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UC Santa Cruz team makes final round of Google app challenge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — A team of UC Santa Cruz students has made it to the final round of the Google Solutions Challenge, which gives app developer teams from colleges and universities all over the world an opportunity to compete with each other to create innovative apps that solve problems centered around the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.The UCSC-based team of four, called SlugLoop, is one of 10 Solutions Challenge finalists out of the top 100 teams from around the globe, and the only team from the U.S. that made the final round.The mobile app tracks the university’s loop shuttle buses in real-time, hence the name, SlugLoop. The application was developed by current UCSC students Annie Liu and Alex Liu, and recent graduates Nicholas Szwed and Bill Zhang, and is currently deployed and used by students at the university.“The inspiration for this project actually came from a Reddit post where some students were complaining about the irregular schedules of the loop buses,” sai...

Public urges housing committee to avoid sending violent sex offender to Santa Cruz County RV

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — Appealing to a committee assigned the task of locating housing for a convicted sex offender, a Santa Cruz County resident urged representatives on Wednesday to be careful in their release plan.Rayeann Jimenez said that while 71-year-old Michael Cheek had been deemed as no longer a safety risk to the public after completing his prison sentence and subsequent years of mental health treatment, he also had no healthy ties to the county where one of his two violent rape convictions took place in 1980.Jimenez spoke before a room with just a handful of other public attendees in a county conference room after the group had returned from a closed-door discussion about housing efforts on behalf of Cheek. The body, which included members appearing virtually from Sacramento, reported no decisions made during the closed session.To date, the committee, including representatives from California Department of State Hospitals, their housing contractor Liberty Healthcare Corp., the Santa...

Disneyland delays ‘Fantasmic’ return until Spring 2024 – without the 45-foot-tall dragon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

“Fantasmic” will remain out of commission for a year while Disneyland crews rework the nighttime spectacular without the 45-foot-tall Maleficent dragon that burst into flames and Disney’s creative team develops a new finale with Sorcerer Mickey.“Fantasmic” will return to the Rivers of America at the Anaheim theme park in Spring 2024, according to Disneyland officials.Related ArticlesEntertainment | 10 ‘Haunted Mansion’ movie Easter Eggs from the Disneyland ride Entertainment | SeaWorld coaster that was shut down because of a leg injury reopens Entertainment | Is this new $2 billion US theme park just another fantasy land? Entertainment | Disneyland reaches settlement in $5 million Magic Key passholder lawsuit Entertainment | This Haunted Mansion Airbnb is just like sleeping inside the Disneyland ride — If you dare “Our goal is to always deliver the best possible show for our guests,” according to Disneyl...

Police make arrests in Southern California online child-sex predator sting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

Clint Walton sounded crestfallen.The San Bernardino police detective had been posing as a 12-year-old girl in a text chat with a man who said he wanted to meet her in San Bernardino for sex. But the man had gone silent for more than a month when on June 21 he texted what sounded like a goodbye:“I’ll always love you. I miss you,” he wrote.Walton, maintaining his cover, responded: “You just left me all alone.”“I panicked,” the man texted back.“He legitimately broke my heart,” Walton joked after showing the texts to a reporter. “I thought he was going to be my first.”Nevertheless, Walton said it was a victory. The “breakup” meant there was one less man coming in to San Bernardino to sexually assault a child.Walton and other San Bernardino police officers arrested four other men during a two-week sting in July dubbed Operation Online Guardian that was overseen by the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.For related, see: Southern California authorities arrest...

Gang probe launched after deaths of 2 California police officers nets arrests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

Images of El Monte police Officers Michael Paredes and Joseph Santana a mural at the El Monte Civic Center on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Federal and local law enforcement officials announced federal charges and arrests stemming from an investigation into a street gang accused of shootings and a wide array of criminal activity. The investigation was started after a member of the gang was accused of murdering El Monte police Officers Michael Paredes and Joseph Santana on June 14, 2022. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Images of El Monte police Officers Michael Paredes and Joseph Santana a mural at the El Monte Civic Center on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Federal and local law enforcement officials announced federal charges and arrests stemming from an investigation into a street gang accused of shootings and a wide array of criminal activity. The investigation was started after a member of the gang was accused of murdering El Monte police Officers Michael Paredes and ...

Barabak: How New Mexico went from a battleground state to a blue state

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE —  For five long weeks, the White House hung in the balance as one of the closest, most wrenching presidential campaigns in history went deep into overtime.It all came down to Florida, where Republican George W. Bush was finally declared the winner, by Supreme Court decree. The official margin was 537 votes.But in 2000, one state was even closer.Lost amid Florida’s tumult and all the legal gladiating was Al Gore’s victory here in New Mexico, where the Democrat prevailed by a mere 366 votes.The result established New Mexico as one of the country’s foremost presidential battlegrounds, a status reaffirmed in Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign when he won the state by less than a percentage point.Since then, it’s been one Democratic victory after another — none of them close.“We’re not purple,” said Joe Monahan, a blogger who has chronicled New Mexico politics for decades. “We’re blue. Very blue.”To a large extent, it’s a story of movement.People relocating from more liberal cl...

So much home, so little DIY

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

You’re the handy type. Or you’re not. You love to do-it-yourself. Or you don’t.You’d like to imagine that every build-it, create-it, decorate-it, plant-it, maintain-it or fix-it job is an opportunity to develop a closer relationship with your house. But who has the time?For many, if not most, new-home buyers, stepping back from DIY work for a while drives much of the decision to choose new construction, in which everything is brand new and perfect. For others, the new home provides an opportunity to learn some DIY basics.Some projects always require a professional. These include major plumbing alterations or updates; electrical rewiring or circuit additions; changes to the roof and gutters; HVAC installations; structural work or additions; and heavy-duty landscape or hardscape work.Now for the fun part: All homeownership comes with some degree of cleaning, decorating, maintenance and repairs. Even at a new home. This upkeep can be incredibly gratifying at a new home. Keeping the hou...

Sonic Automotive: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sonic Automotive Inc. (SAH) on Thursday reported second-quarter profit of $23.4 million.The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company said it had net income of 65 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to $1.83 per share.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.63 per share.The auto dealer posted revenue of $3.65 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $3.64 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SAH at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SAHSource

FMC Technologies: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Britain (AP) — NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Britain (AP) — FMC Technologies Inc. (FTI) on Thursday reported a loss of $87.2 million in its second quarter.The Newcastle Upon Tyne, Britain-based company said it had a loss of 20 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and restructuring costs, were 10 cents per share.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 16 cents per share.The provider of equipment and services to energy companies posted revenue of $1.97 billion in the period, topping Street forecasts. Eighteen analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.93 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FTI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FTISource

Lennox: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:59 GMT

RICHARDSON, Texas (AP) — RICHARDSON, Texas (AP) — Lennox International Inc. (LII) on Thursday reported second-quarter net income of $217.2 million.The Richardson, Texas-based company said it had profit of $6.10 per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were $6.15 per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $5.21 per share.The manufacturer of furnaces, air conditioners and other products posted revenue of $1.41 billion in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts. Fifteen analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.37 billion.Lennox expects full-year earnings to be $15.50 to $16 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LII at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LIISource