Assistant principal did nothing when told about 6-year-old with gun, prosecutor says
The assistant principal of a Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old studentshot his teacher in 2023 “did nothing” about the fact he had a gun, despite receiving repeated warnings from colleagues, a prosecutor said in court Tuesday.
Before the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, school employees told Ebony Parker they believed the student had a gun in his backpack, but she dismissed their concerns, said special prosecutor Josh Jenkins. Parker is now facing eight counts of felony child neglect for her role in the incident, which wounded first grade teacher Abby Zwerner.
During the trial’s opening statements, Jenkins said Parker told the employees who approached her about the child’s gun that his mother would be arriving soon to pick him up for the day.
“Does she say ‘search the child’? No,” Jenkins told the jury. “Does she say ‘call the police,’ or does she call the police? No. Does she remove the child from the classroom and separate him? No.
“She didn’t even get up from her desk. She didn’t leave her office. Warning after warning after warning, she did nothing.”
But Parker’s attorney, Curtis Rogers, said teachers should have done something if they believed a gun was present, saying they should have at least separated the child from about 19 other students in the classroom.
“That did not occur,” Rogers said. “Each one of those individuals had the authority to move those classmates.”
Ebony Parker, right, speaks with her attorney, Curtis M. Rogers, during pretrial motions for her trial on felony child neglect charges at the Newport News Circuit Court in Newport News, Va., Monday, May 18, 2026.
Peter Casey/The Virginian-Pilot via , Pool
Rogers said the prosecution must prove Parker’s actions showed a reckless disregard for human life. Instead, Rogers placed the blame on Zwerner and others who had witnessed the child’s movements long before the shooting.
“What about these other people who had direct contact with this child?” Rogers said.
School policy at the time required crisis situations to be reported to an administrator who is required to take action, Jenkins said. A school counselor even asked for permission to search the child but Parker denied the request because searches could only be conducted by an administrator or a security officer. The school’s security officer was away at another school at the time.
That left Parker and the school’s principal with the authority to act, but the principal knew nothing about the threat because Parker did not tell her about it, Jenkins said.
“There was only one person in the school that day that had both the authority to act and the knowledge of the ongoing crisis, and that person, you will see, was Dr. Parker,” Jenkins said.
Zwerner was the first witness called to testify in the trial. She said the student had slammed her phone to the ground a few days earlier and was in a “violent” mood the day of the shooting.
During recess on the school playground, the student wore an oversized jacket with both of his hands in his pockets the entire time. Zwerner said she sent a text message with that observation to a reading specialist who had been tipped off earlier by students about the gun and reported it to Parker.
After recess, the student continued to wear the jacket in the classroom, where Zwerner was shot at a reading table. Zwerner spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, required six surgeries and does not have the full use of her left hand. A bullet narrowly missed her heart and remains in her chest.
The eight counts Parker faces include one for each of the bullets in the gun brought into the classroom, prosecutors have said. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.
Criminal charges against school officials after a school shooting are quite rare, experts say. The shooting sent shock waves through this military shipbuilding community and the country at large, with many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and shoot his teacher.
A jury awarded $10 million to Zwerner in a civil trial last November in which Parker, who no longer works at the school, was the only defendant.
The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges.
DHS blasts California sanctuary policies after jail releases illegal immigrant accused in hit-and-run
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Federal immigration officials blasted California’s sanctuary policies Tuesday after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested an illegal immigrant accused of critically injuring a 4-year-old boy in a hit-and-run crash.
Aman Kumar, an Indian national living in the U.S. illegally, was arrested by ICE on May 13 after previously being released from local custody.
According to the Fresno Sheriff’s Department, Kumar was initially arrested last month after allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run crash. He was charged with felony hit-and-run causing death or injury.
Police said Kumar was driving a vehicle that struck a 4-year-old boy in Fresno, California, KSEE reported.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN AFTER 2022 BORDER CROSSING
ICE agents arrested an illegal immigrant accused in a California hit-and-run crash that injured a 4-year-old boy, federal officials said.(Frederic Brown/)
The child had been playing on a swing set in a nearby backyard before leaving through a gate and entering the roadway, authorities said.
Investigators said several vehicles stopped after seeing the child in the street, but Kumar allegedly drove around the stopped traffic using the bike lane before hitting the boy.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the child was hospitalized in critical but stable condition and is expected to survive.
