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East Bay attorney indicted in infamous billion-dollar Ponzi scheme

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

A lawyer for the shuttered DC Solar company at the heart of a nearly $1 billion fraud case has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Sacramento.Jurors on Oct. 5 returned a 23‑count indictment against Ari J. Lauer, 59, of Lafayette, agreeing there was enough evidence to charge him with conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud affecting a financial institution. The allegations were brought for his role in the biggest criminal fraud scheme in the history of the Eastern District of California, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in a press release issued Monday.A licensed attorney in California, Lauer, from approximately 2009 to January 2019, was outside counsel to DC Solar, which had offices in Solano and Yolo counties and elsewhere in Northern California. He provided legal and business advice concerning DC Solar’s operations.The indictment was unsealed Monday after Lauer’s arrest. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail on Monday but was released, ja...

SF teachers voting today to authorize strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco teachers will vote this morning if they are to go on strike. The teachers are looking for a significant pay raise.If San Francisco educators vote for a strike, that means the teachers' union United Educators of San Francisco will be one step closer to telling their teachers to stay out of the classroom.The San Francisco Unified School District is offering as much as a $10,000-a-year pay raise. Teachers say San Francisco is extremely expensive and that’s not enough of a raise. 7 Bay Area high schools make Niche’s top 10 in California The two sides have been trying to make a new two-year contract for the past year.If teachers vote to strike, the union will vote one more time on whether or not to strike. If that happens, it will be the first time San Francisco teachers will not be at work since 1979.

Stellantis picks Kokomo, Indiana, for its second US battery venture with Samsung SDI

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Jeep maker Stellantis says it will build a second electric vehicle battery factory in Kokomo, Indiana, that will create 1,400 new jobs.The $3.2 billion joint venture factory with South Korea’s Samsung SDI is to start production early in 2027.Construction already is underway on the companies’ first joint venture factory in Kokomo, which is scheduled to open early in 2025. That $3.1 billion plant also is expected to create about 1,400 new jobs in the area.The city of Kokomo made a compelling case to locate the second factory there, Stellantis Chief Operating Officer for North America Mark Stewart said in a statement early Wednesday. Samsung SDI CEO Yoon-ho Choi said Kokomo will be the company’s largest production base for electric vehicle batteries in North America, helping Stellantis accelerate a transition to a new era of EVs.Stellantis also plans a joint-venture battery plant across the border in Windsor, Ontario. Source

Former DC United coach, Man United great Rooney hired as Birmingham City manager

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney reacts after an MLS soccer match against Orlando City, Sunday, July 31, 2022, in Washington. D.C. United won 2-1. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(AP/Julio Cortez) D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney reacts after an MLS soccer match against Orlando City, Sunday, July 31, 2022, in Washington. D.C. United won 2-1. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(AP/Julio Cortez) MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United and England great Wayne Rooney was appointed manager of Birmingham City on Wednesday.Rooney, who left his position as coach of MLS team D.C. United on Sunday, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.“My job is to elevate the club to the next level and I can’t wait to get started,” Rooney sai...

Blinken viaja a Israel en medio de la guerra con Gaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

WASHINGTON DC – El secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Antony Blinken, viajará el jueves a Israel para expresar su apoyo a las autoridades de ese país ante el ataque sin precedentes de Hamás, que ha derivado en una nueva guerra con Gaza.El portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Matthew Miller, explicó el martes en una rueda de prensa que el jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense se reunirá con altos cargos del Gobierno israelí para “seguir con las conversaciones” que han mantenido por teléfono de los últimos días.“Se reunirá con nuestros socios israelíes para abordar la situación sobre el terreno y cómo podemos ayudarlos en su lucha contra los terroristas que lanzaron estos horribles ataques”, declaró en la rueda de prensa.Está previsto que el avión de Blinken despegue de Washington este miércoles, y que llegue a Israel el jueves. Israel y Hamas en guerra: al menos 2,200 personas han muerto en ambos lados Aerolín...

