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Roger Payne dies at 88; scientist discovered that whales can sing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

By Patrick Whittle | Associated PressRoger Payne, the scientist who spurred a worldwide environmental conservation movement with his discovery that whales could sing, has died. He was 88.Payne made the discovery in 1967 during a research trip to Bermuda in which a Navy engineer provided him with a recording of curious underwater sounds documented while listening for Russian submarines. Payne identified the haunting tones as songs whales sing to one another.He saw the discovery of whale song as a chance to spur interest in saving the giant animals, who were disappearing from the planet. Payne would produce the album “Songs of the Humpback Whale” in 1970. A surprise hit, the record galvanized a global movement to end the practice of commercial whale hunting and save the whales from extinction.Payne was cognizant from the start that whale song represented a chance to get the public interested in protecting an animal previously considered little more than a resource, curiosi...

Explore California’s state parks with this new augmented-reality app

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

Some people head out into the wilderness to disconnect from technology and modern life. For others, well, there’s this new thing – an app that guides you around California’s state parks using augmented reality on your phone.Virtual Adventurer is a free app from TimeLooper that’s meant to enhance your visit to a state park while you’re actually there — with historic stories read by voice actors, holograms, 3-D reconstructions and various AR bells and whistles. (You can find it on the App Store.) Right now it’s loaded with packages for nine parks, including three within striking distance of the Bay Area: Jack London State Historic Park, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and, a bit further afield, Bodie State Historic Park.“We’re excited to launch the Virtual Adventurer app that further provides opportunities for Californians to access the cultural, historic and natural resources found across our beautiful state,” California State Parks D...

Long COVID: What are symptoms? How long does it last? What are treatment options?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

(KRON) -- Health leaders believe the millions suffering from Long Covid will be doing so for years to come. Doctors and researchers across the country are currently conducting studies on the wildly uncertain condition, as some 16 million Americans deal with symptoms every day. While the National Institutes of Health has recently identified the 12 common symptoms of Long COVID, the condition can present itself in more than 200 ways and affect nearly every organ system. For some of the more debilitating conditions developed by Long Covid, there are treatment options that include medication and occupational therapy. But for Long Covid sufferers dealing with mild to extreme fatigue, some doctors suggest integrative medicine, vitamin supplements and using food for healing. KRON4's Noelle Bellow reports in this three-part series.

'Major' injury vehicle collision causes traffic delays in Santa Clara

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

(KRON) -- A single-vehicle collision caused delays in Santa Clara on Wednesday afternoon, according to the City of Santa Clara. Movie theatre to leave San Francisco Centre after Westfield departure The crash happened in the northbound lanes of San Tomas Expressway between Forbes Avenue and Homestead Road. Local police and fire departments are on the scene. The city said the collision had at least one "major injury" but no further details were provided. Drivers are asked to travel through the area at low speeds and follow all instructions of emergency personnel on the scene.

Walnut Creek garage fire caused by lithium battery in vacuum

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

(KRON) -- A fire that broke out in the garage of a Walnut Creek home and extended to the house, attic, and multiple cars was caused by a lithium battery, the Contra Costa Fire Department said. Firefighters responded to the blaze on Tuesday night and arrived to find the garage fully engulfed. 240 stolen catalytic converters found in Bay Area theft ring bust Firefighters were able to knock the fire down within minutes of arrival. All occupants made it out of the house safely, fire officials said. Investigators determined the cause of the fire to be a lithium battery on a cordless vacuum that was charging in the garage.Nine different Con Fire units responded to the blaze. Video posted by Con Fire to social media showed one of the cars in the driveway engulfed in flames as flames emanated from the garage.

Astros pitcher McCullers to miss remainder of season following surgery

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery Tuesday night to repair the flexor tendon in his right forearm and remove a lima bean-sized bone spur, general manager Dana Brown announced Wednesday.McCullers, 29, is expected to return to pitching during the 2024 season. Brown said the team did not have an exact timeline for when McCullers would return, but he could possibly start throwing again in November, and “then we will see in January where he is and how much he can get amped up.”“With this surgery, we feel good because at the end of the day, it was just this flexor tendon and the bone spur, which gives him a chance to come back sometime in ’24,” Brown said.The right-hander has not pitched this season after aggravating the injury while throwing a bullpen session in West Palm Beach, Florida, in February at the start of spring training.“Initially, we thought that the bone spur was a little bit smaller, but w...

