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Clarence Thomas Billionaire Benefactor Harlan Crow Bought Citizenship in Island Tax Haven

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

Harlan Crow, the billionaire GOP donor who paid for luxury travel on his private jet and yacht for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was a dual citizen of the U.S. and the island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis as recently as last year, according to recently unearthed documents.In 2012, Crow and his family were granted passports for St. Kitts and Nevis, a tax haven known for impenetrable financial secrecy, through a cash-for-citizenship scheme. Documents provided to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation by a whistleblower as part of its Passport Papers investigation and reviewed by the Project on Government Oversight, or POGO, and The Intercept suggest Crow and his brother Trammell S. Crow paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the passports. Financial transparency experts say the island’s tax regime would make tracking Crow’s assets, including gifts to Supreme Court justices, extremely difficult.The documents were leaked from Henley and Partners, a London-based firm known for...

Second grand jury to probe fatal police shooting in Virginia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A prosecutor has requested a special grand jury investigate the fatal police shooting of an unarmed shoplifting suspect outside a northern Virginia shopping mall after an earlier grand jury refused to issue an indictment.Carl Crews, an attorney for the family of Timothy McCree Johnson, said he was informed Tuesday by Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano that a judge had approved the prosecutor’s request to empanel the special grand jury.Descano confirmed Tuesday in a short statement that he requested the special grand jury but declined further comment.The use of special grand juries is rare. In Fairfax County, the only other time Descano sought a special grand jury was in the case of another fatal police shooting — the 2017 shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by U.S. Park Police officers after a stop-and-go highway chase. The charges in that case were ultimately dismissed by a federal judge.The empanelment of the special grand jury in the J...

Chicago Golden Gloves shines spotlight on female boxers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Claire Quinn fell in love with boxing when she started taking lessons to help her get back in shape following knee surgery.Now 30, she is one of the top-ranked amateurs in her weight class and has her sights set on turning pro and fighting on local cards. Like Quinn, Jessie LaFree trains at Unanimous Boxing Gym in Chicago. At 34 and with a busy career as an architect, she isn’t looking to box on the biggest stages. Quinn and LaFree were among the 40 women entered in this year’s Chicago Golden Gloves tournament. The storied event that celebrated its 100th anniversary this month counts Joe Louis, Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali when he was known as Cassius Clay as past champions. But it has also given women a chance to show what they can do in the ring since 1994.“One thing that I really like about boxing in general is that I’m one of those people that constantly wants to learn something, and there’s always something to learn in the sport,” said Quinn, tied fo...

Want to hear some ‘Jazz in the Garden’ in DC this summer? Weekly lottery will determine whether you get in

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

“Jazz in the Garden” is a popular summer tradition that typically brings large crowds to the grounds of the National Gallery of Art’s sculpture garden along D.C.’s National Mall.Starting this year, citing high demand, organizers are rolling out a free weekly lottery system for passes to attend performances.The National Gallery of Art announced the change Monday in a news release that also contains this year’s line-up of summer concerts.“Last year, we did have tickets available online. They opened at a specific time and we saw those passes go extremely quickly, just a couple minutes after they were available online,” Grace Murray, head of public programs at the National Gallery of Art, told WTOP.The weekly Friday evening concerts begin May 19 and last through Aug. 4.The gallery said it’s launching the lottery system “so that anyone interested in attending Jazz in the Garden has an equal chance to participate.”“We wanted to make this cha...

‘Joint’ venture: Ben from Ben & Jerry’s starts pot nonprofit

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

WILLISTON, Vt. (AP) — One of the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s has gone from ice cream to ‘blunts,’ promising a line of marijuana products with a social mission. Ben Cohen has started Ben’s Best Blnz, a nonprofit cannabis line with a stated mission of helping to right the wrongs of the war on drugs. The company says on its website that 80% of its profits will go to grants for Black cannabis entrepreneurs while the rest will be equally divided between the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and the national Last Prisoner Project, which is working to free people incarcerated for cannabis offenses.“The War on Drugs (first so named by President Richard Nixon) has targeted lower income Black and Brown people thru over policing, discriminatory prosecution, and discriminatory sentencing,” the website states. “That’s why despite using pot at the same rate, Black people are 4 times more likely to be arrested than Whites.”Ben’s Best Blnz, or B3, says it licenses its formulas,...

