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The Supreme Court is taking up a case that could rule out a tax on wealth favored by some Democrats

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking up a case Tuesday over a Washington couple’s $15,000 tax bill that is widely seen as a test of a never-enacted tax on wealth.A decision in favor of Charles and Kathleen Moore of Redmond, Washington, could strike down a provision of the 2017 tax bill that is expected to bring in $340 billion, threaten other provisions of the tax code and rule out a wealth tax that is favored by some Democrats who argue that the wealthiest Americans don’t pay their fair share of taxes.Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was Speaker of the House when the tax bill was passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump, has called the challenge “misguided” and said “a lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional if that thing prevailed.”The couple is backed by conservative political groups and business interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.The law applies to companies that are owned by Americans, bu...

The fourth GOP debate will be a key moment for the young NewsNation cable network

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — By airing the fourth Republican presidential primary debate scheduled for Wednesday — again, minus Donald Trump — the young NewsNation television network will almost certainly reach the largest audience in its history.Yet with two of the three debate moderators associated with conservative media and not NewsNation, including podcast star Megyn Kelly, the event threatens to be at odds with the centrist image the network is trying to cultivate.“I think it’s an amazing opportunity and allows us to have more people fully sample the network and see who we are and what we’re doing,” said Cherie Grzech, NewsNation’s senior vice president of news and politics.Her advice to those who have doubts about how NewsNation can pull it off: Just watch.A NETWORK STILL SEEKING AN AUDIENCEThe debate is to air from 8 to 10 p.m. ET and will also be shown on the CW network, which like NewsNation is owned by the Nexstar Media Group. The CW will show it live in the eastern ...

In the salt deserts bordering Pakistan, India builds its largest renewable energy project

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

KHAVDA, India (AP) — Rising from the bare expanse of the large salt desert that separates India from Pakistan is what will likely be the world’s largest renewable energy project when completed three years from now.The solar and wind energy project will be so big that it will be visible from space, according to developers of what is called the Khavda renewable energy park, named after the village nearest to the project site. At the site, thousands of laborers install pillars on which solar panels will be mounted. The pillars rise like perfectly aligned concrete cactuses that stretch as far as the eye can see. Other workers are building foundations for enormous wind turbines to be installed; they also are transporting construction material, building substations and laying wires for miles. When completed, the project will be about as large as Singapore, spreading out over 726 square kilometers (280 square miles). The Indian government estimates it will cost at least $2.26 billion...

Emotional vigil held for 17-year-old shot, killed in Westlake

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

Family and friends gathered for an emotional vigil Monday night in L.A.’s Westlake neighborhood to remember a 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed Saturday night.  According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the original call regarding an assault with a deadly weapon with shots fired came in around 7:10 p.m. in the 200 block of North Lake Street across from Lake Street Primary School.   The 17-year-old victim, identified by family as Gabriel Quintas, suffered at least one gunshot wound to the chest, police said, and he was quickly transported to a local hospital in critical condition.   He died due to his injuries on Sunday, law enforcement officials confirmed. “My son, he had a beautiful spirit. He was very special, he was very unique,” the teen’s mother, Marisel Rams told KTLA at the vigil. “He was kindhearted. He wanted everybody to be in a good mood and whoever killed him, they didn’t know that. They didn’t know him. They took my boy from me....

Former Olympian sentenced for deliberately crashing plane in YouTube publicity stunt

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES - An extreme sports athlete from Santa Barbara County was sentenced to six months in federal prison on Monday for intentionally crashing a small plane for a YouTube stunt and then destroying the wreckage.In November 2021, authorities say Trevor Jacob, 30, took off from the Lompoc City Airport in his single-engine Taylorcraft BL-65 on a solo flight purportedly destined for Mammoth Lakes.About 30 minutes later, while flying above the Los Padres National Forest, a YouTube video titled “I Crashed My Airplane” shows Jacob saying the plane's lone engine had failed.“Holy ****! I’m over the mountains and I have an engine out,” he says.On Nov. 24, 2021, Jacob took off from the Lompoc City Airport in his single-engine Taylorcraft BL-65 on a solo flight purported destined for Mammoth Lakes. (YouTube: @TrevorJacob)Jacob jumped from the plane and videotaped himself parachuting to the ground. Cameras mounted inside and outside of the plane showed the aircraft descend and eventually cr...

