List of All Articles with Tag 'erica'

Elizabeth Holmes has surrendered to a federal prison in Texas to begin her 11-year sentence over the Theranos scandal which rocked the high-flying tech world of Silicon Valley. The 39-year-old disgraced tech entrepreneur reported to Bryan, the minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas, on Tuesday after exhausting all remaining legal avenues to cling onto her freedom. Holmes was convicted in January 2022 of four counts of fraud and conspiracy for lying about the capabilities pf her biotech company’s blood testing technology and conning investors out of millions of dollars. She was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison and ordered to pay $452m in restitution to investors – including $125m to media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Holmes had been given until 2pm local time to surrender to the prison camp where she will see out her 11-year sentence surrounded by other white-collar, non-violent female offenders. Her two children – two-year-old William and three-month-old Invicta – will be allowed to visit their mother in the facility. The prison camp, which runs a work-focused program where all inmates are required to hold a job for at least 90 days, is a marked difference from Holmes’ life years earlier when she was seen as the darling of Silicon Valley. The saga began two decades ago when Holmes dropped out of Stanford University in 2003 at the age of 19 to found Theranos. The blood lab company aimed to develop medical devices that could diagnose hundreds of diseases and medical conditions with just a pinprick of blood. Over the next 10 years, Theranos boasted about its capabilities to transform the healthcare industry and grew to a value of $9bn, attracting investments from the likes of Murdoch, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the heirs to the Walmart fortune. The company amassed an influential board of directors including former presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis. Holmes, meanwhile, was catapulted onto magazine covers and became heralded as the next Steve Jobs while her personal fortune reached $4.5bn. But the technology didn’t do close to what Holmes claimed it could. In 2018, Holmes – Theranos CEO and founder – and Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani – Theranos chief operating officer and Holmes’ live-in romantic partner – were both indicted on fraud charges and the company was dissolved. She was allowed out on bail and while awaiting trial – which was stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – Holmes became pregnant with her first child with her partner, hotel boss Billy Evans. She became pregnant with her second child following her conviction. During her trial, Holmes sought to paint a picture that she had simply been under the control of Balwani, 57, and that she never intended to mislead investors about the technology’s capabilities. The jury didn’t buy it and she was convicted of four counts, which could have landed her with up to 20 years’ prison time. Balwani was also convicted of 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy at his trial and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. He began serving his sentence in Southern California last month. Since her conviction, Holmes has fought to stay out of prison claiming that she was treated unfairly by prosecutors during trial and that she should be allowed to remain out of prison while she appeals the conviction. An appeals court denied her request and said she must report to prison where she can continue to appeal her conviction behind bars. She asked the judge that she be allowed to remain free through Memorial Day weekend so that she could sort out childcare for her two children, before surrendering to authorities on 30 May. Weeks before beginning her sentence, Holmes admitted that she had made “many mistakes” in a new interview with The New York Times. “I made so many mistakes and there was so much I didn’t know and understand, and I feel like when you do it wrong, it’s like you really internalise it in a deep way,” she said. Read More Elizabeth Holmes news – latest: Theranos founder to surrender to Texas prison today to begin 11-year sentence As Elizabeth Holmes heads to prison for fraud, questions remain about her motives Elizabeth Holmes requests May 30 as new date to report to prison after losing her bid to remain free

A chilling video of the mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day has showed people panicking and scrambling for safety. Nine people – six adults and three children – were wounded in the shooting in 1200 block of N Broadwalk near the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, 20 miles north of Miami. Local reports said several victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Live cam footage showed people frantically running from the scene after gunshots were heard. Chaos and the fear at the scene are palpable from the video showing beachgoers running away. According to police officials, the shooting was the result of an altercation between two groups. Reports said one person of interest was detained while the search for another continues. Eyewitnesses described the aftermath of the mass shooting. “I saw a young man that was on the ground bleeding and they were applying pressure to prevent the bleeding,” Vance Hendricks, who was visiting from Philadelphia, told CBS News. Police urged people to avoid the area where the shots were fired. “If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” said a tweet. Read More At least nine people wounded in Memorial Day mass shooting at Florida beach Police investigating shooting near beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida Police: Puerto Rico assailants targeting drug rival killed 2 and injured 13

