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Backpage founder convicted of 1 count of money laundering. Arizona jury deadlocks on 84 other counts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Michael Lacey, a founder of the lucrative classified site Backpage.com, was convicted Thursday on a single count of money laundering and acquitted on another. But an Arizona jury deadlocked on 84 other counts against him in a case that alleged he participated in a scheme to sell sex ads, leading the judge to declare a mistrial.U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa in Phoenix declared the mistrial after jurors deliberated for six days. It marked the second time a mistrial has been declared in the case against the site’s co-founder. Lacey’s first trial in 2021 ended in a mistrial when another judge concluded prosecutors had too many references to child sex trafficking in a case where no one faced such a charge. Lacey declined comment as he walked out of a Phoenix courtroom. Lacey, 75, was tried on a total of 86 criminal counts in the case against him and four other Backpage employees.Chief Financial Officer John Brunst was convicted of one count of conspiracy to viol...

IBM pulls ads from X, citing 'zero tolerance for hate speech'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

(The Hill) — IBM confirmed to The Hill it is pulling advertisements from X, the platform formerly known as Twitter Thursday, citing “'zero tolerance for hate speech." “IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation,” IBM told the Financial Times.Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, faced backlash Wednesday for appearing to agree with an antisemitic post on the platform, replying it was the “absolute truth.” The post that Musk replied to was a response to another post by a user raising an issue with increasing antisemitism. Trump claims New York fraud trial imploded with Cohen’s testimony “To the cowards hiding behind the anonymity of the internet and posting ‘Hitler was right’: You got something you want to say?” the initial user, who identified themselves as a “Jewish Conservative” in their bio, wrote. “Why dont you say it to our faces.”In response, anothe...

Santos won't seek reelection after Ethics Committee report reveals 'substantial evidence of wrongdoing'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The House Ethics Committee has publicly condemned Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) after its investigation found substantial evidence of wrongdoing."He is a serial liar, a serial fraud and does not deserve to be representing anyone in Congress," Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) said.The report said Santos used his candidacy for his own personal profit. Ryan said this report is enough to remove Santos from office."George Santos needs to be immediately expelled," Ryan said. "He should not be able to serve another day, another hour in Congress."According to the report, Santos used tens of thousands of his campaign dollars to pay off personal credit card bills and debt, as well as buy luxury goods, subscriptions to an adult website, and Botox. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) said it's time for Santos to go."The people of America deserve better and we're going to make sure he's held accountable," Nunn said.Santos called the report a disgusting politicized smear and said he has no plans to...

Check your cash: 'Fancy' serial numbers worth big bucks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF) — That $1, $5, or $10 bill in your wallet might be worth way more than its face value. Knowing what your paper money might be worth is all in the serial number. Serial numbers are eight digits long and are unique to each bill. They are paired with other identifying letters and numbers that identify the series year the bill is from and where it was printed. Serial numbers are found on the front of U.S. currency and are always printed twice.One of the most valuable serial number variations is known as a “ladder," and could be worth anywhere from $9 to $100,000, according to financial news outlet The Penny Hoarder. When the serial number ascends (example: 12345678) or descends (example: 8765431) in order, currency collectors/dealers call it a ladder.Eric Gerner, owner of Gold and Silver of Joplin, LLC., said the worth of a modern bill depends on its serial number and how unusual it is. Gerner said currency collectors look for several different typ...

AFD demonstrates how not to fry a Thanksgiving turkey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the Austin Fire Department, with help from H-E-B, demonstrated how not to fry a turkey.AFD said the demonstration was in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday.According to the department, Texas ranks No.1 for the most grease and cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day.AFD said some common mistakes people make while frying a turkey included:Too much oil in the fryer potDropping a frozen or partially thawed turkey into oilFryer is too close to structuresOil and ice do not mixUnattended cookingAccording to AFD, the National Fire Protection Association said deep fryers cause an average of five deaths, 60 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage each year.

