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Blow: Trump, McCarthy and the ripples of Republican chaos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

This week, Donald Trump delivered his version of a sad tiny desk performance, hunched over the defendant’s table in a New York courtroom, diminished and watching the illusion of power and grandeur he has sold voters thin and run like oil in a hot pan.He insisted on appearing in person at his civil fraud trial, apparently believing that he would continue to perform his perverse magic of converting that which would have ended other political careers into a political win for himself.His hubris seemed to consume him, convincing him that in matters of optics, he’s not only invincible but unmatched.He has done it before: In August, he scowled in his mug shot — a precursor to his Fulton County, Ga., criminal trial — summoning the allure of an outlaw, using the photo to raise millions of dollars, according to his campaign.But I think his attempts at cosplaying some sort of roguish flintiness will wind up being missteps. Courtrooms don’t allow for political-rally stagecraft. Ther...

One-fifth of Silicon Valley offices are available as empty spaces balloon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

SAN JOSE — One-fifth of Silicon Valley’s office buildings are empty, the highest such level since the last recession, one of the grim side-effects of the tech industry’s push to sublease space, according to a new report.During the July-through-September third quarter of 2023, 19.8% of the office space in Silicon Valley was available to be leased or subleased, estimated Colliers, a commercial real estate firm.That 19.8% availability rate — a broad measure of empty offices — was the highest that Colliers has ever recorded for Silicon Valley, according to Derek Daniels, regional research director with Colliers. Available space consists primarily of offices being offered directly by property owners and sublease space being hawked by tenants.The Silicon Valley vacancy was 12.8% in the third quarter, in a measure of office space the property owners are offering through direct leases. Another 7% of the region’s office space was being made available throu...

Review: ‘Royal Hotel’ is a sort-of horror flick, but good

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

By Mark Kennedy | Associated Press“The Royal Hotel” is a horror movie but don’t expect any jump-cuts, scary masks or serial killers. It’s more like the horror that dawns on a frog when it realizes it is being boiled alive.Filmmaker Kitty Green tells a captivating tale of two young American female backpackers who find themselves tending bar for a few weeks in a very remote part of Australia.The bar is a dump ironically called “The Royal Hotel” and the clientele are rough, hard-drinking miners unfamiliar with the etiquette of Miss Manners or even just respectful interaction.Our two heroines — Julia Garner from “Ozark” and Jessica Henwick from “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — really should not be in this situation. They are the recipients of dirty jokes, drunken behavior, offensive nicknames and constant propositions. One client pays for his beer by passive-aggressively tossing coins at them.“Wouldn’t hurt you...

Elias: California housing policy based on state’s bad forecasting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

Two things you can count on with ballyhooed state forecasts on issues such as California’s housing and population are that they’ll be incompetent and inconsistent. Usually, they’ll also be outdated even before they’re issued.Related ArticlesLocal News | Elias: California housing costs worse for homeowners than renters Local News | Elias: Newsom-DeSantis debate may mean more in 2028 than 2024 Local News | Elias: California bill’s OK may let thieves ransack any store they please For years, this state has plagued its cities and counties with inaccurate, vastly varying predictions of housing need. In 2018, the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) predicted California would need to build 3.5 million new housing units by 2025.Four years of unpredicted population loss followed. The HCD never listed this as a reason, but by 2021, it was saying the need had dropped to 1.8 million living spaces. This year, de...

Firefighters contain 3-acre vegetation fire in Fairfax

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

(BCN) -- Marin County firefighters are investigating a vegetation fire that occurred in Fairfax on Thursday night.The blaze was first reported around 9:50 p.m. Thursday off Bolinas-Fairfax Road, the Marin County Fire Department said on social media.Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading further approximately 45 minutes after the initial alarm, containing it to 3 acres. No structures were threatened, the fire department said.(Photo: PG&E via Marin County Fire Department)The cause of the fire is under investigation. Crews will remain on scene overnight, fire officials said.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

