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Tennessee becomes new front in battle for American democracy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has become a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy after Republicans expelled two Black lawmakers from the state Legislature for their part in a protest urging passage of gun-control measures.In separate votes on Thursday, the GOP supermajority expelled Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, a move leaving about 140,000 voters in primarily Black districts in Nashville and Memphis with no representation in the Tennessee House.Kevin Webb, a 53-year-old teacher from Pearson’s district, said removing him “for such a small infraction” is “classic America.”“There’s been bias against Black individuals in this country for 500 years,” Webb said. “What makes us think that it’s going to stop all of a sudden?”Pearson and Jones were expelled in retaliation for their role in the protest, which unfolded in the aftermath of a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people, including three young students. A third Democrat was spared...

Body cam video shows fatal Lincoln Heights standoff shooting involving LAPD officers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

Body cam footage from a deadly standoff involving a man who shot three police officers in Boyle Heights in March was released Friday.The suspect was identified as Jonathan Magaña, 32, a Los Angeles resident who was a wanted convicted felon on parole, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.The shooting took place at a home on the 3800 block of North Broadway Street in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. The suspect ran inside the home and barricaded himself, leading to a violent, hours-long standoff.SWAT Team members and officers surrounded the home and called out to Magaña, but he refused to surrender. Eventually, a chemical agent was deployed in an attempt to get the suspect to come out peacefully.“Unfortunately, that suspect responded to the chemical agent by opening the shed and opening fire on the officers,” said LAPD. “The officers then returned fire and as a result, three officers with the Metropolitan K-9 unit were struck.”Body cam video from officers at the scene showe...

Man escapes after barricading himself inside West Hollywood apartment after shooting neighbor through wall: LASD

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

A man who allegedly shot his neighbor through a wall in a West Hollywood apartment Friday morning has escaped and is on the run after barricading inside the building, authorities said. The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s. He’s considered armed and dangerous and is a resident of the apartment complex, said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.The incident was reported around 8:15 a.m. at The Dylan Apartments on the 7100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard and deputies responded to a noise complaint, officials said. A woman in her 50s was transported to a hospital with two gunshot wounds, one to her neck and one to her leg, said Deputy Miguel Meza. The injuries were not life-threatening. The woman was believed to be alone in her kitchen when the bullets went through the wall and struck her, Meza said. Authorities do not believe the victim was targeted by the shooter, but are still investigating.Seven apartments near where the shooting occurred were evacuated as a pr...

Contra Costa DA charges fatal shooting suspect with murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

MARTINEZ — The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged a 37-year-old Pittsburg man with homicide and multiple other charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a convenience-store clerk last month, authorities said.After an hours-long standoff at a Modesto apartment ended in his surrender Wednesday, Pittsburg police arrested Gregory Rossignon on suspicion of murder for killing Abdul Raouf, 44, a store clerk shot dead on March 22 in the city’s first homicide of the year.Shortly after 9 p.m. that night, police responded to a home after a possible gunshot report in the 100 block of Bruno Avenue. About 40 minutes after officers arrived, they heard gunshots about a half-mile away in the 1000 block of Power Avenue and learned of a dispatcher’s call about a clerk shot at a store.Other officers responded to the store and found Raouf suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Despite officers’ life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.Rossignon ...

Man charged following break-in at Michael Jordan's mansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — A suburban man has been charged in connection to a break-in Tuesday at Michael Jordan's mansion.Raiden Hagedorn, 18, of Mundelein, is facing three charges after officers arrived to Jordan's mansion, located in the 2700 block of Point Lane in Highland Park, on the report of a break-in.Hagedorn was charged with criminal damage to property under $500, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to a residence — all misdemeanors.He was taken into custody and released on a recognizance bond. Suburban man accused of exposing himself to 2 girls near playground Jordan hasn't lived in the home in several years and it's currently listed for nearly $15 million. It has been on sale since 2012.

