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'It was a big blessing': Doctor spots man's skin cancer during train ride

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the summer sun continues to beam down, doctors warn about the dangers of skin cancer. According to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, it's the most common form of cancer in the country, and yet a majority of adults don't get checked for it. It's a danger that hit close to home for Chris Meffen, after a train ride that might have saved his life. "It was a big blessing," Meffen said. While enjoying time with his family, Meffen said a woman approached him concerned about a spot on his face. Meffen said he had his spot for nearly five years before getting it tested. (Photo: Chris Meffen)"(She) asked me, 'Have you ever had that spot on your, on your face checked?' They said that, you know, I should have a dermatologist look at it," he said. That woman was Dr. Chelsey Straight, a dermatologist. "Instantly his wife was like, 'I've been telling you that you need to get this looked at,'" Dr. Straight said. Student loan debt: Borrowers brace for Supreme Court decision Straig...

Several former A’s stars finalists to start in MLB All-Star Game, but who will represent Oakland in Seattle?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

The Athletics will be heavily represented in two weeks at the All-Star Game in Seattle.Or as longtime followers of the A’s may call it, the John Fisher Garage Sale Game.Among those A’s who were shipped out in recent years who not only could surface in Seattle for the July 11 game but are currently in the mix to be voted as starters are catchers Sean Murphy (Atlanta) and Jonah Heim (Texas), as well as first baseman Matt Olson (Atlanta), third baseman Matt Chapman (Toronto) and second baseman Marcus Semien (Texas).That doesn’t even include pitchers Sonny Gray (Minnesota), Chris Bassitt (Toronto) and Jesus Luzardo (Miami).With a record of 20-60 and losers of nine of their last 10 games, the A’s will have a player named by virtue of the MLB requirement that each team be represented. Oakland’s lone representative last season was right-handed starter Paul Blackburn, who pitched a scoreless inning for the American League at Dodger Stadium.At the time of his se...

Warriors’ salary cap cheat sheet: A look at Golden State’s financial situation heading into free agency

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

Mike Dunleavy Jr. has his work cut out for him.The Warriors’ offseason goal is to extend their championship window by bringing in a better supporting cast to surround Stephen Curry. But due to the Warriors’ crippling financial situation and new restrictions from the latest collective-bargaining agreement, it’ll be a challenge to do just that.The Warriors are well above the second tax apron, even before potentially re-signing Draymond Green, Golden State’s top free agent target. That means they have little options to bring in outside talent. The mid-level exemption, which they used on Donte DiVincenzo last offseason, won’t be at their disposal this time around.The Warriors got two players, Brandin Podziemski (No. 19) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (No. 57), in last Thursday’s draft. Beyond that, though, Golden State’s only ways to add players are through trades or with veteran minimum signings.Dunleavy orchestrated his first big trade as the Warrio...

Bay Area Hells Angels member gets 46 months for possessing guns

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

A federal judge on Monday sentenced a 52-year-old Vacaville man and Solano County Hells Angels member to 46 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms.Dennis Killough Jr. received the sentence for having two firearms after pleading guilty on Jan. 9 in a federal courtroom in Sacramento, said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert in a press statement.As previously reported, according to court documents, on Dec. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Killough’s home as part of an investigation into a brutal beating at the clubhouse for the Vallejo chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.In October 2021, two different victims — each a member of a different motorcycle club that is considered a “puppet” (or subordinate) club of the Hells Angels — were beaten by Killough and other club members based on perceived infractions of the Hells Angels’ rules.During the search of Killough’s Vacaville home, officers found two firearms, including a Taurus G2C ...

How to protect your dog from foxtails

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

After a long, gloomy start to summer in Marin, the days are finally filled with glorious sunshine and mild temperatures, which for me is the best time to take my dog on long hikes.But along with all the awesome trails with beautiful views we enjoy here in Marin, I’ve also noticed a huge amount of the dreaded outdoor nemesis of dog and dog guardians: foxtails.Foxtail plants grow in fields, along the side of the road and even in your yard. The trouble starts when the foxtails dry out in spring and summer, changing from green to beige and becoming stiff and sharp. These pesky, bristly plants grow in abundance throughout California and are reported in most every state west of the Mississippi.Foxtails are named for their foxlike tails composed of many barbed awns. Once an awn penetrates the skin, it can only move forward. Dogs and cats are both susceptible to foxtails, but long-haired breeds of dogs are most commonly affected (cats’ grooming habits help to protect them). The danger of fo...

