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PG&E customers face higher bills — again — after new company request

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

OAKLAND — PG&E customers face a fresh round of increases in monthly bills — yet again — because the utility seeks to win regulatory approval of early collections even before a key rate case is decided.The most recent request from PG&E sketches out a proposal for an eyebrow-raising $1.46 billion to cover the utility’s recent spending on wildfire mitigation, as well as to help the company stabilize its financial situation.Some people might deem higher PG&E monthly bills to be something of a familiar refrain.Just last Nov. 16, the state Public Utilities Commission approved a general rate case that authorizes PG&E to raise monthly bills by $32.62, a head-spinning jump of 12.8% over the current level of monthly bills. The increase will arrive on Jan. 1, 2024, right after the current holiday shopping season is in the books.Should the PUC approve this latest PG&E proposal for higher rates on an interim basis, monthly bills would jump on May 1, 20...

Walters: Newsom was originally right about California bullet train

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

Nearly five years ago, just after becoming governor of California, Gavin Newsom came close to telling the truth about the state’s misconceived, poorly managed and underfinanced bullet train project.“But let’s be real,” Newsom told the Legislature. “The current project, as planned, would cost too much and respectfully take too long. There’s been too little oversight and not enough transparency.“Right now, there simply isn’t a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A.,” Newsom said. “I wish there were. However, we do have the capacity to complete a high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield.”News media logically inferred that Newsom wanted to shrink what had been envisioned as a statewide system to a starter line in the San Joaquin Valley. But he quickly blamed journalists for misconstruing his remarks after receiving heat from the project’s stakeholders, particularly construction unions.A half-decade later, what Newsom said in 2019 is sti...

U.S. Navy serviceman sentenced to 6 years in prison for deadly DUI crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

(BCN) -- A U.S. Navy serviceman was sentenced to six years in state prison on Monday for a deadly DUI crash in Monterey last May, according to prosecutors.U.S. Navy Petty Officer Christopher Witherspoon, 25, killed Seaside resident Luis Hernandez, 69, in a collision on state Highway 1 on May 6, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Charges against Khazar Momeni discharged following DUI bust Around 3:45 a.m. that day, Witherspoon was driving a Toyota Camry sedan on Highway 1, just north of the interchange with Highway 68 in Monterey. At the same time, Hernandez was driving a Mitsubishi Mirage compact car on the southbound lanes. Due to his intoxication, Witherspoon failed to realize he was driving on the wrong side of the highway and crashed into Hernandez's car head-on, investigation had showed.Hernandez, who was on his way to work, was declared dead on scene.Witherspoon was contacted by officers, who noted that he smelled like alcohol and appeared to...

US consumer inflation eased slightly in November as gas prices fell, though some costs kept surging

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation ticked down again last month, with cheaper gas helping further lighten the weight of consumer price increases in the United States. At the same time, the latest data on consumer inflation showed that prices in some areas — services such as restaurants, used cars and auto insurance — continued to rise uncomfortably fast.Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose just 0.1% from October to November. Compared with a year earlier, prices were up 3.1% in November, down from a 3.2% year-over-year rise in October.Core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, rose 0.3% from October to November, slightly faster than the 0.2% increase the previous month. Measured from a year ago, core prices rose 4%, the same as in October. The Federal Reserve considers core prices to be a better guide to the future path of inflation.The mixed picture in Tuesday’s inflation report will likely keep the Fed on track to leave its ben...

US consumer inflation eased in November as gas prices fell, signaling a further cooling of most price pressures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — US consumer inflation eased in November as gas prices fell, signaling a further cooling of most price pressures.Source

Camellias don’t deserve their reputation as garden divas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

Camellias, known as “the queens of the winter flowers,” have for some reason been saddled with an unfair reputation as being difficult. Yes, they are susceptible to fungal diseases and scale insect infestations, but so are many other plants. And it’s true they don’t like salt spray or abrupt changes in temperature or irrigation, but neither do I.Far from being divas, these long-blooming, fragrant shrubs in the tea family have few requirements: They should be planted in rich, fertile, well-draining soil that’s kept moist but never soggy, and fed once a year, right after blooming, with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants.Top-dressing with an inch or so of compost every year will provide a beneficial boost of nutrients, but gardeners should refrain from over-fertilizing or planting them under large trees that might outcompete them for resources.Major pruning isn’t usually necessary but, if warranted, should be done immediately after flowering. Remove old, dead stems and bran...

