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Cafeteria manager at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami arrested for grand theft, fraud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

A cafeteria manager at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami has been arrested for using the school’s funds to buy food for her independent business. Marisela Santoni-Gomez, 46, is facing grand theft in the second degree and organized fraud. She had been working at the school for 15 years Police said that as the cafeteria manager, Santoni-Gomez was in charge of the onsite operations, which included the ordering of food and supplies that are used in school only. But outside of school hours, she is the owner of two food trucks, according to police. One of them is a brunch-style truck while the other one is a charcuterie board business.An anonymous theft complaint triggered an internal investigation into the purchase records starting in January 2023. The report said that purchase records showed various items were purchased that were not offered or used at the school. This included food items such as waffles, avocados, chicken tenders, and specialty to-go food containers and d...

Former Jaguars employee could face up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $22 million from team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

(CNN) — A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee could face up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to financial crimes which included stealing more than $22 million from the NFL team.Amit Patel pleaded guilty to felony charges of wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction in US District Court in Jacksonville on Thursday.According to the plea agreement filed, the charge of wire fraud comes with a maximum penalty of a term of imprisonment of no more than 20 years, while the charge of illegal monetary transaction comes with a maximum penalty of a term of imprisonment of no more than 10 years.Cumulatively, that could result in a possible 30-year prison sentence for Patel. He could also face a fine of no more than $500,000.Patel was released on a $10,000 bond until his sentencing date, court document show.As previously reported by CNN, Patel was accused of wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction, stealing millions via the team’s virtual credit card (VCC) system over a four-yea...

37-year-old man facing several charges after barricading self inside storm drain in SW Miami-Dade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

A 37-year-old man is facing several charges after he fled from police and barricaded himself inside a storm drain in Southwest Miami-Dade.Alexander Lopez was arrested Thursday and was charged with fleeing/eluding police, driving without a license, resisting an officer without violence and driving recklessly. He is expected to appear in bond court, Friday. According to police, the incident began at around 3 a.m., when officers attempted to pull over Lopez who was driving recklessly. However, he fled the scene.After evading police the first time, investigators said, another officer spotted Lopez driving erratically and tried to stop him.Lopez then stopped his vehicle on a grass ravine and jumped into a canal near Graceland Memorial Park South.After jumping into the canal, police said, Lopez then barricaded himself inside the storm drain.The standoff lasted several hours and officers used a special water camera to search for Lopez.He was eventually caught, handcuffed and placed on a st...

Florida zoo giving special care to Romeo and Juliet, ‘two of the oldest living manatees’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

TAMPA, Florida (WESH) — A portly pair of manatees has arrived at ZooTampa.According to a release from the zoo, “elderly and overweight” manatees Romeo and Juliet, arrived at ZooTampa at Lowry Park last week.“It’s going to be a long road, but there is no facility better prepared to address the urgent health needs of these manatees while the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership identifies the best option for their long-term placements,” said Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, manatee critical care veterinarian and Senior Vice President of Animal Health, Conservation and Education.Zoo representatives say both manatees are over the age of 65.Stringfield said it is uncommon for manatees to be as heavy as Juliet, who is 3,045 pounds.“As two of the oldest living manatees, Romeo and Juliet deserve the best care possible as they live out their final years,” Stringfield added.ZooTampa’s David A. Straz Manatee Critical Care Center is one o...

The women Putin doesn’t want to talk about 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

Vladimir Putin oozed confidence as he cruised through his first audience with the public and press since launching his war against Ukraine on Thursday.That is hardly surprising considering the event has long been an instrument for the Kremlin to communicate its own agenda through carefully vetted questions.More telling were the topics that did not get airtime. This year, among the most glaring omissions — aside from the Russian president’s nemesis Alexei Navalny going missing — was a women’s protest movement.In recent weeks, a group of wives and mothers of those who have been mobilized for Russia’s war in Ukraine has dominated headlines and social media.The women’s message, distributed online in a smattering of manifestos and videos and in small rallies, is clear: They want their loved ones to be discharged from military duty and replaced by fresh recruits.It is as close to a collective expression of dissent as can be found in today’s Russia,...

Why Rishi Sunak loves Italy’s Giorgia Meloni

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

ROME — When Rishi Sunak invited national leaders to attend his Bletchley Park AI summit last month, just one showed up: Giorgia Meloni.Sunak is this weekend returning the favor, attending a political festival organized by the far-right Italian premier — who is increasingly becoming the British Conservative prime minister’s political soulmate.Sunak’s spokesperson told journalists this week that the pair — regularly pictured laughing and joking together at meetings — “obviously get on.” He put their close relationship down to the fact they were elected at “at similar time.”But ties between the two prime ministers run much deeper, with common intellectual inspiration, shared policy goals, and concrete political and diplomatic reasons for them to stick close.Both leaders need each other, albeit for different reasons.“Sunak needs a key political ally amongst the larger member states in Europe,” one EU diplomat — like others in this pie...

UK mulls social media curbs for kids — but who’s even asking?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

LONDON — British ministers are considering fresh restrictions on social media for children, including requiring parents to provide permission for under-16s to use the platforms.But the people you might expect to back such a measure — those advocating most fiercely for child online safety — don’t sound keen, and there are questions over just how workable such a policy would be in practice.“To automatically kick kids off [social media] is not necessarily the right answer,” said crossbench peer and founder of the 5Rights Foundation, Beeban Kidron. Kidron was one of the most active child safety campaigners on the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, which put fresh duties on platforms to police content.“I think that the government should not keep on introducing new things and [should instead] implement the old,” she added.The Molly Rose Foundation, another key group calling for child online safety protections, said that while further measures “are necessary to protect children from online ri...

EU negotiators reach deal on media law to curb spying on reporters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

BRUSSELS — European Union negotiators reached an agreement Friday on the European Media Freedom Act, the bloc’s new set of rules aimed at safeguarding the independence of newsrooms and fostering media pluralism.The new law will introduce requirements for media to provide transparency over ownership and funding and it will force national governments to set up an oversight system that guarantees editorial freedom, including for public media. It also requires checks on mergers and sets up a new European watchdog to oversee it all. Negotiators of the European Parliament, the EU Council representing national governments, and the European Commission on Friday cleared the last hurdle: an agreement on provisions in the law limiting how governments conduct operations on journalists using spyware and other methods to identify and access their sources. The European Commission originally introduced an exemption for the investigation of certain crimes like terrorism and human trafficking, ...

LIVE COVERAGE: Funeral celebrates life of police officer killed in crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

The funeral for fallen Waltham police officer Paul Tracey was held at Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted church Friday as the community continues to mourn Tracey after his death last week.Thousands gathered for the funeral, which included a moving eulogy by the officer’s brothers and remarks by Tracey’s daughter and godson. 7NEWS has live team coverage throughout the day. —RELATED: Thousands gather in Waltham for funeral for fallen officer Paul Tracey 

Patriots down another starter at Friday practice before Chiefs game

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:41 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore was missing at the start of Friday’s in-stadium practice, his first absence this week.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots’ Demario Douglas cleared concussion protocol, trending to play Week 15 New England Patriots | Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo, Patriots’ defense have something to prove vs. Chiefs New England Patriots | Callahan: What tricks does Bill Belichick have left for Patrick Mahomes? New England Patriots | Poll: Where do you want Patriots Coach Bill Belichick to be next year? New England Patriots | Patriots impending free agent open to re-signing this offseason Barmore was one of three absent starters, along with running back Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) and left tackle Trent Brown (ankle/hand/illness). Stevenson is not expected to play Sunday, and Brown’s availability is suddenly in doubt after a second ...