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The biggest winners in the Disneyland Magic Key settlement aren’t annual passholders

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

The biggest winners in the $9.5 million Magic Key class action lawsuit weren’t Disneyland annual passholders, but rather the plaintiff, the settlement administration firm and the lawyers.Disney agreed in September to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that annual passholders who purchased the $1,399 Dream Key in 2021 were unable to make theme park reservations at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure despite the promise of “no blockout dates.”As a result of the class action suit, each of the 103,435 Dream Key annual passholders will get $67.41.Magic Key passholders will get about $7 million of the $9.5 million settlement. The other $2.5 million will go to fees related to the case.Related ArticlesBusiness | Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ boy band 4*Town is coming to Disneyland — but for what? Business | Disneyland offers deep discounts on kids’ tickets in early 2024 Business | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk announces new rides opening next spring ...

Palm Springs ‘Swiss Miss’ house by Charles Du Bois relists for $2.5 million

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

View from the foyer. (Photo by Kelly Peak)The great room. (Photo by Kelly Peak)The backyard. (Photo by Kelly Peak)Show Caption of ExpandA Swiss Miss house, one of 15 designed by modernist architect Charles Du Bois to stand out from its neighbors in Palm Springs’ Vista Las Palmas enclave, is back on the market.The asking price is $2.498 million.Completed in 1958, the 2,132-square-foot Polynesian-inspired double A-frame known as “Alohaus” has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It sits on a third-acre-plus lot at the end of the street.The property hit the market for the first time in 20 years in September 2022 for $2.995 million but was quickly removed by the longtime owners. Records show they bought it for $580,000 in January 2003.“The sellers could not find a suitable replacement property that was worthy enough of giving up this house,” said Scott Histed of Bennion Deville Homes, the listing agent.That has since changed.Related ArticlesReal Estate | Photos: $76 million Ste...

Kaiser Permanente unions lay groundwork for another strike in November

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

Executives at Kaiser Permanente have received notice of another potential strike just days after 75,000 employees ended a three-day walkout.The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions issued a 10-day strike notice Monday, Oct. 9, warning of a possible strike Nov. 1-8 if the healthcare giant fails to address “an acute and dire” staffing crisis and continues to outsource jobs.Union contracts expired Sept. 30 and bargaining between the two sides is set to resume Thursday, Oct. 12 and Friday, Oct. 13.Frontline healthcare workers say they’ll wait until Nov. 1 for any potential strike action, when an additional contract covering workers in Seattle expires. The delay is intended to give Kaiser executives more time to craft viable proposals.The Seattle contract’s expiration Oct. 31 would enable another 3,000 healthcare workers also affected by the Kaiser short-staffing crisis to join strike lines.In a statement issued Tuesday, Kaiser said it is “committed to reaching an agreement that is good...

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried hoped to be US president someday, says ex-girlfriend/hedge-fund CEO

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

By KEN SWEET and LARRY NEUMEISTER | Associated PressNEW YORK — Caroline Ellison, the tech executive who ran Sam Bankman-Fried ‘s hedge fund while sometimes dating him, testified Tuesday that he directed her to commit crimes before his cryptocurrency empire collapsed last November. She also revealed that her former boss thought he might be U.S. president someday.With Bankman-Fried watching from his courtroom seat, Ellison, 28, said at the New York City trial that she committed fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering with Bankman-Fried and others as they stole from customers and investors in FTX, a company Bankman-Fried started, and lenders to his hedge fund, Alameda Research.“He directed me to commit these crimes,” she said of Bankman-Fried.Repeatedly, Ellison made clear that Bankman-Fried was behind the biggest financial moves in his companies, to the point that bitcoins he created were sometimes called “Sam’s coins.”She described him as “very ambitious” and envisioni...

Yglesias: Congress needs a centrist rebellion for shared governance

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

If there’s one thing everyone in the House of Representatives can agree on these days, it’s that they are mad.The most radical House Republicans are angry that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy didn’t deliver on all the promises they extorted from him to give him the job in the first place. Moderate Republicans are furious that Democrats didn’t bail out McCarthy after he tempted the wrath of the radicals by agreeing to move a continuing resolution and avert a government shutdown. And Democrats are upset that the whole shutdown drama even happened at all, since it could have been avoided had McCarthy just stuck to the deal he made to resolve the debt ceiling showdown earlier this year.It’s possible to adjudicate the balance of rage, but the simple truth is that moderates in both parties have been unduly passive — not just in this Congress, but for the last several.It’s not as if better models don’t exist. Power in the Alaska legislature, for example, is shared by a coalition of moderate ...

