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Growing concerns that France will bow to Iranian pressure to restrict Iran’s opposition in France

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday. The rare conversation lasted for 90 minutes, fueling speculation about the future of relations between the two countries, and between Iran and Europe in general, as tensions remain high over Tehran’s provocative nuclear activities, support for Russia’s war on Ukraine, and crackdown on protests that have spanned the entire Islamic Republic since last September.Amidst that speculation, some observers of Western foreign policy have expressed concern that Macron and other European leaders may be willing to provide long-sought concessions to Tehran. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one expert on Iranian affairs highlighted prior instances of European governments granting Tehran’s requests for restrictions on activists and dissidents within the Iranian expatriate community, while receiving comparatively little in return.The same source indicated such requests have been a constant...

Report outlines conflict between neighbors, group homes in 'The Rehab Riviera'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

A grand jury in Orange County is making a series of recommendations to grapple with the growing conflict between group recovery and treatment homes and neighbors in what is known as “The Rehab Riviera.”Some of the most common complaints include noise, smoking, traffic, trash, relapses, vomit, and "curbing" - when residents are kicked out of a home for bad behavior or their source of payment runs out.The panel was created in 2022 in response to numerous city council and town hall meetings in which residents complained of an “over-saturation” of group homes with very little oversight, according to the grand jury’s report, which is titled "Welcome to the Neighborhood."“Orange County has some of the heaviest concentrations of group homes and sober living residences in the nation,” the panel said. “The densities are more than the local population can bear and residents believe the influx of the group home residents seriously impacts their neighborhoods.”According to the California Depart...

Tenants fight eviction from Sawtelle apartment complex

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

Hundreds of tenants facing eviction from a Sawtelle apartment complex are suing the owners, alleging they have a right to stay while sprinklers are retrofitted and other repairs are made.Residents of the Barrington Plaza, located at 11740 Wilshire Blvd., believe the repairs are an excuse to get them out so the owners can update the building and increase rent for new tenants. Sawtelle apartment complex to evict residents of hundreds of units for sprinkler retrofit The building was damaged in destructive fires in 2013 and 2020, partly because it does not have fire sprinklers.Because it was built in the early 1960s, it is exempt from laws requiring fire sprinklers, though as part of approving repairs after the 2020 fire, city officials demanded safety upgrades, according to the Los Angeles Times.The $300 million project will take years, and under a state law known as the Ellis Act, the owners of the Barrington Plaza are providing residents relocation fees and financial assistance — u...

California lawyer to plead guilty in multi-million fraud scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

A former California lawyer has agreed to plead guilty to federal felony charges after she used more than $8 million of her investor’s money to fund a lavish lifestyle, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.Sara Jacqueline King, 39, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering. King, a former lawyer who worked in Newport Beach, will make her first court appearance on June 20. California woman gains custody of infant to make sexually explicit videos, sentenced to decades in federal prison According to a plea agreement, King admitted to operating the King Family Lending LLC - a Newport Beach-based company that allegedly issued short-term, high-interest loans to wealthy clients, such as professional athletes and celebrities.The loans were supposedly secured with the borrowers’ assets, such as designer handbags, watches, yachts, and earnings from guaranteed sports contracts.From January 2022 to January 2023, King, through her company, recruited investors to fund her...

Deedrik Manning Arrested after DUI Crash near Honeycutt Road [Maricopa, AZ]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

25-Year-Old Man Dies in Three-Vehicle Collision near Gunsmoke RoadMARICOPA, AZ (June 13, 2023) – Sunday night, police arrested Deedrik Manning after a three-vehicle crash near Honeycutt Road.The incident happened on June 5th at around 8:30 p.m. near Honeycutt and Gunsmoke Roads, involving a blue Dodge Charger, a silver Nissan Altima, and another vehicle.According to the authorities, the Nissan and the Dodge were believed to be traveling at high speeds when one of the drivers lost control of his vehicle.Furthermore, the collision resulted in one other vehicle being struck. The 25-year-old driver of the Dodge was ejected and died from his injuries.Meanwhile, the Nissan driver was identified as 45-year-old Manning, he was trapped inside and was extricated by the crews.Consequently, the officers determined that Manning was impaired at the time of the crash. He was arrested and taken into custody.The identity of the deceased was not yet released at this time. Authorities released n...

