Latest news with #Wooden
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Galveston teen accused of threatening to shoot KHS appears in court
Aria Wooden, an 18-year-old from rural Galveston accused of threatening a Howard County high school, appeared in Cass County Circuit Court on Thursday for an initial hearing. Wooden was arrested Tuesday for felony charges of intimidation and threatening to commit terrorism and threatening to commit a forcible felony. Teary-eyed, she was read her rights, was appointed a public defender and had her trial set for Nov. 17. Wooden's charges stem from a photo she allegedly posted to her private Snapchat story with the caption 'ok so im shooting the school up, with you first b----.' The Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip about the post and was able to obtain the Galveston address it was posted from via Snapchat's geolocation information. FBI Special Agent Nathan Strange then reached out to the Cass County Sheriff's Office to let them know about the threat, according to court documents. After being notified about the threat, members of the Sheriff's Office stopped by Wooden's home. According to court documents, they were greeted by Amanda and Anthony Smith, Wooden's parents, who explained their daughter had been expelled from school. According to court documents, Wooden's younger brother told officers she had been arguing with her ex-boyfriend, a Kokomo High School student , earlier in the day. Amanda confirmed the Snapchat photo was of Wooden and that the photo had been taken in their bathroom, according to court documents. She said Wooden had left the house about half an hour earlier, tough, and was headed toward Lafayette. Amanda tried calling and texting Wooden, but the teenager's phone wasn't active and could only be used with Wi-Fi. Anthony told officers that Wooden didn't have any access to firearms. He explained he owned firearms, but verified they were still in the home. Shortly after 9 p.m., Amanda told officers Wooden was headed back to Galveston. The officers met her there, according to court documents, and she explained the threats 'were not meant to harm anybody in any way' and that she had posted it out of anger 'from a situation that happened.' According to court documents, Wooden also told the officers her ex-boyfriend hadn't seen the post and that she deleted it. Afterward, according to the court documents, she was taken into custody and brought to Cass County Jail, where she consented for officers to search her iPhone. The Kokomo Police Department and the Lafayette police Department assisted with the investigation. The Sheriff's Office stated anyone with additional information is asked to contact them at 574-753-7800.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Money laundering probe at Fontainebleau mistakenly disclosed by Gaming Commission
(Photo byfor Fontainebleau Las Vegas) An inadvertent leak at Thursday's Nevada Gaming Commission meeting revealed Fontainebleau, the newest resort on the Las Vegas Strip, is under investigation by gaming regulators. Nevada Gaming Commissioner Rosa Solis Rainey asked Fontainebleau president Maurice Wooden about the investigation Thursday, catching the executive off guard as he sought licensing as a key employee. 'With respect to AML (anti-money laundering), tell me about the issues that are currently going on at the Fontainebleau with respect to credit issuance,' Solis-Rainey said to Wooden. 'Are you aware of those?' 'I'm not sure of any investigation as it relates to anything with AML. Is there something specific? I'm not sure,' Wooden responded. 'I think that is something that staff is currently further investigating, prior to any further action,' Gaming Control Board member Chandeni Sendall chimed in. 'It's not listed in our materials as confidential, by the way,' noted a visibly irked Gaming Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Togliatti. 'Is it confidential or not confidential?' Solis-Rainey inquired. 'We have in our materials that there's an investigation ongoing with respect to the credit practices not being followed.' The issue, she said, involved ownership approving credit without proper approval from compliance executives. Fontainebleau is owned by Jeffrey Soffer. The $3.7 billion property opened in December 2023. 'If those processes happened, they were certainly before my time. I was, you know, not on property for what I believe some of the questions you're asking,' Wooden responded, adding he believes 'at least one or two of those issues did happen, almost like the opening week.' Wooden is likely referring to a $2 million marker issued to gambler and illegal bookmaker Damien LeForbes, shortly after the resort's opening in December 2023, according to Robert Cipriani, a professional gambler who provided information to the federal government about money laundering at MGM Grand and Resorts World. LeForbes and illegal sports bookie Mathew Bowyer have pleaded guilty to operating unlawful gambling businesses and to money laundering. MGM Resorts entered into a non-prosection agreement with the government in early 2024 and paid a $7.45 million fine. Its former president, Scott Sibella, agreed to a plea deal for failing to comply with AML regulations. The feds have yet to take any action against Resorts World, where Sibella also served as president until his termination in September of 2023, and where Bowyer and LeForbes were permitted to gamble without known sources of funds. The Gaming Commission fined Resorts World $10.5 million in March and imposed an $8.5 million fine against MGM in April. Cipriani contends the investigation has expanded to a handful of other resorts, including Fontainebleau. In early January 2024, weeks after Fontainebleau's opening, Cipriani tweeted the casino granted a $2 million marker to LeForbes, who eventually 'blew thru it all,' according to Cipriani. 'All the casinos that took DJ Leforbes' and Matt Bowyer's action are being investigated by GCB,' Cipriani said Friday. No efforts have been made by Fontainebleau or Venetian, where the two also gambled, to recover the funds via the District Attorney's Office, according to court records. Gaming Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick told Togliatti the information about the investigation, which was included in the Commission's back up documents, should have been marked confidential. 'I don't want to go any deeper into this matter until the board has an opportunity to review it and, of course, speak with the licensee,' he said. Stacy Michaels, a Fontainebleau executive, said the GCB audited five player accounts and had concerns with three. Michaels added that agents were eventually satisfied the company had followed proper protocol. The Gaming Commission issued a two-year license to Wooden.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan Democrats' election proposals sidestep the noncitizen-voting issue for now