How this year's winter weather could help your power bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

(KRON) – There is yet another big benefit to Northern California’s wet winter this year. Hydroelectric plants will be able to generate more power, and that could help with your bill.“PG&E has the largest fleet. We can generate clean energy with hydropower that can run 4 million homes,” said Paul Moreno with PG&E. Pajaro flood victims can drink tap water Although the numbers haven't been crunched yet to indicate how much your power bill could be affected, Moreno says the ability to generate more clean energy at PG&E’s 67 powerhouses at more than 100 reservoirs is a win for everyone.“It is too soon to say, but it is very helpful to have this situation rather than a drought that has hardships,” Moreno said. The East Bay Municipal Water District has a large hydropower plant at Pardee Reservoir. In 2021, 50,000 megawatts per hour were generated. This year, the plant is slated to crank out 205,000 megawatts per hour. That’s a 310% increase. KRON ON is streaming new...

RT France declared bankrupt by French court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

PARIS — A French commercial court has officially declared Kremlin-backed media outlet RT France bankrupt, the company’s President Xenia Fedorova announced on Friday. “The court of Nanterre took the decision to put RT France in liquidation — a media that has not pleased [French President] Emmanuel Macron since its launch and, which was sanctioned by the EU a year ago as a precautionary measure because of the conflict in Ukraine,” Fedorova tweeted Friday evening. In March last year, the EU banned Russian government-funded media like Sputnik and RT, formerly known as Russia Today, from broadcasting in Europe after Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine. The sanctions, however, didn’t prevent the outlets from producing content. In the past year, the Russian channel continued to produce, publish and broadcast material, increasingly targeted at a francophone audience in African countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. Earlier this year, the Fr...

San Diego wants to cut 90% of natural gas from all buildings by 2035

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The City of San Diego laid out an ambitious plan to slash natural gas usage by 90% by 2035 in all buildings. The big question now is how much will it cost? As of right now, the price tag for the plan is still to be determined.Haney Hong, CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, says the process needs to be a bit more transparent to the public.“What are the impacts of the little guy and little gal when all these plans get implemented," Hong said.City officials are looking at San Diego-owned municipal buildings such as libraries, recreation centers and city buildings to better understand the potential costs of phasing out natural gas. But as of right now, there’s no exact price tag on the ambitious plan. California Lottery players win $1 million each from scratcher games While Hong praised the city for its efforts, he says impacts of this plan on the public need to be part of the planning process."How is this going to affect mom and dad, grandma and grandpa w...

Biden’s ancestral hometowns prepare warm Irish welcome

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

BALLINA, Ireland (AP) — Joe Blewitt is just about the busiest man in Ballina. His phone rings constantly with calls from locals and the world’s media as he prepares to welcome a relative — U.S. President Joe Biden.Biden is scheduled to travel to Ireland next week, with a stop in Ballina, the town from which one of his great-great grandfathers left for the United States in 1850. Blewitt, a distant cousin who first met Biden when he came to town as vice president in 2016, said the U.S. leader pledged to return once he’d won the presidency.“He said, ‘I’m going to come back into Ballina.’ And sure to God he’s going to come back into Ballina,” Blewitt said. “His Irish roots are really deep in his heart.”The 43-year-old plumber was among Biden relations invited to the White House for St. Patrick’s Day last month. He says it was a “surreal” experience that included a half-hour private meeting with the president.“He’s a people person. He loves meeting the Irish people,” said Ble...

China flies fighter jets near Taiwan after leader’s US trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:01 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China sent warships and dozens of fighter jets toward Taiwan on Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, in retaliation for a meeting between the U.S. House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.The Chinese military announced the start of three-day “combat readiness patrols” as a warning to Taiwanese who want to make the island’s de facto independence permanent. The People’s Liberation Army gave no indication whether they might include a repeat of previous exercises with missiles fired into the sea, which disrupted shipping and airline flights.Speaker Kevin McCarthy held talks with President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday in California, adding to a series of foreign lawmakers who have met Tsai to show support in the face of Chinese intimidation. Beijing responded Friday by imposing a travel ban and financial sanctions against American groups and individuals associated with Tsai’s U.S...