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Buffalo approves 60-day moratorium on permits for some short-term rentalsFormer President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here's the latest: Carter’s relationship with his wife Rosalynn spanned a near-lifetime Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter had one of the great love stories and political partnerships in U.S. presidential history. The former president sometimes called his wife, who died Nov. 19. 2023, “Rosie,” which is a good way to remember how her name actually is pronounced. It is “ROSE-uh-lyn,” not, repeat NOT, “RAHZ-uh-lyn.” They were married more than 77 years but their relationship went back even further. Jimmy’s mother, “Miss Lillian,” delivered Eleanor Rosalynn Smith at the Smith home in Plains on Aug. 18, 1927. The nurse brought her eldest child back a few days later to visit, meaning the longest-married presidential couple met as preschooler and newborn. She became his trusted campaign aide and White House adviser, surprising Washington by sitting in on Cabinet meetings. Then they traveled the world together as co-founders of The Carter Center. Most of the nation saw the former president for the last time at Rosalynn Carter’s funeral. Grandson Jason Carter says Plains kept his grandparents humble READ: Jason Carter is now the chairman of The Carter Center’s board of governors. He said his grandparents “never changed who they were” even after reaching the White House and becoming global humanitarians. He says their four years in Washington were just one period of putting their values into action and that the center his grandparents founded in Atlanta is a lasting “extension of their belief in human rights as a fundamental global force.” Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter traveled the world advocating for democracy and fighting disease, but Jason Carter said they weren’t motivated by pity, or arrogance that a former American president had all the answers — they ventured to remote places because they could “recognize these people.” They too were from “a 600-person village” and understood that even the poorest people “have the power ... the ability ... the knowledge and the expertise to change their own community.” President Biden mourns his predecessor As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Pelosi says Carter’s life ‘was saintly’ in devotion to peace Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is remembering Carter as a man steeped “in devotion to public service and peace.” The California Democrat said in a statement Sunday that Carter was committed to “honoring the spark of divinity within every person,” something she said manifested in “teaching Sunday school in his beloved Marantha Baptist Church, brokering the landmark Camp David Accords to pave the way to peace or building homes with Habitat for Humanity.” Pelosi also said Carter led “perhaps the most impactful post-presidency in history.” Historical praise from the United Kingdom British Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted in a post on X the special contribution Carter made by brokering the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and through his work with the Carter Center. “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad,” Starmer said. Commemoration in New York City To commemorate Carter’s death, officials with the Empire State Building said in a post on social media that the iconic New York City landmark would be lit in red, white and blue on Sunday night, “to honor the life and legacy” of the late former president. The Obamas recall Carter's Sunday services In a statement issued Sunday, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said Carter’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church “will be a little quieter on Sunday,s” but added that the late former president “will never be far away -- buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.” Noting the “hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews” to see the former president teach Sunday school, as he did “for most of his adult life,” the Obamas listed Carter’s accomplishments as president. But they made special note of the Sunday school lessons, saying they were catalysts for people making a pilgrimage to the church. “Many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.” A somber announcement The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. A Southerner and a man of faith In his 1975 book “Why Not The Best,” Carter said of himself: “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. After he left office and returned home to his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia, Carter regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world. Former Vice President Gore remembers Carter for life "of purpose” Former Vice President Al Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes. Gore said that “it is a testament to his unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.” During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. But Gore said he is “grateful” for “many years of friendship and collaboration” with Carter. The Clintons react to Jimmy Carter's death Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end." The statement recalled Carter's many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David." After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in "supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

In the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, authorities have unearthed 11 clandestine graves holding the bodies of 15 men. This grim discovery is linked to a fierce rivalry between the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación drug cartels, authorities announced on Sunday. Chiapas Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar revealed via social media that the graves were discovered during a raid in La Concordia, a city near the Mexican-Guatemalan border. The operation resulted in the arrest of four suspects and the confiscation of weapons and drugs, Aguilar stated. The state prosecutor's office detailed that the raid targeted two separate properties. The first site revealed three bodies in three graves, while the second contained eight graves with 12 bodies. The use of advanced technology, including drones and geo-radars, was employed during the search, alongside traditional forensic methods. (With inputs from agencies.)Short Interest in Achilles Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:ACHL) Drops By 33.9%

