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Golden Gate Bridge toll increases likely again amid deficits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

Faced with looming budget deficits, Golden Gate Bridge district officials are considering a five-year toll increase plan — again.The price to cross the bridge for many drivers ticked up 35 cents to $9.75 on July 1, the final increase in the five-year toll hike plan that started in 2019. However, toll revenues took a plunge when the COVID-19 pandemic kept commuters away, and many still have not returned.While the district did receive $278 million in pandemic relief, those funds will be exhausted by the end of the fiscal year. On Thursday, officials reported an estimated $220 million shortfall over the next five years and a $679 million deficit over 10 years.“Bridge tolls are by statute the backbone of the district’s revenue source,” said Jennifer Mennucci, the district’s budget director. “They fund both bridge operations and operations and maintenance of both bus and ferry, as well to fund reserves for our future capital needs in bridge and transit.”Traditionally, about half of the t...

California Realtor groups hit with copycat commission rates lawsuit by Bay Area home seller

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

Five weeks after a Missouri jury issued a $1.78 billion judgment finding that Realtors charge anticompetitive commission rates, a “copycat” lawsuit has been filed in the Bay Area making similar claims.A Marin County home seller filed the antitrust complaint in federal court this month seeking unspecified damages from the National Association of Realtors, several local Realtor associations, and a north-Bay Area multiple listing service. The complaint also sought damages from five of the nation’s leading real estate brokerages.The lead plaintiff, Christina Grace, paid a $50,358 commission to sell her home in 2020, “a rate higher than it would have been in a competitive market,” the lawsuit said.The proposed class-action case also seeks to end the requirement that sellers pay commissions to their buyers’ agents — a long-standing practice that allegedly keeps broker commissions in the 5-6% range despite technological advances, the suit said.Currently, NAR requires sellers to specify buy...

Blistered Green Beans / Belkys

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

If you’re looking for the perfect side dish to compliment your next meal, we’ve got you covered — Blistered green beans.That’s what’s cooking, as we grab a bite with Belkys.Ingredients:1 pound green beans, trimmed2 tablespoons Harissa seasoning2 teaspoons honey1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ lime)Salt to taste2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes1 tablespoon unsalted butterMethod of Preparation:In a bowl, combine Harissa, honey and lime juice. Stir together until combined and season to taste with salt.In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add green beans and cook undisturbed until they begin to char in spots, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, tossing frequently, until beans are just cooked through and slightly blistered and browned in spots, about 5 to 6 minutes more. (Some beans will be more cooked than others – that’s O.K.) Season with salt and place beans in a bowl.Heat t...

Israel faces new calls for truce after killing of hostages raises alarm about its conduct in Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s government faced calls for a cease-fire from some of its closest European allies and from protesters at home on Sunday after a series of shootings, including of three hostages who waved a white flag, added to mounting concerns about its conduct in the 10-week-old war in Gaza.The protesters urge the government to renew hostage negotiations with Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whom it has vowed to destroy. Israel could also face pressure to scale back major combat operations when U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits this week, as Washington has expressed growing unease with civilian casualties even while providing vital military and diplomatic support.The air and ground war has flattened large parts of northern Gaza, killed thousands of civilians and driven most of the population to the southern part of the besieged territory, where many are packed into crowded shelters and tent camps. Some 1.9 million Palestini...

Church of England blesses same-sex couples for the first time, but they still can’t wed in church

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

Church of England priests offered officially sanctioned blessings of same-sex partnerships for the first time on Sunday, though a ban on church weddings for gay couples remains in place amid deep divisions within global Anglicanism over marriage and sexuality.In one of the first ceremonies, the Rev. Catherine Bond and the Rev. Jane Pearce had their union blessed at St John the Baptist church, in Felixstowe, eastern England, where both are associate priests.The couple knelt in front of Canon Andrew Dotchin, who held their heads as he gave “thanks for Catherine and Jane, to the love and friendship they share, and their commitment to one another as they come before you on this day.”The church’s national assembly voted in February to allow clergy to bless the unions of same-sex couples who have had civil weddings or partnerships. The words used for the blessings, known as prayers of love and faith, were approved by the church’s House of Bishops on Tuesday and used for the first time on ...

