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New Phone Makes Facebook "Inescapable"

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What Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday is true: "Lots of people and developers want Facebook on their phones."

Zuckerberg, and his designers, have taken care of that request big-time, with a smooth, good-looking feature for Android phones called "Home." It's a suite of apps that basically makes Facebook your home screen.

In fact, it makes Facebook all but inescapable for your Android device. But in a world where everything, including Facebook, is already one click away on any phone, do you really need photos and status updates on your home screen?

Personally, I prefer my Facebook checkups to be a bit (strange word here, I realize) private. I'll share them a few seconds later if you'd like, but at first, let me see them by myself. 

There may be FB fans who want to see these things right away, and good for them. But is it really that hard?

HTC has even cranked out a nice-looking phone, the "First," to make Facebook the very first thing you see.

Check your friends in the coming weeks to see how many really buy into this.

You'll be able to - they're the ones very very willing to share.

 

Related story:

Facebook Unveils New Mobile Experience

Scott is on Facebook & Twitter (@scottbudman)

 



Photo Credit: AP

Target Sorry for Plus-Size "Manatee" Label

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Target has apologized for unintentionally comparing its plus-sized customers to a super-sized mammal.

A shopper browsing Target’s online store Wednesday spotted a label on a plus-size maxi dress that described its grey hue as “manatee gray." Manatees are large, gray marine mammals.

The same kind of dress available in a standard size was labeled “dark heather gray.”

Susan Clemens, a self described “Digital Maven,” tweeted the discrepancy to Target, and fast received tons of retweets.

On Thursday, Target spokeswoman Jessica Deede called the incident an “unintended oversight.”
“We never want to offend any of our guests. We apologize for any discomfort that we may have caused,” she told NBC’s TODAY.com.

Another Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas, pointed out that many of Target’s products across a range of categories, are labeled “manatee gray,” including towels, rain boots and T-shirts, some of them in women’s regular and even petite sizes, according to Forbes magazine.

In the case of the dress, Thomas told Forbes there were two different teams of buyers responsible for the regular and plus-size product lines, and the teams didn’t coordinate when they entered the product description for the site. One team, he said appeared to used the color’s official name, and the other chose to use a different one.

Still shoppers found the dresses’ labeling offensive. “It is insulting — they should have known better,” Claudia Belisle, who was at the Atlantic Terminal Mall Target in Brooklyn, told The New York Post.

The “manatee gray” Mossimo Women's Plus-Size Kimono Maxi Dress is no longer available on Target’s website.

Deede told Today.com Target was “in the process of fixing the discrepancy and updating Target.com so the gray dress will be available in all styles. We’re working on updating our systems right now.”

“We’ll use this instance as a learning experience so we can do better moving forward,” Deede added.


 



Photo Credit: AP

81-Year-Old Woman Chases Purse Snatcher

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81-year-old Violet Mackiewicz was finishing up mailing a few bills at the Cromwell Post office when a man reached into her car, grabbed her purse and took off. Violet yelled at him, then got out of her and gave chase.

Off-Duty Cop Takes Down TSA Attacker

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An off-duty police officer stopped an attack against a TSA officer while he was going through security at the Honolulu International Airport.

Justin Rogers, a corporal with the Pinole Police Department in California, was trying to get through the security line on Saturday on his way home from a Hawaiian vacation when he noticed a woman punching a TSA agent.

WATCH: Raw video of the tackle in the Honolulu airport

Security video footage shows Rogers hurdling a glass barrier and taking down the attacker. He's seen in his socks because he had taken off his shoes to get through the TSA security line. After the take-down, Rogers waves to the onlookers - all captured on video - to show everyone that "he's got this."

"Police officer or not, the woman was being assaulted," he told NBC Bay Area. "She was defenseless. Had her arms up, trying to defend herself and somebody really needed to help her and luckily I was close enough to be able to help."


Authorities said the attacker is a homeless woman. She was charged with assault over the incident. The TSA agent suffered minor bruising, and the TSA issued a statement expressing the agency's gratitude toward Rogers.