Pakistani health officials confirm first case of monkeypox

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani man has tested positive for monkeypox, becoming the country’s first confirmed case of the disease, authorities said Tuesday. Health officials provided no additional details about the man. Officials said airport authorities and hospitals have been alerted to watch for more monkeypox cases.According to the state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan, relatives of the person who tested positive for the disease were being screened and advised to self-quarantine to ensure the virus does not spread.Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash on the body. Most people recover within weeks without requiring hospitalization.Source

Tornado Warning issued in Weld County: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

Breaking Weather Alert: The NWS issued a tornado warning for Weld County until 3 p.m. It includes Keenesburg, Prospect Valley and Roggen.Previous Story:DENVER (KDVR) — Temperatures will warm into the low 50s Tuesday before rain and snow push into the area in the afternoon and evening in the Denver weather forecast. Winter storm warnings are in effect from noon Tuesday through noon Wednesday. Incoming spring storm could affect trees and plants Tuesday is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day. Pinpoint Weather: Advisories on April 25. Weather today: Evening rain and snowTuesday starts off with some partial clearing as highs reach the low 50s. Snow pushes into the foothills around noon, with rain in the city in the evening and snow south of the metro.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on April 25. Weather tonight: Rain and snow lingerThe rain and snow will linger overnight Tuesday with a slight swap to snow as the system begins to leave the area. Snow and rain continue to taper in the early mo...

Investigations underway after 2 pesticide workers die, 3rd critically ill after weekend work at Pompano Beach warehouse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

Police are investigating why two people have died and another person fell critically ill after doing work for a pesticide company at warehouse over the weekend.According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, three employees of a pesticide company went to Baer’s Furniture warehouse, located at 1589 N.W. 12th Ave. in Pompano Beach, to conduct some work.After they finished and left the building, one of the employees began to feel sick and went to a hospital in Palm Beach County. BSO later discovered that day, that the other two employees had been found deceased.One died in Hollywood and the other in Boynton Beach. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, BSO and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue responded to the warehouse Tuesday morning to investigate whether there might be anything there that could affect others inside the building. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene as people were rushed out of the warehouse by fire rescue. A hazardous materials team arrived at the scene...

‘The entire nation becomes more sober’ as Jews celebrate Day of Remembrance in Israel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

TEL AVIV (WSVN) – As Israel celebrates 75 years, the unimaginable loss of loved ones are fresh in the minds of people. One car after another and another pulled over off a highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and then came the sirens.They can be heard faintly in the distance.But even if these drivers can barely hear it, they know it’s there. All over the country.And so they stop.“Everyone in this country knows someone has a family member that has fallen,” said Lily Serviansky, with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. “Colleagues, friends, parents, children, everyone in mourning, and it’s a very personal day.” Remembrance Day in Israel began Monday night as thousands of people gathering at a military facility atop a Latrun hill where Israeli and Arab soldiers battled, which followed the formation of the state of Israel.And after minutes of silence, another air raid siren marked the start of the holiday.“Then, the entire country becomes more som...

Attorneys for the Idaho murder suspect want a surviving roommate to testify. She is resisting the effort

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:38 GMT

(CNN) — One of the surviving roommates in a stabbing attack that left four University of Idaho students dead is being asked by suspect Bryan Kohberger’s attorneys to testify in his upcoming preliminary hearing — a demand she is resisting, according to new court documents.Kohberger’s attorneys are asking a Nevada court to compel Bethany Funke to travel to Idaho and testify as a witness for Kohberger in late June. Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall is set to preside over that hearing in Moscow, Idaho.An affidavit from a defense investigator used in support of the subpoena claims Funke has information that is exculpatory to Kohberger. She is one of two people who survived the attack at a home.“Ms. Funke’s information is unique to her experiences and cannot be provided by another witness,” according to court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KOLO.An attorney for Funke, who returned to her hometown of Reno, Nevada, following th...