INTERNACIONAL
California mom rips Newsom-backed ‘diversion program’ that appears to benefit her son’s killer
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Compounding layers of leniency in California laws are allowing drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter to walk away with clean criminal and driving records, prompting calls for reform from victims’ families.
Allison Lyman, who is looking for accountability for the crash that killed her son last year, believes soft-on-crime laws passed under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure have weakened accountability for road deaths, amounting to what she described as «negligence.»
«You know, our hunch is this was all happening during ‘soft on crime,’ ‘let’s clear the jails,’» Lyman said of California’s laws.
«And the consequence now is us — with these drivers right back on our roads.»
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, pictured alongside Connor Lopez, right, the son of Allison Lyman who was killed in a car accident on April 23, 2025. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images; Allison Lyman)
Lyman’s son, Connor Lopez, was killed in a collision on April 23, 2025, when Harkit Kaur, a 50-year-old woman, turned into a clear view of incoming traffic and blocked the path of Lopez’s motorcycle, according to eyewitnesses to the accident.
Kaur did not show signs of intoxication after taking a standardized field sobriety test, police reports indicate. Fox News Digital reached out to Kaur’s legal representation.
After the accident, Lyman was shocked to hear the death was considered a «misdemeanor» under California laws dealing with non-violent crimes — something amounting to less than a shoplifting crime. But her shock only grew when she was told Kaur could soon have the accident wiped entirely from her record through a law Newsom approved in 2020.
«I won’t ever forget the day I sat in front of the DA. He said something about a ‘diversion program.’ And then we learned: Governor Newsom signed AB 3234 into law,» Layman explained.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom takes questions from the media after announcing the state is suing the White House to restore SNAP funding before the cutoff during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. (REUTERS/Fred Greaves)
That law expanded judges’ authority to grant pretrial dismissal in some misdemeanor cases, allowing charges to be completely dismissed if defendants complete court-ordered programs and «would deem the arrest upon which diversion was imposed to have never occurred.»
The law can apply to more than just traffic violations.
«And then the charge is dismissed. It is erased,» Lyman said. «The driver that killed Connor has never lost her license. I’ve seen her driving,» Lyman said.
Lyman noted that Kaur hasn’t yet officially received a diversion ruling and will receive a final sentencing ruling next week.
Coupled with other Newsom-approved laws, Lyman said courts are specifically told to consider diversion ahead of possible jail sentences.
«I zoomed in for a woman whose husband was killed in Sacramento. It’s a misdemeanor. She has the same judge as Connor. And the judge was talking about making his decision and cited this code that I had never heard of — 17.2. And it was another law passed in 2023 that essentially tells judges to consider everything, including diversion, before jail,» Lyman said.
Newsom approved 17.2 through AB 2167 — a law that requires «a court to consider alternatives to incarceration including collaborative justice court programs, diversion, restorative justice and probation.»
In the wake of her son’s death, now one year ago, Lyman is working with state lawmakers to advocate for SB 953 — a law that would require all vehicular manslaughter to be reported to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
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The California state capitol building in Sacramento on National Urban League California Legislative Advocacy Day on March 13, 2024. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)
Sen. Roger Niello, R-Calif., the bill’s sponsor, explained his legislation would put two points on the defendant’s driving record, regardless of diversion.
«Under current laws, a speeding ticket can now have a greater reflection on a driver’s record than killing somebody with a car. A diversion does not change the fact that a fatality occurred,» Niello said at a press event earlier this week.
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«The DMV cannot do its job of determining who poses a risk and who does not.»
SB 953 advanced unanimously out of committee on Tuesday.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office.
gavin newsom, safety, in court, law, california
Dos pueblos en «guerra»
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En el Var
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INTERNACIONAL
Costa Rica vuelve a destacar entre los mejores destinos del mundo para jubilados, según Forbes
Costa Rica fue incluida nuevamente entre los mejores lugares del mundo para que ciudadanos disfruten su etapa de retiro, según la edición 2026 del ranking de destinos internacionales para jubilados elaborado por la revista Forbes.
La clasificación analizó 96 destinos ubicados en 24 países de cinco continentes, tomando en cuenta factores como costo de vida, impuestos, calidad y precio de los servicios médicos, seguridad, estabilidad política, facilidad para regresar a Estados Unidos, integración social, requisitos migratorios y riesgos asociados al cambio climático.
El país centroamericano destacó por una combinación de características que durante años han atraído a jubilados extranjeros: naturaleza, tranquilidad, acceso a servicios, cercanía con Norteamérica y un estilo de vida menos acelerado que el de muchas ciudades estadounidenses.
Según Forbes, Costa Rica mantiene un atractivo especial para quienes buscan retirarse cerca de espacios naturales. Sus playas en ambos océanos, los bosques tropicales y la diversidad ecológica fueron señalados como algunos de los principales motivos por los cuales el país continúa apareciendo en este tipo de rankings internacionales.
Además, el informe resalta que el costo de vida es considerablemente menor al promedio estadounidense, mientras que la seguridad es valorada como relativamente alta en comparación con otros destinos internacionales y el sistema político es considerado estable.
Sin embargo, el análisis también menciona algunos desafíos. Entre ellos destaca el impacto de la temporada lluviosa, especialmente las inundaciones que afectan distintas zonas del territorio nacional y que representan uno de los principales riesgos para residentes locales y extranjeros.
Uno de los puntos destacados por Forbes fue el sistema de salud costarricense. El ranking señala que en las principales ciudades del país existe atención médica de alta calidad a costos accesibles y menciona la posibilidad de que residentes extranjeros jubilados se incorporen a la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS).
El informe indica que algunos jubilados pueden pagar alrededor de $150 mensuales por la cobertura, aunque en la práctica la contribución depende de los ingresos declarados y de la situación particular de cada residente extranjero.
