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L.A. County District Attorney to stop posting on Twitter, citing 'hateful content'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will no longer post content on Twitter, citing concerns about “harmful and hateful content,” D.A. George Gascón announced Tuesday.“As a prosecutor’s office, we uphold the principles of justice, fairness and equality for all,” Gascón posted – on Twitter. “The rise of unchecked vitriol targeting marginalized communities, false information, lack of community guideline enforcement or mechanisms to otherwise address these issues, has left us with no other choice.”Last October, Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion with the stated goal of protecting free speech.  Since then, the social media platform has lost market value and some high-profile users who expressed concern about a rise in hate speech, including the reinstatement of previously banned white nationalists.In his statement, Gascón alluded to hateful comments that followed official tweets by his office.“While we respect the principles of the First Amendment, we also reco...

California's DMV is changing the disabled parking permit renewal process: These are the changes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

The process to renew disabled parking placards in California will require a little more work in an effort to curb widespread misuse. Beginning on June 30, California drivers who have had disabled parking placards for six or more years will need to renew it to keep placards valid. California bill would ban the sale of Skittles, Hot Tamales & other food items  This is the first year the rule is in effect under Senate Bill 611, which requires placard holders to sign a form with the California DMV every six years to ensure they are still alive and need the placard, the Los Angeles Times reported.The bill turned law, which passed in 2017, was introduced to curb the mistreatment of disabled parking placards. SB 611 passed six months after a 2017 state audit revealed that the DMV wasn’t checking to ensure people who were issued the placards still used them.The audit also found that the department hadn’t canceled the parking permits after people died and found that some were misu...

The story behind one of L.A.'s most famous streets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

In most major U.S. cities you will find common street names like Broadway, Market, Oak, Elm, First, Second, etc. But in Southern California, you will also find a well-known street name with a less obvious origin: Rosecrans.Rosecrans Avenue is a major, 27-mile thoroughfare through Los Angeles and Orange Counties. It is also a bustling street in the Point Loma area of San Diego.William Starke Rosecrans was born in Delaware County, Ohio in 1819. (NPS)So where does the name come from?William Starke Rosecrans was born in Delaware County, Ohio in 1819. He was brigadier general for the Union during the American Civil War and, according to the National Parks Service, “was largely responsible for the Union's early victories in northern Virginia at the Battles of Rich Mountain and Corrick's Ford.”Rosecrans’ military success, however, abruptly came to an end at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 – the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War behind Gettysburg.As the American Battlefield Trust e...

Deadline approaching for big cat owners to register animals as 'pets'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

The deadline for owners of tigers, lions and other big cats to register their animals as exotic pets is quickly approaching.The registration deadline was enacted in the wake of last year's massive win by animal activists across the country that effectively ended the big cat trade among unlicensed animal hobbyists.The Big Cat Public Safety Act was signed into law last December, serving as an official ending to the practice of breeding and trading big cats. President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan bill just two years after the world came to a standstill during the COVID-19 pandemic and Americans were captivated by the scandalous and tawdry details of the nation's most prominent big cat traders, as documented in the Netflix series "Tiger King."The firestorm of a documentary increased interest in the American tiger trade and led to a groundswell of support to end the practice. Lawmakers were tasked with striking a balance between animal advocates and longtime breeders.As part of t...

Millions of California children will receive free books thanks to Dolly Parton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

A statewide expansion of a free book program was announced Tuesday, providing millions of children in California with free literature thanks to Dolly Parton.The bill, SB 1183, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in Oct. 2022 to provide funding for Parton’s “Imagination Library”, providing free books to children from birth to 5 years old.The nationwide program is active across 30 counties in California, with the expansion to fully cover the state's 58 counties and around 2.4 million eligible children by 2028.Free books will be mailed directly to the child’s home at no cost to their family and regardless of household income.Parents or legal guardians can register for the program online. Children will receive one free book per month until their 5th birthday. If a household has more than one child under 5 years old, each child can be registered to receive their own set of books.California will be the first state to offer a fully bilingual English/Spanish book option under the Imagi...

