A wooden judge’s gavel and sounding block on a desk with a blurred courtroom in the background. (imaginima/Getty)
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Army special forces soldier who was indicted last week on charges of using classified information about the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to make more than $400,000 on Polymarket is set to appear in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday.
Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke is scheduled to be arraigned following his release last week on a $250,000 bond.
In what is believed to be the first case of insider trading on a prediction market, prosecutors alleged that Van Dyke used classified information from his work in the planning and execution of the Maduro capture to place 13 bets on the outcome of the operation.
Prosecutors allege that Van Dyke placed bets on Dec. 27 through the evening of Jan. 2 — hours before soldiers entered Venezuelan airspace for the pre-dawn operation. After President Donald Trump made the operation public later that day, Van Dyke allegedly profited $409,881 from his $33,034 in bets.
“The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement last week. “That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law.”
The indictment also alleges that Van Dyke attempted to hide the evidence of the illegal trades by attempting to delete his Polymarket account and changing the email address associated with his cryptocurrency exchange account.
Following his arrest on Thursday, Van Dyke briefly appeared in a North Carolina courtroom on Friday. After acknowledging that he understood the charges and potential penalties, he signed a bond and agreed to surrender his passport, limit travel to parts of New York and North Carolina, and no longer possess a firearm unless it is part of his active military service.
His case is being overseen in New York by U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett, who is also presiding over the high-profile federal case against alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione.
Amid mounting criticism of prediction markets for allegedly enabling insider trading, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said his company is “constantly” monitoring for suspicious activity and referring cases to authorities. Coplan argued that the public nature of prediction markets makes it easier to crack down on insider trading.
“The transparency afforded by onchain markets makes global compliance more effective than ever. Every trade is public, permanent, and auditable. Bad actors leave a trail,” he said.
A 64-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a 1991 cold case murder that rocked Northern California 35 years ago, according to authorities. (Placer County Sheriff’s Department)
(BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz) — A 64-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a 1991 cold case murder that rocked Northern California 35 years ago.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced a breakthrough on Monday in the 1991 kidnapping and murder case of Cindy Wanner, confirming that 64-year-old James Lawhead Jr. was arrested by authorities in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Friday.
Wanner was 35 when she vanished from her Granite Bay, California, home on Nov. 25, 1991. Her 11-month-old baby was found abandoned at the home in a highchair. Wanner’s car and coat were still at the home.
Wanner’s body was found three weeks later, strangled to death, in a remote area outside Foresthill, about 40 miles away from her home.
Lawhead Jr. was identified as the suspect by investigators thanks to advanced DNA analysis and testing, authorities said. He was 30 at the time of the crime and had been released from prison in early 1991 after serving 11 years of a 19-year sentence for prior sex crimes involving a child.
He appeared to have vanished completely, with no official documentation of his whereabouts since 2005. It turned out that Lawhead Jr. had been living in Arizona under a new identity as Vincent Reynolds.
In connection with the breakthrough, Lawhead Jr.’s 71-year-old sister, Terry Lawhead Steele, was arrested in South Carolina on Saturday on an accessory charge.
“Although Steele had spoken with law enforcement several times over the years, including with our detectives just weeks ago, and claimed she had not heard from her brother in more than 20 years, investigators discovered James Lawhead had been living in a home she owned,” Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Evidence also showed the two had remained in communication.”
Detectives served a search warrant at her San Clemente, California, home on Sunday as part of the investigation.
“This is one of the most notorious and heinous cold cases we have here in Placer County. We’ve never given up pursuing justice for Cindy and her family, we hope this is a small step in the healing process,” Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said. “This breakthrough and arrest reflect the commitment of our office to solve cases; it’s why we pin on the badge and take the oath to serve. Our work is not done. James Lawhead will be brought back to Placer County where he will answer to the charges for this crime.”
Lawhead Jr. is currently booked in Arizona, where he will be extradited to Placer County to face charges. Detectives are also exploring the possibility that Lawhead Jr. could be responsible for additional crimes. It is unclear if Lawhead Jr. has obtained a lawyer.
“This arrest is a powerful reminder that time does not erase responsibility, and it does not diminish our commitment,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. “Cold cases are not forgotten cases—they remain urgent, they remain personal, and they remain a promise we intend to keep.”
“Even when the path is long and difficult, there is hope. We will continue this work — steadfast and unwavering — because you deserve answers, you deserve justice, and you deserve to know that you are never forgotten,” said Gire.
A General Motors Co. Chevrolet dealership in Colma, California, US, on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — General Motors said on Monday it expects to receive $500 million in refunds from tariffs that were ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.
The automaker is now boosting its full-year profit forecast by $500 million, GM CEO Mary Barra said in a letter to shareholders as the company announced its Q1 results. Barra also cited strong sales of its full-size pickup trucks, despite rising gas prices.