Here’s how Malibu plans to get drivers to slow down

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

An ambitious multi-million-dollar project begins Monday to improve safety and traffic flow along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, including the area where four Pepperdine University students were killed in a crash in October.As part of the “Traffic Signal Synchronization Project,” crews will install communication lines between existing traffic signals on PCH between John Tyler Drive and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Officials said this will allow signals to be controlled remotely by Caltrans to lower speeds and reduce congestion.Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. (Getty Images)“The new equipment will capture real-time traffic data and send it to the traffic signal controllers, which will use state-of-the art software to adjust the traffic signal timing to actual traffic volume,” the city of Malibu said on its website. “Vehicles going the speed over the speed limit will encounter red lights, while those going the speed limit will encounter green lights.”The project also include...

These California cities are the 'most fun,’ study says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

Fun isn’t something you can scientifically measure, but that hasn’t stopped researchers at WalletHub from trying.The personal finance website has released a list of the “Most Fun Cities in America,” and three California cities, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles, made the top 20.WalletHub ranked more than 180 cities on 65 factors including the number of attractions, restaurant diversity, bars per capita, the number of amusement parks and sports venues and costs. Cities were then scored on a 100-point scale.Las Vegas ranked #1 with a score of 71.38 followed by Orlando (62.42), Miami (55.91) and Atlanta (55.73). San Francisco landed at number five with 53.35 points.“Sin City is known for partying, and it’s one of the only cities in our study where public drinking is allowed in most or all places – whether that’s a plus or not will depend on your personality, though,” WalletHub said in its report. “When it comes to activities, Vegas unsurprisingly has the largest number of casino...

Federal Glover, a Contra Costa supervisor since 2000, won’t seek reelection

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

MARTINEZ — Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover announced Monday that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, ending his 24-year career on the board and paving the way for a new politician to take his place.Glover, a Democrat and the first and only Black person ever to serve as a Contra Costa supervisor, announced his “retirement” from the board in a news release Monday afternoon. He did not say what he’s planning to do next. He will finish his current term, set to expire in December 2024.Before his election in 2000, he served as a city councilmember and mayor of Pittsburg, where he’s lived all his life. Despite his long ties to East Contra Costa, Glover’s also represented other parts of the northern Contra Costa waterfront, from Pinole and Crockett to Pacheco and Clyde as a supervisor. He’s sat on many other local and regional boards, most notably the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.“Supervisor Glover’s leadershi...

Two-time world road champion Alaphilippe to race in Tour Down Under

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Two-time world road champion Julian Alaphilippe has confirmed he will join the 25th edition of the Tour Down Under in January, ten years after making his world tour debut at Australia’s flagship cycling tour. Alaphilippe looms as a strong early favorite for the six-stage event from Jan. 16 to 21 given the hilly terrain around the southern Australian city of Adelaide suits the Frenchman’s strengths on rolling hills and short but steep climbs. “There are many undulating roads and tough climbs throughout various stages of this race, but I’m particularly excited to revisit Willunga Hill along with Mt Lofty for the first time, as I believe both will provide great opportunities for our team to finish strong,” the Soudal-QuickStep team leader said.Alaphilippe’s only previous visit to Australia was his world tour debut at the Tour Down Under in 2014, an event that has never had a French winner.Since then Alaphilippe won the 2020 and 2021 world road championships, a...

‘Everybody stands to lose’: What empty office space in DC means for the city’s revenue

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:05:44 GMT

If offices in downtown D.C. remain empty and current leasing trends continue, the city could lose millions from commercial property tax revenue, according to a new analysis from the D.C. Policy Center.Demand for office space downtown has dwindled, according to D.C. Policy Center executive director Yesim Sayin, because companies are either not renting spaces or renting less of it. The implications of that, she said, are starting to become clearer, years after the pandemic started.“Companies are no longer leasing, and that means your real estate is no longer desirable, and that means we really do not know what those buildings are worth anymore,” Sayin said. “We also haven’t seen any sales. You really never know the true value of a property until you sell it.”If vacancy rates reach availability rates, the analysis found, the city could lose over $100 million in tax revenue. While that may not seem like a large amount when compared to overall tax revenue, &...