California Dolphin

Even more struggles could be coming for the already unstable legal cannabis industry in California. The state’s cannabis tax rate is expected to increase from 15% to 19% in July, SFGate reports, which doesn’t bode well for a trade already struggling with issues like pesticide contamination. One owner of a dispensary in Los Angeles told the outlet that this could be “the ‘tipping point’ that will destroy even more legal businesses,” as the additional local taxes in L.A. mean the total tax on marijuana could be as high as 50%. Jerred Kiloh, the owner of the Higher Path Dispensary in Sherman Oaks, said the high taxes have already driven many consumers onto the illegal market, where prices are lower. “You have a very nimble demographic in the under-35 demographic that is just one Instagram post away from leaving the legal industry,” Kiloh told SFGate.  DOJ moves to reclassify marijuana. What happens next? While 2023 saw a reported $5.1 billion in cannabis sales in 2023, outstanding state tax bills alone total a quarter of that: $1.3 billion, SFGate found. Adding to the tax struggles is the

Rupert Murdoch has been dealt a setback in his bid to steer control of his empire to his son Lachlan after the media mogul dies. Murdoch, 93, had sought to change the terms of his irrevocable family trust to ensure his older son, Lachlan, would have sole control over his media companies News Corp. and Fox Corp. News Corp. owns influential publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Investor’s Business Daily and Dow Jones. Fox Corp. is the parent company of Fox News and the Fox broadcast network. But a Nevada probate commissioner rejected the request to amend the trust that had been opposed by Murdoch’s other children named in the trust — Prudence, James and Elisabeth. In the current version of the trust, the four eldest siblings, including Lachlan, were set to jointly inherit control of the businesses. That commissioner, Edmund J. Gorman Jr., said in a ruling over the weekend that the elder Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch had acted in “bad faith” in their attempt to rewrite the trust, according to a sealed court filing obtained by the New

Victoria Hinks watched her daughter get sucked into the dark sides of social media, and she couldn’t pull her out. “We tried to take her phone away at night, but it was like taking a drug away from an addict,” Hinks said at a news conference at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco’s Don Fisher Clubhouse on Monday. Hinks, whose 16-year-old daughter died by suicide in August, joined California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) in announcing proposed legislation that would require social media companies to warn California users their platforms could pose risks to the mental health and well-being of young people. Suicide prevention and crisis counseling resources If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional and call 9-8-8. The United States’ first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline 988 will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the Crisis Text Line. The effort to add warning labels is the latest in a series of moves by state lawmakers to

A judge ruled Friday that a security contractor can seek punitive damages against CNN over a November 2021 report about war profiteers who charged Afghans who were trying to leave their country after the U.S. military withdrawal. The contractor, Zachary Young, said CNN destroyed his business by including him in a segment by chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt, which focused on how Afghans were being charged high prices by evacuation services. The report used the term “black market” in an onscreen graphic and in a spoken introduction. Young, the only person mentioned by name in the segment, said the report gave the false impression that he was involved in illegal activity and exploited “desperate Afghans.” Florida Judge William S. Henry had previously ruled that Young’s actions did not violate any laws and that he never took any money directly from Afghans. Young’s company sought corporate sponsors to pay for assistance in leaving Afghanistan. “Sufficient evidence exists upon which a reasonable jury could find with convincing clarity that Defendant acted with actual malice,” Henry wrote in his ruling. If the case goes to trial, a

The holiday magic returns to the historic Santa Margarita Ranch this year as the second annual “Christmas at the Ranch” opens its gates every weekend in the lead-up to Christmas Day. The holiday event, which kicked off last month and will continue on weekends through Dec. 22, gives visitors the opportunity to experience a unique blend of history, holiday spirit and family-friendly fun. Two original Disneyland train cars are pulled by an 1800s steam engine at Santa Margarita Ranch in San Luis Obispo County in this undated photo. (Santa Margarita Ranch) Among the event highlights is the opportunity to ride aboard historic Disneyland train cars that first operated when the park opened in 1955. The cars, part of the original Disneyland Railroad, were phased out in the 1960s and have called Santa Margarita Ranch home since 2001. Some of the cars have been restored to like-new condition and attendees “will get to see what the train car looked like when it was new on Disneyland’s opening day,” said Steve Rossi, co-founder and event coordinator. Visitors can board their train of choice—a 1940s diesel locomotive with

