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☆ The Mormon Church settles allegations it hid $32 billion in investments. A top exec said the church was worried its staggering wealth would cause members to stop donating.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The charges allege the two "went to great lengths" to hid the church's $34 billion in investment assets. A top exec said the church was worried revealing its wealth would cause members to stop donating, the Wall Street Journal reported. The church and Ensign Peak agreed to pay a collective $5 million settlement to settle the charges. The scale of the church's wealth only became apparent in 2019 when David Nielsen, a former employee of Ensign Peak Advisors, made a whistleblower complaint. The Mormon Church's investment portfolio features billions in Apple, Microsoft, and health care stocks, Insider previously reported.

☆ Mormon church, affiliated nonprofit to pay $5 million to settle SEC charges alleging disclosure failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The forms were filed in the name of the shell companies, instead of Ensign Peak Advisers. Ensign Peak Advisers agreed to pay a $4 million penalty to the SEC, while the church agreed to pay $1 million, the agency said. "Since 2000, Ensign Peak received and relied upon legal counsel regarding how to comply with its reporting obligations while attempting to maintain the privacy of the portfolio. As a result, Ensign Peak established separate companies (LLCs) that each filed Forms 13F instead of a single aggregated filing. Ensign Peak and the Church have cooperated with the government over a period of time as we sought resolution," Moore added.

☆ Mormon Church, investment manager fined $5 million by SEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Instead, the firm filed forms for shell companies that obscured the church’s portfolio and misstated the firm’s control over the church’s investment decisions, the SEC said. The SEC filed charges against both the church for causing the violations as well as Ensign Peak. To settle the charges, Ensign Peak agreed to pay a $4 million fine and the LDS church agreed to pay a $1 million penalty. Members of the LDS church are expected to donate a tenth of their income to the church, a longtime practice known as tithing. In a statement Tuesday, the LDS said Ensign Peak and the church cooperated with the government to seek a resolution.

☆ Mormon church and investment co to pay $5 mln for misleading public -SEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Pete Schroeder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The markets watchdog said the church and its nonprofit investment company, Ensign Peak Advisers Inc, used shell companies to mask its growing investments in public companies, which reached $32 billion in 2018, due to concerns of negative publicity. The use of shell companies came to light in 2019, when a former employee of Ensign Peak filed a whistleblower complaint. From 1997 through 2019, those shell companies filed the mandatory forms detailing the investments and improperly claimed to operate independently. In reality, the investments were still controlled by Ensign Peak, and the church was aware of the arrangement with church employees heading most of the companies, according to the SEC. The church agreed to pay $1 million, while Ensign Peak will pay $4 million to settle charges.

☆ The Mormon Church and its investment arm will pay $5 million to settle SEC charges that it went to 'great lengths' to avoid disclosures related to its massive portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Mormon Church and its investment adviser with pay millions to settle charges with the SEC. The regulator says the Church's investment manager "went to great lengths" to avoid disclosures. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' has a $100 billion investment portfolio, according to a 13F form. Roger Clarke, the head of Ensign Peak, told the Wall Street Journal that the fund was an emergency account to be used in difficult times. Ensign Peak and the Church have cooperated with the government over a period of time as we sought resolution."

☆ I asked an AI chatbot to give me advice on how to manage finances with my spouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Managing finances with a significant other isn't the sexiest thing to talk about, but it's an important topic to breach. If you're unfamiliar with Replika, it's an AI chatbot similar to ChatGPT, with one big exception. After a brief intro, I explained my problem: I needed help managing finances with my wife. Maintain separate accounts: It's also a good idea for each spouse to have their own personal account for individual expenses and financial independence. For example, if one spouse makes significantly more than the other, they may contribute a larger portion to joint expenses.