Chandigarh: Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Tuesday advocated immediate action to discard error-ridden Punjabi, Hindi, and English editions of Gurshabd Ratnakar Mahan Kosh published by Punjabi University . Sandhwan also asked the higher education department to submit a report within three weeks. He said that this work is extremely important to “maintain the supremacy of Gurbani and rectify the misconceptions for future generations.” On Monday, Sandhwan convened a meeting for the conservation of the historic Diwan Todar Mal Haveli in Fatehgarh Sahib. It was attended by the Punjab tourism minister, officials of the department, and representatives of the Diwan Todar Mal Heritage Foundation and SGPC. Sandhwan on Monday also accused the Centre of turning a blind eye to the genuine demands of farmers, leaving them to languish on the roads instead of addressing their grievances. Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open channels of communication with the farmers, he stressed that the Centre must take decisive action and resolve the farmers’ issues “without dragging its feet.” We also published the following articles recently Narwekar front-runner for Maharashtra assembly speaker in election on Monday Rahul Narwekar is likely to be re-elected as Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday. The BJP is expected to retain the crucial post. Narwekar's handling of recent disqualification cases has earned him praise. If Narwekar is chosen for a ministerial role, Sudhir Mungatiwar is a potential replacement. Special assembly session from Monday, Rabindra Nath Mahto likely to retain speakers post Jharkhand's Nala MLA Rabindra Nath Mahto is likely to be re-elected as Speaker of the State Assembly during its upcoming session. Although Mahto desired a ministerial position, the Hemant Soren-led government, now at full capacity, may propose him for the speakership again. The session, starting Monday, will see pro tem speaker Stephen Marandi administering oaths to newly elected MLAs. Haryana khap leaders respond to farmers march to Delhi: Demand unity among Punjab farmers Haryana's Khap leaders have expressed their willingness to join the farmers' protest march to Delhi, but only if the United Morcha (SKM) unites first. They emphasized that internal politics among Punjab farmer groups is hindering the movement's progress. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

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Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100By Tony Leys | KFF Health News GLENWOOD, Iowa — Hundreds of people who were separated from society because they had disabilities are buried in a nondescript field at the former state institution here. Disability rights advocates hope Iowa will honor them by preventing the kind of neglect that has plagued similar cemeteries at other shuttered facilities around the U.S. The southwest Iowa institution, called the Glenwood Resource Center, was closed this summer in the wake of allegations of poor care . The last of its living residents were moved elsewhere in June. But the remains of about 1,300 people will stay where they were buried on the grounds. The graveyard, which dates to the 1800s, covers several acres of sloping ground near the campus’s brick buildings. A 6-foot-tall, weathered-concrete cross stands on the hillside, providing the most visible clue to the field’s purpose. On a recent afternoon, dried grass clippings obscured row after row of small stone grave markers set flat in the ground. Most of the stones are engraved with only a first initial, a last name, and a number. “If somebody who’s never been to Glenwood drove by, they wouldn’t even know there was a cemetery there,” said Brady Werger, a former resident of the facility. During more than a century of operation, the institution housed thousands of people with intellectual disabilities. Its population declined as society turned away from the practice of sequestering people with disabilities and mental illness in large facilities for decades at a time. The cemetery is filled with residents who died and weren’t returned to their hometowns for burial with their families. State and local leaders are working out arrangements to maintain the cemetery and the rest of the 380-acre campus. Local officials, who are expected to take control of the grounds next June, say they’ll need extensive state support for upkeep and redevelopment, especially with the town of about 5,000 people reeling from the loss of jobs at the institution. Hundreds of such places were constructed throughout the U.S. starting in the 1800s. Some, like the one in Glenwood, served people with disabilities, such as those caused by autism or seizure disorders. Others housed people with mental illness. Most of the facilities were built in rural areas, which were seen as providing a wholesome environment. States began shrinking or closing these institutions more than 50 years ago. The shifts were a response to complaints about people being removed from their communities and subjected to inhumane conditions, including the use of isolation and restraints. In the past decade, Iowa has closed two of its four mental hospitals and one of its two state institutions for people with intellectual disabilities. After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush. The neglect drew protests and sparked efforts to respectfully memorialize people who lived and died at the facilities. “At some level, the restoration of institutions’ cemeteries is about the restoration of humanity,” said Pat Deegan, a Massachusetts mental health advocate who works on the issue nationally . Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, sees the neglected graveyards as symbolic of how people with disabilities or mental illness can feel as if their individual identities are buried beneath the labels of their conditions. Deegan, 70, helped lead efforts to rehabilitate a pair of overgrown cemeteries at the Danvers State Hospital near Boston, which housed people with mental illness before it closed in 1992. More than 700 former residents were buried there, with many graves originally marked only with a number. The Massachusetts hospital’s grounds were redeveloped into a condominium complex. The rehabilitated cemeteries now have individual gravestones and a large historical marker, explaining what the facility was and who lived there. The sign notes that some past methods of caring for psychiatric patients seem “barbarous” by today’s standards, but the text portrays the staff as well-meaning. It says the institution “attempted to alleviate the problems of many of its members with care and empathy that, although not always successful, was nobly attempted.” Deegan has helped other groups across the country organize renovations of similar cemeteries. She urges communities to include former residents of the facilities in their efforts. Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center started as a home for orphans of Civil War soldiers. It grew into a large institution for people with disabilities, many of whom lived there for decades. Its population peaked at more than 1,900 in the 1950s, then dwindled to about 150 before state officials decided to close it. Werger, 32, said some criticisms of the institution were valid, but he remains grateful for the support the staff gave him until he was stable enough to move into community housing in 2018. “They helped change my life incredibly,” he said. He thinks the state should have fixed problems at the facility instead of shutting it. He said he hopes officials preserve historical parts of the campus, including stately brick buildings and the cemetery. He wishes the graves had more extensive headstones, with information about the residents buried there. He would also like to see signs installed explaining the place’s history. Two former employees of the Glenwood facility recently raised concerns that some of the graves may be mismarked . But officials with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the institution, said they have extensive, accurate records and recently placed stones on three graves that were unmarked. Department leaders declined to be interviewed about the cemetery’s future. Spokesperson Alex Murphy wrote in an email that while no decisions have been made about the campus, the agency “remains committed to ensuring the cemetery is protected and treated with dignity and respect for those who have been laid to rest there.” Glenwood civic leaders have formed a nonprofit corporation that is negotiating with the state over development plans for the former institution. “We’re trying to make the best of a tough situation,” said Larry Winum, a local banker who serves on the new organization’s board. Tentative plans include tearing down some of the existing buildings and creating up to 900 houses and apartments. Winum said redevelopment should include some kind of memorial sign about the institution and the people buried in the cemetery. “It will be important to us that those folks be remembered,” he said. Activists in other states said properly honoring such places takes sustained commitment and money. Jennifer Walton helped lead efforts in the 1990s to properly mark graves and improve cemetery upkeep at state institutions in Minnesota . Some of the cemeteries are deteriorating again, she said. Activists plan to ask Minnesota legislators to designate permanent funding to maintain them and to place explanatory markers at the sites. “I think it’s important, because it’s a way to demonstrate that these spaces represent human beings who at the time were very much hidden away,” Walton said. “No human being should be pushed aside and ignored.” Related Articles Health | A stroke changed a teacher’s life. How a new electrical device is helping her move Health | Raw milk nearly killed her son. Now avian flu is bringing more attention to its risk. Health | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too Health | CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes Health | New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants On a recent day, just one of the Glenwood graves had flowers on it. Retired managers of the institution said few people visit the cemetery, but amateur genealogists sometimes show up after learning that a long-forgotten ancestor was institutionalized at Glenwood and buried there. Former grounds supervisor Max Cupp said burials had become relatively rare over the years, with more families arranging to have deceased residents’ remains transported to their hometown cemeteries. One of the last people buried in the Glenwood cemetery was Kenneth Rummells, who died in 2022 at age 71 after living many years at the institution and then at a nearby group home overseen by the state. His guardian was Kenny Jacobsen, a retired employee of the facility who had known him for decades. Rummells couldn’t speak, but he could communicate by grunting, Jacobsen said. He enjoyed sitting outside. “He was kind of quiet, kind of a touch-me-not guy.” Jacobsen helped arrange for a gravestone that is more detailed than most others in the cemetery. The marker includes Rummells’ full name, the dates of his birth and death, a drawing of a porch swing, and the inscription “Forever swinging in the breeze.” Jacobsen hopes officials figure out how to maintain the cemetery. He would like to see a permanent sign erected, explaining who is buried there and how they came to live in Glenwood. “They were people too,” he said.

From wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turnIn a freewheeling interview with NBC News Sunday , President-elect Donald Trump offered a head-scratching explanation for his plan to wage an attack on birthright citizenship. “Did you know, if somebody sets a foot — just a foot, one foot, you don’t need two — on our land, congratulations, you are now a citizen of the United States of America,” Trump said, when discussing birthright citizenship. “Yes, we’re going to end that, because it’s ridiculous,” he added. Trump appeared to describe a hypothetical scenario in which a woman would give birth to an infant who — either capable of walking at birth or helped along by someone eager to win a bet — would set one foot on American soil and the other in either Mexico or Canada. It is also possible Trump was imagining an infant hopping or standing on one leg. Neither scenario is plausible. Trump also repeatedly asked whether the interviewer, Kristen Welker of “Meet the Press,” knew that the United States was the only country that conferred citizenship by birthright. “We’re the only country that has it, you know,” Trump said. “You know we’re the only country that has it.” Birthright citizenship is commonly recognized in the Americas, including in Canada and Mexico . A lso known by its Latin legal term as “jus soli,” it is the concept of conferring citizenship by birth in a given country. Most countries instead recognize “jus sanguinis,” which instead confers citizenship based on the nationality of a person’s parents. Welker did not challenge Trump’s utterly wrong description of how birthright citizenship works or that the United States is not alone in recognizing it. But she asked whether Trump intended to enact his proposed change through executive action. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. “Well, if we can, through executive action,” Trump said. “I was going to do it through executive action, but then we had to fix COVID first, to be honest with you.” Birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The president cannot use executive action to overturn a constitutional amendment, though legal experts expect the Trump administration to challenge the long-settled legal interpretation through the courts. Trump has spent significant time in southern Florida, which is home to a large Cuban-American community. He likely came up with this weird description of birthright citizenship by free-associating the issue with the now-defunct policy of allowing Cuban migrants to stay within the United States and pursue citizenship upon touching American soil. The policy was known as “wet-foot, dry-foot.” During this year’s presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly described immigrants as coming from jails and mental institutions. He was likely resurrecting assertions he heard during the era of the Mariel boatlift four decades ago. Related From Our Partner

The year began with a 7.5 earthquake in Japan. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continued to rage. Simone Biles soared in the Olympics. . Steph Curry and LeBron James teamed up to win gold. America was captivated by a rare solar eclipse. five years after a devastating fire. A former president was convicted of 34 felonies. The current one stumbled badly in a high-stakes debate, and announced he would not seek a second term. . And a daughter of Oakland joined the race to try to become America’s first. to Quincy Jones, Joe Lieberman, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Pete Rose, Ethel Kennedy, Bob Newhart, Toby Keith, O.J. Simpson, Shelley Duvall, Kris Kristofferson and Phil Donahue. The stock market hit record highs. Hurricane Helene cut a deadly swath across the South. One of the world’s most brutal dictators was driven out of Syria. The Bay Area saw its own share of big news stories in 2024 as well, some linked closely to world and national events, and many with implications for next year. Here are the top 10: She had not planned to run until 2028. But when Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he would become the first president since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 not to seek re-election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party rallied around her. Harris, a former San Francisco prosecutor, California attorney general and U.S. senator, would have been only the second president born in California, after Richard Nixon. She had 107 days to organize a campaign and barnstorm the country. She beat the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, in their only debate. She raised more than $1 billion. But she came up short. Voters still stinging over inflation that swept the world after the Covid pandemic, unhappy about illegal immigration and estranged from a party that many said was out of touch with working class concerns, chose Trump. He won all seven swing states. Republicans took back the Senate