Thursday, June 30, 2016

How liquid aspirin could kill brain tumours


Researchers think that aspirin in its true liquid form could be a breakthrough treatment to help tackle brain tumours.  The tablet is already used to treat headaches and stop blood clots from forming. But new findings show it has been successful in eliminating diseased cells in brain tumours. - Read More
How liquid aspirin could kill brain tumours

Scientists say they've developed aspirin that crosses the blood-brain barrier - ScienceAlert

Twin suicide bombings kill 30 in Kabul - latimes

TwTaliban suicide bombers attacked several buses filled with police cadets Thursday, killing 30 and injuring at least 58, a government spokesman said.

The first bomber walked up to the convoy of buses arriving in Kabul from Wardak province, which is home to one of the largest police academies in Afghanistan, and detonated his explosives, according to Sediq Sediqqi, an Interior Ministry spokesman. As cadets and officers rushed to help survivors of the first blast, the second bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives, he said.

The cadets were largely in their late teens to mid-20s, officials said. Some of them had just graduated and were being transferred to new areas to work. Others were traveling to Kabul to celebrate Eid al Fitr, the period of feasting that marks the end of Ramadan and one of Islam’s most sacred holidays.

“We were following the bus that was targeted first,” said a police trainer, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on the matter. Before he could stop and get out to help, the second bomb went off. “I saw a huge plume of fire in the sky and rushed to help injured ones,” he said.
“Forty-five policemen were riding on the first bus,” he said. “None of them survived. Some others were also killed and injured from the second blast.”

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that over 100 policemen were killed and dozens wounded. - Read More

Twin suicide bombings kill 30 in Kabul

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

North America leaders urge against Trump’s isolationism - Washingtonpost

OTTAWA, Ontario — President Barack Obama and the leaders of Mexico and Canada pushed back forcefully on Wednesday against the isolationist and anti-immigrant sentiments that have roiled Britain and been championed by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. The leaders warned against easy solutions peddled by “demagogues” who feed on economic anxiety.

With tensions growing over terrorism and fallout from Britain’s exit from the European Union, Obama acknowledged that Americans and others have reason to be concerned about their own future in a rapidly globalizing economy. He said concerns about immigrants had been exploited by politicians in the past, but he insisted he wasn’t worried Americans will follow that path.

“We should take some of this seriously and answer it boldly and clearly,” Obama said, without naming the Republican presidential candidate. “But you shouldn’t think that is representative of how the American people think.”

Gathering in the Canadian capital, the leaders defended their calls for freer trade within the continent and beyond. They argued that instead of withdrawing from the world, advanced countries should focus on higher standards, wages and legal protections that would ensure the benefits of globalization are widely felt.

“The integration of national economies into a global economy, that’s here. That’s done,” Obama said.

Obama’s comments at a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto came as the leaders sought to show unity amid growing nationalist movements in Europe and elsewhere, epitomized by Britain’s move to leave the 28-member EU. - Read More

North America leaders urge against Trump's isolationism

Barack Obama's full speech to House of Commons - The Star

The U.S. president said he was grateful for his relationship with Trudeau, and his greeting was “simply a reflection of the extraordinary alliance and deep friendship between Canadians and Americans.”

OTTAWA—Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker, members of the House, members of the Senate, distinguished guests, people of Canada, thank you for this extraordinary welcome, which tempts me to just shut up and leave.

Because it can’t get any better than this.

Obviously, I’m grateful for the warm welcome. I’m extraordinarily grateful for the close working relationship and friendship with your outstanding prime minister, Justin Trudeau and his extraordinary wife Sophie.

But I think it’s fair to say that much of this greeting is simply a reflection of the extraordinary alliance and deep friendship between Canadians and Americans. Justin, thank you for your very kind words, and for the new energy and hope that your leadership has brought to your nation, as well as to the alliance. My time in office may be nearing an end, but I know that Canada and the world will benefit from your leadership for years to come.

So Canada was the very first country that I visited as president. It was in February.

