Michelle Wu administration official sentenced in connection to prison money laundering charge (2025)

Gov. Tim Walz called Thursday for Minnesota to increase criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud in response to the FBI’s investigation into autism service providers.

Former LSU star Jayden Daniels looks forward to playing in Louisiana again when the Washington Commanders visit the New Orleans Saints. When Daniels last played in the Superdome, he was making his LSU debut and starting a new chapter in his college career that would culminate with him winning the Heisman Trophy one year ago. The last time Marshon Lattimore played in the NFL, he was wearing a Saints uniform in what turned out to be his final game with the team that drafted him in 2017. Now Lattimore is Daniels' Washington teammate and the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback is expected to make his Commanders debut Sunday in a game with postseason implications for both teams.

Social media posts from Luigi Mangione show the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson underwent successful back surgery last year that alleviated debilitating chronic pain. He repeatedly posted on Reddit about his recovery and offered words of encouragement for other people with similar conditions. But notably absent from the posts are explicit concerns about corporate greed within the health insurance industry. Those appear to have surfaced only later: in the handwritten manifesto recovered this week by police. Despite recent revelations about a potential motive, Mangione’s descent into rage and violence remains largely a mystery.

It would cost $472 million per year to cover medication-assisted addiction treatment under a plan Baltimore is hoping a court will approve so that it can tackle the raging opioid epidemic, an economist testified Thursday.

As the playoff chase comes into focus, Denver and Indianapolis head into Week 15 sitting seventh and eighth in the AFC standings. Seven teams will make the postseason. The Colts have rebounded from a four-game losing streak with two wins in their past three games. A victory would allow Denver to reach the nine-win plateau and clinch a winning season for the first time since 2016. Broncos QB Bo Nix leads rookies in several categories, including completions (277), yards passing (2,842), passing touchdowns (17) and offensive touchdowns (22).

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Hilton, was not insured through his victim’s company, police sources told the Daily News.

LAS VEGAS — Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Thursday his office refiled charges in the so-called “fake electors” case in Carson City, months after the case failed in Clark County.

WASHINGTON — The number of deaths due to opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania dropped by almost a quarter over the last year, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

MONTEREY, Calif. — King tides return this weekend and with them a reminder of rising sea levels.

Here’s a look back at Week 14’s action and fantasy advice for the week ahead:

RICHMOND, Va. — Part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s upcoming budget proposal will include a provision that would preclude localities from receiving state funding if they do not comply with federal immigration authorities.

The Arizona Cardinals have lost three straight games, but are still clinging to playoff hopes as they prepare to host the New England Patriots on Sunday. The Patriots have also lost three straight. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is trying to bounce back after throwing two interceptions in back-to-back games for the first time in his six-year career. Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye is putting together a promising first season, with improved production in the passing game over the past few weeks to go along with his running ability.

Tony Gibson is having to recruit many of his own players as he jumps into his first college head coaching job at Marshall. Gibson was named on Sunday to replace Charles Huff, who left to take over at Southern Miss. At least 25 Marshall players have entered the transfer portal since it opened Monday. On offense that includes all three quarterbacks who played this season, the team's leading rusher and three of the top seven wide receivers. All of those players could choose to return. Gibson spent nearly three decades as an assistant, including the past six seasons at N.C. State.

NFL Inactive Report

Bradley Chubb’s most recent memory from a football field involves screaming in agonizing pain and grabbing his leg. It was last New Year’s Eve, in the fourth quarter of a 56-19 loss at Baltimore. Chubb took a few steps to try and tackle running back Melvin Gordon III, cut back and fell to the ground. Then, the linebacker was carted off the field. Chubb spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since the injury. He says he tore the anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and patellar tendon in his right knee. Chubb has been activated from the physically unable to perform list and could play this weekend.

