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What you need to know about Missouri's new laws

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Dozens of new laws take effect Monday in Missouri, including banning transgender minors from gender-affirming health care.Another big change involves your cell phone. Drivers of all ages are now prohibited from holding their phone to text, call or scroll on social media while behind the wheel. Missouri is one of the last states in the country to put a law like this into place and even the governor said Monday, this is a big step that needed to be taken."It is an issue, it is a problem when we are driving," Governor Mike Parson said. "It does distract us and all of us have done it, including myself, have been guilty of texting and driving."Drivers will now be required to use hands-free options like Bluetooth or voice to text when driving. The Siddens Bening Hands Free Law is one of many provisions that took effect Monday. It's named after 34-year-old Randall Siddens who was hit by a distracted driver while he was picking up cones after a triathlon race in Columb...

Fountain police searching for missing 16-year-old girl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has issued a Missing Indigenous Persons Alert for a 16-year-old girl last seen on Sunday in Fountain.Related ArticlesColorado News | Authorities searching for missing Larimer County 14-year-old girl Colorado News | Indigenous teen missing from Thornton; authorities ask for public’s help locating her Colorado News | At-risk teen missing from Colorado Springs, police ask for public’s help in locating her Colorado News | Arvada family fears missing teen may be endangered Colorado News | FBI recovers 27 sex trafficking victims in Colorado, including 8 juveniles Please share this missing indigenous person alert for Tatiana Aguilar-Gonzales and if you see her please call the Fountain Police or 9-1-1. pic.twitter.com/zCHFTM3mQN— CBI (@CBI_Colorado) August 28, 2023Tatiana Aguilar-Gonzales, who is affiliated with the Nambe tribe, was last seen at 10 a.m. Sund...

Street racing crackdown in L.A. County yields 27 arrests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

A total of 91 citations were issued and 27 people were arrested during a street racing and sideshow crackdown in Los Angeles County over the weekend, according to the California Highway Patrol.The operation took place in several locations in the region Friday and Saturday.The Southern Division Street Racing Enforcement Unit prevented groups of people from taking over intersections and conducting other street racing activities.Aside from the citations and arrests, the following results came of the operation:31 Impounds/stored vehicles2 Felony pursuits1 Recovered stolen vehicleIn 2021, CHP officers responded to more than 7,300 street racing and sideshow incidents involving around 123,000 people, according to the agency.Over the past five years, they say there have been more than 260 crashes associated with street racing sideshows in the state; around 30 of those resulted in a death, while more than 124 resulted in injuries, according to the CHP.Late last year, a 24-year-old woman died...

This is the 'best beach town' in Southern California, according to travel site

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

Coastal California has no shortage of breathtaking beaches that are perfect for a sunny getaway, but a handful of cities stand above them all, according to a new ranking from a national travel publication.Just in time to get one last summer beach trip in before the leaves changes colors and temperatures begin to drop, Trips To Discover as published its ranking of the 20 Best Beach Towns in America. This is the best California town to visit for Christmas The online travel website named four California cities among the best beach towns for 2023, including a lesser-known gem located just up the 101.Santa Cruz, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Pescadero were all among the towns to receive the honor, but Southern California's very own Carpinteria was the only SoCal destination to crack the list.Carpinteria is located in southern Santa Barbara County, about 90 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. It's known for its pristine beaches, picturesque mountain views and charming small town vibe. A view of ...

Farmers Insurance says it is cutting 2,400 jobs in bid to ensure long-term profitability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Farmers Insurance said Monday it will lay off 11% of its workforce — about 2,400 employees — as part of a corporate restructuring aimed at increasing its efficiency and long-term profitability.The California-based insurer said the job cuts will impact all lines of its business. Monday was the last working day at the company for most employees impacted by the layoffs, Farmers confirmed to The Associated Press.In a statement announcing the job cuts, Raul Vargas, president and CEO of Farmers Group Inc., a subsidiary of Swiss giant Zurich Insurance Group, alluded to “existing conditions” in the insurance industry.“As our industry continues to face macroeconomic challenges, we must carefully manage risk and prudently align our costs with our strategic plans for sustainable profitability," Vargas said. “Our leaner structure will make us more nimble and better able to pursue opportunities for growth and ultimately make Farmers more responsive to the needs of our insured cus...

