‘That '70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson could get decades in prison at sentencing for 2 rapes

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

‘That '70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson could get decades in prison at sentencing for 2 rapes “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson could get as much as 30 years to life in prison at his sentencing Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is set to sentence the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defense motion for a new trial that she’s very likely to reject, and after hearing impact statements from the victims.A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on May 31 after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom “That ’70s Show.”The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December and a mistrial was declared.Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of S...

Winchester crash kills 2, spills 50 gallons of oil and fuel on roadway

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Winchester crash kills 2, spills 50 gallons of oil and fuel on roadway The Riverside County Coroner's Office has identified two people who died in a Winchester two-car crash just before midday Wednesday.At about 11:40 a.m. at Domenigoni Parkway and Leon Road, two cars containing five people collided, the Riverside County Fire Department said on X, formerly Twitter.Two people, 25-year-old Israel Bermudez of Buena Park and 32-year-old Paloma Casares of Hemet, were declared dead at the scene about 20 minutes after the crash.Two others sustained moderate injuries, and a fifth person declined treatment, the RCFD said.In addition to the deaths and injuries, the crash spilled about 50 gallons of oil and diesel fuel on the roadway, forcing the closure of eastbound Domenigoni Parkway for "an extended period of time," the RCFD said.

Echo Park Re-Rising

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Echo Park Re-Rising Echo Park Re-Rising: For the first time since pre-COVID, Echo Park Rising returns on Saturday, September 9. Starcrawler and Fartbarf are two of the biggest musical draws, while comedian Patton Oswalt also performs.There was an event in 2020 of course, but it was online-only. Now, it’s back to an in-person, multi-venue deal.“Having played one of their first shows ever at Echo Park Rising 2016, glam rockers Starcrawler come full circle headlining the Echoplex in Echo Park Rising’s eleventh year which also features Patton Oswalt leading a comedy line up at Sick City Records, Fartbarf at The Short Stop and the Cryptids Drag Show closing the night at Spacedust,” reads the press release. “Donate to LA shelter pets to get 20% off food at Masa, Roll down to Rockbird Chicken Sandwiches for 30% off their entire menu then 15% off the whole store at P.F. Candle Co while you sip free wine… these and other Echo Park businesses host free music and once-a-year specials in th...

Bella Harpaz Killed in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash on Interstate 80 [Reno, NV]

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Bella Harpaz Killed in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash on Interstate 80 [Reno, NV] RENO, NV (September 6, 2023) – Sunday midnight, police responded to a hit-and-run crash that took the life of Bella Harpaz.The incident happened on August 27th just after 12:00 a.m. on I-80.Deputies received a call about a pedestrian downed on the highway with extreme injuries, the Reno police said.Furthermore, first responders arrived at the scene and found 70-year-old Bella Harpaz unconscious on the road. She was later pronounced dead by the paramedics.Moreover, the officers have not yet released the description of the vehicle, and they are still on-sought to the suspect.Additionally, a portion of the roadway was temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.No additional information was added by the authorities, and the incident is still under active investigation.Sweet James sends out their warm and sincerest sympathies to the friends and family of Bella Harpaz. May the loving memories of your loved one and the love of your family give you strength in the day...

Fall Books: A Backpack Full of Poetry and History

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Fall Books: A Backpack Full of Poetry and History Happy official end of summer, everyone. Time to convert that adventure rucksack into a scholastic backpack, and trade in those beach reads for perhaps deeper tomes, say of poetry and history. To help, we’ve compiled a reading list of required — well, strongly suggested — titles in the back-to-school spirit that early September always elicits, even among us ordinary lifelong learners. With more than one newly expanded edition of classic prose collections; exciting verse from local poets; hybrid texts merging art, literature, memoir, speculative futures, and practical magic; an anthology surveying Indigenous art history and a monograph compiling the legacy of an interdisciplinary and rebellious community haven; a helpful guidebook to the best field trip destination in town; and to get us in the bookish mood, a gorgeous coffee table book of the most beautiful libraries in the world, from the year 766 to the present.Massimo Listri: The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries, 40th Edition (TAS...