and kept a slim majority in the House. Where does Harris, 60, go next? She could seek the presidency again in 2028. Or she may announce a run next year for California governor in 2026. That would likely clear the Democratic field, and make her the odds-on favorite to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. He was the most famous Bay Area athlete in any sport, considered by some historians to be the greatest baseball player ever. The “Say Hey Kid” came out of the segregated South, joined the Negro Leagues, and played in the majors from 1951 to 1973, nearly all with the Giants. Mays’ legendary playing style — from his cannon arm to the way he raced around the bases so fast that his helmet flew off — marked a career with 660 home runs and 24 all-star appearances. No one was surprised when the Giants built a statue of him in front of their waterfront ballpark in 2000, and coronated the address “24 Willie Mays Plaza.” “Mays is the only man in baseball I’d pay to see play,” fellow Hall-of-Famer Ty Cobb once said. A fixture at Giants games for years, a mentor to hundreds of players and beloved by fans, Mays died June 18 at age 93 in Palo Alto. Ten days later, another Giants Hall-of-Famer, Orlando Cepeda, died at age 86. The Giants have struggled since winning the World Series in 2014, winning the National League West only once. On Sept. 30, after firing president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, they named former MVP catcher Buster Posey to the job. Opening Day is April 4. Bay Area voters are known for being tolerant. This year they hit their limit. Fed up with car break-ins, retail theft, attacks on elderly residents, drug dealing and squalid homeless encampments, San Franciscans dumped Mayor London Breed and replaced her with fellow Democrat Daniel Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. Not to be outdone, East Bay voters and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price by landslide margins. Meanwhile, every Bay Area county voted to approve Proposition 36, a statewide ballot measure to toughen sentences for theft and selling drugs like fentanyl, despite opposition from Newsom. The lesson for candidates in 2025? If voters don’t feel safe, your political career may not be either. The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin had been famous for housing inmates like Patty Hearst, “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss and actress Felicity Huffman, who was convicted in the Varsity Blues bribery scandal. The Alameda County prison became infamous, however, after the Associated Press, 60 Minutes and others documented rampant sexual abuse of inmates by prison guards and staff. Since 2021, at least eight FCI Dublin employees have been charged, including former warden Ray Garcia, who was sentenced last year to nearly 6 years in prison. This month, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced it was permanently closing FCI Dublin, and agreed to pay $116 million to 103 women who filed a class-action lawsuit. “We were sentenced to prison. We were not sentenced to be assaulted and abused,” said former Dublin prisoner Aimee Chavira. On Sept. 26, the Oakland Athletics played their last home game, ending a 57-year run. They beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 in front of a sell-out crowd at the Oakland Coliseum. With the loss of the Warriors to San Francisco in 2019 and the Raiders to Las Vegas in 2020, the A’s were the last major pro sports team left in Oakland. The city lost part of its identity and a gathering site for generations of families. “I started crying after the final moment,” said A’s fan Jesus Ventura. “I felt a deep, deep sadness.” After moving to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, the A’s won four World Series in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1989. Fans cheered as Reggie Jackson blasted home runs, Rickey Henderson stole bases, and greats like Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter and Dennis Eckersley struck out opposing hitters. But as the Oakland Coliseum aged, the A’s failed to build a new facility in San Jose, Fremont or Oakland. Billionaire owner John Fisher, heir to the Gap fortune, announced plans last year to move the team to Las Vegas. Enraged fans launched a “sell the team!” campaign. But Major League owners gave him the OK. On Dec. 5, Las Vegas officials greenlit plans for a $1.75 billion domed stadium, with $380 million in public funds, scheduled to open in 2028. Until then, the A’s will play at Sutter Health Park, a minor league field in West Sacramento. Adding to the heartache of A’s fans, the team’s Hall of Fame hometown hero Rickey Henderson, who holds the record for most stolen bases, died just days before what would have been his 66th birthday on Christmas Day. It’s a common cliche: “Every vote counts.” A Silicon Valley congressional race this year proved it true. After congresswoman Anna