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Former Oakland police chief declares himself vindicated after report says firing should be “reversed”

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

OAKLAND — Before former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong was fired in February, an inquiry found that he had failed to hold a problem cop accountable and gave statements to outside investigators that lacked credibility.Now, a retired judge tasked with reviewing Armstrong’s appeal has concluded there was no basis for the fired ex-chief to face discipline.“The discipline imposed on Chief Armstrong should be reversed and removed from his personnel record,” states the report by retired Judge Maria Rivera, the author of a new confidential report obtained by this news organization.The report — first obtained by KQED — is non-binding, meaning it alone could not force Armstrong’s reinstatement as chief of the Oakland Police Department.But it could play a significant role in Armstrong legal and public efforts to clear his name, which continued Monday, when he publicly declared himself vindicated.“It really clearly says that I did not engage in policy violati...

Tony Jones Jr. scores twice, Saints’ defense shuts down Panthers’ Bryce Young in 20-17 win

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tony Jones Jr. is making the most of his elevation from the Saints’ practice squad, while Chris Olave continues to make plays for unbeaten New Orleans.Jones ran for two touchdowns, rookie Blake Grupe kicked two field goals and the Saints beat the Carolina Panthers 20-17 on Monday night, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2013.Jones replaced the injured Jamaal Williams late in the first half and ran for 34 yards on 12 carries.“It was awesome,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “He was great. We ran the ball effectively. I think we blocked it up front and he made the right cuts. You know, two touchdowns on the game. It was big for him and big for us.”The Saints’ defense did the rest, holding Panthers rookie Bryce Young to 153 yards passing in his home debut. New Orleans limited Carolina (0-2) to 239 yards and sacked Young, the top overall pick in the draft, four times.“They play hard and very physical,” Young said. “They know exactly where...

Panthers LB Shaq Thompson expected to miss extended time with ‘significant’ ankle injury

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson is expected to miss extended time after suffering what coach Frank Reich said was a “significant” right ankle injury in the team’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.Reich said the Panthers will know more after Thompson undergoes medical tests on Tuesday. He wouldn’t say if the ankle might be broken.The 29-year-old Thompson was carted off the field in the first quarter. Saints offensive lineman Trevor Penning and Panthers defensive lineman DeShawn Williams were engaged in a block and rolled up on the back of Thompson’s right leg as he was trying to make a tackle.The Panthers initially announced Thompson was doubtful to return with a shin injury, but later updated that by saying he was out with an ankle injury.Thompson, in his ninth season with the Panthers, is one of the team’s emotional leaders. Before he was helped onto the cart, the entire Panthers bench ran on the field to wish Thomps...

Canada expels Indian diplomat as it probes possible link to Sikh’s slaying. India rejects allegation

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations its government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist, an accusation that India rejected as “absurd.”Trudeau said in Parliament on Monday that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia.Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 last week. He said he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. “If proven true this would be a great viola...

Montgomery Co. Council members continue discussions on a voluntary 911 registry

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

Six Maryland jurisdictions, including Howard County, already have a voluntary 911 registry, intended to help police handle calls that involve people with a range of disabilities, including autism.Now, Montgomery County is continuing to discuss the merits of similar legislation, where people could sign up to provide information to police and first responders ahead of time. The idea is that when those first responders arrive on a scene, they would know, for example, that a person at the address is deaf or might have delayed response times or be nonverbal.On Monday, members of two Montgomery County Council committees — Public Safety and Health and Human Services — met to discuss some of the issues that have cropped up.Council member Gabe Albornoz, who is also the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, said he had questions about how the information would be provided to first responders during an emergency.“How is that communicated to officers who are actually responding and ...

3 people hurt in shooting on 17th Avenue in Denver

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police said three people were hurt in a shooting Monday night in City Park West.It happened in the 1700 block of East 17th Avenue, according to the Denver Police Department. FOX31 was at the scene about 10 p.m., where police had the road blocked off at Williams Street.Police said "a possible suspect was arrested." The three victims were transported to the hospital.No information was immediately released about the suspected shooter or the possible circumstances of what happened. The investigation was ongoing.

‘Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose’ a quirky delight

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

Why doesn’t Hollywood know what to do with the great English actor Simon Pegg? Bursting upon the international scene in 2004 as the zombie-killing lead in Edgar Wright’s raucous “Shaun of the Dead,” one of the earliest and best of the new wave of zombie films, Pegg has been relegated to second banana roles by the industry ever since. He has repeatedly played Benji Dunn in the increasingly tiresome and rote Tom Cruise “Mission Impossible” films; and Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in the J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” film series. Pegg also had a role in Abrams’ “The Force Awakens” (2015).But the actor has had a scant number of starring roles, except in obscure efforts. In the frequently daffy, outlandishly-named “Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose,” which is based on a true story (!), Pegg plays the title role of “beardo” Dr. Nandor Fodor. According to his attractive, singleton live-in assistant Anne (Minnie Driver), Fodor is “the world’s foremost parapsychologi...

BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos finding his place in the ACC

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

The Boston College coaching staff is just beginning to tap into the athleticism and dual threat capabilities of quarterback Thomas Castellanos.The 5-10, 196-pound, sophomore from Waycross, Georgia, established himself as an ACC prototype in his second career start, a 31-29 loss to No. 3 Florida State in the league opener for both teams on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.Castellanos attacked the Seminoles’ vaunted defense in the air and on the ground during a second half rally that fell just short. The transfer from Central Florida completed 20 of 33 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown. Castellanos led the Eagles in rushing with 95 net yards on 16 carries with a touchdown.Since 1996, only 22 FBS quarterbacks have thrown for 300 yards and rushed for at least 95 against an AP Top 25 opponent. Of those 22 quarterbacks, 18 were from the ACC and a few of them were named Lamar Jackson.BC co-offensive coordinators Steve Shimko and Rob Chudzinski will make greater use of Castellanos’ dual threat...

Leventhal: Sugary drink taxes slam low-income consumers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

Attempts to control what consumers choose to consume are frequent, but taxing sugary drinks to push people to make healthier choices has been a more regular one. However, this paternalistic instinct has repeatedly failed to achieve its health goals. Instead, it imposes a regressive tax without improving people’s health and can even drive small grocery stores out of business.More than 100 countries tax sugary drinks, which means for 51% of the world’s population, their soda is artificially more expensive. Despite it being a common practice, there is little evidence of health gains and strong evidence it hurts the local economy, especially lower-income households. Even in the face of limited benefits and large harms, many local governments in the United States have imposed sweetened beverage taxes. Even the World Health Organization recommends taxing sweetened drinks.Like most “sin taxes,” soda taxes tend to fall on the poorest people the most heavily. Lower-income homes spend a large...

‘New normal’ and other annoying workplace buzzwords

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:56:18 GMT

If you haven’t uttered them yourself, you’ve probably heard them spew from the mouths of co-workers or your boss. They are the most annoying business buzzwords for 2023.So what’s the most fingernail-on-blackboard phrase for workers?“New normal,” according to a survey conducted by Preply Business, a language learning platform that connects online tutors with businesses and teams. Preply collected responses from 1,551 Americans working in offices or remotely.Joining new normal as most hated buzzwords were:CultureCircle backBoots on the groundGive 110%Low-hanging fruitWin-winMove the needleGrowth hackingThink outside the box.The survey asked workers how frequently they heard buzzwords in the workplace, the most popular jargon they heard, the phrases they disliked the most and red flag words in job descriptions.Perhaps to be expected, some of the most frequently heard words also were the most annoying. Here are the 10 most used phrases:Win-winCultureASAPThink outside the boxMoving forwa...