Los Angeles, Ca
L.A. County deputy faces federal charge for controversial arrest at Lancaster WinCo

A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy has been federally charged with using excessive force during a 2023 shoplifting investigation in Lancaster.
Trevor James Kirk, 31, of Santa Clarita, has been charged with deprivation of rights under color of law after the June 24, 2023, confrontation at WinCo Foods, 740 W. Ave. K 4.
That day, when investigating a report of shoplifting by a man and woman that turned into a physical altercation, Kirk “used excessive force when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed a woman,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
While detaining the man, Kirk and a partner were filmed by the woman, identified by the DOJ as J.H.
J.H. told the deputies that her video was being livestreamed online and that the deputies were legally required to tell the man for what he was being detained.
“The indictment alleges that Kirk then approached J.H. and, without giving any commands, attempted to grab her phone,” the release said. “J.H. turned away, at which point Kirk allegedly grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her to the ground.”
While on the ground, Kirk put his knee on J.H.’s shoulder. When the woman yelled “stop” at Kirk and called him an obscenity, he “cocked his right arm back with a clenched fist and said, ‘Stop or you’re gonna get punched in the face,’” the DOJ said.
“Kirk then allegedly pressed his knee into J.H.’s neck, and she said, ‘Get your neck [sic] off my . . . off my . . . I can’t breathe,’” the release added. “While on top of J.H., the indictment alleges that Kirk used his LASD radio to misleading report that he was in a ‘fight.’”
Kirk also allegedly pepper sprayed J.H. in the face twice while she was detained, despite Kirk’s official LASD report that prosecutors called “misleading,” adding that he “he portrayed J.H. as a threat to his physical safety, claiming that J.H. assaulted him, attempted to hit him, and took a ‘fighting’ or ‘blading’ stance.”
A video of the leadup to the conflict was released in the weeks following, and though Kirk’s attorney has called the deputy’s actions “completely justified,” citing the video as evidence, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna was not as supportive.
“It’s disturbing,” Luna said at a press conference following the video’s release. “There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in the DOJ’s news release that “when an officer violates the civil rights of another person, it undermines public safety for all of us.”
“Officers must be held accountable when they violate constitutional rights, and my Office is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and breach the public’s trust,” Estrada said.
If convicted, Kirk faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Los Angeles, Ca
Ditch typing and note-taking – try these apps

The future of voice to text is here.
I’ve been testing a variety of tools that make taking notes, transcribing audio, and even voice typing faster and easier than ever.
If you have a smartphone, you’re already halfway there!
Google’s Pixel Recorder app is free and built into their smartphone. It’s excellent for transcribing meetings, lectures, and conversations – all in real time.
Apple’s Voice Memos App recently added transcriptions if you’re upgraded to iOS 18.
Samsung’s Voice recorder app now offers transcripts too – as long as you’re on their latest One UI 7 software. (Check Settings > About Phone > Software Information)
Got an older phone? Try Otter.AI. It works great for transcriptions across devices and you get 300 minutes a month free.
Don’t want to tie up your phone?
I’ve been testing AI-powered digital audio recorders from a startup named Plaud.
The Plaud Note is thin, records for hours, and can even clip to the back of your phone to record calls. Just make sure you know your local laws before using that feature.
The Plaud Pin can be clipped to your shirt or worn on your wrist for hands-free recording.
Both devices sync audio to a companion app that auto transcribes and summarizes.
You get five hours of transcription a month included, with options to pay for more.
Pricing for each gadget starts around $160 dollars.
Want to transcribe audio files on your computer?
My favorite Mac app is MacWhisper. You can even get it completely free – although paid versions are avaialble with more features and options.
On Windows, check out Vibe Transcribe, also free.
And for a web-based option, Whisper Web gets the job done.
Finally, if you want to type less and talk more… there’s an excellent AI voice-to-text app called Wispr Flow. It was previously Mac only but just became avaialble for Windows, too.
One you install it, you pick a hotkey. Then, instead of typing just press and hold down that key and dictate what you want to write.
Since it uses the power of AI, you can even stumble or ramble and it will clean up your words and get the punctionation right.
It’s a gamechanger for responding to emails fast! You get 2,000 words free each week with options to pay for more.
Enjoy your newfound time!
Los Angeles, Ca
Prison officer survives alleged attack by inmate transferred from L.A. County

An alleged attack on a state prison officer by a 43-year-old inmate transferred from Los Angeles County is being investigated as attempted homicide, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials announced Tuesday.
The March 18 incident at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad reportedly unfolded just before 9 a.m. on what authorities describe as a “dayroom floor.”
The inmate, Anthony G. Ramirez, is believed to have pulled an improvised weapon from his waistband before attempting to attack custody staff member, according to a CDCR news release.
“Staff immediately responded, disarming Ramirez and placing him in handcuffs without incident,” the release detailed.
The 43-year-old, who was transferred to SVSP in 2008 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, with enhancements for the use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury or death, was placed in restrictive housing pending the investigation and possible felony prosecution by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
Both Ramirez and the custody staff member were examined by medical personnel who noted no serious injuries.
Officials said that the California Correctional Peace Officers Association was notified of the incident and prison staff were offered peer support services and employee assistance programs.
Salinas Valley State Prison, opened in 1996, houses more than 2,400 minimum, medium, maximum and high-security inmates. The facility also offers vocational programs and academic classes and employs some 1,800 people.
Los Angeles, Ca
Algal bloom sickening marine mammals off Southern California 'will only get worse'

A toxic algal bloom leaving an increasing number of marine mammals stranded along Southern California beaches shows no signs of subsiding and “will only get worse,” officials said Monday.
“This week, we saw more stranded dolphins (both alive and deceased) than we saw during the major domoic acid (DA) bloom in 2023,” Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) Los Angeles posted on Facebook.
Recent tests showed DA-producing algae levels have increased, and officials believe that trend will continue in the coming weeks. “We anticipate that it will only get worse,” the post read.
MMCC asked the public not to approach sick dolphins or sea lions on the beach because they can become aggressive upon awakening from a seizure.
“This is a safety issue for people and their pets as much as it is for the marine mammals,” officials said.
Beachgoers were also urged not to push stranded dolphins back into the water, saying it can reduce their chances of survival.
More information about domoic-acid poisoning can be found at https://marinemammalcare.org/domoic-acid/.
The volume of sick marine mammals has also had a financial impact on the MMCC.
“Our team is working heroically to respond to every call and to rescue every animal they can. Please share this post and give now at marinemammalcare.org/donate to give these marine mammals a second chance at life!” the MMCC stated.
Anyone who encounters a sick or stranded marine mammal can alert the nearest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to make a report.
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