Latest news with #Alanis
The Herald Scotland
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Connor Syme wins first DP World Tour title with KLM Open
Syme finished 11 under, shooting a one-under-par 70 on Sunday and making only one bogey in his final 38 holes. He said: 'Unbelievable, it was so, so difficult the last few days. 'I just felt so much better this week, I felt really ready to do it, and I'm so, so happy I managed to do it.' Wife Alanis flew out to Amsterdam to surprise Syme on the final green, where he also enjoyed champagne-drenched celebrations with compatriot Ewen Ferguson – who had a hole in one earlier in the day to help him finish in a tie for fourth – and England's Richard Mansell. Read more: 'It's so, so nice they stuck around,' said Syme. 'I've obviously been really pleased for them and I'm really happy to have joined them and won myself, so just amazing. Amazing.' Lagergren finished nine under, with South Africa's Jayden Schaper third on four under. Ferguson, fellow Scot Richie Ramsay and Englishman Jack Senior were a further shot back to share fourth.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California bill advances with new protections for minors in sex cases
( — California State Assemblyman Juan Alanis issued a statement on May 7 on the restoration of protections for 16 and 17-year-olds to Assembly 379. AB 379 was originally authored by Sacramento Democratic Assemblymember Maggie Krell. The bill's idea was to make it an automatic felony to purchase and solicit and minor under the age of 18 for sex. After the change in Assembly democratic leadership, the bill raised some concerns, arguing it could lead to unintended consequences, specifically jail time for 16 and 17-year-old trafficking victims and punishment for other young adults taking part in consensual sexual activity with them. Alanis said, 'Every child deserves to be shielded from the horrors of sexual exploitation. The overwhelming majority of Californians understand that 16 and 17-year-olds are minors and not adults.' Homeless woman suffers severe burns in alleged attack by suspect Democrats forced amendments onto the bill to exclude cases specifically when 16 and 17-year-olds are either purchased or solicited for sex. 'Making the purchase of 16- and 17-year-olds for sex a felony is both just and common sense. I commend my colleagues in the majority for reversing their previous actions, stripping protections for these kids,' Alanis said. 'I am still dismayed that we even had to have the threat of 16 and 17-year-olds not being covered by this law. The voice of the people matters, protecting our kids matters, and anyone selling children should face the highest penalties of the law.' The Assembly democratic leadership has reversed course, promising to once again allow the proposed felony in cases involving the mentioned age, but the only difference this time it would be that the felony will not apply when the perpetrator is within a three-year age range of the minor victim. At this time, the bill must receive approval from the assembly floor, which, if it does, it can advance to the State Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Apodaca: What inclusivity looks like in Orange County
By all accounts it was a happy day at San Miguel Park in Newport Beach when, late last month, the city dedicated its first playground designed to be accessible to people of all ability levels. As reported by the Daily Pilot, the completion of the 5,500-square-foot play area was the culmination of a six-year effort inspired by a young resident, Alexis Portillo, who envisioned a facility that her nonverbal sister, Alanis, could safely use. The renovated playground includes such features as a long tube slide that visitors with mobility issues can reach via a spiraling belt of suspended play mats, instead of stairs or ladders. It also has a wee-saw, a reimagined version of a see-saw that has seats with back support. City leaders, speaking at the dedication, heaped praise on the Portillo family and others who worked on the project. 'This is a place where children and all of those who play can grow and connect together,' Mayor Joe Stapleton said. 'On behalf of the entire city of Newport Beach and our entire City Council, I would like to thank the families, advocates and city staff who helped bring this dream to life. You've made Newport Beach a more inclusive, joyful place for everyone.' Perla Portillo, mother to Alexis and Alanis, was equally effusive. She called the playground 'a blessing,' and said she pictured her daughter using it every day. 'There's very limited parks that have an all inclusive feel, that are accessible for children to go on ramps or feel safe on playgrounds, very few in all of Orange County,' she said. Newport Beach's Director of Recreation and Senior Services Sean Levin shared a statement. 'Today's grand opening is a celebration of community collaboration, vision, and the guiding principle that every child deserves a place to play,' Levin said. 