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Do you have money tied up in FTX? Share your story

January 28, 2023 Published by


New York
CNN
 — 

Before its collapse at the end of 2022, FTX was one of the biggest names in crypto. It boasted endorsements from celebrities like Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen and its name was emblazoned on the Miami Heat’s home arena. Sam Bankman-Fried, its eccentric founder, graced the cover of magazines that hailed him as the Warren Buffett of crypto.

By November, the company was in freefall. It filed for bankruptcy on November 11, leaving more than a million customers’ accounts frozen. Now, FTX and Bankman-Fried are at the center of a massive fraud investigation.

If you are an FTX customer whose deposits are now in limbo, we want to hear from you. Share your story below.

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What’s up with the high price of eggs?

January 28, 2023 Published by

There are three main factors behind rising egg prices, says Gregory Archer.

As the price of eggs continues to climb in the United States, shoppers have been shelling out more money to get their hands on the common supermarket staple.

In the face of these higher costs, some are even considering raising their own chickens at home. And many are wondering how long they’ll have to wait for prices to go back down.

Archer is an associate professor in the poultry science department at Texas A&M University and an AgriLife Extension specialist.

Here, he talks about the three main factors that are driving up costs and why it will take at least a few months for prices to return to normal:

Source: Texas A&M University

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Priscilla Presley thanks fans for support after death of daughter Lisa Marie: 'A dark, painstaking journey'

January 28, 2023 Published by

Priscilla Presley expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support she has received since the death of her daughter Lisa Marie two weeks ago.

The 77-year-old actress took to Twitter Thursday to thank her fans and show solidarity with other parents who have lost children.

“To YOU, I’m truly overwhelmed with your words, your prayers, your love and your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart in trying to help me get through this loss. Every parent who has lost a daughter or son knows what a dark painstaking journey it is,” Priscilla wrote.

Priscilla Presley thanked her fans for the outpouring of support she has received since the death of her daughter Lisa Marie two weeks ago.

Priscilla Presley thanked her fans for the outpouring of support she has received since the death of her daughter Lisa Marie two weeks ago.
(Bryan Steffy/WireImage)

The “Dallas” alum previously thanked her supporters the day after Lisa Marie’s public memorial Sunday.

PRISCILLA PRESLEY SPEAKS OUT WHILE INVESTIGATION INTO LISA MARIE’S CAUSE OF DEATH CONTINUES

The musician, who died Jan. 12 at the age of 54, was laid to rest at Graceland alongside her father, Elvis, and her son, Benjamin Keough.

“Thank you all for your condolences, you have touched me with your words,” Priscilla wrote on Twitter.

“It has been a very difficult time but just knowing your love is out there makes a difference.”

Lisa Marie’s body was examined by the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner Jan. 14, and the cause of death was deferred, Fox News Digital previously confirmed.

Deferred means that “after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined, and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation into the death, including additional studies,” public information officer Sarah Ardalani told Fox News Digital.

“Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination.”

The singer was pronounced dead Jan. 12 at 5:08 p.m. at West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles.

She was rushed to the hospital after sheriff’s deputies responded to a “not breathing call” from the musician’s Calabasas home. Her mother was later seen walking into the emergency room shortly after Lisa Marie arrived at the medical center.

The only daughter of Elvis and Priscilla is survived by her mother and three daughters — Riley, Harper Vivienne and Finley.

“Priscilla Presley and the Presley family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Lisa Marie. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone and ask for privacy during this very difficult time,” Priscilla’s representative said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The musician, who died Jan. 12 at the age of 54, was laid to rest at Graceland alongside her father, Elvis, and her son, Benjamin Keough.

The musician, who died Jan. 12 at the age of 54, was laid to rest at Graceland alongside her father, Elvis, and her son, Benjamin Keough.
(Getty Images)

Priscilla gave an emotional speech as she paid tribute to her daughter at her memorial service.

