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Uber raises the minimum age for most California drivers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

Uber raised the minimum age requirement for most of its new drivers in California to 25 on Thursday under rules the company said are necessary because of the rising costs of commercial auto insurance in the state.The new rule applies only to drivers signing up to transport passengers with Uber's ride-hailing platform, and not for those delivering food with Uber Eats. Previously drivers as young as 19 could sign up.Those under 25 who activated their accounts prior to Wednesday can continue to drive for Uber, the company said.Insurance rates for Uber's California drivers are significantly higher than for personal vehicles or taxi drivers, according to a company statement announcing the change.“As a result of these lopsided requirements, personal injury attorneys have created a cottage industry specializing in suing rideshare platforms like ours, pushing Uber’s California state-mandated commercial insurance costs to rise by more than 65% in just two years,” the company said. "By increa...

California's 'unusual' weather impacted attendance and revenue at select amusement parks

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

From excessive rain to heat advisories, California has seen its fair share of wild weather this year, which seems to have impacted attendance and revenue at some amusement parks in the state.The companies behind Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and SeaWorld San Diego released their recent quarterly earnings reports and cited that “unusual” weather has impacted attendance and revenue figures. Camp Snoopy poised to get an extensive makeover Knott’s, Six Flags and SeaWorld San Diego will close for the day or reduce their hours depending on weather conditions. At the same time, their competitors, notably Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood, may choose to do the latter.Most recently, as Tropical Storm Hilary passed through the Southern California region, both Knott’s and Six Flags chose to close the parks for the day, while Disneyland reduced its hours and Universal Studios decided to stay open.Cedar Fair, the parent company behind Knott’s Berry Farm, stated that in ...

A$AP Rocky to appear in Los Angeles court for firearms charge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

Rapper A$AP Rocky was due in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday for a preliminary hearing on felony firearms charges. The hip-hop artist, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has been charged in a 2021 shooting in Hollywood. The shooting occurred on Nov. 6, 2021, following an argument between two acquaintances in the area of Selma and Argyle Avenues.A$AP Rocky performs during the Bilt Rewards X Wells Fargo Launch Event on March 28, 2022, in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)The argument escalated and resulted in the rapper firing a semi-automatic handgun at his former friend, who sustained a minor injury, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.Mayers ran from the scene with two other people following the shooting.Mayers was arrested last year at LAX after vacationing in Barbados with singer Rihanna. The pair now have two children together. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In 2019, Mayers was found guilty of assault in Sweden and received...

Marcus Winkfield Killed in Rollover Crash on State Route 104 [Sacramento County, CA]

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

Rollover Accident on State Route 104 Left One FatalitySACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (August 24, 2023) – Early Thursday, Marcus Winkfield, died in a rollover crash on State Route 104.The accident occurred at about 5:19 a.m. on August 17th eastbound on State Route 104.Marcus Winkfield, 53, was driving an eastbound 2002 Honda Civic on State Route 104 around 5:19 a.m., while a westbound 2016 Dodge Ram was moving.According to CHP, witnesses in the vicinity stated that the Honda accelerated and drove the opposite way through a curve, crossing over solid double yellow lines. The driver crashed with the Dodge Ram head-on.Emergency crews arrived at the site of the collision shortly after. Paramedics pronounced Winkfield dead at the scene. The driver of the Dodge Ram was suffering from back discomfort but refused further hospitalization or treatment.Moreover, the roadway was temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.At this time, authorities said, alcohol or drugs did not appe...

Firefighter Hospitalized after Fire Truck Crash on Whites Canyon Road [Santa Clarita, CA]

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

Fire Truck Crash on Whites Canyon Road near Nadal Street Left One InjuredSANTA CLARITA, CA (August 23, 2023) – Tuesday afternoon, a fire truck crash on Whites Canyon Road left a firefighter injured.Around 1:23 p.m., units from the LA County Fire Department responded to reports of a fire truck accident on Whites Canyon Road and Nadal Street.Based on footage posted on the Citizen App, the fire engine jumped a curb and collided with a brick wall in front of a house.At this time, the circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear. However, a witness claimed that paramedics transported a firefighter from Station 111 to a hospital with unspecified injuries.No further details regarding the fire truck crash on Whites Canyon Road have been released to the public. Santa Clarita Officials will provide more information once available.Injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident can take a toll on a person’s financial, physical, and emotional well-being. That is why it is important t...

