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Judge rewrites abortion ballot summary, calls Ashcroft’s version 'problematic'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri judge is rewriting ballot language for initiative petitions, asking voters if abortion should once again be legal after the ruling said the language written by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is "problematic."Supporters of the referendum accuse Ashcroft of writing misleading ballot summary language, which is why the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri filed the lawsuit, leading a Cole County judge in Jefferson City to write the summaries himself.It's been a constant court battle over an initiative petition asking voters if abortion rights should be restored in Missouri."The Secretary of State used language that is poll-tested to be anti-abortion, and he also used language that would trigger a deep emotional response to voters because the ballot summary really is what every Missourian gets to see when they go into the ballot box to check yes or no," Tori Schafer, deputy director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said.In t...

Orange County doctor specializing in treating LGBTQ+ community charged with sexually assaulting male patients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

An Orange County infectious disease doctor specializing in treating members of the LGBTQ+ community has been charged with sexually assaulting nine male patients, officials announced Tuesday.The incidents occurred “under the guise that the assaults were part of necessary medical exams,” according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.Dr. William Thompson IV, 56, of Huntington Beach, faces eight felony charges of sexual penetration by means of fraudulent representation of professional purpose, three felony counts of sexual battery by fraud and two felony counts of forcible oral copulation, officials detailed in a news release.The assaults allegedly occurred between 2016 and 2020 and included forcing one patient to orally copulate him and performing medically unnecessary anal exams.“After learning medical procedures being performed on them by Thompson were not medically necessary, six of Thompson’s patients disclosed that they had been sexually assaulted by Thompson,” officia...

Alleged sextortion victims of Riverside County custody deputy say problem is widespread

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

Victims of serious allegations against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are coming forward after they say they were sexually assaulted while on home detention.They say it was part of a scheme by correctional deputy assigned to the jail to engage in sex acts with female inmates.Christian Heidecker is seen in a photo released by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Christian Heidecker, 32, was arrested earlier this month and faces eighteen 18 felony charges for engaging in rape, bribery and sextortion. He was placed on administrative leave from the agency, though lawyers representing two alleged victims in the case referred to him as a former deputy.“We’re are here because we’d like other victims to come forward and not to be afraid,” one victim said during a news conference announcing legal action against the county. “We just want justice because, as you see and hear, there’s crimes being done. Inside the jails is horrors being done to us,” another said. The victims we...

Why do Californians pay so much for gas?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

Gasoline prices in California edged higher again on Tuesday, hitting an average of $5.84 per gallon - a little over a penny more than Monday’s average, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).Drivers in metro Los Angeles are paying an average of $6.14/gallon, nearly 80 cents more than a month ago and 30 cents more than a year ago as gas prices tread dangerously close to L.A.'s all-time record of $6.50/gallon from October 2022.For comparison, drivers in southern states such as Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama only pay around $3.30/gallon.So why are gas prices spiking now? And why do Californians always pay more?In the short term, AAA says global oil prices have risen to more than $90 per barrel while demand also continues to rise. At the same time, domestic gas stock has declined slightly.So, some of this can be attributed to the basic economic law of supply and demand.However, in Southern California, experts say regional -and political- fact...

4 suspects busted during commercial burglary series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

Police in Glendale arrested four suspects involved in a series of commercial burglaries early Tuesday morning, authorities announced.  Officers were alerted to the first incident by a burglary alarm in the 400 block of South Glendale Avenue, at around 3 a.m. Just 10 minutes later, while police were investigating the first incident, a second burglar alarm came out in the 1100 block of South Glendale Avenue.  “Recognizing this as a burglary series, officers were on-alert as they checked local business districts,” a Glendale Police Department news release stated.  As patrol units were searching for the suspects in the 1200 block of Glenoaks Boulevard, officers heard glass breaking at a nearby business and spotted a black vehicle attempting to flee the scene. Two businesses that sustained damage during a commercial burglary series in Glendale on Sept. 26, 2023. (Glendale PD)“Quickly calling for backup, Glendale Police Officers coordinated their efforts, effectively boxing...

