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Two new mysteries from Colorado authors

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

“Play of Shadows,” by Barbara Nickless (Thomas & Mercer)“Play of Shadows,” by Barbara Nickless (Thomas & Mercer)When the body of a Chicago murder victim is found — nearly sliced in half by a sword with a strange symbol drawn on its forehead — who do the police call? If you’re a fan of Colorado Springs mystery author Barbara Nickless, the answer, of course, is Dr. Evan Wilding.The Chicago cryptologist, a dwarf, is brilliant, urbane and secretly in love with detective Addie Bisset.  And he is already ahead of this deadly murder. Only that night, shortly before he was killed, the victim left an ancient Cretan coin on Wilding’s doorstep, along with a note: “Let the game begin.”And so it does. Addie and Wilding, with the help of Wilding’s assistant, Diana, and his brother, River, discover they’ve been challenged to play out a murderous myth by a man who claims to be the deadly Minotaur. If they don’t solve the Cretan monster’s puzzl...

Is your house plant psychedelic? Coloradans buy San Pedro cacti, but not for their hallucinogens.

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

At Nick’s Garden Center and Farm Market in Aurora, it takes some searching to find the few San Pedro cacti for sale inside of the sprawling greenhouse.On Tuesday afternoon, fresh Christmas wreathes and holiday decorations garnered more attention from customers of the nursery at 2001 S. Chambers Road than the shelves of cacti displayed farther back. Even as two women paused to peer at eye-catching varieties like golden barrel cactus, the spiky, green San Pedro cacti sat largely unnoticed among more than 200 other plants.“I think it’s beautiful, but it doesn’t have any shocking features,” horticulturist Colette Haskell, 49, said. Still, when the garden center stocks up on San Pedro cacti, or Trichocereus, “they definitely do sell out pretty quickly,” she added.An enthusiastic following of both professional and amateur horticulturists is growing around the cactus, as they largely prize it for its appearance. But with the recent decriminalizatio...

Colorado researchers find it can be safe to transplant stem cells into brains as multiple sclerosis treatment

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

A trial involving researchers at the University of Colorado found it can be safe to transplant stem cells into the brains of people with at least one disabling illness, but the science has a long way to go before people heal with cells from embryos or their own bodies.The trial, involving scientists in Colorado, the United Kingdom and Italy, infused stem cells taken from the brain of a fetus that had died in a miscarriage into 15 Italian patients who already had significant disabilities caused by multiple sclerosis. In the year after the infusions, the patients’ multiple sclerosis didn’t get worse, and they didn’t have severe side effects from the stem cells.It will take a bigger trial with a comparison group that didn’t receive the treatment to know whether the stem cells truly slowed down the disease’s progression, though, said Angelo D’Alessandro, a professor at CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus.“The disease was overall stable,” he...

Man fatally shot while sitting in car at South Los Angeles gas station

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

A man was shot and killed while sitting inside his car at a gas station in the Vermont-Vista neighborhood of South Los Angeles Sunday night.The shooting was reported shortly after 11 p.m. at the Sinclair/Dino Mart gas station at the intersection of West Manchester Avenue and South Hoover Street. Arriving officers found a 30-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds still inside his vehicle next to a gas pump. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and pronounced the unidentified victim dead at the scene, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Video showed two unknown suspects approaching the scene in a vehicle before exiting and opening fire on the victim, police said.The suspects then fled the scene in their vehicle in an unknown direction. No descriptions of the suspects or the vehicle were released. Bullet holes could be seen in the driver's side door of the vehicle, and the glass front door of the mini-mart had been shattered. It ...

1 in 8 home sellers in this part of the Bay Area is taking a loss

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

It might be hard to fathom in this real estate market, but one in eight home sellers in San Francisco and on the Peninsula is now taking a loss.How can that be?Blame mortgage rates. Rising rates have pulled down home prices from historic highs during the pandemic homebuying boom. And some sellers who bought at the top of the market in 2021 and 2022 are being forced to accept less than what they paid for their homes.According to the latest data from the real estate brokerage firm Redfin, more than 13% of those who sold homes in San Francisco and San Mateo counties between August and October went into the red — a rate about four times the national figure and the highest share of any major region in the country. The typical loss in the area: $122,500.Sheharyar Bokhari, a senior economist with Redfin, said those selling at a loss are typically doing so out of necessity. They might be going through a job loss, divorce or other life event that doesn’t allow them to wait for a turnar...

