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Campus visits and travel by Supreme Court justices put them in the company of big money donors

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas headlined a 2017 program at McLennan Community College in Texas, his hosts had more than a speech in mind. Working with the prominent conservative lawyer Ken Starr, school officials crafted a guest list for a dinner at the home of a wealthy Texas businessman, hoping an audience with Thomas would be a reward for school patrons -– and an inducement to prospective donors.Before Justice Elena Kagan visited the University of Colorado’s law school in 2019, one official in Boulder suggested a “larger donor to staff ratio” for a dinner with her. After Justice Sonia Sotomayor confirmed she would attend a 2017 question-and-answer session at Clemson University and a private luncheon, officials there made sure to invite $1 million-plus donors to the South Carolina college. The Associated Press obtained tens of thousands of pages of emails and other documents that reveal the extent to which public colleges and universities have seen vi...

German businessman’s dismembered body found in freezer in Thailand with chainsaw and hedge clippers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The dismembered body of a missing German businessman was found in a freezer inside a house in southern Thailand, police said Tuesday.Tawee Kudthalaeng, the police chief in the town of Nong Prue, said the body of 62-year-old Hans-Peter Mack was discovered at about 11 p.m. Monday. Mack had been missing for a week.Investigators located his body by using security camera videos from the area, Tawee said. He did not elaborate, but photos and video published by Thai media showed the freezer in the bed of a black truck with a man squatting next to it. Mack was last seen driving his Mercedes sedan in Pattaya, a coastal city in southern Thailand, according to a missing person announcement distributed by his family that offered a reward of 3 million baht ($86,000) for information leading to his return. Crowds gathered outside the gates of the house where his body was discovered and watched as forensic teams in white coveralls, hair nets and blue gloves pored over the scene. Vide...

Elderly man in hospital following overnight house fire in Mississauga

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

An elderly man is in hospital after a two-alarm fire broke out at a home in Mississauga overnight.Emergency crews responded to the fire on Forest Hill Drive, near Eglinton Avenue and Mississauga Road, around 1:10 a.m. Tuesday.Paramedics tell CityNews an elderly man was taken to hospital in stable condition.  A firefighter and another elderly man were treated at the scene.Mississauga fire chief Deryn Rizzi tweeted that crews were greeted with “heavy smoke” and a “deep seated fire.”In the tweet sent at 3:15 a.m., Rizzi said firefighters were re-entering the home after “exterior water application and ventilation efforts.”The fire has since been knocked down.There is no word on the cause. The Investigation is ongoing.

Israeli authorities evict Palestinian family from Jerusalem home after decades-long legal battle

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli authorities on Tuesday evicted a Palestinian family from their contested apartment in Jerusalem’s Old City, the family said, capping a decades-long legal battle that has come to symbolize conflicting claims to the holy city. Activists say the Ghaith-Sub Laban family’s eviction is part of a wider trend of Israeli settlers, backed by the government, encroaching on Palestinian neighborhoods and cementing Israeli control by seizing property in east Jerusalem. Israel describes it as a simple battle over real estate, with settlers claiming the family are squatters in an apartment formerly owned by Jews. Earlier this year, Israel’s Supreme Court struck down the family’s final appeal, capping a 45-year-long legal battle over their right to live in the apartment. Police officers came to Nora Ghaith-Sub Laban’s house in Jerusalem’s Old City early Tuesday morning, forced open the door and removed the family, said her son, Ahmad Sub-Laban. He sai...

Book sales, a lure for money and more takeaways from the AP investigation into Supreme Court ethics

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a monthslong inquiry, which included reviewing tens of thousands of pages of documents from more than 100 public records requests, The Associated Press has examined what happens behind the scenes when Supreme Court justices travel to colleges and universities for lectures and other events. The AP learned the identities of donors and politicians invited to events with justices, details about the perks that have accompanied the school visits and information about how school trips have helped advance books sales.Some of the key takeaways:BOOK SALESThe documents reveal how university visits are a convenient way for justices to sell their own books. That’s especially true in the case of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a prolific author who has kept the court’s most active travel schedule over the past decade, according to the records reviewed by the AP.Emails and other documents show that Supreme Court staff members have been directly engaged in facilitating book sales by a...

