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CBS News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Manteca neighborhood rallies against gas station, fast food restaurant being built in community
Take a stroll down any street in Woodward Park in Manteca and you may see signs that say, "Woodward Park: Clean Air, Safe Streets, No Gas Here." That's because on the corner of East Woodward Avenue and Pillsbury Road, a new 24-hour AM/PM gas station and fast food restaurant may be built in the heart of their neighborhood. One community group is now trying to stop it. "I just decided to start a Facebook group," said Johanna Titus, organizer of the Woodward Park United Against Gas Station group. "Maybe we could organize and get together and start like a little bit of a grassroots effort to see what we can do about not getting the gas station in our neighborhood." Titus is one of the main organizers of this grassroots effort. After going door to door and creating her own online petition, she's received over 1,000 signatures asking the city to make a change. "There are so many gas stations in this town, but no other gas stations are smack dab in the middle of a residential area, like this one, without any other commercial or retail spaces surrounding it," she said. The group's main concerns are increased traffic, noise, loitering and health risks. For a city that already has over 30 gas stations and 10 more planned to open, she and the group believe another gas station isn't necessary. "In the city's own definition of commercial mixed use, it's a place where neighbors can go and hang out and gather. Last time I checked, I don't go to gas stations to hang out, but that's just me," Titus shared. Now, they're asking the city and developer to conduct a full environmental review, change the zoning, or cancel the project altogether. "Maybe change some of the guidelines and make it more strict for gas stations, especially in residential areas with parks and children, elderly," she continued. "Hopefully, in the end, we can get them to either stall this or get the proper environmental report done and see if it's truly safe for our neighborhood." CBS Sacramento reached out to the city for comment, but they said that since there are no updates on this project, they will not be providing a statement. However, they said they are aware of this campaign and are in touch with the organizers.
Washington Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Baltimore is seeing the city's fewest homicides in 50 years. Here's why.
In 2021, shortly after starting his first term, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) rolled out a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence in a city that had long been troubled by one of the deadliest homicide rates in the nation. The strategy was to approach gun violence as a public health threat instead of simply a crime issue and to treat that threat at the source by investing in violence interrupters, community organizations and trauma-informed support systems in impacted neighborhoods. The plan's goal: reduce shootings by 15 percent every year for five years. Now four years in, Scott said, the plan is working. As of July 1, 68 people in Baltimore had died by homicide this year, the fewest during the first six months of the year in more than five decades. It marks a nearly 23 percent decrease compared to the first half of 2024. Shootings where nobody was killed have also fallen by nearly 20 percent compared to the same time period last year. The falling statistics, mirroring a national drop in violent crime, follow years of similar declines. 'Everybody plays a part,' Scott said in an interview. 'Yes, I'm the mayor. Yes, I had to come up with and deliver this plan. But none of it works without every single one of our partners.' Among them, the mayor said, are the 40 or so employees of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement; the dozens of people who work as violence interrupters with the city's flagship gun violence reduction program, Safe Streets; the Baltimore Police Department; the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office; the U.S. attorney's office and the Office of the Maryland Attorney General. 'But most importantly,' Scott said, 'the folks in the community.' After a spike during the pandemic, homicides by guns in the United States have steadily dwindled, to 17,927 in 2023, according to the most recent Center For Disease Control data available. In D.C., there have been 85 homicides this year as of July 3, compared to 89 during the same time last year, according to police department data. The historically low violent crime rate in Baltimore has prompted a scramble to take credit among state and city leaders, all of whom are acknowledging each other's roles while emphasizing their own parts. The office of Gov. Wes Moore (D) pointed to the $50 million in state funding to the Baltimore Police Department and additional $10.8 million to the city's state's attorney's office since he took office in 2023. Under the Moore administration, state leaders and lawmakers have also focused on changes to the juvenile justice system, measures for stricter gun regulations, and coordination about experts, advocates and officials on commissions centered on best practices for crime-fighting and restorative justice. In a statement, Moore praised the 'all-of-the-above approach to public safety that is showing results across the state.' 'While there is still work to be done,' Moore said, 'it is clear that this close collaboration with all partners involved is helping Maryland boast some of the most impressive crime drops in the entire country.' Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates (D) credited the shifting philosophy of the office since he defeated former state's attorney Marilyn Mosby (D) in the 2022 election. 'While some have criticized our office for moving beyond the policies of the previous administration, the progress we've made in reducing homicides in Baltimore tells a different story — one grounded in results, not rhetoric,' Bates said in a statement. 'By repealing ineffective non-prosecution policies, we've empowered our police officers to reengage fully in the mission of public safety — not only as law enforcers, but as violence interrupters working proactively in our communities.' In an op-ed she penned in the Baltimore Sun, the state's chief public defender, Natasha Dartigue, said the 'intense debate' sparked over who can claim credit for the fall in violent crime misses the point. Some, she said, 'were quick to claim credit for the drop by relying on a well-worn 'tough-on-crime' narrative despite research and data that demonstrate the negative impact of incarceration and an overly punitive approach to public safety.' 'Our daily experiences as public defenders underscore the correct answer to the question of what is causing the decline in crime,' Dartigue wrote. 'After years of investing in violence interrupters, community outreach workers and neighborhood-based prevention initiatives, Baltimore is witnessing the fruits of this focused approach.' She credited community organizations like the Baltimore Community Mediation Center, We Our Us and Roca, which works with those age 16 to 24. 'The people behind these programs are the true heroes of Baltimore's crime reduction story,' Dartigue wrote. Scott likewise praised those organizations — as well as what he characterized as a more targeted approach to policing at the local, state and federal level, focusing on violent gun offenders and group violence. The strategy, he said, was informed by data work that showed the people most likely to victimize or be victimized through gun violence was contained to a narrow group. The strategy isn't about volume, he said. 'We are not going back to the days of arresting any and every Black person who is just outside,' Scott said. Partnerships with the U.S. attorney's office and federal law enforcement have been a critical element of this new tactic, pulling in federal resources on major criminal investigations that have brought down violent groups. Federal funding for violence prevention programs is now under threat as part of the Trump administration's budget cuts. For now, those partnerships have continued, Scott said, adding that he hopes politics don't 'interfere with public safety.' The numbers, he said, show what's working. Homicides and nonfatal shootings dipped slightly from 2021 to 2022, but then fell off precipitously after that. In 2023, homicides fell nearly 24 percent compared to 2023, then fell another 23 percent in 2024, according to city data. In 2021, there were 726 nonfatal shootings in the city. In 2024, there were 412. Beyond those trends, carjackings are down 15 percent so far this year, robberies are down 22 percent, and auto thefts are down 34 percent. Scott, who recalled that 'people laughed at me' when he first advocated for a community-based approach, doesn't see it as unusual. 'For us,' he said, 'it's not optional.'
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
New York Mayoral Race 2025 Decoded: Zohran Mamdani, Eric Adams or Andrew Cuomo - who will win?
In Daredevil: Born Again , Wilson Fisk—the Kingpin of Crime—doesn't just manipulate the system; he becomes Mayor of New York. Because in the Marvel Universe, the best way to consolidate criminal power isn't through backroom deals—it's by getting elected. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A comic book storyline? Maybe. But in 2025 New York, fiction and politics are on disturbingly good terms. This is the city where Sinatra sang about making it big, Trump gold-plated his ego, and aliens always seem to start their invasions. So naturally, New York's mayoral race couldn't just be another bland contest of platforms and pamphlets—it had to be a full-blown cinematic crossover event. Daredevil: Born Again | Wilson Fisk becomes Mayor of New York City | Clip 4K The incumbent, Eric Adams, entered 2025 under a federal indictment—only to be miraculously rescued by the Trump Justice Department. Unburdened but politically bruised, Adams bailed on the Democratic primary and now seeks reelection as an independent via two oddly branded ballot lines: Safe Streets, Affordable City and EndAntiSemitism. Think DJ Khaled meets Bloomberg, but with more subpoenas. In the Democratic primary, the drama centres on two men who couldn't be more different if they tried: Andrew Cuomo, the scandal-drenched ex-Governor staging a Nixonian comeback, and Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist from Queens endorsed by AOC, Bernie Sanders, the Working Families Party, and anyone who uses the phrase 'neoliberal hellscape' without irony. Trailing them is a whole gallery of political side characters: Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos, hedge fund crusader Whitney Tilson, integrity lawyer Jim Walden, and the ever-returning vigilante Curtis Sliwa, whose red beret remains the most consistent part of Republican strategy in NYC. Eric Adams – The Survivor Mayor Image credits: Getty Images Adams' first term was less a public service than a multi-season streaming show. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Crime stats, police drama, migrant shelter chaos, zoning reforms, a revolving cast of commissioners—and all of it interspersed with nightclub appearances and cryptic Instagram captions. Then came the indictment. Then came the acquittal. Now, Adams has reinvented himself as the 'competence candidate,' reminding voters that murders are down, rezonings are up, and hey—at least he's not a felon. But public memory is short and sharp. Most New Yorkers remember the headlines, not the metrics. They remember the vibe. And the vibe was: chaos, ego, and subpoenas. If Adams wins, it'll be a masterclass in narrative control. If he loses, it'll be because even New York eventually gets tired of being gaslit. Andrew Cuomo – The Once and Future Kingpin Image credits: Getty Images Cuomo is back. Not because New Yorkers missed him, but because Cuomo missed being Cuomo. His campaign pitch? 'Experience matters.' His campaign vibe? 'Please forget everything after 2019.' He's armed with union endorsements, a donor Rolodex fat enough to crush a CitiBike, and the smug certainty of a man who believes he built the state and should get a second chance to ruin the city. But every speech, every op-ed, every photo-op brings back the ghosts: the nursing home scandal, the sexual harassment accusations, the press briefings that felt like hostage negotiations. He's polling well among moderates, but even his supporters admit it's less about enthusiasm and more about resignation. Cuomo is the electoral equivalent of a nicotine patch: addictive, unsatisfying, and kind of gross. Zohran Mamdani – The Socialist from Queens Zohran Mamdani (Image credit AP) Where Cuomo evokes the past, Zohran Mamdani is the embodiment of political future-shock. Young, Ugandan-Indian, socialist, multilingual, and unapologetically radical, Mamdani offers New York a campaign that reads like a progressive fever dream: a $30 minimum wage, rent freezes, free public transit, and publicly-owned grocery stores. He's adored by the left, feared by centrists, and targeted by conservatives who struggle to pronounce 'Astoria' without wincing. His campaign ads are multilingual, his rallies are electric, and his vibe is pure disruption. But New York is a city that loves the idea of revolution—as long as it arrives in the back of an Uber. Can a city that claps for social justice actually vote for it? Or will it smile at Mamdani's poetry, then quietly fill in the bubble for Cuomo in the privacy of the booth? Brad Lander – The Wonk Whisperer New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is placed under arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and FBI agents outside federal immigration court on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova) Brad Lander is the guy who shows up to a protest with anExcel sheet and a legal pad. Brooklyn-born, fiscally responsible, and ideologically moderate by progressive standards, Lander has built a reputation as the man who knows how to make the city run. His pitch is clear: data, ethics, efficiency. His platform includes housing reform, mental health infrastructure, and fiscal transparency. He's the candidate who reads the fine print—probably because he wrote it. But charisma matters. In a race filled with rappers, rogues, and reformed governors, Lander is the competent dad trying to DJ the party. He's quietly gaining steam, especially among voters fatigued by Cuomo and wary of Mamdani. But unless he breaks out of his technocratic shell soon, he risks becoming everyone's second choice—and no one's winner. The Progressive Soup Jessica Ramos began her campaign as a worker-first progressive. Then she endorsed Cuomo, and her credibility evaporated faster than a Midtown apartment deposit. Zellnor Myrie staked his candidacy on housing, calling for one million new units. Admirable. But in a race dominated by Mamdani and Lander, he's the third-most progressive in any room—and that's not a great place to be. Adrienne Adams, drafted as the centrist peacemaker, offers measured leadership and broad endorsements. But her campaign has struggled to cut through. In a year where the political circus is running full tilt, being sensible might just be the fastest way to be forgotten. Everyone wants to be the 'anti-Cuomo.' No one has figured out how to consolidate the vote. The result? Progressive fragmentation that makes a circular firing squad look efficient. The Independents, the Billionaires, and the Ballot Hobbyists Whitney Tilson is a charter school–loving hedge funder whose platform is basically 'Run NYC like a spreadsheet.' He's rich, loud, and terminally LinkedIn. Then there's Jim Walden, a Bloombergian technocrat suing to be called an 'independent' on the ballot, armed with powerpoints, white papers, and approximately five enthusiastic voters. These guys won't win. But they will fill panels, clutter debates, and write Medium posts explaining why they should have. Curtis Sliwa – The Red-Beret Rerun And finally: Curtis Sliwa, the vigilante. The red-bereted Ghost of Giuliani Past. Every few years he emerges like a Republican cicada—loud, angry, and allergic to nuance. He's running on a platform of crime, more crime, fewer migrants, and feral cats as pest control. He won't win. But if enough Democrats split the vote, he might finish second. Stranger things have happened. After all, this is the city where rats get pizza and mayors get indicted. Perception vs. Performance – The Real Contest This election isn't about what candidates have done. It's about what voters remember. And more importantly, what they