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Property tax increase proposed as part of Montgomery Co. budget

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is proposing a $6.8 billion budget that fully funds the public schools’ request for an increase of $296 million. That would put the operating budget for Montgomery County Public Schools at $3.2 billion.In order to do that, Montgomery County residents could have to dig deeper in their pockets. Elrich proposes an increase of .1% in the county property tax rate.Graphic of Montgomery County’s proposed budget. (Courtesy Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget) At a news conference announcing his proposed operating budget, Elrich said, “There is a correlation between not spending money on education and results. If we want the best in this county, then we have to be willing to pay what it takes to get the best.”Elrich said the recent results on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program tests underscore the need to funnel more financial support to schools. He cited the data that showed only 31% of students te...

De’Aaron Fox hits 3 at buzzer, Kings beat Bulls 117-114

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — De’Aaron Fox hit a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give the Sacramento Kings a 117-114 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.Fox scored 32 points on 12-for-17 shooting, hitting four 3-pointers. The sixth-year guard is on a roll, scoring 2O or more points in 14 of his last 16 games and averaging over 30 in that span.And his confidence, especially when game is on the line?“I think it’s through the roof,” Fox said “I have a whole group of guys and coaching staff who believe in me. They have confidence in me taking the last shot, so the least I can do is go out there and have confidence in myself.”Fox cooly hit his 25-foot winner before the Bulls could double-team him. The buzzer-beater improved the Kings to 41-27 and moved them a step closer to their first winning record and playoff berth since 2005-06.Domantas Sabonis had his second straight triple-double and 11th of the season — finishing with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists — and Sacra...

Recapping the Chicago Bulls: Loss to Sacramento Kings on last-second 3-pointer halts momentum from 2-game win streak

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

It was a familiar sight for the Chicago Bulls.When the Sacramento Kings took a six-point lead in the final minute, fans throughout the United Center began a defeated shuffle toward the doors in anticipation of the inevitable.It didn’t matter that the Bulls fought back. And it didn’t matter that DeMar DeRozan sank a 3-pointer and drew a foul with 11.6 seconds remaining, tying the score with the four-point play. The Bulls had been trading blows with the Kings throughout the fourth quarter — bruising layups through contact from Zach LaVine, 16 points from DeRozan in the quarter.But when De’Aaron Fox pulled up from 3-point range to fire off the game-winning shot with 0.7 seconds remaining, it was clear this story would end the same as so many others — a last-gasp, 117-114 loss as the Bulls slipped to 31-37 and saw their two-game winning streak end.The loss cemented well-established narratives of this NBA season. The Kings are one of the best teams in the le...

Kobe Bryant’s handprints unveiled at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Kobe Bryant’s handprints and footprints are now permanently on display at the iconic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.In an unveiling ceremony Wednesday, Vanessa Bryant and her daughters paid tribute to the late NBA star’s legacy. Eldest daughter Natalia, 20, gave a long speech while her younger sisters Bianka, 6, and Capri, 3, watched from the audience, People reported.“I’m honored to be here today to recognize the man that we all knew and loved — my dad, Kobe Bryant,” Natalia said. Referring to him as the “MVP of girl dads,” she said he always made time for his daughters despite his intense work ethic and commitment to basketball.“Being his daughter is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I hope to continue to embody and cherish the many lessons he has taught me,” she added.Most of those cemented into the theatre’s foreground are Hollywood luminaries like actors, directors and musical artists. In 2011, Bryant became...

From the Jalen Carter saga to the Aaron Rodgers fallout, even a slower day in March proved significant to the Chicago Bears

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

The NFL’s new league year rang it at 3 p.m. Wednesday, allowing the Chicago Bears to announce the trade of the No. 1 pick, the acquisition of receiver D.J. Moore and the free-agency signings of Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Nate Davis, DeMarcus Walker and Travis Homer. The Bears still have a lot of work ahead to continue fortifying a roster that, as of Wednesday night, had 33 vacancies and an eye-popping number of notable holes. So where will general manager Ryaa Poles turn his attention next?Poles will meet with reporters Thursday at Halas Hall to recap the flurry of activity from the past week while also keeping an eye on what’s still to come. Still, even with the Bears failing to make any additions to the roster Wednesday, it was still a day full of significant developments. Here’s a glimpse into the most notable happenings and what they mean for the Bears going forward.Jalen Carter stumbled through his pro-day workout at Georgia.Poles and coach Matt Eberflus ...