Photo Credit: TSA security video

Family on Airboat Ride Missing in Fla. Everglades

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Authorities were searching the Florida Everglades for a family of five from Ohio who went missing while taking an airboat ride.

The family of two adults and three children has been missing since 3 p.m. Thursday, said Jorge Pino, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They were taking a ride on a camouflaged airboat, he said.

"It is my understanding that it's their own airboat," FWC spokeswoman Carli Segelson told NBC6 Miami.

The FWC is asking anyone in the area to contact them if they see the missing family.

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images / Scott Olson

Wild Horse Sanctuary Trail Rides Set to Open

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PONY POWER: Horses roaming free? It may seem like just a calendar photograph-type fantasy in these modern times, but there are places where ponies have the run of the land. A major one happens to be in Shingletown, not far from Redding, at the Wild Horse Sanctuary. Wrangler Dianne Nelson saved some 80 wild horses back in the late '70s, horses slated to be rounded up by the U. S. Forest Service. Now hundreds of horses and burros call the 5,000-acre sanctuary home. And, yep, they indeed have the run of the rustic setting. But humans can visit, too, to see the animals in action and take in a few trail rides along the way. Those trail rides are reserved specifically for the warmer months, meaning they generally start up around the middle of spring. As they will again, this year, when Wild Horse Sanctuary opens up for trail rides on Saturday, May 4.

WILD HORSE TRAILS: The rides begin at the sanctuary and are either led by Ms. Nelson or a volunteer, Then trails are followed, but trails created not by humans by the sanctuaries horses. The purpose of the outing? To spot the sanctuary's wild denizens as they frolic among the manzanita, oak, and pine trees.

MULTIPLE TO-DOS: Beyond trail rides, Wild Horse offers other special events throughout the summer months. But don't tarry if spending a day among free ponies has been on your bucket list; the last ride of the season clip-clops out into the brush on Columbus Day Weekend 2013.

LEVELS AND INFO: When signing up there are a few must-dos, like figuring out at what level you ride. Here's your starting point, buckaroo.



Photo Credit: Wild Horse Sanctuary

Man Who Drove into Calif. Walmart Charged with Attempted Murder

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The 33-year-old driver whose Cutlass rammed into a California Walmart on Easter Sunday was charged Thursday with attempted murder, along with a slew of other charges, in a bizarre and violent rampage that could land him a life sentence in prison if he is convicted of all counts.

Haamid Zaid now faces 12 charges, which also include assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and vandalism, stemming from Easter Sunday at 11:15 a.m.

That's when witnesses and prosecutors say the Seaside, Calif. mechanic, who has a prior criminal record, rammed his 1974 red Cutlass into a Walmart in San Jose. His car smashed into a beer display, and he allegedly began attacking customers with a metal club.

In court on Thursday, Zaid did not enter a plea and was told to return to court on April 10. He has declined a jailhouse interview.

His lawyer said outside court he thought the charges were off base. He said that he wasn't ready to make a full statement, adding he had just received a lot of discovery material. When asked about his client's mental state, he said he was "doing fine emotionally."

WATCH: Raw video of the Walmart aftermath

Prosecutors said on Thursday that two people were hurt and an employee was struck unconscious. Zaid was ultimately subdued by irate customers who held him down until police could arrive. Some of the aftermath was caught on YouTube, in a video shot by Raymond Raborar, who was shopping in the pharmacy while his mother was nearby at church.

“This is a very serious case,’’ Deputy District Attorney Deborah Hernandez said. “Mr. Zaid endangered innocent people in that neighborhood, in the parking lot, and spending their Sunday shopping inside a store.”

In court records reviewed by NBC Bay Area earlier this week,  Zaid was facing other charges, which show a pattern of drug use, paranoia and violence. Some of those cases are active, and Zaid was supposed to have returned to court on April 9 on those separate drug charges.

The past cases were mostly misdemeanor charges that included being under the influence and driving with a suspended license from 2011 and 2012.

