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Florida man who impersonated doctor as a teen gets prison time for stealing from employer

January 3, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

A Florida man who was arrested and convicted of impersonating a doctor when he was a teenager was sentenced to 28 months in prison last week for stealing thousands of dollars from his employer in a separate scheme.

Malachi Love-Robinson, who is now 25 years old, pleaded guilty to grand theft and organized scheme to defraud. He was working as a salesperson at a business that connects shippers with trucking companies in 2020 and had customers make payments to him instead of his employer, according to court documents.

It will be Love-Robinson’s second stint in prison after he pleaded guilty to fraud, grand theft, and practicing medicine without a license in 2016.

HOW TO CHECK IF SOMEONE IS STEALING YOUR WI-FI AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

In that earlier incident, he identified himself as “Dr. Love” and opened The New Birth New Life Medical Center, which he used to steal $30,000 from a patient in her 80s and another $20,000 from a doctor.

The fraudster was arrested in that case after he prescribed treatment to an undercover officer who was investigating his fake practice.

While out on bail for impersonating the doctor in 2016, Love-Robinson was also arrested for trying to buy a vehicle with a stolen credit card.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As Legal Pot Grows, More Kids Sickened by Edibles at Home

January 3, 2023 Published by [email protected] (Associated Press)

USA – Voice of America

The number of young children, especially toddlers, who accidentally ate marijuana-laced treats rose sharply over five years as pot became legal in more places in the United States, according to a study published Tuesday.

More than 7,000 confirmed cases of kids younger than 6 eating marijuana edibles were reported to the nation’s poison control centers between 2017 and 2021, climbing from about 200 to more than 3,000 per year.

Nearly a quarter of the children wound up hospitalized, some seriously ill, according to a new analysis in the journal Pediatrics.

And those are just the reported cases, said Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, who led the study.

Cases of kids eating pot products such as candies, chocolate and cookies have coincided with more states allowing medical and recreational cannabis use. Currently, 37 U.S. states permit use of marijuana for medical purposes, and 21 states regulate adult recreational use.

Tweet called for greater vigilance by parents and for more laws like those adopted by several states to make pot products — often packaged to look like kids’ candies and snacks — less appealing and accessible to children.

“When it’s in a candy form or cookies, people don’t think of it in the same way as household chemicals or other things a child could get into,” she said. “But people should really be thinking of it as a medication.”

Tweet and her colleagues analyzed reports to the National Poison Data System, which includes the nation’s 55 regional poison control centers. More than half of the children were toddlers, ages 2 and 3, the study showed. More than 90% got the edibles at home.

“They’re the ones starting to explore and to get up and move around,” she said.

Of more than 7,000 reports, researchers were able to track the outcomes of nearly 5,000 cases. They found that nearly 600 kids, or about 8%, were admitted to critical care units, most often with depressed breathing or even coma. Nearly 15% were admitted to noncritical care units, and more than a third were seen in emergency rooms. Drowsiness, breathing problems, fast heart rate and vomiting were the most common symptoms.

The results are not surprising, said Dr. Brian Schultz, a pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. He previously worked at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he and his colleagues treated kids who had eaten pot edibles “almost on a daily basis,” he said.

Reports and hospitalizations rose during the last two years of the study during the COVID-19 pandemic. More children were at home, with more opportunities to find pot treats, Tweet said. With marijuana more widely legal, parents may have felt less stigma seeking help from poison centers and health care providers, she added.

[Business] Microsoft recognises first labour union in US

January 3, 2023 Published by

BBC News world-us_and_canada

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Workers at Microsoft’s ZeniMax Studios have voted to form the tech giant’s first labour union in the US.

Microsoft agreed to recognise the group after a “supermajority” of workers at the video game production company signalled support for the plan, said the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union.

ZeniMax owns popular games including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.

It follows an uptick in unionisation efforts in the US.

Apple, Amazon and Google are among the other US companies that have seen labour fights in recent years, as workers demand more from employers amidst the rising cost of living.