Eminem to Ramaswamy: Stop using my music for your campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

By Aaron Pellish and Anna-Maja Rappard | CNNAfter performing his rendition of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been asked by the Real Slim Shady to stand down.BMI, a performing rights organization, has informed Ramaswamy’s campaign at Eminem’s request that it will no longer license the rapper’s music for use by the campaign. In a letter to the campaign dated August 23, BMI says it “received a communication from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN.CNN has reached out to Eminem’s representative for comment.The letter, which was first reported by the Daily Mail, was sent more than a week after Ramaswamy concluded an appearance alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair with an impromptu karaoke performance of the popular Eminem song, rapping along with...

For years, women said this Walnut Creek bartender raped them, with no arrests. Then one detective connected the dots, found 7 alleged victims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

WALNUT CREEK — One woman reported he burst into her home and sexually assaulted her in front of her child, years after she’d cut off contact. Another died from a suspected drug overdose less than a year after reporting he’d raped her. A third woman said he seemed to be following her from bar to bar, then sexually assaulted her after she blacked out.Since 2018, reports of sexual assault involving 35-year-old Brandon Delliquadri have been piling up. Yet it wasn’t until last month that investigators connected the dots and brought a case to Contra Costa prosecutors, who charged him with raping four victims. Now, prosecutors have connected Delliquadri to three additional sexual assaults, and authorities say they’re still investigating the possibility that more victims are out there.Delliquadri, a Walnut Creek resident, was known in the local bar scene. Authorities say he has worked both as a bartender and a bouncer at various establishments around the Bay Ar...

Bullet or gun allegedly hits police cruiser windshield during I-80 chase from Fairfield to Hercules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

Two suspected Oakland car thieves allegedly led officers on a chase down Interstate 80 during which a bullet — or a handgun itself — hit the windshield of a police cruiser after one of the thieves tossed the weapon out of the car, authorities said.The men were taken into custody early Saturday morning after the chase, which began when a Fairfield police officer tried pulling over a red Hyundai that had license plates belonging to a Jeep, according to the Fairfield Police Department.The Hyundai took off and got onto westbound Interstate 80 — at which point someone tossed a gun out of the car that discharged once it hit the pavement, the police department reported on its Facebook page. Either the bullet — or the gun itself — then hit the windshield of one of the pursuing police cruisers, police said.Officers caught the Hyundai’s driver, a 40-year-old Oakland man, after he pulled into a Hercules shopping center, police said. A 35-year-old Oakland man...

Police: Man pulls gun on theft suspect, is shot, killed by officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

Austen Erblat | KCNC via CNNA man who pulled a gun on an alleged thief was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer who responded to the initial confrontation, police said in an update. The alleged thief was later arrested and given a court summons.It started around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at a bus stop near East Colfax Avenue and Havana Street. In a statement, the Aurora Police Department said officers were monitoring surveillance cameras of the area, saw a confrontation between two men and responded to the scene.The confrontation was an apparent theft of a backpack, the department said. The alleged thief, later identified as 32-year-old Dominque Harris, took another man’s backpack. The now-deceased man has not yet been identified, but police say he drew a gun on Harris. When officers arrived to the area, they saw the armed man and Aurora Police Officer Caleb Parrella shot the man, the department said.He was taken to the hospital and later died of his injuries. The...

Letters: PG&E tech | Ethnic studies | Trump desperation | Support Dems | No faking evidence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:58 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.PG&E should invest intech, not tree-trimmingRe: “PG&E wildfire strategy needs careful scrutiny” (Page A6, Aug. 9).PG&E should never have targeted tree removal for their primary wildfire response. For years safety and environmental activists have asked PG&E to install fast-circuit reclosers and insulated lines, as trees only cause a minority of incidents. Back in 2019, PG&E ex-CEO Bill Johnson admitted that seasonally strong horizontal winds made tree trimming ineffectual.The larger question centers around PG&E’s foreseeable mistake of spending $2.5 billion on this unproven and ineffective tree-removal program. Regulators and shareholders should be crying foul on five years of wasted resources.Regulators should also insist that PG&E discontinue the ongoing $500 million tree-cutting near gas pipelines where no tree has caused a gas accident.The time is over for...