West
California assemblywoman condemns 'temper tantrum' of anti-Israel protesters who shut down Golden Gate Bridge
One California assemblywoman is calling the protests that brought traffic to a standstill on the Golden Gate Bridge earlier this week “unacceptable” and declaring the protesters who trapped drivers and first responders for hours need to be held accountable to “the fullest extent of the law.”
Republican Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, who represents California’s 71st district, spoke to Fox News Digital on Friday about the massive anti-Israel protests that had drivers stuck on the Golden Gate Bridge for up to seven hours.
The anti-Israel agitators shut down traffic on both lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday, holding signs saying, “Stop the world for Gaza” and “End the siege on Gaza now!”
Local reports detailed how the California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrested dozens of protesters on Monday.
DRIVER STUCK ON GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE DURING ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST SAYS HE LOST WAGES NEEDED FOR BROTHER’S FUNERAL
California Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez slammed the protesters who held up traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for hours earlier this week.
“These protests are not just impeding someone getting to work on time, but they’re impeding, potentially, first responders from getting to the scene of an emergency or taking someone that needs help immediately,” Sanchez said.
“They are impeding them, not just for a few minutes, which could be the difference between life or death, they are impeding them for hours and hours on end,” she continued.
Sanchez acknowledged she believes in the right to protest and free speech, but said the extent to which these protesters went is “unacceptable.”
She declared, “There has to be more productive, thoughtful ways because we don’t want to hurt anyone that needs medical, necessary medical attention, from getting it.”
The lawmaker mentioned new legislation she recently proposed that would help to discourage these protesters and also better empower law enforcement and prosecutors to hold them accountable.
Sanchez introduced AB 2742 in February, which ups the penalties for people impeding the pathways of emergency vehicles that are flashing sirens and within 1000 feet of them.
ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTER SOBS DURING ARRAIGNMENT AFTER ‘MURDER YOU’ REMARK TO CALIFORNIA MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL
Anti-Israel protesters disrupt traffic Monday, April 15 on the Golden Gate Bridge in California. (KTVU)
Sanchez said the bill would double fees that violators have to pay, stating, “If it’s $100, double it to $200, up to $1,000. Nothing egregious. It would just give people more tools in the toolbox to hold protesters accountable. And I think that’s a very reasonable ask.”
She said the current fee is inadequate, as getting a misdemeanor ticket in this context costs “less than a speeding ticket.”
“When you’re talking about potentially stopping people from being able to get to emergency medical needs, right? It’s less than a speeding ticket nowadays. So, I feel like asking just to double the penalty or the fines necessary to show them we are more serious about what you’re doing, and please do it somewhere else, I don’t think that’s asking too much at all,” Sanchez said.
She claimed authorities in Sacramento have been “very soft on crime” for the last couple of years, which has resulted in policies that don’t provide justice for those getting hurt on the ground.
An anti-Israel protest held up the Golden Gate Bridge for hours on Monday. (Ronald Davis/commuter)
Sanchez noted that if her bill is signed into law, it will “restore a little bit of balance” in the state.
“When there are adult temper tantrums like that, I want to see them held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Enough is enough,” she said.
“It’s unacceptable. And it needs to stop,” Sanchez said, before mentioning she hopes both sides of the aisle find common ground and pass legislation that will prevent future chaos.
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Denver, CO
Re/Max to be sold, headquarters to leave Denver
Re/Max Holdings, the residential real estate firm that has been based in Denver since its 1973 founding, has agreed to be sold.
The Real Brokerage, a publicly traded firm based in Miami, Florida, has agreed to pay $13.80 per share for Re/Max, whose headquarters is at 5075 S. Syracuse St. in the Denver Tech Center.
“The acquisition brings together two complementary business models, uniting Real’s AI-powered, high-growth brokerage platform, proprietary software and vibrant agent community with REMAX’s iconic real estate brand and expansive global franchise network with a presence in more than 120 countries and territories and more than 145,000 agents,” the companies said.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year.
The combined company will have 180,000 agents, the companies said. It will be headquartered in Miami, although a joint news release says “significant operations” will remain in Denver.
Shareholders of Re/Max, a real estate brokerage franchisor, will have the option of being paid in cash or receiving 5.15 shares of the combined public company, which will be known as Real ReMax group.
With 20.1 million outstanding shares of Re/Max stock, the $13.80 figure values the company at about $278 million.
In the joint news release, the firms said the deal values Re/Max at $880 million, a figure that includes debt. When the deal closes, the companies said, Real shareholders are expected to own about 59% of the combined company, with Re/Max shareholders owning the remainder.
Tamir Poleg, who leads Real, will serve as CEO of the combined company.
Shares of Re/Max stock closed Friday at $7.99, up 8% year to date but down about 90% from a peak of $67.20 in October 2017.
On Monday, Re/Max shares spiked 24% but only reached $9.94 — well below the $13.80 figure. That suggests some doubt among investors that the deal will come to fruition.
Real Brokerage investors didn’t cheer the announcement. Its shares fell 24% Monday.
Re/Max was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger. The company has been led since 2023 by CEO Erik Carlson. At the end of 2025, it had 519 employees, about half of them in the Denver area.
