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Pac-12 financial affairs: The presidents are responsible for the Comcast overpayment fiasco; they should cover the damage

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

Four months ago, the Pac-12 dismissed two senior executives for failing to properly report years of overpayments by a media partner that totaled at least $50 million.The situation was bad enough given the facts presented at the time — the media partner, later identified as Comcast, assuredly will attempt to recoup the money — but the financial damage to the Pac-12 campuses ultimately could prove much worse.We’ll get to those gruesome details momentarily. For now, our focus is on the cleanup process:How the schools plan to cover the shortfall if Comcast withholds at least $50 million in payments and the Pac-12 Networks, in turn, cannot meet the annual revenue distribution goals that have been baked into campus budgets.To make the Hotline’s position clear: The athletic departments should not, under any circumstances, take the hit.The expected reductions in distributions from the conference office to the athletic departments should be covered by the university p...

Jury begins deliberations in Trump rape, defamation trial

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

By Larry Neumeister | Associated PressNEW YORK — A jury in New York City began deliberating Tuesday in the lawsuit brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll, who alleges that Donald Trump raped her in a luxury Manhattan department store in 1996.U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan read instructions on the law to the nine-person jury before the panel began discussing Carroll’s allegations of battery and defamation shortly before noon.If they believe Carroll, jurors can award compensatory and punitive damages. Trump, who did not attend the trial, has insisted he never sexually assaulted Carroll or even knew her.Kaplan told jurors that the first question on the verdict form will be to decide whether they think there is more than a 50% chance that Trump raped Carroll inside a store dressing room. If they answer yes, they will then decide whether compensatory and punitive damages should be awarded.If they answer no on the rape question, they can then decide if Trump subjected her to less...

Ukiah woman concealed her mother's death, hid her skeletal remains to access her finances: police

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

(KRON) -- A Ukiah woman concealed her mother's death and hid her skeletal remains in order to access her finances, according to the City of Ukiah Police Department. Ukiah PD was contacted last month by a man who reported suspicious circumstances following the death of his 58-year-old sister.The man, who was from out of state, had traveled to Ukiah after learning that his sister was hospitalized. By the time her arrived, she had already passed away, according to police. SF supervisor accuses DA of ‘contradiction’ in handling of Banko Brown case The man told police that his elderly mother had lived in the same home as the sister when he last had contact with her in 2013. He told police he'd been informed his mother had passed away in August of 2013.As his mother was in poor health, her death was not suspicious at the time, he said. The man told police he was advised by his sister that the mother's remains had been sent to a medical research facility, in keeping with her wishes. The ...

Goats deployed to clear vegetation from Oakland Hills ahead of fire season

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

(KRON) — The Oakland Fire Department are set to deploy a herd of about 1,200 goats to chomp down fields of dangerous vegetation ahead of fire season. The goats have been deployed annually since 1994 as a sustainable fire prevention method.Each year, OFD deploys thousands of goats to eat away at hard-to-reach flammable plants from the Oakland hillsides. This year's herd is set to arrive on May 16, according to Oakland Fire Department officials.The goats were first brought in just three years after the devastating 1991 Oakland Hills fire, which killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Historically, the fire department has been reported to spend about $500,000 to truck in the goats each year.This year's fire season prep is crucial especially after an unseasonably wet winter that officials say could cause a longer and more destructive fire season due to all the early-blooming foliage that will eventually dry out.

Gary Sánchez agrees to minor league contract with Mets

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Catcher Gary Sánchez is getting another chance to restart his baseball career, agreeing Tuesday to a minor league contract with the New York Mets following his release by the San Francisco Giants.New York assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse. Sánchez would get a $1.5 million salary while in the major leagues if added to the 40-man roster.Unsigned during the offseason, the 30-year-old Sánchez agreed to a minor league contract with the Giants on April 1, a deal that called for a $4 million salary if he was added to the 40-man roster. Sánchez was assigned to Triple-A Sacramento and hit .164 (9 for 55) with no homers, eight RBIs, one double, 11 walks and 19 strikeouts in 55 at-bats. He had a May 1 opt-out provision and was released the following day.Sánchez made the All-Star Game twice during a seven-year stint with the Yankees. He hit .299 with 20 homers in 2016 and .278 with 33 homers and 90 RBIs in 2017.He batted .186 in 2018 and just .147 in 49 games in the pandemic-s...

