(Bloomberg) — Elon Musk wants his upcoming fraud trial with Tesla Inc. shareholders moved out of San Francisco, saying jurors in the region will probably be biased against him because of recent layoffs at Twitter Inc. and “local negativity.”

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The billionaire who runs both Tesla and Twitter proposed the trial be held in western Texas, where Tesla moved its headquarters to Austin from northern California about a year ago, according to a filing by his attorneys late Friday.

A substantial portion of the San Francisco-area jury pool “is likely to hold a personal and material bias against Mr. Musk as a result of recent layoffs at one of his companies as individual prospective jurors — or their friends and relatives — may have been personally impacted,” the lawyers wrote. “The existing baseline bias has been compounded, expanded, and reinforced by the negative and inflammatory local publicity surrounding the events.”

Investors suing Tesla and Musk, its chief executive officer, argue that his August 2018 tweets about taking the electric-car maker private with “funding secured” were “indisputably false” and cost them billions of dollars by spurring wild swings in Tesla’s stock price. Musk has maintained that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund had agreed to support his attempt to take Tesla private. The trial is set to begin January 17.

Musk’s Intent Behind ‘Funding Secured’ Tweet Tested in Court

“To be clear, this motion is not being brought simply because Mr Musk has been the subject of negative news coverage. Mr Musk has been a public figure for more than a decade and recognizes that being the subject of negative and even unfair media attention comes with the territory,” according to the filing. “The local media and political establishment have attempted to depict Mr. Musk as personally responsible for causing material economic harm to the significant number of potential jurors impacted by the layoffs and to the City of San Francisco as a whole.”

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Musk has sparred with Twitter’s hometown of San Francisco after turning some space at the company’s Market Street headquarters into makeshift bedrooms, a possible violation of city building codes. Musk has also slammed Mayor London Breed over the city’s fentanyl crisis.

Musk Spars With San Francisco Over Sample of Bedrooms at Twitter

He bought Twitter for $44 billion in late October and installed himself as chief executive officer. After Tesla’s corporate headquarters moved to Austin in December 2021 the company still has a formidable presence in California. In a blog post this week, the company said it has 47,000 employees in the state.

Musk’s attorneys think western Texas would offer a fairer venue than northern California.

“Mr. Musk is far likelier to receive a fair trial in the Western District of Texas,” they wrote. “Mr. Musk has not been the subject of overwhelming, pervasive, and inflammatory press coverage by the local media in the Western District of Texas, like he has in this district. Texas news outlets publish far fewer stories about Mr. Musk.”

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LUBBOCK, Texas — The cold weather has arrived here on the South Plains, and one Lubbock company has already noticed an uptick in customers reaching out to say their heaters are out.

“Most people plan to get ready for summer because they don’t want to be hot, but they don’t seem to do nearly as much planning to get ready for winter,” said Jim Hamlin, comfort consultant at Bruce Thornton Air Conditioning. “So, when it hits, it’s a lot more devastating because you can freeze to death.”

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Hamlin said winter is the time when your furnace has to work hardest to heat your home, but many just aren’t taking good enough care of their equipment. He said the average life of a furnace is 12 years, but if it’s well-maintained, it’s not uncommon to see it running for up to 30 years.

Hamlin said the increase in demand for furnace repairs has been rather difficult due to the shortage of parts to fix those AC units.

“Rather than being able to do the repair that day, we’re having to find stuff from other towns, and have it shipped in and we’re getting people up and running,” Hamlin said. “I would say we’re having 99.9% success finding the part, but it may take a few days longer than it normally used to.”

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On top of that, Hamlin said the pandemic didn’t help things either.

“Because we went for a couple of years where people weren’t letting service techs in their house, I think there’s a bigger demand right now for service,” Hamlin said. “People feel a little bit better about having service techs come into their house to do things.”

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Hamlin recommends having a trusted company come out to do a ‘tune up’ before the temperatures drop even lower this winter.

