California officials have approved the removal of the derogatory term “squaw” from over 30 geographic features and place names on state lands, following a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022 and a similar move by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The renaming process will begin in early 2025, with the California Natural Resources Agency working with local governments and Native tribes to select new names, such as in West Sacramento where two streets were renamed in partnership with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. Assemblymember James Ramos, the state’s first Native American lawmaker, emphasized that the term “denigrates Native American women” and has contributed to the Murdered and Missing Indigenous People crisis.
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Man sentenced to time served for trying to open plane door, stab flight attendant in neck
Francisco Severo Torres, a 35-year-old Massachusetts man, was sentenced to time served after spending 26 months in prison for attempting to open a United Airlines emergency exit mid-flight and for stabbing a flight attendant with a broken spoon during the incident on March 5, 2023. He pleaded guilty to interference with flight crew and faces five years of supervised release, during which he cannot fly commercially. Want More Context? 🔎
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