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"Heavy rain is expected to continue through at least this afternoon, so please continue to stay weather aware,” Mississippi Gov. Jeff Landry was touring the hardest-hit areas across his state, while officials in New Orleans urged residents to conserve drinking water. The aftermath of a deluge from Hurricane Francine in Metairie, La., in Jefferson Parish, last night. The low-lying city was quickly deluged, with 7.33 inches of rain reported at New Orleans International Airport. In Lafourche Parish in southern Louisiana, 26 people trapped by rising floodwaters were rescued, local officials said.

Persons: Hurricane Francine, Tate Reeves, Jeff Landry, Miles Crawford, Crawford, Jonah Gilmore, “, ” Crawford, Francine, Matthew Hinton, Cynthia Lee Sheng Organizations: National Hurricane Center, Louisiana Gov, NBC, University Medical Center, Associated Press, New Orleans International Locations: Florida, New Orleans, Memphis , Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Jackson , Mississippi, Birmingham , Alabama, Memphis, Atlanta, Mississippi, WDSU, Terrebonne Parish, Metairie, La, Jefferson Parish, Kenner, Jefferson, Lafourche Parish

☆ Collectible toy market: This vintage action figure set a record at auction
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The Rocket-Firing Boba Fett action figure, modeled after the “Star Wars” bounty hunter, was purchased in Dallas by an anonymous buyer for $525,000, Heritage Auctions announced last Monday. Dolls are for girls, action figures are for boysUnlike fine art or sports memorabilia, the collectible action figure market is only a handful of decades old because action figures have only been around since the mid-1960s. “The first action figure was G.I. He recounted how Hasbro executive Don Levine coined the term “action figure” as a marketing tool, because “we can’t call these dolls. Caravoulias recalls laying in bed as a kid in 1985 and wishing he could buy a $5 Rambo II action figure.

Persons: Boba, Barbie, ”, Justin Caravoulias, Joe, Boba Fett, Fett, Kenner, Brian Rachfal, “, Don Levine, ’, “ Nobody, Caravoulias, Price, Tom Derby, Darth Vader, It’s, Rambo, Rachfal, —, Paul Arnold, Arnold, Gary C, Knapp, they’re, ” Caravoulias, Circana, ” “ Barbie, ” James Zahn Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, Heritage Auctions, Heritage, Kenner, Hasbro, CNN, Derby, ‘ Power Rangers Locations: New York, United States, Dallas, American, Virginia Beach, Va

☆ International Disney parks target U.S. customers with American influencers and bloggers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Kat Tenbarge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As they were originally conceived, Disney's international parks were meant to "bring the unforgettable Disney magic to an international audience," according to the company. While the international parks themselves have always taken steps to accommodate diverse audiences — providing shows and attractions in multiple languages — Disney appears to be marketing the international parks to American audiences in more direct ways. In addition to the content creator efforts, Disney has begun to include its international parks in its own content consumed by Americans. In the Disney+ show "Behind the Attraction," which premiered in 2021, numerous variations on American rides at international parks were discussed and digested for American audiences. Disney creators around the world grew their followings, and demand for content from international Disney parks rose alongside them.

Persons: Peter Pan, Disney, Quincy Stanford, AllEars, Stanford, Emma Kenner, Kenner, Taylor Swift, Rolling Stone Organizations: Disney, Tokyo Disney, YouTube, Disney Parks, NBC, Tokyo Disneyland, Magic, Tokyo Disney Resort, Stanford, Walt Disney Co, Paris La Défense, Rolling, Swift Locations: China, Japan, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, U.S, California, Florida, Tokyo ., Paris

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent defense attorney whose star clients have included Snoop Dogg pleaded guilty Friday to leaking grand jury information to reporters about a political conspiracy case against a rapper from the Fugees. Michel's trial included testimony from such figures as actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Kenner’s attorney said in court documents that the reporters originally agreed to sign a protective order, but later changed their minds. L. Barrett Boss, one of the defense attorneys, said Kenner was planning to retire after Michel’s trial. But Boss said Kenner is “very strained financially” because he spent $1.4 million “out of pocket” on Michel’s defense.

Persons: Snoop Dogg, David Kenner, Suge Knight, Tory Lanez, Kenner, ” Michel, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Sessions, ” Kenner, Michel, Peter Zeidenberg, Kenner misattributing, Diddy, Judge Amit Mehta, Mehta, Barrett Boss, Boss, Pras Michel, Erica Dumas, Barack Obama’s, Trump, DiCaprio, Jho, _____ Whitehurst Organizations: WASHINGTON, Bloomberg News, U.S, Bloomberg, Kenner, Justice Department, Hollywood Locations: California, Washington, U.S, Malaysian, China, Philadelphia

☆ Opinion | College Is Undergoing a Revolution. It’s Happening Behind Bars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Max Kenner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

If you’re confused about why Congress would remove education from departments of “correction,” you’re not alone. New York has an extraordinary, diverse network of partnerships that replicates the diversity of college across the state. And, inspired by Catholic mission, Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame, Boston College and Villanova have led the way in their red, blue and purple home states. Incarcerated students majoring in history or literature all write original senior theses that are typically 100 pages in length. Pell Grants, which average less than $4,500, never covered the cost even for modest programs.

