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‘F— around and find out’: Hells Angels racketeering trial ends with debate over murder, mayhem, and the law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Three members of the Hells Angels are now at the critical juncture between federal prison and freedom. All that’s left now is for a jury to decide their fate.Starting Monday, 12 randomly-selected Northern California residents are set to review nearly two months of testimony surrounding the Sonoma Hells Angels and their associates at club chapters as far away as Salem, Mass. The trial ended Friday after three days of closing arguments from federal prosecutors and defense attorneys, who presented wildly different interpretations of evidence that includes the testimony of former Hells Angels members and a onetime prospect who infiltrated the club while working as an FBI informant.On trial are Raymond “Ray Ray” Foakes, perhaps the best-known living Hells Angel in the world, as well as Christopher “Rain Man” Ranieri, the President of the club’s Boston/Salem chapter accused of helping plan a murder, and Brian Burke, a Sonoma chapte...

Letters: Quality of life | Unwelcome occupant | Change approach | Corral Congress | Israel’s cash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Quality-of-life issuescausing California flightRe: “How to stop California desertion” (Page A6, May 5).I believe George Skelton misses the reasons for desertion by a mile. California has always been relatively expensive. I am an 85-year native. It’s about quality of life.I submit the following as reasons for people leaving:• Sanctuary cities overrun with illegal drugs and a justice system that is a revolving door for chronic offenders.• Billions being lavished on social programs without accountability or positive results.• Billions spent on an ill-conceived rail system while ignoring the inadequate power grid.• Neglected road maintenance.• Schools that were once the envy of the nation, are no longer a source of pride.• The contemplation of reparations for damages to an identified class who were not personally damaged, by a state that was not involved, to be paid by taxpayers also not involved...

Chad Daybell pleads not guilty to murder, conspiracy charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

By Chris Boyette | CNNChad Daybell pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the murder and conspiracy charges he faces in connection with the deaths of his first wife and the two children of his current wife, Lori Vallow.Idaho 7th Judicial District Magistrate Judge Steven W. Boyce said that a scheduling conference would take place in two weeks to determine a date for the start of Daybell’s trial. He could face a death sentence, the judge said.A grand jury in Idaho indicted Daybell and Vallow last month on murder charges in connection with the deaths of Vallow’s two children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow. Daybell is also charged with murder in the case of his first wife, Tammy, who died in her sleep in October 2019, a few weeks before Daybell got remarried to Vallow.“This whole process is really hard,” Colby Ryan, the children’s older brother, said after Daybell’s plea, according to East Idaho News. “We’ve all had to go through it but he’s goi...

SF Giants: 12 numbers that matter from the first quarter of the season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

By the end of this weekend’s series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants will have a quarter of the season in the books. Quickly as the 40-game mark approaches, it provides a large enough sample for trends to emerge and to sort through the noise.The Giants have gotten the breakout performances and solid starting pitching they knew they would need to contend — Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis and LaMonte Wade Jr. have been revelations, while Alex Cobb owns the best ERA in the National League, with Anthony DeSclafani not far behind him — but underperforming offseason additions and an unreliable bullpen have them stuck under .500.Allow the numbers to tell the story:4: Outs Above Average for J.D. Davis at third base, the fourth-best third baseman (tied for ninth overall) in the majors. By transforming into a Gold Glove-caliber defender and keeping up his strong performance at the plate, Davis has more than helped the Giants weather David Villar’s slow start, cem...

Executive fired from TikTok’s Chinese owner says Beijing had access to app data in termination suit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

A former executive fired from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance made a raft of accusations against the tech giant Friday, including that it stole content from competitors like Instagram and Snapchat, and served as a “propaganda tool” for the Chinese government by suppressing or promoting content favorable to the country’s interests. The allegations were made in a complaint Friday by Yintao Yu, the head of engineering for ByteDance’s U.S. operations from August 2017 to November 2018, as part of a wrongful termination lawsuit filed earlier this month in San Francisco Superior Court. Yu claims he was fired for disclosing “wrongful conduct” he saw at the company. In the complaint, Yu alleges the Chinese government monitored ByteDance’s work from within its Beijing headquarters and provided guidance on advancing “core communist values.” Yu said government officials had the ability to turn off the Chinese version of ByteDance’s apps, and maintained access to all company data, includ...

