Category: Sacramento

By JIM SALTER ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fourteen North Korean nationals have been indicted in a scheme using information technology workers with false identities to contract with U.S. companies — workers who then funneled their wages to North Korea for development of ballistic missiles and other weapons, the head of the FBI office in St. Louis said Thursday. The scheme involving thousands of IT workers generated more than $88 million for the North Korean government, Ashley T. Johnson, special agent in charge of the St. Louis FBI office, said at a news conference. In addition to their wages, the workers stole sensitive information from companies or threatened to leak information in exchange for extortion payments, Johnson said. Victims included defrauded companies and people whose identities were stolen from across the U.S., including Missouri, Johnson said. The indictments were filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. All 14 people face wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft and other charges. Most of those accused are believed to be in North Korea. Johnson acknowledged that bringing them to justice will be difficult. To help, the U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. “We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that’s possibly why he targeted that that company,” said Kenny. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald’s

By ELAINE KURTENBACH BANGKOK (AP) — The Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect U.S. clean energy businesses. The notice from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said tariffs on Chinese-made solar wafers and polysilicon will rise to 50% from 25% and duties on certain tungsten products will increase from zero to 25%, effective on Jan. 1, following a review of Chinese trade practices under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. The decision followed a public comment period after the USTR said in September that it was considering such actions. “The tariff increases announced today will further blunt the harmful policies and practices by the People’s Republic of China,” USTR Katharine Tai said in a statement. “These actions will complement the domestic investments made under the Biden-Harris Administration to promote a clean energy economy, while increasing the resilience of critical supply chains.” Reports Thursday said U.S. and Chinese officials were meeting this week and next for trade talks ahead of the year’s end. China’s Commerce Ministry took aim Thursday at the approval by the

SAN FRANCISCO — There are plenty of numbers that can encapsulate Willy Adames’ impact as a player. The totality of those numbers — 150 home runs, 472 RBIs, .766 OPS, 15 outs above average, 21.5 WAR — equated to the largest contract in franchise history. There are no numbers, however, that encapsulate Willy Adames’ impact as a person. “To win championships, you have to have personalities like Willy that are able to identify with everybody in the clubhouse,” said president of baseball operations Buster Posey. “That’s not just players. I’ve heard from multiple people that Willy treats everybody with the utmost respect. He plays with energy. He plays with joy. And I know that our fans are going to just be thrilled to watch him compete on a daily basis.” Posey is far from the only person to praise Adames’ personality since the shortstop officially signed his seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants. At the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Pat Murphy, Adames’ manager last season with the Brewers, said “the human being that he is, that’s what makes him great.” Craig Counsell, who managed

As New York City prosecutors worked Thursday to bring murder charges against Luigi Mangione in the brazen killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, supporters of the suspect are donating tens of thousands of dollars for a defense fund established for him, leaving law enforcement officials worried Mangione is being turned into a martyr. Several online defense funds have been created for Mangione by anonymous people, including one on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo that as of Thursday afternoon had raised over $50,000. The GiveSendGo defense fund for the 26-year-old Mangione was established by an anonymous group calling itself “The December 4th Legal Committee,” apparently in reference to the day Mangione allegedly ambushed and gunned down Thompson in Midtown Manhattan as the executive walked to his company’s shareholders conference at the New York Hilton hotel. Luigi Mangione, 26, is being questioned in Altoona, Pa. as a person of interest in connection with the brazen Midtown Manhattan murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. ABC News “We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right to fair legal representation,” the anonymous group said

The Walt Disney Company dominates the industry, setting a new company record for most Children’s & Family Emmy Award nominations By Amy Becker Thursday, December 12, 2024 9:44PM LOS ANGELES — This year, The Walt Disney Company set a new company record with 98 Children’s & Family Emmy Award nominations. The company previously held a record-breaking 94 nominations across its brand and studios. Disney+ was home to 80 nominations, including “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” The series earned 16 nominations, making it the most-nominated show of the year, with notable nominations including Young Teen Series and acting nominations for Adam Copeland, Lance Reddick and Leah Sava Jeffries. Following closely with 13 nominations is 20th Television’s “The Spiderwick Chronicles.” It was also nominated for Young Teen Series along with nominations for Christian Slater and Noah Cottrell. Other nominated series include “Goosebumps,” “A Real Bug’s Life,” “Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” and more. “We are deeply honored by these nominations, which reflect the enduring connection Disney Branded Television’s stories and characters have with children and families around the world. Congratulations to our incredible talent and creative

Thursday, December 12, 2024 9:28PM Carter filed a motion Monday to deny the plaintiff’s request to remain anonymous, calling for either her identity to be disclosed or the suit to be d NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday said a rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z won’t impact the league’s relationship with Roc Nation, the music mogul’s company that has produced some of the NFL’s entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show. “We’re aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z’s really strong response to that,” Goodell said after the conclusion of the league’s winter meetings in Irving, Texas. “We know the litigation is happening now. From our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl.” A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 when she was 13 years old, amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said the rape allegation made against him is

