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Real World Economics: Consider Fitch downgrade to be a warning

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

Edward LottermanLast week’s announcement by bond rating agency Fitch that it was downgrading U.S. Treasury securities one notch to AA+ from AAA was simultaneously politically important and financially inconsequential.Fitch is the smallest of the three U.S.-based bond rating agencies along with Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. These track and analyze the financial soundness of tens of thousands of corporate bonds and those of all levels of government from municipalities to nations.They issue alphabetic ratings indicating the safety or risk of investing in a particular bond. This is an extremely important economic function as it generates generally reliable information on which millions of individuals and businesses can decide what to do with their money. Good information makes for better and faster use of scarce capital, reduces costs and increases efficiency. (For concise further information see S&P’s “Guide to Credit Rating Essentials” and Fitch’s “Rating Definitions” on the in...

Business raises money to support vets on helicopter crash anniversary

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

WENTZVILLE Mo -- Today is the 12-year anniversary of a helicopter being shot down in Afghanistan. It killed 31 soldiers, including a dog. An area Air Force veteran knew three of those men. This morning, he's paying tribute in his own special way.

Car set on fire with homeless man inside in Green Meadows

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

A car with a man sleeping inside was set on fire early Sunday morning. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in the Green Meadows neighborhood of Los Angeles. The suspect walked up to the man's car as he was sleeping and threw a flammable liquid inside, causing the car to ignite, police said.Video footage from the scene shows the car completely engulfed in flames, and once firefighters were able to put out the blaze, all that was left of the vehicle were charred metal fragments. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (OnScene TV) According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (OnScene TV) According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurr...

2 arrested for deadly shooting in Irvine

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

Two suspects were arrested Saturday after a teenager was shot and killed in a quiet Irvine neighborhood earlier this week.The suspects were identified as Jayden Browndorf, 21, of Irvine and Noah Farmer, 22, of Tustin, by the Irvine Police Department.The victim was identified as Nicholas Alistair Neaimi-Pour, 19, from Costa Mesa.On Aug. 3, police responded to reports of a shooting near Athel Avenue and Sego Street around 12:37 p.m. Callers told police they heard a man screaming for help. Arriving officers found the victim lying on the ground while being attended to by witnesses and residents in the area.Paramedic crews arrived on the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.SWAT Team arrested two suspects at their Irvine home after a teenager was shot and killed in an Irvine neighborhood on Aug. 3, 2023. (County News.TV)SWAT Team arrested two suspects after a teenager was shot and killed in ...

Man found in barrel at Malibu beach was an aspiring rapper

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

An aspiring rapper who was found dead inside a barrel at Malibu Lagoon State Beach was shot in the head, according to a new report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.The victim, identified as 32-year-old Javonnta Murphy, was discovered on July 31 inside a 55-gallon drum floating in the water near the Pacific Coast Highway bridge.The coroner’s report also lists Murphy’s cause of death as a homicide. Murphy was found naked and sealed inside the barrel at the time. A park maintenance worker first spotted the barrel and paddled out in a kayak to investigate. When they tried to drag it to shore, it was too heavy so they left it in the water, according to the L.A. Sheriff’s Department.When a lifeguard arrived at work the next day and spotted the barrel around 10 a.m., they swam out to retrieve it. When they opened the barrel, that’s when they made the gruesome discovery, authorities said.Lifeguards discovered a body inside a barrel in Malibu Lagoon. July 31, 2023. (KTLA)...

Los Gatos high schooler wins short film contest

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

Award-winning videoA Los Gatos High School student took home the prize for best video in the 2023 Be-You-tiful Contest held by the Eating Disorders Resource Center, a local organization focusing on mental health and body image. The contest was open to all middle and high schools in the Bay Area, and participants created art, poems, essays or videos on the subject of social media.Kian Egami, an 11th grade student in Los Gatos, was recognized for his short video on society’s harsh body standards for men and how heavy social media use can be detrimental for mental health. Winners in all categories received a cash prize. Find the winning video, entitled “HELP – Winner of Be-You-Tiful Multimedia Contest” on YouTube.Brake for catsThe South Bay’s mountain lions gave the Town of Los Gatos its name—and officials are now asking residents to take care when driving to protect the big cats. The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority highlighted the need for safe wildlife crossings on road...

Cupertino climate summit tackles environmental issues

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

Students and community members who attended the recent Silicon Valley Climate Summit at Cupertino’s De Anza College came away with information about issues ranging from plant-based diets to clean energy to a circular economy.Besides professionals in the environmental space, the July 27 summit also drew politicians such as State Assemblymember Ash Kalra and former Cupertino mayor Rod Sinks, now a Fremont Union High School District trustee. Also among the guest speakers was State Sen. Dave Cortese, whose office co-hosted the event along with Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA), De Anza College VIDA and the Fremont Union High School District.In keeping with the SVYCA’s mission to empower teens and young adults to combat climate change, summit participants talked with guest speakers about developing actionable strategies around emission reductions, energy, transit and other climate issues.Bill Shireman, president and founder of the nonprofit consultancy Future 500, led a breakou...

Cupertino camp for disabled unveils new sports field

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

A Cupertino-based camp serving children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families marked the renovation of its outdoor sports field Aug. 2 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.The sports field was designed to advance Camp Via West’s mission to develop innovative social and recreational programs that promote inclusion and provide new opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.The field features multi-use turf with football and soccer lines and will be used for volleyball and other recreational activities. It will have ADA-compliant bathrooms, concession stand, tents for shade and new sports equipment with storage.The renovations allow for community partnerships with organizations like Special Olympics Northern California, which announced a new collaboration with Camp Via West at the Aug. 2 event. Other nonprofit organizations can utilize Camp Via West for group retreats and educational activities.Camp Via West is located on county-owned land at 13851 ...

Sunnyvale’s annual Sunset Movie Series kicks off Aug. 11

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

Sunset Movie SeriesSunnyvale’s annual Sunset Movie Series kicks off Aug. 11 at Ortega Park, 636 Harrow Way, with “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” The series moves to Columbia Park, 789 Morse Ave., on Aug. 18 for “Top Gun: Maverick” and closes Aug. 25 with “Lightyear” at Washington Park, 840 W. Washington Ave.The parks will be open at 7 p.m. for attendees to set up on the lawn. All movies will begin after sunset. ·Public safety officers start trainingOn July 24, seven officers from Sunnyvale’s Department of Public Safety began their training at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Regional Police Academy. The recruits from class no. 178 were set to complete more than 1,064 hours of training in areas including firearms, defensive tactics, de-escalation and emergency vehicle operations. After graduating, they will enlist in the Fire Academy, EMT School and Field Training for Police and Fire. For more information, contact Capt. David Sakurai at 408-730-7176.Clean energy rebatesSunnyvale-based Silico...

Saratoga middle school student is a winner in Be-You-tiful contest

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:17:44 GMT

Redwood Middle School eighth-grader Claire Kwon is among the winners of this year’s Be-You-tiful contest, sponsored by the Campbell-based Eating Disorders Resource Center (EDRC). The annual contest asked Bay Area middle and high school students to share their thoughts on how social media affects body image and overall well being.In her painting, which took first place in the middle school art category, Claire uses roses to express the negative effects social media can have on an individual.“The roses represent people today,” she wrote in her artist’s statement. “The rose with the phone appears to be unhealthy and dried up. The dried-up rose is also trapped in the bottle, as the bottle has a cork.“Like the roses, someone who spends too much time on their phone in a way that they get addicted or ‘trapped’ can suffer from drastic consequences,” Claire continued. “Our phones can expose us to different apps, which includes social media. Excessive social media and scrolling can lead one  ...