They were called to the 13800 block of Beaver Street near Dronfield Avenue at around 9:20 p.m. after learning of a stabbing, LAPD officers told CBS LA. Upon arrival, officers found a 35-year-old woman suffering from stab wounds. 

The victim, who hasn't yet been publicly identified, was rushed to a nearby hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. She was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. 

Police said that the stabbing suspect, identified as the victim's 31-year-old boyfriend, Sergio Jimenez, ran from the scene of the stabbing on foot. The nearly 12-hour search continued into Thursday morning, as LAPD officers believed that the man was still hiding somewhere in the neighborhood, near Hubbard and Eighth Street, approximately four miles from where the stabbing happened.

Police said they did not believe the man was armed, but advised the public to be cautious.

At around 9:50 p.m., LAPD officers told CBS LA that the suspect had been taken into custody. He was located near Hubbard Street and the 210 Freeway, police said.

Jimenez was booked for murder and being held in lieu of $2 million bail, according to LAPD officers.

The search perimeter included the Gridley Street Elementary School, which led Los Angeles Unified School District police to relocate the students to nearby Maclay Middle School. 

"Due to ongoing police activity in the area, the students and staff from Gridley-Montanez Dual Language Academy will be relocated temporarily to Maclay Middle School," said a statement from an LAUSD spokesperson. "There will be additional staff onsite to assist and support."

After Jimenez was arrested, school officials said that all operations would return to normal.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the two-seater aircraft was last tracked at Salta Verde Point, on Catalina Island.

Baywatch Avalon and the Avalon Fire Department responded to the crash. Two people were dead at the scene, LACoFD said. 

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash of the Airplane Factory Sling.

This is a developing story.  

Towards the end of the hour-long conversation, University President Jim Gash presented the last audience question for the burger chain heiress.

"What does the era of automation mean for employees at In-N-Out? Would you ever transition to mobile order pickup?"

Snyder-Ellingson answered, "We have for sure had that put in front of us, and the answer is no. And the main reason is because what's part of what makes the In-N-Out experience so special is the interaction and the customer service that we're able to give. The smile, the greeting … that warmth and feeling that culture."

She continued to say, "and there is also the freshness factor …"

In-N-Out Burger was founded in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder, the grandparents of Snyder-Ellingson. During the university event, Snyder-Ellingson said one of her passions in leading is preserving the legacy of her grandparents and her parents.

"I want to make them proud. I want to champion everything they would want, and especially in today's world," she said, acknowledging menu simplicity.  

"We won't compromise our quality, we're not going to do things the quicker, easier way, because it's easier for us, we want to do what's best for our customers."

A Southern California native, Snyder-Ellingson began working as an associate in the family's burger business in 1999.

During the Pepperdine event, Snyder-Ellingson talked about her childhood, her family, the business, her faith, and her evolution to CEO. 

Gash refers to her book, "The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger: The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Thru and How It Became a Beloved Cultural Icon," released in 2023. He noted the book mentions the importance of considering restaurant location.

"What do you think about our location here in Malibu?" he asked. "It's a beautiful location, just not for the store," Snyder-Ellingson quipped.

He did get down to the nitty-gritty -- yes, there is a secret In-N-Out menu, and there is fried mustard on the "Animal Style" burger.

What's Snyder-Ellingson's go-to In-N-Out order? "Double meat with fried mustard, extra spread pickles and chopped chilies only," with a bun, she said. 

Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, was taken into custody on Tuesday after he was determined to be the suspect in the fire, which was reported at around 12:30 a.m. at the massive warehouse in the 9500 block of Merrill Avenue on Tuesday, April 7. 

He was charged with one count of aggravated arson and six counts of arson of a structure or forest land, all of which are felonies, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. Abdulkarim was initially scheduled for arraignment at the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse on Thursday, but prosecutors pushed the hearing until Friday as they reviewed the case.

The blaze forced 20 employees to evacuate from the warehouse, all of whom were accounted for except Abdulkarim, who was employed at the location as an employee for NFI Industries, which works as a third-party distributor for Kimberly-Clark. Investigators said that they believed the fire was "suspicious in nature" upon arrival, and determined that Abdulkarim was a suspect due to several calls they received at the time the fire broke out. 

He was booked on multiple felony arson-related charges and was being held at the West Valley Detention Center without bail following his arrest, Ontario Police Department officers said on Tuesday.

In a social media video that appeared to show Abdulkarim igniting the blaze, holding a lighter to various pallets of paper products at the warehouse, he can be heard saying, "All you had to do was pay us enough to live. ... There goes your inventory."

Due to the amount of paper goods being stored at the facility, including brands like Kleenex, Huggies, Kotex, Scott and Cottonelle, the fire burned quickly and ferociously, complicating the firefight for Ontario Fire Department crews. It took hours for crews to finally extinguish the flames, and the warehouse was still smoldering as late as Wednesday evening, prompting an air quality warning for the surrounding area.

