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California's downtown areas were emptied by COVID: Some areas are recovering

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

As the COVID-19 pandemic loosens its grip on California cities, many have wondered if popular destinations for residents and tourists alike, such as downtown areas, will ever rebound.Experts with the School of Cities at the University of Toronto compiled foot traffic data based on cellphone data from 62 North American cities from 2019 to November 2022 to see how quickly California's downtown areas are recovering from the stay-at-home orders.The report found that cities like Bakersfield, Fresno and San Diego are recovering or, at times, exceeded its pre-pandemic foot traffic numbers. In contrast, other cities like San Francisco and Oakland haven’t fully recovered. New census estimates show which California counties are losing residents This is how California cities ranked on the study’s downtown recovery analysis:2nd: Bakersfield: 118%, Exceeded pre-pandemic foot traffic levels3rd: Fresno: 115%, Exceeded pre-pandemic foot traffic levels8th: San Diego: 93% of pre-pandemic foot traff...

Meet Mike Diamond: an accomplished author, television personality, director, life coach, and interventionist.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

Mike Diamond is a transformational figure and a beacon of hope for many individuals struggling with addiction, mental illness, and other personal difficulties. Through his inspiring podcast, A Dose of Positivity, and his book of the same title, Mike is on a mission to impart his hard-earned wisdom and expertise to anyone who seeks to improve their lives and achieve their goals.Mike rose to prominence upon relocating from Australia to the United States to pursue an entertainment career. During his stay in South Beach, he landed a role in the CBS sitcom, The Grapevine. This led to additional projects in New York City, including Miami Ink and NY Ink. Notably, Mike now appears as an Interventionist on the latest season of the television program, Intervention. Viewers can catch his performance on A&E, Netflix, and Vice TV.As a seasoned addiction counselor and mental health advocate, Mike has dedicated his career to helping others overcome their demons and achieve lasting success and ...

Meet Attorney Linda Lin: A Compassionate and Dedicated Immigration Lawyer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

Attorney Linda Lin, as an immigration herself, understands the unique challenges and obstacles that immigrants face in pursuit of their American dream. Her firsthand knowledge of the immigrant experience has informed her representation of clients, making her a compassionate and dedicated immigration lawyer.After obtaining her law degree from China, Attorney Lin came to the United States to pursue her legal education. She experienced firsthand the complexities and difficulties of navigating the immigration process, which motivated her to establish her law firm, The Law Office of Linda J. Lin.  She aims to provide cost-efficient and personalized legal services to help her clients achieve their immigration goals.Attorney Lin chose immigration law as her field of practice because she loves to help people achieve their American dream and to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. As she puts it, “I want to help people who are coming to this country with hopes and aspirati...

Why You Need This is the Perfect Snack for Festival Season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

Festival season has just kicked off with a stunning return to the desert for two weekends of fun in the sun in the Coachella Valley. And just when stomachs started grumbling, festival goers across the polo grounds found the perfect snack to keep them dancing: You Need This.Photo captured at Coachella.You Need This is the ridiculously good new crunchy snack that munchers everywhere can’t keep their hands off of. And best of all, they’re junk free: they’re Plant-Based, Vegan, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO — no junk, no BS. The uniquely crave-able flavors and lighter than air crunchy texture make for a snack that tastes even better than it looks.Photo captured at Coachella..Festival-goers found YNT to be the perfect snack to enjoy whether they were lounging with their buddies in the shade, or while tearing up the grass, shuffling to some bops.And just because they aren’t filled with the junk like most of the other snacks that clog the grocery aisles, doesn’t mean they’re lacking in bold, del...

Amid bans, Black parents seek schools affirming their history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

By Cheyanne Mumphrey | Associated PressDECATUR, Ga. — Every decision Assata Salim makes for her young son is important. Amid a spike in mass killings, questions of safety were at the top of her mind when choosing a school. Next on her checklist was the school’s culture.Salim and her 6-year-old, Cho’Zen Waters, are Black. In Georgia, where they live, public schools are prohibited from teaching divisive concepts, including the idea that one race is better than another or that states are fundamentally racist.To Salim, the new rules mean public schools might not affirm Cho’Zen’s African roots, or accurately portray the United States’ history of racism. “I never want to put his education in the hands of someone that is trying to erase history or recreate narratives,” she said.Instead, Cho’Zen attends a private, Afrocentric school — joining kids across the country whose families have embraced schools that affirm their Black heritage, in a co...

