Latest news with #ACB7
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
Los Angeles Has an Expensive Sidewalk Problem
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Los Angeles jury has awarded a wedding photographer millions of dollars after he tripped on a severely uplifted sidewalk on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in December 2019. The decision awarded Payman Heravi more than $3 million after he tripped over on the sidewalk, leaving his left arm not fully functional. Newsweek contacted the Los Angeles City Controller's office for more information on the decision via email. Why It Matters Los Angeles faces a large fiscal and public-safety concern, with growing legal payouts tied to failing public infrastructure diverting tax dollars that could be used for repairs. What To Know A jury found that city employees had seen the damaged sidewalk but had not repaired it and awarded Payman Heravi $3,028,026 for his injuries. Heravi said his left arm was not fully functional after three surgeries and years of therapy. He told the jury that he tripped over a several-inch uplift in the sidewalk as he was walking along and checking a message on his phone. Heravi said the injury meant he would no longer be able to do his job as a wedding photographer. "Right now, the pain is a lot. Right now, I can't use my shoulder," he told ACB7. Stock image: A wide angle view of the bustling intersection at West Fifth Street and South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles on December 3, 2024. Stock image: A wide angle view of the bustling intersection at West Fifth Street and South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles on December 3, 2024. Getty Images City audits have shown a steep climb in liability spending in the city. The Los Angeles City Controller's office reported that the city spent an estimated $286 million in liability payouts in the fiscal year that recently ended, and the controller's office said more than $9 million was paid in the first month of the new fiscal year. Diana Chang, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles city controller, told Newsweek: "Our top concern is that members of our community are continuing to get hurt or even killed due to the City's failures. "Year after year, taxpayers have to foot the bill for liability payouts that come straight out of the City's General Fund–the same fund that is our resource for ensuring we can pave roads, fix broken street lights, repair streets, and provide a safe home for all Angelenos. "Liability payouts are a big reason that the City is currently in a fiscal crisis and in the process of laying off employees. For the fiscal year that just ended (FY2025), the City set a new record, paying out over $286 million for liabilities, when it had only budgeted for $87 million for total liabilities. "To reduce liabilities and improve services over the long run, the City needs to better manage its risks before they lead to injuries. Our office is investigating the City's practices in reducing harm and liability payouts. Last week, we launched an audit of the City's Risk Management practices." What People Are Saying Max Lee, Payman Heravi's personal injury attorney, said: "[The sidewalk] should be fixed in a reasonable manner. If that happened in this case, Mr. Heravi would still be able to do what he loves and not be in constant pain every day." What Happens Next Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had directed staff to develop a multiyear capital plan to coordinate maintenance and improvements across departments, a process the Los Angeles Times editorial said must be done transparently to let residents hold officials accountable. ABC7 reported that as of Wednesday, the sidewalk at the center of Heravi's case had not been fixed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Giant Pacific Octopus Surprises Washington Hikers by Suddenly Showing Up on Their Route
If you are hiking off the coast of northern Washington and exploring tidepools, the last thing you would probably expect to find would be a giant Pacific octopus swimming around in it! But a group of lucky hikers was in the right place at the right time last week, and that's exactly what they found in Bellingham, Washington. ABC7 Chicago News shared a video on Facebook on March 7th that was filmed by Micah Moeller. It shows Moeller and his friends experiencing both disbelief and excitement as the eight-armed cephalopod swam in just a few feet of water in the calm tidepool. But it didn't stick around long (no pun intended)! ACB7 said in the video's caption, "The giant Pacific octopus can grow to nearly 20 feet across, and is found throughout the northern Pacific Ocean, its habitat extending from Korea to Mexico, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium." I'm not sure how big this one was, but it looked pretty big! Viewers were delighted by the video and left nearly 9 thousand comments about it. I couldn't agree more with @Canna Nana who said, "Thanks for leaving it alone! Just enjoy nature as you see it." @Haley Marie felt the same way, "Notice how they remain away from it, don't try to touch it or pick it up, and appreciate it from a distance. That's nice to see." @Tyleki B Ayhmei got more than 2.5 thousand likes when he shared, "He is actually learning your voices as you speak, if you're lucky enough to see him again he will remember you, he was scanning you guys if watch his eyes!" and I laughed at @Ashley Grady who joked, "How does it feel to be God's favorite? I would pass away right there! I love them!" Some commenters mentioned how scared they be if they were in the same situation. But according to American Oceans this cool color changing animal is not a dangerous one, 'The Giant Pacific Octopus is not generally regarded as a dangerous octopus, unlike its counterpart the Blue-Ringed Octopus.' The giant Pacific octopus is the biggest in the world, with an average length of 16 feet. They weigh in at 110 pounds and could easily attack a human if they chose to. Fortunately for the most part, they are known to be shy and usually friendly towards us. With the exception of the blue-ringed octopus, all octopuses (yep, that's the correct plural form!) bite with their large beaks and inject venom, but the venom is not fatal. Only the blue-ringed octopus could kill a human with one of its venomous bites. Octopuses' have suckers ('suction cups') on the arms that can become dangerous if they lock onto a human and would be very difficult to try to remove if they didn't want you to. I scuba dived for many years, and I was always on the lookout to find an octopus. I never did, but it would have been an incredible experience to swim with one in the wild!