The Presley matriarch read a note “my granddaughter wanted me to read to you all.” The letter described how Lisa Marie was “an icon” to her child.

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“‘I have no idea how to put my mother into words,'” Priscilla read. “‘Truth is, there are too many. Lisa Marie Presley was an icon, a role model, a superhero to many people all over the world, but Mama was my icon, my role model, my superhero — in much more ways than one. Even now, I can’t get across everything there is to be understood or known about her, but as she always said, ‘I’ll do my best.'”

Priscilla then read a poem titled “The Old Soul,” written about Lisa Marie’s life. 

Priscilla gave an emotional speech as she paid tribute to her daughter at her memorial service.

Priscilla gave an emotional speech as she paid tribute to her daughter at her memorial service.
(Jason Kempin)

“‘In 1968, she entered our world, born tired, fragile, yet strong. She was delicate, but was filled with life. She always knew she wouldn’t be here too long,'” Priscilla said, reading the poem. “‘Childhood passes by, with a glimpse of her green eye, she then grew a family of her own. Then came her second child, leaving her with suspicion — could this be the angel that takes me home?’

“‘Time, of course, flew by. It was time for a tragedy. She knew it was close to the end. Survivor’s guilt, some would say, but a broken heart was the doing of her death. Now, she is home where she always belonged, but my heart is missing her love.'”

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Priscilla teared up and gasped for air.

“‘She knew that I loved her. I fear I would never touch her,'” the 77-year-old said. “‘But the old soul is always with me. She doesn’t drift above.’ That says it all, and thank you all for being here. … Our heart is broken. Lisa, we all love you.”

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.

Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @ashleyhume

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Drug could counter inflammation linked to depression

January 28, 2023 Published by

A new study shows that levodopa, a drug that increases dopamine in the brain, has potential to reverse the effects of inflammation on brain reward circuitry, ultimately improving symptoms of depression.

Numerous labs across the world have shown that inflammation causes reduced motivation and anhedonia, a core symptom of depression, by affecting the brain’s reward pathways.

Past research from the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine has linked the effects of inflammation on the brain to decreased release of dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter that regulates motivation and motor activity, in the ventral striatum.

In the study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers demonstrate that levodopa reversed the effects of inflammation on the brain’s functional connectivity in reward circuitry and anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure) in depressed individuals with higher C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood biomarker produced and released by the liver in response to inflammation.

Levels of inflammation can be easily measured by simple blood tests, like CRP, readily available in clinics and hospitals throughout the US.

The study included 40 depressed patients with a range of CRP levels from high to low who underwent functional brain scans on two visits after receiving in random order either placebo or levodopa, a drug often prescribed for disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Levodopa improved functional connectivity in a classic ventral striatum to ventromedial prefrontal cortex reward circuit but only in patients with higher levels of CRP. This improvement in reward circuitry in depressed individuals with higher CRP also correlated with reduced symptoms of anhedonia after levodopa.

“This research demonstrates the translational potential for use of inflammation-related deficits in functional connectivity and could have important implications for the future investigations of precision therapies for psychiatric patients with high inflammation,” says principal investigator and senior author Jennifer C. Felger, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory School of Medicine.

Felger says the study findings are critical for two reasons. First, they suggest depressed patients with high inflammation may specifically respond to drugs that increase dopamine.

Second, Felger says these findings also provide additional evidence that functional connectivity in reward circuitry may serve as a reliable brain biomarker for the effects of inflammation on the brain.

“Moreover, as the effect of levodopa was specific to depressed patients with higher inflammation, this functional connectivity may be used to assess the responsiveness of the brain to novel treatments that might be targeted to this subtype of depressed patients in future studies and clinical trials,” says Felger.

Source: Emory University

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Critics accuse DeSantis of erasing ‘all of Black history,’ harming students by blocking AP course

January 28, 2023 Published by

An NPR report showcased several media and political figures’ meltdowns after Florida Department of Education’s made the decision, endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, to block an AP African American studies course from being taught in state schools.