It was colder. I was younger. - Read More
Barack Obama's full speech to House of Commons

Climate deal caps North American leaders' summit
Photos: The Three Amigos join forces in historic visit - More

At least 41 killed in terror attack on Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport - hurriyetdailynews

At least 41 people were killed and 239 others were injured when suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants attacked Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport late on June 28, the Governor's office announced on June 29.

It added that 10 of the victims were foreign nationals and three had dual-citizenship.

The Governor's Office also said 109 of the wounded were discharged while the other 130 were still receiving treatment.

“According to the most recent information, 36 people have lost their lives,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told reporters at the scene of the attack in the early hours of June 29, adding that “the evidence points to Daesh,” using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

Three suicide bombers opened fire at passengers with automatic rifles before blowing themselves up, Yıldırım said.

The attack was carried out in the arrivals section of the airport’s international terminal, and there might be foreigners among the victims, the prime minister added.

Meanwhile, a gag order has been issued on the attack. - Read More

At least 41 killed in terror attack on Istanbul's Atatürk Airport - LOCAL

Access to Higher Education to Unleash Potential in Afghan Women - USAIID

Funded by USAID and implemented by The Asia Foundation, the Promote Scholarship Program will provide scholarships to 720 Afghan girls over the next five years enabling them to complete their Bachelor’s degree at private universities in Afghanistan.  The recipients of the Promote Scholarship, in turn, are expected to contribute to creating an environment that fosters women’s empowerment.

Promote will work closely with the Afghan MoHE to select the scholarship recipients based on their Kankor exam scores, and to support students that demonstrate strong academic potential but are unable to pursue university education due to inadequate funds.

“It is time to thank the United States for their generosity and sacrifice to make those changes possible for the citizens of Afghanistan in making the future brighter for the new generations,” said the Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

“This is a celebration, demonstrating the continuation of the U.S. Government’s strategic investment in women’s empowerment, and giving us hope and opportunity for advancement and personal enrichment, and for the advancement of Afghan women,” said Chargé d'Affaires Raynor.

“Providing access to education…in all provinces…opens the door wider to develop and empower women with the necessary skills to serve as true change agents in their communities,” said Mr. Ahmadzai from the Asia Foundation.

With more than $17 billion spent on development programs in Afghanistan since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID partners with the government and people of Afghanistan to ensure economic growth led by the country’s private sector, establish a democratic and capable state governed by the rule of law, and provide basic health and education services for all Afghans.

To find out more about the Promote Women’s Scholarship Program, please visit: www.mohe.gov.af/scholarship - Read More
Access to Higher Education to Unleash Potential in Afghan Women

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Gov. Jerry Brown signs $171-billion state budget

Gov. Jerry Brown approved a state budget during a busy Monday in the Capitol, where lawmakers made progress on a $2-billion proposal to shelter the homeless but put the brakes on new energy policies during an acrimonious hearing. 

The $171-billion spending plan increases funding for state-subsidized child care and removes a limit on welfare payments for families who have additional children while receiving benefits. 

It also boosts the state's reserves, depositing an extra $2 billion into a rainy-day fund intended as a cushion against any future economic downturns.

“This solid budget makes responsible investments in California and sets aside billions of dollars to prepare for the next recession," Brown said in a statement.

The governor didn’t veto anything from the budget legislation he signed, signaling an unusual level of agreement with lawmakers. In previous years, Brown has used his line-item veto power to make small changes, even if he agreed with the overall spending plan.

"California is in stronger fiscal shape than we have been for years," Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said in a statement.

More work remains on state spending. The budget sets aside $400 million for affordable housing, but it won't be spent unless the governor and lawmakers reach a deal on streamlining regulations for building new homes. In addition, no agreement has been reached on how the state should spend revenue from its cap-and-trade program, or how it should fund billions of dollars in overdue road repairs. 

Meanwhile, a $2-billion bond measure to help house homeless people suffering from mental illness was passed by the state Senate after an agreement was reached between Democratic and Republican leaders. - Read More at the latimes

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Brexit referendum: EU ministers press UK for quick exit

EU states have urged Britain to hold speedy talks on leaving the bloc after it voted to end its membership in a historic referendum.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said negotiations should begin as "soon as possible".  He made the comments after an urgent meeting of the six EU founder members to discuss the decision.

