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Opinion: ‘Theft tax’ is costing California families more than $500 per year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

Unless you have hundreds of dollars a year to waste, and it doesn’t bother you to see lives wasted through treatable addiction, it is time to demand action from Sacramento politicians whose failed policies have accelerated California’s costly plague of retail thefts and functionally abandoned those suffering from drug addictions.The Department of Homeland Security estimates that organized retail theft costs the average family more than $500 a year to make up for the cost of massive theft, which in California totals $7.83 billion per year in direct losses and another $568 million in lost tax revenue in 2022 alone — and 2023 is looking to be worse.For some small businesses, the cost is far higher — with many businesses now being forced to close, citing the cost of retail thefts. National grocery and pharmacy stores are closing in high-crime areas, meaning many neighborhoods face the loss of vital services, and local communities must make up for the lost tax base with highe...

California cop, survivor of Las Vegas mass shooting, killed in freeway crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

A Manhattan Beach police officer who survived the 2017 Las Vegas music festival mass shooting died Wednesday, Oct. 4, when a car collided with his police motorcycle, throwing him to the ground, officials said.On 10-4-23, at about 5:15am, Manhattan Beach Police Department Motorcycle Officer Chad Swanson was involved in a fatal on duty traffic collision on the 405 Freeway. pic.twitter.com/C3eZjNojHI— Manhattan Beach PD (@manhattanbchpd) October 4, 2023Officer Chad Swanson, 35, was likely still headed in to work when the driver of one car apparently hit another on the northbound 405 Freeway on the edge of Carson near Del Amo Boulevard at around 5:15 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The second driver appeared to lose control and careened into Swanson.Manhattan Beach police Lt. Kelly Benjamin said Swanson was married with three sons.“We’re hurting, we’re grieving,” Benjamin said.https://t.co/Is0QhERz6d— Manhattan Beach PD (@manhattanbchpd) October 4, 2023A me...

Walters: Gov. Newsom’s rocky relationship with labor unions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom describes himself as a “progressive” and has said his vision for California includes a highly unionized workforce.However, his relationship with the state’s public and private employee unions has been a rocky one. Sometimes he and union leaders sing from the same hymnal, but they occasionally are at odds, particularly when labor is feuding with corporate interests that Newsom is also cultivating.That syndrome was displayed last weekend when he vetoed two of union leaders’ high priority measures, including one that would have given unemployment benefits to striking workers, but then chose a former union leader, Laphonza Butler, to fill a U.S. Senate seat that became vacant when Dianne Feinstein died.The juxtaposition drew a sharp retort from Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, who resigned from the Legislature last year to become head of the California Labor Federation.“Don’t get distracted,” Gonzalez Fletcher posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Gov. Newsom has vetoed th...

Relentless Max Verstappen can clinch his 3rd F1 title as early as the sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

Max Verstappen can win his third straight Formula One title at the Qatar Grand Prix. And he can do it on Saturday.Verstappen will secure the title if he finishes sixth or higher in the sprint race Saturday, which could leave Sunday’s main Grand Prix race as something of an afterthought. Winning the title in a sprint — a 19-lap contest that F1 refuses to call a “race” — could be a little awkward for the series and for Verstappen. He has previously argued the format should be scrapped.“It’s not proper racing, it’s more like gambling,” he said after the season’s first sprint in Azerbaijan in April. “I think I will have more success in Vegas if I go to the casino. I like racing, I’m a pure racer and I think this is more for the show.”It’s been a relentlessly dominant season from the Dutch driver, who has had the fastest car with Red Bull but has also left his teammate Sergio Perez far behind in the standings. Perez is the last driver with a mathematical cha...

Palmeiras – Boca, por un lugar en la final de la Libertadores: previa, a qué hora y cómo verlo en vivo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

(CNN Español) — Palmeiras y Boca definirán este jueves quién será el rival del Fluminense en la final de la Copa Libertadores de América, luego de que los cariocas vencieran como visitante a Internacional por 2 a 1, en la otra semifinal disputada este miércoles en Porto Alegre..En la ida disputada en Buenos Aires, Boca y Palmeiras igualaron en 0, en un partido donde los xeneizes fueron superiores y estuvieron cerca de ganarlo. Valentín Barco, por talento para generar jugadas de riesgo, junto a Equi Fernández, por despliegue y anulando a sus rivales en la marca, fueron las figuras del encuentro. Edinson Cavani, que mostró su gran jerarquía en las asistencias y clase en la ofensiva, estuvo cerca de marcar.En la visita se vio un equipo minimizado, superado por Boca, con sus habituales figuras como Raphael Veiga, Mayke, Artur y Rony que no lucieron dado el gran trabajo del equipo argentino en el bloque defensivo.La FIFA anunció que el Mundial 2030 se disputará en seis países y com...

