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Navarrette: Border walls have limits, in the U.S. and in Israel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

What does the vicious sneak attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel — which has sparked a new eruption of the old war in the Middle East — have to do with U.S. immigration policy?Quite a bit, actually.As a Mexican American journalist who has written about immigration for more than three decades, I have for many years heard Republicans and, yes, also Democrats imply that border barriers are a kind of silver bullet, arguing that they would deter the smugglers who make hundreds of millions of dollars each year bringing illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants into the United States to satisfy America’s thirst for both.Incredibly, there are Americans who know so little about desperation that they believe human beings will make their way across hundreds of miles of dangerous terrain to the U.S.-Mexico border, see a giant wall, and then simply shrug and walk back home.I’ve visited the border several times, in California, Texas and Arizona. U.S. Border Patrol agents have tol...

Google opens Mountain View visitor center at dragonscale canopy office

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Google hopes its new Mountain View visitor center will create dynamic spaces for neighbors, tourists, artists and employees to gather, create and innovate.The Google Visitor Experience, nestled inside the company’s eye-catching Gradient Canopy office building at 2000 North Shoreline Blvd., was slated to open to the public Thursday and includes a Google store that marks the tech titan’s first brick-and-mortar retail outlet on the West Coast.The Huddle area of the new Visitor Experience in the Google Gradient Canopy office building at 2000 North Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)Along with the Google store, the company’s visitor experience center includes pop-up retail sites, art-making stations, a public cafe, open spaces and unique works of art that include a bear made of 160,000 pennies, a walk-through globe and a sculpture that disappears depending on the viewing angle. A series of community events ar...

California youth gymnastics coach under investigation for 2nd time in 5 years

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

A Los Angeles-based gymnastics coach is the target of an investigation into his alleged inappropriate behavior involving young athletes for the second time in five years, according to confidential U.S. Center for SafeSport and USA Gymnastics documents obtained by the Southern California News Group.The U.S. Center for SafeSport said it will investigate allegations by multiple parents that Colden Raisher, 35, has engaged in one-on-one texting with minor-aged girls he coaches at The Klub Gymnastics, a club in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake area, in violation of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and USA Gymnastics policies, according to SafeSport, USA Gymnastics and club documents.SafeSport’s decision to investigate Raisher comes after USA Gymnastics referred the case to the Center last month citing the nature of the allegations, according to SafeSport and USA Gymnastics emails.U.S. Center for SafeSport officials declined parents’ request to implement restrictions that would have prevented Raishe...

Jury awards $135 million to 2 men molested by California teacher 27 years ago

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

For Justin McGregor, the emotional trauma from being molested by his sixth-grade teacher in Moreno Valley 27 years ago makes it difficult even now to describe what he is enduring as an adult.“I struggle on a daily basis with my symptoms of PTSD, there’s a lot of events that are quite triggering for me, and I struggle in my relationships, and uh …” said McGregor, 38.Justin McGregor, left, 38, stands alongside his attorney, Spencer Lucas, during a press conference outside of the Riverisde County Court House in downtown Riverside on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. A jury awarded $135 million on Oct. 10 to Brady Blair and Justin McGregor, who as children in the 1990’s, were sexually assaulted by sixth grade teacher Thomas Lee West at Vista Heights Middle School in Moreno Valley. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) What are those triggers? he was asked.“Umm …” McGregor said before pausing.  “Why don’t we skip that question?” his attorney, Spencer Lucas, interjected.M...

California woman convicted of torturing 10-year-old step-daughter

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

A 33-year-old Anaheim woman was convicted Wednesday of inflicting what prosecutors described as “unspeakable” torture on a 10-year-old step-daughter who was left severely malnourished, and of abusing other children in her care.An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated for roughly five hours before finding Mayra Chavez guilty of torture related to one girl, two counts of felony child abuse related to two other young girls and a lesser charge of misdemeanor simple assault related to a teen boy.Jurors also determined that Chavez inflicted great bodily injury on the girl she tortured. Chavez’s husband, Domingo Flores, is scheduled to be tried separately.Deputy District Attorney Bethel Cope-Vega told jurors during closing arguments Wednesday that Chavez may have aimed the brunt of the abuse at the one girl over anger at her biological mother, with whom Chavez and her husband were apparently embroiled in a vicious custody battle.“This is a case about what happens behind closed door...

