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California slashes state tax collection outlook

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

California is poised to fall well short of its budget forecasts as the recent stock market slump erodes the state’s tax revenue.As of Oct. 25, a total of nearly $18 billion was collected so far this month — significantly lower than the $42 billion of collections that were previously projected for all of October — according to an update from the state’s Department of Finance late Friday. The shortfall comes as the state prepares to close out its seasonal autumn sale period for state-issued municipal bonds.It’s unclear how the budget outlook will impact the state’s bond sales, according to H.D. Palmer, deputy director for external affairs for the California DOF. The state has “never missed a schedule bond payment to a note holder,” he said in an interview Monday.The state expected to receive $28 billion from personal income taxes and $14 billion from corporate taxes in October, but, income taxes have thus far yielded only $11.8 billion while corporate taxes have produced $6.2 billion ...

Supreme Court wrestles with social media cases that have echoes of Donald Trump

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

By MARK SHERMAN | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court wrestled Tuesday with whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that first arose in a case involving former President Donald Trump.The justices heard arguments in two cases involving lawsuits filed by people who were blocked after leaving critical comments on social media accounts belonging to school board members in southern California and a city manager in Port Huron, Michigan, northeast of Detroit.The cases force the court to deal with the competing free speech rights of public officials and their constituents, and all in a rapidly evolving virtual world.“More and more of our democracy operates on social media,” Justice Elena Kagan said during three hours of arguments.The cases are part of a term-long focus on the relationship between government and the private digital platforms. Justice Clarence Thomas hinted at coming cases when he described as “the looming...

First Tesla Autopilot jury trial ends in loss for family of driver killed in California crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

By Malathi Nayak | BloombergTesla convinced a jury that its Autopilot technology wasn’t responsible for a crash that killed a driver in Menifee four years ago, vindicating the driver-assistance system that’s a core part of Elon Musk’s efforts to make his electric-car company stand out from rivals.Jurors in state court in Riverside on Tuesday sided with Tesla in the first lawsuit blaming a fatality on Autopilot to go to trial.The family of the deceased driver, Micah Lee, and two passengers who were seriously injured sought $400 million in damages for physical injury, mental anguish and loss of the driver’s life.Tesla’s eight-year experiment with semi-autonomous driving is mired in controversy even as Musk has maintained that the technology makes his cars the safest ever produced.Related ArticlesBusiness | Tesla says DOJ Is probing personal benefits violations, advertised vehicle range Business | Why Tesla isn’t unionized Business | EU warns ...

United Airlines flight attendants want Dodgers questioned about racial bias claims

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

Veteran United Airlines flight attendant Darby Quezada thought she was breaking a racial barrier when she was selected in 2020 to work on charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers.But then Quezada stopped getting chosen for the coveted flights because, she alleges in a lawsuit, the Dodgers preferred attendants who were young and white.“The wall is still there. I didn’t break anything,” Quezada said in an interview Monday, Oct. 30. Quezada, 44, is of Black, Mexican and Jewish heritage. She and fellow flight attendant Dawn Todd, a 50-year-old Black woman, filed a lawsuit last week against United claiming racial and religious discrimination in staffing the Dodgers charter flights.“For me, (the job) meant everything,” Quezada said. “I am a minority. I tried to join the charter since 2008 when I was first hired, but I was told I didn’t fit a look.”The lawsuit claims United officials and Dodgers traveling secretary Scott Akasaki “blatantly” selected flight attendants for the charter bas...

Owner of California sober living homes sentenced to 2 years for fraud

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

A Bakersfield attorney who Orange County prosecutors said built a $22 million empire by fraudulently billing insurance firms for urine tests that were either not needed or not completed has been sentenced to two years in jail.Philip Ganong, 70, pleaded no contest Monday to 10 counts of submitting fraudulent claims for a health benefit at a chain of sober living homes his family operated in Southern California.Ganong, his wife and their son collected urine samples from employees and patients staying at their homes. They created labs to test that urine. And they charged insurance companies, sometimes hundreds of dollars per sample, to analyze it. But often the tests were either not done or not needed, and the prescriptions were forged, prosecutors said at the time.Ganong’s wife, Pamela, is awaiting a mental health competency hearing Nov. 28 to determine if she can stand trial on charges of submitting fraudulent claims for health benefit. Their son, William, died in a house fire in 201...

Ask Amy: I was angry to see them all eating nuts, and they laughed when I objected

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

Dear Amy: I am one of a group of friends who recently attended a hobby retreat. Before the retreat we were informed that a participant (a person we know) has a nut allergy.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: My parents aren’t really fighting, but it makes my husband uncomfortable Advice | Ask Amy: Yes, I drink too much, but here’s why I won’t do AA Advice | Ask Amy: My wife’s family is horrible to me, and she pretends it’s not happening Advice | Ask Amy: My husband has very definite views about our child’s schooling. Is he correct? Advice | Ask Amy: Should I just let the new boyfriend be a surprise at our holiday dinner? We were told her allergy was environmental and that she could have a reaction just being around nuts.Well, when I walked into the venue all four of my friends were eating nuts.When I mentioned the nut allergy, they all laughed. They knew about it but did...

Earthstone Energy: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Earthstone Energy Inc. (ESTE) on Tuesday reported profit of $61.4 million in its third quarter.The The Woodlands, Texas-based company said it had profit of 57 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 75 cents per share.The oil and gas company posted revenue of $475.8 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 ESTE at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ESTESource

SRAX: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) — WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) — SRAX, Inc. (SRAX) on Tuesday reported a loss of $3.8 million in its third quarter.On a per-share basis, the Westlake Village, California-based company said it had a loss of 14 cents.The company posted revenue of $5.3 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 SRAX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SRAXSource

Glaxo: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

BRENTFORD, Britain (AP) — BRENTFORD, Britain (AP) — GSK plc (GSK) on Wednesday reported third-quarter earnings of $1.85 billion.The Brentford, Britain-based company said it had profit of 90 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and amortization costs, came to $1.26 per share.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.09 per share.The drug developer posted revenue of $10.32 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 GSK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/GSKSource

Bajas temperaturas de costa a costa y un río atmosférico en el Pacífico impactan Estados Unidos. Este es el pronóstico

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:43 GMT

(CNN) — Tras el paso de un frente frío por el este de Estados Unidos el lunes, otra ola de aire frío que podría batir récords se desplaza por el país este miércoles.Se espera que las temperaturas caigan cerca o por debajo de cero desde las Llanuras del Sur de Estados Unidos hacia el este, a través de los valles del Bajo Mississippi y Tennessee y hacia los Apalaches este miércoles por la mañana.La temperatura mínima diaria récord de Dallas Love Field para el 1 de noviembre es de 1,1 grados Celsius, establecida en 2019, y podría bajar a -0,5 grados Celsius en las próximas horas, según la Oficina Nacional de Administración Oceánica y Atmosférica (NOAA, por sus siglas en inglés). St. Louis podría caer a los -3,3 grados Celsius este miércoles por la mañana, lo que empataría su récord de temperatura mínima para el 1 de noviembre, que se estableció en 1954, según NOAA. Las temperaturas máximas estarán muy por debajo de la media este miércoles, donde las máximas en el centro y este de...