TRUMP ADMIN URGES NEWSOM TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS FOR MORE THAN 33K CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Aman Kumar was arrested by ICE after authorities accused him of causing a hit-and-run crash that critically injured a 4-year-old boy in Fresno, California.(Department of Homeland Security)
DHS criticized California’s sanctuary policies after Kumar was later released from jail.
“This monster who almost killed a 4-year-old boy has been charged with a felonyhit-and-run,”DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“Sanctuary politicians in California released this criminal illegal alien from jail back onto the streets,” she continued. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien was arrested outside a criminal court.”
NEWSOM’S SANCTUARY POLICIES UNDER FIRE AFTER DRUNK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLS ELDERLY MAN
The Department of Homeland Security called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to change the state’s sanctuary policies.(/Fred Greaves)
According to DHS, Kumar illegally entered the United States in 2023 and was later released under the Biden administration.
The department also pointed to a letter ICE Director Todd Lyons sent in February to California Attorney General Rob Bonta urging the state to honor ICE detainers involving more than 33,000 undocumented immigrants in custody across California.
“DHS is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians to stop putting American lives at risk by releasing criminals into our communities to commit more crimes and hurt more innocent people,” Bis said.
DHS said California’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 undocumented immigrants with criminal charges or convictions since Jan. 20.
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The department said those individuals were accused of crimes including homicide, assault, burglary, drug offenses, weapons offenses and sexual offenses.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.
San Diego Islamic Center shooting victims identified as security guard is hailed a hero
The three men killed in Monday’s shootingat the Islamic Center of San Diegohave been identified, as a security guard who was killed is being hailed as a hero for his courage during the attack.
Imam Taha Hassane identified the security guard as Amin Abdullah. The other two victims were identified as Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad. Police have said the tragedy, which is being investigated as a hate crime, could have been much worse without Abdullah’s intervention.
People who knew Abdullah have spoken out about his life, describing him as a father of eight and remembering him for his kindness and valor.
“Because of his heroism and his courage, his bravery, and the love for his community and his faith, he saved a lot of lives,” said Mayte Gutierrez, a former employee of the Islamic Center’s school, which is attached to the mosque. Gutierrez told “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday that she knew the security guard well.
Many have praised Abdullah for keeping the suspects away from the school when they targeted the Islamic Center on Monday morning. Hassane confirmed the entire school was safe, including all of the children and teachers, in a social media post shared in the hours after news of the shooting first broke. While speaking during a news conference, he later urged the public to respect the privacy of the victims and their families.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl on Tuesday said the suspects ran past the security guard, “most likely not knowing he was there,” and Abdullah then fired at them. After announcing the threat on his radio and initiating the mosque’s lockdown protocols, he “continued to engage in a gun battle” with the suspects, Wahl said.
“His actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred these two individuals from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque, where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects,” he said.
Kaziha and Awad then “inadvertently” drew the suspects back out into the parking lot, “where they were unfortunately unable to flee,” Wahl said. The suspects managed to corner and kill the two men, but while outside, police said they believe the suspects tried to flee in their car after they realized law enforcement was “seconds away.”
“All three of our victims did not die in vain,” Wahl said. “Without distracting the attention, without delaying the actions of these two individuals, without question, there would have been many more fatalities yesterday.”
The two suspects, 17 and 18 years old, were found dead inside a vehicle nearby, police said.
Wahl had earlier credited the security guard for helping contain the situation before authorities responded to the scene.
“I think it’s fair to say his actions were heroic, and, undoubtedly, he saved lives today,” Wahl said Monday.
Multiple people were killed, including an armed security guard, after two shooters attacked the Islamic Center in San Diego, May 18, 2026.
Sandy Huffaker/Los Angeles Times via
Sam Hamideh, a parent who said he knew Abdullah through the Islamic Center, told CBS News Los Angeles that the man’s benevolence and generosity were character traits of his that really stood out.
“This guy, like, it didn’t matter who walked up … any random person could just walk up and, like, he would greet them, make sure they are OK,” Hamideh recalled. “Whether they were homeless off the street looking for something, whether it was a child or the elderly.”
Abdullah was hired by the mosque around 2019 or 2020, according to Hassane.
Abdullah “never, ever stopped smiling,” Hassane said Tuesday during a news conference. “If not for him … the carnage would be much worse. He’s the one who stopped them. Who slowed them down. If he didn’t do what he did, and he sacrificed his life, the two suspects would have easy access to every single classroom. We’re so proud of him.”