South Korea’s military says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Sunday that it had detected that North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, adding to a torrent of weapons’ tests in recent months that has elevated tensions.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately say what type of missile it was or how far it flew.Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest in years, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accelerating the expansion of his nuclear and missile program, and flaunting an escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons.The United States, South Korea and Japan have responded by increasing the visibility of their trilateral partnership in the region, and strengthening their combined military exercises, which Kim condemns as invasion rehearsals.North Korea’s latest launch followed high-level security talks between American and South Korean officials in Washington over the weekend, where they ...

Teen found in burning car was shot to death: CPD

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

CHICAGO -- A teen found dead in a burning car in Bridgeport was shot to death, police said. Investigators said the 15-year-old was shot and killed at another location before his body was discovered in the trunk of a burning car near 37th and Carnell Street Friday morning.Police said the burned vehicle was stolen from suburban Lansing, Illinois.The victim's name has not been released but crisis responder Andrew Holmes said he was a freshman at Menta Academy Chicago West. 13-year-old boy seriously injured after drive-by shooting on South Side: CPD "I met with his mother. They are heartbroken, they don't understand how he winded up in this alley, he is not from around here," Holmes said.Lisset Guillen from Case Files Chicago said she urges parents with kids at Menta Academy to ask them if they know anything about the incident. "We need information to help detectives bring this case to justice," Guillen said. Community activists are offering $1,000 reward leading to the arrest and co...

Why this $20 bill sold for nearly 20,000 times its value

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — We all like to ponder whether our money can make us even more money. Sometimes it can. Some state quarters, for example, may be worth hundreds of dollars to collectors. Certain pennies and nickels can even bring in a few bucks. But in some cases, there’s a banknote or coin that sells at auction for far more than its printed worth. Even thousands of dollars more. If you collect currency, you already know the value some coins and dollars can carry.Some of the most well-known examples are error prints or unplanned variations.  Are your old coins and bills valuable? Expert explains what to look for Take, for example, the Wisconsin state quarter. Produced during the U.S. Mint’s 10-year state quarter program, there were about 453.2 million Wisconsin quarters minted (the third-fewest of any state). On some of those Badger State quarters, the ear of corn sprouted an extra leaf on the left side, either in a “high” or “low” position. It’s not clear how the va...

Flying to these US cities will be a lot cheaper in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – After soaring airfare costs in recent years, 2024 may be kinder to travelers' wallets – especially in select U.S. cities, according to a new study.According to Kayak's 2024 travel report released in November, "domestic airfare will drop 16% in 2024 compared to 2023," with the cost of renting a car (14%) or booking a hotel (10%) falling as well.Analysts at Kayak compared customer searches between mid-March and mid-September of 2022 for travel in 2023, with the same time period in 2023 for flights in 2024. Inflation or deflation? These 12 things are actually getting cheaper “A combination of historically high prices last year combined with skyrocketing international travel demand could be forcing airlines to cut domestic costs, leading to more savings on your domestic travel," Kayak's Chief Economist Jake Bouvrie told Nexstar in a statement. "With domestic prices down across the board for flights, hotels and rental cars, if budget is a priority, 2024 may be a great year ...

Austin LGBTQ+ vendors, artists host small business holiday market

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Plenty of Austin artists and vendors got into the holiday spirit this weekend with a festive edition of the Big Ole Queer Market. More than 130 vendors set up shop at the Palmer Events Center from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The event was free to enter and featured handmade gifts, baked goods, arts and vintage items available for purchase.The Big Ole Queer Market (BOQM) centers around LGBTQ+-owned small businesses. Gratien Jamail of Ella's Apothecary launched the market in 2022, held in partnership with The Little Gay Shop, per BOQM's website.On Saturday, Jamail told KXAN the goal of the market is to keep costs down for sellers, while also building a great environment and shopping experience for customers."They want to meet the person making it...they want to know they are supporting that business and helping that person do what they love and stay afloat," Jamail said.