British PM David Cameron has said he will step down by October to allow his successor to conduct talks.

The six countries attending the summit in Berlin - Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - first joined forces in the 1950s and still form the core of the EU.

"We say here together, this process should get under way as soon as possible so that we are not left in limbo but rather can concentrate on the future of Europe," Mr Steinmeier said.

His Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders said the continent could not accept a political vacuum, saying "this will not be business as usual".

Meanwhile on negotiations, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "It shouldn't take forever, that's right, but I would not fight for a short time frame."  She added that she was seeking a "objective, good" climate in talks on Britain's exit from the EU, and that there was no need to make deterrence a priority.

Mrs Merkel also said there was "no need to be particularly nasty in any way in the negotiations; they must be conducted properly". - Read More
Brexit referendum: EU ministers press UK for quick exit - BBC News

Merkel sees no need to rush Britain into quick EU divorce - Reuters

Road to Kabul Exhibition - National Army Museum



An exhibition has opened at the National Army Museum looking at historical wars in Afghanistan. The Road to Kabul: British Armies in Afghanistan, 1838--1919 shows how the country has been strategically important for centuries. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries British troops fought three wars in Afghanistan, with some battles taking place on the same ground where British soldiers are fighting today. - MORE

Road to Kabul Exhibition 26.10.10 - YouTube


After decades in Pakistan, more Afghan refugees set to return - UNHCR

Pakistan wants to repatriate some of the almost 1.6 million refugees living in the country. UNHCR has set aside funds for 60,000 returnees.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, June 23 (UNHCR) – Families sat quietly. Small children explored among the chairs. These people were going back, some after decades. And they were going back for good.

They were Afghan refugees and this was the Voluntary Repatriation Centre of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Peshawar.

Payenda Bibi Shahnaz sat in a wheelchair. Her husband Shamamud sat in another one. They have been refugees in Pakistan for 33 years but they, too, are going back to Afghanistan with their two sons, who will take care of them.

UNHCR will also help them after they return to their country.

The two met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who visited the centre today and wished them luck. UNCHR also provides returning refugees with US$200 for initial travel and housing.

There is now a concerted push from the Pakistan government to repatriate a large number of the almost one million refugees living in the Peshawar district. UNHCR has set aside funds for 60,000 returnees.

But many more choose to remain. They told Grandi at a ‘shura’, or community meeting, that educational and economic opportunities kept them in Pakistan. 

They also feared the violence in their home country. Of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, 31 have seen scenes of conflict in recent months.

Another great fear is centred on their Pakistan Proof of Registration cards. These are all due to run out on June 30. Without them, refugees are subject to arrest and even deportation. Grandi said he had strongly urged the Pakistan government to extend their validity. The decision will be made by the Pakistan cabinet. 

Grandi told them he understood their fears and their concerns that $200 is not enough to resettle in an uncertain country. - Read More

After decades in Pakistan, more Afghan refugees set to return

Friday, June 24, 2016

Kabul in 1979 And 2016: A Mother And Daughter Reflect On Change - Sparghai Basir Aryan


Read More at the Huffingtonpost

Kabul in 1979 And 2016: A Mother And Daughter Reflect On Change

U.N. refugee chief urges Pakistanis not to label Afghan refugees 'terrorists'

The United Nations refugee chief on Thursday urged Pakistanis not to blame Afghan refugees for terrorism in their country, amid growing public calls for their deportation and worsening relations between the two neighbors.

Warning that the roughly 2.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan risked becoming a "forgotten" crisis, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called on the international community to invest more funds to help them.

"My appeal is that, not only to the authorities but also to the local population: refugees as you know are not terrorists," Grandi said during a visit to a repatriation center outside the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar.

Pakistani officials have recently hinted at the possibility of deporting Afghan refugees, amid tense relations with Kabul.

A decision to renew their legal status by June 30 has not yet been announced, although past deadlines have been extended at the last minute.

The number of Afghans voluntarily returning home is down sharply this year as violence worsens in Afghanistan, where the government and its U.S. allies are fighting a stubborn Taliban insurgency.

