February 16, 2019

California woman who dragged dog while riding scooter terminated as psychologist, charged w felony

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — UPDATE (February 16, 2019 8 a.m.) As of 8 a.m., Rosa posted bail and is no longer in custody.

--------------------

UPDATE (February 16, 2019 7:15 a.m.): Elaine Rosa has been booked for one felony charge of cruelty to an animal and one misdemeanor charge of failing to provide animal care.

--------------------

Elaine Rosa, who was accused of dragging a dog behind a scooter has been charged with animal abuse and neglect.

Charges were filed on Friday, February 15 by the District Attorney's Office against Elaine Rosa for animal abuse and neglect. One felony charge and one misdemeanor charge have been filed.

Rosa faces 3 years jail time and a $20,000 fine.

Bo Koenig, Attorney for Rosa has released a statement.


“We were recently advised by law enforcement that official charges have been filed against my client. I’ve reached out to my client and we plan on cooperating with law enforcement 100 percent. She is in the process of turning herself over to the authorities this evening.”

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Rosa was a contracted psychologist at Kern Valley State Prison beginning on Jan. 3, 2018. Her contract was terminated on Jan. 7, 2019.

Bakersfield Police say that they have begun making efforts to take her into custody for her arrest warrant.

The viral video that showed Elaine Rosa dragging a small dog behind an electric scooter in January sparked an uproar on social media. Rosa was a former employee of the Kern Valley State Prison as a contracted psychologist. Her contract was terminated on January 7. https://www.turnto23.com/video-appears-to-show-person-dragging-dog-on-electric-scooter-in-downtown-bakersfield

It is unknown if the video played into her termination.

According to Bakersfield Police, Rosa was not the owner of the dog . The dog has since been returned to its owner and received medical treatment.

https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/district-attorney-charges-filed-against-woman-accused-of-dragging-dog-behind-scooter

?resize=720%2C960

---


On Monday, another viewer contacted 23ABC with surveillance videos appearing to show the same woman dragging a dog on the ground while riding a scooter.

“It looked like a stuffed animal at first, because it was motionless,” said Brandon Sanders, who told 23 ABC he witnessed the incident with his girlfriend during a Sunday afternoon bike ride.

Sanders said, him and his girlfriend followed the woman yelling at her to stop, but the woman she was wearing headphones at the time and he wasn't sure if she heard them.

The video appears to show the person stop the scooter look at the dog and then drag it by the collar closer to the sidewalk before picking the dog up.

As Sanders got closer to the woman, he said he asked her if she and her dog were OK. Sanders said the woman said, "S--t happens just like it does with kids." "We told her no you don't drag your kids behind a scooter at 15 miles-per-hour," Sanders told 23ABC.

Sanders said “the dog popped it’s head up. It wasn’t making any noises or anything like that. It was kind of surprising, and when I got up closer, I could see all the bloody paws. It wasn't just one paw; it was all four."
-------------------

The dog, named Zebra, received medical treatment, and a medical plan was established with a veterinarian and the dog's legal owner to address its injuries, police said.

The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail and up to a $20,000 fine, and the misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in jail.

News of Rosa's charges being filed against Rosa brought swift reaction on social media.

"Wiped that smirk off her face," wrote Barbara Rogers on Facebook.

Another person with the account of Jason N. Tina Tiner wrote, "Please make a felony charge stick! It's important."

And Jay Williams wrote, "Put me on the jury."

Rosa worked as a contracted psychologist at Kern Valley State Prison. Her contract was terminated a day after the incident, which occurred in the 2100 block of Pine Street.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/breaking/felony-animal-cruelty-charge-filed-against-woman-accused-of-dragging/article_42542d48-317d-11e9-8e20-af9752a9a840.html

February 16, 2019

Senator pushes for automatic payroll deduction of student loan payments

https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190216/senator-pushes-for-automatic-payroll-deduction-of-student-loan-payments

What if student loan payments were treated like Social Security taxes — automatically withheld from a person’s paycheck? Fewer people would fall behind and risk having their wages garnished or credit score plummet. But some might struggle to cover living expenses if their education debt took priority.

