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Hunter Biden ‘informant’ charged with arms trafficking

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

By Kara Scannell | CNNUS prosecutors unsealed an indictment Monday charging the co-director of a think tank with illicit arms trafficking, violating US sanctions laws, and other charges, five months after he was arrested in Cyprus and fled from authorities.The US-Israeli citizen, Gal Luft, co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, is also someone House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a top Republican, has described as an informant claiming to have incriminating information on Hunter Biden.Luft has tweeted denials of the allegations, saying in February, “I’ve been arrested in Cyprus on a politically motivated extradition request by the US. The US, claiming I’m an arms dealer. It would be funny if it weren’t tragic. I’ve never been an arms dealer. DOJ is trying to bury me to protect Joe, Jim & Hunter Biden.”Robert Henoch, an attorney for Luft, called the indictment “a vicious attempt to silence a witness to corruption.” The attorney said “there was no arms ...

Today, 7/11, is Free Slurpee Day at all 7-Eleven stores

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

Today is 7/11, a day revered by all slushy-drink lovers.To celebrate the date and the company’s 96th anniversary, 7-Eleven stores will again hold Free Slurpee Day, giving out small Slurpees from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. (or until the machines run dry).Limited-edition flavors joining the popular regulars Cherry and Coca-Cola this year are Sprite Lymonade Legacy, Summertime Citrus, Fanta Dragon Fruit Zero Sugar and Hibiscus Lemonade, the company said.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Michelin’s dining deals: 4 Bay Area restaurants join ‘affordable’ Bib Gourmand list Restaurants, Food and Drink | How to get free or cheap fries on National French Fry Day 2023 Restaurants, Food and Drink | Bay Area brewery day trip: Concord’s Side Gate beer garden and more Restaurants, Food and Drink | Basil? Curry? Turkey? Bay Area’s most unconventional ice cream flavors and the stories behind them Rest...

‘Tudors’ exhibit gets behind the era’s camera-ready intrigue

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

From Bette Davis to Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I, from Charles Laughton to Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII, from “Fire Over England” to “Wolf Hall,” the Tudor era has kept movies, operas, TV series and books stuffed with drama and intrigue. And beheadings.Now the roots of that drama — in paintings, jewelry, tapestries, sculpture and personal mementos — are on display in “The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England,” at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor Museum through Sept. 24.It’s more scholarly than spectacular, but it includes commanding portraits and everything from a tiny broach depicting Elizabeth (and Noah’s ark) to elaborately engraved armor probably made for Henry VIII, and more than 6 feet tall.There is plenty of intrigue, too, if you trace the social and political moves during the Tudors’ 118-year reign, from 1485 to 1603. Britain was becoming the British Empire. The merchant class was expanding. And though he’s not part of the exhibit, Shak...

HazMat crews responding to release of petroleum coke 'dust' at Martinez refinery

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

(KRON) -- HazMat crews are responding to the Martinez Refining Company in Martinez after chemical dust was released into the air on Tuesday. The incident is being investigated by inspectors, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The agency said it is closely monitoring a petroleum coke release at the refinery and responding to complaints. Arsonist who set Vallejo fire detained by ‘trained mixed martial artist,’ arrested The agency is also documenting air quality violations and assisting first responders."Follow instructions from health officials," the agency advised.The Contra Costa Health Department's HazMat team is also responding to the incident, which it described as the "release of dust" from Martinez Refining Company. Material from the release is visible on the ground in the surrounding neighborhoods, according to CCH.The public is advised to avoid breathing or coming into close contact with the material. CCH is collecting samples for lab analysis.What i...

