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Belarus: Mutinous Wagner chief Prigozhin now in Russia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

By Anna Frants | Associated PressMINSK, Belarus — The mercenary leader who led a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin is in Russia and his troops are in their field camps, the president of Belarus said Thursday, raising new questions about the deal that ended the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s rule.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s claim could not be independently verified, and the Kremlin refused to comment on Yevgeny Prigozhin’s whereabouts. But Russian media have reported he was recently seen at his offices in St. Petersburg.It was not clear if Prigozhin’s presence in Russia would violate the deal, which allowed the head of the Wagner Group military contractor to move to Belarus in exchange for ending the rebellion and a promise of amnesty for him and his troops. But the reports signaled that the agreement may have allowed him to finalize his affairs in Russia.If that’s true, it could suggest the threat posed by Pri...

Hayward woman charged with hate crime for allegedly brandishing gun at transgender woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

HAYWARD — A 33-year-old woman has been charged with two misdemeanors, including a hate crime, for allegedly threatening and brandishing a firearm at her transgender neighbor.Stephanie Elbert, of Hayward, was charged with one misdemeanor count of exhibiting a firearm and another misdemeanor count alleging a violation of civil rights. The charging documents allege that Elbert confronted her neighbor, a transgender woman, and told her she had a “license to kill” transgender people, using a slur in the process.The June 11 confrontation occurred at an apartment complex on Gading Road. It started when another neighbor vandalized the alleged victim’s property and was issued a citation by the Hayward Police Department.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Police seek man who threw firework into crowd at California Pride event, injuring at least 2 people Crime and Public Safety | Professor and 2 students stabbed in gender issues class at...

Longtime San Jose activist arrested on suspicion of illegal firework distribution

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

SAN JOSE — A well-known community member that has staunchly opposed developments in the North San Jose district of Alviso was arrested on suspicion of possessing and distributing large quantities of illegal fireworks — similar to allegations he faced more than five years ago, according to authorities.Mark Espinoza, 49, was arrested Sunday, San Jose police said in a statement Thursday morning. Authorities said they determined that he was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of fireworks throughout the Bay Area, though they did not offer specific allegations.Espinoza was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail and held on bail of $1,000,000, according to police.On Monday, officers served a search warrant at a storage unit in Milpitas, where they seized more than 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks.It’s not the first time that Espinoza has faced similar troubles with the law. In 2017, he and his then-18-year-old son, Marcos Espinoza Jr., were arrested after authori...

French justice handing out serious punishment for riots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

By Jade le Deley and Lori Hinnant | Associated PressCRETEIL, France — At 19, he was the oldest of the group of teens accused of lobbing Molotov cocktails at the police station of their suburban hometown.“Why?” the judge asked Riad, who was taken into custody after he was identified in video surveillance images of the group from June 29, the second night of nationwide unrest following the police shooting of another suburban teenager outside Paris.“For justice for Nahel,” Riad said. Slumped and slightly disheveled after five nights in jail, he said he didn’t know about the peaceful march organized by Nahel Merzouk’s family. He explained the cellphone photo of him holding a Molotov cocktail was “for social media. To give an image.”In all, more than 3,600 people have been detained in the unrest across France since the death of Nahel on June 27, with an average age of 17, according to the Interior Ministry. The violence, which left more tha...

Three-bedroom home sells for $2.3 million in Los Gatos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

228 Arroyo Grande Way – Google Street ViewA house located in the 200 block of Arroyo Grande Way in Los Gatos has new owners. The 1,407-square-foot property, built in 1957, was sold on June 22, 2023, for $2,268,000, or $1,612 per square foot. The layout of this single-story house includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Outside, the home presents roofing composed of composition shingles materials. Inside, there is a fireplace. Additionally, the home comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space. The lot of the property is substantial, measuring 6,200 square feet, and boasts a pool for relaxation and recreation.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:In November 2022, a 2,395-square-foot home on El Cajon Way in Los Gatos sold for $3,254,500, a price per square foot of $1,359. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Garden Hill Drive, Los Gatos, in March 2023, a 1,150-square-foot home was sold for $2,400,0...

