By JAIMIE DING

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury has found former major league outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to federal officials investigating an illegal gambling operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday.

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The verdict came after a multiweek trial that featured testimony from Major League Baseball officials and Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach that Puig placed bets through. Puig now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Puig initially pled guilty to a felony charge of lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation. He acknowledged in an August 2022 plea agreement that he wracked up more than $280,000 in losses over a few months in 2019 while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games through a third party who worked for an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player.

Nix pled guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and subscribing to a false tax return. He is still awaiting sentencing.

Authorities said Puig placed at least 900 bets through Nix-controlled betting websites and through a man who worked for Nix.

Prosecutors said that during a January 2022 interview with federal investigators, he denied knowing about the nature of his bets, who he was betting with, and the circumstances of paying his gambling debts.

But he changed his tune months later, announcing that he was switching his plea to not guilty because of “significant new evidence,” according to a statement from his attorneys in Los Angeles.

“I want to clear my name,” Puig said in the statement. “I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”

The government argued that he intentionally misled the federal investigators. They played in court audio clips of Puig speaking English and brought expert witnesses to testify on Puig’s cognitive abilities, the New York Times reported.

His attorneys said that Puig, who has a third-grade education, had untreated mental-health issues and did not have his own interpreter or criminal legal counsel with him during the interview with federal investigators where he purportedly lied.

Puig’s former attorney Steven Gebelin testified that during the January 2022 interview, Puig tried to be helpful in answering the investigators’ questions and the interpreter struggled with Puig’s Spanish language dialect, according to the New York Times.

Puig batted .277 with 132 home runs and 415 RBIs while appearing in seven major league seasons, the first six with the Dodgers, where he earned an All-Star selection in 2014.

Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully called Puig the “wild horse” for his on-field antics and talent at a young age, joining MLB at 22, a year after escaping his home country of Cuba.

He played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians in 2019 before becoming a free agent. He then played in the Mexican League and last year he signed a one-year, $1 million contact with South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes.

MILTON, Ga. (AP) — A person believed to be the son of rapper Lil Jon has been found dead in a pond north of Atlanta, police said Friday.

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Nathan Smith, known professionally as D.J. Young Slade, left his home in Milton “under unusual circumstances” early Tuesday morning, police said.

Lil Jon said in a statement posted to his Instagram page that he and Smith’s mother, Nicole Smith, are “extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son.”

“Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet,” the statement reads. “He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted — he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest.”

Nathan Smith, 27, “ran out of his house and has been missing since,” police said in a missing person poster they circulated on social media.

He “left on foot and does not possess a phone,” police said. “He may be disoriented and in need of assistance. Family and friends are concerned for his safety.”

Milton police immediately began searching for Smith, police said. After being unable to locate him, police and other agencies expanded the search include a pond near Smith’s residence. Shortly before noon Friday, Cherokee County Fire Department divers found a body in the pond.

“The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office,” police said in a statement. The medical examiner did not immediately respond to inquiries about the case on Friday.

“Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play,” police said. “However, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division will continue to treat this as an open and active investigation.”

Police said no further details would be released until the cause and manner of death are determined by the medical examiner.

Milton is a suburban town about 30 miles north of Atlanta.

Lil Jon, born Jonathan Smith, is an Atlanta rapper and producer who was a central figure in the crunk subgenre of hip-hop. He’s known for songs including 2002’s “Get Low” with his group the East Side Boyz and 2013’s “Turn Down For What” with DJ Snake.

He also has a daughter, Nahara, who was born in 2024.

By JESSICA HILL

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Elon Musk’s “Vegas Loop,” a network of underground tunnels to ferry passengers in Teslas, was under fresh scrutiny this week from Nevada lawmakers who raised concern about alleged workplace safety and environmental violations.

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Lawmakers spent hours grilling state safety officials over alleged violations by the Boring Company, the Musk-owned venture with tunneling projects also planned in Nashville and Dubai. Company officials declined to attend but provided written answers defending the project.

“I think they are a company that acts like they are kind of above the law and want to play by their own set of rules,” Democratic Assemblymember Howard Watts, whose district includes the tunnel project, told The Associated Press.