Union campaigns have traditionally triggered sharp corporate opposition, said the CWA.

Apple workers form first US union

“Other video game and tech giants have made a conscious choice to attack, undermine, and demoralize their own employees when they join together to form a union,” CWA’s president Chris Shelton said.

“Microsoft is charting a different course which will strengthen its corporate culture and ability to serve its customers and should serve as a model for the industry and as a blueprint for regulators,” Mr Shelton added.

ZeniMax Studios, the company behind popular first-person shooting game DOOM, is the first studio at Microsoft US to secure union representation and will boast the largest group of union-represented quality assurance testers at any US game studio, CWA said.

The group will represent roughly 300 quality assurance workers at offices in Maryland and Texas.

Organisers said they hoped a union, which allows collective bargaining over issues such as pay and working conditions, would allow them to improve job opportunities, and reduce unfair pay practices and overwork during crunch periods.

Voluntarily agreeing to bargain with unionised employees allows Microsoft to avoid a formal process overseen by the US National Labor Relations Board, which can often be followed by legal battles.

The CWA has also been involved in unionisation campaigns at gaming company Activision Blizzard. The company has fought the efforts.

Last year, Microsoft announced a deal to buy Activision Blizzard, prompting the government to sue to block the deal over competition concerns.

Microsoft had struck a pact with the CWA to remain neutral in labour fights as part of its efforts to win support for that merger, which would be one of the biggest in its history.

A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment on how the new union might affect operations at the firm.

“We look forward to engaging in good faith negotiations as we work towards a collective bargaining agreement”, the spokesperson said.

Houston police looking for robbery suspects for allegedly holding rideshare driver at gunpoint

January 3, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

A Texas rideshare driver was robbed at gunpoint when one of two passengers threatened to kill him when he refused to get out of his vehicle during an October trip, authorities said Tuesday.

Video footage posted online by the Houston Police Department shows the driver dropping off two males at an apartment complex at 2929 Dunvale Road in west Houston. The pair were picked up around 11 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2022 at a restaurant in the 7600 block of Westheimer Road, police said.

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A person named “MJ” had requested the pickup, police said.

As they arrived at the apartment complex, one of the males appears to take out a handgun while the other gets out of the car. The armed suspect holds the gun to the driver’s head, according to the footage taken from inside the car.

“I’m going to kill you. Get the f*** out the car,” the suspect repeatedly says.

“I don’t have money,” the driver is heard saying.

The other suspect opens the driver-side door and attempts to grab the driver’s cell phone, police said. He fell to the ground and the driver accelerated the car and refused to stop despite the armed suspect ordering him to while holding the gun to his head, authorities said.

The robbery suspect jumps out of the moving vehicle. The driver called the police a short time later.

Authorities are looking for both suspects. They were both described as Black males around 20 years of age with skinny body types and wearing hoodies.

Florida Gov. DeSantis begins second term with spotlight on presidential ambitions

January 3, 2023 Published by CNN

Tallahassee, Florida
CNN
—

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis swore an oath to a second term in office on Tuesday, trumpeting the state under his watch as “a promised land of sanity,” and pledged to make Florida a beacon for freedom across the country.

“We are proud to be citizens of the great, free state of Florida,” DeSantis said at the conclusion of a 15-minute address that he delivered from the steps of the Historic Capitol in Tallahassee.

The speech was as much a sweeping national address as a blueprint for DeSantis’ plans in Florida. While the governor did not explicitly mention his wider ambitions, including a potential 2024 Republican presidential bid, his words carried clear themes of his political fight ahead.

“We reject this woke ideology. We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy,” DeSantis said. “We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where the woke goes to die.”

The strength of DeSantis’ reelection victory in November – the widest margin a Florida governor’s race has seen in four decades – has made him a guide for Republicans in a year filled with missed opportunities and disappointments. And at 44, he remains one of the party’s youngest prospective White House hopefuls, with his national ambitions on full display during two days of inauguration festivities in Tallahassee that are playing out under the slogan, “The Free State of Florida.”

