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‘Taylor Swift Bill,’ ticket-buyer protections receive support at hearing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

Spurred by the Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster fiasco ahead of the singer’s Eras tour in 2022, a wave of Massachusetts bills protecting ticket-buyers drew support at a committee hearing Monday afternoon.“No matter the event, consumers are tired of the lack of transparency from ticket sellers,” Rep. Daniel Carey, sponsor of the so-called “Taylor Swift Bill” said. “Watching ticket prices increase as you navigate through the purchasing process is devastating.  Sellers should not be able to hide behind websites while consumers are left out in the cold.”The “Taylor Swift Bill,” or House Bill 259, was one of several bills proposed this year to protect fans in the midst of growing outcry over astronomical pricing and slippery supply during big-name artists’ ticket sales.Supporter of the proposals noted the importance of the steps “protect and empower consumers” and eliminate rampant “anti-competitive practices” t...

Wu-backed candidate for Boston City Council admits he’s never voted

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

Henry Santana, a highly touted challenger for city councilor-at-large who snagged an endorsement from Boston’s mayor, addressed his blank voting record, saying that his immigration status prevented him from casting a ballot in prior elections.Santana, 27, emigrated from the Dominican Republic as a child, and became a U.S. citizen at the age of 17, but lacked the documentation to prove his citizenship until this past year, he told the Herald on Monday.He registered to vote this year in Massachusetts, and said he plans to cast his first ballot in the Sept. 12 preliminary election for City Council.“Like so many immigrants, I had challenges getting the right to vote,” Santana said. “My paperwork was lost in the Dominican Republic, and I had to use an attorney to get the situation resolved.“It was a complicated and expensive process, but it will be worth it to finally have the opportunity to vote in this year’s important city elections.”Santana is one of eight candidates vying for four a...

Healey marks 75th anniversary of ordered end to segregation in the military

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

History was given a salute under the State House dome.With Monday marking 75 years since President Harry Truman ordered an end to segregation by race among the nation’s armed forces, Gov. Maura Healey called together members of the state’s National Guard and veterans of past conflicts to celebrate the occasion and call for a further commitment on fighting racism and inequity.Healey, flanked by Tuskegee Airman Brig. Gen. Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse and the state’s newly appointed and first Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Jon Santiago, juxtaposed the occasion with this week’s start of the first National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Convention to be held in the city in over four decades.“We thought that there was no better way to begin this historic week in the city of Boston, in the state of Massachusetts, than by honoring the veterans of color, who not only fought for their own rights, but whose service made all of our freedoms possible,” she ...

Video: Sea lion charges tourists at La Jolla Cove

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A sea lion charged tourists on the beach at La Jolla Cove Sunday evening.It happened as summer crowds, mostly tourists, overwhelmed the tiny, protected beach -- one of the most iconic in California -- trying to get up-close photos with the beautiful sea mammals and newly weened pups. But it's a dangerous risk.“I feel like people should educate themselves a little bit about the marine life here -- what to do, what not to do, respect the sea lions, don't touch them, don't get in their space," Japhet Perez Estrada, a La Jolla native and business owner, said to FOX 5 on Monday. He swims the cove every day and captured video of the incident as he was getting out of the water.“I looked to my left and I see a big sea lion just come out of the water and start charging and that's when it turns to chaos," Perez Estrada said. "Everyone was screaming and running around.”   Sea lion that ingested over 100 rocks returns to ocean There are no hard-and-fast r...

SDG&E customers could see reduced rates next year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Gas & Electric customers could see a dip in their electricity rates next year, as the company is pursuing measures to reduce the cost of infrastructure improvements for ratepayers.The utility provider announced on Monday that the company would be pursuing the customer savings through federal investment tax credits for its energy storage projects, which could result in an estimated savings of $215 million.According to SDG&E officials, every $100 million in cost reduction translates to a roughly 3% drop in electric delivery rates. The company plans to claim the tax credits in 2024 through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022. Under the act, companies can claim tax credits for new clean energy projects that meet a certain criteria.SDG&E said that they intend to claim these tax credits for eight of their energy storage projects. This includes a project to build four energy storage microgri...