Estela Gallegos Killed in Two-Vehicle Crash on Drexel Road [Tucson, AZ]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

68-Year-Old Woman Dies after Two-Vehicle Collision near Palo Verde RoadTUCSON, AZ (June 13, 2023) – Late Friday afternoon, police responded to a two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of Estela Gallegos.On June 9th, at around 5:10 p.m., officers were dispatched to an accident at the intersection of East Drexel Road and South Palo Verde Road.According to the authorities, 68-year-old Estela Gallegos and 64-year-old Ignacio Pena were involved in the collision.Upon investigation, the officers have discovered that Gallegos was headed eastbound on Drexel and approaching Palo Verde Road.Furthermore, Pena ran over a red light heading southbound at the intersection and collided with Gallegos.Consequently, emergency responders transported Gallegos to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.Unfortunately, Gallegos succumbed to her injuries and she was pronounced dead.Meanwhile, Pena obtained minor injuries only and he was cited for causing death by moving violation.No other informat...

Oakland’s homeless community enjoys a day of free music and food

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

OAKLAND – The sun was out. A cool breeze was blowing. It was the perfect day for some jazz and blues in the park. On Monday afternoon, the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland brought a free music festival to the Mosswood Park Amphitheater.Like most concerts, this one provided foot-tapping tunes and general merriment. Unlike most concerts, the “Compassion in Action” festival was organized specifically for unhoused people.“There are many festivals that cost a lot of money for folks to go to, but our unhoused neighbors cannot go,” said Rev. Matthew Prinz, the pastor at the church. “We need and want to address the hurt of our unhoused neighbors in many ways. This concert is just one way we hoped to create a healing and hopeful space.”There are more than 5,000 unhoused people in Oakland, according to the 2022 Point-In-Time Count. That amounts to more than half of Alameda County’s total number. While the city has ramped up efforts in recent years to build more permanent supportive housin...

Four-bedroom home in Dublin sells for $2.2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

9600 Albert Drive – Google Street ViewA 3,702-square-foot house built in 2015 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 9600 block of Albert Drive in Dublin was sold on May 4, 2023, for $2,155,000, or $582 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces. The unit sits on a 5,919-square-foot lot.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:A 3,702-square-foot home on the 7500 block of Mindy Mae Lane in Dublin sold in December 2022, for $2,025,000, a price per square foot of $547. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In May 2023, a 3,356-square-foot home on Mindy Mae Lane in Dublin sold for $2,110,000, a price per square foot of $629. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Sara Ann Court, Dublin, in December 2022, a 3,356-square-foot home was sold for $2,264,000, a price per square foot of $675. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Review: ‘Street Fighter 6’ is a bold revamp that widens the fanbase

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

Every once in a while “Street Fighter” reinvents itself, and in the process, manages to draw new players to the fighting game community. It’s this fresh blood, embraced by a welcoming fanbase, that has kept the genre alive long after the demise of its ancestral home — the arcades.The latest chapter in the franchise, “Street Fighter 6,” brings an even more inclusive approach to fighting games. Capcom streamlined years worth of fighting game mechanics and made the release more approachable to all skill levels. Trying to make the game easier for newcomers to pick up, the developers offer in-depth guides to teach novices the ins and outs of the systems and the characters so newbies can pick a fighter that appeals to them. Lastly, the developers acknowledge that not everyone is a fan of competitive gaming and they added a surprisingly deep single-player campaign called the World Tour.A HUGE ADDITIONNo matter your skill level, players will find at least...

Bay Area jeweler made man spend $220,000 so he could buy $109,000 watch he never got: lawsuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:22 GMT

Ali Rezaei wanted to buy a $109,000 gold Patek Philippe watch, but a prominent Bay Area jeweler refused to sell it to him — first, he had to buy other fancy items from the swanky boutique, according to Rezaei’s newly filed lawsuit.Rezaei had walked into the Shreve & Co. jewelry shop, nestled among other high-end retailers near San Francisco’s Union Square, “and expressed an interest in purchasing a Patek Phillipe 5980/1R-001 watch,” according to his lawsuit filed this week.No, no, no, he was purportedly told by the shop. One does not just waltz in off the street and saunter out with a 5980/1R-001: No watch for you, sir — yet.Shreve, which dates back to the Gold Rush and operates a second boutique in the posh Stanford Shopping Center mall in Palo Alto, told Rezaei on that day in 2020 “that if he built up his ‘purchase history’ by buying a sufficient amount of other merchandise over time … they would offer the Promised Wa...