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Diversity and interculturalism in government communication

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

Multilingualism plays a crucial role in intercultural communication and understanding, as it allows individuals to bridge cultural divides by using multiple languages in their everyday lives. Developing effective language strategies is important for governments to promote successful intercultural communication, writes Ipek Tekdemir (pictured, below), a political analyst and strategic communication advisor, working in the European Parliament.The impact of globalization, digitalization, and mass media will only further increase the importance of multilingualism in the future. However, there is ongoing debate about how much individuals can protect their own language and culture against dominant societies that are economically and politically stronger.Multilingualism, identity, and culture are closely linked, and an individual's use of a second language may cause their own culture to be assimilated. As such, it is important to maintain and celebrate one's own culture, while also embraci...

Polls open in special L.A. City Council election to fill Nury Martinez's seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

Polls have opened in the special primary election to replace disgraced former Los Angeles City Councilmember Nury Martinez in District 6.There are seven candidates vying for Martinez’s open seat for the district that represents a large swath of the San Fernando Valley: Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hollywood, North Hills, Panorama City, Van Nuys and Sun Valley.They are: Isaac Kim, a small business ownerImelda Padilla, a community relations managerRose Grigoryan, a social activist and journalistMarisa Alcaraz, an environmental policy directorAntoinette Scully, a community organizer and motherDouglas Dagoberto Sierra, a father and business consultantMarco Santana, a director of a housing nonprofit.Marinez stepped down from her post as council president and eventually resigned from the City Council all together last year following a racism scandal that rocked Los Angeles.She was heard on leaked audio making disparaging comments about Black people, the Oaxacan community and Armenians, amon...

Tree-toppling winds buffet Southland; breeze expected to stick around through Thursday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

A windy Monday left trees down and residents displaced across Southern California on Monday, and more damage is possible Tuesday, though the gales are expected to lessen as the day goes on.In Sherman Oaks, a tree fell onto a Sunnyslope Avenue apartment building on Monday, forcing temporary evacuations. As of Tuesday morning, officials worried that several more trees could be felled by strong gusts or have branches fall onto residences. In the 9800 block of Workman Avenue in Temple City, another tree fell Monday night, crushing power lines and cutting off service to several neighbors.The National Weather Service said the breezy winds are expected to remain through Tuesday, especially in mountain and desert areas.

Elon Musk loses his position atop Forbes’ annual billionaires list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

By Jordan Valinsky | CNNElon Musk has officially been dethroned from from the top of Forbes’ annual “World’s Billionaire’s List.”The Tesla and Twitter chief is now the second-richest billionaire, worth an estimated $180 billion, which is $39 billion less than the previous year. The top spot has been awarded to Bernard Arnault, the chairman of French luxury goods giant LVMH. His net worth increased more than $50 billion in the past year to $211 billion.This shouldn’t come as a surprise to Musk, whose position wobbled on the Forbes’ “Real-Time Billionaire’s” list, which is updated daily, for the past several months. He and Arnault often switch places.However, Tuesday’s list tracks his wealth annually. Forbes explained that his wealth had fallen because his $44 billion Twitter purchase funded by Tesla shares scared investors and sent Tesla stock sinking sharply last year. Tesla gained much of those losses back this year ...

Prep roundup: Palo Alto baseball wins extra-inning thriller, Willow Glen softball pulls off another upset

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

BASEBALLNo. 18 Palo Alto 4, Sacred Heart Prep 1 (8 innings)A little over a week after the Vikings played a 19-inning marathon against Sequoia, Palo Alto was once again deadlocked in a low-scoring extra-innings duel. This time, it took just one inning of extra baseball to decide the game. Palo Alto (6-6) got back to .500  by taking advantage of a big eighth inning to pull away from host Sacred Heart Prep (10-3-1). Palo Alto sophomore Henry Harding threw the entire eight innings and allowed only three hits. Vikings coach Pete Fukuhara had complete faith in his pitcher’s ability to go the distance.“Henry was lights out and wanted the ball,” Fukuhara said. “He stepped up huge for us today.”Charlie Bates scored on a Sal Meehan popup when a two-out error by the Gators helped give Palo Alto the lead. Isaiah Walker stretched the advantage to three runs when his ground ball into center scored two teammates a couple of batters later. Paly senior Mostofizadeh hit ...

