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Hotline mailbag: Media coverage of the Pac-12 and Big 12, ESPN’s role, deadline for a deal, Larry Scott’s legacy and more

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The Hotline mailbag is published every week. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.What is your take on all of the Pac-12 media rights “reporting” out there, including from supposedly reputable outlets and reporters? — @Cargoman0363The Hotline has not commented on specific reporters or reports since this saga began and has no plans to start now.If an outlet breaks news that we believe is accurate and relevant to the Pac-12, we’ll make sure fans are aware of the development.Yes, there has been a mountainous amount of erroneous information published over the past 10 months — much of it fueled by social media and some of it courtesy of fans portraying themselves as “insiders” or operators of regional or local websites.(When it comes to realignment, everybody’s an expert. Everybody has a source.)In other instances, r...

Martinez refinery: Toxicologists to determine if residents were poisoned by tons of chemical dust

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of people living in and around the Martinez Refinery Company still don’t know for certain if—or to what extent—they were poisoned last November.But five months after 24 tons of toxic, dusty residue from gasoline, diesel and jet fuel flowing through the refinery first showered down on its next-door neighbors, new soil samples collected this week may finally confirm what dangers still linger there by late May or early June, county health officials announced Thursday.Last Thanksgiving, the company posted on Facebook that the fine white substance that blanketed cars, porches and plants over the holiday was from a “non-toxic”, “non-hazardous” and “naturally occurring” catalyst dust expelled from its facility on the edge of town.But within a few days, the Contra Costa County Health Department alerted residents that the ashy grit actually contained aluminum, barium, chromium and other hazardous metals — chemicals that are linked to nausea, vomiting, respiratory issu...

Free Comic Book Day 2023: 10 questions answered about the big event

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Got questions about Free Comic Book Day?Well, you’re in the right place — because we’ve got answers to every frequently asked question about an event we like to call “Contra Costa County’s gift to the comic book world.”What is Free Comic Book Day?Basically everything you need to know is in the name: It’s a day when comic book stores across North America give out comic books for free.When is it?It happens the first Saturday in May each year. In 2023, that translates to May 6.Are all comics free on this day?No, so quit salivating over thoughts of getting that “Kamandi” No. 1 gratis. The comic books being given out for free were printed specially for the event.Related ArticlesEntertainment | What to watch: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ has never been better Entertainment | Best Graphic Novels 2022: Free Comic Book Day founder gives his 8 picks Entertainment | How comic book culture&...

4 Cambodians die in accident at unlicensed gold mine

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Four Cambodian prospectors who were digging for gold in the central province of Kampong Thom were killed when earth collapsed into the pit where they were mining, a government official and a fellow villager said Friday.Information Minister Khieu Kanharith on his Facebook page quoted reports from a local official saying the four men who died had been hired by a couple who own the mine in the rural jungle village of Snong An.The accident occurred Thursday morning as the men were digging, said Ven Srey Tith, a villager living near the site.Speaking by phone from her home, she said the pit was only a little more than two meters (six feet) deep, but mounds of excavated earth collapsed into it without warning and no one was nearby to see the men’s plight.Their bodies were retrieved the same day and sent to their families for religious rites.Mining without a license is illegal, and Ven Srey Tith said the authorities had told villagers a long time ago that ...

Sterling looks for respect against veteran Cejudo in UFC 288

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) — Henry Cejudo marched to the stage for a faceoff with his opponent and punted a pillow printed with an image of Aljamain Sterling into the crowd.As the days moved closer to their bantamweight title bout, hostilities finally started to flare much more than their awkward docile exchange earlier in the week inside a New Jersey hotel.The two UFC fighters were filmed making small talk when they bumped into each other ahead of Saturday’s main event fight at UFC 288. Sterling — who once made a rather suggestive comment where Cejudo could stick his Olympic gold medal — told his challenger he appreciated him taking the fight.Cejudo simply replied he’d been training hard and wished the champ luck.Maybe the fighters need a trash talk boot camp.Sterling, the 135-pound champion since 2021, caught Cejudo (16-2) by surprise when members of his crew filmed the meeting.“I don’t like it. This is personal, You can’t do that,” Cejudo said later, laughing. “I just think he wants t...

