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CBS News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
SEPTA begins warning riders a month out from significant service cuts
A three-man crew in neon-yellow vests made their way down Hawthorne Street in Northeast Philadelphia on Thursday, halting at each stop for the Route 88 SEPTA bus. On each pole, they attached a sign warning riders that the Route 88 bus was going away. "We still have reason to be optimistic, I think," Lex Powers, the deputy chief communications officer for the transit agency, said. "But that can't stop us from preparing." On Aug. 24, SEPTA plans to initiate the first round of massive cuts to its system, as the agency grapples with a $213 million budget shortfall. The first wave includes eliminating 32 bus routes, shortening another 16 bus routes and reducing service on 88 bus, subway and regional rail lines. "This is not something we want to be doing," Powers said. SEPTA also has plans to raise fares by 21.5% in September. If the budget shortfall remains unfilled in January, the transit authority will eliminate another 24 routes, including five regional rail lines. SEPTA would also impose a 9 p.m. curfew on all subway and regional rail lines. More funding for SEPTA has been a contentious issue in Harrisburg for the past two years. In 2024, the agency faced a similar budget shortfall and planned drastic cuts as state lawmakers failed to pass any additional funding. Gov. Josh Shapiro stepped in and flexed federal highway funds to prop up the agency for the year. The governor has warned that it is unlikely to be possible this time around. While Shapiro proposed new SEPTA funding in his budget request, money for public transit has once again stalled in the state Senate. SEPTA leaders say that if new funding doesn't come from Harrisburg before the planned August cuts, it's unclear whether they will be able to reverse them. "It's difficult to say. I think we're taking it a day at a time for now," Powers said. "What happens when we pass that date is kind of uncharted territory." The uncertainty has left riders of many of these routes facing challenges. Kayla lives in North Philadelphia and rides the 50 bus to Bensalem every day for work. "Starting to plan," she said. "If not, I'm going to have to Uber, and that's a lot of money. From where I live all the way to Bensalem, that's like $30." Denise Green was waiting to catch the 73 bus at the Frankford Transportation Center on Thursday. It's another bus on the chopping block. "I go to Temple and different other doctors' appointments that get me on this route. And that's going to affect me a lot, you understand. People's health is a concern," Green said. "It's either walking or don't go. And if I don't go certain places, it's going to take me from my doctor's appointments." The planned August SEPTA cuts also take effect one day before the School District of Philadelphia is slated to welcome students back to the classroom. District officials say around 52,000 of their students use SEPTA student fare cards to get to and from school. While not all of them won't be impacted, many will. "We understand the anxiety, we understand the concerns. We're doing everything we can to make sure getting to and from school is done safely," Monique Braxton, a spokesperson for the district, said. District officials say they plan to meet with SEPTA leadership next week to discuss the planned service cuts further. But leaders say they can't run more buses in the area, and have not addressed the possibility of remote learning for students who rely on SEPTA buses that will be eliminated. Currently, they're urging parents to have a plan in place. "We're going to work with parents. Should students be late, we're asking students provide a written note from their mom, dad or guardian," Braxton said.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Parliament agrees to establish ad hoc committee into Mkhwanazi's allegations
There were no objections from any political parties and the committee was unanimously established. The National Assembly (NA) has unanimously agreed to establish an ad hoc committee into the explosive allegations by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi regarding security matters that have implications for the country's national security. The joint committee meeting in Parliament between the Portfolio Committee on Police and the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development took the decision on Wednesday. Ad hoc committee It also recommended that the committee should identify any legislative or policy failures that may have contributed to the policing crisis. The decision to establish an ad-hoc committee follows a directive from National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza earlier this month asking the committees to come up with an appropriate approach to oversight concerning the allegations. The committees had considered other options, including conducting a full investigative inquiry under the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act and exercising their conferring powers in terms of National Assembly Rule 169 — which dictates how committees can or must consult or meet with each other. ALSO READ: Police minister Mchunu 'now under criminal investigation' Oversight Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said following the committees' consideration of the matter, as part of their recommendations, they identified various issues arising from the allegations as falling within the NA's accountability and oversight function. 'The issues include the alleged unlawful decision by Minister Mchunu to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), the alleged unlawful removal of 121 case dockets from the PKTT on the direction of the Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, the alleged moratorium by Minister Mchunu on filling vacancies within the Saps' Crime Intelligence Unit. 