Ex-Marine Corps Reservist from California sentenced for lying to FBI during terrorism investigation

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Ex-Marine Corps Reservist from California sentenced for lying to FBI during terrorism investigation A former U.S. Marine Corps reservist from Irvine was sentenced on Monday, Mov. 27, to three years and 10 months in prison for lying to the FBI about communicating with someone who had expressed interest in joining a foreign terrorist organization in an online chat group.Jason Fong, now 27, was initially accused of trying to help two foreign terrorist organizations, including by allegedly providing information on how to make chemical weapons and bombs.Federal prosecutors, at the time of Fong’s indictment in early 2022, accused him of compiling and providing tactical, combat and weapons-training materials, along with information on how to make chemical weapons, booby traps and improvised-explosive devices, to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist organization in Syria.He was also accused of trying to provide support — in the form of fundraising and money — to the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.Fong was accused of communicating with a minor who wanted to join Hay’at Tahrir al-Sh...

Disneyland files construction permits for $8 million food hall

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Disneyland files construction permits for $8 million food hall A new $8 million food hall-style concept offering Korean rice bowls, fried chicken sandwiches and Caribbean-inspired coffee with a second-story outdoor bar will occupy a new 11,000-square-foot building under construction at Downtown Disney.Disneyland filed building permits valued at $8.2 million in October with the city of Anaheim for Downtown Disney construction, according to city records.The new Parkside Market in Downtown Disney’s west end is expected to open by late 2024.The commercial construction permits filed with the Anaheim Planning and Building Department call for a quick service restaurant with four separate concepts and outdoor dining on the second floor.The Seoul Sister restaurant is coming to Downtown Disney in 2024. (Courtesy of Disney) The four new Parkside Market food and beverage concepts include:Seoul Sister – Bibimbap Korean rice bowls with a California twist and an Asian-inspired breakfast menu from Executive Chef Kelly Kim.Sip & Sonder – Los Angeles-ba...

Killer of California cop in 1983 is sentenced to life in prison

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Killer of California cop in 1983 is sentenced to life in prison The man thrice convicted of killing of a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer in a brutal 1983 Lake View Terrace shooting was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday, Nov. 27.Kenneth Earl Gay, 65, and a co-defendant were convicted of killing Officer Paul Verna with a flurry of gunshots following a traffic stop on Hoyt Street all those years ago.Once again, after his latest trial and sentencing, Gay faced Verna’s family to hear how his actions that day shattered their lives forever. Again, he sat quietly as he listened to Verna’s widow and two sons tell him they’ll never stop seeking justice. Gay did not speak during the sentencing hearing.After so many years, it was clear how long Verna’s family and Gay have had to contend with each other: From his original criminal trial just over four decades ago, to seeing Gay’s case dismissed twice and the retrials that followed, both sides have now tangled in court for longer than Verna, killed at 35 ...

Jarvis: Hospitals are shortchanging Black cancer patients

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Jarvis: Hospitals are shortchanging Black cancer patients A new analysis from researchers at the American Cancer Society suggests that the distressing disparity in outcomes for Black and White colon cancer patients could narrow if hospitals simply treated all patients with the same level of high-quality care.The disparity in rates and deaths from colorectal cancer among Black people has been a longstanding problem in cancer care. Black individuals are 20% more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer and 40% more likely to die from it. They’re also more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age than their White counterparts.Many theories have been floated to explain the poorer prognosis for Black patients. Access to high-quality care has long been considered the main culprit, with various other factors potentially contributing: delayed screening, being treated at subpar facilities, health insurance status and socioeconomic barriers to consistent care, like lack of paid sick leave or transportation to treatment.But those issues can’t account ...

Indian rescuers just feet away from reaching 41 workers trapped in collapsed tunnel for over 2 weeks

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Indian rescuers just feet away from reaching 41 workers trapped in collapsed tunnel for over 2 weeks UTTARKASHI, India (AP) — Rescuers in India were on the verge Tuesday of reaching 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel for over two weeks in the country’s north, after drilling their way through debris to get to them, officials said. Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority overseeing rescue efforts at the accident site in Uttarakhand state, said 2 more meters (about 7 feet) remain to be dug out. Once that’s done, the trapped workers can be pulled out through a passageway made of welded pipes which rescuers pushed through dirt and rocks, he said.“Soon all the laborers brothers will be taken out,” Pushkar Singh Dhami, top official in Uttarakhand, posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Kirti Panwar, a state government spokesperson, said about a dozen men had worked overnight to manually dig through rocks and debris, taking turns to drill using hand-held drilling tools and clearing out the muck ...