“You’d be amazed at how many times we go out and people just don’t change their filter,” Hamlin said. “It’s cheap insurance. That filter is there to protect the equipment and keep the dust off the equipment so it will run better.”

Hamlin said dirt is the number one killer of HVAC systems, so keeping your furnace filter clean is of the utmost importance. He suggests replacing the filter monthly.

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“If the filter is not capturing the dirt and dust, it’s going through your system and blowing out into your home,” Hamlin said. “If it gets clogged up, it’s going to pull a certain amount of that dirt through your system and it’s going out into your home. You can’t totally cut down on dust here, but you can help it with a good clean filter. That will help with allergies, less dusting and extend the life of your equipment.”

Hamlin’s advice is to just set the thermostat where you are comfortable and leave it alone. He explains that if you keep changing the temperature, it ruins the equipment and will only cost you more when you go to pay your utility bill.

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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Plumbers recommend dripping your faucets and covering outdoor pipes this week if you want to avoid a costly repair bill.

While breaks and bursts aren’t expected to be widespread like last year’s freeze, the plumbing industry in general still struggles with staffing shortages.

“In general, there’s just not enough plumbers,” said Brad Casebier, CEO of Radiant Plumbing and Air Conditioning.

Significant ice storm coming: Timing, ice totals, and impacts

Last year’s winter storm exacerbated the problem.

“Last year there weren’t enough plumbers in the whole state — maybe even in the nation — to fix everything in Texas,” Casebier said. “It was so bad.”

That’s when Jennifer Barborka was making repairs all across Austin during the second year of her apprenticeship with Local 286 Plumbers and Pipefitters.

“The copper all busted, so we were in there burning it together. The first night was about 16 hours,” she said.

Local 286 gained traction after last year’s winter storm. The group’s training director Joe Cooper said 154 new apprentices enrolled in 2021. Prior to that, a standard year would only bring in about 80.

Additionally, thanks to funding secured by Workforce Solutions Capital Area, it was one of the spots able to offer $200 grants as part of an incentive program launched after last year’s winter storm. While those original funds expired, another round of similar funding is in the works.

According to trade-industry data from Workforce Solutions Capital Area KXAN has previously reported, 3,000 more trade workers, including plumbers, are needed to meet the demand.

Cooper also said he anticipates the class numbers to grow as outreach to high schools continues.

“We’ve tried to expand our apprenticeships quite a bit. Bringing in a lot of young folks, trying to get into the skilled trades,” said Cooper.

Skilled employees don’t just need to enter the workforce to fix the staffing problem — they need to stay in it.

Casebier said Radiant makes retention a priority by “making it the best place to work,” he said.

We asked what comes with that — whether it be financial incentives or a positive work culture.

“Money is a part of it, but everybody pays pretty similarly, it’s more about culture and how you take care of your people,” he said.

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In December, Elon Musk took Tesla to Texas. Some think he’ll also drag Twitter from San Francisco to the Lone Star State while others are not so sure.

And moving a headquarters can mean many things, the San Francisco Business Times reported.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wasted no time baiting his hook. And South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem chummed the waters.

“Bring Twitter to Texas to join Tesla, SpaceX & the Boring company,” Abbot tweeted.

“If Twitter is in need of a new HQ, South Dakota is open for business, Noem added.

Twitter, with 7,500 employees worldwide, keeps its headquarters in Mid-Market, where 2,000 or more worked before the pandemic. Since then, many workers have been remote. While the company has a heavy investment in its San Francisco office headquarters, it could pull up stakes.

“It would actually be more surprising if he bought Twitter and kept the headquarters in California,” site selection consultant John Boyd, principal of The Boyd Co., told the the Business Times before Twitter accepted Musk’s purchase offer. “Austin would not be a difficult sell.”

The company leases 880,000 square feet in two side-by-side buildings at 1355 Market St, and 1 Tenth Street, from owners Shorenstein Properties, based in the city, and JpMorgan.