The federal government opened last week its refund portal to allow companies to apply to get tariff money back. The Supreme Court ruled in February that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give President Donald Trump the power to unilaterally impose tariffs.
GM is one of more than 330,000 importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs that were invalidated, totaling $166 billion.
The IEEPA tariffs alone cost the typical American household $700 last year, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
Hudson Williams is staying booked and busy. Deadline reports that the Heated Rivalry breakout star has joined the cast of the upcoming culinary thriller film Tyrant. Other new additions to the cast include Paapa Essiedu, Omar Apollo and Nara Smith. They join the previously announced cast of Charlize Theron, Julia Garner and Demi Moore …
Alice and Steve now has a release date. Hulu has announced that the complete first season of the new comedy series starring Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker will arrive to the streaming service on June 8. All six episodes for the show, which finds friends turning into foes, will be available to watch internationally …
The trailer for the new season of Pop Culture Jeopardy! has arrived. It stars Colin Jost back as host of the program, which moves to Netflix for season 2 after streaming its first season on Prime Video. This new season premieres May 11, with new episodes debuting every weekday through June 5 …
Vilbrun Dorsainvil told ABC News he is “scared” of going back to Haiti. (Courtesy of Vilbrun Dorsainvil)
(NEW YORK) — Marlene Noble, 35, has lived more than 30 years of her life in the United States.
After being abandoned by her biological family after a hurricane hit her home country of Haiti, she was brought by Catholic Charities to the United States, where she was later adopted.
But when she turned 18, she learned that her adoptive family had not properly submitted the adoption and immigration paperwork, leaving her in legal limbo.
She spent years trying to fix her status — including filing for citizenship on her own in her mid‑20s and consulting multiple lawyers — before eventually applying in 2020 for Temporary Protected Status, which she was granted in 2023.
But now, Noble finds herself again facing uncertainty as the Trump administration’s move to end TPS — which provides work authorization and protection from deportation to people whose home countries are deemed unsafe — faces a high‑stakes test at the Supreme Court amid the administration’s immigration crackdown.
“America is my home, and it has been for 31 years,” Noble told ABC News. “It took three years for me to get granted TPS. So a lot of hard work went into this, just to have it potentially ripped away from me … It’s kind of cruel and inhumane to rip that away from us.”
Noble says she is “scared” about Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing, where the justices will consider whether the administration acted unlawfully in seeking to terminate TPS for Haitians and other groups.
The outcome could directly affect the futures of tens of thousands of TPS holders from Haiti and Syria.
In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said TPS was “never intended to be a de facto asylum program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades.”
“The Trump administration is restoring integrity to our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe, and we expect a higher court to vindicate us in this,” the spokesperson said. “We have the law, the facts, and common sense on our side.”
In previous statements, DHS has also argued that, after reviewing country conditions and consulting with other U.S. government agencies, the DHS secretary determined that Haiti no longer meets the conditions for TPS designation.
But immigrant advocates and plaintiffs in the case argue that Haiti is not safe. They point to the State Department’s “do not travel” advisory that warns Americans not to go to Haiti because of gang violence, kidnapping and political instability. And just last week, the Federal Aviation Administration extended its ban on U.S. aircraft operating in and near Haiti due to safety concerns.
“The State Department advises people to do not go there,” said Vilbrun Dorsainvil, the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case. “They know for sure that if we get back we will get killed, kidnapped.”
Dorsainvil, a former doctor in Haiti and currently a registered nurse in Springfield, Ohio, told ABC News that when he found out the Trump administration canceled TPS, he “stayed home for, like, for more than two weeks without going outside.”
“I was very scared of what might happen to me,” he said. “I didn’t go to work, I didn’t go to church, you know, visit any friends. I just stayed home because I was very scared that they would take me.”
Dorsainvil said he arrived in the U.S. in March 2021 on a tourist visa and then later was approved for TPS status.
“I bought a house. I have a mortgage,” he said. “I help a lot of people getting better in the hospital. I love the job I’m doing. I am useful here.”
“The idea of going back there right now is scaring me, it’s killing me inside,” Dorsainvil said. “I hope they will see the good we are bringing to the community. I hope they will see the situation in Haiti right now … it’s not safe for anyone … and I pray they would let us stay here.”
While Wednesday’s arguments will focus on the TPS status of Haitians and Syrians, the high-profile case has cast a ripple across other communities who fear they might be the next population to lose their status.
Anil Shahi, a TPS holder from Nepal, said he plans to protest outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday on behalf of the 1.3 million people who rely on TPS. A founding coordinator for United for TPS Nepal — an organization that represents more than 1,400 TPS holders from that country — Shahi said that the Trump administration’s revocation of TPS status has forced TPS holders to live in a state of uncertainty about their legal status.
