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Letters: Cruel joke? Boebert would make AR-15 the “national gun.”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

A critical look at Boebert’s “National Gun”“An AR–15 style rifle chambered in a .223 Remington round or a 5.56x45mm NATO round is hereby declared to be the National Gun of the United States.”The bolded quote above is the entire text of H.R. 1095, a bill introduced in Congress on Feb. 17 and cosponsored by our congresswoman, Lauren Boebert. One of her co-sponsors on the bill is none other than George Santos, the congressman who faked virtually every aspect of his life. Is this a cruel joke?The AR-15 assault rifle Boebert wants to make our “National Gun” is a weapon of war. Its bullets are designed to tear human flesh to pieces by “yawing”, tumbling or fragmenting in the body, thereby causing maximum internal bleeding and tissue damage. I am a Vietnam War vet, and the M-16s we carried there were an offshoot of the AR-15. The Army always told us it was the best rifle in the world because of how efficiently it killed “the enemy”.Recently, the AR-15 has been used in mas...

San Diego Executive David Malcolm, Explains His “Go Fast. Go Slow.” Formula to Win in Real Estate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

         When evaluating potential opportunities in commercial real estate, some people like to move fast, snapping up deals before anyone else does. Other people prefer to be more deliberate and avoid buying a lemon. David Malcolm, a San Diego real estate executive with five decades of experience, thinks differently, and it has done well by him and his business partners.         “When you’ve been in commercial real estate as long as I have, people bring opportunities to you,” he explained. “You don’t have to go hunting quite as much.“Then, to sort the winners from the losers, go fast and go slow,” he explained.         Go fast, go slow. It’s not a Zen Buddhist koan, but rather a deliberative process. In his 50-year career, Malcolm has earned the highest commercial real estate designation (CCIM) in the U.S., and handled sales, acquisitions, and loan negotiations of more than $4 billion. Here is one key to his success.Go Fast         When an attractive opportunity comes his way, Davi...

Patrick Ames Debuts “Somehow I’ll Find a Way” – A Heartfelt Ode to the Struggles of Songwriting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

Multifaceted composer, Patrick Ames, returns with a fresh and poignant single, “Somehow I’ll Find a Way”, a testament to the trials and tribulations of songwriting. This emotive and candid piece follows his highly praised album, Harmonium (2022), further refining his unique blend of powerful lyrics and melodies.In collaboration with long-time partner Jon Ireson, Ames takes us on a journey into Americana with “Somehow I’ll Find a Way”. The tongue-in-cheek track narrates the story of a songwriter who contemplates quitting his craft while driving home from a performance he’s just abandoned. With its infectious melody and lively rhythm, you’ll find yourself humming along and tapping out the beat on your steering wheel.Hailing from California’s wine country, Ames is a true storyteller and wordsmith. His diverse inspirations and raw, emotional style give his music a profound depth that is both heartbreaking and captivating. Fusing elements of dark...

79-year-old Robert De Niro welcomes his seventh child

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

By Alli Rosenbloom | CNNRobert De Niro is a dad again, a representative for the actor confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.The Oscar-winner first shared the news on Monday in an interview with ET Canada to promote his new film, aptly named “About My Father.”Speaking of fatherhood in the interview, the 79-year-old politely corrected interviewer Brittnee Blair when she mentioned De Niro’s previously known six children.“Seven, actually,” De Niro said, adding “I just had a baby.”De Niro has six children from previous relationships but it’s unclear who the mother of his seventh child is.The “Godfather” actor also shared that he relishes being a father, saying that he believes in “being loving with (his) kids” even if he has to be “stern about stuff” at times.Related ArticlesEntertainment | Melania Trump endorsed Trump’s 2024 bid just before E. Jean Carroll sex abuse verdict Entertainment | ...

Opinion: Are any of California’s housing laws actually working?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

A slew of ambitious housing legislation has emerged recently in states as varied as Maine, Utah and Washington. Many of the proposals aim to loosen zoning restrictions with the goal of addressing housing shortages. Perhaps not surprisingly, California is mentioned in many of the resulting conversations and debates, and not in a positive light.Policymakers and advocates elsewhere have invoked the Golden State as a warning: We must pass pro-housing policies to avoid ending up like California. One think tank in Montana went so far as to advocate repealing “California-style zoning” to make starter homes more feasible.At the same time, however, California has become a national model among many of the same housing advocates for its recent efforts to fix past mistakes. Since 2016, state legislators have passed more than 100 housing-related laws with the intent of encouraging the construction of more affordable and market-rate homes. These laws have fundamentally changed the landscape of ho...

