List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

Alexia Ocasio-Cortez has threatened to quit Twitter after Elon Musk promoted a “sick” account impersonating the star Democratic politician. The New York congresswoman said that she was “assessing” what to do after the billionaire interacted with the fake account on his social media platform. “FYI there’s a fake account on here impersonating me and going viral. The Twitter CEO has engaged it, boosting visibility,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Tuesday. “It is releasing false policy statements and gaining spread. I am assessing with my team how to move forward. In the meantime, be careful of what you see.”

Elizabeth Holmes has surrendered to a federal prison in Texas to begin her 11-year sentence over the Theranos scandal which rocked the high-flying tech world of Silicon Valley. The 39-year-old disgraced tech entrepreneur reported to Bryan, the minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas, on Tuesday after exhausting all remaining legal avenues to cling onto her freedom. Holmes was convicted in January 2022 of four counts of fraud and conspiracy for lying about the capabilities pf her biotech company’s blood testing technology and conning investors out of millions of dollars. She was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison and ordered to pay $452m in restitution to investors – including $125m to media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Holmes had been given until 2pm local time to surrender to the prison camp where she will see out her 11-year sentence surrounded by other white-collar, non-violent female offenders. Her two children – two-year-old William and three-month-old Invicta – will be allowed to visit their mother in the facility. The prison camp, which runs a work-focused program where all inmates are required to hold a job for at least 90 days, is a marked difference from Holmes’ life years earlier when she was seen as the darling of Silicon Valley. The saga began two decades ago when Holmes dropped out of Stanford University in 2003 at the age of 19 to found Theranos. The blood lab company aimed to develop medical devices that could diagnose hundreds of diseases and medical conditions with just a pinprick of blood. Over the next 10 years, Theranos boasted about its capabilities to transform the healthcare industry and grew to a value of $9bn, attracting investments from the likes of Murdoch, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the heirs to the Walmart fortune. The company amassed an influential board of directors including former presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis. Holmes, meanwhile, was catapulted onto magazine covers and became heralded as the next Steve Jobs while her personal fortune reached $4.5bn. But the technology didn’t do close to what Holmes claimed it could. In 2018, Holmes – Theranos CEO and founder – and Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani – Theranos chief operating officer and Holmes’ live-in romantic partner – were both indicted on fraud charges and the company was dissolved. She was allowed out on bail and while awaiting trial – which was stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – Holmes became pregnant with her first child with her partner, hotel boss Billy Evans. She became pregnant with her second child following her conviction. During her trial, Holmes sought to paint a picture that she had simply been under the control of Balwani, 57, and that she never intended to mislead investors about the technology’s capabilities. The jury didn’t buy it and she was convicted of four counts, which could have landed her with up to 20 years’ prison time. Balwani was also convicted of 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy at his trial and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. He began serving his sentence in Southern California last month. Since her conviction, Holmes has fought to stay out of prison claiming that she was treated unfairly by prosecutors during trial and that she should be allowed to remain out of prison while she appeals the conviction. An appeals court denied her request and said she must report to prison where she can continue to appeal her conviction behind bars. She asked the judge that she be allowed to remain free through Memorial Day weekend so that she could sort out childcare for her two children, before surrendering to authorities on 30 May. Weeks before beginning her sentence, Holmes admitted that she had made “many mistakes” in a new interview with The New York Times. “I made so many mistakes and there was so much I didn’t know and understand, and I feel like when you do it wrong, it’s like you really internalise it in a deep way,” she said. Read More Elizabeth Holmes news – latest: Theranos founder to surrender to Texas prison today to begin 11-year sentence As Elizabeth Holmes heads to prison for fraud, questions remain about her motives Elizabeth Holmes requests May 30 as new date to report to prison after losing her bid to remain free

A chilling video of the mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day has showed people panicking and scrambling for safety. Nine people – six adults and three children – were wounded in the shooting in 1200 block of N Broadwalk near the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, 20 miles north of Miami. Local reports said several victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Live cam footage showed people frantically running from the scene after gunshots were heard. Chaos and the fear at the scene are palpable from the video showing beachgoers running away. According to police officials, the shooting was the result of an altercation between two groups. Reports said one person of interest was detained while the search for another continues. Eyewitnesses described the aftermath of the mass shooting. “I saw a young man that was on the ground bleeding and they were applying pressure to prevent the bleeding,” Vance Hendricks, who was visiting from Philadelphia, told CBS News. Police urged people to avoid the area where the shots were fired. “If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” said a tweet. Read More At least nine people wounded in Memorial Day mass shooting at Florida beach Police investigating shooting near beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida Police: Puerto Rico assailants targeting drug rival killed 2 and injured 13