feel. Adams has genuine achievements—but he feels like a nightclub manager with subpoena fatigue. Cuomo has experience—but his scandals still scream louder than his surrogates. Mamdani offers ideas—but he also scares the donor class. Lander is solid—but not sexy. And Sliwa is… available. The media knows it. Every headline is a meme. Every endorsement is a subtweet. Even the New York Times threw in the towel and endorsed no one—New York's journalistic version of saying, 'We're out of ideas. Good luck, Gotham.' Final Notes from Gotham New York's 2025 mayoral race isn't ideological—it's mythological. It's about redemption arcs, origin stories, surprise villains, and broken heroes. It's a city where Wilson Fisk becoming mayor wasn't a warning—it was a prophecy. Will voters choose the devil they know (Cuomo)? The devil they fired (Adams)? The socialist the Right fears (Mamdani)? Or the nerd in glasses who actually has a plan (Lander)? One thing is certain: whoever wins, they won't just inherit New York—they'll inherit its neuroses, contradictions, and the sacred duty of being yelled at in five languages before 10 AM.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'We want safety for all users' as finish nears for Greater Grand Forks' streets plan
Jun. 14—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization will be opening public comment on the final draft of its Safe Streets for All Plan on June 16. The plan has been in the works for more than a year to identify community needs, actionable steps and projects that Grand Forks and East Grand Forks can take to address traffic safety. The Safe Streets For All, or SS4A, plan isn't just one by the MPO, but a plan for which both cities applied and received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct. "A lot of work has gone into this, everything from lots of conversations from various entities and organizations across the region, but also just a lot of engagement," Blue Weber of Bolton and Menk, one of the consultants helping with the plan, told the East Grand Forks City Council on June 10. "It's been a blast." The public will be able to leave comments on the plan's website: . Once adopted by both cities, the plan will open funding opportunities for safe street improvements, along with potentially making grant and other traffic funding applications stronger. The SS4A program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, which set aside $5 billion in funds between 2022 and 2026 to reduce roadway deaths across the country. "An important part with the safety action plan with the SS4A funding is to try to bundle some of these projects," Weber told the Grand Forks City Council on June 9. "You never want to just go after one, because this is an awesome, huge pot of money that you really want to try to sell this story of implementing safety within your community." Since starting the plan in May 2024, seven public engagement events have been held to allow residents to comment on their priorities for traffic safety and to learn more about the plan. Those ranged from traditional open houses where people could take in information and ask questions to staff and consultants, to more interactive events, like a walking audit of 17th Avenue South in Grand Forks. Final adoption of the plan is proposed for sometime in July or August after public comment and both city councils have met in a joint meeting to provide their input. Another in-person engagement event is planned for later in June to allow for more comments. The plan is split into eight chapters and follows a format similar to other traffic plans that the MPO has created, like the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. It includes an overview of demographics, peer community reviews, how it was created, data and implementation strategies. Roads like 32nd Avenue South and Washington Street in Grand Forks and Bygland Road in East Grand Forks received some of the most comments from the public about potential improvements. Additionally, creating better pedestrian and bike connections across Greater Grand Forks was desired. "This is a community plan. This is not just something that MPO filed for themselves. Both the communities of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks really had to partake in this," Weber said in East Grand Forks. "One of the biggest things that came out of all our engagement with the community is we want safety for all users."
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Middletown Police installing speed cameras on 2 streets
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — The Middletown Police Department is installing speed cameras on Washington Street and Camp Street, the department said in a release Monday. This is part of the city's initiative to enhance road safety and reduce speeding. The cameras are now active, recording the eastbound and westbound lanes of both streets. Man charged with DUI after allegedly driving wrong way on I-91 in Enfield In accordance with Connecticut state law, there will be a 30-day warning period. During this time, motorists who exceed the posted speed limit will receive warning notices instead of citations. Once those 30 days are up, citations will be issued to drivers exceeding the speed limit by the automated enforcement system. 'The deployment of these cameras aligns with Middletown's broader traffic safety goals and supports the City's Safe Streets and Vision Zero initiatives, strategies dedicated to eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries,' said the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
