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California homebuying pace plunges 32% to a record low

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

Soaring mortgage rates have iced California homebuying to a record low.Look at what my trusty spreadsheet found when peeking at stats tracking August purchases and pricing for single-family existing homes from the California Association of Realtors. The Federal Reserve’s inflation battle – using high interest rates as the cooling agent – plus stubborn pricing is scaring off numerous house hunters.California houses were bought at an average 271,800-a-year pace during the 12 months ended in August. How listless has this lengthy slump been?Sales are off 32% vs. the previous 12-month period.It’s 38% below the 33-year average.It’s the slowest 12 months of homebuying in a database that dates to January 1990.This breaks the previous low set in the early days of the Great Recession in April 2008. Yes, THAT slow!This past year’s sales drop hit every corner of the state with near conformity. Southern California buying is off 33% followed by the Bay Area, Central Valley and Central Coast, all ...

Heisman Watch: Penix, Sanders surge in our breakdown of the top Pac-12 candidates

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

Welcome to our weekly look at the Pac-12’s leading Heisman Trophy candidates via a power ranking of the top players in the conference. Consider this one Heisman voter’s view of the conference hierarchy, which is packed with contenders for the first time in forever.The rankings are based on a subjective assessment of individual performance, value to the team and quality of competition. And yes, we consider defensive players.Three games down, and Michael Penix Jr.’s pursuit of the Heisman Trophy is unfolding exactly as Washington hoped, with as many boxes checked as touchdowns thrown.Here we go:— Big wins and gaudy stats? Check.The Huskies are 3-0, ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and rapidly amassing media attention. (UW is No. 1 in the Yahoo! and ESPN rankings this week.) Meanwhile, Penix leads the nation in passing yards (444 per game) and is second in touchdowns.— Brilliance on big stages? Check.Washington just ventured into Big Ten territory and blasted...

Sexual harassment lawsuit against California Treasurer Fiona Ma by employee she fired will go to trial

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ | Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO  — A civil lawsuit brought against California Treasurer Fiona Ma by a high-ranking former employee who alleges Ma made sexual advances toward her before firing her can go to trial, a judge ruled Thursday.Judith Blackwell, the former head of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, alleged sexual harassment, racial discrimination and wrongful termination in the lawsuit, which was filed in July 2021, six months after she was fired. Ma has said the allegations are without merit and filed a motion to dismiss the case.The lawsuit alleged that Ma often rented hotel rooms and a home in Sacramento for staff to stay in after working late. Blackwell said that while sharing rooms, Ma called her into her bedroom several times, exposed her nude backside and climbed into Blackwell’s bed with her at least once.Ma’s motion for dismissal said the incidents were not sexual in nature and instead typical of what happens when people share a li...

Tip jar thief attempted to carjack vehicles before arrest: Benicia police

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

(KRON) -- A man who allegedly stole a coffee shop tip jar in Benicia Monday morning before attempting to carjack two vehicles has been arrested, the Benicia Police Department said.Benicia police officers responded to a report of a man stealing a tip jar from a coffee shop at Solano Square before breaking it and fleeing. Around 45 minutes later, police were dispatched to the area of Military West and Interstate 780 on a report of a man jumping in front of a moving vehicle in an attempted carjacking.The suspect allegedly banged on the window of the car and told the driver to get out. The driver was able to speed away safely, authorities said. Another driver also reported a man on Military West attempted to force their vehicle door open, damaging the side mirror. That motorist was also able to drive away from the suspect. Ex-Oakland police chief Armstrong says he is ‘vindicated,’ deserves job back A man matching the descriptions of the suspect was located by police officers on the Co...

Thousands of California inflation relief payments being sent this month, state says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A few thousand Californians will be surprised this month when they receive a debit card loaded with hundreds of dollars in the mail. It's not a scam or a prize – it's the Middle Class Tax Refund arriving a bit behind schedule. The Middle Class Tax Refund, often referred to as an "inflation relief" payment, started going out to millions of eligible taxpayers nearly a year ago. Most people who qualify have already received a direct deposit or debit card. However, approximately 5,000 payments that never got sent out are still being processed through the end of September 2023, the Franchise Tax Board said. Some California inflation relief checks still haven’t been sent: Is yours missing? "FTB plans to finish processing all new payments (for people who had never been issued a payment before) by the end of this month," an agency spokesperson told Nexstar. After this month, there could be "occasional cases" where payments are reissued – for example, if someone reports a debi...

