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Walters: Despite progress, epic California water wars still ahead

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

The politics of water in California could be likened to the constant grinding of tectonic plates 10 miles or more beneath its surface.The Pacific Plate battles with the North American Plate for dominance along the 800-mile-long San Andreas Fault tracing California’s coast. When one gives way, the state experiences an earthquake.Similarly, California’s water interests — farmers, cities and environmentalists, principally, with infinite numbers of sub-groups — joust constantly over how the state’s water supplies will be apportioned.The conflicts of water buffaloes, as they have been dubbed, play out in legislative arenas, in the many federal, state and local governmental agencies that manage water distribution, and increasingly, in state and federal courts.Their grinding struggles have been underway for as long as California has been a state (173 years), but on occasions — sometimes separated by decades — major actions change California’s waterscape.This appears...

Three arrested on suspicion of $40,000 worth of stolen goods from Bay Area outlet mall

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

Three people were arrested Friday on suspicion of commercial burglary following a large theft from the Premium Outlets in Vacaville.According to Vacaville Police Department officials, the Vacaville Communications Center received a report of a thief at the shopping center and officers were soon able to identify a suspected vehicle by using traffic cameras to identify a license plate.“An observant lieutenant located the vehicle driving on westbound I-80 through Fairfield,” read a release by the department. “With the help of Fairfield PD, the vehicle was stopped and all the occupants were safely detained. Officers were able to see two filled trash bags within the vehicle.”According to officials, the trash bags contained several pairs of sunglasses that still had price tags attached to them. An estimated $40,000 of suspected stolen sunglasses were found in the vehicle, according to officials.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Commission hearing retail theft complaints ...

The 25 worst-behaved tourists of 2023

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

By Julia Buckley | CNNStripping off from the waist down at a sacred site. Driving a car across a medieval bridge, as fragile as it is famous. Carving your name into a world icon, and going on a punishing hike… to take illegal drugs.These are just some of the things tourists have got up to in 2023. They’ve damaged heritage sites, eaten endangered species, and – in the case of one couple – stolen nearly $2 million worth of wine from a Michelin-starred restaurant. They’ve (allegedly) insulted border guards, and flashed in front of kids. And when they’ve been caught out, they’ve often pleaded ignorance.Here are 25 of the worst incidents we saw in 2023.JanuaryA bridge too far: The Ponte Vecchio in Florence.(mustafacan/iStockphoto/Getty Images) Italy has long been a center of bad behavior for tourists who treat it like a theme park, and the year kicked off in a predictably grim manner when an American was caught driving across the pedestrianized Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence. Ital...

Masters has 77 eligible players. It’s shaping up to be one of the smallest fields

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Masters already has the smallest field of the majors. The 2024 edition could be one of the smallest in years depending on the first three months of the PGA Tour season.With no significant tournaments the rest of the year, it looks as though 11 players who finish in the top 50 will be added to the field. That would bring the field to 77 players among those expected to compete.That includes three players who will be making their Masters debut without ever having won on the PGA Tour or European tour — Adam Schenk, Eric Cole and Denny McCarthy. Schenk qualified by reaching the Tour Championship for the first time.The 11 expected to get in through top 50 in the world ranking are Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, McCarthy, Will Zalatoris, Justin Rose, Harris English, Cole, J.T. Poston, Adrian Meronk, Adam Hadwin and Nicolai Hjogaard.Four players — Luke List, Erik van Rooyen, Camilo Villegas and Ludvig Aberg — earned invitations by winning PGA Tour events in the fall.One addi...

Stock market today: Wall Street ticks higher as markets continue winning streak

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

Wall Street inched modestly higher Tuesday as markets roll toward the end of 2024 on a seven-week winning streak.Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials each rose 0.2% before the bell. The broader market surged last week and added to solid December gains after the Federal Reserve signaled that inflation may have cooled enough for the central bank to shift to cutting interest rates in 2024. The Dow closed out last week with a record, while the S&P 500 ended the week with its longest weekly winning streak in six years, while edging closer to its all-time high. The benchmark S&P 500 is now up more than 23% this year, while the Nasdaq is up more than 42%.Lower interest rates typically take pressure off of financial markets. The Fed’s goal since 2022 has been to slow the economy and grind down prices for investments enough through high interest rates to get inflation under control. Economic growth has slowed, but has not dipped into recession, while inflation continue...