But in a case from December 2012, Zaid was charged with having a felony amount of methamphetamine and for causing property damage when he plowed a 2004 silver Lexus into Capitol Premier Car Wash on West Capitol Expressway in San Jose.

The car crashed through double-pane glass into the store, destroying several food and beverage stands, and nearly missing two employees, records show. Owner Chuck Brassfield said it was lucky no one was hurt, and he was floored when he learned that the same driver was now accused of the Walmart rampage.

Zaid told the officer at the time, court records show, that he had "snorted meth" that day and thought people were out to shoot him. (Watch exclusive video of that car wash incident here.) 

In October of that same year, Zaid was charged with property destruction when he threw a chair through a window of Rosie McCann's Irish Pub and Restaurant in Santana Row while high on cocaine.

Zaid's mother, Rosemary Zaid, told NBC Bay Area on Monday that her son had no criminal record and that he was an "excellent" student at Seaside High School, where he attended before moving to San Jose, where she said he had automotive companies. NBC Bay Area did not immediately find a record of those companies.

The story has made national news, in large part because of the brazen attack on Easter and in part because of the cell phone video taken by customers inside the store. NBC Bay Area obtained some of that video that showed a wild and hectic scene inside the store.

PHOTOS: Driver Plows Through San Jose Walmart



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area/San Jose police

Lottery Scam Suspects Target Local Victims

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San Diego Police Department investigators are searching for three unknown suspects wanted in connection with a lottery scam targeting local victims.

According to detectives, at least three suspects – two men and a woman – have been operating a lottery scam off and on in San Diego County for the past several years.

Here’s how the scam works: the female suspect, acting as if she’s in a hurry and in some type of distress or desperation, approaches the victim and asks for directions to a certain location.

Detectives say the woman then pretends to be new to the U.S.

After a few seconds with the victim, a male suspect (pictured right) approaches seemingly out of nowhere and pretends not to know the woman in distress. He offers to help, and the duo then convince the victim to ride with them in his van.

Once the two suspects and the victim are in the man’s van, detectives say the female suspect confesses she’s actually looking for help cashing a winning lottery ticket.

The scam continues with the man supposedly making a phone call to a lottery office. At that point, another male suspect on the other end of the call joins in on the scam and pretends to be some sort of lottery representative.

From there, detectives say all three suspects convince the victim that she can make some money if she helps with cashing the ticket. The group asks the victim to put money up front in order to collect the supposed winnings.

In all cases, investigators say the victim is promised at least $10,000 in return for her help. The money never comes.

Investigators say at least four known cases revolving around this lottery scam have been reported so far. In all of the cases, the suspects have targeted middle-age to elderly Hispanic female victims.

The female suspect and the first male suspect have been captured on surveillance tape. Police released the images of the suspects Thursday in hopes of tracking down more information.

Detectives describe the female suspect (pictured left) as a Hispanic woman in her 40s between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-6. She has a medium to heavy build and wears her hair in a ponytail. She pretends to be from Cuba or South America during the scam.

The male suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his mid-40s between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-8. He has a normal build and is well-dressed, wearing a driving cap in all cases. There is no suspect description for the second male suspect on the phone.

Detectives say the suspect vehicle is a possibly grey, silver or light green, 1990s or 2000s Chrysler or Dodge minivan.

Anyone with information on this scam is encouraged to call the SDPD economic crimes unit at (619) 446-1031 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 



Photo Credit: SDPD

Residents: What I-5 Corridor Expansion Is Missing

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State and county transportation planners and engineers believe they’ve found a way to keep San Diego moving but not everyone agrees.

The proposal to spend $6.5 billion to expand Interstate 5 and other modes of transportation between La Jolla and Oceanside has been called the future of the North Coast Corridor.

"It really encapsulates all of the region's transportation needs in this 27-mile corridor,” said Allan Kusup with Caltrans.

Plans were discussed Thursday night at the Carlsbad Senior Center.

