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☆ GOP megadonor Harlan Crow paid for Clarence Thomas to send a child in his custody to a $6,000-a-month private boarding school: ProPublica
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sent a child in his custody to a private boarding school. GOP megadonor Harlan Crow paid at least some of the child's $6,000-a-month tuition, per ProPublica. Tuition at the Hidden Lake Academy cost more than $6,000 a month, but ProPublica reported that Thomas did not pay for Martin's education himself. A former administrator at the school, Christopher Grimwood, told ProPublica that Crow covered the costs of Martin's entire education at the school — about a year. If Crow had paid for Martin's education at both schools over a period of four years, he would have spent more than $150,000, ProPublica said.

Coronations at Westminster Abbey go back almost one thousand years. Like Charles III, William had his coronation at Westminster Abbey. Gross says coronation blunders do not become truly significant for monarchs until their reign starts to go wrong. A “beautiful and symbolic” silver cross containing a piece of the so-called True Cross will lead King Charles’ coronation procession in London next month. Meanwhile, gun salutes will sound from military bases and ships at sea to mark the moment Charles is crowned King.

☆ The white-gold, black-blue dress controversy raised scientific questions about visual perception, but the way our eyes and brains work explain the illusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Dina Spector | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Depending on whom you ask, this dress might be black and blue or white and gold. Some people saw a blue and black dress, while others saw a white and gold dress. It makes the blue part look white and the black part look gold. In other words, our individual sensitivity to the blue background lighting of the photo is changing how we see the object in the image. The blue bars are the same at the top, bottom, and middle but appear to change color (look darker) as your eyes move down the figure.

☆ How the Allman Brothers Band Helped Make Jimmy Carter President
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Alan Paul | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

News that Jimmy Carter , 98, has entered hospice care sparked an outpouring of appreciation and admiration from many corners, including the fans and surviving members of the Allman Brothers Band. The group played a crucial role in his bid for the 1976 Democratic nomination and then the presidency. “The Allman Brothers helped put me in the White House by raising money when I didn’t have any,” Mr. Carter said in the documentary film “Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President.”As the then-governor of Georgia began his presidential campaign in early 1974, the Macon, Ga.-based band was the most popular act in the nation, riding high on their hit album “Brothers and Sisters” and its smash single “Ramblin’ Man.” The band’s co-frontman Gregg Allman was emerging as a national celebrity, a status sealed by his 1975 marriage to Cher.

"If that (further revelations from Kohrs) occurs, then the question will be, do they have to start the grand jury process from scratch? The special grand jury heard testimony behind closed doors including from Trump allies such as Republican U.S. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney steering the investigation, must decide whether to bring the panel's charging recommendations to a regular grand jury. "There still has to be an independent assessment by the district attorney and a subsequent grand jury who hands up the indictment," Weinstein said. "Any grand jury in Fulton County is going to have a huge diversity of viewpoints, politics and backgrounds," Cooke said.

☆ Disney needs to show investors it has a plan to make streaming profitable — and stop hemorrhaging money
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Disney's direct-to-consumer unit, which includes streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, has yet to reach profitability — losing nearly $1.5 billion last quarter. Those loses spurred Disney's board to push out then-CEO Bob Chapek and bring Iger back to the top job. In 2021 Disney spent $25 billion to produce original content, and the following year expanded its budget to $33 billion. Similarly, Macquarie's Nollen said Disney's advertising-based subscription tier for Disney+ is "a lever Disney can pull to raise revenue." "Lots of angry people ask me why I support Nelson Peltz for the Disney board, and I give a simple answer: What has this board done for its shareholders other than wipe out more shareholder money?"

☆ Matt Schlapp slapped with a lawsuit after an allegation of fondling a GOP operative
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In an interview with NBC News earlier this month, the operative said Schlapp invited him to meet at an Atlanta bar. As the operative drove Schlapp to a hotel near the Atlanta airport at the end of the night, Schlapp put his hand on operative's leg, the operative said. Eventually, the operative said in a video he recorded later that night, Schlapp "grabbed my junk and pummeled it at length." When Schlapp texted to say he was in the lobby ready to be driven, the operative replied with language suggested by campaign officials. I would appreciate it,” Schlapp texted, according to the suit.