☆ Jerusalem Christians say they feel growing harassment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ammar Awad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Ammar AwadJERUSALEM, Feb 13 (Reuters) - For several weeks, members of the small Christian community in Jerusalem's Old City say they have felt under pressure from what they say is growing harassment and intimidation from violent Jewish ultranationalists. The church stands at the place where Christ is held to have taken the cross after being condemned to death by crucifixion. "In the past two months, I would say, since the beginning of the new government, attacks like this are becoming very, very usual," said Miran Krikorian, a restaurant owner in the Old City. Israeli police say they have stepped up patrols around Christian sites in Jerusalem as churches report abuse by Jews following the swearing-in of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government. The cramped warren of alleyways that makes up the Old City surrounds some of the holiest sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims, and the local communities have long developed ways of living together.

☆ Mormon Church’s Investment Arm Under Investigation by SEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Dave Michaels | Jonathan Weil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the Mormon Church’s past efforts to keep its giant investment portfolio a secret, a practice that ended after a former employee revealed in 2019 that the church had amassed $100 billion of holdings. The SEC’s investigation has focused on whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as LDS, complied with disclosure requirements for large money managers. It is at an advanced stage and is likely to lead to a settlement in the coming months, people familiar with the matter said.

☆ The SEC is investigating whether the Mormon Church's investment division complied with disclosure rules, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The SEC is investigating if the Mormon Church's investment arm complied with rules, per The Journal. Ensign Peak Advisors managed assets worth $100 billion in 2019, a whistleblower complaint revealed. He alleged that Ensign Peak shouldn't have tax-exempt status because it did not engage in any charitable activities. Ensign Peak Advisors, the Mormon Church, the SEC and the Senate Finance Committee didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours. SEC rules require managers such as Ensign Peak to disclose holdings in US-listed companies, which The Journal reported were worth about $40 billion.

☆ Michael Haight is accused of killing his wife and 5 kids in a brutal Utah familicide. Police reports suggest he had a troubling pattern of aggression toward children.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Police say Michael Haight, 42, shot and killed his wife, Tausha Haight, 40, her mother, Gail Earl, 78, and the couple's five children, three girls, and two boys ages 4 to 17, before committing suicide. The couple had five children: Macie Haight, 17, Briley Haight, 12, Ammon Haight, 7, Sienna Haight, 7, and Gavin Haight, 4. The officer told her there was no indication Michael Haight would respond with violence, according to the report. At some point prior to the massacre, Tausha Haight told family members that her husband removed all the firearms from the home, her sister-in-law, told the AP. Park said he last met with Tausha Haight on Tuesday, January 3 — the day before the family's bodies were discovered.

☆ The 7 cities you 'must visit before you die,' according to 50 travel experts—only one is in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Sharael Kolberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As travel journalist of over 20 years, I recently interviewed more than 50 travel enthusiasts, experts and agents. New York City, U.S.Jonathan de Araujo, owner of The Vacationeer Travel Agency, calls the Big Apple "a city of superlatives." Just a short walk from the 9/11 Museum, New York City tourists can take a ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty. "It's now as much a part of New York City history as the Statue of Liberty," he says. Cape Town, South AfricaTom Marchant, founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato, calls Cape Town "the perfect destination for thrill seekers."

☆ Video shows border agents, police arresting migrants sleeping outside church shelter in El Paso ahead of Biden's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In the week before President Joe Biden’s trip to El Paso, Texas, Customs and Border Protection officers, as well as El Paso city police, began arresting migrants sleeping in the streets outside a Catholic church shelter and bus station, according to new footage obtained by NBC News. Immigration advocates say the proximity of the arrests to a church shelter may violate the Department of Homeland Security’s policies. Footage obtained by NBC News shows Customs and Border Protection officers as well as El Paso city police in the streets outside a Catholic church shelter and bus station. A Border Patrol official told NBC News those arrested had not been previously apprehended by Border Patrol when they crossed over from Juarez, Mexico. Biden is expected to tout the plan, which also opens up more pathways for legal migration, in his visit to El Paso on Sunday.

