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Mayors from populous Colorado cities weigh in on housing crisis

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

DENVER (KDVR)- The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce held its annual State of the City event Thursday.Denver's new mayor was not the only one in attendance. Mayors of Boulder Aurora and Colorado Springs' new mayor were also on hand to talk about the most major issues facing their cities. Data: Denver has one of the worst housing shortages in US There has been a lot of talk surrounding homelessness and housing in Denver lately.At the panel discussion, all four mayors agreed: it is a major issue facing the state."My script says let's shift our focus but we are going to just continue our focus on housing, which all of Colorado is struggling with, clearly," said former Thornton Mayor Heidi Williams while moderating the discussion.The struggle for affordable housing options for Colorado was center stage."We have consistently shown up in the top 10 of the most desirable, best cities to live in the United States over the last five years. Now that's changing because of the same challenges ...

Ian Happ accidentally hit Willson Contreras in the head on a swing, setting off fireworks in the Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals game

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

Almost exactly one year ago, Ian Happ and Willson Contreras waited out their Cubs futures at Busch Stadium on trade deadline day, the potential end to their time in Chicago and as teammates.They crossed paths again Thursday in St. Louis as opponents caught within the fluky moments of the sport that quickly spiraled out of control for the Cardinals. Happ hit Contreras in the head on his backswing during the first inning of the Cubs’ 10-3 win that moved them to .500. The knock cut and bloodied Contreras’ scalp, forcing him out of the game. Happ hugged Contreras, who pressed a towel to his head and was helped back to the dugout.When Happ stepped back into the batter’s box to resume his at-bat against Miles Mikolas, the right-hander threw a fastball up and in to Happ, who dodged the pitch. Mikolas didn’t miss with the next one, hitting Happ on his right glute. It prompted the umpire crew to gather to discuss the situation and deemed Mikolas intentionally drilled ...

Air conditioning repair services in high demand during summer heat

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With the heat we’ve been having in San Diego, most Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) companies are experiencing high call volumes for repairs or replacements. When temperatures reached the 90s, Richard Domondon and his family in Rancho Peñasquitos were in desperate need of relief from the heat. "It’s been really horrible especially because I have little kids," Domondon said. He got an unpleasant surprise when he turned on the air conditioner and discovered it was blowing warm air. Trying to fix it was another issue. "I called probably three different contractors, and they were booked two weeks to a month out," Domondon said. On Thursday afternoon, Steve Willmore, general manager and lead technician at Progressive Heating and Air, answered the call. Willmore says with all the heat we’re experiencing in San Diego, air conditioning repair services are in high demand. New affordable housing opens in North County "In the last few weeks, all of our techs ar...

6 killed in Damascus suburb bombing near Shiite Muslim shrine ahead of the holy day of Ashoura

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A motorcycle planted with explosives detonated in a Damascus suburb near a Shiite Muslim shrine Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens a day before the solemn holy day of Ashoura, state media reported, citing the interior ministry. Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabash said in a statement that 26 people wounded in the blast in the Sayida Zeinab neighborhood were being treated at several hospitals. Twenty others were treated on site or discharged, he said.Authorities had initially said the bomb was hidden in a taxi, but later reported that the explosives were on a motorcycle that exploded next to the cab.The Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that a woman was among those who died and that her three children were wounded. The Observatory said the explosion occurred close to positions of Iranian militias, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad alongside Russia in Syria’s civil conflict now in its ...

Young Chinese opt out of the rat race and pressures at home to pursue global nomad lifestyle

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shortly after China opened its borders with the end of zero-COVID, Zhang Chuannan lost her job as an accountant at a cosmetic firm in Shanghai and decided to explore the world.“The cosmetics business was bleak,” said Zhang, 34, who explained everyone wore face masks during the pandemic. After being laid off, she paid $1,400 for an online Thai course, got an education visa and moved to the scenic northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.Zhang is among a growing number of young Chinese moving overseas to escape the country’s ultra-competitive work culture, family pressures and limited opportunities after living in the country under the strict pandemic policies for three years. Southeast Asia has become a popular destination given its proximity, relatively inexpensive cost of living and tropical scenery.There is no exact data on the number of young Chinese moving overseas since the country ended pandemic restrictions and reopened its borders. But on the popular Chinese social me...

