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Walters: Liberal California city fights for regressive voting system

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

Four-plus decades ago, a coterie of left-leaning political activists, led by antiwar iconoclast Tom Hayden, captured control of Santa Monica’s city government.Their issue was rent control — potent in a seaside community where renters, many of them retirees, abounded. Santa Monica’s rent control law became a model for other cities and sparked a counter-offensive by landlords in a duel that still reverberates.Although the Haydenistas’ dominance of Santa Monica eventually waned, the city remains one of the state’s most liberal — or progressive — bastions. It is, therefore, a seemingly unlikely venue for a legal conflict over the political rights of nonwhite residents.Nevertheless, that’s exactly what happened a few years ago when an organization of Latino residents sued Santa Monica to overturn its method of electing City Council members — “at-large” rather than from individual districts.A 2001 law, the California Voting Rights Act, made it easier for ethnic gro...

Listening, the key to detecting cedar waxwings

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

People who pay attention to birds come to love the changing seasons, and have favorite moments in the world of birds that mark the calendar in their minds with days of celebration. Many devout birders think of fall as the time for passing migrants: today may be the day when they see a rare warbler they will not see again for years.Many backyard birdwatchers eagerly await the return of the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows, which are even now announcing their arrival with clear, whistled songs. At this particular moment, I think my favorite sign of fall is when I start to hear cedar waxwings again.Cedar waxwings have bright yellow tips to their tails and distinctive waxy formations on their wings. Photo by Mick ThompsonWaxwings are primarily northern birds, with few breeding in California and those birds essentially restricted to the northernmost section of the state. In Marin, we see them mostly from September until May, when they roam over the county in search of berry...

San Quentin prisoner’s widow wins key ruling in COVID lawsuit

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

A federal appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit filed by the widow of a San Quentin inmate who died of COVID-19 can move forward.The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Tuesday reversed a lower court’s decision that would have prevented the suit from proceeding.Jacqueline Hampton has sued the state, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), San Quentin State Prison and some prison officials for the death of her husband, Michael Hampton.In August, the 9th Circuit issued a similar ruling in an appeal arising out of virtually identical allegations. That suit was brought by the family of a San Quentin prison guard, Gilbert Polanco, who also died during the coronavirus outbreak.“Whether we’re talking about prison guards or inmates, we’re talking about human beings who were affected in the same way,” said Michael Haddad, the attorney representing both families. “The courts are now saying that when you create such a deadly environm...

Shackelford: U.S. political dysfunction harming national security

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

America’s national security depends heavily on the strength and effectiveness of our foreign policy and defense. Both are suffering self-inflicted wounds caused by our dysfunctional politics.As our political representatives can barely accomplish the most basic governing obligations, our adversaries delight, and our allies wonder if we can be counted on as reliable partners.The most blatant mess has been our government’s budget debacle. We have the world’s largest economy and yet nearly defaulted on our debt only four months ago. Congressional Republicans used that risk as leverage to force negotiations on future spending, narrowly reaching agreement with the White House just in time to avert financial disaster.The only upside of that fiasco should have been some breathing room after the two sides reached a difficult two-year deal on spending. But, alas, Congress brought us to the brink of a government shutdown in disagreement over that same budget only months later. The last-minute ...

New law makes top California transit agencies survey riders about harassment

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

California’s top 10 public transit agencies must survey riders about safety, sexual harassment, and racial and gender-based discrimination in order to learn more about threats to riders of buses and trains, according to new requirements spelled out in legislation signed into state law.Senate Bill 434 by state Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 7, orders transit agencies to find out what kind of harassment, threats, assaults or fear riders experience — and on what lines or bus routes. A key focus would be on women of color including Asian-American Pacific Islanders (AAPI), the elderly, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.The information would be used to address safety issues ranging from street harassment that can cause people of color and women to avoid public transit entirely, to threats and hate crimes. Supporters say the new law will result in a better understanding of under-reported harassment incidents, and allow agencies to target the problem with re...

Neogen: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Neogen Corp. (NEOG) on Tuesday reported earnings of $1.5 million in its fiscal first quarter.The Lansing, Michigan-based company said it had profit of 1 cent per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 11 cents per share.The maker of medical testing kits posted revenue of $229 million in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $231.8 million.Neogen expects full-year revenue in the range of $955 million to $985 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NEOG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NEOGSource

España repatriará a un centenar de sus ciudadanos atrapados en Israel

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

(CNN Español) — El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación en funciones, José Manuel Albares, informó este martes en una entrevista concedida al programa de televisión Espejo Público de la cadena Antena 3 que están organizando una operación para repatriar a aquellos españoles que se han quedado atrapados en Israel.Esta operación, coordinada con el Ministerio de Defensa, ayudará a regresar a cerca de un centenar de personas que se encontraban en el país por turismo o negocios y que no han logrado regresar debido a que varias aerolíneas han cancelado sus vuelos, aclaró Albares.Desde el Consulado General de España en Jerusalén están emplazando a todos los españoles no residentes en la zona del conflicto a que contacten a las autoridades consulares en caso de que su vuelo de regreso haya sido cancelado.Última hora del conflicto en Israel y Gaza, en vivoEsta repatriación no incluye a los españoles residentes en Israel.Las últimas cifras facilitadas por el Instit...

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal out of Spain squad after injury with Barcelona

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has been removed from Spain’s squad for upcoming European Championship qualifying games, the Spanish soccer federation said Tuesday.The federation said tests have determined that the 16-year-old Yamal won’t be able to play in Spain’s matches against Scotland on Thursday and Norway on Sunday. It did not give details.Yamal was replaced in the second half of Barcelona’s 2-2 draw at Granada in the Spanish league on Sunday. The Catalan club said he had a hip flexor injury. Yamal was returning to Spain’s squad after becoming the youngest player to appear for La Roja last month. He also was the youngest scorer in a European Championship qualifier for any national team.On Sunday, Yamal become the youngest-ever player to score in the Spanish league, surpassing Malaga player Fabrice Olinga, who was a few days older when he scored against Celta Vigo in 2012. Yamal was already the youngest player to debut in the league, ...

Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Eden Hazard retires from soccer

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Eden Hazard is putting an end to a 16-year injury-hit career marked by great success at club level and unfulfilled promise with the Belgium national team’s “Golden Generation.” The 32-year-old Hazard announced his retirement from all soccer on Tuesday after more than 700 matches and two Premier League titles during his time with Chelsea. Before injuries slowed him down, Hazard was often unstoppable on the field with his quick pace, creativity and super dribbling skills.The widely admired player had already retired from international soccer after his country’s aging generation of players was eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage last year.“You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time,” said Hazard, who had been without a club since his contract with Real Madrid expired in June. “I was able to realize my dream. I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world.”Hazard won eight trophies with Madrid, including the Champions League...

Israel pounds downtown Gaza City, vowing punishing retaliation for weekend attack

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:58:16 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel bombarded downtown Gaza City on Tuesday and expanded a massive mobilization of reservists, vowing punishing retaliation against the Hamas militant group that increasingly left residents of the tiny Palestinian territory with nowhere to go.Four days after militants stormed into Israel, bringing gunbattles to its streets for the first time in decades, Israel’s military said Tuesday morning that it had regained effective control over its south and the border. The war has already claimed at least 1,600 hundred lives on both sides — and perhaps many hundreds more. Israel has also said that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza are also holding more than 150 soldiers and civilians hostage.The conflict is only expected to escalate from here. Israel expanded the mobilization of reservists to 360,000 on Tuesday, according to the country’s media. And one major question is whether it will launch a ground offensive into Gaza — a tiny strip of land wedged among Israel, ...