From Monday, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 were still working to realize a brand new agreement. The current contract runs at midnight.

The members of the union voted in mid -February for the approval of a possible strike. The union represents greater than 1,500 employees, including bus drivers, light rail operators and dispatchers.

“In view of this developing situation, VTA encourages residents and companies to prepare for alternative travel methods in the event of a strike,” said the agency in a press release.

Alternatives to public transport include carpools, rides and cycling.

The VTA Paratransit Service will proceed usually, but within the event of a strike, VTA bus and lightweight rail service is not going to be available in line with the agency.

In a proof last week, the frustration union expressed an earlier offer that demanded a wage increase of 1% per yr for 3 years, and accused the VTA to not receive any guarantees to enhance the conditions of labor on May 26, 2021.

A union spokesman didn’t return a message immediately wherein a comment on the contract talks was sought.

Originally published: March 3, 2025 at 9:59 p.m. PST

Dear travel problem solver: I recently rented a automobile from Sixt through Auto Europe near Lisbon, Portugal. A number of days after I returned the automobile, my bank card was charged an extra $513. I used to be shocked at the quantity. I used to be only expecting transponder fees ($17) and tolls ($20).

The extras were optional insurance. Sixt and Auto Europe said I had signed the contract and was due to this fact accountable for that quantity. I called Sixt customer support because I felt like I used to be being unfairly charged this amount. Sixt agreed to look at my criticism and reply to me via email. Today I received the identical response stating “The extras were presented at the counter” and that I signed the document indicating my agreement to this statement.

Nobody identified the optional insurance to me. If I had wanted this extra insurance when ordering the automobile online, I might have paid for it. I expressly deregistered from the insurance when making the net reservation. Can you help me get my a reimbursement?

ANSWER: Sixt must have explained what you signed whenever you arrived in Lisbon. And although it seems that each Sixt and Auto Europe have signed contracts agreeing to pay an extra $513 for insurance, I consider that they never had any intention of accepting the extra coverage . In fact, you said an agent offered you insurance for $50, which you declined.

What happened? Upon reviewing the correspondence between you, Auto Europe and Sixt, it appears that you simply initially declined insurance coverage online. However, there was a misunderstanding on the counter (where staff are trained to sell you extras).

According to Sixt, the agent has offered you optional insurance. Sixt says you will have accepted it and signed a corresponding contract. You say you never said “yes” to the expensive coverage and have never said “yes.”

At first I believed there is likely to be a language barrier, but you say the representative had a very good command of the English language. This feels more like a variant of the “sign here” scam, where a automobile rental agent flips through numerous pages you may't possibly read and assures you that that is what you discussed. Then you sign it without realizing that you will have agreed to pay more. It's hard to say since I wasn't there.

Apparently you tried to appeal this decision to each corporations. Please keep in mind that I publish the names, phone numbers and email addresses of Auto Europe and Sixt executives on my consumer protection website. Elliott.org. A fast email to one in every of them might need reversed these charges.

To be clear: If you signed something, you’re answerable for it. And you must at all times read your entire contract before signing it, even when someone stands in front of you and tells you what it says. That's where problems occur. However, I consider there was a misunderstanding, if not deception, in your rental and I wanted to offer Sixt the chance to confirm this. So I did it.

“First of all, we would like to apologize – also on behalf of our franchise partner in Portugal – for the inconvenience caused,” a representative told me. “We regret that David Degagne had a negative experience with Sixt and have examined the case in detail with our colleagues on site.”

As a “gesture of goodwill,” Sixt has reversed your insurance fees. You told me that you simply are completely happy with this solution. “I hope this serves as a reminder to your other readers to ensure they fully review their contract before driving their rental car out of the garage,” you added.

---

Celtics

During a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast, Jayson Tatum told a former Celtics teammate Jeff Teague that he almost requested a trade during his rookie season.

Despite being drafted No. 3 overall, Tatum had playing time concerns.

Boston had signed Gordon Hayward to a four-year contract value as much as $128 million. Hayward played for then-coach Brad Stevens at Butler and played small forward, the identical position as Tatum.

