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Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to charges alleging fraud, theft at heart of campaign

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve.Santos’ 13-count federal indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and deceit that prosecutors say overlapped with his fantastical public image as a wealthy businessman — a fictional biography that began to unravel after he won election last fall.Santos, 34, was expected to be released on $500,000 bond following his arraignment, about five hours after turning himself in to authorities on Long Island to face charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.Santos said little during his arraignment, which lasted about 15 minutes. His lawye...

Voting technology company Smartmatic subpoenas Trump campaign as part of $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

(CNN) — The voting technology company Smartmatic has subpoenaed Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign for a wide array of documents as part of its $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News over its airing of election lies.The subpoena, which was issued in April and made public in a court filing on Tuesday, requires the Trump campaign to turn over documents related to Smartmatic, Fox News, and the allegations of fraud the campaign falsely made about the 2020 election.Although the subpoena does not need court approval, the potential for legal wrangling over it hasn’t yet begun. Once served, the Trump campaign can fight it in court. A judge could then quash it, narrow its scope or let it stand.CNN reached out to Trump’s 2024 campaign for comment and was directed to the 2020 campaign. It was unclear who, if anyone, was still affiliated with the 2020 campaign.Smartmatic, like Dominion Voting Systems, was swept up in baseless conspira...

The most popular search engine in the world is about to look different

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

(CNN) — Google is moving forward with plans to bring AI chat features to its core search engine as it works to keep pace with a wave of new artificial intelligence tools that could threaten the company’s dominance online for the first time in decades.The company on Wednesday said it is introducing the next evolution of Google Search, which will use an AI-powered chatbot to answer questions “you never thought Search could answer” and to help get users the information they want quicker than ever.With the update, the look and feel of Google Search results will be noticeably different. When users type a query into the main search bar, they will automatically see a pop-up with an AI-generated response in addition to displaying traditional results.Users can now sign up for the new Google Search, which will first launch in the United States, via the Google app or Chrome’s desktop browser. A limited amount of users will have access to it in ...

Airbnb sees record bookings despite recession fears

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

(CNN) — Shares of Airbnb fell more than 10% in trading Wednesday after the travel company offered a more muted outlook for the current quarter than some analysts had expected.Airbnb on Tuesday reported strong revenue growth and a new record for bookings during the first three months of the year, in a sign that demand for travel remains strong despite lingering recession fears.The company reported revenue for the quarter grew 20% to $1.8 billion, just beating Wall Street’s estimates. The company said nights and experiences booked on the platform hit a record high of over 120 million last quarter.“More guests are traveling on Airbnb than ever before,” CEO Brian Chesky said on a call with analysts Tuesday. “We’ve seen our highest number of active bookers ever, despite continued macroeconomic uncertainties.”“During the quarter, we also saw guests booking trips further in advance, supporting a strong backlog for q2,” he added. “...

Lucas: Mistakes happen! I know but the Globe doesn’t [+old clips]

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

Reporters make mistakes.I know, I’ve made mine.But we all don’t get fired over them.That is why it came as quite a shock when the Boston Globe abruptly threw long-time investigative reporter Andrea Estes under the bus following her disputed MBTA story that had transit executives living far from the workplace.Estes was unceremoniously fired just days after her April 23 Globe story appeared, and it immediately sent a chilling wave of uncertainty among young and aspiring investigative reporters.If the paper could treat a reporter of Estes’ stature so badly, what does that mean for novice or much lesser established reporters? And exactly what was her “crime?” The paper did not say.And the paper acted as though the muddled MBTA story its editors approved to run was the first time the Globe had been forced to retract, revise, bury or “eat” a story, as we used to say in the newspaper business.The management of the Globe, which demands transparency and accountability in all things, has gone...

Dana Pullman, ex-president of Massachusetts State Police union, sentenced to 2.5 years in prison

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

The former president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the union’s former lobbyist have been sentenced in federal court for racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes.Dana Pullman, the ex-president of the State Police union, was sentenced on Wednesday to 2.5 years in prison, three years of supervised release and restitution.Anne Lynch, whose lobbying firm represented the union, was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution. Lynch was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000.Last year, Pullman and Lynch were convicted by a federal jury of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS.Pullman, 60, of Worcester, was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return.Lynch, 71, of Hull, was conv...

City proposes new location for displaced Allston-Brighton artists

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

Following the controversial closure of Sound Museum in Allston last January and months of displacement hopscotch among local artists, the city is proposing a new permanent rehearsal space for community after a developer offered a warehouse in donation.“This permanent studio rehearsal space is a historic achievement for our Allston-Brighton artist community and citywide goal of preserving and creating new creative spaces in Boston,” Mayor Michelle Wu in a statement announcing the plan.With the purchase of the Sound Museum at 155 N Beacon St., to be redeveloped into life science lab space, the developer IQHQ also agreed to purchase 290 N Beacon Street as an impact mitigation measure — intended to be gifted to the city and used as long-term accommodation for the displaced artist community.The BPDA must still conduct a public hearing and vote on the project, to be scheduled for the June board meeting. If the vote passes, the release detailed, the city can move forward ...

FDA panel backs over-the-counter sales of birth control pill

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

By MATTHEW PERRONE (AP Health Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health advisers said Wednesday that a decades-old birth control pill should be sold without a prescription, paving the way for a likely U.S. approval of the first over-the-counter contraceptive medication.The panel of FDA advisers voted unanimously in favor of drugmaker Perrigo’s request to sell its once-a-day medication over the counter. The recommendation came at the close of a two-day meeting focused on whether women could safely and effectively take the pill without professional supervision. A final FDA decision is expected this summer.If the agency follows the nonbinding recommendation, Perrigo’s drug, Opill, would become the first contraceptive pill to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter onto store shelves. The company said sales could begin late this year if OK’d.The outside experts said they were mostly confident that women of all ages could use the drug appropriately without seeing a health provider fi...

DHS releases plan to manage migrants after Title 42

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) -- The Biden administration on Wednesday morning unveiled a lengthy plan on how it plans to deter and stop immigrants from crossing the southern border from Mexico once Title 42 expires. Undocumented migrants surrender themselves just two days before Title 42 ends Title 42 is the pandemic-era public health order that was put in place in March 2020 by the Trump administration that has restricted migrants from claiming asylum at the border in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus between countries. It expires at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday night.Most of the U.S. plan relies on reverting back to the longstanding Title 8 law, which forbids entry into the United States by those who cross in between legal ports of entry, or who have not scheduled an asylum interview either at U.S. ports or at regional processing centers that will be opening up in other countries, the Department of Homeland Security and State Department said in a joint statement Wednesday."...

Documents: Prosecutor claims evidence shows Matt Araiza was not at party at time of alleged gang rape

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:32 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Documents detail when a San Diego District Attorney told the teen who accused Matt Araiza in a gang rape, prosecutors would not file charges.According to a more than 200-page transcript of a Dec. 7, 2022 recorded meeting between the accuser, a district attorney investigator, a deputy district attorney and people advocating for Jane Doe, a prosecutor told to the accuser, “I cannot file criminal charges against any of the suspects in the case.”The documents, provided by Araiza's attorney, claim prosecutors found that Araiza was not at the party when the accuser claimed she was raped.Prosecutors and Araiza's attorney said Araiza admitted to having sex with the teen during the party. But, according to prosecutors who have pieced together a timeline of the night, Araiza had left the party about an hour before video shows several men having sex with the accuser. Judge to unseal records in SDSU alleged rape case Prosecutors said they've been able to piece together a timeline...