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DEA chief faces probe into 'swampy' hires, no-bid contracts

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

A federal watchdog is investigating whether the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under chief Anne Milgram improperly awarded millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to hire her past associates, people familiar with the probe told The Associated Press.Among the contract spending under scrutiny by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General is $4.7 million for “strategic planning and communication” to hire people Milgram knew from her days as New Jersey’s attorney general and as a New York University law professor – at costs far exceeding pay for government officials.At least a dozen people have been hired under such contracts, including some in Milgram’s inner circle handling intelligence, data analytics, community outreach and public relations — work often requiring security clearances and traditionally done by DEA’s own 9,000-person workforce.Also under scrutiny is $1.4 million to a Washington law firm for a recent review of the DEA’s scandal-plagued foreign operations...

Presale Codes for Boy George and Culture Club The Letting It Go Show Tour

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

If you come and go, you come and go — then there’s an upcoming show that you might very well want to go to: Boy George and Culture Club are going on a big ‘ol tour dubbed the “Letting It Go Show” Tour. The 80s new wave mainstays will be hitting 25 cities in the trek, with support from special guests Howard Jones and Berlin. The tour launches on June 24 in Plymouth, UK before making their way stateside on July 13 to West Palm Beach, FL, eventually wrapping with three dates here in Southern California — August 19 in San Diego and August 25 and 26 at the Hollywood Bowl — see below for all dates. Passwords and presale codes for the Boy George and Culture Club The Letting It Go Show Tour tickets are as follows:Presale codes for Boy George and Culture Club The Letting It Go Show TourPresale tickets for Boy George and Culture Club The Letting It Go Show Tour go on sale today, April 19 and we’ve been told the following presale codes and passwords may work...

Trey Lance trade scenarios: Why would 49ers move on with Purdy health uncertain?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Trading away Trey Lance seems like a preposterous idea for a team that just ran out of quarterbacks to dash last season’s Super Bowl bid.A week away from the NFL Draft, other teams are at least inquiring about Lance, according to an NFL Network report Wednesday morning.No trade is imminent and the 49ers are “fielding the calls, not making them, with teams aware that Brock Purdy is likely the future star,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarified in a Twitter thread.The 49ers just opened their offseason program Monday, with Lance, Purdy and newcomer Sam Darnold in their quarterback stable. Purdy is only 5 1/2 weeks removed from elbow surgery that will keep him sidelined into the summer.Lance figures to serve as QB1 when practices are allowed to start May 1, through the minicamp in mid-June, and likely into training camp, all while being challenged by Darnold, formerly of the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers.If Lance leaves, it’s Da...

Man who shot Denver boy in stolen car had been accused of impersonation, lying to police

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

The man who police say fatally shot a 12-year-old boy who was in his stolen car was previously arrested in Maryland after the emergency lights on his car drew police attention, according to records obtained by The Denver Post.The Maryland charges, which included impersonating a firefighter and making false statements to police, were dropped. No reason was given.Denver police records identify Jack Reed, 35, as the man who shot and killed 12-year-old Elias Armstrong on Feb. 5 while the boy was in Reed’s stolen car near downtown Denver. Police determined someone in the car fired shots during the confrontation, and said the boy was killed in an “exchange of gunfire.” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann declined to press criminal charges against Reed.Records obtained by the Post show Reed was frustrated by the tepid police response to his stolen vehicle that night, telling dispatchers he was armed and had to act because police would not.Earl Armstrong, Elias’ uncle, said of the shooting...

