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☆ Beyoncé’s ‘The Linda Martell Show’ single is named for a trailblazer you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Rhythm and blues and country music are the most parallel types of music,” Singleton has been quoted as saying. “Country music tells a story,” Martell told Rolling Stone. And while Martell recalls receiving two standing ovations that night, the road to country music success was far from smooth. A place in historyMartell’s story may have languished in history were it not for both her country music family and her biological one. “Minority, women and marginalized artists deserve to play on a level playing field in the country music industry,” Thompson told The Tennessean last year.

Persons: CNN — Beyoncé’s, Cowboy Carter ”, Linda Martell, ”, Beyoncé, “, Martell, Thelma Bynem, “ You’d, William “ Duke ” Rayner, Shelby Singleton Jr, ” Singleton, Singleton, ” Martell, Rolling, Jeannie C, Riley, BlackHistoryMonth Martell, Mickey Guyton, Rolling Stone, ” Guyton, “ I’ve, I’ve, …, Marquia Thompson, ” Thompson, ” Beyoncé Organizations: CNN, Rolling Stone, Grand Ole Opry, SSS, Records, Country Blues, Tennessean Locations: Texas, South Carolina, Harper, Singleton

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Illinois lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate William “Sam” McCann abruptly pleaded guilty on Thursday to nine felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, halting his federal corruption trial over misusing up to $550,000 in campaign contributions. The seven counts of wire fraud and single count of money laundering each carry a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. But a complex set of advisory guidelines before Lawless, who set sentencing for June 20, will likely yield a far shorter term. “Are you pleading guilty because you are in fact guilty?” Lawless asked. McCann's trial was repeatedly delayed.

Persons: William “ Sam ” McCann, McCann, Colleen Lawless, Jason Vincent, Lawless, ” Lawless, he’s, “, Timothy Bass, McCann's, “ God's, McCann didn't, Vincent, Instagram, Michael Madigan, ’ ” McCann, I’m, ’ Organizations: Ill, Former Illinois, U.S, Conservative Party of Illinois, International Union of Operating Engineers, FBI, IRS Locations: SPRINGFIELD, Springfield, ”, St, Louis

☆ William ‘Bill’ Post, who helped invent Pop-Tarts, has died
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —William “Bill” Post, who helped create Pop-Tarts, the pantry staple that reinvented breakfast for the masses, has died. “We are deeply saddened to share the news that William ‘Bill’ Post passed away over the weekend,” Pop-Tarts owner Kellanova said in a statement. We’d like to put that in a toaster.’”He took the piece of pie with him and said he “had to break every rule in the book” to create Pop-Tarts. In the following few years, frosting and sprinkles were added and Kellogg created “Milton the Toaster” to be its mascot. He was also humble about helping create Pop-Tarts.

Persons: William “ Bill ” Post, William ‘ Bill ’ Post, Kellanova, “, Bill, ”, ” Post, Kellogg, Milton, Keebler, Post Organizations: New, New York CNN, Hekman Biscuit Company, Kellogg, Army Locations: New York, Michigan, Cleveland, Kellogg, Japan, Florence

For instance, the U.S. has blocked shipments of cotton coming from China, a top manufacturer of popular clothing brands, because it was produced by forced or prison labor. While prison labor seeps into the supply chains of some companies through third-party suppliers without them knowing, others buy direct. Cargill acknowledged buying goods from prison farms in Tennessee, Arkansas and Ohio, saying they constituted only a small fraction of the company’s overall volume. For instance, about a dozen state prison farms, including operations in Texas, Virginia, Kentucky and Montana, have sold more than $60 million worth of cattle since 2018. “What for?”FOLLOWING THE MONEYThe business of prison labor is so vast and convoluted that tracing the money can be challenging.