Officers found 32-year-old Markazsa Perry suffering from a single gunshot wound to her upper body. Friday, December 13, 2024 2:05AM Fresno Police are searching for three men responsible for firing over 40 shots into a southwest Fresno home that killed a woman Wednesday. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Fresno Police are searching for three men responsible for firing over 40 shots into a southwest Fresno home that killed a woman. The shooting happened just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday near East Samson and South Lee avenues. When officers arrived, they found 32-year-old Markazsa Perry in the backyard of a home, suffering from a single gunshot wound to her upper body. Perry was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center, where she later died. RELATED: Shooting in Southwest Fresno leaves woman dead Investigators say three men walked up to the home and fired over 40 rounds into the house. Officers added there were other people inside the home. “It’s clear that the suspects were there to kill someone,” Fresno Police Lieutenant Paul Cervantes said. “Whether she was the intended target, that’s still yet to be determined.” Officers did

Stanley, the massively popular drinkware brand, has voluntarily recalled approximately 2.6 million Switchback and Trigger Action travel mugs due to a potential “burn hazard,” according to a release from the company posted on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website on Thursday. According to the company, the lid threads on the mug “can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn hazard.” Stanley Worldwide, Stanley received 91 reports about the faulty products, with 16 coming from the United States, according to Thursday’s notice. The detaching lids resulted in 38 burn injuries worldwide, two of which came from the U.S., the announcement stated, adding that 11 of those injuries required medical attention. The two stainless steel mugs affected by the recall are double-walled and were sold in a variety of colors and sizes, according to the announcement. The products were sold in multiple colors including white, black and green in 12-ounce, 16-ounce and 20-ounce sizing and have a polypropylene lid. The products were sold at a variety of retailers including Amazon.com, Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target

The cost of YouTube TV has soared nearly 140% since the streaming platform launched in 2017.

Governors of New York and Pennsylvania say they are working quickly to extradite UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione.

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI, Associated Press TOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft. The FBI is among several agencies investigating, and it has asked residents to share videos, photos and other information they may have about the drones. What has been seen in New Jersey? Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones in New Jersey starting in November. At first, the drones were spotted flying along the scenic Raritan River, a waterway that feeds the Round Valley Reservoir, the state’s largest aquifer, about 50 miles west of New York City. FILE — This photo provided by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be multiple drones flying over Bernardsville, N.J., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 (Brian Glenn/TMX via AP

By KATE PAYNE TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers in Florida have filed two bills that would roll back gun control measures passed in the wake of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Even with a conservative supermajority in the Legislature, the measures are expected to face some resistance in the state Senate, where the chamber’s new president has expressed opposition to certain gun rights proposals. After a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others at the suburban Broward County high school in 2018, survivors of the Parkland massacre and family members of the victims descended on the state capitol in an extraordinary feat of advocacy, demanding action from the Republican-led legislature that had previously shunned gun control measures but nonetheless passed wide-ranging legislation just weeks after the shooting. That included establishing a red flag law, which allows courts to take away guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others, and a measure raising the age for buying a rifle from 18 to 21. Since then, gun rights advocates have been working to undo those

Julia Wick | (TNS) Los Angeles Times As California politicos look ahead to 2025, the biggest question looming is whether Vice President Kamala Harris — a native daughter, battered just weeks ago by presidential election defeat — will enter the 2026 California governor’s race. Related Articles National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump invites China’s Xi to his inauguration even as he threatens massive tariffs on Beijing National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump National Politics | What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP-NORC poll Harris has yet to give any public indication on her thoughts and those close to her suggest the governorship is not immediately top of mind. But if Harris does ultimately run — and that’s a massive if — her entrée would seismically reshape the already crowded race for California’s highest office. Recent polling suggests Harris would have

By CLAUDIA LAUER PHILADELPHIA (AP) — More than 400 tips were called into the New York Police Department’s Crime Stoppers tip line during the five-day search for a masked gunman who ambushed and fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. NYPD officials said about 30 of those tips were useful as information about the gunman’s movements before and after the Dec. 4 shooting began to take shape. But it wasn’t until a 911 call came in from a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday that police zeroed in on their suspect. Up to $60,000 in rewards from the FBI and the Crime Stoppers program had been offered to anyone calling in a tip leading to a break in the case. But although police and prosecutors moved quickly to arrest and charge 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, any rewards may take significantly more time to be released and might be less than the full amount after taxes and consideration of the role the tips played. Exactly who will get a reward or a share of one is still being determined, officials said. In fact, the federal

Ian James | (TNS) Los Angeles Times Seven Western states that depend on the Colorado River are ending the year at an impasse in negotiations over the writing of new rules for dealing with chronic water shortages. Representatives of California and other states who attended an annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas last week said they remain deadlocked in their talks on long-term plans for reducing water use to prevent the river’s reservoirs from reaching critically low levels. Disagreements over competing proposals have created a deep rift between two camps: the three states in the river’s lower basin — California, Arizona and Nevada — and the four states in the river’s upper basin — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico. Those on both sides say they are willing to continue trying to reach a deal on how to apportion cutbacks in water use after 2026, when the current rules expire. But they also say easing the stalemate will be difficult. Negotiations over the last year have brought “zero progress,” said JB Hamby, California’s Colorado River commissioner. He blamed the upper basin states for an

On Thursday morning, the Mariners announced the sale of the Modesto Nuts organization to Diamond Baseball Holdings, who plan to relocate the team to San Bernardino.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced the 18th class inductees on Thursday.

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Pennsylvania corrections officials are providing more details on Luigi Mangione’s time behind bars. This comes as investigators probe more evidence in the case of the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s fatal shooting. CBS News’ Lilia Luciano reports.