Speaking about the other victims, Hassane said Kaziha was “the pillar of the Islamic Center of San Diego,” and had been a member since 1986. Hassane said it was Kaziha who first called 911 after shots rang out.
“In the last 22 years being the imam of the Islamic Center of San Diego, I have never done anything without him,” Hassane said. “He is on the top of my list for people to call. Every single thing going wrong, even the lights not working … He was the handyman. He was the cook. He was the caretaker. He was the storekeeper. He was everything. I don’t know what I’m going to do at the Islamic Center without his assistance.”
“We miss him,” he added.
Hassane also spoke of the heroism of Awad, saying that when he heard the shooting, “he rushed. To do something. To protect. And he joined Mansour Kaziha. They died together … Both of them, they tried to do something.”
“Unfortunately, they sacrificed their lives to protect the entire community inside the Islamic Center of San Diego,” Hassane said.
Awad lived across the street from the Islamic Center and his wife is a teacher at the school, Hassane said. Awad came to pray at the center “every single day,” Hassane said.
Wahl said during a news conference Monday that all three of the shooting victims were seen in front of the mosque when police arrived. Moments later, officers were called to a different location nearby and discovered the two suspected shooters deceased inside a vehicle, according to the police chief. The FBI said both suspects were teenagers.
Hassane said the center is “used to receiving hate mail, hate messages, people driving by and cursing and all that stuff,” but that he never expected an attack like Monday’s would happen.
Federal investigators said Monday they had not yet determined a motive for the attack, but Wahl told reporters that “because of the Islamic Center location, we are considering this a hate crime until it’s not.”
FBI San Diego Field Office special agent in charge Mark Remily said Tuesday that investigators found a document the FBI called a “manifesto” in the suspects’ vehicle. The document, which has been reviewed by CBS News, appears to glorify past mass shooters and spout anti-Islamic and antisemitic rhetoric as well as racist and misogynistic speech.
“These subjects did not discriminate on who they hated,” he said, adding later, “It covered a wide aspect of races and religions.”
Remily also said the FBI and local police are conducting “extensive interviews” with the suspects’ family and friends. As of Tuesday, they had executed search warrants at three different homes, and found guns and other equipment, he said, including “numerous pistols, rifles, shotguns, ammunition, tactical gear, as well as electronics,” at two of those locations. More than 30 guns and a crossbow have been seized so far, Remily said.
Wahl said the guns belonged to one of the suspect’s parents. He said they were investigating how they got the weapons and that it was too early to determine if the parents could be facing charges. Police had previously said the mother of one of the suspects had called police prior to the shooting to report that her son, car and several guns were missing. Wahl said Tuesday it was the mother of the younger, 17-year-old suspect who called.
Remily said authorities are aware that the suspects appear to have livestreamed the shooting, but that he couldn’t comment much on it other than to say investigators were “digging into that as aggressively and as quickly as we can.”
The suspects met online and both realized they lived in the San Diego area, according to Remily.
The deadly shooting comes as places of worship, in the United States and internationally, are increasingly targeted in acts of violence. On Monday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said more police officers would be deployed to guard places of worship to ensure “that we anticipate and try to prevent the very worst,” as he also thanked the security guard for his actions at the Islamic Center.
“We didn’t meet that mark today, but I have deep gratitude to the security officer who was here, whose actions and heroism undoubtedly saved lives,” Gloria said.
California doctor convicted of $45M Medicare fraud scheme that funded luxury vacations and a $12K crossbow
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FIRST ON FOX: A California doctor accused of submitting more than $45 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims for Botox injections—in an effort to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury vacations and the purchase of a $12,000 17th-century crossbow—has been convicted by a federal jury, the Justice Department announced.
Violetta Mailyan, 45, of Glendale, was convicted of nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of obstruction of a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense.
Mailyan’s operation in the Los Angeles suburb was flagged by the DOJ’s Health Care Fraud Section’s Data Analytics Team. An analysis showed that she had been paid more by Medicare for Botox injections than any other doctor in the United States, making her an extreme outlier among medical providers, prosecutors said.
At the time, Mailyan had been paid more than $24 million over the previous four years — six times the amount received by the next highest group of providers, all of whom were neurologists.
