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Governors gathered in the nation’s capital in recent days for the National Governors Association winter meeting. And while they were focused on their jobs at hand, questions about the 2024 presidential race were unavoidable. Asked on Saturday if she would like to see Biden run again, Michigan Gov. At a Democratic Governors Association press conference on Thursday, a group of 11 governors echoed support for Biden’s potential re-election campaign. Spencer Cox also joined “Meet” and weighed in on the presidential race, saying he would like to see his party nominate a governor.

☆ ‘Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA’ Review: A Dashing Thief’s Darker Side
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Up until his death in 2020, Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy remained most famous for the 1964 burglary of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, which netted its perpetrators a bagful of precious gems, including the 563-carat Star of India sapphire. It was the kind of story people like to tell. And retell. “I’d kept reading story after story about Murf where there’d be 15 paragraphs about this heist,” says journalist Nate Scott . “And in the 16th paragraph it would be like ‘Oh, and then he was convicted for murder.’”The prominence of the burglary on Murphy’s résumé wasn’t entirely an accident, not according to “Murf the Surf,” the four-part documentary series directed by R.J. Cutler (“A Perfect Candidate”) and available on MGM+ (formerly EPIX).

☆ FTC calls on federal court to hold ‘pharma bro’ Martin Shkreli in contempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Friday called for a federal court to hold “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli in contempt after Shkreli allegedly flouted a recent FTC investigation into his business dealings and failed to make a $64.6 million payment he owed for his prior wrongdoings. The FTC’s contempt motion follows what the agency described as its an unsuccessful attempt to verify whether Shkreli has violated a court order barring him from ever working in the pharmaceutical industry again. Shkreli also infamously raised prices for the life-saving medication Daraprim by 4,000% while he was head of Turing Pharmaceuticals. When the FTC emailed Shkreli to get documents from him and to schedule an interview about the matter, Shkreli repeatedly missed deadlines and allegedly slow-walked his responses, according to an FTC court filing Friday. The FTC also said Shkreli had been ordered to make his multimillion-dollar payment — representing a refund of his ill-gotten Daraprim gains — by March 6, 2022.

From start to finish, Tuesday's 80th annual Golden Globe Awards was a very queer affair. Here are some of the evening's queerest (and gay Twitter meme-worthy) moments. Jerrod Carmichael apologizes to Jennifer Coolidge 'on behalf of all the gays'Jerrod Carmichael hosted the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday. The 26-year-old actor, who already has two Emmy awards for the same role, was not present to accept her Golden Globe. The Burnett award was started in 2019, with its namesake, comedian Carol Burnett, being its first honoree.

Actor and Golden Globes presenter Niecy Nash called out the "Black Girl Magic" during the awards ceremony Tuesday night. Tyler James Williams, Brunson's castmate on “Abbott Elementary,” won best supporting actor in a TV comedy series for his portrayal of a public school educator. Brunson, Zendaya and Williams are all first-time Golden Globes nominees and winners. Rich Polk / NBCHe said he was having tea at home when he got the phone call to host the Golden Globes. The Golden Globes awards show made its television comeback Tuesday after NBC opted not to air the 2022 ceremony in the wake the criticism.

☆ Airbnb has banned 30 listings where slaves lived or worked, but travelers and the company itself say the platform has other bias issues to address
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The move comes about four months after the company received backlash for listing an 1830s slave cabin in Mississippi. Some travelers and experts say the company still has work to do to reduce instances of bias and discrimination. But some say there are other bias issues on Airbnb’s platform that still need to be addressed. Airbnb defined its booking success rates as a measure of how often people from different perceived racial backgrounds can successfully reserve an Airbnb listing where the host must confirm the booking. The audit sampled 750,000 random reservation requests and found that Black travelers had a 91.4% booking success rate compared to 93.4% for Latinos and 94.1% for Whites.

