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LAUSD employee strike looms as union claims negotiations have stalled

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

As the looming strike of Los Angeles Unified School District employees nears, negotiations continue, but whether a deal can be struck remains to be seen.The Service Employees International Union, which represents about 30,000 teachers’ aides, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff, said its members earn about $25,000 per year on average, and they want a 30% pay raise.United Teachers of Los Angeles, which represents about 34,000 LAUSD educators in the district, is siding with the staffers' union and plans to honor the picket line. Teachers are also hoping for a 20% raise over two years.LAUSD Superintendent Albert Carvalho told KTLA that the district is working to avert the strike, offering a 15% increase among other benefits in its latest proposal."We cannot be in a position of offering more than we can support, and then a year later, either impose furloughs, firings or reductions in programs," he said. "The district did that back in 2008. I will not do th...

Mike Gesicki’s time with Dolphins comes to a close; tight end goes to rival Patriots in free agency

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

The expectation with tight end Mike Gesicki this offseason is now reality. His time with the Miami Dolphins has come to an end.Gesicki is departing in free agency to join the New England Patriots, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday morning. The talented 6-foot-6 pass-catcher’s new contract is for one year and $9 million.That was a price the Dolphins were unlikely to pay after Gesicki and coach Mike McDaniel’s offense, in which blocking at the tight end position is paramount, did not mesh.“We always say, ‘Never say never,’ around anything,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said weeks ago of Gesicki, when speaking at the NFL scouting combine, “but he’s earned the right [to be a free agent] and I’m sure he’s excited to see what his free agency options are.“I don’t know what his price range would be, but he’s been a good player in the league. He’s been a productive player, and I’m...

Bay Area man with long criminal history convicted of murder in car crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

A man with a long criminal record in the Bay Area was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder for a car crash that killed a woman in Marysville.Dominik Oshay Cash, 30, was also found guilty of other charges including reckless evasion and resisting arrest and faces a sentence of 21 years to life in prison, the Yuba County district attorney’s office said.Cash’s residence was in San Francisco at the time of his arrest in 2021. He previously lived in Oakley, and he had been arrested for a variety of crimes across the Bay Area.The chase that ended in the fatal crash began around 11 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2021, when a California Highway Patrol officer attempted to pull Cash over for speeding on Highway 70 south of Oroville. He refused to stop, and other officers joined the pursuit.Cash continued south on Highway 70 for almost 20 miles, reportedly reaching speeds of 135 mph in his Toyota Camry. On the outskirts of Marysville, he ran over a CHP spike strip, but he was still going mo...

Army says no foul play suspected in death of California soldier, family raises allegations she was being sexually harassed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

By Camila Bernal and Stephanie Becker | CNNMilitary investigators at Fort Hood said there was no foul play in the death of Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz, who was stationed at the Texas Army post, as her family raises accusations that she was being sexually harassed.Basaldua Ruiz, a 20-year-old combat engineer with the 1st Cavalry Division, died Monday, according to a statement from Fort Hood.“The Army Criminal Investigation Division and the chain of command are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding her death,” the statement, released Wednesday, said.Basaldua Ruiz’s mother, Alejandra Ruiz Zarco, was told by Army officials that Basaldua Ruiz died by suicide, the mother told CNN affiliate Univision and Telemundo News.Ruiz Zarco told both outlets she questions the claim and says her daughter was being sexually harassed at the base.The Army would not confirm Basaldua Ruiz’s cause of death to CNN but said in a statement that “any possible ha...

Kaiser Permanente, Apple among list of 2023 world’s most ethical companies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

Kaiser Permanente has been named one of the world’s most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the fifth year in a row.The Ethisphere Institute is an independent group that monitors business ethics. Other honorees include Apple, Best Buy, FedEx, General Motors, Kohl’s, L’oreal, Starbucks, and many more.Companies that are given this honor are known for working to improve their communities as well as fostering and growing employees while modeling a workplace with ethics and purpose.“Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving access to care, having a diverse workforce reflective of our communities, and addressing the inequities, structural racism, and injustices that marginalize our most vulnerable populations,” said Diane Ott, vice president, ethics and compliance for Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region in a press statement. “This recognition highlights our on-going efforts to improve the health and well-being of our members, patients, and the communities we se...

