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UCLA purchases historic Trust Building in downtown Los Angeles

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

The University of California, Los Angeles has completed the purchase of a historic building located in the heart of downtown L.A. that it plans to use as a college extension building. The Trust Building, located at 433 Spring St., is an 11-story art-deco style building built in 1928 near Pershing Square. The property was recently renovated, UCLA says, and once the university moves in, it will host satellite classes and house administrative offices.The Trust Building logo is shown in this image shared by UCLA. The university purchased the property in June 2023. (UCLA)The Trust Building is LEED-certified, meaning it's energy efficient and environmentally responsible, and it's located near an L.A. Metro station, giving students easy transportation options, the school says.When it officially opens, the new facility will be known as UCLA Downtown. The exact sale price of the building was not disclosed, but the Los Angeles Times, citing real estate experts with "knowledge of the transacti...

Rubi Lopez Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash near 71st Avenue [Phoenix, AZ]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

23-Year-Old Woman Dead after Two-Vehicle Collision on Thomas RoadPHOENIX, AZ (June 29, 2023) – Early Sunday morning, a hit-and-run crash near 71st Avenue left Rubi Lopez dead.The deadly incident happened on May 28th, just after 4:00 a.m., near the intersection of 71st Avenue and Thomas Road.According to reports, Lopez was driving east on Thomas Road when a vehicle, driven by Saul Figueroa, struck hers. Investigators report that the crash was caused by Figueroa running a red light. After the collision, Figueroa fled the scene, getting into another vehicle that was not involved in the crash.Emergency crews at the site of the accident pronounced 23-year-old Rubi Lopez dead at the scene. Meanwhile, paramedics transported a passenger in Lopez’s car to a local hospital for treatment.Officers later located Figueroa at his home and he was arrested. He faces charges of hit-and-run and manslaughter.Additionally, Figueroa was believed to be intoxicated at the time of the collision....

Zushi Continues to Dominate

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

In a market where truly exceptional cannabis is a rarity, The Ten Co.’s combination of premium quality, remarkable branding and Zushi remains unrivaled.Our last conversation with The Ten Co. came on the heels of their monumental success in 2021, when they claimed top honors at the inaugural Zalympix event. The competition scene reached new heights after Greenwolf, Los Angeles’ premier heat retailer, stormed out the gates with their top-shelf box contest.Now, two years later, Zushi has once again emerged victorious. During its initial triumph, some skeptics attributed the win to mere hype. Yet, the myth and allure surrounding Zushi were proven to be well-deserved, evident in the four-hour-long queue that formed at their booth during the recent Zalympix ceremony. However, the mystique surrounding Zushi was even more pronounced two years ago, causing people to fall into various camps of belief. Some staunchly reaffirmed their faith in Zushi after the W, while others critici...

Poll finds Trump support slips slightly after indictment

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

By Jill Colvin and Linley Sanders | Associated PressNEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s criminal indictment on charges of mishandling government secrets appears to have dented his popularity among Republicans — but only slightly —- according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Sixty percent of Republicans now have a favorable view of Trump, down slightly from 68% in April for the 2024 GOP presidential front-runner. The poll found 38% of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Trump, up from 30% in April.The favorability decline suggests some Republicans could be growing weary of Trump’s legal drama after he became the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted on federal criminal charges. Trump, who was also indicted on separate charges in New York this spring, pleaded not guilty this month to 37 felony counts accusing him of improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida...

Central US now getting worst of the drought

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

By Jim Salter | Associated PressST. LOUIS — Mike Shane’s Illinois farm got a nice soaking on May 8, shortly after he planted his corn crop. Since then, rain has been hard to come by.Plenty of storms have ventured close only to fizzle out before making it to Shane’s 200-acre spread near Peoria.“It comes across the Mississippi River and then just disappears,” Shane, 47, said. “My corn looks absolutely terrible right now.” Without substantial rain soon, “I just don’t see any hope for it,” he said.Heavy rain over the winter eased the drought in the West, but now the middle of the country is extraordinarily dry. Crops are stressed, rivers are running low, and cities and towns are anxiously hoping for a break in the weather.Experts say the drought in the central U.S. is the worst since at least 2012, and in some areas, is drawing comparisons to the 1988 drought that devastated corn, wheat and soybean crops. This year, although temperat...

