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Humanitarian aid is stuck at Gaza-Egypt border as Israeli siege strains hospitals, water supply

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

Palestinians in besieged Gaza crowded into hospitals and schools on Monday, seeking shelter and running low on food and water. More than a million people have fled their homes ahead of an expected Israeli ground invasion aimed at destroying Hamas after its fighters rampaged through southern Israel.As the enclave’s food, water and medicine supplies dwindled, all eyes were on the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, where trucks carrying badly needed aid have been waiting for days as mediators press for a cease-fire that would allow them to enter Gaza and allow foreigners to leave. Rafah, Gaza's only connection to Egypt, was shut down nearly a week ago because of Israeli airstrikes.Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Israel “has not taken a position to open the crossing from the Gaza side.” The Israeli government did not respond to a request for comment.With a ground invasion of Gaza expected, Israel was preparing for the potential of a new front opening on its northern bord...

LA’s Only Ukrainian Restaurant Mom, Please Is A Peaceful Retreat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

It was just a year ago when Oleksii Kochetkov fled his demolished Ukrainian hometown of Mariupol for Los Angeles, bringing with him his wife Inna and mother Olena,  leaving behind the bombed-out family business and father Sergey, who perished when a Russian missile hit their bakery as he was making bread.  He spoke little to no English and had a small amount of money to his name. Upon their arrival, the family survived by doing what they knew best — feeding others. They recently opened Mom, Please, the only Ukrainian restaurant in L.A., a tranquil cafe in Playa Vista’s secluded Fountain Park. Reflecting on the last year’s worth of transitions and wounds that are still healing brings tears to the restaurateur’s eyes.With the help of the U.S. government, the family hit the ground running starting a mail-order business in L.A., making dumplings, vareniki, cabbage rolls and other Ukrainian dishes out of their apartment. Three months ago they opened the cafe and expanded with vario...

Jill On Money: Estate planning — A gift to you and your heirs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

Over the past year, I have been helped settle one estate and have served as co-executor on another one. The process has caused me to rethink my usual approach to National Estate Planning Awareness Week (October 16 – 22), which has previously been one-part encouraging coach and one-part nudging aunt.Related ArticlesBusiness | Ask a travel nerd: 3 steps to booking holiday travel Business | What is a credit card hardship program? Business | Finance nerds share tips for managing holiday budgets and stress Business | Are grants for minority business owners in jeopardy? Business | Head into shopping season ready to manage spending and debt It’s time to put my cards on the table and to be blunt: The process of estate settlement is time-consuming and exhausting in the best of circumstances.The point of properly planning an estate is to head off difficult decisions at the end of your life and to help transfer you...

Amid booming home prices, capital gains tax is crimping inventory, lawmakers say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

A million dollars couldn’t entice a Fountain Valley woman to sell her house of 40 years even though she’d rather down-size and move closer to her children and grandchildren.It’s not because of the sentimental value of the family homestead. And it’s not because she still needs four bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms and a big backyard.“Why don’t I sell?” said Sue, who lives alone and doesn’t feel safe using her last name in print. “(A sale) leaves many homeowners, like me, with a huge capital gains tax.”Also see: It’s a ‘bubbly’ housing market, says 2008 bank regulatorCapital gains — a term most commonly associated with investment property — has seeped into the vocabulary of residents living in long-held suburban tract homes.In the past, most homeowners were sheltered from the tax on their primary residences. The first $250,000 in value gains are excluded from the tax for single taxpayers while $500,000 in gains are excluded for married couples filing joint returns.But skyrocketing home values ...

Flag football, lacrosse, cricket, baseball/softball and squash added to 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

By Ben Morse and Jill Martin | CNNFlag football is officially one of five new sports added to the Olympic program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.On Monday in Mumbai at the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session, it was announced that flag football, baseball/softball, cricket, lacrosse and squash would be included at the Games.It will be the first time that flag football and squash will be in an Olympic Games.Cricket was included in the Paris Olympics in 1900, while lacrosse was included at St. Louis 1904 and London 1908. Baseball and softball have been in several Olympics, most recently in 2021 for the Tokyo 2020 Games.“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.“Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to ...

