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Review: Groundbreaking astronomer shines bright in outdoor Livermore drama

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

Women in the sciences have all too often had trouble having their contributions taken seriously by men entrenched in the field.San Francisco playwright Lauren Gunderson has been doing her part to rectify that, writing a number of plays about groundbreaking female scientists of history such as Ada Lovelace, Émilie du Châtelet and Marie Curie.Found by American Theatre magazine to be the most produced playwright in America (other than Shakespeare) in several recent seasons, Gunderson writes about a great many other topics as well, but these science plays have made up a significant subset of her work.Among the best of these plays is “Silent Sky,” which SPARC Theater is now performing outdoors at Livermore’s Darcie Kent Vineyards. This luminous drama explores the life and discoveries of Henrietta Leavitt, the astronomer at the dawn of the 20th century who discovered a way to determine the distance of stars by the relationship between their brightness and their frequency of pulsation, rad...

Sources: Russian general believed detained in mutiny aftermath

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

By Tara Copp and Nomaan Merchant | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces fighting in Ukraine, is believed to have been detained days after mercenaries staged a revolt inside Russia, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday, citing U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence assessments.The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.It’s not clear whether Surovikin faces any charges or where he is being held, reflecting the opaque world of the Kremlin’s politics and uncertainty after the revolt.But his reported detention comes days after Wagner Group mercenaries took over the military headquarters in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were heading toward Moscow in what appears to have been an aborted insurrection.Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin has spoken positively of Surovikin while criticizing the country’s military b...

California man gets prison for nearly $9 million phony cow manure-to-green energy investment scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

FRESNO — A California man is going to prison for running a cow dung-to-green energy scheme that authorities say was a load of manure.Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville was sentenced Monday to six years and nine months in federal prison in a years-long scam that bilked investors out of $8.75 million, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.Brewer ran a scheme from 2014 through 2019 in which he claimed to be building anaerobic digesters at dairies in California’s Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties and in Idaho, prosecutors said.Anaerobic digesters “use microorganisms to break down biodegradable material and turn it into methane” that can be sold and that also provide the producers with renewable energy credits for producing green energy, the statement said.Brewer told investors he would turn cow manure into methane while they would receive 66% of net profits and tax incentives, federal prosecutors said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | PetSmart to ...

Single family residence sells in Fremont for $1.9 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

1491 Deschutes Place – Google Street ViewA 1,728-square-foot house built in 1979 has changed hands. The property located in the 1400 block of Deschutes Place in Fremont was sold on May 12, 2023. The $1,920,000 purchase price works out to $1,111 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a garage. It sits on an 8,271-square-foot lot.Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:On Mandan Place, Fremont, in March 2023, a 1,728-square-foot home was sold for $2,000,000, a price per square foot of $1,157. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 1,766-square-foot home on the 45400 block of Sodaville Drive in Fremont sold in July 2022, for $1,915,000, a price per square foot of $1,084. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In May 2023, a 2,580-square-foot home on Winding Lane in Fremont sold for $2,050,000, a price per square foot of $795. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.Related ArticlesHousing | Detached house sell...

Brentwood takes step toward building agricultural innovation center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

A long unused city property just outside Brentwood could soon become an agricultural innovation center partnering with a variety of nonprofits to educate students, residents and businesses about agriculture.To that end, the Brentwood City Council voted this week to move forward with plans to draft an agreement with Harvest Time Brentwood, a nonprofit that promotes farming and its products while improving agri-tourism education. That group would take over the unused property from the city and operate the new ag center.Under its proposal, Harvest Time would use $2,240,000 in Brentwood developer agricultural mitigation funds to build the educational barn, including animal pens, garden and greenhouses, along with indoor and outdoor event spaces.“We are asking for a lot of money, but it’s really not,” Sean McCauley of Brentwood Harvest Time told the council. “It’s $2.24 million. The most important thing is we feel like we can pull this off with that money. We’re pretty confident we can. ...