“Violetta Mailyan falsely diagnosed patients, fraudulently billed Medicare for Botox injections while she was actually on lavish vacations, and tried to trick federal agents with fake records,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division’s data-driven approach shines a light on fraud schemes across the country, ensuring that no doctor can engage in these brazen schemes to steal taxpayer dollars.”
LOS ANGELES HOSPICE FRAUD REACHES BILLIONS AS MEDICARE PROVIDERS SCAM FEDERAL SYSTEM WITH FAKE COMPANIES
Violetta Mailyan, who owned and operated Healthy Way Medical Center in California, received millions of dollars as part of a Botox fraud scheme, authorities said.(Instagram/ dr_violetta_mailyan)
In addition to scheming to defraud Medicare, Mailyan altered medical records in an attempt to mislead investigators, authorities said. She owned and operated the Healthy Way Medical Center, which billed Medicare for Botox injections that were medically unnecessary and never actually provided.
This included billing for injections on dates when Mailyan was traveling to Cabo, Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; Las Vegas; Pennsylvania; and New York.
Furthermore, some of the injections allegedly took place on dates when the clinic was closed, or when the patient who supposedly received the treatment was actually incarcerated in federal prison.
DR OZ SAYS 800 HOSPICE PROVIDERS SUSPENDED IN CALIFORNIA OVER ALLEGED $1B MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME
Dr. Violetta Mailyan allegedly submitted more than $45 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for Botox injections.(Instagram/ dr_violetta_mailyan)
Typically, Medicare reimburses medical providers for Botox injections only when they are deemed necessary to treat documented cases of chronic migraines. However, Mailyan billed and received payments for thousands of injections that were either never provided, administered solely for cosmetic purposes, or given to patients whose primary care physicians had not referred them for chronic migraine treatment.
On her social media accounts, Mailyan even described herself as a “BOTOX FILLER NONSURGICAL NOSE COSMETIC DOCTOR.”
Prosecutors said that in an effort to conceal the fraud, she fabricated patient medical records—including patient consent forms—to make it appear as if patients received migraine treatments in her office. She was accused of backdating some claims to bill for injections before the patients had even contacted her clinic to request an appointment.
LA MAN FOUND GUILTY OF SCAMMING INVESTORS, HOLLYWOOD STARS OUT OF OVER $20 MILLION TO FUEL LAVISH LIFESTYLE
An image of a Florentine Mannerist crossbow and a portrait of Ludwig I, the crown prince of Bavaria, which were both purchased by Violetta Mailyan by money from her alleged Medicare scheme.(Justice Department)
Mailyan used millions of dollars she received from the fraud to fund lavish vacations and purchase luxury collectible goods, including a $3,000 painting of Ludwig 1, crown prince of Bavaria, and the $12,000 17th-century crossbow, prosecutors said.
Dr. Violetta Mailyan was charged with nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of obstructing a criminal investigation after she allegedly conducted a Medicare Botox fraud scheme.(Instagram/ dr_violetta_mailyan)
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Mailyan faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and five years in prison for each count of obstruction. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mailyan’s legal team for comment.
Live Updates: Trump says major attack on Iran still possible at a moments notice if peace deal not reached
Iran holds mass wedding for 1,000 couples in “Sacrifice for Iran” event
Iran has held a mass wedding for at least 1,000 couples in Tehran as part of what state media called a “Sacrifice for Iran” event.
Couples who had agreed to fight for Iran if the country is attacked were celebrated with flowers, flags and balloons on Monday, and driven around on military vehicles.
At Imam Hossein Square, just one of the ceremony locations in the capital, 110 couples were married.
A mass wedding ceremony for 1,000 couples held in Tehran, Iran on May 18, 2026. As part of the ceremony, military vehicles decorated with flowers were used as wedding cars and convoy vehicles.
Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu/Getty
Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,000 people in Lebanon, health ministry says
Lebanon’s health ministry said Monday that 3,020 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since early March, amid the neighboring nation’s war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Another 9,273 people have been wounded, the ministry said.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday he was ready to “do the impossible” to stop the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S.- and Israeli-designated terrorist group based in his country.
Last week, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the governments of Israel and Lebanon was extended for 45 more days following a third round of talks in Washington, D.C., but Hezbollah has rejected both the truce and the negotiations, in which it has never been directly involved.
“The framework that Lebanon has set for the negotiations consists of an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, the deployment of the army along the border, the return of the displaced, and economic aid,” Aoun said Monday.
