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By Ash-har Quraishi, Amy Corral, Charlie Brooks, Matt Clark, Scott Pham, Jose Sanchez, Ryan Beard December 2, 2024 / 8:06 PM EST / CBS News Amazon’s driver program faces safety criticism Amazon’s driver program faces criticism over safety issues 04:15 The death of a 19-year-old college student on a Texas highway is raising questions about the fleet of drivers Amazon uses to move packages between its facilities. College freshman Iliana Velez’s life was cut short in a crash with a contractor who was driving to pick up an Amazon load. A University of Texas freshman, Velez was working nights sorting packages part time at an Amazon fulfillment center. In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, 2022, Velez was on a break when she was forced off the road by a box truck driven by Jordan Sannicola, a contractor on his way to pick up an Amazon shipment. Velez’s car rolled multiple times. She died at the scene.  Iliana Velez, 19, was working overnights at an Amazon facility to pay for college. CBS News Her mother, Trula Velez, received the news from police that same

Amazon’s driver program faces criticism over safety issues – CBS News Watch CBS News The holiday shopping season is now in full swing, with shoppers expected to spend more than $13 billion before Cyber Monday is over. Amazon expects to deliver millions of packages in the next few weeks, relying on a fleet of drivers who mostly work for third-party carriers. Ash-har Quraishi looks into the safety implications of delivery on this kind of mass scale. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

This story is currently being updated while video of the LAPD update loads. Please refresh page for additional details. Authorities are set to update the public Monday evening with the latest details on Hannah Kobayashi, a 30-year-old Maui resident who has been the center of a massive search since she vanished in Los Angeles in early November.   On the way to visit her aunt in New York, the 30-year-old flew from Hawaii to L.A. on Nov. 8 and intentionally missed her connecting flight at LAX, according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.  The Maui native was spotted a day later at The Grove for a LeBron James event, with family members receiving concerning texts from her that same day.   She was last seen at the Pico Metro Station near Crypto.com Arena around 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 with an unknown person.  Hannah Kobayashi seen in L.A. in a surveillance photo obtained by family members. (viewer image) As the weeks passed and the search intensified, with more family members traveling to L.A. to look for her, they stated publicly that they believed Hannah had

Detectives are investigating a double homicide that left two teens dead in Northeast Los Angeles in November, police say. The Los Angeles Police Department says Northeast Area patrol officers received a radio call of “unknown trouble” in Mount Washington around 12:10 a.m. on Nov. 7. Officers responded to the call in the 1400 block of Cliff Drive and found two teenage boys unconscious, appearing to have sustained gunshot wounds. Officials did not immediately say whether any witnesses were present or heard the encounter. LAPD says despite lifesaving efforts, paramedics arrived and pronounced both teens dead at the scene. Police identified the first victim as 18-year-old Denzel Guzman, and the second victim as a 17-year-old juvenile. Details are limited, LAPD says there is no suspect information and did not mention whether arrests have been made. Police urge anyone with information regarding this crime to call Central Bureau Homicide Detectives Cardenas or De La Riva at 213-996-4163 or via email at 36303@lapd.online.   During non-business hours or on weekends, calls can be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).  To remain anonymous, call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477)

The Ventura Police Department is looking for a woman in her 70s who allegedly ran over a downed bicyclist, got out to look at him and then got back in her vehicle and drove off without helping. At about 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, a 71-year-old bicyclist crashed at Foothill Road and La Fonda Drive after hitting an object in the road, police said in a news release. While that cyclist was lying in the roadway, a white sedan that police believe could be a Lexus ran over the man. Police seek truck in hit-and-run in Hollywood “The occupants of that vehicle stopped shortly after, exited their vehicle, and walked over to the victim,” police said. “Both occupants then returned to their vehicle and fled before officers or emergency personnel arrived on scene, making no attempt to render aid to the victim.” The driver of that sedan is a woman believed to be about 70 years old, while the passenger is a woman believed to be about 20. The cyclist, meanwhile, is in critical but stable condition, police said. If anyone has any information, they’re asked

My Chemical Romance has broken its silence on the death of its former drummer Bob Bryar, who performed with the emo group from 2004 to 2010. “It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Bob Bryar, our former bandmate and an important part of the history of My Chemical Romance,” the band wrote Monday on Instagram . “We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family at this time. May he rest in peace.” Bryar was found dead in his Tennessee home last week, a spokesperson confirmed Sunday, adding, “The band asks for your patience and understanding as they process the news of Bob’s passing.” No cause of death was given, although TMZ reported that, according to police, no foul play was suspected as Bryar’s possessions, including musical equipment and weapons, were untouched. An investigation by a medical examiner was still pending. MCR’s longest-standing drummer, Bryar replaced the band’s original drummer, Matt Pelissier, in 2004 and played on the 2006 opus “The Black Parade,” which garnered a Grammy nomination and later landed on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 greatest albums of