US regulators grants license for proposed spent nuclear fuel storage facility in New Mexico

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — US regulators grants license for proposed spent nuclear fuel storage facility in New Mexico.Source

Hay casi 10.000 migrantes en la frontera sur de EE.UU., a horas del final del Título 42

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

(CNN) — Las autoridades fronterizas estadounidenses encontraron este lunes a casi 10.000 migrantes a lo largo de la frontera sur de EE.UU., según indica un funcionario de Seguridad Nacional. Con este hecho continúa la tendencia  de las detenciones fronterizas a solo dos días de la expiración del Título 42.Funcionarios de la Administración advirtieron que las detenciones en la frontera podrían aumentar a más de 10.000 en el período inmediatamente posterior al levantamiento del Título 42. Este lunes, las autoridades fronterizas se encontraron con unos 9.900 migrantes, según indica el funcionario.En los últimos días, los cruces de migrantes han aumentado a medida que la gente se desespera y se preocupa por lo que sucederá después de que se levante la restricción de la era Covid y las autoridades vuelvan al protocolo de hace décadas.¿Qué es Título 42 y cómo funciona esta política fronteriza de EE.UU. que llega a su fin el 11 de mayo?Los funcionarios de Seguridad Nacional son muy c...

DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg tells Metro leaders: We’ve got your back

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is telling the leadership of the D.C. Metro and other transit agencies struggling financially due to a deep drop in ridership during the pandemic that the federal government is ready to help.Metro General Manager Randy Clarke recently sounded the alarm in an interview with WTOP, warning of possible deep service cuts next summer if the D.C. transit agency does not close its $700 million dollar budget shortfall.Clarke said instead of trains running at eight-minute intervals, the schedule would be cut to intervals of up to 30 minutes between trains, and the agency would lay off numerous workers.Buttigieg said he wants to help.While on the one hand saying the Department of Transportation does not want to make decisions that abridge local leaders, Buttigieg told WTOP that the federal government would have money in the upcoming year’s DOT budget to assist mass transit agencies.“There are flexibilities in the budget that we’re putting forw...

Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse, awards accuser $5M

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury found Donald Trump liable Tuesday for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million in a judgment that could haunt the former president as he campaigns to regain the White House.The verdict was announced in a federal courtroom in New York City on the first day of jury deliberations. Jurors rejected Carroll’s claims that she was raped, but found Trump liable for sexual abuse and for defaming Carroll after she made her allegations public.Trump chose not to attend the civil trial and was absent when the verdict was read.Carroll nodded as the verdict was read. Afterward, her lawyers put their arms around her, and she hugged supporters in the gallery, smiling through tears.Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, shook hands with Carroll and hugged her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan. As the courtroom cleared, Carroll could be heard laughing and crying. Utah mom accused of killing husband with fentanyl wrote grief book following death Trump im...

Florida substitute teacher arrested for allegedly letting 7th grader use her vape

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:28:40 GMT

EUSTIS, Florida (WESH) — A substitute teacher in Lake County is facing child abuse charges after investigators say she let a seventh grader take a hit off her vape pen.Jennifer Hale was arrested after it happened last week at Eustis Middle School. According to the police report, it happened in the last period of the day. It says the substitute teacher heard the seventh grader talking about his friend wanting to vape and gave him hers to take a hit.Jennifer Hunter is a mom to an eighth grader at Eustis Middle School.“Teachers. It’s scary now,” Hunter said. “I never thought that a substitute teacher would give my child that or someone else’s child any of that stuff. Just other students.”According to a Eustis police report, a seventh grader said a substitute teacher named Jennifer heard his friend say he wanted to vape, and that she said, “I have one,” and pulled it out.The seventh grader says she then asked if he wanted a hit and t...