Rookie Brandin Podziemski learns important lesson in first start for Warriors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

SACRAMENTO — To shoot, or not to shoot? That was the question for Brandin Podziemski on Sunday night.There he was, open in the corner, and instead of pulling up for a 3-point attempt, Podziemski started to dribble. He dribbled forward past Sacramento Kings defender Trey Lyles, turned inside, drew three defenders, pump-faked, then ducked underneath and went to the hoop for an easy underhand bucket.It looked like a dazzling play by the Warriors rookie, who made his first start for the Warriors at point guard while Steph Curry and Chris Paul were resting during their 121-115 preseason win over the Kings on Sunday night.But soon after making the sensational play, Podziemski heard an earful from his coaches: wrong decision.“Honestly the coaches yelled at me because I didn’t shoot the corner 3,” he said. “They stress that a lot to me, ‘Catch and shoot, catch and shoot.’“I’ve never been in a situation throughout my basketball career when I’ve been able to be just open and shoot the b...

California’s job market: More firings – less hirings and quits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

“Numerology” tries to find reality within various measurements of economic and real estate trends.Buzz: California’s employment picture has cooled to either (1) a new normal or (2) a worrisome slowdown.Source: My trusty spreadsheet crafted the “HQF” index to loosely measure statewide tensions in the workplace. The math, taken from some novel federal job statistics, compares California hiring (an upbeat signal) with statewide quits and firings (usual signals of distress).Fuzzy math: What’s up with workplace revolts across California this year – from tussles over work-from-home policies to numerous disagreements putting workers on picket lines?ToplineCalifornia had an HQF rating of 112 in the year’s first seven months – that’s 112 hires for every 100 quits and firings.What does that mean? Well, it’s sort of a “it-could-be-worse” message. Why? Consider the index’s history.Since 2001, California has averaged 113 hires for every 100 quits and firings through July. So this year’s is a tad...

Major fire in Livermore destroys at least 3 buildings, damages restaurant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

(KRON) -- A major structure fire Sunday evening at a shopping center in Livermore destroyed at least three buildings and damaged two others, according to the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department.Livermore-Pleasanton FD responded to the blaze at a shopping center at Holmes Street and Concannon Boulevard just after 5 p.m., officials said. Three abandoned buildings are completely gone, Fire Chief Joe Testa said. One restaurant, Charming Fig, was damaged in the fire, and another abandoned building in the area was also damaged.The cause of the fire is currently unknown, Testa said.Holmes St. and Concannon Blvd. were closed in the area as the fire department battled the fire. Both roads were reopened as of 9:30 p.m. Sunday night.

Oakland PD investigating illegal sideshow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

(KRON) – The Oakland Police Department is investigating a report of illegal sideshow activity Sunday at around 7:45 p.m. in the 3600 block of Foothill Boulevard. The OPD Communications Division received a report that vehicles were engaged in illegal sideshow activity in the area. When officers arrived, all the individuals involved in the illegal sideshow dispersed from the area, police said. 11 Santa Rosa thieves fooled by ‘bait bike,’ police say This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPD Traffic Section at (510)-777-8570.

Newsom signs off on update to California's bottle recycling law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:22 GMT

(BCN) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed off on changes to California's bottle recycling law in a bid to bolster the state's beverage container recycling program, reducing the amount of plastic and glass going into landfills and helping to stabilize the recycling market.Senate Bill 353, introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, will add containers of 100 percent fruit juice and vegetable juice to the state's bottle recycling law, putting another 200 million containers per year into the recycling stream, Dodd's office said in a news release Saturday. Viral TikTok shows Vallejo police officer punching a woman It would also invest new ongoing funding to support rural recycling options for consumers to redeem their deposit and improve recycling rates.The bill also authorizes the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to adjust its processing of payment calculations for recyclers to a quarterly schedule rather than yearly, helping to stabilize the market. Lastly, the bill improves tra...