Mayoral Candidate Arrested for 2015 Murder of Wife

A one-time mayoral candidate from California’s Bay Area was charged with the murder of his wife after an investigation uncovered that he had faked her suicide over a decade ago. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office charged Michael Anthony Leon, who ran for the mayorship of Antioch, California, in 2012 and came in fourth, with murder and personal use of a firearm causing death. Leon, 66, was taken into custody on Thursday, Jan. 22, and is set to be arraigned on Feb. 10. On Sept. 28, 2015, officials were called to the Leon residence in Antioch, where they discovered Brenda Joyce Leon dead. Authorities found a suicide note beside Brenda, 52, and attributed her death to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Brenda’s family believed there was foul play involved, and in 2021, her two adult daughters filed a wrongful death lawsuit against an unnamed “John Doe,” alleging that her suicide note was faked and the scene had been staged. An investigation into Brenda’s death revealed “previously unknown digital evidence” and “new factual details” that aided in the decision to file charges, a press release said. If convicted, Leon faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.

The man behind the company that has developed some of the most advanced large language model (LLM) systems in the world, and one of the most powerful AI systems globally, has written a 38-page essay warning about the very technology his company is helping to advance. “It is somewhat awkward to say this as the CEO of an AI company, but I think the next tier of risk is actually AI companies themselves,” Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, wrote on Monday. Amodei warned that if AI continues to develop at its current pace, it could soon surpass humans at “essentially everything.” He said this rapid advancement could lead to massive job losses, rising terror threats, the empowerment of authoritarian regimes, and a situation where leaders resist imposing restrictions due to the power and money involved. “I believe we are entering a rite of passage, both turbulent and inevitable, which will test who we are as a species,” he said. For this reason, Amodei wrote that he penned the essay to “jolt people awake” to the dangers of AI. “The years in front of us will be impossibly hard, asking more of us than we think we can give,” he wrote. The essay follows a “Statement on Superintelligence,” released in October to call for restrictions on AI, which has been signed by more than 100,000 people, including AI pioneers, celebrities, royals, politicians, and business leaders.

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We’re officially in the midst of “dry January,” the viral 31-day challenge that prompts participants to reset and reassess their relationship with alcohol. Whether you’re actively participating in the challenge, more generally rethinking how drinking fits into your life, or just curious about alternative ways to unwind and socialize, TribeTokes has exactly what you need.

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This Delta-8 THC tincture essentially serves as the bitters of the cannabis world. Just add a few drops to your favorite mocktail, sparkling water, or other non-alcoholic drink, and it’ll transform into a subtly potent beverage that will keep you buzzy and socializing without slurring through your conversations.

Live Rosin Gummies

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TribeTokes bills these gummies as “the champagne of cannabis,” and its nickname is certainly earned. Leveraging live rosin—a top-shelf cannabis extract—these fruit-flavored gummies will elevate your night while keeping you headache-free.

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Lowell Fillmore “Sly” Dunbar, a Jamaican drummer and one-half of the production duo Sly and Robbie, has died at the age of 73, sources confirmed to The Guardian. “About 7 o’clock this morning, I went to wake him up and he wasn’t responding,” Dunbar’s wife, Thelma, told the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner, which confirmed that the artist died on Monday morning. “I knew he was sick… but I didn’t know that he was this sick,” Thelma said. Famed British DJ David Rodigan called Dunbar a “true icon.” Dunbar connected with Robbie Shakespeare—who died in 2021—in 1972, and the pair quickly became the most in-demand rhythm section in reggae, releasing more than 30 albums during their time together. The two formed their own record label, Taxi Records, in 1980. Dunbar was a 13-time Grammy nominee and a two-time winner, receiving awards in 1985 for Best Reggae Recording for the Black Uhuru album Anthem, for which Dunbar and Shakespeare were producers, and in 1999 for Best Reggae Album for the Sly and Robbie album Friends. No official cause of death has been reported.

