** LAPD Shooting Tragedy: Trans Woman Dies After Seeking Help from Police **

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** Linda Becerra Moran, a 30-year-old trans woman, died after being shot by Los Angeles police while she sought help regarding a suspected kidnapping. According to the LAPD, Becerra Moran had called 911 on February 7, claiming she was being held against her will in a motel room. Officers responded, but the situation escalated when she approached them with a knife, leading to fatal gunfire on February 27 after weeks on life support.

Witness accounts and video footage show officers engaging with Becerra Moran prior to the shooting, during which she expressed distress about her situation. "This has chilling connotations for survivors in L.A.," commented Soma Snakeoil, executive director of the Sidewalk Project, emphasizing the fear that such encounters instill among trafficking survivors. Following the shooting, there have been calls for a thorough investigation into how law enforcement handles cases of vulnerable individuals.

Becerra Moran's case has reignited discussions surrounding police interaction with marginalized communities, particularly in the context of violence against trans individuals. The LAPD stated that the officer involved, Jacob Sanchez, is currently under review.

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** SpaceX's Starship Rocket Explodes in Second Consecutive Launch Failure **

** SpaceX's Starship rocket experienced catastrophic failure shortly after liftoff from Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday, marking the second such incident this year. The 123-meter rocket, which lifted off at 6:30 p.m. ET, began spinning uncontrollably and exploded a few minutes into flight, showering debris over southern Florida and the Bahamas, as confirmed by videos circulated on social media. This incident follows a similar failure during a Starship flight in January, which ended prematurely with the rocket exploding eight minutes into its flight. SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot noted during a livestream that the company is familiar with the problems encountered, indicating ongoing difficulties within the program. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instituted temporary flight restrictions at major airports in Florida, including Miami and Orlando, to address safety concerns related to potential debris from the explosion. SpaceX stated that contact was lost with the vehicle soon after it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" during its ascent. **

** James Webb Telescope Captures Unprecedented Activity from Black Hole Sagittarius A* **

** The James Webb Space Telescope has provided a groundbreaking glimpse into the activity of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, approximately 26,000 light-years from Earth. According to a recent study led by Farhad Yusef-Zadeh from Northwestern University, researchers observed astonishing light flares that resembled pyrotechnics emanating from the black hole. The findings were published in *The Astrophysical Journal Letters*. Yusef-Zadeh explained that the flares typically arise from accretion disks, composed of gas and dust, situated just outside the black hole's event horizon. Remarkably, the observed activity displayed no consistent pattern, with varying intensities recorded during eight-to-ten-hour observation periods. "We couldn't find a pattern in this activity," Yusef-Zadeh stated, emphasizing the uniqueness of Sagittarius A* compared to other supermassive black holes. The researchers hope that deeper investigations will help unravel the mysteries behind these energetic displays, which are central to understanding black hole dynamics and their role in galaxy formation. **

** Grand Jury Indicts Hanceville Police Officers, Calls for Department's Abolition **

** A grand jury in Alabama has recommended the immediate abolition of the Hanceville Police Department due to a "rampant culture of corruption," following the indictment of five officers, including Police Chief Jason Marlin. The indictment was announced by Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker, who stated that the department's handling of evidence and protocols directly contributed to public safety threats. Investigators uncovered failures in maintaining the department's evidence room, which was marked as unsecured and had led to compromised evidence for multiple cases. The findings were exacerbated by the death of dispatcher Christopher Michael Willingham, whose passing from a toxic drug cocktail was linked to the department's negligence. "The evidence room was not secured," Crocker said, remarking on the "unfettered access" many had to dangerous substances stored there. The grand jury's report described the department as functioning "more as a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency." Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer expressed a commitment to cooperating with the investigation and addressing the issues within the department. **
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