'It also includes whether Minister Mchunu misled Parliament about the nature of his relationship with Mr Brown Mogotsi, whether the award of a R360 million contract to Mr Matlala's company for the provision of healthcare services to Saps was irregular and the alleged interference by IDAC in police matters, including jurisdictional issues, among others,' Mothapo said. ANC Support ANC MP Mogodu Moela said the ANC supports the ad hoc committee and that Mkhwanazi's allegations 'cannot be left unexamined.' Moela said it 'paints a disturbing picture.' 'Parliament has the authority to get to the bottom of these claims. We cannot allow a culture of impunity to take root. We will not shield wrongdoing.' There were no objections from any political parties and the committee was unanimously established. Moela said the ANC will also support the judicial commission of inquiry established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to probe Mkhwanazi's allegations. ALSO READ: Ramaphosa appoints Gwede Mantashe as acting police minister Final report The report, which will be submitted to the NA for consideration, also emphasised the need for the NA to ensure an expeditious process. The ad hoc committee would also sit and determine their terms of reference. The committees have recommended that the ad hoc committee process be concluded within 90 days from it being formed. Allegations Mkhwanazi alleged political interference in police operations, claiming that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya had meddled. These allegedly include issuing letters to disband a task force, halt crime intelligence appointments, and withdraw case dockets to Sibiya's office. Both Mchunu and Sibiya have been placed on a leave of absence. ALSO READ: Fake commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazis pop up online
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Board & Brew serving up sandwiches in Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach has a new eatery directly across from its window to the sea, as Board & Brew opened a store at the northwest corner of Coast Highway and Ocean Avenue. The beach crowd and the locals alike had begun to get acquainted with the new sandwich shop by the early afternoon on Tuesday, the opening day for the business. Board & Brew, which opened its first location in Del Mar in 1979, now has 33 locations, all but one of which is in Southern California. The menu has largely stayed the same over the past couple of decades, said restaurant founder Tom Powers, who was on hand for the first day of operations at the new store. It began with originals such as the 'Turkado,' the 'Tub-O-Tuna,' the 'Vegi Supreme' and the 'Beef Dip.' 'It's like a baseball team,' Powers said. 'The good ones stay in the lineup. The other ones just kind of move on.' Mike DeSanti, Bret Crutchfield and Joey Clark are co-owners of the Laguna Beach site, which has a prime location with a view of the Main Beach lifeguard tower. 'This exact location, I've been coming here since before it was Johnny Rockets,' DeSanti said. 'I would go in when it was the bookstore, and then Johnny Rockets came in, and we would eat here all the time. It was on my radar. About 15 years ago, I opened up a Board & Brew in San Clemente, and then I've always wanted to be in Laguna Beach. 'Wild Taco came into the space after Johnny Rockets, and then we were fortunate enough to get it after Wild Taco. … There's other spots in Laguna that we looked at that just didn't work. Parking is always difficult, but I think the trade-off here is just being on that hard corner, being across from the iconic lifeguard tower, being across from the beach really helped.' Laguna Beach has long mulled ways to drive foot traffic toward its downtown businesses, chief among them the plan around a permanent pedestrian plaza on Forest Avenue. City officials in February reacted to a survey in which a consultant found that retail vacancies in town had climbed from 3.7% in 2022 to 8.3% when the survey was conducted roughly a year ago. At the time of that study session, City Manager Dave Kiff said the downtown area 'needs a lot of help,' noting disappointment in the empty storefronts. The survey also revealed that rent had risen 12% to approximately $62 per square foot over the past three years. 'I have a menu that works, and we know that it works, and I'm going to be able to pay the rent with it,' DeSanti said. 'If I had to open up Mike's sandwich grotto with a whole new unproven menu, I don't think I would be able to take a flyer on paying the kind of rent that you do down here. While that gets you unique businesses in Laguna, that's, I think, why you see quite a bit of turnover with the mom-and-pop restaurant operations the last two years.' With a container of a secret sauce sitting on the table during a joint interview, Powers was asked what the special ingredient is he looks for in a potential business partner. He quickly responded with one word: 'passion.' DeSanti, who grew up in the San Diego area, said he was working in kitchens when he was in college. 'We just learned the kitchen lifestyle — working late nights and double shifts — while going to school,' DeSanti said. '[I] ended up working in banking, and I realized I didn't love banking, but I loved sandwiches. I connected with Tom over a mutual love of his food, and he signed us over a license deal to open up the first Board & Brew in Orange County. 'He licensed his name and his menu to us, and he would give me the secret recipes when we signed the deal. It was on a bar napkin. It was like a pinch of this, a dash of that, a handful of this.' The recipe to make the rent in Laguna Beach? 'We're going to have to sell a lot of sandwiches,' DeSanti said, adding that the plan is to work toward building a base of repeat customers. Board & Brew hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Daily Maverick
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
MPs recommend that ad hoc committee probes Mkhwanazi's allegations within 90 days
