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Disney sues DeSantis, calling park takeover ‘retaliation’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE (Associated Press)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Disney sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republican’s takeover of its theme park district, alleging the governor waged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” after the company opposed a law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”The suit, filed in Tallahassee, was filed minutes after a Disney World oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to void a deal that placed theme park design and construction decisions in the company’s hands. It’s the latest conflict in an ongoing feud between DeSantis, a Republican expected to run for president, and Disney, a powerful political player and major tourism driver in Florida. The dispute with Disney has drawn significant criticism from the governor’s White House rivals and business leaders who view it as an extraordinary rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.The fight began last year a...

Local control arguments didn’t stop ax from falling on Colorado rent control bill

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

Colorado lawmakers killed a bill Tuesday night that would’ve let local governments enact rent control policies, dealing a blow to progressive housing advocates’ ongoing efforts to insulate renters from rising rents and housing instability.Avon Democratic Sen. Dylan Roberts joined with three Republican senators to sink HB23-1115, which passed the House in late February by a comfortable, if partisan, margin. The bill wouldn’t have enacted any rent control or stabilization policies; it instead would’ve ended a 42-year prohibition that prevents local governments from doing so themselves. That’s critical, advocates and renters say, as rents have surged in recent years and pandemic-era eviction protections expire.Dozens of renters and advocates testified for hours in favor of the bill during its initial House hearing in February, alongside property owners and industry officials who warned of rent control’s impact on development.Tuesday night’s tes...

Unprecedented gains in Colorado home values preview budget-busting property tax hikes next year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

Homeowners across the state will need to set aside more money to cover their property taxes next year — significantly more money — based on the higher property values that county assessors have calculated and will notify them about early next month.Nine county assessors along the Front Range on Wednesday morning revealed the median increases in residential properties, which are valued on a two-year cycle in Colorado. The two-year increases are unprecedented, ranging from 33% in Denver County to 47% in Douglas County.Adams County reported a median residential value gain of 38%, Araphaoe came in at 42%, Boulder was at 35%, Broomfield at 41%, Elbert at 35%, Jefferson at 36.5% and Larimer at 40%. And as robust as those gains were, increases were even higher in several resort areas of the state, in the 40% to 60% range.On the whole, the gains are above what forecasters advising the Colorado legislature had predicted.Those gains were measured from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 202...

Denver firefighters battle heavy blaze in storage building west of downtown

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

A storage building burned so intensely west of downtown, churning up plumes of black smoke, that Denver firefighters initially had to back off the fire before surrounding it and containing it Wednesday morning.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | One dead, two others hospitalized in Lakewood apartment fire Crime and Public Safety | Denver weather: How much snow will Denver get from snowstorm hitting city Friday, Saturday? Crime and Public Safety | Denver weather: Cool and breezy, afternoon clouds expected across sunny blue skies Crime and Public Safety | Helicopter crew assessing Gageby Creek fire burning on 1,680 acres in southeastern Colorado Crime and Public Safety | Denver weather: Cooling temps with afternoon rainshowers, possible snow overnight It was located at 2506 W. 13th Ave., near the intersection at Zuni Street, and was discovered late Tuesday night. Smoke was noticeable as far east as t...

Letters: Amercia’s poor choice … the lying racist or a man in mental decline

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

Trump/Biden rematch not good for U.S.Biden and Trump are running for president — again? How about a bit of truth? The truth is that a majority of Americans do not want either Biden or Trump to run for president — and they certainly don’t want either one of them to have a second term.These deeply flawed octogenarians have had their bite of the apple and it is time to move on. Trump, with his reckless lies, conspiracy theories, and white supremacy, is unacceptable to millions of voters. Biden, with his mental decline, identity politics, buying votes with “free stuff,” and visions of an ever-growing, all-powerful government, is equally unappealing.If we, as a nation, can’t do better than a Trump/Biden rematch, we are indeed a nation in decline.Richard Stacy, Highlands RanchIt took some time to find a single word that best explains why President Joe Biden is running for a second term. When I happened upon it and recalled its definition, I knew it was so apt. Hubris – applied...

