This isn’t the kind of history Alejandro Mayorkas wanted to make.

The son of immigrants who fled Cuba and settled in Beverly Hills when he was a child, Mayorkas was tapped in 2021 by President Biden to become the first Latino head of the nation’s Homeland Security Department.

Decades earlier he made a reputation as the country’s youngest U.S. Attorney in 1998, leading the Central District of California based in Los Angeles.

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

In recent months, however, Mayorkas, 64, has found himself in a far less flattering historical spotlight: targeted to become the first U.S. Cabinet official impeached in nearly 150 years.

“I knew I was entering an extraordinarily polarizing environment, an environment where norms were in jeopardy, where civility was not always respected,” he said of his mindset when he became secretary. “I didn’t assume this. It doesn’t rattle me, though.”

House Republicans, eyeing chaos at the border as a path to regain control of the White House and Senate, say Mayorkas’ failure to prevent record arrivals of migrants meets the constitutional bar for impeachment of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Democrats call the impeachment effort a vast, politically-motivated overreach, characterizing Mayorkas as a committed government servant being used as a pawn in the 2024 presidential race.

To the surprise of many, the embattled secretary on Tuesday narrowly escaped impeachment by the House when three GOP lawmakers — including one from California — broke ranks with their party and joined all Democrats to vote no.

But House Republican leaders have vowed to try again, perhaps as soon as next week, even though the Democratic-controlled Senate is certain not to convict and remove him from office.

In his first extensive, sit-down interview since the vote, Mayorkas told The Los Angeles Times Thursday that he did not watch the impeachment proceedings. Instead, he was in a meeting in the Bay Area discussing the agency’s prioritization of artificial intelligence. He broke away for a call and was informed the vote had failed.

Mayorkas, who insists he will not resign even if impeached, says he inherited a broken and outdated immigration system that can’t adequately respond to what has become a global migration crisis brought on by violence, poverty, authoritarian regimes and climate disasters.

He called the impeachment proceedings baseless, the accusations false, and blamed Congress for failing to allocate enough funding to address the issue.

After devoting his life and career to public service and law enforcement, Mayorkas said the threat of impeachment, one of the rarest, most shameful rebukes a government official can face, is disappointing but has not shaken his commitment.

Respect for the law and service to democracy are themes that run deep in Mayorkas’ upbringing.

As a boy in Los Angeles, Mayorkas recalls his mother encouraging him to approach police officers in uniform, extend his hand and thank them. After escaping Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba, American police were, to her, a symbol of safety and the rule of law.

Mayorkas was born in Havana. His Jewish Cuban father owned a steel wool factory; his mother, a Jewish Romanian, narrowly survived the Holocaust when her family caught one of the last ships to Cuba.

In Beverly Hills — where his parents were drawn because of the education system — the family lived in a two-bedroom apartment before later moving to a modest home, where Mayorkas shared a bedroom with his two younger brothers. They attended a local synagogue twice a year for High Holy Days and frequented El Colmao, a Cuban restaurant in Pico Union.

Mayorkas attended Beverly Hills High School, UC Berkeley and Loyola Law school.

As a promising, young federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Mayorkas pursued the death penalty against members of the Mexican Mafia, brought RICO charges against a Los Angeles street gang and prosecuted Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss for tax fraud and money laundering.

Time in the courtroom, where he said defense attorneys lobbed heated verbal missiles at him, prepared him for what was to come.

“When I was in the courtroom, and the arrows are flying, what one is representing is the truth,” he said. “To have to fight to have that truth prevail is, I thought, what a privilege. And the arrows? Let the arrows come. We will deflect them, and break them.”

David Lash, then-CEO of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm in Los Angeles, remembers consulting with Mayorkas on a series of fraud cases targeting elderly people. “Ali,” as he’s known to friends, was instrumental in the success of those cases, Lash said.

Lash and Mayorkas, who lived five blocks from each other, had children around the same ages. They became close friends, getting together for backyard barbecues over the years.

Mayorkas helped recruit Lash to the pro bono program at O’Melveny, the Los Angeles law firm Mayorkas joined after President Clinton left office in 2001.

Just walking to lunch might take 20 minutes, Lash recalled, because Mayorkas seemed to know every third person on the street, and would stop to shake their hands and ask how their families were doing.

“I think that comes from himself being an immigrant and working in the public interest,” Lash said. “It’s so important to him that he’s just imbued with this respect for people who are everyday folks working to make a life.”

President Obama appointed Mayorkas to lead U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2009. There he led implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, the program that offered work permits and deportation protections to hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country as children.

Four years later, Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate as deputy secretary of DHS. He led the agency’s response to the Ebola and Zika virus epidemics, built up the agency’s cybersecurity capabilities and targeted drug cartels.

His tenure wasn’t without controversy. A 2015 DHS Inspector General report accused Mayorkas of creating “an appearance of favoritism and special access” for politically connected businesses under a visa program that provided a path to citizenship for wealthy foreign investors.

Mayorkas returned to private practice during Trump’s administration as a partner at WilmerHale. But he appeared, to his friends, unsatisfied.

“He felt like there was unfinished business there, and that he could get the job done,” said Jim Pasco, executive director of the national Fraternal Order of Police. He and Mayorkas have been friends since Mayorkas led the citizenship services agency.

Pasco said Mayorkas has a real reverence and affinity for law enforcement.

