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Half-cent sales tax measure qualifies for San Diego County ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A measure to increase sales taxes by half a cent to fund countywide transit projects has qualified for the November ballot, according to the Registrar of Voters office.The ballot initiative was launched last year by a coalition of labor leaders and climate activists, called Let's Go! San Diego, to support transit and road plans by the San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG.In a letter to proponents dated Jan. 3 and obtained by FOX 5 Friday, the county Registrar of Voters said a total of 172,916 signatures were submitted to the Registrar of Voters with a projected 127,249 that are considered valid — about 10% above what is required for qualification. Affordable housing project breaks ground in San Ysidro “After more than two years of organizing, Environmental Health Coalition, transit riders, and community advocates are proud the transit measure will be on the 2024 ballot,” Carolina Martinez, a climate justice director with the Let's Go! coalition, said in a re...

Downtown's unsheltered population down 60%, Whitburn says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The city councilmember who represents downtown San Diego spoke Friday on progress being made to decrease homelessness there, along with the work that still needs to be done.“The final end-of-year count for 2023 shows significantly fewer people experiencing unsheltered homelessness downtown than there were a year ago,” said District 3 Councilmember Stephen Whitburn. He says the unsheltered homeless population in downtown has declined by 60% in the past seven months. He attributed the drop to the the introduction of homelessness initiatives introduced in the spring, including the opening of two safe sleeping sites. According to Whitburn, there are 521 people staying at the sites. Proposed homeless shelter near Liberty Station faces pushback "Residents are telling me they have seen a visible improvement downtown, and that is good news. We are clearly moving in the right direction," Whitburn said.Homeless advocate Michael McConnell says sleeping sites are better than noth...

Thousands of WWII-era munitions found under water in survey of Southern California dump site

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Underwater dump sites off the Los Angeles coast contain thousands of barrels of World War II-era munitions including anti-submarine weapons and smoke devices, marine researchers announced Friday.A vast survey of known offshore sites in April identified the munitions. The survey was a high-tech follow up in a region known to have been the dumping ground for industrial and chemical waste from the 1930s through the 1970s.Two underwater vehicles, one autonomous and the other remotely controlled, used sonar and high definition video to scan 135 square miles (350 square kilometers) of the sea floor, where mysterious boxes and barrels were strung out between the mainland and Santa Catalina Island, researchers said.A 2021 survey had uncovered more than 25,000 “barrel-like objects” on the sea floor that possibly contained DDT and other toxic chemicals. High levels of the toxic chemical were previously found in sediments and marine mammals in the region, and DDT has been li...

Texas Tech leading scorer Pop Isaacs accused in lawsuit of sexual assault of a minor, ESPN reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech basketball player Pop Isaacs, the team’s leading scorer, has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual assault of a minor when the Red Raiders were playing in a tournament in the Bahamas, ESPN reported Friday night.The lawsuit was filed in Lubbock County, where the Texas Tech campus is, by the parents of the girl who says she was assaulted. ESPN obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which was not available online.According to the lawsuit, the girl was 17 at the time of alleged assault. The age of consent in the Bahamas is 16, but the lawsuit says the girl was intoxicated and could not give consent. The lawsuit alleges a Texas Tech booster bought alcoholic drinks for Isaacs and a teammate. They were in a room with two girls, ages 17 and 16. The lawsuit says Isaacs and the 17-year-old went to another room, where she was sexually assaulted after she “attempted to fight him off,” according to the ESPN report.According to the lawsuit, Red Raiders coach Gr...

Trump returns to Iowa 10 days before the caucuses with a commanding lead over the Republican field

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Former President Donald Trump urged his supporters Friday evening not to be complacent in the face of a commanding polling lead as he kicked off the sprint to the Iowa caucuses with his first events of the election year.“Ten days from now, the people of this state are going to cast the most important vote of your entire lives,” Trump told several hundred supporters gathered in Sioux Center. He implored them to turn out on caucus night, warning, “Bad things happen when you sit back.”Trump was holding a pair of commit-to-caucus events, one in the far northwest corner of the state on the border with South Dakota and one in north-central Mason City. He’ll spend Saturday in Newton in central Iowa before heading to Clinton in the state’s far east.The visit came the day before the third anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as part of a desperate bid to keep him in power after his 202...