As the probe into whether former President Donald Trump or his advisers broke the law in their retention of documents including some potentially classified material from the White House nears its end, Mr Trump’s legal team is said to be fearing disloyalty. The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that the former president’s attorneys supposedly worry that some among them may decide to start talking to the Department of Justice, becoming witnesses in the case, as the attention of the agency turns to the actions of the legal team themselves. The probe into Mr Trump’s handling of presidential records, including classified documents, exploded into the public eye last year when FBI agents raided Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump’s home and resort in Florida. Several current attorneys to Mr Trump who serve in varying capacities described a chaotic situation where much of the strategy is managed by Mr Trump’s in-house counsel, Boris Epshteyn, and clashing personalities have led to a toxic environment — all of which is occurring as the Justice Department’s special counsel is said to be closing in on a decision regarding potential criminal charges in the case. More follows... Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

President Joe Biden will welcome BritishPrime Minister Rishi Sunak to the White House for an Official Working Visit next week on 8 June, the White House has said. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden “looks forward” to meeting with the Prime Minister to “further deepen the close and historic partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom”. Ms Jean-Pierre said the bilateral session will follow up on recent meetings between Mr Biden and Mr Sunak, who last saw each other at the G7 summit in Japan earlier this month. She added that the US and UK leaders “will review a range of global issues, including their steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s brutal war of aggression, as well as further action to bolster energy security and address the climate crisis,” and “discuss efforts to continue strengthening our economic relationship as we confront shared economic and national security challenges”. The White House spokesperson also said Mr Biden and Mr Sunak will “review developments in Northern Ireland as part of their shared commitment to preserving the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement”. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said the two men would spend their time together “build[ing] on discussions the Prime Minister and President Biden have had in recent months about enhancing the level of co-operation and co-ordination between the UK and US on the economic challenges that will define our future, including securing our supply chains and transitioning to zero-carbon economies”. “It will also be an opportunity to discuss issues including sustaining our support for Ukraine as we build on the success of our G7 summit in the run-up to the Nato summit in July,” the spokesperson added. Mr Sunak’s visit to the White House will come during the second half of what will be a two-day visit to the US capital, during which he will also meet with top Congressional leaders and business figures. He last visited the US in March when he travelled to San Diego for a meeting with Mr Biden and Australian leader Anthony Albanese regarding the Aukus agreement to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The Prime Minister and the US President also met in Belfast in April, and will meet again at the Nato leaders’ summit in Lithuania this summer. Read More Biden marks eighth anniversary of son Beau’s death from brain cancer at memorial Mass AP News Digest 9:30 a.m. Sunak to visit Washington DC for talks with Joe Biden

The Monday evening shooting sent beachgoers scrambling for safety on the US Memorial Day holiday.

The father of a three-month-old baby has been charged with murder after the little girl’s lifeless body was found dumped in a wooded area close to the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Genevieve Comager’s body was found at around 8.25pm ET on Sunday evening at West 161st Street and the Major Deegan Expressway, following a tip-off from the little girl’s grandfather. The NYPD said that emergency workers responded to the area – close to a transitional housing shelter where she lived with her parents – but the infant was pronounced dead at the scene. The little girl’s father Damion Comager, 23, was arrested and charged with murder and concealment of a corpse on Monday night, police said. Genevieve’s 20-year-old Ivana Paolozzi was also arrested and hit with charges of concealment of a corpse and obstructing governmental administration. It is not currently clear how the little girl died. However, Mr Comager’s father Donald Comager told The New York Post that his son told him he “shook” his daughter when she wouldn’t stop crying. He then later found her “stiff” and “cold” in her bed and panicked, before leaving her in the trash-strewn wooded area, he said. “He told me the baby was doing a lot of crying. She wouldn’t stop crying,” Donald Comager said. “He said he just shook her and lay her down, and he lay down and went to sleep. “He got up and reached for her and she was stiff and her body was cold. He panicked. He told his girlfriend, ‘I think she is dead.’” Donald Comager, 47, said it was him who then turned his son into authorities after speaking to a priest and deciding he needed to “do the right thing”, he told the Post.