Lynette Hooker, who is from Michigan, has been missing since Sunday. Bahamian officials arrested her husband Wednesday night and are holding him for questioning in connection with her case, but he has not been charged with a crime, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. Hooker can be held for 48 hours until he has to be either charged or released, Butler said, noting that officials can extend the period to 96 hours if deemed necessary.

Brian Hooker denies any wrongdoing. He previously told authorities that his wife fell from their dinghy Saturday night while the couple sailed from Hope Town to Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. He said powerful currents swept her away, along with the keys to their boat, which cut power to its engine and prevented him from reaching her. 

He shared a similar account of what happened in Facebook messages to Daniel Danforth, a friend of the Hookers since 2023. Danforth told CBS News he met them because of their shared interest in boating.

The messages show that Danforth reached out to Brian on Monday after seeing news coverage of his wife's disappearance.

"The wind blew me away from her and she swam towards the sailboat and we lost sight of each other pretty quickly as it was just about sundown," Brian wrote in reply. "I drifted and tried to paddle with one oar for the next 7 hours until I washed up behind the shore of the next Island over and was able to get some help finally."

Bahamian police have said Brian Hooker arrived at the Marsh Harbor Boat Yard on the island of Abaco at 4 a.m. Sunday morning, after paddling the dinghy to shore. They said he told someone his wife was missing once he made it there, and that person informed authorities.

In the messages, he told Danforth his family was "in hell" as search crews failed to locate his wife. 

When Danforth checked in again the next morning, Hooker said he had moved his boat to Marsh Harbor and had been sleeping there, but planned to relocate "for a night or two" to stay with his sister and brother-in-law, who were flying in to meet him. He told Danforth that he planned "on heading back out to the site" after that "and continuing search."

"I will most likely definitely need help in the future but I just don't know what it is yet I'm trying to take it a day at a time and keep the faith," he told Danforth, before congratulating him on his recent sailboat purchase.

"The stories don't really match up"

Danforth told CBS News that he first met the Hookers three years ago, while sailing in the New Orleans area. A Facebook notification from Brian over the weekend initially reminded him of the couple, before he started seeing headlines about Lynette's disappearance, Danforth said. 

He received the notification because Brian had liked his comment on a post that Danforth's wife had shared about boating. In retrospect, Danforth said the fact that his friend was scrolling social media and liking posts at that time raised some questions for him.

"You know, my wife's missing, Facebook's the last thing I'm worried about. You're going to find me on the water riding around," Danforth told CBS News.

Danforth said he was concerned that Brian moved his boat from Elbow Cay, where it was anchored, shortly after Lynette went missing. He also noted that, in comparing Brian's s retelling of Lynette's disappearance with emerging media reports, "the stories don't really match up."

While police have said Hooker recalled his wife being swept overboard and out to sea, Danforth said his messages reflected "she was casually swimming back toward the sailboat." 

He also said the Hookers "always had their phones with them" and frequently posted videos online, so he wondered why Brian's "phone didn't work or why they didn't have their phones in the boat" the night Lynette went missing.

Danforth said his wife was friends with Lynette and he didn't have concerns about the couple's relationship, although there had been a period where Brian and Lynette "had separated for a while," he said. 

"You know, most of the time people do get back together and you don't want things to be awkward," he said. "So we didn't — I don't really get into a whole lot of personal business because of those reasons." 

Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told CBS News in a separate interview that her mother and Brian Hooker had broken up and gotten back together in recent years. Aylesworth said she is seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding her mother's disappearance and has said she doubts the sequence of events described by Brian Hooker.

"For one, I don't understand how she got the key," Aylesworth said. "Brian's always driving. So he basically is in charge of the key. So the fact that my mom had it doesn't make any sense."

In an earlier statement, Butler, Hooker's attorney, said he denied the allegations made by Aylesworth, and added, "He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation."

Butler has spoken to Hooker on the phone and told CBS News that he was focused on continuing the search for his wife.

"That's all he's been talking about," Butler said. "Yesterday… he made arrangements to go back out and search for her."

The whereabouts of the boat key was also an issue for Danforth, who said pictures and videos the Hookers took while on the dinghy never show either of them with the key, which is usually attached to a lanyard. But he said it's possible that Lynette Hooker would "reach out in desperation" to grab hold of something as she fell overboard, and "that's the closest thing."

Ultimately, Danforth said he didn't fully believe strong winds and ocean currents could separate Hooker's small dinghy from his wife so rapidly. And, if she were swimming toward the dinghy, as Brian Hooker said in his messages, Danforth asked: "Why didn't he try to go get her?"

In a six-minute livestreamed statement from the White House, the first lady for the first time following the Justice Department's release of troves of Epstein records publicly and directly addressed the Epstein matter. The first lady said "now is the time for Congress to act."

