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Ridley-Thomas sentenced to 42 months on corruption charges, reports say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

Former Los Angeles County Supervisor and City Council Member Mark Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Monday.Legal reporter Meghann Cuniff reported that Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months in prison. "He’s to report on Nov. 13 and will stay out of custody until then. Judge Fischer originally set his report date for Nov. 6, but that’s MRT’s birthday so she agreed to push back his report date one week," Cuniff said.Ridley-Thomas, 68, was convicted of seven corruption charges in March, among them bribery, fraud and conspiracy.Ridley-Thomas and Marilyn Louise Flynn, the former dean of USC’s School of Social Work, worked together to funnel $100,000 from a campaign fund through the school and ultimately to a nonprofit run by Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, the former supervisor's son.In exchange, USC received a "lucrative county contract," according to prosecutors. Flynn pleaded guilty to bribery last year, and she was sentenced to three years of probation, th...

Joe the Plumber dead at 49

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49.His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after a long illness. His family announced this year on an online fundraising site that he had pancreatic cancer.“The only thing I have to say is that he was a true patriot,” Joey Wurzelbacher — whose father had the middle name Joseph and went by Joe — said in a telephone interview. “His big thing is that everyone come to God. That’s what he taught me, and that’s a message I hope is heard by a lot of people.”He went from toiling as a plumber in suburban Toledo, Ohio, to life as a media sensation when he asked Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop.Their exchange and Obama’s response that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” a...

El Segundo to celebrate Little League World Series champions with multiple events

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

The El Segundo 12U All Stars are returning home as world champions after winning the Little League World Series on Sunday.Two events will be held in El Segundo to celebrate the team’s win, with the first happening on Monday afternoon. Lakers, Dodgers and other sports teams donate $450k to Hawaii wildfire victims The Little League World Series champs are scheduled to return to El Segundo on Monday, where they will be greeted with a homecoming celebration. The team will be driven in a caravan down Imperial Highway to El Segundo Boulevard in El Segundo, according to the team’s Facebook page.The event starts at 3:30 p.m. and everyone is encouraged to attend and showcase their team pride. Guests are encouraged to wear team colors and clothing and bring balloons and pets to the celebration.For those who can’t attend the event on Monday, another celebratory parade will be held of the team on Sept. 12 at noon. 9-year-old signs six-figure NIL deal with sports agency Guests interested in ...

Fight at In-N-Out after Chargers-49ers game leads to stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

A large fight broke out Friday night at an In-N-Out near Levi's Stadium, KTLA sister station KRON reports.According to a Facebook post by the Santa Clara Police Department, the brawl broke out around 11:12 p.m. after the 49ers' preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.Two people suffered multiple stab wounds from the fight, according to SCPD. Police said at least ten people were involved -- some seen wearing either 49ers or Raiders gear. One person was captured on video holding a knife-like weapon before he stabs one of the victims. Brawl among teens draws police response to Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance Three individuals -- including one in a Raider jersey and one in a 49er jersey -- were seen ganging up on a person lying on his back. SCPD is calling this incident a "stabbing-assault with a deadly weapon." The suspects remain at large, and police have not announced any arrests made in connection to the incident. Both victims were taken to a hospital for treatment, bu...

Shelter in place order issued at Menifee middle school after online threats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

Students and staff at a middle school in Menifee are sheltering in place after a threat was made to the campus Monday morning.The threats against Ethan A. Chase Middle School were apparently made on social media and “out of an abundance of caution” a temporary shelter in place order was implemented, according to the Menifee Police Department.Authorities and district officials did not offer any more information about the nature of the threats. The school requested that parents not come to the school during the investigation and until police clear the incident.