La historia de la esvástica: cómo un símbolo de buena fortuna se convirtió en expresión de odio

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

(CNN Español) —  La esvástica es, para muchos, símbolo de odio: el odio de la Alemania nazi y el odio de quienes desde entonces perpetúan sus ideas. Sin embargo, esa no es la historia completa: el nacimiento de la esvástica se remonta a miles de años atrás y su significado original nada tiene que ver con el horror del Holocausto que acabó con la vida de seis millones de personas. Por el contrario, y por imposible que resulte de incorporar, durante milenios remitió a la buena fortuna.Un símbolo de buena fortuna con miles de años de antigüedadEl término “esvástica” proviene del sánscrito, lengua antigua de origen indio que se habló hasta el siglo III a. C., y luego siguió presente en los textos religiosos y literarios, entre otros. En sánscrito, la palabra svatika significa “buena fortuna” o “bienestar”.El símbolo de la cruz equilátera con los brazos doblados en ángulos de 90 grados “parece haberse utilizado por primera vez en Eurasia, h...

Biden promete apoyo a Israel en un evento de Janucá, pero lanza una advertencia a la opinión pública

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

(CNN) — El presidente Joe Biden habló este lunes de su apoyo “inquebrantable” a “la seguridad del pueblo judío y la seguridad de Israel y su derecho a existir”, pero también ofreció una severa advertencia sobre la volatilidad de la opinión pública.“Continuaremos brindando asistencia militar a Israel hasta que se deshagan de Hamas, pero tenemos que tener cuidado, ellos deben tener cuidado”, dijo Biden a los reunidos en una recepción de Janucá en la Casa Blanca este lunes por la noche. “La opinión pública mundial puede cambiar de la noche a la mañana, no podemos permitir que eso suceda”.¿Qué es Janucá, en qué consiste, cuál es el origen y cómo se celebra esta fiesta judía?Los comentarios de Biden se producen cuando un paquete de ayuda de emergencia que proporcionaría financiación a Israel y Ucrania sigue estancado en el Congreso y los legisladores enfrentan presiones para actuar en medio de una nueva ola de antisemitismo en Estados Unidos mientras la guerra entre Isr...

These types of Christmas lights are more expensive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Just like eggs, milk and bread, the price of Christmas lights has gone up, according to John Swayze, owner of Christmas Decor in Denver. But even with the rising prices, you'll notice that the cost varies. Christmas lights have different prices, and it's not just because of the quality of the lights, it has to do with the colors. This Denver Christmas light display named one of best in US When it comes to solid colors, the prices don't vary. Whether you're looking for all-white lights or blue or green, the cost is about the same. What makes lights more expensive is the red, green and blue (RBG) lighting, according to Swayze.Lighting that changes color, or anything with animations, makes it more expensive. Whether the lights flash on and off, fade or change color, they're going to be pricier.It's expensive because each lightbulb needs to contain different colors."So, each light then has three different diodes in it. So that's the RGB, it means that it has a red, a g...

Coloradans consider it to be cold at this temperature

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:51:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado consists of locals who brave the low 20-degree temperatures during the early months of the year to transplants who have never seen snow before.When it comes to the Centennial State, it's mixed with locals and newbies alike, but each person comes from different temperatures and different ideas of cold. With people coming in and out of Colorado, the state doesn't have a solid definition of what's considered cold.FOX31 asked readers what they consider cold. The poll listed temperatures as high as 55 degrees to as low as below 20 degrees. On Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 6 a.m., FOX31 sorted through the answers. These are the coldest temperatures on record in Denver After 996 responses, Colorado finally has an answer to what's considered cold. Here are the results:What do Coloradans consider cold? (KDVR)When it comes to the majority, most of the readers believe that cold means below freezing. Of the people who voted, 79% said "cold" is 30 degrees or below. But that's no...