It is that this time of yr again.

The local highschool basketball teams from throughout Bay Area learned their sowing and divisional clips for the state playoffs on Sunday and can start probably the most expected high -basketball tournament after the season from this week.

The ultimate goal: to play on March 14th to fifteenth within the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento for a state championship.

The brackets usually are not at all times perfect and a few teams will do significantly better than others.

The CIF uses a competitive equity model for sowing, which divides teams from the perfect to worst into separate departments, whereby the open brackets are where the strongest teams within the state are placed. From there, the following 16 teams will probably be installed in Division I and after Division V.

The top seed in every division is preserved within the playoffs home games, while number 16 has to take to the streets for 4 games to make it into the Golden 1 center.

Archbishop Riordan (Open), the King's Academy (Division III) and Priory (Division IV) were awarded top seeds after winning their respective CCS titles. California received number 16 in Division I, though it was an NCS Open Division Team.

On the side of the ladies, the one schools who received a top norcal seed from the reporting area of ​​the Bay Area News Group, Archbishop Mitty within the open and small summit Shasta within the Division V. The Daly City School will organize the Skyline No. 16 in its first matchup.

There was plenty of talk during all the season as as to whether the central section and the National Powerhouse St. Joseph-Santa Maria could be accommodated within the Norcal Boys Open Division. Riordan, de La Salle and Salesiane don't must worry that St. Joseph Star and California's leading top scorer Tounds Yessoufou, since the knights received number 2 within the Socal Open.

While the publication of the Playoff Brackets can never make someone comfortable, CIF Associate Executive Director Brian Seymour spoke to the Bay Area News Group on Sunday evening to make among the decisions that CIF made during this process.

Here are the highlights:

Nathan Canilao: CIF went with five young Norcal Open teams. Many thought that St. Joseph-Santa Maria had the prospect to be a Norcal team since they were within the north two years ago. What was the explanation to bring St. Joseph to the south and only have five Norcal teams outdoors?

Brian Seymour: We only had the sensation that the realm from which they arrive makes more sense for them within the south than to play within the north. We have already placed it (you within the north) and it was plenty of time on the road for a lot of these teams. It only makes more sense that we do that with almost each of our section teams in the middle and check out to share them geographically each time possible. … there have been also some discussions on the boy about whether Indderkum must be open to the boy and we also spent plenty of time with it.

Nathan Canilao: On the side of the ladies, Acalanes received the seed no. 4 outdoors and Pinewood received the No. 6. Both teams lost their title games of the department, however it was certain that Pinewood against Mitty, the highest seeds of the division, was more competitive. Was there a consideration of putting pinewood in front of Acalanes?

Brian Seymour: Ultimately, we have now idea long before the games are literally played. It was a surprise of the rating between San Ramon Valley and Acalanes. No surprise in any respect that SRV won, but you normally don't see that. We saw really close games between Pinewood and Mitty. The committee looks in any respect of this they usually attempt to make sure that there aren’t any repetitions of a bit. Much of it has something to do with it, but there they decided with these schools on the ladies' side.

Nathan Canilao: How much inventory is built into the section championship games and if a team has a one -sided loss, how does it have in mind the way it sown?

Brian Seymour: Not as much as everyone thinks. If you might be a team within the Big Ten tournament and lose the nation of the nation and the quarter -finals, you’ll still be a seed No. 1 within the NCAA tournament. So let's take a take a look at all of the work. It's not necessarily a game. You must see how teams play at the moment within the yr. That also has something to do with it.

Nathan Canilao: The Boys team from Dougherty Valley has two teams within the NCS Open Division, a better seed within the Norcal D1 clip as NCS Division I Champion I about California and Liberty. Did you think that that the NCS just misunderstood it and that it needed to be corrected for the state playoffs?

Brian Seymour: The NCS uses the pc rating for the primary time to find out the location of your teams. So if you will have something latest, you will have to undergo it for a number of years to repair the mistakes which might be presented when you only use the pc. We not only use computers for the status, but we use various different computer methods and metrics. But within the case of the NCS, the pc spat the rank and had Dougherty Valley on the skin of his open division with six teams. And when Dougherty Valley played thoroughly in Division I and Cal High and Liberty from the NCS Open from the north coast department were, and said: 'Hey, you realize what, that is a chance to proceed and place a team that plays thoroughly in the intervening time. “

Nathan Canilao: Dougherty Valley got the seed no. 6 in the division I and right behind Dublin is in 7th place. Dublin scored a head-to-head victory against Dougherty Valley and won a game in the NCS Open Division. Why was Dougherty Valley gave the nod?

Brian Seymour: Dougherty only played really good basketball and the committee felt as in the event that they had earned themselves on this place.

Originally published: March 2, 2025 at 7:23 p.m. PST

The municipalities of Globeville, Elyria-Swansea and Commerce City in Metro Denver are resulting from air pollution from nearby motorways, an oil refinery and one Superfund site.

