West
Federal authorities file additional charges against Chinese-linked biolab in Central California
Federal authorities announced new charges against the operators of an illegal underground biolab found in a Central California community last fall.
Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing bogus and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. He was also charged with making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs.
Additional charges have now been filed against Zhaoyan Wang, 38, also a citizen of China, who officials described as a “romantic and business partner.”
According to court documents, from August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu and Wang conspired to defraud buyers of UMI and PBI’s COVID-19 test kits. They imported hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits from Ai De Ltd., which was a company in China that they controlled, and falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were made in the United States.
‘DISTURBING’ CALIFORNIA BIOLAB SHROUDED IN MYSTERY AS CHINA LINKS EMERGE
Additional charges have been filed against Jia Bei Zhu, 62, the operator of the Reedley Bio-Lab and his partner according to the United States Department of Justice. (KMPH)
Authorities said they illegally imported the COVID-19 test kits, which they were not approved to import, by falsely declaring them as pregnancy test kits, which they were approved to import.
Joe Prado, assistant director for the Fresno County of Public Health, previously told FOX 26 that the lab was using mice “to see whether or not the COVID test kits were actually testing for COVID.”
Officials said Zhu and Wang also falsely represented to the buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States and that the test kits were made in connection with other labs that were certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CLEANUP AT SUSPICIOUS CALIFORNIA BIOLAB WITH TIES TO CHINA CONTINUES
Equipment with Mandarin writing in a biolab located in Fresno, California (City of Reedley)
Lastly, officials said they falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zhu and Wang made over $1.7 million through their fraud.
When buyers requested to inspect the facilities in Fresno and Reedley, Zhu and Wang allegedly denied them access and made up reasons for the denial, including that the facilities were undergoing construction and renovation.
Upon inspection, health inspectors found nearly 1,000 lab mice, 200 of which were dead, inside the lab, according to FOX 26. Inspectors also found thousands of vials, some of which contained human blood and other substances.
ILLEGAL CHINESE-LINKED BIOLAB FILLED WITH MICE, MEDICAL WASTE DISCOVERED IN CALIFORNIA
An EPA-contracted hazmat crew member goes inside the Reedley, Calif., warehouse to remove 800 containers of chemicals from the underground biolab. (Lee Ross)
The lab was shut down in early July.
Zhu was not tied to or charged with the slew of biological agents that were found in a previously empty warehouse.
Zhu’s next court date is Sept. 11. Wang is currently not in custody, and it’s unknown if she is even still in the country.
If convicted, Zhu and Wang each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges and an additional three years in prison for the distribution of fake and misbranded medical device charges. Zhu also faces another five years in prison for the false statements charge.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Alaska
Gargantuan Rockfish Pulled From The Depths Of Alaska Ocean By Florida Man Is Older Than Your Grandmother
Ryan Izquierdo is a prominent figure in the fishing community with millions of followers social media. His most recent catch, a yelloweye rockfish, is not only the most orange fish you have ever seen, it is (probably) older than your grandmother.
He pulled the dinosaur-sized aquatic creature from the depths of the Pacific Ocean in Alaska.
For someone who has done a lot of fishing in remote locations all over the world to get this excited about a new catch should tell you everything you need to know. It is extremely difficult to catch this specific fish at this size!
Who is Ryan Izquierdo?
If you are a member of the angler community, you might already be familiar with ‘Ryan Iz.’ I compare him to a modern-day Jeremy Wade because he also catches prehistoric-looking fish on a rod and reel and documents his adventures on video.
Instead of a TV show that airs on Animal Planet or Discover Channel, Izquierdo posts on social media. He has more than three million followers on TikTok, 350,000 followers on Instagram and one million subscribers on YouTube.
Ryan Izquierdo travels all over the world to hunt monsters. He spent seven days hunting the world’s fiercest fish in the Amazonian jungle.
He caught some of the biggest golden dorado you will ever see in Argentina.
His recent trip to Texas with Field and Stream saw him catch a literal dinosaur.
However, most of Izquierdo’s time is spent in South Florida. The Sunshine State is home base.
Wherever he goes, big fish follow. Or maybe it’s the other way around?
A yelloweye rockfish caught in Alaska is older than your grandma.
