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Fast-food companies pull California referendum, agree to $20 minimum wage

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

Fast-food companies that spent million of dollars to defeat a worker-protections law agreed over the weekend to pull their referendum from the November 2024 ballot in a move that will give employees a $20-an-hour minimum wage.The California Legislature has until Thursday to approve the agreement, which would avoid a costly battle with labor unions.The pay hike, considered modest, would take effect in April. The average hourly wage for California’s 557,000 fast-food workers in December was about $19, according to UC Berkeley economist Michael Reich.The move, cheered by fast-food cooks, cashiers and baristas, will result in a new set of amendments to Assembly Bill 1228 and pave the way for the creation of a fast-food council, first approved last year in Assembly Bill 257, also known as the FAST Recovery Act.The council would establish minimum standards on wages and make recommendations on working hours to ensure the health, safety and welfare of workers are developed with proper overs...

Opinion: How I learned to socialize better from my mini Aussie doodle dog

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

I took my mini Aussie doodle to the dog park to socialize. While he “connected” with other dogs through prolonged sniffs and ball chases, I did the exact opposite. I found an unoccupied corner, started a podcast, and made sure to avoid any unnecessary human interaction.Upon reading this, my dad and others have surely rolled their eyes and chided, “Classic Millennial,” before going back to scrolling through whatever app they’re using — intentionally or not — to avoid human interaction.I wish this was a “Millennial” phenomenon. It’s not. Gen Zers spend upwards of four hours a day on their phone. Before Boomers celebrate their superiority, they need to look in the mirror…something that might prove hard given that they, too, are distracted by screens. Boomers average an hour on social media per day and outpace everyone else when it comes to consuming daytime TV.Collectively, we’re all living through an “Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” according to the U.S. Surgeon General.And, it...

Este fue el origen de la enemistad de Elon Musk con Bill Gates, según la nueva biografía de Musk

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

(CNN) — Bill Gates fue a ver a Elon Musk en 2022, con la esperanza de convencerlo de que donara más de su dinero, como lo había hecho el fundador de Microsoft.La reunión salió mal, según la nueva biografía de Walter Isaacson, “Elon Musk”, que llega a las tiendas este martes. CNN obtuvo una copia inicial del libro, que revela parte del enrarecido mundo de la clase multimillonaria de Estados Unidos, incluidos detalles de la inusual relación entre Musk y Gates. Musk es actualmente el hombre más rico del mundo y Gates encabezó la lista antes de comenzar a donarla constantemente en sus esfuerzos filantrópicos.“Oye, me encantaría ir a verte y hablar sobre filantropía y clima”, le envió un mensaje de texto a Musk en 2022, según escribió Isaacson. Musk había iniciado un fondo benéfico de US$ 5.700 millones en ese momento, principalmente por razones fiscales, según Isaacson, y Gates quería influir en el enfoque de Musk hacia la filantropía.Musk le dijo a Gates que lo llamara directamen...

Denver weather: Mild Tuesday before more showers, cooler temperatures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will stay cool but mild on Tuesday ahead of an increasing chance for rain by the end of the week. Weather today: Cool but mildTuesday, Denver will see more sunshine. Killings along South Platte River raise safety concerns The day will start cool before highs reach the mid to upper 70s, which is about five degrees cooler than normal for this time of year. Pinpoint Weather: Daily highs on Sept. 12.Weather tonight: Partly cloudy Overnight, Denver will stay under a partly cloudy sky. Low temperatures will be cool but seasonal and fall down to the lower 50s. Pinpoint Weather: Overnight lows on Sept. 12.Looking ahead: Wet and cooler end to workweek Wednesday will be the warmest day of the workweek. Thanks to morning sunshine, highs will climb up to 80 degrees, which is pretty normal for this time of year. Celebrities spotted in Boulder for CU vs. Nebraska game It won't be a washout of an afternoon, but there will be a chance for a few afternoon show...

Firefighters climb Manitou Springs Incline to honor fallen heroes on 9/11

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KXRM) — As the sun began to rise on Monday morning, the trailhead to the Manitou Springs Incline began to fill. This year marks the eighth annual 9/11 firefighter climb, which is nearly a mile hike up with a 2,000-foot elevation gain.Incline Friends, a nonprofit, helps to ensure those participating are prepared for this challenging climb by providing food and beverages to those at the start."They gather in the morning of 9/11 each year to pay respect to the first responders and firefighters that were lost on 9/11," Incline Friends Trail Maintenance Director Trevor Becker said. "They climb all 2,768 stairs in full gear just to honor the ones that were lost in the towers that day." Restaurateur honors 9/11 victims with yearly fundraiser Spotted along the trail were different fire departments wearing nearly 50 pounds of gear while conquering the Manitou Springs Incline. One group of firefighters ready for the challenge came from Cañon City. Senior firefighter ...