Hezbollah has continued attacking Israeli forces, who have occupied a significant swath of southern Lebanon, and firing rockets into northern Israel, claiming it is responding to Israel’s ongoing attacks. Both sides have accused the other daily of violating the ceasefire.
The Israeli army warned yet more residents in southern Lebanese towns to evacuate their villages Tuesday ahead of strikes. Lebanese officials say more than 1 million people have been displaced by the war.
CBS/
Trump warns assault on Iran could happen “on a moment’s notice” if deal isn’t reached
President Trump warned that a full, large-scale assault of Iran could happen “on a moment’s notice” if a deal isn’t reached.
Mr. Trump said in a social media post he’s not going ahead with a planned attack of Iran on Tuesday, saying “serious negotiations” are taking place.
Iran said it’s focused entirely on an agreement to end the war, but has not discussed any details on nuclear matters, the Trump administration’s top issue.
Trump says U.S. “will NOT” follow through with “scheduled” military attack on Iran
President Trump on Monday afternoon said the U.S. “will NOT” follow through with “scheduled” attacks on Iran on Tuesday, after he said partner nations in the Middle East asked him to hold off. The president made the announcement on Truth Social.
“In their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond,” he wrote. “This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!”
He said he told Pentagon leaders that while “we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow,” he instructed them “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
Read more here.
Iranian officials lay out their terms for a peace deal and claim it was the U.S. that sought negotiations
An Iranian lawmaker has claimed the U.S. requested the ceasefire and negotiations between the two countries, not the other way around.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran never requested negotiations with the United States during the war,” Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Monday, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also said Monday that Iran had submitted its latest proposal for a peace deal, but that U.S. representatives “have not yet provided an official response.”
He said that for a peace deal to materialize, “war on all fronts, including Lebanon, must end; U.S. forces must withdraw from the region surrounding Iran; the maritime blockade must be lifted; sanctions must be removed; and Iran’s assets must be released.”
Former Virginia assistant principal on trial after allegedly ignoring warnings before 6-year-old shot teacher
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A former Virginia assistant principal is on trial on felony child neglect charges after prosecutors say she ignored warnings that a 6-year-old student had a loaded gun before the child shot his teacher in 2023.
Jury selection began Monday in Newport News in the trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School. Parker, who has pleaded not guilty, faces eight felony child neglect charges tied to the shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, according to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors allege several school employees warned Parker that the student might have a gun, but she failed to take action before the shooting happened, the outlet reported.
Parker’s defense has argued she is being unfairly blamed for broader failures that preceded the shooting.
ATTORNEY SAYS VIRGINIA SCHOOL MISSED WARNINGS BEFORE 6-YEAR-OLD SHOT TEACHER
Former Richneck Elementary School assistant principal Ebony Parker looks back in the courtroom during Abby Zwerner’s lawsuit in Newport News, Virginia, on Oct. 28, 2025.(Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
Prosecutors brought one count for each of the eight bullets loaded in the gun. If convicted, Parker could face up to five years in prison for each count, reported.
The shooting happened on Jan. 6, 2023, when authorities said the 6-year-old student shot Zwerner while she was teaching.
She was hospitalized for nearly two weeks and underwent six surgeries after the bullet narrowly missed her heart. She still has limited use of her left hand, according to the .
TEACHER SHOT BY 6-YEAR-OLD TELLS JURORS SHE NEVER PULLED CHILD FROM CLASS AS DEFENSE EXPERTS BACK OFFICIALS
Former Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner looks back in the courtroom during her civil lawsuit trial in Newport News, Virginia, on Oct. 28, 2025.(Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a civil lawsuit against Parker, alleging the former administrator dismissed concerns that the student may have brought a gun to school.
In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, Zwerner’s legal team said the verdict marked a “major step forward in Abby’s long road of healing.”
During the earlier civil trial, Parker’s attorneys argued the shooting was “unforeseeable” and maintained she did not have a legal responsibility to protect Zwerner from the attack.
KENTUCKY TO CONSIDER BILL THAT WOULD HOLD PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR CHILDREN’S GUN CRIMES
Students return to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on Jan. 30, 2023.(Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)
Zwerner is expected to testify in the criminal trial, reported.
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Authorities said the child got the gun from his mother’s purse after climbing onto a dresser. The student’s mother was previously sentenced to nearly four years in prison.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Story tips can be sent to pton@.