Former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig was found guilty of obstruction and lying to federal investigators in a gambling case, while the Small Business Administration suspended over 100,000 California borrowers due to suspected fraud, and a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from halting funding for a rail tunnel project. These developments occurred on Friday, according to multiple news sources.
A jury found Puig guilty after a weekslong trial, as reported by Fox News. The U.S. Attorneys Office announced the verdict, which could lead to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the former MLB player. His sentencing is scheduled for May 26. The case involved testimony from MLB officials and Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach tied to Puig and the illegal gambling operation. Puig, who last played in an MLB game in 2019, played for three major league teams, primarily with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In California, the SBA suspended 111,620 borrowers linked to suspected fraudulent activity across pandemic-era loan programs, as detailed by Fox News. These borrowers received 118,489 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans totaling over $8.6 billion. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler stated the agency was taking decisive action to protect taxpayers.
Meanwhile, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from suspending billions of dollars of funding for a rail tunnel under the Hudson River, according to the New York Times. Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the Southern District of New York ordered the federal government to unlock the federal grants to the program, as the case proceeds through the courts. The project, the biggest transportation infrastructure project in the United States, had come to a halt four months after the Trump administration suspended its federal funding.
In other news, authorities were reviewing a new message in the kidnapping case of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, who was abducted from her home nearly a week ago, as reported by the New York Times. The Tucson, Ariz., television station KOLD received the message and forwarded it to law enforcement. The Pima County Sheriffs Department and the F.B.I. released statements acknowledging the new message, but gave no further details.
Finally, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs for countries trading with Iran, according to the BBC World. The order, signed on Friday, could impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran. Trump reiterated "no nuclear weapons" for Iran when speaking from Air Force One on Friday night. The order comes amid ongoing talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment