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No. 13 seed Furman opens March Madness by beating Virginia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

By The Associated PressORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — JP Pegues made a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining, and No. 13 seed Furman completed a rally from a 12-point second-half deficit to hand fourth-seeded Virginia another first-round NCAA Tournament loss, 68-67 on Thursday.Making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 43 years, the Paladins (28-7) advanced to the second round in the South Region, where they will play either fifth-seeded San Diego State or 12th-seeded Charleston on Saturday.Furman earned its first tournament berth since 1980 by beating Chattanooga for the Southern Conference title, capping a season-long quest to redeem itself after losing the league’s automatic berth to the Mocs on a 35-foot buzzer-beater in last year’s Southern final.In the aftermath of that loss, Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell both decided to return for their fifth seasons with the Paladins. Slawson took over the game when Bothwell fouled out with just over six minutes remaining, sc...

Letters: Coloradans’ obsession with guns and gun laws

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

Switzerland is not a fair comparisonRe: “When will adults take student safety seriously?” March 12 letter to the editorA letter writer in Sunday’s Open Forum asks why Switzerland, which he cites as having the highest concentration per capita of semi-automatic and fully automatic gun ownership in the world, has the lowest incidents of gun violence. Well, it might be that Switzerland has a population of 8.7 million people as opposed to 334 million people who live in the United States. It’s about the size and population of Virginia. It also leads the developed world in environmental protection. It doesn’t have the poverty, the homelessness, the fractured politics, the racism or gun culture that we do.The point is that our numbers, diversity, and history equal a lot more complexity to the problems we need to solve. Comparing apples to grapes just doesn’t work.Jeannie Dunham, DenverWho is the most obsessed about guns?Re: “Assault rifle lapel pins...

A senior living resident in Louisville was arrested for domestic violence. Police say it never happened, and now staffers face criminal charges.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

Three workers at a senior living facility in Louisville are facing criminal charges after police allege two of them falsely reported an assault that never occurred between two elderly residents.Joshua Merrill, a staff member at Balfour at Cherrywood Village, and Kara Roberts, a contractor, face charges of attempt to influence a public servant — a felony — as well as caretaker neglect and two counts of false reporting, court records show.Dainzu Mosqueda, another employee, was charged with one count related to the mandatory reporting of mistreatment of at-risk elders.Merrill, who was arrested this week and posted $5,000 bond, is set to appear in Boulder County District Court on March 28 for advisement of charges. Roberts has an active warrant out for her arrest, and Mosqueda was issued a summons.Louisville police responded to the Balfour senior living facility Jan. 10 on reports of a domestic violence incident.Officers, in arrest affidavits, said the three staff members to...

Reward offered for information in kidnapping of U.S. citizen in Mexico

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

The FBI’s Los Angeles office is offering a $20,000 reward for information regarding the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in Mexico last month.Maria del Carmen Lopez, 63, was kidnapped from her residence in Pueblo Nuevo, Colima on Feb. 9, the FBI said in a news release without elaborating.Maria del Carmen Lopez is seen in a series of photos released by the FBI on March 16, 2023. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs around 160 pounds, has blonde hair and brown eyes and has eyeliner permanently tattooed.She was born in Mexico but is a U.S. citizen.Anyone with information about Lopez’s location is asked to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.The Los Angeles FBI office can be reached at 310 477-6565, and tips could be submitted at tips.fbi.gov.The FBI is conducting a joint investigation with law enforcement authorities in Mexico.

Federal agents arrest man alleged to have extorted money from Koreatown karaoke clubs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

Homeland Security Investigations special agents and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrested a Woodland Hills man on federal charges that he was extorting "protection" money from several businesses in Koreatown. According to the Justice Department, the federal investigation into 38-year-old Daekun Cho began a year ago and found that he was demanding protection money from karaoke businesses in Koreatown as well as from “doumi,” who are hostesses employed by patrons of the karaoke establishments. “To further his extortion scheme, Cho committed shootings, a carjacking, a kidnapping and other acts of physical violence,” the complaint affidavit said. “Cho made explicit threatening statements to the doumi drivers and karaoke bar owners to get them to pay a monthly fee.” The affidavit also outlines other physical attacks committed by Cho dating back to May of 2021, when he is alleged to have beaten a victim with a baseball bat after the victim refused to pay protection...