☆ How 'Real Housewife' Jen Shah's fabulous life came crashing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Stephanie Clifford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +43 min

The woman wrote to the judge overseeing Shah's case that she'd had to remortgage her house, almost divorced, and "thought about ending my own life." The couple decided that he should get his degree while Jen Shah dropped out of college to work. (Shah told a judge at her 2022 plea hearing that she had been treated for "alcohol and depression" two years prior. Koa Johnson, Jen Shah's former fashion designerWhen Sharrieff Shah did participate in filming, he quickly became a fan favorite, calm and sensible. Once the show aired and Jen Shah developed a fan base, her behavior became more dramatic, Johnson said.

☆ Pope Benedict XVI Funeral: Pope Francis Presides Over Vatican Ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY— Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, in a solemn and grand ceremony, but one that didn’t focus on the deceased’s life or accomplishments. Francis’ homily was mostly a meditation on the last words of Jesus, from the Gospel reading earlier in the Mass. The pope mentioned Benedict only in a few remarks, recalling “the wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years.”

☆ Pope Francis Presides Over Funeral for Pope Benedict XVI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY— Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, in a solemn and grand ceremony, but one that did not focus on the deceased’s life or accomplishments. Francis’s homily was mostly a meditation on the last words of Jesus, from the Gospel reading earlier in the Mass. The pope mentioned Benedict only in a few remarks, recalling “the wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years.”

☆ Brigham Young University offensive lineman dies in construction accident
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HONOLULU — Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii, family members said. Veikoso, 22, died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed, his family confirmed. He was reliable and caring,” Veikoso’s cousin Joshua Kava said in a written statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Rescuers called them off because of the wall’s instability and manually removed rocks to free two of the men in about 15 minutes. After high school, Veikoso spent two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Manaus, Brazil, before enrolling in college.

☆ Former Pope Benedict was first pontiff to resign in 600 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

[1/3] Pope Benedict XVI blesses a baby as he rides around St Peter's Square to hold his last general audience at the Vatican February 27, 2013. REUTERS/Max Rossi/File PhotoVATICAN CITY, Dec 31 - Former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday aged 95, was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, leaving behind a Catholic Church battered by sexual abuse scandals, mired in mismanagement and polarised between conservatives and progressives. Benedict, the first German pope in 1,000 years, had good relations with his successor, Pope Francis, but his continued presence inside the Vatican after he stepped down in 2013 further polarised the Church ideologically. Although he said he would remain "hidden from the world", Benedict did not live up to that promise and in retirement sometimes caused controversy and confusion through his writings. Ganswein's role as a middleman between Benedict and the cardinal was unclear, with many believing he had misled Benedict, the cardinal, or both.

☆ Pope Emeritus Benedict in stable condition and participates in Mass
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“At present his condition is stationary.”On Wednesday, Pope Francis revealed that his 95-year-old predecessor was “very ill” and he went to see him in his home in the Vatican Gardens. Francis called for prayers for Benedict, resulting in an outpouring of messages of solidarity from rank-and-file Catholics and cardinals alike. On Friday evening, the cardinal vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, celebrated a special Mass for Benedict in St. John in Lateran Basilica. Referring to Benedict’s nearly 10 years in retirement from the papacy, De Donatis said that the pope emeritus “even in old age, and in illness, continues to sustain humanity totally offering oneself.”The pope emeritus was “in profound communion with Pope Francis,” the cardinal said. At the end of Mass, De Donatis said the faithful were entrusting “our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to the maternal care” of Jesus’ mother, “because she has promised to be near to her children in the moment of trial.”

Several Latinos whose lives and work left a profound imprint on American institutions — from arts and entertainment to legal and civil rights — passed away in 2022. Cavazos began his education in a two-room schoolhouse on the King Ranch in Texas, where his father was a foreman. President Reagan named Cavazos Secretary of Education in 1988, making him the first Hispanic ever to serve in the U.S. Together, “Luis” and Maria” showed young audiences that Latinos were people who worked, fell in love and were part of their community. Her goals were to give Latinos a presence in the dance world, and to instill pride in Hispanic culture.