☆ Ryan Murphy reflects on the death of ‘Glee’ star Cory Monteith
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ryan Murphy says he now would have handled the death of “Glee” star Cory Monteith differently. “I’ve thought a lot about that recently and I would not have done that [episode] now,” Murphy said. “I was the person who had to lead the intervention not knowing what to do or what to say. I was just desperate for him to live.”Though he had counselor on set during filming of the tribute episode and even gave cast the option to not participate, Murphy said he understood how difficult it was for all involved. The showrunner added that at the time, he “was in such a blur of grief” and felt “devastated” by Monteith’s tragic death.

The FBI in New Jersey said Thursday it is investigating a “credible” and “broad threat” to synagogues in the state, and the governor said law enforcement are working to protect houses of worship. Officials with the Newark FBI announced the threat in a statement and told the public to stay alert. “The FBI has received credible information of a broad threat to synagogues in NJ. Phil Murphy said in a statement his office has been in contact with the state attorney general’s office, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the FBI. “We are closely monitoring the situation and are working with local law enforcement to ensure that all houses of worship are protected,” Murphy said.

WASHINGTON — Which party controls Congress next year could have big implications for Twitter — and its new “Chief Twit,” Elon Musk. A Jordan spokesman had no comment about Musk and Twitter, but Republicans expect the company will be more cooperative with any future GOP investigations with Musk at the helm. But upon taking control of Twitter, Musk said he would first form a “content moderation council,” and Yoel Roth, head of Safety and Integrity at Twitter, insisted that the company’s policies on hate speech have not changed. “If Elon Musk has said now that he’s going to start a content moderation board, that was one good sign, but I continue to be concerned about that,” Klobuchar said. Other Democrats are raising national security concerns about how Musk financed the $44 billion Twitter deal.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy on Monday called for an immediate investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia's stake in Twitter after Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media company. “The purpose of these reviews is clear: to protect the national security interests of the United States and American citizens,” Murphy wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who leads CIFIUS. Late last week, Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding Company and the private office of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said they would help Musk finance his Twitter deal by rolling over their ownership of shares of the company worth about $1.89 billion, according to a statement tweeted by Alwaleed. Together all the way @Twitter,” Prince Alwaleed tweeted. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, led by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, owns nearly 17 percent of Kingdom Holding, according to Reuters.

☆ Senate Democrat wants national security investigation of Saudi Arabia’s role in Elon Musk-Twitter deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is calling on the federal government to investigate national security concerns raised by Saudi Arabia’s role in Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. The Connecticut Democrat urged the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, to conduct an investigation into the “national security implications” of the Saudi involvement. Even though Musk already closed his takeover of Twitter late last week, it may still be subject to national security review. Earlier this month, Twitter shares dropped after Bloomberg News reported Biden officials are in early discussions about possibly subjecting some of Musk’s ventures to national security reviews, including the Twitter deal. “We do now know of any such conversations,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement on October 21.

☆ Fact Check-Satellites exist and can survive in the thermosphere without melting or burning
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

This is false, as satellites do exist, and experts told Reuters there are not enough gas molecules to transfer heat to melt or burn in the thermosphere. Satellites, which generally refer to machines that are launched into space and orbit the earth or space (here), do exist and are mostly in the thermosphere. The thermosphere sits between the mesosphere and the exosphere between 50 and 440 miles (80 and 700 km) above the Earth’s surface (here). Images and videos of satellites and spacecrafts launched into space can also be found on NASAs Image and Video Library (here), (here). Other satellites do not need to survive re-entry, and do not require a heat shield to withstand the temperatures of space.

☆ Jan. 6 committee will figure out what comes next if Trump refuses to testify, members say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Two House Jan. 6 committee members said Sunday that the panel has not yet determined next steps if former President Donald Trump refuses to comply with its subpoena that was issued during its latest public hearing. The committee’s ninth hearing Thursday, its last hearing before the midterm elections, concluded with the panel voting unanimously to subpoena Trump. “I won’t engage in any hypotheticals at this moment, as the subpoena hasn’t yet even been served. Although the former president did not indicate whether he would comply with the panel’s subpoena to testify, he is expected to challenge it. He’s required to answer to those police officers who put their lives and bodies on the line to defend our democracy.

