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Orange County officials concerned over 'obscene' children's books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

Huntington Beach city council officials are raising concerns over children’s library books that they believe are obscene and should not be accessible to young people. Gracey Van Der Mark, Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem, says there are several books in circulation at the library that are too sexually explicit for children and teenagers.  “We’re just trying to start a dialogue with our city staff, our librarians, our city attorney to what it is we can do to protect our children without violating anyone’s freedom of speech,” Van Der Mark said. She believes there should be new rules put in place to restrict children’s and teen’s access to inappropriate books. “So for example, if there's a book that has sexually explicit content, should we put a label on it so the parents know what is in there? Should we put it in a different section? Should we require an ID to show that you're an adult to check it out? We’re looking for solutions right now," she said.Critics includin...

Man sentenced to prison for child sex trafficking of Riverside teen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

A Fresno man was sentenced to prison Tuesday for child sex trafficking of a teenager in Ventura County.Javontay Bess, 27, was sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison on charges of felony human trafficking of a minor with a special allegation of being paroled at the time of the offense.Bess was involved in the trafficking of a 16-year-old girl from Riverside, who was discovered and rescued in 2019, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.In May 2019, a citizen contacted Ventura County authorities to report "suspicious circumstances and possible sex trafficking at a Camarillo motel,” according to court documents.Detectives discovered Bess used online advertising to arrange commercial sex acts with the teenager at Ventura County motels.At the time, “investigators quickly narrowed down the juvenile’s location to the Newbury Park area,” authorities said.But the teen left Ventura County before authorities could track her down. She traveled to the Bakersfield are...

Former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport, global social justice activist, dies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

Eugene “Gus” Newport, a cherished progressive organizer, international social justice activist and two-term Berkeley mayor, died Saturday evening, according to his family.He passed away at the age of 88, after being admitted to the intensive care unit at a local hospital last week, his son, Kyle Newport, announced.“We witnessed a peaceful transition fit for the man that he was,” Kyle Newport shared on Facebook. “A single tear gently rolled down his cheek and I couldn’t help but think that it was for the multitude of friends, coworkers, projects, and events that he was leaving behind. But then again it could be for the family and friends that he will (soon) reunite with in the next chapter.”For six decades, Gus Newport dedicated his life to melding mobilization on the local level with diplomacy on an international stage.Along the way, he befriended a host of political visionaries in his role as a community leader and elder statesman, including Harry Belafonte, Angela Davis, Ada...

Suspect arrested in Pier 39 shooting identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- One person has been arrested in connection to a shooting Sunday at Pier 39 in San Francisco, the San Francisco Police Department confirmed Tuesday. The shooting, which left six people injured, erupted on Sunday evening at around 7:12 p.m.SFPD officers responded to reports of a shooting involving the occupants of a white sedan exchanging gunfire with the occupants of a black SUV. Two uninvolved victim vehicles were struck by gunfire in the area of Beach and Stockton Streets. Toddler struck by commercial truck in Concord in stable condition The victims in those vehicles, a 48-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The man was struck by broken glass, while the woman was struck by glass and bullet fragments.As the vehicles continued south along the Embarcadero, the black SUV collided with a fixed object and came to a stop. The occupants of the SUV were detained as the white sedan fled the scene. The SUV's occupants w...

'Our daughter is home': Alexis Gabe's family creates memorial for her in their home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

(KRON) -- Following last weekend's funeral service, the family of Alexis Gabe has created a memorial for their daughter at their home. Gabe, 24, disappeared in January of 2022. Her family, law enforcement and hundreds of community members spent months searching for her.The first of her remains were found in November of last year. More of her remains were found back in March. However, some of her remains are still missing and may not ever be found. Video: Fighter jet intercepts plane over Marin County for violating Biden air space What remains the family does have are now displayed in their home, contained in a tear drop shaped urn that is etched with her name, the years she lived -- 1998-2022 -- and four white butterflies.Photo: Gwyn GabeThe urn is made from silver and matte black aluminum, according to Gabe's father Gwyn Gabe, and is "very heavy." The urn is displayed alongside a framed photo of Alexis, placed among candles, flowers and a large silver "A" with a butterfly on it. ...