Brendan Kivlehan, Natalie Nicoletti Killed in Single-Car Crash on Interstate 90 [Cle Elum, WA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

Two Pronounced Dead after Solo-Vehicle Collision near Milepost 89CLE ELUM, WA (August 28, 2023) – Monday afternoon, Brendan Kivlehan and Natalie Nicoletti was killed in a single-car crash on Interstate 90.The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m., near milepost 89 near August 21st.Per reports, Julian Dayap was driving a 2013 Subaru Legacy with his passengers Kivlehan, Nicoletti and Katherine Ogletree. Investigators say Dayap veered off the left-hand curve and crossed into the right lane before coming to rest in a ditch.Meanwhile, paramedics took 20-year-old Dayap and 21-year-old Ogletree to Harborview Medical Center for for further treatment. Officers say Kivlehan was not wearing a seat belt at the time.Medics arrived and pronounced 26-year-old Kivlehan, of Palos Heights, Illinois and 24-year-old Nicoletti, of Countryside, Illinois dead at the scene.Following preliminary duties, authorities stated that Dayap could face charges, and it was not yet determined if intoxication played...

Wind Down Your Summer With These Labor Day Libations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

It may not feel like summer’s over just yet, but the kids are back at school and temperatures are headed to cool down on the horizon. Here are seven ways to help make it a smooth and cool transition on Labor Day.Broken Shaker at Freehand LA is partnering with L.A. Collective Made to Move to host a Labor Day pool party celebration on Sunday, Sept.  3, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with dancing to a rotating selection of local house DJs. The event will also feature happy hour specials, including carne asada fries, chicken banh mi and fried mushroom tacos.  Handcrafted cocktails include a zesty Guavafornication made with El Tesoro Tequila, guava, Cointreau, agave and lime. If you’re in the mood for something sweeter and smokier, the No Bucks Given is made with Legent Bourbon, pineapple, ginger and lemon.DTLA’s newest rooftop, La Lo La Rooftop, will have a surf-and-turf feast celebrating Labor Day on Monday, Sept.  4 from noon to 8 p.m., 34 stories up above Los Angeles with a live DJ and...

Covid-19 has changed and so has our immunity. Here’s how to think about risk from the virus now

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

By Brenda Goodman | CNNCovid-19 was never just another cold. We knew it was going to stick around and keep changing to try to get the upper hand on our immune systems.But we’ve changed, too. Our B cells and T cells, keepers of our immune memories, aren’t as blind to this virus as they were when we first encountered the novel coronavirus in 2020. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has screened blood samples and estimates that 97% of people in the US have some immunity to Covid-19 through vaccination, infection or both.Then there’s science: We have updated vaccines and good antivirals to lean on when cases start to rise. Masks still work. Rapid tests are in stores. We now know to filter the air and to ventilate our spaces.Those strategies, plus our hard-won immunity, had helped bring our national numbers of infections, hospitalizations and deaths down to levels that felt almost forgettable.Almost.Now that Covid-19 infections have started to rise again, it feels like peo...

2024 poll: Voters see Biden as ‘old,’ Trump as ‘corrupt’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

By Will Weissert, Emily Swanson and Darlene Superville | Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is “old” and “confused,” and former President Donald Trump is “corrupt” and “dishonest.” Those are among the top terms Americans use when they’re asked to describe the Democrat in the White House and the Republican best positioned to face him in next year’s election.Unflattering portraits of Biden and Trump emerge clearly in a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which asked an open-ended question about what comes to mind when people think of them.For Biden, the largest share of U.S. adults — including both Democrats and Republicans — mentioned his age. At 80, Biden is just three years older than Trump, but many Americans expressed real concerns about his ability to continue as president.Trump, meanwhile, has been indicted in four cases featuring 91 total criminal counts and elicits ...

Hawaii utility takes responsibility for Maui fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:08 GMT

By Jennifer McDermott and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher | Associated PressHONOLULU — Hawaii’s electric utility acknowledged its power lines started a wildfire on Maui but faulted county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene, only to have a second wildfire break out nearby and become the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century.Hawaiian Electric Company released a statement Sunday night in response to Maui County’s lawsuit blaming the utility for failing to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions. Hawaiian Electric called that complaint “factually and legally irresponsible,” and said its power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours when the second blaze started.In its statement, the utility addressed the cause for the first time. It said the fire on the morning of Aug. 8 “appears to have been caused by power lines that fell in high winds.” The Associated Press reporte...