California’s ‘Right to Repair Act’ could let us fix our broken stuff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

My “unfixable electronics” bin weighs almost as much as I do.There’s the ancient iPad, where the kids made “Talking Tom” tell potty jokes, dropped one too many times. And ah, my beloved Microsoft Surface, where I could scribble notes with an electronic pen — it died immediately after I bought it that beautiful black-and-white leather case. And, um, there’s the Surface before it, with the spider-web shattered screen…. It was perched on the dining room table — cord taut to the wall — when the dogs gave chase. “Computer shotput” is how I remember it. And the phones … all those phones!I’ve saved these seemingly useless electronics because, even though their makers said they couldn’t be fixed, it seemed clear that their makers simply wouldn’t fix them.“When something breaks, you fix it. That’s just common sense. But manufacturers of everything from phones to appliances to tractors intentionally make things difficult to repair,” says a new study by the California Public Interest Research ...

All westbound I-80 lanes open following fatal accident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

(KTXL) -- As of 7:40 a.m., all lanes of westbound I-80 in Vacaville have been opened following a fatal accident Tuesday morning. Three lanes of traffic were previously closed, according to the California Highway Patrol Solano Station. Drivers should still expect residual delays in the area.The CHP incident page reported that a white freightliner hit a pedestrian.Officers responded to the accident just before 5 a.m. Police said the right and center lanes are currently closed east of Mason Street near the Davis Street offramp. There is no estimated time of reopening.

Antioch man, 82, reported missing found safe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

Update (April 4): Lama Murry has been found safe and returned home, according to the Antioch Police Department.ANTIOCH, Calif. (KRON) -- The Antioch Police Department is searching for a missing man. Lamar Murry, 82, has not been seen after leaving his home on Olive Lane at 4 p.m. Monday.Murry is 6-foot-3, 150 pounds with gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a brown jacket and black sweatpants.There is an image of Murry at the top of the story. Anyone who sees him is asked to call (925) 778-2441.

Lazio given suspended stadium ban for antisemitic chants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

ROME (AP) — Lazio was given a suspended partial stadium ban Tuesday after some of its fans directed antisemitic chants at Roma during the city derby last month.The Serie A judge ordered the Curva Nord, the northern end of the Stadio Olimpico where Lazio’s hard-core “ultra” fans sit, to be closed for a game but suspended the sentence in consideration of Lazio’s decision to hand out three lifetime bans to involved spectators.If there is another case of fan misbehavior over the next year, Lazio will be ordered to serve the one-game partial stadium ban in addition to any new penalties.One fan who wore a shirt with a reference to Adolf Hitler at the derby and two others who performed Roman salutes, which are associated with fascism, were banned for life by Lazio.Authorities reviewed security camera footage from inside the Stadio Olimpico after pictures of the fan wearing a Lazio shirt with the name “Hitlerson” and the No. 88 — which is a numerical code for “Heil Hitler” — circulated on s...

Moore names Paul Monteiro as new public service secretary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:07 GMT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore named Paul Monteiro on Monday to lead a new service-year program for high school graduates, a program that is a priority of the new governor’s first year in office.Monteiro, who has been nominated to serve as the secretary of the new Department of Service and Civic Innovation, is a former national director of AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America.He recently served as director of the Community Relations Service in the U.S. Justice Department, where he oversaw the office’s work supporting communities to reduce tensions, as well as to prevent and respond to bias incidents and hate crimes.Moore, a Democrat, has prioritized creating a voluntary service-year program for high school graduates that he describes as a first of its kind in the nation. It will be a paid program to better prepare recent graduates for future jobs.“The mission of the office is to consolidate and elevate the agencies of state government that sup...