Author: ricardofrancois

Proposition 1, a statewide bond measure championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as crucial to solving the state's mental health and homelessness crisis, was leading early returns Tuesday evening in California's primary. The measure redirects an existing tax on the wealthy under the state's 20-year-old mental health services law to fund services for people with substance use disorders, and includes a $6.4 billion bond to build more than 10,000 treatment beds.Newsom campaigned from San Francisco to San Diego in the run-up to the primary, urging voters to pass the measure to address the most vexing issue of the governor's office and…

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Los Angeles County District Atty. George Gascón and former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman jumped to an early lead in a crowded field of candidates vying for the county's top prosecutor's job.As of 9pm on Tuesday, Gascón led the group with 22% of the vote, followed by Hochman with 18%. District representative. Atty. Jonathan Hatami, long a thorn in Gascón's side and popular among victims' rights advocates, was the only other candidate to do in double figures, taking 12% in early returns. Although polls show Gascón has become deeply unpopular with a large portion of Los Angeles County residents, pollsters and…

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Roku users across the country turned on their TVs this week to find an unpleasant surprise: The company required them to agree to new dispute resolution terms in order to access their devices. Devices are not usable until the user consents. Users (at least this one) received an email the other day saying “We have made changes to our Dispute Resolution Terms, which describe how you can resolve disputes with Roku. We encourage you to read the updated Dispute Resolution Terms. By continuing to use our products or services You agree to these updated terms. The terms, of course, include…

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Ahsoka, Andor, and the Mandalorian — characters now integrated into the Star Wars universe thanks to their Disney+ series — will soon be part of Disneyland's Star Tours – The Adventures continue ride. Even Grogu, popularly referred to as “Baby Yoda,” may make an appearance.The popular characters will be added to the attraction on April 5 as part of Disney's efforts to keep the Star Tours attraction “evolving alongside that expanding galaxy, far, far away,” Disney announced in a press release. Disney had already teased some new additions to the attraction late last year, revealing that Ahsoka Tano, a former…

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Shoppers exit a Nordstrom at Westfield Topanga Mall in Los Angeles on August 14, 2023.Christina House | Los Angeles Times | Getty ImagesNordstrom Holiday quarter sales beat Wall Street expectations on Tuesday, but the retailer gave a muted forecast for next year, and shares fell about 10% in extended trading.The Seattle-based company said it plans to open new Nordstrom Rack stores and increase online and in-store sales in the next year. However, it said full-year revenue, including retail and credit card sales, would range from a 2% decline to a 1% increase compared to the previous year. This forecast includes…

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Hong Kong – A slump in technology stocks dragged Wall Street to its worst day in three weeks on Tuesday. The S&P 500 fell 1% for its second straight loss after closing last week at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index led the market down 1.7%.Apple's stock decline of 2.8% was one of the heaviest in the market. It has been struggling due to concerns about slowing iPhone sales in China, where intense competition and a faltering overall economy pose a challenge. Apple is one of many big tech stocks that…

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Check out the companies making headlines after the bell. Ross Stores — Shares rose 1% after the discount department store chain's fourth-quarter results beat analysts' expectations. Ross earned $1.82 per share on revenue of $6.02 billion, higher than the $1.65 per share on revenue of $5.81 billion that analysts had expected, according to LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. CrowdStrike – Cybersecurity stock rose 19% after Q4 earnings beat estimates. CrowdStrike's earnings of 95 cents per share beat the 82 cents expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG. The company's revenue of $845 million was also higher than the estimated $839 million.…

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A referendum on a more rehabilitative, less punitive approach to criminal justice got its latest test in Los Angeles County on Tuesday, with the county leading. Atty. George Gascón faced a large field of opponents who promised either more moderate reforms or a return to more stringent law enforcement.The 11 contenders to be DA have created the hottest race in the county, with a large field and significant dissatisfaction with Gascón, preventing anyone from winning a majority, setting up an expected November runoff between the front runners.Tuesday's election also put nearly half the seats on the Los Angeles City Council…

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Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2023.Nathan Howard | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesFederal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell heads to Capitol Hill on Wednesday with markets intent on getting more clarity on how the central bank plans to move forward with monetary policy this year.The past few months have seen a changing dynamic between financial markets and the Federal Reserve over the pace and timing of expected interest rate cuts this year. Markets have been forced to adjust their collective view from an ultra-lenient central bank to…

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A Target store in New York, United States, on Monday, March 4, 2024. Shelby Knowles | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesGoal It said on Tuesday it would launch a paid membership program next month, mimicking the playbook of its competitors Amazon And Walmart.The subscription-based program, Target Circle 360, will launch in early April and will cost $99 per year. Target will offer a discounted rate of $49 per year as part of the promotion from its launch through May 18, and then continue to offer the lower rate to its credit card holders after that. The program will include unlimited free…

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