Former Kings coach Barry Melrose retires from ESPN after revealing Parkinson’s diagnosis

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

EL SEGUNDO –– Barry Melrose, the coach who guided the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, announced Tuesday he was stepping away from his post-coaching job as a broadcaster after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.“I’ve had over 50 extraordinary years playing, coaching and analyzing the world’s greatest game, hockey. It’s now time to hang up my skates and focus on my health, my family, including my supportive wife Cindy, and whatever comes next,” said Melrose, 67, in a statement.Melrose played nearly 500 professional games on defense between the NHL and the competing World Hockey Association, most notably with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His career in coaching began at 35 and was encapsulated almost entirely within three campaigns stewarding the Kings. His tenure was highlighted by his first season, which preceded a Wayne Gretzky-led dash to a Final that saw the Kings upended by an indefatigable bunch of Montreal Canadiens.He coached Kings general manager Rob Blake and Kings pre...

Recipe: Fried Onion Burgers, an Oklahoma specialty, make an irresistible meal

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

Fried Onion Burgers feature sliced onions mixed in with the ground beef. (Photo courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen) Fried Onion Burgers are an Oklahoma specialty, a version that boasts a crisp crust of caramelized onions on the meat patty. It’s a technique that can turn burgers into an irresistible meal.The raw onion isn’t layered on top of the meat. Instead, the 1/8-inch thick onion slices are salted and wrung out in a clean towel to remove excess water. Ground beef is formed into balls and pressed against a mound of onions to form a patty and in the process the onions stick.Traditionally these burgers are topped with slices of American cheese. That’s fine, but I prefer sliced cheddar or provolone. If you like, you can butter and grill the buns, and then top with lettuce, tomato, and pickles.Fried Onion BurgersYield: 4 servingsINGREDIENTS1 large yellow onion, halved, placed cut side down, cut into 1/8-inch thick crosswise slices1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divide use3/4 teaspoon blac...

Disneyland raises prices for most daily admission tickets and all annual passes

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

Disneyland raised prices nearly across the board effective today, Oct. 11, for every type of ticket except the most basic day pass, which will remain $104 per day. The highest daily admission price, usually charged on the busiest days, increased 8.4%, from $179 to $194, for a one-park, one-day pass.Prices also went up for Magic Key annual passes, parking and Genie+ cut-the-line benefits.Related ArticlesTravel | Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ boy band 4*Town is coming to Disneyland — but for what? Travel | Disneyland offers deep discounts on kids’ tickets in early 2024 Travel | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk announces new rides opening next spring Travel | Disneyland theme park expansion envisions 16 rides and an outdoor show Travel | See inside Disneyland’s $6,000 a night two-story DVC Grand Villa suite “We are constantly adding new, innovative attractions and entertainment to our parks and, with our broad array of p...

Hamas’ attack on Israel pushes foreign policy into the 2024 race. That could benefit Nikki Haley

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Oct. 9, 2023, in Boone, Iowa. Haley has long tried to set herself apart from her Republican presidential rivals on foreign policy. The war provoked by Hamas' attack on Israel has shaken American politics — and put the primary race inside her wheelhouse. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)(AP/Charlie Neibergall) FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Oct. 9, 2023, in Boone, Iowa. Haley has long tried to set herself apart from her Republican presidential rivals on foreign policy. The war provoked by Hamas' attack on Israel has shaken American politics — and put the primary race inside h...

Overturned tractor trailer on I-95 leads to delays before Quantico

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:23:09 GMT

Listen live to WTOP for traffic updates on the 8s and when it breaks.A crash on the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Stafford County has led to extensive delays for the Wednesday morning commute, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.The backup was caused by an overturned tractor trailer blocking the interstate before Marine Corps Base Quantico at Exit 148, the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.The crash resulted in one injury. An investigation is ongoing.All northbound lanes were blocked at around 5:55 a.m. and drivers were at a standstill as towing crews were on the way to the scene, but by 6:12 a.m. they were diverting traffic between Exit 143, at VA-610/Garrisonville, and Exit 148 in a left lane.Officials have moved the tractor trailer to the shoulder and are now working to reopen all northbound lanes.Delays remain, starting before Virginia state Route 630. This is ...