Getting out that cone to save a parking space? Takoma Park police want you to think twice

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

If you’re looking to save a parking space this holiday season for you or your guests, city officials in Maryland are saying that’s not a good idea.If you have a cone, a chair or maybe a friend helping you save a parking spot, police in Takoma Park say you should think twice.They have received multiple complaints recently about people attempting to reserve parking spaces on public roads and are asking residents to stop.“By engaging in such activities, residents contribute to the inconvenience and frustration of others in the community,” Takoma Park police said in a news release.They’re reminding everyone that reserving public spaces, such as parking spots, goes against the policy of “fair and equal access to public amenities.”Police said that these shared spaces belong to the entire community and should be treated as such.Instead, police said those in the area should utilize the legal parking methods available.Source

Apple to halt sales of its newest watches in US over patent dispute

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — If two of the latest Apple Watches are on your holiday shopping list, don’t dawdle for much longer because the devices won’t be available to buy in the U.S. later this week if the White House doesn’t intervene in an international patent dispute.Apple plans to suspend sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 versions of its popular watch for online U.S. customers beginning Thursday afternoon and in its stores on Sunday. The move stems from an October decision by the International Trade Commission restricting Apple’s watches with the Blood Oxygen measurement feature as part of an intellectual property dispute with medical technology company Masimo.The White House had 60 days to review the ITC order issued on Oct. 26, meaning Apple could have kept selling the two affected models in the U.S. through Christmas. But the Cupertino, California, company said in a Monday statement that it is pausing sales early to ensure it complies with the ITC order...

Xóchitl Gálvez, precandidata opositora a la presidencia de México, crea portavoz con inteligencia artificial

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

(CNN Español) — Xóchitl Gálvez, precandidata única a la presidencia de México por el bloque opositor, presentó a su nueva portavoz: iXóchitl, una representación de ella misma generada por inteligencia artificial.En un mensaje publicado este domingo en la cuenta de la red social X de Gálvez, esta portavoz señaló que “tendrá aval, supervisión y aprobación” de la precandidata en los mensajes que publique en sus redes sociales.“La inteligencia artificial generativa eficienta los tiempos y los recursos. Es muy rápido tener el material y muy barato”, señaló el mensaje generado por inteligencia artificial, que muestra a la figura de Gálvez con una blusa rosa de estilo mexicano, como las que usa la precandidata, y con un fondo virtual de jardín. El video incluye la leyenda: “Vocería I.A.”.Les presento a mi nueva vocería de inteligencia artificial.Una herramienta pionera e innovadora que únicamente será oficial a través de mis redes sociales: iXóchitl.#FuerteComoTú #XvocerIA pic.twitte...

1 shot after officer-involved shooting in Northwest DC, police say

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

A person was shot by a police officer after displaying a firearm on Monday night in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, according to D.C. police.Executive Assistant Chief of Police Jeffery Carroll said during a press conference that the shooting took place around 8:30 p.m. in the area of F Street NW, near Capital One Arena.Carroll outlined how police patrolling the area had tried to stop a male in a vehicle because they believed he was armed. As officers shouted instructions, the individual “took off running.”While police were trying to stop him, he displayed a firearm.A police officer then shot the male. He was immediately placed under arrest and given medical aid, according to Carroll. He said the injured individual is in stable condition at a nearby hospital.The officer that was involved has been placed on administrative leave, following police protocol.D.C. police did not confirm the age of the injured male and are still investigating if he had a concealed carry license i...

Google to pay $700 million to US states, consumers in app store settlement

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:36:02 GMT

File - The Google sign is shown over an entrance to the company's new building in New York on Sept. 6, 2023. A federal court jury has decided that Google's Android app store has been protected by anticompetitive barriers that have damaged smartphone consumers and software developers, dealing a blow to a major pillar of a technology empire. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)(AP/Peter Morgan) File - The Google sign is shown over an entrance to the company's new building in New York on Sept. 6, 2023. A federal court jury has decided that Google's Android app store has been protected by anticompetitive barriers that have damaged smartphone consumers and software developers, dealing a blow to a major pillar of a technology empire. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)(AP/Peter Morg...