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Oakland human trafficking case thrown out over ‘lack of cooperating witness’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

OAKLAND — Prosecutors here have dismissed a human trafficking case against a 22-year-old man who was accused of pimping a teen girl, court records show.Jeremiah Means, of Oakland, was charged in August with human trafficking, pimping, and pandering. But two months later, in late October, prosecutors in Alameda County moved to dismiss the case due to a “lack of cooperating witness,” according to a minute order from the hearing where the charges were dropped.At the time of the dismissal, Means had been out of jail on his own recognizance for about six weeks, according to court records.At the time of Means’ arrest, police said they obtained text message conversations between Means and the girl showing a “pimp and prostitute relationship.” They alleged that Means met the girl on Instagram and drove out of the Bay Area to meet in person and take her back to Oakland.

Kurtenbach: The Warriors’ two-timeline plan is back in action, and it’s a sight to behold

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

The Warriors decided to go all-in on their veteran players this past offseason.The team’s “two-timeline plan” for success was considered over.But no one officially signed the death certificate.Yes, the two timelines are back by anything other than popular demand.With Draymond Green suspended until who knows when and several veteran players playing inconsistent basketball, the Warriors have been forced to turn to the kids over the last few games.And get this: It’s working.The Warriors are on a three-game winning streak, including beating arguably the NBA’s best team, the Celtics, Tuesday night at Chase Center.Now, the bulk of the credit for this streak must go to a resurgent Klay Thompson and the perpetually incredible Steph Curry.But the youngsters are playing serious minutes and providing a serious positive impact.While they might not be the kind of players that can take over for Curry, Thompson, and Green when the triumvirate calls it quits — the true...

New York Times Doxxes Source Trafficked by Chinese Gang

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

The New York Times this week published the harrowing account of a man who thought he was applying for a translator job at an e-commerce company in Thailand, but was instead abducted and sold to a Chinese gang who forced him to work for a scam operation in Myanmar.The Times, which withheld Neo Lu’s real name at his request for safety reasons, revealed identifying information about Lu to the public — and potentially the Chinese gangsters who took him hostage — by publishing what appears to be his passport number.“Mr. Lu, who goes by the nickname Neo for the character in the Matrix movies, spoke to The New York Times on the condition that his full name not be used, for fear of retribution from the criminals,” reporter Isabelle Qian wrote in the Times story.According to the account in the newspaper, Lu had provided the Times with photos of his time at the scam work camp, as well as copies of his travel documents to verify the authenticity of his situation. While the Times published seve...

2023-24 winter festivals and events in Colorado

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- If you're a fan of winter, you're probably a fan of Colorado. Winter starts Dec. 21 and lasts until March 19, 2024, which means there are plenty of chances to attend a winter-themed event in the state this season. Did you know: These 5 holiday traditions are local to Colorado From an ice sculpture championship in Breckenridge to the difficult-to-explain Frozen Dead Guy Days in Estes Park, there is an event for just about everyone.Ice Castles - Dec. 19- in Cripple CreekThe frozen spectacle opened a few weeks early for the first time since the 2019-20 winter season.Wintersköl - Jan. 11-14, 2024 in AspenAspen's annual "toast to winter" will feature several events to enjoy, from a craft beer festival to fireworks on Aspen Mountain.Ouray Ice Festival - Jan. 18-21, 2024 in OurayThe festival is described as a "gathering to celebrate the sport of ice climbing." It features things like climbing clinics during the day and presentations and movies from championship climbers ...

Cleanup efforts underway after gas explosion in West Park injures family of 4

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

The task of clearing debris commenced after a catastrophic blast rocked a West Park neighborhood on Tuesday. Leroy Wilkerson, among the affected residents, spent Wednesday repairing the aftermath of the explosion that knocked out windows and caused extensive damage the night before.The intense home explosion, likely triggered by gas, resonated blocks away, leaving a family of four, including two children, hospitalized.Neighbors rushed to the rescue as paramedics swiftly arrived on the scene.Another neighbor affected was Dominique Wright, who lives next door to the home that exploded. “I’ve been here my entire life … only lived here, so all my memories — my photos, my kids’ photos — all of our stuff is here, and now we gotta get rid of it,” he said. Wright’s home, the only one he’s ever known, will likely have to be torn down after it was badly damaged. Wright’s mother, who was in the home at the time, survived. “She&#...

