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Woman charged with lying about Stanford University rapes that shook campus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

A Stanford University employee who authorities say twice reported last year that she was viciously dragged out of sight on campus and raped — touching off student uproar and renewing scrutiny on the renowned college’s diligence in addressing sexual assault — has been criminally charged with fabricating the claims.The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged Jennifer Ann Gries, 25, of Santa Clara, with two felony counts of perjury and two misdemeanor counts of making a false crime report to a mandated reporter. The mandated reporters were hospital staff at Valley Medical Center and Stanford Hospital who relayed her rape claims to law enforcement.Records show that Gries was being booked Wednesday at the Santa Clara County jail, and that her initial bail amount was set at $25,000.In a statement, District Attorney Jeff Rosen called the allegations against Gries a “a rare and deeply destructive crime” that damaged the confidence of “legitima...

Future NASA moonwalkers will sport sleeker suits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

By Marcia Dunn | Associated PressCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Moonwalking astronauts will have sleeker, more flexible spacesuits that come in different sizes when they step onto the lunar surface later this decade.Exactly what that looks like remained under wraps. The company designing the next-generation spacesuits, Axiom Space, said Wednesday that it plans to have new versions for training purposes for NASA later this summer.The moonsuits will be white like they were during NASA’s Apollo program more than a half-century ago, according to the company. That’s so they can reflect heat and keep future moonwalkers cool.The suits will provide greater flexibility and more protection from the moon’s harsh environment, and will come in a wider range of sizes, according to the Houston-based company.NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228.5 million contract to provide the outfits for the first moon landing in more than 50 years. The space agency is targeting late 2025 at the earliest to ...

Listen: Golden Gate Bridge singing in the rain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Crossing the San Francisco Bay Area's bridges has been an eerie experience this winter as storms lash the bay with wind and rain. Twinkling lights illuminating the Bay Bridge recently went dark, and this week, the Golden Gate Bridge belted out a wailing melody.Known officially as "The Bay Lights," the iconic 1.8-mile light installation by artist Leo Villareal was turned off indefinitely due to lack of funding. The beloved illuminated pathway shined for a decade, but it was not designed to sustain rough coastal weather conditions.The Bay Bridge's famous neighbor began "singing" on Tuesday as an atmospheric river blew whipping wind gusts through the city. Motorist Kali Wagner recorded the song as she drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. (Listen in the video player above). Surfers ride stormy waves breaking by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo /Jeff Chiu)A wind gust of 77 mph was recorded in San Francisco on Tuesday, the Na...

Bomb threat investigated at Stanford Shopping Center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

(KRON) -- Someone called in a bomb threat against Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto Wednesday morning and police officers combed the mall looking for any possible explosives. The threatening phone call was received by the shopping center's managers at 10:15 a.m., police said. "Officers and security personnel are currently sweeping the mall with the help of an explosives-detection canine," the Palo Alto Police Department wrote. By 11:45 a.m., police determined that the mall was safe because no dangerous devices were found.

San Jose police arrest man for homicide in connection to wife's death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

(KRON) -- A San Jose man was arrested for homicide in connection to his wife's death, the San Jose Police Department announced on Wednesday. Officers responded to the 1300 block of Foxdale Loop on Tuesday just before 7 a.m. on a report of a dead woman at a residence. Man accused of 2022 SF sexual assault convicted When officers arrived, they found a woman who was no conscious and not breathing. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The victim's husband, who reported the incident, was contacted at the scene and detained. He was subsequently arrested for homicide. He will be identified in the coming days, police said.Motives and circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. The release of the victim's identity is pending notification of next of kin. The incident is San Jose's 5th homicide of 2023.

Scheffler’s menu for Masters: Steak, sliders and cookies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler finally decided on his menu when he hosts the Masters Club dinner, and it wasn’t a big surprise — meat, fish and chocolate chip cookies.Scheffler said he would serve steak and cheeseburger sliders with family-styled side dishes. He said he isn’t big on fish but will serve a Texas redfish for those who don’t like meat.And for dessert, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.The official menu includes firecracker shrimp and tortilla soup to go with the sliders as appetizers, with sides of macaroni and cheese, Jalapeno creamed corn, fried brussels sprouts and seasoned fries.Scheffler disclosed the menu Wednesday during a video call ahead of his title defense at Augusta National on April 6-9.The Masters Club dinner dates to 1952, an idea started by Ben Hogan for all the Masters champions to have dinner. The only other person in the room is the club chairman by invitation of the winners.Previous menus have ranged from ...

Furman found NCAAs thanks to college roommates, best friends

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson were thrown together five years ago in the same dorm as freshmen at Furman, essentially forced to be roommates as well as teammates.They’ve fought, made up and gotten tighter and tighter through every experience — on and off the court. They’re lifelong friends, so close they’ve already vowed to be the best man at each other’s eventual weddings.Now, they are beginning their greatest adventure: Furman is in the NCAA Tournament for the first since 1980 and preparing for a first-round game against Virginia in the South Region.“It hasn’t always been easy,” Bothwell said. “We probably argue as teammates more than anyone else on the team, but that just comes from love and wanting to see each other get to our best and we feel comfortable getting on each other. I think it’s a healthy relationship.”It’s arguably the most pivotal one for the 13th-seeded Paladins (27-7), the Southern Conference champions who have won 14 of their last 15...

Ilka Stuhec edges Sofia Goggia for World Cup downhill win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — One year after almost quitting Alpine skiing in frustration, Ilka Štuhec was back at the peak of her form on Wednesday.The two-time world champion completed her downhill season by beating Sofia Goggia, the season’s standout speed racer, for victory at the World Cup Finals.Štuhec raced down the sun-bathed slope to finish 0.51 seconds ahead of Goggia, a five-time downhill winner this season who already secured the discipline title. Lara Gut-Behrami was third, 0.81 seconds back.Štuhec added a second victory in an impressive season when she was also runner-up at two of Goggia’s victories. They were the 32-year-old Slovenian skier’s first podium finishes since retaining her world championship title in downhill in February 2019 in Are, Sweden.“It means really a lot actually because this time last year I was thinking, should I continue? Should I quit? What should I do with my life?” Štuhec said. “Then I listened to my guts and I was like OK, I will change...

US, Russian military chiefs resume contact to discuss drone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October. “I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu,” Austin said at a Pentagon press briefing. “As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.”The U.S. military said it ditched the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after a Russian fighter jet struck its propeller. Russia has denied that it caused the incident. The U.S. has said it was working on declassifying surveillance footage from the drone that would show Tuesday’s crash. That Austin and Shoigu were...

South American World Cup qualifying to start in September

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:27 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — South American soccer body CONMEBOL announced Wednesday that the region’s qualifying for the 2026 World Cup will kick off in September.Defending champion Argentina will start at home against Ecuador. Brazil will also play host in its first qualifying match against Bolivia. The dates and venues for those matches are yet to be decided.The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 48-team tournament.Brazil will host Argentina in the sixth round of the qualifying, which will be played in November. It will be the first match between the two since the cancellation of a World Cup qualifying clash in September 2021 due to health protocols after a few minutes of play.Argentina will host Brazil in March 2025 in the 14th round.For the expanded tournament, six South American teams will have direct spots and the seventh-place team will qualify through a playoff. For last year’s World Cup in Qatar, four teams had berths and a fifth qualified through a playoff.C...