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After 45 years, authorities in California were finally able to tell the Gonzalez family who they believe killed their loved one. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office used DNA and forensic genealogy to identify the suspected killer, who turned out to be the same man who reported finding Esther Gonzalez’s body to authorities. On February 9, 1979, 17-year-old Gonzalez was walking to her sister’s house in Banning, California, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles. She never made it home. The next day, her body was found in a snowpack off a highway near Banning, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release . She was attacked during her walk, raped and bludgeoned to death, authorities said. Deputies described the unidentified man who found the body as “argumentative,” according to the news release. The man, later identified as Lewis Randolph “Randy” Williamson, called the county sheriff to report the body and said he didn’t know whether it was a man or woman. Williamson was later asked by sheriff’s investigators to take a polygraph test. The district attorney’s office said he agreed to the test and passed, which “at the time, cleared him of any wrongdoing,” according to the release. Nearly five decades later, the district attorney’s office said a cold case homicide team used forensic genealogy to confirm Williamson is Gonzalez’s suspected killer. Forensic genealogy is surging across the country as investigators analyze DNA in addition to traditional genealogy research to generate leads for unsolved cases. Jason Corey, the master investigator for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, said the technique is a tremendous addition to an investigator’s toolbox. “I think it will be a great investigative tool moving forward in the future,” Corey said. “It will help do a lot of good and not only identify victims, but it will help point the investigators in a direction with their investigative leads that will help bring those suspects to justice.” Even as the Gonzalez case went cold, Riverside County detectives kept searching. The homicide team continued to investigate the case for decades after Gonzalez’s death. The team uploaded a semen sample from the crime scene into the Combined DNA Index System but there weren’t any leads. In 2023, detectives sent various items of evidence to a genetic lab in Texas that specializes in forensic genealogy and identifying victims in unsolved murders. Earlier this year, a crime analyst laid out all the facts of the case. Then, the light bulb went off. “Although Williamson was seemingly cleared by the polygraph in 1979, he was never cleared through DNA because the technology had not yet been developed,” the district attorney’s office said. Conducting another polygraph was not an option, as Williamson died in Florida in 2014. However, a blood sample had been collected during his autopsy. Authorities in Florida sent the sample to the California Department of Justice, which confirmed Williamson’s DNA matched the DNA semen sample recovered from Gonzalez’s body. Corey said this case was in Riverside County’s cold case unit since it launched about five years ago. Over the years, multiple investigators have worked on the case. That all came to an end this Wednesday. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for them,” Corey said. “That whole family has just been devastated over the years. This is a day in and day in, day out thing. I don’t think this is something that ever got easier for them as time went on.” “I don’t know if you can say you’re happy that it’s done, because it’s still, it’s still a terrible tragedy, but I hope it can bring them some closure,” Corey said. The latest development in the cold case does bring peace and closure to the Gonzalez family, Esther’s older sister Elizabeth said. She was happy to hear her sister’s suspected killer was finally identified. “We are very happy that we finally have closure,” Elizabeth Gonzalez, 64, wrote in an email to CNN. “We are happy about it but, since the guy has died, a little sad that he won’t spend any time for her murder.” Esther and Elizabeth Gonzalez grew up very close as they were only one year apart in age. Esther is now remembered by her family for her shy yet funny and mild-mannered personality. She the fourth out of seven children. Esther’s oldest brother, Eddie, wrote on Facebook , “The Gonzalez family would like to thank the Riverside County sheriff’s department on a job well done after 40 years the Gonzalez family has closure.”NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he’s also named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day’s trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time’s 2024 Person of the Year, according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York’s business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine’s Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year’s award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning’s announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York’s embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams, who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time’s Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jessica Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift. After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans’ deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower and again in the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he held a rally at Madison Square Garden that drew immediate blowback as speakers made rude and racist insults and incendiary remarks. At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics — something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” ___ Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.
