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DeSantis' biggest donor cuts off funds, demands moderate shift

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

(The Hill) – One of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) most prominent donors told reporters on Friday that he would cut off funds to his 2024 campaign if he didn't adopt a more "moderate approach."Robert Bigelow, the founder of Budget Suites of America and Bigelow Aerospace, told Reuters in an interview that he spoke with DeSantis' campaign and said DeSantis risks losing Bigelow's support unless he shifts his agenda to target moderates."He'll lose if he doesn't," he said, referring to DeSantis' chances against former President Trump. "Extremism isn't going to get you elected."He added that his funding wouldn't resume "until I see that he's able to generate more on his own.""I'm already too big a percentage," Bigelow claimed. "A lot of his donors are still on the fence." Biden says he doesn’t watch TV, shares ‘worst advice’ he ever got When asked what led him to the decision to curb funding, the entrepreneur pointed to what he called the governor's "extreme positions" on policy, includ...

AFD: Multiple fires merge into one along southwest Austin roadway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Saturday, Austin Fire said it was responding to a brush fire in southwest Austin.AFD said multiple small fires merged along the side of the roadway near the 6800 block of Southwest Parkway.The cause of the fire remained undetermined, but AFD said multiple fires along the road are typically from a trailer dragging a safety chain.Austin firefighters respond to fires on Southwest Parkway on Aug. 5, 2023. (Courtesy Austin Fire Department)Austin firefighters respond to fires on Southwest Parkway on Aug. 5, 2023. (Courtesy Austin Fire Department)Austin firefighters respond to fires on Southwest Parkway on Aug. 5, 2023. (Courtesy Austin Fire Department)Austin firefighters respond to fires on Southwest Parkway on Aug. 5, 2023. (Courtesy Austin Fire Department)Fire crews were able to get the fire under control and were mopping up hot spots as of 9:39 a.m., according to AFD.

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to historic amount; $1 million ticket sold in Texas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The current Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at $1.55 billion dollars, which would make it the largest in the game’s nearly three-decade history.For now, though, that figure is only an estimate: Officials say there’s a slight possibility Tuesday’s jackpot could fall short of the record (a $1.537 billion jackpot awarded in 2018), but it doesn’t look likely.“With enthusiastic players across the country, many of whom are newcomers to the game, it is indeed likely that there will be a new record Mega Millions jackpot,” reads a press release issued by Mega Millions. “However, we won’t know for sure until we get closer to Tuesday’s drawing; at this level, jackpots are hard to predict with complete accuracy.” Why the Mega Millions jackpot winner won’t actually get the jackpot amount Friday night’s winning numbers — 11, 30, 45, 52, 56, and the Mega Ball 20 — went unmatched once again, continuing a months-long trend that began after the last jackpot winner was announced on Ap...

Working Strategies: Overcoming employers’ ‘new grad’ bias

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

Amy LindgrenHave you heard of “new graduate” bias? An email came across my desk last week from Intelligent.com, an online magazine focused on education and lifelong learning. That’s where I learned of their survey asking 1,243 business leaders about their experiences with recent college graduates.Unfortunately, their impressions weren’t favorable, with 70% decrying the work ethic and communications skills of the 2020-23 graduating classes. Another 51% thought new graduates have a sense of entitlement and 43% feel their technology skills aren’t adequate.Good grief, that’s a lot of complaining. You could point to an age-old issue where one group of workers always feels the next one is poorly prepared. But even if it were just a case of generational griping, there’s another issue uncovered by the survey: The majority of employers who said recent graduates are poorly prepared say they actually avoid hiring them.Let that sink in a minute. New graduates may face the prospect of not being ...

‘Heat Dome’ returns to sizzle Southern California 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

More extreme heat is set to blanket most of SoCal for the next several days as a “heat dome” hovers over the region. A heat advisory will go into effect at 8 a.m. on Saturday and last until 8 p.m. on Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service.  Highs could reach up to 20 degrees hotter than usual in some parts of Southern California, and coastal areas will also be affected by the heatwave, with temperatures forecast to reach the upper 80s. Temperatures will rise to the triple digits in desert and valley communities, NWS said.  Click here to view the forecast for your community Officials recommend doing strenuous outdoor exercise early in the morning or later in the evening and remind those who plan on being outside to drink plenty of fluids and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. The “heat dome” also increases the risk of wildfires, officials said. “[A ‘heat dome’] is a consistent ridge of high pressure, and the atmosphere puts a lid on it,” said K...