Monday played host to a candlelight cocktail hour and dinner, while Tuesday will mark an inaugural ball, aides say, where donors who contribute between $50,000 and $1 million to the Republican Party of Florida will be given special access to the governor and VIP treatment. After the swearing-in, first lady Casey DeSantis is scheduled to lead “A Toast to One Million Mamas” to honor the women who worked and volunteered on the campaign.

While the inauguration is taking on greater significance than a typical second-term swearing-in ceremony, a senior aide to DeSantis told CNN that the governor he has made no firm decisions about his future and is in no rush to jump into a 2024 campaign.

“He is focused on his second term. In his eyes, there’s no rush,” the aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations in DeSantis’ closely controlled orbit. Any potential announcements are not expected until after the Florida legislative session ends in May.

The cross-state rivalry with former President Donald Trump hangs over every move DeSantis makes. Their relationship traces back to the future governor’s 2018 primary campaign, when an endorsement from Trump helped the little-known lawmaker leapfrog early frontrunner Adam Putnam, then the state agricultural commissioner, to win the nomination. A viral ad featuring DeSantis and his family, including two young children, highlighted his allegiance to Trump.

But as talk of 2024 swirled in recent months, the pair grew increasingly at odds. Before and after the midterm election, Trump derided DeSantis as an “average governor” and mocked him with the would-be nickname, “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

For his part, DeSantis has sought to downplay Trump’s criticism, describing the comments as “just noise.”

There was no mention of Trump on Tuesday afternoon – though the former president was notable by his omission.

DeSantis, as he closed his remarks, cast his administration as inheritors of the legacy of famous Republican presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.

“It’s the fire that burned at a cemetery in Gettysburg when the nation’s first Republican president pledged to this nation a new birth of freedom,” DeSantis said. “It’s the fire that led a resolute president to stand in Berlin and declare, tear down this wall. Staring down the communists and winning the Cold War.”

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[World] Gunman who smoke bombed subway pleads guilty to terrorism

January 3, 2023 Published by

BBC News world-us_and_canada

Getty Images

Image caption,

Frank James, 62, was arrested without incident on 14 April following a 30-hour manhunt

By Nadine Yousif

BBC News

A man who set off smoke bombs in a crowded New York subway carriage before shooting 10 people has pleaded guilty to terrorism and weapons charges.

Frank James, 63, was charged with 10 counts of terrorism, one for each person shot, and one firearms count.

Thirteen passengers also suffered smoke-related injuries during the attack in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighbourhood on April 12, 2022.

James was arrested after a 30-hour manhunt.

He initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea on Tuesday at a District Court in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors said last week that if the gunman accepted responsibility, a prison sentence of 32 to 37 years would be appropriate. If not, they said, he could face 40 years to life.

Authorities say James had planned the attack for years.

Police said he donned a gas mask during the attack and escaped in the aftermath – but he left behind several personal items that aided in his capture, including a key to a U-Haul van he had rented in Philadelphia and driven to Brooklyn, and a bank card with his name on it.

A legally-purchased Glock 9mm left behind at the scene was also registered under the suspect’s name.

The gunman was eventually arrested without incident after calling in a tip on himself.

While there were no fatalities, the attack was one of the most violent ever seen on New York’s subway system.

Police have not identified a motive, but authorities said the suspect posted multiple videos on YouTube that featured bigoted rants and statements about New York City’s subway system, including comments about homeless people and conspiracy theories.

Bad Bunny says he threw fan’s phone in water because of a ‘lack of respect’

January 3, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Rapper Bad Bunny has some explaining to do.

The Grammy winner went viral on Monday, after a video surfaced showing him throwing a female fan’s phone into nearby water.

Now he’s defending himself, saying he did it because she displayed a “lack of respect” by sticking her phone in his face for an attempted selfie while he was walking down the street.