“The uncertainty is a huge killer. It’s very painful. You don’t know what’s going to happen … you’re scared,” he told ABC News. “You cannot just pick up and leave.”
DHS designated Nepal for TPS in 2015 following a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the country that resulted in more than 8,800 deaths. The Trump administration sought to terminate the country’s TPS status in June 2025, though the change is the subject of an ongoing legal challenge.
According to Shahi, many Nepali TPS holders fear what might come next, in part because their personal information is readily available to authorities. With TPS recipients being vetted every 18 months, their addresses and personal data are known to the federal government.
“The government knows where we live. They know where we work. They have everything documented, right?” Shahi said. “So we are like a low-hanging fruit for them. It’s really easy for them to come after us if they really wanted to. And that’s what makes people really scared.”
Shahi said that Nepali TPS holders will be anxiously awaiting news from the Supreme Court, believing the outcome of Wednesday’s oral argument could indicate how their own legal fight will end.
At 56 years old, Shahi has lived the majority of his life in the United States and said he can’t imagine relocating to Nepal. He said that many Nepali TPS holders have U.S.-born children, and more than a hundred members of United for TPS Nepal own small businesses like restaurants, convenient stores, and beauty salons.
“I felt like I was a foreigner in my own country,” Shahi said about the last time he visited Nepal. “That was the point I realized I’m like really American, more than Nepali.”
Not only did Jason Aldean just sell out the University of Georgia’s stadium with fellow Peach State native Luke Bryan, the two duet on the title track of his new album, Songs About Us.
When it comes to friendships between two superstars, however, Jason admits it can be hard to get together.
“Luke and I both obviously have our careers, and he’s doing American Idol stuff too,” Jason explains. “So, he’s out of town a lot and it’s sometimes hard for us to catch up. But, you know, we’ll see each other like out on the golf course somewhere or, you know, we like to hunt together, fish together, that kinda stuff, play golf, like whatever.”
It’s a friendship that’s grown over nearly two decades.
“I’ve watched his boys grow up, and he’s watched my kids grow up,” Jason says. “And watching Bo now — his oldest boy is a quarterback and he’s starting to get some D1 scholarships to go to college. … So, it’s cool, like you’re invested more than just a friend.”
“You’re invested in the family, and he and I’ve been friends for almost 20 years at this point, so it’s been a cool friendship, cool relationship,” he adds. “And yes, we work together and do that kinda stuff, but we also hang out and have business ventures and different things away from music, too.”
Josh Groban performs live on stage during the Gems World Tour at The O2 Arena on April 01, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images)
What’s more Cinematic than a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
Josh Groban will be honored with a star of his very own on May 6, two days before the release of his album of film songs, Cinematic.
He’ll be getting his star in the recording category, and his friends and collaborators David Foster, Josh Gad and Ben Schwartz will be on hand as guest speakers.
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome singer Josh Groban to the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez says in a statement. “Josh has this incredible way of connecting with people through his music—it really stays with you. It’s been amazing to watch his journey over the years, and we’re so happy to celebrate him today with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
Josh will release Cinematic on May 8, featuring his interpretations of songs made famous on the silver screen. The 10 tracks feature songs from movies ranging from Casablanca and The Godfather to The Lion King, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Pinocchio.
Josh’s GEMS World Tour with Jennifer Hudson hits North America in June. In October, he’ll resume his GEMS residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Dess Dior attends the Femme It Forward’s 4th Annual Give Her FlowHERS Gala at The Beverly Hilton on November 21, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images)
Dess Dior makes a Note to Self on her latest EP, offering a reminder of her journey so far. Speaking to Billboardas its Hip-Hop Artist of the Month for April 2026, she explained, “This project was really just me reminding myself who I am, how far I’ve come, and where I’m headed. It’s easy to lose yourself in all the noise, but I have to stay grounded and rooted in my own feminine power.”
Dess added that the project sees her going deeper than she did on her Take Notes EP, with “more vulnerability [and] more melodic records. You really get a feel for where I’m at right now. I’m feeling very sexy, very confident, [and] very unapologetic.”
According to Dess, disappointment played a major role in helping her establish self-worth, and setting high and firm standards.
“Disappointment pushed me to stand firm on my boundaries,” she said. “Going through life, being let down by things. People put me in a space where my back was against the wall and all I could depend on was myself. That’s where I get my fuel and my ammo.”
With the new EP, Dess hope that fans can both see and hear that growth.
“I want people to be able to listen to Note to Self with open ears and just hear growth, because that’s what this project represents. I’ve grown in so many different areas, musically, mentally,” she said. “I wanted it to represent women’s empowerment, people empowerment.”
