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Walters: California unions make major push with strikes, legislation

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

This has been a year of labor unrest in California, a state in which unions represent a relatively small fraction of the state’s workforce but wield great political power.The most obvious example is the protracted strikes of actors and writers in Southern California’s iconic entertainment industry, but Tinseltown’s picketers are just some of the workers who have been demanding more in wages and benefits and are willing to walk off the job to get them.There have been 53 labor strikes in California so far this year, involving 276,340 participants, or about 10% of total union membership in the state, according to Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker. That doesn’t include strikes that began in 2022, either.What’s happening in California mirrors trends in other states, leading to much speculation about underlying factors, such as post-pandemic angst and inflation.As the California Legislature enters the last days of its 2023 session, the growing unrest in workplaces is manifesting i...

Apple-leased Silicon Valley office building is bought as value jumps

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

SUNNYVALE — A big Sunnyvale building occupied by tech titan Apple has been bought in a deal that shows pockets of strength can defy the ailments of a feeble Bay Area office market.A veteran real estate firm paid $41 million for the office and research building in Sunnyvale, according to documents filed on Aug. 28 at the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office.An affiliate managed by BentallGreenOak bought the office and research building, which is located at 825 Stewart Drive in Sunnyvale, the county real estate records show.Office and research building at 825 Stewart Drive in Sunnyvale that totals 75,400 square feet. (Google Maps)The building totals nearly 75,400 square feet and for several years has been fully leased to Cupertino-based Apple.The purchase by BGO 825 Stewart, the BentallGreenOak affiliate, points to rising property values for the office and research building, which occupies 4.3 acres.In 2016, the seller, an affiliate of real estate firm GI Partners, pa...

Work trucks targeted by burglars in Pacifica, tools stolen

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

(KRON) -- The Pacifica Police Department received numerous burglary reports on Sunday regarding tools that had been stolen from both contractor and work trucks.All reported thefts occurred between 1:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. in the Fairmont, Westview and Pacific Manor neighborhoods. In each incident, the suspect(s) used tools to gain entry into the locked work trucks and took hand and power tools. Family disturbance leaves father dead, SJPD investigating as homicide Pacifica police urges the community to check their home surveillance cameras for any suspicious activity during the early morning hours on Sunday. At this time, the suspect(s) is currently unknown and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pacifica Police Department at 650-738-7314.

2 shot, 1 dead in shooting near Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

(KRON) -- Two people were shot on Monday near the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Oakland Police Department. Just before 5 p.m., officers responded to a shooting in the 2300 block of International Boulevard. Two men were located suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.  Family disturbance leaves father dead, SJPD investigating as homicide One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was taken to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition. The victim’s identity has yet to be released until next of kin is notified. Anyone with information is asked to contact OPD’s Homicide Section at 510-238-3821 or the TIP LINE at 510-238-7950.

Panthers acquire WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Chiefs for conditional 2025 7th-round draft pick

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With injuries impacting their depth at wide receiver, the Carolina Panthers made a move to acquire wide receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Kansas City Chiefs in a deal involving a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-round draft picks.The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Smith-Marsette is coming off a strong preseason where he was second in the league with 195 yards receiving on nine receptions. The 2021 fifth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings averaged 21.7 yards per catch, including two 40-plus yard receptions while playing with Chiefs backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert.With the NFL regular season fast approaching, the Panthers are dealing with injuries to three of their top five receivers. DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. all sat out the preseason finale.Smith-Marsette spent time with Minnesota and the Chicago Bears the past two seasons, catching five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns in 2021. He had one catch for 15 yards las...