☆ Pope says the world was suffering from 'a famine of peace' in Christmas message
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

“Let us see the faces of all those children who, everywhere in the world, long for peace,” he said, speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter Basilica, the same spot from which he first emerged as pope when he was elected on March 13, 2013. “Our time is experiencing a grave famine of peace...” he said. Francis called for a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, the place of Jesus’ birth. As many sat around “a well-spread table”, huge amounts of food daily go to waste and resources are spent on weapons, he said. He again condemned the use of food as a weapon of war, saying the war in Ukraine had put millions at risk of famine, mentioning Afghanistan and countries in the Horn of Africa.

☆ World is starving for peace, Pope Francis says in Christmas message
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis called for an end to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in his Christmas message on Sunday, saying the world was suffering from a "famine of peace". "Our time is experiencing a grave famine of peace..." he said. Francis called for a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, the place of Jesus' birth. As many sat around "a well-spread table", huge amounts of food daily go to waste and resources are spent on weapons, he said. He again condemned the use of food as a weapon of war, saying the war in Ukraine had put millions at risk of famine, mentioning Afghanistan and countries in the Horn of Africa.

☆ Christmas spirits lifted as Bethlehem rebounds from pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The biblical town of Bethlehem is gearing up for what residents hope will be a merry Christmas, with thousands of visitors expected to descend upon the traditional birthplace of Jesus as it rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic. Tourism is the economic lifeblood of this town in the occupied West Bank, and for the past two years, the pandemic kept international visitors away. “We are celebrating Christmas this year in a very much different way than last year,” said Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Maayah. Police were erecting barricades in Manger Square, as marching bands played drums and bagpipes. Still, present-day reality was visible at Manger Square as banners showing photos of Palestinian prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid were prominently displayed.

☆ A Wintry Twist on an Age-Old Tale
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Keith Christiansen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Unless you are a miserly curmudgeon, such as Charles Dickens imagined as the protagonist of his famous Christmas tale, the likelihood is that you have a favorite Old Master painting that depicts the birth of Jesus and his veneration by shepherds or those mysterious “wise men from the east.” These are among the most frequently painted subjects of Western art; illustrations of a story that has proved irresistible. Already by the second century, the account found in the Gospels had been fleshed out to create a narrative that resonated on multiple levels. On the one hand, there is the tale of a pious, 12-year-old girl whose virginal state is entrusted to an old widower, Joseph—a carpenter by profession—who is shocked when he discovers she is pregnant and considers what action he should take to avoid the disgrace that will inevitably follow.

☆ George Santos, newly elected New York Republican, accused of lying about being Jewish
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

George Santos may have lied about having Jewish heritage, according to a report published Wednesday. Santos is a Republican from Long Island who was elected this past November. The Forward, a Jewish publication, found no evidence his grandparents were Jewish, as he'd claimed. But while Santos can in fact trace his family tree back to Brazil, The Forward, a Jewish publication, found no evidence to support the claim any of his ancestors were Jewish. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, called on Santos to address the latest controversy.

☆ Signs of Salome, said to be nurse to baby Jesus, unearthed in Israel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Dedi Hayoun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Religious imageries left by visitors are seen in an alcove in the wall of a cave that, according to The Israel Antiquities Authority is the 2000-year-old burial cave of Jesus' midwife, Salome in the Lachish Forest in Israel December 20, 2022. REUTERS/Ammar AwadLACHISH FOREST, Israel Dec 20 (Reuters) - Excavations of a cave reputed to be the burial place of Salome, said in non-canonical scripture to have been nurse to the newborn Jesus, have found more signs it was both an important Jewish tomb and a Christian pilgrimage site, archaelogists say. Stricken in one arm, she cradles the baby, proclaims him "a great king ... born unto Israel," and is cured. The site, about 35 km (22 miles) southwest of Bethlehem, has been known for generations as the Cave of Salome. Earlier excavations located Jewish relics "but the surprise was the adaptation of the cave into a Christian chapel," the IAA said.

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