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JERUSALEM (AP) — A key witness in the corruption trial of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has testified that her billionaire boss ordered her to deliver gifts of champagne, cigars, and expensive jewelry to the then-Israeli premier in a scandal at the center of the country's political crisis. The expensive gifts lavished upon the former Israeli leader by wealthy friends are the subject of one of the three corruption cases against Netanyahu. He stands accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes, charges he has denied and dismissed as part of an attempt to oust him from office. The Netanyahus “love gifts, and they love pink champagne and cigars for Bibi,” Hadas Klein, the longtime assistant of one of the former premier's friends, testified Tuesday, using the prime minister’s nickname. The ongoing trial — already in its second year — is addressing allegations that while in office, Netanyahu accepted gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from Hollywood film … [Read more...] about Key witness: Netanyahu received gifts from billionaires

Back Bay | Neighbor News | 1d Blue Man Group Boston Expands Schedule for the Summer Schedule includes added evening performances during the week Courtney Megliola , Community Contributor Thank Share Hollywood, CA | News | 4d What's New On Netflix: July 2022 Get the full list of new releases on Netflix this month, such as "Gray Man," "Persuasion" and the season finale of "Stranger Things." Beau Behan , Patch Staff Thank Share Hollywood, CA | News | 5d 19 Patriotic Movies For July 4th Movie gems such as "Saving Private Ryan," "Glory," "Apollo 13" and "Top Gun" shine the spotlight on the indomitable American spirit. Beau Behan , Patch Staff Thank Share Hollywood, CA | News | Jun 17 Father's Day … [Read more...] about Back Bay Arts & Entertainment News

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Smithfield Foods will pay restaurants and caterers $42 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the giant meat producer of conspiring to inflate pork prices, which will likely only add to concerns about how the lack of competition in the industry affects meat prices. Lawyers began notifying companies affected by this latest settlement Tuesday. Previously, Smithfield settled with a different group of pork buyers for $83 million, and JBS agreed to pay the restaurants and caterers $12.75 million in the pork lawsuit. Earlier this year, JBS also said it would pay $52.5 million to settle a similar beef price-fixing lawsuit. Neither Smithfield nor JBS admitted any wrongdoing as part of those settlements, and officials at Smithfield’s headquarters in Virginia declined to comment on the details of the deal. READ MORE: Man Accused Of Entering Center City Law Firm Office, Sexually Assaulting Victim Additional price-fixing lawsuits have also been filed against chicken … [Read more...] about Smithfield Foods Settles Pork Price-Fixing Lawsuit For $42 Million

A wily new omicron subvariant is in town, and UCSF's Dr. Bob Wachter offered insight into BA.5 in his latest Twitter update on the COVID-19 pandemic in California 's San Francisco Bay Area. BA.5, along with its close relative BA.4, is a subvariant of the omicron variant. But, according to Wachter, BA.5 has “enough alteration in the spike protein” that it’s even better than earlier versions at getting around so-called neutralizing antibodies, proteins that circulate in your body, grabbing onto and disabling virus particles before they can get into your cells. That means people exposed to the latest version of COVID-19 are more likely to catch it, even if they’ve been boosted or recently infected. “The die is now cast: BA.5 is destined to be our dominant virus,” Wachter tweeted this weekend. That may be why everyone you know seems to have COVID right now. In fact, according to data on laboratory-confirmed reinfections from the California Department of Public Health, … [Read more...] about UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter says COVID subvariant BA.5 ‘destined to be our dominant virus’

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 21 PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) — Thousands of revelers erupted in celebration Wednesday as the traditional “chupinazo” firework was ignited to start the San Fermín bull-run festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona, ending a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rain did nothing to dampen the atmosphere as crowds, nearly all dressed in the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with red sash and neckerchief, crammed the tiny town hall square for the noon event. After the firework exploded, the revelers continued spraying each other with red wine. The highlight of the nine-day festival is the early morning “encierros,” or bull runs, starting on Thursday, when thousands of thrill seekers scramble like mad to avoid six bulls as they charge along a winding, cobblestoned … [Read more...] about Spain’s famous Bull Run festival back after 2-year hiatus

In a sit-down interview with ABC News’ “Nightline,” attempted President Ronald Reagan assassin John Hinckley, Jr. touched on his crime, his remorse, and current gun laws in the United States. Hinckley, who has been released from federal supervision for two weeks after serving more than 40 years for shooting Reagan and three others in 1981, acknowledged to ABC News that he was “totally depressed” and “estranged” from his family at the time of his attempted assassination. “It was in ways like a suicide attempt, just saying, ‘This is it. This is the end of my life,'” Hinckley said of his state of mind in 1981. In the wake of recent mass shootings in the country, such as Highland Park, Hinckley thrust his support behind background checks and waiting periods for those wanting to purchase a gun. “I certainly don’t think the mentally ill should have access to guns. I mean, that’s kind of obvious,” Hinckley advised. “Background checks are good, and waiting periods are good. I think … [Read more...] about Reagan Shooter John Hinckley: ‘There’s too Many Guns in America’