Tree branch crushes car with mother, children inside in L.A. County 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

A large tree branch fell off a tree and crushed three cars in El Sereno, including one with a mother and her two children. The incident was reported around 7 p.m. Friday night in a parking lot near the intersection of North El Sereno Avenue and North Huntington Drive. The two children – one teenager and one small child – were able to climb out of the vehicle, but their mother remained trapped inside as firefighters rushed to the scene. A tree branch fell on three cars, including one with a mother and her two children inside, in El Sereno, California on Friday, August 5, 2023. (OC Hawk)A tree branch fell on three cars, including one with a mother and her two children inside, in El Sereno, California on Friday, August 5, 2023. (OC Hawk)A tree branch fell on three cars, including one with a mother and her two children inside, in El Sereno, California on Friday, August 5, 2023. (OC Hawk)The tree landed on the car as it was backing out of its parking space, LAFD Battalion Chief Dani...

More Californians are searching for out-of-state homes, Redfin study says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

The trend of Californians looking to leave the Golden State in hopes of finding more affordable housing options elsewhere seems to be alive and well, according to a recent study from Redfin.The online realtor website found that a record number of users are looking to other states in hopes of finding affordable home prices. From April to June 2023, about 25.5% of Redfin’s two million users, or 510,000, have looked into relocating.The report was based on an analysis of about two million Redfin users looking for homes for sale in more than 100 metros areas from April to June. What can California politicians do to combat expensive home prices? Unsurprisingly, prospective home buyers in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York are looking to leave those metro areas more than any other place in the country, most likely due to the high housing costs.In San Francisco, the median sale price of a home is $1.4 million; in Los Angeles, it's $975,000 and in New York, homes typically sell for $8...

Review: Jonas Brothers prep for big Yankee Stadium dates with Bay Area concert

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

The Jonas Brothers have lined up one of the biggest tours of the year, which kicks off later this month with not one but two massive shows at Yankee Stadium in New York.The sibling trio — consisting of Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas — prepped for the big road show by performing a one-off concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View on Friday (Aug. 4).“I will say as an audience, to get us ready to go back on tour, you are perfect,” Kevin Jonas commented to the approximately 10,000 fans in attendance.The group was in town to headline Wild 94.9’s Wazzmatazz, which, yes, does indeed sound more like a kind of intensely sugary candy that it does a pop music radio show. (“I want a pack of Sour Patch Kids, some gummy worms and a Wazzmatazz NOW!)Yet, the Jonas Bros were an incredibly good booking for Wild 94.9, especially giving that their upcoming trek — descriptively, and somewhat annoyingly, titled The Tour — doesn’t include a Bay Are...

Will ‘Barbie’ or Taylor Swift magic help close women’s pay gap?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

In a summer celebrating women, entertainment-wise at least, the pay gap by gender still simmers.While we flock to theaters to see “Barbie,” pack stadiums for Taylor Swift’s music tour and stay up all hours cheering the U.S. women’s national team, this bright cultural spotlight doesn’t truly reflect progress at the workplace.Despite a milestone agreement for equal pay last year for the U.S. women’s soccer team, my trusty spreadsheet tells me the typical female worker clearly gets paid less than their male counterparts.A peek inside the government’s annual report on the women’s wage gap compared coronavirus-chilled 2021 to 2016. The good news for California’s female workforce is that the state’s job market has the sixth-smallest wage gap among the states.Margot Robbie in a scene from “Barbie” shows off her flat feet to other barbies. (Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures) The good news for California’s female...

Will removal ceremony close San Jose’s Fallon statue saga?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:11 GMT

Drivers stopped near Julian Street and Highway 87 in downtown San Jose on Friday morning may have wondered what was happening on the concrete island near the ramps. Were the 50 or so people there gathered in protest or celebration? A little bit of both, actually.The event was led by members of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe and Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc at the former site of a statue of Thomas Fallon, an early San Jose mayor, and a companion on horseback raising the U.S. flag over San Jose.  After more than three decades as a controversial flashpoint in the city, the statue was removed this past spring and put into storage. The groups called for a ritual cleansing of the site, which they say symbolized genocide and white supremacy.San Jose City Council members Omar Torres, left, and Peter Ortiz watch a Muwekma Ohlone cleansing ceremony at the former site of a statue of Thomas Fallon, an early San Jose mayor, raising the U.S. flag in downtown San Jose on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (Sal Pizarro/...