Flight attendants have become more innovative in their efforts to curb plane disruptions. On a Jan. 18 flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo, Delta cabin crew prevented a bad situation from getting worse by blocking in an unruly passenger with their beverage carts. Court documents obtained by People stated that the trouble began when a 64-year-old male passenger boarded the plane, already experiencing difficulty speaking and stumbling. Shortly after the flight took off, the passenger shoved a female member of the cabin crew, after which two male flight attendants attempted to separate the attacker and the attendant. After the passenger was made to sit down, he got up and began beelining for first class, prompting the flight attendants to use the beverage carts as physical barriers to his rampage. To avoid endangering the remaining passengers or attendants, the pilot conducted an emergency landing. A Delta spokesperson referred to the incident as regarding “potential medical issues involving a customer” and said the individual was sent to a medical facility. Based on court records, the passenger was arrested less than a week after the initial event on two counts, one for interfering with the flight crew and one for assault.

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From self-love to shared pleasure, sex toys are a ticket to spicing things up in the bedroom. Lovehoney, an award-winning sex positive brand and retailer, recently kicked off its Valentine’s Day sale, with huge discounts on sex toys, lingerie, and accessories. You can save up to 50 percent on everything from high-quality vibrators and wands to lingerie and sex accessories across the Lovehoney site.

Not sure where to start? One of our favorites is the Lovehoney Hot Shot Male Masturbator, which recreates the sensations of oral sex by warming up and delivering rhythmic pulses and vibrations to the head of the penis. Its powerful motor features six patterns and three intensity levels, giving you full control over your pleasure.

Lovehoney Hot Shot Male Masturbator

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Up All Night Couple's Sex Toy Kit

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From vibrator explainers to male sex toy guides, Lovehoney’s advice section will help guide you to your perfect fit.

A MAGA billionaire who gave $10,000 to the shooter of Renee Good has donated the same amount to the family of slain nurse Alex Pretti. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman came under fire in January after he donated funds to Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and killed 37-year-old mom-of-three Good. Pretti was shot dead in Minneapolis on Saturday as he protested ICE’s presence in the city, with a GoFundMe in his name having surpassed $1 million at the time of writing. Of that pot, $10,000 is reported by The Wall Street Journal to have come from Pershing Square founder Ackman, who previously claimed he had also tried to give money to Good’s family, following her shooting on Jan. 7, ”but it was already closed as it had achieved its $1.5 million fundraising objective,” he said. “My purpose in supporting Ross and attempting to support Good was not to make a political statement,” Ackman said previously. “I was simply continuing my longstanding commitment to assisting those accused of crimes of providing for their defense.”

Prince Harry is a glorified house husband relying on speaking gigs to make money, according to unflattering new details on the royal’s life today in Page Six. Sources alleged to be in his circle said he lacks a stable income stream and a clear mission. “Harry’s not really doing anything in America... He seems very wrapped up in the past, one told Page Six. “There have been rumors about a business, but its track record isn’t great. He’s really great at service—look at Invictus. He should stick with that.” Harry’s wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, appears to have little in the way of work with Netflix now that her show, With Love, Meghan, has been canceled. (Her camp insists her line of jams, candles and other home goods is doing good numbers.) Page Six estimates the couple’s annual running costs at around $12 million; their foundation has been shuttered and relaunched as a lighter-weight charity model, while staff roles on their team have disappeared. Harry’s social circle in California is said to consist mainly of people introduced to him through his wife, and one source claimed Harry rarely spends time outside their home. His daily life reportedly centers on family routines in Montecito, interspersed with select public appearances.

Want more royal gossip, scoops and scandal? Head over to The Royalist on Substack.