It expanded at 1355 Market this year by 85,000 square feet and renewed for two floors. It also tried, but failed, to sublease more than 100,000 square feet at 1 Tenth. It’s unclear when its headquarters leases are up. Shorenstein declined to comment on the newspaper.

Last year, Twitter also leased 66,000 square feet in Downtown Oakland at 1330 Broadway, owned by TMG Properties and KKR. It’s set to open later this year.

Musk could try to negotiate a deal to get out of the headquarters lease or attempt to sublease the space, although San Francisco’s office market is currently marked by high vacancies.

He could move the headquarters and operations out of state – or just move it in name only and keep many operations in the Bay Area.

Musk has hinted at closing the headquarters to save cash. With more than $1 billion in revenue, Twitter might be on the hook for a 2.9 percent administrative office tax on its San Francisco payroll if half of its payroll expense is tied to HQ functions. But some say a move is unlikely.

There is also the chance that Twitter will stay put as a matter of company culture even as Musk aims to bring some changes.

San Francisco is “a core part of Twitter and its DNA,” Dan Ives, a Wedbush Securities analyst, said. “Musk will view that presence as a key asset, not liability.”

Roger Kay, an analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates, told the Austin American-Statesman there’s no reason to move the Twitter headquarters.

“Other than the fact that Musk is moving everything he’s got (to Austin), there’s no obvious reason to take a company which is virtual, from the very beginning, born in the cloud, to create a physical location,” Kay said. “They can be anywhere and the fact that they’re in San Francisco is primarily because of what the employees were. That’s where they were and that’s where they got the employees.”

[San Francisco Business Times] – Dana Bartholomew

Contact Dana Bartholomew

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SAN FRANCISCO—Staring down the end of their beloved head coach’s career, the Blue Devils refused to quit, and they punched their ticket to the Elite Eight because of it.

The second-seeded Blue Devils traveled to San Francisco for the West Regional, where they topped the third-seeded Red Raiders 78-73 in the Sweet 16 at the Chase Center. After a slow start that saw the Red Raiders dominate for the first few minutes, the Blue Devils rallied in heroic fashion, as the matchup became a tight battle of energized offenses in the second.

“I’ve never played in a basketball game like that. When you’re out there, it’s not like you’re even thinking. You’re just playing to win,” freshman phenom Paolo Banchero—who finished with a team-leading 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals—said after the game.

With four minutes on the clock, the Blue Devils were down one despite four players being in double-digit points. Two Jeremy Roach drives, a Banchero triple and a Mark Williams block later, Duke was up three with one and a half to go. It was then Roach sank yet another clutch jumper to put Duke up five with under a minute to go.

“The resolve of Jeremy Roach was incredible. His drives against that defense were so strong, so determined,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

However, Roach then missed the free throw, and Texas Tech responded with a dunk, cutting Duke’s lead to three with 26 seconds remaining. Then, after being fouled on the inbounds, Wendell Moore Jr. went to the line, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sunk two free throws to give Duke a five point lead with 25 to go.

The Red Raiders wouldn’t quit, though, and Adonis Arms drained a quick 3-pointer to bring the Red Raiders within two. Thirteen seconds, up two points, Duke had to figure out a way to close out the game.

Chants of “Let’s go Duke” erupted, and Texas Tech once again went for the inbounds foul. AJ Griffin, on yet another hot shooting night, made both, though, and Duke maintained a two-possession cushion with 12.9 seconds left.

When Arms missed his next 3-point attempt and Banchero made one of two free throws with under five seconds to go, they had done it. The Blue Devils were going to the Elite Eight.

“I think all year, in the biggest moments, we always stepped up, and there’s no bigger moment than this,” Banchero said.

After a hotly contested first half that saw Duke trail by four entering the locker room, the Blue Devils began the second with a little more skip in their step, scoring on each of their first four possessions, though they couldn’t stop Texas Tech from doing the same.