The Celtics had chosen one other winger, Jaylen Brown, with the No. 3 overall pick the 12 months before.

“And then I get drafted and Gordon Hayward signs with the Celtics,” Tatum said. “I called my agent and said, 'Yo, I need to be traded.'” I used to be in Summer League before I ever played a game like yo. He says, 'Relax.' Just wait.' He's mainly saying, “You need to relax.”

Jayson Tatum says he desired to be traded by the Celtics after they signed Gordon Hayward because he thought he wouldn't get playing time

“I called my agent and said, 'Yo, I need to be traded.'”

(above @club520podcast)pic.twitter.com/2f773tPFQy

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 4, 2024

“Yo, I’m trying to play,” Tatum added. “I wasn’t drafted to come back off the bench and never be within the starting lineup. He said, 'You're in a fantastic organization, they're going to show you the way to play the proper way.'”

Eight years later, Tatum has just won his first championship with the Celtics. He signed a five-year, $314 “supermax” contract extension that keeps him under contract through 2029, with a player option for the 2030 season.

Tatum said his time with the Celtics went well. He also reflected on his original desire to play for the Lakers, who never invited him to pre-draft training.

“I grew up a Kobe fan,” Tatum said. “I always wanted to play for the Lakers. The fact that they were No. 2 and it was like they didn't even think that I was going to get drafted, that was kind of devastating, so I never worked out for the Lakers. They never came to watch me train.”

The Lakers were determined to get Lonzo Ball, who played at nearby UCLA and Chino Hills. After the Lakers made their decision, Tatum set his sights on the Phoenix Suns.

“I wanted to go to Phoenix. Phoenix had the fourth pick and Earl Watson was the coach. I went out there, looked at houses, the weather was nice. They had a young team. I was like, man, I'm going to play. Then I remember Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] was like 'Boston wants you for a second practice, you should go.'”

Tatum said an unnamed Celtics manager told him at a previous practice that they probably wouldn't sign him. They later decided to invite Tatum to another training session. Krzyzewski persuaded Tatum to attend, saying Stevens was one of the best coaches in the league.

Boston ultimately gave up the No. 1 overall pick to Philadelphia. The 76ers took Markelle Fultz, the Lakers took Ball and Boston used the No. 3 pick to get Tatum.

“The rest was history and everything worked out,” Tatum said.

IVF, Trump and Abortion

Firestorm in Florida

LOS ANGELES — Remember when Elmo went viral in January when he asked people on the Internet how they were doing and briefly became X's unofficial therapist?

“The world is burning, Elmo,” an X-user who Not the bee said the otherwise cheerful character from “Sesame Street”. “No amount of tickling can change that.”

“This world is full of pain, anger, violence, disease, power-hungry despots and poverty,” said a user named Live life as if someone had left the gate open added in an extended post. “The gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening, as HG Wells put it.”

And those were just two of over 20,000 responses.

Christina Vittas, Elmo’s social media manager, was overwhelmed by the unexpected wave of enthusiasm and told the Times She was grateful that the Muppet's easy query “sparked conversations about the serious mental health crisis in our country.”

Six months later, Elmo’s creator at Sesame Workshop have worked along with the Harris Poll to take a more in-depth take a look at the state of Americans' mental health. In May, they conducted 2,012 online interviews on a variety of topics with a nationally representative sample of Americans ages 16 and older.

The resulting State of Wellbeing Report was published this week. The results:

• 27% of respondents said their mental or emotional health or that of a member of the family negatively impacted their well-being. This was essentially on par with the 28% who were negatively impacted by a physical health issue. The only issue that weighed more heavily on survey respondents was economic security and private funds, a priority cited by 41%.

• Mental and emotional health was a specific Burden for young people: 54% of 16- and 17-year-olds who responded to the survey said that mental health issues had a negative impact on their overall wellbeing, as did 32% of fogeys and 41% of people that identified as LGBTQ+.

• When asked about their biggest concerns for his or her future well-being, 90% said their mental and emotional health and that of their family was either somewhat or very vital. By comparison, 89% said the identical about physical health, economic security and private funds, and “having a safe place to call home.”