“His whole worldview, his whole approach to life was really imprinted on him in his early childhood and early adulthood,” Pasco said. “His family, particularly his mother, and his father, were very, very patriotic and raised him to be patriotic and appreciative of the things that the government did for them and the things that [it] protects them from.”

Mayorkas returned to the homeland security department with Biden’s administration, faced with the challenge of undoing many of Trump’s policies, including travel bans for people from certain Muslim-majority countries, and with the aftermath of others, such as the separations of migrant children from their parents.

Mayorkas was quickly overwhelmed with the unprecedented arrival of migrants at the southern border, not just from Central America but now in greater numbers from places like China, India and Afghanistan. Republicans quickly put him, and his impeachment, in their sights after taking control of the House in 2023.

Rhetoric against Mayorkas has turned ugly at times. The morning of the impeachment vote, Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) behind closed doors called Mayorkas a “reptile with no balls” because he has refused to resign, according to Politico.

The attacks against Mayorkas have led even some conservatives to come to his defense.

Pasco’s organization, the Fraternal Order of Police, sent a letter to Congress just before the House vote Tuesday praising Mayorkas and the partnership between DHS and local law enforcement to combat the fentanyl epidemic and violent crime. The country’s largest police union endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Trump’s impeachment lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, urged Republicans not to “apply a double standard” by impeaching Mayorkas.

In a letter to his colleagues Tuesday morning, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) said Mayorkas’ policies have damaged the country but malpractice is not an impeachable crime. Homeland Security Committee members, he said, “stretch and distort the Constitution in order to hold the administration accountable for stretching and distorting the law.”

Three former homeland security secretaries, from Democratic and Republican administrations, said the impeachment jeopardized national security and undermined the department’s mission, including counter-terrorism efforts.

And groups on the left, some of which have stridently criticized policies under Mayorkas, extended olive branches in support of the secretary, one of the highest ranking Latinos in government.

A coalition of 18 Latino-led civil rights and advocacy groups, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday calling the impeachment effort a sham.

“While not all his decisions have been met with unanimous approval, including from the signers below and other voices within our community, we strongly urge Congress to redirect their efforts to working in a bipartisan manner toward humane and effective immigration reform that helps move the American people forward,” the groups wrote.

At the same time the House was advancing impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas, the Senate released a bipartisan $118-billion border and foreign aid bill, supported by Biden and which Mayorkas consulted on.

“The irony is not lost on me,” said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who opposed the bill, in part because it failed to include a legalization component for immigrants including so-called Dreamers, as previous negotiations have. “Republicans can’t have it both ways.”

Nonetheless, Padilla said running homeland security is one of the toughest jobs in America, made even tougher when Congress plays politics.

Republicans, he said, “can’t bring forward meaningful solutions — so they pivot to trying to scapegoat somebody through the impeachment process.”

Times staff writer Sarah D. Wire contributed to this report.

They danced in the rain on Figueroa Avenue, a throng of trumpets gathering to serenade the brightest star on campus in a glorious return.

Sheer joy erupted this Sunday night, through storm and wind and smiles breaking free from ponchos, USC’s Spirit of Troy student band braving the elements to surprise the women’s basketball team as soon as it got off the bus from a trip up north. Fresh off conquering Stanford and Cal, teammates formed a sort of impromptu-dance circle around freshman JuJu Watkins, swaying to the instrumental of DJ Khaled’s “All I Do is Win.” Watkins, somehow, ended up with a mock Trojan sword in her right hand; she hit a little jig, senior McKenzie Forbes grabbing her hand and combusting in laughter.

They are the best show on campus these days, the greatest source of pride around USC, a once-dormant program rising to national contention as Watkins has single-handedly accelerated a program rebuild set in motion by third-year coach Lindsay Gottlieb. The freshman is a magnetic blend of natural charisma and prodigal skill, nearly breaking basketball Twitter with a record-breaking 51-piece against Stanford; the world has woken up to Watkins, and her rising tide is soaring all boats. A few days ago, Gottlieb gathered her team for a preview of Watkins’ SLAM Magazine cover, teammates trading awestruck grins as Watkins bowed her head in a mixture of embarrassment and humility.

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

“I think it’s important – like, how many faces of the game at this age have been young African-American women?” Gottlieb said in early January. “Like, she should have her own Nike shoe, at some point. She should be the center of a campaign.”

Behind Watkins, Forbes and junior big Rayah Marshall, they are the trailblazers. They are the upstarts. They are the hunters, dancing in the rain.

Check that. They were. 

There is no way to operate under the radar anymore, when Watkins physically broke the radar after vanquishing then-No. 4 Stanford. Teams in the Pac-12 are throwing entire defensive schematics at Watkins, forced too to respect Forbes, USC (16-4, 6-4 in Pac-12) faced with the reality that they’re ranked No. 10 in the country and close to the top of a rebuild that started just two years ago.

“Now, all of a sudden, it’s shifted to, ‘Dang, we know they’re good, and we’re going to put all our eggs into trying to stop them,’” Gottlieb said Jan 31. “And so, we’re talking to our team about, ‘OK, then, what’s next for us?’”

After USC lost to Washington in a sloppy game Jan. 28, continuing an up-and-down stretch in the Pac-12, Gottlieb hosted the toughest film session of the year that following Monday. On-court adjustments needed to be made, sure; but the group’s mentality had to shift, the coach reflected. Washington – and other teams – were taking aim at USC. Not the other way around.

