Snapchat Inc. to pay $15 million to settle discrimination and harassment lawsuit in California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Snapchat Inc. will pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by California’s civil rights agency. The California Civil Rights Department accused the company of discriminating against female employees, failing to prevent workplace sexual harassment and retaliating against women who complained. The department announced Wednesday that the settlement covers women who worked for the company in California between 2014 and 2024. It is subject to court approval. The bulk of the settlement will pay compensation to employees who faced discrimination at the company. The company says it disagrees with the agency’s claims but that it decided to settle to avoid costly and lengthy litigation.
Illegally brewed liquor kills at least 34 with dozens hospitalized in southern India
NEW DELHI (AP) — Officials say at least 34 people have died and dozens are hospitalized after drinking illegally brewed liquor tainted with methanol in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A local official told the Press Trust of India news agency Thursday the deaths occurred in the state’s Kallakurichi district, where more than 100 people are being treated in hospitals. Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India, where the poor cannot afford licensed brands from government-run shops. The illicit liquor, which is often spiked with chemicals such as pesticides to increase potency, has also become a hugely profitable industry as bootleggers pay no taxes and sell enormous quantities of their product to the poor at a cheap rate.
Baby moose trapped in a lake is saved by Alaska man and police as its worried mom watches
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska man and two police officers have joined forces to rescue a baby moose that got stuck between a floatplane and a dock in a lake. The Homer Police Department says actions of the three men saved the calf from “a sure demise.” Spencer Warren works for a wilderness guiding service. He arrived Friday to prepare the floatplane when he discovered the calf trapped. Mama moose was nearby with another baby and wouldn’t let him get close to the trapped calf. A police officer eventually used a cruiser to block the mama moose, and Warren and the other officer lifted the exhausted calf to safety.
Climate protesters arrested over spraying orange paint on Stonehenge monument
LONDON (AP) — Two climate protesters have been arrested for spraying orange paint on the ancient Stonehenge monument in southern England. Wiltshire Police said the pair was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of damaging one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it a “disgraceful act of vandalism.” The incident came just a day before thousands are expected to gather at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The act was the latest by Just Stop Oil to draw attention to global warming.
Movie Review: In ‘The Bikeriders,’ the birth of a subculture on two wheels
In the exhilarating first half of “The Bikeriders,” writer-director Jeff Nichols is less compelled to build a narrative around the 1960s bike gang, the Vandals, than he is to summon an intoxicating atmosphere reminiscent of the old photographs that inspired the film. The Bikeriders” eventually becomes saddled with heavier plot mechanics. The movie wants to ride, but it’s not sure how much story to pack for the trip, writes Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. But this is a vivid dramatization of the birth of an American subculture. “The Bikeriders” opens Friday in theaters.
Detroit Pistons fire coach Monty Williams after one season that ended with NBA’s worst record
The Detroit Pistons have fired coach Monty Williams after just one season that ended with an NBA-worst 14-68 record. Last season was the first in what was a six-year, $78.5 million contract for Williams — one that, at the time, was the richest ever given to an NBA coach. At one point, the Pistons had a 28-game losing streak. It was the longest ever in a single season in NBA history and tied for the longest ever when factoring in multiple seasons.
LA Sparks rookie Cameron Brink tears ACL in left knee
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Los Angeles rookie Cameron Brink tore the ACL in her left knee in the first quarter of the Sparks’ 79-70 loss at Connecticut. Brink played just four minutes and committed one foul before getting hurt Tuesday night. Once over to the sideline, Brink hobbled toward the locker room, but was forced to stop as a result of the pain. A pair of Sparks personnel lifted Brink off her feet and carried her to the locker room.
One of Rishi Sunak’s bodyguards arrested over alleged bets on UK election date
LONDON (AP) — One of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s police bodyguards has been arrested over alleged bets on the date of Britain’s national election made before it was announced. The Metropolitan Police force said Wednesday that a constable in the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command was arrested Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Gambling Commission said it was investigating “the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election.” Sunak announced May 22 that an election for Parliament would be held on July 4. The date had been a closely guarded secret. The arrested officer was released on bail pending further inquiries and has been removed from duty.
Rickwood Field, Willie Mays’ first pro park and monument of opportunity and oppression, welcomes MLB
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Rickwood Field will host an MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on Thursday. It’s the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and former home to baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays and the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. It’s a time capsule of opportunity and oppression, a site for social gatherings and political events, as well as baseball achievements in the 20th century. The game meant to honor Mays and many other Negro Leaguers will be both somber and reminiscent. Mays, the electrifying center fielder who left an enduring mark on baseball, died Tuesday afternoon.
Pharrell at Louis Vuitton celebrates the diversity of human skin in Paris UNESCO show
PARIS (AP) — Louis Vuitton has celebrated the beauty of humanity in a star-studded menswear showcase at UNESCO in Paris. Models in all the hues of human skin paraded around a giant globe on Damier check grass, creating a visual symphony of diversity. Menswear designer Pharrell Williams said it was “an homage to human beings,” after a show that felt like a journey around the world, against a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and a giant globe. The collection prominently featured checks in shades of green, blue and black, drawing inspiration from the designs of Air Afrique luggage. Williams infused the collection with a sense of global unity.
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