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Why are there so many parrots in Los Angeles?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

If you've ever been on a peaceful afternoon walk through Santa Monica or Northeast Los Angeles, you may have seen them fly overhead or heard them squawking in their communal roosts. Thousands of non-native parrots call Los Angeles home, much to the enjoyment of the local community of bird enthusiasts.While no extant species of parrot are native to the continental U.S., experts say there are as many as nine species of parrot found in the Los Angeles area, introduced decades ago and continuing to grow in population.But how exactly did they get here, and is their presence having a negative impact on the local ecosystem?This undated photo shows a lilac-crowned parrot photographed in Los Angeles County. (Luke Tiller/Pasadena Audubon Society)Luke Tiller is president of the Pasadena Audubon Society, a collection of bird watchers and enthusiasts with ties to the national organization of the same name.He says rumors about how the parrots ended up in Los Angeles have been running rampant for ...

CBD and Tinnitus: A Look Into Potential Interactions

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

Tinnitus, characterized by a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears, is a condition that affects a significant portion of Americans. Among potential alternative therapies for managing this challenging symptom, Cannabidiol (CBD) has sparked considerable interest. Let’s take a closer look at current understanding of CBD’s potential role in tinnitus management.Understanding TinnitusFirst, a look at what tinnitus is.Tinnitus, a condition that manifests as a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears, and it affects around 15% to 20% of the population. It’s not a condition in itself but moreover a symptom of an underlying condition like age-related hearing loss, ear injury, or a circulatory system disorder. Managing tinnitus can pose a significant challenge for many and there are limited treatments out there.Understanding CBDCannabidiol, better known as CBD, is one of over 100 compounds known as cannabinoids found in hemp and cannabis plants. Unlike another famous compound,...

Latest line: A good week for Fresno, a bad week for Frank Somerville

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

FresnoOften-overlooked Central Valley city is in line to receive $250 million in Gavin Newsom’s state budget to upgrade water and sewer systems, add 2,000 parking spaces and boost parks, sidewalks and landscaping.    Frank SomervilleFormer KTVU anchor, once the king of local TV news, is charged with criminal threats, assault and trespassing by Alameda County prosecutors after police say he got in a drunken fight with relatives.   Dave KavalOakland A’s president hits choppy political waters, failing so far to win approval in the Nevada legislature for public funding to bring the team to Las Vegas. But Silver State lawmakers will take up the issue again next week. 

They said it: Gallivanting while awaiting trial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

“Defendant is in Italy?”— Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Grayner, in a court filing upon learning former Fremont City Manager Mark Danaj, free without bail while facing felony charges of abusing his city expense account, “appears to be living his best life ‘studying’ Italian wines, cheese and capellini.”

$10,000 to move into a new apartment? Bill would give California renters a break on high security deposits

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

In California, it’s perfectly legal for landlords to ask renters to cough up more than $10,000 before handing over the keys to a new apartment.That’s because under state law, property owners can charge up to two months’ rent as a security deposit, on top of the initial lease payment. For a furnished unit, deposits can be as much as three months’ rent.But a new bill making its way through Sacramento aims to put an end to those high charges, capping security deposits at one month’s rent for most apartments, condos and single-family homes.The measure would provide relief to many of California’s roughly 17 million renters already struggling to afford the state’s exorbitant rental prices, said Matt Haney, the Democratic state assemblymember from San Francisco behind the bill.“The result of these high security deposits is families are either taking on debt to afford them or staying in housing situations that are crowded, insufficient or even...

School shootings are a real threat — so these Bay Area students invented a technology to fight back

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

Rebecca Wang was just 7 years old the first time it happened.She remembers vividly her teacher’s panicked face, and her urgent voice telling Rebecca and her classmates to keep quiet, hide behind their desks and stay calm.They were barricaded in a Los Gatos classroom for four hours until police found the man who’d run across their campus with a gun. Wang didn’t understand what was going on, but when they finally walked outside, her entire family was waiting — and they looked terrified.“It was pure chaos,” said Wang, now 17. “We didn’t really know what was going on, but we knew the teachers were scared out of their minds.”After 10 years of waiting for things to change, Wang — a rising senior at San Jose’s Gunderson High — decided to take things into her own hands. This summer, she and three friends will be refining SIREN, an artificial intelligence device they’ve trained to detect gunshots and instantly communicate with all students, staff members and teachers at an affected sch...