'We are proud to open this space and set a new standard for inclusive play.' And there it was again. That word. 'Inclusive.' It's gotten a bad rap lately due to the efforts by many politicians, including President Trump, to end initiatives aimed at improving inclusivity. I'm referring, of course, to the anti-DEI hysteria that is pressuring schools, workplaces, government agencies, states, and municipalities to abandon programs and policies that have helped their organizations operate more fairly. DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. The term refers to measures used to prevent discrimination, comply with civil rights laws and foster environments more welcoming to those from marginalized backgrounds — including people with disabilities. Proponents of DEI maintain that efforts undertaken to value diverse viewpoints and experiences benefit all of society by creating opportunities that lead to safer, healthier, happier, more robust communities. But DEI has become, in the minds of some, a means of discrimination itself, by subverting merit-based systems and putting white people — particularly white men — at a disadvantage. The irony is that — absent the negative connotations attached to DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion are widely viewed as worthy goals. Consider the above quotes, which all reference the opening of a more inclusive public space as a positive development. Whether they realized it or not, the people involved in the playground redesign gave credence to one of the primary objectives of DEI. It's also ironic that the demonization of DEI means that all such efforts are being painted with the same broad brush. Rather than conducting a careful and meaningful examination of what is working well among such initiatives — as well as which programs have missed the mark or would benefit from revisions — many organizations are capitulating and rolling back anything and everything viewed as DEI. One more ironic twist is worth mentioning. The $900,000 cost of the San Miguel Park renovation was paid for in part through federal Community Development Block Grant allocations. Would such support be forthcoming in our climate today, where even the mention of the word 'inclusive' can doom a project's major source of funding? Some companies, universities and other organizations are fighting back against the pressure to purge DEI, while many others are adopting a strategy involving changing the language they use and going quiet on their efforts to foster more diversity, equity and inclusion. Amid this push and pull, it remains unclear how extensive and long-lasting the anti-DEI movement will prove to be. But the damage is already occurring. That's why it's imperative that we understand what it actually means to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. I visited San Miguel Park on a recent afternoon. Several children were cheerfully climbing, sliding and running about. As far as I could tell, they were all able-bodied and perfectly content with the play structures. I suspect they were unaware, or unbothered, that modifications were made so the playground is more accessible to kids who otherwise might not be able to join in. That's inclusivity. No one lost anything because someone else had an opportunity to participate. A few days later I attended a performance of the wildly successful musical 'Hamilton' at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa. The racially diverse cast performed before an enthusiastic audience, while a few people to the side of the stage translated into sign language. That's inclusivity, too. And we'd do well to recognize what it would cost us if we stop trying to achieve it.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Texas man guilty of trafficking 2,000 grams cocaine in Lee County
A Texas man has been found guilty of trafficking 2,000 grams of cocaine in Lee County. Baldomero Alanis Jr., 44, was arrested in 2023 for his involvement in a drug smuggling operation that was operating out of Texas and Mexico and being run by a large-scale drug trafficker named Juan Manuel Lopez, aka "Pac-Man," officials said. The Cape Coral Police Department, in conjunction with the Office of the State Attorney Twentieth Judicial Circuit's Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated Lopez for seven months with the cooperation of a confidential informant, according to an arrest report by the Cape Coral Police. More: Jury finds Lee County drug-trafficker guilty after 2022 sting The informant orchestrated a multi-kilogram cocaine transaction to obtain approximately 40 kilos of cocaine from Lopez. With information from the informant, police officers followed Lopez from the Miami International Airport to a truck stop in North Fort Myers. The informant told officers that someone would be meeting Lopez at the truck stop to obtain the cocaine that Lopez brought from Texas to Florida. Alanis was driving a white semi-truck and, when he failed to stop at a stop sign, Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Lopez also failed to stop at the same stop