‘Velo guy’ Ross Stripling flashes hotter heater vs. Blue Jays, reflects on facing former team

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

TORONTO — There’s a joke going around the Giants’ clubhouse. And maybe there’s a hint of truth to it.Is Ross Stripling a velo guy now?“I’m not claiming it yet,” Stripling said Thursday, “but if it wants to stick around, I won’t be mad about it.”Returning from a low back strain, Stripling made his first appearance in more than month Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits to take a 6-1 loss to the finish line. The number that stuck out most: 93.2 mph, or his average fastball for the outing — a full mile-per-hour faster than his average this season.That comes on the heels of a rehab outing in Arizona where Stripling said he recorded the second-fastest heater he’s ever thrown: “Like 95 point something.” He maxed out at 94.6 mph Wednesday.Of course, there was potentially another factor contributing some extra adrenaline to Stripling’s bloodstream.“Obviously back in an environment like this, facing my ex...

Man who founded Your Black Muslim Bakery spinoff convicted of $34.6 million fraud scheme

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

OAKLAND — Eight years after he was busted for using forged FBI credentials to acquire a security contract with the Port of Oakland, a Contra Costa man has been convicted of 44 felonies for a $34.6 million fraud scheme, court records show.The lengthy verdict form for Dahood Sharieff Bey, also known as Attila Colar, includes multiple charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, making false statements to a bank, destruction of property, being a felon in possession of a firearm, filing a false tax return, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison on the conspiracy counts alone and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam in September.Bey represented himself during trial, according to court records.In the 2010s, Dahood Bey formed a spinoff of the now-defunct Your Black Muslim Bakery after its leader, Yusuf Bey IV, was convicted of murdering Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey, as w...

‘This is how we say good bye on Facebook’: Oakland woman allegedly posted bloody photo after daughter’s homicide and confessed to family

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

OAKLAND — Authorities have now revealed that the Oakland woman accused of fatally stabbing her 10-year-old daughter inside their apartment taped a goodbye message on Facebook and then returned afterward to post a bloody selfie, the latest indication that her mental health was deteriorating around the time of the homicide.Rosa Orozco-Suarez, 33, posted a video of her daughter, Sophia Lorenzo Orozco, with the caption, “This is how we say good bye on Facebook,” and “see you on the other side,” authorities say. Then she signed off social media and allegedly stabbed the young girl to death before turning the knife on herself.In addition to confessing to multiple family members, Orozco-Suarez allegedly returned to social media to post a photograph of herself with a bloody wound to her neck. One of the family members she called to confess got in touch with the Oakland Police Department, which sent officers to the family’s Bancroft Avenue apartment in Eas...

Brentwood couple sentenced for producing child pornography

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A Brentwood couple were sentenced for producing and conspiring to produce child pornography, the United States Department of Justice announced Thursday. Matthew Lee Pelton and Heather Electa Halwig Gharibian were sentenced to 30 years and 22 years respectively, according to United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey.Pelton, 50, of Brentwood, pleaded guilty on Feb. 14, 2023. Gharibian, 53, also of Brentwood, pleaded guilty on Feb. 21, 2023. The DOJ states that according to plea agreements, the couple admitted that from March 29, 2021 until at least June 14, 2021, they conspired to produce and film visual depictions of two minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. ‘Influencer mom’ Katie Sorensen sentenced to Sonoma County jail Using the WhatsApp messenger app, Pelton requested that Gharibian perform sexual acts on a 10-year-old child entrusted to her care. Pelton "described his arousal, gave instructions on how to perform sexual acts on the victim, and requested that Ghari...

San Mateo summer program director arrested for child sex abuse

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:47:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A Redwood City man was arrested on child sex abuse charges after a parent alerted police. The accused predator worked for a summer program held at Fiesta Gardens International School at 1001 Bermuda Drive in San Mateo, according to police. A mother reported "inappropriate interactions" between her child and a staff member of the summer program on Wednesday. The San Mateo Police Department wrote, "The Boys and Girls Club operated the summer school program at the school."Kevin Granados-Elizalde, 25, was employed by the Boys and Girls Club as an assistant site director for the summer program, according to police. "Because of the magnitude and seriousness of the victim’s statements, SMPD Detectives worked unceasingly," police wrote. Detectives said they determined Granados-Elizalde had sexually abused the victim, who is less than 14 years old. According to the Boys and Girls Club's website, its free summer program at Fiesta Gardens International School is for students in grade...