While these neighborhoods have Long suffered from air pollutionThey will not be the one ones in Colorado.

Now Colorado is taking a giant step to guard people from air pollutants that cause cancer or other essential health problems called “air poisoning toxic”. For the primary time the state is developing its own Air toxic health standards on the state level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcx3mi4nda8

In January 2025, Colorado identified five air poisonous fabrics as “priority” cemicals: benzene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hexavalent chrome compounds and hydrogen sulfide.

The state is precisely establishing health standards that limit the quantity of any chemical permissible within the air. It is very important that the standards must be designed in such a way that folks are exposed to chemicals in the long run, e.g. B. those that live near emission sources. Disputes with much more Low amounts of some chemicalsLike benzene, can result in cancer.

Studied as a researcher chemical exposure and healthI measure and evaluate the results of air pollution on people's well -being.

The recent regulations in Colorado will work on expert knowledge and input locally to guard people's health.

Communities know what regulation needs

Is there a motorway in your personal community that runs near your own home or in a factory with a foul smell? Maybe a petroleum station across the corner? You probably already know many places that release air pollution near you.

When state or local supervisory authorities work along with parishioners to seek out out which communities are concerned with the communities of air pollution, the partnership can result in a system that is best serves the general public and reduces injustice.

For example, partnerships between supporters, scientists and regulatory authorities in heavily dirty and marginalized supervisory authorities Neighborhoods in New York and Boston I had great benefits. These partnerships led to raised scientific knowledge of how air pollution is connected to asthma, and the position of air monitors in districts influenced probably the most.

In Colorado, the method to pick the five priority airtoxics included advice with several stakeholders. A technical working group provided input, for which five chemicals must be prioritized from the larger list of priority 477 toxic air contaminants.

The working group includes academics, members of non -governmental organizations akin to the Environmental defense funds – Local government and controlled industries, like that American Petroleum Institute.

There were also opportunities for the participation of the community during public meetings.

Community groups akin to Green Latinos argued in public hearings that formaldehyde must be one in all the prioritized air toys as an alternative of acrolein because it may well Cause crab.

In addition, formaldehyde becomes in some Colorado communities which might be mostly individuals with color Proponents of those communities. These communities are already disproportionately influenced by High rates of respiratory diseases And Cancer.

Other members of the community have also weighed.

“One of my patients is a 16-year-old boy who tried to work a summer job outside but stop because the air pollution made his asthma so bad that he could hardly breathe” Healthy air and water colorado.

How is the air quality protected?

At the national level the Clean Air Act requires that six frequent air pollutants akin to ozone and carbon monoxide are kept under specific levels. The law also regulates 188 dangerous air pollutants.

Individual states are free to develop their very own regulations and a number of other, including California And Minnesotahave already got. States can define standards which might be more harmful to health than the nation.

Four of the five chemicals prioritized by Colorado are regulated by the state. The fifth chemical, hydrogen sulfide, shouldn’t be included within the US environmental protection authority Dangerous air pollutant listBut Colorado has decided to manage it as air toxins.

Regulation on the state level is very important because states can think about air oxics which might be specific for his or her state to be certain that the municipalities which might be most exposed to air pollution are protected. One method to do that is to put air pollution monitors within the communities with the worst air pollution.

For example, Colorado places Six recent air quality monitors at places across the state to measure the concentrations of the five primary air intended lift. It may also use an existing monitor in Grand Junction to measure air to fiber. Two of the brand new monitors in Commerce City and La Salle began in January 2024. The rest Starts with the monitoring of the air until July 2025.

When Colorado selected the locations, it priorated communities which might be excessively affected by social and ecological dangers. Civil servants used along with the Colorado Enviroscreencombined the knowledge about pollution, health and economic aspects with the intention to discover communities that Are excessively stressed by dangers.

The Commerce City Monitor is positioned in Adams City, a neighborhood that has among the worst pollution within the state. The site has Air poison emissions That is worse than 95% of the communities in Colorado.

Air toxins and health

The five air poisoning toxic that Colorado has chosen have negative effects on health. It is understood that 4 cancer cause.

Benzene, perhaps one of the best known due to its ability Cause blood cancerIs one. However, it also has quite a few other health effects, including the damping of the flexibility of the immune system and Effects on the reproductive system By reducing the sperm number. benzene Is in combustion vehicle gases And is emitted during oil and gas production and refinement.

Ethylene oxide may cause cancer And Irritates the nerve and respiratory systems. The symptoms of a protracted -term exposure might be headache, sore throat, shortness of breath and others. Ethylene oxide is used to sterilize medical devices and was utilized by 4 from 2024 Facilities in Colorado.

Formaldehyde is just too A cancer -conscious energetic ingredientAnd the exposure is connected Asthma in children. This air poison is utilized in the Production of quite a few products Like household cleaner and constructing material. It can also be emitted by oil and gas sources, including during fracking.