• Seventy-seven percent of respondents told pollsters that to enhance the well-being of future generations, the United States should prioritize investments in emotional and mental health. That was just barely lower than the 80 percent who called for more investment in economic security and barely greater than the 76 percent who said the country should prioritize quality education and learning opportunities.

• 44% of all respondents said their families are “still suffering from the negative impacts of the COVID19 pandemic.” This includes 57% of Black Americans and 56% of Latino Americans who responded to the survey. This also includes 63% of respondents who’re a part of Generation Z (ages 18-27) and 57% of Millennials (ages 28-43).

• When given a listing of adjectives to explain the typical American adult, only 37% selected “kind,” 35% selected “compassionate,” and 33% selected “empathetic.” However, 56% said this hypothetical adult was “anxious” and 44% said he was “difficult.”

• The survey found overwhelming support for the concept kindness is crucial to the well-being of society. A full 91% of respondents agreed that “kindness fosters stronger bonds between people” and due to this fact makes them more empathetic and helpful.

• 82% of respondents said their very own mental wellbeing would improve if kindness was more widespread and 89% said a kinder society can be higher for youngsters.

• 93% of respondents said they’ve performed an excellent deed no less than once previously three months. Specifically, 57% said they helped a friend or member of the family in need, 57% said they listened to someone without judgment, 39% donated money to charity, 35% helped a stranger and 22% volunteered their time to a cause, amongst other activities.

• Despite this high level of kindness, most individuals said they don’t see much of it in others. 55% of respondents agreed that “kindness is not a priority for most people.” In addition, 64% agreed that “most people do not make a special effort to help others.”

• 73% of Americans said they want that they had learned more about managing their emotions as children. 84% of today's parents feel the identical.

• 67% of Americans also wish their parents had been more open about their very own mental health issues. This is very true amongst younger Americans: 77% of teenagers, 77% of Generation Z, and 78% of Millennials share this opinion.

Sesame Workshop described the report because the “first index of its kind” and said they’d proceed to ask Americans “to take the pulse of the situation of Americans and their families.”

Originally published: August 19, 2024 at 11:59 am

DEAR HARRIETTE: I even have been with my boyfriend for 3 years and so far as our intimacy dynamic goes, things should not working in any respect.

In a moment of frustration and vulnerability, I gathered up my courage and asked him if he was gay, hoping to grasp the explanation for his distant behavior. Unfortunately, my query triggered a negative response from him, which resulted in anger and threats of separation.

Now I query my approach and wonder if I crossed a line after I confronted him about his sexual orientation.

The sexuality of your dear friend: Even for those who didn't select the most effective query to ask your boyfriend about what's currently happening in your relationship, you continue to began the conversation.

Stay with him. Apologize on your assumption and tell him you’re baffled. You don't understand why the 2 of you are not any longer intimate. You have racked your brain to work out what happened.

Ask him to seek advice from you about it. Be as direct as possible. Even if it feels uncomfortable, ask him if he now not finds you attractive. Ask him if there may be another person or if he has an illness you don't learn about. He must let you understand what he thinks.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Is it okay to not invite my foster parents to my wedding because my biological parents think they’re racist?

My biological parents, who’re black, feel uncomfortable around my white foster parents because they’ve made some racist comments previously. Now I’m faced with the choice to maintain the peace and address these concerns.

I care about each sets of fogeys, but I don't want any tension at my wedding.

At the moment, I are inclined to favor my biological parents because they missed out on rather a lot in my life. They were a young couple who decided to place me in an orphanage because they couldn't raise a baby on the time.

How can I handle this example without hurting anyone's feelings and be sure that everyone feels respected and included on my big day?

LOVE WEDDING DILEMMA: How necessary were your foster parents in your life, especially whenever you were younger? Do you like them? Do they love you?

It's comprehensible that your birth parents felt offended by something they said. But before you make a hasty decision, take into consideration your life together with your foster parents. Did they take care of you? How do you’re feeling about what they said?

I like to recommend talking to each sets of fogeys and asking them to support you in your big day with love and courtesy – on your sake.

