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Mike Grgich dies at 100; winemaker helped make Napa Valley world famous

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

By Howard Yune | Napa Valley RegisterMiljenko (Mike) Grgich, the Croatian immigrant whose wines helped the Napa Valley rival France’s best as never before, died early Wednesday at age 100.Grgich died in his sleep at his Calistoga home with family members by his side, according to Sally Camm, spokesperson for Grgich Hills Estate, the Rutherford winery he co-founded in the 1970s.“Saddened to learn of the passing of Mike Grgich,” U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said in a statement. “Mike was a trailblazing winemaker and developed many of the techniques that have helped make Napa Valley wine the best in the world.“Mike’s legacy will be remembered for generations to come and his efforts have helped pave the way for future innovations in winemaking. He made immeasurable contributions to the winemaking community and to our Valley, and he will be sorely missed.”While at Chateau Montelena, he created the 1973 Chardonnay that was entered into the Paris Win...

NY appeals court hands Trump a defeat over gag order

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

By Laren del Valle and Kara Scannell | CNNA New York appellate court rejected Donald Trump’s challenge of the gag order in his civil fraud trial Thursday. Trump’s attorneys petitioned the court over the gag order that bars him and the attorneys from speaking publicly about Judge Arthur Engoron’s court staff.In rejecting the challenge Thursday, the appeals court said Trump didn’t use the proper legal vehicle to challenge the gag order and sanctions.The appellate court in another order Thursday also rejected a Trump request to allow his legal team to seek a review of the gag order by the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court.Trial testimony ended Wednesday after 11 weeks in court.The parties are scheduled to file supplemental briefs in the case January 5 and return to court for oral arguments January 11 before Engoron renders a final verdict.“We filed the petition because the ordinary appellate process is essentially pointless in this context as it cannot possibly be completed in...

The five most expensive homes reported sold in Fremont in the week of Dec. 4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

A house that sold for $3.5 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Fremont in the past week.In total, five residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $1.8 million, $1,044 per square foot.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Dec. 4 even if the property may have been sold earlier.5. $550K, condominium in the 38500 block of Paseo Padre ParkwayThe property in the 38500 block of Paseo Padre Parkway in Fremont has new owners. The price was $550,000. The condominium was built in 1970 and has a living area of 950 square feet. The price per square foot is $579. The condominium features two bedrooms and one bathrooms.Paseo Padre Parkway4. $1.1 million, single-family home in the 4400 block of Cahill StreetThe sale of the single-family residence in the 4400 block of Cahill Street, Fremont, has been finalized. The price was $1,085,000,...

‘The American dream is to leave America.’ The US TikTokers revealing what life is like abroad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

By Francesca Street | CNNA month’s paid vacation time. Wine at lunchtime on a Tuesday. No tipping needed.In Kacie Rose Burns’ most popular video, the influencer runs through some of the biggest culture shocks she’s experienced since upping sticks from the US to Italy.Burns’ TikTok – viewed 19.8 million times – is flooded with comments ranging from disbelief, envy and approval.There’s one comment – liked 34,800 times – that maybe sums it all up:“I think the American dream is to leave America.”‘That American girl living in Italy’Burns’ social media accounts chronicle her experiences as, according to her TikTok bio, “that American girl living in Italy.” She details cultural differences, offers guides to Italian cities and speaks directly to the camera about her experiences.The 30-year-old started posting on TikTok in 2021 when she moved to Florence with her Italian boyfriend, who she met on vacation several years earlier.In early 2021, international travel was off the table. Burns’ vid...

Reservations for Yosemite National Park are coming back for 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) -– Reservations to enter Yosemite National Park during anticipated busy times are going to return in 2024, park officials announced Wednesday.According to Yosemite National Park, the “Peak Hours Plus” 2024 vehicle reservation pilot system for park entry will be on weekends starting April 13 to June 30 - and then every day from July 1 to Aug. 15 - and on weekends again from Aug. 16 to Oct. 27.Park officials say reservations will be required for vehicle entry to the park between 5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the reservation periods. Reservations are not required to enter the park after 4:00 p.m. Visitors will pick from two types of reservations: reservations valid for a full day or reservations valid for entry any time after noon.   This winter’s El Niño could be one of the strongest in 70 years: What that means for Bay Area "This summer's pilot system is built from extensive public feedback, data from three years of pilot reservation systems ...