SF Giants beef up batting order ahead of Coors Field visit: ‘It does feel a little bit different’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

DENVER — On a whiteboard in his office, Giants manager Gabe Kapler maps out his team’s lineups for the coming week. It’s typically pretty routine, but for a few days, he couldn’t take his eyes off the order unveiled Tuesday night for their series opener against the Colorado Rockies.“The lineup just looks especially deep today,” Kapler said pregame.It was a day to look forward to as soon as it became clear that Thairo Estrada and Joc Pederson would be ready to be activated from the injured list. Both players were back in there as expected, in slots that signify their importance to San Francisco’s lineup: Estrada second, Pederson third. Michael Conforto’s presence in the five spot was an added bonus, after sitting out their weekend series with a bruised heel.It was enough to make a stoic skipper smile.“Estrada’s back, Joc’s back, Michael’s back at full strength,” Kapler said, noting that Conforto was still dealing with some discomf...

49ers quarterback update: Brock Purdy now throwing three times a week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy has ramped up his throwing program and is now throwing three times a week, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday.“Brock’s been great on his rehab,” Shanahan said after the first day of the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp. “He’s as obsessive about it as you can be. That’s why he’s ahead of schedule.”There’s been a steady flow of positive news regarding Purdy since the sophomore quarterback underwent surgery on March 10 to repair an ulnar collateral ligament injury in his throwing elbow.Purdy did not throw on the field during minicamp on Tuesday, but was seen on the sidelines and has been an active participant in meetings.Shanahan said he hasn’t directly watched Purdy participate in his throwing program, but said he has a set schedule of when he throws, how many times he throws and how far he throws.“It’s part of his process of getting back and he’s continuing right on the track he’s always been on,” Shanahan said. “No setbacks and it’s been very good so ...

OBIT: Francoise Gilot, acclaimed painter, Picasso lover, dies at 101

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

By Jocelyn Noveck | Associated PressNEW YORK — Françoise Gilot, a prolific and acclaimed painter who produced art for well more than a half-century but was nonetheless more famous for her turbulent relationship with Pablo Picasso — and for leaving him — died Tuesday in New York City, where she had lived for decades. She was 101.Gilot’s daughter, Aurelia Engel, told The Associated Press her mother had died at Mount Sinai West hospital after suffering both lung and heart problems. “She was an extremely talented artist, and we will be working on her legacy and the incredible paintings and works she is leaving us with,” Engel said.The French-born Gilot had long made her frustration clear that despite acclaim for her art, which she produced from her teenage years until five years ago, she would still be best known for her relationship with the older and more famous Picasso, whom she met in 1943 at age 21, his junior by four decades. The union produced two children — Cla...

Another FCI Dublin correctional officer convicted of sexually abusing inmates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

Another correctional officer at the Bay Area’s only federal prison for women has been convicted of sexually abusing inmates at the troubled institution, where a group of guards and staff were known as the “rape club” because of widespread allegations of sexual misconduct.John Bellhouse, who worked as a safety administrator at Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, was found guilty of two counts of sexual abuse and three counts of abusive sexual contact, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August and faces up to 15 years in prison for each sexual abuse charge, and up to two years in prison for each sexual contact count.Bellhouse’s conviction comes amid a scandal embroiling the East Bay prison, where at least six current or former employees have been charged with sexual abuse in recent years. They include the prison’s former warden, Ray J. Garcia, who was sentenced in March to nearly six years in federal ...

Frank Somerville arrested twice overnight, cited for DUI

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:52 GMT

(KRON) -- Former Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville was arrested twice in the East Bay overnight for alcohol-related charges, the Berkeley Police Department has confirmed to KRON4. Somerville bailed out of jail at about 4 p.m. Tuesday, Alameda County confirmed. He was also cited and released with a notice to appear in court for driving under the influence. Gunman opens fire on Oakland carjackers The first arrest came after police were called to respond to a family altercation on Indian Rock Avenue. The home is owned by Somerville's brother, BPD said. Police were told that a man at the residence was being detained after a fight. The man being detained was later identified as Somerville, and police determined he was intoxicated at the time. Police said the family asked Somerville to leave and he refused, and that's when he allegedly threatened a victim at the scene, which then led to the fight. Both parties suffered non-life threatening injuries, and the victim had a contusion o...