The Daily Populous

Monday June 13rd, 2022 night edition

image for Mexican megachurch leader jailed in US for more than 16 years for child sexual abuse

The leader of the Mexican megachurch La Luz del Mundo was sentenced on Wednesday to more than 16 years in a California prison for sexually abusing young female followers.

Naasón Joaquín García, 53, pleaded guilty last week in Los Angeles superior court to three felonies on the eve of a long-awaited trial.

The sentence came after nearly three hours of emotional statements by five young women García was charged with sexually abusing.

But in court they called him “evil” and a “monster”, “disgusting human waste” and the “antichrist”.

García pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15.

In exchange, prosecutors dropped 16 counts that included allegations of raping children and women, as well as human trafficking to produce child pornography.

But they were also told they would be damned if they spoke out – and so would anybody they told. »

Ukraine fears western support will fade as media loses interest in the war

Authored by theguardian.com

Russia, meanwhile, appears close to taking the shattered Donbas city of Sievierodonetsk, after a failed counterattack by Ukraine’s forces.

Oleksiy Arestovych, a high-profile military adviser to the president’s office, said media fatigue was unavoidable as the conflict drew on.

It is unclear what difference, if any, the latest batch of longer-range artillery will make, and substantially more western military help could be needed. »

‘Workers are winning’: Colorado law hailed as important victory for public sector workers

Authored by theguardian.com

Today, 24 US states, including Colorado, prohibit or limit collective bargaining rights for public sector workers, resulting in significant discrepancies in union density and wages among public sector workers in these states compared with states that mandate public employers to bargain with workers.

Unions have also been pushing for Congress to pass a bill to expand collective bargaining rights to all public sector workers across the US through the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.

She has been fighting for years to secure collective bargaining rights for herself, her co-workers, and other public sector workers throughout Colorado. »

Cyclist on California mountains chased down by angry zebra

Authored by sfgate.com
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A cyclist going through a mountain range in California's Central Coast ran into an unexpected foe: a seemingly pissed-off zebra.

Going through West Camino Cielo — a massive path that cuts through the Santa Ynez Mountains — Chavez encountered the black-and-white equine.

"As soon as I rolled up, the zebra, he saw me," Chavez told Noozhawk. »