“Sitting at 4-4, I should have everyone’s attention,” Gottlieb said Jan. 31. “We’re not ahead of – like, now our standards for ourselves are really high.”

They responded in kind over the weekend, Watkins carrying them against Stanford and then a variety of Trojans chipping in against Cal.

“We’ve got plenty of opportunities to also be the hunter,” Gottlieb said, “but we gotta also understand that, in the midst of that, we’re the hunted quite a bit.”

The X-factor in the middle of that, with a deep run into the NCAA tournament legitimately possible, is Marshall, who got off to a dominant start but has looked disengaged offensively ever since missing USC’s rematch with UCLA in January. In her first 11 games, she averaged 13 points a game on 51.3% shooting; in six games since her return, she’s averaged 3.7 points a night on 31% from the floor. The Pac-12 is ripe with dominant bigs – conference success down the stretch will hinge largely on Marshall’s ability to rediscover a presence and rhythm in the paint.

“I need to do a better job of freeing her up and getting her good, early looks, and I think she needs to be confident and fight her way to some easy ones and get to some things she knows she can get,” Gottlieb said. “And I’m sure she’ll get her rhythm back, and her confidence back.”

She’s got a prime opportunity Friday against Arizona State (10-12, 2-8 Pac-12), a team without much of an interior presence and without a single player who averages even five rebounds a game.

No. 10 USC vs. Arizona State

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Galen Center

TV/radio: Pac-12 Los Angeles/790 AM

Source link

Reach Out

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your specific needs. Our team is ready and eager to provide you with tailored solutions that align with your firm’s goals and enhance your digital marketing efforts. We look forward to helping you grow your law practice online.

Our Services:
Blog Post Writing
We do well-researched, timely, and engaging blog posts that resonate with your clientele, positioning you as a thought leader in your domain.

Content Writing
Beyond articles and content for blogs, we delve into comprehensive content pieces like eBooks, and case studies, tailored to showcase your expertise.
Website Content Writing: First impressions matter. Our content ensures your website reflects the professionalism, dedication, and expertise you bring to the table.

Social Media Management
In today’s interconnected world, your online presence extends to social platforms. We help you navigate this terrain, ensuring your voice is consistently represented and heard.

WordPress Website Maintenance
Your digital office should be as polished and functional as your physical one. We ensure your WordPress site remains updated, secure, and user-friendly.
For more information, ad placements in our attorney blog network, article requests, social media management, or listings on our top 10 attorney sites, reach out to us at canyoncrestguide@gmail.com.

Warm regards,

Canyon Crest Guide Newspaper

Whether you’re a startup or an established brand, business directories offer an affordable, yet powerful tool to elevate your brand recognition and reach. Sign up, stand out, and let your business soar to new heights, sign up to one of our directory websites:

Canyon Crest Directory

Riverside Ca Business Directory

The Riverside Coupon Directory

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Like us on Facebook Here
Canyon Crest Guide
5225 Canyon Crest Drive Ste.71 #854 Riverside CA 92507
Tony Ramos 951-235-3518
For great backlinks to your website sign up to one of our directory websites:
Canyon Crest Directory
Riverside Ca Business Directory
The Riverside Coupon Directory

Here is the CIF Southern Section schedule for playoff events involving Inland teams on Friday, Feb. 9.

Dates, sites and times subject to change.

Daily playoff results can be found at pressenterprise.com, dailybulletin.com, sbsun.com or redlandsdailyfacts.com

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

BOYS BASKETBALL

(Games at 7 p.m., unless indicated)

Pool Play

Open Division

JSerra at Roosevelt

Centennial at Harvard-Westlake

Second Round

Division 1

Riverside Poly at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Rancho Verde at Etiwanda

Crossroads at Damien

Division 2AA

Thousand Oaks at Linfield Christian

Aquinas at Culver City

Division 2A

Marina at Temescal Canyon, 6 p.m.

Long Beach Poly at Upland

Murrieta Valley at Chaminade

Division 3AA

Hillcrest at Hesperia, 6 p.m.

Bonita at St. Bonaventure

South Pasadena at Valley View

Division 3A

Arrowhead Christian Academy at Don Bosco Tech

Division 4AA

Price at Chino

Diamond Ranch at Jurupa Hills

Western Christian at Orange Vista

Division 4A

Garden Grove Santiago at Temecula Valley

Carter at Estancia

Northview at Norte Vista

Division 5AA

San Bernardino at Hoover

Temecula Prep at Buckley

Godinez at Heritage

Castaic at Montclair

Calvary Baptist at Ventura

Division 5A

Samueli Academy at Ontario

Nogales at Notre Dame

BOYS SOCCER

(Matches at 5 p.m., unless indicated)

First Round, Second Leg

Open Division

Godinez at Arlington, 6 p.m. (Arlington leads 4-0 on aggregate score)

Montclair at Mater Dei (Montclair leads 2-1 on aggregate score)

Second Round

Division 1

Oak Park at Alta Loma

Citrus Hill at Millikan

Cajon at Servite, 3 p.m.

Division 2

Oak Hills at Redlands East Valley

San Gorgonio at Redondo, 4 p.m.