Broadway hits ‘MJ,’ ‘Mrs. Doubtfire,’ ‘Funny Girl’ headed to SF

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

BroadwaySF has announced its 2023-24 season lineup.Highlights include the pre-Broadway revival of “The Wiz” — which is the first revival of that musical in 40 years — and the smash hit “MJ” based on the life and work of Michael Jackson.Other offerings include the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl,” Marianne Elliot’s Tony-winning version of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s “Company,” the popular “Mrs. Doubtfire” musical and “The Girl From the North Country” featuring the music of Bob Dylan.Rounding out the offerings is a special return engagement of “Disney’s The Lion King.” (Renewing/new BroadwaySF members get immediate first access to purchase tickets.)New subscription packages range from $328-$1,197 and are now available. Subscribers can also renew their accounts now, Subscriptions/memberships are available at broadwaysf.com.Single tickets for individual shows will go on sale at a late...

More Californians are losing their homes as foreclosures across the state and U.S. rise

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

By Amy Yee and Alex Tanzi | BloombergUS foreclosure filings jumped 22% in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, according to a report from real estate data analytics firm ATTOM.While still below pre-pandemic levels, foreclosure activity has increased on an annual basis for 23 straight months. The uptrend reflects higher jobless rates, ongoing economic challenges and backlogged foreclosures working through the pipeline after the lifting of government interventions to help struggling homeowners during the pandemic, said Rob Barber, chief executive officer of ATTOM.“However, with many homeowners still having significant home equity, that may help in keeping increased levels of foreclosure activity at bay,” Barber said in a statement.The number of foreclosure filings has been climbing since the federal moratorium ended in mid-2021. During the pandemic, an estimated 2 million homeowners fell behind on their mortgages.Major metropolitan cities with populations of more ...

Rev. Al Sharpton calls for DOJ to protect Antioch mayor

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

(KRON) -- Rev. Al Sharpton is calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to protect Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe in the wake of racist text messages exchanged between several members of Antioch's police force that have surfaced. Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network, put out a press release on Tuesday calling for Attorney General Merrick Garland and the DOJ to "immediately investigate the exchange between 17 police officers in Antioch, California, who sent racist messages to each other." San Francisco will pay police officers highest entry-level salary in Bay Area In the texts, which Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford called "racially abhorrent," officers referred to Black people as "gorillas," "water buffalo," and "zoo" and "circus" animals, among other racial slurs. The text messages were detailed in reports released by the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.The report cites texts from May of 2020, during the height of the nationwide protest i...

17 displaced after early morning fire at Polk Gulch apartment building in SF

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

(BCN) -- A fire at an apartment building in San Francisco's Polk Gulch neighborhood left 17 people displaced early Wednesday morning, fire officials said. The one-alarm fire was reported on the fourth floor of a building at 990 Geary St. near Polk Street and firefighters responded and had water on the flames by 12:50 a.m., according to the San Francisco Fire Department.The fire was considered contained about five minutes later and no injuries were reported to any firefighters or civilians.The American Red Cross and city departments responded to assist the displaced residents, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, city fire officials said.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

All lanes clear after seven-car crash in Solano County

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

(KTXL) -- A seven-car collision along westbound Interstate 80 on Wednesday morning blocked traffic in Solano County, according to the California Highway Patrol Solano station. At 8:33 a.m., the CHP said that all lanes have been cleared. The collision occurred east of Manuel Campos Parkway, between Vacaville and Fairfield. CHP said that only minor injuries have been reported from the crash. Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of 19-year-old in Stockton CHP said the number one lane was closed due to the crash and two trucks were on scene working to clear the cars from the roadway.

Supreme Court lets Texas death row inmate pursue DNA lawsuit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:04:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that longtime Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed should have a chance to argue for testing of crime-scene evidence that he says will help clear him.The justices, in a 6-3 decision, sent Reed’s case back to a lower court for his constitutional challenge to the state’s law on DNA testing.The issue before the high court was whether Reed, sentenced to death nearly 25 years ago, waited too long to file his lawsuit claiming that untested crime-scene evidence would exonerate him. Texas courts and the federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled that he missed the deadline.But the Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, reversed the appellate ruling. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented. “If there is a mitigating factor to today’s decision,” Thomas wrote, it’s that the outcome “is no barrier to the prompt execution of Reed’s lawful sentence.” Reed was sentenced to...