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L.A. serial killer charged with killing cellmate in Kern County prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

A Los Angeles serial killer who earlier this year was accused of killing his cellmate at a federal prison in Kern County has been formally charged with murder, prosecutors said.Ramon Alberto Escobar, 52, is scheduled for arraignment Thursday on charges of first-degree murder and assault likely to produce great bodily injury by a prisoner serving a life term. Escobar shared a cell at North Kern State Prison with Juan Villanueva, who was serving a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Juan Villanueva (left) and Ramon Escobar (right) are shown in these undated photos provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Villanueva, 53, was found unresponsive in his cell on Feb. 24, and prosecutors allege he was strangled. ‘No evidence’ models’ deaths in downtown L.A. related, police say Escobar is already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for a...

Disneyland temporarily closes Space Mountain for refurbishment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

Disneyland has closed Space Mountain just as the Halloween season kicks off at the “Happiest Place on Earth.”The popular Tomorrowland indoor roller coaster will be closed until Oct. 25 for refurbishment, according to the Disneyland calendar.The closure of Space Mountain comes as more guests usually visit the Anaheim resort for Halloween. Disneyland brings back fire effects for some nighttime shows Limited-time experiences, like holiday décor, ride overlays, a themed fireworks show at Disneyland, Oogie Boogie Bash and more, are expected to last until Oct. 31.In the past, Disneyland would temporarily close Space Mountain to install the Ghost Galaxy overlap, which would add “video projections of spinning nebulas and a fiery space demon to the pitch-black indoor coaster,” the Orange County Register reported.  The last time Disneyland officials installed the overlay for the Halloween season was in 2018, according to theme park blogs. The abandoned plans to bring another Disney t...

Man sentenced to 13 years for bringing 6.5 pounds of fentanyl through LAX

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

A man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for trying to bring more than 6 1/2 pounds of fentanyl through Los Angeles International Airport in 2020.Chicago resident Jermaine Eggleston, 35, was convicted in April 2022 of distributing fentanyl after LAX security officers found the narcotics in his checked duffle bag, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a Tuesday news release.On Sept. 14, 2020, his bag set off an X-ray machine for possibly containing explosives, prompting a Transportation Security Administration officer to search it."The officer opened the bag and found, inside a computer keyboard box, three parcels wrapped in tape, plastic wrap, and carbon paper," the release said. "Eggleston checked the bag under his own name for a Los Angeles-to-New Orleans flight. Subsequent testing revealed that the parcels in total contained 2,986 grams of fentanyl."That amount, just short of 3 kilograms, equates to 6.58 pounds and has a wholesale value of more than $250,000, the D...

If speed cameras are installed in California, what will the fines be?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

A bill that would establish a pilot program in six California cities to ticket speeding drivers with cameras instead of police is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for approval.AB 645 proposed the five-year pilot program to give local transportation departments in the cities of San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach and the city and county of San Francisco the ability to install automated speed safety systems. These cameras would use a mobile radar to monitor drivers going at least 11 miles over the posted speed limit, snapping a picture of their license plate to issue speeding tickets to the driver. Speed cameras could be coming to the L.A. area According to the bill, transportation departments can deploy anywhere from nine to 125 cameras throughout their jurisdiction depending on population size, prioritizing areas such as school zones, high-injury roadways and known street racing corridors in geographically diverse locations.Drivers who are found to be speeding ...

Vanna White to stay on 'Wheel of Fortune' for 2 more years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

Vanna White won't be having her final spin on the "Wheel of Fortune" anytime soon. She has extended her contract for two more years according to Deadline. This extension will take her through the 2025-2026 season, which means she'll be working alongside Ryan Seacrest when Pat Sajak retires after this season. Pat Sajak, left, and Vanna White, from "Wheel of Fortune," attend a ceremony honoring Harry Friedman with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Nov. 1, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)The popular game show is currently in its 41st Season and it'll be the last one for Sajak who announced his retirement plans in June.Weeks later, it was revealed Seacrest would take over hosting duties.In this May 14, 2019 file photo, Ryan Seacrest attends the Walt Disney Television 2019 upfront in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)When the "American Idol" host announced the new gig, he expressed excitement about working with White.“I can’t wa...

