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'Taco Tuesday' trademark tiff flares anew between fast food competitors

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Declaring a mission to liberate “Taco Tuesday” for all, Taco Bell is asking U.S. regulators to force Wyoming-based Taco John’s to abandon its longstanding claim to the trademark. Too many businesses and others refer to “Taco Tuesday” for Taco John’s to be able to have exclusive rights to the phrase, Taco Bell asserts in a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filing that is, of course, dated Tuesday. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! It's the latest development in a long-running beef over “Taco Tuesday” that even included NBA star LeBron James making an unsuccessful attempt to claim the trademark in 2019.“Taco Bell believes ‘Taco Tuesday’ is critical to everyone’s Tuesday. To deprive anyone of saying 'Taco Tuesday' — be it Taco Bell or anyone who provides tacos to the world — is like depriving the world of sunshine itself," the Taco Bell filing reads.A key question is whether “Taco Tuesday” over the years has...

George Santos expulsion coming before House as Democrats force vote

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats took steps Tuesday to force a vote on expelling New York Rep. George Santos from Congress, an effort that is expected to be defeated but puts Republicans in the uncomfortable position of taking a stand on an indicted colleague. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The freshman GOP congressman has been charged with embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances. He has denied the charges and has pleaded not guilty.Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., introduced a resolution in February to expel Santos, something the House has only done twice in recent decades and requires the approval of a two-thirds majority. He brought the measure Tuesday to the House floor under a process that gives lawmakers until Thursday to dispense with it.Republicans could vote to table the effort. They could also refer it to the House Ethics Committee...

Marjorie Taylor Greene moves to impeach FBI director, US attorney for DC

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said on Tuesday that she will move to introduce articles of impeachment against FBI Director Christopher Wray and Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.Greene alleged in a release that Wray has turned the FBI into President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland's "personal police force." She said the FBI has "intimidated, harassed, and entrapped" U.S. citizens who have been "deemed enemies of the Biden regime."She cited several examples of FBI actions in the past few years during Wray's tenure that she believes demonstrates overreach and improper conduct by the agency.Greene referenced the plot that multiple men had in 2020 to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), pointing to the couple who were acquitted after defense attorneys argued that the FBI entrapped them and convinced them to engage in the conspiracy.Multiple other men, including the suspected ringleaders of the plot, were found ...

St. Charles Co. man illegally used employee taxes on personal expenses

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - A St. Charles County man illegally used millions in employee tax dollars on several personal expenses, including tuition for one of his children and mortgage payments on two houses. A federal judge sentenced Jeffrey Bauza, 55, of Weldon Spring, in the case on Tuesday. He was ordered to pay back $1.4 million he owed in taxes, though reportedly failed to pay around $3.4 million in taxes withheld from employees. Goat senior prank ends Missouri athlete's competition Bauza, who owned two truck driving schools in the St. Charles area, was required by law to withhold income, Social Security and Medicare taxes from employee wages before turning them over to the IRS. Investigators say he willfully failed to do so from 2012-2019. Bauza reportedly used part of $2.3 million withheld from employee paychecks on college tuition, mortgage payments and a vacation home in Florida. He also failed to pay $1 million in employer contributions to the IRS. Close ...

JoJo Siwa's L.A. home burglarized

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

Police are looking for burglars who broke into JoJo Siwa’s home in Tarzana early Monday morning.According to TMZ, officers responded to the entertainer’s home around 2:40 a.m. after getting a call from her alarm company. By the time they arrived, the suspects were gone.Siwa, 19, shared the security footage on social media, which she called an “armed robbery.” Entertainment Tonight reports Siwa was away on a cruise at the time of the burglary and no one else was home.“I’m just happy that my family and pups are safe. Most important thing to me,” Siwa posted. “Do me a favor and hug your people extra tight tonight. Life is SCARY. And you never know when anything could happen.”It was not immediately known what was stolen.According to TMZ, Los Angeles Police found an open door at the property which is how they believe the burglars entered the home.