SpaceX is launching a new mission: making Starbase a new Texas city. Billionaire Elon Musk’s company on Thursday sent a letter to local officials requesting a election to turn what it calls Starbase into an incorporated city. Starbase is the South Texas site where SpaceX builds and launches its massive Starship rockets. The area is on the southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border. The county's top executive did not immediately comment on the proposal.

Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras will be out for six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Zegras was injured last week on a noncontact play during the Ducks’ 4-1 loss to Vegas in Anaheim. Zegras and William Karlsson only briefly got their skates and stick blades entangled, but Zegras needed help to get off the ice after taking a fall. Zegras’ torn meniscus is his third major injury in just over a year. He was limited to 31 games last season by two injury setbacks, including a broken ankle that required surgery.

- Illuminating the Path of an extraordinary scholar who proved that excellence knows no color, no limit, and no boundary -

The National Transportation Safety Board says in a report that a Hawaiian Airlines flight hit severe turbulence that injured passengers and crewmembers because of the flight crew's decision to fly over a hazardous storm cell instead of around it. Four people suffered serious injuries during the December 2022 flight from Phoenix to Honolulu. There were 20 injuries. According to the report, a crewmember said the encounter with turbulence reminded him of a “volcanic explosion.” A passenger who had left her seat to go to the lavatory reported that she “flew” face-first into the lavatory ceiling and then was thrown abruptly to the floor.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Five weeks after losing a national election, Gov. Tim Walz is keeping his options open both in Minnesota and nationally, gearing up for the 2025 legislative session and trying to understand why the ticket he joined with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t win ove…

President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things.

Raw milk recalled from a Fresno County dairy is suspected in the deaths of two cats in Los Angeles County, health officials said Thursday.

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday he agrees with Tom Homan, the incoming Trump administration’s border czar, on the fact that New York City shouldn’t be a “safe haven” for undocumented immigrants who commit serious crimes.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Documents made public by the U.S. attorney's office last week allege that a public official who fits the profile of California state Sen. Susan Rubio was part of sprawling cannabis bribery scheme when she served on the Baldwin Park City Council and campaigned for state o…

Dozens of environmental nonprofits issued a manifesto Thursday condemning new laws in Brazilian states that threaten to dismantle the Amazon soy moratorium. This landmark voluntary agreement stipulates that traders and oil producers do not buy soybeans grown on land cleared after 2008. The soy moratorium gathered strange bedfellows, ranging from environmental groups Greenpeace and WWF to U.S. commodity giants Cargill, Bunge and ADM.

DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis took a buzzsaw to hundreds of outdated and obsolete executive orders on Thursday — literally.

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle's game is on the rise. Dowdle is coming off the first two 100-yard outings of his career the past two weeks, resetting his career best both times. The undrafted fifth-year player on an expiring contract had 131 yards in the loss to the Bengals. Those numbers have a chance to improve on Sunday when he faces the league's worst run defense in the Carolina Panthers. Carolina allowed Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley to run for 124 yards last week and Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving to rush for a career-high 152 yards the week before. The Panthers are allowing more than 170 yards per game on the ground and 4.97 yards per carry.

Arizona star receiver Tetairoa McMillan has declared for the NFL draft following three stellar seasons. McMillan was one of the highest-rated recruits in Arizona history when he arrived in Tucson in 2022 and immediately started putting up big numbers. The junior from Southern California led all freshmen nationally with 39 catches for 702 yards and eight touchdowns. McMillan had another strong season in 2023 and was named an Associated Press preseason All-American this year. He continued to produce even as the Wildcats struggled, finishing top five nationally with 84 catches and 1,319 yards receiving to earn first-team AP all-Big 12 honors.

Louisville has approved a five-year contract extension through June 2030 for athletic director Josh Heird, whose 2 1/2-year tenure has included the hirings of men's basketball coaches Kenny Payne and Pat Kelsey and football head coach Jeff Brohm. The university’s Board of Trustees on Thursday authorized President Kim Schatzel to execute the deal, three days after the University of Louisville Athletic Association board approved the agreement. Heird was named interim AD in December 2021 before being elevated to the full-time job the following June. His other moves include hiring native son and ex-Cardinals QB and assistant Jeff Brohm as head football coach.