Hawaii doesn’t want firearms on its beaches. The state’s latest gun control law goes before a judge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — A judge is scheduled to consider Friday whether Hawaii can continue enforcing a new law banning firearms on its world-famous beaches, a measure that state leaders say makes them safer. The state’s latest gun control measure landed in court because of a lawsuit by three Maui residents who want to carry guns on beaches and other places deemed sensitive by the law, which took effect this month and involves a misdemeanor offense. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, Jason and Alison Wolford and Atom Kasprzycki, say they especially want to protect themselves at isolated beaches where they might be fishing or going for a walk rather than sunbathing or swimming. If U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi grants the temporary restraining order they seek, the law would be blocked on an emergency basis as the lawsuit plays out.In a court filing, the state said the law is crucial not only for public safety but for the economy. Hawaii’s beaches “are the most popular recreational...

Michigan school staffer recalls shooting with ‘disbelief’ as judge considers sentence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A woman who was wounded in a Michigan school shooting in 2021 said she blocked her office door with a bulky cabinet and sent a text message to her husband amid the chaos.“I said, ‘I love you. Active shooter.’ He said, ‘Just get safe,'” Molly Darnell told a judge. “I didn’t respond to that. … I was still in disbelief that I had been shot, but I knew I was bleeding.”Darnell, who helped teachers craft lesson plans at Oxford High School, testified Thursday at a key hearing that will determine whether Ethan Crumbley will be sentenced to life in prison or a shorter term with an opportunity for parole.The hearing will resume Friday in Oakland County court.Crumbley, 17, pleaded guilty to murder, terrorism and other crimes. But a life sentence for minors isn’t automatic after a series of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and Michigan’s top court.Crumbley is “not one of those rare individuals who is irreparably corrupt and can’t be rehabilitated,” def...

The Mega Millions jackpot is now $910 million after months without a big winner

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

Lottery players will have another shot at a huge Mega Millions jackpot Friday night and a chance to break a stretch of more than three months without a big winner of the game.The estimated $910 million prize has been building since someone last matched all six numbers and won the jackpot April 18. Since then, there have been 28 straight drawings without a jackpot winner.The jackpot is now the eighth-largest ever in the U.S. It comes a little over a week after someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. It’s still a mystery who won that prize.Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.The $910 million prize would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Friday night’s drawing wou...

Who’s in charge of Nashville’s airport? US and Tennessee officials disagree under a new state law

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — While Nashville International Airport hums to the tune of live music in a terminal filled with tourists and locals alike, this trendy gateway to Tennessee has quietly confronted an identity crisis.Under a new state law, there is no clear agreement now about who’s in charge of airport operations. The confusion comes at a time when the airport is booming, its annual passengers having more than doubled over the past decade to 21.8 million by the 2023 fiscal year.The nonprofit Metro Nashville Airport Authority and state officials argue that a new group of state appointees has lawfully taken over the authority’s board. But federal officials and the city contend the old board picked by Nashville’s mayor still has power.Both boards met at the same time last week across town from each other.The dispute heads to a hearing Friday in a state court in Nashville. Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers approved plans for the state to make enough appointm...

Hollywood actors' strike goes to state capital, Newsom offers to broker negotiations

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:10:36 GMT

Union members took the picket lines to the state capital this week as the actors' strike enters its third week with no deal in sight.“We're responsible for the biggest box office movies in the last 20 years but we're not getting our fair share,” said Pete Antica, Chair of Stunt Safety at SAG-AFTRA.Stunt performers joined writers and actors on the picket lines on Thursday, also seeking higher residuals and royalty payments from studios for rerun shows.“Stunt coordinators currently do not get residuals in that particular deal so they can work three different contracts breaking them down in advance, 15 hours a day and they're so busy that all the performers make more money than them,” Antica said.In Sacramento, about 100 SAG-AFTRA members picketed outside the front steps of the California State Capitol.In Sacramento, SAG-AFTRA members picketed outside the front steps of the California State Capitol. (KTLA)Stunt performers joined writers and actors on the picket lines on July 27, 2023, ...