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Transgender people are finding their voices with help of MSU Denver speech-language students: “It’s like you’re home”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

Since Olivia Demir was a child, the 53-year-old transgender woman would wake each morning having had beautiful dreams about living life in a woman’s body.About a year ago, Demir officially began transitioning in Denver and said she’d never felt such happiness. Demir takes hormones and cares for her shiny, long, brown hair. She paints her nails and applies purple eyeshadow to match her dress. She goes to therapy and checks in with the Transgender Center of the Rockies for support.“Things are changing with my body, but my voice is preventing how I want people to see me,” Demir said. “My voice is a danger.”From dirty looks to verbal and physical altercations, Demir has experienced a wide range of harassment from transphobic people.“I just want to be accepted as a woman and for people to leave me alone,” Demir said. “I just want a normal life.”As part of her transition journey, Demir is among the first clients served by a new p...

A new consumer-friendly outdoor trade show could be the start of something much, much bigger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

Organizers of the Outdoor Retailer trade show roiled Colorado’s recreation, convention and tourism industry last year when they announced they were pulling the semiannual shows out of Denver and taking them back to Salt Lake City, despite threats of a boycott from some big-name companies over environmental concerns in Utah.Instead, Denver has a new outdoor trade show set to take place at the Colorado Convention Center next week, and it will have something Outdoor Retailer never did: an opportunity for the public to take an early look at the hiking, cycling, camping and paddle-sport gear that will be coming to stores next year — just like the industry insiders.State officials see even more though. They believe The Big Gear Show, which runs Thursday through Sunday alongside a sister show focused on e-bikes called (e)revolution, is a foundational piece of what eventually could be the South By Southwest of outdoor spectacles.“We’ve been talking and planning and schemin...

Shame! The Supreme Judicial Council will cut off Geshev's head while he is in Strasbourg for Barcelonagate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

Two weeks after requesting the removal of immunity of Boyko Borisov and while he is in the process of releasing the SJC, Ivan Geshev will visit Strasbourg and will be heard by the European Parliament's legal committee, of which Elena Yoncheva, the whistleblower in Barcelona, is a member. The Chief Prosecutor is expected to provide details about the money laundering scheme in which he claims the former Prime Minister of Bulgaria is involved. Geshev has already requested Borisov's immunity be removed to accuse him of money laundering for the Barcelona house, but Borisov fearlessly stated that he would not give it and reached an agreement with Kiril Petkov, Asen Vasilev, and Hristo Ivanov to protect him with immunity in exchange for handing over all the power in the state.The Barcelona House scandal returns to Europe and the European Parliament!Two weeks after requesting the removal of Boyko Borisov's immunity and while being in the process of releasing the SJC, Ivan Geshev will visit ...

Pride becomes minefield for big companies, but many continue their support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

Many big companies, including Target and Bud Light's parent, are still backing Pride events in June despite the minefield that the monthlong celebration has become for some of them.Target and Bud Light recently came under fire for their efforts to appeal to the LGBTQ+ community, only to come under more fire when they tried to backpedal.But even as they battle the negative publicity, Target and Bud Light haven’t pulled away from this year’s Pride celebrations. Target is a platinum sponsor of NYC Pride, which requires a $175,000 donation. And Bud Light’s parent Anheuser-Busch is a sponsor of Pride celebrations in Chicago, San Francisco, Charlotte and elsewhere.Many other big companies are sticking to their sponsorships as well, including PepsiCo, Starbucks, General Motors and Jeep parent Stellantis — all of which said they have been supporting Pride events for decades and aren’t hesitating to back them again this year.Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy’s, another major Pride sp...

FLOW: Architecture Designer Wenya Liu Localizes a Modern Way of Living

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

While modernism is now the most commonly practiced style in architecture designs, a modern structure should not be the only standard to define contemporary living. As explained by architectural designer Wenya Liu, instead of outright rejection of past forms or literal translation of traditional elements, reimaging and giving them fresh meaning through a contemporary perspective can effectively localize a modern way of living.Situated in Quanzhou China, Studio Zhu is a private-owned house that’s surrounded by picturesque mountains and watery farmlands. The client approached Liu with a renovation request to modernize the existing mixed-style building with a traditional touch while preserving its current structure as much as possible.“To ensure that we deliver the ideal conceptual model to the client, I collaborated with two other outstanding architecture designers Zi Meng and Yangyang Liu,” Liu demonstrated, “After a brief discussion, we agreed to insert a modernized micro courtyards ...