As the probe into whether former President Donald Trump or his advisers broke the law in their retention of documents including some potentially classified material from the White House nears its end, Mr Trump’s legal team is said to be fearing disloyalty. The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that the former president’s attorneys supposedly worry that some among them may decide to start talking to the Department of Justice, becoming witnesses in the case, as the attention of the agency turns to the actions of the legal team themselves. The probe into Mr Trump’s handling of presidential records, including classified documents, exploded into the public eye last year when FBI agents raided Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump’s home and resort in Florida. Several current attorneys to Mr Trump who serve in varying capacities described a chaotic situation where much of the strategy is managed by Mr Trump’s in-house counsel, Boris Epshteyn, and clashing personalities have led to a toxic environment — all of which is occurring as the Justice Department’s special counsel is said to be closing in on a decision regarding potential criminal charges in the case. More follows... Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

At least nine people, including a one-year-old, were injured in a shooting that took place on Memorial Day at a boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida. Gunfire broke out around 6.30pm local time along the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk between Johnson Street and Garfield Street on Monday (29 May). The shooting seemed to be a result of a dispute between “two different groups”, according to Hollywood Police Department public information manager Deanna Bettineschi. Videos from the incident on Monday (29 May) evening showed crowds of people running for cover as gunfire occurred. Police swiftly responded to the incident and began treating those who had suffered gunshot wounds. The victims include four children between the ages of one and 17 years old, as well as five adults between 25 and 65 years old. As of Monday evening, one victim was in surgery while eight others were stable. The Hollywood Police have detained one person of interest while searching for one additional suspect. Here’s everything we know so far. How the shooting unfolded Gunfire suddenly erupted around 6.30pm on Memorial Day (29 May) as individuals and families walked along the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk near Johnson Street and North Broadwalk. The boardwalk, which is lined with shops and eateries, is a popular tourist destination as it is approximately 20 miles north of Miami. However, it was expected to be even busier due to the holiday weekend. The shooting occurred after two groups began having a dispute, according to Ms Bettineschi, the public information manager for the Hollywood Police. One witness, Jamie Ward, told the Associated Press that several young men were fighting in front of one of the stores when one pulled out a gun. Security camera footage from the boardwalk showed people frantically running and taking cover near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s and a Subway shop as the gunfire began. Another witness, Alvie Carlton Scott III, told AP he was on the beach when he heard gunshots. Mr Scott said he hid behind a tree and then fled the area after a police officer told people to run. The mayor of Hollywood, Josh Levy, said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened and angered” by the shooting. “People come to enjoy a holiday weekend on the beach with their families and to have people in complete reckless disregard of the safety of the public and to have an altercation with guns in a public setting with thousands of people around them is beyond reckless,” Mr Levy said in a press conference. Footage posted to social media from witnesses showed law enforcement, first responders and good samaritans attending to victims of the shooting. The victims Police said nine people, including four children, suffered gunshot wounds. The victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to be treated for their injuries. The names of the victims have not yet been released, though preliminary information indicated that the victims included a one-year-old child, three people under the age of 17, and five people between 25 and 65 years old. However, Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System told USA Today that the hospital was tending to six adults and three children, it is unclear if the hospital was treating the 17-year-old victim as an adult The suspects One person of interest in the shooting has been detained but authorities are searching for an additional suspect, Ms Bettineschi said in a press conference. The suspect is described as a Black male with dreadlocks. He was last seen wearing a black short sleeve shirt and camouflage shorts. Ms Bettineschi said anyone with videos or photos from the incident should send them to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org. Read More Hollywood shooting – live: Manhunt under way for suspect as baby among nine shot on Florida beach boardwalk One-year-old among nine people wounded in Memorial Day mass shooting at Florida beach boardwalk Video shows tourists fleeing Miami beach in terror at mass shooting

President Joe Biden will welcome BritishPrime Minister Rishi Sunak to the White House for an Official Working Visit next week on 8 June, the White House has said. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden “looks forward” to meeting with the Prime Minister to “further deepen the close and historic partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom”. Ms Jean-Pierre said the bilateral session will follow up on recent meetings between Mr Biden and Mr Sunak, who last saw each other at the G7 summit in Japan earlier this month. She added that the US and UK leaders “will review a range of global issues, including their steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s brutal war of aggression, as well as further action to bolster energy security and address the climate crisis,” and “discuss efforts to continue strengthening our economic relationship as we confront shared economic and national security challenges”. The White House spokesperson also said Mr Biden and Mr Sunak will “review developments in Northern Ireland as part of their shared commitment to preserving the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement”. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said the two men would spend their time together “build[ing] on discussions the Prime Minister and President Biden have had in recent months about enhancing the level of co-operation and co-ordination between the UK and US on the economic challenges that will define our future, including securing our supply chains and transitioning to zero-carbon economies”. “It will also be an opportunity to discuss issues including sustaining our support for Ukraine as we build on the success of our G7 summit in the run-up to the Nato summit in July,” the spokesperson added. Mr Sunak’s visit to the White House will come during the second half of what will be a two-day visit to the US capital, during which he will also meet with top Congressional leaders and business figures. He last visited the US in March when he travelled to San Diego for a meeting with Mr Biden and Australian leader Anthony Albanese regarding the Aukus agreement to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The Prime Minister and the US President also met in Belfast in April, and will meet again at the Nato leaders’ summit in Lithuania this summer. Read More Biden marks eighth anniversary of son Beau’s death from brain cancer at memorial Mass AP News Digest 9:30 a.m. Sunak to visit Washington DC for talks with Joe Biden