Hexavalent chrome compounds may cause various kinds of cancerin addition to Skin and lung diseases like asthma and rhinitis. A primary source of hexavalente chrome are coal -fired power plants, of which Colorado Colorado Currently has six in operation regardless that these plants are planned to shut In the following five years. Other sources for hexavalentes chrome are chemical and other production.

After all, long -term exposure to hydrogen sulfide may cause low blood pressure, headache and quite a few other symptoms associated with neurological effects like mental disorders. Include some sources for hydrogen sulfide Oil refineries and sewage treatment plants.

The World Premiere of Berkeley Repertory Theater von “The thing with jellyfish” Is really two sorts of games in a single. The first is a touching drama that was adapted by Keith Bunin von Ali BenjaminThe 2015 novel of the identical name, a couple of lonely Seventh Toger named Suzy, who mourns the death of her former best friend and tries to navigate through the youth and her unique sensible mind.

The other is a glossy, highly technological theatrical experience full of lovely crystalline projections, set pieces in constant movement across the stage and places that immediately switch from a suburb to a Chinese restaurant to the lower regions of the ever spinning web.

The contrast between the intimacy of Suzy's personal history and the striking theater white bang doesn’t at all times serve the emotional implementation of the production of director Tyne Rafaeli. A tension grows around the just about two hours (with no break) of the show between Suzy's convincing history and the distraction of all energetic visual hyperactivity.

What holds every thing together is the remarkable central performance of Matilda Lawler as Suzy. The Talented young actor (within the HBO series “Station 11” And “the gilded age”) is practically your entire show on stage and conveys the complexity of a 12-year-old powerfully within the crisis.

In addition to all the same old horrors of the purgatory, which we call the center school, Suzy is fighting with outgoing parents (with compassion by Stephanie Janssen and Andy Grotelueschen) and drowning her best friend because the kindergarten Franny (a tittel Kayla Teruel), who’s drowning . . Suzy also tries to grasp greater than just the shocking death why she and Franny began moving in numerous directions. While Suzy was still excited by collecting every interesting fact about any creature, Franny considered hair, clothing and boys.

In her confusion about a lot in her life, the normally talkative Suzy simply stops speaking. She withdraws right into a world of scientific research that she hopes that she is going to help her understand what has really happened to Franny and that research leads her to certainly one of the oldest and most resilient species on this planet: the jellyfish.

Lawler's Suzy is a moving mass of violent intellect and nonsense, determined determination and emotional chaos. It is as fascinating because it is lovable, and her journey into the landscape of mourning is the best capital of the play. The other young actors, including Antonio Watson as Suzy's enthusiastic laboratory partner Lexi Perkel as a well-liked girl Aubrey and Jasper Bermudez as great-out boys Dylan, define all Kid-ACTOR stereotypes and bump as completely related tweens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baw03kwcyvu

In addition to her likeable, albeit emotionally chaotic parents, Suzy has the support of a revealing science teacher who’s played by Christiana Clark, who also plays a therapist, Franny's grieving mother and so many other individuals who lose. But although there are reasonable adults round her, Suzy still has the necessity to create an imaginary friend who takes on the shape of an actual Australian toxinologist named Jamie Seymour, who has a special interest in jellyfish.

Jamie played by Robert Stanton, hovers and helps Suzy to pretend that she was working on a scientific project when she really tried to sort the emotions in connection along with her unresolved break with Franny and the way death has made this break permanently . However, this imaginary relationship is emotionally inert and undermines Suzy's emotional progress, which can be barely derailed attributable to a term that’s at the very least quarter-hour too long.

As technically impressive as “The Thing over jellyfish” is, with beautiful pictures of jellyfish, the video design, which is artistically constructed by Lucy Mackinnon, and the graceful sportiness of Franny swimming through the sky, Suzy arrives. We are invested on this burgeoning genius to regain your voice and discover a option to involve yourself in an incredible life.

There is a mood of “jellyfish” that “Dear Evan Hansen” is on the kinetic stage adaptation of the “curious incident of the dog at night”, as tries to bring an audience to the swirling spirit of a teen outside the norm . But the magic here is Matilda Lawler and her ability to convey an epic emotional journey with the best computer graphics: their honesty, their strength and their extraordinary talent.

“The thing with jellyfish”

Adapted from the Ali Benjamin novel by Keith Bunin; Presented by the Berkeley Repertory Theater

Through: March ninth

Where: Roda Theater by Berkeley Rep, Addison St. 2015, Berkeley

Duration: 1 hour, 50 minutes, no break

Tickets: 25 to $ 134; www.berkeleyrep.org

Originally published: February 6, 2025 at 12:29 p.m. PST

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In the chaotic final days of the ultimate parliamentary session of 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returned to his role in Julia Gillard's government.