Democrats have warned for months that Donald Trump, if elected again, would bend the Justice Department to his own political will. But President Biden’s announcement Sunday that he had issued a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter — for any crimes he may have committed over a decade — suddenly left the president’s allies on the defensive. Biden said he did it, after promising he wouldn’t, because he felt his own Justice Department had treated his son unfairly — that “raw politics” had “infected” Hunter Biden’s prosecution on gun and tax evasion offenses and “led to a miscarriage of justice.” Trump, who during his first term pardoned a slate of political allies and who has long condemned the Justice Department as politicized and in need of an overhaul, blasted the decision, suggesting the pardon was an “abuse and miscarriage of Justice” itself. The pardon immediately fed into an already roiling debate nationally around justice and politics and whether the two can adequately be held separate — particularly in the months ahead, as Trump takes office and stands up his next administration. Outside political and legal

Quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a “little” lateral ankle sprain in the Rams’ victory over the New Orleans Saints, but the injury is not expected to affect his preparation for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, coach Sean McVay said Monday. “Nothing that’s going to change his weekly rhythm as far as practice,” McVay said during a video conference, adding that Stafford ran Monday as part of the team’s day-after lifting program. “Got it banged up a little bit. He’s tough. He pushes through and he should be good to go.” Stafford was injured during the second quarter of Sunday’s 21-14 victory in New Orleans when he was taken to the ground while throwing an incomplete pass. Stafford limped immediately after the play but stayed in the game and passed for two second-half touchdowns. “I need to be faster,” he joked afterward, “and get away from those guys.” Receiver Demarcus Robinson, who caught a touchdown pass, suffered a hand avulsion, but with a protective pad he should be ready to play against the Bills, McVay said. Also on Monday, the Rams moved to bolster their secondary

Why Syria’s civil war is reigniting – CBS News Watch CBS News The Syrian military and the Kremlin conducted joint airstrikes Monday on parts of Syria that rebels took control of over the weekend. Fighters seized Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, after a battle with troops loyal to dictator Bashar al-Assad. CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D’Agata joins “America Decides” to discuss why the civil war is reigniting after a yearslong stalemate. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Biden pardons son Hunter after months of saying he wouldn’t do so – CBS News Watch CBS News With major changes looming at the Justice Department, President Biden has wiped away the prosecution of his son, Hunter Biden. Plus, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Kash Patel for FBI director is sending shockwaves through Washington, D.C. CBS News’ Nancy Cordes and Ed O’Keefe have the latest. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Biden faces backlash for granting pardon to son Biden faces backlash for granting pardon to son Hunter 03:17 President Biden on Sunday issued a sweeping pardon of his son Hunter, who was convicted earlier this year on federal gun and drug charges, and pleaded guilty to tax charges in California.  The presidential pardoning process is one that has long courted controversy, especially since many presidents issue pardons when they are leaving the White House.  One of the most famous —and controversial— pardons in history happened less than one month into President Gerald Ford’s term. On Sept. 8, 1974, Ford announced from the Oval Office that he would “grant a full, free and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed.” Ford’s own press secretary resigned over the pardon, and Ford’s approval rating dropped 20 points over the following days. His approval rating never recovered and he went on to lose the 1976 presidential election.  What is a presidential pardon? Presidents are granted the authority to issue pardons under Article II, Section

California authorities are searching for a man convicted of first-degree murder who jumped out of a prison van and escaped custody while being transported for a court appearance. Cesar M. Hernandez, 34, escaped Monday morning shortly after arriving at the Kern County Superior Courthouse in Delano. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Hernandez jumped out of a prison transport van and took off on foot around 10:45 a.m. As of 3 p.m. Monday, he has yet to be located. Special investigators from nearby CDCR prisons are currently searching for Hernandez, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Delano and McFarland police departments. Cesar M. Hernandez, 34, is shown in this CDCR mugshot on Sept. 20, 2024. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Hernandez is described as 5 feet 5 inches, weighing about 160 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing an orange prison outfit. He’s been in state prison since June 2019 after being convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the

Actor Wayne Northrop, who was best known for his work in TV dramas “Dynasty,” “Days of Our Lives” and “Port Charles,” has died. He was 77. Publicist Cynthia Snyder confirmed to The Times that Northrop died Friday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund home in Woodland Hills. His wife and “General Hospital” actor Lynn Herring said in a statement that the actor “took his last breath in the arms of his family,” six years after he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. “Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit,” said the statement, which also remembered Northrop as a “husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.” Northrop, a Washington native, enjoyed a television career that spanned more than 30 years, several networks and multiple hit dramas. An alumnus of the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre, founded by “Waltons” star Ralph Waite, Northrop began his professional career in the late 1970s with minor roles in series including “The Waltons” as well as

“Wicked” actor Marissa Bode is speaking out against the ableist discourse surrounding her character, Nessarose, after the movie musical’s debut. The 24-year-old, who makes her feature film debut in “The Wizard of Oz” prequel adaptation, is the first wheelchair user ever to be cast as the “tragically beautiful” younger sister to Wicked Witch-to-be Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). But her complicated character was met with mixed reactions after “Wicked” was released in theaters last week and broke the box-office opening record for a film based on a Broadway musical. “It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character,” Bode said in a TikTok posted Saturday, acknowledging her bias toward the “complex” Nessarose. “‘Wicked’ and these characters and the movie wouldn’t be what it was if there weren’t different opinions on the characters and who’s truly wicked or not.” “That being said,” she continued, “aggressive comments and ‘jokes’ about Nessa’s disability itself is deeply uncomfortable because disability is not fictional. At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so, it is simply a low-hanging fruit