Ryan Izquierdo’s latest fishing trip brought him out to Sitka, Alaska with ‘Cast Alaska’ Charters and Lodge. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Fishing in the most scenic places I’ve ever seen that hold true sea monsters. Every drop feels like it could connect you to a true giant hiding on the bottom. It could take hours, minutes, or not come at all. But when you do connect.. it’s epic!”
Sitka is located in the southernmost region of the state on the Pacific Ocean next to British Columbia near Juneau. The fish were biting!
Izquierdo caught his first Alaskan halibut.
He also reeled in a few different kinds of rockfish. The quillback rockfish absolutely crushed his jig.
The highlight was a yelloweye rockfish— also known as the Pacific red snapper, red rock cod or the Alaskan goldfish. It was over 90 years old and covered in spines. It was the most orange fish Ryan Izquierdo had ever seen.
He mentioned at the end of the video that the yelloweye rockfish was throwing up her stomach. That is because of a phenomenon known as “barotrauma,” which happens because of rapid decompression. These fish live in such deep water where the pressure keeps its organs in place. The air inside its swim bladder rapidly expands as it nears the surface, which pushes other organs like the stomach out of the mouth.
I don’t know whether or not Izquierdo kept this specific fish for his own consumption, because yelloweye rockfish is a highly sought-after table fare, but there is a way to release deep-sea fish back into the water safely. A device called a ‘SeaQualizer’ is used to compress the fish’s air bladder upon release, which allows them to regain neutral buoyancy and swim away.
GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Multiple people have been shot at a popular entertainment spot in Glendale, according to officials with the city’s police department. No suspect or suspects have been caught, police said.
Officers responded to the Westgate Entertainment District, near Glendale and 91st avenues, around 9 p.m. for reports of a shooting.
Police said they believe the injuries are not life-threatening.
Police said the individuals involved may have known one another and this was an isolated incident. No other information was given.
This is a developing story.
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RYE, Colo. (KOAA) — Bishop Castle faces an uncertain, but hopeful, future as the Aspen Acres wildfire burns nearby and its caretaker recovers in the hospital following a fall.
Daniel Bishop, who cares for Bishop Castle — the landmark his father built brick by brick — was admitted to the hospital more than a week ago after a fall. Soon after, evacuation orders came, putting the beloved structure in the Aspen Acres wildfire red zone.
“The whole backdrop of my life just changing from one drastic nightmare to the next,” Daniel said.
His wife, Sage Bishop, described the toll the back-to-back crises have taken on the family.
“We’re used to being in the mountains and working with our hands and doing things and our lives have been turned upside down,” Sage said.
And while recovering, Bishop says he didn’t know what would come of the iconic Colorado landmark.
“By the time the whole scene was printed, it was a nightmare,” Daniel said.
Many people online have been asking whether Bishop Castle survived the fire. The Bishop Castle Facebook page posted that, according to the incident management team, Bishop Castle is still standing.
For Daniel, that news brings only partial relief.
“I generally don’t celebrate until I really know it’s time to celebrate. Until I lay my eyes on the property and know exactly what’s happened,” Daniel said.
He also said fires can be unpredictable, so getting excited about the condition of the castle feels too soon.
“The truth is the fire is still burning, and fires are very predictable, and it could turn around and come back from the other direction,” said Daniel.
But he did say there is some reassuring news on the ground.
“There are actual fire crews there doing their job to protect the castle, there are actually people in there. Boots on the ground and helping out,” Daniel said.
He said he still worries for the many people whose homes are nearby. People who continue to support the family.
“God bless the first responders for every piece of structure, everybody’s property that they managed to save, because we are the fortunate ones in all of this right now. There are so many that have lost everything they had,” Daniel said.
Even with the uncertainty, the family is definitely certain about one thing… Sage said the outpouring of concern from the public has meant a great deal to the family.
“The support from people that care about us is amazing,” Sage said.
The family says Daniel is progressing very well and appreciates the support and kind words from the community. He said he couldn’t get through this without those at Encompass Health Rehabilitation.
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47,000 Acres, 0% Containment, and New Evacuations
The Aspen Acres Fire continues to rage out of control, growing to over 47,000 acres with zero containment. New mandatory evacuations have been issued for the Red Creek area as the fire threatens thousands of structures across multiple counties.
47,000 Acres, 0% Containment, and New Evacuations
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