The company had revenue of $291.6 million last year, down from $307 million in 2024, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Re/Max has been headquartered on South Syracuse Street in Denver since 2008. The building is owned by Denver-based Kore Investments, which paid $115.2 million in 2018 for the 12-story, 242,000-square-foot structure. At the time, Re/Max leased the entire building, although it subleased multiple floors.
In 2021, Re/Max executives told BusinessDen that the company, which then had about 600 employees, was decreasing the number of floors the company used from nine to five.
Re/Max didn’t respond to a request for comment. The company’s Denver lease is up in about 18 months, a source told BusinessDen. Before Monday’s announcement, the company hired a broker to scout other local office options, with an eye on 75,000 square feet, the source said.
If the deal closes, Re/Max would be the second public company headquarters that Denver has lost so far this year. The first was Palantir, which abruptly moved its headquarters to Florida in February.
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Seattle, WA
Seattle’s drug diversion plan falters as open-air use persists in neighborhood hotspots
SEATTLE — In neighborhoods like Little Saigon, near 12th and Jackson, the drug crisis is hard to miss.
Crowds gather on sidewalks, some openly using drugs while others sell stolen goods. The area has become one of Seattle’s most visible hotspots for crime, disorder, and overdose response.
RELATED | Seattle rolls out diversion program for misdemeanor drug cases
Seattle’s drug ordinance was meant to address scenes like this. It requires police to focus on diversion, not jail, for people caught using or possessing drugs.
On Tuesday, the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee received a presentation on the effectiveness of the drug law and the diversion programs officers can make referrals to instead of jail.
Under department policy, officers are encouraged to refer people to treatment or services whenever possible. Arrest is supposed to be a last resort. And programs like LEAD, or Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, are available 24/7 to divert people before they ever reach jail.
Research presented during the public safety presentation shows diversion can work. Independent studies found LEAD reduced repeat offenses by nearly 60%, cut felony charges, and significantly increased housing and employment outcomes.
However, the reality on the ground looks significantly different.
SEE ALSO | Belltown residents report rampant drug activity despite new SODA law
Open drug use remains a common sight in some of Seattle’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, even as the city’s drug law was designed to prioritize treatment over jail.
From 2024 to 2025, pre-arrest diversion dropped by 41%, and LEAD diversions overall fell by 30%. At the same time, arrests increased by 47%.
Funding cuts to LEAD in recent years had an impact on reducing its capacity, though that funding has since been stabilized.
During the meeting, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said diversion is still a key part of the solution, but not the only one. Barnes said officers need clearer standards for when to act, especially as the public grows frustrated seeing illegal drug use happening openly, sometimes right in front of police.
Current policy includes a broad checklist of factors before making an arrest, from a person’s behavior to their location near schools, parks, or transit. That complexity can lead to inaction.
SEE ALSO | Evaluating Seattle’s efforts against open-air drug use presents progress and challenges
Barnes also pointed to operational realities, including staffing challenges and limited diversion capacity, as factors affecting how the law is being enforced.
Meanwhile, illegal street sales continue to fuel the crisis, creating environments where drug use, theft, and violence intersect.
During public testimony at the start of the meeting, some community members said what’s needed is a more balanced approach, one that enforces clear public behavior standards while expanding access to treatment and outreach.
Without that, the system risks leaving neighborhoods unsafe while also not providing the help needed by people living with addiction.
San Diego, CA
Mojo, San Diego’s pro volleyball team, will cease operations after 2026 season
San Diego’s experiment with women’s professional volleyball is ending after just three seasons.
The San Diego Mojo will play one final home match on Thursday night before heading to Dallas for the Major League Volleyball playoffs. The club announced Tuesday that it will not return for the 2027 season.
The club posted to Instagram that it was “heartbroken to announce” that Thursday marks the final home game in franchise history.
Owner Gary Jacobs said in a statement that he wanted the Mojo to take the 2027 season off while building a long-term plan for the franchise, but that “the league believes a different direction is required.” MLV remains committed to San Diego and will “lead the effort to identify potential new investors” in the club, the Mojo said.
The Mojo are offering free tickets to fans who want to attend Thursday’s match at Viejas Arena. Fans can claim up to eight per person by visiting the team’s social media profiles and clicking the attached link.
The timing is particularly cruel. The Mojo (14-12) have thrived under first-year coach Alisha Childress, winning 13 of their last 19 matches and qualifying for the MLV Championship, a four-team tournament that will determine the league champion. The Mojo will play either the Dallas Pulse or Indy Ignite in the May 7 semifinals, with the winner advancing to the championship match.
The Mojo debuted in 2024, with a high-profile owner — beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh-Jennings — and a roster that included a mix of native San Diegans and international stars. Walsh-Jennings sold the club to Jacobs following the inaugural season, and the PVF merged with Major League Volleyball in January.
The Mojo’s shuttering is another blow to professional sports in the heart of San Diego.
Major League Rugby’s San Diego Legion moved north following the 2025 season, rebranding as the California Legion. The San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League and the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League both relocated from Pechanga Arena to Oceanside’s Frontwave Arena when the new, smaller venue opened in 2024.
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