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Colorado library district to pay fired librarian $250,000, create more inclusive policies in settlement of civil rights probe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

A Weld County library district has agreed to pay $250,000 to a librarian it fired two years ago after she objected to the cancellation of programs for youth of color and LGBTQ teens, part of a legal settlement with the state that also requires the district to revise its policies to be more inclusive.Librarian Brooky Parks’ attorney Iris Halpern called the outcome of the Colorado Civil Rights Division’s investigation of High Plains Library District a “groundbreaking settlement,” saying it is among the first public settlements in the nation amid a wave of conservative pushback against LGBTQ- and race-related library books and programming.The Colorado Civil Rights Commission voted to accept the settlement at its monthly public meeting Friday.“There is a massive move of these terminations happening to librarians and educators,” Halpern told The Denver Post. “We’re all hoping this gets people to step back and reframe the issue and think about wha...

Keeler: CU Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders just had his Tom Brady moment. To beat Oregon, he’ll need some Lamar Jackson ones, too.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

EUGENE, Ore. — If a cat’s got nine lives, Shedeur Sanders, charming and charmed, has at least 18 to spare. Good thing, given that the Pac-12’s collecting with interest this fall.“If he’s going to continue to play at a high level, one of the things he needs to do, and he started to do it against CSU, is taking off and running,” Jesse Palmer, the former Florida QB and current ESPN analyst, told me over the phone a few days back.“He’s not the most dynamic runner at the quarterback position in the country. But if you can get four or five yards, limit the distance on third down, protect yourself and get out of bounds, I think that’ll be a key thing for (the Oregon) game Saturday and that’s a big key for him this season.”The Ducks’ defensive line outweighs CSU’s by an average of 22 pounds per dude. Shedeur does Tom Brady better than Tom Brady does Tom Brady these days. But to get out of Autzen Stadium in one piece, yo...

VIDEO: Florida police officer taunts onlookers during arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

The head of a Florida chapter of the NAACP is calling for a Tampa police officer to be fired after the release of body camera video from an incident that took place in June 2022.The video was recorded on body camera belonging to Officer Dukagjin Maxhuni, a 10-year veteran of the department, during an arrest outside of a store in Ybor Heights, KTLA sister station WFLA reports. In the video, the suspect can be seen running toward Maxhuni while trying to avoid other officers attempting to take him into custody. Maxhuni and the suspect appear to collide, after which the suspect hits the ground. Deputy caught with more than 44 pounds of drugs, gun, RCSD says It's the words and actions of Maxhuni after the arrest that are now being called into question."That was one hell of a flying knee from me guys," the officer is heard yelling, indicating that he hit the suspect with his knee. "Hey, hey, we got him relax. That was one hell of a flying knee, I didn't even know I could do that."Maxhu...

Review: feminist farce ‘POTUS’ in Berkeley is trying too hard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

The Oval Office gets bent in the cartoonish political satire “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.”It should be noted that the president doesn’t actually appear in Selina Fillinger’s not-so-frothy feminist farce, which often falls flat in its regional premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. However, the point that the patriarchy is alive and well in American politics is well taken. In this over-the-topical Beltway spoof, seven badass women twist themselves into pretzels daily to make the commander-in-chief look like slightly less of a putz.Directed by Annie Tippe, this loopy lampoon tries far too hard to tickle the funny bone with its cheesy stock caricatures, nonstop profanity, and dated political zingers. There are numerous bawdy jokes, from phallic gags to a running bit about breastfeeding, but none of the vigorous vulgarity feels particularly edgy. The tart social commentary about gender bias also evokes more wry smiles than full-thrott...

Hayward man charged with carrying loaded pistol with silencer on BART train

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

OAKLAND — A Hayward man has been charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor for allegedly bringing a loaded pistol and a silencer with him on a BART train, court records show.The 23-year-old man was charged with four felonies related to the pistol and the silencer, and one misdemeanor charge for allegedly possessing a high capacity magazine. He was arrested Sept. 12 by two BART officers who were doing a foot patrol on a train that had just pulled into the East 12th Street Oakland station, police said.The officers noticed the man sitting under a cloud of marijuana smoke and holding a lit cannabis cigar in his hand. They searched a backpack next to him and found the gun, police said.The man pleaded not guilty on Sept. 14, and has since been released from jail, according to court records. His preliminary hearing has been set for Sept. 28.