First opened in 2021, the Vegas Loop offers free rides around the Las Vegas Convention Center and charges between $4 and $12 for rides to some hotels, casinos and the airport. The Teslas can be hailed by website or accessed at stations. The Boring Company is approved to build 68 miles of tunnels and 104 stations over the next few years in Vegas, a city that lacks fast and robust public transit.

Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley praised the project in January after the city issued a permit for a new tunnel.

“The city is excited to bring an innovative transportation option to downtown Las Vegas and create another way for visitors to experience all that the city has to offer,” she said.

Fines levied against the company

The Boring Company has been accused of breaking multiple safety and environmental rules. Between 2020 and 2026, 17 complaints were filed with the Nevada State Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Last year ProPublica reported the company was accused of nearly 800 environmental violations for its Las Vegas project.

Construction is underway near the Vegas Loop on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Of those 17 complaints, one resulted in an inspection with eight proposed citations, including claims that 15 to 20 employees were injured after getting burned with accelerants and that there were no showers available for employees who got sprayed with the accelerants. Several other complaints are still open. The Boring Company has paid nearly $600,000 in fines, most of which went to the local water reclamation district for discharging untreated wastewater. The company is fighting around $355,000 in fines with Nevada’s OSHA and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

The company did not return emails seeking comment from The Associated Press. But in a letter to lawmakers, the company emphasized its safety procedures, including daily inspections and workplace safety training.

Watts on Tuesday also highlighted a September 2025 incident in which a worker suffered a crushing injury inside a tunnel after being pinned between two 4,000-foot pipes. Firefighters used a crane to extract him from the tunnel opening, Watts said.

In a September statement to local news outlets, the company said it was investigating the incident and that the safety and well-being of its employees are top priority. It added that the employee was in stable condition and doing well.

Watts said lawmakers may bring forward legislation when they return to session next year to speed up the process for assessing violations and shorten the timeline for contesting them.

A sign directs motorists into the Vegas Loop on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

The scrutiny in Nevada comes as Musk’s company has started construction in Nashville on the Music City Loop despite opposition from some Nashville officials concerned about safety, transparency and a lack of local input. The initial 13-mile stretch of tunnels will connect the city’s airport and downtown.

Fines withdrawn

Last year, the state withdrew over $425,000 of fines stemming from a May 2025 incident in which two firefighters received chemical burns while on the site for a training exercise.

The reports from OSHA had mistakes and anomalies, meaning they likely wouldn’t be able to meet the high burden of proof required to justify the fines, Salli Ortiz, the agency’s legal counsel, told lawmakers. The state learned the two firefighters had opted to not wear a second layer of protective clothing, and The Boring Company conducted six safety meetings with the fire department in advance of the drill, according to inspection reports.

Democratic lawmakers criticized Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and his administration for going soft on the company.

“The idea that there is external pressure that is swaying my decision making, or our division’s decision making, or that there’s any pressure that comes from me as a result of pressure from on high is incorrect,” Kris Sanchez, director of the state Department of Business and Industry, told lawmakers Tuesday.

A Tesla is driven into the Vegas Loop under the city on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Easy transport for conventiongoers

The tunnel system is already a hit with many visitors, especially during conventions like the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January. On a recent weekday, a stop at the Las Vegas Convention Center had a steady stream of Teslas picking up and dropping off people.

San Diego resident Devin Newcomb, a frequent visitor, said the Vegas Loop helps him get around the city, and it will only help more when it is extended to places like the Venetian.

Teslas are lined up inside the Vegas Loop Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

“It’s awesome. I love it,” he said.

Florida resident Samantha Mingola has been using Vegas Loop while attending an expo at the convention center. She said it is easier to set up than other rideshares, and it has been convenient because she is staying at a hotel with a loop station.

Still, she said she worries the tunnels could cave in and is unsure about a company run by Musk.

“It’s a good idea but it scares me,” Mingola said on her way to the station.

“Much of the city reports donor registration rates in the 30s, significantly below statewide levels, with the widest gaps in communities where Black and Brown New Yorkers are overrepresented on the waiting list.”

(Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)

This past year underscored the importance of continually strengthening the organ donation and transplant system. In New York, our state and community leaders advanced meaningful reforms to save and heal lives, maintain public trust in the system, and honor donors and their families. As a result, more than 3,200 New Yorkers received life-changing organ transplants this year, and more than 400,000 New Yorkers newly registered their consent to give the gift of life.  

Thanks to these concerted efforts spearheaded by Donate Life NYS, New York crossed an important milestone: for the first time, a majority of age-eligible New Yorkers were registered donors. That progress reflects critical work from the governor and legislature, the Department of Health, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and community partners across the state. But 50 percent registrations statewide—still far behind the national average—is not a finish line. It’s a starting point for what comes next. 

Our state’s need is urgent. More than 8,000 New Yorkers remain on the waiting list, and roughly 400 die each year due to a shortage of donors. We have more work to do to bridge this gap and ensure every New Yorker who needs a transplant can access one. 

Data clearly points to New York City as a priority. Much of the city reports donor registration rates in the 30s, significantly below statewide levels, with the widest gaps in communities where Black and Brown New Yorkers are overrepresented on the waiting list. The Bronx and Queens sit at 32 percent, and Kings County at 38 percent, rates so low that closing the gap would meaningfully translate into lives saved.

Donate Life NYS’ plan is grounded in trust and access. We are bringing the conversation about organ and tissue donation to New Yorkers where they live, work, and gather, while ensuring opportunities to register are woven into everyday life. In a region with profound transplant needs, saving lives depends on reaching people beyond traditional systems, through trusted voices and realistic touchpoints. By expanding how and where New Yorkers can learn about and say “yes” to donation, we aim to close gaps in access, honor donors, and deliver hope to families waiting for a second chance at life.

That work starts with community: engaging faith leaders, local hospitals, healthcare organizations, and trusted community leaders. In-person and online, we need to continue to spread accurate, life-saving information. 

Policy is also part of the solution. This year, New York State enacted the HEART Act, sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples‑Stokes and Senator April Baskin, which allows New Yorkers on Medicaid to register at multiple transplant centers simultaneously. By providing the opportunity to register at a second transplant center, the HEART Act cuts wait times in half and reduces mortality rates by 20 percent. While not every legislative initiative will have the resounding, immediate impact of the HEART Act, any legislative lever that will save a New Yorker’s life is worth considering and enacting. 

Practical access to registration is also a proven strategy. Over the past decade, Donate Life NYS’s “Doorways to Donation” initiative has made it easier to enroll as an organ and tissue donor while handling routine tasks, including vehicle transactions, hunting and fishing licenses, and, uniquely in New York, when registering to vote. We’re grateful to the front-line staff, such as our state’s County Clerks, who have kept the conversation going at the counter in communities across the state. In the North Country and Western New York, steady education plus easy access has set the pace. Counties such as Hamilton, Jefferson, Ontario, Steuben, Schuyler, Tioga, and Chemung now lead the state in registration rates, creating an inspiring standard to replicate statewide. 

In New York City, this work demands a concentrated and intentional focus. Alongside city leaders, agencies, and community institutions, Donate Life NYS will open doorways to enrollment where they make sense for New York City residents. This is deliberate, long-term work: bringing the choice to register into familiar settings repeatedly, building trust, increasing comfort, and ultimately saving lives.

New York State reached 50 percent enrollment through a shared commitment: patient-centered policy, strong legislative and government support, deep community and statewide partnerships, and New Yorkers’ willingness to enroll when given the opportunity. That same collective effort will drive progress in New York City. As New Yorkers continue to learn that each registered donor can save eight lives and heal 75 others, they continue to choose to give the generous gift of life. 

We invite city leadership, agencies, and community-based organizations to continue and deepen their partnership with Donate Life NYS, working together to meet New Yorkers where they are, strengthen understanding of organ donation, and expand access so more lives can be saved and healed.

Aisha Tator is the executive director of Donate Life NYS.

The post On Organ Donation, New York City Can Make the Difference appeared first on City Limits.