Live Updates | Lithuania and allies beef up security for NATO summit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Follow along for updates on the summit of the NATO military alliance in Lithuania’s capital:What to know: — Turkey’s decision to end opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership boosts summit— Sweden’s rocky road from neutrality toward NATO membership— What is NATO doing to help Ukraine in the war with Russia?— Ukraine, defense plans and Sweden’s membership top summit agenda—— Lithuania and several of its allies have beefed up security for the NATO summit, with as many as 12,000 troops backed by warships, air defense systems and artillery deployed for the two-day meeting. Lithuanian authorities say almost 50 foreign delegations with 2,400 representatives are gathering in Vilnius, including 40 presidents or prime ministers and up to 150 other high-ranking politicians.Germany supplied Patriot missile defense for the summit that starts Tuesday, while Spain provided short- to medium-range NASAM ground systems.The summit in Lithuania’s capital is being hel...

Spain’s right-wing opposition leader puts Socialist prime minister on defensive in election debate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s right-wing opposition leader put Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on the defensive in an election TV debate that saw both leaders accusing each other of pacting with parties they deem dangerous for Spain.The debate late Monday between Popular Party leader Alberto Feijóo and Sánchez, watched by some 6 million, was the first and only between the two main candidates ahead of July 23 elections. Most polls tip the Popular Party, or PP, to win the elections but it will likely need the support of the extreme right-wing party Vox to form a majority.Such a victory would bring an end to the Socialist-led leftist minority coalition in power since 2019, and see yet another European country swinging to the right.The 100-minute unruly debate featured both leaders interrupting and accusing each other of telling lies and misleading voters. Experts in Spain say debates rarely shift voter intention.Sánchez tried repeatedly to get Feijóo to confirm or deny that he would ent...

Panda twins born in South Korea for the 1st time

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A giant panda has given birth to twin cubs at a theme park in South Korea.Ai Bao gave birth to the cubs, both female, last Friday at the Everland theme park near Seoul, the park’s operator, Samsung C&T resort group, said in a statement Tuesday.It’s the first time that panda twins have been born in South Korea, the resort group said.Both Ai Bao and her newborns are in good health, it said.Decades of conservation efforts in the wild and study in captivity saved the giant panda species from extinction, increasing its population from fewer than 1,000 at one time to more than 1,800 in the wild and captivity. The life expectancy of a giant panda in the wild is about 15 years, but in captivity they have lived to be as old as 38. The South Korean resort group said it will observe the cubs’ health and growth conditions to determine when to unveil them to the public. Meanwhile, the group said it will use social media to show off the cubs.Ai Bao and her male mate,...

Inside the AP’s investigation into the ethics practices of the Supreme Court justices

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Associated Press examination of the ethics practices of the U.S. Supreme Court relied on documents obtained from more than 100 public records requests to public colleges, universities and other institutions that have hosted the justices over the past decade.Here’s a look at how the reporting was done:To conduct its review, the AP surveyed local news stories and social media and obtained data from ScotusTracker, a website that logged justices’ activities, to develop a list of appearances over the past 10 years.In late 2022 and early this year, the AP submitted records requests to the public institutions on that list, citing individual state statutes that require the disclosure of certain documents to the public.The requests sought a broad range of information, including details about any contracts or riders for the appearances; transportation to and from events as well as food and lodging; the recording policy for the event; and any gifts or honorarium discussed ...

Paraguay’s president-elect begins Taiwan visit that’s meant to foster closer ties

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:35:35 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Paraguay’s president-elect, Santiago Pena, landed in Taipei on Tuesday for a visit meant to reinforce relations between Taiwan and one of its few remaining diplomatic allies.Pena, who takes office next month, is to meet with top political leaders including President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai, who is also the governing Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate in the January presidential election.Pena promised during his campaign to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.Paraguay is one of only 13 countries that recognize Taiwan as a country and do not have diplomatic relations with China.Beijing, which considers self-governed Taiwan a breakaway province, prohibits its diplomatic partners from having formal ties with Taipei.Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies are generally smaller countries in Central America, the Caribbean and South Pacific, along with Eswatini in southern Africa and Vatican City.China has intensified its campaign to win o...