Santa Barbara County News and Events

This Miami high school’s fingerprints are all over the College Football Playoff title game

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Alberto Mendoza celebrates after the Peach Bowl on January 9


CNN

By Dana O’Neil, CNN

Miami (CNN) — Back in 2023, Jase Richardson sought a more rigorous athletic and academic high school program for his senior year. His younger brother, Jaxon, was attending a Team USA Under 16 training camp out, competing alongside Cameron and Cayden Boozer.

They suggested their spot: Christopher Columbus High School.

Together, they’d already led Columbus to one 7A state title. Selfishly, they knew Jase would help his team, but they also thought Columbus would help Jase.

He did some quick Googling. He screwed up his nose at first when he saw that it was an all-boys school but did a little more searching anyway. He liked what he saw, so Jase and his family relocated from Las Vegas to Miami. On the first day of school, Jase sat down in his honors calculus class and introduced himself to the kid sitting next to him.

Alberto Mendoza said hello. The two became friends, Alberto filling in Jase on what a great spot Columbus had been for him as well as his big brother, Fernando.

And now a pause to recap the players involved. Jase Richardson, who spent just one year at Michigan State, was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. Cayden Boozer averages 6.4 points and 3.2 assists for No. 6 Duke and is on more than a few NBA draft boards. His twin brother, Cam, leads the Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding and, come this June, will be a first-round pick and possibly the top overall player elected.

And Alberto Mendoza is the backup quarterback for Indiana, which will play for the national championship against Miami on Monday. His big brother, Fernando won the Heisman and more than likely will be the top draft pick in the NFL draft.

One high school, two sports, four draft picks in two years. And we’re only getting started. Denver Broncos All-Pro quarterback Brian Griese went to Columbus and so did Alonzo Highsmith, the third overall NFL pick in 1987. Baseball star Alex Rodriguez spent a year there and University of Miami football coach Mario Cristobal is an alum.

“I think year in and year out, what you see come out of Columbus High School is not only elite talent but elite human beings that are driven, hungry, humble, and understand the importance of impacting others in a positive way,’’ said the Hurricanes head coach.

He graduated from Columbus in 1988.

So did his big brother, Lou. And Mendoza’s father, Fernando Sr. and Miami defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald and offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez and backup quarterback Vinny Gonzalez. In an added twist, Mendoza’s father went to the school that is now trying to keep his son from winning a national title and played alongside Mario Cristobal.

It’s an absurdity of riches that is hardly news to people who live in the city.

“It’s been this way since the very beginning,’’ says John Lynskey, the school’s ambassador of alumni relations. “I

El presidente Trump dice que puede retirar fondos a las ciudades santuario. Los jueces han dicho repetidamente lo contrario

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Por Andy Rose, CNN

Se anunció como un discurso sobre logros económicos, pero el presidente Donald Trump también centró su intervención el pasado martes en Detroit en el castigo económico para las comunidades que no colaboran con su agenda migratoria.

“A partir del 1 de febrero, no haremos ningún pago a las ciudades santuario ni a los estados que tengan ciudades santuario porque hacen todo lo posible para proteger a criminales a expensas de los ciudadanos estadounidenses, y eso genera fraude y delincuencia”, dijo Trump.

Trump no aclaró exactamente a qué se refería con la retención de “pagos” ni si eso podría incluir gastos como fondos de Medicaid y subvenciones para educación. Cuando los periodistas le preguntaron el martes pasado en la pista de la Base Conjunta Andrews qué fondos está amenazando con retener, simplemente respondió: “Ya lo verán”.

La amenaza de Trump es una versión más amplia de la que su administración ya ha hecho muchas veces, intentando recortar fondos a los gobiernos locales que declaró como “jurisdicciones santuario”, pero esos esfuerzos han sido detenidos repetidamente por los jueces.

Es una batalla de alto riesgo para los gobiernos locales, que afirman que su capacidad para responder a emergencias, mejorar la infraestructura y proteger a los niños del abuso está entre los programas en peligro por la amenaza de cortar fondos.

“Hemos vencido a la administración en los tribunales antes, y no tenemos miedo de seguir haciéndolo”, publicó la semana pasada en X el gobernador demócrata de Illinois, J. B. Pritzker.

Mientras el presidente vuelve a subir la apuesta, aquí un repaso a la larga historia de sus amenazas financieras a los opositores de su política migratoria.

No existe una definición legal federal para que una ciudad, estado o condado tenga la designación de santuario. Cuando el Departamento de Justicia creó su propia lista en 2025, dijo que su definición incluye lugares con políticas “que obstruyen o limitan la cooperación de las fuerzas del orden locales con el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE.UU. (ICE)”, restringen que los agentes de inmigración entrevisten a detenidos en cárceles locales y otorgan beneficios a inmigrantes ilegales.

Eso incluye comunidades donde se prohíbe a las fuerzas del orden responder a una “retención”, una solicitud de inmigración para mantener a una persona ya detenida en una cárcel local hasta 48 horas adicionales para que los agentes federales puedan tomar la custodia del sospechoso.

La Corte Suprema de EE.UU. nunca se ha pronunciado directamente sobre si las agencias locales deben cooperar con una retención. Un tribunal federal de apelaciones falló en 2014 que las solicitudes de retención eran voluntarias y que las fuerzas del orden podían ser responsables por retener a sospechosos a pedido de ICE si esa solicitud resultaba infundada. Pero otro tribunal de apelaciones confirmó en 2018 una ley de Texas que exige a las autoridades locales de ese estado cooperar con las solicitudes de ICE.

