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With Gov. Jared Polis’ signature, next phase of fight over property taxes takes shape

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

The future of Colorado’s property tax structure — and the way to pay for it — entered a new phase Wednesday with Gov. Jared Polis signing into law a set of bills that aim to blunt the sharpest tax increases associated with rising property values.Standing in the front yard of a Commerce City home, Polis and bill sponsors, all Democrats, touted the multi-pronged effort that would alter the formula used to establish how much-assessed value affects owed property taxes and, according to their projections, save owners hundreds of dollars in money they’d otherwise owe while also changing tax refunds the state’s tax collection cap.But as the governor sat down to give the bills his signature, he noted this was just him doing his part — the next step is voters doing theirs. The proposals laid out in SB23-303 only go into effect if voters approve the measure, Proposition HH, this November. If approved, it would allow property owners to deduct $50,000 from th...

Nuggets championship odds 2023: What sportsbooks think of Denver’s chances after advancing to the NBA Finals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

The Nuggets are the favorites to hoist their first-ever Larry O’Brien Trophy this season, if oddsmakers are to be believed.Denver has -200 odds — meaning a $200 bet would win $100 — to win the NBA Finals, according to BetMGM. The Heat are +375, followed by the Celtics at +450. Miami, which owns a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, is a -275 favorite to advance.Related ArticlesDenver Nuggets | The Nuggets’ decades-long NBA Finals drought is over. Next up: Breaking one of the league’s longest championship droughts. Denver Nuggets | Wanna go to the NBA Finals? It won’t be cheap. Denver Nuggets | Here’s where to get your Denver Nuggets Western Conference Championship gear Denver Nuggets | Nuggets Podcast: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the moments after the biggest win in franchise history Denver Nuggets | Roger Murray basks in Jamal Murray’s last-second st...

Marin education office sues social media companies over negative impact on kid’s mental health.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

The Marin County Office of Education is suing social media companies, claiming they have a negative effect on children’s mental health.The lawsuit, one of dozens filed across the country by school districts and local governments, has been brought on behalf of all Marin school students. It was filed April 28 in federal court in Oakland.The lawsuit is part of multidistrict litigation involving multiple cases. Many of the cases, including Marin’s, are being consolidated before U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.The suit alleges that the social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok and Google-owned YouTube have violated California laws for public nuisance, unfair competition, negligence and racketeering.“I believe holding entities accountable for the harm inflicted on youth — harm that is observable and impactful at schools — is necessary, primarily to limit and prevent future harm,” said John Carroll, Marin superintendent of schools.Marin County an...

Bay Area Jewish community receives mass shooting training from Israeli medics

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Lena Beyer stood at attention over a man wearing a bloodstained shirt as he played the victim of a mass shooting.“You’re not alone. Use the people around you,” she said to Jodie Silberman, who stood nearby.Silberman called out: “Does anyone else need help?” Others rose to assist her. The situation was safe.“These tools can make the scene of a mass casualty event easier to deal with. People realize, they can do it,” said Beyer, a paramedic from Israel.“It was really intense,” said Silberman, a board member of Congregation Rodef Shalom in San Rafael. “The second time I think I could do better. You really don’t know what to do in a crisis situation. I’ve never done anything like this before.”The scenes played out as first responders from Israel’s national emergency medical services organization trained members of Marin’s Jewish community Tuesday on how to react in situations of public violence. The event, called “First 7 Minutes” — for the amount of time it takes for first responders t...

Two killed in Highway 1 head-on collision in Monterey County

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

CASTROVILLE — A head-on crash snarling Highway 1 traffic for hours Tuesday afternoon left two people with major injuries and two others dead.According to the California Highway Patrol Monterey, a 69-year-old Santa Cruz resident was traveling northbound on Highway 1 approaching Molera Road when he veered into oncoming southbound traffic for an unknown reason. The driver, operating a GMC Sierra pickup, traveled directly into the path of a 2016 Mazda CX-5, a compact crossover SUV carrying four passengers, around 12:30 p.m. Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Woman dies of injuries suffered in five-vehicle crash in San Jose Crashes and Disasters | San Jose: Scooter driver who was ejected after hitting brush pile dies in hospital Crashes and Disasters | Third man killed in Highway 101 pileup in Sunnyvale identified Crashes and Disasters | Driver abandoned dying passenger after crash, CHP says Crashes and Disasters | ...