Oakland firefighters battling residential structure blaze in hoover-foster neighborhood

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

(BCN) -- Oakland firefighters are battling a residential structure fire in the city's Hoover-Foster neighborhood Tuesday morning, according to city fire officials. Ex-Oakland police chief Armstrong says he is ‘vindicated,’ deserves job back The fire occurred at a two-story residential building in the area of San Pablo and Mead avenues, Oakland firefighters said on social media around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters said the fire caused a partial collapse in the rear of the building. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Polish soccer federation president to announce new coach on Wednesday after firing Santos

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza says he’s chosen the new national team coach and will reveal the name on Wednesday. Portuguese Fernando Santos was fired last week with Poland fourth in its five-team European Championship qualifying group. Local media and some federation officials have focused on Marek Papszun — whose team Rakow Czestochowa became Polish champions for the first time last season — and Poland under-21 coach Michal Probierz as candidates for the job. Both are Polish. Former Poland forward Jan Urban has also been mentioned. Speaking to the meczyki.pl news portal, Kulesza only said that he has made his choice. Some more talks are being held on Tuesday, according to media reports. Santos, who led his native Portugal to the Euro 2016 title, was fired after almost nine months in the job. Poland is behind leader Albania, Czech Republic and Moldova in its qualifying group after losing three of its five games so far, despite three g...

For filmmakers, ‘Oppenheimer’s’ $900M-plus haul is an important moment for Hollywood and theaters

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

Hopes were always high for Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” The studio knew the film was great, and commercial. But no one in the industry expected that a long, talky, R-rated drama released at the height of the summer movie season would earn over $900 million at the box office.After an early screening, “ Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve said he knew he’d just seen “a masterpiece.” He even remembered saying that it would be a big success.“But where it is right now has blown the roof off of my projection,” Villeneuve told The Associated Press. “It’s a three-hour movie about people talking about nuclear physics.”As of Monday, “Oppenheimer’s” global total was nearly $913 million, making it Nolan’s third highest grossing film, trailing only the “Dark Knight” sequels. It’s also the third biggest film of the year behind “Barbie” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and the most successful biopic ever, surpassing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s a staggering sum that has been driven by audie...

US tries to win back Solheim Cup from Europe in Spain. Next week is the Ryder Cup in Italy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

LPGA AND LADIES EUROPEAN TOURSOLHEIM CUPSite: Casares, Spain.Course: Finca Cortesin. Yardage: 6,903. Par: 72.Television: Friday-Saturday, 2 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 5-11 a.m. (Golf Channel).Defending champion: Europe.Series: United States leads, 10-7.Captains: Stacy Lewis (U.S.) and Suzann Pettersen (Europe).Notes: Europe didn’t lose a match in the opening session two years ago and held on to win at Inverness before a one-sided gallery because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. … Pettersen holed the winning hope for Europe when it won at Gleneagles in 2019. … Europe is going after its third straight victory. It has never won the Solheim Cup more than twice in a row. … The Americans have five Solheim Cup rookies on their team. Two of them, Lilia Vu and Allisen Corpuz, have won three of the five majors this year. … Another rookie is Rose Zhang, who didn’t turn pro until June. She earned a spot through the world ranking. … Lexi Thom...

Health care advocacy group wants prescription drug cost reduction efforts expanded to all Marylanders

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:59 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.An influential health care advocacy coalition announced Monday that it will focus next year on an effort to expand a nascent state agency’s authority to lower prescription drug prices.Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition, said during an afternoon webinar that expanding the authority of the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board will be the group’s primary legislative effort in the 2024 General Assembly session, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 10.The board’s current authority only covers prescription drugs under state and local government health care plans; health advocates have long hoped that any medication costs successfully lowered under that purview would naturally expand to private insurers.Expanding the board’s authority to implement broader cost c...