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Missouri House committee hold hearings on St. Louis, K.C. earnings tax

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

ST. LOUIS – That 1% earnings tax the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City both have has provided more than $500 million to both cities last year.“The people that live in the city, we know how critical this tax is, and we just don’t have a city without it,” State Representative Steve Butz (District 81) said. “It’s just that simple.”The Missouri House Committee heard from Paul Payne, budget director for the city of St. Louis, at St. Louis Community College on Monday. What was not discussed was litigation with city workers who are fighting tax collection during the pandemic.St. Louis University professor Ness Sandoval testified to the committee that not enough people are being born in St. Louis compared to the Baby Boomer generation, which will be passing away over the next 20 years.The group heard about white singles and dual-income earners moving into the city and Black families moving out. Second Missouri teacher suspended for OnlyFans account “This thing started out as earnings ta...

Back-to-back losses show Avalanche has work to do when desperate foes are dialed in

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

PITTSBURGH — The day before they played the then-undefeated Avalanche, multiple veteran players on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster offered a warning: If their scuffling club didn’t play better and pay attention to important details, the visiting team was going to punish them.Two days later, Buffalo coach Don Granato offered a very similar message before his Sabres played host to the Avalanche. Both teams put forth arguably the best performances of their young seasons, and the Avs went home on a two-game losing streak.The Avalanche has plenty of experience “getting their best shot” from opponents. Colorado just spent last season as the reigning Stanley Cup champion. Just seeing the champs on the schedule can give any team an extra boost.But after back-to-back performances in which the Avs suddenly looked vulnerable after a dominant 6-0 start, does this edition still need to figure some things out when the opponent shows up locked in?“Oh yeah, no question,...

CU Buffs men’s basketball lineup takes shape with season opener a week away

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

When fully recovered from offseason back surgery, TCU transfer Eddie Lampkin Jr. likely will have a spot in the starting lineup for the Colorado men’s basketball team. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)The preparation portion is over for the Colorado men’s basketball team. Now, it’s officially game week.The Buffaloes turned the page on the preseason with their 69-45 win against Metro State in an exhibition game on Saturday night. CU returned to practice on Monday, which marked the one-week countdown to the season opener at home against Towson on Nov. 6 (5:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network).Slotted just outside the preseason Associated Press top 25, the hype that has been building slowly through preseason practice for the men’s basketball team behind the scenes of the football team’s autumn spotlight finally will take the stage next week. Entering his 14th season leading the program, head coach Tad Boyle has repeatedly lauded his team’s competitiveness throughout the preseason, while the tho...

Wildfire explodes in Riverside County, prompting evacuation orders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Fire crews are battling a fast-moving wildfire fueled by Santa Ana winds in Riverside County that is threatening homes and has prompted evacuation orders and warnings.  The Highlands Fire, which began at Highlands and Aguanga roads in the small town of Aguanga, was first reported at around 12:30 p.m. and was estimated to be around 30 acres.By 4:30 p.m., officials said the blaze had spread to 325 acres and was threatening homes, prompting evacuation orders for the following areas:  South of Sage and Golden Eagle Drive East of Becker Lane West of Boulder Vista North of Cottonwood Creek Crews battle the wind-driven Highland Fire in Riverside County. Oct. 30, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Crews battle the wind-driven Highland Fire in Riverside County. Oct. 30, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Crews battle the wind-driven Highland Fire in Riverside County. Oct. 30, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Crews battle the wind-driven Highland Fire in Riverside County. Oct. 30, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Crews battle...

House Republicans attempt to block funding for California High-Speed Rail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives is attempting to prevent President Joe Biden from awarding federal grant funding to the California High-Speed Rail Authority.Legislation presented by GOP lawmakers would dramatically cut spending on passenger train programs, including more than a 60% cut to Amtrak, and a direct block of any federal funding to be awarded to California's high-speed rail projects.The California High-Speed Rail Authority is currently awaiting word on a federal grant that would award it around $2.8 billion which it says would allow it to complete the initial operating segment between Merced to Bakersfield, allow for the purchase of six electric trainsets and construct the rail station in Fresno. CAHSR is also seeking a multi-year funding agreement that would result in around $8 billion in grant funds to be allocated for the state's most ambitious public transportation infrastructure project in history. California High-Speed Rail proposes modification to ...