☆ Conservative leader Matt Schlapp is accused of fondling a male campaign staffer in Georgia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

"He reached in between my legs and fondled me," the former Walker staffer told NBC News in a telephone interview Thursday night. Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, is married to former Trump White House aide Mercedes Schlapp. A senior official on the Walker campaign confirmed that the aide shared the allegation with his supervisors at the time. "The whole thing makes me physically ill," said the senior Walker campaign official. Both the staffer and the senior campaign official said the Walker campaign made legal counsel available to the staffer to discuss his legal options and indicated the campaign would support whatever decision he made.

Dean Baldwin Painting is a 57-year-old aircraft painting company based in Macon, Georgia. The Federal Aviation Administration sets the safety standards for aircraft paint, and throughout the entire painting process, the plane is continually inspected to ensure those standards are being met. Painting typically involves four to five layers but only tends to be as thick as a fraction of a millimeter. Those layers include an anti-corrosion primer, protective intermediate layers and a final outer layer, which is typically white. The global commercial aviation aircraft paint market was estimated at nearly $18.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to a $65 billion market by 2027.

☆ How United, Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines paint their planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jade Tungul | Tala Hadavi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy the aircraft paint industry is worth $18 billionThe average cost to paint a commercial airliner falls between $175,000 to $200,000, according to Dean Baldwin Painting, a 57-year-old aircraft painting company based in Macon, Ga. It services some of the world's biggest airlines, such as United, Delta and JetBlue. The painting process involves over 90 gallons of paint and multiple engineers and painters. The global commercial aviation aircraft paint market was estimated at $18.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $65 billion by 2027.

Mortgage borrowing limits are the same in all Alabama counties. Mortgage borrowing limits in Alabama are the same in every county in 2022: $726,200 for conforming mortgages and $472,030 for FHA mortgages. How do mortgage borrowing limits work? If you want to buy a home that costs more than the conforming mortgage limit in your county, you'll need to get a jumbo mortgage. Alabama borrowing limits in 2023 by countyCounty Conforming mortgage limit (single-family home) FHA mortgage limit (single-family home) Autauga $726,200 $472,030 Baldwin $726,200 $472,030 Barbour $726,200 $472,030 Bibb $726,200 $472,030 Blount $726,200 $472,030 Bullock $726,200 $472,030 Butler $726,200 $472,030 Calhoun $726,200 $472,030 Chambers $726,200 $472,030 Cherokee $726,200 $472,030 Chilton $726,200 $472,030 Choctaw $726,200 $472,030 Clarke $726,200 $472,030 Clay $726,200 $472,030 Cleburne $726,200 $472,030 Coffee $726,200 $472,030 Colbert $726,200 $472,030 Conecuh $726,200 $472,030 Coosa $726,200 $472,030 Covington $726,200 $472,030 Crenshaw $726,200 $472,030 Cullman $726,200 $472,030 Dale $726,200 $472,030 Dallas $726,200 $472,030 DeKalb $726,200 $472,030 Elmore $726,200 $472,030 Escambia $726,200 $472,030 Etowah $726,200 $472,030 Fayette $726,200 $472,030 Franklin $726,200 $472,030 Geneva $726,200 $472,030 Greene $726,200 $472,030 Hale $726,200 $472,030 Henry $726,200 $472,030 Houston $726,200 $472,030 Jackson $726,200 $472,030 Jefferson $726,200 $472,030 Lamar $726,200 $472,030 Lauderdale $726,200 $472,030 Lawrence $726,200 $472,030 Lee $726,200 $472,030 Limeston $726,200 $472,030 Lowndes $726,200 $472,030 Macon $726,200 $472,030 Madison $726,200 $472,030 Marengo $726,200 $472,030 Marion $726,200 $472,030 Marshall $726,200 $472,030 Mobile $726,200 $472,030 Monroe $726,200 $472,030 Montgomery $726,200 $472,030 Morgan $726,200 $472,030 Perry $726,200 $472,030 Pickens $726,200 $472,030 Pike $726,200 $472,030 Randolph $726,200 $472,030 Russell $726,200 $472,030 St. Clair $726,200 $472,030 Shelby $726,200 $472,030 Sumter $726,200 $472,030 Talladega $726,200 $472,030 Tallapoosa $726,200 $472,030 Tuscaloosa $726,200 $472,030 Walker $726,200 $472,030 Washington $726,200 $472,030 Wilcox $726,200 $472,030 Winston $726,200 $472,030Note: In every county in Alabama, if you want to borrow more than the baseline loan limit of $726,200, you'll need to get a jumbo mortgage.

