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9 arrested in organized retail theft operation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

Nine people accused of being part of an “organized retail theft crew” were arrested last week in Leimert Park after detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department partnered with a local business to conduct a loss prevention operation, authorities announced Tuesday.  The operation unfolded on Sept. 14 in the 3700 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, according to an LAPD news release. Burglary detectives recovered a large assortment of stolen over-the-counter pharmaceutical products from two local businesses hidden inside of a U-Haul truck the suspects were using, 37 grams of methamphetamine and U.S. currency police believe was obtained from the illegal sale of the stolen pharmaceuticals.  Bags of over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, methamphetamine and U.S. currency recovered in an LAPD organized retail theft operation on Sept. 14, 2023. (LAPD)Of the nine arrests made, two were for felony organized crime theft crew, one for an outstanding felony arrest warrant, four we...

Danny Masterson's wife, Bijou Phillips, files for divorce after he receives decades-long prison sentence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

Danny Masterson's wife, Bijou Phillips, has filed for divorce less than two weeks after the former “That ’70s Show” actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003.The filing was submitted on Monday in Santa Barbara, with Philips citing “irreconcilable differences" as the reason behind their split, People Magazine reported. The two got married in 2011 and have one child together. Jeezy files for divorce from Jeannie Mai Jenkins: Report News of the divorce filing was first reported by TMZ.“Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter. This period has been unimaginably hard on the marriage and the family. Mr. Masterson was always present for Ms. Phillips during her most difficult times of her life," Peter Lauzon, Phillips’ lawyer, told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement."Ms. Phillips acknowledges that Mr. Masterson is a wonderful father to their daughter." After he...

2 'Bachelorette' contestants rescued off SoCal coast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - - Five men, including two local contestants from the reality television show "The Bachelorette," are lucky to be alive after their fishing trip ended with their boat underwater. That ship sank 15 to 20 miles off the coast of San Diego. Luckily for those on board, two people found them and were able to bring them back to shore. “It’s like being trapped and helpless because there’s no service, we weren’t able to send a distress signal at all, and the only thing you have out there is hope, hope that somebody finds you, hope that a helicopter flies over," Aaron Schwartzman, who owned the boat, said to FOX 5 Monday.He and his friends took to the sea for a good day out in the sun, hoping to catch some fish, but soon found themselves stranded in the water for three-and-a-half hours, about 15 miles from the coast. 5 people were rescued on a fishing trip that turned life-threatening.“I finally bought the boat of my dreams, or so I thought, for it to sink on me," Schwartzm...

Inmate accused of killing child sex offender cellmate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

A Los Angeles serial killer who earlier this year was accused of killing his cellmate at a federal prison in Kern County has been formally charged with murder, prosecutors said.Ramon Alberto Escobar, 52, is scheduled for arraignment Thursday on charges of first-degree murder and assault likely to produce great bodily injury by a prisoner serving a life term. Escobar shared a cell at North Kern State Prison with Juan Villanueva, who was serving a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Juan Villanueva (left) and Ramon Escobar (right) are shown in these undated photos provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Villanueva, 53, was found unresponsive in his cell on Feb. 24, and prosecutors allege he was strangled. ‘No evidence’ models’ deaths in downtown L.A. related, police say Escobar is already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for a...

Immerse Yourself In This Historical Adventure Fiction Novel Into The Kingdom By Tom Atkinson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

Are you a lover of all things adventure, or appreciate a thoroughly developed historical fiction? If so, Tom Atkinson’s book “Into The Kingdom” is the perfect book for you. Delve into a world of mystery and treasure, loosely based on the true legend of Prester John, as army veteran Peter Robertson sets on a journey destined to change his life forever. It’s not every day you come across a financial regular turned fiction writer, but that’s the case for author Tom Atkinson. After working six years as an international criminal/securities lawyer in Hong Kong, Atkinson moved back to his home country, Canada, and dedicated a year to writing a book. Every writer has a unique writing process, and for Atkinson, it involved transforming into somewhat of a recluse to fully immerse himself in his fictional world. And six months of living in his secluded cabin led to the creation of his book.And the outcome? An enthralling treasure hunt story with a unique spin on heroism.Inspired by the Age of ...