Persons: it’s, Willie Ingram, “ They’d, billy clubs, they’d, ”, Ingram, didn’t, they’re, don’t, Andrea Armstrong, Frank Dwayne Ellington, Ellington, Koch, “ It’s, it’s somebody’s, Alishia Powell, Clark, “, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels, Cargill, ” McDonald’s, Mills, ” Bunge, Burger, Jermaine Hudson, ” Hudson, Calvin Thomas, Thomas, Ken Pastorick, Pastorick, Jennifer Turner, Faye Jacobs, Jacobs, ’ ” David Farabough, they’ve, Joshua Sbicca, Cliff Johnson, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, Tyson, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, that’s, ” Ivey, “ They’re, ’ ”, William “ Buck ” Saunders, Hickman’s, Brooke Counts, Counts, John’s, Jack Strain, Tammany Parish, Russell Stover, Curtis Davis, Robert Bumsted, Cody Jackson, Columbia University’s Ira A, Lipman Organizations: Louisiana State Penitentiary, The Associated Press, Walmart, Cargill, U.S, Kroger, Target, Aldi, Corrections, Loyola University New Orleans, Koch Foods, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Washington, Archer Daniels Midland, Consolidated, AP, Foods, Dairy Farmers of, Big, Sam’s, Tyson Foods, U.S ., Civilian, OSHA, Fair Labor, American Civil Liberties, Colorado State University, MacArthur Justice Center, University of Mississippi, PepsiCo, Brevard County Sheriff, Arizona . Companies, Costco, Correctional, Prisons, Nut, Maine Foods, Taylor Farms, Transitional, Associated Press, Public Welfare Foundation, Columbia, Lipman Center for Journalism, Arnold Ventures Locations: ANGOLA, La, Southern, Louisiana, Texas, In Louisiana, Angola, United States, “, Ashland, U.S, China, Tennessee , Arkansas, Ohio, Dairy Farmers of America, Texas , Virginia, Kentucky, Montana, Baton Rouge, Mississippi, Manhattan, America, Alabama, American, Arkansas , Texas, Florida , Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, In Alabama, Florida, Brevard County, Arizona, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, state’s St, Tammany, Idaho, In Kansas, Cal, St, Francisville , Louisiana, Feliciana, Investigative@ap.org

The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has scheduled oral arguments in the case for March 27 in Atlanta. Attorneys for father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, are asking the court to throw out hate crime convictions returned by a jury in coastal Brunswick in 2022. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck and recorded Travis McMichael shooting Arbery at close range with a shotgun. The McMichaels and Bryan stood trial on hate crime charges in U.S. District Court less than three months after all three were convicted of murder in a Georgia state court. Also pending are appeals by all three men of their murder convictions in Glynn County Superior Court.

Persons: Ahmaud Arbery, Greg, Travis McMichael, William “ Roddie ” Bryan, Bryan, Arbery, Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael's, Julian Bond, ”, McMichaels Organizations: 11th Circuit U.S, Appeals, Prosecutors, Blacks, Court Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, Georgia, Atlanta, Brunswick, Arbery, U.S, Glynn County

☆ Four deaf people died in the Lewiston mass shooting. The tragedy highlights their unique vulnerabilities during a crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Seal was an advocate for the deaf community and a prominent sign-language interpreter at state government briefings during the coronavirus pandemic. People sign "I love you" at a vigil for victims of last month's mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Matt Rourke/APAdvocates for the deaf community say the attack resonated in a population that rarely makes headlines, marking a communal loss that reverberated nationwide. He was desperate for news but was left in the dark, said Minch, who is a member of Maine’s deaf community. Police gather at Schemengees Bar, where four members of the deaf community were killed when a gunman opened fire on October 25.

Persons: they’re, Howard Rosenblum, It’s, ” Meg Erasmus, William “ Billy ” Brackett, Bryan MacFarlane, Joshua Seal, Steve Vozzella, Seal, Matt Rourke, Rosenblum, ” Erasmus, “, ” It’s, Erasmus, Tommy Minch, CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Minch, Regan Thibodeau, David Sokol, ” Minch, Joseph Prezioso, it’s, ” Rosenblum, community’s, ” Organizations: CNN, National Association of, National Deaf Therapy, Maine Educational Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, USA, Deaf, Police, Getty, Lewiston, “ Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Lewiston, Schemengees, Maine, AFP

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

CNN —For the victims of the mass shooting Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, it was an ordinary night out. Even on her night off on Wednesday, Asselin was at Just-in-Time, her brother told CNN. He was one the victims lost in the shooting in Maine,” the organization wrote in a Facebook post Thursday. Arthur “Artie” StroutArthur "Artie" Strout Strout family/WBZArthur “Artie” Strout, 42, was at Schemengees during the shooting, his father, Arthur Bernard, told CNN affiliate WBZ. His death has left his family in “shock and profound grief,” his family member Cecile Francoeur Martin told CNN.

