A group of parents with children enrolled at the University of California Berkeley recently took safety measures into their own hands by hiring private security guards amid a spike in crime near the campus‚ KPIX-TV reported.A coalition of parents called SafeBears raised $40‚000 last year to launch a three-week pilot program from March 6 to 23‚ 2024. The program hired six "safety ambassadors" to patrol the UC Berkeley campus from 6:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.The safety ambassadors‚ who are unarmed‚ will patrol the campus on foot and by bicycle. According to SafeBears‚ the security guards have received CPR and de-escalation training. SafeBears president Sagar Jethani wrote on Facebook‚ "They are a great group of folks. They're all from the East Bay/SF area‚ so they understand what's happening with crime in Berkeley.""They are looking forward to meeting students and making them feel safe at night‚" Jethani stated.According to the group‚ the security guards "will not enter university property" but "stick to public areas‚ including public streets and sidewalks."Jethani told KABC‚ "They are not carrying any kind of defensive gear. They don't carry pepper spray‚ batons‚ or handcuffs."In comments to KPIX‚ Jethani said that he wants the pilot program to "turn up the heat" on the administration and push it to enact greater safety measures."We want to show that we're not content to just wait forever to have these safety ambassadors deployed‚" he said.SafeBears explained that the security guards' role is to "provide a physical deterrence to any threats against students." "If they encounter a situation they feel is escalating‚ they are equipped with radios and can call for other ambassadors to assist. They also have a contact at Berkeley Police Department in the event the situation turns more serious‚" the group stated.The parental coalition was formed last year amid concerns about student safety. According to the group‚ the University of California Police Department is struggling with reduced staffing and budget cuts."UC Berkeley has cut funding for UCPD every year since 2018‚" SafeBears said. "In that same period‚ nearly every other UC school has increased funding over 2018 levels."The group claimed the department's budget last fall was "14% lower than it was in 2018."Since then‚ the university has hired 10 additional officers; however‚ SafeBears noted that the department is still short-staffed.Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín (D) cut law enforcement's budget by over $9 million in 2020‚ the New York Post reported.Once the private security guard pilot program concludes‚ the parents hope the university will opt to take over and continue the program. Safe Bears: UC Berkeley parents hire private security group to make students safer youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has announced his retirement from the NFL. While Kelce’s emotional departing speech centered around fatherhood‚ Jason Whitlock wonders if there’s more to the story than just hanging up the towel to be more present as a father. “I love what he said‚ and I hope that it’s all authentic‚ but you know‚ he and his brother now have that ‘New Heights’ podcast that Taylor Swift has made a really‚ really big deal‚” Whitlock says. There are rumors that the brothers may get a $100 million deal for the podcast. “I’m just wondering‚ is he able and is he willing to walk away from football because he’s developed this outstanding media career‚ and he doesn’t need to milk another year‚ two‚ or three out of football?” Whitlock asks. Steve Kim doesn’t think it’s that complicated. “He’s already had a long career‚ it’s not like it’s a truncated run here‚” Kim tells Whitlock. “He spent over a decade‚ and plus he’s playing in the trenches‚ right in the belly of the beast at center. He may have just had enough physically.” “I’ve heard from a lot of football players‚” Kim continues‚ “that after a while‚ it’s not about the game. The body is beat down.” Kim believes that Kelce likely falls into that camp. “I do think he’s sincere‚” Kim says. “If I take him at face value‚ which I will‚ he wants to now be a full-time father‚ he wants to make the Little League games‚ he wants to coach Pop Warner‚ he wants to go to the PTA meetings and you know‚ thumbs up to him for actually having the correct priorities.” Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture‚ faith‚ sports‚ and comedy with Jason Whitlock‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Uber and Lyft are threatening to shut down operations in Minneapolis‚ Minnesota‚ on May 1 if a proposed driver raise ordinance becomes law‚ Fox Business reported.The Minneapolis City Council approved the rideshare ordinance on Thursday by a 9-4 vote. Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed the measure on Friday over concerns that Uber and Lyft would leave the city.Frey has been pushing city council members to hold off on approving the ordinance until a state study from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is completed or to lower the driver raises to rates acceptable to the rideshare companies."I've been telling the council for six months now to wait for the data to come out‚" Frey stated‚ according to the Star Tribune. The state's study‚ ordered by Democratic Governor Tim Walz‚ found that rideshare drivers earn an average of 48.7 cents per minute and 89 cents per mile in the Twin Cities metro area. Drivers operating in the Greater Minnesota region earn 42.7 cents per minute and $1.116 per mile.Uber called the report "deeply flawed" but noted that "it clearly recognizes that drivers are independent contractors‚" KARE reported."With the State and‚ most importantly‚ drivers agreeing that flexibility is critical‚ any compromise must prioritize independent contractor status‚" an Uber spokesperson said.The spokesperson claimed the "Minneapolis minimum wage proposal is off by a whopping 60%."Lyft called the state's report "nonsensical.""The only part of this report that is grounded in reasonable data is its conclusion that Minnesota rideshare drivers earn more than $52 per hour of giving rides‚" a Lyft spokesperson remarked. "This study is dishonest‚ counterproductive‚ and a disservice to the goal of meaningful policymaking."If the ordinance is passed into law‚ rideshare drivers would make at least $5 per ride and receive 80% of canceled rides.Lyft claims that the pay hike would nearly double rates for passengers. The company urged customers to sign a petition opposing the ordinance. The city council currently has the votes to override the mayor's veto and pass the measure into law. If Frey can convince one council member to switch his or her vote‚ his veto could not be repealed. Council member Jason Chavez‚ who voted to secure driver raises‚ stated‚ "Small businesses are required to pay minimum wage before tips‚ and it's clear that multibillion-dollar out-of-state tech companies should be too.""No company should be above the law. Relying on low-income riders to subsidize Uber and Lyft paying drivers' wages is an economic and racial injustice‚" Chavez added.A recent statement from Uber read‚ "Uber supports comprehensive statewide legislation