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3 Vegas-area men to appeal lengthy US prison terms in $10M prize-notification fraud case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attorneys say three Nevada men intend to appeal lengthy federal prison terms they received after being found guilty of conducting a prize-notification scheme that prosecutors say biked elderly and vulnerable victims out of more than $10 million over the course of eight years.Mario Castro, 55, of Las Vegas was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court to 20 years in prison, Miguel Castro, 58, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to more than 19 years, and Jose Luis Mendez, 49, of Henderson, was sentenced to 14 years, U.S. Attorney Jason Frierson said.A jury found the three men were found guilty in April of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and multiple counts of mail fraud, Frierson said in a Monday statement about the case.Attorneys Willliam Brown for Mendez, Joshua Tomsheck for Mario Castro and Lucas Gaffney for Miguel Castro said Monday that their clients maintain their innocence and will appeal their convictions and sentences.Several other Las Vegas-area residents previously ...

Colorado State coach says safety Henry Blackburn received death threats for hit on Travis Hunter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said Monday that senior safety Henry Blackburn has been receiving death threats since his late hit that hospitalized Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.Blackburn drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Saturday night for the blow he delivered to Hunter’s midsection on a deep pass in the first quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown. It was one of 17 penalties the Rams committed in their 43-35 loss in double overtime to Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes in front of a capacity crowd.Norvell said Blackburn, who’s from Boulder, and his family had their address posted on social media. He added that police have been involved due to the serious nature of the threats.“It’s sad that that’s the state of the world we live in. It’s a football game. Let’s not make it more than that,” Norvell said at his news conference. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt. We don’t coach that kind of football. I’ve been talking to Henry about tha...

Rays, St. Petersburg announce news conference expected to include ballpark details

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

The Tampa Bay Rays and the city of St. Petersburg announced a news conference for Tuesday expected to include finalized details about a new downtown ballpark.The playoff-bound franchise has fielded competitive teams over the past several years but struggled to draw fans to Tropicana Field, widely-regarded as one of the most outmoded facilities in Major League Baseball.The plans for a potential new stadium have been in the works for several months.The Rays, who have played in the Trop since they first took the field in 1998 , are averaging 17,778 per game this season, 27th among the 30 big league teams. The Rays usually have among the lowest payrolls in the sport.The consistently low attendance numbers and inability to find a new stadium also made the Rays a constant source of relocation rumors as the expiration of their lease approached after the end of the 2027.MLB rejected a plan to split seasons between St. Petersburg and Montreal.On the other side of the country, the Oakland Ath...

ANÁLISIS | Los precios de la gasolina en EE.UU. están inusualmente altos. ¿Hay que preocuparse?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

Nueva York (CNN) — El otoño suele coincidir con una caída en los precios de la gasolina, debido a que la temporada de viajes de verano por carretera termina y la demanda en las estaciones de gasolina disminuye. Sin embargo, este año los precios del combustible han subido y están a solo unos centavos de su nivel más alto en lo que va de 2023.Eso se debe a que los recortes agresivos de la oferta de petróleo en Arabia Saudita y Rusia, junto a las mortales inundaciones en Libia, dispararon los precios del crudo. El costo del petróleo alcanzó el viernes su máximo en 10 meses y va camino de registrar su mayor incremento trimestral desde que Rusia invadió Ucrania a principios de 2022.Arabia Saudita extiende su recorte de producción de petróleoEl aumento de los precios del petróleo es un mal presagio para Wall Street: significa una mayor inflación e introduce la posibilidad de más subidas de las tasas de interés por parte de la Reserva Federal. Los precios más altos en las gasolineras...

Ecuador eleva la alerta a naranja ante “inminente” llegada del fenómeno de El Niño

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

(CNN Español) — El presidente de Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, informó este lunes que su gobierno decidió elevar la alerta por el fenómeno de El Niño, tras el análisis de las condiciones oceánicas y atmosféricas. El Niño implica el aumento significativo de las temperaturas del océano Pacífico.El mandatario explicó que con este cambio de alerta el país pasa de una etapa de prevención a una etapa de preparación. En ese sentido anunció que existen planes de financiamiento con organismos multilaterales y banca pública para solventar las acciones ante el impacto de este fenómeno climático.Ecuador y Perú elevan las alertas ante la amenaza del fenómeno de El Niño que calienta sus aguasEste cambio de alerta de amarilla a naranja se da ante la “inminente” llegada del fenómeno de El Niño al país, que coincidirá con la época de lluvias en el último trimestre del año, según el secretario de Gestión de Riesgos de Ecuador, Cristian Torres.El director del Instituto Oceanográfico y Antártico de l...