Millions of people in the South and the Southeast are at risk of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and flash floods Tuesday and Wednesday, while a messy winter storm is expected to hit the Midwest and a separate storm slams California later this week. Threats of severe thunderstorms, flash floodsAs many as 20 million people from southeast Louisiana to south-central Alabama are at risk for severe thunderstorms Tuesday that could bring damaging wind gusts, large hail and some strong tornadoes, classified as having winds of more than 111 mph. The thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day and last into the overnight hours. In addition to the severe thunderstorms, flash flooding will also be a threat. St. Louis could see a high in the early 70s Tuesday before expected highs plunge to the high-30s and the mid-40s the rest of the week.

☆ Conservatives vying to derail Kevin McCarthy's speaker bid may not be able to stop him. But forcing multiple votes — the record is 133 — could still make for a historic fight.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kevin McCarthy is working to clinch the votes needed to become House speaker in 2023. Around a dozen House Republicans currently have issues with giving him the job. Should getting a promotion require more than five dozen ballots, McCarthy would move into Howell Cobb territory (63 ballots; 1849). In order to push McCarthy past Banks in terms of all-time ballots, blockers would have to keep McCarthy at bay at least 134 times. "We may see the cherry blossoms before we have a Speaker," the Trump-aligned Floridian said, citing DC's seasonal spectacle.

☆ Mark Meadows won't face voter fraud charges in North Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

RALEIGH, N.C. — Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff to President Donald Trump, won’t face voter fraud charges related to his 2020 registration and absentee vote in North Carolina, the state’s attorney general announced Friday. Meadows drew the attention of government attorneys when details that he was simultaneously registered to vote in North Carolina and two other states surfaced. Meadows cast a North Carolina absentee ballot by mail for the November general election, when Trump won the battleground state by just over 1 percentage point. Meadows began arousing public suspicion of widespread voter fraud leading up to the 2020 general election as the polls showed Trump trailing President Joe Biden. Election officials from both parties, as well as judges and Trump’s own attorney general, concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

☆ Don't despair, here are five US counties where homeownership won't cost you more than 15% of your paycheck
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cambria County, PennsylvaniaPercent of wages needed to afford a home: 14.1%Typical annual wage: $44,746Typical mortgage payment per month: $5254. St. Lawrence County, New YorkPercent of wages needed to afford a home: 13.6%Typical annual wage: $55,172Typical mortgage payment per month: $6233. Peoria County, IllinoisPercent of wages needed to afford a home: 13.5%Typical annual wage: $69,238Typical mortgage payment per month: $7802. Schuylkill County PennsylvaniaPercent of wages needed to afford a home: 12.8%Typical annual wage: $50,336Typical mortgage payment per month: $5361. Macon County, IllinoisPercent of wages needed to afford a home: 12%Typical annual wage: $62,686Typical mortgage payment per month: $625

☆ Will 'Emancipation' set Will Smith free from 'the slap?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Three things to watch‘Emancipation’Will Smith (center) in a scene from "Emancipation." Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next decade, but he is still eligible for nominations. ‘Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?’Idina Menzel attends the American Music Awards on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles. A Boogie wit da Hoodie performs at the Rolling Loud Los Angeles festival on December 15, 2019 in Los Angeles. Something to sip onNick Cannon attends an event at the GRAMMY Museum on June 25 in Los Angeles.

Three people close to FTX and Bankman-Fried told CNBC that the former CEO lobbied aggressively for a partnership with 11-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift. Bankman-Fried's commitment to getting the Swift deal done despite the deteriorating business environment fit a pattern of ignoring his lieutenants and going it alone, a half-dozen former company insiders and business partners said. The Financial Times reported earlier that FTX held talks with Swift about a potential sponsorship. Part of the Swift deal would have included the production by the singer of a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or digital items that can rise and fall in value. Beyond that, there was a lack of clarity over what Swift would be doing for the company, sources said.

Both have highlighted policies that limit health care access in Georgia, such as its new six-week abortion ban and a decision by Republican Gov. Georgians have witnessed health services dwindle before and during the pandemic, straining the state’s medical system even as regional health care costs rise. Nearly half of Georgia’s 159 counties have no OB-GYN, according to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce. Some see the shutdowns as exacerbating racial disparities in health care access in Atlanta, where a 2018 Trulia analysis found 25.3 health care providers per 10,000 residents in the city’s majority-white census tracts, compared with 9.8 in majority-Black tracts. “I’m looking at somebody that is going to be for the community,” she says, “that’s going to help us with the health care — bring it closer to us.”