State Rep. Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids) testifying on the House floor on May 1, 2025. | Kyle Davidson This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Michigan's free newsletter here. Michigan Democrats introduced their first pieces of legislation to respond to what they consider overly aggressive Republican proposals to improve election security. As proposed, the package of bills under the Michigan Election Security Act won't close the voter registration loopholes that may have allowed at least one noncitizen to cast a ballot that counted last year. And the bills omit the measures Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson suggested in February as a way to prevent noncitizens from casting ballots in Michigan's elections. In fact, the initial bills do little to directly address the threat of noncitizen voting, which Republicans have made a top priority since taking control of the House in January. So what would these new bills do? And what comes next? The Michigan Election Security Act, or MESA, is made up of three bills. They are the first of several in what will be a larger package of election proposals known as the Security, Accountability, and Nonintervention in Elections plan, or SANE, said Rep. Stephen Wooden, a Democrat from Grand Rapids. 'This first phase, in many ways, were the low-hanging fruit — things that have been discussed in the past, that didn't make it through lame duck last session, that for one reason or another didn't gain legs in previous terms but are worth revisiting,' Wooden told Votebeat on Tuesday. The later phases will include bills more focused on noncitizen voting, he said, although what is in those bills will depend on the findings of Attorney General Dana Nessel's investigation into 15 additional noncitizens who may have voted in 2024. (A spokesperson for Nessel confirmed that the investigations are ongoing but didn't comment further Tuesday.) The three MESA bills were written by the three Democrats on the House Election Integrity Committee, with additional sponsors including Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, a Democrat from East Lansing who chaired the House Election Committee last session, when Democrats controlled the House, and more than 20 other Democrats. The first, HB 4461 from Wooden, is the one that most directly addresses the threat of noncitizens registering and voting in Michigan. Wooden's bill would create new obligations for the secretary of state to help keep the voter rolls free of noncitizens. It would require the secretary to verify the citizenship of any registered voter who 'during a transaction with the secretary of state' provides documentation suggesting they aren't a citizen. The state would have to check the person against state vehicle databases or 'any other relevant program.' If that person is found not to be a citizen, the secretary of state would have to notify that person that their voter registration will be canceled within 60 days unless they provide proof of citizenship. The second bill, HB 4462, comes from Rep. Matt Koleszar of Plymouth. It would allow the secretary of state to remove someone from the voter rolls after they haven't voted in 20 years. Benson has been working on a similar effort, but it is not a codified requirement. HB 4463, from Rep. Mai Xiong of Warren, would require the secretary of state to review the instructions on voter registration forms every even-numbered year. The form would have to clearly state that U.S. citizenship is required to register. Noncitizen voting has become a key target of legislative efforts in recent years, but it remains very rare. In Michigan, there are only 16 known cases of suspected noncitizens casting ballots during the 2024 general election, a tiny fraction of the more than 5.7 million votes cast across the state. The rate matches closely what audits in other states, including Ohio and Georgia, have found. Republicans have argued that any incidence of noncitizen voting demands a response. In Michigan, they proposed House Joint Resolution B, a constitutional amendment that would require all newly registering voters to show documents proving their citizenship, and require those already registered to confirm their citizenship if the state can't independently verify it. Conservatives have hailed it as a commonsense approach to ensure that only citizens vote in U.S. elections, but Democrats and voting rights groups have warned that such a requirement could disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters, including those who don't have easy access to citizenship documents. HJR B failed to gain the two-thirds majority required for it to move out of the House last week, but it could come up for a vote again. Meanwhile, a group known as the Committee to Protect Voters' Rights is pushing to get a nearly identical measure on the ballot next year through a petition drive. Wooden said future proposals from Democrats will aim to address the problem 'at the root, rather than the large chainsaw approach like HJR B.' But passing Democratic-led election bills in a Republican-controlled House won't be easy. Wooden said he would welcome bipartisan support, but the MESA bills don't have it yet. He said he has 'nothing but a cordial relationship' with Rep. Rachelle Smit, the Republican from Martin who leads the House Election Integrity Committee and oversees all elections-related bills. But even Tuesday morning, the two sparred during a committee hearing over how elections work in Michigan. Smit's office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Benson, whose office helped shape the bills, lauded the proposals in a news release as 'important provisions that will strengthen our ability to keep our voter rolls up to date, help election officials more effectively identify and remove ineligible voter registrations, and provide additional tools to make sure eligible voters can easily register and cast their ballot.' But Republicans don't seem as confident that the bills will do enough to address concerns about election security. Rep. Bryan Posthumus, a Republican from Rockford and the main sponsor of HJR B, said he was glad Democrats were taking election security seriously but that he didn't think the proposed bills went far enough. He said Michigan needed 'guardrails' to prevent noncitizens from being able to cast a ballot. He said he would be willing to work with Democrats on their legislative package. 