Julian Brown, a 21-year-old inventor hailing from metro Atlanta, has captured the attention of the nation with his pioneering invention known as Plastoline. The machine transforms old plastics into useful fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel; it's an invention that may provide some relief from plastic waste pollution.
As a teenager, Brown had already started thinking about environmental problems, which encouraged him to spend years experimenting and perfecting the product that became Plastoline. The invention went viral on Instagram, as it can transform waste management and also help in generating sustainable energy.
To make the vision real, Brown started a GoFundMe campaign with a $1 million goal, meant to cover a warehouse rental and the construction of a full-scale prototype. So far, though, fundraising is an uphill battle-he's raised just $7,000.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, French Gates hit out at the U.S. justice system, claiming it "didn't do its job" when it came to Epstein, who died in jail seven years ago after prosecutors said he sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls.
"The justice system didn't do its job. It did not do its job. Full stop. This could have been stopped," French Gates told the newspaper, referring to Epstein and his crimes.
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"I think that's why, finally, we are having a reckoning in society. If we don't want children to be harmed, the justice system has to work," she added.
The interview, published Saturday, comes just days after Gates testified about Epstein during a closed-door House Oversight Committee hearing. He told lawmakers Epstein attempted to blackmail him with explicit details about his personal life, including his extramarital affairs.
Jeffrey Epstein 'could have been stopped,' Melinda French Gates told The Guardian in a new interview. The article appears days after her ex husband Bill Gates testified before a Congressional panel (Genna Martin/The Guardian)
The tech mogul said Epstein "sought to build an image of legitimacy around himself, using connections to reputable and powerful people to deflect scrutiny and attempt to rehabilitate his reputation," according to a copy of his opening remarks.
Gates also emphasized that he "never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct."
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French Gates said she met Epstein one time, and the experience gave her nightmares, according to The Guardian.
"Have you ever in your life been around somebody that you just know is evil? ... We need to listen to our feelings about people," she told the newspaper.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021, following 27 years of marriage (AFP via Getty Images)
"He was an abhorrent human being, a horrid man, and so in these situations – this is a hard topic for me, you need to know that – my heart goes out to the young girls."
Now, French Gates is advocating for more women to take on positions of power, and has recently committed $215 million toward funding women's healthcare initiatives, according to The Guardian.
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"When women step into their full power, we have a different lens on society. We are the bedrock of society. We are the bedrock of the family," she said.
French Gates split from her now-ex husband in 2021, following 27 years of marriage. Three years later, she stepped down from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, citing a desire to "move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy."
Up next
Donald Trump thinks the NFL should be renamed, says soccer should also be called football in the USA
Photo by Stephanie Scarbrough - Pool/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Donald Trump thinks the NFL should be renamed, says soccer should also be called football in the USA
Donald Trump suggests that the US should start calling soccer "football" and find a different name for the NFL, citing the global game's stronger claim to the word.
The term "soccer" actually originated in England in the 19th century to distinguish association football from rugby football, and Americans adopted it as their own football code grew quickly.
American soccer fans have embraced the term "soccer" despite international mockery, with chants like "It's called soccer!" highlighting the unique identity they have built around the word, making a name change unlikely.
Donald Trump has weighed in on one of America's oldest sporting debates, saying the US should start calling soccer "football" and that the NFL should find a different name.
It is a bold view in a country where "football" is almost always associated with the NFL, college gridiron, and the wider American game.
But Trump argued that the global game has a stronger claim to the word.
Donald Trump says soccer should be football
"When you look at what's happened to football in the United States, soccer in the United States. We seem to never call it that (football) because we have a conflict with another thing that's called football. But when you think about it, shouldn't it really be called? This is football, there is no question about it. We have to come up with another name for the NFL stuff."
It is a rare stance from an American president. In the US, "football" has always meant the NFL first, even though most of the world uses it for the sport Americans call soccer.
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That makes his comment more than just a joke. With the World Cup partly hosted in the US this year, Trump has echoed a view many international fans have voiced for decades.
Why does America say soccer instead of football?
The twist is that "soccer" is not really an American invention. The word actually came from England.
Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
In the 19th century, "association football" was used to distinguish the sport from rugby football. British university slang then shortened association to "assoc," before the popular "-er" ending helped create "soccer."