The 26-year-old man arrested Monday in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive on the streets of New York once worked for a Santa Monica-based company and spent time at Stanford University, records show. Luigi Mangione, 26, was taken into custody by law enforcement in Pennsylvania following an intensive manhunt after the killing of 50-year-old Brian Thompson in an early-morning ambush last week. At a news conference announcing the arrest, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to California with a last known address in Honolulu. He was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., after someone recognized him, police said. According to public records, Mangione spent time at Stanford University in 2019 and once worked for Santa Monica-based TrueCar, a digital marketplace for automobiles. TrueCar did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Stanford University confirmed that a person named Luigi Mangione was employed as a head counselor under the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies program between May and September of 2019. Prior to Stanford, he studied computer science at the University

Latest news on UnitedHeathcare CEO killing after person of interest is arrested – CBS News Watch CBS News The New York City Police Department announced that 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania after a McDonald’s worker apparently called authorities with information matching the description of a person of interest in the case. CBS News’ Anna Schecter, Tom Hanson and Rikki Klieman break down what’s known in the case of the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing, and Felipe Rodriguez, a former NYPD detective, provides his take on the investigation. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Dec 9: CBS News 24/7, 1pm ET – CBS News Watch CBS News Police identify Luigi Mangione, 26, as person of interest in connection to UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing; Mangione questioned in Pennsylvania after McDonalds worker called law enforcement. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Protests in South Korea calling for impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol – CBS News Watch CBS News Protesters in South Korea are calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after chaos erupted over his imposed martial law. CBS News’ Ramy Inocencio reports from Seoul. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

CBS News Live CBS News 24/7 Live Luigi Mangione has been identified as a  person of interest in last week’s deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , police said Monday. The 26-year-old was arrested on firearms charges in Pennsylvania, after being spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, and New York police detectives were heading to interview him amid a massive manhunt for the shooter. Here’s what we know about Mangione: Luigi Mangione named person of interest in CEO shooting New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters during a news conference that Mangione was believed to be a person of interest in the shooting. Officers arrested Mangione Monday morning at the Altoona McDonald’s after a McDonald’s employee recognized him and called police, Tisch said. The officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously, Tisch said. Officers found a gun and a suppressor on Mangioni that were consistent with the weapon used in the Dec. 4 shooting of Thompson, Tisch said. Police said the gun appeared to be a ghost gun . Clothing and a mask consistent with those of the suspect in the case were

Authorities in Anaheim are investigating after a man was found shot to death in a car in a residential neighborhood near Disneyland.  According to preliminary reports, police officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of South Margie Lane in Anaheim just before 8:45 p.m. Monday on a shots fired call.  Upon arriving, the officers located a man sitting in a vehicle with at least one gunshot wound. Responding paramedics pronounced him deceased at the scene.  Shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, the coroner’s office identified the victim as 25-year-old Kenneth Wayne Swets. Petition urges food allergy measures in California after Disney influencer’s death Video taken just after the shooting shows officers taping off the area while beginning to search for clues, and several evidence markers were seen near a gray sedan.  Police investigating a deadly shooting in a residential neighborhood near Disneyland on Dec. 8, 2024. (OnSceneTV) Police investigating a deadly shooting in a residential neighborhood near Disneyland on Dec. 8, 2024. (OnSceneTV) Police investigating a deadly shooting in a residential neighborhood near Disneyland on Dec. 8, 2024. (OnSceneTV) It is unclear whether Swets was sitting

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is looking for the shooter who killed a man in the unincorporated area of Lake Los Angeles early Monday morning. The shooting occurred just before 2:15 a.m. in the 41100 block of 163rd Street East, officials said in a news release. When deputies arrived, they found a man who had been shot once. He was declared dead at the scene. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Mexican authorities say they have “restored order” in parts of the state of Chihuahua where organized criminal gangs engaged in violent confrontations in the past few days. Mexican media reported clashes between La Linea and cells of the Sinaloa cartel near Madera, Guachochi and Coyame in the past few days. The latter community is a few miles southwest of Presidio, Texas. “We saw movement among criminal groups – the two gangs known as cartels – that engaged in confrontations,” Chihuahua Public Safety Director Gilberto Loya said on Monday. “It is important to note the quick response by authorities to go to these communities and restore order.” The two cartels have stepped up hostilities in the drug and migrant smuggling corridor of Ojinaga-Coyame-Presidio since last summer. The violence included the abduction and murder of five share-ride drivers in June and the rescue of a rare liger from an abandoned home riddled with bullets whose occupants were presumably abducted and killed. Firefighters rescue lioness from roof of Juarez home near Rio Grande Public events including the swearing in of a new