Persons: Koch, Obama, Donald Trump, you’re, Pell Organizations: RAND Corporation ., College, Soros, Holy Cross College, University of Notre Dame, Boston College, Villanova, Bard, Union, Cambridge, Morehouse, Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Cornell, Georgetown Locations: North Carolina , Ohio, Texas, California, New Jersey, New York, N.Y.U, York

(AP) — New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas is facing simple battery and criminal mischief charges following a confrontation with a construction worker, police said Saturday. Thomas, 30, was arrested without incident Friday night, was cooperative with investigators and was released later that night, Kenner police Lt. Mark McCormick said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Saturday because the team has not publicly discussed Thomas' status for the game. Police say the incident occured in front of a home under construction near Thomas' home. In 2019, Thomas set an NFL record for catches in a season with 149.

Persons: KENNER, Michael Thomas, Thomas, Mark McCormick, “, ” Thomas, ___ Organizations: — New, — New Orleans Saints, Kenner, Saints, Vikings, Associated Press, Police Locations: La, — New Orleans, Minnesota, New Orleans

What happened next was a state Supreme Court election in Pennsylvania unlike any other. Such high-stakes, high-spending partisan campaigns could become standard for judicial elections in Pennsylvania, a premier presidential battleground state where the state Supreme Court has issued pivotal decisions on major election-related cases in recent years. Democrats had held a 5-2 majority on Pennsylvania's Supreme Court before Chief Justice Max Baer died last year. Democrats and their allies learned a hard lesson in Pennsylvania's 2021 race for Supreme Court, when Republicans outspent Democrats by more than $1 million. Based on reports filed thus far to the state, McCaffery and Democratic allies spent more than $13 million, compared to more than $8 million by Carluccio and her allies.

Persons: Dan McCaffery, Carolyn Carluccio, Donald Trump, that’s, ”, Shanin Specter, ” McCaffery, Roe, Wade, Max Baer, Republican Kevin Brobson, Carluccio, Jeffrey Yass —, ” Specter, Eric Stern, Matthew Brouillette, ” Brouillette, “, ” Kadida Kenner, McCaffery, ” Kenner, Marc Levy Organizations: Republican, Association, U.S, Democratic, Pennsylvania's, Supreme, Republicans outspent, Democratic Party, Democrats, New Pennsylvania Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, U.S ., Wisconsin, Allegheny County

☆ Fugees rapper Pras Michel's ex-lawyer botched his fraud trial by using AI for closing arguments, his new legal team says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

David Kenner, an attorney known for representing Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, and Snoop Dogg, ran Michel's defense for the trial. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut Michel's new lawyers, a legal team from ArentFox Schiff, now say Kenner botched the defense by using an "experimental artificial intelligence program" to draft his closing arguments. "Michel never had a chance," the ArentFox Schiff team wrote, adding that Michel's legal defense was "deficient throughout." Michel's lawyers said his former publicist told them about Kenner using EyeLevel.AI to write the closing arguments. Kenner and the ArentFox Schiff team did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Pras Michel, David Kenner, Kenner, —, Michel, Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, ArentFox Schiff, Schiff, EyeLevel.AI Organizations: Service, Suge, Kenner, Kenner Law, Daily Locations: Malaysian, EyeLevel.AI, Encino , California, New York City, EyeLevel

The arguments in the Michel case could preview issues to come as the technology makes a rapid advance. “We think AI technology is gong to completely revolutionize the legal field by making it faster and cheaper to get complex answers to legal questions and research,” Katz said. “At bottom, the AI program failed Kenner, and Kenner failed Michel. Using it for closing arguments is complicated because of the many factors that develop over the course of a trial, he said. Generative AI, meanwhile, also sometimes produces “hallucinations,” statements that initially read as if they are accurate but are not.

Persons: ” Michel, Michel, David Kenner, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, Kenner, Diddy, Peter Zeidenberg, It's, Neil Katz, “, ” Katz, Sharon Nelson, “ It's, ”, Zeidenberg, Barack Obama’s, Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Sessions, John Villasenor Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Associated Press, Sensei Enterprises, Justice Department, U.S, University of California, American Bar Association Locations: Malaysian, China, Los Angeles

☆ The Forgotten Teenage Trailblazer of Women’s Tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Ginia Bellafante | More About Ginia Bellafante | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In practice sessions, Ms. Graber had beat two boys who made the team. Ms. Graber joined the team, where by her own admission, she was not the best player but could still claim many wins. At Cornell, where Ms. Graber played on the women’s tennis team, she met another woman who had also secured a position on a boys’ team. Between 1970 and 1972, the number of high school girls participating in team sports increased from 300,000 to 800,000. “I had a gradual awakening based on what I encountered in school, in Ms. magazine, in what was happening in the world around me,” Ms. Graber Jensen told me.