Motorcyclist seriously hurt in East County crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

WINTER GARDENS, Calif. -- A motorcyclist crashed head-on into a car Tuesday near Lakeside, authorities said.The collision occurred around 2:50 p.m. on Riverview Avenue near Lemon Crest Drive in the Winter Gardens area, Officer Jared Grieshaber with the California Highway Patrol stated in a news release Wednesday. An 18-year-old riding a black 1985 Yamaha motorcycle in the northbound lane lost control, slamming into a 2012 Toyota Camry traveling in the southbound lane, per CHP. Caltrans work to repair sinkhole underneath SR-78 in Oceanside "The Yamaha continued, out of control, and the rider was ejected onto the roadway and struck by the Toyota," Grieshaber said.The motorcyclist, a West Virginia resident, was taken to a hospital with major injuries while the Toyota Lakeside driver suffered minor injuries, according to law enforcement.

Storms continue to impact pothole repairs for City of San Diego

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Potholes are popping up with each storm, despite crews trying to fill them as fast as they can.“Whatever the number of potholes we have, the goal is zero,” said Jose Ysea, spokesperson for the City of San Diego Office of Emergency Services.In January, pothole reports on the city’s Get It Done app reached a high of more than 2,200.“We have staff that are going through the reports and seeing how big the potholes are, which ones are maybe in a certain area where we can just go and take a chunk of them off the list at once,” Ysea said.San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced an “all hands on deck approach” with 150 city staff working seven days a week, including nights and weekends to catch up on the ever-growing backlog.In February the reports dropped to around 300, but not before more storms caused the reports to spike again. New atmospheric river heading for California next week, likely impact zone of Bay Area to San Diego On days like we saw this week where rain is activ...

Kentucky lawmakers struggle to finish transgender bill

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kentucky struggled to wrap up a bill restricting gender-affirming care for minors, as internal differences complicated their push to beat a Thursday deadline to complete the sweeping proposal denounced by some outside voices within their party.The Senate scaled back the bill on a razor-thin vote Wednesday night, but action then abruptly halted as the GOP-dominated chamber looked to regroup Thursday. It’s the last day lawmakers will meet until reconvening in late March for the final two days of this year’s session. Lawmakers have to complete work on the bill by Thursday to be able to override a potential veto by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.Senate President Robert Stivers said Wednesday night that he didn’t know if some version would ultimately pass, pointing to the “varying opinions.” The chamber voted 19-17 to pare down the bill’s limitations on transgender youth, their families and health care providers.&#...

Dozens at big Nissan Tennessee plant will vote on own union

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Several dozen workers among thousands at a Nissan factory in Tennessee will hold a long-delayed vote on whether to unionize Thursday. Those leading the drive hope for an elusive win at a foreign-owned auto assembly plant in the traditionally anti-union South.After years of legal wrangling that spanned two presidential administrations, organizers successfully argued that the group of 75 tool and die technicians are eligible for standalone representation because they have extremely specialized skills for a job that can’t be done by others at the facility. The Japan-based company has contended the employees are not sufficiently distinct from other plant workers to be eligible for their own unionized bloc.Organizers have cited a variety of reasons to unionize at the Nissan plant in Smyrna, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) outside Nashville. Those include retirement, work-life balance and health care issues they want to negotiate.Nationwide, several high-profi...

Asian stocks fall after Wall St sinks on new bank fears

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets tumbled Thursday after Wall Street sank as a plunge in Credit Suisse shares reignited worries about a possible bank crisis following the failure of two U.S. lenders.Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all dropped, reversing Wednesday’s gains. Oil prices edged higher.Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 lost 0.7% on Wednesday after being down as much as 2.1% at one point following a 30% plunge in Credit Suisse’s share price. That fueled jitters about the strength of global banks that are under strain from interest rate hikes to cool inflation.The Credit Suisse fall “shakes already fragile investor sentiment,” said Venkateswaran Lavanya of Mizuho Bank in a report.Major banks in Asia were hit by heavy selling. Shares in Japan’s Mizuho Bank were down 3.9& while Resona Holdings, Japan’s No. 5 bank, fell 4.8%. In Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Plc lost 2.5% and HSBC was 2.5% lower. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.4% ...