Feds charge 5, including man acquitted at trial, with attempting to bribe Minnesota juror with $120K
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI has announced that five people, including a man acquitted at trial, have been charged with trying to bribe a juror in one of the country’s largest pandemic aid fraud cases with a bag of $120,000 in cash. Federal authorities made the announcement Wednesday. The bribe attempt brought renewed attention to the trial of seven Minnesota defendants accused of coordinating to steal more than $40 million from a federal program that was supposed to feed children during the coronavirus pandemic. Five of the defendants were convicted earlier this month. The bribe scheme disrupted the trial and sent federal authorities racing to uncover who was responsible.
Wind-driven wildfire spreads outside a central Oregon community and prompts evacuations
LA PINE, Ore. (AP) — A rapidly growing wildfire near the central Oregon community of La Pine is being spurred by gusty winds and prompting evacuations. The Deschutes County Sherriff’s Office says evacuation alerts were sent to 1,100 homes and businesses. About 50-60 people sought refuge at a local high school serving as an evacuation center. Central Oregon Fire Information says the Darlene 3 Fire is estimated to be nearly 4 square miles and 30% contained early Wednesday. Firefighters used heavy equipment to establish control lines around the fire. Aircraft dropped fire retardant to slow the blaze’s spread.
No charges for London driver who had seizure and plowed into a school, killing 2 children
LONDON (AP) — British police say the driver of an SUV who suffered a seizure and plowed into a school in London, killing 2 children, will face no criminal charges because the incident couldn’t have been predicted. London’s Metropolitan Police say in statement Wednesday that they had been advised by the Crown Prosecution Service that no charges would be filed in the incident at The Study Prep School in Wimbledon. The detective superintendent in charge of policing for southwest London called it a “deeply tragic incident, the circumstances of which caused widespread shock and sadness.’’
Closing arguments starting in class-action lawsuit against NFL by ‘Sunday Ticket’ subscribers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Closing arguments will take place Wednesday in a class-action lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers claiming the NFL broke antitrust law. The lawsuit was filed in 2015 and has withstood numerous challenges, including a dismissal that was overturned. The suit alleges the NFL broke antitrust laws when it allowed DirecTV to exclusively sell the “Sunday Ticket” package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games airing on CBS and Fox at an inflated price and restricted competition. The lawsuit began on June 6 and featured 10 days of testimony from economists and league executives, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Native American ceremony will celebrate birth of white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Ceremonies and celebrations are planned near the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park to mark the recent birth of a white buffalo calf in the park, a spiritually significant event for many Native American tribes. Witnesses saw the white calf shortly after its birth on June 4 in the Lamar Valley. For the Lakota people, the birth portends better times but also signals that more must be done to protect the earth and its animals. Wednesday’s ceremony will include announcing the name of the calf and members of several tribes explaining the spiritual and cultural significance of the calf’s birth under their traditions.
Knicks set to acquire Mikal Bridges in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, AP sources say
NEW YORK (AP) — Two people with knowledge of the details say that Mikal Bridges is being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks, where he will join Jalen Brunson and his other former Villanova teammates. The first trade between the New York rivals since 1983 will put Bridges in the lineup alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, players who helped the Wildcats win two NCAA championships. The Knicks will pay big to get him, with ESPN reporting Tuesday that they are sending the Nets Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, and one protected pick. The deal was confirmed to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity because it is not yet official.
Chanel goes to the opera in a gleaming but designer-less couture collection
PARIS (AP) — Chanel’s latest couture display at the Paris Fashion Week is a finely executed collection channeling theatricality. Few Parisian fashion houses can fill the Paris Opera and gain applause from Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and other luminaries without even having a designer. It’s a testament to Chanel’s enduring power and its world-renowned atelier following Virginie Viard’s abrupt exit on June 5.
Afghanistan-South Africa T20 World Cup semifinal pits cricket’s overachievers against underachievers
TAROUBA, Trinidad (AP) — The underdog Afghanistan team has reached the Twenty20 World Cup semifinals for the first time and has captured the attention of cricket fans everywhere. Rashid Khan and his Afghan lineup will go back to work Wednesday against South Africa, which has been at or near the top of limited-overs cricket for decades but never won a title at a global tournament. And so the first of the T20 World Cup semifinals in Trinidad will be a contest between the overachievers and underachievers of international cricket. The second semifinal on Thursday will feature two of the sport’s heavyweights, India and defending champion England.
Hollywood crews, studios reach tentative contract deal, making another big strike unlikely
The union that represents most behind-the-scenes film and television crews has reached a tentative deal with studios for about 50,000 of its members, making another production-stopping strike unlikely after a year of labor turmoil in Hollywood. The union said in an email to members that the tentative deal includes the pay hikes and protections against artificial intelligence they were seeking. The members must vote to approve the deal. After actors and writers strike brought production to a halt in 2023, many feared a crew strike would do the same in 2024. But the deal for crew members including editors and costume designers was reached well before the old contract expired.
Gena Rowlands has Alzheimer’s, her son Nick Cassavetes says
NEW YORK (AP) — Celebrated actor and honorary Academy Award recipient Gena Rowlands is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, says her son, the filmmaker Nick Cassavetes. Cassavetes, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published Tuesday, says Rowlands has had Alzheimer’s for five years. In the 2004 film “The Notebook,” Cassavetes directed his mother, playing the older version of the character played by Rachel McAdams, as a woman with dementia. A representative for Rowlands confirmed that Cassavetes “speaks for the family.” Rowlands’ mother, the actor Lady Rowlands, also had Alzheimer’s. During the making of “The Notebook,” Gena Rowlands said she channeled her mother.
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