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IRS addresses rumor surrounding inflation relief checks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

No, Californians will not be receiving another round of economic stimulus checks - nor will other Americans, for that matter.The Internal Revenue Service is debunking a rumor widely shared on social media that claimed a fourth round of payments would be issued to residents of 10 states starting Nov. 30, ranging from $250 to several thousand dollars.Anthony Burke, a spokesperson with the IRS, told SFGATE that his office has received multiple calls about the rumor, and it's simply not true."There is no fourth round of [stimulus checks] from the Treasury Department," he told the news outlet. Are more inflation relief checks coming in California? The final round of payments, which were billed as inflation relief checks in California, were issued in early 2023. By now, all eligible recipients should have already received their payments either by direct deposit or a debit card in the mail.According to the state, more than $9 billion was paid out as part of the program, which w...

Cardboard pizza boxes will be harder to find in Yosemite National Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Cardboard pizza boxes will start to become extinct inside Yosemite National Park as part of efforts by the park's concessioner to improve sustainability.In an announcement on Wednesday, Yosemite Hospitality staff say cardboard pizza boxes will be replaced with lower waste, compostable paper bags - eliminating more than 100,000 pizza boxes from the waste stream annually.Work to remove single-use plastics from the park is also underway, including in retail and dining areas. To date, the concessioner says all beverages packaged in single-use plastic bottles have been replaced with alternatives that use glass or aluminum packaging.“Starting 2023 without single-use plastic bottles was a huge step forward in our sustainability efforts and delivers on our commitment to be great stewards of this incredible park,” said Weston Spiegl, Vice President of Operations, at Yosemite Hospitality. “We are proud of the work we have done with our partners to make the trans...

Fighting rages in Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

By Najib Joibain, Jack Jeffery and Lee Keath | Associated PressRAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops battled Hamas militants Wednesday in the center of the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city, the military said, pressing a ground offensive that has sent tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing to the territory’s southernmost edge and prevented aid groups from delivering food, water and other supplies.Two months into the war, Israel’s offensive into southern Gaza was bringing to Khan Younis the same fierce urban fighting and intensified bombardment that obliterated much of Gaza City and the north of the territory in past weeks.But in the south, the areas where Palestinians can seek safety are rapidly shrinking. Ahead of the assault, Israel urged residents to evacuate Khan Younis, the childhood home of two top Hamas leaders. But much of the city’s population remains in place, along with large numbers who were displaced from northern Gaza and are unable to leave or w...

Policy prohibits San Jose from passing Israel-Hamas resolution, mayor says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

With local elected officials across the Bay Area debating whether to weigh in on the Israel-Hamas conflict, it appears the largest city in Northern California apparently is unable to do so even as residents call for its councilmembers to take a stand.A bylaw dating back to the 1970s prohibits San Jose City Council from passing resolutions related to foreign policy matters, a rule that Mayor Matt Mahan pointed to when asked Wednesday whether he would support any legislative action related to the conflict.The rule states the council “shall not act or take a position” on “matters concerning the foreign policy of the United States of America nor its relationship to other countries of the world…” the document states. The policy, passed in 1979 and updated in 2016, allows for an exception if a federal official requests the city take a position.“Our world is full of violence, pain and sorrow — this is our moment to show the rest of the world that we can ...

Billionaires’ utopia CEO defiant in face of loud calls to drop lawsuit against Solano County property owners

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

The CEO of a contentious plan backed by Silicon Valley billionaires for a utopia in Solano County refused to back down from a $510 million lawsuit against property owners, as he faced a mistrustful crowd of local residents.Former Wall Street investor Jan Sramek on Tuesday addressed about 150 ranchers and other locals at the American Legion hall in Rio Vista, a hamlet of 10,000 people on the Sacramento River near Antioch. His company, California Forever, billed the gathering as a town hall to inform the public and gather feedback about the plan to build a new city with tens of thousands of homes in the next 35 to 40 years.In jeans, scuffed brown dress shoes and an open-necked gray button-up shirt, Sramek highlighted his “blue-collar” background in the Czech Republic — mechanic father, teacher mother — and noted that “a series of scholarships” led to his degrees from the United Kingdom’s prestigious University of Cambridge and London School of...

