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14+ min ago (614+ words) SANTA CLARA " Skyy Moore smiled and gritted his teeth at his locker Sunday in Cleveland, having done the same two weeks earlier after another scintillating effort as the 49ers" return specialist. One of these returns, he vows, will end up in the end zone. It"s always the goal, of course, but even more so since reporters filled him in earlier this season about the 49ers" historic struggles in the return game. "That"s what I"m chasing," Moore said. "Whatever comes between that, I"ll take it." His 66-yard punt return Sunday set up the 49ers" first touchdown in an eventual 26-8 rout of the Browns, which cast the 49ers (9-4) into their long-awaited bye week. Two weeks earlier, Moore returned Arizona"s opening kickoff 98 yards to also spark a road victory and embolden his stature. "This entire year, any time he gets the ball,…...

19+ min ago (548+ words) LIVERMORE " An East Bay company that created an electric-powered autonomous tractor has decided to chop more than 100 jobs in Livermore, a bout of layoffs that is a reminder of the unsteady Bay Area labor market. Zimeno Inc., which operates as Monarch Tractor, has laid off 102 workers at two locations in Livermore, according to official WARN notices sent to the state Employment Development Department. Some of the Zimeno and Monarch Tractor layoffs occurred at the company's headquarters at 151 Lawrence Drive, and some occurred at the company's testing facility at a Wente Vineyards site on Tesla Road, both in Livermore. The staffing reductions arrived at a time when Monarch is beginning to emphasize a new software platform whereby Monarch will be able to provide advanced computing technologies for numerous industries beyond vineyards and farms. By happenstance, the job cuts came to light…...

20+ min ago (438+ words) The long-shuttered Montclair Firehouse is one step closer to being reclaimed and restored as a community arts center. The project's nonprofit Board of Directors is organizing another volunteer cleanup program from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 20-21. "My enduring vision of a broom-swept interior just keeps passing before my eyes," says Nancy Lehrkind, who is spearheading the renovation of the historic building. She says the next tasks include graffiti removal from the old stone walls (built by the Works Progress Administration during the FDR years) and more landscaping cleanup. Volunteers will also decorate the beloved storybook station with holiday lights and staff an information booth at next week's Montclair Village Holiday Stroll. Several helpers turned out Nov. 21-22 for a pre-Thanksgiving cleanup. In addition to securing the site, the crew pulled weeds, raked leaves and hauled a hefty amount of debris out of the fire…...

49+ min ago (563+ words) Just observe the last month. First, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was riding high after passage of Proposition 50 and its changes in California congressional district lines made him the most successful national Democrat in countering a key initiative by President Trump. Barely a week later, Newsom's former chief of staff was indicted on charges of political corruption and tax fraud and many began to write him off as a presidential candidate because of it. Not even a week after that, Newsom was back in the catbird seat after a federal appeals court in Texas threw out that state's gerrymandered congressional district plan " which earlier provided the motive for the Newsom-sponsored Prop. 50. The U.S. Supreme Court days later temporarily reinstated the gerrymandered Texas lines. It now appears the Texas decision nixing the changes there may be reversed by the high court, even though…...

2+ hour, 4+ min ago (599+ words) Gov. Gavin Newsom and I don't have much in common politically. He's the Democratic governor of California; I work for a think tank in Utah that supports limited government. Newsom opposes school choice and issued a moratorium on some new charter schools in California. I'm a former public school principal who has become a school choice advocate, and I support alternatives like charter schools. On one thing, Newsom and I agree " criminalizing chronically absent students and their families is a bad idea. The attendance crisis in schools is real. Nearly'one in four students'nationwide is chronically absent. Absences put pressure on students, who fall behind, and on teachers, who are left to fill the gaps. Some lawmakers believe that solving chronic absenteeism, also known as truancy, can be achieved through courtrooms and criminal codes. They say that if parents are threatened…...

2+ hour, 34+ min ago (588+ words) Trump's Justice Department still has multiple ways to legally harass the ex-FBI director, New York's attorney general. The dismissals of the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James were a victory for the rule of law, but the victory may be short-lived. Last week, a federal judge concluded that the appointment of interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was invalid, thereby voiding the indictments she obtained before a grand jury in Virginia. Both cases are dead for now, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the Department of Justice "will be appealing very soon." The Department of Justice also has several avenues to resurrect the indictments. [Letters: There are good reasons for California's high cost of living] [Letters: Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act is good start for fire safety] [National Guard shooting…...

2+ hour, 49+ min ago (56+ words) TODAY'S WORD " CHRONIC (KRON-ik: Alway present, especially a medical condition.) Average mark 16 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 20 or more words in CHRONIC? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY'S WORD " EPILEPSY: else espy peel peep pile pipe plie isle lisp seep sleep sleepy slip spiel spile yelp yippee...

3+ hour, 4+ min ago (440+ words) The ads have been popping up on Fox News, Good Morning America, the Today Show and Univision. They feature Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem against a backdrop bristling with American flags, galloping past Mount Rushmore on horseback, or dressed as an ICE agent. This is the $200 million ad campaign that has saturated television and social media for months, in which Noem issues stern warnings against crossing the US border illegally. The ad blitz is not your typical low-budget public service announcement.Axioslabeled it "the most expensive political ad campaign of the year." For context, the massiveCaliforniacampaign on redistricting " in one of the most expensive markets in the country " cost about $41 million. Notably, theDHScampaign sidestepped the competitive bidding process required for most government contracts. To get around that mandate, Noem relied on what has become a favorite Trump administration tactic for…...

3+ hour, 17+ min ago (814+ words) Dear Eric: My wife and I will soon receive a small inheritance from the death of one of my relatives. Since we do not need most of this money, we have decided to distribute it among our children and grandchildren. Here is the problem: My son's wife had a daughter years before she married my son. We see this person about two or three times a year. In your opinion, is she entitled to receive the same amount of money from this inheritance as my other grandchildren? Also, is she considered to be a stepgrandchild? Dear Giver: No one is entitled to the money, no matter their relationship with you and your wife. The money is yours to do with as you please and so you ought to consider where and with whom it can do the most good. Also…...

3+ hour, 57+ min ago (594+ words) DEAR HARRIETTE: I was coming up out of the subway the other day when a man spoke to me from behind. He complimented me on my outfit and then looked at me. He remarked that he had thought I was someone else " a prominent woman in our city. It was a compliment in that regard, but a little jarring, too. This woman is much larger than I am " at least I think so. It got me thinking about whether I have a realistic sense of my size. I know I have gained weight in recent years, but this other woman is obese. Is that how people see me? Is that true about me? My head started spinning. It really has nothing to do with the other woman; I like her a lot. It is more of a wake-up call to…...