KEXP expands to San Francisco: Seattle’s favorite nonprofit radio station is growing into California. KEXP announced via a donor email that it purchased San Francisco’s KREV 92.7 with a winning bid of $3.75 million as part of a bankruptcy auction. So long as the Federal Communications Commissions gives them the green light, KEXP will start operations in SF in the next few months. 

THING ditches Port Townsend: Seattle Theater Group’s eclectic arts fest, THING, will no longer take place in Port Townsend. After declining ticket sales in the event’s three-year run, STG determined Port Townsend was the problem. The town is difficult to get to and doesn’t have a ton of lodging for a slew of guests. It is damn pretty, though. Ah well, THING will live on, just somewhere else. STG has not said where, though. 

Good news for this dog: On Monday night, a fire swept through SODO’s dog daycare, Dog Resort. In the hubbub of trying not to die in the fire, Remi, a dog, went missing. Three days letter, Remi turned up after reportedly falling off a ramp near Lumen Field. She is now at a veterinarian’s office in critical condition. Remi’s owner is currently in Japan. The owner’s other dog, Georgie, turned up on I-5 after the fire. 

Hey, I heard you like weather: So, here’s some weather stuff. First off, it will be rainy on Saturday through early Sunday afternoon. Other than that, the weekend and the following week is looking cool, crisp, and dry. Pretty different from the soggy first half of this month.

Already half way through November. Seattle weather stats for the month so far ( thru the 15th ).

Rain, 5.09″, 2″ above normal, 9th wettest in 79 years.
Temps, 49.0°, 0.9° above normal, 24th warmest in 79 years.
Normal for the entire month, rain 6.31″, temp 46.5°. #wawx

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 17, 2023

A modest quake: A 3.1 magnitude earthquake gave Snohomish County a nice little rattle Thursday night. 

Hey, I heard you like the moon: So, here’s some moon stuff.

Tonight 15.8% Crescent Moonset over the Space Needle pic.twitter.com/FSVIgBtgZz

— Steven.T.Luong (@steven_t_luong) November 17, 2023

Diddy sued for rape, sex trafficking: The signer Cassie filed a suit Thursday against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the rapper, hiphop mogul, and billionaire. Combs signed a then-19-year-old Cassie to his label in 2005. At the time, Combs was 37. Several years later, the two entered into a romantic relationship. However, according to Cassie, Combs “raped her in her home after she tried to leave him, ‘blew up’ another man’s car after learning of his romantic interest in the singer, and often beat and kicked her,” NBC News reports. She also alleged Combs forced her to engage in sex acts with other men while he filmed it. Cassie named Combs as well as Bad Boy Records, Bad Boy Entertainment, Epic Records, and Combs Enterprises as defendants.

UN stops delivering food to Gaza: After telephone and internet service in Gaza failed due to a lack of food, the United Nations said it was forced to stop delivering food and supplies. The UN warned of widespread starvation. Israel budged a tiny bit and said it would allow “‘very minimal’ daily shipments of fuel into Gaza for use by the UN and communications system,” according to the Associated Press. However, the UN said the amount Israel has greenlit will not be enough “to fuel water systems, hospitals, and trucks to deliver aid.”

Protesters block bridges: Over 200 protesters blocked the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to urge President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Biden was in San Francisco for a global trade summit. Protestors blocked all lanes of the bridge’s upper deck with their cars. Some even threw their keys into the bay. Police arrested 80 people and had 29 cars towed. Bostonian ceasefire protesters also blocked some car infrastructure, stalling traffic across the bridge connecting Boston to Cambridge for two hours. 

Rep. George Santos faces expulsion—again: On Thursday, the House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” that Santos “used campaign funds for personal purposes, defrauded donors, and filed false or incomplete campaign finance and financial disclosures,” the New York Times reports. According to the report, Santos may have used that campaign money for personal Botox and to pay for OnlyFans subscriptions. Santos announced he would not be running for reelection. On Friday, Republican Rep. Michael Guest, chairman of the House Ethics Committee, filed a resolution seeking to expel Santos from Congress. 

We’re living in an episode of VEEP pic.twitter.com/5F05LsibI4

— Jordan Alexander (@JordnAlexnder) November 16, 2023

Nazis are no good for business: IBM will stop paying for ads on Twitter/X after an ad for the computing company ran alongside pro-Nazi content. The move comes after Media Matters posted analysis of Elon Musk’s platform showing ads for major companies (IBM, BCUniversal’s Bravo, Oracle, and Comcast’s Xfinity) running on pages affiliated with pro-Nazi and pro-Hitler ideology. 

Forget Black Friday: In the American plumbing world, the day after Thanksgiving is known as Brown Friday. It’s their busiest day. 

Snoop cuts out kush: Snoop Dogg, who is famously good pals with Mary Jane, announced via Instagram: “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time.” It’s unclear whether Snoop will just stop smoking weed, or whether he’ll cut out all marijuana from his life. 

How to stop the orcas from sinking your ship? Sailors are blasting death metal to ward off the killer whales.

ICYMI: A new “Play Date” came out yesterday. This time I went to an accordion social club and had the time of my life.

A recommendation for your Friday: Maybe I’m behind the times on this, but have you watched The Righteous Gemstones on HBO? It’s sort of like if Succession were a ridiculous comedy about an ultra-wealthy mega church family in the South. I’m having a ball with it. 

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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has filed charges against a married couple, accused of human labor trafficking, according to a press release from her office.

“Domestic workers play an important role in our economy and like all workers should be paid fairly and protected from exploitation,” Jenkins stated in a press release. “Domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking due to their isolation within their employers’ homes. Our office stands with the victim and will do everything in our power to hold Jose Aguila and Lorraine Lim accountable and send a message that this conduct will not be tolerated.”

The San Francisco couple brought a nanny, Nicel R., to the United States from the Philippines in June 2019, the DA’s office stated in the press release.

The nanny was “was forced to work seven days a week caring for the suspects’ disabled child in addition to other forced labor in and outside of the home,” she claims, and that while she was told she’d only have to be in the US for three months, that turned into two-and-a-half years.

San Francisco legislator receives another bomb threat

“The suspects allegedly isolated Nicel R., who does not speak English, through various means, including by remaining in possession of her passport, restricting her from having friends or cell service, and controlling and monitoring her ability to leave the home/workplace, ” the press release stated. “By making her dependent on the suspects for life’s basic necessities, such as food, shelter and money, Nicel R. lacked the resources to leave her employers.”

For the first several months, Nicel R. was paid $240 a month, the DA’s office stated. Then that was reduced to $40 a month, despite the fact she was required “to be available at all times, even in the middle of the night.” Nicel R. lived in a storage room without heating and stacked with clothes and boxes, the DA’s office claimed.

“Aguila and Lim also did not provide other mandatory employee benefits such as payment for the substantial overtime hours she worked, meal and rest breaks, paid sick leave, workers’ compensation insurance, and proof of wages,” the press release stated. “Nicel R. was saved in large part because of a neighbor’s call to police. Once the neighbor realized what was happening, she alerted the San Francisco Police. The SFPD Special Victims Unit rescued Nicel R. on November 29, 2021, with support from Homeland Security Special Agents. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division supported the victim since the rescue by placing her in a safe environment and providing resources for her to build a life free from abuse.”

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Aguila and Lim surrendered on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.

“Each of the suspects posted bond on $100,000 bails set by the court,” the press release stated. “Pre-trial release conditions include electronic monitoring by the San Francisco Sherriff’s Department, surrendering passports and abiding by the terms of a Criminal Protective Order which states that they must have no contact with the victim and must stay 100 yards away from her. If convicted of all charges, they face each over 19 years in State Prison.”

Anyone with information on labor trafficking is asked to call the SFPD tips line at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.

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A Florida man was charged with six crimes, including human trafficking and pimping, after forcing his 19-year-old girlfriend into prostitution under threat of violence, the San Mateo District Attorney said.

Alexander Robinson, 29, stayed at the Travelodge in South San Francisco with his girlfriend for over a month and drove them daily to prostitution in San Francisco under threat of beatings, prosecutors said.

Robinson and the woman are both from Florida and drove to South San Francisco after making the decision to come to California. They stopped in Reno, where he allegedly forced them to undress for money, prosecutors said. The couple arrived in South San Francisco on July 28th. Robinson was arrested on August 28 after allegedly perpetrating domestic violence against her at the South San Francisco hotel, prosecutors said. Robinson pleaded not guilty, bail has been set at $ 300,000, and his next trial is scheduled for September 13th. Prosecutors said cases of human trafficking are rare in San Mateo County, although it does.

