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UK and EU formally adopt new Brexit Windsor Framework deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Downing Street said that the UK and EU have signed off on the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. It's called the "Windsor Framework," and its goal is to make it easier for Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to trade with each other.It gives the Stormont assembly more power over EU rules, and most Northern Ireland parties are happy about it.The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), on the other hand, voted against a key part of the deal on Wednesday and still won't share power.Earlier, the EU's top negotiator for Brexit said that the framework allowed the UK and the EU to start a "new chapter in their relationship."Maros Sefcovic was in London on Friday to sign a new deal with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly about what will happen after Brexit.Mr. Sefcovic said that the EU would keep listening to everyone in Northern Ireland and keep working towards peace.He said that both sides "listened, understood, and did what was best for both of us."He said, "Now, the Windsor Framework i...

King Charles's visit to France postponed after pension protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

The state visit of King Charles III to France has been put off because President Emmanuel Macron asked for it to be. The Elysée Palace said that the decision was made together because next Tuesday will be the 10th day of pension protests.The trip to Paris and Bordeaux was supposed to start on Sunday, but violence in France on Thursday was some of the worst since protests started in January.The "situation in France," Buckingham Palace said, was to blame for the delay.In a statement, it said, "Their Majesties are very excited about going to France as soon as dates can be set."The UK government also said that the decision had been made "with the agreement of all parties" after the French president asked the British to do so.

LAUSD classes resume as 3-day strike ends; still no deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Classes resume for hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District students on Friday after a planned three-day strike by union employees ended with no new agreement.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is actively involved in the negotiations between the district and the Service Employees International Union, Local 99, which represents around 30,000 teachers’ aides, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff.John Lewis, who serves on the SEIU Local 99 executive board, said discussions will resume Friday morning.With no new deal in place yet, rallies were held across Los Angeles on Thursday, including a large gathering at the L.A. Historic State Park.Around 60,000 Los Angeles Unified School District employees on strike, calling for higher wages and better working conditions on March 23, 2023. (KTLA)Around 60,000 Los Angeles Unified School District employees on strike, calling for higher wages and better working conditions on March 23, 2023. (KTLA)Around ...

Video captures thieves smashing into Tujunga shop, stealing over $1M worth of collectibles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

A shop owner in Tujunga is devastated after a group of thieves smashed into his store and stole over $1 million worth of rare collectible items.Surveillance video captured the heist as three burglars broke into Kaptain Fish Collectibles on the 6500 block of Foothill Boulevard around 4:52 a.m. on Sunday morning.The thieves were seen backing a truck straight into the store’s front glass windows. As they entered, they grabbed anything they could get their hands on, robbing owner Sevag Mazakian of his livelihood.Within five minutes, Mazakian said the thieves got away with over $1 million worth of stolen goods. By the time officers arrived, the suspects were gone.The shop owners are hoping surveillance video will help authorities catch the thieves before they strike another business.Some of the items taken from the shop include “sealed products with hobby boxes, loose boxes on our shelf, cards, even a signed pair of Kobe Bryant shoes,” said Mazakian. “I’ve been very on edge because ...

Metro board OKs plan to explore creating own police force

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Policing on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority's buses and trains has been a contentious issue over recent months, though a vote by Metro's board Thursday could simplify what has been a complex solution.The board voted 11-1 to extend its ongoing contracts with the Los Angeles Police, Los Angeles County Sheriff's and Long Beach Police departments while moving forward with exploring the creation of its own police force.The vote comes amid a spike in overdoses and violence on Metro buses and trains, one factor that many believe is contributing to declining ridership. Meanwhile, Metro is spending hundreds of millions on contracts with law enforcement agencies, even though an audit found that deputies and officers were rarely riding the trains, instead often choosing to remain in their squad cars near Metro stations.While most of the board was in favor of continuing the current contracts while exploring the creation of a new force, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey...