Voters set the stage for November as Virginia’s tightly-contested primaries close

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

Pivotal races are being called in Virginia’s fiercely contested party primaries, as voters determine who advances to a potentially game-changing election this fall.Counting is underway to name the winners in Virginia’s Democratic and Republican primaries for top prosecutor, state legislature, county board and more. Tuesday sets the stage for a November election that could re-define the balance of power in the Old Dominion, and the results are sure to be closely scrutinized for hints about which direction a bitterly divided General Assembly could swing.WTOP’s reporters will keep an eye on the numbers throughout the evening. Stay with WTOP.com and listen online for updates and analysis as the votes are counted. Click here for live election results.Live Virginia primary election resultsMore Local Politics and Elections NewsMore Virginia NewsCommonwealth’s AttorneyWhile much attention will be focused on the races for state legislature, the Commonwealth’s At...

Australia wins Ashes classic as Cummins finishes off 2-wicket win over England in 1st test

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Pat Cummins threw off his helmet, tossed away his bat and wheeled away in celebration after playing a captain’s innings to help Australia win an Ashes classic on Tuesday.England’s “Bazball” cricket revolution got a lesson from Down Under in a series-opening test that went down to the wire on the fifth and final day.Chasing 281 at a raucous Edgbaston, the Australians reached the target inside the final hour for a two-wicket victory after opener Usman Khawaja hit a patient 65 and Cummins finished the job with an unbeaten 44 containing two sixes and four fours.“Both teams spoke a lot about playing your own style,” Cummins said about triumphing over England’s high-stakes attacking approach under Ben Stokes. “And that’s the beauty of this series. Two contrasting styles, playing to our strengths and that made for great entertainment.”Cummins shared a match-winning ninth-wicket partnership of 55 with tailender Nathan Lyon (16 not out), hitting t...

Yankees say Aaron Judge appears to respond to second toe injection

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge appears to be responding to a second platelet-rich plasma injection to his right big toe yet has not resumed baseball activities.Judge was hurt June 3 when he ran into a wall while making a catch at Dodger Stadium. The Yankees announced the first injection on June 6 and said Judge had another last Thursday.“I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday’s series opener against Seattle. “He’s been slowly doing better and able to do more things, but do feel like hopefully that was the start of him really starting to make some real progress.”Boone said the swelling subsided and Judge is able to do more activity on the toe while keeping balanced.Judge is the reigning AL MVP after setting an AL record with 62 home runs last year. He is hitting .291 with 19 homers and 40 RBIs, and the Yankees are 8-14 with Judge on the injured list and 31-19 when he has been available. They have lost eight of 12 since the latest injury.“Been...

Challenger Aird defeats incumbent Virginia Sen. Joe Morrissey in closely watched race

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former state legislator Lashrecse Aird defeated incumbent Sen. Joe Morrissey, a self-described “pro-life” Democrat, Tuesday in one of Virginia’s most closely watched nomination contests of the primary election.Aird, a former member of the state House of Delegates, ran a campaign heavily focused on Morrissey’s position on abortion. A veteran lawmaker and one of the most controversial figures in Virginia politics, Morrissey has expressed a willingness to vote with Republicans to enact stricter limits on abortion in Virginia sought by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.Morrissey was just one of many incumbents facing spirited challenges Tuesday in an election season that’s been upended by newly drawn political maps legislative candidates are running in for the first time this year. Many other key races had not yet been called.Aird won the race with the help of an unusual number of legislators and members of the state’s congressional delegation who endorsed her. She als...

Kansas man charged with making online threats against Nashville Pride festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:36 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Kansas man is facing federal charges of making threats on social media to build bombs and carry out a mass shooting at a Nashville Pride festival.According to U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis’ office, the indictment unsealed Tuesday against a 25-year-old from Hoisington, Kansas charges him with two counts of transmitting an interstate threat about the Nashville Pride Festival and Parade. The event is scheduled for June 24 to 25.An indictment says the man on April 26 commented on a sponsored Nashville Pride post on Facebook, threatening to “make shrapnel pressure cooker bombs for this event.” On the same day, he posted another comment in which he threatened to commit a mass shooting and used a homophobic slur, the indictment said.FBI agents arrested the man Thursday at his home in Kansas and he appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday in Kansas. “We will not tolerate hate-based, threats of violence designed to...