Palm Springs

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to stop his investigation into ballots from the November special election that his office seized following accusations of voter fraud.

Bianco, who is also running as a Republican candidate for governor, seized more than 650,000 ballots from the local election office as part of his investigation, which began in February. The sheriff followed a tip from a local community group that claimed the vote tallies did not match the official number of ballots cast.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/57225583

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading Republican candidate for governor, has seized more than 650,000 ballots from last November’s election and is investigating whether they were fraudulently counted.

“This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes recorded,” Bianco said at a news conference Friday.

"The unusual probe drew a sharp rebuke from California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who said in a statement Friday that it is “unprecedented in both scope and scale” and appears “not to be based on facts or evidence.”

“There is no indication, anywhere in the United States, of widespread voter fraud,” Bonta said. “Counts, recounts, hand counts, audits, and court cases all support this.”

Hundreds of "No Kings" protests are scheduled in California next week, part of the anti-Trump organization's nationwide protest against the president and his administration on March 28.

"With less than two weeks to go until the next national No Kings Day of Nonviolent Action, organizers across the nation are now planning over 3,000 local events — more than any previous No Kings national mobilization. More events are being added daily," said the organization in a March 18 release.

In an effort to reduce unsafe driving behaviors in areas identified as high-risk for collisions in Palm Springs, the city's police department launched ``Operation Desert Zero,'' which was in effect today, an initiative focused on DUI drivers, speeding and other factors contributing to driving-related incidents.

The controversy centers on allegations from a local election integrity group, which claims that while approximately 611,000 ballots were cast, more than 657,000 votes were counted—suggesting a discrepancy of tens of thousands of ballots. These claims prompted the sheriff’s department to obtain search warrants in February, allowing access to ballots and election records from the county’s registrar of voters.

Bianco confirmed that the department’s next step is a full physical count of ballots. Investigators will compare the number of physical ballots to official records and reported totals submitted to the state.

Fire at Prescott Preserve in Palm Springs has prompted nearby residents to call for stronger fire prevention efforts, saying the damage could have been avoided.

The blaze broke out Sunday, scorching 3.5 acres and destroying nearly 100 trees, according to officials. Residents say the most alarming part is how close the flames came to nearby homes.

This information (if accurate) does not seem to appear at any U.S. new site yet.

The bomber at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, has been identified as a 25-year-old man who left an online manifesto in which he described himself as a pro-mortalist, saying people didn’t give consent to exist.

The suspect is Guy Edward Bartkus, a 25-year-old man from Twentynine Palms, a small city about 35 miles northeast of Palm Springs. He left a 30-minute audio recording in which he explained his motive for the attack.

“I figured I would just make a recording explaining why I’ve decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic,” he said at the beginning of the recording. “Basically, it just comes down to I’m angry that I exist and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here.”

Describing himself as anti-life, he adds: “I’m very against [IVF], it’s extremely wrong. These are people who are having kids after they’ve sat there and thought about it. How much more stupid can it get?”

ABC news update: "Investigators believe the person who died was the suspect in the blast, according to a law enforcement source."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/explosion-shakes-palm-springs-residents-instructed-stay/story?id=121910709

"Now that I'm inside your house, I own your house right now," the deputy says in the video.

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2024/09/07/riverside-sheriff-investigating-incident-depicted-in-viral-video/75122042007/