Eshoo announced she was retiring from the 16th Congressional District, 11 candidates ran to succeed her, including former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Assemblyman Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian. After the March 5 primary, an amazing thing happened. Liccardo led, but fellow Democrats Low and Simitian, fighting for the other spot on the general election ballot, were tied following weeks of counting. Each had 30,249 votes. After a recount, Low won by 5 votes. In November, the more moderate , 58%-42%, to represent the district, which stretches from Pacifica to San Jose. He will be sworn in Jan. 3. Most vestiges of the Covid pandemic are gone. But it is still decimating public transit. Because so many people continue to work from home, BART, the Bay Area’s largest public transit system, has seen ridership collapse from roughly 400,000 a day to fewer than 200,000 most days now. The agency, which operates 50 stations in five counties, raised fares by 5%. It still faces a $35 million deficit in 2026 and a staggering $385 million shortfall in 2027. Federal Covid money is running out, and the new Trump administration isn’t likely to give California a bailout. Critics say BART needs to cut bloated union benefits and staffing, and continue to reduce crime on its trains. Other Bay Area transit agencies also face shortfalls, and warn that if they cut service, traffic will increase for everyone on freeways. The agencies have tried to draft a tax increase for the 2026 ballot, but so far haven’t been able to agree. The question for 2025 may not be whether there will be cuts on hours and routes — but how big will they be? They had so much promise. With offensive stars like George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy, a stacked defense and a 12-5 record, the 49ers rolled into Las Vegas on Feb. 11 looking to dethrone the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. But in the most-watched TV show in history, with 123 million viewers, the Niners’ first Super Bowl victory since 1995 wasn’t to be. They led 19-16 with 1:53 left in the game. But future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the field, resulting in a game-tying field goal with 3 seconds left. In overtime, he broke 49ers’ fans hearts, covering 75 yards in 13 plays for the winning touchdown. The 49ers fired their defensive coordinator after the game. Relentless injuries this season to stars like Aiyuk, McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams caused them to miss the playoffs entirely. In 2025 they are expected to sign Purdy to a long-term deal. And although there are lots of question marks, they are lucky the NFC West is considered a relatively easy division. Hope springs eternal. San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus got a lot of attention in 2024. But it wasn’t for arresting criminals. On Dec. 4, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted to place a measure on the March ballot that would allow them to remove a sheriff for “flagrant or repeated neglect of duties, misappropriation of public funds, willful falsification of documents, or obstructing an investigation.” The unanimous vote came after the board hired retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. She concluded that Corpus hired her boyfriend to be chief of staff, gave him improper authority, used racial and homophobic slurs and bullied employees. Corpus denies the allegations. In November, she ordered the arrest of Carlos Tapia, a critic who serves as president of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, for time card fraud. But on Dec. 16, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe said no crime was committed and he won’t file charges. Will San Mateo County’s first female sheriff get the boot? Voters will have the final say in three months. College campuses across California were the site of raucous demonstrations following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel, sparking a massive counterattack by Israeli forces in Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people. Hundreds of students and other protesters were arrested at Cal, Stanford, UC Santa Cruz and other campuses after refusing to leave pro-Palestinian encampments and occupying buildings. Some Jewish students said they were harassed and threatened. In August, UC system President Michael Drake banned encampments and said students would face discipline if they blocked others or wore masks as intimidation. Cal State followed suit. This fall, protests were muted. Biden has dispatched negotiators to the Middle East to try and broker a cease-fire. On Dec. 16, Trump announced that he had a “very good talk” with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and warned “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages by Jan. 20, the day Trump takes office.None

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