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Skelton: Take Newsom at his word. He may never run for president

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

Most of us have learned not to swallow everything a politician says. They play too many word games. Republicans and Democrats alike.That’s especially true with politicians who duck and slide when asked whether they aspire to higher office. They try to leave the option open so they’ll be “mentioned” — without making themselves targets.That said, it’s past time for us — especially in the news media — to accept what Gov. Gavin Newsom says about his presidential aspiration. Stop fantasizing about a potential Newsom race for the White House.California’s Democratic governor has repeatedly insisted: He is not running for president in 2024. The telegenic 55-year-old won’t run even if aging President Biden, 80, does not. But Biden is running, so that scenario is moot.If Biden did drop out unexpectedly, Newsom would defer to his old San Francisco ally, Vice President Kamala Harris, as the next Democratic standard-bearer. He’d never run against her.What about 2028? Conventional wisdom is that ...

Walters: California keeps title as having nation’s highest poverty rate

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

Congratulations California, you’ve done it again — retained your title of having the highest level of poverty of any state.The Census Bureau released new economic data Tuesday, including both official poverty rates for 2022 and what are called “supplemental” rates.The former, based on formula several decades old, involves only a few basic factors and applies them to all states, regardless of their economic and sociological differences.Economists consider the official rates to be misleading because of their simplistic factors, but they remain in the law because they are the basis for many federal and state programs.The nationwide official poverty rate released on Tuesday is 11.5% and California’s is virtually identical at 11.4%. Other states range from as high as 18.3% in New Mexico to as low as 7.1% in neighboring Utah — an anomaly that itself should warrant deeper investigation.More than a decade ago, those who study poverty persuaded the Census Bureau to adopt a more realistic met...

Calfiornia school board rejects resolution to affirm LGBTQ students’ rights

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

No one on Temecula’s school board disputed the right of students to learn in a setting free of harassment and discrimination.But a resolution affirming that right for LGBTQ students in the Temecula Valley Unified School District fell short by a 3-2 vote Tuesday night, Sept. 12, with the board’s conservative majority questioning its necessity, focus and wording.RELATED: After Pride flag ban, could a school board recall in Sunol succeed?“We’re not here to be socially justice warrior-ed all the time,” said board member Jen Wiersma, who joined fellow conservatives Joseph Komrosky and Danny Gonzalez in voting no.“We have to fight for equality in the classroom and I think we do that differently,” she added. “It’s why we’re having these honest conversations and we don’t always speak to it just right. But we’re trying because we want everyone to know that they’re important and they’re valued.”Temecula school board member Steven Schwartz, seen Tuesday, July 18, 2023, sponsored a resolution, ...

60,000 Kaiser workers ready to strike as labor negotiations continue

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

Nearly 60,000 Kaiser Permanente workers say they’re ready to launch a strike if they can’t reach a labor agreement with the healthcare giant by Sept. 30 when their contract expires.The California employees, represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, claim they’re understaffed, underpaid and facing a host of other challenges while negotiations drag on.The union announced Thursday, Sept. 14 that 98% of its workers voted to authorize a walkout. Workers in Oregon, Washington and Colorado also voted to authorize a strike, and additional votes from Kaiser employees in San Diego, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia will be tallied by Wednesday, Sept. 20.Also see: Kaiser to pay $49 million for dumping syringes, bodily fluids into normal dumpstersThe California employees, along with members of other Kaiser unions, fall under the umbrella of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which includes 85,000 workers throughout the U.S.If a strike occurs, it will affe...

Single family residence sells for $2 million in Fremont

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

35630 Morley Place – Google Street ViewA 2,519-square-foot house built in 1968 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 35600 block of Morley Place in Fremont was sold on July 21, 2023, for $1,950,000, or $774 per square foot. This single-story house provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and two baths. Additionally, the house provides a two-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes.These nearby houses have also recently changed hands:A 1,518-square-foot home on the 35500 block of Fisher Place in Fremont sold in August 2022, for $1,488,000, a price per square foot of $980. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In September 2022, a 1,579-square-foot home on Dee Place in Fremont sold for $1,450,000, a price per square foot of $918. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Dering Place, Fremont, in August 2022, a 1,923-square-foot home was sold for $1,530,000, a price per square foot of $796. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bath...

