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Mathews: California city council meetings should end before the bars close

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

I propose a rule to improve California’s local democracy. When your local bars close, so must your city council.This occurred while watching recent Santa Monica City Council meetings, gatherings so long (one recently went 10 1/2 hours) and so nonsensical that you might reconsider your support for free speech and self-government.The bars had shut at 2 a.m., but the council was still going at 3:30 a.m. one October night when it logged its latest late-night crime against democracy: canceling plans to organize a representative assembly of residents to decide the airport’s future. The vote came after hours of public testimony from residents spewing conspiracy theories about developers and ballot measures that could only make sense at such an hour.Alas, this sort of decision-making is to be expected in Santa Monica, which takes perverse pride in meeting agendas longer than the U.S. constitution. But long, late meetings plague other California political hothouses — from Huntington Be...

CHP officer fatally shoots man walking on freeway, prompting investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER | Associated PressLOS ANGELES — State authorities were investigating Monday after a California Highway Patrol officer shot and killed a man over the weekend in the middle of a Los Angeles area freeway during a struggle recorded on video.Sunday afternoon’s deadly encounter occurred after the highway patrol responded to multiple calls of a male pedestrian walking in westbound lanes of Interstate 105 in south LA County, the agency said in a statement. All traffic in that direction was temporarily blocked.A CHP officer tried to convince the man to get off the freeway but he refused and that led to a struggle, authorities said.“During the struggle, the pedestrian was able to access a Taser he had in his possession, activated the weapon, and used the Taser against the officer,” the CHP said in a later statement. “Following the pedestrian’s use of the weapon against the officer, and in fear for his safety, the officer fired his service weapon.”The man was pronounced de...

Cyclist dies in vehicle collision in South Salinas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

(BCN) -- A cyclist died in a vehicle collision in Salinas on Monday night, the California Highway Patrol said.Around 8:10 p.m. Monday, CHP officers learned a cyclist was hit by a grey Jeep on East Blanco Road near La Mesa Drive in South Salinas. Verdict reached in San Carlos samurai sword murder trial At 8:12 p.m., a Salinas fire medic pronounced the victim as a possible fatality, the CHP said.The roadway was temporarily closed due to the collision. It reopened around 10:20 p.m., the CHP said.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

A judge will consider revoking a Trump co-defendant’s bond in the Georgia election subversion case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge in Atlanta is set to hear arguments Tuesday on a request to revoke the bond of one of former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia case related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week filed a motion asking county Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to revoke the bond of Harrison Floyd. She wrote in her motion that Floyd has been attempting to intimidate and contact likely witnesses and his co-defendants in violation of the terms of his release.Floyd’s attorneys wrote in a court filing that Willis’ allegations are without merit and that the motion is a “retaliatory measure” against their client. Floyd “neither threatened or intimidated anyone and certainly did not communicate with a witness or co-defendant directly or indirectly,” they wrote.McAfee set a hearing on Willis’ motion for Tuesday afternoon.The charges against Floyd relate to allegations of harassment toward ...

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon kill 2 journalists of a pan-Arab TV station, 4 Palestinian militants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Tuesday two journalists reporting for the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV on the violence along the border with Israel, according to Lebanese officials and the TV station. A separate strike at another location in Lebanon killed four Palestinian members of the Hamas militant group. The Pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV — politically allied with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah — identified the journalists who were killed while reporting in the town of Tair Harfa as correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari. It said they were “martyred by treacherous Israeli targeting,” adding it was an airstrike.The strike that hit the journalists also killed a Lebanese civilian, Hussein Akil, said the station and Lebanon’s state media.The Israeli military said it was looking into the matter. In a statement earlier Tuesday, it said its aircraft “struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon” in addition to Hezb...

32 killed in attacks in the Abyei region, which is disputed between Sudan and South Sudan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Heavy fighting Sunday in a disputed region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan killed at least 32 people, a regional official said.The civilians died when unknown gunmen attacked two villages in the southern part of the Abyei administrative region, local media reported.Abyei information minister Bolis Kuoch said 32 people including women and children were killed and 20 others wounded, “but the clashes have now stopped and the situation calmed down.” He initially reported that a U.N. peacekeeper was among those who died.However, the U.N issued a statement Monday saying that no soldiers from the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei were killed during the incident.“Contrary to inaccurate information published in media and other reports, no UNISFA peacekeepers were killed or wounded during the incident,” the statement said. “In response to the attacks, UNISFA moved rapidly to enhance security in the affected area by intensifying patrols, closely ...

Best Buy posts better-than-expected 3Q profits but sales sluggish amid spending malaise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy Co. posted stronger-than-expected profits for the fiscal third quarter but continues to struggle with sales declines as shoppers pull back more on buying gadgets in an uncertain economy.The nation’s largest consumer electronics chain also cut its annual sales outlook, sending shares down 5% in premarket trading.The job market has remained resilient, but Americans are facing higher prices on many items, even as the inflation rate is easing. And they’re also facing more expensive credit with the Federal Reserve hiking benchmark interest rates to combat inflation. It’s costing more to take out loans for appliances, cars and houses, or to use a credit card. As a result, consumers have become reluctant to spend unless there is a sale. “In the more recent macro environment, consumer demand has been even more uneven and difficult to predict,” said Best Buy’s CEO Corie Barry in a statement.The Richfield, Minnesota-based company reported fisca...

Northern Technologies: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

CIRCLE PINES, Minn. (AP) — CIRCLE PINES, Minn. (AP) — Northern Technologies International Corp. (NTIC) on Tuesday reported earnings of $939,000 in its fiscal fourth quarter.The Circle Pines, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 10 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, were 3 cents per share.The rust and corrosion prevention company posted revenue of $20.7 million in the period.For the year, the company reported profit of $2.9 million, or 30 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $79.9 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NTIC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NTICSource

Next 2 days likely to be this week’s busiest. Here’s when not to be on the road — or in the airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over the Thanksgiving break.The busiest days to fly will be Tuesday and Wednesday as well as the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday and 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday. Sunday will draw the largest crowds with an estimated 2.9 million passengers, which would narrowly eclipse a record set on June 30.Meanwhile, AAA forecasts that 55.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between next Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with roads likely to be the most clogged on Wednesday.The weather could snarl air and road traffic. A storm system was expected to move from the southern Plains to the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing severe thunderstorms, gusty wind and possible snow.U.S. Transportation Secretary Pet...

Reese’s unexplained absence brings unwanted scrutiny to No. 7 LSU and coach Kim Mulkey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — With LSU star forward Angel Reese missing in action and little explanation forthcoming from coach Kim Mulkey, the seventh-ranked Tigers are attracting unwanted scrutiny at the outset of their national title defense.“You always have to deal with locker-room issues,” Mulkey said Monday night after LSU beat Texas Southern 106-47 in the second straight game that Reese missed for undisclosed reasons. “Sometimes you all know about them. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you want to know more than you’re entitled to know,” Mulkey continued. “I’m going to protect my players — always. They are like a family.”Recent drama involving not just Reese’s absence, but critical comments by some players’ parents on social media, began not long after a surprising season-opening loss for what on paper looks like the quintessential super team in this new era of relaxed rules governing transfers and player endorsement earnings.On Monday night, Reese was seen only dur...