Day-use access expanding at Seacliff State Beach for Memorial Day weekend

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

APTOS — Public-serving facilities at Seacliff State Beach previously shuttered by heavy winter storms are continuing to reopen and just in time for the holidays.California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks on Wednesday announced that the park’s full suite of day-use amenities and access will be reopening Memorial Day weekend, starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.After months of recovery and repair efforts, visitors will be able to drive down and park in beach-level parking areas and enjoy the ramadas, picnic tables and barbecues, according to a State Parks release.“After this year’s devastating storms, we are so excited to welcome back families and friends as they enjoy barbeques, celebrations, gatherings and fun times at Seacliff State Beach,” said State Parks Santa Cruz District Superintendent Chris Spohrer in the release. “Seacliff is a special place not only for locals, but also for visitors who have been coming here for generations to enjoy cooler temperatures and make m...

Barabak: Lawmakers in states are handcuffing voters, ignoring election results

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Earlier this month, a group of Oregon lawmakers walked off the job, bringing the state Senate to a halt.The move came after Democrats in the House passed bills on abortion, gun safety and medical care for transgender people that Republicans, a minority in Oregon’s Legislature, strongly opposed.There is ample room for discussion on each of these issues. The process is not always pretty. Compromise is often frustrating, leaving no one fully satisfied; it can be particularly tough when your party is in the minority and you’re routinely outvoted.But that’s how our system works. Or, at least, how it’s supposed to. Elections, as they say, have consequences, along with winners and losers.Increasingly, however, state lawmakers are ignoring election returns and looking to override popular sentiment to impose their own will instead.In Oregon, you have 12 Republican senators and an independent acting like children who’ve taken their ball and gone home, stalling action on hundreds of bills and ...

Gov. Newsom signs bill establishing 20-year cardroom moratorium in California

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

California is pausing opening new cardrooms for the next two decades.On Monday, May 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 341, which establishes a moratorium on California issuing new cardroom licenses for the next 20 years. Smaller existing cardrooms will be allowed to add limited new tables in the meantime.The bill was introduced by Assemblymember James Ramos, D-San Bernardino.“I am happy to have brought the tribes and cardrooms together in a historic consensus that has resulted in the bipartisan AB 341 becoming law,” Ramos is quoted as saying in a news release issued Tuesday. “I deeply appreciate Gov. Newsom’s support for AB 341, which will help ensure the vitality of the gaming industry by allowing for measured cardroom growth without overexpansion over the next 20 years.”RELATED: In a gentrified Bay Area, the former ‘Rottenest City’ fights to preserve its historyThe bill effectively restarts a moratorium first established by the Gambling Control Act of 1997, wh...

California couple, known for YouTube videos, sentenced for causing crashes to collect insurance money

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

A Yucaipa couple was sentenced this week after an investigation revealed they intentionally caused collisions to collect insurance payouts and posted videos of crashes and road-rage incidents on YouTube, officials said on Wednesday.Christopher Phelps, 41, and his wife, Kimberly Phelps, 40, pleaded no contest to felony counts of insurance fraud, child abuse and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the California Department of Insurance. They were sentenced Monday in San Bernardino County Superior Court.The couple was arrested in March after an investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department led authorities to a YouTube channel connected to Christopher Phelps under the username “BLU3 GHO57.” The 41-year-old had previously been arrested in February after he posted a dashcam video that involved a suspicious collision where he appeared to stop for no reason and caused a truck pulling a trailer to rear-end his car, authorities said.In total, around 162 dashcam videos...

Stock market today: US futures mixed as worries persist over US debt; Germany slips into recession

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Trading on Wall Street was mixed early Thursday as markets watched for signs of progress on a deal to avert a default on U.S. government debt. Futures for the Dow were off 0.3% and the S&P 500 rose 0.6%.Nasdaq composite futures jumped 1.8% boosted by Nvidia, whose shares climbed about 28% in premarket after the chipmaker forecast a huge jump in revenue next quarter, mostly on chip demand for AI-related products and services. Nvidia said it expected sales of $11 billion in the current quarter, up from $6.7 billion in the second quarter a year ago.The U.S. government could run out of cash to pay its bills as soon as June 1 unless Congress allows it to borrow more. The widespread belief on Wall Street is that Congress will come to an agreement at the 11th hour, as it’s done several times before, because a default would benefit no one and could cause tremendous disruptions to the economy and financial markets.“As the early-June deadline ticks closer, only a concrete resolution may p...