Sports Illustrated deletes articles published under fake author names and AI-generated profile photos

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Sports Illustrated deletes articles published under fake author names and AI-generated profile photos (CNN) — Sports Illustrated on Monday said it had deleted several articles from its website after a report found the once-celebrated legacy magazine had published the pieces under fake author names and profile images generated by artificial intelligence.The report, which was published by Futurism, found that the magazine had repeatedly published articles whose authors could not be found online outside the Sports Illustrated website. The articles were all accompanied by AI-generated profile photos that Futurism also found for sale on digital marketplaces that sell AI-produced headshots.During the course of Futurism’s reporting, some of the alleged Sports Illustrated writers mysteriously vanished from the publication’s website — and their articles began appearing under the names of different authors who similarly didn’t appear to exist online and whose likenesses were also being sold on AI headshot marketplaces.Following the publication of the report, a spokesperson for The Arena Group...

Rescatistas perforan con éxito hasta hombres atrapados en un túnel del Himalaya en un avance para una operación peligrosa

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Rescatistas perforan con éxito hasta hombres atrapados en un túnel del Himalaya en un avance para una operación peligrosa (CNN) — Este martes, rescatistas perforaron con éxito hasta llegar a 41 hombres atrapados dentro de un túnel colapsado en el Himalaya, mientras un esfuerzo de evacuación de una semana lleno de incertidumbre entra en su recta final.Los hombres han estado atrapados desde el 12 de noviembre, cuando la parte del túnel que estaban ayudando a construir en el estado de Uttarakhand, en el norte de la India, cedió, bloqueando su única salida con más de 60 metros (200 pies) de roca rota, hormigón y metal retorcido.El avance sigue a una serie de reveses agonizantes, durante los cuales los esfuerzos de rescate se detuvieron cuando la maquinaria pesada utilizada para perforar los escombros se averió, lo que obligó a los trabajadores a cavar parcialmente a mano y adoptar otros métodos más riesgosos para llevarlos a un lugar seguro.Los ingenieros habían intentado previamente excavar los escombros en el pozo de salida utilizando maquinaria pesada, pero se vieron obligados a abandonar los esfu...

DC region experiences first freeze of the season with heavy winds and cold air

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

DC region experiences first freeze of the season with heavy winds and cold air Winds from the northwest are ushering in a cold snap for the D.C. area, including the first freeze of the season. Here’s what you need to know.Listen to WTOP online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.Current traffic conditionsWeather forecastClosings and DelaysSign up for WTOP alertsTuesday will have lots of sunshine, but highs will only reach the low 40s, and gusty winds will make it feel even colder. 7News First Alert meteorologists brand Tuesday a “cold alert” day withThose heading outside Tuesday evening will experience some of the season’s lowest temperatures thus far, with parts of the suburbs dropping down to the teens, 7News First Alert meteorologist Eileen Whelan said, calling the drop a “hard freeze.”“[If] you’re going downtown for the Capitol Christmas Tree lighting, make sure that you are properly bundled [with] the hat, the gloves, the scarf,” she said. “Also, make sure you have your chapstick and your ha...

Israel and Hamas extend their truce but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Israel and Hamas extend their truce but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A truce between Israel and Hamas entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with the militant group promising to release more hostages to delay the expected resumption of the war and Israel under growing pressure to spare Palestinian civilians when it renews its offensive.The sides agreed to extend their truce through Wednesday, with another two planned exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But Israel has repeatedly vowed to resume the war with “full force” to destroy Hamas once it’s clear that no more hostages will be freed under the current agreement’s terms.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit the region later this week for the third time since the start of the war, and is expected to press for an extension of the truce and the release of more hostages.The Biden administration has told Israel it must avoid “significant further displacement” and mass casualties among Palestinian civilians if it resum...

Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune voted rookie of the year on the European tour

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:30:13 GMT

Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune voted rookie of the year on the European tour VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Ryo Hisatsune was voted as the European tour’s top rookie on Tuesday after a memorable season that saw the 21-year-old Japanese player win the French Open and earn dual membership with the PGA Tour.Hisatsune became the first Japanese golfer to receive the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award, beating a list of contenders that included highly rated Swede Ludvig Aberg.Hisatsune was outside the world’s top 200 at the start of the 2023 season. Three years ago, he lost his card on Japan’s leading tour.Now he’s preparing to play against the best in the world on the other side of the Atlantic after finishing among the top 10 players in the European tour’s season-ending Race to Dubai rankings who were not already exempt for the PGA Tour. He posted eight top-10 finishes, including the win in France, and is ranked No. 81 in the world.“I’m so happy, it’s such a surprise,” Hisatsune said.Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia and Jon R...