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As AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

NEW YORK — Nearly three years after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the false election conspiracy theories that drove the violent attack remain prevalent on social media and cable news: suitcases filled with ballots, late-night ballot dumps, dead people voting.Experts warn it will likely be worse in the coming presidential election contest. The safeguards that attempted to counter the bogus claims the last time are eroding, while the tools and systems that create and spread them are only getting stronger.Many Americans, egged on by former President Donald Trump, have continued to push the unsupported idea that elections throughout the U.S. can’t be trusted. A majority of Republicans (57%) believe Democrat Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president.Meanwhile, generative artificial intelligence tools have made it far cheaper and easier to spread the kind of misinformation that can mislead voters and potentially influence elections. And social media companies that once invested...

An emotional plea from the family of missing St. Louis woman

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

ST. LOUIS – The family of Marquisha Williams is making a plea to the public to help find the missing mother. This comes after the father of her four children was arrested in Wisconsin following the couple’s disappearance last week.“I'm trying not to cry, but we need help. We need everybody’s help," Terrance Chavis, Marquisha's stepfather, said. "We are all hurting. I have a hard time trying to hold up my head. I didn’t even want to talk, cause I knew this was going to happen. Listen; please help us.”The search has intensified on both sides of the Mississippi River, with dozens of volunteers pitching in.Police were originally looking for Williams and the father of her children, Trent Ivy.Ivy was arrested over the weekend, but Williams is nowhere to be found.“We miss her. Her kids miss her. They most definitely miss her. Her baby needs his mom. He's not even two years old yet. He can’t sleep at night,” Norvette Chavis, Marquisha’s mother, said. Close Thanks for s...

New therapy K9 sworn into Ventura County Sheriff’s Office 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

A four-legged “trendsetter” is the newest member of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. K9 Mellow raised his paw and was officially sworn in by VCSO Sheriff Fryhoff on Tuesday morning.  California Pizza Hut operators laying off all delivery drivers The Labrador Retriever is assigned to the Therapeutic Inmate Management Unit (TIMU), VCSO said on X, formerly Twitter. K9 Mellow raised his paw and was officially sworn in by VCSO Sheriff Fryhoff on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. (X/@VENTURASHERIFF)K9 Mellow raised his paw and was officially sworn in by VCSO Sheriff Fryhoff on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. (X/@VENTURASHERIFF)K9 Mellow raised his paw and was officially sworn in by VCSO Sheriff Fryhoff on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. (X/@VENTURASHERIFF)Mellow will be at the forefront of the sheriff's office’s new animal-assisted therapy program, which is focused on “supporting the emotional well-being of inmates struggling with mental illness.”  California rings in 2024 with new laws focused on fir...

Wood burning ban now extended through Wednesday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

The South Coast AQMD has extended its area-wide wood burning ban for a third day, through Wednesday, due to high predicted air pollution levels.No indoor or outdoor burning is allowed in the entire South Coast Air Basin, which includes Orange County and non-desert areas of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.Only those who rely solely on wood to heat their homes and communities above 3,000 feet are exempt from the ban. Gas and other non-wood-burning fireplaces are not restricted.Afternoon air quality conditions in metro Los Angeles on Dec. 26, 2023. (AQMD)The initial No-Burn alert was issued for Christmas Day and then extended through Tuesday.“No-Burn Day alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high anywhere in the South Coast Air Basin,” air quality managers said in a news release.Check current air quality conditionsExperts say smoke from wood burning and other particulates ...

Vanessa Villarreal Moreno Killed in 2-Car Accident on Interstate 2 [Mercedes, TX]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

41-Year-Old Woman Pronounced Dead after Two-Vehicle Collision near Texas AvenueMERCEDES, TX (December 26, 2023) – Vanessa Villarreal Moreno died Friday afternoon in a two-car crash on westbound Highway Interstate 2. The incident occurred at approximately 4:36 p.m., near Texas Avenue.A collision occurred in the vicinity involving a Ford Focus and a Dodge Ram, according to investigators. Due to the severity of injuries, emergency medical personnel declared the passenger inside the Ford, identified as 41-year-old Moreno, deceased at the scene.Simultaneously, paramedics transported the female driver of the Ford to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen for critical injuries.In response to the incident, emergency crews temporarily closed off the surrounding area to facilitate cleanup and initial investigative procedures. Additional information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.Sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Vanessa Villarreal Moreno. Thoughts are...