Top-ranked Ireland unchanged to face New Zealand in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Ireland has named an unchanged side to face New Zealand in their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal at Stade de France on Saturday.Wingers Mack Hansen (calf) and James Lowe (eye) have shaken off minor injuries from the 36-14 win over Scotland last Saturday. Lowe scored a try early in a one-sided contest as Ireland topped Pool B with four out of four wins.Reserve lock James Ryan has not recovered in time from a wrist injury and was replaced on the bench by Joe McCarthy on Wednesday.“We expect him to be fit for next week if we are able to get that far,” coach Andy Farrell said of Ryan. “People get injured and there are always bangs at the start of the week. Some turn round a lot quicker than you would expect.”Farrell hopes to take Ireland past the quarterfinal stage for the first time in tournament history, while the All Blacks are looking to win the competition for a record fourth time.“It’s big-boy stuff isn’t it, we’re at the business end of the competition,” Farr...

You might see a line of lights in the sky starting Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — You're not going crazy if you have seen a line of lights in the sky. It's quite normal, and you might see them again starting Wednesday. The line of lights is part of Elon Musk's satellite system known as Starlink by SpaceX. Starlink first launched in 2019 by using satellites in space to beam internet directly into customer terminals in their office or homes. Elon Musk’s refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon As of earlier this year, SpaceX has launched more than 3,000 Starlink satellites into orbit. The end goal is to cover the entire planet with 40,000 satellites for high-speed internet connectivity.The launch caused many satellites to be seen in the sky across the U.S., including in Denver. Starting on Wednesday, Oct. 11 until Friday, Oct. 13, you may have another chance to see the satellite chain if you're in the Denver metro area, according to Find Starlink, a program that helps track Starlink satellites. The n...

Family Dollar recalls dozens of products sold in Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - Family Dollar has issued a voluntary recall for a long list of over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, and other personal health products at stores nationwide.According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these items were "stored outside of labeled temperature requirements" and sold at certain Family Dollar stores between June 1, 2023, and Oct. 4, 2023.This recall only applies to 23 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.List-of-Recalled-ProductsDownloadThe affected stores have been asked to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of the products.Family Dollar has not received any complaints or reports of illness at this time. This recall has been issued out of an abundance of caution. Millions of sour candies sold at Walmart...

Dozens of flights are canceled after a fire rips through a parking garage at London’s Luton Airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of travelers faced disruption as all flights were suspended Wednesday at London’s Luton airport after a fire tore through a newly built parking garage, destroying vehicles and partially collapsing the structure.Four firefighters and an airport employee were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation after the fire, which broke out on Tuesday evening.Officials at the airport, which is located about 56 kilometers (35 miles) north of central London, said emergency crews remained at the scene Wednesday as a precaution but travelers were starting to return to the terminal. It said flights were expected to resume departures at 3 p.m.London Luton Airport is a hub for easyJet, Ryanair and other budget airlines running flights to destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe.Investigators think the fire started with a diesel vehicle, according to Chief Fire Officer Andrew Hopkinson of the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. The recently opened parking garage ...

Arkansas city worker spots rare albino squirrel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:59 GMT

JONESBORO, Ark. (WSVN) — Arkansas city workers had a unique wildlife encounter on a Tuesday morning when they stumbled upon a rare albino squirrel, sparking immense curiosity and attention.In a year filled with remarkable animal sightings in Northeast Arkansas, including black bears, alligators, and parrots, this albino squirrel stands out as a truly extraordinary find.Terry Harris, a city worker in Jonesboro, was cutting grass at a city cemetery when he spotted the peculiar creature. He initially mistook it for a rat but soon realized it was a white squirrel, a sight he had never witnessed before.“Out of my 38 years of living, it was one of the most awesome things I have seen in my life, man,” Harris enthused.With its unmistakable red eyes, a telltale sign of albinism, the albino squirrel left Harris in awe. He promptly called his colleagues to witness this rare spectacle.“I see the tail of it, got the red eyes indicating that it was albino, and it was one of the ...