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'Ebony Alert' system proposed in California to help find missing Black young adults and adolescents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

(KTXL) — A bill aimed at creating a system similar to Amber Alerts but specifically for missing Black young adults and adolescents was introduced into the California Senate last month.Senate Bill 673, introduced by Senator Steven Bradford, would create the "Ebony Alert" system, which would have the California Highway Patrol take steps to assist local law enforcement agencies in finding missing people such as "issuing a be-on-the-lookout alert, an electronic flyer, or changeable message signs." Amber, Silver, Feather, Blue: What are the different emergency alerts in California? “The Ebony Alert would ensure that resources and attention are given so we can bring home missing Black women and Black children in the same way we would search for any missing child and missing person,” said Bradford.The bill lays out considerations for if an Ebony Alert should be issued, including if the missing person is between 12 to 25 years of age; if they suffer from a mental or physical disability; i...

Suspects behind recent Oakland crime spree arrested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

(KRON) -- The Oakland Police Department announced the arrests of four suspects involved in a recent series of armed robberies across the city. Four adult males were arrested in connection to 18 armed robberies involving firearms or knives, OPD said. Oakland A’s ballpark ranked worst in U.S. The suspects allegedly used the weapons to pistol whip and intimidate victims before fleeing the area with their possessions, police said. The suspects would typically commit between three and five robberies in one night. The robberies began late last year with the most recent being committed just six days ago.Units with OPD's Violent Crime Operations Center served multiple warrants in connection with the robberies, police said. Warrants were served to four locations -- two in Oakland and two in Hayward.During the operation, officers recovered evidence associated with the crimes and items taken during the robberies. Items recovered included jewelry, purses, wallets and credit cards.The suspects...

Vallejo police recover gun, stolen car in arrest at liquor store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

VALLEJO, Calif. (KRON) -- A suspect was arrested last Friday in connection to stealing a car and having an unlicensed firearm, the Vallejo Police Department announced Wednesday in a Facebook post. Officers located the male suspect in a stolen Kia Soul (pictured above) in front of a liquor store on the 700 block of Sonoma Boulevard. Exclusive: Frank Somerville makes first TV appearance since DUI crash When the suspect saw a VPD officer drive by, he got out of his car and went inside the store, according to police. The suspect then tried to hide from police by hiding behind the store's counter.He was eventually detained and taken to Solano County Jail. Police searched him and found an unregistered gun with an extended loaded magazine (pictured below). (Vallejo Police Department)KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-contai...

Phillies get outfielder Pache from A’s for minor leaguer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies acquired center fielder Cristian Pache from the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday in exchange for a minor league pitcher.Pache has played in in 115 games for the Atlanta Braves (2020-21) and Athletics (2022). He played center field in all but two of them.The Phillies opened a spot on the 40-man roster by placing first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the 60-day injured list.The A’s got 23-year-old right-hander Billy Sullivan. He was signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent in 2020 and went 5-1 last season with Double-A Reading.____AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Source

West Virginia’s governor signs bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, joining other states with health care bans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s governor signs bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, joining other states with health care bans.Source

For WVa. abortion protester, charges dropped with conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A protester forcibly removed from a chamber gallery at the West Virginia Capitol and later arrested for disrupting lawmakers as they moved to ban abortion last year will see all charges dropped against her, if she stays out of trouble for the next six months. Lindsey Jacobs, a 38-year-old lawyer with no criminal history, was ordered to perform 25 hours of community service under an agreement made Wednesday at a hearing in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Charleston-based Magistrate Pete Lopez dismissed two misdemeanor charges for obstructing an officer and willful disruption of governmental processes. Those offenses could have come with maximum penalties of up to either six months or a year in jail each, and hundreds of dollars in fines.Lopez agreed to dismiss a third misdemeanor for disorderly conduct if Jacobs doesn’t get convicted for breaking any laws in the next six months. The arrest will be on her record. She’ll also have to pay around $17...

Adnan Syed case pits victims’ rights against justice reform

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — When Baltimore prosecutors asked to vacate Adnan Syed ’s murder conviction and have him freed after 23 years behind bars, their request exemplified a growing movement within the American criminal justice system to acknowledge and correct past mistakes, including police misconduct and prosecutorial missteps.But a Maryland appellate court ruling released Tuesday raises new questions about the rights of crime victims, whose role in such proceedings often comes in opposition to ongoing justice reform efforts. In interviews Wednesday, legal experts said the ruling could have serious implications in Maryland and beyond. The Appellate Court of Maryland’s 2-1 decision reinstated Syed’s conviction, creating yet another unexpected wrinkle in the protracted legal odyssey chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.” The court ordered a redo of the September hearing that won Syed his release, finding that the victim’s family didn’t receive adequate notice to attend in person, which v...

Maryland Senate panel OKs State Police chief nominee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A state Senate panel voted 15-2 on Wednesday to approve the nomination of Lt. Col. Roland Butler as superintendent of the Maryland State Police, an agency under a federal discrimination probe. If confirmed by the full Senate, he would become the first Black person to hold the post.Butler’s appointment by Gov. Wes Moore had led to some concerns among members of the Executive Nominations Committee, where senators questioned whether Butler, a leader with nearly three decades at the agency, would be the right person to bring change and reforms.Butler has served as chief of the State Police Field Operations Bureau, leading a force of more than 1,000 troopers and investigative personnel assigned to 23 barracks.Despite the unwavering support of the state’s first Black governor and the strong majority vote by the committee on Wednesday, Butler’s nomination has not had an easy path.Sen. Pam Beidle, who chairs the committee, told reporters Monday night ...

Live Local Act passed by Florida lawmakers to offer tax exemptions for affordable housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

Rent and home prices continue to skyrocket in South Florida, but a new state law now on the books aims to provide incentives for developers to create more affordable housing.The Live Local Act was passed by the Florida Legislature as residents with good paying jobs struggle to find an affordable place to live.South Florida renter Arlisa Whitby said it’s an ongoing challenge for him to make ends meet.“I am not really living, I am surviving,” she said. “On the weekend, I don’t go anywhere. I just stay at home and watch TV because I cannot afford the luxury life of going to a restaurant.”The solution from lawmakers in Tallahassee was to pass a law that predominantly provides funding for developers to create workforce housing.“This bill includes $711 million for projects through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, “and this is the largest ever support for housing in state history.”The lack of affordable housing in...

Taiwan’s president to visit US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:51 GMT

The arrival of Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen in the U.S. on Thursday is highlighting a divide between the White House and China hawks in Congress over how strongly to show support for the self-governing island that China claims as its own.The Biden administration — loath to inflame already tense relations with China — is downplaying the visit, carefully noting that Tsai is making a private trip and stressing that she is not meeting with any administration officials. But an increasingly vocal group of lawmakers are arguing the U.S. needs to do more to support Taiwan and — by extension — Tsai.Supporting Tsai’s visit is a way for the U.S. to “stand with Taiwan amid growing threats from [Chinese President] Xi Jinping, and we must ensure Taiwan has the weapons and training it needs to protect itself against growing CCP military aggression,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul, using the acronym for the Chinese Communist Party.Tsai is stopping in the U.S. on b...