Opinion: Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh’s dreams are coming true

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

Timothy McVeigh, the right-wing terrorist who killed 168 people in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, cared about one issue above all others: guns. To him, guns were synonymous with freedom, and any government attempt to regulate them meant incipient tyranny.“When it came to guns,” writes Jeffrey Toobin in “Homegrown,” his compelling new book about the Oklahoma City attack, “McVeigh did more than simply advocate for his own right to own and use firearms; he joined an ascendant political crusade, which grew more extreme over the course of his lifetime and beyond.”Reading Toobin’s book, it’s startling to realize how much McVeigh’s cause has advanced in the decades since his 2001 execution. McVeigh, who was a member of the KKK and harbored a deep resentment of women, hoped that blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building would inspire an army of followers to make war on the government. This didn’t happen immediately, although, as historian Kathleen Belew has written, there was a wave...

Gov. Newsom declines to publicly back recommended reparations payments for Black California residents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

By Tina Burnside and Christine Sever | CNNCalifornia’s governor has declined to publicly say whether he’d support reparations payments to some Black state residents recommended by a task force looking at how to mitigate injustices and discrimination stemming from slavery.The recommendations approved Saturday outline restitution that, if approved by state lawmakers, could cost billions of dollars to address historical disparities in health care, housing and policing.“Dealing with legacy is about much more than cash payments,” Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is White, told CNN affiliate KCRA in a statement.RELATED: California task force member says reparations are about more than payouts“Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard at work addressing: breaking down barriers to vote, bolstering resources to address hate, enacting sweeping law enforcement and justice reforms to build tru...

49ers schedule: Nine things to rule out before the NFL’s Thursday reveal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

SANTA CLARA – The NFL will reveal the 49ers’ fall schedule Thursday at 5 p.m. (PT). Even today, though, we have enough information to rule out the following:1. London coronationIt’s been a decade since the 49ers last played in London and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. Alas, they will meet this season in Florida for the second time in three years. The Jaguars will play in London, however: Oct. 1 vs. the Falcons, and Oct. 8 as guests of the Bills.The 49ers did go international last year, winning in Mexico City against the host Arizona Cardinals. This year’s other NFL games abroad include one more in London (Ravens vs. Titans) and two in Germany (Dolphins vs. Chiefs, Colts vs. Patriots).2. Mr. RodgersWith Aaron Rodgers traded to the New York Jets, he won’t face his biggest NFL nemesis. He owns a 6-3 regular-season record against the 49ers since 2009. What about a Super Bowl reunion? Rodgers is 0-4 in postseasons against them.3. Coaching buddiesThe Kyle Shanahan coaching tree won’...

Report: Antisemitic incidents up more than 40% in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

By TRÂN NGUYỄN | Associated PressSACRAMENTO — More than 500 antisemitic acts targeting Jewish people, including assault, vandalism and harassment, were committed in California last year, an increase of more than 40% from 2021, underscoring a proliferation of hate crimes and extremism in the state, according to a report released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League.The ADL also cited increasing collaboration among extremist and white supremacist groups in a report detailing a wide range of hate crimes and violence. California saw at least six murders by members of extremist groups in 2021 and 2022 — the most in the nation — with three being linked to white supremacist groups, the report found.The report on California comes after the Anti-Defamation League released another report, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, that shows antisemitic incidents are at a new high worldwide, with the upward trend intensifying in the U.S.I...

Remains found in abandoned property identified as missing California tech executive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:50 GMT

SANTA MONICA  — Human remains found last month in Southern California have been identified as those of the Sober Grid app founder who disappeared in 2021, authorities said.The remains of Beau Mann were found on April 25 in the courtyard of an abandoned property in Santa Monica and were identified by the Los Angeles County coroner on May 6, the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement Monday.The coroner’s office was trying to determine the cause of death, police said.Sober Grid is a social media-style app that provides peer support coaching, an online community and other resources to people in recovery from addition. It was founded in 2015.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Teen missing in New Zealand cave after downpour during school trip Crime and Public Safety | A loving Australian father has been exposed as a convicted American killer who lived life on the run Crime and Public Safety | Woman guilty of murdering missing 1...