DEAR MRS MANNERS: There is a non-public parochial school near where I live. The tuition is high and the college has a repute for being an elite club.

The parents of this school have initiated and vigorously promoted a fundraising campaign. They consider that the college is a necessary a part of our community and have to be kept open.

I even have been asked to donate but am not inclined to accomplish that.

I see this as wealthy people begging the general public on behalf of their private school, which they’ve run terribly badly. When asked, I said that if the college is begging for money, those in charge should show prospective donors their audited financial statements and explain what the long-term plan is. (I used to be going so as to add that folks should get a cardboard sign and stand on the corner, but I refrained.)

When asked in regards to the financial details, my response was “It's none of your business, just donate and don't ask any questions.” For this reason and due to the financial mismanagement, I is not going to donate, regardless that I’m a really generous person.

Is it fallacious to ask these questions after I'm asked to donate to something? I just don't appreciate blanket incursions into my wallet. Is it common today for wealthy people to ask for financial support from less wealthy people with none specific explanation?

I'm sick of being bombarded with all kinds of donations. I'm really affected by donor fatigue and I'm getting more moody and cynical each day.

DEAR READER: Phew. Is it possible that you just don't like this school? Or the parents whose children go there?
Then why are you asking them a couple of campaign you don't wish to contribute to?

Miss Manners agrees that somebody considering a donation should ask how it will solve the organization's problems. The “none of your business” response is just not valid when accompanied by a request for support.

But because you don't take into consideration donating, she concludes that you just only see this as a chance to vent your dislike.

How should I answer the registrar’s query: “Who gives this woman…?”?

DEAR READER: The usual answer is “Yes, I do,” with the emphasis on the “I.” Miss Manners guarantees that nobody will think you could have usurped the groom's answer, as he should put the emphasis on “I do.”

Many are present at campus protests that express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and speak out against the Israeli military operation within the Gaza Strip calls for universities and colleges to be divested – a word that essentially means “sell” – all of their assets linked to Israel or linked to corporations that provide weapons and technology to the Israeli government. The Conversation US asked Todd L. Elya public administration scholar on the University of Colorado Denver to elucidate the challenges of meeting this demand.

What are foundations?

Foundations are pools of assets that originally come from donations. Nonprofits and a few public organizations invest these assets, which grow over time, and spend a small percentage of them annually to support their missions. Almost all non-profit Colleges and universities have endowmentsin addition to Hundreds of public colleges – partly via affiliated charitable foundations.

U.S. college and university endowments had around $1 trillion in assets (as of mid-2021). – probably the most current comprehensive data available.

This wealth is very concentrated. Almost half of those assets belonged to the 20 largest foundations in 2021. Foundation value $40 million or less is more typical and about 95% of schools and universities have lower than $1 billion in endowments.

Foundation managers generally see Making money is their primary goal and enormous amounts of those assets are subject to restrictions based on donor preferences.

Columbia University's $13.6 billion endowmentFor example, as of 2023, the fund was divided into greater than 6,200 different funds and about two-thirds of the muse's assets were subject to donor-related restrictions.

As colleges and universities aim to preserve their endowments to support their operations for the foreseeable future, they’re typically spend about 5% of those assets per 12 months for student aid and various programs to complement what they will afford from their other income – primarily tuition fees, room and board fees, and government funding for public facilities. The Columbia Foundation, for instance, paid out $679 million in fiscal 12 months 2023.

Many protesters have said they oppose their tuition going to a foundation with financial ties to Israel. But that is not how foundations work. Typically universities and colleges Spend all the cash you get from tuition on core businesses. They complement these funds with income from other sources – including their foundations.

How much details about foundations is published?

Since it’s unclear how much of those assets are tied to Israeli corporations or the Israeli military, many protesters are calling on their colleges and universities to achieve this reveal further information about what’s included of their foundations.

While universities and colleges typically publish their audited financial reports annually, details in regards to the holdings of their endowments are difficult to seek out for several reasons.

First, professionally managed investments change so incessantly What is contained in a trust is a moving goal. Regular reporting reflects, at best, a historical snapshot.