49ers report card: All-around excellence delivers big win over Eagles

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

PHILADELPHIA – Here is how the 49ers (9-3) graded in Sunday’s 42-19 win over the host Eagles (10-2):PASS OFFENSE: A-Brock Purdy overcame a shaky start (0-for-4 pasing, Haason Reddick sack) and threw for 314 yards with four touchdown passes. He insisted his focus had to be solely on this game rather than making up for last season’s NFC Championship Game defeat, in which a Reddick sack injured his elbow. On second-and-15 from the 15-yard line, Purdy delivered his first completion (12 yards to Brandon Aiyuk), then converted a third-and-3 throw to Kittle, launching their first touchdown drive and perhaps that drive will be reflected on a No. 1-seed saver.No one set the tone of this rout more than Deebo Samuel, who turned two of his four receptions into touchdowns; Samuel had 116 receiving yards, and he had three carries for 22 yards with one scoring run. Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings also had touchdown catches, and George Kittle came through with some clutch receptions. Trent Williams said “...

Woman killed in shark attack on Pacific coast near Mexico beach town

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

MEXICO CITY — A Mexican woman died after she was severely bitten in the leg by a shark in the Pacific Ocean off the beach town of Melaque, authorities said Sunday.Rafael Araiza, the head of the local civil defense office, said the attack occurred Saturday a short distance from the beach in Melaque, just west of the seaport of Manzanillo.The town is in the western state of Jalisco, and is located next to the better-known beach town of Barra de Navidad.Ariaza said the woman, 26, was swimming with her five-year-old daughter toward a floating play platform about 75 feet (25 meters) from the shore.The victim was trying to boost her child aboard the floating platform when the shark bit her. The daughter was not harmed.Ariaza said that despite a quick response by rescuers, the woman died of blood loss from the massive bite wound on her leg near the hip. She was a resident of a nearby town.Authorities closed the beaches in Melaque and Barra de Navidad to swimming as a precaution.Shark attac...

Why are real estate commissions 6%? – and why that may be changing

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

By Anna Bahney | CNNWashington, DC  — Here’s how paying for a real estate agent to sell your home has long been done: A seller hands a percentage of the sale price to their broker, who then splits it with the broker who brought the buyer.The commission is typically between 5% and 6%, which is usually tens of thousands of dollars out of the seller’s proceeds. But the seller also factored that cost into what they listed their home for, so indirectly, the buyer is paying the cost, too.How did that become the standard? And will this process continue?Changes may soon be on the horizon for real estate commission rates after a Kansas City jury determined – in a $1.8 billion judgement in October – that commissions had been inflated and that brokerages and industry groups conspired to keep them that way. This landmark antitrust court case, along with similar lawsuits like it, could overhaul the standard 6% commission and who pays it.A shift could allow home buyers and sellers to negotiate no...

Cal State faculty striking in series of one-day actions

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

(BCN) -- Thousands of California State University faculty are preparing to shut down their classes and strike starting Monday as labor negotiations have stalled. The series of one-day rolling strikes will begin at Cal Poly Pomona on Monday, with San Francisco State following on Tuesday, Cal State LA on Wednesday and Sacramento State on Thursday. Some faculty from other campuses are expected to join their colleagues and not teach on those days. Cal State graduation rates remain flat for second consecutive year Salary remains the largest disagreement between the 23-campus Cal State system and the California Faculty Association, which represents about 29,000 professors and lecturers. The faculty is fighting for a 12% general salary increase for this year and has not specified the size of the raises it will seek after that. However, the university system is proposing a total increase of 15% over three years, including this year. "A lot of what we've been offered by management is depe...

SF school district reaches memorandum of understanding with tradespeople, staving off strike

Published Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:59:13 GMT

(BCN) -- The San Francisco Unified School District has reached a memorandum of understanding with tradespeople who had pledged to strike Monday to protest what they called unfair labor practices, the school district said Sunday night.Common Crafts employees include about 80 plumbers, carpenters, roofers and other tradespeople, according to the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, though the school district said it only represents 65 employees.The council said Friday that the district had failed to pay wages owed and that workers were going to picket on Monday "to voice their exasperation with the school district that has continuously violated state labor law in its recent dealings with them."Earlier on Sunday evening, SFUSD spokesperson Laura Dudnick said the district had only been made aware of the situation on Friday, but that continued discussions were being held with the workers.On Sunday night, the district sent out an email announcing the MOU, which it said ...