La creación de la lista de jurisdicciones santuario resultó polémica al principio, incluso entre muchos partidarios de la política migratoria del presidente. Inicialmente incluyó a cientos de ciudades y condados en 35 estados y la ciudad de Washington, incluidos estados tradicionalmente republicanos como Tennessee y Dakota del Norte. La ciudad de Las Vegas también fue incluida, a pesar de que las autoridades afirmaron que nunca ha sido una ciudad santuario.

Putin invited to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, Kremlin says

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By Ivana Kottasová and Anna Chernova, CNN

(CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” the committee that will oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, his spokesman said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters during a regular media briefing, Dmitry Peskov said “President Putin also received through diplomatic channels an invitation to join this peace council.”

He said the Kremlin is now reviewing the invitation.

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Prince Harry vs. the Daily Mail: The British privacy trial starts

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By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

London (CNN) — Prince Harry arrived at London’s High Court on Monday as he takes on the publisher of the Daily Mail over historical unlawful information gathering.

The Duke of Sussex and six other household names in Britain sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) in October 2022. Years later, the case is finally going to trial with Harry, 41, expected to give evidence on Thursday.

The showdown is the third major legal battle the duke has embarked upon against the British tabloid press in recent years.

Here’s a reminder of the case and how we got here.

What are the allegations?

The group of plaintiffs have accused ANL, which publishes titles including the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, of engaging in various types of criminal activity to obtain information about individuals in the group between 1993 to 2011.

The group claims the illegal information gathering practices involved the alleged hiring of private investigators to plant listening devices in homes and cars and record private calls. The publisher has also denied allegations that it paid corrupt police officials for sensitive information, engaged in impersonation and deception to obtain medical records, and accessed bank accounts and financial transactions through “illicit means and manipulation.”

ANL has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, describing the accusations as “lurid claims” and “simply preposterous.”

Britain’s High Court ruled in 2023 that the case could proceed despite ANL’s attempts to have it dismissed on the basis that it was brought too late. Justice Matthew Nicklin said ANL failed to deliver a “knockout blow” to any of the claims brought by the plaintiffs.

He concluded that the group of well-known figures have a “real prospect” of demonstrating that ANL concealed the relevant facts that could have enabled them to bring their claims sooner.

The stakes are high for both sides with reputations on the line and mounting legal costs estimated to be around £40 million ($53.5 million).

Who has joined Harry in the lawsuit?

The challenge from King Charles’ younger son is a joint endeavor with six other notable individuals, including Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, and actress Elizabeth Hurley.

Over the next nine weeks, several members of the group of claimants – which also include campaigner Doreen Lawrence, actress Sadie Frost and former politician Simon Hughes – are expected to give evidence.

Harry is expected to provide his testimony on Thursday, according to a draft trial timetable. It will be the second time he has appeared in the witness box. He previously became the first senior British royal to give evidence on a witness stand in more than 130 years in a different lawsuit in 2023.

He’s not expected to make any other formal public appearances.

Hasn’t Harry sued over his privacy before?

Yes, it would be fair to say that Harry is known to have a challenging relationship with Britain’s tabloid press and has launched legal action against some of the country’s biggest media groups over the years.

Harry said the “toxic” British press was one of the reasons behind his decision with wife, Meghan, to step back from royal duties and move to the US.

Damian Tambini, an expert in media and communications regulation and policy a

La primera ministra de Japón, Sanae Takaichi, disolverá el parlamento el viernes y convocará elecciones nacionales

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Por Reuters

La primera ministra de Japón, Sanae Takaichi, dijo que convocará a elecciones nacionales para el 8 de febrero para buscar el respaldo de los votantes para un mayor gasto, recortes de impuestos y una nueva estrategia de seguridad que se espera acelere el desarrollo de la defensa de Japón.

“Me juego mi futuro político como primera ministra en estas elecciones. Quiero que el público juzgue directamente si me confiará la gestión del país”, declaró Takaichi en rueda de prensa.

Prometió suspender durante dos años un impuesto del 8 % al consumo de alimentos y dijo que sus planes de gasto crearían empleos, impulsarían el gasto de los hogares y aumentarían otros ingresos fiscales.

La perspectiva de un recorte del impuesto al consumo, que reduciría los ingresos del Gobierno en 5 billones de yenes (US$ 32.000 millones) al año, según estimaciones del Gobierno, envió el rendimiento de los bonos gubernamentales de Japón a 10 años a un máximo de 27 años este lunes.

La votación anticipada decidirá los 465 escaños de la cámara baja del parlamento y marcará la primera prueba electoral de Takaichi desde que se convirtió en la primera mujer primera ministra de Japón en octubre.

Convocar elecciones anticipadas le permitiría aprovechar el fuerte apoyo público para reforzar su control sobre el gobernante Partido Liberal Democrático y apuntalar la frágil mayoría de su coalición.

Las elecciones pondrán a prueba el apetito de los votantes por un mayor gasto en un momento en que el aumento del coste de la vida es la principal preocupación del público. Una encuesta publicada por la emisora ​​pública NHK la semana pasada reveló que el 45 % de los encuestados citó los precios como su principal preocupación, seguidos de la diplomacia y la seguridad nacional con un 16 %.

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