ChatGPT chief says artificial intelligence should be regulated by a U.S. or global agency

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

The head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT told Congress on Tuesday that government intervention will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems.“As this technology advances, we understand that people are anxious about how it could change the way we live. We are too," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at a Senate hearing.Altman proposed the formation of a U.S. or global agency that would license the most powerful AI systems and have the authority to “take that license away and ensure compliance with safety standards.”His San Francisco-based startup rocketed to public attention after it released ChatGPT late last year. The free chatbot tool answers questions with convincingly human-like responses.What started out as a panic among educators about ChatGPT's use to cheat on homework assignments has expanded to broader concerns about the ability of the latest crop of “generative AI” tools to mislead people, spread falsehoods, violate copyrigh...

Prince Harry and Meghan involved in ‘near catastrophic car chase’ involving paparazzi

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

By Max Foster | CNNPrince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night, his spokesperson says.Harry was accompanying Meghan at the Women of Vision Awards, held at the city’s Ziegfeld Ballroom.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also traveling with Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother.In a statement obtained by CNN, a spokesperson for the couple said: “Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”Related ArticlesNational News | Alec Baldwin’s tragedy-marred ‘Rust’ looking for a buyer National News | Britney Spears has lost relationship with sons amid post-conservatorship struggles, doc reports National News | Will renowned chef José Andrés bail on Stanford Shopping Center restaurant plan? National News | Jamie ...

Leaving California? If you want ‘fun’ lifestyle, here are states to move to

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

There’s no shortage of “fun” in California, so relocating to a place with nearly as many leisure options is no easy task.As a public service – not to mention highlighting an economic lesson or two – my trusty spreadsheet created “fun” grades for each state to help anyone contemplating an out-of-state move.Now, if you’re in a hurry for the rankings, my math recommends moving to Florida, or Hawaii, Massachusetts, Colorado or Minnesota.That’s the overall conclusion of a scorecard derived from eight measures of fun. How do states outside of California compare on benchmarks including how much is invested in recreation, what’s the level of leisurely resources, how tasty is the food and how fine is the weather?Please note that any state-by-state scorecard is a rough estimate of the ranking’s target. Results will suggest the winners and losers for a hypothetical but typical household.Caveats noted, the study says fun-seekers looking to become ex-Californians should avoid Indiana, Alabama, W...

Los Gatos social justice nonprofit hosts community healing event honoring George Floyd

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

Three years after the police killing of George Floyd, a Los Gatos-based social justice nonprofit is hosting a first-of-its-kind day of remembrance and community healing.The event is one in AWO’s slate of summer events to bring people of all backgrounds together to learn about each other’s similarities and celebrate differences.“It’s a moment to see how to move forward; it’s a moment to check how we’re healing. It’s a moment to discuss the work that still needs to be done,” AWO founder Folake Phillips said.“Breath. Forward. You are not Alone,” will take place May 25 at 6 p.m. at Town Plaza Park. The event will feature interfaith prayer, healing circles, community speakers, an open mic forum, storytelling, poetry and music.AWO hosted a virtual memorial in 2021 that drew about 40 people, Phillips said.“Bring your blankets, chairs and community spirits as we come together as diverse like-minded people for an afternoon of remembrance, healing and...

NCS baseball playoffs: Pittsburg, Freedom, Liberty step out of EBAL shadow

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:53 GMT

The Bay Valley Athletic League was overshadowed this spring by the East Bay Athletic League as teams such as Granada and Amador Valley found comfort in the upper half of the rankings.Not so Tuesday.On the first day of the North Coast Section playoffs, the BVAL won four games in the Division I bracket, including upset victories by 12th-seeded Pittsburg and 13th-seeded Freedom.No. 8 seed Liberty also advanced.On the season-ending side of those results were teams from the EBAL, including fourth-seeded Granada and fifth-seeded Amador Valley.No. 9 seed Dublin and No. 6 seed Foothill also lost.For Pittsburg, which scored five runs in the final two innings on the road to stun Granada 8-4, it was the program’s first NCS playoff victory since 1996, according to its coach, Marco Cartagena.He called his team’s small-ball performance “gritty.” The Pirates got three hits from Halen Guerrero and three walks from Daniel Trujillo.“Obviously, the EBAL’s got stacke...