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Illinois man sentenced for online teen sextortion scam

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

BENTON, Ill. - A man from rural Illinois was sentenced to 75 years in federal prison on Monday after being found guilty last fall of an online sextortion scheme that targeted underage girls.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois said Michael Ferris, 44, was convicted in November 2022 on 25 counts of extortion and cyberstalking, as well as the production, distribution, and possession of child pornography.According to court documents, Ferris made fake Facebook accounts posing as a teen girl. He would join Facebook communities for teenagers and sexual abuse victims. Ferris sent unwanted messages to girls by pretending to be a teen looking for a new friend.If the teens answered, Ferris tried to get them to send him a nude picture of themselves or answer personal questions. Ferris would use this information to coerce the girls to send him more sexually-explicit pictures, ask more questions, or perform on a video chat. Kim Gardner faces contemp...

One California city ranked among top 10 'most diverse' cities in America

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

Only one California city was ranked among the top 10 “most diverse" cities in America, according to a new report from WalletHub.The personal finance company compared 501 of the most populated cities in the U.S. across 13 diversity-based metrics, including race, occupation, language and age. No more than 10 cities from each state were considered for the study.Overall, Los Angeles was considered to be the tenth “most diverse” city in America. This California city is the ‘happiest’ place in America, study says California cities' overall position in the study15th: Long Beach19th: Oakland28th: Sacramento30th: Anaheim42nd: San Diego44th: San Jose67th: Fresno84th: Bakersfield135th: San FranciscoMany California cities dropped significantly in ranking compared to WalletHub’s 2019 most diverse cities rankings.In those rankings, Oakland and San Jose took the seventh and eighth positions, respectively. San Francisco took the 11th spot, San Diego took the 18th position, Los Angeles was ranked ...

Get High on Style: 9 Trendy 4/20 Gifts for Your Friends (or Yourself!)

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

The air is filled with the scent of herb, the sun is shining, and the city is buzzing with energy. It’s that time of year again – 4/20, the unofficial high holiday for cannabis enthusiasts all over the world. Whether you’re a seasoned smoker or just looking to join in on the festivities, there’s no better way to celebrate than by buying the perfect gift for you and your stoner friends.From the coolest accessories to the hottest smoking gear and the tastiest treats, the options are endless. So why settle for a boring present when you can surprise your friends with something that screams fun and sophistication?Let’s take a look at the top products for 4/20 and how to celebrate the day in style. Get ready to light up, and let’s dive in!Get Your Buzz On Celebrating 4/20 with Tasty TreatsLooking to elevate your 4/20 celebrations? These cannabis products will take your high to the next level. Why settle for a mediocre high when you can go all in with these pr...

Talent, Passion, and Perseverance: The Story of Nilangana Banerjee, a Rising Star in the Photography Industry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

Nilangana Banerjee, widely known as Olive in her professional world, is an extraordinarily talented photographer & an art director, currently based in Los Angeles, California. She was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and went through varying societal limitations (like many youngsters) in India to pursue and build an extraordinary and internationally acclaimed academic career in the field of photography. However, her intense passion, perseverance and utmost dedication to achieve and excel in the field of photography could not be suppressed and thus pushed her in a much larger domain of photography, internationally.Growing up, Nilangana was encouraged to pursue in various artistic fields by her parents, such as music, painting & crafts etc., However, due to limited exposure and formal training available in these fields, only academic subjects were given priority in the Indian education system. Despite the lack of opportunities for art-based subjects, Nilangana discovered her ...

Timothee Chalamet’s strange fascination with Kylie Jenner and the ‘Kardashian curse’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

So, it looks like Timothée Chalamet is the latest male celebrity to be sucked into the Kardashian family vortex, with reports saying that the Oscar nominee is dating Kylie Jenner.Entertainment Tonight and other outlets, citing anonymous “insider” sources, confirmed that the reedy 27-year-old heartthrob is dating the 25-year-old makeup mogul and reality TV star.Kylie Jenner attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Huffington Post) “They are keeping things casual at this point,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s not serious, but Kylie is enjoying hanging out with Timothée and seeing where it goes. It’s been really fun for her because it feels a lot different than her past relationships. It’s new and exciting for Kylie and she’s having a lot of fun.”Maybe it’s “new and exc...