Giants running back Saquon Barkley has a sprained right ankle, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has a sprained right ankle and his status for Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers is uncertain, a person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press on Monday.The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because coach Brian Daboll had said earlier in the day he did not know the extent of the injury. Daboll said the team’s medical staff would update him later Monday. The second-year coach has been the only one to speak about injured players during his tenure. He will talk again on Tuesday in Tempe, Arizona, where the Giants are preparing for Thursday’s game.Daboll had said Barkley was being sent for further tests but his availability would probably be a game-time decision.Quarterback Daniel Jones said it will take a big effort to replace Barkley if he can’t play.“Obviously, we’ll miss him with what we are doing,” Jones said Monday in Tempe. “So guys will have to step up. It won&...

Crime center stage as DC Council returns to work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

The D.C. council has returned from the summer recess and during a hearing of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, the focus was on a bill aimed at combating crime and helping victims.The committee heard testimony from residents and government officials on four bills, two that focus on how sexual assault cases are handled in the city. The final two called for incentive programs aimed at preventing crime.“Each of these bills is aimed at addressing issues that we’ve been seeing recently as part of the spike in both violent crime and property crime in the District of Columbia,” said committee Chair and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto.The “Accountability and Victim Protection Amendment Act of 2023,” among other provisions would make it illegal for someone convicted of stalking from possessing a gun; create a law that would make strangulation a stand-alone felony offense; and require that those accused of sexual assault take an HIV test. It also includes the extending of or...

Browns WR Amari Cooper active against Steelers despite dealing with a groin injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper will play in Monday night’s game against Pittsburgh despite dealing with a groin injury.Cooper, Cleveland’s No. 1 receiver, injured the groin in practice on Saturday and was listed as questionable on the final injury report. Cleveland made cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, safety Ronnie Hickman, Luke Wypler, defensive end Isaiah McGuire and defensive tackle Siaki Ika inactive. The Browns are trying to win in Pittsburgh in the regular season for the first time since 2003.The Steelers placed leading receiver Diontae Johnson (hamstring) and Anthony McFarland (knee) on injured reserve a few hours before kickoff. Pittsburgh promoted running back Qadree Ollison to the 53-man roster and put him on the active roster.Quarterback Mason Rudolph, offensive tackle Dylan Cook, wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick and cornerback Desmond King are inactive for the Steelers. King is still trying to get up to speed after being signed on Aug...

Trump plans to meet with striking autoworkers in Michigan instead of attending second GOP debate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

Former President Donald Trump will travel to the battleground state of Michigan next week to meet with striking autoworkers instead of participating in the second Republican presidential debate, a person familiar with his plans said Monday.Trump, who also skipped the first debate last month, has signaled that he is already focused on the 2024 election against President Joe Biden as he maintains a wide lead against his GOP rivals in primary polls. In recent days, he has been leaning hard into the strike, painting himself as sympathetic to the workers and accusing Biden of trying to destroy the car industry by expanding electric cars and other green energy policies.The Sept. 27 trip, first reported by The New York Times, will also include a primetime speech, according to the person familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity before they were made public.That’s the date others in the GOP field will gather at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library...

Wrong-way driver in deadly I-25 crash may have been drunk: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:55:47 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The suspect in a fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 25 allegedly showed signs of intoxication when interviewed by police following the crash, according to a probable cause statement.The crash happened at 2:25 a.m. Saturday morning on northbound I-25 around West 8th Avenue. Denver Police tech’s indecent exposure occurred during training, documents allege According to police, Morgan Hefley, 23, was driving southbound in the northbound lanes and caused a head-on crash with another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle, 42-year-old Lorenzo Escobedo Acosta, was pronounced dead on the scene.Because of the extensive damage from the crash, Hefley had to be extricated from her vehicle. She was then transported to a local hospital.A Denver Police officer with the unit focused on DUI and drug recognition interviewed Hefley while she was in the hospital.According to the probable cause statement, the officer noted that Hefley, "exhibited a pronounced odor of an alcoholic bevera...