4 teens arrested for alleged sexual assault at Marin high school

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

Four youths were arrested this month in connection with a sexual assault at an athletic field at Terra Linda High School, police said.The names of the suspects, who were all under 17, were not released because they are minors. They were booked into Marin County Juvenile Hall on June 16 on suspicion of alleged sex offenses that occurred on April 25, said San Rafael police Lt. Scott Eberle.One suspect was held on suspicion of transferring obscene material affecting a minor, Eberle said. The allegation was related to a video that showed one youth touching a fully clothed person, he said.The video was circulated among students and was given to school principal Katy Dunlap by a parent “sometime in late April or early May,” Dunlap said.Dunlap said she reported the video to police after she received it. Dunlap said she was not notified of the arrests.Since then, the school has expelled some or all of the youths involved, Eberle said. Dunlap could not be reached for comment on Monday to con...

Police identify San Jose man accused of drunken driving after Santa Cruz cliff plunge

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

PLEASURE POINT — The California Highway Patrol has identified the San Jose man accused of drunken driving who went over the side of a coastal cliff early Sunday.An onlooker observes as a tow truck pulls a pickup up a Pleasure Point cliff early Sunday after its driver crashed onto the beach below East Cliff Drive. (California Highway Patrol Santa Cruz) Chad Rodger Gulmon, 50, suffered major injuries after the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado he allegedly drove broke through fencing on East Cliff Drive and crashed onto a beach not far below Pleasure Point Market around 1:30 a.m., according to the CHP.The Chevrolet was partially submerged in the ocean before a good Samaritan who witnessed the crash stopped and pulled Gulmon from the truck. Gulmon, who is expected to survive his injuries, was later arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Alcohol and/or drugs are being investigated as a factor in the crash, according to the CHP.The Chevrolet, bearing the logo of Santa Clara-based De Bella...

Opinion: California’s power grid leaves state vulnerable to failure

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

The Western power grid is going through a major transformation as states and utilities strive to boost reliability and fulfill their clean electricity goals. California legislation that would have been a first step toward enhancing grid collaboration in the West did not advance last month, but that should not stop us from more actively planning for a robust energy future at such a critical juncture.It was encouraging that the governor in May committed to begin working towards greater regional cooperation in sharing energy and upgrading the transmission network. California leadership is essential to achieve a better-connected power grid that would benefit tens of millions of people across the West.Without that leadership, California could be left behind.In a policy brief, the Union of Concerned Scientists laid out the benefits and risks of grid regionalization. Establishing a western grid operator could expand access to renewable energy, reduce overall costs and help to avoid the kin...

Trump’s valet Walt Nauta is set for arraignment in the classified documents case

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A valet for Donald Trump is set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges that he helped the former president hide classified documents that the Justice Department wanted back.Walt Nauta was charged earlier this month alongside Trump in a 38-count indictment filed by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. Trump pleaded not guilty earlier this month to 37 counts related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Nauta’s arraignment was postponed to give him time to find a Florida-based lawyer.It was unclear if Nauta would appear in person at his arraignment because he’s not required to be there.The indictment accuses Nauta of conspiring with Trump to conceal records that he had taken with him from the White House. Prosecutors allege that Nauta, at the former president’s direction, moved boxes of documents bearing classification markings so that they would not be found by a Trump lawyer who w...

Netanyahu says China has invited him for a state visit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:18:19 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he has received an invitation for an official visit to China, but did not disclose whether or when the trip would take place. The Israeli leader made the announcement during a meeting with visiting members of the U.S. Congress. The invitation follows several recent overtures by Beijing to increase its diplomatic footprint in the region and comes at a time of heightened friction between the Biden administration and Netanyahu’s ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox government. Netanyahu’s office said the “projected visit” to China would be his fourth as prime minister. It said it notified the Biden administration, which has a rocky relationship with China, about the invitation last month. It declined to comment on possible dates for the trip.China has taken a more strident role in Mideast diplomacy in recent months, brokering a deal to restore ties between Israel’s archenemy, Iran, and Saudi A...