Elizabeth Holmes is set to report to prison today to begin her 11-year sentence for the blood-testing scam at the heart of her start-up, Theranos. Earlier in May, a federal appeals court rejected her bid to remain out of prison while she attempts to overturn her January 2022 conviction on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy. Holmes had asked a federal judge to allow her to remain free through the Memorial Day weekend before surrendering to authorities on 30 May. A delay was granted to give Holmes time to sort out several issues, including child care for her one-year-old son William and three-month-old daughter Invicta. Holmes had originally been ordered to begin her prison sentence on 27 April. The father of both children is William “Billy” Evans, whom she met after breaking up with her former romantic and business partner, Ramesh “Sunny,” Balwani, who began serving a nearly 13-year prison sentence last month in Southern California. Balwani was convicted of 12 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy committed while he was Theranos' chief operating officer. Holmes is expected to be incarcerated in Bryan, Texas, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of her hometown of Houston. Read More The day has arrived for Elizabeth Holmes to report to a Texas prison As Elizabeth Holmes heads to prison for fraud, questions remain about her motives Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes ordered to pay $125m back to Rupert Murdoch

Joran van der Sloot, a convicted killer and the prime suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, has been attacked in the Peruvian prison where he is currently being held, his lawyer said. Van der Sloot is the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of the American teenager and is awaiting extradition to the US. His lawyer Maximo Altez told ABC News on Monday that the Dutch man is in the medical wing of a Peruvian prison after he was beaten. He said the beating was not related to the upcoming extradition. Mr Altez claimed the beating might have been connected to gang rules inside the Challapalca Prison in Peru. The 35-year-old Dutch national is currently serving a 28-year-long prison sentence for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores in Lima and is the prime suspect in the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway. Van der Sloot once claimed he shoved Holloway so hard to the ground that she hit her head on a rock and died, according to court papers. Holloway had disappeared on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005 during a trip to celebrate her high school graduation. A judge declared her legally dead in 2012. “Van der Sloot went on to admit that he had been with Natalee on the night of May 29/30, 2005, and that he had thrown her to the ground after she had attempted to stop him from leaving her,” stated a federal affidavit cited by Fox News. “Van der Sloot claimed that when she fell down, she hit her head on a rock and died as a result of the impact.” Federal prosecutors said Van der Sloot claimed his father had helped him hide the body, but when he took the lawyer to the alleged location, there was no sign of Holloway. After the lawyer left the island, Van der Sloot allegedly told him that he had lied about the location. Van der Sloot was indicted on extortion and wire fraud charges in federal court in Alabama in 2010 in connection with a scheme to get money from her family in return for the location of her body. But the same year, he was also convicted of murdering a 21-year-old student Flores after meeting her at her father’s casino in Lima, Peru. Van der Sloot will temporarily be sent to the US to go on trial for the extortion charges before being sent back to Peru. If convicted in Alabama, he would return to the US in 2038 to serve an 40 additional years in a US prison. “I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this month, I have been without her for exactly 18 years. She would be 36 years old now,” the teen’s mother, Beth Holloway, said earlier this month in a statement. “It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.” Read More Joran van der Sloot once confessed to shoving Natalee Holloway’s head into rock, court docs reveal A missing Alabama teen. A dead Peruvian student. Will Joran van der Sloot finally face American justice? Timeline of Natalee Holloway’s disappearance as prime suspect faces extradition

Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a furious Truth Social message that briefly noted the reason for the holiday before descending into one of his usual rants. In all caps, the ex-president ranted: “Happy memorial day to all, but especially to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country they love, and to those in line of a very different, but equally dangerous fire, stopping the threats of the terrorists, misfits and lunatic thugs who are working feverishly from within to overturn and destroy our once great country, which has never been in greater peril than it is right now. We must stop the communists, marxists and fascist ‘pigs’ at every turn and, make america great again!” It comes after Mr Trump slammed Disney and his main rival in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming that he’s responsible for the entertainment giant becoming “woke”. Earlier in the weekend, he railed against members of the Texas state legislature who voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton on charges of corruption. The impeachment effort was led by Republicans, whom Mr Trump branded “RINOS” (Republicans in name only). Read More Biden laughs off idea of Trump pardon after DeSantis pledges to consider it Trump has been indicted: Here are the other major lawsuits and investigations he is also facing Liz Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

At least nine people were wounded in a mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day, according to reports. The incident, which saw a 15-year-old victim among the wounded, took place in the area of the 1200 block of N Broadwalk on Monday evening, according to CBS Miami. “Please avoid the area of Johnson to Garfield Streets, as well as the Broadwalk, due to an ongoing shooting investigation. Heavy police presence in the area. If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” tweeted Hollywood Polie Department. Witnesses posted online that the shooting took place outside Nicks Bar & Grill at around 7pm ET.

At least seven people were wounded in a mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day, according to reports. The incident, which saw a 15-year-old victim among the wounded, took place in the area of the 1200 block of N Broadwalk on Monday evening, according to CBS Miami. “Please avoid the area of Johnson to Garfield Streets, as well as the Broadwalk, due to an ongoing shooting investigation. Heavy police presence in the area. If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” tweeted Hollywood Polie Department.