Channel Islands at Beaumont

Centennial at Loyola

Division 3

Ganesha at Rancho Cucamonga

Thousand Oaks at Great Oak

Glendale at Vista Murrieta

Division 4

Savanna at Hemet, 3 p.m.

Chino at Paramount

Etiwanda vs. Troy at Fullerton HS

California at Jurupa Hills

Division 5

Mountain View at Upland

Orange Vista at Yorba Linda

Shadow Hills at Ramona

Grand Terrace vs. Pasadena Poly at San Marino HS

Division 6

Indian Springs at Westminster

Maranatha vs. California Military Institute at Perris HS

Beverly Hills at Kaiser, 3:30 p.m.

Tahquitz at Arcadia

First Round

Division 7

San Gabriel Academy at Webb, 3 p.m.

Santa Rosa Academy at Rancho Verde

Temecula Prep ay Redlands Adventist Academy, 3 p.m.

Heritage at Lucerne Valley, 3 p.m.

Desert Hot Springs vs. United Christian Academy at Ralph M. Lewis Sports Complex, 3:15 p.m.

Westminster La Quinta vs. Public Safety Academy at Arroyo Valley HS, 3 p.m.

Western Christian vs. Samueli Academy at Centennial Park, 3 p.m.

BOYS WRESTLING

Individual Championships

(Wrestling begins at 11 a.m.)

Central Division at Yucaipa HS (includes wrestlers from the Big VIII, Citrus Belt, Hacienda, Miramonte, Palomares at Sunkist leagues)

Coastal Division at Westminster HS (includes wrestlers from the Mt. Baldy and Valle Vista league)

Eastern Division at Glenn HS (includes wrestlers from the Inland Valley and Mountain Pass leagues)

Inland Division at Fountain Valley HS (includes wrestlers from the Cross Valley and River Valley leagues and freelance wrestlers)

Northern Division at Sonora HS (includes wrestlers from the Baseline, San Andreas and South Valley leagues)

Southern Division at Great Oak HS (includes wrestlers from the Desert Valley, Ivy, Mountain Valley and Southwestern Leagues)

GIRLS WRESTLING

Individual Championships

(Wrestling begins at 11 a.m.)

Central Division at Adelanto HS (includes wrestlers from the Citrus Belt, Ivy and South Valley league and freelance wrestlers)

Eastern Division at Marina HS (includes wrestlers from the Desert Valley, Mt. Baldy, San Andreas, Southwestern and Sunkist Leagues)

Northern Division at San Dimas HS (includes wrestlers from the Baseline, Mountain Valley, River Valley at Valle Vista leagues)

Southern Division at Corona HS (includes wrestlers from the Big VIII, Hacienda, Inland Valley, Miramonte, Mountain Pass and Palomares leagues)

If the effort to ban medication abortion now before the Supreme Court demonstrates anything, it’s that the damage caused in our society by junk science can be disastrous indeed.

That’s the implication of the retraction of two scientific studies, announced Monday by the journal publisher Sage. The studies provided the purported rationale for a Texas federal judge’s ruling overturning the approval of the abortion drugs by the Food and Drug Administration.

It’s impossible to overstate the potential ramifications of the ruling issued April 7 by federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Amarillo, Texas, which invalidated FDA approvals of the drug mifepristone dating back to 2000.

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Kacsmaryk’s ruling was the basis for an outstandingly loopy decision by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 19, which narrowed his ruling somewhat but not entirely. The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments on the case for March 26.

The worst-case scenario is that the Supreme Court will follow Kacsmaryk in revoking the FDA’s approval. That would block access to what has become the most common abortion method in the U.S. Providers would have to shift to other medications that are not as effective as mifepristone.

The court could also narrow the reach of the FDA’s actions in 2000, when it declared mifepristone safe and effective, and in 2016 and 2021, when it allowed patients to order the drug online and receive it by mail or from pharmacies rather than at doctors’ offices.

The court could restore previous rules limiting the use of mifepristone to the first seven weeks of gestation instead of the current 10 weeks. It could require that it be administered only through a physician’s prescription and only directly by doctors.

The damage could go further. An expansive Supreme Court ruling could cripple the FDA’s authority to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and subject its judgments to increasingly partisan challenges. It could bring an antique, long-disregarded 150-year-old antipornography law to legal prominence.

Let’s start at the beginning, with Kacsmaryk’s 2023 ruling. As I’ve reported in the past, Kacsmaryk’s jurisprudence has been a blot on the judicial system since he joined the court in 2019 as a Trump appointee. Kacsmaryk is the only federal judge in the Amarillo district of the federal court in the Northern District of Texas.

That has made his courthouse a favored venue for right-wing litigants. A former functionary of a conservative Christian legal group, he has been a dependable foe of efforts to protect LGBTQ+ legal rights and access to contraceptives.

His record made him the ideal judge for a coalition of antiabortion groups including the American Assn. of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynrecologists and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations waging an attack on medication abortion.

Kacsmaryk’s April 7 ruling bristled with antiabortion terminology such as the terms “unborn human” and “unborn child”; abortion providers were labeled “abortionists.” By contrast, a ruling protecting access to mifepristone issued the same day by federal Judge Thomas Owens Rice of Washington state, an Obama appointee, used neutral language, such as a reference to “institutions and providers who provide abortion care.”