A joint committee meeting in Parliament has also recommended that the committee should identify any legislative or policy failures that may have contributed to the policing crisis. Parliament's police committee chair, Ian Cameron, says the formation of an ad hoc committee to probe KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's allegations of police corruption is a 'positive process'. Cameron was speaking at the Cape Town Press Club on Tuesday, 22 July, about the policing scandal that has exposed rival factions in South Africa's law enforcement arena. Watch: Inside Mkhwanazi's claims: South Africa held hostage by criminal cartel A joint meeting of Parliament's police committee and its justice and constitutional development committee on Tuesday agreed to adopt their report recommending to the National Assembly that an ad hoc committee be formed to investigate Mkhwanazi's allegations. The decision followed a directive from National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza earlier this month asking the committees to come up with an appropriate approach to oversight concerning the allegations. The committees had considered options including conducting a full investigative inquiry under the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act and exercising their conferring powers in terms of National Assembly Rule 169 — which dictates how committees can or must consult or meet with each other. Ultimately, it decided on the ad hoc committee because it is 'task-specific and time-bound'. 'The Committees are acutely aware of the need for the National Assembly to ensure an expeditious process. The Committees, therefore, recommend the establishment of an ad hoc Committee in accordance with National Assembly Rule 253,' stated the report. 'This is because the scope of an ad hoc committee is task-specific and time-bound, contrary to the general oversight function of portfolio committees, which, in contrast, is ongoing and often requires juggling competing priorities.' The recommendation of an ad hoc committee comes after Mkhwanazi held a press conference on 6 July and claimed that a drug cartel in Gauteng was controlling a high-level criminal syndicate that extended into the South African Police Service, the Police Ministry, Parliament, official prison structures, the judiciary and other law-enforcing authorities. He also alleged that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, along with several other figures, including the deputy national commissioner for crime detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya (who has since been told to take special leave), had undermined investigations into political killings and organised crime. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since announced that a judicial commission of inquiry will probe Mkhwanazi's allegations, and placed Mchunu on leave with immediate effect. Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe is filling Mchunu's position until August, when Firoz Cachalia, the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council's chairperson and former Gauteng community safety MEC, will take over. Cameron said Ramaphosa's response to Mkhwanazi's allegations felt 'like burying one's head in the sand'. 'None of these inquiries or judicial commissions have really shown any form of result — apart from destroying tax coffers. [They haven't] shown any form of real justice,' said Cameron. Good result However, Cameron said he was 'confident' that the ad hoc committee in Parliament could 'have a good result'. 'It depends on how the Speaker also structures it — we don't have a direct say over that. Then that ad hoc committee would sit and determine their terms of reference, and obviously that is the critical part,' he said. 'We don't want to unnecessarily have duplication over anything that the commission is doing, but I think Parliament is already perfectly positioned to do the relevant interrogation of many of the allegations that have been made, and hopefully then we would be able to see quicker results and recommendations.' Cameron said the report was expected to be tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday, 23 July. The committees have recommended that the ad hoc committee process be concluded within 90 days from it being formed. 'We have recommended three months for the ad hoc committee process, and hopefully we'd be able to get through it in that time. I don't think it needs to take much longer for the scope of what we would look at,' said Cameron. While the terms of reference are expected to be decided only once the ad hoc committee has been formed, the committees, in their report to the National Assembly, have recommended that, in addition to Mkhwanazi's allegations, 'consideration is given to identifying any legislative and/or policy failures or gaps that may have contributed to this matter'. DM
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Broncos roster: OG Ben Powers (No. 74) returns as starter on offensive line
Broncos Wire's 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at seventh-year guard Ben Powers, No 74. Before the Broncos: Powers (6-4, 310 pounds) was originally selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round (123rd overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Oklahoma. In Power's rookie year, he only played in one game before becoming an entrenched starter in 2020. In his second season, Powers dressed for 16 games, starting seven of them. In 2021, Powers started 12 of 13 games played in, transitioning from right guard to left guard for the first time in his career. In 2022, Powers started all 17 games, including Baltimore's lone playoff game. Despite having won the full-time job with the Ravens, the team let Powers walk in free agency the following spring. Broncos tenure: Powers didn't wait long to sign with the Denver Broncos at the outset of 2023 free agency. With the Broncos, Powers immediately slotted into a starting role. In 2023, Powers started all 17 games, including 100 percent of offensive snaps in addition to time on special teams, playing 1,134 total snaps (per Pro Football Reference). In 2024, Powers again started all 17 games and Denver's singular playoff game, playing a total of 1,172 snaps during the year (PFR). Chances to make the 53-man roster: 100 percent. Powers and the rest of the Broncos' starting offensive linemen return for the second-straight year. Powers is solidly in command of his spot on the line, ready to protect sophomore quarterback Bo Nix and hopefully kickstart last year's underwhelming rushing attack in 2025. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
