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Orange County doctor sentenced to nearly 3 years for accepting illegal surgery payments

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

Orthopedic surgeon David Payne, 66, of Irvine was sentenced to 33 months in prison for accepting more than $315,000 in illegal payments, bribes, and kickbacks for performing spinal surgeries at a corrupt Long Beach hospital that has been shut down. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and to surrender the $316, 597 he received in illegal payments. Payne was convicted on March 3 of conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, and use of an interstate facility in aid of bribery.The owner of the Long Beach Pacific Hospital, Michael Drobot, conspired with Payne and other doctors, chiropractors, and marketers to pay kickbacks and bribes in return for patient referrals to the hospital for spinal surgeries and other medical services. Drobot paid Payne up to $15,000 for each spinal surgery that he performed at the hospital. They allegedly covered up the bribes by disguising the payments as marketing services and fees. In the final years of the scheme, it garnered more than $500 million...

Oakland: 8-year-old boy shot during I-580 gun battle

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

OAKLAND — An 8-year-old boy was shot during a freeway gun battle Friday night in Oakland, authorities said.The shooting happened around 6:20 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 580 at Harrison Street, said CHP Officer Andrew Barclay. Witnesses reported seeing the occupants of two cars shooting at each other.A third vehicle was caught in the crossfire and an 8-year-old passenger was shot at least once, Barclay said.The driver pulled over at Grand Avenue, determined the boy had been shot and took him to Highland Hospital, Barclay said. The boy’s condition was not known Friday.The suspects continued driving, Barclay said. A description of them and their vehicles was not immediately available.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man shot in West Oakland on Thursday night Crime and Public Safety | Two more FCI Dublin correctional officers charged in burgeoning sexual abuse scandal Crime and Public Safety | Photos: Oakland police host CommUNITY Tou...

DC-area storm damage keeps lights off, trains stopped across region

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

Despite the withering impact of storms across the District, Maryland and Virginia, officials are still seeing serious impacts on traffic and power for consumers across the region. Here’s the latest.Amtrack train are stopped in Virginia for over four hours, passengers tell WTOP.Storm damage response continues in the D.C. metro area.Over 7,000 were without power in portions of Northern Virginia and D.C.’s Maryland suburbs.Local airports report hundreds of flight delays and cancellations amid storms.Officials report ongoing cleanup after significant damage from Friday night storms tore a roof off a District building, downed several trees and powerlines in Prince George’s and Montgomery County, Maryland, and even pushed hail into northern Virginia.While the winds and rains have calmed, and most of the region isn’t being pelted by rain, impacts on local commuters and families continue to be felt.Amtrak riders are seeing continuing impacts from damaging winds and r...

Ionescu hits 20 straight shots for a record 37 points to win the 3-point contest; Aces win skills

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu electrified the crowd Friday by hitting 20 straight shots and scoring a record 37 of a possible 40 points to win the 3-point shooting contest at the WNBA All-Star Game in a performance that will be incredibly difficult to match.She made 25 of 27 shots to break the event record for the WNBA and NBA — and nearly meeting her own high standards.“Shouldn’t have missed two,” Ionescu said. “It was the final round. I had just lost in the skills. I wasn’t going to lose again.”The Las Vegas Aces’ team of Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum won the skills competition with a time of 44.3 seconds in the final round, easily beating the 58.0 put up by the Ionescu and Liberty teammate Courtney Vandersloot.In the 3-point contest, Ionescu beat the Seattle Storm’s Sami Whitcomb and the Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale in the final. Whitcomb had 24 points and Ogunbowale 11.“I knew they were going in,” Ionescu said. “I was telling my...

Wimbledon 2023: Jabeur vs. Vondrousova in the women’s final, and Djokovic vs. Alcaraz in the men’s

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Ons Jabeur and Marketa Vondrousova are a combined 0-3 in Grand Slam finals.That will change Saturday, when they will face each other for the Wimbledon championship.The No. 6-seeded Jabeur, a 28-year-old from Tunisia, left Wimbledon a year ago as the runner-up to Elena Rybakina, then was the runner-up to Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open in September. Jabeur is the only Arab woman and only North African woman to get to the singles final at a major tournament.Vondrousova, a 24-year-old from the Czech Republic, made it to the title match at the French Open four years ago as a teenager. After losing that one to Ash Barty, Vondrousova is back at that stage at a Slam as the first unseeded women’s finalist at Wimbledon since Billie Jean King in 1963.Vondrousova wasn’t able to compete at the All England Club in 2022, because she had a cast on her left wrist after two operations. Her ranking fell after she missed about six months last season.Both Jabeur and V...