12-year-old boy killed in Adelanto crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

A boy was struck and killed by a vehicle in Adelanto Monday morning, officials said.The incident occurred around 7:10 a.m. near the intersection of Seneca Road and Jonathan Street, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.The boy was struck as he was crossing the street in the area, a spokesperson detailed in an email to KTLA.The victim was treated at the scene, but died from his injuries.The driver of the vehicle stayed on the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, the spokesperson said.

Video shows Jack-In-The-Box employee open fire on family in drive-thru

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

A newly released video shows a Jack-In-The-Box employee shooting at a family in a dispute over curly fries, according to court documents.Anthony Ramos, of Miami, along with his then-pregnant wife Jeraldin Ospina and their 6-year-old daughter, had pulled up to a Houston Jack-In-The-Box in March 2021, planning to order lunch with a side of curly fries.When the fries did not come through, Ramos asked employee Alonniea Ford about the missing item, but she “refused to fulfill the order,” which had already been purchased, according to court records from a lawsuit about the incident.(Credit: Randall Kallinen)When the family asked to speak with a manager, Ford “began cursing at [the family] and yelling at them to ‘get the (expletive) outta here!'” court documents said.The family argued back, after which Ford hurled packets of ketchup, ice, and a variety of other items at the family's car, the video shows. Ford then retrieved a gun and fired it at the family's car as it sped away.Ford was ul...

One Dies in Pedestrian Collision on Holcombe Boulevard [Houston, TX]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

1 Pronounced Dead after Pedestrian Accident near StaffordshireHOUSTON, TX (September 26, 2023) – Saturday night, a collision occurred on Holcombe Boulevard resulting in the fatality of a pedestrian.At approximately 6:30 p.m., officers arrived at the location near Staffordshire and the Texas Medical Center.According to reports, a pedestrian who was crossing the road was struck by a passing vehicle.Medics pronounced the involved pedestrian dead at the scene, due to the extent of their condition. However, the identity of the victim has not yet been disclosed by authorities.In the meantime, the driver involved in the collision remained at the scene and fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation.For a short period, emergency crews closed off the surrounding area for cleanup and preliminary procedures. Additional information regarding the fatal pedestrian accident on Holcombe Boulevard will be provided when it becomes available.In this sorrowful time, the Sweet James team would...

President Biden arrives at Moffett Field for campaign visit in Bay Area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

A small crowd of onlookers erupted in applause, screaming out “Joe! Joe!” as President Joe Biden stepped off of Air Force One and onto the tarmac at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View on Tuesday afternoon.Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg, dressed in a gold satin pantsuit, and David Korsmeyer, the acting deputy center director at NASA’s Ames Research Center shook hands with the president in front of his motorcade, chatting with him for several minutes before Biden headed over to greet the crowd.President Joe Biden greets Santa Clara County Board President Susan Ellenberg, second from right, at Moffett Field on Tuesday, Sept 26, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) The octogenarian president showed no sign of his age as he broke into a jog, kicking off another ovation of cheers on the tarmac.Biden spent a few moments chatting with a young girl before taking someone’s phone and snapping a se...

New cars are supposed to be safer, but not for pedestrians, cyclists

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:37 GMT

By Travis Loller | Associated PressNASHVILLE, Tenn. — Alyssa Milligan was someone who intuitively knew when another person needed help, encouragement or a kind word. Although she was new to Tennessee, the 23-year old physical therapy student, whose mother called her “Sweet Alyssa,” had already made many close connections, especially within the tight-knit cycling community around Nashville — before she was killed this month, struck by a pickup truck while cycling with a friend.Roadway deaths in the U.S. are mounting despite government test data showing vehicles have been getting safer. While the number of all car-related fatalities has trended upward over the last decade, pedestrians and cyclists have seen the sharpest rise: over 60% between 2011 and 2022.It coincides with a steep increase in sales of SUVs, pickup trucks and vans, which accounted for 78% of new U.S. vehicle sales in 2022, according to Motorintelligence.com.Current U.S. ratings only consider the safety of ...