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Record rainfall may set up banner year for California wine

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

NAPA . — As sunlight spilled into California’s famed Napa Valley on a summer day, rows of wine grapes reflected the benefits of this winter’s record rainfall.California has more than 960 square miles of vineyards dedicated to the wine industry, perhaps none as iconic as those growing in Napa Valley just north of San Francisco.This year, wine grapes are thriving after record winter rainfall in California, but cool days of spring that have carried into summer are threatening to keep the grapes from ripening. The longer the fruit has to stay on the vine the more exposed it is to possible wildfires in the fall and rain in early winter.The state’s normally bountiful wine grape harvest had been hindered in recent years by a combination of drought and wildfires.California growers reported $600 million worth of grapes lost to smoke damage after the 2020 fire season, the office of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla said. California’s wine industry generates $170.5 billion annually, according to the Cali...

South Bay food banks encounter increased demand after the pandemic

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Workshop for Bay Area high school students, a two-week intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.Under the hot midday sun, families lined up recently at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose to receive an assortment of vegetables, poultry and canned foods from Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. High demand was evident in the length of the line, which stretched around two corners of the property.One person standing in line was Maria Luz Alatorre, 82, who is a frequent patron of Second Harvest.“I usually use my entire Social Security check to pay for food, but coming here lets me keep a bit of pocket money to spend on other things,” she said. “It gives me a financial cushion.”Alatorre is just one of nearly half a million people served by Second Harvest in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. According to its website, demand for Sec...

2,800 US flights delayed or canceled due to severe storms

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

By Jordan Valinsky | CNN BusinessNew York (CNN) — More than 2,800 flights across the United States were delayed or canceled Monday after powerful storms ripped through the parts of the country, mainly in the Southeast and the Ohio Valley.Data from FlightAware showed that on Monday morning, 2,067 flights within, into or out of the US were delayed and another 758 were canceled.United Airlines(UAL)was faring the worst of the American domestic airlines. About 6% of its schedule, or 185 flights, was canceled and another 7%, or 208 flights, was delayed as of 10 am ET. Delta(DAL) wasn’t far behind, with 4% (163 flights) of its schedule canceled and 8% (293 flights) delayed.The delays and cancellations come after thunderstorms battered parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Ohio Valley Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. More than 700,000 people across the region are without powerMeanwhile, more than 50 million people from Arizona ...

Sports on TV for Tuesday, June 27

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

(All times Eastern)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsTuesday, June 27MLB BASEBALL7 p.m.TBS — Minnesota at Atlanta9:30 p.m.MLBN — Regional Coverage: NY Yankees at Oakland OR Chicago White Sox at LA AngelsSOCCER (MEN’S)12 p.m.FS1 — UEFA U-21 Euro Group Stage: Portugal vs. Belgium, Group A, Tbilisi, Georgia2:45 p.m.FS1 — UEFA U-21 Euro Group Stage: Spain vs. Ukraine, Group B, Bucharest, Romania7 p.m.FS1 — CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage: Canada vs. Guadeloupe, Group D, Toronto9 p.m.FS1 — CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage: Guatemala vs. Cuba, Group D, For Lauderdale, Fla.SOFTBALL4:30 p.m.ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited: Team Warren vs. Team Leach, Rosemont, Ill.7 p.m.ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Team Garcia vs. Team Leach, Rosemont, Ill.TENNIS6 a.m.TENNIS — Eastbourne ATP/WTA, Bad Homburg-WTA, Mallorca-ATP Early Rounds6 a.m. (Wednesday)TENNIS — Eastbourne ATP/WTA, Bad Homburg-WTA, Mallorca-ATP Early RoundsWNBA BASKETBALL7 p.m.NBATV — New York at Connecticut8 p.m.CBSSN — Seattle at Minnesot...

Advierten sobre el desarrollo de tormentas eléctricas severas para el DMV esta tarde

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología (NWS, en inglés) advirtió sobre el posible desarrollo de tormentas eléctricas severas para la tarde del lunes en toda el área de Washington DC.La agencia también señaló que se esperan ráfagas de viento dañinas, así como la posible caída de granizo grande comenzando a lo largo de la I-81 hasta la zona metro de DC. La alerta de tiempo severo se mantiene de 2 p.m. a 10 p.m. “Se espera que una línea de lluvias y tormentas eléctricas se acerque desde el oeste y avance durante la noche”, anunció el NWS. “Lunes caluroso, húmedo y con la llegada de un frente frío (se convierte en la) receta perfecta para ver el desarrollo de tormentas eléctricas severas”, explicó en un tweet el meteorólogo de Telemundo 44, Joseph Martínez. El NWS informó que las temperaturas descenderán a los 60 y 70 grados “en gran parte del área”. Se exhorta a la comunidad a estar pendiente a las alertas del tiempo en caso de que sea necesario buscar...

