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☆ DOJ charges 18 people — including doctors — in massive Covid health-care fraud takedowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Other cases involved the alleged manufacture and distribution of fake Covid vaccine record cards. But instead of administering the Covid vaccine, the defendants allegedly destroyed vials of the vaccines intended for patients, the DOJ said. Two people in Utah were also charged with allegedly manufacturing and selling about 120,000 fake Covid vaccine cards. The DOJ said the people charged with distributing fake vaccine cards "intentionally sought to obstruct" the federal government's efforts to roll out a nationwide Covid vaccine program. They also follow similar criminal charges related to Covid fraud schemes in April 2022 and May 2021.

☆ After 20 Years, an Arrest in the Murder of a Detective’s Daughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Christopher Maag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Megan McDonald’s body was discovered near a dirt path on the outskirts of Middletown, N.Y., on March 15, 2003. The search for her killer would last 20 years, one month, and four days. On Wednesday, Edward Holley, 42, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Ms. McDonald, the New York State Police announced Thursday. Mr. Holley, who had once dated Ms. McDonald, was arrested inside Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, N.Y., where he had been incarcerated on unrelated probation violation charges stemming from a narcotics arrest. The murder charges are a dramatic step in a case that has frustrated Ms. McDonald’s family, local law enforcement and Middletown residents for two decades.

☆ Wetzel's Pretzels is launching a new store concept aimed at Gen Z and millennials – take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wetzel's Pretzels is launching a new store concept that will sell innovative takes on the typical pretzel. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyCalifornia pretzel chain Wetzel's Pretzels is launching a new store concept specifically targeting Gen Z and millennials. With Twisted, Wetzel's Pretzels will be steering clear of shopping malls. Wetzel's Pretzels CMO Kim Freer told Insider that the company would instead target college towns and power centers, which are outdoor shopping centers with multiple big-box tenants. Wetzel's PretzelsFreer said that Wetzel's Pretzels planned to open around 40 new stores between now and the end of 2023, with at least three being Twisted stores.

☆ What is a red flag warning? What to know as fire weather conditions affect more parts of the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what to know when you see a red flag warning in your area, and how to protect yourself. Red flag warnings indicate dry, arid weather and strong wind conditions that increase the possibility of dangerous wildfires. One map shared on Twitter by climate reporter Dave Levitan shows the latest range of red flag warnings stretching from New Mexico to Massachusetts. Be careful with cigarettes during a red flag warning. Lastly, the NWS has some basic guidelines to avoid igniting fires during a red flag warning:

☆ The 'mammoth meatball' grown in a lab probably doesn't taste like woolly mammoth at all
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It probably doesn't taste like woolly mammoth, a meat specialist and mammoth DNA researcher said. The Belgian startup Paleo says it added woolly mammoth myoglobin to a plant-based burger. The mammoth meatball doesn't have either of those elements from woolly mammoth. Mammoth myoglobin doesn't necessarily bring mammoth flavorThough he didn't taste it, Ryall said everyone could smell the meatball while it was cooking. So why make a mammoth meatball that doesn't taste like mammoth?

☆ Thousands of blue, jellyfish-looking blobs are washing up on California shores
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

By-the-wind sailors are beginning to wash up onto shores in California. Beaches from Dana Point to Point Reyes National Seashore have seen the creatures on their shores. Known by the scientific name Velella velella, the hydrozoa is actually a collection of polyps that float through the ocean using a translucent "sail" that sits upright on a flat, oval body to catch the wind. In 2014 and 2015, a Velella bloom resulted in billions of by-the-wind sailors washed ashore beaches from California to Washington. Dana Wharf Whale Watching did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ This strategy could save thousands off the cost of college: 'It's a very smart way to start your higher education,' says expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Gabriel Quezada, 17, is a senior at Early College High School in Costa Mesa, California. His father, Humberto Quezada, said he first heard about the Early College High School in Costa Mesa, California, when Gabriel was in third grade. Although there are up to 900 early college programs nationwide, according to Zeiser, not that many people know about them. 'A very smart way to start your higher education'"The culture is different from your average high school," said David Martinez, principal of the Early College High School. David Martinez principal of Early College High School, Costa Mesa, California

New York CNN —Disney CEO Bob Iger fought back against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ actions against his company, telling Disney shareholders that recent actions by the state were “anti-business.”The state of Florida has taken action to strip Disney of some of the powers it had over the land that includes and surrounds Disney World. Iger, asked about the fight at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, made his most public defense to date of the company’s actions, and the most direct criticism of Florida’s actions. It did so through a self-governing body known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, whose board members all had close ties with Disney. “Disney is again fighting to keep its special corporate benefits and dodge Florida law,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said. As Governor DeSantis recently said, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’”Redfern’s comments came before Iger made his comments at the shareholders’ meeting.

