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Daniel Clowes’ Monica Goes to Hell and Finds It Is Us

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

Daniel Clowes sets the stage for his latest graphic novel, Monica, by jumping right into the deep end of history’s primordial slop — protozoa, dinosaurs, pharaohs, Christ, plague, Columbus, Hitler, the bomb, a dying JFK, and the Beverly Hillbillies all make colorful cameos on the opening pages.Then you start meeting the characters, including a soldier in Vietnam and his girl back home, Penny, who steps out with a snarky hipster painter fond of jerking the chains encumbering the bourgeoisie: “Don’t you love rich people? They’re so happy and they smell great! … We have to warn them about the revolution! ATTENTION BARONS OF INDUSTRY: DOOM IS NIGH! BOARD YOUR WINDOWS!”The flighty (not to say bipolar? schiz?) Penny moves from apartment to apartment and man to man and a couple of years later begets the book’s namesake, who spends much of her life seeking out the identity of her father. Finding success by following in her mother’s hippie-entrepreneurial footsteps when she opens a shop sell...

Once facing life without parole, East Bay man took 11 years in Bay Point homicide

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

MARTINEZ — After his murder trial resulted in a hung jury, a Bay Area man accepted a plea deal and an 11-year prison term, court records show.Donald Jeter, 26, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the Feb. 15, 2019 shooting death of 18-year-old Andre Piazza. The plea deal was finalized last April, but hasn’t been previously reported.Jeter — who is also serving a 20-year prison term for robbing a KPIX news crew in Alameda County — will be eligible for parole in 2031, according to prison records. He is currently incarcerated in California State Prison, Solano, in Vacaville.Police say that Piazza was killed after arranging to buy a gun from Jeter and another man, Ramon Brown. During trial, Jeter’s lawyer argued that witnesses who implicated Jeter had made contradictory statements to police. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict.Jeter was originally charged with enhancements that made him eligible for life without the possibility of parole.

New Years risk? San Jose experiencing 3rd highest COVID wave ever right now, wastewater shows

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

As the countdown to 2024 approaches, Dwayne Taylor — the founder of San Jose events company Taylor Productions — is preparing to celebrate. For nearly a decade, he has hosted one of the city’s largest New Year’s parties. And for the first time since 2020, COVID-19 is finally feeling like less of an obstacle.“I’ve had it three times, and I’ve also had a lot of really close friends who passed away from COVID,” said Taylor, who suspended the parties in 2020 and 2021 before bringing it back last year. “So if I thought for a second that this party would be a problem or a spreader event, I would have canceled it in a heartbeat.”Despite the persistent presence of COVID-19 and an ongoing surge — hospitalizations are up, and so is the virus’ presence in wastewater — Taylor is among many Bay Area residents making the same calculus.Most are throwing masks and other precautions to the winds, and it’s not just revelers. Nearly four years afte...

Nikki Haley says ‘of course’ Civil War was about slavery

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

By Meg Kinnard | Associated PressCOLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was asked at a New Hampshire town hall about the reason for the Civil War, and she didn’t mention slavery in her response. She walked back her comments hours later.Asked during Wednesday night’s town hall in Berlin what she believed had caused the war — the first shots of which were fired in her home state of South Carolina — Haley talked about the role of government, replying that it involved “the freedoms of what people could and couldn’t do.”She then turned the question back to the man who had asked it. He replied that he was not the one running for president and wished instead to know her answer.After Haley went into a lengthier explanation about the role of government, individual freedom and capitalism, the questioner seemed to admonish Haley, saying, “In the year 2023, it’s astonishing to me that you answer that question without mentioning t...

Single-family house sells for $1.7 million in Pleasanton

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

5263 Muirwood Drive – Google Street ViewA 2,014-square-foot house built in 1970 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 5200 block of Muirwood Drive in Pleasanton was sold on Oct. 20, 2023, for $1,658,500, or $823 per square foot. This single-story home offers a spacious layout with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. The property is equipped with forced air heating and central A/C. In addition, the house includes a garage.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Meadowbrook Court, Pleasanton, in October 2023, a 2,040-square-foot home was sold for $1,500,000, a price per square foot of $735. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In July 2023, a 2,372-square-foot home on Knollbrook Drive in Pleasanton sold for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $780. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,792-square-f...

