With just 63 more votes than his opponent, former Cupertino Planning Commissioner Ray Wang secured a spot on the City Council, ending a protracted contest – which included a recount – against Rod Sinks to fill the second open seat.

Wang finished with 7,641 votes, or 18.5% of the vote, while Sinks received 7,578 votes, or 18.4% of the vote. The numbers come from a Santa Clara County voter registration recount that ended Monday, the county confirmed. The final results shall be confirmed on Friday.

“We are super excited, it shows how important every vote is,” said Wang. “We do the hard work, we read the stuff. I'm really looking forward to working with (Moore). Our goal is to bring the community together.”

Sinks said he’s dissatisfied by the loss but looks forward to serving on other nonprofit boards and “contributing to the community in different ways.”

A recount is triggered when the margin between two candidates is lower than 0.25% of all votes forged, or lower than 25 votes. A candidate only must win by a straightforward majority once a recount is accomplished. The Cupertino candidates were previously separated by 65 votes, which meets the 0.25 percent requirement, in keeping with the voter registry.

Wang, together with incumbent Councilmember Kitty Moore, will lead town for the following 4 years. Moore won the primary seat with 10,344 votes, or 25.14% of the vote. Moore and Wang ran on a shared platform of promoting a “resident first” council by advocating for greater fiscal responsibility and responsible development in town. Moore describes himself as a “smart watchdog” on the subject of community issues and proposed recent urban developments.

Sinks led a campaign aimed toward expanding transportation services and environmentally friendly practices in town. He also advocated for transforming The Rise, the location of the previous Vallco Mall, right into a vibrant, business-friendly downtown for Cupertino. Sinks and Councilman Hung Wei supported one another closely through the race, which was complicated by Wei's stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis.

“We ran a very strong campaign,” Sinks said. “Unfortunately, we have two people competing against five people for the two seats.”

Sinks said he is worried about how the newly elected leaders will impact town's development plans for The Rise and downtown areas. Mayor Sheila Mohan, Deputy Mayor JR Fruen and Wei have spoken in favor of the event. But with the addition of Moore and Wang, who’ve been more critical of the City Council's approval of enormous projects, city leaders could also be heading down a less development-friendly path.

Aside from Sinks, Moore and Wang, 4 other candidates were within the running for the 2 open Cupertino City Council seats this election season, including incumbent Wei, former mayors Gilbert Wong and Barry Chang, and political newcomer Claudio Bono.

Today is Sunday, December 1st, the 336th day of 2024. There are 30 days left within the yr.

Today in history:

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, was arrested after refusing to provide up her seat to a white man on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama; The incident sparked a year-long boycott of buses and helped galvanize the U.S. civil rights movement.

Also on this date:

In 1824, the presidential election was transferred to the U.S. House of Representatives after not one of the candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay) won greater than 50% of the favored vote. Although Jackson won probably the most electoral votes, Adams would ultimately win the presidency.

In 1969, the U.S. government held its first military draft lottery since World War II.

In 1991, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union.

In 2009, President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to be sent to the war in Afghanistan, but promised to start withdrawing in 18 months during a speech to cadets on the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 2017, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who served as President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacting the Russians on Trump's behalf. (Trump would later pardon Flynn.)

Today's birthdays:

• World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino is 85.
• Rock musician John Densmore (The Doors) is 80.
• The actress and singer Bette Midler is 79.
• Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, is 72.
• Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is 66.
• Model-actress Carol Alt is 64.
• Actor Jeremy Northam is 63.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker is 58.
• Actor Néstor Carbonell is 57.
• Actress and comedian Sarah Silverman is 54.
• Actor Riz Ahmed is 42.
• Singer and actress Janelle Monáe is 39.
• Actress Sarah Snook is 37.
• Actress Zoe Kravitz is 36.

After a 23-22 loss to the struggling Carolina Panthers that prolonged their losing streak to seven games, the New Orleans Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen on Monday.