He personally intervened within the arguments and negotiations as the federal government struggled to pass as much Labor laws as possible.

The end of a parliamentary yr is often chaos. But the 2024 final was greater than bad. A main minister who likes to say he’s leading an orderly government found himself in a state of chaos, where the method was thrown to the wind and quick fixes and sensible capitulations were the order of the day.

Senators would have expected the suspension of party volcano Lidia Thorpe, the Indigenous independent who defected from the Greens last yr, to remove a distraction in an exciting week. Instead, it added a wild element to Thursday's event when Thorpe shouted from the press box: “Free, free Palestine.” From the river to the ocean”. To prevent a repeat, additional security forces were deployed.

Amid the hustle and bustle, senators took time on Thursday to pay generous tributes to popular Senate opposition leader Simon Birmingham after he made a surprise announcement that he would abandon politics in favor of business within the election.

The week's political chaos delivered a serious and unexpected victory for Treasurer Jim Chalmers, but a serious defeat for Special Minister of State Don Farrell.

After the Liberals refused to support laws in September to separate the Reserve Bank board and create a special interest rate-setting committee, the plan appeared dead. But a late cope with the Greens served its purpose. Chalmers gets his restructured bank after giving in to the Greens' demand that the Treasurer retain the present (never used) right to override the bank's rates of interest.

Earlier this week the Greens agreed (without making any concessions) to support Labour's housing laws. It seems that the smaller party is putting on pragmatic clothing within the run-up to the election.

Farrell unveiled his sweeping electoral reforms aimed toward reining in “big money” just before the two-week session.

The man they call the “Godfather” still thought as late as Wednesday morning that he would finally reach what gave the look of an agreement in principle with the Liberals.

Then on Wednesday afternoon, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sat down with Farrell within the minister's office. The Liberals wanted higher disclosure and donation limits. There were also heated arguments over the treatment of peak bodies comparable to the ACTU and the Business Council. Despite Farrell's willingness to be flexible, the proposed agreement fell through.

On Thursday morning, the federal government was forced to announce that Farrell would proceed discussions – which have already spanned much of the parliamentary term – over the summer within the hope of passing the law in February.

This assumes that Parliament returns in February – Albanese said on Thursday evening: “We fully expect that we will meet in February” – and that critics of the proposals don’t gain the upper hand. Reforming the electoral donations and spending system was a serious commitment of the Labor Party. Ultimately, the legislative push got here too late. Lots still must occur to ensure that the measures (which are usually not resulting from come into force until the center of the following legislative period) to be passed before the election.

The bill, which might ban children under 16 from accessing various social media sites, was passed but was also poorly implemented. While many individuals will think it's good that the laws passed, the method was horrific.

The ban could be very controversial, with many experts criticizing it. It was all of the more vital that laws be subject to appropriate parliamentary control. More than 15,000 submissions were received by the Senate committee examining the bill. The committee only took one morning's evidence on Monday and delivered its report on Tuesday.

As Labor tried to push dozens of bills through the Senate on Thursday, it had to make use of the guillotine to curb debate. However, this plan was initially rejected.

Enter Albanese. On a rare day of business and commerce, Santa arrived early.

ACT Independent David Pocock's support for the rapid passage of bills was secured by various small details, including, because the senator said in a press release, two “significant measures that will be announced in the coming days”.

Greens' spirits were lifted by the $500 million cost of public housing upgrades. There was also a commitment to “no coal, oil and gas development in Future Made in Australia”.

Albanese was personally involved within the negotiations with Pocock and the Greens.

Some interpreted the federal government's hectic pace as a sign of likely elections in March. But that’s an over-interpretation, because even the Prime Minister's acceptance gave him leeway. If the Prime Minister desires to call an election in March, it is helpful to clear the cards (albeit partially), but that doesn’t mean he’ll accomplish that.

A March poll would present the awkward problem of overlapping with the Western Australian election campaign.

Anything involving WA is a trigger for Albanese, who won numerous seats there in 2022 and may't afford too many losses within the state next yr.

On Monday, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and the Greens reached an agreement, reportedly agreed to by the Prime Minister, to establish a brand new environmental watchdog to watch compliance with environmental laws. On Tuesday, Albanese canceled the deal.

Washington Prime Minister Roger Cook, who announced his conversation with the prime minister about election dates earlier this month, explained at a news conference on Wednesday how he ensured the bill wouldn’t be implemented.

Cook said he had a conversation “at the highest levels of the federal government” on Tuesday. He had reiterated the WA view that the Nature Positive laws shouldn’t be implemented in its current form. He had been assured that it might not proceed this week.

Albanese had his own version on ABC on Thursday nights. The “legislation remains stuck in the Senate,” he said. “We didn’t have a majority for it.”

He added: “I was the negotiator.”

Once again Albanese has dealt a blow to Plibersek, who he added to the environment portfolio when she had expected to get the education post for which she had been shadow minister. For Plibersek it was a character-building election period.

