California man charged for threats to dictionary publisher

BOSTON (AP) — A California man is heading to court in Massachusetts to face a charge of making violent threats against Merriam-Webster Inc. over the dictionary publisher’s updated gender definitions and for allegedly making anti-LGBTQ threats to other organizations. Prosecutors say 34-year-old Jeremy David Hanson of Rossmoor, California, was charged last week with interstate communication of threats to commit violence. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday in Springfield, Massachusetts, where Merriam-Webster is based. No defense attorney was listed on court records. Prosecutors say Hanson threatened a shooting and bombing at the publisher. However the affidavit did not specify whether any weapons or explosives were found during the investigation.