Category: US

Texas Teacher and 3 Others Arrested for Child Sex Trafficking Ring

Four suspects, including a North Texas teacher, were arrested last week in connection with child sex trafficking in Dallas, Texas, according to authorities. Gershon Caston, 38, who most recently taught in Duncanville, Texas, was arrested on July 20. He is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, compelling prostitution of a person under 18,…


Apartment Owners Sue Los Angeles Over COVID-Era Rental Price Restrictions

Apartment owners are suing the City of Los Angeles for keeping in place its emergency ban on rent increases first implemented at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a lawsuit filed July 24 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles is asking the court to put a stop to the city’s…


Visiting Grandma or the Capitol? In-state Airfare Costs Are Sky High

People on both ends of California say they’re being pinched by high travel costs for flights in the Golden State, as airfare prices continue to climb after jumping more than 25 percent compared to the same time last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase follows a 40 percent spike during…


‘Dirty Secret’: Made-In-China Solar Panels Produce 3 Times More Carbon Emissions Than UN Claims: Study

An analysis by a non-profit research group drawing on calculations by an Italian analyst looking into the carbon footprint of made-in-China solar panels claims that the influential United Nations body on climate change has been drastically underestimating the carbon intensity of Chinese-made photovoltaic cells. Environmental Progress, a non-profit co-founded by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger, in…


Personal Chef to Obamas Found Dead Near Their Martha’s Vineyard Home

The body of a missing paddle boarder recovered from Edgartown Great Pond by Massachusetts State Police (MSP) divers on Monday is that of former President Barrack Obama’s former chef, Tafari Campbell. Authorities identified the victim on Monday as Mr. Campbell, a 45-year-old male who was previously employed by the former first family as a personal chef….


California Travel Ban Stalls Students’ Hopes to Contend in National Chemical Engineers Competition

A group of chemical engineering students was denied state funding to participate in a national competition in Florida because of California’s travel ban to certain states that don’t allow biological male athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. The ban, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2019, was recently expanded to include…


Massive Backlog of US Passport Applications Sparks Flood of Complaints to Congress

A major backlog of U.S. passport applications has spurred a flood of calls by angry American travelers to House and Senate offices on Capitol Hill, as the delays worsen. Congressional offices are scrambling to address the issue at the height of the summer travel season, as many desperate constituents plea for help in dealing with unprecedented passport…


EXCLUSIVE: 7-Year-Old Boy Sues California School District for Violations of Civil Rights

The first thing “H.N.” did when he got up on a July Sunday morning was say hi to his dog, Biscuit, and then start reading “Treasure Island,” which after just the first chapter may overtake “Robinson Crusoe” as his all-time favorite book—but that needs to wait until he finishes the book. Later, he played Monopoly with…


Confidential Pentagon Memo Says Transgender Soldiers Can Defer Deployment While on Hormones

Transgender soldiers will be allowed to delay deployment for up to 300 days while using cross-sex hormones during their “transition” and waive physical fitness standards, according to a confidential Pentagon memo. The Feb. 1 Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) memo said that the delay in deployment was needed so the transgender soldier could “stabilize” while taking hormones….


California Hockey Players Lead Way on Slovakia’s Hlinka-Gretzky Roster

USA Hockey on July 24 named four players from Orange County and one each from Los Angeles County and Northern California to its under-18 select roster for the upcoming Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Slovakia. The tournament, named in honor of former Czech hockey star Ivan Hlinka and Canadian icon Wayne Gretzky, is set for July 31–Aug….