SAN FRANCISCO — A 22-year-old Oakland woman who commonly drove to the Tenderloin to sell fentanyl, occasionally bringing her teenage sister or young child together with her, was sentenced to just about two years in federal prison, in response to court records.

According to court documents, Juleisy Moncada-Flores was arrested last yr during an undercover police investigation in San Francisco after she showed as much as a drug deal together with her 2-year-old daughter in tow. The arrest quickly made headlines, and prosecutors added to the outrage by revealing that she had also commonly brought her 16-year-old sister to “work” on the Bay Area's best-known open-air drug market and that the 2 were trafficking drugs had business together.

“Both were previously arrested on federal drug charges in San Francisco and continued to sell drugs together until their respective arrests. “The officers began making controlled narcotics purchases from them,” prosecutors said in court papers, referring to each the teenager and Moncada-Flores.

But Moncada-Flores' lawyer says there may be a more sympathetic side to the story, which the U.S. Attorney's Office has also acknowledged. Moncada-Flores is from Honduras and witnessed her grandfather's murder in her home country when she was 11 years old. She became a mother at 15 and had her second child at 19 before being arrested within the case two years later, in response to a defense filing.

“When this offense occurred, she was in an abusive relationship with a drug dealer who yelled at her, beat her and put the lives of her and her children at risk by stealing from his suppliers, leaving Ms. Moncada-Flores on the hook for it “Assistant Federal Public Defender Angela Chuang wrote in the sentencing. “Because of all that she has been through, as a victim of human trafficking, she is entitled to immigration relief in the form of a T visa, the application for which will be filed shortly after this memorandum and will be pending at the time of sentencing.”

Prosecutors wrote a sentencing memorandum saying they agreed she regretted selling drugs and acknowledged that her “difficult and traumatic” past contributed to it. They asked for a 35-month sentence and wrote in court papers that Moncada-Flores “can be rehabilitated and has likely been sufficiently deterred from making the same decision again.”

“Despite this, Moncada-Flores participated in drug trafficking. No matter how difficult her circumstances, she had a choice, just like the many others like her who came from similar backgrounds and chose not to turn to crime,” the government's sentencing statement said. “Although she was trying to support herself and her family, her decision to sell drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Tenderloin was a selfish decision that exacerbated the ongoing and devastating misery in our communities.”

U.S. District Attorney James Donato announced the sentence at a court hearing last month. Moncada-Flores will receive credit for the yr she spent behind bars while her case was pending, records show. After serving her sentence, she might be released on supervised release.

Just as summer weather spills over into fall, this summer's fast food trend continues into late September.

The trend is toward $5 menus, and there are a couple of latest ones from Popeyes and Wendy's.

However, the Popeyes offer is nothing just like the $5 meal deal McDonald's launched in June, which was an entire meal with fries and a drink.

RELATED: Taco Bell changes the date for National Taco Day

With Popeyes' 3 Piece Signature Chicken Deal, you simply pay for 3 pieces of chicken for $5.

When ordering online, you may make a choice from classic and spicy flavors, but the usual order is dark meat.

We decided to order personally and received a box with wings, legs and thighs.

If you wish chicken breast, it costs extra.

We paid $5, but as is common with such offers, the value can vary by location, and a few locations charge $6.

Wendy’s offer is named “$5 Big Noon Saucy Deal” and is simply available digitally.

It features a six-portion of Saucy Nuggs, French fries and a drink.

Guests can pick from six chicken nugget flavors, including Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Garlic Parm and Spicy Ghost Pepper.

With taxes, our total was $5.44.

The name is a nod to the football season and refers to Fox Sports' “Great lunchtime kick-off”, which previews college games.

Information: popeyes.com, www.wendys.com

Originally published: September 20, 2024 at 04:58

British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people right into a frenzy in group text chats and social media feeds when she supported Kamala Harris by utilizing a term she coined in a song, and posted on XThe “Kamala is a brat.”

While this approval, this happened in July 2024probably means little to most adults who don't just like the singer's music, it is taken into account great praise amongst young people. Harris' campaign has correctly embraced the support of Charli XCX – temporarily changing the background of his X profile to the identical Shade of lime green preferred by Charlie XCX.

Celebrities, including singer John Legend and actor Octavia Spencer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, all have performed on the Democratic National Conventionwhich runs from August 19 to 24.

Several celebrities, including wrestler Hulk Hogan and singer Jason Aldean, appeared on the Republican National Convention in July.

Until now Quite a lot of other celebritiesincluding actors Jeff Bridgesthe singer CherFilm director Spike Lee and comedian Amy Schumeramongst others, have supported Harris.

Now a comedian Roseanne Barrand singer Children's skirtModel Amber Rose and actor Jon Voight supported Trump.

Some researchers have estimated that Oprah Winfrey’s support for Barack Obama in 2008 gave him additional 1 million votes.