"I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors," the first lady told a group of gathered reporters at the White House. "Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the congressional record. Then and only then, we will have the truth. Thank you."

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, called the first lady's remarks "pretty stunning," and said her call for a hearing with the testimony of Epstein survivors is something "that we have been asking for for months and have been told every time that it wasn't possible."

"We certainly welcome and agree with her call to hear directly from the survivors," he told MS NOW shortly after the first lady's remarks. He added, "I think what is important about what the first lady said is that she is being clear that there are still powerful men out there. There are still stories to be told."

President Trump told MS NOW he didn't "know anything about" the first lady's statement before she made it.

It's unclear why the first lady delivered her statement on Thursday, instead of immediately following the release of specific records. Old photos of the Trumps with Epstein and Maxwell have been publicly available, and the Justice Department emails revealed the first lady and Maxwell corresponded at least once over email. 

Melania Trump said Epstein did not introduce her to Donald Trump, and the brief email exchange released in the DOJ records between her and Maxwell was merely a "polite," "casual" reply. 

"I am not Epstein's victim," the first lady said. "Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book Melania. The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings. Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false."

"I have never had any knowledge of Epstein's abuse of his victims," she added. "I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant. Was never on Epstein's plane. And never visited his private island."

Jane Chick contributed to this report.

The crash happened just before 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 on Interstate 70 about two miles east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel in Clear Creek County. According to Colorado State Patrol, the plow was driving on the icy highway when the driver lost control and crashed into two cars and then the Sprinter van, sending the van off the side of the highway.

The driver of the van and father of one of the girls on the team, Manny Lorenzana, was killed. Ten people in total were in the van, seven of whom were taken to the hospital by ambulance. Four of those were children, and three were adults. One of the girls was rushed by medical helicopter to a trauma center with critical injuries.

The girls played for the California-based Santa Clarita Lady Flyers team, whose players are typically 11 and 12 years old, but can include some younger players. They had a game scheduled that morning in a tournament run by the Western Girls Hockey League at the Edge Ice Arena in Littleton.

On Thursday, CSP announced that 29-year-old Colton A. Wiedman has been charged with the following:

• Careless driving causing death, a class 1 traffic misdemeanor;
• Four counts of careless driving causing serious bodily injury, a class 1 traffic misdemeanor;
• Three counts of careless driving causing bodily injury, a class 1 traffic misdemeanor;
• Failure to drive in a designated lane a class A traffic infraction.

Because Wiedman has only been charged with misdemeanors and a traffic infraction, he was ticketed the day of the crash and not arrested.

He's due in Clear Creek County Court on May 5 for his arraignment. No attorney information for him was available in court records on Thursday, and no contact information for Wiedman was immediately available through public records.

Cara Vana owner Jesse Valencia says that two of those incidents have happened in the last month, including when the coffee shop was one of six small businesses in the San Fernando Valley to get targeted on the same November night. 

The most recent instance happened early Wednesday morning, when three suspects were seen outside of the business via surveillance video. The footage shows one of the suspects using a stick-like object to shatter the front door of the shop before all three rush inside. 

Valencia said that the suspects only took whatever small change they found in the registers, but said that the damage to the door would put them back. 

"Sad to say, I'm almost getting used to it. I already have the people that I need to call in order to fix the problem, but this time hopefully we can put a metal fence in front or, you know, get some other type of security around here," Valencia said. 

Getty Center year-long renovation

In a news release, Getty Center officials said that the well-known museum will be undergoing a massive modernization project, the first since opening in 1997. 

The center will be closed to the public beginning on March 15, 2027, and is not slated to reopen until spring 2028, the release said. 

"Getty is embarking on an exciting new chapter," said a statement from Katherine E. Fleming, the president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust. "Our mission has always been to make art accessible to our Los Angeles community and visitors from around the world. In the coming years, guided by our commitment to All for Art, we will enhance the visitor experience across the Getty Center campus through reimagined spaces and new offerings, while prioritizing sustainability."

Officials said that the modernization project will include enhancements like reimagined gallery spaces, a renovated Welcome Hall that will feature a new cafe bookstore and a retail shop, improvements to buildings and public spaces, increased accessibility and upgrades to the tram system that brings visitors to the center and improved cell phone and WiFi services. 

Some improvement projects are already underway, officials said, noting that galleries have been closed to accommodate work on their heating and air conditioning systems. 

Getty Center officials said that they would open a "programming space" across the street on Sepulveda Boulevard during the closure.

"This venue will host a slate of special programs throughout the closure and will remain a dedicated program space once the Center reopens," the release said. "Getty has also acquired a property in Westwood as a long-term investment in housing for its scholar programs. Early building concepts are underway for the site, which is located near the new planned Metro stop at Westwood and Wilshire."