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The term “human trafficking” – also known as sex trafficking, sexual exploitation or prostitution – recalls situations that are reminiscent of the Liam Neeson film “Taken”, in which young white women are caught by Russian mobs while visiting abroad and sold to the rich Men.

While parts of it may be true, much of the human trafficking is right here in the US and, surprisingly, in northern Colorado.

According to an article by Greeley Tribune reporter Anne Delaney in February 2020, Greeley traded 272 people in 2019, according to data from the Avery Center for Research and Services. The National Institute of Justice estimates that there are five victims for every human trafficker. That corresponds to about 54 human traffickers in Greeley.

The new short film “Maggie” portrays an impressive story of human trafficking in a realistic light.

Based on true stories from sex trafficking survivors, the film was written, directed, and edited by Windsor-based Ben Hess and shot in the greater Denver, Loveland and Greeley area. Loveland filmmaker RW Perkins produced the film.

“Maggie” plays Calista Masters as Maggie, Marc Brown as Daddy and Luz Lescano as Amber.

“It’s common in Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland, along the I-25 corridor, it’s definitely not as obvious as driving to Colfax. The typical truckload of kidnapped girls, do we see that up here? No, at least not that we know about, ”said Hess. “But there is a lot of it in very non-stereotypical, non-traditional ways, like the runaway girl who has sex with people for a place to stay. Technically, that falls into the same area. “

Ben Hess, who lives in Windsor, recently wrote, directed and produced a short film about human trafficking. (Courtesy photo of Ben Hess)

The film follows a young woman named Maggie who is introduced into the world of sex trafficking by her boyfriend Daddy. Viewers watch as Maggie grapples with the emotional, verbal, and physical abuses often associated with human trafficking as she tries to escape her boyfriend / pimp. Amber, a fellow victim of Daddy’s sex trafficking, befriends Maggie.

“It (human trafficking) is rampant in Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland, and along the I-25 corridor. The typical truckload of kidnapped girls, do we see that up here? No, at least not that we know about, ”said Hess. “But there is a lot of it in very non-stereotypical, non-traditional ways, like the runaway girl who has sex with people for a place to stay. Technically, that falls into the same area. “

Hess has partnered with the Avery Center in Greeley for input and advice on the film. The center supports those at risk who are currently or previously experiencing commercial sexual exploitation.

“I knew I wanted to make sure it was realistic,” said Hess. “I worked with these guys to make sure I was staying true to some things that could happen in real life.”

The center also allowed Hess to use his home for filming, and Angie Henderson, senior data analyst and training coordinator, and Megan Lundstrom, research director for the center, helped with the casting.

“I cry every time I see it because it’s such a good act and I know it comes from a place where it is shaped by real life experiences,” commented Lundstrom. “It’s so closely related to the Avery Center that it’s very meaningful.”

One thing Lundstrom really appreciates about the film is that it touches on human trafficking in the LatinX community, with Maggie being of Latin American descent.

“This is a community that is not talked about at all in human trafficking,” she said. “It was groundbreaking for me to see this last piece. This story is not particularly told in films or documentaries. “

While short films are usually defined as 40 minutes or less in length, including all credits, Hess packs a lot of drama and emotion into the 22:13 minute film.

“I don’t know if I could tell a story in 20 minutes and it hits every point in this girl’s life experience,” said Lundstrom. “You also understand the arc, but you want to understand the characters better.

“We told Ben he had to make a full-length movie about it,” she added.

Since he had never produced a short film, Hess was nervous that the film would be too long or not narrative sense.

“I feel like I was able to put it together so that it made sense for the most part,” he explained. “Of course, if I could go back and do certain things all over again, I would definitely do that. But I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. “

His efforts have definitely paid off as the film has won multiple awards including the 2020 San Francisco Indie Shorts Fest for Best US Drama, Best Colorado Short Film at the 2020 Horsetooth International Film Festival, and Best US Director, Actor and Actress at the Venice Shorts Fest in October 2020. The film was also nominated for the best drama short film at the IndieX Fest and for the best production design for the Indie Short Festival 2020.

Hess is currently working on some music videos and has other short films in the works as well as plans for a full-length feature film.

“I have to do things one by one because I really have to be careful to combine my full-time job and my private life,” says Hess with a laugh. “Of course that takes a lot of time.”

To see a free demonstration of “Maggie” go to https://bit.ly/35tr0kp.

For more information about the Avery Center and its programs, visit www.theaverycenter.org.

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