Dozens showed up for a community meeting to take a look at the plans. Some residents weren’t impressed. Watch Video

"Just back up one more time and really think about whether this is the best option,” said resident Linda Flournoy. “Figure out a way to put the rail back in. I would ride it every day. I wouldn't drive at all.”

“Maybe that's what we need to do is rethink how we're doing this, instead of spending more money widening the freeway,”Leucadia resident Rachelle Collier said.

Solana Beach resident Lane Sharman criticized the plan for focusing on cars.

"It's kind of taking a wide freeway, making it wider, having more congestion on the freeway. We need to take more people off the freeway and into transit,” Sharman said.

However, Caltrans and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) say the 40-year project is not just about the highway commute.

"This plan doesn't focus on moving cars, the focus is on moving people,” said Jim Linthicum, Director of Mobility SANDAG.

The plan includes construction of new express lanes on Interstate 5, double tracking for trains, a bike and pedestrian trail linking San Diego to Oceanside and access to all lagoons along the corridor. Read list of planned improvements

There is also a plan to spend $2.3 billion for transit improvements planners said.

SANDAG and Caltrans officials will review public comments and may make changes.

Residents have until April 29 to submit comments.

Gunshots Reported Near Highway 67 in Santee

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San Diego County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a car-to-car shooting near a highway involving a security guard.

Deputies say the security guard was driving eastbound on Highway 67 near Woodside Drive in Santee around 3:52 a.m. Friday when a vehicle flashed its lights from behind him.

The guard pulled over and a 1980s model red Suburban passed him. At that time, the guard told police the occupants of the Suburban fired multiple gun shots.

The guard got out of his vehicle and fired back. No injuries were reported.

Deputies are questioning the man about the incident. There was no suspect description available as of 6:30 a.m.
 

5 Hikers Reported Lost OK, Unaware of Rescue Effort

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Five hikers reported lost in Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, Calif., were found safe late Friday morning and unaware a search-and-rescue effort was even in progress.

Abby Rodeo, 20, and four other hikers were found beyond the second waterfall, an elusive mountain-side destination that involves a treacherous and sometimes-deadly hike that Los Angeles County Parks Department warns visitors not to attempt.

Rodeo and her companions — who were described as experienced hikers — were in the area to practice rappelling. They stayed overnight, and when Rodeo's father visited the park Friday morning and found her car with his daughter's gear and cell phone in the trunk, he became worried and called 911.

"I started driving around looking for all the entrances to Eaton Canyon, and at 6 o'clock, I found her car here," Elvin Rodeo said.

Search teams were sent out about 8 a.m., and the group was found safe shortly before 11 a.m.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department led the rescue effort with support from its Altadena Search and Rescue, Sgt. Booker Hollis said.

The search effort comes on the heels of another high-profile rescue in in a Southern California forest. Kyndall Jack, 18, and Nicholas Cendoya, 19, were saved after a multi-day search.

Regular Wins MEGA Millions From Favorite Coffee Shop

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A quarter million dollars will buy a lot of coffee for a self-proclaimed caffeine addict whose near daily trips to a coffee shop paid off when he won the MEGA Millions lottery.

Manuel Chio purchased the ticket – worth $264,531 – at Daily Donuts in Walnut.

The clerk told Chio to check his tickets because the shop sold a winning ticket for the March 29 drawing, according to a MEGA Millions statement released Thursday.

His first ticket was not a winner, but his second ticket quickly became worth more than a quarter million dollars.

Chio said he plans to use the money to pay off bills and save the remainder, making sure that he and his wife of 31 years “have no worries.”

His winning numbers were 25-31-46-53-36, missing only the Mega number of 21.

City Worker Pens Must-Read Pothole Press Release

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You might think working for city government is a thankless, dull job. But as a press release circulated early Friday about potholes illustrates: Working for city government is a non-stop joyriding blast.

To encourage Chicagoans to report potholes to the Chicago Department of Transportation, the CDOT is billing the coming weekend as the inaugural “Potholepalooza.” Perry Farrell will not be participating, but the four-paragraph fake-out dupes readers giving the release a passing glance that bands like Minor Threat, The Cars, The Cure and even completely improbable bands like Nirvana are playing some sort of pothole-themed festival.