Those are some of the central arguments for and against a novel policy gaining traction in Washington. Automatic payroll deduction for student loan repayment has long had broad support among liberal and conservative policy wonks, but it could come to fruition with the backing of Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

The chairman of the Senate education panel hailed the idea last week in a speech outlining his priorities for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965, a federal law that governs almost every aspect of the sector. Although reauthorization has endured fits and starts in a divided Congress, Alexander has pledged to complete the task before he retires next year. As a result, his support for payroll deduction is giving new life to debates over the issue.

Speaking before the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute recently, Alexander proposed consolidating the existing nine repayment plans into two options.

One would maintain the standard 10-year repayment plan, while the other would expand the Obama-era plan Revised Pay as You Earn, or REPAYE. That program caps payments to about 10 percent of discretionary income — that means earnings above 150 percent of the federal poverty line ($18,735 for a single person) — and forgives any existing balance after 20 years. Alexander would marry that option to automatic payroll deduction.

“Borrowers would never have to pay more than 10 percent of their income that is not needed for necessities,” Alexander told the audience. “And if a borrower loses his or her job and doesn’t make enough to make a payment, they would not pay anything, and it would not hurt their credit score.”

February 16, 2019

As dollar stores move into cities, residents see a steep downside

TULSA — Vanessa Hall-Harper, a lifelong resident of this city’s poorest area, has viewed the opening of dollar stores in recent years with trepidation. The stores were a reminder of the blight, she said, and they blocked grocers and others from opening. So when she was elected to the City Council, she fought back, ushering in restrictions on new stores.

“The community said, ‘We don’t want any more dollar stores,’ ” she said. “We need grocery stores, clothing, shoes — things that you need to live.”

Tulsa is one of several cities grappling with uncomfortable questions from the rise of dollar stores in urban America. These stores have gained attention as success stories in the country’s most economically distressed places — largely rural counties with few retail options. Two main chains, Dollar General and Dollar Tree (which owns Family Dollar), operate more than 30,000 stores nationally and plan to open thousands more, vastly outnumbering Walmarts and other retailers.


In cities, dollar stores trade in economic despair, with many residents saying they are a vital source of cheap staples. But as the stores cluster in low-income neighborhoods, their critics worry they are not just a response to poverty — but a cause. Residents fear the stores deter other business, especially in neighborhoods without grocers or options for healthful food. Dollar stores rarely sell fresh produce or meats, but they undercut grocery stores on prices of everyday items, often pushing them out of business.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/as-dollar-stores-move-into-cities-residents-see-a-steep-downside/2019/02/15/b3676cbe-2f09-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.b3abe2c75af4

February 16, 2019

Panera is ending its pay-what-you-want experiment, will close last such store

http://www.trbimg.com/img-5c59eb64/turbine/ct-1549396830-nzf12pbrh1-snap-image/750/750x422


There's no such thing as a free lunch anymore at Panera.

The sandwich chain will close its last pay-what-you-can location next week after determining the model wasn't sustainable. It's already shut the other free-meals cafes around the country, including locations in Chicago; Clayton, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; and Dearborn, Mich., and its Boston concept will close its doors Feb. 15 after a six-year run.

The original idea was to allow customers to give a suggested donation for their food in a bid to raise awareness about hunger across the U.S. The funds collected were supposed to cover the store's operating costs while also paying for those who couldn't afford their food.

"Despite our commitment to this mission, it's become clear that continued operation of the Boston Panera Cares is no longer viable," Panera Bread said in an emailed statement. "We're working with the current bakery-cafe associates affected by the closure to identify alternate employment opportunities within Panera and Au Bon Pain."

---

The JAB Holding Co.-owned chain said that those who couldn't afford their food, including homeless patrons, were supposed to eat in-store. That was intended to create a feeling of community, but it also highlighted the tensions that arise when private businesses try to be welcoming for everyone — a challenge rival Starbucks Corp. has also faced.

February 16, 2019

Houston cop 'lied about drug dealing so officers could storm home' sparking a deadly shootout

Houston cop 'lied about drug dealing so officers could storm home' sparking a shootout which left a couple dead and five officers wounded

Lead investigator Gerald Goines alleged an informant bought heroin at Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas' house the day before the January raid

But police found no heroin there and the informant denied buying the drug

Goines, who was injured in the shootout, now faces criminal charges

Police chief Art Acevedo said there were 'untruths or lies' in the search warrant

Local community activists have been critical of the raid and neighbors have portrayed Tuttle and Nicholas as a disabled couple who seemed law abiding




Lead investigator Gerald Goines alleged an informant bought heroin at the house of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58, the day before the January 28 raid. The informant had also allegedly seen a handgun in the home.

