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Artificial intelligence taking a more visible role in homebuying process

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

LAS VEGAS — Artificial intelligence will play a bigger role in helping consumers buy and sell homes, as it moves from behind the scenes to front and center in a whole range of areas, according to members of a panel at the annual conference of the National Association of Real Estate Editors in Las Vegas.Zillow, the country’s largest real estate portal, began offering “natural language” searches on its mobile app to bring up more precise results. Rather than setting filters across a limited set of criteria, like the number of bedrooms and ZIP Code, consumers can speak or type what they want.For example, a consumer could search for a three-bedroom house with a brick exterior built in the 1950s or 1960s with a large backyard near a public park in Denver.“Artificial intelligence will have a tremendous benefit to the real estate industry,” said Jasjeet Thind, senior vice president of AI and Analytics at Zillow, on Wednesday.Zillow has been deploying mac...

Two poignant new shows immerse viewers in an odd estate sale and 1930 farm life, respectively | Review

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

There was no shortage of people willing to play along during a Sunday preview of “The Estate Sale” — which is precisely what Catamounts hoped for with its latest productions, “Pride of the Farm” in Westminster and “The Estate Sale” in Aurora.Wait, two shows?Artists Brad Ramsey conceived of and created the installations for the eerie and melancholy “The Estate Sale,” written and directed by Josh Hartwell. (Michael Ensminger, provided by Catamounts)“I know; it’s just so dumb,” said the Boulder-based company’s founder and artistic director, Amanda Berg Wilson, of the collision of opening dates. (Each closes the last weekend in June.) “They both seemed like such cool projects, and ‘The Estate Sale’ didn’t have a traditional rehearsal process, and they’re in such different parts of town and have different partnerships. I was just like, ‘You know what? … ‘ ”“But we pulled it off,” Wilson added. And they have, offering theatergoers two experi...

Compost bins set to be delivered to Denver residents starting next month

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

Denver is set to start its phased approach to bring weekly composting services to all 180,000 waste collection customers in the city next month.The service is part of the June 2022 measure to address climate change by reducing landfill waste that also included weekly recycling collection that began in January and new monthly costs for regular trash collection.The city will start delivering composting bins neighborhood by neighborhood in July. Deliveries will take into next year. Customers can begin composting as soon as they receive their bins. The regular trash fees started earlier this year, ranging from $9 per month for the smallest trash cart to $21 per month for the largest.Once composting begins in their neighborhood, customers will be able to trade their larger trash carts for smaller carts and pay the cheaper fee.Until residents receive their new composting carts, they should be receiving a “Phased Service Roll-out Credit” to compensate since they don’t kno...

How Mike Johnston won the race for Denver mayor

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

Denver Mayor-elect Mike Johnston’s ability to consolidate progressive endorsements and attract big-money donors that supported huge media buys in the final days and weeks of the campaign helped propel his candidacy to defeat Kelly Brough in Tuesday’s runoff election.In the end, the vote was not particularly close. Johnston led nearly 7 percentage points when initial results were released at 7 p.m Tuesday. By the time final unofficial results were posted on Wednesday afternoon, that lead grew to more than 10 points, a gulf of more than 16,700 votes.  From the perspective of Robin Kniech, the at-large City Councilwoman who did not endorse either candidate, the key to the race started with Johnston’s messaging and strategy.“Mike ran as a Democrat in a Democratic city and he had a Democratic record,” Kniech said. “I think it’s that simple.”City races are nonpartisan but both Brough and Johnston are aligned as Democrats. The two had plenty ...

Despite sheriff’s plea, ban on ICE lockup agreements becomes Colorado law

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

A bill preventing Colorado county jails from holding people over suspected civil immigration violations will take effect after Gov. Jared Polis signed off on it Tuesday, despite a plea for a veto from the Teller County sheriff.HB23-1100 prevents state and local governments from entering into or renewing any contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold immigrants in county jails when immigration detention centers are at capacity or not easily accessible over allegedly violating civil immigration laws. Through these intergovernmental service agreements, known as IGSAs, ICE pays county jails a daily rate to hold the inmates. Only two counties in the state have such agreements with ICE: Teller and Moffat counties, and those agreements have to be terminated by Jan. 1.The new law also prevents state and local governments from facilitating the opening of new immigration detention facilities run by private prison companies. However, it does not apply to current facilities...

