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California to establish oil company watchdog in scaled-back win for Newsom

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

California Governor Gavin Newsom's ongoing battle with oil companies picked up a win Monday after legislative leaders struck a deal on a proposal to establish a year-round watchdog that will monitor oil company profits.The proposal was authored by California State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) at the behest of the governor, who has publicly decried the soaring price of gasoline in California, for which he has accused big oil companies of price gouging consumers.The proposal outlines the creation of a new independent watchdog group within the California Energy Commission that will be tasked with monitoring California's petroleum market on a daily basis. It would have access to new information that oil refiners would be legally required to report, as well as subpoena power to obtain other data. The hope, the governor says, is that the new watchdog group would make sure oil companies "play by the rules," or face civil penalties or prosecution by the state's Attorney General. New...

New luxury airline to begin Taipei to LAX flights

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

A Taiwan-based luxury airline will begin offering flights from Taipei to LAX starting in April.STARLUX Airlines will offer the transpacific flights five days a week when the service launches, with plans to expand to daily flights in June. The inaugural flight will take place on April 26. Passengers will fly aboard the luxury airline's new-generation Airbus A350s which will be configured into a "premium four-class layout." There will be four seats in First Class, 26 in Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy, and 240 in Economy.Travelers in First and Business classes will have private spaces with a sliding door and seats with "full-flat and Zero G mode for full relaxation," the airline said. Premium Economy will feature extra legroom and luxury seats with a leg rest and footrest bar. Even the Economy Class seats will offer luxury amenities, the airline said, with leather headrests and a wide seat pitch (the space between your seat and the seat in front of you).All seats will have ...

Planned LAUSD strike would close schools: Here are child-care options for parents

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District families are bracing for school closures as district employees plan to go on a three-day strike starting Tuesday. The strike is expected to last from March 21 –23. LAUSD preparing for school closures amid imminent strike, but remain open to negotiations While many parents worry that the potential school closures will leave them without reliable childcare during the workweek, the school district and Los Angeles County have announced multiple resource efforts to help parents throughout the school closures. Los Angeles public school unions to strike for 3 days next week; schools to close LAUSD ResourcesWebinars: LAUSD parents can join a Zoom webinar at 5:30 p.m. on Monday to learn more about the resources available to them. The zoom ID is 867 1125 7296 and no passcode is required.Student Supervision: Free student supervision will be provided at select elementary, middle and high schools from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the three-da...

Sharks’ Karlsson on Reimer’s decision, those Oilers trade rumors, Eklund’s situation, and his own future

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson might not have necessarily agreed with goalie James Reimer’s decision to not wear a Pride-themed warmup jersey before a game in San Jose over the weekend but reiterated that NHL players are free to make their own choices regarding such topics.Karlsson and all other Sharks players who participated in pregame warmups Saturday on Pride Night at SAP Center donned jerseys that were meant to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community.Reimer, citing his religious beliefs, did not want to wear the jersey and stayed off the ice for warmups. He backed up Kaapo Kahkonen in the Sharks’ 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders.Reimer is starting Monday as the Sharks, looking to snap a six-game losing streak, play the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.Asked Monday in Edmonton how the Sharks handled the situation in their room, Karlsson said, “We live in a free world, everybody has their own decisions to make. I made mine, I’m happy about that. I think that everybo...

Idaho poised to allow firing-squad executions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

By Rebecca Boone | Associated PressBOISE, Idaho — Idaho is poised to allow firing squads to execute condemned inmates when the state can’t get lethal-injection drugs, under a bill the Legislature passed Monday with a veto-proof majority.Firing squads will be used only if the state cannot obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections — and one death row inmate has already had his scheduled execution postponed multiple times because of drug scarcity.Idaho previously had a firing squad option on the books but has never used it. The option was removed from state law in 2009 after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a method of lethal injection that was commonly used at the time.Only Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina currently have laws allowing firing squads if other execution methods are unavailable, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. A judge has put South Carolina’s law on hold until a lawsuit challenging the method is resolved.Gov. Brad Little, a Re...

