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Russia denies reports of Ukrainian breakthroughs along front lines

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

The Russian defence ministry denied on Thursday (11 May) reports that Ukrainian troops had broken through at various points along the front line and claimed the situation was under full control.Moscow responded after Russian military blogs, posting on Telegram, claimed that Ukrainian forces were making advances to the north and south east of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Some suggested a long-awaited offensive by pro-Kyiv troops had begun.Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the offensive has not yet begun.The Russian Defence Ministry said that the statements made by Telegram channels in relation to 'defence advances' in various areas along the line-of-contact did not match reality.In a press release, it used the Kremlin’s description of war in Ukraine to say that the "overall situation" in the area is under control.The fact that the Russian Ministry felt compelled to issue the statement is indicative of what Moscow admits as a "very challenging" military operati...

Healthcare workers at 5 California hospitals vote to authorize strike beginning May 22

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

Thousands of healthcare workers at five HCA facilities in California have voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, claiming management is threatening and intimidating employees who complain of short-staffing and low wages.With 97% voting in favor, an estimated 3,000 emergency room technicians, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, lab techs, dieticians, pharmacy techs and cooks are set to launch a five-day strike beginning May 22 at the following locations:HCA Good Samaritan Hospital in San JoseHCA Regional Medical Center in San JoseHCA Los Robles Medical Center in Thousand OaksHCA West Hills HospitalHCA Riverside Community HospitalWorkers allege management has violated labor law by stopping them from meeting and talking in hospital public areas, throwing union staff out of hospitals and telling caregivers they can’t wear union logos. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) The workers, whose labor contract expired March 31, are represented by SEIU-...

3 Chicago gang members arrested in California triple slaying

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

Three men associated with a gang have been arrested in connection with two deadly Los Angeles shootings in a case in which all suspects and victims were from the Chicago area, police said Friday, May 12.Investigators, however, would not specify the motive for the shootings that killed three women and wounded four other people in January and a man in December.“We can’t discuss the motive but we can say that it’s associated with Chicago,” Capt. Jonathan L. Tippet, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, told a headquarters press conference.“One thing that can be said is that the violence that occurs in Chicago today is having an effect on all of us,” he said.A police officer pulls a line of crime scene tape as a coroner’s van arrives at the scene of a shooting that left three people dead and four others injured in Beverly Crest early Saturday morning, on Jan. 28, 2023. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)Detectives...

The 10 most expensive reported home sales in San Jose the week of May 1

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

A house in San Jose that sold for $2.8 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in San Jose in the past week.In total, 36 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2 million. The average price per square foot ended up at $989.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of May 1 even if the property may have been sold earlier.10. $2.3 million, single-family home in the 6100 block of Corte de La ReinaThe sale of the single family residence in the 6100 block of Corte de La Reina in San Jose has been finalized. The price was $2,300,000, and the new owners took over the house in April. The house was built in 1969 and has a living area of 3,027 square feet. The price per square foot was $760. The house features 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.Corte de La Reina9. $2.3 million, detached house in the 1000 block of Cross Springs CourtThe property in...

‘We’re fighting against our extinction,’ striking writers ready for long battle

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

Two weeks into the Writers Guild of America strike, hopes for a quick resolution are low, but determination among picketing writers is high.The WGA went on strike in 1960, 1981, 1988 and 2007. Yet as a sea of writers pound the pavement outside the studios, bearing signs like “pens down, knives out” and “here’s a wild pitch: pay us fair wages,” there is a distinct feeling that this time is different.“Every other strike was about corporate greed, this is about extinction,” said screenwriter Billy Ray. “We are fighting against our extinction as a class of craftsmen.”Writers allege that changes in industry practices are making the job financially untenable. This includes shorter seasons, smaller workplace rooms, shrinking residual payments from streaming services and the rising use of AI, or artificial intelligence.“This is probably the most important strike I’ve participated in,” said veteran screenwriter Peter Hancock, who has picketed in every strike since 1981, as he marched outside...