Kacsmaryk accepted common talking points of the antiabortion movement as legal conclusions. He cited the Comstock Act, an antipornography law enacted in 1873, no fewer than 29 times. He accepted as read the antiabortion movement’s contention that it barred the shipment of mifepristone through the U.S. mail, even though federal courts had rejected that interpretation for more than 100 years.

He questioned the FDA’s judgment that the drug was safe and effective, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The core of Kacsmaryk’s findings questioning the FDA’s approval of the drug came from two studies led by James Studnicki, director of data analytics at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, which says in the mission statement on its website that it “advises and leads the pro-life movement with groundbreaking scientific, statistical, and medical research.”

Among the institute’s principal aims is “to warn women about the dangers of chemical abortion and expose the harms of the FDA’s current abortion pill policy that simply ignores the known risks.”

Kacsmaryk cited the Studnicki papers to endorse the plaintiff organizations’ conclusions that adverse reactions to mifepristone could “overwhelm the medical system and place ‘enormous pressure and stress’” on doctors due to “significant complications requiring medical attention,” and that women taking the drug were reporting to emergency rooms at much greater rates than those who had undergone surgical abortions.

Sage’s retraction notice explodes those claims. The papers were published in 2021 and 2022 in Sage’s Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology journal. (A third Studnicki paper published in 2019 but not cited by Kacsmaryk was also retracted.)

Sage’s inquiry was triggered by Chris Adkins, a pharmaceutical sciences professor at South University School of Pharmacy in Savannah, Ga.

Among the flaws Adkins pointed to was that one study appeared to inflate claims about adverse reactions to the drug by failing to distinguish ER visits for routine complaints from those due to the drug. Nor did the Studnicki research factor in the increases in medication abortions starting in 2000 or the increase in Medicaid enrollments in the same period, which was a factor in the growth of medication abortions.

Sage said that in its pre-retraction review, “experts identified fundamental problems with the design … and methodology” of the questioned papers, as well as “unjustified or incorrect factual assumptions, material errors in the authors’ analysis of the data, and misleading presentations of the data that … demonstrate a lack of scientific rigor and invalidate the authors’ conclusions in whole or in part.”

Sage also noted that the papers declared that the authors had no conflicts of interest in researching and writing the papers. In fact, all but one of the authors of the studies Kacsmaryk cited were affiliated with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the American Assn. of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or the Elliot Institute, which are antiabortion advocacy organizations. Although the authors had disclosed their affiliations, Sage reported, they had not acknowledged that these posed a conflict.

Studnicki objects to the retractions, responding that the action is “unjustified” and that his data are “accurately reported.”

Kacsmaryk’s ruling has caused immense confusion in the administration of mifepristone. The 5th Circuit appeals court overturned his rejection of the FDA’s original 2000 conclusion that mifepristone is safe and effective, but upheld his overturning of the FDA’s loosening of restrictions on the use of the drug issued in 2016 and 2021. It stayed injunctions on those uses until the Supreme Court rules, however.

The appeals court opinion featured one of the more curious flights of fancy by a federal judge — a separate opinion by Appellate Justice James C. Ho, another Trump appointee. He advocated overturning the 2000 FDA approval as well as the 2016 and 2021 revisions, on the grounds that abortions cause “aesthetic injury” to doctors forced to participate in the procedure, even if only by treating patients for adverse reactions.

“Unborn babies are a source of profound joy for those who view them,” Ho wrote. “Doctors delight in working with their unborn patients — and experience an aesthetic injury when they are aborted.”

The real injury that could arise from the Supreme Court’s consideration of mifepristone would be to the use of science to validate judicial opinions by substituting junk science for rigorous research.

More than 20 years of medical practice has established that the drug is safe and effective for its purpose — indeed, safer than many other drugs in common use in the U.S. Revoking its approval would be based on no scientific evidence at all, only on politics. And that won’t be good for anyone.

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday declared the use of voice-cloning technology in robocalls to be illegal, giving states another tool to go after fraudsters behind the calls.

The ruling takes effect immediately and comes amid an increase in such calls due to technology that offers the ability to confuse people with recordings that mimic the voices of celebrities, political candidates and even close family members.

“Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities and misinform votes,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated. “State attorneys general will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from fraud and misinformation.”

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

The FCC’s action follows an incident ahead of New Hampshire’s presidential primary last month in which a phony robocall impersonating President Biden encouraged voters not to cast ballots in the contest. An estimated 5,000 to 25,000 of the calls were made.

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella on Tuesday said the AI-generated recording made to sound like the president has been linked to two Texas companies, with a criminal probe underway. 

The artificial intelligence-produced disinformation targeting voters prompted two U.S. Senators — Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Maine Republican Susan Collins to recently press the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to take steps to combat such disinformation campaigns. 

The New Hampshire robocall is only the latest flashpoint in AI-generated images, video and audio propagated online in an already contentious 2024 campaign cycle.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.

Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.

Create your free account or log in
for more features.

Source link

Reach Out

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your specific needs. Our team is ready and eager to provide you with tailored solutions that align with your firm’s goals and enhance your digital marketing efforts. We look forward to helping you grow your law practice online.

Our Services:
Blog Post Writing
We do well-researched, timely, and engaging blog posts that resonate with your clientele, positioning you as a thought leader in your domain.

Content Writing
Beyond articles and content for blogs, we delve into comprehensive content pieces like eBooks, and case studies, tailored to showcase your expertise.
Website Content Writing: First impressions matter. Our content ensures your website reflects the professionalism, dedication, and expertise you bring to the table.

