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California house payments jump 127% in pandemic era with rates at 23-year high

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

“Numerology” tries to find reality within various measurements of economic and real estate trends.Buzz: A typical California homebuyer’s mortgage payment is up 127% – yes, more than double – since the pandemic transformed the housing market.Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at housing costs using Freddie Mac’s weekly tally of the average 30-year fixed loan combined with median selling prices for existing, single-family homes provided by the California Association of Realtors.Fuzzy math: California home sales are running 41% below the average buying pace since 1990.ToplineSo, how have mortgage rates at 23-year highs hit California house hunters?Well, the typical California buyer would get a $4,717 payment, assuming 20% down, on the median-priced $843,340 single-family home at this week’s 7.63% average rate for a 30-year loan.Back in February 2020, just before coronavirus struck, rates were 3.47%. So a house payment on that month’s $579,770 median price was $2,075.Yes, that 45% pri...

Rare northern right whale dolphin without dorsal fin spotted off California coast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

A deckhand aboard a Dana Point whale watching charter boat named the Hoku Nai’a was in the middle of describing traits of the common dolphins when he stopped cold and announced the sighting of a rare northern right whale dolphin swimming in their midst.The unusual sighting on Thursday, Oct. 19, was about five miles off the coast of Dana Point, where the water is about 1,200 feet to 2,000 feet deep.Caitlyn Nieblas, a biologist and photographer aboard the Capt. Dave Dolphin and Whale Watching vessel, described the sighting as a first for herself, adding, “They don’t come this far south.”The dolphin, described as small and slender with no dorsal fin, is typically seen in the cold water of the northwest. They are often mistaken for fur seals because of their dark color and acrobatic nature. Typically, they swim in a group of 100 to 200 animals.Related ArticlesEnvironment | South Bay Audubon Society creates online gallery for bird art Environment | Scientists k...

Police investigating death threats written on high school bathroom wall

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

(BCN) -- Police in Petaluma are investigating disturbing messages written on a bathroom wall at a high school on Friday. Detectives have opened a case into death threats on a bathroom wall written in black ink at Petaluma High School, located on Fair Street. 16-year-old killed, 3 injured at Oakley house party shooting According to police, one message read, "Date: Monday 10/23/23 is the day I kill. I'm going to shoot up the school and my first person is [name redacted]. So watch out Monday is your guys (sic) day." Two students were named in the threat, according to police. A third student was also singled out with derogatory names and "wishing death upon them," Petaluma detectives said. School administrators and police narrowed down a few persons of interest in the case using video footage near the bathroom and relationships to the named students. "The threats are possibly related to an ongoing conflict amongst a small group of students," said police. Interviews with students...

Bank of Marin: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

NOVATO, Calif. (AP) — NOVATO, Calif. (AP) — Bank of Marin Bancorp (BMRC) on Monday reported third-quarter profit of $5.3 million.The Novato, California-based bank said it had earnings of 33 cents per share.The results matched Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for earnings of 33 cents per share.The bank holding company posted revenue of $37.7 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $27.1 million, which beat Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $26.9 million.Bank of Marin shares have declined 48% since the beginning of the year. The stock has fallen 47% in the last 12 months._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on BMRC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/BMRCSource

Pakistan’s Imran Khan could face the death sentence in trial over revealing state secrets

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court on Monday indicted Imran Khan on charges of revealing official secrets after his 2022 ouster from office in another dramatic move against the former prime minister who could now face a possible death sentence and will likely be unable to run in parliamentary elections in January.Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a close aide and the deputy leader of Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, will go on trial this week at a high-security prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. The charge of revealing state secrets carries a sentence ranging from life in prison to the death penalty, according to Umair Niazi, one of Khan’s defense lawyers. Niazi, however, said he was confident Khan and Qureshi would be acquitted as they had done “nothing wrong.” The trial starts on Friday and both Khan and Qureshi have denied the charges against them. The hearings will take place before a special court behind closed doors at the Adiyala Prison, wher...