Allen followed Robert Saleh, formerly of the New York Jets, because the second head coach to be fired this season. Allen compiled an 18-25 record in 2 1/2 seasons in New Orleans. It is the second time in his profession that he didn’t survive his third season on the helm of a team. In 2014, the Oakland Raiders released Allen just 4 games into his third yr with them. For his head coaching profession, Allen has a 26-53 record.

Allen won't be the last NFL head coach to be fired this season. In nine weeks of motion, nine of the NFL's 32 teams have managed just two wins each. Fifteen teams have losing records.

Time passes quickly and without sudden rebounds, a few of these losing teams will likely follow the Jets and Saints' lead and switch their attention to the longer term.

Here's a have a look at the coaches who look like on the recent seat because the second half of the NFL regular season begins.

Jacksonville's stunning decline continues. Pederson and his team appear headed toward double-digit losses just two seasons after winning the AFC South and reaching the divisional round of the playoffs, where they lost 27-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pederson and the Jaguars went 1-1 on their trip to London in Weeks 6 and seven, but returned to the United States and promptly lost games to Green Bay and Philadelphia. Trevor Lawrence's regression continues, Jacksonville's defense gave up greater than 400 yards on Sunday for the fifth time this season and the Jaguars are minus-7 within the turnover department (third-worst yards). Next? A house game against the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings, followed by a visit to the 7-1 Detroit Lions. It appears to be a matter of when, not if owner Shad Khan will pull the plug again.

A yr after Pierce took over for a struggling Josh McDaniels midseason and led the Raiders to a powerful 5-4 finish, the previous linebacker appears to have already lost his talent. Game management is a giant challenge for the brand new head coach. He has flopped quarterback twice now, firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello on Sunday after just nine games on the team.

This roster isn't well constructed, but Pierce seems overwhelmed. It could be a surprise if he made it to second grade. If he doesn't make it, control former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel this offseason, who has a detailed relationship with recent Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. Vrabel is now a coach and recruiter for the Cleveland Browns.

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns (2-7)

Deshaun Watson's failure to regain his prowess on the sector was apparently only a part of Cleveland's problems. The Browns have regressed on almost every front in 2024. Every week after Jameis Winston caused the Baltimore Ravens' upset, the Browns bounced back with a 27-10 loss to the LA Chargers. Before that win over Baltimore, Stefanski turned the sport over to Ken Dorsey, but three turnovers and a sputtering rushing attack kept the Browns in check against the Chargers. Meanwhile, their defense also continues to be subpar.

The Browns managed a second-half playoff lead last season with a backup quarterback (Joe Flacco), but that seems highly unlikely this yr. Watson is out for the remaining of the season with an Achilles tendon injury, but given the Browns' obvious commitment to him despite his issues, they may go for a training change.

Team owner John Mara said last month that he stays loyal to Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, but as Daniel Jones' ineptitude continues and losses proceed to mount, it's hard to assume him sticking with that stance. Especially because running back Saquon Barkley (the one who escaped) delivered breathtaking highlights shortly afterwards with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jerry Jones continues to say he’s committed to McCarthy, but McCarthy stays a poor coach and his team underperforms in virtually every phase of the sport. Jones has opened the checkbook for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, however the Cowboys' offense has deteriorated and things are only going to worsen with Prescott now out for several weeks with a hamstring injury. However, with or without Prescott, McCarthy lacks the innovation to repair this. As the embarrassment and loss proceed to mount, one has to wonder how rather more of this Jones can take.

He began the season on thin ice, but Eberflus hoped Caleb Williams could lead on a revival in Chicago. Instead, the coach faces one other bumpy season that may likely end badly. A shaky start was preceded by some encouraging developments and a three-game winning streak. But then got here the embarrassing Hail Mary loss in Washington, followed by Sunday's poor performance against Arizona – a game during which the Bears didn’t rating a touchdown despite Williams and a talented collection of offensive players. Eberflus appears to be losing control of the team as his players show signs of lack of discipline and professionalism. Hope is fading within the Windy City, and Eberflus could also be running out of time and excuses.

