Unusual News
NASA Turns over Abandoned Satellite to Crowd-Funded Private Group in California
Project members will meet with NASA officials this week to get final permission to bring the craft into its new orbit. The group will have to prove that the craft is functional and that it has a valid scientific purpose. And just as a teen’s first stop in his new car is often a fast-food joint, the reactivated satellite will be controlled from—where else?—an abandoned McDonald’s restaurant on the site of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. read more
L.A.’s First Medical Marijuana Farmer’s Market Debuts
Thousands of people lined up for hours on Friday through Sunday to flash their medical marijuana cards and gain entry to the California Heritage Market where the West Coast Collective dispensary arranged for 20 to 50 vendors to display their wares. Growers, bakeries, collectives and others were spread out at the 15,000-square-foot open-air structure. read more
Unusual Pot Entrepreneur with Checkered Past Strikes Plea Deal
By the end of the year, he was growing in at least two large warehouses: 2,168 plants at “Black Horizon” in Sutter County and 3,105 plants at “Blue Horizon” in Sacramento County. That’s when the feds busted him again.
Ebyam faced 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine if convicted on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. If the judge accepts the plea bargain, Ebyam is expected to get between six and eight years in prison. read more
“Perfect Storm of Sickness” That Is Dissolving Starfish Spreads South to San Diego
The epidemic was first noticed in Vancouver, Canada, and Washington State last June and dumbfounded scientists who had seen similar, smaller outbreaks in much warmer waters, usually spurred by an approaching El Niño. The rapidity with which the starfish decline can disguise the die-off because they are washed out to sea before casual observers notice. But scientists say millions have perished since April and have been sighted in Agua Hedionda Lagoon, La Jolla, Mission Bay and Point Loma. read more
After 77 Years, San Francisco Finally Approves Suicide Nets for Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District voted last week to approve the expenditure of $76 million to install nets about 20 feet below each side of the bridge. The nets should discourage jumpers. Anyone who jumps anyway will likely be injured, but not killed, when they fall into the barrier. read more
Ex-USC Economics Prof Accused of Scamming Saudi Student out of $88 Million
Investment banker, ex-University of Southern California (USC) economics professor, photographer and comic book creator Dr. Ayman Kandeel was sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court by a former student who claims he was scammed out of $88 million. The lawsuit alleges the Egyptian national committed securities fraud, negligent misrepresentation and other misdeeds when he convinced his Saudi Arabian economics student to invest his father’s money in his teacher’s private equity fund. read more
SoCal Man Monitors Police with His Own Drone
The Torrance resident, who has for years posted sometimes-contentious videos on his website of police shot with a hand-held camera, recently upped his game by deploying his own drone all around the Southland. He zooms in on police DUI checkpoints, traffic stops and other places where he suspects potential misconduct by the authorities. read more
Black Man Ejected from L.A. Meeting for Wearing KKK Hood Wins $215,000 Settlement
Videos show Hunt walking through City Hall in full Klan regalia, mingling with disinterested folks going about their business, and speaking at various public meetings. He is articulate, informed and passionate about his cause, which is the treatment of vendors on Venice Beach. City Attorney Mike Feuer advised the council that his investigation found witnesses didn’t think he was a problem. read more
Fresno Jury Mistakenly Frees Career Criminal, Who Is Stabbed to Death an Hour Later
Jurors were deadlocked 8-4 in favor of guilty during their deliberations over the fate of Pearson, according to the Fresno Bee, but instead of telling the judge they were at an impasse, they filled out a form that declared the defendant not guilty. They didn’t inform the judge about what they had done until after the verdict had been read in court, making it official. read more
Meet the Beetle That Is Decimating Trees Across Southern California
The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) bores its way into a wide variety of trees, implanting a deadly fungus for which there is no treatment. It now appears to be established (pdf) in at least the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and, most recently, San Diego. By the summer of 2012, it had attacked more than 200 species of trees, including the native Coast Live Oak and the California sycamore. read more
One in 11 Voters Wanted Indicted Senator Leland Yee to Be Secretary of State
Not many Californians came out to vote on Tuesday, but many of those who did made some curious choices. Selecting someone under indictment to run an office that supervises elections in the state and is responsible for political transparency shows either loyal support, a certain lack of discretion, a mischievous temperament or gross ignorance.
Or, all of the above. read more
Free Weed for San Jose Voters Who Can Remember Where the Offer Came From
The ballot, which includes primaries for local and statewide offices, does not contain any marijuana-specific issues. But the local political battle over dispensaries has galvanized grass-roots activists, who are recommending that voters trot on over to the San Jose City Council meeting that night where they will be talking about some tough pot regulations. read more
If a Driverless Car Gets a Ticket, Who Pays?
The age of robot-driven cars is here, thanks to Google. These self-driving vehicles on California’s Bay Area roadways are ushering their human passengers to their destinations. So far, Google’s cars have a perfect law-abiding record: Not one of them has been issued a traffic citation…yet. But when that day comes, who’s going to pay the fine? Google? Or the person behind the wheel, who has no control over the car? The programmer who wrote the algorithm that made the mistake? read more
Female Catholic School Student Erased from Yearbook for Wearing a Tuxedo
Jessica Urbina, an 18-year-old senior, was informed last week that the photo she submitted won’t be in the school’s annual yearbook because she is clad in a natty black tuxedo in violation of the Catholic archdiocese rule that girls must appear in dresses.
Urbina’s brother, Michael, mounted an online campaign (#JessicasTux) to get the decision reversed and it has extracted a few concessions, although it remains to be seen if the original photo will appear. read more
Food for Thoughtlessness at State Dietetic Conference Catered by McDonald's
One of the avowed goals of the California Dietetic Association (CDA) is to facilitate “the delivery of healthcare to California” and “ensure and promote informed food decisions by consumers.”
To that end, the association held its annual conference for nutritionists and dieticians at the Marriott Hotel in Pomona last month and served up a heaping helping of junk food, junk science and corporate propaganda. read more
How the L.A. County Sheriff's Department Played “Hide the Federal Informant” with the FBI
The trial of Deputy James Sexton, one of seven accused department employees, began this week and FBI agent Leah Marx explained how the government thinks the deception went down. Sexton is one of 20 department personnel arrested in a wide-ranging civil rights and public corruption scandal that began with a tip from an informant and devolved for awhile into a cat-and-mouse game built around a sting gone awry. read more