Roach, who ended with 15 points, 11 in the second half, and five assists, continued his fiery play from the opening period with one of the slick drives to the basket he’s been pulling out more and more in the postseason. Meanwhile, Williams grabbed a quick eight points in the first five minutes with three makes from under the basket and two free throws, and graduate transfer Theo John got on the board with a put-back layup. Finally, a wing three from Griffin dotted the “i” on a Duke run that knotted the score at 47 with 12 to go.

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Then, after not leading since midway through the first half, Duke gained two points on the Red Raiders with a dextrous pullup jumper from Banchero, sending the sea of ​​Blue in the Chase Center into a frenzy.

“Great players just go. The moment and the need take them to a place that a great player would love to be in. And that’s where he was,” Krzyzewski said of how Banchero stepped up.

Still, the Red Raiders would not be outdone, going on a 4-0 burst, before another drive from Roach, plus the and-one, continued an exciting back-and-forth half of basketball.

While Duke’s offense seemingly found its footing, moving the ball to break Texas Tech’s defensive scheme, the Red Raiders were efficient at capitalizing on Duke mistakes.

However, a corner three from Banchero—his second triple on three attempts—and a pair of free throws from Mark Williams put the Blue Devils right back on top.

Though Bryson Williams sank a three to catch the Red Raiders up, a drive from Moore and an and-one kept the Blue Devils’ narrow one-point lead. For a matchup billed as a battle of defense, with under seven minutes on the clock, it sure looked like a shootout. Sure enough, a spin-move and a layup from Banchero then grabbed Duke his largest lead of the game, up three, but Bryson Williams responded quickly with his own for Texas Tech.

The crowd reached deafening levels after a Banchero-assisted slam dunk from Mark Williams, but the Blue Devils found themselves briefly their own enemy, as two turnovers in under 30 seconds gave the Red Raiders the chance to once again tie up then lead the game.

Texas Tech came out to start the game on fire, forcing three turnovers and subsequent fastbreaks to gain a 10-2 lead in the first four and a half minutes. The Red Raiders’ signature stifling defense gained them opportunities on the other side of the court, exacerbated by Duke’s early shooting woes, with the Blue Devils going 1-of-5 through their first six attempts.

“Obviously, we weren’t ready for that level of expertise on defense,” Krzyzewski said. “The end of the half was critical. They had a seven-point lead, and we were able to score and not let them score, so all of a sudden you’re looking at a four-point [game] and we have the ball.”

However, Duke got back into it just a few minutes later, after consecutive makes from Griffin and Moore put the Blue Devils within three, a steal and an and-one layup from Banchero tied up the game at the 13:15 mark.

From there on, Duke and Texas Tech traded baskets, with the Blue Devils unable to take the lead away from the Red Raiders, but the challengers in red also unable to build a lead of more than four at the half.

Next, the Blue Devils will take on Arkansas in the Elite Eight Saturday.

Sasha Richie

Sasha Richie is a Trinity junior and the Blue Zone Editor of The Chronicle’s 117th volume.

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A homeless man in California recently admitted that he moved to the West Coast from Texas because he knew it was easier to live the homeless lifestyle in San Francisco.

“If you’re gonna be homeless, it’s pretty f***ing easy here,” he said of the Bay Area city. “I mean, if we’re gonna be realistic, they pay you to be homeless here.”

What are the details?

The homeless man, identified only as James, went on to say that he receives $820 in welfare and food stamps every month and added that living on the street is easier in San Francisco because the progressive city simply doesn’t enforce anti-camping laws.

James’ frank admission came as part of a series of street interviews conducted by best-selling author Michael Shellenberger. The author, who is known for “Apocalypse Never” and “San Francscko,” posted some of the interviews in a Twitter thread Wednesday.

“People are surprised by these interviews because much of what we’ve read is propaganda put forward by activists with an agenda [and] reporters who are also ideological but also lazy [and] too scared to ask direct questions of street people,” he said in one of the tweets.

People say lack of housing forces local residents into the streets, but James says he came from Texas to San Francisco for the drugs, the non-enforcement of anti-camping laws, and the $820/month in welfare & food stamps. James says he sold fentanyl, 2 weeks ago, to a 15-year-old.pic.twitter.com/5qMr6tmlWs

— Michael Shellenberger (@Michael Shellenberger) 1644416763

James said he started receiving the government assistance with nothing more than a phone call.

