Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

Articles from the January 27, 2025 edition


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  • Has California Diverted Infrastructure Funds From Reservoirs, to Bike Lanes and Road Diets?

    David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 26, 2025

    California has allocated significant funding for both bicycle infrastructure and reservoir projects, but there is no indication that funds specifically for reservoirs have been diverted to bike lanes. Instead, the state is investing in a variety of transportation and water management projects simultaneously to address different needs. National Guard checks ID on California Incline. Foreground, forest of bollards and bike lanes is what your infrastructure money was spent on,...

  • The dos and don'ts of proposing

    Stacker, Kimberly Zerkel|Updated Jan 25, 2025

    Proposing is both an intimate and cultural experience. Couples ready to get engaged often have to balance societal expectations—from family traditions to cinematic clichés—with what works for them personally. VRAI, a fine jewelry brand specializing in lab-grown diamonds, breaks down the do's and don'ts of proposing so that each couple can decide what's best for them before saying "yes" to a lifetime of love. Don't Live by the "Two Month" Rule Many have been told for deca...

  • To counter gun violence, he recruits police from the communities most afflicted

    Stacker, Josiah Bates for The Trace|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    The new Linden Community Center in Columbus, Ohio, isn't just for kids. Built in 2021 among a series of new buildings in a gentrifying neighborhood, it's also one of the places where the Franklin County Sheriff's Office is recruiting candidates for the department, The Trace reports. On a recent weekday, trainees could be seen completing workouts under the watchful eyes of deputies and volunteers, who assessed their fitness in running, bear crawls, squats, push-ups, and...

  • Research points to COVID-19's 'long tail' on school graduation rates

    Stacker, Linda Jacobson - The 74|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    The majority of states, 26, saw declines in high school graduation rates following the pandemic, new research shows. In 2020, for example, 10 states had graduation rates of 90% or higher, but only five did in 2022, according to Tuesday's analysis from the Grad Partnership, a network of nonprofits working to improve student outcomes, The 74 reports. However, the report suggests that the full impact of COVID-19 school closures on graduation rates has yet to be realized. This...

  • The slow, powerful work of bridging the women's health gap

    Stacker, Michaela Haas for Reasons to be Cheerful|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    When Carolyn Thomas suffered her first heart attack in 2008, she was in her fifties, a distance runner and as fit as can be. Yet the doctor in the ER diagnosed her with acid reflux, sent her home without treatment and told her she simply needed to rest. "I felt so embarrassed for having made a big fuss over nothing that when my symptoms later returned, there was no way I was going back to that ER for help," Thomas, a PR manager in Victoria, Canada, told Reasons to be Cheerful....

  • The rise of statement engagement rings and how to wear them

    Stacker, Kimberly Zerkel|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    In the ever-evolving world of bridal fashion, statement engagement rings have surged to the forefront, capturing the hearts of modern couples who seek to express their unique love stories. These bold, eye-catching pieces stand out not just for their size, but for their intricate designs, innovative settings, and unmistakable brilliance. VRAI, a fine jewelry brand featuring lab-grown diamonds, details how the trend of statement engagement rings has risen and how you can wear...

  • Dozens of cities are paying for gunshot detection tech they may not need

    Stacker, Jennifer Mascia for The Trace|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    In June 2023, the town council in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, voted unanimously to install the gunshot detection service ShotSpotter. The town would get the system up and running in a few square miles of the city using $297,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding, reports The Trace. "Crime is an issue, but it's not unique to Phillipsburg," Councilmember Keith Kennedy said after the vote. "It's in every town and city around us." ShotSpotter, which alerts police to shootings...

  • A sporting way to build community

    Stacker, Anna Patton for Reasons to be Cheerful|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    When Elliott Blackmore discovered Mental Health Swims, it felt like home. Swimming and paddleboarding alone had felt lonely; other groups seemed a little unwelcoming. This community felt "totally, 100% nonjudgmental," he says. At Mental Health Swims, volunteer hosts around the U.K. organize meetups at the beach, lakes, rivers, or outdoor pools, so that anyone can benefit from, as the organization puts it, the "healing power of cold water and community." For Blackmore, a...

  • 50 most popular chain restaurants in America

    Stacker, Paul Feinstein, Madison Troyer|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    Since A&W Root Beer became the first American restaurant to franchise in 1925, the U.S.—not to mention the rest of the world—has been dominated by chains. Iconic establishments like the now-defunct Howard Johnson's trained customers to look toward its distinctive orange roofs for consistency and comfort, while McDonald's revolutionized the industry with its focus on speed and affordability. Over the years, chains have had a tremendous influence on American culture, from Lit...

  • What did President Trump say When Visiting Pacific Palisades on Friday?

    David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    US President Trump visited Pacific Palisades on 1.24.25. Here are my notes of what he said to a room full of Congressmen, County Supervisors, Mayor Bass and others: You know what's amazing? Every homeowner I met with wants to rebuild. It's like a family. It's incredible when you think about it I just met with homeowners in NC, and it's the same thing, it's water disaster not fire. But it's the same thing They gave me a little helmet that says 47, I said is this real? Your gove...

  • Jeep Hits a Building On the Corner of Wilshire and Lincoln Blvd., Barely Missing a Homeless Couple

    David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 24, 2025

    On Monday night a jeep collided with a building on Wilshire Blvd. The collision involved just one vehicle, but the jeep nearly hit a homeless couple standing where their possessions and holding their dog by a store window. Christian and Ingrid told this author that "we lost the puppy," who ran off after the accident. They also said they had been living in a campsite in Malibu until 2 weeks ago. The fire forced them to move to Santa Monica. There are about 2 incidents a month...