Pope will open a big Vatican meeting as battle lines are drawn on his reform project

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

Pope will open a big Vatican meeting as battle lines are drawn on his reform project VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Wednesday opens a big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church, with progressives hoping it will lead to more women in leadership roles and conservatives warning that church doctrine on everything from homosexuality to the hierarchy’s authority is at risk.Rarely in recent times has a Vatican gathering generated as much hope, hype and fear as this three-week, closed-door meeting, known as a synod. It won’t take any binding decisions and is only the first session of a two-year process. But it nevertheless has drawn an acute battle line in the church’s perennial left-right divide and marks a defining moment for Francis and his reform agenda.Even before it started, the gathering was historic because Francis decided to let women and laypeople vote alongside bishops in any final document produced. While fewer than a quarter of the 365 voting members are non-bishops, the reform is a radical shift away from a hierarchy-focused Synod of Bishops a...

At least four people shot on campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore, authorities say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

At least four people shot on campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore, authorities say By Lea Skene, The Associated PressBALTIMORE — At least four people were wounded, none critically, in a shooting at Morgan State University in Baltimore on Tuesday, according to authorities, who urged students to take shelter on the campus of the historically Black college.The Baltimore Police Department initially said officers were on the scene for an “active shooter situation.” Police kept the campus on lockdown for hours and provided little information about their investigation. The address given for the shooting appeared to match a residential building that’s on the same block as a city police station.“We’re asking everyone to shelter in place and avoid the area,” police said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. About three hours later police said it was no longer an active shooter situation and said more details were expected at a media briefing.Police spokesperson Vernon Davis told the Baltimore Banner that at least four people...

Unofficial election results show recall effort in Englewood falling short

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

Unofficial election results show recall effort in Englewood falling short An effort to oust three Englewood City Council members as part of a recall election appears to have come up short, unofficial results released Tuesday night showed.The special election revolves around the issue of density in this suburb of 34,000, where a contingent of residents mounted a campaign earlier this year to recall four of Englewood’s seven City Council members. One of the targeted members, Cheryl Wink, resigned over the summer and wasn’t on the ballot Tuesday.Mayor Othoniel Sierra, Councilwoman Chelsea Nunnenkamp and Councilman Joe Anderson were targeted for recall.According to unofficial results released after 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sierra received 654 votes against recall and 465 in favor. Anderson had a better margin — 988 to 734 against recall. Nunnenkamp’s election was the closest, with voters in her district defeating a recall 593 votes to 564 votes.It wasn’t clear how many ballots still needed to be tallied.Those behind the recall effort acc...

L.A. County Public Works spokesman arrested on child pornography charges

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

L.A. County Public Works spokesman arrested on child pornography charges A 62-year-old spokesman for Los Angeles County has been arrested in San Bernardino County on charges of producing, possessing and distributing child pornography, authorities announced Tuesday.  Steven Frasher, a resident of Redlands, was taken into custody after an investigation that led to the search of his residence, according to a news release from the San Bernardino Police Department.  Detectives with SBSD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Specialized Crime Unit received a tip that the 62-year-old was downloading child pornography on the internet and using an online storage account to save the images, police said.  “Additionally, the suspect was found to be in possession of numerous images of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on his electronic devices,” the release stated.  Kerjon Lee, Chief of Strategic Communications at the L.A. County Department of Public Works, confirmed to KTLA that Frasher, who is listed on the county's website as ...

Police searching for shooting suspect in South Los Angeles

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

Police searching for shooting suspect in South Los Angeles Police are investigating after an approximately 30-year-old man was shot in South Los Angeles Tuesday night, authorities confirmed to KTLA.  Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the 5400 block of Duarte Street in the Central-Alameda neighborhood on reports of shots fired at around 7:40 p.m. At the scene, officers located the gunshot victim, who was conscious and breathing. Medical personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the location and transported the man to the hospital in unknown condition.  Aerial footage from Sky5 showed a heavy police presence on Duarte Street, between 52nd and 54th streets, where crime scene tape was set up while officers investigated.  Police on the scene of a shooting in Central-Alameda where a shooting suspect, who wounded an approximately 30-year-old, is still at large on Oct. 3, 2023. (KTLA)Details about the shooting are limited and it’s unclear what led to the incident, but responding offic...