Social Media Management
In today’s interconnected world, your online presence extends to social platforms. We help you navigate this terrain, ensuring your voice is consistently represented and heard.

WordPress Website Maintenance
Your digital office should be as polished and functional as your physical one. We ensure your WordPress site remains updated, secure, and user-friendly.
For more information, ad placements in our attorney blog network, article requests, social media management, or listings on our top 10 attorney sites, reach out to us at canyoncrestguide@gmail.com.

Warm regards,

Canyon Crest Guide Newspaper

Whether you’re a startup or an established brand, business directories offer an affordable, yet powerful tool to elevate your brand recognition and reach. Sign up, stand out, and let your business soar to new heights, sign up to one of our directory websites:

Canyon Crest Directory

Riverside Ca Business Directory

The Riverside Coupon Directory

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Like us on Facebook Here
Canyon Crest Guide
5225 Canyon Crest Drive Ste.71 #854 Riverside CA 92507
Tony Ramos 951-235-3518
For great backlinks to your website sign up to one of our directory websites:
Canyon Crest Directory
Riverside Ca Business Directory
The Riverside Coupon Directory

Source link

Reach Out

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your specific needs. Our team is ready and eager to provide you with tailored solutions that align with your firm’s goals and enhance your digital marketing efforts. We look forward to helping you grow your law practice online.

Our Services:
Blog Post Writing
We do well-researched, timely, and engaging blog posts that resonate with your clientele, positioning you as a thought leader in your domain.

Content Writing
Beyond articles and content for blogs, we delve into comprehensive content pieces like eBooks, and case studies, tailored to showcase your expertise.
Website Content Writing: First impressions matter. Our content ensures your website reflects the professionalism, dedication, and expertise you bring to the table.

Social Media Management
In today’s interconnected world, your online presence extends to social platforms. We help you navigate this terrain, ensuring your voice is consistently represented and heard.

WordPress Website Maintenance
Your digital office should be as polished and functional as your physical one. We ensure your WordPress site remains updated, secure, and user-friendly.
For more information, ad placements in our attorney blog network, article requests, social media management, or listings on our top 10 attorney sites, reach out to us at canyoncrestguide@gmail.com.

Warm regards,

Canyon Crest Guide Newspaper

Whether you’re a startup or an established brand, business directories offer an affordable, yet powerful tool to elevate your brand recognition and reach. Sign up, stand out, and let your business soar to new heights, sign up to one of our directory websites:

Canyon Crest Directory

Riverside Ca Business Directory

The Riverside Coupon Directory

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Like us on Facebook Here
Canyon Crest Guide
5225 Canyon Crest Drive Ste.71 #854 Riverside CA 92507
Tony Ramos 951-235-3518
For great backlinks to your website sign up to one of our directory websites:
Canyon Crest Directory
Riverside Ca Business Directory
The Riverside Coupon Directory

CIF-SS BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

DIVISION 1

FIRST ROUND

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Wednesday’s results

Notre Dame/SO 74, Crean Lutheran 64 (OT)

Riverside Poly 61, Fairmont Prep 47

West Rancho 67, Edison 52

Santa Margarita 72, Oxnard 55

Foothill 59, Brentwood 45

Canyon 61, Rancho Cucamonga 59

St. Francis 45, Pacifica Christian 39

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

West Ranch at Santa Margarita

Foothill at Redondo

Canyon at Los Alamitos

DIVISION 2AA

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Linfield Christian 64, Dana Hills 62

Aquinas 53, San Juan Hills 50

Fountain Valley 54, Providence/B 50

Trabuco Hills 79, Crescenta Valley 61

St. Anthony 70, Sonora 54

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

Trabuco Hills at Fountain Valley

DIVISION 2A

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Marina 73, Beverly Hills 60

Cypress 67, Beaumont 58

Murrieta Valley 63, Newport Harbor 61

Corona del Mar 67, Aliso Niguel 36

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

Marina at Temescal Canyon

Cypress at Knight

Palm Springs at Corona del Mar

DIVISION 3AA

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

La Habra 71, Yorba Linda 56

Sage Hill 59, Wiseburn Da Vinci 54

St. Margaret’s 58, Pilibos 52

Troy 75, Liberty 73

Bonita 44, Tustin 41

South Pasadena 72, Sunny Hills 41

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

La Habra at Long Beach Jordan

Oaks Christian at Sage Hill

Arcadia at Troy

DIVISION 3A

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana 73, Cate 44

Huntington Beach 58, Gahr 52

Northwood 75, Quartz Hill 69

Woodbridge 60, Rowland 30

El Dorado 57, Hart 46

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

Calvary Chapel at San Clemente

Northwood at Huntington Beach

El Dorado at Woodbridge

DIVISION 4AA

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Brea Olinda at Santa Rosa Academy — score not reported

Costa Mesa 86, Burroughs/B 77

Western Christian 64, Segerstrom 48

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

TBD vs. Costa Mesa

DIVISION 4A

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Santiago/GG 71, United Christian Academy 40

Estancia 56, Thacher 43

Irvine 71, Midland 23

Pacifica vs. Mesrobian — score not reported

Northview 39, Western 34

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

Carter at Estancia

Hillcrest Christian/T at Irvine

DIVISION 5AA

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Tarbut V’Torah 51, San Jacinto 41

Westminster 83, Wildwood 59

Hoover 72, Savanna 70

Godinez 82, Marshall 43

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

El Segundo at Tarbut V’Torah

Westminster at Trinity Classic Academy

Godinez at Heritage

DIVISION 5AA

FIRST ROUND

Wednesday’s results

Samueli Academy 73, Academy Career Exp. 34

Anaheim 69, Avalon 53

Los Amigos 65, River Springs Magnolia 22

Nogales 53, Acaciawood 48

SECOND ROUND

Friday, Feb. 9

Samueli Academy at Ontario

Anaheim at Rancho Alamitos

Los Amigos at Coachella Valley

The blockbuster “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert movie will join the Disney+ streaming service March 15.

Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday that it secured streaming rights to last year’s smash hit film in a deal that demonstrated, once again, the enormous appeal — and economic prowess — of the pop superstar.

The movie was one of last year’s biggest hits. Distributed by AMC Theatres, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” collected $96 million in ticket sales during its first four days at the domestic box office — the highest opening ever for a concert film. It went on to become the 10th highest grossing movie of 2023 in the U.S. and Canada with about $179 million, according to measurement firm Comscore.

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Worldwide, the film raked in more than $260 million.

The arrangement continues Swift’s association with the Burbank entertainment giant. Disney+ is already the home of Swift’s “Folklore: Long Pond Studio Sessions,” which saw the singer perform intimate renditions of the tracks on her Grammy-winning eighth studio album at Long Pond Studio in New York.

The extended “Taylor’s Version” of the Eras Tour movie will include songs not featured in the theatrical release, including the “Folklore” single “Cardigan” and unspecified acoustic performances (likely culled from the rotating “surprise songs” portion of Swift’s set).

Disney did not disclose what it’s paying for the streaming rights to the concert film.

Swift was the big winner at Sunday night’s 66th Grammy Awards, collecting the album of the year award for “Midnights” and setting a new record for the most wins by an artist in the annual ceremony’s most prestigious category. Swift announced the April release of a new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” earlier in the evening when she accepted the award for pop vocal album.

The North American leg of Swift’s Ticketmaster-breaking greatest hits tour is estimated to have earned more than $700 million in ticket sales and elevated the “Cruel Summer” hitmaker to billionaire status. The concert movie was filmed during Swift’s six-night stint at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Since then, the global pop sensation has taken her concert overseas. She is slated to perform several shows in Tokyo this week before her boyfriend, NFL superstar Travis Kelce, is set to play in this year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

Source link

Reach Out

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your specific needs. Our team is ready and eager to provide you with tailored solutions that align with your firm’s goals and enhance your digital marketing efforts. We look forward to helping you grow your law practice online.

Our Services:
Blog Post Writing
We do well-researched, timely, and engaging blog posts that resonate with your clientele, positioning you as a thought leader in your domain.

Content Writing
Beyond articles and content for blogs, we delve into comprehensive content pieces like eBooks, and case studies, tailored to showcase your expertise.
Website Content Writing: First impressions matter. Our content ensures your website reflects the professionalism, dedication, and expertise you bring to the table.

Social Media Management
In today’s interconnected world, your online presence extends to social platforms. We help you navigate this terrain, ensuring your voice is consistently represented and heard.

WordPress Website Maintenance
Your digital office should be as polished and functional as your physical one. We ensure your WordPress site remains updated, secure, and user-friendly.
For more information, ad placements in our attorney blog network, article requests, social media management, or listings on our top 10 attorney sites, reach out to us at canyoncrestguide@gmail.com.

Warm regards,

Canyon Crest Guide Newspaper

Whether you’re a startup or an established brand, business directories offer an affordable, yet powerful tool to elevate your brand recognition and reach. Sign up, stand out, and let your business soar to new heights, sign up to one of our directory websites:

Canyon Crest Directory

Riverside Ca Business Directory

The Riverside Coupon Directory

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Like us on Facebook Here
Canyon Crest Guide
5225 Canyon Crest Drive Ste.71 #854 Riverside CA 92507
Tony Ramos 951-235-3518
For great backlinks to your website sign up to one of our directory websites:
Canyon Crest Directory
Riverside Ca Business Directory
The Riverside Coupon Directory

Four bolts were missing from a door panel that blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight last month while the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane was flying over Oregon, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The bolts are there to prevent the non-operational panel, known as a door plug, from moving upward, the NTSB said. But last year, before the plane was delivered to Alaska Airlines, the door panel had to be opened and four bolts removed at Boeing’s Renton, Wash., factory to replace damaged rivets nearby, the report says.

As part of the investigation, the agency found that the “absence of contact damage or deformation” around holes associated with vertical movement bolts indicates that four bolts of the door panel were missing before the panel moved up off the stop pads, according to the report.

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

It’s unclear why the bolts were missing. Records show that the rivets were replaced, but photos obtained from Boeing Co. by the NTSB show that the door panel was put back without bolts in three visible locations. The fourth location is obscured in the photo by insulation, the NTSB said.

The photo of the door panel came from a text message between Boeing employees who were discussing “interior restoration after the rivet rework was completed during second shift operations that day,” the NTSB’s report says.

Overall view of the Boeing 737 Max 9 door plug and associated components removed from the accident airplane as received at the NTSB Materials Laboratory. Four bolts designed to hold the door plug in place were missing, according to a preliminary report from the NTSB.