MediciNova: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

LA JOLLA, Calif. (AP) — LA JOLLA, Calif. (AP) — MediciNova Inc. (MNOV) on Thursday reported a loss of $2.9 million in its first quarter.On a per-share basis, the La Jolla, California-based company said it had a loss of 6 cents._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MNOV at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MNOVSource

Cubs put 2B Nico Hoerner on injured list with hamstring strain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a strained left hamstring before the team’s game against Minnesota.The injury occurred while Hoerner was running the bases Monday against St. Louis. After sitting out the next two games, his first absences of the season, the Cubs decided to give their leadoff man more time to heal and give manager David Ross more options on the active roster. Ross said he’s hopeful Hoerner will miss only the minimum amount of time. The move was made retroactive to Tuesday.Infielder Miles Mastrobuoni was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to replace Hoerner on the roster, and Christopher Morel was in the lineup at second base against the Twins. The Cubs also activated left-hander Brandon Hughes from the 15-day injured list and sent right-hander Javier Assad to Iowa.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Ontario’s Bridget Carleton excited for first-ever WNBA game in Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — The WNBA’s first-ever game in Canada is a full-circle moment for Bridget Carleton.The Chatham, Ontario, native will be suiting up for the Minnesota Lynx in a preseason game Saturday against the Chicago Sky at Scotiabank Arena.“I think growing up, I never really even dreamed about playing in the WNBA,” the 25-year-old Carleton told The Canadian Press. “I didn’t think I was going to be that good, I think because I knew it was such a small league and only the best of the best, so I was always just kind of focused on college and Team Canada and the Olympics.“A lot of people still live in Toronto who have helped me get to where I am and they always believed in me. … So a huge credit to them for seeing things in me that I didn’t see and to get me to where I am today and (it) kind of comes full circle.”Carleton returned to Minnesota on Monday after playing for Perfumerias Avenida in Spain.Perfumerias was swept by Valencia in the best-of-three league final, losing 81-69...

Recent rain could bring benefits through the summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

HUDSON, Colo. (KDVR) — While the recent wet weather is creating a mess for some people, it is a miracle for others. “I went to bed and it was raining. And then I woke up and it was still raining. And then it rained all day,” Anita Rossi said.Rossi owns Rossi Dairy and Produce in Hudson. She says she stayed inside her home for two days while it rained, which is unheard of for a farmer. “Especially with the last few years, I mean it’s been a 20-year drought or whatever it is,” Rossi said.  Colorado rain totals top 5 inches over 3-day period The recent spring storm dropped between 2 and 5 inches of rain across the Eastern Plains. It may be enough moisture to pull the region out of its drought. “I don’t remember seeing all these puddles,” Rossi said. “They’ve been dry for so long and they’re all there. There’s water everywhere.”Water is a critical resource for them to grow crops that include pumpkins, hard squash, corn and alfalfa. However, Rossi said they plan ahead and pla...

‘Hialeah Hillbilly’ Ricky Valido on his passion for country music

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:11 GMT

South Florida isn’t exactly known as a hot bed of country music. One local musician is sure he can change that. After all, with a nickname like the “Hialeah Hillbilly,” how can he lose?Ricky Valido, singing: “We are living the swamp life/out in the glades/deep in the sawgrass/with the gators and the rattlesnakes/yeah we’re doin’ the swamp stomp.”Country music fans, meet your hometown hero, Ricky Valido.Ricky Valido: “Well, I am a country music singer/songwriter/performer. I’m mainly from Hialeah, Florida. This is where I was born and raised.”Ricky says his SoFlo roots are a plus when it comes to his career.Ricky Valido: “I think that that’s made kind of a point into what differentiates me from maybe the stereotypical country singer country artist.”The love of music runs deep in Ricky’s family.Ricky Valido “My great grandparents, they moved here to Hialeah in the ’60s from Cuba, and they b...