But according to an affidavit filed as part of the ongoing investigation into the raid and made public Friday, the informant told investigators he or she had not bought any drugs at the home and had not been involved in any work leading up to the raid.

After the raid, police said they found several firearms at the home, along with marijuana and cocaine but no heroin. The heroin allegedly bought at the home had been obtained elsewhere, according to the affidavit.

The informant had allegedly been working with the lead investigator in the case, who was identified in the affidavit as Officer Gerald Goines. He now faces criminal charges.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6710563/Chief-Officer-lied-affidavit-deadly-Houston-raid.html

February 16, 2019

protest against national emergency declaration

https://twitter.com/B52Malmet/status/1096627584207589376

February 16, 2019

GOP justin humphrey - Pregnant Women are 'Hosts', wants men to have approval over abortion

https://thegailygrind.com/2019/02/15/gop-lawmaker-who-called-pregnant-women-hosts-pushing-bill-requiring-men-to-approve-all-abortions/

Oklahoma state legislator Rep. Justin Humphrey (R) has sponsored a draconian bill that would require a woman to get the written consent of the fetus’s father before obtaining an abortion.

The bill, HB 1441, which passed out of a House committee Tuesday, would also require a woman “to provide, in writing, the identity of the father of the fetus to the physician who is to perform or induce the abortion,” according to the bill’s language. “If the person identified as the father of the fetus challenges the fact that he is the father, such individual may demand that a paternity test be performed.”

In justifying the bill, Rep. Humphrey told The Intercept that women have no right to their bodies once they become pregnant because they are mere “hosts.”

“I understand that they feel like that is their body,” Humphrey said. “I feel like it is a separate — what I call them is, is you’re a ‘host.’ And you know when you enter into a relationship you’re going to be that host and so, you know, if you pre-know that then take all precautions and don’t get pregnant.”

“So that’s where I’m at,” he added. “I’m like, hey, your body is your body and be responsible with it. But after you’re irresponsible then don’t claim, well, I can just go and do this with another body, when you’re the host and you invited that in.”

February 16, 2019

Trump speaks in sing song manner

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/02/15/trump-border-wall-rose-garden-tirade-sued-sot-vpx.cnn

February 16, 2019

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling released from prison after 14 years served

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling has been released from prison and now resides at a halfway house, Houston's Chron reported on Thursday.


The 64-year-old Skilling drew a 24-year prison sentence and $45 million fine in 2006 after being found guilty of 18 counts of fraud and conspiracy and one count of insider trading. His sentence was cut from 24 years to 14 years five years ago.

Skilling was convicted of deceiving investors, employees and government regulators in an accounting scandal that revealed Enron to be little more than a house of cards.

----------------

Enron became one of the world's dominant energy companies before going bankrupt in 2001. Its collapse at the time was the largest U.S. bankruptcy and caused the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, one of the country's largest accounting firms.

Enron founder and chairman Kennth Lay was convicted along with Skilling, but he died of a heart attack six weeks later, while former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andy Fastow was released after about five years in prison.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-enron-ceo-jeffrey-skilling-released-from-prison/

February 14, 2019

'You don't even look human, you don't belong in Playa Vista'

'You don't even look human, you don't belong in Playa Vista': White woman launches into vile racist rant at a Filipina-American former MTV VJ and her son as they stop to get coffee in an LA neighborhood

Belinda Panelo recorded the shocking rant on Tuesday in Los Angeles

Woman told her and her son they didn't 'belong' in upscale Playa Vista

Ranter claimed residents 'pay $10,000 a month to keep you out'

Panelo says she tried to stay calm in front of her son during the tirade

A former model, Panelo was an MTV VJ after winning on-air slot in 1999

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6705685/Woman-launches-vile-racist-rant-lady-son-Playa-Vista.html



Panelo remained calm and asked the woman if she was ok.

'No I'm not. We don't want you here. This is our street. Leave us alone,' the woman replied.

'We pay $10,000 a month to keep you out,' the woman continued in her unhinged screed.

Panelo said that the worst of the rant wasn't even captured on video, when the woman called her and her son ugly, poor, and subhuman, and asked 'what mix' they were.