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LAPD, FBI announce 'Mexican Mafia' arrests; guns and drugs seized

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

Several high-ranking members of the “Mexican Mafia” are in custody after a joint operation involving Los Angeles Police and the FBI, authorities announced Wednesday.The investigation, which began in October 2022, targeted alleged illegal firearms and drug trafficking by the Westside Wilmas criminal gang in L.A.’s Harbor region, LAPD said in a news release.“The investigation expanded beyond the Westside Wilmas and into the upper echelons of the Mexican Mafia.”Early Wednesday morning, authorities served multiple search warrants throughout the south bay and as far away as Bakersfield, police said. Mexican Mafia associate, Nazi sympathizer among those arrested in California gang sweep Agents arrested multiple suspects and seized "many" firearms, including ghost guns and assault weapons, police said. “Many pounds” of illegal narcotics, including fentanyl, were also seized.LAPD and the FBI scheduled a news briefing for 11 a.m. Wednesday.A similar operation involving LAPD and the Bureau...

Retell and Remix: Arts Calendar May 18-24

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

Artists of all disciplines retell and remix ideas from classics of Cali literature to iconic animal spirits, underappreciated history and lore, journalism and memoir, the nature of consciousness, the stylistic pageant of art history, what it means to be healed in community, the politics of craft, music and sculpture, fashion and surrealism, photography and performance, decades of the library, landscape conservation, narrative and abstraction in painting, and sculpture and scale.Elizabeth Waggett at Art AngelsThursday, May 18Elizabeth Waggett: I am Woman Hear Me Roar, at Art Angels. Each piece in Waggett’s latest exhibition bridges to the artist’s new direction—the Big Cats series and her previously developed gilded works. The psychologically charged Big Cats carry a certain tenacity and force; feared and admired in equal measure for their predatory skill, power and beauty. “There is something poetic about how the work unintentionally parallels my life, but of course the artwork is t...

Los Gatos balances next year’s budget amid 5-year projected deficit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

The Los Gatos Town Council and staff balanced next year’s budget amid a looming five-year projected deficit. The council is set to vote on confirmation of the final budget for fiscal year 2023-24 on June 6.Town staff said Los Gatos’ revenue has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, and alongside rising costs and inflation, the town has a forecasted deficit of $2.8 to $4 million per year for the next five years.That deficit can be resolved by cutting costs and using one-time funds, but if the revenue doesn’t bounce back as expected in the coming years, the town may have to reduce or outsource its services to cut costs.Town staff balanced the $56.1 million budget for 2023-24 by setting an vacancy rate for town employees of 4.6%, which would generate an additional $1.6 million. The vacancy rate reflects the percentage of open positions on town staff.“The cost of service is the cost of our employees, and those costs go up…that goes up faster than our revenue,&...

Possible kidnapping being investigated by Oakland police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

OAKLAND — Police on Wednesday were investigating the possible kidnapping Tuesday afternoon of a woman by two men in East Oakland, authorities said.As of Wednesday morning, authorities had not yet located the the still-unidentified woman, the two men or the truck they were last seen in, authorities said.Police said just before 2 p.m. Tuesday a witness reported seeing two men force a woman into a pickup truck in the 10200 block of E Street and then drive away.The while Chevrolet pickup truck has a California license of 8Y51451, police said. Police said the truck had not been seen in the area before.One of the men was described as Black, in his 30s, about 5 feet 5 inches with dreadlocks, wearing a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans. The other man was described as White, about 5 feet 10 inches, wearing a red mask and white shirt.The witness was only able to describe the woman as having black hair, police said.Anyone with information about the possible abduction is asked to call police...

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert files for divorce from husband

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is divorcing her husband, Jayson Boebert, who has shared a portion of the congresswoman’s spotlight and controversy during her time in politics.Boebert, of Silt, announced the impending divorce Tuesday “with a heavy weight on my heart.”“I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children,” Boebert said in a statement, asking for privacy. “I’ve always been faithful in my marriage, and I believe strongly in marriage, which makes this announcement that much more difficult.”Related ArticlesPolitics | Goldberg: Whose version of Christian nationalism will win in 2024? Politics | DeSantis knocks Trump over Florida abortion law critique Politics | North Carolina GOP overrides veto of 12-week abortion limit Politics | House Dem introduces resolution to oust Rep. George Santos Politics | Extended Oregon walkout results in re-election bans for 3 “This is truly ab...