LeBron James has been ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game at Minnesota on Friday night due to soreness in his left foot. James will miss his second straight game when the Lakers return from a four-day break to face the Timberwolves. The top scorer in NBA history was away from the team this week with an excused absence attributed to “personal reasons,” coach JJ Redick said Wednesday. It’s unclear whether James will even make the quick round trip to Minnesota before the Lakers’ next game at home against Memphis on Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks have seen different aspects of their offense emerge during a four-game winning streak. They host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The Seahawks lead the NFC West with an 8-5 record, while the Packers are 9-4 with seven wins in their past nine games. Green Bay’s two losses over that stretch have come to NFC-best Detroit, which means the NFC North title is likely out of reach. For Seattle, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as Geno Smith's top receiver, while veteran DK Metcalf is doing more blocking while drawing frequent double-teams.

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The Atlanta Falcons face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. Atlanta is 6-7 and Las Vegas is 2-11. The Falcons are favored by 4 points at BetMGM Sportsbook. Quarterback is a question for both teams. Who will start for the Raiders remains to be determined. Atlanta's Kirk Cousins hopes to bounce back from the past two weeks in which he threw six combined interceptions.

The Minnesota Vikings put Jordan Addison to work when the Chicago Bears were busy keeping Justin Jefferson quiet last month. The difficult task of defending this passing attack has become quite the chore with the way Sam Darnold has been throwing the ball. The Bears will face another test in their rematch in Minnesota on Monday night. Addison had eight catches for 162 yards in the 30-27 victory in overtime in Chicago on Nov. 24. The Vikings are 11-2 and on a six-game winning streak. The Bears are 4-9 with seven consecutive losses.

Two-time defending champion Barcelona clinched the last quarterfinal spot in the Women’s Champions League by beating Hammarby 3-0 in Stockholm. Ewa Pajor fired Barcelona ahead with two first-half goals from close range and Aitana Bonmatí finished it off 10 minutes before the final whistle. Man City defeated St. Pölten 2-0 to keep a perfect record and lead Group D with 15 points. Barcelona is three points behind and will host City next Wednesday in the final group game. In Group C, Arsenal beat Vålerenga 3-1 to keep pressure on group leader Bayern Munich which routed Juventus 4-0.

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the five teams that are about to go through a stretch of three games in 11 days. The Ravens, Chiefs, Steelers and Texans are playing Sunday, the following Saturday and then the Wednesday after that on Christmas. Chicago has a game this coming Monday night, then plays the following Sunday before a Thursday game on Dec. 26. Four other teams have already had three-game, 11-day stretches this season. The Jets and Cowboys managed to go 2-1 during those grueling periods, but the Seahawks and Saints went 0-3.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Doctors treating a 5-year-old boy shot last week at a faith-based elementary school in Northern California are unsure whether he will fully regain the use of his legs, family members said Thursday.

LOS ANGELES — James Kennedy, a DJ and longtime cast member of Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules," was arrested Tuesday in Burbank on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence.

The popularity of drones has exploded in recent years, as small unmanned aircraft have become cheap enough for many hobbyists to buy. Recent reported sightings of drones flying over New Jersey at night have raised concerns about safety and privacy. The federal government has rules for drones and those who operate them. There are no-fly zones around airports, military installations, nuclear plants, and sports stadiums during games. Rogue drones have even been known to disrupt air travel. The Federal Aviation Authority is responsible for the regulations governing their use, and Congress has written some requirements into law.

The devastating toll Hurricane Helene inflicted on Georgia this fall will be felt for years in hard hit parts of the state. The storm caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage to the state’s agriculture and forestry sectors, plus billions more in property losses — and claimed at least 33 lives.