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Missing 15-foot pet python ‘Big Mama’ reunited with California family after a week on the lam

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

An animal-loving Chatsworth family was reunited Wednesday with Big Mama, their roughly 15-foot pet python who’d been missing for about a week, after a next door neighbor spotted the adolescent snake in his backyard.The family had been searching for the 13-year-old reticulated python after she went missing from her outdoor cage in the family’s backyard on July 4. She was found around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday just as the pet’s owner, Alex Villalta, was doing a phone interview about the missing pet with a news reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News.Related ArticlesCalifornia News | Adorable surfboard-hijacking sea otter menacing Santa Cruz surfers California News | It’s that time of year again in San Fermin, Spain California News | New study reveals what can calm snakes in times of stress — and it’s surprisingly relatable California News | California animal rescuers and advocates seek donations, volunteers to help sick sea li...

California teen, initially in custody for killing his mother, must remain behind bars pending new trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

A 19-year-old who killed his mother more than six years ago and later escaped from both juvenile hall and a halfway house should remain in custody while he awaits an upcoming trial for allegedly crafting a shank behind bars, a judge ruled on Wednesday, July 13, rather than be allowed to live in a transition home now to prepare for his eventual release from lockup.Ike Souzer has been behind bars since he was 13 years old, and along with killing his mother was convicted of attacking, a couple of years ago, deputy juvenile correctional officers. But social workers say in the past year he has made great strides, and Souzer told Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven D. Bromberg that he is ready to turn his life around and is willing to face the consequences should he be convicted of his pending felony counts of possessing and manufacturing a deadly weapon as a prisoner.“I just want better for myself,” Souzer told the judge. “Running just makes things worse.”Souzer’s attorney, David H...

Deputy punching mother holding baby was ’completely unacceptable,’ LA County sheriff says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

LOS ANGELES — For the second time in a week, the Los Angeles County sheriff decried the use of force by deputies in the Antelope Valley after the Sheriff’s Department released video on Wednesday of a deputy punching a woman twice in the face as she held her baby.The edited video from body camera footage shows the July 2022 encounter during a traffic stop in Palmdale, northeast of Los Angeles.Body camera footage shows a July 2022 encounter between Los Angeles County sheriff deputies and a woman in Palmdale. (GIF created from video courtesy of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department) At a news conference, Sheriff Robert Luna said he found the punching “completely unacceptable” and has sent the case to the county district attorney’s office, which will decide whether to file criminal charges against the deputy. The FBI also was alerted, Luna said.Luna said the deputy, whom he didn’t name, has been taken off field duty.Last week, Luna said two deputies had been pulled from field dut...

Lakers’ LeBron James is not retiring, will return for 21st NBA season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

Lakers star LeBron James confirmed he won’t be retiring from the NBA and will be returning for his 21st season, though few ever believed his playing days might be over.After winning an ESPY for the best record-breaking performance for breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career scoring record, James made the expected announcement Wednesday that he isn’t done playing.“Can I give everything to the game still? The truth is, I’ve been asking myself this question at the end of the season for a couple years now, I just never openly talked about it,” James said during his acceptance speech at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “I don’t care how many more points I score. Or what I can or can not do on the floor. The real question for me is, ‘Can I play without cheating the game?’“The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Luckily for you guys, today is not that day.”The crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood let out a huge cheer.“So yeah, I still got someth...

Opinion: Jailing homeless for sleeping in public is not the solution

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

Last week a group of conservative judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit spoke out against allowing homeless people to sleep in public spaces, after the court’s liberal majority decided that those with nowhere else to rest cannot be subject to criminal penalties.It’s the latest ideological battle in a court where President Trump was able to replace four left-leaning judges. Back in 2018, a 9th Circuit panel ruled 2 to 1 that government was barred from imprisoning people for not having a place to live by the 8th Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. That decision was upheld in 2022 following legal challenges to ordinances targeting encampments in Oregon.However, with the 9th Circuit now more evenly split, the next test case or the next election could upend how the 8th Amendment is applied and thus change the entire conversation about homelessness — very much for the worse. Instead of pursuing affordable housing and outreach s...

UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay raises in bid to end strikes during cost-of-living crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

LONDON (AP) — UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay raises in bid to end strikes during cost-of-living crisis.Source

Delta puts up record quarterly numbers as travel surges despite expectations of a spending pullback

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

Delta Air Lines reported unprecedented quarterly profit and revenue Thursday and raised its expectations for a year after travelers took to the skies in huge numbers, defying some forecasts of a pullback in spending. Revenue soared almost 13% to $15.58 billion, a surprising jump even for a carrier that has outperformed consistently. Shares rose almost 5% before the opening bell, on a trajectory to set a new 52-week high, and pulled major carriers higher with it. “Robust demand is continuing into the September quarter where we expect total revenue to be similar to the June quarter, up 11 percent to 14 percent compared to the September quarter 2022 on capacity that is 16 percent higher,” said said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s president, in a written statement. Delta’s second-quarter profit was $1.83 billion, or $2.84 per share. Earnings per share adjusted for one-time costs or benefits was $2.68, far exceeding the $2.42 that Wall Street was looking for, according to a survey by Zack...

Man accused of terrorism over fire at South African Parliament says he “burned it intentionally”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A man facing terrorism charges over a fire that badly damaged South Africa’s Parliament building last year said in a courtroom outburst on Thursday that he “burned it intentionally.”Shouting and pointing his finger, Zandile Mafe said he was going to “burn it more” if the Parliament was not moved from Cape Town to either the city of Bloemfontein or Pretoria.The huge blaze badly damaged the historic Parliament complex in January last year as it ripped through various buildings, including the main chamber where lawmakers sit. It hasn’t been fully repaired, with estimates saying it will cost around $120 million and take at least three years.Mafe was arrested in the Parliament precinct soon after he started the fire started. He was charged with breaking and entering, arson and terrorism, but his case has been held up after a judge ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial.The judge overseeing Thursd...

Tickets for the 2023 Great American Beer Festival are on sale now

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Calling all craft beer enthusiasts, the Great American Beer Festival is returning to the Colorado Convention Center this September, and tickets are on sale now.Described as the "hoppiest time of the year," the Great American Beer Festival, hosted by the Brewers Association, will be in Denver from Sept. 21-23. The festival boasts the highest concentration of American beer, allowing attendees to taste a wide array of flavors and styles from hundreds of breweries across the U.S.How to purchase ticketsSo, if you are ready to celebrate with the craft beer community, here is everything you need to know about purchasing a ticket. Ride-share drivers and riders prepare for surge pricing this weekend General admission ticketsTickets are on sale now through AXS. Attendees can purchase a ticket for any or all of the four general admission sessions which run as follows:Thursday, Sept. 21, 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.Friday, Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 23, 12:00 p...

Garbage truck fire prompts emergency dumping in Hialeah Gardens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:22 GMT

A garbage truck in Hialeah Gardens was forced to unload its contents after it caught fire. The incident occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday in the vicinity of Northwest 79th Avenue and 98th Street, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials.No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.