Kiran Olivia Sharma Dies in Motorcycle Collision on Interstate 7 [Live Oak County, TX]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

25-Year-Old Rider Pronounced Dead after Motorcycle Accident near Mile Marker 56LIVE OAK COUNTY, TX (December 26, 2023) – Kiran Olivia Sharma died Sunday night in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 7 on December 17th.Police officers responded to the scene at approximately 9:40 p.m., near mile marker 56.Reports indicate that a woman on a 2007 Harley Davidson Motorcycle was hit by the male driver of a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. The Ford then veered across lanes before finally stopping near the MM 56 southbound exit ramp. There, 25-year-old Sharma was declared dead at the scene due to the severity of her injuries.An ongoing investigation is in progress to determine the circumstances of the crash, and additional information will be disclosed as it becomes available.Sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Kiran Olivia Sharma. Thoughts are with them during this very difficult time.Losing a loved one in a motorcycle accident can have devastating effects on the emotional and finan...

A Complicated Tale of Heartbreak and Vengeance, Tianjiao Zhu’s Editing Stands Out in Film Floating

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

As Floating completes a year since its release, Tianjiao Zhu revisits her journey working on theaward-winning film, which depicts her editing brilliance and creative power.Tianjiao Zhu’s Editing Journey for FloatingThe official editor of the film Floating appeared for an interview in the local media as the film marked the first anniversary of its successful release. The audiences and critics received the film exceptionally well, winning the Best Student Film award at the prestigious Los Angeles Film Awards. She also spoke highly of her experienceworking with the producer Geling Guo and director Zihan Zhang.Tianjiao also remembered the director of photography, Peng Wang, who passed away in a car accident when the film was still under production. After the untimely demise of a fellow worker on set with whom she bonded well, Tianjiao recalled how the cast and crew came together to ensure they completed the film on time as a tribute to Peng’s services. Gone but never forgotten, th...

‘It was the type of screaming that you don’t want to hear’: Oakland hotel murder case moves forward as defense argues it was suicide

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

OAKLAND — A 38-year-old man remains in jail facing charges that he murdered his girlfriend inside a local hotel room last August, despite his attorney’s attempts to convince a judge that she died by suicide.Juan Gonzalez-Ortega, of Oakland, faces charges that he murdered Delicia Elizabeth Ojeda, a romantic interest who Gonzalez-Ortega had both accused of infidelity and threatened shortly before her death, according to prosecutors. At Gonzalez-Ortega’s preliminary hearing, the defense argued Ojeda’s death was a suicide and that the location of her single gunshot wound proves it.Ojeda was shot and killed inside a hotel on the 300 block of MacArthur Boulevard, at around 11:20 a.m. on Aug. 2. The forensic pathologist ruled she was killed by a single bullet wound from a gun that was held under her chin, which caused brain damage but didn’t kill her immediately, according to police testimony at the October preliminary hearing. The pathologist told police that...

Detached house in Fremont sells for $1.7 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

2045 Clematis Court – Google Street ViewThe property located in the 2000 block of Clematis Court in Fremont was sold on Oct. 20, 2023 for $1,705,000, or $982 per square foot. The house, built in 1963, has an interior space of 1,737 square feet. This single-story home presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Additionally, the home features a garage.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:A 1,703-square-foot home on the 44800 block of Winding Lane in Fremont sold in May 2023, for $1,900,000, a price per square foot of $1,116. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In May 2023, a 2,580-square-foot home on Winding Lane in Fremont sold for $2,050,000, a price per square foot of $795. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Camellia Drive, Fremont, in May 2023, a 2,066-square-foot home was sold for $1,554,545, a price per square foot of $752. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Letters: Trump’s ‘accomplishments’ | Free speech | Keep Trump | Fresh take | Unnamed critics

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:02 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.‘Accomplishments’should stop TrumpFor Donald Trump’s supporters who want him reelected, remember his greatest accomplishments:Denied COVID was serious — called it “Chinese Flu” — and was anti-masking and anti-vaxxing; from March 1-April 30, 2020, made 11 tweets about unproven therapies, mentioned these 65 times in White House briefings and suggested injections with disinfectant. The results during his term: 400,000 deaths, increased violence against Asians and mask-requirement rage on flights.He constantly tweeted hateful remarks about individuals and groups. The results: hatred and violence increased and are still increasing at alarming levels.He encouraged rioters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to prevent the transfer of power, and he expressed support for hanging Vice President Mike Pence. The results: Nine people died during and after the rioting, and more t...