San Francisco man who brought gun to memorial service convicted

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A man is facing prison time for bringing a gun to a memorial service that was held to honor victims of a deadly quadruple shooting at a San Francisco playground, prosecutors said Tuesday. Ari Liccardo, 23, was convicted by a jury this week for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm as a felon, and carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle. "The jury’s verdict holds Mr. Liccardo accountable and sends a message that San Franciscans will not tolerate violations of common-sense gun policy," District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. "Our gun policies are designed to keep us all safe and guns out of the hands of people who should not have them."On April 6, 2022, a peaceful memorial was held in Alice Chalmers Playground to honor victims who were slain in a shooting three days prior. Officers from the San Francisco Police Department were present at the memorial in Crocker-Amazon neighborhood.That evening, officers recognized Liccardo as a probationer and conducted a sea...

New LGBTQ+ ride share app begins offering services across California

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

(KRON) -- A new ride-share company was created for the LGBTQ+ community, and the app began offering services across California in June. Elizabeth Holmes has a new release date, and it's years earlier than planned LGBTQ+ride aims to create a seamless and safe ride-share experience for riders in the LGBTQ+ community. The company set itself apart from other apps by providing a safety button not just for riders but also for drivers. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KRON4 Breaking News SIGN UP NOW "We have included a safety button for the riders as well as the drivers that will connect you to authorities in an instant. We vet our drivers as well as our riders to believe in a non-discriminatory way of treating people," a company spokesperson said. LGBTQ+ride is als...

Bay Area bus driver saves elderly passenger from being robbed

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

(KRON) -- A SamTrans bus driver intervened to protect an elderly passenger at the Redwood City Caltrain station. According to a tweet from SamTrans, bus operator Geraldine Stovall witnessed an elderly passenger who was being attacked and robbed. Arsonist who set Vallejo fire detained by ‘trained mixed martial artist,’ arrested She was quick to intervene, SamTrans said, preventing the victim from being seriously injured. She was also able to capture a photo of the alleged attacker before he fled the scene."That could've been my dad. You can't do that to old people," Stovall said."Her quick actions saved the day," the transit agency tweeted, adding, "We're grateful for operators like Geraldine, true superheroes in ensuring the protection of our riders."KRON4 has reached out to the SamTrans transit police but has yet to receive a response.

Landmark First Bank building in Philadelphia to be renovated and will become a museum

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The landmark First Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, subject of a fierce debate in the early years of the American republic, will be getting a $22.2 million renovation as part of a planned transformation into a museum focusing on the institution’s role in the development of the U.S. economy.Closed to the public for decades but a popular site for photos because of its neoclassical facade featuring six giant columns supporting a triangular pediment, the building in Philadelphia’s Old City was constructed between 1795 and 1797 and was the first structure designed specifically for the new federal government in what was then the nation’s capital. After years of calls for its restoration, the building will open as a museum in time for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.“We tell the story of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Revolutionary War,” executive director Thomas Caramanico...

American accused of killing 3 women in Tijuana arrested in California

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. authorities have arrested a California man accused of killing three women in the Mexican border city of Tijuana and crossing back and forth across the border after each of the deaths that occurred over the course of nearly a year starting in 2021.According to U.S. court records, 30-year-old Bryant Rivera, a resident of Los Angeles suburb Downey, was arrested July 6 on a femicide charge in the strangulation death of Angela Carolina Acosta Flores, whose body was found in a hotel room in Tijuana on Jan. 25, 2022. Mexico plans to request his extradition in order to present evidence to add charges for the deaths of two more women in Tijuana, according to court filings. Ricardo Ivan Carpio, the attorney general of the state of Baja California, said they will include new evidence found when Rivera was arrested in California. It was not immediately known if Rivera had retained an attorney. Rivera appeared in federal court Monday, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. ...

Police in Jamaica charge Catholic priest from Kenya with abduction and sexual assault

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:30:48 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest from Kenya has been arrested in Jamaica and charged with abduction and rape in the alleged kidnapping of a 12-year-old child, police said Tuesday.The attacks happened in March but were not reported until last month, police said in a statement. The 39-year-old priest has been charged with four criminal counts including rape and abduction. An attorney for the priest could not immediately be reached for comment.Source