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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried testifies at his fraud trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried began testifying at his fraud trial on Friday, saying the innovative business he hoped would move the cryptocurrency ecosystem forward ended up doing the opposite and hurting customers.The onetime cryptocurrency golden boy lost his businesses and his reputation as a pioneering entrepreneur in an emerging facet of finance when a rush of customers withdrew their money last year, exposing that billions of dollars were missing.Bankman-Fried, 31, acknowledged some of his failures early in his testimony, saying he made mistakes, large and small.“We thought we might be able to build the best product on the market,” he said.The goal was to move the cryptocurrency ecosystem forward, he added.“It turned out basically the opposite of that,” and a lot of customers and others got hurt, Bankman-Fried said. Asked by his lawyer, Mark Cohen, if he defrauded anyone or took customers’ funds, Bankman-Fried answered, “No I did not.”The California...

The strike has dimmed the spotlight on the fall’s best performances. Here’s 13 you shouldn’t miss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The fallout from the actors strike, now past 100 days, has been widespread throughout the film industry. Movies large and small have postponed. Sound stages remain shuttered. Adjacent industries have been devastated.Another effect is that some great performances haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. For most movies, actors haven’t been able to promote their work.As the strike pushes into Hollywood’s awards season, it’s increasingly muting the reception for some of the best performances of the year. With so many out of work due to the strike, no one should cry for muzzled Oscar campaigns. But actors deserve the chance to take a much-deserved bow.Interim agreements have permitted some of the fall’s standouts – among them Sandra Hüller in “Anatomy of a Fall” and Cailee Spaeny in “Priscilla” – to hit red carpets and bask in standing ovations. And two of the year’s biggest hits – “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” both likely to be Academy Awards heavyweights — debuted as a...

In the Kentucky governor’s race, the gun policy debate is both personal and political

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Struck by tragedy when one of his closest friends died in a mass shooting, Kentucky’s Democratic governor supports a proposal meant to keep firearms away from people deemed as threats to themselves or others. His Republican challenger offers condolences for his rival’s loss but opposes the measure.In one of the most personal exchanges of their campaign for governor, Gov. Andy Beshear and GOP Attorney General Daniel Cameron staked out their stands on gun policy during a recent debate in Louisville. It’s a wrenching issue in Kentucky’s largest city, which has recorded at least 100 homicides in each of the last four years including 2023, with a high mark of 174 killings in 2021, and has struggled to come to terms with gun violence.The hometown of boxing great and global humanitarian Muhammad Ali has coped with tragedy repeatedly in recent years, notably when Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in 2020 during a botched police raid at her home. ...

Family, birth certificate raise questions about Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Indigenous claim

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

CBC says legendary musician Buffy Sainte-Marie’s birth certificate, other documents and details from family members contradict the singer’s claim that she is Indigenous.Sainte-Marie said Thursday ahead of the report that she doesn’t know who her birth parents are or where she’s from.She called herself “a proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada.”CBC located her birth certificate, which says Sainte-Marie was born in 1941 in Stoneham, Mass., and the document lists the baby and parents as white.CBC says Sainte-Marie’s marriage certificate, a life insurance policy and a United States census corroborate the information on the birth certificate.Family members in the U.S., including Sainte-Marie’s younger sister, told the public broadcaster that Sainte-Marie was not adopted and does not have Indigenous ancestry.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2023.The Canadian Press

US consumers keep spending briskly even in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve showed price increases remained elevated in September amid brisk consumer spending and strong economic growth.Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that prices rose 0.4% from August to September, the same as the previous month. And compared with 12 months earlier, inflation was unchanged at 3.4%.Taken as a whole, the figures the government issued Friday show a still-surprisingly resilient consumer, willing to spend briskly enough to power the economy even in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates. Spread across the economy, the strength of that spending is itself helping to fuel inflation.In a cautionary note, consumers relied increasingly on savings to fuel their shopping last month. Income growth slowed. Adjusted for inflation, income actually fell slightly. Yet spending jumped 0.4%, after adjusting for inflation. The saving rate fell to 3.4%, down from the 6%-plus...