But overall, research shows that Political support from celebrities isn’t essential enough to find out the results of an election.

If celebrity endorsements don’t influence an election, why do political campaigns strive for them?

The answer is that they still matter, for many alternative reasons. Celebrities can easily attract media attention, act as campaign surrogates, expand the voting base, and Make campaign donationsAll of this stuff may also help a candidate win.

What influences voters and celebrity promoting

Not many individuals would admit that they voted for a candidate because Oprah Winfrey or one other celebrity told them to, so that you'll rarely find celebrity endorsement to matter in opinion polls.

About 89% of adults also said in February 2020 that they wouldn’t change their vote due to distinguished support.

However, 11 percent of American adults said they’d change their preferred candidate based on a celeb's statement. Another 19 percent of younger voters in the identical poll said a celeb could help change their voting decision.

In an in depth election, these voters could influence the end result of a candidate on the sidelines.

Celebrities may also help keep a politician within the news cycle – and the support of a distinguished figure gives candidates a further probability to get their message across to a public audience.

Whether it’s Jeff Bridges – who played “The Dude” within the 1998 film “The Big Lebowski” – who’s “White guys for Harris” Zoom meeting or the pro-Trump singer Kid Rock moderates a series of “Rock the Country” Concerts and celebrity endorsements can even help candidates appeal to specific demographics.

Celebrities also profit from their political engagement because they too rely on it to stay relevant.

By speaking out on political issues, celebrities can stay within the highlight and promote their personal brand. However, there’s a risk that a celeb Scare away fans and business partners who don’t share their political beliefs.

A robust online presence

Celebrities can even attract lots of media attention in the event that they disagree with a politician or feel offended by a politician's statement.

For example, Trump’s running mate JD Vance said: “the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”

His comments from 2021 in regards to the country ruled by “childless female cats” also reappeared in July 2024.

actress Jennifer Aniston and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg went on the counteroffensive, explaining that there are various explanation why some women should not have children, including fertility problems.

“I really can’t believe this is coming from a potential Vice President of the United States,” Aniston wrote on Instagram.

“All I can say is… Mr. Vance, I pray that one day your daughter will be fortunate enough to have children of her own.”

Expanding the voter base

Celebrities can even effectively encourage people to register to vote or actually vote. In September 2023, singer Taylor Swift encouraged her fans to register to vote with a link to vote.org.

The website saw a 1,226% increase in traffic and over 35,000 latest voters registered inside an hour of her post.

There are Speculations this election The Swift will officially support Harris, in addition to President Joe Biden during the 2020 election. Some Swift fans have been searching for clues of possible support, including that a Fast dancer – wearing a pantsuit during a recent concert – appeared to resemble Harris.

Trump falsely claimed on August 18 that Swift supported him and published a AI-generated image on Truth Social It featured an image of Swift and the caption: “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”

Although Swift has not given any support in any form, Swift’s fans have a “Swifties4Kamala” Movement with over 180,000 followers on social media.

Celebrities still have political influence

Celebrity political endorsements are unlikely to vary a voter's core values ​​or influence voters who already follow politics closely and are acquainted with the assorted candidates and their views.

But celebrities still have cultural influence and will encourage people who’re neither politically nor electorally involved to vote for a candidate or to support her or him in other ways, equivalent to through donations.

And research also shows that celebrities are particularly more likely to political views of younger voters.

Even if a celeb's endorsement isn't the first reason a voter chooses a specific candidate, it might probably still be priceless to some people. And in an in depth election, only a number of thousand votes may count.

With all of the arrogance of a startup founder, Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, took the stage in March to Ed, the chatbotHe told parents and students that it has “the potential to personalize the educational journey at a level never seen before in this district, across the country and across the world.”

“No other technology can deliver on this promise in real time,” he said. “We know it will happen.”

In June, after just three months and nearly $3 million, placed on ice Ed after shedding greater than half the staff at AllHere, the startup that developed the conversational AI assistant. District spokeswoman Britt Vaughan declined to reply questions on the bot's performance or say what number of students and oldsters were using it before the closure.

Also in June, an AI controversy erupted in San Diego, where school board members were reportedly unaware that the district had purchased a tool last summer that routinely suggests grades for written assignments. The dispute began after Point Loma High School teacher Jen Roberts to CalMatters that using the tool saved her time and prevented burnout, but sometimes also gave students incorrect grades. One week later Voice of San Diego quoted Two school board members said they were unaware the district had signed a contract for AI. In fact, nobody on the council appeared to know concerning the tool, the news outlet said, because it was a part of a broader contract with Houghton Mifflin that was approved unanimously and without discussion together with greater than 70 other items. (None of the council members responded to CalMatters' request for comment. Michael Murad, spokesman for the San Diego Unified School District, said that because AI is a rapidly evolving technology, “we will increase our efforts to inform council members of additional relevant details about the contracts presented to them in the future.”)