Writer tells jury in lawsuit trial: ‘Donald Trump raped me’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

By JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — A writer suing Donald Trump took the stand Wednesday to tell jurors that the future president raped her after she accompanied him into a department store fitting room in 1996.“I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen. He lied and shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try and get my life back,” E. Jean Carroll testified.From afar, Trump repeated his insistence that Carroll’s allegations are fiction, writing on his social media site that the case “is a made-up scam,” and more. His comments prompted the judge to warn Trump’s lawyers that he could bring more legal problems upon himself.Trump hasn’t attended the trial thus far, but his lawyers said Tuesday it’s still possible he could decide to testify.The trial comes as Trump again seeks the Republican nomination for president, and weeks aft...

You'll need $1 million to buy a home in these 7 California counties

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

With its relatively mild climate, hundreds of miles of coastline, sports, entertainment and top-tier higher education, it’s no wonder that California is a desirable place to live.But living here comes with a price, especially if you want to own a home near the coast.The latest data released by the California Association of Realtors shows the median single-family home price in the Golden State was $791,490 in March 2023. If you want to live in one of these seven counties, you can expect to pay $1 million or more.7. Santa Cruz County. Median Home Price = $1,205,000Santa Cruz, home to the famous boardwalk, university, picturesque coastline and laid back vibe, isn’t one of California’s most populated counties. But it can be expensive. The median price of a single-family home here is $1.2 million.6. Alameda County. Median Home Price = $1,225,000Encompassing the city of Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alameda County is the 7th-most populated in California. According to the Californ...

Carrie Fisher to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame on Star Wars Day

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

The late movie legend Carrie Fisher will posthumously receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next month. Fisher's ceremony will take place on Star Wars Day, which is May 4. The common phrase for the occasion is "May the Fourth be with You."The actress famously played Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy and the sequel trilogy. She'll receive the 2,754th star and will famously join her "Star Wars" costars Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. “I am happy to add, that her star is just a few feet away from the star of Mark Hamill and across the street from the star of her legendary mother Debbie Reynolds!” said Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Hamil celebrated the news by tweeting "Long overdue."Fisher's daughter, actress Billie Lourd, is set to accept the honor. The ceremony will take place May 4 at 11:30 a.m. at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. For those who aren't able to attend in person, you can watch the online stream here. Fisher made her film debut in 1975's...

1 Injured in Hit-and-Run Crash on Houghton Road [Tucson, AZ]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

Pedestrian Struck by Vehicle near Hawk Hill Lane Left HospitalizedTUCSON, AZ (April 26, 2023) – Friday morning, police responded to a hit-and-run crash on Houghton Road that injured one person.The incident happened on April 7th at around 6:30 a.m. where a pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle.Furthermore, the vehicle involved fled the scene upon impact and the pedestrian suffered injuries.At this time, there was no information available on the suspect and the road was blocked between Rancho del Este Drive and Hawk Hill Lane.Motorists were advised to use routes Tanque Verde Road or Bear Canyon. It has reopened since.No additional information was released by the authorities and the crash is still under investigation.Those with further information regarding the accident are encouraged to contact local authorities as soon as possible.A driver must stop and take certain actions when involved in a motor vehicle accident that results in property damage or injury to another party...

After learning Los Gatos woman’s attacker was moving in, neighbors create a homeschool that keeps him out

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:21 GMT

A fourth bid to place a sexually violent predator in Northern California was blocked after Santa Cruz County neighbors created a small school near his proposed home.Michael Cheek in an image from a online court hearing in November 2021. (Santa Cruz Sentinel) A court order to block the release of Michael Cheek to Bonny Doon was allowed to stand by the state’s Supreme Court.In January, an appeals court had overturned the placement of Cheek in the neighborhood, citing the presence of a school within a quarter-mile of the Iris Lane home. The court said it made no difference that the homeschool was established after neighbors learned in 2021 that Cheek was to live in the community.Cheek, now 71, was convicted in 1980 of kidnapping a 21-year-old Los Gatos woman from Seabright State Beach and raping her. His 20-year prison sentence was delayed while he was moved to Contra Costa County for a hearing related to his probation from a 1979 car theft. He escaped from custody there and...