California Iraq war veteran sentenced to 11 years for killing girlfriend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

An Anaheim man who stabbed his girlfriend to death and then tried to persuade a police officer to shoot him was sentenced Friday to 11 years in prison.Frank Moseley, a 34-year-old Iraq War veteran, was convicted earlier this year of voluntary manslaughter for the January 2017 killing of 25-year-old Janessa Smith in an Anaheim apartment, after an Orange County Superior Court jury rejected a more serious murder charge.Frank Moseley Moseley, who never denied responsibility for Smith’s violent death, apologized to her family prior to his sentencing and alluded to the PTSD that his attorney argued had helped lead to the killing.“I just want to express how apologetic I am to anyone who is affected by the crime I committed,” Moseley said.“I don’t want anyone who is dealing with psychological trauma to be in this situation,” he added.Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Menninger acknowledged Moseley’s PTSD and military service, but also described the killing as “brutal” and not...

New California budget means a $6 billion cut, and future uncertainty, for climate spending

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

For climate advocates, the growing state deficit unveiled in the revised 2023-24 state budget offers some bad news, some good news and a great deal of uncertainty.The bad news in the budget presented Friday morning by Gov. Gavin Newsom is that, despite lobbying efforts and environmentalists pitching at least two alternative proposals, the $6 billion in cuts to climate spending that Newsom proposed in January are still included. If those multi-year cuts stand it will mean significant hits to funding that previously was pledged to help speed California’s transition to non-polluting cars, clean up the water supply, decarbonize buildings and protect residents against the increasingly dire effects of extreme heat.The good news is that despite California’s projected budget shortfall jumping from January’s estimate of $22.5 billion to the new estimate of $31.8 billion, the state isn’t planning additional cuts for climate projects. That leaves intact a five-year plan to spend $48 billion on...

Appeals court revives lawsuit challenging California district attorney’s DNA collection program

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

An appellate court has revived a lawsuit challenging the Orange County district attorney’s unregulated DNA program, which offers leniency to low-level defendants who “volunteer” to give their genetic material.The suit by two professors at UC Irvine, was rejected earlier on a technicality by a lower court, but revived Tuesday, April 11, by a three-member panel of the Fourth District Court of Appeal.At issue is whether the district attorney’s practice of taking DNA from misdemeanor defendants in exchange for dropping charges or reducing punishments denies them their legal rights.State and federal law allow DNA to be collected and stored in state and national databases for felony and some misdemeanor offenses, such as arson and some sexual crimes. Orange County, however, collects DNA locally for misdemeanors, such as driving under the influence.‘Spit and acquit’The program, dubbed by defense attorneys “spit and acquit,” has helped local prosecutors amass a private database of more than...

This 2022 California GOP congressional candidate plans to run as a Democrat in 2024

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

It’s not uncommon for political candidates who lost their races to run again.Brian Hawkins is among them. But this time, the San Jacinto councilmember plans to switch parties and run as a Democrat for an Inland congressional seat.Hawkins on Tuesday, May 9, filed papers to run in California’s 41st Congressional District in 2024. He hopes to unseat Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, in a district representing Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Indian Wells, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Menifee, Norco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Wildomar and parts of Corona, Eastvale and Riverside.Lake Elsinore Councilmember Tim Sheridan, a Democrat, also has declared his intention to run in the 41st next year.Hawkins ran in 2022 as a Republican against Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Indio, in the 25th Congressional District. Ruiz defeated Hawkins, 57% to 43%, in a district in which Democrats hold a 17 percentage point edge in voter registration.Hawkins echoed conservative ideals on the campaign trail last year.“Let’s go ...

U.S. Marshals Spied on Abortion Protesters Using Dataminr

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:04:10 GMT

Dataminr, an “official partner” of Twitter, alerted a federal law enforcement agency to pro-abortion protests and rallies in the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to documents obtained by The Intercept through a Freedom of Information Act request.Internal emails show that the U.S. Marshals Service received regular alerts from Dataminr, a company that persistently monitors social media for corporate and government clients, about the precise time and location of both ongoing and planned abortion rights demonstrations. The emails show that Dataminr flagged the social media posts of protest organizers, participants, and bystanders, and leveraged Dataminr’s privileged access to the so-called firehose of unrestricted Twitter data to monitor constitutionally protected speech.“This is a technique that’s ripe for abuse, but it’s not subject to either legislative or judicial oversight,” said Jennifer Granick, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, ...