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California home-repair costs jump 67% in a decade

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

“How expensive?” tracks measurements of California’s totally unaffordable housing market.The pain: The cost of fixing or remodeling your home in California has risen by 67% in a decade – twice overall inflation’s jump.The source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed Verisk’s repair cost index, which tracks the cost of 31 groups of items used in home repairs including appliances, doors, framing, plumbing and windows – plus their installation.. The surging expenses nudged up costs for homeowners, landlords, builders and insurers.The pinchConsider that these building projects that cost a typical Californian $10,000 at the start of 2013 now run $16,703.But the upswing has sped up since coronavirus upended the economy, disrupted supply chains, and increased interest in homeownership and remodeling.Related ArticlesHousing | To save on their mortgages, Bay Area buyers are increasing their down payments Housing | Middle or upper income? Californians brace for higher ele...

Truck drives into crowd awaiting Bakersfield Christmas parade

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

A pickup truck backing up “very fast” struck three people in a crowd waiting for the start of Bakersfield’s Christmas parade Thursday night.Related ArticlesCalifornia News | Q&A with Amanda Frye: She took on California’s famous Arrowhead bottled water brand — and won California News | Tesla fined for Fremont worker pinned in car on conveyor belt California News | While Oakland’s 911 system was dangerously understaffed, 1,000 operator applications went unprocessed California News | Pearl Harbor survivor recounts day of infamy, honoring veterans at Mount Diablo beacon lighting California News | Is Millbrae using a ‘racist’ amendment in the state constitution to block homeless housing? The three injured were identified as men ages 21, 42 and 77; all were taken to a hospital, Bakersfield TV station KBAK reported. They are expected to survive, police officials sai...

‘Flirty’ Kevin Costner seems unable to keep his hands off Jewel on Caribbean trip: report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Months after Kevin Costner extricated himself from one of the messiest and most embarrassing divorce battles in recent Hollywood history, the Oscar-winning actor was seen getting “flirty” with Jewel during a celebrity fundraising event last month in the British Virgin Islands.The sight of Costner, 68, and Jewel, 49, looking “cozy” at the tennis fundraiser, has sparked relationship rumors, People reported. Photos obtained by TMZ show Costner with his arms around the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, as she was giving a speech to attendees at the tennis fundraiser for her Inspiring Children Foundation. The event was held on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.Both Costner and Jewel smiled as his hands rested on her waist, as she spoke into a microphone, according to the photos. Page Six said it looked as though he couldn’t keep his hands off her.“There was definitely something going on,” a source told TMZ. “They...

Jennings proving he’s more than “third and Jauan” as 49ers’ No. 3 receiver

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

SANTA CLARA — In his heart, Jauan Jennings believes that one day he’ll be “the guy” and the target of a much greater percentage of passes from his quarterback.But with the 49ers looking more and more like a potential Super Bowl team, Jennings is far too caught up in what he can do as a complementary piece on a team with no shortage of eligible receivers.“I like to win. That’s my main focus, my main goal,” Jennings said Thursday. “I want what a lot of people aren’t able to do, and that’s (to) be the last one standing at the end of the year. I don’t let the numbers get too much in my head but it creeps in sometimes. When that happens, you’ve just got to refocus.”With an offense that features runner/receiver Christian McCaffrey as well as wideouts Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, Jennings would barely be noticed by the fan base if not for his production on third down.At that point, ...

Pac-12 recruiting: Sanders lands another five-star, ASU’s scoop, news from Stanford and Cal and “all about the portal”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The Hotline is delighted to provide Pac-12 fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Dec. 7 …Prime Lands His Primary RecruitBoulder wasn’t hard for Jordan Seaton to find.Colorado coach Deion Sanders landed his signature recruit Thursday when IMG Academy’s Jordan Seaton, the No. 1 ranked offensive tackle by the 247Sports Composite Rankings, announced for the Buffaloes in a stunner.Seaton left the Buffs off his list of finalists, and prior to the announcement, the buzz was pointed in Tennessee’s direction. But then Seaton shocked the recruiting world by pulling out the Colorado hat.That makes it two consecutive years at Colorado — and three in a row overall — that Sanders has reeled in a five-star prospect.He grabbed cornerback Travis Hunter in 2022, when he was still at Jackson State, then cornerback Cormani ...

