Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleads guilty in sports betting case
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case. Ippei Mizuhara has admitted that he stole nearly $17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts. Mizuhara entered the plea Tuesday in federal court in Santa Ana, California. Baseball fans from the U.S. to Japan were shocked when the news broke in March. Mizuhara was initially charged with one count of bank fraud and agreed to a plea deal. Authorities say there was no evidence Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators.
Nebraska funeral home discovers hospice patient was still alive hours after being declared dead
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Nebraska funeral home discovered that a 74-year-old hospice patient who was declared dead by her nursing home was actually still alive. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says says upon their shocking discovery on Monday, funeral home workers started CPR and called 911. The woman was rushed to a Lincoln hospital, where she died hours later. Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said Tuesday that he couldn’t “imagine their shock” at finding the woman was alive after putting her on the embalming table. He says investigators are looking into what happened, but hadn’t found evidence yet that any laws were broken. Similar incidents have been reported at funeral homes in New York and Iowa in the past 18 months.
Muhammad Ali’s childhood home is for sale in Kentucky after being converted into a museum
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The pink house where Muhammad Ali grew up dreaming of boxing fame is for sale. The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Louisville was converted into a museum offering a glimpse into the formative years of the man known as The Greatest. It went on the market Tuesday along with two neighboring homes. One was turned into a welcome center-gift shop and the other was to become a short-term rental. Ali’s childhood home became a focal point when hundreds of fans gathered for an emotional send-off as Ali’s funeral procession passed by in 2016. The owners are asking $1.5 million for the three properties.
Craft unfurls China’s flag on the far side of the moon and lifts off with lunar rocks to bring home
BEIJING (AP) — China says its spacecraft unfurled the country’s red and gold flag on the far side of the moon before lifting off with rock and soil samples to bring back to Earth. The mission was hailed as a success in China, which has made significant advances in a space program that aims to put a person on the moon before the end of this decade. The Chang’e-6 probe was launched last month and its lander touched down on the far side of the moon Sunday. China’s space agency said the probe’s ascender carrying the lunar samples entered a preset orbit around the moon Tuesday. The samples will be transferred to a reentry capsule that is due to return to Earth about June 25.
Service dogs helped ease PTSD symptoms in US military veterans, researchers say
Specially trained service dogs helped ease PTSD symptoms in U.S. military veterans in a small study that the researchers hope will help expand options for service members. The research was published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. The dogs are trained to pick up a veteran’s physical signs of distress and can interrupt panic attacks and nightmares with a loving nudge. After three months, PTSD symptoms improved in both groups, but the veterans with dogs saw a bigger improvement on average than the veterans on the waiting list.
In Indonesia, women ranger teams go on patrol to slow deforestation
DAMARAN BARU, Indonesia (AP) — A female-led group of forest rangers in Indonesia are defying social norms to lead patrols in the jungle to combat deforestation. The patrol group was started by a woman who witnessed the devastating effects of deforestation on her local village in the province of Aceh. The members spend days at a time in the jungle monitoring wildlife, keeping a lookout for deforestation and engaging with farmers and poachers they meet in the jungle. The group said it’s seen a rapid decrease in deforestation in its area. Now they’re sharing their tactics with other women-led groups hoping to protect their own forests across Indonesia.
Sharing a bond of ski racing, 2 Canadian Olympians have remained fast friends for nearly 80 years
The Canadian Olympic ski racers first met in 1945 and have been fast friends ever since. Rhoda Wurtele Eaves, 102, and Lucile Wheeler, 89, had the rare chance to catch up in person last November at the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame banquet. The stories and memories flowed. Wurtele Eaves and her sister, Rhona, were known as the “Flying Twins.” They were pioneers of women’s skiing in Canada and inspired many racers, including Wheeler. The sisters took Wheeler under their wing in 1945. A mentorship blossomed into a lifelong friendship filled with ski reunions and golf outings. Wheeler and Wurtele Eaves were roommates at the 1952 Winter Games.
Amanda Knox will defend herself in an Italian court against a 16-year-old slander charge
MILAN (AP) — Amanda Knox will be back in an Italian courtroom this week to defend herself against a 16-year-old slander conviction that she hopes to beat once and for all. This was made possible after a European court ruled that Italy violated her human rights during a long night of questioning after the murder of her British roommate in November 2007. The slander conviction for accusing a Congolese bar owner in the killing is the only charge against her that withstood five court rulings that ultimately cleared her in the brutal murder of her roommate, 21-year-old Meredith Kercher, in the apartment they shared in the idyllic central Italian university town of Perugia.
Judge rejects call to immediately shut down Alex Jones’ Infowars in bankruptcy dispute
A federal judge has rejected a request to immediately shut down conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ media company as disputes in his bankruptcy cases widen. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez denied the request Monday and said Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems, can continue operating until June 14. That’s when the judge is expected to decide whether Jones’ bankruptcy reorganization gets converted into a liquidation that would sell off his assets. Jones and his company filed for bankruptcy reorganization after he lost two lawsuits and was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The families filed an emergency motion Sunday seeking liquidation of Jones’ assets.
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has apologized for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models. The fraudulent testing at Japan’s top automaker involved the use of inadequate or outdated data in collision tests and incorrect testing of airbag inflation and rear-seat damage in crashes. Engine tests were also found to be falsified. Toyota stopped production Monday of the three models made in Japan. The deceptive tests don’t affect the safety of the vehicles already on roads. Two other Japanese automakers Mazda and and Honda also reported Monday improper testing of their vehicles but said they are safe to use.
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