A closer look, though, reveals that whoever wrote this release has instead constructed a lengthy series of band-related puns to trick readers into following the whole press release — it’s rather ingenious, actually, except that it’s also kind of sad. Here, take a look: 

“POTHOLEPALOOZA” COMING TO CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND

CDOT Encourages Chicagoans to Report Potholes in “Weekend Festival of Pothole Reporting”

Tired of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ in Traffic over the Minor Threat of potholes in the Pavement?  Ready to see nothing but White Stripes on the roadway and not worry about The Cars swerving to avoid potholes?

This weekend, if you are motorist or a Motörhead, participate in the first-ever “Potholepalooza,” the Chicago Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) call to Chicagoans to report as many street potholes as possible.  Then watch the show next week as CDOT has The Cure for your Moody Blues and fills all of the potholes reported from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7 so that your car doesn’t do the Harlem Shake and give you Divine Fits.

Thus far in 2013, CDOT crews have filled nearly 250,000 potholes with asphalt, Rolling Stones and Tar, with as many as 27crews out on the street each day.  In March, Men at Work gave Blood, Sweat and Tears to fill more than 116,000 holes with more than 1,200 tons of patching material, creating Nirvana for many drivers, and in the first week of April have addressed nearly 20,000 more, making roadways fit for the Queen.

This show won’t sell out, and even Wallflowers can have fun. and report potholes to CDOT through not just one Tool, but a number of venues, including:

·         Making The Call to 311

·         Using the City’s website at www.cityofchicago.org/311 or various Open 311 smartphone apps including: SeeClickFix and Chicago Works. For more web and smartphone civic apps, visit Chicago Digital.

·         Using ChiText by texting “Chicago” to 311311  to start the reporting process

“We are making great progress in filling potholes this spring, but we need Chicagoans to help us identify all of the locations where work needs to be done,” said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. “This weekend surge in reporting will allow us to address as many potholes as possible until we switch many of the pothole crews to street resurfacing in mid-April.”   

Either city government just discovered Wikipedia or — what was it I said at the beginning? Oh yeah. Working for city government is a thankless, dull job.

It could be that. But it’s still a pretty slick press release, in a very strange way. 

Either way, can someone in the CDOT please make me a mixtape? 

David Wolinsky is a freelance writer and a lifelong Chicagoan. In addition to currently serving as an interviewer-writer for Adult Swim, he's also a comedy-writing instructor for Second City and an adjunct professor in DePaul’s College of Computing and Digital Media. (He also co-runs a blog behind the DePaul class, DIY Game Dev.) He was the Chicago city editor for The Onion A.V. Club where he provided in-depth daily coverage of this city's bustling arts/entertainment scene for half a decade. His first career aspirations were to be a game-show host.

Brazen Burglar Steals ATM From Mexican Restaurant

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A brazen burglar stole an ATM from a Mexican restaurant early Friday morning – dragging the machine out of the eatery right in front of employees and customers.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the incident happened around 5 a.m. at the Cotixan Mexican Restaurant located at 4370 Genesee Ave. in Clairemont Mesa.

Police say an unknown masked man – described as a Middle Eastern male in his mid-30s – walked into the restaurant and approached a stand-alone ATM.

Then, with employees and some customers watching, the man dragged the ATM out of the restaurant, all the way to a maroon hatchback vehicle. He loaded the ATM into the back of the car and drove off.

Police say the suspect fled northbound on Genesee Ave. with the ATM sticking out of the getaway car. The vehicle may have been a Honda or Mitsubishi Eclipse, according to investigators.

No one was injured in the burglary, and no weapons were observed by witnesses, police say.

Officers traveling southbound on Genesee Ave. spotted the suspect vehicle, but by the time they turned around, they lost the car and were unable to locate the suspect.

Police say the man was around 6-feet-tall and was wearing a mask, gloves, grey sweater and beige pants during the burglary.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information on this case is urged to contact the SDPD.
 