El idioma español aparece como un elemento recomendable para facilitar la adaptación, aunque Forbes señala que no representa una barrera determinante debido a la presencia de comunidades extranjeras y servicios orientados a residentes internacionales.
En materia migratoria, el país también conserva una ventaja competitiva. La publicación destaca la categoría de residencia para pensionados, conocida como “pensionado”, que permite a extranjeros con ingresos permanentes solicitar autorización para vivir legalmente en Costa Rica.
Este régimen exige demostrar una pensión vitalicia de al menos $1,000 mensuales y otorga una residencia temporal renovable por periodos de dos años, de acuerdo con la normativa migratoria costarricense. Además, el país permite a visitantes estadounidenses permanecer como turistas durante varios meses mientras completan sus trámites de residencia.
Otro aspecto señalado fue el sistema tributario. Forbes resalta que Costa Rica no grava los ingresos generados fuera del territorio nacional, una característica relacionada con su modelo de tributación territorial. Aunque Estados Unidos y Costa Rica no cuentan con un tratado específico para evitar la doble imposición, los ingresos extranjeros de muchos jubilados no son sujetos al impuesto costarricense.
Entre las zonas recomendadas aparecen San José, el Valle Central y comunidades como Atenas, reconocida internacionalmente por su clima templado. También se menciona Santa Cruz, en Guanacaste, como una alternativa atractiva para quienes buscan cercanía con playas y comunidades de extranjeros.
El Valle Central continúa siendo una de las regiones preferidas por jubilados internacionales debido a su cercanía con hospitales, servicios, el aeropuerto internacional y costos generalmente más bajos que algunas zonas costeras de alta demanda.
Costa Rica comparte la lista con otros destinos que compiten por atraer a esta población, entre ellos Panamá, México, Belice, Colombia, Uruguay, Portugal, España, Francia, Italia, Tailandia y Vietnam.
El ranking de este año también incorporó con mayor peso los riesgos climáticos. Algunos destinos europeos fueron retirados debido a factores como incendios forestales y temperaturas extremas, mientras que otros países fueron descartados por altos niveles de vulnerabilidad ante fenómenos naturales.
Costa Rica, que ha aparecido durante años en listas similares, mantiene su presencia gracias a una combinación de factores que siguen siendo valorados por los jubilados extranjeros: estabilidad, naturaleza, servicios médicos, cercanía geográfica con Estados Unidos y opciones migratorias accesibles.
No obstante, el escenario internacional cambia constantemente y cada edición de estos rankings refleja nuevas prioridades, especialmente aquellas relacionadas con seguridad, sostenibilidad y capacidad de los países para enfrentar los efectos del cambio climático.
Costa Rica,adultos mayores,casa de montaña,balcón,estadounidenses,paisaje montañoso
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President Ronald Reagan met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev five times in the late 1980s. The first such meeting was in Geneva, Switzerland in November 1985 when the two leaders began to form a relationship. It was the second meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, where Reagan and Gorbachev began to find trust.
«The reason I wanted to do it really, truly, was because I think these days we’ve gotten so good at yelling at one another that we are not talking anymore,» said «The Brink of War» director Michael Gunn. «What blew me away about the story when Secretary Schultz told me about it was that these were two guys who had every reason to hate each other, had every reason to be enemies, and they sat down in a room together and tried to make a better world.»
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Jeff Daniels stars as President Ronald Reagan in «The Brink of War,» a film centered on the 1986 Reykjavik summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. («The Brink of War» / Angel Studios)
Jeff Daniels stars as Reagan in «The Brink of War,» which follows the Reykjavik summit with Gorbachev, played by Jared Harris. Reagan’s Secretary of State George Schultz, played by J.K. Simmons, was instrumental in giving Gunn behind-the-scenes details for his film.
«We spent hours and hours together. I interviewed him. He gave me the declassified transcripts that informed the script. He’s a hero of mine. The movie is dedicated to him, for him, for his public service,» Gunn said.
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«The Brink of War» explores how Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev built trust during nuclear arms negotiations in Iceland. («The Brink of War» / Angel Studios)
«The Brink of War» not only highlights the Reagan administration’s ambitions for peace but also their disappointments. One scene shows Reagan’s doubt over trusting Gorbachev amid the negotiations as Schultz assures him it was not the end of talks to find common ground between the two global powers.
«This moment where they figured out just the two of them in a room that they could trust one another, I think led to all that. The first arms reduction agreement in human history,» Gunn said.
While no final agreement was reached in Iceland, the summit paved the way for several more meetings between Reagan and Gorbachev. It also led to several peace treaties — like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which required both sides to liquidate a class of nuclear weapons.
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Director Michael Gunn says Reagan and Gorbachev’s willingness to keep talking offers a lesson for leaders confronting conflicts today. («The Brink of War» / Angel Studios)
«For the first time on the highest level, we and the Soviets came close to an agreement on real reductions of both strategic and intermediate-range weapons,» President Reagan said after his meeting with Gorbachev in Iceland. «We were in sight of an historic agreement on completely eliminating the threat of offensive ballistic missiles by 1996. I can help remembering being told just a few years ago. Radical arms reduction was an impossible dream, but now it’s on the agenda for both sides.»
Gunn believes the Reagan and Gorbachev’s discussions should be an inspiration for ending today’s conflicts.
«I think the lesson for today is that we have to continue dialog,» Gunn said. «As tough as it gets, I want people to walk out of the theater with hope that if we engage, if we’re strong, if we are seeking peace in a genuine way and we find a genuine partner that we can make a better safer world even today.»
«The Brink of War» debuts in theaters Aug. 14.
media, reagan, foreign affairs, geopolitics, russia
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