Persons: Robert Card, Michael Sauschuck, Tricia Asselin Tricia Asselin, CNN Tricia Asselin, Asselin, I’m, ” DJ Johnson, ”, Johnson, Stephen “ Steve ” Vozzella Stephen Vozzella, Megan Vozzella Stephen Vozzella, Vozzella, Brian L, Renfroe, “, Governor Baxter, Karen Hopkins, ” Vozzella, NEDC, Steve Vozzella, he’d, Peyton Brewer, Ross Peyton Brewer, Ross, CNN Peyton Brewer, Ralph Brewer, Brewer, cornhole, Schemengees . Brewer, Ross “, Elle, Thomas “ Tommy ” Conrad Tommy Conrad, Timothy Conrad Tommy Conrad, Conrad, Michael Deslauriers, Vicki Deslauriers Roy, Michael Deslauriers II, Michael Deslauriers Sr, Deslauriers, ” Deslauriers, ” Jason Walker Jason Walker, Mike Sauschuck, Bryan MacFarlane Bryan MacFarlane, Keri Brooks Bryan MacFarlane, Keri Brooks, MacFarlane, Brooks, Arthur “ Artie ” Strout Arthur, Artie, Strout, WBZ Arthur, Artie ” Strout, Arthur Bernard, Bernard, Joseph “ Joey ” Walker Joseph Walker, CNN Leroy Walker, Joseph Walker, Walker, Joseph, ” Leroy Walker, it’s, ” Joshua Seal Lewiston, Joshua Seal, Seal, Janet Mills, Nirav Shah, Elizabeth Seal, Joshua, ” Seal’s, ” Keith Macneir Keith Macneir, Maxx Hathaway Maxx Hathaway, Kelsay Hathaway, GoFundMe Maxx Hathaway, ” Kelsay Hathaway, “ Brenda, Maxx, Brenda Hathaway, Lilian, Brenda, ” Kelsay, Courtney Hathaway, she’s, he’s, ” Courtney Hathaway, “ Maxx, Robert “ Bob ” Violette Bob Violette, Violette, CNN Bob Violette, “ Bob’s, Brandon Dubuc, ” Witnesses, Cassandra Violette, Lucille Violette Lucille Violette, Bob Violette, William “ Bill ” Young, Aaron Young, Bill Young, Aaron, Kayla Putnam, CNN Bill Young, Young, Putnam, Bill, “ He’s, ” Putnam, WCVB, “ It’s, Rob, ” Rob, Ronald “ Ron ” Morin, Ron Morin, Ron Morin Ron Morin, Cecile Francoeur Martin, Martin, Morin’s, Morin, ” William Frank Brackett William Frank Brackett, CNN’s Caroll Alvarado, Elizabeth Wolfe, Sara Smart, Afshar, Amanda Jackson, Cara Lynn Clarkson, Aya Elamroussi Organizations: CNN, Public, New, Deaf, National Association of, Carriers, U.S . Postal Service, Governor, Governor Baxter School, Deaf Cornhole, “, Schemengees, WMTW, Facebook, Historical Society, of Public, WBZ, WGME, Tree Society, Maine Gov, Boston Globe, Portland Press Herald, Press Herald, WCVB, Bangor Daily News Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Lisbon Falls, United States, Uvalde , Texas, Lewiston, Maine, Schemengees, Auburn , Maine, “

CNN —It’s all systems go for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize lately. Now we’re hearing about a new partnership between the Prince of Wales’ initiative and online video platform YouTube. But away from the glitzy awards ceremony, some have wondered about the real-world impact of innovation prizes like Prince William’s. “Not only because of Prince William but the full Earthshot team that is there in order to support all the finalists. And I think it’s incredibly helpful to share some of the challenges that we have found along the way.”In recent weeks, Prince William even dropped by Notpla’s headquarters in northeast London.

Persons: CNN —, Prince William’s Earthshot, Prince, Prince William’s, William, Prince Philip, King Charles III ., Wales, Alex Bramall, Charles, Prince of Wales, King, Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Pierre Paslier, ” Gonzalez, “, Notpla’s, ” William, Jonathan Brady, Prince William, “ It’s, Kin Cheung, William “, David Attenborough, Annie Randall, King Charles, ”, couldn’t, Buckingham, Duke, “ He’s Organizations: CNN’s Royal, CNN, London, Imperial College London, Windsor, Getty Locations: Singapore, Wales, Kensington, Boston, United Kingdom, London, Cornwall, It’s

☆ Angie’s List Co-Founder Bill Oesterle Believed in Strangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle also founded the online marketplace MakeMyMove, designed to bring remote workers to Indiana during the pandemic. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty ImagesFrom a young age, William “Bill” Seelye Oesterle was interested in meeting new people and hearing what they had to say. As a child at his brother’s wedding, Oesterle secretly swapped his name card with his sister’s to put himself at a table full of college students, and her at the parents’ table.

