Latest news with #Waldon
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SEC to focus on traditional cases under new leadership, acting director says
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will likely focus on more traditional cases under incoming leadership, including those involving individual wrongdoing and fraud targeting elders, the agency's acting enforcement director said on Monday. The SEC has pioneered novel enforcement theories in recent years, such as a 2021 "shadow trading" case, which it won. But it is in the midst of a major pivot and staff exodus since Republicans took the helm at the agency in January. "Creativity is probably not where we want to be," Sam Waldon, the agency's interim enforcement director, told a securities industry event, when asked about such recent enforcement theories. Instead, Waldon said he expected the agency to pursue perennial areas of enforcement, including insider trading and accounting and disclosure fraud along with cases involving emerging technologies and retail investor fraud. He also said cases aimed at individual accountability will be a priority. "It's always a priority, but I do think that those are cases that are going to be received better by this commission," he said. Paul Atkins, President Donald Trump's appointee to lead the agency, is slated to appear on Capitol Hill on Thursday. The SEC is expected to give Wall Street an easier ride under his leadership. Since January, the SEC has overhauled its cryptocurrency policy stance, pausing or walking away from key cases against cryptocurrency firms. The agency has also reined in enforcement staff's ability to kick off formal investigations without commission approval. When asked about that move, Waldon downplayed the impact of that effort. "It's too early to tell," he said. "There are a lot of ways to put together a process to get the commission to grant an authorization."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Valdosta Police seize drugs, firearms in Ginny Drive sweep
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WSAV) — A Thursday search warrant from the Valdosta Police Department (VPD) revealed large amounts of narcotics and firearms at a Ginny Drive residence. The department along with Narcotics Detectives searched the residence on Feb. 20. There, Jeffery Xavier Waldon, 37, was present. A sweeping search of Waldon's property uncovered two firearms, over 108 grams of cocaine, and over 35 grams of marijuana, both of which were packaged for narcotics sales. Detectives also located over 10 grams of crack cocaine, over 40 Fentanyl pills, over 60 Tramadol pills, and 10 Acetaminophen with codeine pills. Detectives found tools and currency which are also indicative of narcotics sales. Waldon was arrested on the scene without incident and taken to Lowndes County Jail. Waldon is facing multiple felony charges, including two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Trafficking cocaine, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of Schedule II (Fentanyl) controlled substance with the intent to distribute, possession of Schedule III (Tylenol 3) controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of Schedule IV (Tramadol) controlled substance with the intent to distribute-felony. He also faces a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug-related items. 'This was great work by our Narcotics Detectives, who not only seized dangerous narcotics, preventing them from reaching our streets, but they also took firearms out of the hands of a convicted felon,' said Chief Leslie Manahan. Those with any information on this case or any other cases are encouraged to contact the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
04-02-2025
- Health
- CBS News
University of the Pacific becomes first in nation to offer 4-year music therapy degree
STOCKTON -- Music is often considered the universal language, and at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, it's also a method of healing. After 85 years of offering the course, the University of the Pacific is now the first college in the nation to offer a four-year degree versus five. This lowers the barriers for more students to pursue this unique degree without worrying about paying for an extra year of classes or internships. Program Director and Professor, Dr. Eric Waldon is a graduate of the program he now oversees. "So, we worked on condensing some of those courses, eliminating some of the other ones, leaving enough space so that a student could actually use their entire last year for their internship," Waldon said it is a great way to ensure more students can enroll and graduate. In order to appreciate the changes being made on campus, it's important to understand how music therapy is making a difference in the lives of a wide variety of patients -- such as people diagnosed from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's. "To alleviate things like pain or help with rehabilitation, sometimes it's easier for people to communicate musically, than with words," Waldon said. A dedicated music therapy room inside Sutter Children's Center in Sacramento is known as Sophie's Place. It's where patients like one-year-old Jesse Lee get to step inside and forget what they're enduring in the rooms of their hospital. Jesse's mother Anna says music therapy has made a significant difference in Jesse's treatment. "It's overwhelming, just getting to see him be himself, outside of his hospital room even when they come up to his room to play with him its very special," Lee said. Jesse is battling leukemia, diagnosed in August of 2023. His music therapist today, Brooke Osborne calls each time she gets to work with him, a blessing. "He's a fighter, through and through. I'll be the first one to say it, it's been a blessing getting to work with him," Osborne said. "Just to see the joy in his eyes and get to support that through music, what we get to do through music is just phenomenal." Osborne says music therapy for patients like Jesse can become an emotional lifeline, giving them the opportunity to express themselves and have an outlet to direct their emotions. It's what students inside music therapy classes at UOP are learning, especially knowing the significant impact it can have on the well-being of a patient. Studies show musical intervention has profound impacts on the brain. For example, it can evoke memories for Alzheimer's patients, it can improve voice and volume quality for someone suffering from Parkinson's, and it can even help someone relearn to walk. The beat and tempo of music can also help someone recovering from nerve damage. "Maybe one of their things they are working on is gait. Use things like tempo or speed to retrain walking so they can rehabilitate again," Waldon said. For senior Hasina Torres, she quickly learned when pursuing a degree in music therapy, every day is going to look different. Using her gift of music and being able to meet a patient's changing needs is one of the reasons she chose this as a degree. "It's just so special to be a part of this, being able to know what to do clinically and provide that to the patient is beyond words, you just feel so helpful in that moment," Torres said. She added she's so excited for the students who will be able to now pursue the degree in four years instead of five.