that guarantees drivers $35/hr minimum earnings while working and protects their flexibility and independence. If this ordinance is enacted‚ we look forward to working with drivers‚ riders and the legislature to bring rideshare back.""The [City Council] hijacked a state process that proposed real solutions and is in the process of analyzing data to inform a workable earnings standard‚" Uber continued. "The state's task force made a series of recommendations that should be legislated and collected real data to come up with an appropriate minimum earnings standard."Lyft noted that it is "committed to working with any stakeholders on a more sustainable and thoughtful policy solution‚ but if this particular proposal becomes law‚ it will force Lyft to cease operations in the City on May 1.""We support a minimum earnings standard for drivers‚ but it must be done in a way that allows the service to sustainably and affordably operate for riders. For the second time in less than a year‚ the bill sponsors have willfully chosen to ignore offers to collaborate‚ instead choosing to rush through the most extreme figures possible‚" Lyft added. "We implore Mayor Frey to veto this legislation and instead join our efforts to pass a statewide minimum earnings standard that can balance the needs of all."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley hate each other. They’re combatants in the most compelling and heated feud perhaps in the history of sports.So far‚ their mutual disdain remains concealed or at least unacknowledged. They feign a shared admiration that the sports media sell to avoid the burden of addressing the complexities of a sour relationship analogous to the culture at large. LSU made Kim Mulkey the highest-paid coach in women’s basketball for the express purpose of destroying Dawn Staley. It’s a labor of love. Staley and Mulkey are the Obama and Trump of women’s college basketball. You can clearly see the fault lines whenever the schedule dictates that Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks face Mulkey’s Louisiana State Tigers. The schedule cooperated on Sunday‚ pitting the Tigers and Gamecocks in a clash for the SEC postseason title. As usual‚ an ugly war ensued. For the better part of four quarters‚ the teams exchanged elbows‚ shoves‚ taunts‚ and trash talk. At one point‚ LSU star Angel Reese pulled the hair of South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso‚ a 6-foot-7 import from Brazil.Finally‚ with two minutes to play‚ emotions exploded. Cardoso shoved 5-foot-10 Flau'jae Johnson to the ground. Both benches cleared. No punches were thrown. Nothing really happened. It wasn’t a brawl. It was a scrum. The game stopped for 20 minutes as referees sorted through footage and tossed players from both teams from the game.Top-ranked and undefeated South Carolina went on to win‚ 79-72.Staley apologized for the incident. “I just want to apologize to the basketball community‚” she told ESPN before pivoting to a defense. “When you’re playing in championship games like this in our league‚ things get heated. No bad intentions. Their emotions got so far ahead of them that sometimes these things happen. I just want to apologize for us being a part in that. Because that’s not who we are and that’s not what we’re about. But I’m happy for the players that were able to finish the game and get us another championship.”Mulkey is a bit more transparent than Staley. Mulkey offered no apology. She knows exactly what and who LSU and South Carolina are. They’re brawlers. The players are proxies for a war between their feisty‚ undersized coaches. They play a physical brand of basketball that the SEC allows. “Let me say this‚” Mulkey said in her postgame press conference. “Do you realize there was only one foul called on each team with two minutes left in the fourth quarter? Are you kidding me? That might have created some of that. Not the way we play. We’re going to foul your ass. They’re going to foul your ass. You only blew the whistle one time? Think about that now.”A year ago‚ Iowa coach Lisa Bluder respectfully described rebounding against Staley’s squad as like “going to a bar fight.” Staley‚ never reluctant to play the race card‚ complained long and loudly that Bluder’s description was racially motivated. Staley fancies herself coaching a beautiful style of play. She thinks she’s Muhammad Ali and that the Gamecocks float like butterflies and sting like bees. They don’t. They’re Big George Foreman. They win with brute force and intimidation. Everyone knows it. “We’re not scared of South Carolina‚” Angel Reese said following the game. “And I’m going to repeat that. We’re not scared of South Carolina. A lot of people are scared of them. We came in and battled‚ and battled‚ and battled.”What is at the root of the blood feud between Staley and Mulkey? Envy. Jealousy. Entitlement. Legacy. Power. Women’s college basketball is America’s hottest sport. Its growth and traction extend beyond the Caitlin Clark phenomenon. The NBA’s pursuit of international relevance and one-and-done rule destroyed American men’s basketball. Men’s college basketball has never been more irrelevant. Its decline has fueled the women’s game. The women’s players stay for four or five years‚ build large brands‚ and create compelling narratives. Women’s college basketball is a really big deal. Staley and Mulkey are brawling over who will reign as queen of the game. Sports media has crowned Staley queen. She’s in national TV commercials opposite former Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski. Each off-season‚ she’s rumored as a potential head coach in the NBA. Corporate media fawns over Dawn Staley. She’s black. She’s been romantically linked to a former player (Kaela Davis) and her longtime assistant coach (Lisa Boyer). She patrols the sidelines in androgynous hoodies‚ sweatsuits‚ and jackets intended to catch the eye of her allies. Staley checks all the right boxes.The reality is‚ Staley’s coaching résumé does not match Mulkey’s.Kim Mulkey has won four national titles. Staley has won two. Mulkey is the only person to win a national title as a player‚ an assistant coach‚ and a head coach. Mulkey is white. She was married for 20 years and has two kids. She patrols the sidelines in what could best be described as “Cougar gear‚” flamboyant outfits intended to make women jealous and men intrigued. Mulkey does not check all the boxes. She often says things that infuriate the mainstream media. Here’s an example: Mulkey did not rally around Brittney Griner when the WNBA player was incarcerated in Russia. Mulkey coached Griner at Baylor. Staley‚ of course‚ spoke out in support of the LGBTQ+ icon. Two years ago‚ Staley complained that Louisiana State University did not provide Nikki Fargas‚ a black coach‚ the same level of support as Kim Mulkey. Mulkey did not take the bait. She expressed admiration for Staley. Trust me‚ LSU lured Mulkey away from Baylor and quickly made her the highest-paid coach in all of women’s basketball for the express purpose of destroying Dawn Staley. It’s a labor of love. The feud between Mulkey and Staley will fuel women’s college basketball after Caitlin Clark enters the WNBA abyss.