☆ Appeals Court Tosses Convictions of Two Parents in Varsity Blues Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

As part of the largest college-admissions scam ever prosecuted, some parents allegedly paid others to create fake photos of their children as top athletes. WSJ finds out just how easy it is to manipulate photos by asking an expert to combine pictures of Tom Brady and Bradley Cooper. Photos illustration: David StarrA federal appeals court vacated the convictions for two parents who were found guilty of fraud in 2021 as part of the Varsity Blues college-admissions cheating case, highlighting the contentious legal claims underpinning the original charges. A jury ruled in October 2021 that Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson were guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery involving a school that receives federal funds—in their case, the University of Southern California. Prosecutors alleged they had worked with corrupt college counselor William “Rick” Singer to make illicit payments and pretend their children were star athletes to secure spots for them at top universities.

Though investigators have yet to pin down a motive in the attack, they are probing whether Garcia was driven by extremist ideologies, a law enforcement source told CNN. Among those killed were two elementary school-aged sisters; three members of a Korean American family, including a child; a mall security guard; and a young engineer. Law enforcement does not yet feel they have a “complete picture” of Garcia’s past and are continuing to dig into his background, a law enforcement source told CNN. The child’s name and age were not given, but the Texas Department of Safety did note a three-year-old child was among those killed. Other victims included Christian LaCour, an outlet mall security guard, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, who was killed while visiting the mall with a friend, CNN affiliate WFAA reported.

☆ Bayer picks outsider Anderson as CEO after investor pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

News of the CEO change sent the German drugs-to-pesticides giant's shares to their highest level in nearly eight months. Shares in Bayer closed up 6% on the news of the new CEO, reaching the top of Frankfurt's blue-chip index and hitting their highest level since June last year. "Bill Anderson's mission is clear: enable Bayer to realize its full potential and create sustainable value for our shareholders, farmers, patients, consumers, employees, and all stakeholders of the company," Winkeljohann added. Sources told Reuters earlier this week that activist investor Jeff Ubben had contacted fellow investors to drum up support for big changes at Bayer, including the swift replacement of Baumann. Reporting by Patricia Weiss, Kirsti Knolle and Christoph Steitz; Editing by Tom Sims and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former USC Administrator Gets Six Months in Prison in College-Admissions Cheating Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former University of Southern California athletics administrator Donna Heinel was sentenced in a Boston federal court to six months in prison Friday for her involvement in the nationwide college-admissions cheating scandal that exposed bribery and corruption at some of the nation’s top universities. Ms. Heinel, known to many peers as a stickler for rules until her March 2019 arrest, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of honest services wire fraud. She admitted to taking more than $1 million from corrupt college counselor William “Rick” Singer, initially as donations to a university account she controlled and later as payments made to her directly under the guise of a consulting contract.

☆ Prince Harry accuses William of physical attack in new book, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Marie Brockling | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Prince Harry has accused his brother Prince William of physically attacking him during an argument over his marriage to Meghan, The Guardian reported Thursday. Representatives for Prince Harry and the publisher Penguin Random House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kensington Palace, which represents Prince William, and Buckingham Palace, which represents King Charles, declined to comment on allegations made in the book. Harry reportedly says that he was scared of his brother, who was furious and following him around the house. Harry writes that he initially only spoke to a therapist about the alleged incident, according to the leak.

☆ Rick Singer, Ringleader of College-Admissions Cheating Scheme, Sentenced to 3½ Years in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BOSTON—William “Rick” Singer, the mastermind behind a nationwide college-admissions cheating scheme that ensnared top universities, business executives and Hollywood celebrities, was sentenced Wednesday to 42 months in prison. He will also have to pay nearly $20 million in restitution and forfeitures of ill-gotten gains.