The viral video showed the fan approach Bad Bunny to film or take a photo of the two of them.

He smiles into the camera, then grabs the phone from her and throws it into some nearby water, leaving her looking shocked.

SPOTIFY RELEASES 2022 SPOTIFY WRAPPED: BAD BUNNY, TAYLOR SWIFT, DRAKE AMONG TOP ARTISTS

The Puerto Rican rapper explained his actions on Twitter, writing in Spanish, “The person who comes up to me to say hello, to tell me something, or just to meet me, will always receive my attention and respect. Those who come to put a f—— phone in my face I will consider it for what it is, a lack of respect and I will treat it likewise.”

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The 28-year-old was criticized by many in the comments of the post. People said he had forgotten where he came from, he could have been more diplomatic with the fan, and that he’s forgotten what it’s like to not have the money to replace a phone.

Others agreed the fan was in the wrong.

Bad Bunny is one of the most-streamed artists on Spotify. He also recently starred with Brad Pitt in the movie “Bullet Train” and is reported to be starring as the newest Marvel hero in “El Muerto.”

Brazil’s president, thousands of mourners line streets to pay final respects to legendary soccer player Pelé

January 3, 2023 Published by

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Brazil mourned Tuesday as legendary soccer player Pelé was laid to rest.

Tens of thousands of mourners from fans to dignitaries, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, visited Santos to pay their final respects to the soccer legend.

Pelé’s coffin was transported by the fire department from Vila Belmiro stadium to his final resting place.

The procession passed the house of Pele’s 100-year-old mother.

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Pelé’s mother, Celeste Arantes, did not make an appearance, but his sister, Maria Lucia, was seen waiving from a balcony. His mother celebrated her 100th birthday in November at the beginning of the 2022 World Cup.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the first lady of Brazil, Rosangela “Janja” da Silva, attended the open casket service and were seen embracing Pelé’s widow. A moment of silence was observed at the service for the late soccer player.

PELÉ’S DAUGHTER POSTS EMOTIONAL MESSAGE AFTER SOCCER LEGEND’S DEATH

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also visited Brazil to bid farewell to one of the greatest soccer players of all time.

A funeral procession began at the Vila Belmiro stadium where his coffin had been placed with one stand draped in a banner that said “Long live the King,” Pelé’s nickname during his playing days.

Some of the most remarkable moments of Pelé’s career happened on the field of Vila Belmiro stadium. The stadium was adorned with Brazilian flags and No. 10 Pelé jerseys.

NEYMAR JR., CRISTIANO RONALDO AMONG THOSE GRIEVING LOSS OF BRAZILIAN SOCCER STAR PELÉ

Fans waited up to three hours to view the coffin inside the stadium in the middle of the field.

Lula da Silva was recently re-elected to his third term as Brazil’s president. Brazil’s government previously declared three days of national mourning after Pelé’s death.

“Pelé is incomparable as a soccer player and as a human being,” Lula said shortly after arriving at the stadium.

Pelé’s name became synonymous with the sport of soccer. He played for Santos from 1956 to 1974 and was known as the “King of Soccer.”

After attending the memorial Monday, FIFA’s Infantino noted he would ask soccer associations in every country throughout the world to name a stadium after Pelé.

“The most important in any case is to pay tribute to King Pelé, and whilst I humbly suggested that throughout our 211 member associations at least one football stadium or venue is named after him, we will set the example by giving the pitch in our headquarters the name ‘Estádio Pelé,” Infantino said.

Some soccer stars attended the wake, including former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto, who helped place Pele’s coffin in the center of the field Monday.

Brazilian television was suspended to ensure that only the procession was being broadcast at the time, similar to Argentina’s media treatment of Diego Maradona’s death.

At his peak, Pelé was arguably the most well-known athlete on earth. He met with world leaders, from presidents to queens. At one point, a civil war in Nigeria was temporarily suspended to watch Pelé.

A diverse crowd came from near and far to get a glimpse of Pelé’s coffin Tuesday. Many of the mourners may have never seen Pelé play, but they wanted to bid the legendary athlete a farewell.