The Dominican Republic tops its World Cup group and advances with a 75-67 victory over Angola

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

The Dominican Republic advanced to the knockout stage at the World Cup with a 75-67 victory over Angola on Tuesday.The Caribbean nation is 3-0 in Group A and is the eighth team to advance. Eight more places will be decided on Tuesday and Wednesday — the final days of group play. Angola has no chance of advancing.Germany defeated Finland 101-75 to complete a perfect record in group play. Finland has three losses.Seven teams had already reached the knockout stage — defending champion Spain, the United States, Canada, Germany Latvia, Lithuania and Montenegro. Eight teams cannot advance — France, Finland, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Angola and Mexico.GROUP A — DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 75, ANGOLA 67At Manila, Andres Feliz hit 17 points and Victor Liz scored 13 and the Dominican Republic (3-0) advanced to the knockout round. The Dominican Republic trailed by one after three quarters but outscored Angola by nine in the final quarter.Silvia De Sousa led Angola with 19 points. Neither team shot ...

Thomas Jefferson High School drops to 5th in latest US News ranking

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

This Northern Virginia high school has been on the top of the list for the last three years; but in 2023, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology dropped to fifth in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High School Rankings.”The Early College at Guilford in North Carolina toppled the Fairfax County school from its pedestal. Coming in second place was the Signature School in Indiana, the School for Advanced Studies in Miami in third, and the Davidson Academy in Nevada. The top five schools, including Thomas Jefferson High, are all public schools.Liana Loewus, the managing editor for education at U.S. News, said very small shifts in data can cause big changes in the rankings.“So with TJ, there were just very small shifts in assessment data,” Loewus said. “But because especially those top schools, they are so close to each other, just a small shift can look like a precipitous drop. But it doesn’t mean too much has really changed...

Former Houston and Texas coach Tom Herman aims to bring FAU back to the spotlight

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — A frustrating phone call was all it took for Tom Herman to realize that he didn’t know much about how the world works for those who aren’t football coaches.The former Houston and Texas coach was on his phone, on hold, waiting for some company to pick up. He felt like it was an inordinate amount of time to be waiting for anything, so he yelled out to his wife Michelle and asked for advice. She asked how long he’d been on hold.“Seven minutes,” he shouted back.With that, Michelle Herman broke out laughing and told him to let her know when the hold time reached the one-hour mark. Evidently, her husband had no idea how call centers work. And maybe those seven minutes sent him on the path back to college football, where he will begin his seventh season as a head coach and his first at Florida Atlantic when the Owls host Monmouth on Saturday in the opener for both teams.“He’s a proven leader. He has a great record,” now-former FAU President John Kelly said when the ...

Court probes Italian government’s ‘Influencer Venus’ tourism flop

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

Italy’s “Influencer Venus” is on a digital detox — at precisely the wrong moment. A Court of Audit in Italy is accusing the government’s Ministry of Tourism of wasting public money with a costly promotional campaign, which suddenly stopped posting online at the height of tourist season.The “Open to Meraviglia” marketing campaign, which cost nearly €140,000 in taxpayer money, transformed Botticelli’s Venus into a 21st century influencer, who regularly posted on her Instagram account to promote tourism in Italy.But the Influencer Venus was last spotted active on social media on June 27, more than two months ago, in a picture posing in front of a view of Taormina in Sicily. Her accounts on other social media sites such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) disappeared, Italian media reported, along with the promotional video posted on YouTube when the campaign was announced. The disappearance sparked questions from Pio Silvestri, who leads the Prosecutor...

Commission snubs Charles Michel’s EU 2030 enlargement target

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:02:47 GMT

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Tuesday shot down Charles Michel’s 2030 target for EU enlargement.The top two institutions in Brussels clashed again as the EU executive pushed back against the European Council president’s remarks Monday that the bloc should be ready to accept new members in 2030.“We are not focused on a date, but focused on working very closely with candidate countries to get ready for joining the European Union,” the Commission’s deputy spokesperson Dana Spinant said at a daily press briefing Tuesday.She added that Michel had not consulted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the content of his enlargement speech Monday at a summit in Bled, Slovenia.The latest public disagreement between von der Leyen and Michel — dubbed “Europe’s odd couple” for their difficult relationship — comes as the topic of EU enlargement is gaining momentum in Brussels. Also Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a “multi-speed” EU...