Warming Bay Area temperatures bring with them Spare the Air alert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

The Bay Area’s first warm-up of 2023 began to build Wednesday, and like most warming trends, it’s creating dirty air.Unlike most of them, this heat wave — if it can be considered that — will be the equivalent of dipping a foot in water and then quickly pulling it out.“We’re warming up a bit (Wednesday). Then our warmest day will be Thursday,” National Weather Service meteorologist Sean Miller said. “It’ll be warm Friday, and then that’s it. By Saturday, we’ll be dropping off.”And by early next week, rain could fall, the weather service said.For that reason, the Spare the Air alert issued by the Bay Area Air Management District for Thursday may be an isolated one. it will mark only the second one of 2023. The air district issued 17 Spare the Air days last year.The air district said ground-level ozone pollution is forecast to be unhealthy and encouraged people not to drive if they don’t need to do so.Accordi...

Detached house in Danville sells for $2.1 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

320 Glasgow Circle – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 300 block of Glasgow Circle in Danville has new owners. The 2,908-square-foot property, built in 1996, was sold on April 13, 2023. The $2,100,000 purchase price works out to $722 per square foot. The property features five bedrooms, three bathrooms, an attached garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on a 6,300-square-foot lot.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:On Glasgow Circle, Danville, in November 2022, a 2,908-square-foot home was sold for $1,750,000, a price per square foot of $602. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,484-square-foot home on the 100 block of Glasgow Circle in Danville sold in October 2022, for $1,570,000, a price per square foot of $632. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In April 2023, a 2,486-square-foot home on Gardner Place in Danville sold for $1,550,000, a price per square foot of $623. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Fox agrees to provide more Murdoch docs in Smartmatic case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

By Marshall Cohen | CNNFox News has agreed to provide voting technology company Smartmatic with additional material about its corporate chairman Rupert Murdoch and other top executives, as part of Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion lawsuit against the right-wing network.The agreement was announced Wednesday at a court hearing in Manhattan regarding the defamation case, which stems from Fox’s airing of 2020 election lies. New York Supreme Court Judge David Cohen scheduled the hearing after Smartmatic raised concerns about whether Fox was complying with its pretrial obligations to turn over relevant evidence.“We will produce the materials as quickly as we are able to,” Fox lawyer Winn Allen said.Fox also will give documents to Smartmatic related to Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan Murdoch, who is the CEO of Fox Corporation, as well as relevant materials about Chief Legal Officer Viet Dinh and Raj Shah, a former Trump administration official who is now a vice president...

Sharon Stone slams Kim Kardashian getting ‘American Horror Story’ role

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

Sharon Stone is another veteran actor who has dedicated years to training and working in the profession who doesn’t think much of reality star Kim Kardashian joining the cast of “American Horror Story.”Stone’s criticism of Kardashian’s new career move follows Broadway luminary Patti LuPone telling Andy Cohen point blank that she doesn’t at all like the idea of Kardashian being cast in the horror anthology series, in which LuPone has appeared for three seasons, as Us Weekly reported.BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 16: Sharon Stone attends An Unforgettable Evening at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on March 16, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for WCRF) While appearing on Cohen’s show, “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,” Sunday, LuPone was asked whether she cared about the influencer and shape wear mogul joining the show, Us Weekly said. LuPone, a Tony-winning Broa...

Minnesota takes steps to make it even easier to vote

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:18 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota — a state where it is already easy to vote — is moving make it even easier, countering the national trend of states imposing further restrictions on balloting.The Minnesota Senate was set Wednesday to debate an elections bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register so they can vote as soon as they are old enough, and establish automatic registration when residents apply for or renew driver’s licenses or sign up for Medicaid and other public programs.At a news conference ahead of the debate, Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon called it a “once in a generation opportunity” to strengthen democracy.Minnesota is increasing voter access even as red states impose more restrictions, often in the name of election integrity. Several Republican-led states have tightened rules on voting by mail since the 2020 presidential election, in part because of the false narrative of widespread fraud in that race. Mississippi last month set tight...