US Open at a glance

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Facts and figures for the 123rd U.S. Open golf championship, which starts Thursday:Site: The Los Angeles Country Club (North).Length: 7,421 yards.Par: 70.Cut: Top 60 and ties.Playoff (if necessary): Two-hole aggregate immediately after 72 holes are completed.Field: 156 players (19 amateurs).Purse: $20 million. Winner’s share: $3.6 million.Defending champion: Matt Fitzpatrick.Open debut: Los Angeles Country Club is the third course in the last nine years to host a U.S. Open for the first time. Unlike Erin Hills (2017) and Chambers Bay (2015), LACC has been promised another U.S. Open before hosting its first one.Last U.S. Open in Los Angeles: Ben Hogan won in 1948 at Riviera.The long: The last three holes are all par 4s and are a combined 1,554 yards.The short: The 15th hole can play as short as 80 yards.The home crowd: Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay all grew up within 30 miles of Los Angeles Country Club. Morikawa is one of only four California nativ...

Luka Modric penalty completes thrilling 4-2 win for Croatia over Netherlands in Nations League

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Veteran midfielder Luka Modric scored an extra-time penalty to seal a thrilling 4-2 victory for Croatia over the Netherlands and a place in the Nations League final.Thousands of ecstatic red-and-white clad Croatia fans chanted “Luka! Luka! Luka!” after the 37-year-old completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 116th minute on Wednesday.“We couldn’t believe how many fans for Croatia there were in the stadium. That was really phenomenal,” Modric said through an interpreter. “They give us great support and that’s something that drives us and moves us forward.”It was Modric’s 165th appearance for his country. He said after captaining Croatia to victory over Morocco in the third-place game at the World Cup in Qatar he wanted to “continue until at least the Nations League and after we will see.”Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said Modric was, “in one word: fantastic.”“Sometimes there’s a player for the opponent who is so decisive and so go...

Scottie Scheffler arrives at US Open looking to solve putting problems

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scottie Scheffler took one long, smooth stroke, then looked down the line and watched the ball roll toward the hole on the practice green.He was using his wedge. That was a drill. The state of his game on the greens — more of an emergency.The player listed No. 1 in the latest world golf ranking is sitting at No. 148 in the PGA Tour in putting this year. With the U.S. Open starting Thursday, Scheffler finds himself experimenting with different putters and also trying to give himself a little more credit for putts he hits well that just don’t go in.There have been a lot of them lately.“If I hit a really good 6-iron, sometimes it’s going to go to 2 feet and sometimes it’s going to go to 15 feet, and it’s like, ‘well, … it doesn’t make a huge difference,'” said Scheffler, who is trying to become the only No. 1 to win the U.S. Open other than Tiger Woods, who last accomplished that in 2008. “But if I have a 6-footer and I hit a really good putt ...

Astros’ Alvarez could miss 4 weeks with oblique strain

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:16 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez could miss at least four weeks with a right oblique strain.General manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Alvarez had an MRI, which confirmed the diagnosis.“That’s why we have confidence that he will be back some time in the four-plus week period because the MRI showed a strain,” Brown said. “He’s coming through nicely. He feels pretty good. There’s no pain, there’s no pain when he coughs. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.”Brown called oblique injuries “tricky.”“After two weeks, we will have a little more information on how he feels,” Brown said. “At the three-week mark, we should definitely know more. I hate to kick the can down the road, but at the end of the day, sometimes you have to give that oblique time. Sometimes it heals faster than others, and I think he’s going to be okay. It’s looking like it’s going to be four weeks, but I think he should be fine.”Alvarez, who is second in the majors with 55 RBIs, was placed on the 10-day injure...