ANÁLISIS | ¿Cómo puede afectar la insurrección de Wagner a la contraofensiva ucraniana en macha?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

(CNN Español) — Fueron casi dos días de tensión extrema en el corazón de Rusia: una columna insurrecta del grupo Wagner, con su propio líder Yevgeny Prigozhin a la cabeza, lanzada en dirección a Moscú, alejándose del frente en Ucrania, con objetivos no del todo claros aún.En el camino tomaron ciudades, como Rostov, presuntamente derribaron un avión IL-22 de la Fuerza Aérea rusa (el Kremlin lo niega) y forzaron una respuesta del presidente Vladimir Putin, quien prometió castigar a quienes “eligieron el chantaje y los métodos terroristas”. Y luego, casi tan intempestivamente como se inició, la insurección terminó: Prigozhin frenó la columna, dio marcha atrás y recibió un ofrecimiento para exiliarse en Belarús, aliado de Rusia.ANÁLISIS | 36 horas extrañas y caóticas en Rusia parecen el principio del fin para PutinLas fuerzas del grupo Wagner combaten en Ucrania desde el inicio de la invasión rusa de 2022, y han cobrado mayor notoriedad por su participación en el frent...

Flight canceled amid bad weather? What you need to know about rebooking, refunds and more

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid peak summer travel, thousands of air travelers faced flight cancellations and delays this weekend as thunderstorms rolled in across the U.S. East Coast and Midwest.In addition to bad weather, a technology failing also contributed to to airline disruptions. The Federal Avaiation Adminstration briefly paused operations at Washington, D.C.-area airports Sunday evening due to a problem with the communications system at a major air traffic control facility. Departures resumed after repairs were completed.Beyond D.C., a chain of flights were also delayed or halted at other major travel hubs — including New York, Chicago and Atlanta — as thunderstorms moved across the country. Nearly 2,000 U.S. flights were canceled on Saturday and Sunday combined, according to flight tracking service FlightAware, and more than 850 U.S. flights had been canceled as of 11:15 a.m. ET Monday. Thousands of additional travelers experienced delays.Staying calm — and knowing your rights — c...

How to protect yourself from ‘deepfake’ AI robocall scams

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

A recent consumer survey by Transaction Network Services, a telecommunications service provider based in Reston, Virginia, found two-thirds of Americans are concerned about artificial intelligence-generated “deepfake” robocalls.These scam callers can use AI to mimic the voice of a victim’s friend or family member to gather personal information or ask for money.The AI technology to do that doesn’t take much.“It takes less than 10 seconds of video that could be scraped from a popular social media app that could be used to acquire the voice that gives enough information to do a replica of that voice,” said John Haraburda, director of product management at TNS.The AI robocall scams TNS has seen include those trying to acquire information, or those soliciting money directly.TNS reports 68% of those it surveyed say they never answer a phone call from an unknown number, but robocall scammers can mask their calls with caller ID numbers that are familiar —...

Book Review: Explosive debut novel ‘Fireworks Every Night’ is a bittersweet celebration of survival

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

“Fireworks Every Night” by Beth Raymer (Random House)C.C.’s isn’t your typical rags-to-riches story. She remembers growing up in a single-wide with her older sister, stay-at-home mom and car-salesman dad. But she also remembers when they moved to Florida after everything in the car lot burned down — including their home — launching them into a comfortable middle-class life and a fresh start in a state her dad proudly brags has fireworks every night.“Fireworks Every Night” is Beth Raymer’s debut novel, but not her first book. Following her 2010 memoir “Lay the Favorite,” she borrows from her life to create a deeply personal story of a dysfunctional family. Having grown up in West Palm Beach, Raymer puts her local knowledge to use as her protagonist — a resident of Loxahatchee, Florida — rattles off the schools she plays basketball against, and how worn down or rich they are. She’s familiar with the Baker Act and who’s been institutionalized through its use. She knows all the neighbor...

Tornado and other severe weather kill 3, damage homes, and knock out power in multiple states

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:39:13 GMT

SHOALS, Ind. (AP) — A tornado struck an Indiana home, killing one occupant and injuring another while two people died in Arkansas after a tree fell onto a house there as severe weather rumbled through a number of states.The tornado that struck the home Sunday evening was part of a storm system that pushed through Martin County, Indiana, WXIN-TV reported. A tornado also touched down Sunday afternoon in Johnson County, south of Indianapolis, damaging at least 75 homes, authorities said.Martin County Emergency Management Agency Director Cameron Wolf confirmed the death and injury, according to WXIN, which reported that the home was in a rural area where multiple trees were brought down by high winds.Martin County emergency management officials did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information about the casualties and the extent of storm damage.The town of Shoals, the Martin County seat, is about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of India...