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Airbnb profit jumps to $650 million in 2Q, as bookings increase and rental rates hold steady

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

Airbnb said Thursday its second-quarter profit jumped more than 70% over last summer, to $650 million, as revenue rose on strong bookings for summer-vacation rentals.The San Francisco company said bookings grew 11% over the same period last year. Still, they were a bit lighter than analysts expected.The shares fell 2% after nearly an hour of late trading.Airbnb has been battling complaints that high cleaning fees have pushed prices closer to, or even above, hotels for short rentals. It changed its site to display cleaning fees upfront, when consumers are price-shopping.Prices, however, remain stubbornly high. Airbnb had forecast that average rates customers pay per night would fall slightly in the second quarter compared with last year. Instead, the average nightly rate rose 1% to $166.CEO Brian Chesky said on a call with analysts that the price customers book is lower than list prices on average.“So we do see people gravitating toward more affordable stays,” Chesky said. He said so...

Lawyer: Dating apps had prior reports of accused rapist who faces 49 counts

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A man accused of drugging and sexually assaulting several women is facing additional charges, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said.Stephen Matthews, 35, was initially arrested in April after a woman accused him of drugging her on a date they planned through a dating app. Following that arrest, police encouraged other possible victims to come forward -- and they did. Matthews was arrested again in May and, at that time, facing 34 felony counts from 16 victims, according to the DA's office. On Thursday, the DA's office said there are now 15 victims involved but Matthews is facing 49 felony counts. 16 women accuse local man of sexual assault The charges include sexual assault – victim helpless, sexual assault – no consent, sexual assault – overcome will, drugging, and sexual assault – victim incapable of appraising condition, drugging.Burg Simpson is representing several of Matthews' accusers and said the law firm plans on going after the dating apps he used, ...

Your building could be hit by lightning and you wouldn't know it

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- On a dark and stormy day in Colorado, lightning lights up the sky to make it look like it's daytime for just a moment.When your living room seems more like a concert venue with strobe lights of lightning and the rolling bass of thunder, you might wonder how close it is. Are you a prime target for a lightning strike? Colorado is one of the top states with the highest risks of dying from a lightning strike. It might even be hitting your building, and you won't even know it. That's why a lot of apartment complexes and buildings in Denver have lightning rods."Just about every major building downtown, at least 80% of them," Ed McDonald, the owner of McDonald's Lightning Protection, said.McDonald said a person would probably not know if lightning struck a building with a lightning rod, as long as it was installed correctly that is.Without one, McDonald said, "It does an awful lot of damage or burns it to the ground." This is the most common activity in lightning death...

Police arrest 3 in 7-Eleven shooting in Arvada

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police say three people were arrested in the shooting of three unhoused women outside of a 7-Eleven in Arvada.According to the Arvada Police Department, a man was arrested Tuesday, and a man and a woman were booked Wednesday, all without incident. Police did not release information about their possible charges, but they called the two men suspects and the woman an "involved individual."The shooting happened just after 1 a.m. Friday at the 7-Eleven store at 7355 Ralston Rd.According to police, witnesses said two males entered the store and began to shoplift, and when they left, several unhoused people outside confronted them about it.Police said the suspects got in a car and drove onto 58th Avenue, where they stopped in front of the store and fired several shots. Three women were hit and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

‘I speak perfect English’: Surfside commissioner accuses mayor of racism and misogyny after testy exchange

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

A Surfside commissioner is blasting the behavior of the town’s mayor, claiming his racist views were on display during a testy exchange with her during a commission meeting. Speaking with 7News on Thursday afternoon, Surfside Commissioner Nelly Velasquez did not mince words about her feelings toward Mayor Shlomo Danzinger.“It’s clear [his behavior is] because I am a Latin woman, and he is a misogynist that tries to embarrass us,” she said.Velasquez gripe is the way that she says she was treated by Danzinger on Wednesday, when commissioners and the mayor were discussing term limits.“What they’re looking for is, every two years, they get a new boss, new direction. It’s not easy to run a town like this. It’s not working,” said Danzinger.Seconds later, the mayor asked Velasquez, who had the floor, to refrain from interrupting.“Commissioner, please stop interrupting,” he said.After a brief pause, Danzinger said, “OK,...

Man hospitalized after suffering burns in NE Miami-Dade apartment fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

A smoky situation at an apartment building in Northeast Miami-Dade sent a man to the hospital.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the fire at a complex near Northeast 191st Street and 14th Avenue, Thursday afternoon.Officials said the victim was trapped inside the second-floor unit where the fire ignited.Paramedics transported him to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition after he suffered burns.

SUV crash kills a man and his grandson while they work in yard in Maine

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

SANFORD, Maine (AP) — Police are investigating a fatal crash in Maine in which an SUV veered off a road and killed a man and his grandson.The crash happened on Wednesday afternoon in Sanford and killed Michael Gilbar, 65, of Jericho, Vermont, and his 15-year-old grandson, police said. The two were working in the yard of Gilbar’s summer home, the Portland Press Herald reported.Gilbar was transported by ambulance to Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport for transport to a hospital but was pronounced dead, police said. The teenager, who police did not name, was pronounced dead at the scene.Police have not named the driver, who they said was transported to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Bottle redemption law expansion also includes higher deposit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

Forty years after the state added a five-cent deposit on some plastic bottles in order to encourage recycling, climate advocates say it’s “the right moment” to expand state’s bottle redemption law.Proposals before the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy would increase the bottle deposit from its current five cents to 10 cents and add more types of beverage containers to the program, putting a deposit on water bottles, vitamin drinks, nips and bottles for other drinks that weren’t contemplated when the initial law was adopted in 1982.Efforts to update this bill have failed in the Legislature for years, and voters in 2014 shot down a ballot question to tack the five-cent bottle deposit onto drinks besides beer and soda.Without success in expanding the deposit, advocates told lawmakers at two Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy hearings Wednesday (as House and Senat...

Police: Man charged with DUI after hitting police cruiser head-on in Manchester, NH

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

A man allegedly driving under the influence struck a police cruiser in Manchester, New Hampshire Saturday night, police said.The police officer in the vehicle was forced to crawl out of the passenger side of her cruiser after it was hit by 60-year-old Craig Young of Weare, who was charged with a DUI.Around 7 p.m., the officer was blocking off a road in the area of 163 South Mammoth Road to keep traffic away from downed power lines. Around 9 p.m., while the cruiser had the emergency lights activated, Young’s Toyota Landcruiser struck the cruiser on the driver’s side.The officer was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and Young was not injured.

Trump leaves Washington courthouse after pleading not guilty to federal charges. Follow live updates

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:00:31 GMT

Follow along for live updates as Donald Trump appears in federal court Thursday after being indicted by the Justice Department for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. — Here’s a breakdown of the sprawling election indictment— Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case— Republicans are remaining silent about the latest charges against Trump— The judge assigned to Trump’s case is a tough punisher of Capitol rioters— Here’s where the various cases involving Trump standTRUMP LEAVES COURTHOUSETrump has left Washington’s federal courthouse after pleading not guilty to federal conspiracy charges alleging a plot to overturn the 2020 election in a bid to cling to power. Trump entered his plea in the same courthouse where more than 1,000 of his supporters have been charge...