California
California Students to Receive Media Literacy Classes Under New Law
By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA
(NNPA) – California has enacted a law mandating the inclusion of media literacy education in the K–12 curriculum, which state officials called a proactive approach to address the growing challenge of misinformation. The legislation, known as Bill No. 873, received approval from Gov. Gavin Newsom in October and is set to take effect in January 2024.
The bill, which Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Democrat representing San Mateo County in Northern California, spearheaded, emphasizes the urgent need for students to distinguish between fact and fiction, particularly in the digital age where misinformation has become more pervasive.
Bill No. 873 will integrate media literacy content into the existing mathematics, science, and history-social science curriculum frameworks. According to Berman, the objective is to empower students to navigate the complex online information landscape, fostering a generation equipped to evaluate and counteract misinformation critically.
In a statement posted on his official website, Berman emphasized the significance of incorporating media literacy into the educational framework. “Teaching media literacy is a key strategy to support our children, their families, and our society that are inundated with misinformation and disinformation on social media networks and digital platforms,” Berman stated.
The escalating levels of distrust in the media and the tangible consequences of online misinformation underscore the urgency of such education, the assemblyman stated. He pointed to the real-world impacts that have transpired due to the unchecked spread of misinformation, citing examples ranging from climate denial to vaccine conspiracy theories and even the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.
According to the National Association for Media Literacy, media literacy builds upon traditional literacy and offers new forms of reading and writing. Media literacy empowers people to be critical thinkers and makers, effective communicators, and active citizens. “Our children live in a world of powerful 24/7 media. In addition to children’s exposure to traditional forms of media and advertisements like television, print (magazines, books), and billboards, new media has exploded in recent years. Over the last decade, there has been a drastic increase in the amount of time children and youth are engaging with media, particularly digital media,” officials at Media Literacy Now wrote on their website.
“Children ages 2 to 8 spend an average of two hours per day, children between 8 and 12 spend four to six hours, and adolescents over 12 years old spend an average of seven to nine hours per day, according to recent research.” Officials at the advocacy group, Media Literacy Now, noted that media is everywhere, and technology is a part of life. However, they stressed that, with children spending such large amounts of time online and in front of screens, they are exposed to messages and information that can hurt their health and well-being and prevent them from becoming empowered and engaged citizens. “The negative impact that media can have on our children is profound,” officials stated.
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In California, a state where single family houses often run for millions of dollars, what amounts to basically an entire city has gone on the market with a price tag of just $6.6 million.
Top Gun Commercial Real Estate has listed a 16-acre property in Campo, Calif., a town that’s about 2 miles from the Mexican border and an hour or so east of San Diego. Included in that listing are 28 buildings that make up the bulk of the town’s properties. Most were built in the 1940s.
Those properties are occupied, too. About 100 residents rent from a single owner who is looking to sell. The Border Patrol also rents a commercial building in the town.
The seller (and townspeople) hope whoever buys Campo does so with revitalization in mind.
“Investors can choose to build to maximize the density of the existing land without altering the town’s current structures, or alternatively, consider a complete redevelopment to modernize and elevate Campo’s profile,” the listing reads. “Campo’s appeal is not limited to its potential for physical transformation but is enhanced by its strategic location. The proximity to San Diego opens a myriad of recreational, cultural, and economic opportunities, making it an attractive proposition for long-term investors looking to make a significant impact.”
Included in the sale are 28 residential properties, which rent for anywhere from $250 per month to $1,600, as well as a church, metal shop, post office, lumber yard and the border patrol building. All totaled, more than 62,000 square feet of property is part of the sale—with monthly rents totaling $44,253 worth of recurring income for the new buyer.
Heck, the town will pay for itself in just 149 months!
Campo was originally established in World War II to house soldiers in case of an invasion, which (of course) never happened.
Police have taken a suspect into custody after a UPS driver was shot and killed inside his truck in Irvine, California, on Thursday afternoon.
The shooting took place at around 3 p.m. near Chrysler and Bendix in the city, according to Irvine police on Facebook.