Taylor Swift surprises fans by attending tour film premiere in LA

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

Taylor Swift has arrived at the Grove and you best believe she’s still bejeweled.Ahead of the release of her Eras Tour concert film, Swift surprised fans at the Los Angeles outdoor mall where her movie premiere was being held.Related: Why the power of Barbie, Taylor and Beyonce should worry TrumpOMG!!! SHE HAS ARRIVED @taylorswift13 pic.twitter.com/Z18WgoXWyU— Izzy (Taylors version) (@izzypielsticker) October 12, 2023TAYLORRRRR pic.twitter.com/fhhKM1eNs9— lynda (@pizzalynda) October 12, 2023Swift had taken to social media earlier that day to not only tease her red carpet look, but announce that the film would be releasing a day earlier than announced because of unprecedented demand.🩵 PREMIERE DAY 🩵 Andddd I can’t really wrap my head around this but…. Look what you genuinely made me do: Due to unprecedented demand we’re opening up early access showings of The Eras Tour Concert Film on THURSDAY in America and Canada!! As in… TOMORROW. We’re also adding… pic.twitter.com/IU...

Opinion: Wave power can help California turn the tide on dirty energy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

This past summer, millions of Californians trekked to the beach to relax, swim, surf and beat the heat. Chances are very few of them realized the waves they frolicked in might also help us achieve our clean-energy and climate-mitigation goals.Anybody who has wiped out while surfing or been knocked down by a wave knows first-hand the power of the ocean. It’s that very power that marine-energy innovators are now tapping into as a source of clean, reliable and renewable power.As the environmental consequences of conventional energy production have become painfully clear, wave and tidal energy is being recognized worldwide for its potential role in a carbon-free energy future. And that potential is vast.The National Renewable Energy Lab has reported that U.S. marine energy resources are equal to roughly 57% of the nation’s 2019 electricity generation — enough to power approximately 220 million U.S. homes. According to the lab, California’s marine energy resource potential could su...

Netanyahu vows that Hamas will be crushed, as Blinken reiterates American support for Israel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the U.S. secretary of state’s visit Thursday is a “tangible example of America’s unequivocable support of Israel.”He compared the Hamas militant group that staged a ferocious attack on Israel over the weekend to the Islamic State group.“Just as ISIS was crushed, Hamas will be crushed,” he said.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated America’s support.“The message I bring with me is this: You may strong enough on your own to defend yourselves but as long as America exists you will never have to,” he said.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinians lined up outside bakeries and grocery stores in Gaza on Thursday after spending the night surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods darkened by a near-total power outage. Israel launched new airstrikes and said it was preparing for a possible ground invasion.International aid groups warned t...

Walgreens: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) on Thursday reported a loss of $180 million in its fiscal fourth quarter.The Deerfield, Illinois-based company said it had a loss of 21 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 67 cents per share.The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 68 cents per share.The largest U.S. drugstore chain posted revenue of $35.42 billion in the period, which topped Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $34.56 billion.For the year, the company reported a loss of $3.08 billion, or $3.57 per share. Revenue was reported as $139.08 billion.Walgreens expects full-year earnings in the range of $3.20 to $3.50 per share, with revenue in the range of $141 billion to $145 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using dat...

Qatari champion Al-Duhail hires former Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:24:52 GMT

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Three months after being fired by Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier was hired Thursday to coach Qatari champion Al-Duhail.Al-Duhail announced the hiring one day after ending the contract of Hernán Crespo, the former Argentina forward who coached the Doha club to the Qatar Stars League title last season.The club had cited a “deterioration in the team results” under Crespo including a 1-0 home loss to Persepolis of Iran in the Asian Champions League group stage this month.One of Galtier’s first games in charge is against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club which leads the group after two rounds. That game is in Riyadh on Oct. 24.Galtier was fired by PSG in July after just one season in charge and winning the French league.He is due to stand trial on Dec. 15 in Nice, France, to face allegations he made racist and anti-Muslim comments when he was coach at the city’s soccer club.Al-Duhail did not state the length of Galtier’s co...