'There are a million things that we can do to further secure our elections in a positive manner that doesn't make it more difficult to vote,' he said. 'I'm happy to have those conversations with whoever wants to have them, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to require only U.S. citizens vote in our election with photo ID when casting a ballot.' Hayley Harding is a reporter for Votebeat based in Michigan. Contact Hayley at hharding@ Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization covering local election integrity and voting access. Sign up for their newsletters here.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wings Release Paige Bueckers' Teammate on Tuesday
As the franchise ushers in a new era under superstars Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and Arike Ogunbowale, a four-time All-Star, the Dallas Wings broke some major news on Tuesday. Rookie center Aaronette Vonleh has officially been waived by the Wings, the team announced on X. Advertisement Despite Vonleh's standout lone season at Baylor, where she averaged 14.9 points on 58.5% shooting and earned Second‑Team All‑Big 12 honors, the Wings opted to trim their frontcourt depth ahead of the May 15 roster deadline. The 21‑year‑old Vonleh, selected 31st overall in April's draft, will now seek opportunities elsewhere or overseas after Dallas cleared her roster spot. Dallas closed the 2024 campaign at 9-31, finishing with their worst winning percentage since 2011. With new general manager Curt Miller and head coach Chris Koclanes installed, the Wings shook up their strategy by winning the draft lottery and selecting Bueckers first overall. Advertisement Bueckers arrives in Dallas as one of the most decorated college players in history. A 2025 NCAA champion, she collected every major national award, including the Wade Trophy, Naismith, Wooden, and AP Player of the Year. Bueckers was a three‑time unanimous All‑American and averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in her senior season. Dallas Wings guard Paige Carchietta-Imagn Images In her preseason debut on May 2, Bueckers posted 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in a loss to the Las Vegas Aces. While immediate playoff contention remains a stretch, the Bueckers-Ogunbowale pairing provides a compelling foundation for growth in 2025. Advertisement Related: Wings Release Two of Paige Bueckers' Teammates on Saturday Related: Indiana Fever Coach Shares Major Concern About Upcoming Game
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Look: Tom Brady gives Juju Watkins injury advice during Pete Carroll's class at USC
Look: Tom Brady gives Juju Watkins injury advice during Pete Carroll's class at USC Show Caption Hide Caption Maxx Crosby reveals feelings about Pete Carroll as new Raiders coach Maxx Crosby shares thoughts on Raiders moving on from Antonio Pierce and welcoming Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. He also talks about his partnership with Saxx. Pete Carroll still teaches a class at USC, where he coached from 2001-09, despite being named the Las Vegas Raiders head coach during the NFL offseason. The course is titled "The Game is Life" and offered through USC's Marshall School of Business. The two-time national championship-winning coach brought in quite the star-studded group for one of his recent classes. Carroll set up an interview between USC guard Juju Watkins, the reigning national player of the year, and Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner. Watkins is a student in the class, according to ESPN. And Watkins, one of the brightest stars in college sports, used the opportunity to ask Brady for some specific advice after recent events. Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear in USC's Round of 32 win over Mississippi State. Brady suffered the same injury in the first game of the 2008 season with the New England Patriots. REQUIRED READING: JuJu Watkins breaks silence with first post since season-ending injury "I'm someone who's recovering from an injury, so I wanted to ask, what was your journey with injuries?" Watkins asked Brady during the class. "I know you also had an ACL tear, so that was crazy to hear. Just how you were able to come back even better." Brady replied: "This is crazy how this goes all full circle on us. ... Remember I talked about being open to learning and open to people that know a lot more than you about stuff? I want to talk to you about a little bit about injuries. And Pete knows him well. And he has actually worked with Pete now, his name is Alex Guerrero. And Alex, I learned so much from in my journey, on the health and wellness journey that allowed me to play 23 years." The social media video cuts off there, but it's certain Brady gave Watkins some tremendous advice as the USC star battles her own injuries in 2025. It was quite the moment for three of the biggest names in sports, as Carroll is serving as head coach for his fourth NFL team this season after signing a contract with the Raiders in the offseason. Watkins averaged 23.9 points with 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season, leading the Trojans to a No. 1 seed in the women's NCAA Tournament. She won both the Wooden and Naismith Awards this season, which are both given to the top player in women's college basketball. Carroll teaches the class alongside two other professors at USC, with the class syllabus stating the goal is "to train students to perform at their highest level in all aspects of their careers and life," according to ESPN. And it appears the 73-year-old coach is doing that, as evident from the moment shared between Brady and Watkins.