Remember Google Glass? That futuristic eyewear that promised to revolutionize how we interact with technology? It flopped, spectacularly. But Google hasn’t given up on the dream of smart glasses. In fact, Google’s Android president, Hiroshi Lockheimer, recently told CNET that he believes “this time, it’s going to work.” This bold claim has re-ignited interest in the potential of smart glasses. But why is Google so confident? What’s changed since the Google Glass debacle? And what can we expect from this new generation of smart glasses? This article dives deep into the world of smart glasses, exploring Google’s renewed push into the market, the technological advancements driving this resurgence, and the potential impact on our lives. We’ll also examine the challenges that lie ahead and why this time might truly be different. The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of Smart Glasses The concept of smart glasses isn’t new. Science fiction has teased us with the idea for decades. Google Glass, launched in 2013, was one of the first real attempts to bring this technology to the masses. However, it was plagued by issues: high cost, privacy concerns, limited functionality, and let’s be honest, they looked a bit dorky. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has changed dramatically. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), battery technology, and miniaturization have paved the way for a new generation of smart glasses that are more powerful, versatile, and stylish than their predecessors. Why Google Believes “This Time It’s Going to Work” Lockheimer’s confidence stems from several key factors: Google’s New Approach: A Focus on Partnerships and Real-World Applications Google is taking a different tack this time around. Instead of trying to go it alone, they are focusing on partnerships and real-world applications. This focused approach allows Google to refine its technology and build a strong foundation before expanding into broader consumer markets. The Potential of Smart Glasses: A Glimpse into the Future Imagine a world where: This is the potential of smart glasses. They could fundamentally change how we interact with the world around us, blurring the lines between the physical and digital realms. Challenges and Concerns: Privacy, Social Acceptance, and More While the future of smart glasses looks promising, there are still challenges to overcome: My Personal Take: Cautious Optimism As someone who has followed the evolution of technology for years, I’m cautiously optimistic about the future of smart glasses. I believe the technological advancements and Google’s strategic approach have increased the likelihood of success this time around. However, I also recognize the challenges. Privacy concerns, social acceptance, and ethical considerations need to be addressed thoughtfully. It’s crucial that we develop these technologies responsibly, ensuring they benefit humanity as a whole. Looking Ahead: The Future is Within Sight The journey of smart glasses has been a rollercoaster ride. From the initial hype of Google Glass to the current resurgence, we’ve seen both excitement and disappointment. But this time feels different. The technology is more mature, the applications are more focused, and the lessons from the past have been learned. Whether smart glasses will truly revolutionize our lives remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the future is within sight, and it’s looking more interesting than ever. SEO Meta Description: Google’s Android president believes smart glasses will succeed “this time.” Explore the tech advancements, applications, and challenges shaping the future of this exciting technology.Hannah Kobayashi found safe in LA weeks after being reported missing, family says
Mercadolibre director Emiliano Calemzuk sells $99,249 in stockNew York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers “absolutely” will remain the team's starting quarterback and start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times during the Jets' 3-8 start by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a torn left Achilles tendon, has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. GM: The New York Jets are turning to one of their former general managers to help them find their next GM and head coach. The franchise announced Monday that The 33rd Team, a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, will assist team owner Woody Johnson in the searches. Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman, former GM of the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, will be The 33rd Team's primary representatives in helping find replacements for former coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The NFL removed New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to participate in practice and play in the team’s games. Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the list on Oct. 9 after he was arrested and charged with shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her. The league said its review is ongoing and is not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status. Braintree, Massachusetts, police said they were called to a home for an altercation between two people on Oct. 7, and a woman told them Peppers choked her. Police said they found at the home a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine. Peppers, 29, pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class “B” substance believed to be cocaine. At a court appearance last week a trial date was set for Jan. 22. HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, coach Antonio Pierce said Monday. Minshew was injured with 3:12 left in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Pierce will have to decide whether Aidan O'Connell or Desmond Ridder will start Friday's game at Kansas City. The Raiders, who have lost seven consecutive games to fall to 2-9, could use a spark. Minshew's grip on the starting job was tenuous even before he was injured. He threw 10 interceptions to just nine touchdown passes this season and Minshew also lost four fumbles. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will practice Monday and “we'll see where he's at from there,” coach Doug Pederson said. Lawrence missed the past two games, losses to Minnesota and Detroit, with a sprained left shoulder. Lawrence had extra time to rest during Jacksonville's bye week. The Jaguars (2-9) host AFC South-leading Houston (7-5) on Sunday and need a victory to avoid being eliminated from playoff contention. Pederson said Lawrence is “feeling better" and they will know more about his playing status following practice Wednesday. Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. Instead of sliding, he chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun. Lawrence has practiced some in a limited role since, but was inactive for both games.
Palo Alto Networks ' ( PANW -3.61% ) troubles early in the year are beginning to seem like a distant memory after the company once again posted solid earnings results. The stock plunged in February after the cybersecurity company said it was seeing "spending fatigue" among its customers and embarked on a new "platformization" strategy. This strategy was designed to switch customers from point solutions to using a suite of the company's products. However, this move came at a price, as in order to entice customers to move away from a bunch of single-problem solutions from various vendors with different contract lengths, it agreed to give some of its solutions away for free so customers would not have to pay for duplicate programs. At the time, the company said this would be the equivalent of giving customers about six months of free product capabilities. While a bold move, it is not all that dissimilar from streaming services offering customers highly discounted trial rates, or cellphone providers buying out contracts to obtain customers. Let's take a closer look at Palo Alto's fiscal first-quarter results, how its strategy to bundle services is working, and whether the stock's momentum can continue. Platformization momentum continues Palo Alto's platformization strategy continued to show strong momentum in its fiscal 2025 Q1 (ended Oct. 31, 2024), with it adding 70 new customers using its suite of security services in the quarter. About a third of those came from the company's September acquisition of security information and event management platform QRadar from IBM . It is looking for half of QRadar customers to transition to its extended security intelligence and automation management (XSIAM) platform by the end of its current fiscal year. It ended the quarter with 1,100 platformized customers. It also said that the annual recurring revenue (ARR) from this group of customers increased by 6% in the quarter. The company is looking to have between 2,500 and 3,500 service-bundling deals by fiscal year 2030 and said it is on track to accomplish this goal. Palo Alto management said it believes that in the coming years, the cybersecurity market will have fewer platforms and that point solutions will eventually get subsumed by these winning platforms. Overall, Palo Alto's fiscal first-quarter revenue climbed 14% year over year to $2.14 billion, which was just ahead of the company's guidance for revenue of between $2.1 billion and $2.13 billion. Service revenue increased 16%, with subscription revenue jumping 21% and support revenue up 8%. Product revenue rose 4%. It forecast fiscal 2025 revenue to grow by about 14% to a range of $9.11 billion to $9.17 billion, up from prior guidance of $9.1 billion to $9.15 billion. It projected adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of between $6.26 and $6.39, up from a previous outlook of between $6.18 and $6.31, representing growth between 10% and 13%. Below is a chart of the company's guidance revisions. Metric Revenue Revenue Growth Adjusted EPS EPS Growth Original guidance $9.10 billion to $9.15 billion 13% to 14% $6.18 and $6.31 9% to 11% New guidance $9.11 billion to $9.17 billion 14% $6.26 to $6.39 10% to 13% Data source: Palo Alto Networks. For fiscal Q2, Palo Alto management guided for revenue growth of between 12% and 14% to a range of $2.22 billion and $2.25 billion. It is looking for adjusted EPS growth of between 5% and 6% to a range of $1.54 to $1.56. The company also announced a 2-for-1 stock split that will become effective in mid-December. Palo Alto Networks is the latest company to initiate a split this year, joining companies ranging from Walmart to Nvidia to Chipotle Mexican Grill . Generally, a stock split makes share prices more accessible to a wider range of investors and can lead to increased trading activity. After the market closes on Dec. 13, Palo Alto shareholders get an additional share for each share they own. Is it time to buy Palo Alto stock? While Palo Alto is still going through a transition period as it implements its service bundling strategy, it does appear the strategy is paying off. While there is some worry about the company discounting pricing as it platforms customers, at the end of the day it needed to make this move and deals are getting larger as a result. A mishmash of cybersecurity point solutions was becoming less effective for customers who were starting to see diminishing returns on their cybersecurity investments. Palo Alto has a large base of legacy firewall customers, so getting them onto a more effective cybersecurity platform will be a key driver in the years ahead. The company's next-generation security offerings are making nice strides, with next-gen ARR up 40% in the quarter. Palo Alto stock trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio (P/S) of over 14 times fiscal 2025 estimates for a company projecting to grow revenue by 14%. PANW PS Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts While I would expect growth to begin to accelerate as the headwind from its platformization strategy eventually shifts to a tailwind, the valuation is still pretty pricey given its growth outlook. While I think the stock will be a long-term winner, I would not look to chase the stock at these levels.Unauthorized switching of Affordable Care Act plans appears to have tapered off in recent weeks based on an almost one-third drop in casework associated with consumer complaints, . The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees the ACA, credits steps taken to thwart enrollment and switching problems that triggered more than 274,000 complaints this year through August. Now, the annual ACA open enrollment period that began Nov. 1 poses a real-world test: Will the changes curb fraud by rogue agents or brokerages without unduly slowing the process of enrolling or reducing the total number of sign-ups for 2025 coverage? “They really have this tightrope to walk,” said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. “The more you tighten it up to prevent fraud, the more barriers there are that could inhibit enrollment among those who need the coverage.” CMS said in July that some types of policy changes — those in which the agent is not “affiliated” with the existing plan — will face more requirements, such as a three-way call with the consumer, broker, and a healthcare.gov call center representative. In August, the agency online-enrollment platforms from connecting with healthcare.gov over concerns related to improper switching. And CMS has suspended 850 agents suspected of being involved in unauthorized plan-switching from accessing the ACA marketplace. Still, the clampdown could add complexity to enrollment and slow the process. For example, a consumer might have to wait in a queue for a three-way call, or scramble to find a new agent because the one they previously worked with had been suspended. Given that phone lines with healthcare.gov staff already get busy — especially during mid-December — agents and policy analysts advise consumers not to dally this year. “Hit the ground running,” said Ronnell Nolan, president and CEO of Health Agents for America, a professional organization for brokers. Meanwhile, reports are emerging that some rogue entities are already figuring out workarounds that could undermine some of the anti-fraud protections CMS put in place, Nolan said. “Bottom line is: Fraud and abuse is still happening,” Nolan said. Brokers assist the majority of people actively enrolling in ACA plans and are paid a monthly commission by insurers for their efforts. Consumers can compare plans or enroll themselves online through federal or state marketplace websites. They can also seek help from people called assisters or navigators — certified helpers who are not paid commissions. Under a “find local help” button on the federal and , consumers can search for nearby brokers or navigators. CMS says it has “ramped up support operations” at its healthcare.gov marketplace call centers, which are open 24/7, in anticipation of increased demand for three-way calls, and it expects “minimal wait times,” said Jeff Wu, deputy director for policy of the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. Wu said those three-way calls are necessary only when an agent or a broker not already associated with a consumer’s enrollment wants to change that consumer’s enrollment or end that consumer’s coverage. It does not apply to people seeking coverage for the first time. Organizations paid by the government to offer navigator services have a dedicated phone line to the federal marketplace, and callers are not currently experiencing long waits, said Xonjenese Jacobs, director of Florida Covering Kids & Families, a program based at the University of South Florida that coordinates enrollment across the state through its Covering Florida navigator program. Navigators can assist with the three-way calls if a consumer’s situation requires it. “Because we have our quick line in, there’s no increased wait time,” Jacobs said. The problem of unauthorized switches has been around for a while but took off during last year’s open enrollment season. on the ease with which rogue agents can access ACA information in the federal marketplace, needing only a person’s name, date of birth, and state of residence. Though federal regulators have worked to tighten that access with the three-way call requirement, they stopped short of instituting what some agent groups say is needed: two-factor authentication, which could involve a code accessed