NFL star Damar Hamlin still in critical condition after cardiac arrest

January 3, 2023 Published by CNN

Damar Hamlin leaves the field after an NFL football game on December 1, 2022, in Massachusetts. (Greg M. Cooper/AP/File)

An update posted on Damar Hamlin’s 2020 GoFundMe campaign said they are thankful for the “renewed support” for the fundraiser following his injury during Monday’s game.

“If you would like to show your support and contribute to Damar’s community initiatives and his current fight, this is the place to do so. This is the only current fund that is being used by the Hamlin Family,” the post said.

As of 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the GoFundMe had more than $4.4 million worth of donations.

The fundraiser was initially established in 2020 to support fundraising for Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, the post said.

“However, it has received renewed support in light of Damar’s current battle and we can’t thank all of you enough. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us,” the update said.

Leigh C. Lehman, director of communications for GoFundMe, told CNN in an email, “I can confirm the update was posted on behalf of the family and we are in touch with their representatives.”

The foundation supports toy drives, back-to-school drives, kids camps and more.

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NYC Mayor Adams calls out Biden, says migrant crisis a ‘real embarrassment’

January 3, 2023 Published by

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday called the migrant crisis that he says is overwhelming the Big Apple a “real embarrassment” on a national level as he claimed that there is “no more room at the inn” in the self-described sanctuary city.

Adams was asked about the migrant crisis that has reached into New York City as tens of thousands of migrants have made their way — including by bus — to the city in recent months.

“It’s a real embarrassment, I believe, on a national level, and we must have an appropriate response. We have had conversations around the issues on migrants for decades. This is a national issue. It must have a national response,” he said on WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning.”

The host, Sid Rosenberg, responded by calling it a “Biden issue” and a “Democrat” issue.

COLORADO GOV PLANNING TO SEND MIGRANTS TO NEW YORK CITY, MAYOR ADAMS SAYS

“This is a Biden issue, a Democrat issue that now folks like you have to deal with. To be specific and fair, that’s just the truth,” he said.

“Well, when we think about the immigration reform, we’re going to need the help from Congress as well,” Adams replied. “I think the president has an obligation to deal with the immediate concerns. But when we talk about immigration, it is going to take a combination of the executive and the legislative body. We have to address this.”

The border has been hit by a historic number of migrants under President Biden’s administration, with more than 2.3 million encounters in FY 2022, and a FY 2023 so far on track to outpace those massive numbers. The White House has responded to criticism of its policies by pointing to record levels of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as well as enhanced smuggling operations and cooperation with Western Hemisphere countries – and has called on Republicans to support its efforts to secure extra funding and to pass a sweeping immigration reform bill, which includes a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

“What Americans should know is that the president has done the work to deal with what we’re seeing at the border since day one,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last month.

Texas, Arizona and Florida have all responded to the crisis with their own moves, including transporting migrants to liberal cities and jurisdictions. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott angered Adams by bussing migrants to the city for much of 2022 — as well as other sanctuary cities. Adams also said in the interview that Colorado would be sending migrants to the city as that state also faces migrant-related challenges in Denver.

BIDEN ADMIN FACING THIRD YEAR OF CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH UNCERTAIN IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN 2023

Adams stressed that an “onslaught” of migrants was not something that cities should be having to deal with — adding that his city had taken in over 30,000 migrants and that it was impacting “on the quality of life in New York.”

“El Paso should not be going through this. Chicago should not be going through this. Houston, Washington, New York, no city should have to make a decision if they’re going to provide for their citizens, particularly coming out of Covid or if they’re going to deal with an onslaught of migrants and asylum seekers,” he said.

He then said it was “unfair” that local governments have to take on what he called a “national obligation.”

“There’s no more room at the inn, but we are compelled by local laws here that we must provide shelter and continue to move in the right direction,” he said.

Fox News’ Brooke Curto contributed to this report.