Landlord indicted on hate crime and murder charges after Palestinian boy stabbed to death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

PLAINFIELD, Ill. -- The man accused of fatally stabbing a Palestinian, Musim boy and severely injuring his mother, has been indicted by a grand jury. The charges stem from a violent attack that occurred at a home in the 16200 block of South Lincoln Highway, just after 11:35 a.m. on Saturday. Prosecutors allege that Czuba knocked on the victim’s door and started an argument about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.When the 32-year-old woman, later identified as Hanaan Shahin, stated she was Muslim, Czuba allegedly attacked her with a large blade. Police fatally shoot sledgehammer-wielding man in Round Lake Beach Deputies entered the home and found the two victims, including a 6-year-old boy, identified as Wadea Al-Fayoume, who had suffered 26 stab wounds. He was transported in critical condition and died at the hospital.Prosecutors say Joseph Czuba attacked his Palestinian Muslim tenants after listening to a conservative talk radio discussing the war between Israel and Hamas. ...

Man stabbed in arm during argument on North Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

CHICAGO — A 32-year-old man was stabbed during an argument on the city's North Side.The stabbing happened around 11:55 p.m. Thursday in the 800 block of West Addison Street. Police said the man was outside when he began to argue with another man.The offender took out a sharp, pointed object and swung it at the 32-year-old — cutting his arm.According to police, the offender fled the scene on foot.The victim sustained a puncture wound to the arm and was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital in good condition. Man dead after car crashes into viaduct pillar in Little Village: CPD No one is in custody. Area Three Detectives are investigating.

Alleged victim punches 80-year-old convicted sex offender in Las Vegas courtroom

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A now-adult alleged victim knocked out an 80-year-old convicted sex offender in a Nevada courtroom, according to witnesses.Richard Gross, 80, was in a Clark County district courtroom for his sentencing on Oct. 2. He was initially charged with 26 felony counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of a child. He pleaded guilty through an Alford plea to one felony count of attempted lewdness with a child under the age of 14. An Alford plea is when a defendant does not admit to committing the crime, but enters a guilty plea because they believe there is a likelihood of a conviction.Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Gross to a suspended sentence of 60-80 months. In a suspended sentence, a defendant is placed on probation; if probation is violated, the convicted could serve prison time. Nexstar's KLAS has chosen not to identify the alleged sexual abuse victim because of the nature of the circumstances.The now-29-year-old man gave a victim impact statement in court. Once ...

McDonald's getting rid of signature utensil as part of 'sustainable makeover'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – You can get burgers and fries at dozens of fast-food chains. But you can only get that silly little McFlurry spoon at McDonald’s.Until now, at least.McDonald’s has announced plans to do away with its signature McFlurry spoons — the ones with the hollowed-out handles — starting this month. The change is part of a push to reduce plastic waste at U.S. restaurants, McDonald’s said.“It’s hard to think of a utensil that’s been the focus of more intense debate over the years,” McDonald’s acknowledged in an online post earlier this week. “Why is the handle hollow? Is it a spoon, a straw, or both?” McRib coming back to some McDonald's restaurants in November The chain went on to explain what “true McFlurry fans” probably already know about the spoons: They were originally designed with hollow handles so that they could double as blending tools, or spindles, that could be attached to the McDonald’s ice-cream mixing machines.A McFlurry ice cream treat (left) from a restaurant in ...

Catalytic converter thefts on the decline. These states are seeing the largest drop, according to insurance data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

(KTLA) — Newly released data shows catalytic converter thefts appear to be on the decline after years of near-rampant activity. State Farm reported Wednesday that the number of claims filed to report catalytic converter thefts is down significantly in 2023 compared to the previous year, marking the first decline since 2019. So far, in the first half of 2023, there were around 14,500 claims filed related to catalytic converter thefts. That's down from the 23,000 claims made during the same timeframe in 2022. Catalytic converter thefts: Which vehicles are targeted the most? If that trend continues through the remainder of 2023, State Farm data indicates that the U.S. could see the lowest number of reported thefts in years.Catalytic converters are regular targets for thieves. They can be cut from the undercarriage of a car and sold to recyclers for anywhere from $25 to $300 for a standard vehicle and up to $1,400 for hybrid vehicles, according to the vehicle data company Carfax....