Police investigation underway following fatal crash in NW Miami-Dade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

A fatal crash in Northwest Miami-Dade has prompted a significant police investigation on Northwest 79th Street, Tuesday morning. Live video footage showed several Miami-Dade Police officers, including a Crime Scene Investigation van at the scene near Northwest 27th Avenue, where a mangled white car can be seen, along with a yellow tarp, indicating a body is underneath it. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported an individual to a nearby hospital, but their condition is unknown. Although not confirmed by police, other incidents that occurred nearby may be connected to the crash on 79th Street. A gas station near Northwest 88th Street was under investigation by police officers and a white pick-up truck was found crashed on the side of the road on 27th Avenue near 67th Street. Authorities have a portion of 27th Avenue closed off as they investigate the incident involving the truck. As a result of these incidents, traffic will be evident in the surrounding areas. Drivers are being advised to...

Man arrested after hurling butcher knives at Pembroke Pines Police officers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

Pembroke Pines Police Department officers were met with a violent domestic disturbance after they responded to a 911 call that led to a man throwing multiple butcher knives at the responding officers. The tense standoff ensued after 6:30 p.m. Monday at the 100 block of South Hollybrook Drive. When authorities arrived, they encountered a man, later identified as 41-year-old Justin Brittain, and another person involved in a dispute. The situation escalated when the suspect brandished multiple butcher knives and hurled them toward the direction of the officers. After one of the knives struck a police officer, another officer was left with no choice but to respond with the use of lethal force. The officer discharged their weapon, firing at the suspect in an effort to neutralize the immediate threat. After the shots were fired, the suspect was taken into custody. Immediate medical attention was provided to the wounded officer at the scene, who is reported to be in stable condition. The s...

Miami-Dade launches 10-mile Underline Project’s final phase

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

A ceremony is set to mark a milestone for Miami-Dade County as it embarks on the third and final phase of the transformative Underline project. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, alongside a host of key officials and project stakeholders, will celebrate the expansion of a 10-mile linear mobility corridor that will reshape 120 acres of county-owned land beneath the existing Metrorail guideway. The Underline project, which stretches along the Metrorail route from the heart of Downtown Miami, at the Miami River, to the Dadeland South Metrorail Station, is set to be a multimodal corridor. Phase 3 of The Underline, a 7.36-mile segment, will connect from Southwest 19th Avenue near the Vizcaya Metrorail station to the Dadeland South Metrorail station. This expansion promises to foster connectivity across a mosaic of communities, including the City of Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami, and Unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Upon completion, Phase 3 will introduce dedicated pedestrian and bicycle pat...

UK minister: China wins unless EU budges on post-Brexit electric car trade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

LONDON — China will be “the biggest beneficiary” if the EU and the U.K. cannot resolve a post-Brexit “cliff-edge” on trading electric vehicles (EVs), a U.K. minister warned.Industry Minister Nus Ghani said that Beijing will emerge as the winner if the EU does not give ground on the cut-off date, set for January 1 2024, at which point a 10 percent tariff will be applied to EVs traded between the U.K. and the bloc.Ghani told lawmakers on Tuesday that the tariffs would open the door to “cheaper imports, potentially Chinese-made cars” to fill the gaps in EU and U.K markets.Giving evidence to the House of Commons business and trade committee, Ghani added: “There will be impact on not just the U.K. car industry but also … manufacturers in Europe as well.”Chinese imports already represent a growing share of the electric vehicle market in the U.K. and the EU. Ghani’s comments will increase pressure on negotiators to resolve the post-Brexit trade dispute, with less than four months unt...

‘Catastrophic’ Leominster flooding prompts emergency declaration, closure of schools

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:57 GMT

City officials declared a state of emergency in Leominster Monday night as heavy rains triggered a flash flood that damaged roads, homes, business, and prompted the closure of local schools. The city’s mayor says the light of day is providing an unimaginable amount of damage across the area.The flash flood emergency declared by the National Weather Service included Leominster, Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Princeton and Sterling as of around 11 p.m. A larger swath of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire was included under a series of flash flood warnings earlier in the evening.Leominster received more than 10 inches of rain in a matter of about 6 hours beginning about 4 p.m.Mutual aid from neighboring communities and state agencies responded to hard-hit areas and crews could be seen rescuing residents from their homes using inflatable boats. More than 100 people are taking advantage of an emergency shelter in the city, Leominster Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella said.Schools in the ...