A private investigator may have uncovered a new lead in the decades-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of an Iowa news anchor. This revelation could potentially breathe new life into a case that has puzzled authorities for nearly thirty years.

The incident traces back to the early morning of June 27, 1995, when Jodi Huisentruit, a news anchor in Mason City, Iowa, failed to arrive at her job to deliver the morning news. Her sudden disappearance triggered an exhaustive search and numerous theories over the years, yet no concrete evidence has ever surfaced to locate her or bring any charges.

Recently, private investigator Steve Ridge disclosed to FOX 10 that he received a tip-off identifying a possible suspect linked to the case. This development offers a glimmer of hope in unraveling the mystery that has long haunted the community and her family.

However, private investigator Steve Ridge told FOX 10 that he recently received a tip pointing to a potential suspect in the case.

Jodi Huisentruit was a TV news anchor in Iowa before she disappeared in 1995. (Findjodi.com)

“[The tipster] was dating a suspect in the case or person of interest who eventually, in her presence, confessed, and it came at a very heated moment when the two of them were being tailed by authorities up in Minnesota,” Ridge said, according to the outlet. “He finally pulled over, and he was hitting the steering wheel and said, ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it’ and he finally hit the steering wheel and said ‘I did it.’”

Ridge did not reveal the identity of the possible suspect or whether they are still alive, FOX 10 reported. He told the outlet he provided the evidence to the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.

“I was able to conclusively determine that this female informant had a short term romantic relationship with the suspect,” Ridge said in a statement to News Media. “I secured and verified photos, handwritten letters, canceled checks and other items.”

Flyers publicizing Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance are displayed outside KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, on July 3, 1995. (Steve Kagan/Getty Images)

Ridge added that he would like to “award the $100,000 reward to the person who can lead us to Jodi’s remains.”

The update comes two years after John Vansice — the last person to see Huisentruit alive and the self-described primary person of interest — died before the case could be solved.

“She always had a concern about being stalked because she is on TV every day and everybody can see her,” Vansice previously said.

Flyers publicizing Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance are seen throughout Mason City, Iowa, on July 3, 1995. (Steve Kagan/Getty Images)

“Jodi and I became very good friends. Nothing more, nothing less,” he reportedly added. “We did things as a group with other people, and we just got to know each other a lot, and we liked each other. We had a lot of fun together. It’s like a father-daughter situation.”

Vansice reportedly moved to Arizona and spoke to Ridge several times before his death in 2024.

“He denied any role in the disappearance of Jodi and said he cared very much about her and that he would never possibly hurt her,” Ridge said, according to FOX 10. 

The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation declined News Media’s request for comment.

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A prominent tech executive from California, accused of fueling Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities, has been apprehended in a dramatic arrest at his opulent $35 million mansion overlooking the ocean.

Authorities allege that Jamshid Ghomi, a 63-year-old dual citizen of Iran and the United States, engaged in the sale of advanced American networking, security, and encryption technology to Iran’s government for over ten years. This accusation has led to serious charges, including conspiracy to breach the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Department of Justice revealed these charges on Wednesday, highlighting the flow of equipment to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and the Ministry of Defense.

In their clandestine communications, Ghomi and his accomplices referred to Iran as the ‘Motherland,’ a term that underscores their deep connection and loyalty to the regime.

Between 2011 and 2015, Ghomi allegedly executed over 400 transactions through eBay and PayPal, cleverly channeling these purchases via intermediaries based in the United Arab Emirates to evade detection.

Ghomi made more than 400 purchases on his eBay and PayPal accounts from 2011 to 2015, which were routed through intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates.

More than 250 metric tons of networking kit was smuggled into Iran between 2014 and 2018 using freight forwarders in Dubai. 

Ghomi allegedly used his company, Faraz Pardaz Rayaneh (FPR), as the vehicle for the smuggling operation, with annual sales topping $10 million. 

He told the IRS the more than $15 million he moved from Iran into US accounts was a foreign inheritance, with the cash allegedly laundered through shell companies in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey and the UAE. 

Jamshid Ghomi, 63, a dual Iranian-US of Newport Coast, California, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Department of Justice announced Wednesday

Ghomi’s federal tax returns reported almost no income, his highest reported income in any year being $20,684. While claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, a break for low-income earners, in seven tax year, Ghomi built a huge mansion from the proceeds of his alleged crimes

His federal tax returns reported almost no income, the highest in any year just $20,684. 

Ghomi claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, a break for low-income earners, in seven separate tax years, even as he built a vast mansion with the proceeds of his alleged crimes. 

The sprawling 14,000-square-foot home, guarded by iron gates, sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the California Post reported. 

Ghomi bought the vacant lot for $4.49 million in March 2010, then spent roughly $10.49 million building the residence over the next three years.

More than $7 million in foreign wires flowed into the escrow account funding the construction between May 2011 and August 2015, handled by the same FPR employees and bearing the same false labels as the company’s sales revenue, according to the DOJ.

Iran’s atomic agency, sanctioned by the US in 2020 over enrichment breaches, made FPR register as an approved vendor in 2021 and 2022, the affidavit states.

The company supplied the nuclear body from 2017 to 2023 and Iran’s defense ministry from 2014 to 2022. 

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said: ‘We will hold him accountable by seeking an appropriate prison sentence and by seizing his assets, including his $35 million Newport Beach mansion.’

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of late Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, October 13, 2024

Essayli said Ghomi was ‘aiding our declared enemies’ and ‘doing business with one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism.’

Ghomi, who was scheduled to appear at court in Santa Ana in Orange County this afternoon, faces up to 20 years in jail.

Is the selfie under siege?

Concerns are rising on social media over claims that hackers can now leverage AI technology to extract fingerprints from images of people innocently posing with peace signs.

These fears appear to stem from a segment aired by a Chinese television station in April.

In the broadcast, financial expert Li Chang demonstrated how a selfie featuring the peace sign could expose individuals to hackers who might steal their fingerprints for identity theft, phishing schemes, or unauthorized access to personal accounts.

The demonstration showed how photo-editing software and AI tools can enhance an image to reveal fingerprint ridges clearly.

Chang emphasized the danger, explaining that while passwords can be changed or reset, biometric data such as fingerprints and voice cannot, leaving victims permanently vulnerable.

“The threat is real, underappreciated, and accelerating,” Bryan Lopez, a cybersecurity and AI technology leader at Microsoft, told Newsweek.

“What previously required forensic laboratory resources is now within reach of motivated, non-specialist actors,” he continued.

While rare, there have been incidents of fingerprints being pulled from pictures.

In 2014, hacker Jan Krissler — also known, inexplicably, as “Starbug” — announced that he used a close-up photo of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s thumb, along with other images taken from various angles during a press event, to recreate her fingerprint.

“High-resolution cameras now capture sufficient fingerprint ridge detail that AI-assisted reconstruction tools can produce workable biometric templates from social media images,” said Lopez.

While pulling prints is theoretically possible, other experts maintain it is improbable.

“This sounds like the stuff out of spy novels or ‘Mission Impossible’,” Vyas Sekar, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, told CBS News.

According to Sekar, to execute the scam, a hacker would need access to the physical scanner that unlocks with your fingerprint.

Further, he shared that the average person is unlikely to be the victim of a fingerprint scam, as hackers would need to be “fairly determined” to execute such a plan and are more likely to focus their efforts on a “high-value target” like a filthy rich person or someone with access to a high-security facility.

Still, Sekar admits that there is some risk.

“In theory, it’s possible, especially if people are posting high-resolution images,” he said.

In the interest of preventive strategy, experts have outlined four ways to protect yourself and your prints from falling into dubious hands.

Primary among these is avoiding posting high-resolution images of your hands, particularly pics that clearly show details of your fingertips or palms.

In addition, experts maintain that multi-factor authentication, which uses more than just your fingerprint, offers additional protection if biometric information is compromised.

Officials also underscored the importance of reviewing privacy settings on social media platforms and limiting who can view your personal photos, thereby reducing the likelihood that scammers gain access to images that could contain biometric details.

Finally, folks are advised to monitor their bank accounts and to report any suspicious activity immediately.

According to the FBI, cyber scams have skyrocketed in recent years, with digital fraudsters stealing $16 billion from Americans in 2024 — a 33% increase from the previous year.

Elderly people were the most common victims, with lmost 30% of total monetary losses from people over 60.

The most common scam — with around 193,000 complaints — was phishing/spoofing, in which someone uses a false identity to convince people to share their personal details. Common phishing scams include fake toll bills, package delivery notices, or billing statements.

Live from New York, it’s the ESPYS! The spotlight will be on comedian Marcello Hernández as he steps up to host “The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One,” as announced by ESPN and ABC today.

The prestigious awards event is scheduled to be broadcast live on ABC from the renowned David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, at 8/7c. Viewers can also catch the live stream on ESPN+ via the ESPN app, making it accessible to sports fans everywhere.

Craig Lazarus, ESPN’s vice president and executive producer for the ESPYS, expressed his excitement about Hernández’s role, stating, “Marcello is one of the most electric, young comedians today. His genuine enthusiasm for sports and his ties to New York City make him a natural fit to host this year’s ESPYS. We are excited to partner with him to celebrate the best moments in sports and look forward to the fresh take he’ll bring to the show.”

Hernández joins an illustrious list of former hosts, including big names like Serena Williams, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Kimmel, and Shane Gillis, who have all lent their star power to the event in previous years.