Bay Area cities receive grants to fight organized retail crime, except Oakland

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KRON) -- Governor Gavin Newsom is awarding $267 million in new state grant funding to both state and local law enforcement in an effort to combat organized retail crimes. On Friday at 10 a.m., Newsom is meeting with San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Police Chief Bill Scott and Los Angeles County's assistant sheriff to discuss the plans behind these funds.In total the grant is being awarded to 34 police departments, seven sheriff's offices, one probation department and 13 district attorney's offices across the state. This money will help crack down on organized retail theft, property crime and car theft among others. Here are the list of several Bay Area cities who are some of the recipients of the new grant.CampbellDaly CityFremontNewarkPalo AltoSan Bruno San FranciscoSan JoseSan RamonSanta RosaVacavillePalo Alto police says it plans to use its $5.1 million dollars for more staff and patrolling along with new electronics, like GPS, to help with crimi...

Maryland advocates are pressing for a lower voting age in local elections

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.Common Cause Maryland is encouraging local officials to allow more young people to vote in local elections.The nonprofit advocacy organization, based in Annapolis, posed a question in a recent mass email: “Do you agree with lowering the voting age to 16 for local elections so young people can have a say in the issues that directly impact them?”Alyssa Canty, director of youth programs for Common Cause, said in an interview that most young people learn civics lessons as teenagers.“Their dependency on local policies [for] public transportation, funding for their schools and all of those things [becomes more obvious to them] when they’re in high school,” she said. “It’s just really important for young people to really be a part of the decision-making process when it comes to things that affect them.”Some local officials concur.Residents ...

Russian skater Valieva to testify by video link at CAS hearing into Beijing Olympics doping case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will give evidence by video link for a hearing this month into her doping case that rocked the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Friday that Valieva and officials from the Russian anti-doping agency are among “parties, witnesses and experts” giving testimony remotely at a closed-door hearing in Lausanne from Sept. 26-29.The World Anti-Doping Agency is seeking a four-year ban for Valieva, though a verdict could take months.“At this juncture, it is not possible to indicate when the final decision will be announced,” the court said in a statement detailing the expected process.Valieva came into the Beijing Games as a 15-year-old gold-medal favorite, before her positive test for a banned heart medication was revealed.She was allowed by an emergency CAS panel to continue skating pending a full investigation, but placed fourth after an error-filled program. After a Russian tribunal eventually ruled last year t...

USA Basketball back atop FIBA men’s world rankings, overtaking Spain for No. 1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

USA Basketball is back atop the FIBA men’s world rankings, even after failing to medal at the World Cup.The Americans flipped spots with Spain for No. 1 in the world in the updated rankings that were released Friday, reclaiming the top spot that they lost late last year. Spain is now No. 2, and World Cup champion Germany soared eight spots to No. 3 on the world list — the best in that program’s history.It’s certainly possible now that the Americans will keep the top spot leading into the Paris Olympics, where the U.S. will aim for a fifth consecutive gold medal. FIBA, the sport’s governing body, updates its rankings every few months; Friday’s update was the first tweak to the men’s list since February.Spain had overtaken the U.S. in November 2022, ending a 12-year run in the top spot for the Americans.“The world is good at basketball,” U.S. point guard Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks said as the World Cup was winding down. “Respect everybody.”FIBA’...

Germany to reshape its sports system after World Cup-winning basketball team defies rankings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (AP) — German politicians published planned reforms to the country’s sports system on Friday, seeking to stem a long-term slide down the Olympic medals table.The changes come less than a week after Germany won the Basketball World Cup despite a key government-backed ranking listing the game as having the lowest potential for success of any sport on the Summer Olympic program. That increased calls to rethink the system.“German competitive sport is currently largely unable to fulfill its ambition to be competitive with the world’s best,” said a declaration issued Friday following a meeting of sports ministers from Germany’s states. “Negative developments with regard to the results of German athletes in international competitions continue despite individual bright spots like winning the Basketball World Cup. Funding structures in elite sport require fundamental change.”Germany went from winning 82 medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics — t...