Barcelona celebrates another talented teenager making a successful move from its La Masia academy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Barcelona coach Xavi knows from his own experience that taking a chance on youngsters at the club’s famous La Masia soccer academy usually pays off.Xavi himself was a member of the academy before becoming one of Barcelona’s — and Spain’s — greatest players. He was an 18-year-old when given the chance to debut with the first team in a Spanish Super Cup game in 1998. The former midfielder scored in the match against Mallorca to kickstart his successful career. So it’s no surprise that Xavi hasn’t been afraid to give opportunities to the current generation of La Masia players. The latest to get his chance was 17-year-old Marc Guiu, who on Sunday came on late in the second half and scored about 30 seconds into his debut to give Barcelona a 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league.At 17 years, 291 days, Guiu became the youngest Barcelona player to score in his debut with the club.“I don’t have a problem with looking at our talent at home,” Xavi said. “On ...

Motivation high for Man United in Champions League in first home game since death of Bobby Charlton

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — If gaining much-needed Champions League points wasn’t motivation enough, Manchester United’s players are sure to be driven by the memory of Bobby Charlton on what will be an emotional night at Old Trafford on Tuesday.The match against FC Copenhagen will be the first at United’s stadium since the death of Charlton, the England great who for so long was the club’s top scorer and is considered by many to be the best player in its illustrious history.A minute’s silence will be observed before kickoff while players will likely wear black armbands. A wreath is expected to be laid on the field.United’s players paid similar respects to Charlton before the Premier League match at Sheffield United on Saturday — only hours after his death was announced — and captain Bruno Fernandes was among those who dedicated the 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane to Charlton and his family.Fernandes and United manager Erik ten Hag were at Old Trafford to sign a book of condolence o...

At least 14 killed and many injured when one train hits another in central Bangladesh

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A cargo train hit a passenger train outside the Bangladeshi capital on Monday, leaving at least 14 people dead and scores more injured, a fire official said.Rescuers joined local residents in extracting people from the wreckage of the train cars, said fire official Mosharraf Hossain at Bhairab, in the central district of Kishoreganj, where the collision happened at 3:30 p.m. He said the bodies of at least 14 people had been recovered and the number of casualties could increase. “Our people are working there. It’s a chaotic situation. We don’t have much information for now,” he told The Associated Press by phone.He said the crash occurred when the Dhaka-bound Godhuli Express collided head on with a cargo train heading to Chattogram. Train service to other parts of the country remained suspended following the accident, he said. Source

Kansas City Current hires former US women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski is getting a fresh start in a familiar place.The 47-year-old Andonovski was officially hired as coach of the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League on Monday, taking over a team that reached the title game a year ago but finished 11th out of 12 teams this season. The Current are the replacement for FC Kansas City, which Andonovski led to two NWSL titles before it folded.The Current fired Matt Potter in April and recently announced that interim coach Caroline Sjoblom would not be retained.“Kansas City is home,” Andonovski, a two-time NWSL coach of they year, said in a statement. “This club is very ambitious, and they have an ownership group willing to do what it takes to meet their goals. … The fans here have always been passionate, and it has been so exciting to see them grow and make Kansas City one of the best atmospheres in the NWSL.”Andonovski, a native of North...

Stock market today: US futures fall as yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly touches 5%

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:10 GMT

Wall Street was poised to open lower Monday morning, with markets under pressure from higher interest rates and the risk of broader conflict in the Middle East.Futures for the S&P 500, Nasdaq and the Dow all fell about 0.4% before the bell Monday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly touched 5%, a level it hasn’t reached since 2007. It quickly retreated back to 4.99%.Stocks have been struggling under the weight of the bond market since high yields make borrowing more expensive for everyone and slow the economy while dragging on prices for stocks and other investments. “Indeed, the trajectory of U.S. Treasurys is not merely a question; it is the only question for financial markets,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. “U.S. government bonds are the critical benchmark reference point against which virtually all other global assets are ultimately priced off.”The Federal Reserve raised its overnight interest rate rapidly hoping to quash high inflat...