“Why wouldn’t I do it, it’s f***ing free money,” he said, adding, “This right now is literally by choice, literally by choice.”

Then, offering a window into the rampant drug abuse customary in and around homeless encampments, James went on to claim that just a couple of weeks ago, he sold fentanyl to a 15-year-old.

what else?

In another interview, a homeless man identified as Ben claimed that only a small fraction of the homeless in San Francisco are actually from there. More than 90% he alleged, are from outside the city.

He also pushed back against the prevailing progressive narrative people are predominantly driven to homelessness by poverty. Rather, he said crippling drug addiction is by far the primary cause.

It’s reasonable to ask whether I’m seeking out outliers, but I met James 5 minutes after parking my car and he was the first person I interviewed, and Ben, below, was the 4th person we interviewed after ~20 minutes on the street doing interviewshttps://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD/status/1490130669875253250?s=20&t=8wpXy2kh64brr9LxvYb06gu00a0u2026

— Michael Shellenberger (@Michael Shellenberger) 1644416990

Ben told Shellenberger he supports his drug addiction by engaging in petty crimes like “boosting” (shoplifting and then reselling the items) and breaking into cars.

Both Ben and James said violence and overdoses are commonplace in homeless encampments. James also said that law enforcement officers have no chance of stopping the drug cycle since San Francisco is a sanctuary city. Immigrant dealers who are back on the street within days, he claimed.

anything else?

Last year, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom caught heat for inviting homeless people from across the country to come pursue “new beginnings” in the Golden State.

“To the extent that people want to come here for new beginnings and all income levels, that’s part of the California dream,” Newsom said as he rolled out his California Comeback Plan.

Rampant homelessness and crime have been growing problems in San Francisco, in particular, for years. The city’s inability to solve the problems is a source of fear for residents. Last summer, a whopping 40% of residents indicated they planned to leave the city over the next few years due to the rapidly deteriorating quality of life.

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ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – An Abilene businessman has been appointed to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.

Darrin Black was one of three Texas men appointed to the board by Governor Greg Abbott with terms set to expire September 2027.

The other two appointees are Thomas “Tommy” Rice Jr., of Houston, and Milton Gutierrez, of Georgetown.

Full biographies on Black and the other appointees can be found below:

Darren Black of Abilene is the President of Black Plumbing. He is a member of the Abilene Better Business Bureau, Abilene Chamber of Commerce Business Council, Abilene Crime Stoppers, Abilene Team Workforce, Abilene Military Affairs Committee, and the American Cancer Society. Black is a licensed Journeyman Plumber and Responsible Master Plumber.

Thomas “Tommy” Rice Jr. of Houston is a plumbing contractor and serves as the Owner and President of C&B Utilities, Inc. He is a member of the Trade Professionals Network and is a certified instructor of apprenticeship programs with the National Center for Construction Education and Research. He also serves as a mentor for the Young Adult Tradesman Mentorship. Rice received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from The University of Texas at Austin.

Milton Gutierrez of Georgetown is the Deputy Operations Chaplain for the Texas Army National Guard. He is a member of the National Guard Association of the United States, National Guard Association of Texas, the American Legion, and the Military Officers Association of America. Gutierrez received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas State University and a Master of Divinity from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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The lawsuit also contradicts many of the accusations Tesla made against the DFEH. The EV maker said that, “at a time when manufacturing jobs are leaving California, the DFEH has decided to sue Tesla instead of constructively working with us.” Tesla said that was “both unfair and counterproductive, especially because the allegations focus on events from years ago.” The Californian agency has a very different story to tell.

According to the lawsuit, DFEH “attempted to resolve this matter without litigation.” The Californian agency said it “invited Tesla to participate in a mediation session with the department’s internal dispute resolution division on January 12 and 20, 2022, but Tesla refused to attend until February 8, 2022.”