Failures in Los Angeles and San Diego could also be on account of growing pressure on educators to adopt AI. They underscore the necessity for decision makers to ask more and harder questions on such products before buying them, say individuals who work on the intersection of education and technology. Outside experts can assist education leaders higher vet AI solutions, these people say, but even asking easy questions and demanding answers in plain English can go a good distance toward avoiding purchase regret.

No one denies that educators are increasingly challenged to search out ways to make use of AI. Following the discharge of OpenAI’s generative AI tool ChatGPT nearly two years ago, the California Department of Education published Orientation aid They point to an “AI revolution” and encourage adoption of the technology. Educators who previously spoke to CalMatters expressed concern that if their students miss the revolution, they may fall behind in learning or job preparation.

Rating AI tools

She believes that recent events in Los Angeles and San Diego show that more education leaders have to conduct critical evaluation before bringing AI tools into classrooms. But whether a selected AI tool deserves closer scrutiny relies on the way it is used and the danger it poses to students. Some types of AI, equivalent to those used for grading and Predicting whether a student will drop out of collegeshe said, need to be classified as “high risk.”

The European Union regulates AI varies depending on risk leveland within the USA the National Institute of Standards and Technology published a Frame to assist developers Government authoritiesand users of AI technology manage risks.

Tony Thurmond, California's Secretary of Education, was unavailable to reply CalMatters' questions on any steps he might take to forestall future AI-related mishaps in schools.

The legislator is considering a The invoice That would require the superintendent to convene a working group to make recommendations for the “safe and effective” use of artificial intelligence in education. The bill was introduced by Josh Becker, a Silicon Valley Democrat, and supports by Thurmond and the California Federation of Teachers.

Quay-de la Vallee suggested that educators work with organizations that test and certify educational technology tools, equivalent to Project Unicorna nonprofit organization that evaluates edtech products.

If education leaders rush to adopt AI from educational technology vendors desperate to sell AI, each could skimp on quality, said Michael Matsuda, superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District. Hosting an AI summit in March, attended by educators from 30 states and over 100 school districts.

He believes that recent AI problems in San Diego and Los Angeles show that one must not get carried away by hype and thoroughly examine the claims of firms selling AI tools.

School districts can use tech-savvy teachers and internal IT staff to evaluate how well AI tools work within the classroom, Matsuda said. But nonprofits like The AI ​​Education Projectadvises school districts across the country on using technology, or a bunch just like the Association of California School Boardsthat has a AI Task Force The project goals to assist districts and counties “manage the complexity of integrating artificial intelligence.”

“We need to work together, think about what we've learned from mistakes and talk openly about it,” he said. “There are a lot of good products coming to market, but you have to have the infrastructure and the strategic policies and board policies in place to really look at some of these things.”

Education leaders don't all the time have a full understanding of the technologies teachers are using of their district. Matsuda said the Anaheim Union High School District uses AI to personalize student learning and even offers courses for college students desirous about pursuing careers in AI. But he doesn't know if Anaheim educators are using AI for grading today. After the events in San Diego, Matsuda said the district may consider labeling high-risk devices for certain use cases, equivalent to grading.

Common sense

You don't should be an AI expert to be critical of claims about AI's advantages for college students or teachers, says Stephen Aguilar, co-director of the Center for Generative AI and Society on the University of Southern California and a former educational technology developer. District officials signing contracts with AI firms have to know their very own policies, know what the district wants to perform with the contract, and ask questions. If contractors can't answer questions in plain English, it may well be an indication they're exaggerating what's possible or attempting to hide behind technical jargon.

“I think everyone should take the lessons from LA Unified and do a debrief, ask questions that weren't asked, and take things slower,” Aguilar said. “Because there's no rush. AI is going to evolve, and it's really up to the AI ​​edtech companies to prove that what they're selling is worth the investment.”

The challenge is that you simply don't evaluate an AI model only once, he said. Different versions can produce different results, and which means evaluation needs to be a continuous process.

Aguilar said that while the events in Los Angeles and San Diego schools demonstrated the necessity for more scrutiny of AI, school district administrators seemed convinced that they needed to be on the leading edge of technology to do their jobs, which is solely not true.

“I don’t know exactly how we got into this cycle,” he said.

The market is putting pressure on edtech providers to include AI into their services and products, foundations are putting pressure on school administrators to incorporate AI of their curriculum, and teachers are being told that their students could also be left behind in the event that they don't adopt AI tools, says Alix Gallagher, director of strategic partnerships at Stanford University's Policy Analysis for California Education Center.

Because AI is being built into many existing curriculum-related products and contracts, it's very likely that the San Diego school board isn't the just one to unexpectedly discover AI built right into a contract. Gallagher said administrative staff have to ask questions on supplemental curricula or software updates.

“It's almost impossible for districts and schools to keep up,” she said. “I think that's even more true for smaller school districts that don't have the extra staff they can deploy to do this.”