President Joe Biden marked Tuesday’s eighth anniversary of one of the saddest days of his life, the death of his son Beau, by attending a memorial Mass and visiting his gravesite. Mr Biden, his wife, Jill, and other family members prayed for Beau Biden during the Mass at St Joseph on the Brandywine, the Roman Catholic church where the president worships during weekends at his home near Wilmington, Delaware. Afterward, the family visited Beau Biden’s gravesite in the church cemetery. The first lady carried a bouquet of flowers. Beau Biden was 46 when he died of brain cancer in 2015. His father was vice president. The eldest of Mr Biden's three children, Beau Biden served two terms as Delaware attorney general before declaring a run for governor. Many saw in him the same aspirations that brought his father to the White House. In fact, Joe Biden often says his son is the one who should have been president — not him. Beau Biden also served in Delaware’s Army National Guard, including a deployment to Iraq, where the president says he was exposed to toxic gases from pits where the military burned waste. Mr Biden has linked his son's cancer to his exposure to burn pits. Beau Biden is the son of Joe Biden and his late first wife, Neilia, who was killed in a 1972 car crash that gravely injured Beau and younger brother Hunter, and also killed their baby sister. Beau Biden’s daughter, Natalie, graduated from high school on Sunday, with her grandparents in the audience. She will attend her father’s alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, in the fall. While Tuesday's remembrance of Beau Biden was private, the president publicly mourned his son on Monday during a Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. For Mr Biden, his son's death and the annual holiday honoring Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving the United States in uniform are inextricably linked. He told the audience that Tuesday “marks eight years since we lost our son, Beau." “As it is for so many of you, the pain of his loss is with us every day, but particularly sharp on Memorial Day. It’s still clear,” Mr Biden said. “Tomorrow is his anniversary. But so is the pride Jill and I feel in his service, as if I can still hear him saying, ‘Dad -- it’s my duty, Dad. It’s my duty.’ Duty.” Read More Biden invokes late son Beau’s memory as he pays tribute to fallen US soldiers Beau Biden: The story of Joe Biden’s late son Critics say Biden is lying about how his son Beau died in Iraq – they are ignoring the full story Biden will welcome Sunak to White House next week AP News Digest 9:30 a.m. Sunak to visit Washington DC for talks with Joe Biden

The Monday evening shooting sent beachgoers scrambling for safety on the US Memorial Day holiday.