Two more teams emerge as suitors, but is a Dylan Cease trade imminent?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

CHICAGO — The coals in the Major League Baseball hot stove are hot, especially when it comes to the possibility of the Chicago White Sox moving their staff ace, Dylan Cease.Two teams — The New York Mets and New York Yankees — are the latest franchises to join the fray in the race to acquire who many believe to be the best starting pitcher left on the market — free agency, trade, or otherwise — according to some of MLB's leading insiders.Just before noon Friday, the New York Post's Joel Sherman said the Mets are among teams who have continued to check on Cease as they monitor other free agents to fill out their pitching rotation for the upcoming MLB season. Sherman listed left-handers Shota Imanaga, Sean Manaea and Hyun-Jin Ryu as other pitchers the Mets are also keeping tabs on.The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said Thursday that the White Sox are weighing offers for Cease, and the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are among teams who have expressed "sincere" interest. Rosenthal said while t...

Chicago police search for missing 80-year-old woman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

CHICAGO — A search is underway for a missing 80-year-old woman who police say may be in need of medical attention. According to Chicago police, Eloise Carter went missing on Thursday and was last seen in the 6300 block of South Troop Street in Englewood. Search underway after string of arsons on North Side Authorities did not provide details on what time Carter was last seen but said she may be in need of immediate medical attention. Carter was last seen wearing a black fur coat and a black dress and police say she requires the assistance of a metal walker.Police say Carter, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs around 150 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes.  Chicago man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for COVID relief fraud scheme Police notified the public about Carter's disappearance on Thursday.Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 80-year-old Eloise Carter is asked to contact CPD Area 1 SVU at 312-747-8380.Those with information that could help police in their ...

Looking for Stanley cups? Beware of scams

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

MORTON GROVE, Ill. (WGN-TV/NEXSTAR) — In case you or someone you know wasn't one of the lucky few who snagged one of the coveted Stanley cups recently released in Target stores, be careful when you're looking around for other options to find one.Earlier this week, the "Winter Pink" Stanley x Starbucks tumblers, sold exclusively at Target, caused a frenzy that had the insulated cups flying off the shelves. Videos of the events went viral, likely causing even more interest and demand for the insulated Stanley-brand cups. Starbucks pink Stanley Quencher release causes chaos at Target The "Quenchers," which are hugely popular on TikTok and Instagram, come in several sizes and colors, and their popularity has led to them becoming something of a status symbol or lifestyle brand — especially on what's known as #watertok. Tumbler mania has hit Target stores particularly hard, since the stores recently released two limited-edition Stanley tumblers: the aforementioned Stanley x Starbuc...

PSA: Walmart is selling Taco Bell ‘cravings kits’ so you can make a Crunchwrap Supreme at home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.This is not a drillHave you ever wanted to live más — without leaving the house? Thanks to Walmart, you can now think outside the bun in the comfort of your own kitchen. Taco Bell has partnered with Walmart to exclusively sell Crunchwrap Supreme and Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla meal kits, packed with Taco Bell seasonings and sauces that will let you re-create fast-food favorites without even having to enter a drive-thru. And before you run out to get your hands on these “cravings kits,” you’ll want to make sure you have everything you need for an at-home taco party — from taco holders to themed hand towels.Get these kits to make Taco Bell Crunchwraps and quesadillas at homeTaco Bell at Home “cravings kits” are available exclusively at Walmart. Currently, you can get kits to make Crunchwrap Supremes and Chipotle Chicke...

'He's almost Curry-like:' Texas forward Cunningham has high praise of dynamic transfer guard Abmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team prepares for the start of Big 12 Conference play for the final time, senior forward Brock Cunningham thinks the team can go, "as far as they want to take it."There's no room for error in the Big 12, which has six teams in the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings. For the No. 20 Longhorns, using the nonconference schedule to blend the transfers with the returning players has them ready to run the 18-game gauntlet starting Saturday at home against Texas Tech. LIST: Texas Longhorns players entering transfer portal, declaring for NFL Draft "We've got the ability to be a really good team," Cunningham said. "When you start the season, you think you're going to be good, but once you get into actual games you can figure out where your ceiling is."One of the transfers in particular has impressed Cunningham this season, and it's no surprise. Max Abmas, who came over from Oral Roberts and recently moved past former Duke star JJ ...