New eateries, shops coming to LAX

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

New eateries, shops coming to LAX Travelers heading to LAX can now enjoy brand-new dining and shopping experiences before their next flight.Nestled inside the West Gates of Tom Bradley International Terminal come four new culinary spots to enjoy and four new retail shops to grab a souvenir before taking off.New dining offerings include:Chicken Guy!From celebrity chef Guy Fieri and restauranteur, Robert Earl, Chicken Guy! serves up chicken sandwiches, tenders, salad bowls, shakes and more. Travelers can enjoy unique offerings such as a bourbon brown sugar barbecue chicken sandwich, a Mexican street corn salad bowl, all-natural chicken tenders, fried pickle chips, loaded mac and cheese and more. The eatery features a standout collection of 22 different sauces to enjoy with your meal.Chicken Guy! by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and restauranteur, Robert Earl at Los Angeles International Airport. (LAX)Chicken Guy! by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and restauranteur, Robert Earl at Los Angeles International Airport. (LAX)SantoukaT...

San Jose Sharks’ tantalizing ‘kid’ line offers glimpse of brighter future

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

San Jose Sharks’ tantalizing ‘kid’ line offers glimpse of brighter future For anyone who has followed San Jose Sharks drafts in recent years and the pain they had to endure to collect some of those picks, the second forward line coach David Quinn trotted out against the Vegas Golden Knights in his team’s penultimate preseason game was all too noticeable.Thomas Bordeleau was at center, flanked by William Eklund on his left and Quentin Musty on the right.One second-round draft pick from three years ago in the middle with more recent first-round selections on either side of him.It was a tantalizing glimpse of a group of forwards that could possibly form the foundation for whenever the Sharks are once again legitimately able to compete with the Golden Knights, who will lift their first Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters of T-Mobile Arena later this month.But Bordeleau, and especially Eklund, aren’t thinking long-term. They want to be in the NHL this season, starting with the Sharks’ home opener on Oct. 12 against this same Vegas team.They helped t...

Victim robbed by man he met on Caltrain: police

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

Victim robbed by man he met on Caltrain: police (KRON) -- A man was arrested in downtown Palo Alto on Monday after he robbed a man that he met on a Caltrain, according to the Palo Alto Police Department. Dennis Isaac Holmes, 36, of San Jose was identified as the suspect. PAPD received a call at about 9:15 p.m. from a man in his 30s who said he had been robbed. The victim said the crime happened on Alma Street at Lytton Avenue and the suspect was a man he had just met riding on the Caltrain. Do not attempt to stop auto burglars, Oakland police tell residents After riding the train from San Jose to Palo Alto, the victim said the man he met stole his backpack and a bag of clothes. The suspect allegedly said he had a gun and threatened to kill the victim unless he gave up his belongings. At about 9:26 p.m., PAPD received a call from employees at the 7-Eleven located at 401 Waverley St. who said a man inside the store was creating a disturbance. He was identified as the robbery suspect and arrested. When Holmes was arrested, he had...

Laphonza Butler’s EMILY’s List Spends Millions on Kamala Harris While Laying Off Grassroots Staff

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

Laphonza Butler’s EMILY’s List Spends Millions on Kamala Harris While Laying Off Grassroots Staff On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler to the U.S. Senate. Butler will fill the seat of former Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died on Friday. The news came less than a month after Butler’s organization, EMILY’s List, laid off eight people, citing budget deficits ahead of a major election year.Layoffs were announced in September, just over a year before the 2024 elections. The influential Democratic Party-aligned organization cut five staff members from the training and community engagement team, which ran outreach to grassroots candidates and voters; two people from the digital team; and another person on the state and local campaigns team. Several staff members who were laid off and not part of the union were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements in order to receive severance. Last week, EMILY’s List shut down Run to Win, its national recruitment and training program.“Staff trainings like the ones EMILY’s List has run ...

Edwin McCain rocks Birchmere in Alexandria, Rams Head in Annapolis — and we could not ask for more

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

Edwin McCain rocks Birchmere in Alexandria, Rams Head in Annapolis — and we could not ask for more Hear our full chat on my podcast “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Edwin McCain at The Birchmere & Rams Head (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); He sang some of the most romantic ballads of an entire generation of millennials in the late ’90s.This week, singer/songwriter Edwin McCain rocks two shows in our area, first at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on T...