Nikki Alcaraz vanished without trace while on a roadtrip from her home in Tennessee to California with her boyfriend Tyler Stratton. Ms Alcaraz, 33, was initally thought to have been last seen in the New Mexico town of Moriarty on 6 May. Officials have seen indicated that she was spotted again at a California Walmart on 27 May. Authorities and her desperate family are appealing for information about her whereabouts. The missing person case has drawn comparisons to the Gabby Petito investigation after sheriff’s deputies in Torrance County pulled the couple over after receiving reports that Mr Stratton had assaulted Ms Alcaraz. The officers let them go without pressing criminal charges after Mr Stratton claimed he had also been hit. Here’s what we know about the case. The trip Nikki Alcaraz, a mother of two also known as Nikki Hernandez, left her home in Cheatham County, Tennessee, in her 2013 Jeep Wrangler with Tennessee plates in late April bound for Orange County, to visit family. Ms Alcaraz was travelling with her boyfriend Mr Stratton and a pet dog. On 4 May, sheriff’s deputies in Torrance County, New Mexico, pulled the couple over after receiving a report that he had struck Ms Alcaraz. Mr Stratton told authorities that he had also been hit, and both declined to press charges. Authorities have since released photos showing Ms Alcaraz with a black eye, cuts on her face and severe bruising on her arms after the alleged assault. “He beat her up pretty badly,” her brother Josh Alcaraz told Fox5. “A truck driver had to pull him off of her, call the police, the police picked him up, took him a couple exits down and dropped him off. She was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, and a broken hand or wrist.” Ms Alcaraz was taken to a Super 8 motel in the town of Moriarty. A friend travelled from California and stayed with her overnight at the motel. The plan was for the friend to take her back to California. On 6 May, Ms Alcaraz left the motel and told the friend she was going to try to find her boyfriend. Her family said this was the last time she has been seen alive. Her sister Toni Alcaraz told WKRN that she received a text on 8 May saying she was in Arizona, and planned to continue the trip to California. She hasn’t heard anything since then. Toni Alcaraz told the news site it was highly unusual not to hear from her for an extended period. Ms Alcaraz’s licence plate was picked up near Flagstaff, Arizona, on 9 May. Her phone has reportedly been switched off. This week, a Cheatham County deputy told News 2 that Ms Alcaraz was seen at a Walmart in Redding, California, on 27 May. A photo released by the county District Attorney General Ray crouch shows her selling her phone at an ecoATM. No other information was provided and authorities are still seeking the public’s help in finding her. Missing person investigation Toni Alcaraz said she filed a missing persons report in New Mexico as that was where she was last seen. Josh Alcaraz said he feared that his sister’s vehicle might have broken down in the desert or come off the road. "We would like everybody to keep their eyes open, and if you see the Jeep, if you see him, if you see her, call somebody. Call the police," he told Fox5. Officials in Cheatham County, Tennessee, are working with law enforcement agencies in New Mexico and California to try to locate Ms Alcaraz. “Due to a history of domestic assault we believe she is in danger,” the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post appealing for information. Mr Crouch, the county DA General, told WKRN his office had requested a nationwide extradition for Mr Stratton, who is also missing. Mr Stratton is wanted on an unrelated arrest warrant for theft and begged for the public’s assistance. Family say they are holding onto the hope of finding Ms Alcaraz alive. “If you see the Jeep, if you see him, if you see her, call somebody,” Josh Alcaraz told Fox5. “Obviously, worst-case scenario is very present in the back of my mind. I’m trying to hold out hope.” Ms Alcaraz, who is also known as Nikki Cunningham, is 5’6” with brown eyes and black/brown hair. She also has several distinctive tattoos. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call police in Moriarty on 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705. Mr Stratton’s family have reportedly not filed a missing person report, according to online reports. Gabby Petito comparisons The allegations of assault on a cross-country road trip have been drawing comparisons to the 2021 disappearance and murder of vlogger Gabby Petito. Petito set off from her home in New York in July that year with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie. The couple was pulled over in Utah by officers from the Moab Police Department on 12 August after receiving reports that Laundrie had struck Petito. They were allowed to continue separately after Laundrie claimed he had been hit by Petito. After a nationwide search and international media attention, Petito’s remains were found in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in September. Laundrie later shot himself in the head and left a suicide note confessing to killing Petito. Petito’s family is suing the Moab Police Department for failing to follow the law and protect her during the traffic stop. An independent review of the domestic assault incident found the officers had made several mistakes, and should have been classified as a domestic assault. Petito’s family are also suing Laundrie’s parents Chris and Roberta for emotional distress. Read More Search for missing woman who vanished on cross-country roadtrip with her boyfriend sparks Gabby Petito comparisons Bombshell letter where Brian Laundrie’s mother vowed to ‘dispose of body’ is given to Gabby Petito’s parents Louisiana high school graduate who fell off boat in Bahamas is lost at sea as Coast Guard calls off search

Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is about to begin her 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of defrauding investors, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, over fake claims about the company’s blood-testing capabilities. As well as being handed jail time over her role in misleading investors, Holmes was also ordered to pay $452m in restitution. Follow the latest updates live “This is a fraud case where an exciting venture went forward with great expectations and hope, only to be dashed by untruth, misrepresentations, hubris, and plain lies,” Judge Davila, presiding over the case, said before handing down the prison sentence to Holmes. “I suppose we step back and we look at this, and we think, what is the pathology of fraud? Is it the inability or the refusal to accept responsibility or express contrition in any way? Now, perhaps that is the cautionary tale that will go forward from this case.” Ahead of being sentenced, Holmes, who has long maintained she did not intend to defraud anyone, told the court: “I am devastated by my failings. “Every day for the past years I have felt deep pain for what people went through because I failed them. I regret my failings with every cell of my body.” Where will Holmes serve her sentence Holmes, who requested 18 months of house arrest as a punishment, will begin her sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas – an all-female facility 100 miles from Holmes’ hometown. The minimum security prison houses around 500 inmates, and runs a variety of programmes intended to prepare prisoners for life after incarceration, according to Camp Bryan’s handbook. Holmes’ day will begin at 6am, when inmates are woken up for meals and work; people failing to comply with the strict wakeup rules are subject to punishments. Inmates are then counted at five different times during the day, when they must assemble in specific areas (once again, punishments are doled out to those who are not present at these times). The prison features a study, game room, and work programmes that see all inmates take part in a six-week course on the importance of efficiency in the workplace before they are placed into a role – with some prisoners earning as little as $0.12 in some assignments. According to the handbook, “All designated inmates are required to develop a financial plan to meet their financial obligations”, which for Holmes will mean reparations of $452m. How will Holmes keep in touch with her family? Holmes is married to Billy Evans, and the pair have two children, William, 2, and newborn Invicta. She lives around 100 miles from her family, who will be permitted to visit at weekends. Inmates at Camp Bryan are also permitted to take part in video sessions with their friends and family, according to the handbook, as well as to send and receive text messages. Prior to beginning her sentence at Camp Bryan, Holmes spent the weekend with her husband and children at the beach.