The Great British Baking Show has found a replacement for longtime judge Prue Leith, 85, who announced her departure from the series—known as The Great British Bake Off in the U.K.—in a statement last Wednesday. British food writer and television cook Nigella Lawson, 66, will replace Leith and join judge Paul Hollywood, along with hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, in the show’s upcoming season. Lawson published her first cookbook, How to Eat, in 1998 and hosted her cooking show, Nigella Bites, the following year, going on to release more cookbooks and host additional cooking shows. “I’m uncharacteristically rather lost for words right now!” Lawson wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday, adding that “it is daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry before her.” Leith joined the show in 2016, following the departure of Mary Berry, 90, when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4. The two judges had served on the show for 9 and 7 years, respectively. “The Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, it’s a National Treasure,” Lawson wrote of the show, which has been on air for more than 15 years and arrived on Netflix in 2018.

Scientists are warning in a new study that Earth has entered a “new era” of extreme weather, as conditions in the Arctic grow increasingly volatile. The research analyzed 70 years of data and found that the last 30 years recorded far more extreme weather events, including Arctic heatwaves, droughts, and reductions in snow cover. “The Arctic is entering a novel era of weather extremes with likely severe consequences for ecosystems there,” ecologist Gareth Phoenix told ScienceAlert. Incidents arising from extreme weather events are the main drivers of “arctic browning,” or the overall reduction in plant matter in regions that are warming faster than the rest of the planet. An example of this phenomenon is rain-on-snow, which occurs when rain freezes onto plant matter. It can have significant impacts on plants and, in turn, on food sources for Arctic animals, as well as on the balance of carbon capture. Miska Luoto, a geoscientist from the University of Helsinki, warned, “This may have significant long-term consequences for Arctic nature.”

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This Valentine’s Day, skip the one-and-done lingerie and go for something you’ll both enjoy wearing (and taking off) again and again: matching sets of comfy, cheeky underwear from Shinesty. With more than 70,000 five-star reviews, the brand has earned a loyal following, and after one wear, you’ll see exactly why. Shinesty’s underwear is made from an ultra-soft micro modal blend that’s three times softer than cotton, breathable, and moisture-wicking for all-day comfort. Shinesty’s men’s collection features a patented Ball Hammock pouch design that keeps the goods comfortably supported, off your legs, and looking even better than usual.

Shinesty Matching Underwear Collection

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In fact, Shinesty is so confident you’ll love your new undies that it backs them with a no-risk guarantee. If you don’t love your Shinesty underwear, they’re free. The real fun of Shinesty’s undies is the lineup of playfully sexy prints. From lace-print pairs that hint at new positions to try, to glow-in-the-dark styles inspired by star constellations, each design brings a wink of personality. There’s even a lollipop-print pair that leaves very little to the imagination about where your mouth should go—perfect for Valentine’s Day.

A tourist was mauled by a snow leopard while attempting to take a selfie with the animal. The skier was left with serious, though not life-threatening, injuries in the attack in the Talat village area of the Keketuohai UNESCO Global Geopark in Funyun County in northern China, according to local reports cited by Mail Online. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. Friday as the tourist was returning to her hotel and moved dangerously close to the animal to take a photo. Video footage circulating online shows the tourist pinned beneath the leopard in deep snow before bystanders intervened. She is later seen being helped away, clutching her face as blood pours down. Xinhua news agency reported that local staff believe the snow leopard may have descended from higher elevations because of recent cold weather and a lack of food. China is home to the world’s largest population of snow leopards, but sightings are extremely rare, as the animals typically avoid humans and are most active at night. Despite their elusive nature, the owner of a nearby hotel said the species had been spotted hours before the attack. “We saw it last night, a few kilometres from where the attack took place, but we can’t confirm if it’s the same snow leopard,” he said.

A mountain climber has died after plunging approximately 300 feet while climbing Oregon’s highest peak. The climber, whose identity has not been released pending notification of the family, fell at about 9:45 a.m. on Sunday near Devil’s Kitchen, a massive rock wall near the top of Oregon’s Mount Hood. Witnesses saw the climber fall and called 911. When rescuers from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Portland Mountain Rescue, and American Medical Response’s Reach and Treat Team arrived, they found the individual was deceased and began recovery operations, according to a statement from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Mount Hood is more than 11,200 feet tall.