Persons: Ira Glasser, Graber, —, Phyllis Graber, Phyllis Graber Jensen, Holmes Norton, “, ” Ms, Graber Jensen, ”, Phyllis, Rob Goldberg, Dusty, Goldberg Organizations: American Civil Liberties Union, Education, Bates College, Cornell, tennis, Kenner Locations: Maine

☆ Fact Check-Louisiana video of electrical explosions not ‘direct energy attack’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video from 2018 of electrical explosions in Louisiana is being shared online as footage showing a “direct energy attack”. Direct energy weapons (DEW) are an emerging technology that uses concentrated electromagnetic energy to combat enemy forces and assets. People have claimed online that June 2023 wildfires in Canada, and August fires in Hawaii were caused by direct energy weapons. In another instance, social media users claimed a 2018 video of electrical explosions in Louisiana was evidence of DEWs in use in Hawaii (see Facebook users here), (here) and users on X, formerly known as Twitter, (here) (here). The video shows electrical explosions, not a “direct energy attack”, in Louisiana in 2018.

Persons: Kenner, Read Organizations: U.S . Department of Defense, Reuters, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Louisiana, Canada, Hawaii, Kenner , Louisiana, Local, West, Big

☆ These are the states in America that are the least prepared for extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Some states are in good shape to handle whatever the climate throws at them, but these are the states most at risk. 2023 Infrastructure score: 228 out of 390 points (Top States grade: B) Climate Extremes Index: 21.16% Properties at risk: 45.2% Renewable energy: 10.6%9. 2023 Infrastructure score: 165 out of 390 points (Top States grade: D) Climate Extremes Index: 8.7% Properties at risk: 2.8% Renewable energy: 12%8. Connecticut is home to the nation's first "green bank," which uses public dollars to leverage private investment in renewable energy. 2023 Infrastructure score: 227 out of 390 points (Top States grade: B) Climate Extremes Index: 21.16% Properties at risk: 61% Renewable energy: 12.5%1.

Persons: Jeremy Porter, York Snow, Joed Viera, Kelly Giddens, Daniel Hinton, Jessica Mcgowan, wades, Tim Boyle, Tony Evers, Scott Olson, Josh Edelson, Gavin Newsom, —, Marcellus, Tom Wolf, Josh Shapiro, Ida, Brendan McDermid, Hurricane Ida, Richard Bunting, Alex Hamilton, Hurricane Irene, Mark Wilson, Joe Biden's, Ted Shaffrey, Hurricane Nicole, Paul Hennessy, Marco Bello Organizations: Street Foundation, CNBC, Business, First, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, U.S, Department of Energy, Afp, Getty, National Weather Service, Micron Technology, Alabama, University of Alabama, Illinois —, Badger State, Gov, Carolina, Carolinas, AFP, EQT Corp, Bloomberg, Reuters, Garden, State, Anadolu Agency, Sunshine State, Farmers Insurance, AAA Locations: States, York, Buffalo , New York, Empire, New York, Syracuse, Alabama TUSCALOOSA, AL, Cedar, Tuscaloosa , Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Gulf, Wisconsin, Prairie du Chien , WI, Hurricane, Charleston , South Carolina, Florida, Georgetown , South Carolina, South Carolina, California, Oroville, Oroville , California, , California, Pennsylvania, Washington Township , Pennsylvania, U.S, Jersey, Oakwood, Elizabeth , New Jersey, Garden State , New Jersey, New Jersey, Delaware, Lewes , Delaware, Rhode, Connecticut, New Haven , Connecticut, Wilbur, , Florida, Louisiana, Kenner , Louisiana

☆ Hertz apologizes after refusing rental to Puerto Rican
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Maria Santana | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hertz has apologized to a Puerto Rican customer after one of its employees refused to rent him a car he had paid for in advance because he did not show her his passport. Humberto Marchand said that he traveled to New Orleans last Wednesday and presented his Puerto Rican driver’s license at the Hertz counter at the Louie Armstrong International Airport. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, and anyone born on the island is by law a US citizen. In a statement to CNN, Hertz (HTZ) said that the company accepts Puerto Rican driver’s licenses from customers renting in the United States without requiring a valid passport. It is not clear if Hertz took any disciplinary action against the employee, however, the company said that this employee, like all their employees, has been reminded of their longstanding policy related to Puerto Rican driver’s licenses.