For six months, Cher’s son appeared ‘strung out’ on drugs at Chateau Marmont, needed a caretaker

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

Cher’s decision this week to file for a conservatorship of her son, Elijah Blue Allman, comes after the entertainment legend says she watched him struggle for years with drug addiction, culminating in a tumultuous six-month period earlier this year, when the 47-year-old reportedly lived at the landmark Chateau Marmont and regularly worried hotel staff with his “drugged-out,” “strung-out” appearance.Staff at the gothic-looking Chateau Marmont, which looms over Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard, regularly reached out to Cher because of her son’s condition, the Daily Mail reported in September. The actor and singer finally hired a caretaker to look after him in September as he continued to lived at the luxury hotel, perhaps mindful that a drug-addicted John Belushi tragically died there of a heroin and cocaine overdose in 1982.Actress-singer Cher and son Elijah Blue attend the premiere of the film “Blow” March 29, 2001 at the Mann’...

‘Smart to stay away’ from Bay Area beaches as high surf slams coast ahead of storm

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

Weather forecasters and safety officials had a single, non-negotiable message for anyone thinking about spending the final weekend before 2024 at the beach:Don’t do it.Related ArticlesWeather | San Mateo County commits $15 million to fight flooding Weather | Capitola braces for giant swell, high tides, with more rain to hit Bay Area this week Weather | Bay Area: Coast flooding, hazardous beach conditions expected on Christmas Day Weather | Bay Area rainfall chart: Totals for this week’s storms Weather | Winter solstice: The shortest day and longest night of the year “It would be smart to stay away,” National Weather Service meteorologist Dylan Flynn said early Thursday. “It’s something we’re going to deal with for a few days.”The high surf is expected to pound coasts from Washington state down through Southern California all day Thursday, the result of a st...

Oakland police ID Antioch man killed in Dec. 4 shooting

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

OAKLAND — Police here have identified the 23-year-old Antioch man who was shot and killed outside of an East Oakland convenience store on Dec. 4.Triston Greene was shot and killed by multiple masked assailants as he sat in a vehicle on the 500 block of International Boulevard. Police have said that the motive appeared to be a robbery attempt, but not whether Greene was specifically targeted or a victim of opportunity.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Oakland mayor rejects all police chief finalists, setting back city’s search Crime and Public Safety | After prison sentence in notorious 1996 campus slaying, East Bay man charged in connection with two shootings Crime and Public Safety | Lake Merritt BART murder suspect serves as his own attorney in key hearing, with predictable results Crime and Public Safety | Man who consumed 12 alcoholic drinks, then killed wife in East Bay DUI crash takes plea deal, 10-...

High surf updates: Stinson Beach evacuations ordered

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A high surf warning is in effect today and will last through 3 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS is warning of "very dangerous waves" up to 28 to 33 feet, with 40-foot waves possible in some locations."The ocean is NOT your friend today!" said the NWS on X, formerly Twitter. Areas of Santa Cruz County coastline experiencing flooding, evacuation warning The weather service is advising people to stay away from rocks, jetties, piers and other waterside infrastructure. A very high swell coming from west-northwest will create hazardous beach conditions, the NWS said.West facing beaches could see breaking waves of 28 to 33 feet.The NWS advises:Stay off rocks and jettiesStay out of and away from the waterNever turn your back on the ocean!Keep pets on a leash and away from the waterFollow our live blog for the latest updates:10:40 a.m. -- Stinson Beach evacuation point establishedA temporary evacuation point has been established at Stinson Beach Co...

SF Bay Ferry reports cancellations Thursday due to mechanical issues

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:46:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The San Francisco Bay Ferry service is reporting cancellations Thursday due to mechanical issues. "We're down a couple ferries and suffering some cancellations as a result," the ferry service posted on social media. High surf warning in effect Thursday: Latest updates Weekday ferry service, the agency said, requires 11 vessels in service. The ferry service currently has 10 available. The agency said it is hopeful of getting at least one more boat back online by this evening."Our priority is to minimize passenger impact," the ferry service said. "Updates to come."