sign. Open-air sniff tests by K9s gave positive alerts to the presence of narcotics, leading to searches of both vehicles. There were no narcotics in the rental car Lopez was driving, according to the arrest report. However, a search warrant led to officers finding approximately 2,000 grams of cocaine in Alanis' truck. This gave officers probable cause to arrest Alanis and Lopez. At the time of his arrest, Alanis was using a supposed shipping company as a front for his involvement in the transport of cocaine, deputies said. He pretended he was delivering fruit and other commodities with the truck, according to the state attorney's office. Lopez was already tried, found guilty and sentenced in to 36 months in prison for trafficking cocaine. The NETFORCE operation that led to Alanis's arrest was formed by the state attorney's office to coordinate a circuit-wide approach to infiltrating and dismantling drug trafficking organizations, organized crime, racketeering and money-laundering enterprises in Southwest Florida. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cocaine trafficker found guilty for transporting drugs in Lee County
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Assemblyman Juan Alanis chose his party over his values in endorsing Sen. Alvarado-Gil
'Update: Stanislaus Democrats and Republicans react to Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil's party switch,' ( Aug. 13, 2024) I was surprised to read State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil's recent email touting an endorsement from Assemblyman Juan Alanis. What in the world could he possibly be endorsing? Is it the absolute lack of accomplishment during the course of her four-year senate term? Or maybe the cravenly opportunistic party switching, demonstrating an absolute lack of conviction? Or perhaps Alanis is endorsing the unprofessional allegations about Alvarado-Gil, her office and her conduct? Alanis has chosen the easy path of choosing party over the best interests of our community. That should be remembered next November. Larry Bolton Modesto Opinion 'If you changed your last name after getting married, your right to vote is at risk | Opinion,' ( March 11) During the process of getting my REAL ID, I was told by the Department of Motor Vehicles that my birth certificate was invalid because it did not reflect my married name. When I pointed out that I had not been married when I was born, and that I was providing them with my marriage certificate that showed the change in my name from Leslie Shaw to Leslie Shaw Klinger, I was told this was not enough. So I provided my California Drivers License, which reflects my married name, and still I was told this was not good enough. Eventually, this was resolved by renewing my passport, bringing that into the DMV and finally having them accept that as proof that I deserved a REAL ID. While I think providing a valid identification when registering to vote is fine in and of itself, this requirement that my current name match the name on a birth certificate issued almost 70 years ago is ridiculous. I plan on contacting my elected representatives to ask them to help me understand how this would not disenfranchise me or others from voting — something American women endured hardship to achieve. Leslie Shaw Klinger Modesto 'Public grand opening set for new downtown Modesto space. Here's when and where,' ( Aug. 5, 2024) Most cities the size of Modesto have at least one thriving art gallery that attracts both out-of-town visitors and residents. The Stanislaus Arts Council Gallery is the anchor for visual arts in downtown Modesto. The gallery works with a consortium of downtown community organizations to coordinate events, and the Third Thursday Art Walks support the businesses of the Modesto Downtown Improvement District. Art education is also the focus of shows for college students, school children and emerging artists. The gallery showcased the work of Heartland Grant recipients in their community projects. In June, the gallery will present 'California Native Flora and Fauna,' showing off the beauty of our state's unique landscapes. Although the gallery is smaller than the previous Mistlin Gallery, this space will still play a vital role in attracting members of the community to the downtown area. Barbara Gill Modesto 'UPDATE: Winter storm warning issued for Northern California until early Monday morning, according to the NWS,' ( March 16) A violent tornado outbreak over the weekend affected millions in the Midwest and South, killing at least 40 people, just days after the Trump administration ordered another round of massive layoffs at the country's severe weather tracking agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk also want to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which assists people who have been devastated by extreme weather events to find shelter and food. Extreme weather events are happening more frequently and more intensely; we need to insist that these vital agencies are fully funded. Anita L. Young Modesto