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Of course, these coaches should not alone of their disappointing work. Things haven't exactly gone well this season for Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins (2-6), Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots (2-7), Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers (2-7) or the Tennessee Titans.” Brian Callahan (2-6).

It looks like McDaniel is getting the benefit of the doubt, considering his team's issues may be tied to Tua Tagovailoa's four-game absence due to a concussion. If there's anyone hot in Miami, it might be general manager Chris Grier, who has failed to find an adequate replacement for Miami's injury-prone starting quarterback. Had Grier given McDaniel a serviceable veteran, the Dolphins might have been able to tread water until Tagovailoa returned.

Meanwhile, David Tepper will likely give Canales more time despite firing Frank Reich after just 11 games last season. If Bryce Young can build on the success of Sunday's win, Canales, Young and the Panthers could enter the offseason with some optimism. Given that Robert Kraft personally handpicked Mayo as the Patriots' future coach near the end of Bill Belichick's legendary tenure, it appears the former New England linebacker will be given additional time to develop into his role as the Patriots take over Drake Maye continues to strengthen the squad. The same goes for Callahan, who oversees a roster that is in the midst of a rebuild and needs a better starting quarterback than Will Levis before he can truly showcase his coaching abilities.

Maybe the NFL knew what it was doing when it sent the Indianapolis Colts-Minnesota Vikings into prime time.

The deployment of quarterback Anthony Richardson was an enormous topic of conversation across the league this week. Another act in Joe Flacco's profession begins against the Vikings, who were once the most well liked team within the league before losing their last two. Minnesota bolstered its offensive line by signing Jacksonville Jaguars OT Cam Robinson.

Speaking of trades: The NFL trade deadline is coming up on Tuesday. So there's quite a bit more our NFL writers Jeff Howe, Mike Sando and Zak Keefer will discuss on this roundtable previewing Week 9 on Sunday.

We'll see more wide receivers who’ve already been traded to latest rosters – including Amari Cooper from the Buffalo Bills and DeAndre Hopkins from the Kansas City Chiefs. New Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson is anticipated to make his debut against the Denver Broncos.

Elsewhere, we are able to't appear to go every week and not using a big NFC North game. Also, is it time to evaluate which head coaches are in the new seat?

Read more below.

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Another week, one other big NFC North game. This time it's the Lions-Packers. Green Bay has won 4 straight. Detroit has won five straight. What or who makes the most important difference here?

How: The Lions are the very best team within the league right away, but I feel the Packers are close and able to beating anyone when Jordan Love is healthy. However, I’ll deal with the Packers' run defense. So far it's been a top-10 unit and the general defense has been solid for essentially the most part. The Lions are so successful on offense because they were capable of play at any time and kept Jared Goff on schedule. From what I've heard, teams wish to see if Goff can play at that level when he's forced into more of a normal drop-back play – essentially when the Lions are unable to dominate on the bottom and Allowing Ben Johnson to experience his most creative pieces. If Goff can pass such a test, the Lions shall be more dangerous than anyone probably realizes. If not, it opens the door within the NFC for a number of the teams nipping on the Lions' heels.

Keefer: I agree with Jeff – I feel the Lions are the very best team in football right away, although the Chiefs are the team with the unblemished record. Love's availability after he missed last week's win with a groin injury stays paramount, and I ponder if he plays how much which may limit his playing ability. But for me, the important thing here’s what Josh Jacobs may give the Packers on offense. They leaned heavily on him. Jacobs has more carries (145) through the primary eight weeks of the season than any Packers running back within the last 25 years except Ahman Green (2003 and 2004). With Love likely under one hundred pc, Jacobs breaking one or two of those might be the very best likelihood of the pack.

Shirt: For me, the love being lower than one hundred pc is the important thing variable and pushes this game towards Detroit. From Green Bay's perspective, I fear that we could see the worst of Love without the very best and that he simply won't be efficient enough to maintain up with Detroit.

The Saints (at Panthers), Jaguars (at Eagles) and Cowboys (at Falcons) are each on the road on Sunday and desperately need a win. Which head coach seat is the most well liked among the many three?