On February 7, 2022, “Tesla announced the DFEH investigation for the first time during the three-year investigation in its Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K.” On February 8, “the parties were unable to resolve the administrative complaints at the mediation.”

On February 9, Tesla published a blog post complaining about the Californian agency, implying it could leave the state for good due to that. The DFEH lawsuit was filed on the same day. It states it happened on February 9, 2021, which was clearly a typo.

The way DFEH puts it, it seems Tesla did everything it could to have a legal battle while pretending it did not want it. Considering the DFEH would not lie about a mediation session, the behavior Tesla presented in this case looks not only elusive, but also incredibly unwise to put it in political terms.

Owen Diaz won a lawsuit against Tesla for racial harassment and discrimination. A San Francisco jury ruled he should receive $6.9 million for emotional distress and $130 million for punitive damages. Tesla is now fighting to reduce the punitive damages award in courts. Confronted with the Californian agency’s lawsuit, the court may decide it was a fair value. And Tesla may have to pay even more if the Superior Court of California decides the DFEH’s allegations are correct.

The cases would also not be from years ago, as Tesla said. The company stated the DFEH “has been asked on almost 50 occasions by individuals who believe they were discriminated against or harassed to investigate Tesla.” According to the EV maker, it would have concluded all investigations “without a finding of misconduct against Tesla.” The DFEH denies that.

In its lawsuit, it said that “after approximately three years of investigation, receiving hundreds of complaints from workers and serving many to Tesla, DFEH issued a cause finding on January 3, 2022.” In other words, the investigation started around 2019 and ended very recently.

Summing up, we’re talking about hundreds of complaints, of which only some may have been served to Tesla. That’s probably why the company concluded that they were only “almost 50” instead of way more than that.

It is not clear why DFEH served only a few to Tesla nor why it issued only one cause finding to deal with hundreds of complaints. Perhaps a single, more general one was all it took, but we’d need to confirm that with the DFEH. We have sent a few questions to the Californian agency. All we received back was a copy of the lawsuit.

It shows the DFEH seems to have had enough with Tesla’s behavior. It states that “Mr. Musk is infamous for taking positions that run counters to those of other car companies, technology companies, billionaires and workers.” It also notes that “Tesla’s brand, purportedly highlighting a socially conscious future, masks the reality of a company that profits from an army of production workers, many of whom are people of color, working under egregious conditions.”

A little further ahead, the lawsuit shows a pretty grim working environment in Fremont. The DFEH did not expose the identity of the workers that complained about racism there or identified the people that perpetrated the multiple racial insults. They are only identified as “DOES ONE through FIFTY,” meaning that the DFEH “will amend this complaint to allege their true names and capacities when the same are ascertained.”

The DFEH does not spare the details of what African American workers go through “throughout the day, every day” at Fremont. Some of them claim to hear racial insults 50 to 100 times a day.

They include “the n-word, ‘porch monkey,’ ‘monkey toes,’ ‘boy,’ ‘hood rats,’ and ‘horse hair.’” African American workers also heard insults in Spanish, such as “mayate” (equivalent to the n-word or to calling someone gay, depending on the context) and “negrita” (little black woman).

They also hear racist jokes such as “n-word out of the hood,” “from the ghetto,” “Tesla [was] hiring lazy coons,” and “go back to Africa.” DFEH also says that the factory is racially segregated, which allegedly causes areas with a majority of African American workers to be referred to as “porch monkey station,” “slaveship,” or “the plantation,” where the management would “crack the whip .”

The environment in Fremont is described as threatening to African Americans. They see “swastikas, ‘KKK,’ the n-word, and other racist writing” onto “walls of restrooms, restroom stalls, lunch tables, and even factory machinery.” “One Black worker observed ‘hang N[ ]’ penned next to a drawing of a noose in the breakroom restroom. This worker also saw ‘all monkeys work outside’ and ‘f[ ] N[ ]’ on the breakroom walls.”