Oktoberfest: It starts sooner than you think

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Oktoberfest: It starts sooner than you think Despite its name, Oktoberfest actually starts well before October. Held in Munich each year, Germany’s 188th Oktoberfest will run from Sept. 16 through  Oct. 3.In Munich, Oktoberfest is not just any beer festival. It’s a celebration of German and especially Bavarian culture. The folk festival started there in 1810 as a wedding party to celebrate Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The reception lasted multiple days and ended with a horse race. Over time, Oktoberfest became an annual event at the nearly 104-acre site known as Theresienwiese (or simply d’Wiesen), which means Therese’s meadow.The ever-evolving event has been held almost every year since, with notable exceptions during the Napoleonic Wars, World Wars I and II, and for two years during the pandemic.Pre-pandemic, more than 6 million people attended Munich’s Oktoberfest each year, with roughly 85% coming from Germany and the rest from around the world. ...

California-based Grindr loses nearly half its staff to strict return-to-office rule

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

California-based Grindr loses nearly half its staff to strict return-to-office rule By Natalie Lung | BloombergGrindr Inc. has lost about 45% of its staff as it enforces a strict return-to-office policy that was introduced after a majority of employees announced a plan to unionize.About 80 of the 178 employees at the LGBTQ dating app company were forced to resign after the company in August mandated workers return to work in person two days a week at assigned “hub” offices or be fired, the Communications Workers of America said in a statement Wednesday.The West Hollywood-based company also gave a severance package to staff who were unable to relocate, in what the CWA alleged was an attempt “to silence workers from speaking out about their working conditions,” according to a statement from the organization. The CWA filed a new labor complaint against the company on Wednesday, the second such complaint in about a month.“These decisions have left Grindr dangerously understaffed and raises questions about the safety, security and stability of the app for users,” Erick ...

Walgreens to pay $44 million to settle Theranos fraud claims

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Walgreens to pay $44 million to settle Theranos fraud claims By Erik Larson | BloombergWalgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has agreed to pay $44 million to settle class action claims by consumers who received flawed blood tests in Arizona and California through the pharmacy chain’s partnership with Theranos Inc.The proposed settlement, which needs court approval, will provide consumers who participated in the lawsuit with “approximately double their out-of-pocket damages,” lawyers for plaintiffs said in a court filing Wednesday in federal court in Phoenix.The lawsuit accused Walgreens of being “willfully blind” to fraud at Theranos and entering into a partnership with the startup even though it had good reason to suspect its finger-prick testing technology didn’t really work.Lawyers for the company and consumers filed a notice of a tentative settlement in May but did not disclose the amount of the deal or any other terms. The initial agreement was struck after US District Judge David Campbell ordered the case to go to trial.According to the filing,...

England springs Rugby World Cup selection surprises with Mitchell and May; Ford starts at 10

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

England springs Rugby World Cup selection surprises with Mitchell and May; Ford starts at 10 LE TOUQUET, France (AP) — Coach Steve Borthwick selected two players to start England’s Rugby World Cup against Argentina that didn’t even make his original squad as he searched for a change in fortunes for the former champion and 2019 finalist currently stuck in one of its worst ruts.The selection surprises on Thursday saw scrumhalf Alex Mitchell go straight into the team ahead of veterans Ben Youngs and Danny Care after Mitchell was a late callup following an injury to Jack van Poortvliet. Wing Jonny May was also given a starting place against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday having been included for the World Cup only when Anthony Watson was ruled out.England will be captained by flanker Courtney Lawes with regular skipper Owen Farrell suspended for a high tackle and a red card in a warmup against Wales. England is also without No. 8 Billy Vunipola — also because of a red card — and Ben Earl steps in at the back of the scrum.Farrell will miss the first two pool game...

Marine Corps Base Quantico struggling to fill job openings

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Marine Corps Base Quantico struggling to fill job openings Marine Corps Base Quantico is located 35 miles south of Washington, D.C., in Prince William County. It can be reached from exits 148 (South Entrance) and 150-A (North Entrance, Main Gate), just off Interstate 95. (Courtesy InsideNova.com/Quantico.Marines.Mil) Marine Corps Base Quantico is located 35 miles south of Washington, D.C., in Prince William County. It can be reached from exits 148 (South Entrance) and 150-A (North Entrance, Main Gate), just off Interstate 95. (Courtesy InsideNova.com/Quantico.Marines.Mil) This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.Marine Corps Base Quantico commander Col. Michae...