Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Rapper who bragged about unemployment scam arrested in Las Vegas for unemployment scam

On September 11, Hip Hop Artist Nuke Bizzle, real name Fontrell Antonio Baines, released a music video called “EDD.” In the video, he and fellow rapper Fat Wizza bragged about defrauding California’s Employment Development Department to get rich. He is seen in the video holding up stacks of unemployment envelopes and throwing around $100 bills. Just 12 days later, Bizzle was arrested by Las Vegas police after they found eight EDD debit cards, seven of which were in other peoples’ names. Now, he could face up to 22 years in federal prison for allegedly applying for more than $1.2 million in unemployment benefits, which were pre-loaded to 92 different debit cards. “Baines allegedly exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provision of the CARES Act, which is designed to expand access to unemployment benefits to self-employed workers, independent contractors, and others who would not otherwise be eligible,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. The Rapper applied for the cards using addresses in Beverly Hills and Koreatown, all of which he had access to. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Rapper and several unnamed co-conspirators managed to access more than $704,000 in funds by making cash withdrawals using the fraudulently-obtained cards. He  faces charges of access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate transportation of stolen property. (United States Attorney’s Office of California)

Naked teen covered in ranch dressing crashes at Kansas gas station, sheriff says

A teenage boy who was naked and covered in ranch dressing crashed a vehicle at a Kansas gas station early Saturday morning. The disturbance was reported to 911 at around 3:30 a.m. at the Petro Deli convenience store, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “A 17-year-old male was naked and under the influence of a substance,” the sheriff’s office said. “He covered himself in ranch dressing, damaged property inside a business, ran outside and jumped into a running vehicle, and then crashed into a nearby pillar.” Deputies took the boy into custody. He was then taken to a local hospital and later released to his parents. “The criminal aspects of this incident are under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said. “We are happy to report that no one was injured during this incident.” (Shawnee County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office Facebook)

Nevada man living in supermarket’s rafters alerts staff of his location after his foot busts through ceiling

A man in Nevada has been charged with burglary after his foot fell through the ceiling of a supermarket, which alerted police to a tiny living area he had set up in the rafters of the store. Police with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) say the 35-year-old man was using a ladder to ascend to the roof of a Raley’s location in Fernley, Nevada and would then descend through the roof and into the rafters, where he lived for at least a week. He was also stealing items from the deli, authorities confirmed. On the morning of September 30th, however, the man’s situation came crashing down when his foot penetrated the ceiling of the supermarket and became visible to the overnight employees. Police responded and sent a K9 unit into the rafters to retrieve the man after he refused to move, although the dog “had a misstep and became stuck” in a shaft, according to North Lyon County Fire. Together, the police and fire department were eventually able to retrieve the K9 and the suspect. “The K9 was not injured,” North Lyon County Fire wrote on Facebook. “The suspect was taken into custody and arrested by LCSO.” Hammar was later charged with burglary and obstructing a police officer. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Tennessee fisherman catches bass holding snake in its mouth

Proving once again that the sea is filled with unspeakable horrors, a fisherman in Tennessee reeled in a bass with a snake in its mouth. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) recently shared the story on Facebook, warning followers to “be careful when you reach your hand in a fish’s mouth” after a local angler inspected his catch, only to find the snake staring back at him. Some of the TWRA’s Facebook followers have since identified the snake as a common water snake, or a banded water snake, with is a nonvenomous species. Even still, a few admitted that they would have been terrified at the moment. The TWRA, meanwhile, doesn’t want anyone taking chances with snakes, venom or no venom. “It’s almost #Halloween and it looks like the year 2020 is at it again. It seems that some fish are playing tricks on us, with no treat!” the agency wrote. “Be careful when you reach your hand in a fish’s mouth! You never know what might be in there.” (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency)