Stanford University employee arraigned on charges of lying about rapes that shook campus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

A Stanford University employee was arraigned Monday on charges that she repeatedly lied about being viciously raped as part of a revenge plot against a co-worker — fabricated claims that sparked widespread panic about a sexual predator stalking women across the campus.Jennifer Ann Gries, of Santa Clara, appeared solemn and did not speak Monday while making her first appearance in court on two felony counts of perjury and two misdemeanor counts of making a false crime report. She was ordered to return to enter a plea on June 21; in the meantime, she allowed to remain free on supervised release.Prosecutors say Gries, who works for housing services at the university, lied about being raped to in a vendetta against a co-worker, whom she felt had romantically spurned her.The first report came on Aug. 9, when Gries claimed she was in a parking lot near the Munger Residence Hall when an unknown man grabbed her, took her into a bathroom and raped her. She made the report at Valley Med...

TurboTax firm fires man after Instagram posts falsely linking drag shows to child sexual abuse: lawsuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

A former employee for Mountain View-based financial software giant and TurboTax owner Intuit claims in a new lawsuit that the company illegally fired him for social media posts linking drag queens to sexual abuse of children.Brian Gilton, described in the lawsuit as “a passionate 37-year-old white male who regularly exercises his rights to participate in political activity, including political speech,” worked as a senior content designer for Intuit for three years, until his termination in August, according to the lawsuit.Intuit sent Gilton packing over two Instagram posts about two weeks apart in June 2022, he claimed in the lawsuit filed last week in San Francisco County Superior Court.“We’ve got 2-year-old babies at drag shows, and contemporary leftists are cheering it on to prove how ‘progressive’ they are,” the first of the posts said, according to the lawsuit.The second post said, “you’re not a bigot if you don’t want your three-year-o...

Alamo’s Bryan Terrace offering Mt. Diablo views on one-third-acre setting with community pool/tennis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

Enjoy single-level living bordering dedicated open space with views of rolling hills at the foot of Mount Diablo.It doesn’t get much better than this Bryan Terrace garden home at the top of Alamo’s Stone Valley Road.The expansive one-third-acre property is home to 142 Golden Ridge Road, one of 46 garden homes tucked in this exclusive neighborhood near the Macedo Ranch staging area and picturesque hiking trails that traverse the hillsides.Steps from the community tennis/pickleball court, swimming pool and hiking trails, Bryan Terrace offers a rural ambience just minutes from downtown Alamo and freeways, and less than 2 miles to top-rated schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.The light-drenched floor plan offers more than 2,800 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. A spacious loft with a walk-in closet is an ideal fourth bedroom, game/media room or home office.Behind the manicured front landscape and courtyard entry are beautif...

In push to block Biden judicial picks, GOP revolts against plan to replace Feinstein on panel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

By Manu Raju and Lauren Fox | CNNSenate Republicans are prepared to block Democratic efforts to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the powerful Judiciary committee, ratcheting up pressure on the 89-year-old California Democrat to resign or return quickly to allow President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees to be confirmed.Democrats would need 60 votes to replace Feinstein on the panel, but senior Republicans in leadership and on the committee made clear Monday that they would not give them the votes to do that. The result: At least 12 nominees — and maybe more — could be stalled if Feinstein does not return soon.The stakes are high for Democrats, who could see key agenda items thwarted — both on the committee and on the Senate floor — if they are unable to replace Feinstein and the California Democrat does not return to Washington soon.Faced with the prospect that the effort to replace Feinstein will fail, Democrats will be under increasing pressure to find a way out of ...

Warriors embrace cowbells and raucous Kings crowd in Sacramento

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:52 GMT

SACRAMENTO — The Warriors have heard everything from unkind taunts to ringing cowbells over the years as the visiting playoff team. No matter how bad it gets, they savor a rowdy opposing crowd. It’s motivation.This Warriors team learned first-hand that some road arenas come playoff time are louder than others. Golden 1 Center showed out for its playoff debut this weekend and jumped to the top of a long list of hostile environments the playoff veteran Warriors team has experienced.“They haven’t been to the playoffs in how long? That’s 16 years of energy that they’ve been waiting for,” Jordan Poole said. “We expected it to be loud, and it’s the playoffs, too. So all arenas are gonna raise the level a little bit of energy and excitement. This is why we play basketball. Playoffs are the most exciting part.”Sacramento fans bombarded the Warriors with a cacophony of cowbell rings that amplified a crowd already excited for its fir...