Americans kept the term because their own football code grew quickly. The NFL began as the American Professional Football Association in 1920 and adopted the National Football League name in 1922.
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By the time soccer grew into a bigger US spectator sport, football had already been claimed by the NFL and the college game. Even U.S. Soccer reflects that evolution, moving from the United States Football Association to the United States Soccer Football Association and finally the United States Soccer Federation.
US fans still defend the word soccer
That is why Trump's comment stands out. American soccer fans are often mocked internationally for saying "soccer," but many now embrace the difference.
During the 2022 World Cup, USMNT supporters even turned the criticism into a chant: "It's called soccer!"
Those chants highlight why a name change is so unlikely. The NFL is too powerful, the word "football" is too established, and US soccer fans have built a unique identity around a term the rest of the world questions.
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Trump may be closer to the global view. But in America, getting fans to switch would be harder than winning the World Cup itself.
Alexander Zabel Jr. was arrested by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, and is facing charges of resisting arrest and public nuisance.
Zabel, a YouTube personality, was live-streaming from the residence and used a homophobic slur towards an officer during the arrest process.
Volunteers in Nogales, Mexico, searched for Nancy Guthrie’s remains near the Mexico-Arizona border following an anonymous tip, but the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has not been contacted by Mexican authorities regarding the investigation.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department hasn't announced any arrest in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, but the department did announce the arrest of a YouTube personality outside the Guthrie house near Tucson, Arizona.
"On June 11, 2026, just before 5:00 p.m., deputies with the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) arrested 54-year-old Alexander Zabel Jr. in front of Nancy Guthrie's home," the department said in a media release posted on X on Thursday. "PCSD had received several complaints regarding Mr. Zabel's behavior. At the time of the incident, Mr. Zabel was live-streaming from outside the residence."
The PCSD added that its deputies made contact with Zabel, and a sergeant was knocked to the ground during the arrest process. Zabel also used a homophobic slur in reference to one of the officers, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
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"Mr. Zabel was subsequently taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex," the PCSD added. "He is facing charges of resisting arrest (Class 6 felony) and public nuisance (Class 2 misdemeanor)."
Zabel, who runs the CriminalNetwork YouTube channel, was also arrested three days earlier on suspicion of obstruction of a highway or thoroughfare and public nuisance, along with two other YouTubers, according to a sheriff's department report the Daily Star cited.
Savannah Guthrie Shares Emotional Update as Search for Mom Nancy Continues
In another recent development, volunteers working with the Buscando Corazones collective in the Mexican city of Nogales searched for remains in a stream near the Mariposa Port of Entry at the Mexico-Arizona border, according to KPNX. The leader of the collective said she received an anonymous tip claiming Nancy's remains were buried in that area.
The PCSD responded to that news on Thursday, saying on X, "We are aware of reports regarding an anonymous tip related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation that was provided to a group in Mexico. At this time, we have not been contacted by Mexican authorities. This investigation remains active and is ongoing, and we will continue to follow up on any credible information."
Sisters allegedly attacked a restaurant worker with hot grease and a knife over a wrong food order in Detroit on May 30
The worker, a 23-year-old, was hospitalized and underwent surgery after the alleged assault
Kierianna Long and Brianna Long face multiple felony charges and both pleaded not guilty during their arraignment hearing
Sisters in Detroit allegedly assaulted a restaurant worker over a wrong food order.
Kierianna Long and Brianna Long face felony charges over the May 30 incident, which took place at a chicken restaurant, according to Metro Detroit News.
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After the sisters received an incorrect order at the establishment, they allegedly went behind the counter and began attacking the employee, Metro Detroit News and local NBC affiliate WDIV reported, citing prosecutors.
The sisters also allegedly chased the worker through the restaurant and threw items at her, including hot grease and pots and pans, Metro Detroit News reported. One of the sisters also allegedly stabbed the worker in the stomach, according to the outlet and WDIV.
One of the sisters also allegedly told the worker, "I'm going to kill you," according to WDIV.
Kierianna Long's mug shot Credit: Detroit Police Department
According to Metro Detroit News and WDIV, the worker also threw things at the sisters during the attack, including the knife later used to stab her.
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She ultimately fled the restaurant to hide inside a stranger's vehicle and attempt to contact help, the outlets reported.