☆ Rep. Sanford Bishop faces off against Republican Chris West in Georgia's 2nd Congressional District election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Sanford Bishop is running against Republican Chris West in Georgia's 2nd Congressional District. The 2nd District encompasses Georgia's southwestern corner, including Albany. Georgia's longest serving congressman, Rep. Sanford Bishop, looks to fend off Republican Chris West in Georgia's 2nd Congressional District. Georgia's 2nd Congressional District candidatesBishop, first elected to Congress in 1992, hasn't faced much competition in the past. Voting history for Georgia's 2nd Congressional DistrictGeorgia's 2nd Congressional District encompasses Georgia's southwestern corner, including Albany and parts of Macon, Columbus, and Warner Robins.

☆ Capital One cardholders can get early access to Taylor Swift concert tickets — here are the best cards to consider if you want to get in on the presale
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Jasmin Baron | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

The other method is far more simple: If you have a Capital One credit card or debit card, you're eligible for Taylor Swift presale tickets. Cardholders will get access to Capital One's Taylor Swift presale on November 15, 2022, at 2 p.m. local venue time. It's not too late to apply for a Capital One credit card before tickets go on sale. Capital One credit cards for Taylor Swift presale ticketsCapital One issues dozens of credit cards — from high-end premium travel cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, to cards for folks just starting out with credit like the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. Read our Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card review to learn more.

☆ Insider asked 38 Republicans whether they're concerned about growing anti-Semitic sentiments in their party. Their responses included silence, deflection, and rehashing old statements.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Insider reached out to House Republican leaders, GOP senators auditioning for the 2024 presidential race, the Republican National Committee, retired GOP lawmakers, seasoned Republican strategists and former Donald Trump administration officials about this disturbing phenomenon. The non-respondents included RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, former Vice President Mike Pence, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Rick Scott, House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik, Florida Gov. Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, lashed out at West, Trump and House Republican "idiots" cheering on their reprehensible behavior. "You can say that his particular words in this particular case are not antisemitic," Rosen said Tuesday during Commentary's daily podcast. Nor have they convinced House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan to quit hailing West and Trump as personal heroes.

☆ A man tried to give Herschel Walker a pack of condoms on stage amid the ultra-conservative Senate candidate's abortion scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A man tried to give Georgia senatorial candidate Herschel Walker several packs of condoms on stage. Walker is running on an ultra-conservative platform and supports banning abortion with no exceptions. Walker has come under the spotlight for his history with fathering children and an abortion scandal. The Good Liars referenced the prank on Twitter, writing: "We tried to give Herschel Walker condoms today (for obvious reasons)." Walker often publicly praises his relationship with his 22-year-old son, Christian Walker.

☆ Danaher shares slide after knockout quarter. Here's why it's a buying opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

That trend is expected to continue and result in high-single-digit core revenue growth for the bioprocessing business for the full year. Driving the gains was 30% core revenue growth at Cepheid as the businesses respiratory testing revenue of about $875 million exceeded management's expectations of roughly $325 million. Guidance Management expects overall core revenue growth to be flat to down low-single-digits for the fourth quarter. For the full year 2022, management continues to forecast base business core revenue growth in the high-single-digit percent range. That's better than the 5.9% full-year core revenue growth expected on the Street.

☆ Herschel Walker tries to turn 'prop' badge controversy into campaign gold
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

And Walker’s campaign told NBC News that it has ordered 1,000 imitation plastic law enforcement badges that say “I’m with Herschel” as a fundraising tool. “Herschel Walker has been a friend to law enforcement and has a record of honoring police,” said Gail Gitcho, the Walker campaign strategist who ordered the badges Saturday. "It just gives us a chance to talk about Herschel’s support of law enforcement and law enforcement's support for him. If he said, ‘I’m a law enforcement officer and I have these powers,’ then I have a problem with that. Asked whether he had a problem with Walker’s flashing the honorary badge onstage, Wilcher said: “No.

☆ Warnock leads Walker, but Georgia Senate race is unchanged after abortion payment allegation, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, speaks during a 'Working for Georgia' campaign rally in Macon, Georgia, on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Walker's rival, Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, still leads by seven percentage points, 52% to 45%, according to Quinnipiac University's latest poll of likely voters in Georgia. That spread is virtually unchanged from last month, when the pollster found Warnock led Walker 52% to 46%. "She's lying," Walker told ABC of the woman's abortion claims. Quinnipiac's latest poll surveyed 1,157 likely Georgia voters between last Friday and Monday, days after the abortion scandal broke.

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