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The case against Kristin Smart's killer went back before a judge Thursday, nearly three years since his first-degree murder conviction was handed down. An appeal in his case was heard in Ventura County. It argues Paul Flores did not receive a fair trial in Monterey County. Court documents show he's asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder. The documents cite alleged errors during trial and "reversible misconduct." After submitting 75 pages to the Court of Appeals, Flores’ court-appointed attorney, Solomon Wollack, appeared via Zoom Thursday, presenting three arguments as to why he believes the...

Democratic nominee and mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani’s lead over Andrew Cuomo in the race for City Hall has narrowed after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams exited the race, according to a new poll released Thursday. Mamdani leads the race with 46% of likely voters backing him, followed by independent candidate Cuomo with 33% support and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa with 15%, the Quinnipiac University survey finds. In a Quinnipiac survey that gauged a 4-way race last month, Mamdani received 45% support to 23% for Cuomo, 15% for Sliwa and 12% support for Adams. Other polls showed Mamdani with a hefty lead...

Synergy is facing new revelations it has overcharged West Australians for power. (ABC News: Cason Ho) More than 170,000 customers have been overcharged a total of $40 million by WA's state-owned energy retailer Synergy since 2009, it has been revealed. The overpayments range from amounts under a dollar, to thousands of dollars, according to Synergy CEO Kurt Baker, who said most of those affected were residential customers. "We've accepted payments to approximately 170,000 closed accounts, resulting in overpayments," he told ABC Radio Perth. "In many cases this has happened because Synergy's allowed customers to continue to pay to their closed...

While defending his decision to perform at the controversial, state-sponsored Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia, Aziz Ansari said he planned to donate “part of the fee” to “causes that support free press and human rights,” listing Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch, which has long been critical of the comedy festival and the Saudi regime. But in a statement to Variety, a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch said the organization “cannot accept” donations from Ansari and other comedians who have “generously offered to donate part of their performance fees.” (Jessica Kirson said “I deeply regret” performing at Riyadh...

A United States federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought on by Drake against Universal Music Group. The rapper accused his own record company of defamation over its distribution and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s infamous “Not Like Us” diss track. District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the suit on Thursday citing Lamar’s track as a “nonactionable opinion” that is not considered defamatory. Robert De Niro Is Trump's New FCC Chair in Kimmel's Return: 'I'm the F---ing FCC, I Can F---ing Say Whatever the F--- I Want' “The fact that the Recording was made in the midst of a rap battle is...

Stopping a driver for talking on their cellphone resulted in the seizure of nearly 220 pounds of weed in Berkeley on Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver was headed west on Interstate 80 at about 5:30 p.m. when officers stopped the Chrysler SUV. During the traffic stop, officers allegedly smelled a strong marijuana odor coming from the SUV. ‘Epstein bomb’ about to drop, 100 GOP members to ‘jail break’ from Trump, Swalwell says “Multiple large black trash bags were observed in plain view in the rear cargo area,” CHP said. “A probable cause search was conducted, leading...

The event has drawn criticism due to human rights abuses by the Saudi governmentJimmy Kimmel grilled comedian Aziz Ansari over his involvement in the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. The state-sponsored festival, which also featured fellow standups Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr, has drawn criticism due to the Saudi Arabian government’s alleged human rights abuses, as well as accusations around its involvement in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Appearing on the October 7 edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ansari was faced with questions from the host about performing. “This is something that’s become a big...

The Anaheim Police Department have said “there is no indication of any operating issue with the attraction"The Anaheim Police Department have said “there is no indication of any operating issue with the attraction" A woman in her 60s has died after riding the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland. No cause of death has been given. The Anaheim Police Department reported that the woman was found unresponsive immediately upon exiting the ride-through attraction (as per Variety). Disneyland’s website describes the ride as “dark” and containing “mildly frightening scenes”, but “slow-moving”, having “no gore” and being “creepy fun for little ones”. The...

It's the latest in her ongoing string of tributes to hometown heroes on the 'Radical Optimism' tourThe singer has been making a habit of covering a song from a local artist at every show on her current ‘Radical Optimism’ World Tour – which kicked off its North American leg at the start of last month. Last week (October 4), Dua Lipa brought her ‘Radical Optimism’ tour to Los Angeles, where she paid tribute to Fleetwood Mac by performing a cover of their 1977 hit ‘The Chain’. Introducing the track, Lipa said to the audience: “During this tour, I’ve taken the...

"She sailed on a boat following Greta Thunberg in trying to stop the genocide in Gaza"Björk has called for her “childhood friend” and musician Magga Stína’s “safe return” after her family claimed she had been kidnapped by Israeli forces. Read More: Here’s what went down at ‘Together For Palestine’, with Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Richard Gere, Florence Pugh and more The singer-songwriter, who recently joined the ‘No Music For Genocide’ campaign – a cultural boycott initiative encouraging artists and rights-holders to pull their music from streaming platforms in Israel in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza – took...