☆ Fugees rapper Pras Michel was 'willing to break any laws necessary to get paid' in alleged international fraud scheme, prosecutor said
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The conspiracy and fraud trial of American rapper Pras Michel kicked off on Thursday. Prosecutors alleged that Michel was involved in an international scheme to influence the US government. Michel is accused of working with Malaysian businessman and fugitive Jho Low. "Low had money to burn and the defendant was willing to cash in at any turn," Lockhart said. McMaster, casino mogul Steve Wynn, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the 2013 film "The Wolf Of Wall Street" that Low helped fund.

☆ Midterm elections live updates: Pennsylvania races, New Hampshire Senate race too early to call
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Brandy Zadrozny | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Sahil-Kapur-Headshot.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +109 min

Share this -Link copiedWisconsin Senate and governor's races too early to call It is too early to call the Senate and gubernatorial races in Wisconsin, according to NBC News. Share this -Link copiedNew Hampshire Senate race too early to call The Senate race in New Hampshire is too early to call, according to NBC News. Share this -Link copiedPennsylvania Senate and governor races are too early to call After polls closed at 8 p.m. While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. According to the poll, 46% of voters said their family’s financial situation is worse than it was two years ago. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

By the end of Election Day, approximately 21,000 total interviews will be conducted. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said. Share this -Link copiedSunny weather in most battleground states on Election Day It’s a bright and sunny Election Day in many battleground states!

How the midterm election outcome could impact Biden's agenda Nov. 8, 2022 02:02 Read the full story here. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said. Share this -Link copiedSunny weather in most battleground states on Election Day It’s a bright and sunny Election Day in many battleground states!

Find out what your state provides for first-time homebuyers:Programs in the NortheastConnecticutThe Connecticut Housing Finance Authority gives loans for down payment assistance. Programs in the SoutheastAlabamaThe Alabama Housing Finance Association has down payment assistance programs for low-to-moderate income earners, and a tax credit program that can be combined with down payment assistance. If you're buying a home in Louisville, you might qualify for a down payment assistance loan from the local government. WashingtonThe Washington State Housing Finance Commission has several down payment assistance programs that will loan you up to $10,000. The lender is also the one who will approve and process any applications for down payment assistance, closing cost assistance, or tax credits.

Persons: you've, you'll, Massachusetts MassHousing, SONYMA, There's, Kenner, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Louis County, haven't Organizations: Northeast, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Housing Development Fund, Housing Authority, Maine MaineHousing, New Hampshire New Hampshire Housing, New, New Hampshire Housing, New Jersey Housing, Mortgage Finance Agency, New York Mortgage Agency, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority, Housing Network of, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Southeast, Alabama Housing Finance Association, Arkansas, Finance Authority, of Columbia, Washington DC, DC Housing Finance Agency, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Georgia, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, . Kentucky, Kentucky Housing Corporation, Louisiana Housing Corporation, Maryland Department of Housing, Community Development, Baltimore City . Mississippi The Mississippi Home Corporation, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, South Carolina Housing, South, Tennessee Housing, Agency, Virginia Virginia Housing, Virginia Department of Housing, West, West Virginia The West, West Virginia The West Virginia Housing, Fund, Midwest Illinois, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, Illinois Housing, Authority, Indiana, Indiana Housing, Community Development Authority, Iowa Finance Authority, Kansas Kansas Housing, Housing Development Authority, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Missouri Housing Development Commission, Community Action Agency of St, Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, South Dakota Housing Development Authority, Wisconsin Housing, Economic Development Authority, Southwest Arizona The, Southwest Arizona The Arizona Industrial Development Authority, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, Texas The, Affordable Housing Corporation, Texas Department of Housing, Community Affairs, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Financial Agency, Southern, Southern California Home, Colorado Housing, Finance, Aurora, Hawaii Housing Finance, Development Corporation . Idaho, Idaho Housing, Finance Association, Montana Montana Housing, Nevada Housing Division, Oregon, Oregon Oregon Housing, Community Services, Utah Housing Corporation . Washington, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Wyoming Community Development Authority, FHA Locations: Northeast Connecticut, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire New Hampshire, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Trenton, New York The State, Pennsylvania, Centre County, Rhode, Housing Network of Rhode Island, Vermont, Southeast Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, Florida, Georgia, Gwinnett County, Kentucky, Louisville, Louisiana, New Orleans, Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore City . Mississippi, North Carolina, Carolina, South Carolina, Lexington, Tennessee, Virginia Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia The West Virginia, Illinois, Indianapolis, Iowa, Kansas Kansas, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Louis, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Southwest Arizona The Arizona, Mexico, Oklahoma City, Texas, Texas The Texas, West Alaska, Alaska, California, Southern California, Los Angeles County, Orange County . Colorado, Colorado, Aurora, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana Montana, Nevada, Oregon Oregon, Utah, Wyoming

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