In California government, bad ideas are like nightmares. They keep coming back, even though they can’t survive the light of day. One such idea is the “wealth tax,” a failed proposal that seeks to “reduce wealth inequality” by taking an annual bite out of the assets of people who are “obscenely ultra rich,” in…
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By JIM HEINTZ KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The missile fragment pierced the ceiling of Mikhail Shcherbakov’s apartment in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. A Russian attack, after weeks of rhetoric and warning signs, had hit home. “I heard noise and woke up. I realized it sounded like artillery,” Shcherbakov said. He jumped from the couch and…
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“Payment Pain” deals with the harsh reality of Southern California homebuying finances — it’s really about the size of the monthly check to the lender, not the sales price. Buzz: A Californian is 35% less likely to qualify to buy a starter home than a typical U.S. first-time house hunter. Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked…
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Sales of new U.S. homes retreated in January after a flurry of purchases at the end of 2021, indicating a jump in mortgage rates may be starting to restrain demand. Purchases of new single-family homes decreased 4.5% to a 801,000 annualized pace following a revised 839,000 in December, government data showed Thursday. The median estimate…
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A plan to expand good conduct credit rules that could speed up release of some California inmates has become a hotly debated topic in the last few months leading to a contentious back and forth between judges. In December, a judge placed a temporary hold on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation plan to…
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By PAUL WISEMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy ended 2021 by expanding at a brisk 7% annual pace from October through December, the government reported Thursday in a slight upgrade from its earlier estimate as businesses stepped up their restocking of supplies. For all of 2021, the nation’s gross domestic product — its total…
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Certain moments of Tony Oden’s career will haunt him for the rest of his days – chances he wishes he had back, decisions he wishes he faced with the wisdom of age and experience. Oden calls these rough experiences “keloids,” a type of scar that grows larger even than the injury that caused it. “It’s…
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By STAN CHOE NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks tumbled worldwide on Thursday after Russia’s attack of Ukraine sent fear coursing through markets and upped the pressure on the high inflation already squeezing the global economy. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 sank 1.6% in early trading to continue its dismal start of the year. The…
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Orange County voters may be among the first anywhere to be able to track their mail ballot literally every step of the way, thanks in part to the same technology that helps doctors track medical specimens. Starting with the June election, a voter who’s filled out their ballot can take it to one of a…
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After hanging out at rock festivals last year and playing together in September in South Carolina, Los Angeles-based rock bands Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH decided to join forces in 2022 for the co-headlining Young Guns Tour. “We had such a good time; this tour just seemed like an inevitability,” Mammoth WVH frontman Wolfgang Van…
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