Photos: Grateful Dead’s Bobby Weir and Wolf Bros rock out with Stanford Symphony Orchestra

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Grateful Dead legend Bobby Weir was joined onstage by an enormous number of people for a two-set show that drew a full house to one of the most beautiful concert settings in all of California.The 76-year-old San Francisco native, who was raised in Atherton and has long called Marin County home, has probably never played a venue in the Bay Area quite like the one on Sunday night at the Frost Amphitheater on the Stanford University campus.Weir was accompanied by his regular Wolf Bros band — with the supersized lineup of Don Was on double bass, Jay Lane on drums, Jeff Chimenti on keyboard and Barry Sless on pedal steel guitar. There was also the Wolfpack, the string and brass quintet of violinist Mads Tolling, cellist Alex Kelly, trumpeter Brian Switzer, trombonist Adam Theis and multi-instrumentalist Sheldon Brown.Surrounding Weir and his Wolf men on three sides was the mammoth Stanford Symphony Orchestra, the acclaimed collegiate orchestra featuring a membership of 115 undergraduate ...

Biden’s new executive order on AI expected to boost Silicon Valley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

A lengthy executive order on artificial intelligence signed Monday by President Joe Biden is expected to give a big boost to AI development in Silicon Valley.Bay Area experts say the guidelines and government oversight promised in the order, a whopping 20,000-word document, will lend confidence to significant numbers of potential business customers who have not yet embraced the technology, which Silicon Valley companies have been furiously developing.Organizations of virtually every kind have been “kicking the tires” on the technology but are holding off on adoption over safety and security concerns, and revenue from the sale of AI technology has been low, said Chon Tang, a venture capitalist and general partner at SkyDeck, UC Berkeley’s startup accelerator. Confidence instilled by the president’s order will likely change that, Tang said.“You’re really going to see hospitals and banks and insurance companies and corporates of every kind saying, ‘O...

Samurai sword beheading trial begins in San Mateo County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

(KRON) -- The murder trial of Jose “Rafa” Solano Landaeta began in a San Mateo County courtroom on Monday afternoon. The 34-year-old Hayward man is accused of beheading his ex-girlfriend, Karina Castro, with a samurai sword outside her San Carlos home on September 8, 2022.Judge Lisa Novak will preside over the high-profile trial. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, and prosecutors said it will take at least three days to go through the jury pool. Opening arguments are slated to be delivered on November 6. Landaeta has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He was remained behind bars ever since the grisly attack. Castro had a restraining order against Landaeta at the time of her death. Karina Castro (Images via Facebook) Castro was a 27-year-old mother of two daughters. Landaeta is the father of Castro's youngest daughter. The daughters were inside their mother's apartment when Landaeta confronted Castro outside on Laurel Street, investigators said. There w...

Cleveland Guardians interview Brewers manager Craig Counsell for open job, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Craig Counsell’s place in Cleveland baseball history is as World Series villain.He could become something more appealing.Counsell, who has led the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs five times in the past six seasons, met Monday with the Guardians about their managerial opening, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press.The 53-year-old Counsell spent most of the day at Progressive Field for his interview with the Guardians, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not making its search public.Counsell’s contract with Milwaukee is set to expire this week, but the Brewers are allowing him to look elsewhere while also hoping they can re-sign the coveted manager. The New York Mets are also reportedly interested in Counsell and have far more money to offer him than either the small-market Brewers or Guardians.Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio has said on multiple occasions the team wants Counsell back ...

‘Recipe for tragedy’: DC mayor responds to killing of teen during attempted carjacking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Police in D.C. are looking for another person tied to the carjacking that resulted in the shooting death of a 13-year-old in Penn Quarter on Saturday night.“Guns, carjackings, 13-year-olds: recipe for tragedy, and that’s what we have,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a news conference Monday.D.C. police released a photo of the other suspect Monday night and the department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone with information that leads to an arrest and conviction.D.C. police detectives are searching for a second suspect involved in an attempted carjacking who was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in the photo above. (Courtesy Metropolitan Police Department)Officers responded to the 600 block of D Street Northwest around 10 p.m. Saturday night for a reported shooting. Vernard Toney Jr., of Southeast, D.C., was found shot and was taken to the hospital, where he died.Police said an off-duty federal security officer was sitting in his ca...