So far, about 6,000 Afghans have chosen to return home from Pakistan in 2016, compared with 58,211 voluntary repatriations last year, according to the UNHCR.

At the repatriation center, refugees wiped the sweat from their faces as they waited in sweltering heat for their cases to be processed, a necessary step before they can set off on the journey home.

Many Afghan refugees say they are being pressured to go back by the authorities, amid worsening diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. - Read More

U.N. refugee chief urges Pakistanis not to label Afghan refugees 'terrorists'


Dow closes down 600 after Brexit surprise; financials post worst day since 2011

U.S. stocks plunged more than 3 percent Friday to end in the red for the year so far after Britain surprised markets by voting to leave the European Union.

“It’s a combination of at first positioning, plus the reality that this issue is not the most simple to address and something you don’t have precedent for,” said Lefteris Farmakis, a macro strategist at UBS.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down about 611 points — its eighth-largest point loss ever — with Goldman Sachs contributing the most to declines. On a percentage basis the Dow and S&P had their worst day since August 2015, while the Nasdaq composite’s 4.1 percent decline was the index’s worst since August 2011.

With Friday’s drop, both the Dow and S&P erased their gains for the year so far. The Nasdaq composite was nearly 6 percent lower year-to-date.

Financials dropped 5.4 percent in their worst day since August 2011 to lead nine S&P 500 sectors lower.

Pound sterling fell more than 10 percent against the U.S. dollar between its high of $1.500 touched late Thursday to the overnight low of $1.3224, its lowest since 1985. Sterling was last near $1.366. - Read More at the NBR

Dow closes down 600 after Brexit surprise; financials post worst day since 2011

Obama tries to limit fallout from British EU exit vote

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday tried to limit the fallout from Britain's vote to leave the European Union, which threatens to harm the U.S. economic recovery, derail his trade agenda and distract U.S. allies from global security issues.

Obama, who had argued passionately against Britain leaving the EU in a trip to the country this year, vowed that Washington would still maintain both its "special relationship" with London and close ties to Brussels.

"While the UK's relationship with the EU will change, one thing that will not change is the special relationship that exists between our two nations. That will endure," he told an event at Stanford University, referring to close ally Britain. "The EU will remain one of our indispensable partners," Obama said.

He spoke to outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the stunning result of Thursday's referendum, the biggest blow to the European project of greater unity since World War Two.

Obama said he was sure Britain's exit would be orderly and vowed that the United States and Britain would "stay focused on ensuring economic growth and financial stability."

The Brexit result rattled Wall Street and many other financial markets, with global stock markets losing about $2 trillion in value on Friday. - Read More
Obama tries to limit fallout from British EU exit vote

Obama says U.S. special relationship with Britain will endure

Britain votes to leave EU, Cameron quits, markets rocked

Here’s the full text of Cameron’s statement:

There can be no doubt about the result. Across the world, people have been watching the choice that Britain has made. I want to reassure those markets that Britain’s economy is fundametally strong. I would also reassure Brits in European countries and EU citizens living here that there will be no immediate changes in your circumstances. There will be no initial change in how we can travel, how our services and goods can move. we must now prepare for a negotiation with the EU. This will needed to involve the full participation of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments to ensure all parts of our United Kingdom are protected and advanced.

Above all this will require strong, determined and committed leadership. I am proud and very honoured to have been the prime minister of this country for six years.

I have always believed we need to confront big decisions not duck them. I fought this campaign in the only way I know how, to say directly and passionately what I think and feel, head, heart and soul. I held nothing back. I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the EU. I made clear the referendum was about this and this along not the future of any single politician, including myself. But the British people made a different decision to take a different path. As such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction. I will do everything I can as prime minister, to steady the ship in the weeks ahead, but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to the next destination. This is not a decision I have taken lightly but I do think it is in the national interests to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required. In my view we should aim to have new prime minister by the start of the Conservative party conference in October, delivering stability will be in important and I will continue in post with my cabinet for the coming months. The cabinet will meet on Monday.

The negotiation with the European Union will need to take place under the next prime minister, and the new prime minister takes the decision about whether to trigger Article 50, the legal process of leaving the EU. I will attend the European Council next week to explain the decision the British people have taken and the decision I have taken.

