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FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

(CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the birth control pill Opill to be available over-the-counter — the first nonprescription birth control pill in the United States.“Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.”Opill is a “mini-pill” that uses only the hormone progestin.Its manufacturer, Perrigo, called the FDA action a “milestone” and a “giant leap for women’s empowerment ” in a statement. It said the company is committed to making the pil...

Bay Area water sports: 7 ways to get out on the water, even if you’re a sailing newbie

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

One of the main attractions of the Bay Area is, well, the Bay. Vast and sparkling blue, those waters offer an open invitation to adventure, but they can be a little intimidating to those who haven’t quite gotten their sea legs — or a yacht.But here are a few ways to get out on the Bay, its estuaries and lakes — no experience necessary.1 The Schooner Freda BThis classic, meticulously maintained, 80-foot schooner is beloved by locals and tourists alike. The boat is available for public sails, as well as private charters, and offers gourmet bites and fine wines along with those breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz and, of course, the Sausalito and San Francisco skylines.Details: Public sailing events, which range from sunset sails to holiday events, start at $99. The schooner is moored at Slip 465 at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor. Find details at schoonerfredab.com/.2 Discovery Bay pontoonsYou can explore Discovery Bay and ...

Take a peek at San Francisco’s new public park in the Presidio, Outpost Meadow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

San Francisco continues to disprove that old Mark Twain saying, “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore” – at least in terms of creating new parks. Last year, it debuted the stunning Tunnel Tops in the Presidio that sits athwart a busy freeway, and now it’s revealed designs for a nearby green space called Outpost Meadow that will completely transform a parking lot. (See below for the renderings.)The 1.5-acre park is technically part of the Tunnel Tops and was designed by the same landscape architecture firm, James Corner Field Operations, famed for creating the New York High Line. The new stretch will take the place of an asphalt lot near the Sports Basement sporting goods store, which will remain open during construction that’s slated to start in August. The tentative date for the Outpost Meadow’s public opening is at the end of 2025.What should visitors expect? Well, there will be an array of large picnic “banquettes,” some with bar...

7 terrific Bay Area things to do this weekend, July 14-16

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

With a red-hot summer weekend ahead, we have no shortage of ideas for how to have fun and stay cool. So let’s get to it, shall we?As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 SEE & HEAR: Great shows are all over the placeFrom an international dance festival to free music in Richmond to the brilliant Savion Glover, there are a lot of great live shows to see this weekend and beyond.2 PLAY & SLURP: An ice cream adventureThere are some Bay Area ice cream parlors that refuse to color within the lines, offering eye-popping flavors like basil, beet balsamic and chocolate tarragon. Here’s where to find them.Fog drifts over the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Grou...

Photos: Cristian Espinoza propels Earthquakes to 2-0 victory over Sounders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco (21) celebrates his goal with San Jose Earthquakes' Judson (93) against the Seattle Sounders in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco (21) scores a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco (21) celebrates his goal with San Jose Earthquakes' Judson (93) against the Seattle Sounders in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Carlos Gruezo (7) fights for the ball against Seattle Sounders' Nouhou (5) in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)San Jose Earthquakes' Carlos Gruezo (29) an...

Did you file for pothole reimbursement from California? Don’t hold your breath: Roadshow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

Q: I have a question about the Caltrans program supposedly for reimbursing a driver that has vehicle damage due to the condition of the roads.I hit a huge pothole in March on southbound Interstate 880. I filed a claim. After 75 days of waiting, they denied the claim. I am so annoyed and am also out over $400.Do you have a suggestion for how I might escalate this?Susan SnyderA: Appeal, but it is a long shot. Caltrans typically receives 4,000-plus claims a year, and fewer than 1 in 10 are upheld. No fee is required to file a claim for $10,000 or less.The state pays out nearly $1.2 million for road-related damages under $5,000, but it received roughly $200 million in claims over roughly the same period. It’s difficult to say how many are upheld, because many are turned over to contractors and those are not tracked.Visit the Department of Transportation’s website for more details.Q: Parallel parking is so easy! I spent my senior year at Claremont High School and took driver’...

Contra Costa County is failing to build enough affordable housing. Is lack of leadership to blame?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

Like nearly every other part of the Bay Area, Contra Costa County is failing to build enough affordable housing.Under state law, California cities are expected to approve a specific number of affordable homes every eight years to meet the needs of low-income residents. But in recent decades, most local governments haven’t come anywhere close to hitting those targets.Contra Costa County’s civil grand jury is offering a solution that appears untried anywhere else in the region: appoint an individual staff member in each of the county’s 20 local governments tasked specifically with ensuring cities and the county meet their state-mandated housing goals.In a recent report, the grand jury — a group of county residents that investigate the workings of local officials and agencies — found public officials view the targets as “mostly an academic exercise that no one takes seriously.” The lack of leadership in making sure affordable housing gets built...

Hayward City Council to discuss ransomware attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

(BCN) -- The Hayward City Council will hold a special meeting Thursday night to ratify a proclamation of a local emergency made Sunday after a ransomware attack breached the city's computer systems and networks over the weekend. Hayward is continuing to "assess and recover" from the cybersecurity event that occurred early Sunday morning in which "intruders attempted to disrupt and hold hostage aspects and components of our computer systems and networks," the city said. First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approval A ransomware attack occurs when someone encrypts files and demands ransom to decrypt them. The encryption makes the files and the systems that rely on them unusable, according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Thursday's meeting is at 7 p.m. and will be in-person only at council chambers, located in Hayward City Hall, 777 B Street, conference room 2A. By declaring an emergency, the city has greater flexibili...

Semi truck hits, kills pedestrian on I-880 in Oakland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

(BCN) -- A big-rig truck struck and killed a pedestrian on Interstate Highway 880 in Oakland early Thursday, closing all southbound lanes for nearly 20 minutes, according to the California Highway Patrol. Boy injured in shooting outside Oakland hospital Officers responded to the scene following a 3:39 a.m. report of the collision just north of the southbound off-ramp at 23rd Avenue. Authorities issued a Sigalert at 3:49 a.m. closing southbound lanes at 16th Avenue, where traffic was diverted off the highway. KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }By 4:07 a.m., traffic was being diverted to two far left southbound lanes of the highway. Authorities have since reopened all southbound lanes of Interstate Highway 880Copyright © 2023 Bay Ci...

Santa Clara County opens cooling centers as heat wave begins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:19:50 GMT

(KRON) -- As temperatures begin to rise ahead of a hot weekend for the Bay Area, Santa Clara County will be opening several cooling centers to the public starting Thursday. Boy injured in shooting outside Oakland hospital Here is a list of Santa Clara County's cooling centers:Milpitas Community CenterThursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Cupertino LibraryThursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.Gilroy LibraryThursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Milpitas LibraryThursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Milpitas Senior CenterThursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.Milpitas Sport...