Man dies on hiking trail

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 60-year-old man died Sunday while hiking in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve area. Rescuers were called to a medical emergency at 4:15 p.m. The victim was hiking with a family member who made the emergency call. The victim was located just west of the waterfall. When rescuers arrived, CPR was in progress, but the man died before he could make it to the hospital.“It was humid, but our reporting from the relative, when we confirmed with him, he said he believed it was a medical condition and then a fall from the medical condition. But any condition like that that you have can be exacerbated by being out there,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Howell said to FOX 5 on Monday. Hiker dies on El Capitan Trail in Lakeside Temperatures were in the high 80s, and rescuers are warning the public that more hot days are ahead, with temperatures expected to pick up over the next few days. “There are certain times when you should just stay inside, a cool area. We a...

Puppies being exploited at San Ysidro border crossing, say animal rights' advocates

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- In recent weeks, animal rights activists in Tijuana say they are seeing more and more vendors selling puppies to border commuters at the San Ysidro Port of Entry."It's all out of control," said Xochtil Zamora, an animal rights advocate and frequent border commuter. "The other day, a young man offered me a French bulldog for $3,500."Zamora told Border Report it's not just one person doing it, but many.Carmen Villarreal, an animal rights attorney in Tijuana, has also taken notice."We've seen a rise in the sale of dogs at the international border," said Villarreal. "This is a network of systematic exploitation of the animals."And according to Villarreal, the puppies being sold are often sick and carry diseases, fleas, and ticks."They are ill and will likely infect other dogs north of the border," she said.Puppies that were for sale at San Ysidro Port of Entry. (Courtesy: City of Tijuana)The practice is illegal, according to Tijuana Police, who have started ...

Man, 30, identified in weekend Brampton homicide

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

Peel Regional Police identified a man fatally shot in Brampton over the weekend.Investigators said they were called to St. Roch Catholic School, located at 200 Valley Way Drive in Brampton, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, for reports of a shooting.Officers located a man who had been shot and was without vital signs. The victim was rushed to a trauma centre and was later pronounced dead.The victim was identified as 30-year-old Anthony Putzu of Toronto.Peel Regional Police believe the shooting was targeted. No suspect information was provided by investigators.

Adrenaline isn’t the only lure for professional high divers at the world titles

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Matt Cooper has no illusions about the hazards of diving from a 27-meter platform — about 90 feet, or as high as a nine-story building — into the sea, a lake, or a diving tank.“Even if it’s a good dive, the impact you have from 27 meters is like a car crash going 85 kilometers per hour (50 mph),” said Cooper, who’s preparing for the high-diving competition this week at the World Aquatics Championships in southwestern Japan.Cooper is dented up. He pulverized his left heel in Australia diving into a pool that was too shallow. The heel’s now fastened together with metal plates, screws, and rods.In Switzerland he was rescued by scuba divers who pulled him unconscious from a lake after a belly flop.“I basically landed on my chest and my chin and got an uppercut punch,” the American said. “I didn’t get knocked out immediately. But I remember thinking — ‘Oh, that didn’t feel good.'” His Dutch wife Ginni van Katwijk — yes, she’s also...

Fukushima residents worry nuclear plant’s wastewater release in a few weeks will be another setback

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:02 GMT

IWAKI, Japan (AP) — Beach season has started across Japan, which means seafood for holiday makers and good times for business owners. But in Fukushima, that may end soon.Within weeks, the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is expected to start releasing treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, a highly contested plan still facing fierce protests in and outside Japan.Residents worry that the water discharge, 12 years after the nuclear disaster, could deal another setback to Fukushima’s image and hurt their businesses and livelihoods.“Without a healthy ocean, I cannot make a living.” said Yukinaga Suzuki, a 70-year-old innkeeper at Usuiso beach in Iwaki about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the plant. And the government has yet to announce when the water release will begin. While officials say the possible impact would be limited to rumors, it’s not yet clear if it will be damaging to the local economy. Residents say they feel “shikataganai” — me...