St. Francis, Brooklyn, to drop NCAA D-I athletics program

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — St. Francis College, one of the smallest NCAA Division I schools, announced Monday that its board of trustees has approved a plan to eliminate its athletic program at the end of the spring semester.St. Francis sponsors 21 NCAA teams, including men’s and women’s basketball, and has been a member of the Northeast Conference for more than four decades. The move comes as part of larger restructuring of the private Catholic school located in Brooklyn. Enrollment at the school is about 2,300 undergraduate students.“There are challenges facing higher education institutions, particularly smaller liberal arts colleges in the Northeast, from which SFC is not immune,” the school said in a new release. “Among these challenges are increased operating expenses, flattening revenue streams, and plateauing enrollment due in part to a shrinking pool of high school graduates in the aftermath of the pandemic.”The Northeast Conference conference is also home Fairleigh Dickinson, the smal...

Alexandria parents indicted over 2022 death of baby from fentanyl overdose

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

Two Alexandria, Virginia, parents have been indicted over the 2022 death of their child from a fentanyl overdose.Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced Tuesday that a grand jury had indicted 19-year-old Juan Oliva-Ruiz and 23-year-old Shantica Tillery on involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty charges, after their 11-month-old allegedly ingested a fentanyl pill found on the floor of their Alexandria home in June 2022.Police were called when Tillery noticed her baby had stopped breathing. The child was declared dead at a hospital.More Alexandria News More Crime NewsOliva-Ruiz and Tillery face three felony counts each of involuntary manslaughter, child cruelty, and child abuse and neglect. According to prosecutors, the abuse and neglect charges stem from a second child who was removed from the home later on.“We know that fentanyl overdoses are on the minds of our community members, and our office is working closely with law enforcement to prevent future tragedi...

How major US stock indexes fared Monday 3/20/2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

Wall Street closed higher after regulators pushed together two huge banks over the weekend and made other moves to build confidence in the struggling industry. The S&P 500 rose 0.9% Monday. The Dow and the Nasdaq also rose. Financial stocks were among the many to rise. Much attention has been on banks because they may be cracking under the fastest series of interest rate hikes in decades. Regulators announced a deal on Sunday where Swiss banking giant UBS would buy rival Credit Suisse. Treasury yields also climbed ahead of a looming decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.On Monday:The S&P 500 rose 34.93 points, or 0.9%, to 3,951.57.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 382.60 points, or 1.2%, to 32,244.58.The Nasdaq composite rose 45.02 points, or 0.4%, to 11,675.54.The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 19.10 points, or 1.1%, to 1,744.99.For the year:The S&P 500 is up 112.07 points, or 2.9%.The Dow is down 902.67 points, or 2.7%.The Nas...

Stocks rise on Wall Street after bank deal, regulator moves

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose on Wall Street Monday after regulators pushed together two huge banks over the weekend and made other moves to build confidence in the struggling industry. The S&P 500 climbed 34.93 points, or 0.9%, to 3,951.57. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 382.60, or 1.2%, to 32,244.58, and the Nasdaq composite added 45.02, or 0.4%, to 11,675.54.Much attention has been on banks because they may be cracking under the pressure of much higher interest rates. Swiss banking giant UBS said Sunday it would buy its troubled rival Credit Suisse for almost $3.25 billion in a deal quickly put together by regulators. Credit Suisse has been battling a unique set of problems for years, but they came to a head last week as its stock price tumbled to a record low. A group of central banks stretching from the United States to Japan also announced coordinated moves on Sunday meant to ease strains in the financial system. They should allow banks more access to U.S. dollars i...

DeSantis to get 5th Supreme Court pick as Polston retires

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:13 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ already strong stamp on the Florida Supreme Court will be even greater for years to come after Justice Ricky Polston retires at the end of this month.DeSantis will have appointed five of the court’s seven justices when he replaces Polston, who sent DeSantis a three-sentence letter Monday announcing his resignation. He didn’t give a reason for his decision.Polston, 67, has been one of the court’s most conservative justices since being appointed by then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008. Crist has since become a Democrat, and was criticized by other Democrats while while running for governor last year for appointing Polston to the court.Having five appointees on the court will be a critical fact as DeSantis faces court challenges to a number of laws enacted by his administration, including new abortion restrictions and restrictions on how race and gender issues can be taught in schools.This year the Legislature is...