From Bankrupt Entrepreneur to Insurance Industry Mogul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

Bouncing back from bankruptcy isn’t a simple task. Doing so requires not only a vision, but also a strategic plan to make that vision a reality—as well as a strong stomach for the uncertainty and doubt along the way.Tim Gaspar managed to pull this off so well that he was able to launch and scale an insurance company to the point that he could sell it to Foundation Risk Partners (FRP) within less than a decade-and-a-half.Gaspar’s entrepreneurial spirit was obvious from an early age. As a teenager, he pursued a range of different money-making strategies, from running lemonade stands to operating his own haunted houses. But dropping out of college to pursue his early ambitions didn’t work out as planned, and he found himself bankrupt at the age of 20.Determined to change his life trajectory, Gaspar dove headfirst into the insurance industry, gaining experience by working at a major firm for a few years before starting his own venture. Though he lacked formal training, Gaspa...

Police: Berkeley apartment resident arrested in shooting of maintenance worker he thought was a burglar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

BERKELEY — A resident of an apartment complex was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Monday in the shooting of a maintenance worker whom he thought was a burglar, authorities saidThe 43-year-old suspect was being held without bail Tuesday at Santa Rita Jail.The shooting happened about 11:40 a.m. Monday at a multi-unit apartment building in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue, not far from the UC Berkeley campus.Authorities said Tuesday that the tenant contacted police to say he had just shot a burglar. The victim also called police and said he was shot while trying to complete maintenance at the unit where the suspect lived.Officer Jessica Perry said when officers got to the apartment they found the maintenance worker with a wound to the leg.  He was taken to a hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.Perry said officers at the scene determined the maintenance worker was attempting to work inside a unit upon the tenant’s request. The tenant had made ...

UAW threatens to expand strike if no progress by Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

By David Koenig | Associated PressThe United Auto Workers union is stepping up pressure on Detroit’s Big Three by threatening to expand its strike unless it sees major progress in contract negotiations by Friday.In a video statement late Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain said workers at more factories will join those who are now in the fifth day of a strike at three plants.“We’re not going to keep waiting around forever while they drag this out … and we’re not messing around,” Fain said in announcing the noon Eastern time Friday deadline for escalating the strike unless there is “serious progress” in the talks.Ford, General Motors and Stellantis said they want to settle the strike, and they held back from directly criticizing the escalation threat.Mark Stewart, the North American chief operating officer of Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler, said the company is still looking for common ground with the UAW.“I hope that we&#...

Ivanka Trump’s praise for ‘Sound of Freedom’ challenged by hero’s alleged sexual misconduct

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

Over the summer, Ivanka Trump joined her father, Donald Trump, and other conservatives and far-right QAnon believers in promoting the surprise summer hit movie, “Sound of Freedom,” which follows the purported real-life heroics of former federal agent Tim Ballard as he rescues South American children from sex traffickers.But after Ivanka Trump called Ballard’s story in “Sound of Freedom” “harrowing” and “inspiring,” and mingled with him at a special private screening her father hosted at his New Jersey golf club, a new report has painted a disturbing portrait of the self-styled anti-slavery activist and the true reasons he quietly left the anti-trafficking organization he founded.WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 31: US President Donald Trump and Senior Advisor to President Trump, Ivanka Trump participate in the “White House Summit on Human Trafficking: The 20th Anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000̶...

India expels Canadian diplomat after Trudeau accusation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:19 GMT

By Krutika Pathi and Rob Gillies | Associated PressNEW DELHI — India expelled one of Canada’s top diplomats Tuesday, ramping up a confrontation between the two countries over Canadian accusations that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in suburban Vancouver.India, which has dismissed the accusations as absurd, said the expulsion came amid “growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” according to a statement from its Ministry of External Affairs.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to try to calm the diplomatic clash Tuesday, telling reporters that Canada is “not looking to provoke or escalate.”“We are simply laying out the facts as we understand them and we want to work with the government of India to lay everything clear and to ensure there are proper processes,” he said. “India and the government of India need...