by a consumer through a smartphone. Unauthorized switches can lead to a host of problems for consumers, from higher deductibles to landing in new networks that do not include their preferred physicians or hospitals. Some people have received tax bills when unauthorized policies came with premium credits for which they did not qualify. Unauthorized switches posed a political liability for the Biden administration, a blemish on two years of record ACA enrollment. The practice drew criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; of rogue agents, attempts were fueled by Biden administration moves that allowed for more generous premium subsidies and special enrollment periods. The fate of those enhanced subsidies, which are set to expire, will be decided by Congress next year as the Trump administration takes power. But the premiums and subsidies that come with 2025 plans that people are enrolling in now will remain in effect for the entire year. The actions taken this year to thwart the unauthorized enrollments apply to the federal marketplace, . The remaining states and the District of Columbia run their own websites, with many having in place additional layers of security. Related Articles For its part, CMS says its efforts are working, pointing to the 30% drop in complaint casework. The agency also noted a 90% drop in the number of times an agent’s name was replaced by another’s, which it says indicates that it is tougher for rival agents to steal clients to gain the monthly commissions that insurers pay. Still, the move to suspend 850 agents has drawn pushback from agent groups that initially brought the problem to federal regulators’ attention. They say some of those accused were suspended before getting a chance to respond to the allegations. “There will be a certain number of agents and brokers who are going to be suspended without due process,” said Nolan, with the health agents’ group. She said that it has called for increased protections against unauthorized switching and that two-factor authentication, like that used in some state marketplaces or in the financial sector, would be more effective than what’s been done. “We now have to jump through so many hoops that I’m not sure we’re going to survive,” she said of agents in general. “They are just throwing things against the wall to see what sticks when they could just do two-factor.” The agency did not respond to questions asking for details about how the 850 agents suspended since July were selected, the states where they were located, or how many had their suspensions reversed after supplying additional information.
Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the Senate
CARACAS (Reuters) -Venezuelan authorities said on Thursday that they have released 103 people this week who had been arrested amid anti-government protests following last July's contested presidential election. President Nicolas Maduro was proclaimed the winner of the July 28 vote by the government-aligned electoral authority and supreme court even though both bodies have refused to release ballot-box level voting records to back up the claim. Raucous street protests erupted hours after the initial claim that Maduro had won. Shortly after the election, the opposition uploaded to a website thousands of scanned copies of voting machine receipts their observers obtained that they say prove their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won a landslide victory. Maduro had said that some 2,000 people were arrested in the post-election protests. Earlier this week, opposition political party Vente Venezuela, said three of its regional leaders had been arrested. The party is led by the South American country's most prominent opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado. Last January, the country's top court ratified a block to her own plans to run for president. The government's citizen security office announced that this week's prisoner release followed a request by Maduro "to review all the cases concerning acts of violence and crimes committed in the framework of the election," according to a statement read on state television. Last month, the Attorney General's Office said 225 detainees were granted "freedom measures." But most of them must appear in court every 30 days, which rights groups say does not constitute full freedom. The protests left 28 people dead and almost 200 injured while some 500 properties were destroyed, including schools and health centers, according to Attorney General Tarek Saab. (Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia)
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Venezuela releases dozens of detainees arrested after July's contested electionBy MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.
