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How much will it cost to power your Christmas lights? Here's the formula

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

The holiday season is here.Whether you're adorning your tree in a simple strand of lights or wrapping your home with enough lights to make Clark Griswold jealous, the type of bulbs you select could have a big impact on your electric bill. A recent survey found that on average, Americans will spend about $384 on outdoor holiday light decorations. That does not, however, include the cost of the electricity used to light them. Before you purchase your lights, there's a relatively easy way to determine how much your electric bill will go up due to your light display. These are the ‘best’ Christmas light displays in California First, you'll want to find the wattage of the strand of lights. This is usually printed on the box or listed in the specifications section if you're buying holiday lights online. Then, follow this formula:Multiply the wattage by the hours per day the lights will be on, then divide by 1,000 to find kilowatt hours, or kWh per dayMultiply the kWh per day by your co...

EV startup demos 100-mile range on 5-minute charge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

One of the biggest downsides to owning an electric vehicle is the time it takes to charge it up, especially when you compare the process to filling up with gas.It's a big reason why many people just aren't interested in the hassle of having an EV.Now, one startup says they can change that with new battery technology they call XFC, or extreme fast charging. We're talking 100 miles of range in just 5 minutes.The Israeli startup is called StoreDot, and recently they were showing off their charging tech in a demo at Polestar Day in Santa Monica."The breakthrough is to replace some of the materials inside the battery in order to enable this extreme fast charging. Because with traditional chemistries of lithium ion, you cannot charge at these rates," explained Doron Myersdorf, CEO and co-founder of StoreDot.The big difference: they replace the graphite in their batteries with silicon, which allows them to absorb the energy faster than ever. It's this different battery chemistry that makes...

Man fatally stabbed in Oakland; suspect later arrested

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

OAKLAND — A 52-year-old man was stabbed to death Thursday night in East Oakland and a suspect was later arrested, authorities said.The name of the man killed was not immediately released. Police said he was an Oakland resident.The stabbing happened about 6:40 p.m. Thursday in the 2600 block of 74th Avenue. Police have not yet said if the stabbing happened outside or in a residence.Authorities said the victim was able to get his own transportation to a hospital in another city, where he died shortly after 7 p.m.A man was later arrested for the killing, police said. His name was not immediately released.Investigators have not yet said if the victim and suspect knew each other or what may have motivated the stabbing.The death is the 116th homicide investigated by Oakland police this year. Last year at this time police had investigated 112 homicides in the city.This is a developing report. Check back for updates.

Pac-12 recruiting: Tough times for Oregon State, impact of Kelly’s return, Colorado’s defections and more

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

The Hotline is delighted to provide Pac-12 fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Nov. 30 …December (dates) to rememberThe NCAA’s recruiting dead period ended at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday — for the next 17 days, the contact period is in effect.That means college coaches can not only visit high schools and attend games but also start taking in-home visits. More importantly, they can snap pictures with recruits in front of their Christmas trees and lock up their 2024 recruiting classes.In reality, coaches are more likely to be looking at prospects in the 2025 and 2026 classes — and potentially 2027, too. So much of the heavy lifting for ’24 is already done.The next three weekends will be open for official visits. The dead period returns on Dec. 18 and runs through Jan. 11.OSU’s uncertain landscapeOregon ...

Felicity Huffman on college admissions scandal: ‘I had to give my daughter a chance at a future’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

By Jay Croft | CNNActress Felicity Huffman has opened up about her role in a college admissions scandal that landed her in federal prison, telling CNN affiliate KABC that “it felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future … which meant I had to break the law.”The Emmy-winning “Desperate Housewives” star was among 33 wealthy parents arrested in Operation Varsity Blues and accused of conspiring to get their children into college.She was accused of paying $15,000 to the scam’s mastermind to raise her daughter’s SAT scores. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.“And I know hindsight is 20/20 but it felt like I would be a bad mother if I didn’t do it,” Huffman told KABC on Thursday. “So – I did it.”Huffman told KABC she is ashamed of what she did, and she apologized to “the students and the families that sacrifice and work really hard to get to where they are going legitimately.”Huffman was accused of paying $15,000 to the scam’s m...