This winter's El Niño could be one of the strongest in 70 years. What that means for Bay Area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The 2023-2024 El Niño is growing more likely to be one for the record books. In an update released Thursday, the Climate Prediction Center said this winter's El Niño was slightly favored to be "historically strong." The national forecasters gave it about a 54% chance of being one of the five strongest since 1950. Rain returning to Bay Area this weekend Those odds are up from last month, when the Climate Prediction Center gave this year's El Niño a 35% chance of being among the strongest ever, like the one we saw 2015-2016 or 1997-1998.But a super-strong El Niño doesn't necessarily mean super-strong impacts, like storms, flooding or heavy snow. "While stronger El Niño events increase the likelihood of El Niño-related climate anomalies, it does not imply expected impacts will emerge in all locations or be of strong intensity," says the Climate Prediction Center. El Niño predicted to flood both coasts: Here’s where risk is highest What are they expecting to happe...

15.4 million Californians will travel over the holidays: AAA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

(KRON) -- A record number of Californians are expected to hop on a plane or hit the road for one of the busiest holiday travel periods AAA has tracked in more than 20 years.An estimated 15.4 million Californians are expected to travel between December 23 and New Year's Day. The anticipated travel frenzy marks the second-highest number since 2000, according to AAA Northern California.The heaviest congestion is expected to happen on Saturday, December 23 and on Thursday, December 28.Nationwide, 115.2 million Americans will be traveling."The travel outline for the year-end holidays echoes what we’ve been seeing in travel throughout 2023," said Brian Ng of AAA Northern California. "Despite high costs, more Americans are prioritizing creating memories with loved ones and exploring new destinations."AAA Northern California's 3 holiday travel tips:Travel during off-peak periods. Drivers should anticipate up to 20 percent longer travel times. Whenever possible, travel during off-peak period...

San Jose PD deploying extra patrols to combat organized retail theft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

(KRON) -- The San Jose Police Department is deploying extra overtime-based Organized Retail Theft patrols at shopping centers and malls, the department announced Thursday. Daily high visibility patrols will be conducted daily by one sergeant and three officers, SJPD said. Wrecked, abandoned car on I-880 in Hayward leads to arrest Patrols will be conducted six hours a day during the evening hours, four days a week, on an ongoing basis, SJPD said. Schedules for these extra patrols will change based on factors that include holiday crime trends, holiday shopping and department needs, police said.Funding for these patrols comes from an $8.4 million grant SJPD received from the California Board of State Community Corrections. That grant also provided funding for the Organized Retail Theft Detail and additional Automated License Plate Reader cameras.Reported retail theft crimes in San Jose saw a 25% increase from 2021 to 2022, rising from 4,610 to 5,756, SJPD said.

Rights expert blasts Italy’s handling of gender-based violence and discrimination against women

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

ROME (AP) — Violence and discrimination against women in Italy is a “prevailing and urgent concern,” a European expert on human rights said Thursday in a scathing report that comes amid a national outcry over a gruesome murder of a young woman allegedly by her ex-boyfriend.Dunja Mijatovic, commissioner for human rights at the Council of Europe, faulted Italy across multiple areas, lamenting that Italian courts and police sometimes revictimize the victims of gender-based violence and that women have increasingly less access to abortion services. She also noted Italy’s last-place in the EU ranking for gender equality in the workplace.The report followed a visit by Mijatovic to Italy in June and focused also on the country’s handling of migrants and press freedom. But the section of her report on women comes amid a national reckoning on gender-based violence following the latest case that has grabbed headlines for a month.Giulia Cecchetin, a 22-year-old who was about to graduate with a...

WTOP space reporter says the Geminids meteor shower did not disappoint

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:56 GMT

The 2023 Geminid meteor shower was quite the sky show from Central Virginia for anyone who was looking up.I observed the sky for five hours — 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. EST — using two cameras and taking 1,249 pictures. My initial review of these pictures has found 12 of them caught the Geminids. From my location, the shower produced meteors that were easily visible and seen over my entire viewing area — about 50% of the sky. I was looking toward the east and could see the entire sky to the south, north and overhead.The frequency of the Geminids increased after midnight and at times I could see multiple Geminids at the same time. I saw three fairly bright meteors at once in the same section of the sky. The frequency of meteors was steady, with no long lulls between sightings.The overwhelming majority of the Geminids had short flight paths as they were quick and went from dim to easy to see. The “star” of the show was an absolute beauty that had a long and bright flight path...