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says she is resigning effective June 30.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says she is resigning effective June 30.Source

Demasiado peligrosos: BMW advierte sobre modelos antiguos tras retiro de bolsas de aire

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

BMW advierte a los propietarios de alrededor de 90,000 vehículos más antiguos en los Estados Unidos que no los conduzcan debido a la creciente amenaza de que las bolsas de aire puedan explotar en un choque.La advertencia cubre los vehículos de los años modelo 2000 a 2006 que anteriormente habían sido retirados del mercado para reemplazar los infladores de bolsas de aire defectuosos y peligrosos fabricados por Takata.La empresa usó nitrato de amonio volátil para inflar las bolsas de aire en un choque. Pero el producto químico puede deteriorarse con el tiempo cuando se expone al calor y la humedad y hacer estallar un bote de metal, arrojando metralla que puede lesionar o matar a los conductores y pasajeros.La Administración Nacional de Seguridad del Tráfico en las Carreteras dice que los conductores deben estacionar sus vehículos y comunicarse con BMW para obtener más información. Las reparaciones están disponibles sin costo para los propietarios, así como la reparación móvil y el rem...

Deputy goes missing for 2nd time, last seen in Rocky Mountain National Park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — Investigators are looking for information on a man who went missing from Rocky Mountain National Park six days ago. This is the second time the man has gone missing in two weeks.Kevin Sypher was last seen on April 30 in the Sandbeach Lake parking area near the Wild Basin Entrance Station at RMNP. Search crews have not been able to locate him since.Timeline of Sypher's disappearancesAccording to RMNP rangers, this isn't the first time Sypher has gone missing in the past month. The Parker Police Department reported Sypher went missing out of Parker on April 27. He was safely located two days later on April 29 in Denver.Sypher is an El Paso Sheriff's Office deputy. Aspiring Colorado model falls to her death from hotel roof, boyfriend arrested On April 30, RMNP said Sypher and a family member were near the Wild Basin Entrance at the park when he reportedly walked away from the vehicle he was traveling in.The next day on May 1, RMNP rangers...

Highest-rated free things to do in Colorado, according to Tripadvisor

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

DENVER (Stacker) — Whether for the weekend around town or to add to your out-of-town itinerary, free things to do are good. With the ever-rising costs of gas and food, the idea of disposable income can feel like a distant fantasy.The cost of living continues to rise across the country, forcing each dollar earned to stretch further. While vacations are undoubtedly beneficial for mental health, maintaining savings, paying down debts amid inflation, and regular expenses likely take precedence. But, not everything enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's probably a roster of completely free things to do in your current area.Think about the most common entries on a vacation getaway itinerary: Sightseeing, touring landmarks, or completing a nature walk. Or, maybe you're just aiming to relax and want some peace and quiet. Cities with the most expensive homes in Colorado The truth is: Whether you're a history buff or aching to dip your toes in some cool water, you can find ...

Colorado isn't the only state thinking about state-controlled land use

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- It isn't just the Centennial State. Colorado's land use bill is the local example of a zoning policy discussion happening in state legislatures across the nation. The original bill would have preempted local land control, requiring 30% of single-family zoned land to be rezoned for denser development. Representatives heavily amended the bill, however. Instead, the bill would create a state board to review land use issues. House members debate drastically changed land-use bill Across the country, the measures seek some kind of pressure valve for housing prices, which have mushroomed in price in the last decade and particularly in the West. As with Colorado's bill, some are bipartisan. Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington have each considered some kind of state control measure in the last five years, according to a policy analysis group Lincoln Institute o...