Dolly Parton Imagination Library has arrived in California and needs partners

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

(BCN) -- Dolly Parton has arrived in California ... sort of. The country music legend and philanthropist has made Dolly Parton's Imagination Library available across California. The service delivers free, age-appropriate books every month to children from birth to age 5, regardless of a family's income. The California State Library has started the process of making the program available to every child in California. The Imagination Library of California is already available in over 40 locations, including to every child in 30 counties. Newsom to double CHP deployment in Tenderloin fentanyl crackdown The Dollywood Foundation and the state library are utilizing local partners to cover specific geographical locations. The program is looking for new non-profit local partners to cover specific geographic areas in California. Parents can check a map at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/find-my-program to see if the Imagination Library is available in their area. Select ...

Frogs raised at San Francisco Zoo released into wild

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

(KRON) -- More than 150 endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs were recently released into cool streams of Plumas National Forest to improve their declining population numbers.In 2022, biologists from the U.S. Forest Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife collected wild tadpoles from Plumas National Forest. The tadpoles were brought to San Francisco Zoo and placed in an amphibian program that rears vulnerable tadpoles into adult frogs.Native frog populations in the Sierra Nevada have been heavily impacted by chytridiomycosis, a deadly fungal disease caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, known as "Bd" or "chytrid." This fungus is impacting amphibians worldwide.(Photo by Isaac Chellman)"After initial declines, many frog populations are persisting with the disease and rebounding, while others have been decimated when the disease first appears," said Isaac Chellman, an environmental scientist with CDFW. Once the tadpoles matured into frogs at San Francisco Zoo,...

Terry Francona returns but will not manage Guardians against Royals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Terry Francona was back inside the visitor’s office at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, two days after the Cleveland Guardians manager was briefly hospitalized, with one big caveat: That’s where he intended to stay for the first pitch.With temperatures expected to soar into the triple digits for the finale of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals, Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff convinced the 64-year-old Francona to sit out his third straight game. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale planned to handle on-the-field duties after leading Cleveland to wins in the first two games.“I think with the weather we’re going to have it was best for him to sit this one out,” Chernoff said, adding that he was thinking of asking Francona to take some time in Chicago as well given potential air quality issues from the Canadian wildfires.Francona was hospitalized following an episode of lightheadedness before Tuesday night’s game. He was released...

England cuts Australia’s lead to 138 after two days of 2nd Ashes test

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

LONDON (AP) — England slashed Australia’s first-innings lead of 416 to 138 after two days of the second Ashes test at Lord’s on Thursday.The bad news for England in comfortably scoring 278 runs was that all four wickets to fall were gifted to Australia.England batted so serenely through the middle session and to an hour past tea — without even Bazballing it — that Australia spread its fielders, vacating the slips in desperate need of a second wicket.And Australia’s fortunes worsened when Nathan Lyon, its only wicket-taker at that point and the teammate who seemingly never gets hurt, injured his right calf while running to a ball in the field and hobbled away with help. He didn’t return and the manner of his exit suggested he may not return for the rest of what is his 100th successive test.Without Lyon’s spin to wear down England, Australia changed its tactics by tempting England with the short ball.England took the bait.Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and world No. 1...

Swiatek eases past Blinkova to reach her first grass semifinal ahead of Wimbledon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:28 GMT

BAD HOMBURG, Germany (AP) — Top-ranked Iga Swiatek seems to be finding her groove on grass ahead of Wimbledon.Three times a French Open winner on clay and once a U.S. Open winner on the New York hard courts, Swiatek played her first tour-level, grass-court quarterfinal on Thursday against Anna Blinkova at the Bad Homburg Open.The Polish player looked like she belonged there in a straightforward 6-3, 6-2 win that showcased her abilities on the return as Swiatek broke Blinkova’s serve to love three times.Standing between Swiatek and a first grass final is Lucia Bronzetti after the Italian won her quarterfinal match, 6-4, 6-3, against Varvara Gracheva, the Russia-born player who was playing her first tournament since switching allegiance to France.The Bad Homburg Open is a warm-up for Wimbledon, where Swiatek’s best result in three appearances was a fourth-round appearance in 2021. She was the junior Wimbledon champion in 2018. American player Emma Navarro faces either Liud...