Tag: State News

Pair Sentenced for Burglarizing LA Mayor Karen Bass’s Home

LOS ANGELES—Two men who broke into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and stole two revolvers were each handed state prison terms on June 27. Patricio Munoz, 43, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Juan Espinoza, 25, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars. The pair were each originally charged last…


4 Arrested in ‘Horrific’ Human Trafficking Border Case That Resulted in 53 Deaths

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Tuesday that four individuals have been arrested in relation to a tractor-trailer human smuggling incident in San Antonio, Texas, on June 27 last year. The event resulted in the deaths of 53 illegal immigrants, while another 11 were injured. “Human smugglers prey on migrants’ hope for a better life—but their only…


Amtrak Train With 198 Passengers Derails After Hitting Truck on Tracks in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif.—An Amtrak train carrying nearly 200 passengers struck a county water truck and derailed on Wednesday in Southern California, critically injuring the truck’s driver, authorities said. Three of the train’s seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. Fourteen people on the train…


Amtrak Train With 190 Passengers Derails After Colliding With Vehicle in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif.—An Amtrak train carrying 190 passengers derailed Wednesday after striking a truck on tracks in Southern California, and only minor injuries were reported, authorities said. Three of the train’s seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. The number of people hurt wasn’t…


California Man Defrauded $9 Million From Investors in Cow Manure Green Energy Scheme

A California man was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for running a “green energy” Ponzi scheme, defrauding investors of almost $9 million, according to a June 26 press release from the Department of Justice. Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, in California’s Central Valley, defrauded investors of $8,750,000 with farm tours and…


Regulatory Haze Fogs California Cannabis Policies

Commentary After voters passed Proposition 64 in 2016, California cities were supposed to play the key role legalizing and regularizing the use and sale of marijuana. The reality has been hazy. Although this has been controversial, it remains state law. Some cities are meeting the needs of their people; some are not. But the federal…


Oregon Becomes the Latest State to Put Ranked-Choice Voting on the Ballot

Oregon becomes the latest state to put ranked-choice voting on the ballot, as the measure was passed on Sunday by state Democrats in one of their final actions of the 2023 session. This move will give voters the final say on the November 2024 ballot and decide whether Oregon’s future statewide and federal races should be conducted…


Sen. Scott’s Video Notice to Socialists Draws Millions of Views, Discussion

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) published a video message to socialists and communists on Tuesday morning that garnered upwards of 38,000 replies and 26 million views on Twitter as of Wednesday. “Let me give a travel warning: if you’re a socialist, communist, someone that believes in big government, I would think twice—think twice if you’re thinking about…


Oklahoma Misspent Millions In COVID-19 Funds: Auditor

Oversight failures by state officials resulted in the misallocation of over $29 million in federal pandemic relief funds that may now have to be repaid by taxpayers, according to Oklahoma Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd. Byrd’s office on Tuesday released an audit report (pdf) that looked into around $14 billion in Oklahoma state spending in fiscal…


Man Fleeing Ohio Police With an Abducted Infant Crashes Into a Home, Killing the Child

TIFFIN, Ohio—A man who abducted a 7-month-old child in Ohio crashed his car into a house while trying to flee from police, killing the infant and critically injuring himself. The crash in Tiffin occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office had sent out an alert regarding the man—whose name…