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San Carlos samurai sword beheading suspect enters insanity plea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

(KRON) -- A man accused of beheading his ex-girlfriend with a samurai sword in San Carlos appeared in a San Mateo County courtroom Thursday.Jose "Rafa" Rafael Solano Landaeta, 33, of Hayward, is charged with murdering Karina Castro outside her San Carlos home on September 8, 2022. On Thursday, Landaeta pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Following the plea, Judge Michael Wendler appointed two doctors to prepare NGI (not guilty by reason of insanity) reports, and the defendant waived his right to a speedy trial. The insanity plea means his defense attorneys will have to prove Landaeta was mentally insane at the time of the sword slaying, he did not understand the nature of the homicide, and he was unaware that the crime was morally wrong.Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta glances around a courtroom on March 1, 2023 in Redwood City. (Pool photo / File) Earlier this year, Judge Wendler ruled Landaeta is competent to stand trial based off psychological evaluations completed by Dr. Jeffre...

Newsom says state's budget deficit has grown to nearly $32 billion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's budget deficit has grown to nearly $32 billion, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday, saying the state's challenges are partly due to high federal inflation rates and the state's decision to let some people delay filing their taxes after winter storms.That's about $10 billion more than Newsom predicted in January, when he offered his first budget proposal. The deficit is part of Newsom's overall proposal for a $306 billion budget, by far the largest state budget in the nation. YouTuber admits to deliberately crashing plane to get views California is one of the only states to have a shortfall this year. That's mostly because its progressive tax code relies on wealthy taxpayers whose income is closely tied to the performance of the stock market.In January, Newsom proposed a number of ideas to cover the deficit, including about $9.6 billion in spending cuts that hit some of the state's ambitious climate programs and other policy areas. His latest ...

Tragedy in Texas as Pandemic Border Policy Ends — and a Rush to Judgment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

A man lights a candle at a memorial for eight migrants who were struck by a car and killed waiting at a bus stop on May 7, 2023, in Brownsville, Texas.Photo: Michael Gonzalez/Getty ImagesThe man who crashed into a group of mostly Venezuelan migrants in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday — killing eight of them — sounds in the media like a cipher, if not a monster. A video of the collision shows his vehicle knocking people down like matchsticks. A reporter I know told me that human gore and bone lay in the grass for hours afterward, putrefying in the heat and reeking. On Democracy Now!, a human rights activist called the killings a hate crime.The driver was identified as George Alvarez. The police charged him with manslaughter, and they are investigating whether he committed hate crimes or acted intentionally. During a press conference, Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda pointed to a list of Alvarez’s numerous criminal priors. One was “assaulting a public servant.”Sauceda failed to cl...

Pilots at United picket for higher pay as pressure builds before summer travel season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Just ahead of what could be a record-breaking summer travel season, pilots from one of the nation’s biggest airlines marched in picket lines at major airports on Friday as they push for higher pay.The United Airlines pilots have been working without a raise for more than four years while negotiating with airline management over a new contract.The pilots are unlikely to strike anytime soon, however. Federal law makes it very difficult for unions to conduct strikes in the airline industry, and the last walkout at a U.S. carrier was more than a decade ago.The coast-to-coast protests by United pilots come on the heels of overwhelming strike-authorization votes by pilots at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. United pilots could be the next to vote, according to union officials.Pilots at all three carriers are looking to match or beat the deal that Delta Air Lines reached with its pilots earlier this year, which raised pay rates by 34% over four years. United has prop...

Empresa: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte S.A. (EDN) on Thursday reported a loss of $52 million in its first quarter.On a per-share basis, the Buenos Aires, Argentina-based company said it had a loss of $1.19.The electric power distributor posted revenue of $364.3 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on EDN at https://www.zacks.com/ap/EDNSource

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan leaves court after being granted bail, broad protection from arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan leaves court after being granted bail, broad protection from arrest.Source

Fairfax Financial Holdings: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — TORONTO (AP) — Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (FRFHF) on Thursday reported net income of $1.25 billion in its first quarter.On a per-share basis, the Toronto-based company said it had profit of $49.38.The financial services holding company posted revenue of $6.28 billion in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FRFHF at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FRFHFSource

Review: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’ drops on Amazon Prime Video and it’s a total slam dunk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley reviews 'Air' $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); When Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunited 25 years after “Good Will Hunting” (1997) to film the underdog Air Jordan and Nike biopic “Air,” they initially expected to release it straight to streaming on Amazon Prime Video.However, a shifting pandemic business model and positive buzz about the movie inspired them to rel...

Hodding Carter III, a newspaperman, civil rights activist, State Department spokesman and television anchor, has died

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Hodding Carter III, a newspaperman, civil rights activist, State Department spokesman and television anchor, has died.Source

Viewpoint: The answer to a more vibrant downtown D.C.? Not more cars.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:45 GMT

In an era in which telework is more common and people have more options about where to work and live, D.C. must make downtown a great place where people want to be. The most vibrant cities are achieving this through turning their streets into wonderful, green, people-oriented places. They are prioritizing walking, biking, transit, outdoor cafes, trees, parks, active plazas and the arts.Unfortunately, proposals to favor more commuter cars moving in and out of downtown would take us in the wrong direction. We share the concern of the mayor and business leaders about downtown office vacancies and economy, but more cars will not save downtown. Instead, they would choke off the great progress the city has made in attracting the next-generation workforce and growing our population.When many people can live and work anywhere, they will choose places to work that are attractive, inviting and exciting places to be — places with wonderful parks and great places to socialize after work. Places...