Three Norteño gang members responsible for multiple murders sentenced

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Three San Francisco Mission District Norteño gang members who murdered and attempted to murder four victims were sentenced to prison terms following their convictions on racketeering conspiracy charges, the First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp announced Thursday.  Man arrested in connection with death of SF tech worker Norteño gang members sentenced:Fernando “Nando” Madrigal 25Alvaro “G-Boy” Reina Cordero, 26Oscar “Cutty” Guadron Diaz, 24All plead guilty in February 2023 to one count of racketeering conspiracy in connection with their roles in the murders and attempted murder of four victims, including a 15-year-old innocent bystander who was mistaken for a rival gang member.“Norteño criminal street gangs have terrorized San Francisco’s Mission District for years through a relentless campaign of shootings, robberies, gun trafficking, drug dealing, and extort...

Mike Tomlin believes in ‘football justice.’ The Steelers have been served a cold dose of it

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin talks occasionally about the idea of “football justice,” the belief that players and teams who put in the time and stick together are eventually rewarded.A different kind of “football justice” seems to have materialized over the last week for Tomlin and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a karmic leveling of sorts that has turned a once-promising season on its head.Barely 100 hours removed from a decisive upset at home at the hands of two-win Arizona, the Steelers followed with another disjointed and uninspired effort against New England in a 21-18 loss that dropped them from the top spot in the AFC wild-card race and left them scrambling to figure out how things got so sideways so quickly.“Can’t put a mask over this,” defensive tackle Cam Heyward said. “This has been two ugly games that we have to be accountable for.”That’s the thing. The games have been ugly all year, an ugliness frequently masked by favorable results. Now, the results a...

Israeli troops round up Palestinian men in northern Gaza as U.N. warns aid operation ‘in tatters’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Friday that the military was rounding up Palestinian men in northern Gaza for interrogation, searching for Hamas militants, while desperate Palestinians in the south crowded into an ever-shrinking area, and the U.N. warned that its aid operation is “in tatters.”The detentions pointed to Israeli efforts to secure the military’s hold on northern Gaza as the war entered its third month. Furious urban fighting has continued in the north, underscoring Hamas’ heavy resistance, and tens of thousands of residents are believed to remain in the area six weeks after troops and tanks rolled in.The first images of mass detentions emerged Thursday from the northern town of Beit Lahiya, showing dozens of men kneeling or sitting in the streets, stripped down to their underwear, their hands bound behind their backs and some with their heads bowed. U.N. monitors said Israeli troops reportedly detained men and boys from the age of 15 in a school-turne...

‘Dinner table syndrome’ can ruin holiday meal; tips to help with hearing loss

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The food may be delicious, and the decorations wonderous, but a bustling holiday feast with family and friends can leave a person who has hearing loss with a bad taste in their mouth.“Dinner table syndrome” occurs when a person with hearing loss feels isolated as table-mates share stories, questions, and answers across the holiday table.“It’s difficult for people with hearing loss to follow when there’s multiple conversations going on,” said audiologist Jared Marcotte, a licensed hearing instrument specialist at HearUSA in Fairfax, Virginia. “And you know conversations can organically shift from one area to another.”“If you have hearing loss and someone’s talking from your left, and then all of a sudden someone’s talking from your right, it can be hard to follow,” said Marcotte.In time, a person having difficulty following a conversation, even in a family atmosphere, can become socially isolated.“You would...

De Bruyne’s hamstring injury may rule him out of Man City’s Club World Cup bid

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The Club World Cup may come too soon for Kevin De Bruyne to make his return from a hamstring injury, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday. De Bruyne has been included in City’s squad for the tournament in Saudi Arabia, with their first game scheduled for Dec. 19. But Guardiola said the Belgium international had yet to return to full training as he continues his rehabilitation after surgery in August.“He has started to run on the pitch but hasn’t trained with us once,” Guardiola said. “The FIFA Club World Cup is in two or three weeks. Maybe it’s a bit early, but I don’t know.”De Bruyne hasn’t played since Aug. 11, City’s first English Premier League game against Burnley, and he was substituted after 23 minutes. Injury also forced him off after 36 minutes of the Champions League final in June against Inter Milan that City won to complete a treble of trophies last season. He later said his hamstring “snapped.”City has missed ...