Life, Death, and the Rhythms In-Between: “Echoes” and the Power of Narrative Podcasting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

The human experience is filled with wonder and mystery, and no question has been pondered more than what happens when the body dies. What realms lie beyond this physical plane? Will you come back to live again? Perhaps again and again? While countless philosophies and religions have sought to answer this question, the truth is still debated. But what if reincarnation were scientifically proven to exist? What would the world look like? The genuinely captivating narrative podcast “Echoes,” created by Holly Payne-Strange and Heidi C. Bordogna, explores reincarnation with a fresh, one-of-a-kind perspective and with the help of a star-studded cast.Nearly ten years ago writer, director, and podcast creator Payne-Strange envisioned a narrative audio drama examining the effect of living daily life with the concrete knowledge of reincarnation. Echoes asks questions like whether love survives death, what we owe each other, and if someone behaves in a truly heinous manner in one l...

AI Evolution: Propelling Equality Forward through Ingenious Hi-Tech Solutions by Ideas  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

Building on the investment and support from Basis Research Group, Ideas’ founder, David Griffiths is ushering in a fresh era of technological advancement with his team at Ideas. Partnering with celebrated personalities from the US music industry such as Jason Aalon Butler and A$AP P, Ideas is ushering in a groundbreaking initiative called AI for Good. This unique project sets out on a two-fold aspiration – removing the intricate obstacles that obstruct access to Artificial Intelligence and advancing the cause of underrepresented and often neglected communities that have been left in the lurch of tech-forward progress at the helm of this trailblazing initiative.Ideas has plotted a holistic and pragmatic roadmap for their journey ahead. Pledging support for individuals spanning a wide spectrum of creative fields – musicians, artists, writers, and other creative souls to start, they are ardent about developing specialized tools to streamline career progression and lif...

49ers coach Shanahan taking note of Deion’s success at Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan is paying attention to Deion Sanders’ immediate success as the new football coach at the University of Colorado.Shanahan, the 49ers’ seventh-year coach, was a Saratoga High School teenager when he got Sanders’ 49ers jersey as a 1994 Christmas present that he would cherish. He wore it daily for over a month through the Super Bowl, which the 49ers won with his dad, Mike, as the offensive coordinator.That jersey eventually was stolen and remains adrift. But Shanahan’s affection for Sanders remains in place, and he has ties to the state after his father left the 49ers OC job to become Denver’s head coach in 1995.Here is what he said about Sanders guiding Colorado to a 3-0 start as college football’s marquee show:“Yeah, it’s been fun to watch, really cool. You never know how it’s going to work out. Then with him going there and the whole transfer rules, which I don’t even understand and hope never have to, you don’t know how...

Santa Clara County to search for alternatives to using tear gas, pepper spray in jails on mentally ill inmates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

Following a recent report condoning the use of tear gas and pepper spray in Santa Clara County jails, the Board of Supervisors wants to explore alternatives to chemical agents when trying to get mentally ill inmates to comply.The report, which was published several months ago by the county’s Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring, reviewed — and signed off on — 17 situations where tear gas or pepper spray was used in the county jails. In 14 of the cases, deputies were responding to request from medical or mental health personnel to extract an inmate from their cell. Four of those 14 cases were to administer court-ordered medication, three were to move the inmates to the acute psychiatric unit and another three were to impose suicide precautions.But the use of tear gas and pepper spray appeared to trouble the supervisors, who on Tuesday afternoon, unanimously voted to direct the law enforcement oversight group that wrote the report to work with the Sher...

House GOP sets first Biden impeachment hearing for Sept. 28

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:44 GMT

By Farnoush Amiri | Associated PressWASHINGTON — House Republicans plan to hold their first hearing next week in their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.The hearing — scheduled for Sept. 28 — is expected to focus on “constitutional and legal questions” that surround the allegations of Biden’s involvement in his son Hunter’s overseas businesses, according to a spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee.Republicans — led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — have contended in recent weeks that Biden’s actions from his time as vice president show a “culture of corruption,” and that his son used the “Biden brand” to advance his business with foreign clients.The spokesperson also said Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of Oversight, plans to issue subpoenas for the personal and business bank records of Hunter Biden and the president’s brother James Biden “as early as this week.” McCarthy appointed Comer to ...