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Berkeley’s patchwork policies show how state housing goals complicate ADU rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

On paper, it’s never been easier to get plans for accessory dwelling units approved in California.But state lawmakers’ ongoing effort to streamline development of ADUs, which include in-law units and granny flats, frequently butts up against local concerns, especially in places like Berkeley where housing is in short supply, as are plots of land suitable for safely building these minuscule homes.In a marathon race to keep up with complex, ever-evolving state law, Berkeley’s planning and legal departments have stayed busy crafting — and recrafting — byzantine ADU regulations and policies since at least 2019, when state lawmakers started slashing red tape and simplifying approvals for ADU projects that met broad lists of state requirements.And the nearly three-hour legislation session during Tuesday’s City Council meeting offers the rest of the state a peek at what practical implementation of the state’s revised ADU rules actually looks like.In a 7-0 vote, with two members...

SF funding secured to install protected bike lanes near Golden Gate Park, Presido

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

(BCN) -- A bike safety project in San Francisco will move forward following the securing of $1.2 million in state funding that will see the installation of protected bike lanes connecting Golden Gate Park and the Presidio, Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting announced Thursday. Following the death of world champion cyclist Ethan Boyes, who was killed after being struck by a car on Arguello Boulevard on April 4, the cycling community increased their push for new safety measures to be put in place in the area.The Arguello Quick Build Bicycle Safety Project will review and propose safety measures which could include having parked cars, safe-hit posts, or other barriers to separate cyclists from moving traffic, according to Ting. 20,000 Kaiser healthcare workers on strike in the Bay Area "Ethan's passing is such a loss," said Ting in a statement. "I'm answering our community's calls for better bike lanes and improved safety for cyclists in Richmond. We honor him by making sure vehicles an...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts as pressure from high bond yields persists

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting as pressure from the bond market remains high due to worries about a too-hot U.S. job market. Offering some relief was another sharp drop for oil prices. The S&P 500, the Dow and the Nasdaq composite were all wavering between small gains and losses at the open of trading Thursday. They drifted as Treasury yields bounced up and down. The 10-year Treasury yield initially rose after a report showed fewer workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected, which could be a sign of upward pressure on inflation. The yield later eased as oil prices deepened their weeklong slide.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Crude prices have fallen every day this week save for one and drillers are getting hit hard as potential economic headwinds raise anxiety once again over a recession. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 shuffled between small gains and losses before the opening ...

Quién es Jon Fosse y cuáles son las obras más importantes del dramaturgo y escritor noruego ganador del Nobel de Literatura

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

(CNN Español) — Jon Fosse fue galardonado este jueves con el Premio Nobel de Literatura 2023 por “por sus obras innovadoras y su prosa que dan voz a lo indecible”, dijo la Academia Sueca al anunciar el galardón en una ceremonia en Estocolmo este jueves.Jon Fosse nació en la Haugesund, una ciudad en la costa noruega, el 29 de septiembre de 1959, destacándose como uno de los escritores más importantes de esta época, dijo Anders Olsson, presidente del Comité del Nobel de la Academia Sueca.“La singularidad de Fosse es totalmente evidente”, afirmó Olsson. “En su radical reducción del lenguaje y la acción dramática, expresa las emociones humanas más poderosas de ansiedad e impotencia en los términos cotidianos más sencillo”, añadió.Fosse es, sobre todo, un dramaturgo que se destaca por su capacidad para evocar ” la pérdida de orientación del ser humano” y así “acceder a una experiencia más profunda y cercana a la divinidad”...

Hyundai electric vehicles to use Tesla’s NACS charging ports starting next year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

Hyundai says it’s adopting North American Charging Standard ports for its electric vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, which will give the vehicles access to thousands of Tesla Superchargers across the two countries and Mexico. Tesla’s Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because it has more direct current fast-charging plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors.Hyundai Motor North America said Thursday that new Hyundai electric vehicles in the U.S. will come with the NACS port starting in 2024’s fourth quarter. It will begin in Canada in the first half of 2025.Hyundai electric vehicles with NACS ports will be able to access more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This will double the size of the DC fast charging network available to Hyundai electric vehicle customers.The Tesla network will be able to support the charging speeds on Hyundai’s advanced Electric-...

The Ukrainian president’s chief of staff says 48 people were killed by a Russian attack on a village in Kharkiv region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian president’s chief of staff says 48 people were killed by a Russian attack on a village in Kharkiv region.Source

South African flag may be taken down at rugby & cricket World Cups for doping body’s non-compliance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The South African flag will not be displayed at the rugby and cricket World Cups later this month if its national anti-doping body does not appeal a decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency to declare it non-compliant.The consequences of the decision by WADA will come into effect for South Africa on Oct. 14. Its teams are currently playing at those two World Cups.Khalid Galant, the CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport, the national anti-doping body, said Thursday it would likely appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by an Oct. 13 deadline, ensuring the sanctions do not come into play. The sanctions would then be suspended until either the appeal is decided or South Africa meets WADA’s requirements.South Africa is also not allowed to host international sports competitions while it is non-compliant. If the issue drags on, the country’s flag may not be allowed to be displayed at next year’s Paris Olympics and Par...

Florida man arrested for allegedly illegally reselling erectile dysfunction medication

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

THE VILLAGES, Fla. – A 77-year-old man from The Villages finds himself in legal trouble after being accused of engaging in the illicit sale of thousands of dollars’ worth of erectile dysfunction medication. Reginald Kincer, the man at the center of this unusual case, now faces potential consequences that include a year in federal prison and a hefty $10,000 fine.According to federal authorities, Kincer acquired off-brand pills without a valid prescription from a licensed medical professional. He allegedly stockpiled these pills with the intention of redistributing them both within and outside the state.Kincer, who was once seen as something of a local legend in The Villages, earned a reputation as the neighborhood’s go-to source for these medications. Residents fondly referred to him as the “neighborhood pharmacist” and expressed regret that his operation came to an end before they had the chance to make a purchase.“I’m just sorry he got bust...

Russia kills 50 in bomb attack on café, shop in northeast Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

A Russian missile attack on civilian targets in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region killed 50 people on Thursday, including a 6-year-old boy, according to reports by Ukrainian officials.Russian forces shelled a shop and a café in the village of Hroza around 1 p.m., in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a “particularly brutal” crime. Fifty people have been confirmed dead and at least seven more are injured, according to reports from Zelenskyy’s office and from regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.“Russian terror must be stopped,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “All those who help Russia circumvent sanctions are criminals. Everyone who supports Russia until now supports evil.”Zelenskyy, who is in Granada, Spain on Thursday to attend the European Political Community summit, has asked for support from European leaders to strengthen air defenses against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing assault.Ukrainian prosecutors, under the guidance of...

Illegal drugs loom over Luxembourg’s election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:20 GMT

LUXEMBOURG CITY — Ahead of Luxembourg’s national election, politicians are scrapping over how to tackle a growing drugs problem.The EU’s richest country has a ballot Sunday that will see a battle for seats in the 60-member Chamber of Deputies and for a new prime minister, who could replace incumbent liberal Xavier Bettel. Along with health care and the economy, security-related concerns — such as a rise in crime and drug use — have vaulted to near the top of the campaign agenda, as worried citizens point to a perceived degradation in the capital city.“All we want is a safe place to live,” said Graziela Bordin, co-organizer of a recent anti-drugs protest in Luxembourg City. Luxembourg is the latest European country to report a spike in the use of certain hard drugs, following similar reports in nearby Belgium and the Netherlands. To the center-right Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), which is currently leading the race according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, securi...