Letters: Veterans’ lives | Education bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Support bill to savelives of veteransPeacemaking is an active process not practiced enough, often overlooked, but taken on by many.The life of a veteran is very misunderstood. They are those who endure hardships that many others have the luxury of never having to know. Veterans answered “the call” when others wouldn’t, leaving comfort and putting their lives on hold so that others could live theirs. But what happens when they return and nothing seems to feel the same? One veteran life lost to suicide is too much.Senate Bill 928, the Not Just A Number Act, prevents and combats the suffering of those who have been forgotten. This bill needs your support to pass in Congress and to become a law.It’s always time to fight for the past, present and future veterans of America and to remember what it means to be a peacemaker, prioritizing others above ourselves.Jason DoOaklandBill promises to ‘lift allboats...

Military grounds fleet of Ospreys after deadly crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

By Tara Copp | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The military announced late Wednesday it was grounding all of its Osprey V-22 helicopters, one week after eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members died in a crash off the coast of Japan.The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps took the extraordinary step of grounding hundreds of aircraft after a preliminary investigation of last week’s crash indicated that a materiel failure — that something went wrong with the aircraft — and not a mistake by the crew led to the deaths.The crash raised new questions about the safety of the Osprey, which has been involved in multiple fatal accidents over its relatively short time in service. Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys after the crash.Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, directed the standdown “to mitigate risk while the investigation continues,” the command said in a statement. “Preliminary investigation information indica...

Car over cliff halts traffic on Highway 1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

(KRON) -- Both lanes of Highway 1 are blocked after a car went over a cliff near Devil's Slide, Caltrans said Wednesday afternoon. The crash happened just south of Linda Mar Boulevard in San Mateo County. Highway 1 is shut down just north of the Tom Lantos Tunnel. There are injuries in the crash, according to 511. Drivers are told to use alternate routes to avoid the area. The roadway is expected to be closed until 6 p.m., according to California Highway Patrol. This is a developing story. Stick with KRON4 for updates.

7 men caught in San Francisco shoplifting blitz operation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A retail store on the 1500 block of Polk Street has been hit hard by rampant shoplifting this year. San Francisco Police Department officers conducted a blitz operation on Tuesday to catch thieves in the act and hold shoplifters accountable, police said. The store was chosen "due to the high number of shoplifting incidents the store was experiencing," SFPD wrote. Seven men, most of whom live within the city, were busted by officers, according to SFPD. They were identified as: Ryan Robinson, 36, of San Francisco, was cited for petty theft.Jesus Rasheim Robinson, 30, of San Francisco, was cited for petty theft. John Delcollado, 39, of San Francisco, was cited for petty theft. Ahmad Shabazz, 35, of San Francisco, was cited for petty theft. Blake Ferrell, 34, of San Francisco was arrested for an outstanding warrant. Ian Fraser, 26, was arrested for a warrant issued in San Mateo County.Jacob Johnston, 25, was arrested for an outstanding warrant. The SFPD did not ...

2 robbed at gunpoint in Walnut Creek

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:10 GMT

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KRON) -- Two victims were robbed at gunpoint in Downtown Walnut Creek Tuesday, according to Walnut Creek police.This is the second armed robbery in Downtown Walnut Creek in the past three months with two other victims robbed and held at gunpoint in October.Around 7:36 p.m., police responded to reports of a robbery on the 1500 block of Bonanza Street. Police said there were two victims. The victims told police they were approached by three men wearing all black clothing and masks. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun, the victims told police.The suspects allegedly stole one of the victim's wallets. The suspects also allegedly pistol-whipped the other victim and stole their bag. They fled in a white Lexus. Police were able to find the white Lexus in Oakland and arrest two suspects, Elias Alcorn and Daymonee Johnson. They were booked into the Martinez Detention Facility and charged with robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit a crime...