I love this country and I feel honoured to have served it. And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed. - Read More 

Brexit live: David Cameron resigns after EU referendum result  - theguardian

David Cameron resigns after UK votes to leave European Union

:   PM announces resignation following victory for leave supporters after divisive referendum campaign
David Cameron has announced his resignation after the British public rejected his personal entreaties and voted to leave the European Union.

“The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered,” the prime minister said, his voice breaking with emotion, and his wife Samantha standing at his side in Downing Street.

Cameron promised to remain in post until the autumn, to “steady the ship”, but said: “I do not think it would be right for me to be the captain who steers the country to its next destination.”

He revealed that he had already spoken to the Queen to make his plans clear; but would not yet trigger article 50, the clause in the EU’s Lisbon treaty that kicks off a two-year withdrawal process.

His dramatic announcement came after a sharp fall in the pound and as £128bn was wiped off the FTSE 100.

Cameron said: “I am honoured to have been prime minister of this country for six years.”

Cameron’s team in Downing Street were shocked and distraught by the narrow win for leave, after polls had suggested a move towards a comfortable margin for remain in the final few days of campaigning. - Read More at the Guardian

British PM David Cameron resigns after UK Brexit vote 


UK votes to leave EU after dramatic night divides nation

Thursday, June 23, 2016

EU referendum: UK votes to leave in historic referendum - BBC News

The UK has voted by 52% to 48% to leave the European Union after 43 years in an historic referendum.
London and Scotland voted strongly to stay in the EU but the remain vote has been undermined by poor results in the north of England.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage hailed the result as the UK's "independence day".

The pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985 as the markets reacted to the results

The referendum turnout was 71.8% - with more than 30 million people voting - the highest turnout at a UK election since 1992.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage - who has campaigned for the past 20 years for Britain to leave the EU - told cheering supporters "this will be a victory for ordinary people, for decent people".

Germany's foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier describes the referendum result as as "a sad day for Europe and Great Britain" - Read More

Brexit: UK votes to leave EU in historic referendum 

Obama decries Supreme Court decision - The Hill

President Obama on Thursday decried a Supreme Court deadlock that effectively killed his landmark executive actions on immigration.

In a statement from the White House, he defended the sweeping actions as necessary to help fix the country's immigration system in the face of congressional inaction.

"The fact the Supreme Court wasn't able to issue a decision today doesn't just set the system back even further, it takes us further from the country that we aspire to be," he said.

Obama sought to act unilaterally to protect millions of parents of U.S. citizen and permanent-resident children from deportation and expand a similar program that applied to young undocumented immigrants.

But the high court tied 4-4, leaving in place a lower court ruling that blocked the programs from taking effect.

Obama said deadlock is "heartbreaking" and "frustrating" for the more than 4 million people who could have benefitted from the program.

Obama all but conceded the court's tie ended the fight over immigration reform during his presidency, but he called the fall contests a referendum on "who we're going to be as a country."

"We're going to have to make a decision about whether we are a people who tolerate the hypocrisy of a system where the workers who pick our fruit or make our beds never have the chance to get right with the law, or whether we're going to give them a chance, just like our forbearers had a chance, to take responsibility and give their kids a better future," he said.

"Sooner or later, immigration reform will get done," the president predicted.  "Congress is not going to be able to ignore America forever."

"If you keep on blocking judges from getting on the bench then courts can't issue decisions, what that means is you're going to have the status quo frozen and we're not going to make progress on important issues," Obama said.

"It is my firm belief that immigration is not something to fear," he said. "We don't have to wall ourselves off from those who may not look like us right now or pray like we do or have a different last name. ... What makes us Americans [is] our shared commitment to an ideal that all of us are created equal, all of us have a chance to make of our lives what we will." - Read More
Obama decries Supreme Court decision

Deadlocked Supreme Court blocks Obama on immigration

نماینده افغانستان درسازمان ملل: پاکستان با پناه دادن به تروریسم از قطعنامه‌های این سازمان تخطی می‌کند