Lahaina residents brace for what they’ll find when they return

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher | Associated PressHONOLULU — Soon after one of Maui’s Japanese Buddhist temples, the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, burned in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, its resident minister was desperate to go back and see what remained.Six weeks later, he’s more hesitant.“Now I feel like I have to have mental preparation to go there,” the Rev. Ai Hironaka said. “I’m kind of afraid.”Hironaka and other Lahaina residents are grappling with a range of emotions as Maui authorities plan next week to begin allowing some on supervised visits back into the areas devastated by the Aug. 8 fire, which killed at least 97 people and demolished thousands of buildings.Lana Vierra is bracing to see the ruins of the home where she raised five children, a house that started with three bedrooms in 1991 and was expanded to six to accommodate her extended family as the cost of living in Hawaii soared.She’s been telling her ...

Berkeley: Former home of beloved ‘Hot Tub Guy’ listed for $899,000

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

A home steeped in Berkeley’s communal, hippie history has hit the real estate market — almost exactly a year after its storied owner passed away taking one final soak.Deward Hastings, a longtime community fixture known to many simply as “the Hot Tub Guy,” opened up the handcrafted tub behind his cozy, brown shingle bungalow as a sanctuary to the outside community — free of charge — for nearly 50 years.This week, the 2-bed, 1-bath home, located at 2133 Essex St., was listed for sale for $899,000. The 3,484-square-foot residence includes the semisecret backyard hot tub, which was encircled by towering Redwoods and always set at a scalding, yet lively, 113.5º using a laboratory-grade mercury thermometer.Tens of thousands of visitors enjoyed a steaming soak at the hidden oasis between 1975 and September 2022, when Hastings died at the age of 78. A guest arrived to find Hastings lifeless in the tub; he was pronounced dead by emergency responders a half hour later. Polic...

Auto workers expand strike to 38 locations in 20 states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

By David Koenig | Associated PressThe United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis parts-distribution centers in 20 states.Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, UAW President Shawn Fain said during an online presentation to union members.“We’ve made some real progress at Ford,” Fain said. “We still have serious issues to work through, but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they are serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story.”GM and Stellantis, he said, have rejected the union’s proposals for cost-of-living increases, profit sharing and job security, and “are going to need some serious pushing.”Instead of targeting more production plants Friday, the UAW went after centers that distribute parts to car dealer...

East Bay mayor, three council members will seek higher office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

The makeup of city councils in Pittsburg and Antioch could see a shakeup with four members vying for other offices next year.In Pittsburg, Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston has announced her intent to run for Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover’s District 5 seat if he steps down, while two-term Councilman Jelani Killings has also launched his campaign for the same seat.Shanelle Scales-Preston candidate for Pittsburg City Council. (Courtesy of Shanelle Scales-Preston) Meanwhile, in Antioch, Councilman Mike Barbanica announced on Thursday his intent to seek the same supervisor’s seat, while colleague Monica Wilson this summer announced her bid for the District 15 Assembly seat currently held by Tim Grayson, D-Orinda.Grayson, meanwhile, announced he was running for state senate in August. Glover, a county supervisor since 2000, has yet to make a decision, though he said he would soon.The supervisor’s seat includes Pittsburg, Martinez, Hercules and Rodeo and portions of...

Some older customers are staying away from Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:00 GMT

By Danielle Wiener-Bronner | CNNNew York  — Even the unlimited breadsticks at Olive Garden and wooden rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel can’t seem to lure back the baby boomers.It’s been over three years since many restaurants closed their doors and customers opted to eat more meals at home because of the Covid pandemic. Now, some older customers are still staying away, exacerbating a foot traffic problem faced by restaurant chains.When it comes to customers over 65, “we just have not yet recovered the visits … to the extent we thought we would, really since the pandemic,” said Cracker Barrel CEO Sandra Cochran during a call with analysts earlier this month.Older consumers have been hit by a double whammy, she said. At first, they stayed away because of health concerns. And then, they stayed away due to inflation.“The over-65 group is particularly value-conscious,” she said. “And so we just haven’t seen the recovery of that group.”The dip is coming at a time when Cracker Barrel’s tra...