How one Bay Area woman helped police track down a serial sexual assailant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

On a sunny Saturday afternoon last spring, Jeannie Witkin was walking to a friend’s house in northwest Berkeley when a stranger sexually attacked her — in broad daylight. Stunned, in pain and angry after the seconds-long assault, she immediately started screaming at the top of her lungs, kicked her assailant in the shin and snapped a photo as he fled.Police credited that evidence and quick thinking for helping them arrest and charge Tommy Giles Jr., a 45-year-old notary public and former security guard who lived one block from Longfellow Middle School in Berkeley, within three days of the attack.Looking back, what’s most important to Witkin is that she refused to stay silent. Rather than worry the attack wasn’t “bad enough” or worth reporting, the 61-year-old Berkeley resident said she listened to her gut, spoke out and posted his photo to NextDoor, a neighborhood social media website. She later learned that Giles had sexually battered and assaulted two other women and two gir...

Man robbed and stabbed in Oakland’s Jack London Square

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

OAKLAND — A 60-year-old man walking to his car from work in Jack London Square was robbed and stabbed Tuesday night, authorities said.The man, an Antioch resident, was in stable condition at a hospital with a wound to his back.The man, a restaurant worker, was walking to his car in the 60 block of Franklin Street about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday when he was confronted by three men, all armed with knives, authorities said. The men demanded his backpack and other personal items, authorities said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Possible kidnapping being investigated by Oakland police Crime and Public Safety | How one Bay Area woman helped police track down a serial sexual assailant Crime and Public Safety | East Bay deputy injured, patrol vehicles damaged after traffic stop, pursuit Crime and Public Safety | East Bay police department disqualify applicant who resigned from BART force Crime and Public Safety | ...

Harry and Meghan say they survived ‘near catastrophic car chase’ with paparazzi in New York

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are reportedly “extremely upset and shaken” after being involved in what their spokesperson said was a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were traveling with Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, found themselves enduring what their spokesperson called “a relentless pursuit” that lasted more than two hours and caused multiple near collisions with other drivers, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Woman of Vision Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex speaks onstage during the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards: Celebrating Generations of Progress & Power at Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 16, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women) In possible echoes of the fatal car crash that killed Harry’s mother Princess Diana in Paris in 1997, Tuesday night’s p...

US beats Austria 4-1 for 4th straight win at ice hockey worlds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

TAMPERE, Finland (AP) — The United States maintained a perfect record at the ice hockey world championship by beating Austria 4-1 on Wednesday for a fourth straight victory in the group stage.Lane Hutson and Nick Perbix contributed a goal and an assist each while Rocco Grimaldi and Carter Mazur also scored for the Americans, who moved four points clear atop Group A. Denmark is second with a game in hand, while Austria stayed on one point in seventh.Nick Bonino skated around the goal to feed the unmarked Grimaldi, who opened the scoring with a shot high into the net 7:16 minutes into the middle period at Nokia Arena.Captain Thomas Raffl equalized for the Austrians 10 minutes later but Mazur restored the U.S.’ lead after just 57 seconds, netting from the slot.Hutson doubled the advantage on a solo effort in the final period and Perbix finished it off into an empty net.In the capital of Riga, co-host Latvia edged Norway 2-1 for its second victory in Group B.Canada played Kazakhstan in ...

Hungary blocks military aid to Ukraine over listing of Hungarian bank

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:25:33 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary will continue to block the disbursement of a new tranche of European Union military support to Ukraine until Kyiv removes a Hungarian bank from a list of international sponsors of Russia’s war, Hungary’s foreign minister said Wednesday. Peter Szijjarto, speaking in Vienna after a meeting with his Austrian counterpart, called Ukraine’s recent listing of OTP Bank “scandalous and unacceptable,” and said that Hungary wouldn’t approve the release of 500 million euros ($543 million) from the EU’s European Peace Facility until the bank is removed from the list. “We cannot support the allocation of another half a billion euros from the European Peace Facility for arms transfers to Ukraine, and we will not give it the green light as long as OTP is on this particular list,” Szijjarto said. Earlier this month, Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention classified OTP Bank as an international sponsor of the war over it...