California Dolphin

Twenty-five years ago on April 20, 1999, one teacher and 12 students were shot and killed by two seniors at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. Another 21 members of the Columbine school community were injured in this shooting and countless lives devastated. That kind of mass violence — and in a school no less — was unthinkable at the time. Yet the past quarter-century has tragically and frustratingly shown that we have failed to keep schoolchildren safe . The communities of Newtown, Conn., Parkland, Fla., and Uvalde, Texas, like Littleton, were subsequently forced to contend with the unimaginable. And so too have hundreds of others that have not made the national news despite gun violence in their schools. Data from the Washington Post allow us to estimate that more than 370,000 K-12 students have been exposed to firearm violence since Columbine. And data my colleagues and I are gathering show that there have been nearly 350 intentional school shootings in K-12 public schools since 2015, meaning these events have taken place during school hours and with a perpetrator’s intent to harm someone else. Firearms

California’s math wars are roiling the state’s educational system, with contentious debates over high school curricula. At issue is whether a “data science” course should be available as a substitute for Algebra 2. The University of California and California State University systems previously accepted data science as an advanced math requirement in place of Algebra 2. But UC and CSU both recently reversed that decision. Data science proponents cite the high failure rates of Black and Latino students even in Algebra 1. They point to the concrete, real-world applications of data science as an excellent student motivator compared with dull, theoretical algebra topics such as the quadratic formula, arguing that the substitute offers more vital knowledge for our data-oriented society. Two popular data science curricula have emerged: UCLA’s Introduction to Data Science and Stanford’s youcubed . But as a longtime data science educator, I am appalled at the implications and consequences of allowing data science to substitute for Algebra 2. Among other concerns, it would hurt Black and Latino students, the very group that data science proponents profess to help , teaching them almost no

A video circulating on social media captured the moments a bus driver was stabbed Saturday night by a passenger in Willowbrook as other passengers watched. The driver survived and is recovering at home, but the incident heightens concern about the safety of Metro’s bus drivers and passengers. The attack came less 24 hours after an argument among passengers resulted in the stabbing of a 70-year-old man on a bus in Silver Lake and less than a month after another man hijacked and crashed a bus in downtown Los Angeles. Metro’s head of security, who was recently fired after filing a complaint to the agency’s inspector general, says that law enforcement isn’t doing enough to prosecute those responsible for such crimes, and the local union representing drivers said they are worried about their members’ safety. “It has got to stop, it has got to stop,” said John Ellis, who represents six union locals that account for 5,000 bus and rail operators working at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “There are people that are afraid to go to work.” Ellis has been working with Metro to

Every tattoo has a story. Some are good; others may leave a nagging sense of regret. Those tattoos that make you cringe are at the heart of a contest that the PetSmart superstore company launched this month. Dubbed the “Redo Tattoo” contest, PetSmart is offering five winners a chance to replace tattoos they regret with a portrait of a pet. The company’s website already has a gallery of regrettable tattoos that includes badly drawn stars, an outline of the state of Oklahoma, Bad Bunny’s heart logo and lots of kanji, the Japanese characters that many Americans have inked into their skin. The company said it has partnered with Alium Tattoo Studio in Culver City to provide consultation and sessions with tattoo artists who will turn those regrettable images into fresh ink of beloved furry friends. Don’t live in Los Angeles? No problem. The company says it will also provide winners with travel and a two-night hotel stay in L.A. The contest, which is open to U.S. residents 18 and older , is part of PetSmart’s publicity campaign for a new rewards program. Entries must be

TAIPEI, Taiwan —  The U.S.-China rivalry has a new flashpoint in the battle for technology supremacy: electric cars. So far, the U.S. is losing. Last year, China became the world’s foremost auto exporter, according to the China Passenger Car Assn., surpassing Japan with more than 5 million sales overseas. New energy vehicles accounted for about 25% of those exports, and more than half of those were created by Chinese brands, a shift from the traditional assembly role China has played for foreign automakers. “The big growth has happened in the last three years,” said Stephen Dyer, head of the Asia automotive and industrials unit at AlixPartners, a consulting firm. “With Chinese automakers making inroads for most of the market share, that’s a huge challenge for foreign automakers.” China’s rapid expansion domestically and abroad has added fuel to a series of clashes between the U.S. and China over trade and advanced technology, as competition intensifies between the two superpowers. The U.S. has lofty goals for expanding its own EV industry. California, which accounted for 37% of the nation’s electric car sales as of 2022, aims to phase

With spring in full swing, community members and visitors to Atascadero are taking advantage of two major outdoor attractions – the Charles Paddock Zoo and neighboring Atascadero Lake. On Wednesday, the Charles Paddock Zoo announced news that could bring in more visitors – the birth of a baby Mongoose Lemur. Lead Zookeeper, Katie Mulder, explained what this birth means for the zoo. “Any birth is super exciting,” Mulder said, “This is a pair of mongoose lemurs that was sent to us by recommendation of the SSP with hopes that they would breed.” She thinks the news could boost zoo attendance as well. “There have been a couple of people who have said, ‘Hey a baby lemur, where’s the baby lemur?'” Mulder said, “I’m sure that will definitely pick up in the next week or so as word starts to spread. Especially among members, we have people who come who know these guys as individuals, and they’re really excited to see the animals they know have a baby and get to watch that baby grow.” Brandon Pauley is a recent member of the zoo and frequently