Officials noted that the Getty Villa, located in the Pacific Palisades, would remain open as usual while the modernization project is completed at the Getty Center. During that time, some paintings selected by curators will be featured at the Getty Villa. 

"We look forward to welcoming visitors back in spring 2028, in time to celebrate the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and experience our more accessible, resilient and dynamic campus," Fleming's statement said.

George C. Page Museum renovation at La Brea Tar Pits

At the same time, the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits will be closing for a massive overhaul, marking the first renovation project since it opened in 1977, according to a news release shared by the organization. 

The museum will be closed to the public beginning on July 6, and will remain closed for approximately two years, the release said. The renovations are being made through the more than $131 million raised in a fundraising effort, which has an end goal of $240 million, according to officials. 

"As we prepare the La Brea Tar Pits transformation, I encourage everyone to visit this cultural icon and experience firsthand what makes this site unlike any in the world," said a statement from Lori Bettison-Varga, the President and Director of the National History Museums of Los Angeles County. "This is the largest capital investment in NHM's history, and it reflects an extraordinary commitment from our civic and philanthropic partners to the future of La Brea Tar Pits. Our responsibility is not only to preserve the fossils in our care, but to ensure that the knowledge they hold is accessible to all."

Officials said that the plan was to fully reopen by summer 2028, when the LA28 Summer Olympic Games descend on Southern California. 

Work at the Page Museum aims to "modernize and improve access to the building, including visible research laboratories, new collections storage and displays, an immersive theater, and a roof terrace with views of the park and the museum's historic atrium and frieze," the release said. 

Officials said that the scientific research conducted on site will continue throughout the closure, as will the educational programming like behind-the-scenes tours and school activities. During the closure, the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park will offer programs focused on Ice Age research at the tar pits.

Deputies with the Kern County Sheriff's Office Mojave Substation were called to the 400 block of Silver Queen Road on Wednesday, April 8, after learning of suspicious vehicles in the area, according to a news release shared by the department on social media. 

"When deputies arrived, two box trucks were seen fleeing the area," the release said. 

Traffic stops were conducted on both vehicles, and deputies were able to identify the suspects as 37-year-old San Bernardino man Jose Lopez, 25-year-old Los Angeles man Ruben Lopez Flores and 35-year-old Chino man Freddy Hernandez Polinar. 

Deputies searched both of the box trucks and discovered a large amount of Lego products, and upon searching the surrounding area, found two freight trailers. 

"A thorough investigation, deputies discovered the trailers were stolen while in transit from Fort Worth, Texas to Moreno Valley, California," the release said. "The loss was reported to be approximately $1,000,000 worth of Lego products."

All three of the suspects were arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle, cargo theft and conspiracy. It's unclear where they were booked. 

Deputies said that the stolen freight trailers and the stolen Legos were recovered. 

It happened at around 12:15 p.m. in the 12000 block of Bryant Street, where deputies were dispatched upon learning of a shooting in the area, according to a news release from SBSD officials. 

Upon arrival, deputies found 66-year-old Stephan James Slivka Jr. and 68-year-old Rodney Lee Chanadet suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, and both were pronounced dead at the scene. 

SBSD Specialized Investigations Division - Homicide Detail detectives were called to handle the investigation. 

"Through investigation, detectives believe Slivka and Chanadet struck each other with gunfire, Slivka succumbed to his injuries and Chanadet shot himself after sustaining a gunshot wound," the release said. "The investigation remains ongoing."

Anyone who may know more was urged to contact SBSD Homicide Detail detectives at (909) 890-4904. 

In a news release shared by the aquarium, visitors were invited to see the large turtle in person at their new sea turtle rehabilitation area starting on Wednesday, April 8. 

"One of the largest sea turtles rescued by the Aquarium of the Pacific is making a splash in the new sea turtle rehabilitation area," the release said. "Visitors to the Aquarium can now see Meatloaf, a more than two-hundred-pound green sea turtle as she goes through rehabilitation with the goal of release to the wild."

Officials said that Meatloaf was found on Jan. 14, 2026 trapped in fishing line and rope and tethered to debris in the San Gabriel River. She was rescued by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the release said. She was then transferred to the aquarium for medical evaluation and care because of their "expertise in treating and releasing stranded and injured sea turtles."

The rescue took place as the Aquarium of the Pacific's Southern California Sea Turtle Monitoring community science program was ongoing, officials said. The event sees a weekly gathering of volunteers who analyze monthly field data on green sea turtles seen in the San Gabriel River. When volunteers spotted Meatloaf, they reached out to NOAA and then stood watch over the turtle to ensure her safety until she could be saved. 

"The entangled line severely damaged a front flipper, cutting off blood supply. We have been doing all we can, including surgery to try and save the flipper. It is showing some early promising signs of healing," said a statement from Dr. Lance Adams, the Aquarium of the Pacific's director of veterinary services.