Port of Los Angeles agrees to green shipping corridor with Tokyo and Yokohama ports 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

The Port of Los Angeles has reached an agreement with the Ports of Tokyo and Yokohama in Japan to create more sustainable shipping passages. The agreements, known as Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs), were signed by Port officials during the 2023 California Japan Clean Energy Trade Mission this week. A Green Shipping Corridor partnership has been agreed upon between the three ports to be established within the coming year. The partnership aims to reduce emissions along trade routes and promotes low and zero-carbon ships and fuels. “Global cooperation is critical if we are to make meaningful progress toward a cleaner and more sustainable maritime industry,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “The Port of Los Angeles is proud of the role it has played in advancing port-related environmental technologies and supply chain decarbonization solutions, but we can do so much more with ports and other international stakeholders working together.” The Port of ...

Taco Bell bringing back the fan-favorite Volcano Menu in June

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

Taco Bell is turning up the heat with the return of the fan-favorite Volcano Menu. The fast-food restaurant announced the return of the Volcano Burrito, Volcano Taco and Lava Sauce on Thursday.“A menu so hot we can’t keep our cool. Established all the way back in 1995, Taco Bell is returning up the heat, for the third time, with the perfect encore to satisfy your spice cravings through the return of the fan-favorite Volcano Menu,” a news release said.The menu will make its grand return to the general public on June 29, but Taco Bell Rewards Members will have exclusive access to it on June 27, two days before it’s available to the general public.The Volcano Menu will be avaliable for a limited time at particapating restaurants nationwide. Taco Bell opens its newest cantina restaurant in Hollywood Taco Bell fans have been advocating for the Volcano Menu to return on social media since it left menus in 2013, The Daily Meal reported.Taco Bell is expected to release more information a...

Sun+Earth Certification Program Expands to Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

As cannabis goes international, so will the standards we use to determine its quality like the Sun+Earth certifications that just recently entered the Canadian market.Sun+Earth is a nonprofit that was created in 2019. The space has seen many for-profit certification programs get pushed in the wake of not being able to actually call your cannabis organic. Why Not? Schedule I narcotics are not eligible for the  National Organic Program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. States also have started pushing their own organic programs like OCal here in California. While many of those other programs have fallen off, Sun+Earth grew to California, Michigan, Oregon and Washington before this new move into British Columbia with Sea Dog Farm. They note the program was founded by those with a shared commitment to regenerative organic agriculture, farmer and farmworker protections, and community engagement. Currently, there are more than 70 Sun+Earth Certified cannabis farms and manufacturers.&...

78-year-old woman loses thousands of dollars in Oakland scam, suspects being sought

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

OAKLAND — Suspects who scammed a 78-year-old woman out of thousands of dollars and briefly dragged her with their getaway vehicle last week in the Laurel district were being sought by police.One person was arrested in the case earlier this week but was released pending further investigation, authorities said.Police said that just after 1:30 p.m. March 9 the woman was approached by two men in the 4000 block of MacArthur Boulevard in the Laurel district. The suspects told her that if she gave them a specific amount of cash, they would contribute a larger amount to a charity of her choice, police said.The woman withdrew the cash, which was in the thousands of dollars, from her account at a nearby bank and gave it to the two men. They then got into a vehicle driven by a third person.That is when the woman realized she had been scammed, police said. When she tried to exit the vehicle, she was dragged a short distance before falling onto the roadway. She did not require medical aid,...

First Republic secures $30B rescue from large banks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

By Matt Egan, Allison Morrow and David Goldman | CNNFirst Republic Bank, facing a crisis of confidence from investors and customers, is set to receive a $30 billion lifeline from a group of America’s largest banks.“This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system,” the Treasury Department said in a statement Thursday.The major banks include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Truist.The $30 billion infusion will give the struggling San Francisco lender much-needed cash to meet customer withdrawals and buttress confidence in the US banking system during a tumultuous moment for lenders.A First Republic spokesman declined to comment.In a statement, the banks said their action “reflects their confidence in First Republic and in banks of all sizes,” adding that “regional, midsize and small banks are critical to the health and functioning of our financial system...