Hot and homicidal. That’s the dating criteria for 20-somethings with hybristophilia, a sexual attraction to criminals — like serial killer and body snatcher, Ed Gein. It’s an outré affinity toward bad boys that’s being fueled by social media, according to blood-curdling new data. Gein, infamously nicknamed “The Butcher of Plainfield” for slaughtering and skinning women on his farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, is the internet’s latest love interest. The mid-century murder’s sordid tale of abuse and savagery is spotlit in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” starring Hollywood heartthrob Charlie Hunnam as Gein. But, instead of horror and...

Alaska's City of Fairbanks Mayor David Pruhs, a Republican, conceded to Mindy O'Neall, a Democrat, in the mayoral election on Tuesday night. According to unofficial election night results made available by the city of Fairbanks, O’Neall received 1,808 votes (54 percent) and Pruhs received 1,528 votes (45.7 percent). Newsweek has contacted Pruhs and O'Neall for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours. Why It Matters The ballot in mayoral elections in Fairbanks does not list party affiliations next to candidates’ names, but Republicans have held the role in Fairbanks for nearly a decade. Pruhs, a conservative backed by local...

The Parents Television Council was known for its campaigns against television shows By In the age of widespread internet use, many of the old fights about television’s depictions of sex, violence and profanity have fallen by the wayside. And now, one of the 2000s’ most prominent culture watchdogs is at its end as well. On Friday, the Parents Television Council declared bankruptcy. The Burbank-headquartered nonprofit filed for liquidation in Delaware’s federal bankruptcy court, revealing about $92,000 of assets and $285,000 of liabilities. The council’s revenue and cultural relevancy had dwindled since the aughts, when it sparked record-setting regulatory fines against...

An AI startup spent more than $1 million to advertise on New York City’s subways — and New Yorkers simply aren’t having it. Posters for Friend, a necklace style device that listens to your entire day and sends you push notifications, were defaced with warnings about the dangers of AI. Vandals took sharpies to the ads, which went up late last month, scrawling messages like, “AI wouldn’t care if you lived or died” overtop utopian slogans. Our tech overlords might want to intrude even deeper into our lives, but is wearable AI where people finally say enough is enough? Perhaps...

It's well known that learning to play an instrument can offer benefits beyond just musical ability. Indeed, research shows it's a great activity for the brain – it can enhance our fine motor skills, language acquisition, speech, and memory – and it can even help to keep our brains younger. After years of working with musicians and witnessing how they persist in musical training despite the pain caused by performing thousands of repetitive movements, I started wondering: if musical training can reshape the brain in so many ways, can it also change the way musicians feel pain, too? This is...

A Missouri man was found dead from a likely bear attack this week, just two days after he sent photos to his family of a bear at his campsite in Arkansas, according to officials. Police found the 60-year-old man’s body several hundred yards from his campsite near Mt. Judea, Arkansas, on Thursday. The area showed signs of a struggle and had drag marks away from the camp. The man's son had asked for a welfare check because his dad hadn’t checked in for a couple of days since sending the photos. His body has "extensive" injuries "consistent with those expected...

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a man they say was wanted for an armed robbery and brandishing a handgun in Pajaro, on Monday. The man, identified as Agustin Ayala Castellanos of the Watsonville and Pajaro areas, was arrested a week after his first crime. On Sept. 29, deputies responded to a report of a victim that had a gun brandished at him in the parking lot of a convenience store located at the intersection of San Juan Road and Porter Drive. The victim said Castellanos asked him for money while he “racked” the handgun multiple times before leaving...

A Mexican free tailed bat found on September 29th, 2025, in the Cachagua area of unincorporated Monterey County has tested positive for the rabies virus, the County of Monterey has reported. Hitchcock Road Animal Services investigated this incident and determined that there was exposure to owned pet(s) and those pet(s) that were exposed have been placed under quarantine. No human exposure has been identified. Officials also warn that domestic animals, including companion dogs and cats, are at higher risk for rabies once they come in contact with wildlife. Pet owners are reminded to visit veterinarians regularly and keep up with...

Researchers suggest increase does not necessarily reflect a rise in clinically meaningful cancersKey Takeaways The increase in early-onset cancers is not necessarily due to a rise in clinically meaningful cancers, researchers argued, but may be due to increased diagnostic scrutiny and overdiagnosis. Of the eight fastest-rising cancers, only two -- colorectal and endometrial cancer -- have shown a slight increase in early-onset mortality. For the six other cancers, stable or declining mortality rates alongside rising diagnoses suggest that greater detection (rather than more disease) may account for the trend. The recent rise in the incidence of early-onset cancers does not...

Waters has criticised Yorke and Radiohead previouslyFormer Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters has hit out at Thom Yorke, describing him as a “timid little bloke.” Read More: Jonny Greenwood tells us about The Smile’s ‘Cutouts’ and the “fun and natural” Radiohead reunion Rogers has criticised Yorke and Radiohead multiple times previously. Last December, Waters attacked Yorke and Jonny Greenwood for their stance on Israel-Palestine. The Pink Floyd co-founder has been a vocal supporter of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement since 2011, and has spoken out in the past against Radiohead’s decision to play a gig in Tel...