The sea turtle rehabilitation area opened in January, allowing the aquarium to double its capacity for caring for stranded, sick or injured sea turtles, the release said. The area includes a nearly 4,000-gallon rehabilitation pool and an audio-visual display where visitors can learn more about the organization's rescue efforts. 

The Aquarium of the Pacific has a decades-long history of caring for Southern California's rehabilitating sea turtle population. Species include green, olive ridley and loggerhead sea turtles. 

"One rescue is never the last," the release said. "The Aquarium is asking for the public's help to fund the specialized medical care needed for Meatloaf to recover and be deemed ready to be released back to the wild. Donations to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Program support expert care, critical surgeries, and rehabilitation for Meatloaf and future rescued turtles."

A government official familiar with the matter said the probe is about affordability for consumers and creating an "even playing field for providers." The Wall Street Journal first reported that the DOJ opened an investigation into the NFL. 

The NFL said in a statement that its media distribution model is the "most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry," and noted that 87% of its games are available on broadcast television, "including 100% of games in the markets of the competing teams." 

"The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans," the NFL said. 

The investigation comes as the NFL has reopened negotiations with Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News, which owns the rights to broadcast NFL games on Sunday afternoons during the season. Exercising a clause in the existing TV rights contracts that allows the league to reopen a media rights deal if a partner broadcaster is purchased by a new owner, CNBC reports the NFL is seeking as much as $1 billion more per season from Paramount Skydance  so the network can continue broadcasting games through the 2033-34 season.

NFL broadcasters, most notably Fox, have voiced concerns the NFL is spreading its games across too many streaming services and could make watching games prohibitively expensive — and confusing — for football fans. A recent editorial by The Wall Street Journal, also owned by Fox's owner Rupert Murdoch, argued the league might be violating its antitrust exemptions by spreading out its content across so many platforms. 

Republican Sen. Mike Lee, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, said he's "glad they're tackling this." 

"In 1961, Congress enacted the Sports Broadcasting Act, granting limited antitrust immunity to allow professional football teams to collectively license the 'sponsored telecasts' of their games to national broadcast networks," Lee said. "... To the extent collectively licensed game packages are placed behind subscription paywalls, these arrangements may no longer align with the statutory concept of sponsored telecasting or the consumer-access rationale underlying the antitrust exemption."

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said the scheme defrauded California of $267 million through bogus charges to Medi-Cal, the state-administered Medicaid program. Americans pay into Medicare through taxes and premiums, so defrauding it would be essentially stealing from all American taxpayers. 

"What will address fraud is us doing the hard work — heads down, sleeves rolled up, doing the investigation, doing the arrests, doing the prosecutions, holding folks accountable," Bonta told CBS News.

Bonta said the defendants collected money without providing a single legitimate hospice service. The law enforcement effort, called Operation Skip Trace, targeted ten locations in Southern California. 

According to the California Department of Justice, individuals purchased identifying information for non-California residents from the dark web and used them to enroll in Medi-Cal. Then, straw owners bought 14 hospice companies and billers began billing the government for hospice care for the stolen identities. 

"There were no actual services, no hospice centers or any real paperwork, it was all made up as part of this fraudulent criminal activity," Bonta told CBS News. 

The charges include conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Defendants also face an aggravated white collar crime enhancement and an aggravated money laundering enhancement.

All of the hospice companies named in the complaints were state-licensed and approved by the California Health and Human Services Agency to bill Medi-Cal.The initial allegation of fraud came from the California Department of Health Care Services. 

Tyler Sadwith, DHCS' chief deputy director of health care programs and California state Medicaid director, told CBS News the state is currently investigating over 300 hospices for possible license revocation. 

"Taxpayers have an absolute right to expect that the administrators of this program are really prioritizing program integrity," he said. "That continues to be part of our core mission. That continues to be the top priority."

For months, CBS News has examined the business and financial records of every hospice currently operating in LA County, and applied the same indicators of potential fraud identified in a state audit. The CBS News analysis revealed that over 700 of the roughly 1,800 hospices in LA County, trigger multiple red flags for fraud as defined by the state.

On April 2, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that authorities arrested and federally charged eight people in connection with a health care and hospice fraud investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the defendants, including three nurses, a chiropractor and a psychologist, were charged with defrauding the health care system out of more than $50 million.

Fraud in public services has become a thorny political issue as the Republican-led federal government focuses most attention on cases in Democratic states. 

"We are upholding as a priority, making sure that taxpayer dollars are going to healthcare services for the Medi-Cal members who rely on them," Sadwith said. "That requires partnership with the federal government. Right now, it is a challenging time between some states like California and our federal partners."  

Bonta said fraud is a problem that crosses partisan lines.

"It happens across all 50 states, red and blue, happens at the federal level, happens at the state level. California is not immune, and we are the biggest state, and we have some of the biggest levels of funding," he said.  