☆ Some Ukrainians Struggle to Navigate Tight U.S. Housing Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Alicia A. Caldwell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukrainian refugees fled their war-torn country last year and found safe haven in the homes of Americans, but now some are struggling to navigate the tight housing market without a sponsor’s support. “Everything was wonderful until it wasn’t,” said Svitlana Lazarieva , speaking through a translator, about a strain with her family’s sponsor. Ms. Lazarieva said she and her family left their home near Bakhmut, Ukraine, last June, about four months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. The family planned to resettle in suburban Orange County, about an hour south of Los Angeles.

☆ Mistakes the Fed Keeps Making
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Mickey D. Levy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Every time the Federal Reserve has maintained easy monetary policy too long and then raised rates abruptly, the consequences have been jarring. Even when the economy managed to avoid recessions, it couldn’t avoid bumps on the road. Every episode is different, but every episode exposes the weak links. Martin Gruenberg , chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., recently estimated that banks faced $620 billion in paper losses at year-end 2022. The Fed’s misleading forecasts have contributed to the costs of reducing inflation and risk a banking crisis.

[1/2] A backyard pool is left hanging on a cliffside after torrential rain brought havoc on the beachfront town of San Clemente, California, U.S. March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Mike BlakeSAN CLEMENTE, California, March 16 (Reuters) - As heavy rains soaked into already sodden ground in California, mudslides in the beachfront community of San Clemente forced evacuations of blufftop homes this week and in one case left a swimming pool dangling partway off the cliff edge. This week, the 11th atmospheric river of the season dumped more torrential rain, causing power outages and risking flooding from the already saturated soils and swollen streams. Although the rain had finally tapered off in the area by Thursday, forecasters have warned that another storm could be incoming next week. Reporting by Mike Blake, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ We moved to North Carolina but are about to leave because the salaries aren't high enough and the diversity we value ended at the city limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They opted to rent in Charlotte, North Carolina, because of the affordability and diversity. North Carolina isn't as affordable as it seemsCielo: We bought our house in California in 2018 for $432,000. We decided to rent in North Carolina because when we were looking into housing, it was getting expensive. Everyone we spoke to says that that's an issue with the entire south, not just North Carolina. Did you move to North Carolina recently?

☆ BlackRock's Larry Fink says the US banking system may face 'more seizures and shutdowns' after Silicon Valley Bank's collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink raised the prospect of more bank "seizures and shutdowns" taking place. Markets remain on edge even after regulators took decisive action on Silicon Valley Bank, he said. Fink, in his annual letter to shareholders released Wednesday, addressed last week's seizure of SVB following its asset-liability mismatch. A jump in interest rates since March 2022 spurred billions in losses in Silicon Valley Bank's bond holdings, sparking last week's run on deposits. Fink said the fall of SVB recalled other periods of "spectacular financial flameouts" following prior tightening cycles.

☆ History of financial shocks shows this banking tumult could be a buying opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If history is any guide, financial events like the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank could present an attractive buying opportunity for investors in the months ahead. Data compiled by Deutsche Bank macro strategist Alan Ruskin tracking several major financial events in recent history shows that the S & P 500 has gained a median of 19% a year after those incidents. While the fallout from SVB's failure could present more problems than many recent financial events, the aftershocks should fall short of the havoc wreaked in the wake of 2008's financial crisis, he wrote in a Tuesday note. Despite the wreckage the failures brought to financial markets — and regional banking stocks — history shows that these incidents could present a good buying opportunity for investors, with interest rates typically declining in their wake. Aside from the 1987 stock market crash and 1994 Orange County bankruptcy, history also shows that these incidents can also result in good news for rates.

☆ Why the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank is actually a good thing for stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The implosion of SVB makes for scary headlines, but it could actually be great for the stock market. That's because the Federal Reserve may be forced to slow the pace of rate hikes it's been enacting since March 2022. A number of Wall Street firms have already forecasted a pause in rate hikes, Goldman Sachs chief among them. A reversal in a key market dynamicFast-rising interest rates throughout 2022 dinged company valuations and sent the broader stock market into a bear market. Some have pointed to the 1994 bankruptcy of Orange County as an event with parallels to today's interest rate environment.

☆ Run on Silicon Valley Bank injects some panic into an already slumping stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The charts suggest that breaking the December low in the S & P 500 around 3765 – down just 2.5% from here – would lose the bullish case a lot more credibility than has been surrendered so far. Of course, fears of contagion can outrun the facts and sometimes can become self-fulfilling, but the S & P 500 has (for now) simply backslid to a nine-week low. Jason Hunter, technical strategist at JP Morgan, had been expecting "a weakening corporate earnings environment would eventually take the narrative away from the Fed driven rates market. In the past week Apple shares lost about a third of what the S & P 500 did. Inflation has been at generational highs for two years as it was not then, and the labor market wasn't nearly as tight.