Second, university facilities are complex. Timely and detailed reporting on investments, while it’s desirable for supervisioncan reveal that secret proprietary strategies of foundations and their investments, including Alternative investments resembling hedge funds.

Third, colleges and universities are increasingly hiring external asset managers and hedge funds to administer their endowments. Due to the proprietary nature of those transactions, it might be obligatory to agree to take care of confidentiality regarding these investments.

Some details about foundations appears in 990 Forms, that are information statements that charities file and publish annually with the Internal Revenue Service. This is the shape Schedule D includes the dimensions of the muse, its administrative costs and the overall limitations it faces.

Although the forms require disclosure of “activities outside the United States.” Schedule FThe highest level of detail required is the region of those investments. In other words, any investments in Israeli corporations could possibly be lumped in with investments in corporations based in Qatar or Lebanon.

Are there legal obstacles?

Universities and colleges may not at all times have the liberty to divest their endowments.

When it involves cutting ties with Israel, a minimum of there are laws 38 states have banned this sort of sale for public universities by banning participation within the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has sought to place pressure on Israel for nearly 20 years.

Other state laws more generally restrict using environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment practices by public institutions.

For example, officials at Ohio State University have cited their state's laws when telling protesters that this will not be possible breaks off relations with Israel.

In addition, just about all states have a law that regulates the investment and use of funds by nonprofit organizations: the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act. This measure requires a “prudent” investment approach, which could be interpreted as an try to maximize the expansion of a foundation.

However, some divestment advocates argue that schools and universities have one moral duty to divest in certain cases are based on the identical laws – even when which means that a foundation may grow more slowly.

Is disinvestment from Israel feasible?

Certainly many colleges and universities have done this agreed to student demands for divestment in recent times from industries resembling tobacco, fossil fuels, private prisons and firearms. About 40 years ago, a whole lot of faculties divested from corporations doing business in South Africa before the autumn of his apartheid government.

But it will be difficult to find out which specific assets would must be sold after which avoided for the foreseeable future if today's protesters prevailed.

Regardless of the main focus of those campaigns, implementing divestments requires political will, effort and time. In addition, transaction costs increase, access to certain investment products is proscribed and it will probably take a protracted time attributable to the best way higher quality endowments are invested.

That's partly because endowments typically don't just include large amounts of stocks and bonds. To reduce risk, they’re increasingly investing in mutual funds and other assets consisting of many various securities. Outsourcing the management of parts of your portfolio to non-public equity firms results in further complications.

“The university has no discretion to withdraw its investments in private equity and real asset funds,” Columbia University said noted in its audited annual financial statements for 2023. “Distributions occur when assets within the funds are sold. In general, the remaining term of these private equity and real asset funds is up to 12 years.”

There's one other concern for colleges and universities: Many of their largest donors have made this clear They are against disinvestment from Israel. In some cases, these donors have said they might stop giving to varsities that cut ties with Israel, as protesters demanded.

Does divestment work?

Whether divestment works likely will depend on the goals of its proponents.

If they wish to inflict significant financial losses on specific corporations, industries or countries, research shows they’re doomed to fail for several reasons.

Although many college and university endowments are large by most standards, they’re aren’t necessarily sufficiently big to maneuver the financial marketsespecially since their investments are diversified.

Additionally, if a university owns shares in a goal company, selling those shares simply transfers ownership to a buyer who’s less concerned about social issues.

property preservation and Taking a more energetic role in representing investor interests could possibly be an alternative choice to divestment.

But if the goal is that raise awareness of a causethen divestment could make a difference – even whether it is difficult to measure.

How can colleges and universities reply to student demands?

Some colleges and universities have found ways to interact productively with protesters. sometimes this even led to an amicable end to the camps.

Increasing engagement opportunities for college kids and the broader academic community around endowments and other institutional investments may provide a approach to address current and future disputes.

Brown University, Northwestern University and that University of Minnesota appear to be taking this approach.

Some colleges and universities have promised to review divestiture claims at a later date and disclose more information in regards to the size of their endowments. These commitments have helped to take care of peace while ensuring that this can proceed to be the case on this matter remain on the agenda within the 2024-2025 academic 12 months.