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Taylor Swift urges voters to go to the polls in these states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

Singer Taylor Swift is once again using her influence to move the needle at the polls.In September on National Voter Registration Day, Swift asked her fans in an Instagram post to register to vote, breaking traffic records on the Vote.org site. More than 35,000 registered after seeing Swift’s message.On Election Day, the megastar on social media announced to Swifties “Voters gonna vote!” And she urges voters  in Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia “to use your voice.”Today, the nation will be watching high-profile races including one that will decide on abortion rights in Ohio, as well as contests in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia with ramifications on the 2024 presidential race.

Royal feud reignites with Harry’s ‘glum’ Katy Perry concert appearance, Charles birthday ‘snub’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

Even though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle haven’t done much lately to warrant serious press attention, the California-based couple made plenty of headlines this week and contributed to a reignited debate about their deepening row with the British royal family.It’s always hard to tell whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking for attention, or whether they just can’t help themselves and the fact that the global media and people online always want to talk about them. Whatever the case, the stories about them this week have been strange, loaded and even incendiary, and it’s hard to pin why the reports are cropping up now or if the couple have chosen to engage with some of the members of the media. The reports include a news story that they “snubbed” an invitation to King Charles’ 75th birthday party on Nov. 14.Over the past week, conspiracy theories have flourished online that Harry and Meghan let themselves be photographed trick-or-t...

‘Tenant from hell’ who also lived rent-free in Oakland moves out of LA Airbnb

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

Elizabeth Hirschhorn, the woman who had squatted rent-free at a Los Angeles Airbnb for 570 days, moved off the property on Friday.Hirschhorn, 55, began renting the guesthouse in September 2021 from a periodontist in Los Angeles’ Brentwood, the LA Times reported. Following her 6-month stay, she refused to leave, arguing that she wasn’t obligated to pay rent because the landlord, Sascha Jovanovic, hadn’t obtained an occupancy license for the unit. Labeled as the “tenant from hell” by Jovanovic’s lawyer, Hirschhorn had demanded $100,000 in relocation costs to move.“I’m very relieved and also a bit overwhelmed,” Jovanovic told the Daily Mail.Before moving into Jovanovic’s Airbnb, Hirschhorn was also caught up in a similar dispute with an Oakland landlord. In fall 2019, she sublet a room in a Rockridge home, then allegedly refused to leave or pay rent, citing COVID regulations and health concerns. Though the landlords filed to evict her in ...

California school board’s legal fees rose 377% since conservatives took control in 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

If there’s a clear winner in the ongoing culture war clashes involving Temecula’s school board, it’s probably the lawyers.Since a conservative majority took office in December, legal costs directly associated with the Temecula Valley Unified School District board have skyrocketed 377% — from roughly $17,000 in 2022 to more than $81,000 this year, according to information provided by the school district.Holding three of five board seats, the conservative bloc — Danny Gonzalez, Joseph Komrosky and Jen Wiersma — have pursued a number of divisive policies, including a ban on the teaching of critical race theory that’s the subject of a lawsuit against the district.The district’s legal representation has drastically changed since the majority took over. In January, the board voted 3-2 — with Barclay and Schwartz opposed — to hire special legal counsel to advise board members, with the majority citing a lack of trust in the district’s existing legal team.Temecula school board member Alliso...

Photos: World War II-era hangar in Orange County burns in massive fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

TUSTIN (AP) — Fire raged Tuesday in a massive World War II-era wooden hangar that was built to house military blimps based in Southern California.The Orange County Fire Authority said in a social media post that allowing the structure to collapse was the only way to fight the fire.“Due to the dynamic nature of the fire, and the imminent danger of collapse, we have determined the most operationally sound method is to allow the structure to collapse, at which point ground crews can move in closer, and aggressively work to extinguish the fire,” the agency said.Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said no injuries were reported.The historic hangar was one of two built in 1942 for the U.S. Navy in the city of Tustin, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles. At the time, the Navy used lighter-than-air ships for patrol and antisubmarine defense.Tustin blimp hangar in 1943. (Photo by Bruce C. Strong/Southern California News Group)A fire continues to burn at the north hangar at the former Marine Corps ...

