California ‘lifers’ leaving prison at record pace

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nearly 1,400 lifers in California’s prisons have been released over the past three years in a sharp turnaround in a state where murderers and others sentenced to life with the possibility of parole almost never got out. Gov. Jerry Brown has let a record number of inmates with life sentences out… Continue reading California ‘lifers’ leaving prison at record pace

Top Mexico cartel to keep on despite capo capture

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The powerful Sinaloa cartel is expected to go right on selling billions of dollars of illegal drugs despite the takedown of its legendary leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who leaves in place a sophisticated distribution network and business plan. Guzman’s capture Saturday was undoubtedly a major blow for a criminal ring… Continue reading Top Mexico cartel to keep on despite capo capture

Drug lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman charged in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities have set in motion a legal process that makes it unlikely drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman will soon face U.S. cases also pending against him. The Federal Judicial Council said the hemisphere’s most powerful drug lord had been formally charged under a 2009 Mexican indictment for cocaine trafficking,… Continue reading Drug lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzman charged in Mexico

Amanda Bynes pleads no contest to reckless driving

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Amanda Bynes has pleaded no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving after she clipped a Los Angeles County sheriff’s patrol car. District attorney’s spokeswoman Jane Robison says Bynes entered the plea Monday through her lawyer. The actress was sentenced to three years of probation and three months of attending alcohol education classes.… Continue reading Amanda Bynes pleads no contest to reckless driving

Effort to build gay marriage support heads south

ATLANTA (AP) — Less than two weeks after a federal judge declared Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, a new effort has been launched in the South seeking to build wider acceptance of gay and lesbian couples in the hope of overturning similar bans across the region. The $1 million effort will be focused on… Continue reading Effort to build gay marriage support heads south

Zuckerberg takes long view with WhatsApp, Internet

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Zuckerberg, known for his outsized ambitions for Facebook, is applying a similar long-term vision to bringing the Internet to the billons of people around the world who don’t already have access. The 29-year-old CEO of Facebook Inc. discussed long-term plans for a world in which everyone is able to get… Continue reading Zuckerberg takes long view with WhatsApp, Internet

‘Ghostbusters’ actor, writer Harold Ramis dies

CHICAGO (AP) — Comedy actor, director and writer Harold Ramis, best known for his roles in movies such as “Ghostbusters” and “Stripes,” died Monday at his suburban Chicago home after a four-year battle with an autoimmune disease, his talent agency said. Ramis, 69, died early Monday morning of complications from vasculitis, which causes inflammation and… Continue reading ‘Ghostbusters’ actor, writer Harold Ramis dies