California is losing taxpayers by the hundreds of thousands for several years running, largely due to the overall lack of affordability.  Fundamental programs like education, public health and public safety are failing.  California has the highest or close to the highest costs in the nation for housing, rent, electricity, gas, transportation, and even food. If single-payer health care in California wasn’t a pipe dream already, it must be now.  The massive costs of such a program are so enormous that even to dream about it when the state is facing a near $70 billion budget shortf ..read more

The man who set himself on fire across the street from the courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place is in critical condition in a burn unit, police said Friday. The man first walked into the park around 1:30 p.m., took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories and spread them around the park before he doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials said. Officials believe the man had traveled from Florida to New York in the past few days. Authorities said they were reviewing the security protocols outside the courthouse. “We are very concerned. Of c ..read more

PLAYA VISTA – A word with the basketball deities, if I may? Small ask, please? Can we get Kawhi Leonard on the court for the Clippers’ first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks? Pleeease? Because, without Kawhi – currently considered questionable with what his team is describing as “very, very stubborn” right knee inflammation – this won’t be the first-round series basketball fans want to see. But with him? This will be the first-round series. No. 4 vs. No. 5 and far and away the most compelling matchup on the NBA’s opening-round docket – which has something to ..read more

By Adil Jawad | Associated Press KARACHI, Pakistan — A suicide bomber targeted a van carrying Japanese nationals in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on Friday, police said. The Japanese nationals escaped unharmed but officials later said one bystander was killed. Initially, police said the van was heading to an industrial area where the five Japanese nationals worked when it came under attack, local police chief Arshad Awan said. Police escorting the Japanese returned fire, killing a second attacker, the bomber’s accomplice, he said. “All the Japanese who were the target of the attack are safe ..read more

Women in Animation was formed more than 30 years ago to support and grow the scant number of women working in the field of animation. The nonprofit has grown to 11,000 members worldwide and is a preeminent advocacy group supporting female-identifying and nonbinary people in animation, visual effects and gaming. WIA Student Collectives, including the WIA Cal State Fullerton Collective, have played a significant role in the nonprofit’s growth, enabling university students to build connections and support among members as they work to make inroads into the industry. The Women in Animation Cal ..read more

By Chris Isidore | CNN Renee Berry has been working at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee since 2010, shortly after it opened, long enough to see the majority of her co-workers twice vote against joining the United Auto Workers union. She thinks the third vote taking place this week will be different. “It’s a totally different ball game,” she said. “The atmosphere is different. You see more pro-union than anti-union [workers]. A whole lot of people who were anti-union in the past have switched.” The union vote at the Volkswagen plant will mean more than whether the 4,300 hourly wor ..read more

By Sally French | NerdWallet At the airport, long lines for check-in, security screenings and even getting food can feel like a giant waste of time — and potentially disrupt even the most meticulously planned itinerary. But with planning, you can skip some of the most annoying lines, and in some cases, get reimbursed if the line-skipping privilege requires an application fee. Here are five common airport bottlenecks and how to avoid them for free or cheap. 1. Check in It is the year 2024, which means there’s a mobile version of all sorts of travel services. That includes the ability to check i ..read more

Carolee Ogata has been selected to serve as the next superintendent of Huntington Beach Union High School District, succeeding Clint Harwick once he retires in August. “I am honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the legacy of excellence within the Huntington Beach Union High School District,” Ogata said. “HBUHSD boasts an exceptional community of dedicated staff and high-achieving students.” Ogata has been serving as the deputy superintendent of human resources at HBUHSD since 2012 but has been involved in education for over 30 years. In her time at the district, she ha ..read more

Providence and Blue Shield California, currently embroiled in a contractual spat over how much the insurance company covers patient care, have until June 1 to ink a new deal before the old contract expires. The hospital system emailed its 110,000 patients earlier this week, warning that Blue Shield health insurance might flip to out of network with Providence hospitals, clinics and physicians. “We are diligently working with Blue Shield to resolve this negotiation and that you can continue to see your Providence providers with no impact until June 1, 2024,” the email states. Also see: Providen ..read more

When I was a kid and learning to surf, I was always told that in order to be a “complete” surfer it was important to be able to do all things surfing and ocean related.  A total “waterman” was the expression that was used. At first, I thought this just meant being able to all things that had to do with riding a surfboard well.  You should be able to ride all size waves, from knee high to mountain high.  You should be able to surf in either direction equally proficient, front side to the wave or back side to the wave. But there was much more to it than just that, which I started ..read more