Workers with Confederate flag tattoos allegedly exhibit them proudly to try to start a fight with African Americans. If any altercation emerges, the latter are punished more severely, which can include even terminations. The same would not happen to the employees provoking the African American workers.

The DFEH also accuses Tesla of employing African American people in “more physically demanding posts and the lowest-level contract roles.” Tesla would also pay them less and prevent them from “advancement opportunities.” There are reports of “only Black and/or African American workers cleaning the factory floor on their hands and knees,” something no other group of employees allegedly had to endure.

The Californian agency even traced a racial profile of Tesla workers. According to it, “Black and/or African American workers make up 0% of executives and about 3% of professionals at the Fremont plant.” On the other hand, “about 20% of the factory operatives, such as engine and other machine assemblers, are Black and/or African American.”

The issue is that the DFEH did not do its homework as it should. It also states in the lawsuit that “segregation at the Fremont factory, along with the absence of Black and/or African Americans in leadership roles, has left many complaints of rampant racism unchecked for years.” The Californian agency either completely forgot about Valerie Capers Workman, Tesla’s former vice president of people, or tried to exempt her from responsibility to reinforce the narrative that an African American executive could have prevented racism.

Workman is African American and she worked for Tesla for four years. She became the company’s vice president of people in July 2020. If she did not do anything about the “systematic racial discrimination and harassment” in her one year and seven months as the main human resources executive at the company, there are only two possible explanations for that: either Workman did not think there was anything wrong, or she could not do anything about it.

When Diaz won his lawsuit against Tesla on October 4, 2021, Workman’s email to employees ended up as a Tesla blog post as well. It is still online and states that she “strongly” believed that “these facts don’t justify the verdict reached by the jury in San Francisco.” Workman also said Diaz was not a Tesla employee – as if what happened to him inside Fremont was less severe due to being a contract worker – and that “he didn’t make any complaints about the n-word until after he was not hired full -time by Tesla – and after he hired an attorney.”

The DFEH lawsuit presents 13 causes of action against Tesla. Summing them up, they have to do with racial harassment, racial discrimination in the work environment (leading to worse employment conditions for African Americans), retaliation against those who complained, and fail to keep records of complaints.

The DFEH is asking Tesla to be judged by a jury. If convicted, the Californian agency wants the EV maker to pay:

1. Compensatory and punitive damages;
2. Economic damages and equitable relief (…);
3. Liquidated damages and penalties as required by law;
4. Injunctive relief;
5. Declaratory relief;
6. Prejudgment interest, as required by law;
7. Attorneys’ fees and costs to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing; other
8. Other relief the Court deems to be just and proper

That can represent a significant financial blow to Tesla, even worse than that caused by the Owen Diaz case. After all, we are now talking about “hundreds” of complaints with really serious reports of racial harassment and discrimination. That’s something Tesla and its investors have to worry about.

For us, what is more shocking is having to imagine anyone working every day in a hostile environment such as the one described by the DFEH lawsuit. If that is really how things are there, the quality problems Tesla vehicles suffer finally have a convincing – and pretty sad – explanation.

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Californians: Do They Help or Hurt Texas?

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Californians are packing up and moving to Texas in droves. These transplants come for a variety of reasons — lower cost of housing, the lack of a state income tax and the allure of innovative industries from aerospace to technology. They’re also driving up home prices and bringing with them big ideas on regulation, politics and education. How is this all playing out for Texans?

Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central on Friday, Feb 11for a provocative conversation, “Californians: Do They Help or Hurt Texas?”

Tribune editor-in-chief Sewell Chan wants to moderate a conversation with Kenneth P MillerRose professor of state and local government and director of the Rose Institute; Alexandra Suich Basssenior correspondent for politics, technology and society for The Economist; Ben Rowenassociate editor for Texas Monthly; Jennifer Mercieca, professor of communication at Texas A&M University; other Sergio Garcia Rios, assistant professor of government and Latino studies at Cornell University; on what the influx of Californians means for Texas’ economy, population and politics.