It’s not the fault of Diablo 4‚ Last Epoch‚ or Path of Exile. Some tropes‚ no matter how fussy or fiddly‚ die hard‚ and for decades now the classic RPG game has been built around - for better or worse - a big‚ tricky inventory system. Skyrim has one. Fallout has one. Hotkeys help‚ but with so many crafting and customization options‚ it takes a long time to find precisely the doohickey you need. Taking this tentpole of the RPG genre as its inspiration‚ one new indie game has exploded on Steam. With 100‚000 copies sold in a single day‚ tens of thousands of players‚ and a 10/10 user rating already‚ now’s the time to check out one of 2024’s true surprise hits. Continue reading New indie game sells 100‚000 copies in one day‚ already rated 10/10 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best puzzle games‚ Best strategy games‚ Best multiplayer games

The use of micro OLED in virtual or augmented reality headsets isn't anything new‚ technically‚ but it's not a widely adopted feature just yet. It is‚ however‚ expected to be the next logical move‚ and of all the companies you would expect to provide the expertise and final product‚ it's Samsung who appears to be stepping up. The best VR headsets will likely all adopt some form of OLED display sooner rather than later‚ but it's the micro OLED technology that has been vocally favored by VR enthusiasts over the last 12 months. Continue reading The next big VR advancement could come from the most unexpected source MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB review‚ Best SSD for gaming‚ Best gaming monitor

In the wake of Steam Next Fest and all of its exciting demos‚ one RPG we've been keeping a particularly close eye on is Death of a Wish‚ which looks to be a delightful blend of the best elements from Diablo and Vampire Survivors. Continue reading New action RPG combines the best of Diablo and Vampire Survivors MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games‚ Upcoming PC games‚ Best action-adventure games

The Steam Deck library is vast‚ almost innumerable‚ as more games continue to make their way to Steam and platforms beyond. In spite of the seemingly ever-increasing library for the handheld‚ Valve continues to do what it can to help users find quality experiences‚ with the company recently hitting a new milestone. Continue reading Valve reaches new official Steam Deck compatible game milestone MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

If there was one game I was hoping would become a sleeper hit‚ it was Wanted: Dead. Set in a neon-bathed Hong Kong and channeling the good ol' PS2 era‚ 110 Industries' first outing looked to be full of promise - especially given its combat seamlessly blends hack-and-slash chaos with slick third-person shooting. That said‚ wedged between major new releases‚ Wanted: Dead failed to secure its space in the spotlight‚ falling into relevant obscurity soon after. Continue reading Cult classic action game plans comeback after “challenging release” MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best upcoming PC games‚ Best detective games‚ Best action-adventure games

Dragon's Dogma 2 will let you fight alongside streamers who have been turned into companion NPCs in the form of influencer pawns. So if you want to travel alongside more than just your creations or those of random people on the internet‚ these influencer pawns might just give you an edge. Continue reading Dragon’s Dogma 2 will let you travel with influencer NPCs MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Dragon's Dogma 2 release date‚ Dragon's Dogma 2 vocations‚ Dragon's Dogma 2 system requirements