☆ I've flown on 5 US low-cost carriers and I'd fly on all of them again each for different reasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Moreover, every city it flies to connects to at least two others, and it flies nonstop across the US, connecting places like Las Vegas to New England and Disney World and Disneyland. This is an advantage it has over Avelo. Breeze's A220 extra legroom economy seats. These routes are helping Breeze break into markets and serve cities not previously connected nonstop — gaining popularity among travelers who many times had layovers when flying across the US. Taylor Rains/InsiderSource: Breeze Airways, The Orange County Register

☆ Disney's famous Dole Whip is no longer limited to theme parks as the pineapple treat heads to grocery stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Dole Whip soft-serve cup is an iconic treat made famous by Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Dole Packaged Foods said it is making its Dole Whip treat available nationwide in grocery stores. Dole Packaged Foods, the maker of the iconic Dole Whip, announced plans on March 3 to make the frozen treat available in supermarkets nationwide. Disneyland makes various versions of the Dole Whip treat. The food stand sells the original treats – Dole Whip and the Dole Whip Float – and several new concoctions, such as the Strawberry Dole Whip Sundae and a Chile-Mango Whip.

☆ More pain for the crypto industry means a chance for startups to pivot
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After an awful 2022 that saw one of the industry's high-profile figures implode, the crypto market is looking for a bounceback. McDermott laid out to Insider's Bianca Chan and Dakin Campbell how tough times for crypto startups mean more realistic valuations and, in some cases, a reevaluation of the business model. Once of the most common critiques I hear about crypto is "It's a solution looking for a problem." The most recent crypto winter could force startups to be a bit more pragmatic about the specific problem they are looking to address. "If you can solve fraud in crypto, you can solve fraud in basically any part of finance," Meier told Insider.

☆ Uber drivers reveal the 5 worst things passengers can do during a ride. You could be guilty of doing them without even realizing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Five Uber drivers told Insider about the worst types of passengers they pick up. You may not like it, but you could be an Uber driver's worst nightmare. They pick up all sorts of people during their shift, and five told Insider how unpleasant some passengers can be. Five drivers told Insider about the worst things passengers do during a trip. Unlike traditional cabs, Uber drivers have to wait two minutes until they can start getting paid for a trip.

☆ Motive Sought After Florida Gunman Kills Three, Including Reporter and 9-Year-Old
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Orange County Sheriff John Mina laid out a timeline of the shootings. Authorities are investigating why a gunman in the Orlando area allegedly killed three people on Wednesday, including a 9-year-old girl and a news reporter officials said he didn’t know. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday identified the three people who died as Dylan Lyons , a 24-year-old television reporter; T’yonna Major , the girl; and Nathacha Augustin , 38 years old. They were killed within hours of each other by the same gunman in the Pine Hills area west of Orlando, officials said.

☆ Comerica Bank's chief economist breaks down why home prices will continue their slide through most of 2023 — and shares why California's biggest markets will see some of the country's largest price de
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Housing prices around the US will see declines in the high single-digits, says Bill Adams. Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area in California face unique challenges, he said. That downward trend will continue into the fourth quarter this year, Adams said, and peak-to-trough prices declines will end up being in the high single-digits. According to Kiplinger, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, and Oakland are all in the top 11 most expensive cities in the US. According to S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data, home prices in Los Angeles are down 7.5% from their peak, and prices in San Francisco are down 14.2%.

☆ Florida TV journalist fatally shot while reporting on a murder scene -police
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire on two television journalists reporting on a murder scene near Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, killing one and injuring the other, authorities said. The two journalists shot in Pine Hills, a suburb of Orlando, were a reporter and a photographer for central Florida cable TV outlet Spectrum News 13, which is owned by Charter Communications (CHTR.O), Mina said. The suspect, who has a lengthy arrest record, already has been charged with killing the woman in her 20s, who was shot in a vehicle hours earlier, Mina said. Mina said no motive had been determined for any of the shootings, but he said Moses was believed to be an acquaintance of the first victim. Reporting by Steve Gorman and Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Eric Beech and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TV Reporter, 9-Year-Old Child Killed in Florida Shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘No one in our community—not a mother, not a 9-year-old and certainly not news professionals—should become the victim of gun violence,’ Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference Wednesday. A central Florida television journalist and a little girl were fatally shot Wednesday afternoon near the scene of a fatal shooting from earlier in the day, authorities said. Orange County Sheriff John Mina said during a news conference that they have detained Keith Melvin Moses, age 19, who they believe is responsible for both shootings in the Orlando-area neighborhood.

☆ ‘The Bruton Sisters: Modernism in the Making’ Review: Creative West-Coast Women
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Peter Plagens | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Irvine, Calif.Five or six years from now, the Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute & Museum of California Art will have its own new building on a site within the University of California campus here. In the meantime, the Institute occupies a small, marginally sufficient space on the ground floor of a glass commercial tower on one of those wide Orange County boulevards, adjacent to the school. As art museums go, it’s tucked a bit out of the way.

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