Should behind-the-wheel test be mandatory for 75+ drivers? Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

Q: Wouldn’t it make more sense for the DMV to give me a behind-the-wheel driving test instead of testing me about axles, which have nothing to do with my driving ability? Wouldn’t it be better if all seniors, starting at maybe 75 years old, were tested on driving skills?Marlene Burak, Los GatosA: The DMV has no plans to require driving tests for all drivers, no matter what their age. Anyone concerned that a driver may be unsafe can submit a DMV Request for Driver Reexamination (DS699). Q: I am over 70 and made an appointment at the DMV’s Los Gatos office for the written test and vision test. But as a “certified” Luddite, I can’t figure out how to download the paper application that I must take with me.Lionel AllanA: The DMV encourages customers to create a MyDMV account and complete their driver’s license application on the website before visiting a field office. They offer alternatives, such as a paper driver’s license application that can be filled out at a...

Local community on edge following Mission District shooting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A mass shooting sent nine people to the hospital Friday night. Despite police saying it was a targeted and isolated incident, many people in the area are still on edge.Harry Singh, the owner of Tadka Indian Restaurant, says he was working in the kitchen when the shooting happened. "We heard the pop and then just a couple of minutes later we heard people screaming outside,” said Singh. Local leaders speak out after Mission District mass shooting He waited a few minutes before he went to see what was happening. "Went outside and there were people screaming and running outside," said Singh.He closed his restaurant shortly after the shooting but reopened as usual on Saturday. "I'm definitely going to be looking out more. There's definitely a nervousness, but at the same time you have to do your thing. It's my shop, it's my livelihood,” said Singh.Dying Breed and Mission Skateboard, which shares a storefront, were closed. A legislative aide for Hillary Ronen's of...

Ramp builders celebrate building more than 100 lifelines for the community

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — More than 100 times in the last four years, the lives of people like George and Brenda Ford have been changed by an act of kindness — along with the skillful placement of a truckload of boards.Local volunteers with an organization called SAWs-Virginia heard that George Ford, 87, was unable to get out of his home after he had a stroke in September 2021. His wife had to arrange with two family members to help carry him and his wheelchair out of the house when he needed to go to physical therapy or doctors’ appointments, but she “felt very bad” knowing it disrupted their schedules.Then, SAWs, which stands for “Servants at Work,” built an 83-foot ramp that starts outside the front door of their Spotsylvania County home, takes a sharp left and runs down a graded slope in front of the porch, then turns left again and ends in the paved driveway.Suddenly, the couple had their freedom again.“Having this ramp is a lifesaver,” said Brenda Ford. “We don’t have to depe...

French Open tournament director Mauresmo quizzed on lack of night sessions for women

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:52 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Scheduling more night sessions for women is proving a tough issue to resolve for French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo.Mauresmo, a two-time Grand Slam winner, was asked at her tournament-ending news conference Sunday if she was comfortable with the equality in the scheduling at Roland Garros this year. Only one of the 10 night sessions involved women.“I’m comfortable with the scheduling on the day, but yes, we can do better on the night matches,” Mauresmo said. “My point is this year that we put definitely way more woman matches on the prime slots in 2023. It doesn’t make it perfect yet, because of these night matches that are unique.”Mauresmo was asked about comments made by American Jessica Pegula, who lamented the lack of women’s matches in the night sessions in an online column Wednesday for British broadcaster BBC.“Only one of the 10 night sessions featured WTA players — that was when Aryna Sabalenka played Sloane Stephens in the fourth round,” the third-...