(NTSB)

Boeing said in a statement that the company would review the NTSB’s findings “expeditiously” and will continue to “fully and transparently” cooperate with this investigation as well as a separate investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” company Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said in the statement. “An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers.”

Boeing said it has implemented a quality control plan to ensure all 737 Max 9 midexit door plugs are installed “according to specifications,” including new inspections of door plug assembly at both suppliers’ factories as well as in-house, and the addition of “signage and protocol” to fully document when the door plug is opened or removed in the Boeing factory.

Tuesday’s NTSB preliminary report is the latest blow to Boeing and its reputation.

On the same day the report was released, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker testified before a House subcommittee and suggested that the agency might need to take a heavier-handed approach to monitoring Boeing after the door panel incident.

“One, what is wrong with this airplane? But two, what’s going on with the production at Boeing?” Whitaker told a House subcommittee, according to the Associated Press. “There have been issues in the past. They don’t seem to be getting resolved, so we feel like we need to have a heightened level of oversight.”

Adding to the company’s problems, on Sunday, the aircraft manufacturer said major fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems reported that two holes were incorrectly drilled into the window frames of some 737 Max planes.

Boeing said that it was finalizing “rework instructions” for affected planes and that it would make sure that any planes not yet delivered to customers would be in line with specifications.

Boeing said the issue did not have an “immediate safety-of-flight impact” and that the planes could continue to operate safely.

Last week, Boeing reported a quarterly loss of $30 million, which was less than analysts had expected for the three months that ended Dec. 31, before the door plug blowout. The company said it would not offer a planned forecast of revenue for this year.

“While we often use this time of year to share or update our financial and operational objectives, now is not the time for that,” Calhoun said during a conference call with Wall Street analysts. He added that he was focused on quality control after the door plug incident.

These recent incidents come just a few years after two crashes of 737 Max 8 planes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. The crashes were largely caused by a faulty automated flight control system.

Although the NTSB’s preliminary report does not reach conclusions about what caused the door plug failure, former Boeing senior manager Ed Pierson, who retired in 2018 from the aircraft giant’s 737 factory, said investigators need to focus on whether there are systemic problems with Boeing’s manufacturing procedures.

“It isn’t somebody missing a bolt,” he said. “It’s typically a breakdown in processes, or it could be just human error. But I would argue that the most likely scenario is that employees felt rushed, and employees were feeling rushed because the corporation is pressuring the factories to produce these planes and pump them out the door.”

Pierson, who also serves as executive director of the watchdog group Foundation for Aviation Safety, said Boeing’s promises to fix the door panel problems ring hollow because he views them as reactive, rather than proactive, measures.

“All of that should have happened a long, long time ago,” he said, referring to the earlier problems with the 737 Max line. “They’re not getting any credit for doing what they should have done years ago.”

The NTSB said its investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which was traveling Jan. 5 from Portland International Airport to Ontario, is ongoing.

The plane’s cabin suddenly depressurized as the door plug blew out, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane as the aircraft was 16,000 feet in the air. (The door plug was later found in the backyard of a Portland teacher.)

After the door panel was blown out of the plane, the aircraft made an emergency landing back in Portland. Seven passengers and one flight attendant had minor injuries, the NTSB said. The FAA grounded all of the Max 9 planes for nearly three weeks after the incident.

The FAA then grounded all 171 Max 9 aircraft with door plugs, forcing airlines such as United and Alaska to make changes to their flight schedules.

The FAA said Monday that United and Alaska have now inspected and returned to service almost 94% of the two fleets’ Max 9 aircraft, according to Reuters.

Consumer Reports states plastic chemicals being found in varying foods

Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA

Consumer Reports is urging General Mills to reduce plastic chemicals in its pre-packaged foods.

In a letter sent Wednesday to General Mills, the advocacy group said it found “concerning” levels of phthalates in several General Mills products, including Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli. Other General Mills products that tested positive for high levels of chemicals include Yoplait Original Low Fat Yogurt, Cheerios Original and Green Giant Cream Style Sweet Corn, according to Consumer Reports.

“When you buy organic, the last thing you’d expect is that you would be eating plastic chemicals,” Consumer Reports Food Policy Director Brian Ronholm said in a statement. 

General Mills did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Phthalates, also known as plasticizers, are chemicals that can be used to make plastics more durable and flexible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some studies have linked the chemicals to adverse health outcomes such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. 

Consumer Reports also launched a petition on Wednesday calling on General Mills and its subsidiary, Annie’s, to eliminate plasticizers from their products. 

The organization in January published a report listing the plastic chemical contents of more than 80 popular snacks and other pre-prepared foods. The study found that 99% of supermarket and fast foods contain phthalates, while 79% contain traces of another potentially harmful substance called bisphenol A.

“In a recent test of a wide variety of foods, Consumer Reports found plasticizers in every food product at very high levels, including several General Mills products,” the group said in its February 7 letter to General Mills CEO Jeffrey Harmening. 

“Because of the number of ways that plasticizers can enter our food supply, we recognize that these chemicals cannot be completely avoided,” Consumer Reports add. “However, our test results revealed that some products had much lower levels compared to others. This demonstrates that, even though these chemicals are ubiquitous in food, it is possible to reduce their presence, and consumers expect the industry to achieve these lower levels.”