Hernández is the latest in a long line of sports and entertainment stars to host the show, including Serena Williams, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Kimmel and Shane Gillis.

This year, the ESPYS are making a return to New York City where they first began after many years of being hosted out west in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

This return to New York is especially meaningful for Hernández, who remembers his early days experiencing the city’s comedy scene.

“I started doing comedy 10 years ago, in Cleveland, Ohio, and I would take the train 12 hours to New York to sell comedy tickets on the street in Greenwich Village in exchange for stage time,” said Hernández. “It is an honor, and frankly feels crazy to be hosting the ESPYS this year in New York. I’m sure the energy is going to be great.”

Tune in to the ESPYS live at 8/7c July 15 on ABC, or stream it live on ESPN+ via the ESPN App. The show streams next day on Hulu, the ESPN App and ABC Video on Demand.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ESPN, Hulu and this ABC station.

According to a recent analysis, as many as 50% of individuals with life-threatening kidney disease might be unaware of their condition.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects roughly one in seven people in the United States, totaling about 37 million individuals. This condition impairs the kidneys’ ability to effectively filter waste from the bloodstream, leading to an accumulation of toxins in the body.

The consequences include dangerously elevated blood pressure and increased levels of substances like potassium, which can cause irregular heartbeats and heighten the risk of fatal heart attacks and strokes.

Individuals suffering from CKD often face the necessity of dialysis for several months or even years, a process that substitutes the natural filtering role of the kidneys, until they can receive a kidney transplant.

Ranked as the ninth most common cause of death in the United States, CKD claims the lives of approximately 55,000 Americans each year.

Early detection is key for protecting kidney function and avoiding a transplant. However, a new review found up to 50 percent of cases of CKD in high-income countries like the US and UK go undiagnosed until they reach later, harder-to-treat stages. 

The findings also showed minority populations and women were up to twice as likely as white men to go undiagnosed with CKD.

And of those with a CKD diagnosis in their medical records, nine in 10 were still unaware they had the condition.

Researchers estimate up to half of chronic kidney disease cases in high-income countries like the US go undiagnosed, increasing the risk of patients needing dialysis (pictured above) and transplants

‘Chronic kidney disease remains one of the most concerning conditions currently impacting global health,’ Dr Jennifer Lees, study author and senior clinical research fellow at the University of Glasgow, said. 

‘The overriding message from our series of research papers is that there remains a pressing need for attention and resource to be focused on this condition.’

She also urged doctors to regularly perform urine tests in people at risk of CKD, as damaged kidneys produce excess proteins that show up in the urine. 

‘There is huge potential to improve early diagnosis, treatment and healthy lifespan by testing urine for protein routinely across a range of health care settings,’ she said.

‘This may be particularly important in those most at risk of underdiagnosis, including non-white populations and women.’

There is no single cause of CKD, but it’s often triggered by other conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, which damage tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, making them less effective at filtering out waste. 

The disease strikes 844 million adults worldwide, and researchers behind the new study estimate CKD will become the world’s fifth leading cause of death by 2040. 

The review, published in The Lancet, examined recent studies on CKD and methods of diagnosing and screening for the condition, which include blood and urine tests, as well as ultrasound imaging and biopsies of the kidneys.

They estimate that about 30 to 50 percent of CKD cases in high-income countries, such as the US, are not diagnosed by a doctor.  

And non-white adults and women were particularly prone to being undiagnosed. The National Kidney Foundation estimates black adults are 47 percent more likely to have CKD than the overall US population, while American women are at a 30 percent increased risk. 

The researchers estimated minority populations are about twice as likely as white men to have their CKD go undetected. 

The early signs of chronic kidney disease are subtle, often including back pain, puffiness around the eyes and increased urination 

The lack of detection may be due to early stage CKD often causing few to no symptoms, earning it the nickname of a ‘silent disease.’ 

However, patients in the early stages may find themselves needing to urinate more often, as well as foam or frothiness in the urine, which is a sign of the protein albumin leaking into the urine. 

Other early signs include puffiness around the eyes due to large amounts of albumin in the urine, as this protein usually acts as a sponge to keep fluid inside the blood vessels. 

Patients may also experience swelling in the ankles and feet, as kidney disease causes the body to retain more sodium, which pools into the lower extremities. 

As the condition progresses, CKD leads to severe fatigue, nausea and urinating less often, as the kidneys’ filtering units, called nephrons, become scarred, causing issues producing and releasing urine.

CKD may also cause a dull ache in the back, under the ribs and above the hip.  

‘Governments need to prioritize resourcing health services to diagnose at-risk patients, such as those with heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes, earlier, and deliver urgent, preventative care, or millions of patients and economies worldwide will suffer the consequences,’ Alison Railton, director of policy at Kidney Research UK, said.