California to audit its regulation of addiction treatment facilities 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

California’s low-level regulation of addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities that make it almost impossible to properly track them is under scrutiny as the state auditor’s office embarks on an audit of the Department of Health Care Services.The audit, requested by Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, will “determine if DHCS is properly licensing, regulating and enforcing state laws” regarding residential facilities that provide nonmedical recovery, treatment and detoxification service.“It is regrettable how much these facilities are taking advantage of vulnerable people — people who actually need help,” Dixon said. “Unfortunately, these facilities advertise treatment for alcohol or drug abuse recovery or treatment services and more often than not provide limited care. We need more accountability on who is licensed and if the treatment programs provided are effective.”The audit requests information on how DHCS is licensing and enforcing laws on facilities that provi...

Asiana Airlines Flight 214 remembered 10 years later

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Ten years ago today, on July 6, 2013, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 arriving from Seoul, South Korea crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport. The plane, Asiana Flight 214, had 307 passengers on board.Three Chinese teenagers who were aboard the plane were killed in the crash. About half of the people aboard the plane -- 291 passengers and 16 crew members -- were injured. Flight diverted to Oakland after AirDropped bomb threat The plane clipped a seawall on the approach to SFO, causing it to burst into flames on the runway. Video released several years after the crash shows the chaos in the immediate aftermath of the crash as slides were deployed and rescue crews rushed to the scene. Two of the teens who died in the crash were sitting in the tail section of the plane, which snapped off when it hit the seawall. The third who died was run over by two rescue workers while laying injured and covered in foam on the runway.The Aviati...

Threads Day One impressions: What can it do, what can't it do, and is it the 'Twitter killer?'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- Instagram and Facebook's parent company, Meta, dropped its newest social media platform on Wednesday evening: A real-time text-based app called Threads. Threads was created by Instagram's team of developers as a way to challenge Elon Musk's volatile Twitter. In a time when Musk set limits to how many posts an account on Twitter can see, Threads seeks to be a place for Twitter to flock to as a replacement. What to know about the invasive Elm Seed Bugs running rampant throughout Utah ABC4 spent a few hours on the new app to get an idea of what it has to offer and, while the app has plenty of potential to rival text-based giant Twitter, it's still missing many quality-of-life features that helps make Twitter a little more appealing.We do want to note that all these observations are based on the first day of Threads' rollout. As the platform matures, this may all change, so take everything with a grain of salt.SIGNING UP IS EASYThe signup process for Threads c...

Police: San Jose man busted with 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

(KRON) -- A San Jose man spent July 4 in jail for allegedly committing crimes involving fireworks, police said Thursday. Mark Espinoza, 49, is accused of distributing massive quantities of fireworks in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July. According to the San Jose Police Department, its investigators seized over 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks connected to Espinoza. Espinoza remains behind bars with no bail. His first court appearance in the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice is slated for Thursday afternoon. The SJPD's investigation began in early June, when members of the community voiced concerns regarding the illegal use and sale of fireworks in the Alviso neighborhood.Officers obtained search warrants for the suspect, his vehicles, and his storage units in Milpitas."Officers determined Espinoza was responsible for distributing large quantities of fireworks throughout the Bay Area," SJPD Sgt. Jorge Garibay wrote. Police seized boxes filled with 1,000 pounds of fireworks...

OceanGate suspends exploration and commercial ops following sub disaster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:21 GMT

(KRON) -- OceanGate is suspending all exploration and commercial operations following a disastrous implosion aboard the company's Titan submersible in which five people died. A message posted to the commercial exploration company's website announced the suspension. Cruise ship visibly damaged after hitting SF pier while docking However, it did not offer further details regarding how long operations would be suspended.There were five people aboard the Titan when it lost contact with the surface last month. After a days-long search operation, it was determined that the vessel had imploded, killing all five onboard instantly.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.