Migrants’ flight to Sacramento reportedly arranged by Florida

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s attorney general said the state of Florida appears to have arranged for a group of South American migrants to be dropped off outside a Sacramento church.“While this is still under investigation, we can confirm these individuals were in possession of documentation purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida,” Bonta said in a statement late Saturday.The documents said the migrants were transported through a program run by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management and carried out by contractor Vertol Systems Co., said Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Bonta. Florida paid the same contractor $1.56 million last year to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and for a possible second flight to Delaware that never took place.The 16 migrants who arrived in Sacramento on Friday are from Colombia and Venezuela. They entered the U.S. through Texas. They were transported to New Mexico then flown by ...

San Jose: One dies after vehicle strikes tree, becomes ‘engulfed’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

SAN JOSE — A vehicle struck a tree and became “fully engulfed” in South San Jose early Monday, leaving one occupant dead, according to authorities.A tweet from San Jose police indicated the crash took place near the intersection of Meridian Avenue and Woodruff Drive. Police were alerted of the incident at 1:26 a.m. Monday morning.One occupant of the vehicle died at the scene. It’s currently unknown whether the occupant was the driver, or if there were multiple people inside.Units are currently at the scene of a solo vehicle traffic fatality near the intersection of Meridian Ave and Woodruff Dr. A vehicle struck a tree and became fully engulfed. One occupant declared deceased at the scene. TOC: 1:26 AM pic.twitter.com/y4pxidTtaT— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) June 5, 2023Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | San Jose motorcyclist dies after collision with truck Crashes and Disasters | Pedestrian killed on Concord high...

Sobrato firm will deploy real estate prowess to tackle affordable housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

SANTA CLARA — The Sobrato Organization aims to use its real estate expertise to help tackle one of Silicon Valley’s most daunting challenges: the region’s affordable housing woes.The recent purchase by Sobrato of an older apartment complex in Santa Clara is poised to be the springboard for the affordable housing strategy being crafted by the legendary real estate firm.In May, Sobrato Family Foundation paid $26.1 million for Santa Clara’s 68-unit Vista Pointe Apartments, located at 3455 Homestead Road.The Sobrato firm is one of Silicon Valley’s iconic real estate companies and the foundation is the charitable and giving arm of the Sobrato Organization.Now, the apartment building purchase has become the foundation of a pilot project to determine whether the Sobrato firm can craft a fresh solution to the housing dilemma in Silicon Valley, according to John M. Sobrato, chairman of The Sobrato Organization.“We call it the housing security initiative,” Sobrat...

High school softball rankings: Bay Area News Group season-ending Top 20

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

NEW: PREP SPORTS MAILBAGThe Bay Area News Group is introducing a high school sports mailbag in May. Get your questions in as soon as possible. Our debut edition is an open forum. Got questions about spring sports playoffs, coaching changes, an early peek at football season, etc.? Send questions to [email protected]. Please include “mailbag” in the subject line.Bay Area News Group season-ending softball Top 20(Mercury News & East Bay Times)No. 1 ST. FRANCIS (28-4)Regular-season-ending ranking: 1Final word: Lost to Hollister in the Central Coast Section Open Division final as the No. 1 seed, and lost to the Balers again in the NorCal Division I final as the No. 2 team. No. 2 WILLOW GLEN (23-7) Regular-season-ending ranking: 12Final word: Lost to St. Francis in the second round of the CCS Open Division playoffs, and then won the NorCal Division II championship on a walk-off over Notre Dame-Salinas. No. 3 CALIFORNIA (21-9) Regular-season-ending ranking: 14Final word: ...

Tech cluster emerges at huge revamped industrial complex in Oakland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:50 GMT

OAKLAND — A long-time industrial center and former artists’ colony in West Oakland is being reimagined as a bustling hub for tech, advanced manufacturing, biotech and clean energy firms.The vast American Steel building and nearby industrial sites in Oakland have been reborn with a new mission as a cradle for an array of cutting-edge companies.Now, a marketing team consisting of JLL commercial real estate brokers Kristi Childers, Eddie Shuai and Charlie Sweeney is scouting for tenants for numerous spaces in the complex, which totals about 440,000 square feet.“This project is creating new energy in West Oakland,” said Childers, who is an executive vice president with JLL. “It’s creating jobs in the city. This center is helping emerging companies grow in Oakland.”Several tenants have flocked to the site so they can set up shop in the repurposed industrial sites, at least one of which dates back to the 1920s as the former Pacific Pipe building.A...