Outer Edge LA puts NFT tech on display

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Outer Edge LA is a conference dedicated to what’s next on the Internet. The event was held this week in the Los Angeles Convention Center."We wanted to create an innovation festival that celebrated all the incredible convergent technology that are coming together that this special moment in time," said Joshua Kriger, a co-founder of the show and host of the Edge of NFT podcast.On display: Blockchain, the metaverse and NFT tech.While many mainstream crypto investors are still reeling from recent downs, those involved in the tech side of things still believe that blockchain database technology holds a lot of promise."The value will come from the intrinsic value and the utility value of the products as opposed to the speculative hype which we saw in this last wave of the market cycle," explained Jack O'Holleran, co-founder of Skale Labs.NFT Artwork on display at Outer Edge LA 2023Some of the interesting tech I came across included HelloVacay, sort of a AAA using blockchain tech. They s...

Gonzaga tops UCLA 79-76 in Sweet 16

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Gonzaga and UCLA played one NCAA Tournament game that left the Zags' star player bawling, and another game that stunned the Bruins. Add another to the list. Maybe the maddest one in March yet.Julian Strawther hit a 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds left to answer a 3-pointer by UCLA's Amari Bailey, lifting Gonzaga to a wild 79-76 win over UCLA Thursday night in the Sweet 16.“It’s moments like that you can’t make up,” said Strawther, a Las Vegas native. “Those are literally the moments you dream of. To even make a shot like that in March Madness and just to be back home in Vegas is like the cherry on top.”The Bruins (31-6), the West Region’s No. 2 seed, stormed back from an eight-point deficit in the final 1:05 and took a 76-75 lead on Bailey's 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds left.The Zags (31-5) brought the ball up the floor and Strawther stepped into a 3-pointer after a drop pass from Hunter Sallis, sending Gonzaga fans to their feet.“As soon as it came off, it looked like it was on line,” St...

California, Oregon face Pacific salmon fishing ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

As drought dried up rivers that carry California’s newly hatched Chinook salmon to the ocean, state officials in recent years resorted to loading up the fish by the millions onto trucks and barges to take them to the Pacific.The surreal and desperate scramble boosted the survival rate of the hatchery-raised fish, but still it was not enough to reverse the declining stocks in the face of added challenges. River water temperatures rose with warm weather, and a Trump-era rollback of federal protections for waterways allowed more water to be diverted to farms. Climate change, meanwhile, threatens food sources for the young Chinook maturing in the Pacific. Now, ocean salmon fishing season is set to be prohibited this year off California and much of Oregon for the second time in 15 years after adult fall-run Chinook, often known as king salmon, returned to California's rivers in near record-low numbers in 2022.“There will be no wild-caught California salmon to eat unless someone has still...

Celebrating Latina Jefas – Qusqo Bistro and Gallery’s Lucy Haro

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

PepsiCo launched year two of its signature Jefa-Owned campaign in support of Latina small business owners this week honoring Lucy Haro at her little corner of Peru, Qusqo Bistro and Gallery in West Los Angeles.In partnership with celebrity chef and restaurateur Lorena Garcia, and powered by PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow), the five-year $50 million program aims to provide access to business-building resources, opportunity and capital for Latina-owned businesses.   “Since the beginning of time, men have always led kitchens as the professionals and the women cook in the house for the family,” Garcia told L.A. Weekly over a brunch of chica juice, platanos, fried yucca, ceviche, lomo saltado and warm rice pudding. “Over time, women became inspired and empowered to start their own businesses, but statistically most kitchens and restaurants are owned and run by men. Then when our parents or our children get sick, we are the ones who end up taking care of everyone. I’m the...

CBD Oils Have A 50 Percent Chance Of Matching Posted Levels, New Study Suggests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

In today’s CBD market, customers can’t be too skeptical. Since there’s no FDA-approved method for scanning CBD supplements, it’s up to each company to submit third-party lab tests. Unfortunately, there’s never a guarantee your CBD item has the cannabinoid concentrations posted on its label.A recent trial from the University of Kentucky suggests the accuracy of posted CBD concentrations in hemp extracts is even worse than many imagined. According to this trial, customers have about a 50/50 chance that their CBD oil has the cannabinoid concentrations on the label. If consumers want the max benefit from their CBD oil, they must understand the implications of this latest trial.Just How Off Are Today’s CBD Oil Labels? — The Latest Review On CBD Oil AccuracyIn the University of Kentucky’s latest test, scientists bought 80 CBD oil products from various brands. Before scanning each product in their lab facility, researchers recorded the advertised c...