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Pianist Sumi Tonooka revived by jazz-classical connection

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

With her marriage dissolving, a full plate of work, and a general sense that things were falling apart, the highly regarded jazz pianist Sumi Tonooka had little appetite for plunging into a new musical pool.But her friend and close musical compatriot, saxophonist Erica Lindsey, felt she was a perfect candidate for the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, a new program designed to foster connections between jazz composers and symphony orchestras.Lindsay had been selected for the JCOI’s inaugural session in 2012, “and she kept urging me to apply,” said Tonooka, 67, speaking by phone from her home in Philadelphia. “It was a crazy time in my life and I didn’t feel very confident in my own work.”Ready to set aside the application, which required submitting a composition, Tonooka called Lindsay the day before the deadline, “but I said you’ve got to do it,” Lindsay recalled.Tonooka didn’t just get accepted into the JCOI. She was one of a few composers in the program whose work was selected ...

Understanding California’s college students’ protests over Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

BY MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN | CalMattersDuring back-to-back days at one of California’s largest universities, hundreds of students took to marches, impassioned speeches and megaphones to condemn the mass death that has afflicted Israelis and Palestinians: The attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, and the Israeli military response since then. The UCLA demonstrations last week — one Tuesday by supporters of Israel, the other Wednesday by pro-Palestinian students — were common in grief but riven by deep wounds over history and words.This wasn’t a dialogue, but a thunderous expression of each side’s anguish.Ever since campus protests in California erupted over the latest explosion of violence, students affected by the crisis have endured profound agony as they watch an escalation of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict not seen in decades. Adding to their hurt is a lack of public consensus over what language constitutes prejudice. At the same time, California university leaders are also...

GOP Rep. Santos’ fundraiser pleads guilty to federal wire fraud charge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

By Sabrina Souza and Mark Morales | CNNThe campaign fundraiser for embattled New York Republican Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge as part of a plea deal Tuesday.Sam Miele – who worked for the Santos campaign during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles – was indicted by a federal grand jury in August and accused of soliciting contributions from more than a dozen potential contributors using former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy aide’s identity in phone and email communications.In addition to the guilty plea, Miele also stipulated to committing access device fraud, in a loss of approximately $100,000, according to a spokesperson for Eastern District US Attorney’s office.He was initially charged with four counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft in the alleged scheme to defraud prospective donors.Miele did not plead guilty to identity theft as part of the plea agreement.CNN previously reported prosecutors said Miele created an email ac...

Gov. Newsom: LA’s I-10 freeway to reopen in 3-5 weeks

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

By Taylor Romine, Elizabeth Wolfe, Cindy Von Quednow and Lauren Mascarenhas | CNNThe closed portion of Los Angeles’ Interstate 10, which was ravaged by a massive fire over the weekend, will be repaired and reopened in three to five weeks, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.Investigators are still working to determine who is responsible for the fire that officials say was likely caused by arson.The closure of this essential stretch of freeway in downtown Los Angeles, which officials say channels more than 300,000 drivers each day, has caused a traffic nightmare for commuters and area residents.Inspectors determined the section of the freeway affected would not need to be demolished and replaced, allowing workers to focus instead on repairing the existing structure, Newsom told reporters. That means reopening the freeways will take a matter of weeks, he said, rather than the months long endeavor some were initially bracing for.“We’re going to do everything in our power to move ...

Single-family residence sells in Danville for $2.2 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

22 Woodside Drive – Google Street ViewA 2,560-square-foot house built in 1997 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the first block of Woodside Drive in Danville was sold on Oct. 31, 2023, for $2,200,000, or $859 per square foot. The layout of this two-story house consists of three bedrooms and four baths. In addition, the house features an attached two-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs.Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:On Mattos Court, Danville, in September 2023, a 2,676-square-foot home was sold for $2,200,000, a price per square foot of $822. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 3,246-square-foot home on the first block of Foothill Court in Danville sold in August 2023, for $3,000,000, a price per square foot of $924. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In September 2022, a 2,236-square-foot home on Camino Tassajara in Danville sold for $5,200,000, a price per square foot of $2,326. The home h...