She has not been identified publicly, but Metro Detroit News described her as a 23-year-old. She was hospitalized and had to undergo surgery as a result of the alleged attack, WDIV reported, citing officials.
The Michigan sisters, meanwhile, fled the scene, but were later taken into custody, according to WDIV.
Kierianna is accused of stabbing the employee, while Brianna is accused of taking part in the assault, Metro Detroit News reported, citing prosecutors.
Brianna is also accused of helping to drive the duo away from the scene after the alleged assault, according to the outlet.
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Both Kierianna and Brianna were charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE.
The Detroit Police Department (DPD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, June 13.
Brianna Long's mug shot Credit: Detroit Police Department
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The sisters appeared in court on Monday, June 8, for an arraignment hearing, during which it was revealed that Brianna was 9 months pregnant at the time of the alleged assault, according to Metro Detroit News and WDIV. According to the latter outlet, she gave birth just four days before the Monday court appearance.
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During the appearance, the sisters' defense attorneys claimed, according to the outlet, that the restaurant employee threw items first.
The attorneys also claimed that the worker told the sisters she didn't "give a f---" about the incorrect order that sparked the alleged assault, per WDIV.
Kierianna and Brianna both pleaded not guilty, according to Metro Detroit News. They are being held on a $100,000 and $25,000 bond, respectively.
Dr. Sam Sannoufi, a Newport Beach physician, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery involving unconscious victims, resulting in a lifetime ban from practicing medicine.
The guilty pleas were part of an agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, which dismissed nine felony charges against Sannoufi, who was sentenced to two years of probation, restitution, and registration as a sex offender.
The victims connected to the charges Sannoufi admitted to were satisfied with the outcome, and the judge issued criminal protective orders for the three victims involved in the case.
A Newport Beach physician who ran a Riverside skin-care clinic will never practice medicine again after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting female patients, bringing a years-long criminal case to a close just as it was headed to trial.
Dr. Sam Sannoufi, 55, entered guilty pleas Monday to three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery involving unconscious victims under an agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.
As part of the deal, prosecutors dismissed nine felony charges that had also been filed against him.
Dr. Sam marking a patient's temples for treatment. Instagram/timelessskincarelaserclinic
Mugshot of Dr. Sam Sannoufi. Riversideca.gov/
The plea was finalized at the Riverside Hall of Justice moments before jury proceedings were set to begin.
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Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam sentenced Sannoufi to two years of probation, ordered him to pay restitution and required him to register as a sex offender.
The registration requirement effectively bars him from maintaining a medical license, ending his ability to treat patients.
"It was paramount to our office that we made sure that this defendant was convicted and that, with this plea, he must register as a sex offender for life and have his medical license permanently revoked for life," John Hall, a spokesman for the District Attorney's Office told the Orange County Register.
He said the victims connected to the charges Sannoufi admitted to were satisfied with the outcome.
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"All of the victims included in the counts he pled guilty to were satisfied that justice was done and that this defendant would never treat another patient, as well as be a lifetime convicted sex offender," Hall said.
The judge also issued criminal protective orders covering the three victims, identified in court records only as C.F., J.V. and K.T.
Authorities first arrested Sannoufi in June 2023 after a woman reported being assaulted during a consultation at his business, Timeless Skincare Laser Clinic Primary Care, located at 6900 Brockton Ave.
Timeless Skincare Laser Clinic in Riverside. Google
A man receiving an injectable skincare treatment from a cosmetologist. Svitlana – stock.adobe.com
Investigators accused him of sexual battery and forcible digital penetration.
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He posted $1 million bail and was released.
As detectives continued their investigation, additional women came forward with similar allegations.
Sannoufi was arrested again the following month but remained free after posting bond.
According to court documents, one victim reported an assault in 2017.
Another woman alleged assaults in March and June 2021.
A third victim reported being assaulted on June 12, 2023, during a consultation at the clinic.
Hall said the prosecution faced challenges because some alleged victims were hesitant to participate, including one woman who declined to testify.
He noted that California law does not allow alleged sexual assault victims to be compelled to take the stand.
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Sannoufi had no prior misdemeanor or felony convictions in Riverside County.
Records from the Medical Board of California show he had been licensed to practice medicine in the state since March 2009.
The license later lapsed in 2024 because of nonpayment.
Board records also indicate he graduated from the Ukrainian State Medical University in Kiev.
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