No.2 Swiatek edges out Garcia at China Open, will face Gauff in semifinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Second-seeded Iga Swiatek advanced to the semifinals of the China Open by defeating No.9 Caroline Garcia 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 6-1 in a tense match on Friday. Garcia took the first set but Swiatek struck back early in the second, taking a 4-1 lead before Garcia rallied to lead 6-5. With Swiatek serving to stay in the match, Garcia came within two points of closing out a straight-sets win. However, Swiatek delivered two big points, pushing the match into a second tiebreak, which she ultimately won.Swiatek then powered through the decider to advance to her 11th semifinal of the season. “For sure it was really intense,” Swiatek said. “We played really fast. There was no time sometimes to think or analyze. I’m happy I used my intuition a lot. In both of the first sets, every ball counted. I’m happy that in the third I could just go for it.” Third-seeded Coco Gauff extended her winning streak to 16 matches, beating No.6 Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-4 and setting up a blockbuster semif...

Same name game: QB Josh Allen vs. linebacker Josh Allen when Bills face Jaguars in London

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Jacksonville’s Josh Allen pointed to the name on the back of his jersey while celebrating his interception of Buffalo’s Josh Allen in 2021.Allen also had a sack and a fumble recovery in the Jags’ 9-6 upset of the Bills.“That was a great game, it meant a lot to me,” he said this week. “This year is even bigger than that.”It’s Josh Allen vs. Josh Allen Part II on Sunday when the Bills “host” the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Both players are flying high at the moment. Buffalo’s Allen threw four touchdowns and ran for another in a 48-20 rout of the Miami Dolphins. Jacksonville’s Allen had three sacks in a 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.They’re linked not just because of their names, either. Both were selected by their respective teams at No. 7 overall — Allen the QB in the 2018 NFL draft and Allen the linebacker one year later.Allen’s sack of his namesake two seasons ago was the first time a player sacked...

Stock market today: US futures tick higher in subdued trading ahead of US jobs report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

Wall Street ticked modestly higher before Friday’s opening bell in cautious trading before the U.S. releases the latest data on the U.S. jobs market. Futures for the Dow and S&P 500 rose about 0.1%.A comprehensive report on U.S. employment is due Friday, with economists expecting that hiring slowed to 163,000 jobs in September, down from 187,000 in August. Strong reports on job openings and unemployment benefits applications this week point to a jobs market that remains heated, complicating the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight.Job openings jumped unexpectedly to 9.6 million in August, while layoffs remained at historically low levels. Job openings tend to rise in an environment where workers can quit their current jobs because there are better offers out there. That suggests companies are paying more to lure workers, which is great for people looking for a better job, but also points to an economy at risk of another uptick in inflation. That’s why the Fed has raised...

1 shot in Montbello neighborhood, suspect wanted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police in Denver are looking for a suspect involved in a shooting in the Montbello neighborhood.Just after 3 a.m. Friday, the Denver Police Department tweeted about a shooting investigation in the 4300 block of Elkhart Street. The neighborhood is south of Montbello Central Park. Student stabbed at Denver school When police arrived in the neighborhood, they found one victim, an adult male. However, the man's extent of injuries was unknown at the time.Officers were working to develop suspect information. Anyone who witnessed the crime or has information is asked to contact the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward.

Police investigate fatal multi-vehicle collision on I-95 near Oakland Park Blvd.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

A tragic multi-vehicle collision on Southbound Interstate 95 has claimed a life, leaving authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.The accident occurred just after the Oakland Park Boulevard, 31B exit, and left investigators and cleanup crews on the scene for hours.The crash led to the temporary closure of the I-95 northbound ramp at Oakland Park Boulevard, causing traffic disruptions in the area. Police have confirmed that the incident involved a fatal hit-and-run, but limited details have been released at this time.Early Friday morning, footage from the scene captured the aftermath as a gray car and a gray SUV, both with heavy damage, were loaded onto tow trucks for removal. The heavy police presence indicated the seriousness of the incident as authorities launched their investigation.As of now, there is no information available regarding the number of individuals involved or the circumstances surrounding this tragic hit-and-run. Authorities have been c...