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California home prices now 18% off all-time high

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

The “Looking Glass” ponders economic and real estate trends through two distinct lenses: the optimist’s “glass half-full” and the pessimist’s “glass half-empty.”Buzz: California home prices are now 18% off their all-time high, but sales activity has risen in three consecutive months.Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed the California Association of Realtors’ February home sales report for existing, single-family homes.Debate: Is California’s housing market recovering from its bubble bursting?Glass half-fullCalifornians bought 284,010 homes in February, up 17.6% vs. January. It was the third monthly gain in sales.But, there are some caveats:Sales are off 33% in a year, the 20th-consecutive year-over-year sales decline. And it was still the third-slowest-selling February since 1990, and the 27th-slowest month for sales overall since 1990.Related ArticlesReal Estate | Bay Area cities struggle to balance housing mandates, wildfire risks Real Estate | PG&...

Preliminary 3.0-magnitude earthquake strikes San Jose neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

(KRON) -- A 3.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Silicon Valley Monday morning. The quake, which hit shortly after 9 a.m., had its epicenter near Seven Trees, a San Jose neighborhood that was formerly an unincorporated census-designated place.There have been no reports of damage or injuries.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

BART Red Line service suspended due to fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Service on BART's Red Line between Millbrae and San Bruno is suspended in both directions due to a fire alongside the tracks, according to a tweet from the agency. Millbrae riders may need to take BART to SFO station and then transfer to Yellow Line service, BART advised. BART plans to maximize police presence on the system SamTrans is providing bus service on bus ECR between the two stations, BART advised in a subsequent tweet.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Teen, man arrested for alleged illegal weapons charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

(KRON) -- A 16-year-old and a 23-year-old man were arrested on several illegal weapons charges, according to the San Jose Police Department. During an investigation that started in January, detectives identified Diaz-Ramirez and the teen as primary suspects in a series of illegal weapons charges, officials said. Diaz-Ramirez, a convicted felon, was allegedly giving the teen suspect various weapons, SJPD officials said. Detectives said they also found that the teen had been in possession of a loaded gun at Independence High School during school hours.(San Jose Police Department)On Wednesday, March 15, police obtained and served two arrest warrants and two search warrants. During the search, they found:Springfield Armory Champion semi-automatic pistol .45 caliberHeritage Arms revolver .22LR caliberColt Automatic semi-automatic pistol .25 caliberHarrington & Richardson revolver .38 Special caliberSmith & Wesson SD40OVE semi-automatic pistol .40 caliberApproximately 43.5 gram of...

Mapping Project Reveals Locations of U.S. Border Surveillance Towers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

The precise locations of the U.S. government’s high-tech surveillance towers along the U.S-Mexico border are being made public for the first time as part of a mapping project by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.While the Department of Homeland Security’s investment of more than a billion dollars into a so-called virtual wall between the U.S. and Mexico is a matter of public record, the government does not disclose where these towers are located, despite privacy concerns of residents of both countries — and the fact that individual towers are plainly visible to observers. The surveillance tower map is the result of a year’s work steered by EFF Director of Investigations Dave Maass, who pieced together the constellation of surveillance towers through a combination of public procurement documents, satellite photographs, in-person trips to the border, and even virtual reality-enabled wandering through Google Street View imagery. While Maass notes the map is incomplete and remain...

First Republic Bank shares slide in volatile trading session

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

Trading in shares of First Republic Bank was halted multiple times on Monday as uneasiness still surrounds the financial institution following its $30 billion rescue package.First Republic Bank received a $30 billion rescue package from 11 of the biggest U.S. banks last week in an effort to prevent its collapse. First Republic Bank has since been downgraded by S&P Global Ratings which said that the rescue package should ease near-term liquidity pressures, but it may not solve the substantial business, liquidity, funding, and profitability challenges that it believes the San Francisco-based bank is now likely facing.At midday trading volume had surpassed 107 million shares, compared with the daily average of less than 14 million shares. At the most recent trade, the stock was down 31% at $15.98, close to an all-time low.In other news, the bidding process for the successor of Silicon Valley Bank is being extended by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to give more time to work out...

Peak bloom is almost here: Here’s how you can help protect DC’s famed cherry trees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

Peak bloom is set to arrive on the Tidal Basin this week, kicking off one of the busiest and crowded stretches along the cherry tree-lined paths around D.C.’s famous monuments.If you’ve lived in the D.C. area long enough, you should already know the rules about how to treat the trees. But that doesn’t mean everyone else does.PHOTOS: Cherry Blossoms 2023More Cherry Blossom NewsMore DC NewsMore Local NewsThis year, the National Park Service is providing a little more help, and also allowing visitors to sign up to become a “protector” of the cherry trees, too.“We’ve got a new program this year, visitors will see signage around the Tidal Basin encouraging them to take care, to become a cherry blossom protector,” said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service.Pins and badges will also be passed out to visitors.“Everybody who is here can help us to become a protector of the cherry tree,” he added.If you need a remi...

San Diego deputy faces DUI charge after car runs Navy gate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — An off-duty San Diego County deputy has been arrested on suspicion of driving past security at the main gate of a California Navy base while under the influence, prompting guards to open fire and the base to be put on lockdown briefly.The San Diego Sheriff’s Department said Sgt. Michael Cruz was taken into custody late Friday after driving without stopping through the entrance of Naval Air Station North Island, part of Naval Base Coronado, near San Diego. No one was hurt during the incident, which is being investigated by the Coronado police department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.Cruz could not be reached for comment and it was unclear if he had an attorney. He was booked at San Diego Central Jail on a charge of driving under the influence and later released, the department said. He has worked at the department since 2006 and was put on paid administrative leave while the sheriff’s department conducts an internal affairs investiga...

‘Man on Wire’ legend Philippe Petit performs ‘Wonder on the Wire’ at National Building Museum in DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "5139535d-f7d1-44b1-9c7a-fb7fe4599ba4"}).render("0c9cb73e6eb64a149ad32f7554125088"); });Hear our full conversation on my podcast “Beyond the Fame.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Philippe Petit at National Building Museum (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ...

Donors pledge $7.5 billion for Turkey, Syria after quake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:39 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and international donors on Monday pledged seven billion euros ($7.5 billion) to help Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of the neighboring countries last month.Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU’s executive arm, said 3.3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) of the total amount will be raised by the 27-nation bloc.The magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6 killed more than 52,000 people — the vast majority in Turkey. Nearly 300,000 buildings in Turkey either collapsed or were severely damaged, according to the country’s president.“We have shown to the people in Turkey and Syria that we are supporting those in need,” Von der Leyen said, adding that the global pledge included 1.1 billion euros from the EU’s executive arm, and 500 millions from the European Investment Bank, backed by the EU budget.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the conference via videolink and described some of the re...