The father of a three-month-old baby has been charged with murder after the little girl’s lifeless body was found dumped in a wooded area close to the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Genevieve Comager’s body was found at around 8.25pm ET on Sunday evening at West 161st Street and the Major Deegan Expressway, following a tip-off from the little girl’s grandfather. The NYPD said that emergency workers responded to the area – close to a transitional housing shelter where she lived with her parents – but the infant was pronounced dead at the scene. The little girl’s father Damion Comager, 23, was arrested and charged with murder and concealment of a corpse on Monday night, police said. Genevieve’s 20-year-old Ivana Paolozzi was also arrested and hit with charges of concealment of a corpse and obstructing governmental administration. It is not currently clear how the little girl died. However, Mr Comager’s father Donald Comager told The New York Post that his son told him he “shook” his daughter when she wouldn’t stop crying. He then later found her “stiff” and “cold” in her bed and panicked, before leaving her in the trash-strewn wooded area, he said. “He told me the baby was doing a lot of crying. She wouldn’t stop crying,” Donald Comager said. “He said he just shook her and lay her down, and he lay down and went to sleep. “He got up and reached for her and she was stiff and her body was cold. He panicked. He told his girlfriend, ‘I think she is dead.’” Donald Comager, 47, said it was him who then turned his son into authorities after speaking to a priest and deciding he needed to “do the right thing”, he told the Post.

Elizabeth Holmes is set to report to prison today to begin her 11-year sentence for the blood-testing scam at the heart of her start-up, Theranos. Earlier in May, a federal appeals court rejected her bid to remain out of prison while she attempts to overturn her January 2022 conviction on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy. Holmes had asked a federal judge to allow her to remain free through the Memorial Day weekend before surrendering to authorities on 30 May. A delay was granted to give Holmes time to sort out several issues, including child care for her one-year-old son William and three-month-old daughter Invicta. Holmes had originally been ordered to begin her prison sentence on 27 April. The father of both children is William “Billy” Evans, whom she met after breaking up with her former romantic and business partner, Ramesh “Sunny,” Balwani, who began serving a nearly 13-year prison sentence last month in Southern California. Balwani was convicted of 12 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy committed while he was Theranos' chief operating officer. Holmes is expected to be incarcerated in Bryan, Texas, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of her hometown of Houston. Read More The day has arrived for Elizabeth Holmes to report to a Texas prison As Elizabeth Holmes heads to prison for fraud, questions remain about her motives Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes ordered to pay $125m back to Rupert Murdoch

A manhunt is under way to track down a second suspect wanted in connection to a mass shooting that left nine victims – including four children – injured on Memorial Day. The shooting unfolded at about 6.15pm local time near the beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, on Monday as families and friends gathered to enjoy the holiday. Police said that a fight is believed to have broken out between two groups on the seafront, which then escalated into gunfire. At least nine people were injured in the mass shooting, including a one-year-old baby and a 17-year-old. Hollywood Police Department spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said one victim was in surgery late on Monday while the others were stable. One person has been detained following the incident and a second suspect is now on the run from authorities. He is described as a Black man with dreadlocks who was wearing a black short-sleeve shirt and camo shorts. Chilling video take on the boardwalk shows terrified crowds fleeing the busy boardwalk as the gunfire erupted near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store and a Subway sandwich shop. Read More At least nine people wounded in Memorial Day mass shooting at Florida beach Video shows tourists fleeing Miami beach in terror at mass shooting Ron DeSantis news – live: DeSantis facing three new lawsuits as Trump blames him for making Disney ‘woke’