Elderly woman stabbed to death in Baldwin Park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

A homicide investigation is underway after a woman was stabbed to death at a Baldwin Park home Wednesday night, authorities said.The incident was reported around 8 p.m. in the 13600 block of Palm Avenue.Arriving officers found the victim on the ground suffering from at least one stab wound. Paramedics arrived and pronounced the victim, described by family as an elderly woman, dead at the scene. A homicide investigation is underway after a woman was stabbed to death inside a Baldwin Park home on June 7, 2023. (KTLA)Investigators said she was stabbed by a man, but no further details about the suspect were provided. Authorities did not say if the victim and suspect knew each other.It was also unclear if a suspect was in custody or on the run Thursday. Family members gathered outside the home said they have not been told who the suspect is. 

Where the smoke from Canadian wildfires is headed next

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

(CNN) — Around 75 million people in the US are under air quality alerts directly related to the wildfires raging across Canada, as officials urge people to limit time spent outdoors and mask up for enhanced protection. Forecasts show the dangerous air conditions could last for days. The weather pattern of low pressure funneling smoke into the US is forecast to linger through the weekend, meaning the Northeast could continue to see smoke for the next couple of days. That pattern could break by next week.Colossal clouds of heavy smoke from more than 430 active wildfires raging across Canada have descended on parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, enveloping neighborhoods, parks and school grounds in an orange haze filled with possible pollutants. New York, Charlotte, Detroit, Indianapolis, Delaware, Rhode Island as well as other areas are included in the air quality alerts. LIVE UPDATES: Millions in US under air quality alertsLate Wednesday night, the air quality index in New ...

Is California facing a home insurance crisis like hurricane-ravaged Florida?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

Farmers Insurance had covered Don Baker’s light-gray house with powder-blue trim since he and his family moved to Boulder Creek 13 years ago. A few weeks ago, he got notice his policy won’t be renewed after it expires in August.Baker looked around and got an offer from State Farm to cover his home nestled among redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. But the agent withdrew it the next day, just before the nation’s largest insurer issued its stunning May 26 announcement that it won’t write new home policies anywhere in California.“It was just out of the blue,” the 56-year-old roofer said. “I’m definitely in a pinch. Now I’m just kind of scrambling to get quotes.”Baker is among millions of Californians seeing their home insurance rates rise sharply — if they can keep their policies at all. And it isn’t just affecting people who live in areas scorched by fires or inundated by floods.Sharon Reeves said State Farm...

‘I screamed ‘orca!’: At least 20 killer whales spotted off San Francisco coast

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — An uncommonly large grouping of orcas for Northern California — roughly two dozen killer whales — were spotted by a whale watching tour off the coast of San Francisco last month, likely gathered together to celebrate a successful hunt for sea lions or seals.“I screamed ‘orca!’” recalled Michael Pierson, a Oceanic Society naturalist leading the tour, after noticing “those distinct dorsal finds poking out of the water.”“It was really, really special,” Pearson said in an interview Wednesday.The big group of whales was seen on May 7 near the Farallon Islands, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) west of San Francisco. Killer whales are more commonly found around the deep ocean canyon beneath Monterey Bay — about 75 miles south of the city — and can be spotted anywhere from the coastline to just 5 miles off shore, according to Nancy Black, a marine biologist and owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch.It’s easier for whale-watching tours to see them in Monterey Bay because the canyon...

Editorial: Migrant flights reveal DeSantis’ lack of compassion

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:08 GMT

We already knew Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ social skills leave something to be desired.Now we can confirm that he lacks compassion, as well.How else to categorize his administration’s decision to charter two flights that dropped 36 Latin American asylum-seekers in Sacramento and left them to fend for themselves? It’s shameful.DeSantis has expressed outrage over the influx of migrants from South America and Central America into Florida. It creates a major challenge for every state along the southern U.S. border, including California. But if this is a sample of how DeSantis would tackle the complex immigration issue on a national level, it would be better for all if he continues toiling in Tallahassee.The Florida governor has remained personally quiet about the two charter flights, but DeSantis administration officials on Tuesday admitted responsibility, insisting that the migrants’ trip to Sacramento was “voluntary” and “through written and v...