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not a target, but "forty-nine states do not have the kinds of problems that Los Angeles County has." CBS News has requested interviews with Newsom on multiple occasions. 

In a statement, Newsom said: "For years, California has led the charge to protect public programs from fraud and abuse. We hold accountable to the fullest extent of the law anyone who tries to rip off taxpayers and take advantage of public programs, particularly those as sensitive as hospice care. I thank the Department of Health Care Services and the California DOJ's Department of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse for their swift work to bring these charges forward."

Sadwith said the state continues to seek partnership with federal agencies "prioritizing this, allocating our resources, strengthening our systems, putting new safeguards in place to learn from what happened here and protect the program. So this never happens again."

Enzo Conticello, 29, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and three counts of fraud.

He was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to a total of 27 months in prison.

Prosecutor Julian Winship said the victim's Givenchy handbag, worth 1,600 pounds, was stolen from the smoking area outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, central London, in November 2024.

The bag contained a green and gold, emerald-encrusted Faberge egg and watch owned by the Craft Irish Whiskey Company where the victim worked, as well as a laptop, wallet, AirPods and her bank cards.

"This is an unusual case," acknowledged judge Kate Livesey, describing the victim's shock and panic when she discovered her handbag had gone.

The Faberge egg and watch, which had been part of a display at a work event that evening, have not been recovered, the court heard.

Conticello, who is also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, used the stolen bank cards to attempt purchases at nearby supermarkets shortly after the theft.

The stolen items were part of a limited series of seven bespoke "Emerald Isle" sets produced by the Craft Irish Whiskey Company, each comprising a Faberge egg, a Faberge watch, a handcrafted whiskey bottle and a cigar humidor, the court heard

Three of the sets had been sold to private clients for between $2 million and $3 million.

Livesey said Conticello, who had worked as a chef before losing his job, had acted "opportunistically" and had "no knowledge of the contents of the bag."

He later exchanged the stolen items for drugs, without realizing how valuable they were.

His lawyer, Katie Porter-Windley, said Conticello had been homeless and suffered from cocaine addiction.

He will serve half the sentence in jail and then be released under license.

"The United States Postal Service is heading toward a cash crisis," USPS spokesman David Walton said in a statement to CBS News. "The step we are now taking to suspend FERS payments helps conserve cash for our operations and other necessary payments."

The USPS contributes about $400 million a month to its employee pension plan, the agency said in a statement on Thursday. The postal service said it will continue to send worker contributions to the retirement plan and will also transmit employer automatic and matching contributions, as well as employee contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan, another retirement program for federal workers.

Out of cash in a year

The temporary halt in contributions to the USPS program comes after Postmaster General David Steiner warned Congress last month that the postal agency is heading for a financial crisis without a course correction. Those changes could include raising the cost of a first-class stamp to 95 cents or reducing delivery from its current six days per week schedule to five or fewer, he said. 

Without such changes, Steiner said, the USPS could run out of cash within 12 months, which could result in a stoppage of mail delivery. 

The USPS has for years struggled with high costs and dwindling mail volume, culminating in a $9 billion loss in 2025. Although the Postal Service has a 10-year plan to reduce expenses and restore profitability, the agency still faces major financial challenges as mail volume continues to decline and delivery costs rise.

On Thursday, USPS Chief Financial Officer Luke Grossmann said in a statement that the risk of "insufficient liquidity for postal operations dramatically outweighs any longer-term risk to the pension funds from not making the currently due payments."

Suspending payments to FERS will free up about $2.5 billion in the current fiscal year, the postal agency said. 

The USPS said in March that it plans to temporarily hike postage prices to cover mounting fuel costs due to the Iran war. The agency said it will add an 8% surcharge on some postage prices beginning April 26, with those added costs remaining in place through Jan. 17, 2027.

During a space-to-ground news conference late Wednesday, Wiseman said crewmates Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen proposed the out-of-this-world memorial when the crew was in medical quarantine a few days before launch.

Wiseman said "that was an emotional moment for me, and I just thought that was just a total treasure." But he said he told his crewmates he wouldn't be able to talk about such an emotionally charged moment during the mission.

So, Hansen stepped in Monday and radioed mission control to describe the selection of a previously unnamed crater in honor of Wiseman's wife Carroll, a nurse who passed away in 2020. Wiseman later said raising his two daughters as a single dad was the greatest challenge of his life.

"When Jeremy spelled Carroll's name, C A R R O L L, I think for me that's when I was overwhelmed with emotion," Wiseman said. "We all pretty much broke down right there. For me personally, that was kind of the pinnacle moment of the mission. That was, I think, where the four of us were the most forged, the most bonded. And we came out of that really focused on that day ahead."

For Glover, the highlight was observing a solar eclipse, watching the sun disappear behind the moon, producing a ghostly glow around the entire moon as viewed from the Orion capsule.