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Register for the conversation here

About Our Speakers

Miller is the Rose professor of state and local government and director of the Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna College. He is the author of “Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America,” published in 2020.

Suich Bass is The Economist’s senior correspondent for politics, technology and society, covering a range of political and public policy topics. She is author of a special report that ran in June 2019 arguing that America’s future can be understood by studying California and Texas. Previously, she spearheaded The Economist’s coverage of technology in America for four years from San Francisco.

Rowen is an associate news and politics editor at Texas Monthly. He recently published a story that encouraged Texans to embrace California transplants, called “The Case for More Californians.” Before joining Texas Monthly, Rowen worked as an editor and fact checker at Pacific Standard and The Atlantic.

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Mercieca is a professor of communication at Texas A&M University, where she writes about American political discourse, especially as it relates to citizenship, democracy and the presidency. She is the author of “Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump,” published in 2020.

Garcia-Rios is an assistant professor of government and Latino studies at Cornell University. His research focuses on voter turnout, political participation and public opinion, especially among Latino immigrants.

Chan joined The Texas Tribune as editor-in-chief in October. Previously, he was a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage that won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2021. Chan was a reporter and editor at The New York Times from 2004 to 2018 and began his career at The Washington Post, where he worked from 2000 to 2004.

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The conversation will also be available to view on demand after the event at texastribune.org/events.

Tribune events are also supported through contributions from our founding investors and members. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.

The post Why are so many Californians shifting to Texas? Be part of The Texas Tribune for a free digital occasion. appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN MARCOS, TX – Comfort Crew Cooling and Heating, one of the fastest growing HVAC companies in Texas, is pleased to announce that it was recently featured in leading industry publication Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News. The company was asked to speak about heat pumps, a fast-growing sector of the industry that often confuses customers because they don’t understand how these new systems work.

The biggest problem that can worry customers is when they feel their heat pump is overheating and think they could potentially catch fire. However, the reality is that the heat pumps work exactly as intended, which leads to some confusion. The heat coming from these systems is due to them going into defrost mode; Essentially, this mode is designed to remove any ice that may have accumulated during the heating cycle. Defrost mode ensures proper airflow over the coils and will actually improve performance rather than degrade it as many customers suspect. The system gradually heats up, transporting heat from the inside and then transferring that heat to the inside of the house. One of the main advantages of this new type of system is its efficiency. It gets to the same point as a gas or propane stove, but it just takes a little longer. However, it is significantly more economical, drawing only half the amps of the other systems.

“We’re delighted to be speaking in such a high-profile industry magazine on a topic that is becoming increasingly important as more people make the switch to the new, more modern heating systems,” said owner Eddie Glidewell. “Essentially, this is an educational issue that we have gladly embraced. Our corporate philosophy has always been based on exceptional and market-leading customer service, and we see education as a key component of this strategy. With this article, we hope to lead the way and spread the word to as many people as possible.” For the full article, visit https://www.achrnews.com/articles/145725-manufacturers-help-contractors-keep-up- with-heat-pump-technology-as-market-grows

Comfort Crew is the premier HVAC company in San Marcos, TX dedicated to meeting the indoor comfort needs of residential and commercial customers. They are the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and air quality (HVAC(AQ)) service provider of choice for the IH-35 Corridor and surrounding communities between Austin and San Antonio, Texas. They seek long-term commitments with their customers based on Trust in Service. The foundation of their business is providing responsive service and superior indoor air quality. Their technicians are factory trained and able to service complex cooling and heating systems. For more information about the company, its services and the Comfort Advantage Club, visit the website at https://comfortcrewtx.com.

Texas HVAC Company Featured In Industry Magazine Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News

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media contact

Company Name
Comfort Crew Cooling & Heating
contact name
Eddie Glidewell
phone
512-883-2626
address
5040 SH 123, Building #2-200
city
Saint Mark
Status
Texas
Postal code
78666
country
United States
website
https://www.comfortcrewtx.com/service-areas/san-marcos/

The post Texas HVAC Firm Featured In Business Journal Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.