Macron slams ‘manhunt’ against Depardieu

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron took the side of film star Gérard Depardieu against what he called “a manhunt” as the French actor faces new scrutiny over obscene and sexist remarks.During an interview with the France 5 TV channel, the French president praised Depardieu’s contribution to filmmaking. “I’m a great admirer of Gérard Depardieu, he is a great actor … He has helped introduce our great authors to the world, he makes France proud,” he said.As reported by POLITICO, Macron has distanced himself from his government’s decision to potentially strip Depardieu of his Légion d’Honneur, in the wake of allegations of sexism and sexual assault. Depardieu has been charged with rape in 2020 — he has denied any wrongdoing — and a recently-released documentary, featuring the actor making obscene remarks and sexualizing a young girl, has caused fresh outrage.On Wednesday, the French president confirmed he did not wish Depardieu...

EU pledges to join US-led Red Sea patrol effort

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

The European Union said tonight that member countries will contribute to the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen.“Irresponsible Houthi actions are a threat to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” tweeted Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, after an emergency meeting of the bloc’s Political and Security Committee.The EU’s endorsement will make it easier for countries to join the American effort.The U.K. has joined, while Italy is sending a warship. France, which has a destroyer in the area, said on Tuesday it was interested but had not yet committed to joining the operation.Other countries were waiting for the EU to move. The bloc is already running the Atalanta anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia, which is led by Spain and has included vessels from countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy.Spain was mentione...

Dunkin’ is eliminating a plant-based milk from its menus

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

New York (CNN) — Dunkin’ is eliminating coconut milk from its menus less than three years after the chain added the plant-based dairy alternative as an option for drinkers.Dunkin’ confirmed to CNN that it’s “bidding farewell” to coconut milk from US locations in the coming days but noted that the chain will still have almond milk and oat milk as dairy-free creamers.The elimination of coconut milk means the end of its Coconut Refreshers lineup, which were colorful drinks mixing coconut milk and flavored iced tea, also added to menus in 2021. Refreshers can still be ordered with a green tea base.Dunkin’ didn’t specify why it’s reducing its selection of plant-based dairy alternatives, but chains regularly adjust offerings if an item isn’t selling or becomes too expensive.Both are likely reasons why Dunkin’ ditched coconut milk, according to Robert Byrne, director for consumer and industry insights at Technomic. He told CNN that the cost of coconut milk “pl...

Brookline teenager who had ‘magic mushrooms’ jumped from 6th-story window: Police

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

A Brookline teen was severely injured after he had “magic mushrooms” and jumped from a sixth-story window, according to police who arrested a drug dealer accused of targeting local kids.Brookline Police are now warning parents after this incident and the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Brookline Village.Based on a tip, Brookline detectives began investigating a suspected drug dealer who goes by the name Niko. He was allegedly selling drugs to underage teens.Some of the products were purchased at local marijuana dispensaries, where Niko allegedly bought the products that are legal for those 21-plus.Many students at Brookline High School have reportedly been caught with items that Niko sold.“One particular minor suffered severe physical injuries after ingesting magic mushrooms allegedly bought from Niko,” police said in a statement.“These psychedelic mushrooms are suspected to have caused this minor to become so disoriented that he jumped from a sixth stor...

EU takes aim at online porn giants

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:10:46 GMT

LONDON — Three of the world’s biggest porn websites face new requirements in the European Union that include verifying the ages of users, the 27-nation bloc said Wednesday, expanding the reach of its digital law designed to keep people safe on the internet.Pornhub, XVideos and Stripchat have now been classed as “very large online platforms” subject to more stringent controls under the Digital Services Act because they each have 45 million average monthly users, according to the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch.They are the first porn sites to be targeted by the sweeping Digital Services Act, which imposes tough obligations to keep users safe from illegal content and dodgy products.Violations are punishable by fines of up to 6% of global revenue or even a ban on operating in the EU. Some 19 online platforms and search engines have already been identified for stricter scrutiny under the DSA, including TikTok, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Google an...