Newsom will remake San Quentin prison, emphasizing rehab

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The infamous state prison on San Francisco Bay that has been home to the largest death row population in the United States will be transformed into a lockup where less-dangerous prisoners will receive education, training and rehabilitation under a new plan from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.The Democratic governor will discuss his proposed transformation of San Quentin State Prison during a visit on Friday. Newsom plans to build 1,200 tiny homes for homeless, none in SF The facility will be renamed the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center and the inmates serving prison sentences there will be moved elsewhere in the California penitentiary system. The state has 668 prisoners facing death sentences, almost all of them male, and about 100 have already been moved, state prison officials said.“Today, we take the next step in our pursuit of true rehabilitation, justice, and safer communities through this evidenced-backed investment, creating a new model for safety ...

Women’s March Madness finds foothold on national TV

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

With hopes of a separate television contract in upcoming negotiations, the women’s NCAA Tournament keeps gaining momentum.The national title game returns to network television for the first time since 1995, with an ABC broadcast on April 2 from Dallas and a one-hour pregame show. ABC will feature at least six games from the women’s tournament, including two first-round games Saturday and a pair of second-round contests Sunday.“Putting it on ABC, we’re giving it the best opportunity for success,” said Dan Ochs, who handles women’s basketball programming for ESPN. “This tournament continues to grow and deliver for us.”South Carolina’s 64-49 victory over Connecticut in last year’s title game averaged 4.85 million viewers on ESPN — the most-watched women’s championship game since 2004. It was also the fourth-largest audience for the title game since the network began airing the entire tournament in 1996.The 2022 women’s tournament overall averaged 634...

Virginia adds 10 new historic sites to state landmarks register

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

Ten new historic sites have been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR), and two of those newly labeled landmarks are in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.The new listings were approved at a meeting of the commonwealth’s Board of Historic Resources on Thursday.More Virginia NewsMore Local NewsDrover’s Rest in Fairfax County is on the new list with its construction as part of an 18th-century mill complex dating back to 1757 to 1785. The VLR says the building is “representative of the history of early milling and road development during the mid- to late 18th century.” It was built by landowner Bryan Fairfax and is located southwest of the Potomac River.Drover’s Rest in Fairfax County was added to the list of historic places. (Photo by John Gentry)The term “drover’s rest” meant that it once served as a place for workers and travelers to stay while passing through. Thomas E. Lovejoy, a biologist and environmental conservationist, purchased Dr...

Ten Hag: Several factors behind Rashford’s hot scoring form

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — With Marcus Rashford on the brink of a 30-goal season for the first time in his career, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.“I think I said it in the summer. The question came several times if I believe Rashford or (Anthony) Martial, one of them could score 20 plus goals and I said yes,” the Dutchman recalled on Friday. Ten Hag is not the first United manager to put his faith in Rashford discovering his scoring touch. The England striker has had hot streaks under Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but his inconsistency raised questions over his ability to be a goal scorer of the highest level. That was until this season. His winner against Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday was his 28th of a career-best season that is getting better by the week. His previous best was in 2019-20 when he scored 22 goals. Last season he managed just five in the entire campaign, a run that saw him droppe...

Grains higher, Livestock mixed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:41 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Grain futures were higher Friday in early trading on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for May was up 7.75 cents at $7.0525 a bushel; May corn was up 2.75 cents at $6.33 a bushel; May oats gained 2.75 cents at $3.4725 a bushel; while May soybeans rose .25 cent at 14.8050 a bushel.Beef mixed and pork lower on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.Apr. live cattle was up .12 cent at $1.6172 a pound; Mar. feeder cattle fell 1 cent at $1.8832 a pound; Apr. lean hogs lost 3.52 cents at $.7905 a pound.Source