Five takeaways from a sweeping report on climate change in the US

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Zahra Hirji | (TNS) Bloomberg NewsA major U.S. government report published today describes how intensifying climate change is disrupting lives and businesses nationwide, even as communities in every state ramp up their response to the crisis.Over some 2,000 pages, the Fifth National Climate Assessment provides a climate-themed tour of the country, identifying the impacts plaguing every region, how communities are increasingly protecting themselves and how much more action is needed to ensure a safer future. Mandated by Congress and led by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, hundreds of climate experts, from both inside and outside of government, contributed to this assessment. The fifth edition of the report follows the fourth edition, which was published in phases in 2017 and 2018; the first assessment appeared in 2000.Here are the report’s five main takeaways:1. Climate impacts are here, getting worse and costing a lot of money.The first sentence of Chapter 1 summarizes the n...

Obama Presidential Center museum director aims for history, context

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

A.D. Quig | Chicago Tribune (TNS)CHICAGO — The tower of the Obama Presidential Center is getting a lot of attention as it rises in Jackson Park on the South Side. Meanwhile, Louise Bernard is trying to build the centerpiece museum’s interior: balancing former President Barack Obama’s philosophy and his namesake foundation’s mission with historical accuracy in a time of corrosive partisanship.While plans for the center’s outer shell have been known (and litigated over) for years, its insides — and the narrative Obama’s team plans to present over four floors of distinct exhibits — have largely been unknown.The woman leading that narrative charge is Bernard, a native of the United Kingdom who was named museum director in the spring of 2017.During an exclusive interview, Bernard said she has grappled with how to approach Obama’s history and the controversies and challenges from his two terms in office, and present them at an institution critics worry will turn into yet another of ...

APEC street closures: How to navigate traffic, closures, and tow away zones

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Street closures across San Francisco are in effect as the APEC conference gets into high gear on Tuesday. According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, more than 20,000 people are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Twenty-one world leaders are expected to join the summit as well.Most APEC activities will take place in the South of Market and Nob Hill neighborhoods, however, due to the larger amount of occupants this may impact other parts of San Francisco as well.The bulk of the APEC events will take place at the Moscone Center. Streets and freeway ramps around the Moscone Center will be closed from Nov. 14 through 19. Biden in San Francisco for APEC: Timeline of president’s visit Street closures are expected to start Nov. 13 and last through Nov. 19. These closures will result in significant traffic impacts.APEC San Francisco Traffic MapMap: SFMTAAPEC SF road closuresThe following streets and freeway ramps in ...

Timeline: Rain forecast for Bay Area this week

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Rain overnight Monday gave way to morning showers in parts of the Bay Area Tuesday, impacting the morning commute for some. Widespread and prolonged periods of moderate rain are expected from late Monday through Friday this week, according to the National Weather Service.While most of the Bay Area was dry as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, the NWS said it was still tracking showers over the coastal waters and the North Bay, where there have been off and on showers since last night."Get ready for some November rain," said KRON4 Meteorologist Kyla Grogan. "As we head to work on Tuesday morning, scattered showers will move through the Bay Area providing some much-needed rain."  "As we move into the afternoon, the precipitation looks to be more concentrated in the North Bay but unsettled conditions will leave the possibility of a shower across all of the bay," Grogan added.  APEC traffic, wet storms, protests: San Franciscans brace for rough week Expected rain t...

Fire-damaged LA freeway repairs will take three to five weeks, Gov. Newsom says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It will take at least three weeks to repair a Los Angeles freeway damaged in an arson fire, the California governor said Tuesday, leaving the city already accustomed to soul-crushing traffic without part of a vital artery that serves hundreds of thousands of people daily.But things could have been worse. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said officials have determined the elevated section of Interstate 10 will not need to be demolished after analysis of core samples taken from the freeway.About 100 columns burned in the Saturday blaze that spread over 8 acres (3 hectares) under I-10, tearing through wood pallets, cars and other construction materials being stored under the freeway. No injuries were reported but at least 16 homeless people living there were taken to shelters. APEC Bay Bridge lane closure begins Tuesday No arrests have been made and Newsom said Monday that investigators are trying to determine if more than one person was involved in the arson. He provi...