a GoFundMe page. He recently graduated from Chico State University, and he was a star athlete for Granada High School in wrestling, the page states. Two children swept away, found dead in Kings River California's rivers are flowing with cold, rapid, strong currents. Current conditions are extremely dangerous conditions for any...

Grant Anderson wins in relief in MLB debut, Rangers beat Tigers 10-6

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Reliever Grant Anderson won in an overpowering major league debut and the Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 10-6 on Tuesday night to improve to 35-19, the best record in franchise history at the one-third mark.Anderson stuck out seven of the nine batters he faced after taking over for starter Martín Pérez in the fifth inning.“In all my years, I can’t think of a better debut than what he just did,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He came into a one-run game with the tying run on second base and got eight outs — seven strikeouts. That’s just so impressive.”Texas second baseman Marcus Semien extended his hitting streak to a career-best 19 games with a fifth-inning single. Jonah Heim drove in four runs, Josh Jung homered and had three runs and Aroldis Garcia had four hits and three runs.“Our offense really came through when we needed them tonight,” Bochy said. “It’s good to see Jonah swinging the bat like that, but it was everyone up and down the lineup.”Migu...

Maryland lawsuit says 3M, DuPont knowingly made products with ‘forever chemicals’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

They’re called “forever chemicals,” but companies such as DuPont and 3M which marketed products that contained PFAS, are now facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by Maryland’s attorney general.PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals used in a wide variety of household products and industrial processes. They have been used since the 1940s in products that are heat and stain resistant and water and oil repellent.Studies have linked PFAS exposure to increased cancer risk, developmental delays in children, damage to organs, increased cholesterol levels and reduced immune functions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.In two lawsuits filed on behalf of the state against major chemical manufacturers, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown alleged that the companies knowingly marketed and sold products that forever contaminated the state and its resident...

Mikolas works 8 shutout innings, leads Cardinals to 2-1 victory over the Royals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Miles Mikolas pitched eight shutout innings, Nolan Arenado hit an RBI double and Nolan Gorman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Tuesday night to split the two-game set between the I-70 rivals.Mikolas (4-1) matched a career high with 10 strikeouts and allowed three hits. The strikeout total matched the 34-year-old right-hander’s effort against Milwaukee in 2019.The Cardinals needed a defensive gem in the fourth inning to keep the game scoreless. With two outs and MJ Melendez on second, Michael Massey singled to right. Brendan Donovan threw a strike to the plate and Willson Contreras applied the tag to Melendez.Gionvanny Gallegos replaced Mikolas in the ninth and gave up a double and single to start the inning. Vinnie Pasquantino scored on a fielder’s choice by Bobby Witt Jr., cutting the deficit to a run. Gallegos went on to retire the next two hitters and record his seventh save.The Card...

Tuesday’s Transactions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

BASEBALLMajor League BaseballAmerican LeagueBALTIMORE ORIOLES — Agreed to terms with OF Aaron Hicks on a one-year contract. Placed OF Cedric Mullins on the 10-day IL.BOSTON RED SOX — Placed RHP Corey Kluber on the paternity list. Recalled LHP Ryan Sherriff from Worcester (IL). Sent LF Adam Duvall on a rehab assignment to Worcester (IL).DETROIT TIGERS — Placed LHP Eduardo Rodriguez on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 29. Placed OF Matt Vierling on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 29. Recalled RHP Braden Bristo and INF Tyler Nevin from Toledo (IL).MINNESOTA TWINS — Sent RHP Kenta Maeda and LHP Caleb Thielbar to St. Paul (IL) on rehab assignments and CF Gilberto Celestino to Fort Myers (FSL) on a rehab assignment.NEW YORK YANKEES — Sent RHP Tommy Kahnle, RF Giancarlo Stanton and 3B Josh Donaldson on a rehab assignment to Somerset (EL). Reinstated C Jose Trevino from the 10-day IL. Recalled INF/OF Franchy Cordero from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). Optioned C Ben Rortvedt to Scranton/Wil...

Sex offenses in marriage: Maryland to drop spousal defense in sex crime cases

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

Maryland will no longer allow someone to use marriage as a defense against allegations of sex crimes starting Oct. 1.The change in Maryland law was approved during the most recent General Assembly session in Annapolis and followed a yearslong effort by advocates and several legislators to change the law.Lisae Jordan, the executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA), explained that under Maryland law, prosecutors could not charge a spouse who committed violent sexual assaults against their married partner.Jordan said when people were made aware of the current law, “I have yet to speak to any woman or man, and especially any young person in college or high school, who thought that in...

Brother: Authorities told family that body of missing Missouri ER doctor was found in Arkansas after weeklong search

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Brother: Authorities told family that body of missing Missouri ER doctor was found in Arkansas after weeklong search.Source

Gobierno de Panamá declara el estado de emergencia ambiental por sequía prolongada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:15 GMT

(CNN Español) — El gobierno de Panamá declaró el estado de emergencia ambiental por “sequía prolongada” en todo el territorio nacional.De acuerdo al Ministerio de Ambiente, la medida se toma dado que “las altas temperaturas, la evaporación y la falta de lluvias son el preámbulo a la llegada del posible fenómeno de El Niño, con lo que disminuiría la producción de agua para el consumo humano y la actividad agrícola en todo el país”.El comunicado de la Presidencia de Panamá que informa de la medida cita como ejemplos a los lagos artificiales de Alhajuela y Gatún, que abastecen de agua a más de la mitad de la población del país y a la vía interoceánica, cuyos niveles de agua “han mermado drásticamente por la larga estación seca”.Declaran estado de emergencia ambiental en PanamáAdemás, el comunicado explica que los pronósticos del Ministerio de Ambiente establecen que las temperaturas del país aumentarán y las precipitaciones en cuatro regiones c...