Infant Mortality in the US Remains High

Increasing state and local funding for environmental, educational, and social services may lower infant mortality among those at highest risk, particularly among infants born to teenage mothers, according to findings published from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. The team found that increasing funding in public health, housing, parks and recreation, and solid waste management were associated with the greatest reduction in infant deaths. The researchers used data on infant deaths per state from the National Center for Health Statistics, as well as state and local spending from 2000 to 2016 data from the United States Census Bureau. Additionally, the team found that on average, state and local governments spent nine dollars per person across education, social services, and environmental services. Modest increases in annual funding were associated with small yet statistically significant improvements in infant mortality rates. A 30-cent increase in environmental spending per person was associated with a decrease of 0.03 deaths per 1,000 live births, and a 73-cent increase in social spending per-person was associated with a decrease of 0.02 deaths per 1,000 live births. Among mothers under 20 years of age, raising environmental spending by 30 cents was associated with a decrease of 0.08 deaths per 1,000 live births, and a 73-cent increase in social spending per-person was associated with a decrease of 0.06 deaths per 1,000 live births. Previous studies showed that government spending on non-healthcare services can reduce infant mortality, but this is the first study to show what types of spending has the greatest impact, particularly among race, ethnic and maternal age groups who are at highest risk. (SciTech Daily)

An asteroid the size of London’s famous Big Ben clock tower is set to whiz past Earth this week

The space rock, known as 2020 TGI, will fly safely past Earth on Thursday, October 22, at 10:49 p.m. EST, according to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. Researchers estimate 2020 TGI is traveling at a speed of roughly 30,700 miles per hour and will fly past the planet at a distance of just over 7 million miles. Its most recent encounter with the planet was April 20, 2013, and it will not come close to Earth again until February 6, 2024. Scientists estimate that 2020 TGI is between 154 and 360 feet wide. (NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies)

Tropical Storm Epsilon forms in Atlantic, becomes 26th storm of 2020 hurricane season

An area of disturbed weather out over the Atlantic Ocean strengthened into the latest tropical storm, which forecasters said is expected to be a hurricane as it approaches Bermuda. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said that an area of showers and thunderstorms have “increased in organization” and strengthened into Tropical Storm Epsilon, which is located about 730 miles southeast of Bermuda. The system has been moving out over the Atlantic for several days but has recently been getting better organized. Little overall motion is expected, while the system is expected to slowly move to the northwest through midweek. The storm system is expected to grow stronger while over the open waters of the Atlantic. “Epsilon is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength by early Thursday,” the NHC said. The storm has the name “Epsilon” from the Greek alphabet is the 26th named storm of the season, which breaks yet another record during this hurricane season. The previous record for the earliest 26th named storm formation is November 22, 2005. (National Hurricane Center Twitter)

51-Year-Old Mom Carrying Daughter’s Baby As Gestational Surrogate

At 51 years old, woman in Illinois is nearly nine months pregnant as the gestational surrogate for her daughter. After several rounds of IVF and suffering multiple miscarriages, the daughter’s doctor told her she and her husband might want to look into surrogacy. Her mother has been suggesting that for a while, but the daughter kept telling her no. However, after several tests and exams, doctors determined that the mother was fit to be her surrogate. The mother is a two-time Boston Marathon runner and a triathlete. She’s had two children of her own and felt sure she could carry another, especially knowing how much it would mean for her daughter. Through the IVF process, the baby girl she is carrying is genetically the daughter’s and her husband’s. She has been using Instagram to share her journey through infertility, and now surrogacy. She hopes she can connect with other women going through the same thing to let them know they’re not alone. The baby girl is due in November. (CBS News)

On her 102nd birthday, this woman took the plunge — from 10,000 feet up

Vivian “Millie” Bailey, a 102-year-old World War II veteran, took a 10,000-foot plunge over the weekend to celebrate her birthday, with the help of Skydive Baltimore. The video begins with Bailey getting instructions from her jumping partner, Cornelius, who filmed the jump from beginning to end. The post was shared by the Howard County Police Department, which said Bailey has been a special advocate and partner of theirs for nearly 30 years. The woman is a founding member of the department’s advisory council and “a true supporter of our officers and department,” the post said. (Skydive Baltimore Facebook)

Florida wildlife investigators uncover flying squirrel trafficking ring: officials