WeWork bankruptcy might jolt several Bay Area office properties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

SAN JOSE — WeWork has launched a bankruptcy proceeding that could potentially jolt several office buildings in the Bay Area — especially if the co-working firm terminates leases as it seeks to reorganize its feeble finances.The coworking company, which offered swank and hip office spaces to tech companies, startups and individuals, stated in its bankruptcy filing that its debts totaled nearly $18.7 billion and assets of about $15.1 billion.Related ArticlesReal Estate | WeWork declares bankruptcy, signs deal with creditors Yet tucked away in the filings and pronouncements that arose from the bankruptcy is an ominous declaration poised to rock further an already wobbly office market in the Bay Area and other major metro regions nationwide.“WeWork is requesting the ability to reject the leases of certain locations, which are largely nonoperational, and all affected members have received advanced notice,” the company stated in a prepared release c...

COVID and flu in the Bay Area: What you need to know this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

As we enter November — the month that in the past three years has seen the start of a spike in COVID hospitalizations — the Centers for Disease Control is recording minimal or low levels of respiratory illness in most states but notes an increase in jurisdictions with moderate or high levels.Here’s what to know about protecting yourself:• Vaccinations for COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus: A guide to the current vaccine options, including whether you should get two (or three) at once. ••• Plus: Is it too late for a flu shot?• Masking requirements in the Bay Area: Santa Clara County and Marin County are requiring everybody to wear a mask in public areas of hospitals and other health-care facilities. Four other counties have requirements for employees only.• At-home COVID tests: You can get four more at-home test kits mailed to you free. ••• Plus: Can I use an expired test?• How to know if you’re contagious: A doctor’s advice on timelines and ...

Homer Simpson apparently won’t be choking Bart anymore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

By Lisa France | CNNTimes really have changed.Homer Simpson has, according to the animated character, stopped strangling his son Bart – bringing to an end a long-running (and outdated) gag on the show.It’s one of many set pieces on the beloved animated series. In this recurring interaction, Homer, the family patriarch, begins vigorously choking Bark after yelling, “Why you little …”A recent episode of the show went viral after the character of Homer shakes the hand of a new neighbor and is complimented on a strong handshake.“See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off,” Homer tells his wife, Marge.He then says, “Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”Related ArticlesEntertainment | Evan Ellingson dies at 35; child actor had roles in ‘CSI: Miami,’ ’24’ Entertainment | Disney to acquire remaining stake in Hulu for expected $8.6 billion Entertainment | What to watch: ‘The Holdovers’ could be ...

Brooks on Beer: How to pick the perfect beer to pair with your pizza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

Is there a better combination than pizza and beer? The answer is an unequivocal “no.”Here’s my scientific and sensory explanation for why these two are the perfect pairing. Pizza’s crust, cheese and sauce components each offer something special to connect to the fermentation, textures and flavors of beer, mingling to create magical mouthfuls that, as Mary Poppins would say, are practically perfect in every way.Both pizza and beer are products of fermentation and are both made with grains. Yeast makes the dough rise by eating up the wort — a mixture of water and malted grains, like barley or wheat — to create alcohol, carbonation and beer’s complex flavors.Pizza needs cheese — and cheese also pairs remarkably well with beer. While many argue that it’s wine and cheese that pair best together, many sommeliers I know will admit that the best a wine can do is not get in the way. Beer with cheese, however, is magical. The bitterness and crispness in beer easily cut...

Orinda home invasion suspect barricaded in neighborhood, police on the scene

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

ORINDA, Calif. (KRON) -- Police in Orinda are searching for a home invasion suspect who is barricaded in a neighborhood on Lloyd Lane off Moraga Way Tuesday morning. Units from the Orinda Police Department and Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department are on the scene.A drone has also been deployed overhead. Police are using an audio loop recording to warn the suspect to come out with nothing in their hands or they will be bitten by a canine. Witnesses at the scene say two other suspects were arrested. One of the suspects was reportedly taken away by stretcher after being bitten by a police canine. Series of violent robberies leaves Walnut Creek residents on edge Video from the scene showed Orinda police officers using a K-9 to search for the suspect.The activity has resulted in the temporary closure of Moraga Way, according to the City of Orinda. The activity is also causing transit delays, according to a tweet from the County Connection transit agency. The activity is...