"We saw great simulations made by our lunar science team, but when that actually happened, it just blew us all away," he said. "Launching on April 1 meant the far side (of the moon) wasn't as illuminated as we were hoping. And so (the eclipse) seemed to be a consolation, and it was one of the greatest gifts of that part of the mission."

Wiseman said that to him, it was watching the Earth set on the moon's horizon and disappear from view, leaving the crew out of contact with Earth for about 40 minutes.

"When we watched that Earth eclipse behind the moon, wow, I'm actually getting chills right now," he said. "It is amazing to watch your home planet disappear behind the moon...It was just an unbelievable sight. And then it was gone."

"We had a lot of scientific work to do right there," Wiseman went on. "That was probably the most critical lunar observations for our geology team. But the four of us took a moment. We shared maple cookies that Jeremy had brought, and we took about three or four minutes just as a crew to really reflect on where we were...It is a surreal feeling."

Asked if he was looking forward to re-entry and splashdown Friday, Glover said he's been thinking of that moment ever since he was assigned to the Artemis II crew, considering the 25,000-mph plunge back into the atmosphere and the fireball that will engulf the Orion capsule on the way down.

But, he reminded reporters, "all the good stuff is coming back with us. There (are) so many more pictures, so many more stories. And gosh, I haven't even begun to process what we've been through. We've still got two more days, and riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well. I'm going to be thinking about and talking about all of these things for the rest of my life, for sure."

After the news conference, the crew had planned to take another turn at manually piloting their Orion capsule, testing their ability, as pilots and non-pilots, to precisely maneuver the spacecraft. NASA is considering opening up commander and pilot positions to a wider range of astronauts.

But Wednesday's test, the second to involve all four crew members, was called off to give flight controllers time to troubleshoot a liquid oxygen pressurization issue in the crew ship's service module that cropped up shortly after launch.

Like many spacecraft, Orion uses pressurized helium to force propellants to rocket engines and thrusters. For redundancy, Orion is equipped with two interconnected oxygen "manifolds," either of which can be isolated if problems develop. Only one is needed for normal operations.

Shortly after launch, the pressure in one manifold was higher than expected, so flight controllers closed valves to isolate that part of the system while they reviewed data. The test Wednesday was designed find out if helium was leaking into the oxygen lines of the isolated manifold, thus raising pressure as observed.

Mission managers said earlier the isolated manifold is not needed for the crew's return to Earth. But they wanted to better understand the issue to make sure it doesn't happen on downstream flights.

In the meantime, Navy recovery crews headed to the splashdown site off the southern California coast near San Diego where the Orion capsule is expected to splash down at 8:07 p.m. EDT Friday. Favorable weather is expected with light winds and moderate seas.

Back at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, scientists continued poring over thousands of photographs captured by the astronauts as they passed over the far side of the moon Monday, along with video and recorded audio descriptions of various high-priority targets.

Nine three-man Apollo crews flew over the moon's far side between 1968 and 1972, but those flights were launched when the near side was fully illuminated and the far side was in shadow.

The Artemis II astronauts were the first humans to see, with their own eyes, nearly a quarter of the far side in daylight, giving researchers insights that could lead to a better understanding of the moon's evolution.

So far, NASA's first piloted moon mission since the final Apollo landing in 1972 has gone off like clockwork, with only a small number of anomalies. One of those involved the ship's toilet, which has had problems dumping liquid waste overboard as required.

While an annoyance at times for the crew, it's been a relatively minor issue given the technical challenges of safely flying to the moon and back.

Federal prosecutors allege in a criminal complaint that Courtney Williams of Wagram, North Carolina, divulged classified information to an unnamed reporter between 2022 and 2024 about her time in Delta Force, a U.S. Army Special Military Unit, or SMU.

According to the complaint, Williams worked for the Army between 2010 and 2016 after serving as a contractor and previously enlisting, and held a top secret security clearance. Williams left in 2016, after investigators said she had her access to classified information suspended, "based on an internal investigation" conducted in 2015 and 2016.

She is charged with one count of illegally communicating or transmitting national defense information, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Court records show she was arrested Tuesday and was ordered to be temporarily detained in jail ahead of a preliminary hearing on April 13. 

According to an FBI affidavit included in the complaint, Williams and the reporter "discussed William's employment at the SMU and associated information" in texts and "consistent and extensive phone conversations." The affidavit also alleges that Williams "provided documents, photographs, notes, and/or other materials to the Journalist, some of which likely contained classified NDI that was subsequently published in the Article and the Book," through a removable hard drive and emails in ten document batches.

Williams was featured prominently in a Politico article as an on-the-record voice in a story profiling alleged misconduct in Delta Force, a covert military unit where Delta Force is headquartered. That article, by Seth Harp, was adapted from his book, which was to be published shortly after the article. Investigators also said the article includes on-the-record statements from Williams about her time with the unit. Photos of Williams also appear in the report.