Man dies in Oakland hit-and-run traffic collision

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

OAKLAND — A pedestrian died early Friday near the city’s downtown after he was struck by a vehicle that kept going, authorities said.The name of the 34-year-old man killed was not immediately released pending notification of his relatives.The fatality happened about 12:33 a.m. Friday at the intersection of West Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man fatally hit by train at East Bay BART station Crime and Public Safety | Los Gatos motorcyclist killed in crash is identified Crime and Public Safety | Man killed in East Bay freeway multi-vehicle crash Crime and Public Safety | Vehicular manslaughter, other charges filed in hit-and-run death of 86-year-old East Bay man Crime and Public Safety | East Bay Woman charged in connection to deadly wrong-way Peninsula crash Police said the man was walking in a crosswalk eastbound on West Grand Avenue when...

House expels GOP Rep. George Santos. It’s just the sixth expulsion in the chamber’s history

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

By KEVIN FREKING | Associated PressWASHINGTON  — The House voted on Friday to expel Republican Rep. George Santos of New York after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.The vote to expel was 311-114. Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a blistering House Ethics Committee report that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive.Santos fought the expulsion effort leading up to the vote, leading his own defense during House floor debate and in conducting a news conference and interviews.“I will not stand by quietly,” Santos declared as lawmakers debated his removal the evening before the vote. “The people of the Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, you’re going to have to go silence those people and go take the hard vote.”Of the previous expulsions...

Here's where San Francisco ranks in terms of population loss in the past 5 years

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

When a city's population declines -- whether birth rates go down, deaths increase, or people simply move to another area -- it can affect the housing market, small businesses, employment and other factors. Paying attention to demographic changes can help residents, governments and businesses understand new trends and inform how to best position themselves.With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 344 of the largest U.S. cities based on the largest population declines over five years between 2017 and 2022.  How did a man get into the Transbay Tube on Wednesday? Key findingsParadise, Nevada lost 22% of its population despite population growth across the Southwest. Many cities in Nevada, Arizona and Texas topped the list for the highest population growth between 2017 and 2022, but Paradise bucks that trend. The latest population count was 183,321, down from 235,123 residents in 2017. This rate of decline is almost double that of second-place Jackson, Mississippi (-12.7%).California c...

Cost of living in California is comparable to this European country

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

While the Euro has long been more valuable than the American dollar, the cost of living in the United States is significantly higher than across Europe on average. Basic expenses for a single adult with no children in the U.S. is $2,508 per month, compared to an average of $1,746 per month in Europe. However, individual states and nations run the gamut in terms of costs. Here’s where San Francisco ranks in terms of population loss in the past 5 years With this in mind, SmartAsset examined the cost of living across all 50 states and the 38 countries in Europe to get a sense of how they compare on a one-to-one basis. SmartAssetKey findingsThe cost of living gap is wider in Europe than the U.S. While the median cost of living in the U.S. ($2,508) is higher than Europe ($1,746), there is a wider gap between the most expensive European countries and the most affordable ones. Switzerland, which has Europe's highest monthly cost of living ($4,059), is 4.5 times more expensive than B...

Aston Villa files complaint to UEFA over Legia Warsaw conduct and fan violence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:05:13 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa filed a complaint with UEFA on Friday over the conduct of Legia Warsaw officials and the “unprecedented violence” of the Polish team’s fans outside Villa Park.Police arrested 46 Legia supporters after “ 90 minutes of sustained violence ” Thursday night when 1,000 Polish fans arrived to the stadium but weren’t given their tickets to the Europa Conference League game.“This shocking behavior followed Legia club officials’ complete lack of cooperation with West Midlands Police, Aston Villa and UEFA throughout the day,” the Birmingham club said in a statement Friday.The Warsaw club had been upset that local officials who license all stadium events required the ticket allocation be reduced from 1,700 to 1,000 in response to disorder by Legia fans at an Oct. 5 game against AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.At a standard pre-match meeting Thursday morning, “Legia Warsaw refused to confirm if they would accept their allocation of tickets f...