How: All three are still in serious danger. I feel it depends upon the way you quantify the spiciness. As with every thing involving the Cowboys, every situation there may be essentially the most extreme, and the eye being paid to Mike McCarthy's job while Bill Belichick could also be lurking within the shadows is an unprecedented situation this season. On the opposite hand, Doug Pederson has been under fire for the longest time for the Jaguars' poor start, and it looks like it is going to take an amazing turnaround for him to get one other likelihood in 2025.

Keefer: The Saints' collapse this season after an excellent start was shocking. It's hard to assume Mickey Loomis and the owners getting behind Dennis Allen again, especially after the 2 disappointing seasons before this 12 months. I feel Mike McCarthy's future in Dallas is a fait accompli at this point. The Cowboys have been far too inconsistent and the roster isn't nearly as big because it was up to now for this team to be a serious contender later within the season. Missing the playoffs would mark the tip of McCarthy's five-year tenure and potentially open the door for Belichick to affix the circus.

Shirt: I expect all three spots to alter within the offseason. In the short term, I feel Dallas and New Orleans will change the least over the course of the season. These franchises take a broader view.

We'll get a likelihood to see more of Amari Cooper (Bills vs. Dolphins on Sunday) and DeAndre Hopkins (Chiefs vs. Bucs on Monday). Diontae Johnson's Ravens debut could come this week against the Broncos. Which of those three wide receiver trades do you’ve got essentially the most confidence in moving forward?

How: I would like to say Cooper because he's already had a midseason move and that have should pay dividends on the subject of learning a brand new playbook. But with that said, I can't give it some thought an excessive amount of. Hopkins had the very best profession of all three and is featured in the very best offense. Additionally, Hopkins may only have to catch three or 4 passes per game to be effective.

Keefer: Jeff is true. Something tells me Hopkins will make an important catch in a playoff win for Kansas City in the subsequent few months. He's top-of-the-line of his generation at not being even near being open and still finding a method to catch the ball. But I liked what the Bills did after they added Cooper to their young receiving corps; This team will need loads of firepower within the playoffs against Baltimore or Kansas City. He may even help Keon Coleman proceed to develop.

Shirt: Hopkins, followed closely by Cooper, after which Johnson. Hopkins seems to suit well with Mahones within the scramble drill. I feel he can complement Travis Kelce in those situations and expect him to point out that in critical moments.

Given a troubled NFC West race this 12 months, should the Rams (with the Seahawks) follow Cooper Kupp?

How: The only reason to trade Kupp without getting a major return can be if the Rams believed Matthew Stafford would retire this offseason — or Kupp, for that matter. I actually understand other points, resembling an aging receiver who has been coping with more injuries recently, however the Rams are still in play within the NFC. Executives and coaches across the league still hold Sean McVay in high regard, giving them a likelihood to compete with anyone in the event that they make the playoffs. Are they a practical Super Bowl threat? Probably not. But why leave Kupp out of the equation should you think he still has just a few years left?

Keefer: This division is wide open right away with the Rams only half a game behind. And in the event that they beat the Seahawks on Sunday, there's no way I can trade Cooper Kupp. McVay will get the offense right when Kupp is healthy again – and if this offensive line holds up. First-year coordinator Chris Shula has the defense playing significantly better than it did in the primary month of the season. With each Seattle and San Francisco looking vulnerable and Arizona as unpredictable as ever, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rams end the season with Kupp under center.

Shirt: I’d support the Rams valuing Kupp given his durability concerns and his contract. These are also the the reason why I don't expect teams to line as much as sign him. I’d think he stays with the Rams.

Colts-Vikings is the deal with Sunday evening. Is Anthony Richardson's substitute on the bench justified?

How: There's no denying that Richardson's performance has declined this season, but that's only a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Richardson won't improve off the bench. He needs experience. If he doesn't play one other snap this season, he’ll enter 2025 with 23 NFL and college starts over five seasons. It's like talking to Trey Lance all yet again. If you don't give a raw, young quarterback a likelihood to achieve the experience he so desperately needs, you'll likely never get the return in your investment.