Funding to the tune of $2.5 million was secured for three northern San Luis Obispo County projects to help solve local challenges through direct federal investment. Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California’s 19th congressional district secured the funding, his office announced in a press release late last week. Some of those challenges include first responders need for better resources. In Templeton, Rep. Panetta secured $1 million for a new fire engine for the citys fire department. Templeton Fire Chief Tom Peterson shared why replacing the old engine is critical. We currently have a 23-year-old engine that definitely lets us know its age every once in a while,” he said. “And its cost us quite a bit the last few years to keep it going.” Without a new engine, they have to rely on an engine that isnt designed for fighting structural fires. Its the capability of what we can do on a large commercial fire or even a residential fire in a woodland engine as opposed to a structure engine thats designed for structural firefighting, Peterson said. In Paso Robles, Rep. Panetta allotted $500,000 towards a

When it comes to finding a specific location, GPS is incredible, but let’s face it – nobody is exchanging coordinates. An app called what3words is trying to make finding people and places, as well as meeting up – simple, fast and easy. Plus, it works even without a signal. The app recently teamed up with BMO Stadium in Los Angeles – home of the Los Angeles Football Club – to publish specific what3words addresses for key locations such as gates, the team store, concession stands, and the box office. “It’s human nature not to pay attention to signs necessarily,” said Christian Lau, the stadium’s Chief Technology officer. “Having a tech solution for a younger demographic that they can use, they’re familiar with it, it just makes everything easier to get in and around the venue.” Christian Lau of Los Angeles Football Club What3words divides the world into 10×10 foot squares and has given each one a unique but memorable three-world name. “GPS coordinates are kind of confusing and complicated. I mean nobody really in everyday life does that. So the idea of what3words is just

El camino rumbo a la pelea de este sábado entre Ryan García (24-1, 20 KOs) y el campeón Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) ha sido uno de los más raros que se han dado en la era moderna del boxeo. García, quien comenzó a llamar la atención en el pugilismo por su velocidad y gran fortaleza en sus puños, gozó desde el inicio de su carrera de una enorme popularidad en las redes sociales, a medidas exageradas, gracias también a su carisma y atractivo físico. Debemos tener en cuenta que hasta hace cuatro años, García se encontraba enfrentando a adversarios desconocidos, ganando grandes sumas de dinero, a pesar de que muchos aún lo consideraban un “youtuber” y que no ha ganado un título mundial. Debemos también recordar que García no ha experimentado cambios significativos a la percepción que muchos tienen de él. Su única victoria convincente en los grandes escenarios probablemente fue ante Luke Campbell, a quien noqueó en 2021. Sus otras victorias han sido ante rivales de cuestionable nivel. García parecía ganar en credibilidad cuando decidió unirse al campamento de Canelo Álvarez y Eddy

A Compton community leader wants accountability from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after deputies broke into his home and wrongfully detained him.  On April 18, 2023, deputies burst into the home of Derrick Cooper, 55, at around 4 a.m. with their weapons drawn. They handcuffed him and hauled him outside while he was still naked from the waist down. Cooper was sleeping and said he was shocked waking up to “guns and flashlights in my face” as deputies ordered him to get out of bed.  “They looked at me, saw a black man laying in the bed, buck naked and said, ‘We got a criminal here,” Cooper said. “Thank God they didn’t shoot me because that’s exactly what I was thinking the whole time.” Cooper, who was only wearing a shirt at the time, said he asked if he could put on some pants or clothing to cover himself but was denied by authorities.  He was walked over to a police car parked on Compton Boulevard where he was placed inside and detained. L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies seen on home surveillance video wrongfully detaining

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters knocked down a fire in 15 minutes at a guest house in South Los Angeles Thursday evening that was threatening three structures. Firefighters responded at 9:30 p.m. to 529 W. 90th St., near South Figueroa Street, where they found the flames at a guest house that was threatening a front house and a detached garage, according to LAFD spokesman Nicholas Prange. Using hose lines at the back of the property, firefighters rapidly doused the flames coming from the guest house near an attached garage, Prange said. The outside of the garage sustained minor damage, Prange said. There were 24 firefighters sent to the fire. No injuries were reported, Prange said.

A man armed with a knife was shot by Los Angeles Police Department officers Thursday in downtown Los Angeles after he charged at a sergeant with the weapon, police said. Officers responded to the area near Sixth and San Pedro streets around 2:50 p.m. to reports regarding an armed suspect with a three-and-a-half inch blade open and extended, the LAPD reported. A sergeant attempted to intervene moments before the suspect, still holding the knife, began charging at the sergeant. “Bystanders yelled to warn the sergeant. The sergeant turned to face the suspect who charged at him, still holding the knife, resulting in an officer-involved shooting,” police said in a statement. The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. “The knife was recovered at the scene. No officers or bystanders were injured,” police said.