Longhorns' depth shifts to running backs after Brooks' season-ending knee injury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Depth has been a key to the Texas Longhorns' success this season, and now they'll have to show it at the running back position Saturday night in hostile territory against Iowa State.Sophomore running back Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL in last week's 29-26 win over TCU and is out for the season, and that means the rushing load will shift more to freshman standout CJ Baxter along with sophomores Jaydon Blue and Savion Red and senior Keilan Robinson. It's tough to replace the kind of yardage Brooks has produced this season, 1,139 rushing yards and 286 receiving yards, but head coach Steve Sarkisian said the runners are ready for the opportunity.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters"No one likes seeing their brother go down, so there was a sense of hurt for him knowing what he had put in and the way he played this season, but these guys work really hard and have ...

How does Texas football get a killer instinct?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Nine wins and just one (close) loss sets the Texas Longhorns up in pretty good position with two games to go. The Longhorns are alone atop the Big 12 before their bout with Iowa State this weekend.In three of their last four games, the Longhorns have made things more interesting than they would have liked by letting second-half leads slip. Instant Analysis: A blowout would be nice, but Texas is finding ways to win Texas was up 26-6 heading into the fourth quarter Saturday at TCU and had to hang on for a thrilling 29-26 victory. The previous week saw the Longhorns up 27-7 late in the third quarter against Kansas State before having the game go into overtime.After the game in Fort Worth on Saturday, Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell noted how learning to close doesn't just happen on gamedays. It takes work during the week. Here's what other members of the Longhorns said about how they go about getting a killer instinct.Head Coach Steve Sarkisian"I do think us ...

High school football state semifinals roundup: Rocori edges Byron in 4A slugfest, 9-player final set

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

Class 4ARocori 7, Byron 0: A game that was scoreless through three quarters was finally determined on a 2-yard touchdown run by Rocori quarterback Will Steil on third-and-goal with six-and-a-half minutes to play Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium.Byron got the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game and actually moved into Rocori territory, but the drive was derailed by a sack by Rocori’s Dwight Kiffmeyer and Grady Minnerath that resulted in a 9-yard loss.Kale Robinson’s pass on fourth-and-11 from the Rocori 11-yard line fell incomplete with 100 seconds to play. Rocori picked up one first down on the ground and the game was over.Rocori’s defense held Byron (10-2) to 162 total yards of offense Thursday.Rocori didn’t produce much more, but Steil accounted for 135 total yards — 62 on the ground and 73 through the air.Rocori (10-2) will play the winner of Friday’s semifinal between North Branch and Hutchinson in the Class 4A championship game at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 back in down...

Cottage Grove’s Monique Garza chosen to fill city council vacancy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

The Cottage Grove City Council this week selected Monique Garza to fill the seat recently vacated by council member Steve Dennis.Monique Garza (Courtesy of City of Cottage Grove)Dennis, who served on the council since 2015, resigned on Oct. 4. He closed his longtime business, Dennis Brothers Liquor, in July and has moved out of the city. His term was scheduled to end in 2026.Garza is a Realtor in Cottage Grove and a longtime local volunteer. She is board member for the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of Women in Business (Cottage Grove), and host of Movies with Mo in the Park, which she launched in 2022.“My active involvement in various community initiatives has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of our city’s unique needs and opportunities,” Garza said in a statement. “Joining the council will not only allow me to further my personal growth, it also will provide me with a platform to make an even more significant impact and help our community th...

New program hopes to improve Missouri's high maternal mortality rate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The state is making a historic investment into a maternal mortality prevention plan after Missouri has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-related deaths in the country. In a new report from the state, an average of 70 Missouri women died while pregnant or within one year after giving birth between 2018 and 2020. The most sobering piece of the report is that nearly 85% of those deaths were preventable. It's being called the "Missouri Perinatal Psychiatric Access Project," known as MO-PPAP. Those behind the effort at the University of Missouri believe it will be helpful to providers like OBGYNs and midwives to give the best mental health resources to their patients.  St. Louis police warn of surge in carjackings and break-ins "Addressing mental health and substance use disorders, we're going to have healthier kids and families," program coordinator for MO-PPAP Wendy Ell said. "At the federal level, Missouri has been on heat maps for years of a strong nee...