Keefer: This is precisely the query that also concerns us here in Indianapolis. I feel that was it. The Colts have made it clear that they may not hand over on Richardson. So it's a reset: the team wants him to get his origin back. His prodigious athletic talents were enough to get him where he’s — the fourth pick within the draft after just 13 college starts and a dismal graduation rate at Florida — but they're not enough to maintain this job. He must catch up in all other areas: preparation, leadership, performance. I wrote earlier this season that Richardson needed to develop into greater than only a highlight reel. So far he hasn't done it. And this sitting on the bench, as humiliating because it could seem on this moment, will show whether Richardson really is the Colts' quarterback of the longer term.

Shirt: Yes, it is evident that Richardson shouldn’t be able to play and shouldn’t be progressing. The tap-out showed a whole lack of know-how of his role within the team. Here's my take: Think about what number of other ways this lack of know-how has actually manifested itself behind the scenes. The decision to bench him shows me that the situation was untenable for the coaching staff.

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I booked three non-refundable tickets on United Airlines for my wife and I to fly from Orlando to Rome. On three of the five flights, United resold the center seat between us. I asked for a refund, but United tells me I can't get my a reimbursement because I purchased non-refundable tickets.

But how can they resell the seats I paid for? I actually have sent emails to United's senior contacts in your website, but United won't even give me a travel credit.
Can you help me get back the $660 I spent on the additional seat?

ANSWER: United Airlines must have left the center seat (which you paid for) empty. United offers the choice to buy a further seat for a similar price as your original ticket when you need extra space. This obligates United to go away the seat empty; it cannot resell the seat halfway through the flight.

Her case brings to light a long-standing grievance amongst air travelers. If you’ve got a non-refundable ticket and may't make your flight, your airline can resell the ticket and charge you twice for a similar seat. Many air travelers find this unfair. In the past, lawmakers have proposed legislating this injustice and requiring an airline to refund a non-refundable ticket if it may possibly resell the seat. But thus far, none of this has happened.

You were smart to bring this as much as United executives. But I’d have gone further. I list several executives the positioningand you could possibly have been more persistent. You could even have considered a bank card dispute. The Fair Credit Billing Act lets you file a chargeback for items you paid for but didn't receive, like an airline seat.

So what went flawed together with your ticket? I checked with United they usually said that for some reason the boarding pass to your extra seat wasn't scanned whenever you boarded your first flight. They told me that you simply contacted United the day before your flight whenever you had an issue checking in and the agent instructed you to deselect the additional seat whenever you checked in.

“The reservation was marked as a no-show by our team in Orlando and the seat assignment was canceled,” the representative said. “This freed up the extra seat for reassignment.”

United must have recognized the issue whenever you contacted the airline after which its executives. Instead, they kept rejecting you. But after the airline reviewed your case, they decided to vary their response:

“We have processed a refund for the additional ticket purchased,” the representative told me.

Lesson learned: When you buy an additional seat, at all times scan the boarding pass for the additional seat. All airlines – not only United – will cancel the remainder of your reservation when you miss a part of your flight. In fact, this might have turned out much worse. United could have canceled all of the tickets in your reservation, stranding you during your layovers in Rome or Frankfurt, Germany.

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Should cities be allowed to ban sleeping in public even when there aren’t any beds available in local shelters? That is something the U.S. Supreme Court will determine when it reviews the case Grants Pass vs. Johnson.

Lower courts have ruled that arresting an individual for sleeping outdoors when there aren’t any available shelters in the realm violates the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and strange punishment. In other words, punishing people for sleeping in public once they have nowhere else to go is cruel, because sleeping is normal and mandatory human behavior. Now the Supreme Court justices will determine whether that ruling can stand.

Advocates for homeless people argue these species of anti-camping laws make homelessness a virtual crime. If the Supreme Court annuls the judgmentThis could reinforce cities' efforts to treat homeless people like criminals.

