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Richmond Resident Faces Serious Charges for Illegal Arsenal

In Martinez, California, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has brought forth a 21-count felony complaint against Lawrence Robert Hansen, a 68-year-old Richmond man, for the possession of an extensive collection of illegal firearms, high-capacity magazines, and homemade explosives. Hansen, who is currently detained, was apprehended on March 17th by the Richmond Police based on an outstanding warrant. His name appears on the Armed and Prohibited Persons System, indicating he is legally barred from owning or possessing firearms. The charges stem from a series of incidents where Hansen allegedly made violent threats related to firearms to medical staff at a

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Why Fani Willis was allowed to stay on as prosecutor of criminal case against Trump in Georgia – and what happens next

Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Professor of Law, Harvard University In an unexpected decision, a Georgia judge ruled that the conspiracy to commit election intereference case against Donald Trump and several associates can continue if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis either steps aside from the case or fires her former boyfriend, whom she hired as special prosecutor. Within hours of the decision, the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, stepped down. The ruling by Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee puts an end to a January 2023 motion to have Willis removed from the case for allegedly having a personal financial stake in the case by “benefiting from her romantic relationship” with Wade through

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‘Oppenheimer’ is a disappointment − and a lost opportunity

Naoko Wake, Professor of History, Michigan State University With 13 Oscar nominations, all signs point to “Oppenheimer” as the star of the 96th Academy Awards. Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster about the making of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has already garnered all kinds of accolades – five Golden Globes and seven BAFTA awards, not to mention a sterling 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But as a historian whose research has revolved around the survivors of the bombings, I cannot help but be disappointed that, yet again, the dominant narrative of the bombs chugs along. This narrative has long informed how Hollywood and

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Detroiters more likely to support local solar power development if they think it reduces energy prices for their community

Michigan residents overwhelmingly want more solar power. In the spring of 2023, nearly two-thirds of 1,000 state residents surveyed supported additional large-scale solar development. In the Energy Values Lab at Michigan State University, we study how the public, and specifically community members living near large-scale wind and solar projects, perceive those projects and the processes by which they are approved. According to a survey we conducted in the fall of 2023 that has not yet been peer reviewed, there may be less support in urban Michigan communities, particularly among those already living close to an existing solar project. Fewer than half of the 158 residents

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Sultan’s Kebab: how one small restaurant became a Bay Area Staple

Sultan: Immigrant Founder of Sultan’s Kebab SF Times: Maybe we could start from the beginning, how everything started, especially considering your father’s role in this journey. Fatih: Sure, starting from scratch then. My father, may his soul rest in peace, was an extraordinary man—very ambitious. He originally came to the United States during ’97 or ’98, having been a chef back in Turkey. He worked on big container ships and saw a bit of the world that way. His dream was always America, where he envisioned bringing his family for a better life. SF Times: Was his interest in America

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Centuries after Christine de Pizan wrote a book railing against misogyny, Taylor Swift is building her own ‘City of Ladies’

Jill R. Fehleison, Professor of History and Interdisciplinary Studies, Quinnipiac University In her work, Taylor Swift has taken inspiration from women of the past, including actress Clara Bow, socialite Rebekah Harkness and her grandmother Marjorie Finlay, who was an opera singer. But sometimes I wonder what the 34-year-old pop star would think of the life and work of Italian-born French writer Christine de Pizan. Back in the 15th century, Christine – who scholars customarily refer to using her first name, because “de Pizan” simply reflects her place of birth, and she may not have had a last name – dealt with her share of “dads,

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What is a frozen embryo worth? Alabama’s IVF case reflects bigger questions over grieving and wrongful death laws

Katherine Drabiak, Professor of Health Law, Public Health Law and Medical Ethics, University of South Florida In the weeks since the Alabama Supreme Court held that embryos are “unborn children” under one state law, most attention has been focused on in vitro fertilization – whether the decision imperils parents’ attempts to create a family. On March 6, 2024, Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation to shield IVF providers from legal liability, though the new law does not address frozen embryos’ legal status. As a health law professor, I believe it’s also important to understand the laws that shaped the court’s decision: not only Alabama’s

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