LONDON (AP) — British prosecutors said Thursday they have charged actor Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The Crown Prosecution Service said Spacey “has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.” The alleged incidents took place in London between March 2005 and August 2008, and one in western England in April 2013. The alleged victims are now in their 30s and 40s. Rosemary Ainslie, head of the service’s Special Crime Division, said the charges follow a review of evidence gathered by London’s Metropolitan Police. Spacey, a 62-year-old double Academy Award winner, was questioned by British police in 2019 about claims by several men that he had assaulted them. The former “House of Cards” star ran London’s Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015. Spacey won a best supporting actor Academy Award for the 1995 film “The Usual Suspects” and a lead actor Oscar for the 1999 movie “American Beauty." … [Read more...] about Kevin Spacey charged in UK with 4 counts of sexual assault
Trump loses appeal, must testify in New York civil probe
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump must answer questions under oath in New York state’s civil investigation into his business practices, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. A four-judge panel in the appellate division of the state’s trial court upheld Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 17 ruling enforcing subpoenas for Trump and his two eldest children to give deposition testimony in Attorney General Letitia James' probe. Trump had appealed, seeking to overturn the ruling. His lawyers argued that ordering the Trumps to testify violated their constitutional rights because their answers could be used in a parallel criminal investigation. “The existence of a criminal investigation does not preclude civil discovery of related facts, at which a party may exercise the privilege against self-incrimination,” the four-judge panel wrote, citing the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Message seeking comment were left with lawyers for the Trumps and with … [Read more...] about Trump loses appeal, must testify in New York civil probe
Russia slams sanctions, seeks to blame West for food crisis
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Moscow pressed the West on Thursday to lift sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv’s inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products due to the conflict. Britain immediately accused Russia of “trying to hold the world to ransom,” insisting there would be no sanctions relief, and a top U.S. diplomat blasted the "sheer barbarity, sadistic cruelty and lawlessness” of the invasion. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war, including a Russian blockade of its ports, has halted much of that flow, endangering world food supplies. Many of those ports are now also heavily mined. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tried to put the blame squarely on the sanctions. "We accuse Western countries of taking a series of unlawful actions that has led to the blockade,” he said in a call with reporters. … [Read more...] about Russia slams sanctions, seeks to blame West for food crisis
Wealthy shoppers are splurging at Macy’s. Low-income shoppers are pulling back at Walmart
New York (CNN Business) Decades-high inflation is leading to a split in American consumers' behavior. Affluent shoppers are splurging on new outfits at Macy's, Nordstrom and other high-end outlets, while lower-income customers are pulling back on discretionary items, leading retailers say. Macy's ( M ) said Thursday that comparable sales at stores open for at least one year grew 12.4% during its latest quarter compared with the same stretch a year ago. "While macroeconomic pressures on consumer spending increased during the quarter, our customers continued to shop," Macy's CEO Jeffrey Gennette said in a press release. What rotisserie chicken prices say about stores' inflation strategy Macy's saw a "notable shift" in consumers buying clothes for special events and shopping in stores, Gennette said. Dresses, women's shoes, accessories and men's tailored clothing saw strong sales performance during the quarter. … [Read more...] about Wealthy shoppers are splurging at Macy’s. Low-income shoppers are pulling back at Walmart
‘I wouldn’t trust them.’ Energy Secretary blasts Russia for ‘weaponizing’ energy
New York (CNN Business) Russia has spent the past half-century attempting to build a reputation on the world stage as a reliable supplier of energy. It took Vladimir Putin mere months to cast serious doubt on that reputation. "I wouldn't trust them," US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told CNN in response to a question about whether Russia will ever again be considered a reliable energy supplier. "They have to prove they are a reliable partner and they're certainly not doing that." Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions from the West have sent oil prices skyrocketing, lifting gasoline and diesel prices in the United States to unprecedented levels. Natural gas prices also have climbed around the world. Biden is 'obsessed' with lowering 'outrageous' gas prices, but presidents don't control prices, says Energy Secretary After the West imposed tough penalties on Russia, Putin warned that "unfriendly" nations would … [Read more...] about ‘I wouldn’t trust them.’ Energy Secretary blasts Russia for ‘weaponizing’ energy
‘Stop being a propagandist’: Sen. Ted Cruz dodges questions from reporters about gun reform
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 Sen. Ted Cruz is doubling down on blaming mental health as the cause for the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 22 people dead, including 19 children and two teachers. The Republican senator stormed out of an interview Wednesday after being asked if gun laws will change following the nation's worst school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012. The Republican senator joined Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican politicians as well as hundreds of relatives and friends of the victims mourning at a vigil in Uvalde Wednesday. At the vigil, Cruz was approached by British journalist Mark Stone of Sky News . The Republican senator told Stone: "There are 19 sets of parents who are never going to get to kiss their child tonight." Stone then questioned the Republican senator if now was the moment to reform gun laws. In response, Cruz rolled his eyes, and accused Stone of … [Read more...] about ‘Stop being a propagandist’: Sen. Ted Cruz dodges questions from reporters about gun reform