محمود صیقل، نماینده افغانستان در سازمان ملل در سخنرانی اخیر خود گفته که طی پانزده سال گذشته، تعداد زیادی از رهبران گروه‌های "تروریستی"، به شمول اسامه بن لادن رهبر شبکۀ القاعده، ملا عمر و ملا اختر منصور رهبران گروه طالبان، در پاکستان بسر برده و در همانجا جان داده‌اند.
او مدعی شده که کشور پاکستان پناهگاه‌های امن تروریستان است و این کار اسلام‌آباد "نقض آشکار حاکمیت کشورهای دیگر را از سوی پاکستان ثابت می‌سازد و تخطی روشن از قطعنامه‌های ۱۳۷۳ و ۲۲۵۵ شورای امنیت در رابطه به رژیم تعزیرات در برابر طالبان به شمار می‌رود."

آقای صیقل افزوده که به باور افغانستان نیاز فوری برای اجراء درست قطعنامه‌های موجود شورای امنیت ملل متحد در رابطه به مبارزه با تروریسم وجود دارد.

او با اشاره به سخنرانی ماه آوریل رئیس جمهور غنی در پارلمان افغانستان گفت که رئیس جمهور غنی گفته بود در صورتی عدم تغییر در سیاست استفاده از "تروریستان" برای انجام جنگ‌های نیابتی، افغانستان گزینه‌ای جز ارجاع قضیه به شورای امنیت ملل متحد و اتخاذ اقدامات جدی دیپلوماتیک نخواهد داشت.

نماینده افغانستان، پاکستان را متهم کرده که با عمل نکردن به تعهداتش باعث کندی روند صلح شده و افزوده است: "در مقابل رفتار غیر مسئولانه یک کشور خاص، سایر اعضاء گروه هماهنگی چهار جانبه به تعهدات انجام شده پابند بوده و حتی به آن جامه عمل پوشانده‌اند."

او با اشاره به کشته شدن ملا منصور در یک حمله هوایی در پاکستان، افزوده است: "پاسپورت پاکستانی موصوف با اسم جعلی، که با استفاده از آن چندین بار از طریق میدان‌های هوایی پاکستان سفر نموده بود، نیز بدست آمد."

آقای صیقل افزوده که بازی انکار، دورویی و ملامت نمودن افغانستان همچنان ادامه دارد. برای موفقیت در جنگ با "تروریسم" باید به این بازی نقطه پایان گذاشته شود.

نماینده افغانستان افزوده که امیدوار است صدای عقلانیت افغانستان شنیده شود، در غیر آن پیام افغانستان بسیار واضح است: "اشتباه نکنید؛ حکومت و مردم ...افغانستان هیچگاه در برابر تهدید، خشونت و تجاوز تسلیم نشده‌اند و تسلیم نمی‌شوند." - Read More at the BBC

پاکستان با پناه دادن به تروریسم از قطعنامه‌های این سازمان تخطی می‌کند

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

How much do O.C.'s public city workers earn? More than $145,000 on average

SANTA ANA – Orange County’s public city employees earned $144,817 on average last year, amounting to a 3 percent raise from the year prior, according to data released Tuesday by an open-records advocacy group.

The records, which include public data for all but two of the county’s 34 cities, revealed that much of that pay often comes from total compensation packages, not base pay, with 41 percent of average total annual pay coming from benefits, overtime and other payments.

Tuesday’s report was released by the conservative-leaning group Transparent California.

At $453,092, Santa Ana City Manager David Cavazos’ compensation package was the highest of any city worker in the county and the sixth-highest among city managers in the state, according to the data. His $341,710 base salary is top among all city managers in the state.

The average total pay for a city manager in Orange County was $279,000 last year.

Though overtime pay dropped 5 percent countywide from 2014, the report notes several city employees who earned more than double their base salary by working large amounts of overtime in 2015.

Robert Fellner, Transparent California’s research director, said such high overtime was dangerous for public safety workers.

Among all city employees, Costa Mesa workers had the highest average salary, earning $165,388 in total compensation. Newport Beach employees were second with $165,025 on average, followed by Huntington Beach workers, who earned $162,713 on average. - Read More at the OCRegister

How much do O.C.'s public city workers earn? More than $145,000 on average