At least seven people have been charged in an “elaborate” flying squirrel trafficking scheme in which poachers in Florida caught thousands of the rodents before selling them to buyers in Asia, officials said. Poachers are accused of illegally catching more than 3,500 flying squirrels, a protected species in Florida, over a three-year period, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They allegedly set up to 10,000 traps in trees around the rural area of Marion County, Florida, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, before the rodents were sold to a wildlife dealer in Bushnell, who resold them as captive-bred pets, not wildlife. The dealer at the center of the operation was said to be a 66-year-old man, who netted as much as $213,800. The FWC originally received a complaint from a “concerned citizen” back in January 2019 about individuals illegally trapping the rodents in the state. Over the next 19 months, investigators said they pieced together the scheme in which flying squirrels were illegally captured in multiple counties throughout Central Florida. The man was charged with money laundering, grand theft, racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, scheme to defraud, and dealing in stolen property. At least six others face similar charges. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Owner Reunited With Lost Cat 5 Months After Devastating House Fire

Hope, a gray tabby cat, went missing back in April when her owner’s home was destroyed in a fire. Hope’s owner, not only lost her house, but also her dog and another cat in the blaze. With no sign of Hope either, the owner began to think the young cat died in the fire as well. However, recently the Pittsburgh Animal Care and Control officers brought a stray cat to Humane Animal Rescue. After scanning for and finding a microchip, the staff discovered that this cat was indeed Hope. Not only had she survived, but she had grown up too. The owner adopted Hope from Humane Animal Rescue in January of 2019. The rescue had given Hope the microchip. When staff members at the rescue called the owner, “she was amazed.” The owner came right away to the shelter to be reunited with Hope. It was a reunion five months in the making. Humane Animal Rescue recommends microchipping as a protection for your pet should they get lost. (KDKA)

Air conditioning in ICUs with coronavirus patients putting doctors at risk, study claims

A study out of India, where upwards of 7.5 million people have contracted the novel coronavirus, suggests that redesigning intensive care units so that they do not have air conditioning would better protect health care and frontline workers. The researchers suggest that the coronavirus-infected air surrounding a patient in ICU is circulated, and over time, the viral load increases putting anyone who is in that room at an increased risk for exposure. The study, conducted by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, argues that using fans to force air inside and exhaust fans to pull the infected air and treat it with soap-based air filters or very hot water before releasing it outside would be a more efficient way to limit coronavirus spread in ICU wards. The authors said that soap proved sufficient when dealing with H1N1 and Ebola. They also noted that keeping senior doctors over the age of 60 away from coronavirus patients will help keep health care workers healthy. (IISC)

Deputy told kids demons were in apartment, gave them weapons to shoot anyone who entered

A now former Orange County, Florida Deputy is accused of giving a gun to a young girl and telling her to shoot anyone who entered his apartment, and he also allegedly performed an exorcism on a second child. The Deputy was arrested on Sunday after Orange County deputies were called to an apartment. At the apartment, deputies said they found him with a gun, and found a young girl lying on the floor with a rifle. “She was wearing a Kevlar helmet and bulletproof vest, ready to shoot anyone who entered the apartment,” a deputy wrote in the arrest report. A second child inside the home was armed with a stun gun. The girl told investigators that when she woke up that morning, the Deputy told her “there were demons in the house and they needed to burn things that were possessed.” The girl told investigators that they burned several items in the parking lot and performed an exorcism on her brother. The Deputy was taken to the hospital for mental health evaluation. The Orange County Sheriff’s Offices said that he’d been a deputy since 2006, but was fired for reasons unrelated to last week’s incident, adding that the Deputy had a pattern of unsatisfactory performance. The Deputy was arrested after being released from the hospital and is facing a charge of child abuse. (WFLA)

Wednesday Snaps Back With:

• BRA Day USA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness)
• Celebration of The Mind Day
• Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) Prevention Day
• Hagfish Day (3rd Wednesday)
• Information Overload Day (3rd Wednesday)
• International Print Day (3rd Wednesday)
• Medical Assistants Recognition Day: (Wednesday of Third Full Week)
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Day
• Reptile Awareness Day
• Thank Your Cleaner Day
• Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce (3rd Wednesday)
• Unity Day