Taylor Swift's donation will cover 75K meals

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- While it was estimated that Taylor Swift's two Denver concerts would generate $40 to $50 million, the superstar made sure she donated to the local food bank.The Food Bank of the Rockies received a donation from Swift which will cover 75,000 meals, the nonprofit said in a release Friday. Report: Taylor Swift legions about to drop $200M on Eras spending in Denver “We are seeing more need now than we ever have before. This is hitting Food Bank of the Rockies’ budget hard. To meet the needs of our neighbors experiencing hunger, we are spending triple what we were pre-COVID on food purchasing every month,” Chief Marketing Officer at Food Bank of the Rockies Aditi Desai said. “We’ve been able to meet the increased demand thanks to the generosity of individuals like Taylor Swift. Her gift will help fuel our work across the Rockies and allow us to distribute more food to our communities. I was shocked and then thrilled by the news! We are grateful for her inspired suppor...

A short night for Michael Kopech and a long night for the Chicago White Sox in 9-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

Friday was not the return Michael Kopech had in mind.The Chicago White Sox reinstated the right-hander from the injured list ahead of Friday’s game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.He started, but it was a short and wild outing.Kopech allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning in a 9-0 loss to the Braves in front of 42,782.“Physically I feel good,” Kopech said. “Obviously I wanted to go out there and take what I felt physically and have some results with it. But if there’s a positive takeaway for me, I felt physically good. Just erratic. Tough way to come back.“I had a chance to throw every day of the break. Felt good. Even playing catch today, getting ready for the game, felt really good. Just didn’t take the feeling and execute with it.”The four runs came on a Matt Olson grand slam.The Sox returned from the break with a thud, falling behind quickly and never recovering. Losers of eight of their last 10, the Sox are a seaso...

North Dakota police say 1 officer died, 2 injured in shooting that also left suspect dead in Fargo

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — One police officer has died and two others were critically injured in a Friday shooting in Fargo, North Dakota, police said.The suspect also was killed, police said. In a statement late Friday, police said a civilian was wounded in the shooting that happened Friday afternoon. Witnesses said a man opened fire on police officers on a busy street before other officers shot him. The Fargo Police Department said it plans to release more details on Saturday afternoon. The investigation is ongoing.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.A man opened fire on police officers — hitting more than one — on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, Friday afternoon before other officers shot him, multiple witnesses said.Police have not confirmed if anyone, including police officers, was shot in what they called a “critical incident” that happened before 3 p.m., but a hospital reported receiving patients within hours, and law enforcement agencies across the...

Mega Millions jackpot grows to $640 million, among highest in lottery game’s history

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

The Mega Millions top prize has grown again to an estimated $640 million after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot.The numbers drawn late Friday night were: 10, 24, 48, 51, 66 and gold Mega Ball 15.The estimated $640 million jackpot in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing is an estimated $328 million.Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18.Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The Associated Press

Long Island serial killer probe not over after architect is charged in 3 of 11 deaths

Published Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:48:49 GMT

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities on Long Island are vowing to continue investigating a string of killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders after charging an architect in the deaths of three of the 11 victims. Rex Heuermann, 59, is accused of killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello over a decade ago. He is also considered the prime suspect in the death of another woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Their bodies were bound and hidden in thick underbrush along a remote beach highway across the bay from the Massapequa Park community where Heuermann has lived all his life. Investigators have said it’s unlikely just one person killed all the victims. “We’re going to continue to work, investigate, and try to get a small measure of closure for all the victims’ families,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said. Heuermann, 59, was arrested late Thursday, a year and a half after authorities formed an interagency task force with investigators from the FBI, a...