This radical new keyboard doubles as a touchscreen and a monitorShoppers seeking updates on their online purchases are receiving fake shipping notifications — something that is heightened during the busy shipping season during the holidays. The endless texts and phishing emails alert shoppers to a delivery issue requiring immediate attention. Scripps News Baltimore Reporter Mallory Sofastaii spoke with multiple customers at the post office, who told her they have received these scam texts. Scammers just need one person to fall for it. “They’re desperately hoping that you will act so quickly that you will give them whatever they want so that they can steal money from you,” said Karen Morgan, executive council member and lead fraud volunteer with AARP Maryland. RELATED STORY | This phishing scam uses text messages pretending to be USPS with a delivery AARP is warning shoppers about these scam texts seeking personal information such as date of birth, Social Security Number, or account logins. And they received a report of someone paying a $0.99 re-delivery fee and later realizing they'd been charged $400. “Do not act quickly on any of these notifications. Stop a minute to recall, did you actually order something? Have you actually sent something? And by the way, if it's the post office, FedEx or UPS, don't they already have your address? Why do they need you to give it to them again?” Morgan suggested. USPS will never send a text or email without the customer first requesting tracking information and they do not charge for these services. “I have registered with the post office to receive emails,” said online shopper Ana Cruz, who uses USPS Informed Delivery , a free service to keep track of mail and packages that are scheduled to be delivered. Howard Shand said he doesn’t do a lot of online shopping. “I go direct to a store, so I don't really have that problem. You know, I shop early,” he added. And he said he's extra vigilant for a reason. “I've been scammed before, so, you know, it makes you more alert,” Shand said. “Just be careful. Pay attention and don't let down your guard easily.” It's important not to click on any links in these messages. Even if you don't enter your information, malware could be downloaded onto your device. And some of the links will take you to a fake login page designed to steal your password and then lock you out of your real account or to hack into other financial accounts. Click here to see the other 12 Scams of Christmas. This story was originally published by Mallory Sofastaii at Scripps News Baltimore .
US stocks traded mostly higher on Monday, with technology stocks helping the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 hit records as members of the Federal Reserve talked about the potential for another interest rate cut later this month. Fed President Raphael Bostic told reporters on Monday that while he's undecided on whether to cut rates at the Fed's FOMC meeting on December 18, he's keeping his "options open." "The risks to achieving the committee's dual mandates of maximum employment and price stability have shifted such that they are roughly in balance, so we likewise should begin shifting monetary policy toward a stance that neither stimulates nor restrains economic activity," Bostic wrote in an essay released on Monday. Meanwhile, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said Monday that he is "leaning toward" an interest rate cut. "Based on the economic data in hand today and forecasts that show that inflation will continue on its downward path to 2 percent over the medium term, at present I lean toward supporting a cut to the policy rate at our December meeting," said at a forum in Washington. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets see a 77% chance of a Fed rate cut at the December 18 FOMC meeting. That chance was at 65% earlier this morning. With the third-quarter earnings season mostly over, investors will turn their attention to economic data as the holiday shopping season heats up. The retail deal season continued following Black Friday, with Cyber Monday deals set to take over this week. According to data from Mastercard Spending Pulse, there was a 3.4% year-over-year increase in US retail sales on Black Friday, which included both in-person and online sales. The bulk of the Black Friday sales gains came from online sales, which were up 14.6%, compared to just a 0.7% increase in in-store sales, according to Mastercard. "Black Friday was a good indicator of how the holiday season is positively shaping up," said Michelle Meyer, chief economist at Mastercard Economics Institute. "Our real-time insights show that consumers are comfortably in the gift-giving spirit as price reductions and deals occur across sectors, supporting budgets for holiday shopping." Turning to economic data this week, investors will be eyeing November auto sales data on Tuesday, ADP employment data on Wednesday, and the November jobs report on Friday. The November nonfarm payroll report on Friday will be a particularly important input for the Fed's next policy decision as it looks to gauge how much it needs to do to prop up the economy. Economists expect 214,000 added in November, for a spike in hiring activity following October's dismal reading of 12,000 new hires. Read the original article on