Sprinter to Begin Testing Brake Fix

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The SPRINTER will be testing along the tracks Sunday as maintenance crews work to bring the service back online.

The light rail service was suspended temporarily March 9 when rotors inside the central brakes were showing irregular wear.

Crews have removed the original rotors and installed split-disc rotors. As a result, residents will see technicians running the SPRINTER at low-speeds as a test.

Trains will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. between the Escondido Transit Center and Woodland Pkwy. in San Marcos. The tests will continue through Thursday.

Once the initial testing is complete, crews will add weight and test emergency stopping power at higher speeds. That should take place in mid-April according to the SPRINTER’s website.

On Friday, the SPRINTER Express schedule was modified for Cal State San Marcos students returning from Spring Break. Read: Modified Schedule

Beginning Monday, there will be a SPRINTER Express connecting the campus with the Nordahl Station.

The additional bus shuttle is in response to riders who are struggling with their commute in the outage.

Other schedules include earlier start times and more frequent service. Click here for the SPRINTER Interruption of Service map.

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Mysterious Tiny Door Replaced with Inferior Model

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Nothing like whimsy to bring out the best in people — and everyone's worst thoughts about  government.

A tiny, finely crafted, stained-wood door affixed to a hole in a tree in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park — so fine that many attributed it to a fairy, elf or other mythical woodland creature — was removed by San Francisco Recreation and Park Department workers and replaced with a less-than-equal model, according to the RichmondSF blog.

The original little door had touched peoples' hearts and made headlines around the world. But for some reason, it disappeared on Tuesday. Rec and Park responded to the outcry and replaced it... sort of.

PHOTOS: The Mysterious Tiny Door in Tree

"But there’s a catch — what they put back is not the ORIGINAL door," the blog reported. "Rec & Park, despite telling local media that they had no plans to remove it, did just that."

The department said that it's policy to remove anything bolted to a tree. So it's odd that they would do so, only to replace it with a different door custom-made to fit the opening in the tree.

At some point in the future, the door — as in, all doors — will be removed permanently.

WATCH: The Mystery of the Tiny Door in a Tree



Photo Credit: Joe Rosato Jr.

Woman Flags Down Driver, Claims Kidnapping

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Sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic dispute which was initially described as a possibly kidnapping on Friday morning.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. at the intersection of Fuerte Drive and Redondo Drive when a  woman flagged down a passing driver and said she needed help because she had been kidnapped, according to La Mesa Police Department.

When deputies arrived to the scene the victim told them she had been held captive for several days in a La Mesa home.

Officials later discovered the incident was a domestic violence issue between two drug users, according to Lt. Ray Sweeney with La Mesa police.

The woman was taken to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, where police detectives will investigate the situation.

Regulator Clears Way for Chevron Refinery

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California's workplace safety regulators concluded their review of a Chevron oil refinery in the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday morning, clearing the way for the company to resume full production at the facility. 

The Richmond, Calif., refinery had been running at 60 percent capacity since a fire erupted at the plant last August. The California Occupational Safety and Health program had previously issued an order barring use of the refinery's crude distillation unit — the heart of the plant — where the fire broke out.

WATCH: Raw Video of Chevron's Richmond Refinery Fire

Ellen Widess, chief at Cal/OSHA, told NBC Bay Area that Chevron has made changes to safety procedures in the wake of the disaster.

State regulators had strongly criticized Chevron for what they said were 25 examples of unsafe maintenance at the refinery and fined the company $1 million — the maximum amount allowable under law.

The company did not replace the corroded pipe that ruptured and caused the fire, and Chevron did not "follow its own emergency shutdown procedures" and did not protect workers, regulators found.

Chevron was pleased by the announcement and has previously said it planned to resume operations before the end of June.

 



Photo Credit: Jodi Hernandez

Princeton Alum Defends Op-Ed Piece Urging Women to Marry

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Susan Patton, the Princeton alum whose controversial op-ed piece for The Daily Princetonian has outraged feminists, defended her words Friday and said women need to keep an "open mind."