As a philosophy professor who researches homelessnessI feel it will be important to grasp camping bans as a part of a broader effort to displace homeless people. Cities are doing rather a lot to assist the homeless by doing every thing from from emergency shelters to food distributionHowever, cities also use various tactics to push homeless people out of the general public eye.

Perhaps most revealing is “Hostile architecture”, a spotlight of my research. This term is commonly used to discuss with public spaces which can be designed in a way that discriminates against certain vulnerable populations. The commonest examples are objects that create a physical barrier to on a regular basis activities for people without homes.

Hostile design

A standard example is spikes attached to ledges to discourage people from leaning or sitting on them. However, because spikes are sometimes quite conspicuous and their purpose is clear, they’re occasionally Cause controversy.

Another common but less eye-catching type of hostile architecture are benches that redesigned to make them tougher or unimaginable to make use of as a spot to sleep. This is achieved through a wide range of design concepts that prevent people from lying down, from bucket seats or seat dividers to armrests.

There are many other hostile physical obstacles. Garbage cans are sometimes fitted with hoods or outer containers with built-in locks to forestall garbage thieves from picking up the rubbish.

Other designs change the landscape itself. Bollards or Boulders may be brought in To Divide potential campsites. Fences may be used to shut off protected areas comparable to motorway underpasses.

Enemy design isn't at all times about objects; sometimes actions are involved too.

Companies and churches are usually accused of Spray water to potential sleeping places, partly via automatic Sprinkler systems. Noise pollution may be one other strategy loud music or annoying noises to clear potential loitering areas. This was the case in a park in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the sweet children's song “Baby Shark” was played along with other children's songs every evening.

Legal scholar Sarah Schindler argues that any such hostile design needs to be recognized as a type of regulation. As she puts it“Regulation through architecture is as effective as law, but it is less explicit, less identifiable, and less familiar to courts, legislators, and the public.”

Like the law, hostile architecture can regulate people's behavior. But unlike the law, cases of hostile architecture usually are not subject to official control and infrequently go unnoticed.

What is there – and what just isn’t

When you study hostile architecture, you see examples of it in every single place. But perhaps more importantly, you furthermore may notice the absence of certain items and services in public spaces.

Instead of adding armrests to a bench, Seat may be easily removed. Trees may be removed to forestall loitering within the shade. Whole urban areas are no public toiletsThe options in private establishments are reserved just for paying customers. Cara Chellew, public space researcher describes this conspicuous lack of expectations as “Ghost amenities.”

However, hostile architecture is just the tip of the iceberg. Just beneath the surface are a mess of laws that concentrate on specific behaviors: Storage of non-public Article in public spaceLoitering, begging and vagrancy. There are laws against sitting or lying in public – so-called sit/lie laws. Anti-camping laws often apply not only to tents, but to the usage of any style of covering, comparable to a blanket.

Even give food for homeless people is prohibited In some citiesif the person or organization doesn’t have authorization.

The National Homelessness Law Center has Increase in any such laws throughout the United States. In a review In a study of 187 cities from 2006 to 2019, the middle found a 78% increase in laws against sitting and lying down and a 103% increase in laws against vagrancy, loitering and loitering. Camping bans also increased by 92%.

Informal measures also can function a de facto ban on homelessness, for instance when Police put pressure on homeless people To keep going.

Many shelters, in the event that they exist, usually are not open through the day, so homeless people don’t have any selection but to loaf around or keep going in the midst of the day.

Sometimes the accommodations themselves present obstacles that prevent people from using their services, comparable to Patterns of discrimination against LGBTQ+ guests or policies that prohibit pets.

Missions on the SCOTUS

Taken individually, lots of these laws or objects could seem harmless, or not less than not an enormous deal. How much should we care a couple of bench with armrests or a park with rules that prohibit sleeping?

But taken together, this stuff can result in homeless people being completely excluded from public spaces. None of them literally makes homelessness against the law—but within the eyes of critics, these laws and designs have the identical effect. The Court's decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson will determine whether it’s constitutional to treat homeless people as criminals.