☆ Rick Singer, Mastermind of College-Admissions Cheating Scandal, Faces Sentencing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

William ‘Rick’ Singer was the head of a scheme that prosecutors say brought in $25 million and corrupted an admissions process that was intended to be based on merit. BOSTON—William “Rick” Singer, the mastermind behind a nationwide college-admissions cheating scheme that ensnared top universities, business executives and Hollywood celebrities, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court here Wednesday. Mr. Singer pleaded guilty in March 2019 to four felonies, admitting to running a complex operation that arranged for parents to fraudulently boost their teens’ ACT and SAT scores and to bribe college coaches to flag the clients as recruited athletes, all but guaranteeing their admission to schools including Georgetown University and the University of Southern California. Payments were often funneled through Mr. Singer’s sham charity, allowing parents to take tax write-offs for the bribes.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ College admission scandal mastermind says he now lives in a trailer park and can't get a job because of the scheme
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

In documents submitted to the court on Wednesday, prosecutors asked the judge to give Singer six years, which would be by far the longest sentence in the case. Defense attorneys asked for a year of home confinement, or a maximum of six months behind bars. “For most of my life, if not all of it, I have thrived on winning at all costs,” Singer wrote in a letter included in his defense’s sentencing memorandum. “Staggering in scope, Singer’s scheme was also breathtaking in its audacity and the levels of deception it involved,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. Prosecutors also asked for three years of probation, nearly $11 million in restitution to the IRS, and forfeiture of about $8.7 million.

☆ Biden’s granddaughter Naomi ties knot in White House wedding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It’s the first White House wedding with a president’s granddaughter as the bride, and the first one ever on the South Lawn. Naomi Biden walks to the White House in Washington, D.C. with first lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden on Oct. 11, 2021. The couple, who have been living at the White House, was set up by a mutual friend about four years ago in New York City and have been together ever since, the White House said. The White House announced the wedding in a statement following the small, private wedding in the Rose Garden. The White House Correspondents Association, which advocates for press access to the White House and the president, said it was “deeply disappointed” that the White House declined its request for press coverage of Naomi Biden’s wedding.

☆ Ex-Yale coach gets 5 months in college admissions bribery scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

BOSTON — The former Yale University women’s soccer coach whose cooperation with authorities helped blow the lid off the nationwide college admissions bribery scandal by leading the FBI to the scheme’s mastermind was sentenced Wednesday to five months in prison. Federal prosecutors and Meredith’s defense lawyers had recommended no additional prison time beyond the one day he had already spent in custody. But U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf said Wednesday that Meredith’s greed and his victims warranted a stiffer sentence. Before he was sentenced, Meredith, his voice shaking, issued an apology and said he had ruined his reputation and his career because he was driven by greed and the desire to provide for his family. In addition to the prison term, Meredith was sentenced to a year of probation, fined $19,000 and ordered to forfeit more than $550,000.

☆ Former Yale Soccer Coach Sentenced to Prison in College Admissions Cheating Case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Yale University women’s soccer coach Rudolph Meredith admitted to taking bribes in exchange for facilitating teens’ admission to Yale as soccer players. Former Yale University soccer coach Rudolph Meredith was sentenced in a Boston federal court to five months in prison for his involvement in the sprawling college-admissions cheating scandal that also ensnared executives and Hollywood stars, a harsher sentence than even the prosecutors had recommended. Mr. Meredith took $860,000 in bribes from corrupt college counselor William “Rick” Singer , and agreed to a $450,000 payment directly from at least one parent, in exchange for facilitating teens’ admission to Yale as soccer players.

A federal judge has denied Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes' request for a new trial, setting the stage for her sentencing on fraud charges later this month. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila issued a ruling late Monday stating Holmes failed to establish that government misconduct had occurred during her trial. Davila delayed Holmes' sentencing and granted an emergency hearing last month after a visit to Holmes' residence by a key witness came to light. The witness, former Theranos lab director Adam Rosendorff, had allegedly told Holmes' current partner, William “Billy” Evans, that he had “done something wrong” during the trial with respect to his testimony. Holmes, 38, has been out on bail; according to the Associated Press, when asked after the October hearing if she was pregnant, Holmes didn’t respond but smiled warmly.

☆ ‘Five Floors Up’ Review: A Tale of Fire and Family
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Angelina Torre | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Chief William “Bill” Feehan kept a photo on his desk at the FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn. He and his young grandson Connor stand beaming in the photo on a fireboat in New York Harbor. The sky is a bright blue, with only a few clouds to shadow the New York City skyline. The fabric of the Feehan family has been closely interwoven with that of New York’s fire department for more than a century, and the journalist Brian McDonald has been entrusted with their stories. A similar theme of devoted service runs through this history of fires and those who fought them, one replete with department legends, love stories and fallen buildings.

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