Patton's piece urging women Princeton students to find husbands before they graduate has gained nationwide attention since it was published last week — so much so that it caused The Daily Princetonian site to crash.

The op-ed garnered strong reactions from opinion writers across the web, from the Huffington Post to Slate, prompting the alumni to speak out and defend her opinion.

"Women do aspire to having children and marriage," she said on CNN. "However, the messages that have been given to young women today are so totally focused on developing their careers, no one is saying to them, 'If addition to your career, you also want to be married and have children, you should really be thinking earlier about it.'"

Patton, who was the president of the class of 1977 and who has two sons currently attending her alma mater, had addressed her op-ed to "the daughters I never had."

"For most of you, the cornerstone of your future and happiness will be inextricably linked to the man you marry, and you will never again have this concentration of men who are worthy of you," she wrote.

She also warned women that they would be frustrated to discover a dearth of smart men in the post-graduation world outside of Princeton.

"Of course, once you graduate, you will meet men who are your intellectual equal — just not that many of them," she wrote. "And, you could choose to marry a man who has other things to recommend him besides a soaring intellect. But ultimately, it will frustrate you to be with a man who just isn’t as smart as you."

That comment brought accusations of elitism, in addition to the charges that the piece was anti-feminist.

"This is the elitism of meritocracy: a reflexive belief that, not only are the best and brightest at the top, but outsiders are lesser and duller," Maureen O'Connor wrote in New York magazine.

The Daily Princetonian's opinion editor Sarah Schwartz solicited feedback from readers on Friday in a new post to "continue the conversation," and the response has not been pretty.

"Congratulations to Susan Patton ’77, who gets my vote for the Troll Award for 2013," wrote one reader. "As any good troll knows, the way you get attention these days in not by subtlety, but by going way over the top."



Photo Credit: AP

Third Alleged Victim Accuses Teacher of Lewd Acts

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A Chula Vista elementary school teacher, accused of child molestation and possessing child pornography, was charged Thursday with new criminal charges involving a third possible victim officials said.

John Kinloch, 41, was arrested in November 2012 as part of a nationwide child pornography investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

He is accused of posing as a 13-year-old girl to befriend boys ages 12 to 16 through a website known as “MeetMe.”

Kinloch allegedly tried to convince the boys to share nude photos over the Internet according to investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He was also accused of selling and or sending obscene materials to others.

Since his arrest, the first grade teacher at Wolf Canyon Elementary School has been charged with several allegations of child molestation or lewd acts with children ranging from 8 to 15 years old.

Prosecutor Enrique Camarena said the defendant took advantage of an 8 or 9-year-old boy in 2004 when he was a teacher at Feaster Charter School. The alleged victim was a boy with whom the teacher had developed a close relationship with inside and outside the classroom Camarena said.

In February, 12 counts of lewd acts with a child under the age of 18 were added involving a second alleged victim occurring between August and December of 2012. This alleged victim was under the age of 13 and not a student according to Camarena.

Then on Thursday, prosecutors charged Kinloch with six additional lewd act charges involving a third victim. Camarena said the alleged victim was 14 or 15 between 1996 and 1998 when he alleges inappropriate contact. The incident allegedly occurred when Kinloch was 24 or 25 and was not working as a teacher.

The addition of new charges Thursday was shocking to Kinloch according to his defense attorney Kerry Armstrong.

“He’s obviously very distressed. It’s a hard thing to go through,” Armstrong said.

Kinloch had been teaching for the last 14 years and had passed background checks according to an administrator with the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

He is on an unpaid leave of absence during the criminal proceedings. District spokesperson Anthony Millican said he would likely remain an employee of the district unless there is a conviction in the case.

Armstrong said there have been discussions between his client and law enforcement officers and his office has been negotiating with the DA’s office but any offers of a plea in this case have been rejected.

“He knows how risky it is to go to trial,” Armstrong said of his client.

If convicted of all charges, Kinloch faces 450 years to life in prison.

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