California releases some incarcerated individuals doing time for murder. Advocates push to free more

Terebea Williams was 22 when she shot her boyfriend, drove 750 miles with him bleeding in the trunk of his own car, and then dragged him into a Northern California motel, tied him to a chair and left him to die. Convicted of murder, carjacking, and kidnapping, Williams went on to earn a college degree during her 19 years in prison, where she also mentored younger inmates and was lauded by administrators for her “exceptional conduct” while incarcerated. The contrasting portrai

California law bans for-profit, private prisons, including immigration detention centers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Friday that would eliminate private, for-profit prisons, including those used for immigration detention, by 2028. Starting on Jan. 2020, the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation won't be able to enter into or renew a contract with a private, for-profit prison to incarcerate people. Operating a private immigration detention facility and incarcerating people in for-profit prisons will be prohibited after Jan. 2028, a

He was a Yale graduate, Wall Street banker and entrepreneur. Today he's homeless in Los Angeles

Los Angeles (CNN) Shawn Pleasants has the kind of resume that would attract the attention of any job recruiter: high school valedictorian, an economics major from Yale University, Wall Street banking jobs, small business entrepreneur. But a few wrong turns in life 10 years ago left him homeless, and today he's living underneath a tarp in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. He's been told before that a smart and capable person like him should not be in this situation."But I'

$1.7-billion jail project could be scrapped by L.A. County to focus on mental health

The Board of Supervisors might cancel a $1.7-billion contract to replace the dungeon-like Men’s Central Jail downtown amid growing unease about whether Los Angeles County’s incarceration policy focuses enough attention on mental health treatment. County supervisors are expected to vote next week on whether to end the contract with McCarthy Building Cos. and start fresh on a plan for replacing the antiquated jail — a major policy change after months of grappling with the proje

Jay-Z joins cannabis company Caliva as chief brand strategist

San Francisco (CNN Business)You can't knock the hustle: Jay-Z is joining the cannabis industry. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter — billionaire rapper, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Beyoncé Knowles' husband — will serve as the chief brand strategist for Caliva, a burgeoning California company that counts former star NFL quarterback Joe Montana as an investor."Anything I do, I want to do correctly and at the highest level," Carter said in a statement on Tuesday when the partn

Beverly Hills becomes first U.S. city to ban tobacco sales

The Beverly Hills City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to make it the first U.S. city to ban the sale of cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. The ban applies to gas stations, pharmacies, convenience and grocery stores, but includes exemptions for hotels and three local cigar lounges. It is set to take effect beginning in 2021. "Allowing tobacco products to be sold in the city increases access to these harmful and dangerous products and does not pr

California is paying inmates $1 an hour to fight wildfires

California is currently suffering from several devastating and deadly fires. The Camp Fire in Butte County, California, has killed at least 29 people and left more than 200 people unaccounted for, making it the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. The Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles County and Ventura County has killed at least two people, consumed over 85,000 acres and, as of the latest official report, is only 15 percent contained. In August, the Mendocino Complex Fire sc

Suspect in Navy Sailor's Murder Involved in Another Shooting Minutes Before

The suspect identified Sunday in the murder of an active duty Navy sailor in Mountain View on Saturday was also involved another shooting minutes before, police said. Brandon Acuna, 21, was accused in the shooting death of Curtis Adams, 21, early Saturday morning, police said. Acuna was also involved in another shooting 10 minutes earlier near the 600 block of Boundary Street in Mount Hope, police said. He allegedly shot at a man who interrupted his attempt to break into the

Actor Darris Love Arrested at Gunpoint, Detained for Hours After Being Mistaken for a Burglary Suspe

A black actor believes that his arrest and subsequent hours long detainment were a result of racial profiling after cops mistook him for a burglary suspect. According to the Los Angeles Times, actor Darris Love and his girlfriend, Ayesha Dumas, had just finished up a trip to the Apple Store in Glendale, Calif., when the former was jumped by a group of Glendale Police Department officers and wrestled to the ground. “Have you ever had someone’s knee in your neck on the concrete