Sgt. Karie Davies told FOX 11 LA the UPS driver was on break and eating inside his truck when the suspect, who has not been identified, pulled up in a pickup truck and started shooting. Police believe the shooter was wearing a face mask.
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A UPS driver was shot and killed in what police believe was a targeted attack on Thursday in Irvine, California. (FOX 11 LA livestream/Screenshot)
Officers are working to determine if the driver and the suspect knew each other and if there was a potential motive behind the shooting, Davies said.
“We don’t know exactly what the relationship is between these two gentlemen, if any,” Davies said. “This definitely seemed targeted, meaning it wasn’t a robbery, didn’t appear to be a robbery.”
A few hours later, at around 6 p.m., authorities located the truck of the suspected shooter near Santiago Canyon Road and the Toll Road. The suspect barricaded himself inside his vehicle, but was eventually forced out of it after a chemical agent and a police dog were deployed, Davies said.
“He did not peacefully give up. He was lured out of the vehicle, or forced out of the vehicle by our SWAT team, but he is alive,” Davies said.
The shooter accused of killing a UPS driver on Thursday in Irvine, California, barricaded himself inside his truck before police forced him out and arrested him. (FOX 11 LA livestream/Screenshot)
Community members told FOX 11 the UPS driver was known in the area and typically ate his lunch in the same spot.
“I mean he’s a friendly gentleman, he never really displayed any sort of attitude, any sort of negativity or anything like that. Just kind of like your normal delivery guy,” Kevin Sanchez told the outlet, adding that the slain driver had delivered their packages for years.
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UPS issued a statement on the driver’s death and said the company will be assisting authorities in any way possible to “understand what happened.”
“Our hearts are heavy tonight with the news of the loss of one of our drivers in Irvine, CA. We are assisting authorities however we can to understand what happened. As a result of the ongoing investigation to find those responsible, we are deferring any additional questions to authorities. The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority, and we are providing support and counseling services to our employees affected by this tragedy,” UPS said.
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Irvine police said the deadly shooting remains under investigation and urged anyone with information to call 949-724-7200.
“Thank you to the community for your concern as we investigated the tragic homicide that occurred today. Our hearts are with the victim and his loved ones,” the department wrote on Facebook.
California
Homeless California parolee dragged female jogger by ponytail on beach in attempted sexual assault: police
A homeless man on parole for an assault conviction dragged a jogger by her hair on a beach near Los Angeles before attempting to rape her earlier this week, police said.
The alleged incident occurred at around 7:15 a.m. on the Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica. Witnesses told a 911 dispatcher that a woman, who lives in nearby Venice Beach, was being dragged on the ground by her ponytail.
She was jogging southbound on the beach path when the suspect grabbed her ponytail from behind, knocking her to the ground, authorities said.
SUSPECTED NYC RAPIST AT LARGE AFTER VIDEO SHOWS WOMAN LASOED FROM BEHIND ON DARK STREET
Malcolm Jimmy Ward, Jr., 48, allegedly dragged a female jogger on the ground by her ponytail and tried to sexually assault her, police said. (Santa Monica Police Department)
Responding officers found the woman and the suspect, identified as Malcolm Jimmy Ward, Jr., 48, near some restrooms, the Santa Monica Police Department said. Several witnesses intervened in the attack, police said.
The woman wasn’t injured. At the time, Ward was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon.
Investigators believe Ward was trying to sexually assault the woman. He has been charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to commit rape and violating his parole.
He is being held with no bail.
Kashaan Parks, 39, was arrested Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and charged in connection to the rape of a 45-year-old woman in The Bronx, NYPD said. (Richard Harbus for Fox News Digital)
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The alleged crime mirrors an incident in New York City where a man was caught on surveillance cameras throwing a looped belt around a woman’s neck before choking her unconscious and dragging her away on a dark Bronx street.
Police arrested 39-year-old Kashaan Parks over the weekend for allegedly attacking the 45-year-old victim.
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