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San Diego cracks down further on illegal Jet Ski rental operators, a year after deadly crash
SAN DIEGO — San Diego is stepping up its crackdown on unlicensed rentals of boats and personal watercraft with higher fines, easier-to-enforce rules and new requirements that licensed rental companies agree to pay damages in injury crashes.
The moves come just over a year after a 12-year-old girl was killed paddle-boarding in Mission Bay by ...Read more
Illinois high court overturns convictions for Jussie Smollett in alleged hoax
CHICAGO — In a stunning move, the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the convictions for former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, finding that a special prosecutor’s decision to retry him violated his rights after the Cook County state’s attorney’s office previously dropped all charges against him.
The high court’s ...Read more
Piedmont power line plan: Environmental groups worry of 'unintended consequences'
BALTIMORE — Wednesday, some Maryland environmental groups formally entered the fray over the Piedmont power line proposal, issuing a letter that calls for the project to receive a stringent environmental review through a federal law.
Because of its breadth, the groups believe that the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project — which will ...Read more
A much-changed Middle East prepares for Trump 2.0
BEIRUT — During his first term as president, Donald Trump took a bold if controversial approach to the Middle East.
He moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, forged landmark deals between Israel and some Arab states and tore up the international nuclear deal with Iran.
He imposed his will using a transactional style of...Read more
California teachers are cursing Donald Trump in the classroom. Is it their right?
LOS ANGELES — Several Southern California teachers are facing disciplinary action after fervid anti-Trump outbursts made in the wake of the November election that rattled school communities and generated fierce debate over teachers' rights to share their political views.
A Moreno Valley teacher was placed on leave this month after a racially ...Read more
Fast fashion may seem cheap, but it’s taking a costly toll on the planet − and on millions of young customers
Fast fashion is everywhere – in just about every mall, in the feeds of influencers on social media promoting overconsumption, and in ads constantly popping up online.
Its focus on the continual production of new clothing is marked by speedy fashion cycles that give it its name. Fast fashion is intended to quickly copy high-end ...Read more
Doctor’s bills often come with sticker shock for patients − but health insurance could be reinvented to provide costs upfront
You have scheduled an appointment with a health care provider, but no matter how hard you try, no one seems to be able to reliably tell you how much that visit will cost you. Will you have to pay US$20, $1,000 – or even more?
Patients are increasingly on the hook for health care costs through deductibles, co-pays and other fees. As ...Read more
Red flag laws are still used in Colorado’s Second Amendment sanctuaries, just less frequently
Over a three-year period beginning in 2021, 353 petitions were filed under Colorado’s red flag law, and 39% of those petitions led to firearms being relinquished, according to research our group published in Preventive Medicine Reports.
Red flag laws are also known as extreme risk protection orders. These orders temporarily bar ...Read more
Americans agree more than they might think − not knowing this jeopardizes the nation’s shared values
The United States presents a paradox: Though the media and public opinion suggest it is a nation deeply divided along partisan lines, surveys reveal that Americans share significant common ground on many core values and political issues.
As a political philosopher, I am deeply concerned about the perceived contrast between the public�...Read more
Why you should get to know Thomas Aquinas, even 800 years after he lived
Some years ago, I was rushing past the treasures of the Louvre in Paris, on the way to the “Mona Lisa,” when a painting stopped me in my tracks.
Massive and unusually elongated, “The Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas” depicts the 13th-century saint throned in a golden sun, with Aristotle and Plato standing reverently on either ...Read more
Crypto is soaring after Trump’s election − but is it a good ethical investment?
An estimated 18 million Americans are invested in cryptocurrency, according to the Federal Reserve. And the United States just elected a pro-crypto president.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have become a trendy digital asset. Supporters claim that crypto subverts capitalism because it bypasses traditional bankers. Crypto can offer ...Read more
Former LA City Councilman Ridley-Thomas' ultimate campaign: To clear his name
LOS ANGELES — For more than three decades, Mark Ridley-Thomas never lost an election, tapping a well-organized network of supporters to secure victory after victory.
Now, the former Los Angeles City Council member and county supervisor is in a different sort of campaign with far greater stakes: a fight to clear his name and avoid prison.
The...Read more
ICC issues arrest warrant for Israeli leader on 'war crimes'
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes, adding to pressure on the country’s leadership over the conduct of its military campaign against Hamas.
The Hague-based court’s announcement on Thursday followed an application by the ICC’s chief prosecutor in ...Read more
Ukraine says Russia used an ICBM as war ratchets up further
Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to Ukraine’s Air Force command, in what would be a further major escalation of hostilities and an alarming signal to Kyiv’s Western backers.
The strike, if confirmed, would mark the first use of an ICBM in combat since the weapon was ...Read more
Graphic details revealed in Monterey sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth, Trump Cabinet pick
LOS ANGELES — A woman told Monterey police that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense secretary, took her phone, blocked her from leaving his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, according to a newly released police report.
On Wednesday evening, the Monterey Police Department released a 22-page report revealing ...Read more
Democrats push judicial nominations through GOP delays
WASHINGTON — While Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer pushes to confirm many of Joe Biden’s judicial nominees through the lame-duck session, Republicans have employed a series of procedural tactics to slow down the process as much as possible.
When Schumer attempted to file cloture on nominees Monday evening, a procedural step ...Read more
Modi's ties to Adani will face tougher scrutiny this time around
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will find it increasingly difficult to distance himself from the latest controversy erupting around Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest businessmen who’s widely seen as having close ties with the Indian leader.
Hours after U.S. prosecutors charged Adani with helping direct a massive bribery scheme, ...Read more
Nearly half of LA's record homelessness budget went unspent, city controller finds
LOS ANGELES — Nearly half of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' record $1.3-billion homelessness budget for fiscal 2023-24 went unspent, an analysis by the city controller found.
Controller Kenneth Mejia found that only $599 million had actually been spent. An additional $195 million was encumbered, leaving at least $513 million unspent.
Mejia ...Read more
Madagascar’s huge ocean algae bloom was caused by dust from drought-stricken southern Africa
Scientists have found new evidence that desertification, potentially linked to global warming, leads to large amounts of nutrient-rich dust landing in the sea, causing ocean algae to grow rapidly. Biological oceanographer John A. Gittings and an international group of researchers have found an example of this phenomenon in the Indian Ocean ...Read more
Maryland student transportation director says school buses are safe, after several accidents this year
BALTIMORE — During the first two months of the school year, there have been 13 traffic accidents involving Carroll County school buses, according to Transportation Services Director Michael Hardesty. No accident-related injuries were reported.
“With over 250 to 300 busses on the road every single day, doing 5.2 million miles annually, we ...Read more
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