Share this -Link copiedCommittee votes to subpoena Trump The committee voted on Thursday unanimously to subpoena Trump. Trump would not be the first president to be subpoenaed, nor would he be the first former president subpoenaed by Congress. "Even before the networks called the race for President Biden on Nov. 7th, his chances of pulling out a victory were virtually nonexistent, and President Trump knew it," Kinzinger said. “At times, President Trump acknowledged the reality of his loss. “What did President Trump know?

That's based on a Secret Service email from 9:09 a.m. "The head of the President’s Secret Service protective detail, Robert Engel, was specifically aware of the large crowds outside the magnetometers," Schiff said. A Secret Service report at 7:58 a.m. said, "Some members of the crowd are wearing ballistic helmets, body armor carrying radio equipment and military grade backpacks." On Dec. 26, a Secret Service field office relayed a tip that had been received by the FBI, Schiff said. Trump would not be the first president to be subpoenaed, nor would he be the first former president subpoenaed by Congress.

☆ Dunkin’ changed its rewards program. Devotees of the coffee brand are expressing their outrage on Reddit.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Angela Yang | Angela Yang Is An Intern For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The previous DD Perks program offered a free drink of any kind at $40 spent. The new Dunkin’ Rewards system, unveiled last week, requires customers to spend $70 to get a free crafted drink such as an espresso, cold brew or refresher. Customers also no longer get a free drink on their birthdays. But in the days since its new rewards program took over, the 21-year-old college student has been looking elsewhere for his daily caffeine fix. As one Twitter user joked, “i need us all to collectively manifest the downfall of dunkin rewards so they bring back dd perks.”

☆ James Florio, former New Jersey governor and U.S. Rep., dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

James Florio, who championed a plan that substantially raised the state’s sales and income taxes leading to his reelection defeat in 1993, died Sunday. His law partner Doug Steinhardt and current New Jersey Gov. James Florio, right, attends a New Jersey Transportation conference, on March 2, 2011, in Trenton. In February 2015, Florio and three other former New Jersey governors urged the state senate to delay a vote on Gov. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Florio attended Trenton State College (now known as The College of New Jersey) and graduated from the Rutgers School of Law in 1967.

☆ Prosecutors try to prove 1996 killing as body of Kristin Smart remains missing
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Opening statements are scheduled Monday in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas in the trial of Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, who is charged as an accessory. Paul Flores had long been considered a suspect in the killing, but prosecutors only arrested him and his father in 2021 after the investigation was revived. San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson acknowledged missteps by detectives over the years and he credited a popular podcast about Smart’s disappearance called “Your Own Backyard” for helping unearth new information and inspiring witnesses to speak with investigators. Prosecutors, defense lawyers and San Luis Obispo sheriff’s deputies are constrained by a court order prohibiting them from discussing the case. Attorney Harold Mesick, who represents Ruben Flores, previously said the evidence unearthed was ambiguous.

“The government is obviously failing us and not protecting us,” said Taylor, who evacuated from St. John before Hurricane Ida hit. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes St. John and St. James as a community with high levels of Covid-19 transmission. Prior to Ida, at least 16% of residents in St. James Parish and St. John Parish were living below the poverty line, according to Census data. One of their biggest fights was against the Taiwanese plastics manufacturer Formosa, which was set to build a $9.4 billion petrochemical complex in St. James Parish. While the battle to block the multibillion-dollar facility isn’t over, Hurricane Ida added to the community’s problems.

☆ World AIDS Day: 5 ways you can make a difference
▼ + stars: | 2018-12-01 | by ( Lauren Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —December 1 is World AIDS Day, an annual event raising awareness and money to fight AIDS around the world. According to the World Health Organization, an “estimated 38.4 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2021.”CNN Impact Your World spoke with two high-profile AIDS activists about five ways we all can play a role preventing HIV and AIDS. Courtesy Above All PhotographyActivist Deondre Moore, HIV Plus Magazine’s 2022 Person of the Year, tested HIV-positive when he was 19. Courtesy Ashley Rose Murphy24-year-old Ashley Rose Murphy was born with HIV, exposed by her infected birth mother in the womb. 3.Educate yourself and spread the wordWhile in high school, Murphy traveled the world speaking about HIV and AIDS.

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