4-day school weeks are on the rise in Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — More U.S. school districts are adopting a four-day week, including in Colorado.In more than 13,000 school districts nationwide, nearly 900 operate on a truncated schedule. That's up from 100 in 1999 and 662 in 2019. Does your school rank among the best in the Denver area? The figures are according to Paul Thompson, an associate professor of economics at Oregon State University, who tracks and researches shortened school weeks.Thompson counted four-day school weeks in 25 states during the 2022-23 school year. Compared to the 2018-19 school year, his research showed more four-day school weeks around the country, including in Colorado.More districts adopt 4-day school weeksThompson counted 105 Colorado school districts with four-day weeks during the 2018-19 school year. That increased to 120 by last school year — some 67% of Colorado's 178 school districts.Colorado previously led the U.S. in its number of school districts with four-day weeks. But as of last year's cou...

What happened to Nathaniel Holmes? Investigation Discovery to highlight missing case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Six years ago, Nathaniel Holmes' mother watched her 17-year-old son walk into Hidden Lake High School in Westminster. That was the last time she saw him. On Sunday, Investigation Discovery's series "Disappeared" is highlighting Holmes' story.On Dec. 19, 2017, Holmes entered the school but left shortly after. According to ID's preview, he left during the first period. He called his mother and told her a friend of his father would pick him up, but reports show that didn’t happen. Holmes had asked a woman at a local park to borrow her phone to make a call. This was the last time anyone heard from him. Holmes is still considered a missing person. Family of teen missing for 5 years hopes for help On Sunday, Oct. 8, Holmes' story will be aired on season 11 of "Disappeared" in an episode called "Descent into Darkness."Nathaniel Holmes at age 17 (Credit: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)An age progression illustration of what Nathaniel Holmes, who was 1...

Children share stories, smiles with horses at Tradewinds Park and Stables

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

Kindergarteners and elementary students embarked on a unique literary adventure—reading their cherished books to the most attentive of audiences, horses. This delightful program, known as “Pony Tales,” is a brainchild of Broward County Parks and Recreation, aiming to foster a love for reading and create a special bond between young readers and these gentle giants.Taking place on the first Wednesday of every month (with an exception in January) throughout the school year, Pony Tales offers an experience for children aged from pre-K to elementary school. 7News cameras captured the enchanting setting unfold at Tradewinds Park and Stables, located on the north side of Sample Road, 3600 West Sample Road, Coconut Creek.For a nominal fee of $4.50 plus tax per child, participants not only get to share their favorite stories with the horses but also enjoy a wholesome snack, capture memorable photos, and forge lasting connections with these majestic animals.Pony Tales is not just ...

Saki monkey born at Zoo Miami

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

In an adorable addition to the Zoo Miami family, a White-Faced Saki monkey was born on Wednesday, Sept. 27, and the zoo is buzzing with excitement as this rare birth unfolded.Since the birth, both mom and baby have been enjoying their privacy in a secluded holding area, ensuring an undisturbed bonding experience. Over the past week, the newborn has been thriving, nursing happily, and showing signs of good health. White-Faced Saki monkey was born on Wednesday, Sept. 27. (Courtesy: Zoo Miami)The newborn has been thriving, nursing happily, and showing signs of good health. (Courtesy: Zoo Miami)White-Faced Saki monkeys are renowned for their arboreal lifestyle in the tropical forests of Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil, and Suriname. (Courtesy: Zoo Miami)Mother, Alejandra, has proven to be an exceptionally protective parent, cradling her infant on her chest, almost entirely hidden beneath a thick coat of hair. (Courtesy: Zoo Miami)Mom and baby have been enjoying their privacy in...

FedEx jet skids off the runway at a Tennessee airport after landing gear failure

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:50 GMT

(CNN) — A plane operated by FedEx skidded off the end of a runway at an airport in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after reporting a landing gear failure, emergency officials said.Three people were aboard the Boeing 757 aircraft, which came to a stop between the runway and a nearby road late Wednesday, the Chattanooga Fire Department said on social media.“All three people on the aircraft are accounted for,” the department said.CNN reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration and FedEx for more information.Emergency crews were called to the Chattanooga Regional Airport just after 11 p.m. on reports that the jet was making its final approach with landing gear failure, fire officials said.The plane circled before making the emergency landing, officials added.The plane’s engines emitted smoke, but there was no fire detected, the fire department said.“Great work by the pilot and airport personnel, as well as all responding agencies for their coordinated efforts,” the department said.