Gallagher said AI can do positive things, like reducing teacher burnout, but individual teachers and small school districts won't have the opportunity to maintain up with the pace of change, so trusted nonprofits or state education agencies should help determine which AI tools are trustworthy. The query in California, she said, is who will take the initiative and lead that effort.

Originally published: August 6, 2024 at 11:32 am

Things have been quiet on the Warriors front for weeks, similar to all the opposite teams whose season ended with no playoff spot.

But not for long.

As the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Mavericks heats up, so does the behind-the-scenes dealings. The essential dates are fast approaching, which implies there can be movement – first on the fringes after which toward the core.

Gary Payton II must determine whether to exercise his $9.1 million player option before June 19. The team must either re-sign Kevon Looney for $8 million or release him by June 24, saving $5 million. Chris Paul's non-guaranteed $30 million contract will kick in June 28 unless Golden State releases or trades him.

Most realistic outcomes: The Warriors and Payton restructure the contract and conform to a contract extension. This saves the Warriors taxpayer money and provides the oft-injured guard more guaranteed salary (two years, $12 million). Looney is released. Paul negotiates an extension of his contract until July, giving the Warriors more time to weigh transfers and reply to Klay Thompson's situation.

There can be lots of activity across the league surrounding the NBA Draft on June 26 and when Klay Thompson and other free agents officially hit the market on June 30.

So benefit from the finale, because things are getting serious in Warriorsland.

Decade of a dynasty, packed

This is the tenth final for the reason that Warriors' first championship title, and it has been an incredible run.

Golden State has won 4 titles within the last ten seasons and reached the Finals twice. They have led the league with six championship appearances since 2014.

What other teams have won no less than 4 Larry O'Brien Trophies and made it to no less than six Finals in 10 years? Bill Russell's Celtics (11 rings in 13 years), the Showtime Lakers, Jordan's Bulls and the Lakers of the early 2000s.

That's it.

Maintaining greatness is the toughest thing in sports. The Warriors have done it in addition to anyone. It may not look so pretty now, but 29 other franchises would trade their last 10 years with the Warriors in a heartbeat.

The picks of the second round

The Warriors brought 31 young players to Chase Center for pre-draft training – roughly hour-long sessions of shooting drills, live 3-on-3 games and live game simulations.

Of the 31, 25 have no less than 4 years of faculty experience. Fourteen have no less than five years of faculty experience and are making the most of relaxed NCAA rules on transfers and eligibility within the COVID yr.

The Warriors clearly have a sort.

Golden State, chosen 53rd overall, needs to seek out one other player at the top of the draft who can contribute immediately, just as general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. did last yr with Trayce Jackson-Davis. It's a difficult task, but it may well repay in an enormous way; the Warriors owe Jackson-Davis (chosen 57th last yr) just $6.5 million over the subsequent three seasons.

That's a bargain for a very good backup center, especially for a club within the Warriors' financial situation.

Jackson-Davis was also so successful because he had 4 years of faculty experience from Indiana to fall back on, and the Warriors are convinced that this can profit him.

What could have happened to Porzingis?

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis crushed the Mavericks in the primary game of the finals. He returned after a 38-day break because of a calf strain. The 2.21-meter-tall center scored 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.

The Celtics' acquisition of Porzingis was a robbery. Here's how Brad Stevens and Co. did it:

Celtics receive:

–Kristaps Porzingis (via Wizards)

–No. 25 within the 2023 draft (via Grizzlies)

–First-round pick 2024 (top-4 protected, via Warriors)

Grizzlies receive:

–Marcus Smart (via Celtics)

Wizards receive:

–Tyus Jones (via Grizzlies)

–Danilo Gallinari (via Celtics)

–Mike Muscala (via Celtics)

-No. 35 within the 2023 draft (via Celtics)

The Celtics got Porzingis and two first-round picks for Marcus Smart, a second-round pick and a salary filler. Phew.

Washington released Porzingis, Bradley Beal and Chris Paul last yr. They wanted future assets for every of them – draft picks or young players with potential.

The Warriors could have made the Wizards a greater offer than Boston. But so could almost another team. Porzingis' value was low – he’s consistently injured and the team that signs him would should extend his contract for lots of money (just like the Celtics).

Golden State would have been significantly better off with Porzingis. He's the form of stretch-five they need alongside Draymond Green.

Transfer envy shouldn’t be entirely futile. Executives are judged by the transactions they make and those they don't make. Incidents just like the Porzingis deal should influence the Warriors moving forward. They can't pass up more beaten-down assets with star potential this summer – especially when the value is so low. They now not have the luxurious of being picky. They are not any higher than the likes of Zach LaVine or Brandon Ingram.

Porzingis would have been great. The Warriors – and several other other teams – are probably upset that they let Boston take him. Find the subsequent Porzingis.