Dangerous Toys at the Whisky

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

Dangerous Toys at the Whisky: Texas rockers Dangerous Toys have kinda gone down as also-rans in the hair metal history books. But my god, between 1989 and ’95, they put out four albums that ripped shit up. Sure, this kind of music was on its last legs by the tike they released The R*tist 4*merly Known as Dangerous Toys in ‘95, but Dangerous Toys didn’t care and why should they? They were and remain a great band. Hooligan’s Holiday, Whiskey Dogz, Streetlight Circus, Password Reset, and Axecident also perform.Dangerous Toys at the Whisky: The event takes place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 at the Whisky A Go Go.Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.                                               &nb...

New York woman admits fatally shoving stranger after pre-wedding outing goes awry

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A woman who killed a stranger on a Manhattan sidewalk after her pre-wedding outing went awry made a deal to serve an eight-year prison sentence.Lauren Pazienza, 28, appeared in court Wednesday and admitted randomly shoving Barbara Maeir Gustern, an 87-year-old Broadway singing coach, as she stormed away from a dinner with her fiance.Gustern suffered fatal injuries when her head struck the pavement. She remained conscious long enough to give the details of the attack: A woman she didn’t know had crossed the street, called her a bitch and pushed her “as hard as she had ever been hit in her life.” The assailant then walked away.Gustern’s relatives, some of whom were in court, said they were disappointed with Pazienza’s plea deal, in which she pleaded guilty to manslaughter. She would have faced up to 25 years if convicted at trial.Prosecutors said Pazienza, an event planner who lived in Queens, had been in the Chelsea neighborhood with her fiance on the night of March 1...

Berkeley man who kept 2.9 pounds of fentanyl in his backpack gets 8 years in federal prison

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

OAKLAND — A Berkeley man who was arrested with 2.9 pounds of fentanyl and six ounces of methamphetamine as he was leaving home for San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison, court records show.Luis Cruz, 29, was sentenced late last month by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg, court records show. Cruz pleaded guilty to fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution last April.Cruz was the subject of an undercover investigation into alleged fentanyl trafficking in the summer of 2022. After undercover officers bought fentanyl from him twice, authorities stopped him on Aug. 17, 2022, as he was leaving his Berkeley home for San Francisco carrying a backpack, where the drugs, brass knuckles, and a knife were found, prosecutors said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Arrest made in shooting last month on Highway 24 Crime and Public Safety | Images released of person of interest in Oakland fata...

Mountain West season preview: Boise State’s the pick, but watch for SDSU, Wyoming and Air Force

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

Welcome to the Hotline’s inaugural Mountain West season preview, which begins with the origin story.Last season, we published a weekly ‘Best of the West’ football power ranking that considered not only Pac-12 teams but those in the Mountain West and Brigham Young. It created a means of expanding the scope of our coverage and lending context to the Pac-12’s performance relative to its neighbors.The ‘Best of the West’ content was so popular — as was a basketball version that included the West Coast Conference — that we decided to add a Mountain West-specific column to our array of content offerings this season.Also, half the teams in the Mountain West are located in the coverage zones of the Hotline’s syndication partners across the Western third of the country. (The latest outlet to include our content: The San Diego Union-Tribune.)Once the season begins, we will produce Mountain West power ratings each Monday morning, alongside t...

California job growth ranks last in US while Texas, Florida are best

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:34:08 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: California’s job growth started 2023 as the nation’s worst and Texas and Florida were best. I probably could stop here.Source: My trusty spreadsheet’s review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ “Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages” – a study based on unemployment insurance data filed by bosses vs. the more closely followed monthly job reported derive from employer surveys. These quarterly numbers give a different – some say better – snapshot of job market conditions.ToplineWhen it came to the hiring pace as the year started, California tied for last among the states with Iowa at 0.9% job growth vs. March 2022. The next slowest were the District of Columbia at 1.1%, and Connecticut and Oregon at 1.4%.No. 1 was Texas at 4.3%. Florida was second at 4.1%. Then came Nevada at 3.8%, Oklahoma at 3.6% and South Caro...