In a statement posted to social media late Wednesday, Harp described Williams as a "courageous whistleblower who exposed rampant gender discrimination and sexual harassment" in Delta Force.

"I am confident that the DOJ's slapdash indictment, full of misleading juxtaposed quotations taken out of context, will fall apart upon careful scrutiny," Harp said. "In the meantime, Courtney is presumed innocent and is entitled to the due process of the law." 

The FBI affidavit alleges Williams spoke to a reporter on the day the Politico article featuring her was published and says officials overseeing classification of the Special Military Unit "reviewed the information within the Article and determined that it contained information that is properly classified as SECRET."

After the book was published last August, the prosecutors said Williams texted the reporter that she was "concerned with the amount of classified information being disclosed" in the book," and that she wrote in a text message to her mother that she feared being arrested "for disclosing classified information."

In another text message to someone else, prosecutors allege that Williams said she was "probably going to jail for life" for her alleged disclosures.

Williams was appointed a federal defender, but no attorney information was publicly listed in court filings as of Wednesday evening.

In a social media post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel said that William's arrest should "serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we're working these cases, and we're making arrests. This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm's way."

Swalwell has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior with female staffers, which his camp argues are coming from online influencers connected to his opponents.

One of those influencers, Cheyenne Hunt, is a self-described progressive activist with a law degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. That is the same law school where fellow gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter is a longtime professor.  

Hunt enrolled at UC Irvine Law in the fall of 2018, as Porter was running for Congress. Porter continued living in on-campus housing throughout her time in Congress while she was on leave from her teaching position.  

According to UCI, Hunt interned on Capitol Hill for a Democratic Senator while Porter was serving in the House, and in 2021, Porter delivered the commencement address at Hunt's graduation. 

Three years later, Hunt ran for an Orange County congressional seat and posted a photograph with Porter on social media, calling her a trailblazer.  

Porter comments on the Swalwell allegations 

"They don't have a relationship to speak of," said Peter Opitz, a Porter campaign spokesperson, in an email when asked about the connections. "In fact, Katie endorsed a different candidate when she was running in a neighboring district."

Opitz pointed to Porter's appearance Tuesday on CNN, where she raised the allegations of inappropriate behavior by Swalwell and, for the first time, referenced potential claims of sexual assault.

"With regard to Congressman Swalwell, I have seen allegations coming from women staffers. They are very, very troubling allegations," she said. "It is those women's stories to tell when they are ready, and I hope that they feel safe and supported if they choose to do so."

When pressed on whether she had seen any evidence of the allegations, Porter clarified, "I have not spoken to any women who are saying that they're going to come forward… our focus ought to be on protecting these victims if they have been victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, we ought to be making sure they feel safe and comfortable speaking up."

CNN repeatedly clarified that it has not independently confirmed allegations of misconduct, noting that Porter used the term "sexual assault," which had not yet been specifically alleged.

Swalwell's campaign vehemently denied the claims of inappropriate behavior on Tuesday.

"This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell's campaign, told POLITICO.

"In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged. Ever," she added. 

Porter-Hunt timeline

• 2018–2021: Hunt attends UC Irvine School of Law
• 2018: Porter elected to Congress
• 2019–2025: Porter serves in Congress while maintaining on-campus housing
• 2020: Hunt interns on Capitol Hill through the UCI program while Porter is there
• 2021: Porter delivers UCI Law commencement address (at Hunt's graduation)

Hunt — a lawyer, former congressional candidate, and now executive director of Gen-Z for Change — posted on Instagram that she says she is working with multiple women who she claims are preparing to come forward with allegations of harassment involving Swalwell.

Hunt has not identified any of the women or provided details about the alleged incidents.

While Porter was on leave from UC Irvine, serving in Congress, while Hunt was enrolled there, Porter remained formally affiliated with UCI  law school while serving in Congress and continued living on the UCI campus.

UC Irvine has emphasized Porter's continued involvement with the school during her time in Congress, including highlighting how she hosted UC Irvine law students in her congressional office during a government shutdown that disrupted externships.

Hunt was part of UC Irvine Law's Washington pipeline.  In 2020, Hunt participated in UC Irvine Law's Washington externship program, working as an intern in Senator Amy Klobuchar's office. Hunt has publicly described her role there, including contributing to work during President Trump's first impeachment, an effort Porter vocally supported.

CBS News California reached out to Hunt on multiple platforms, but has not yet received a response.

(Editor's Note: A previous version of this story stated that Hunt ran for Porter's congressional seat in 2024. Hunt ran for a neighboring Orange County district, CA-45, which was held by Michelle Steele at the time and eventually went to Derek Tran. Porter previously represented California's 45th district before redistricting renumbered it as CA-47 in 2021/2022.)