The article, published Friday, stated, “Florida’s department of education, under the leadership of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, rejected an Advanced Placement course on African American studies. The decision is leading to a wave of backlash across the country — from other state lawmakers to labor unions and even a potential lawsuit.”

NPR proceeded to list off the indictments against Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., including criticism that the governor was harming the educational well-being of Florida students, and potentially “[erasing] all of Black history” by rejecting the class. 

FLORIDA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES SPENT $15 MILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON CRT, DIVERSITY INITIATIVES: REPORT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he arrives for a news conference at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, on Key Biscayne, Fla. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he arrives for a news conference at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, on Key Biscayne, Fla. 
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Earlier this week, the governor defended the rejection of the course, which was created by The College Board for Florida high schools. He claimed that material found the course violated Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act” and is “historically inaccurate.”

DeSantis said, “This course on Black history, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now, who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda.”

A Fox News Digital report on the syllabus of The College Board’s course revealed it “contains tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and elements of queer theory,” which is what led to it being labeled a violation of the “Stop WOKE act.”

Despite these facts, the opinions featured in NPR’s report spoke as if the DeSantis government was a scourge to public education. 

It began with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., who wrote a recent letter to The College Board urging the organization not to bow to the Florida DOE’s demands. In the letter, Pritzker depicted DeSantis as a tyrant, saying, “One Governor should not have the power to dictate the facts of U.S. history.”

DESANTIS’ TEACHERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS PRAISED AFTER BATTLE WITH WHITE HOUSE OVER ‘WOKE’ CURRICULUM

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and his wife, Casey DeSantis. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and his wife, Casey DeSantis. 
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

NPR then quoted National Education Association President Becky Pringle, who was present when civil rights lawyer Ben Crump announced a lawsuit against the state’s DOE on behalf of three Florida high school students. 

Pringle accused the government of censorship in a tweet, stating, “When we censor classes and whitewash lesson plans, we harm our students and do them a deep disservice.”

NPR noted that “Pringle, along with more than 28,000 others as of Thursday afternoon, signed a petition demanding the Florida State Board of Education approve the course.”

The petition called out DeSantis by name, stating, “It’s clear that Fl. Gov. DeSantis has been using Black students as political pawns in his quest to build power and conservative outrage, and the Florida State Board of Education (SBE) has long enabled him.”

NPR also cited American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, who stated, “AP courses are a pathway to help build critical thinking skills – to learn new information and apply it to life.” 

Weingarten also asked, “How can Gov DeSantis erase all of Black history?”

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The NCAAP was featured as well, calling Florida’s decision “Whitesplaining.” In an op-ed quoted by the outlet, NCAAP member Ivory Toldson claimed, “The move to censor topics like intersectionality, the movement for Black lives, and reparations is nothing more than an assault on African-American history and worldviews – effectively whitesplaining topics that are integral to the development of American history, culture, and identity.”

NPR noted Florida Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones’ tweet claiming that Florida is “the place where you #Don’tSayBlack.” It also cited New York Democratic state Rep. Ritchie, who similarly tweeted, “Florida has gone from Don’t Say Gay to Don’t Say Black.”

AFT president Randi Weingarten has become the enemy of conservative parents over public school policy in the last several years.

AFT president Randi Weingarten has become the enemy of conservative parents over public school policy in the last several years.
(Screenshot/MSNBC/MorningJoe)

Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. 

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Prosecutors in Alex Murdaugh murder trial play recording of his first interview after bodies of his son and wife were found

January 28, 2023 Published by



CNN
 — 

On the third day of the murder trial of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, prosecutors showed the court video of Murdaugh’s first interview with authorities after his wife and son were found killed.

In the interview, which had not been released publicly previously, Murdaugh described arriving at the scene where he could see the two bodies and told investigator he could see things were “bad” when he first pulled up to the home.

Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime related to the deaths of his wife, Margaret, and son, Paul, who was 22 at the time of the June 7, 2021 crime. Opening statements for Murdaugh’s murder trial began earlier this week and is now in recess for the weekend, with the prosecution’s ninth witness still on the stand.

In the interview played in court on Friday, Murdaugh told investigators he had left home that night to go check on his mother, who is a late-stage Alzheimer’s patient.

Murdaugh said that after arriving and seeing the bodies, he tried to turn his son’s body over and then went over to his wife. He told investigators he touched both of them to try and take their pulse, adding he “tried to do it as limited as possible,” according to the video recording.

He said there was blood around his son’s body but that he didn’t see anything else around other than Paul’s cellphone. Murdaugh broke down several times during the interview.

Murdaugh said he called 911 and later his brothers and a good friend.

Colleton County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office Det. Laura Rutland, who was among the officers who interviewed Murdaugh hours after the bodies were found, testified on Friday she did not see footprints or knee prints in the blood near Paul’s body.

She also testified that she had seen Murdaugh’s hands and shirt that night and he was “clean,” telling the court she did not see any blood on him.

In the video recording played in court, Murdaugh was asked by another law enforcement officer if there had been any problems and Murdaugh responded,”Nothing that I know of,” but added there had been negative publicity following a boat accident that Paul, his son, was involved in.

At the time of his death, Paul Murdaugh was facing charges of boating under the influence, causing great bodily harm and causing death in connection to a 2019 boat crash that claimed the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, court records show.

Alex Murdaugh said in the recording there had been some “vile stuff’ online directed at his son and that Paul had been “punched and hit and just attacked a lot,” but acknowledge he had not witnessed those incidents.

Murdaugh then went on to allude about a man he recently had hired who Murdaugh said had allegedly shared a “freaky” story with Paul about getting drafted on an undercover team to “kill radical Black Panthers.”

“I really do not think that in all honesty that it’s him, but I think you oughta check it out,” Murdaugh continued, according to the recording.

Murdaugh also told investigators he owned about 20 or 25 guns.

During cross examination, defense attorney Jim Griffin questioned Rutland about how another agent collected the clothing that Murdaugh was wearing that night and asked her if she had followed proper protocol, seeming to question the integrity of the investigation.

Griffin also asked Rutland about notes in her report that night which said Murdaugh’s wife appeared to have strands of brown hair in her hands and fingers and that Paul appeared to have scratches on his face. Rutland told the court she noted what she observed.

The prosecution also called as their eighth witness another agent, who testified she collected samples from the two bodies and a ninth witness, also an agent, who is expected to resume testimony on Monday morning.

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Droughts put water bills out of reach for some families

January 27, 2023 Published by

When providers act to curtail water use because of a drought, water bills can rise for low-income families while dropping for high-income households, researchers report.

Access to safe, affordable water is a necessity for human health and well-being. But when droughts strike areas that are already water-stressed, water providers are forced to enact measures to curtail water usage or invest in supplies from more expensive sources, which can increase costs for consumers.

According to the new study, these measures can disproportionately affect water bills for low-income households, making water more costly for the most vulnerable people.

“A low-income household often has a different response to curtailment measures and surcharges because of how much water they used before the drought,” says Benjamin Rachunok, who conducted the work as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University and is now an assistant professor at North Carolina State University. “This can lead to different affordability outcomes for low- and high-income people, even if the same processes and policies are being applied to everyone.”

The researchers found that in some cases, low-income households end up seeing bills rise during droughts, while high-income households see their bills drop. The work illuminates the interconnected mechanisms that affect affordability and may be able to help water planners and policymakers better understand the potential impacts of long- and short-term drought responses.

Water bill affordability

Drawing on public data from the 2011 to 2017 drought in California, the researchers built a model to examine how different combinations of drought length and severity, various resilience strategies, and household behavior can affect the affordability of water.

“The standard way of thinking about the connection between water scarcity and affordability has been to look at the cost of supplying water and how that cost is passed on to users through rate design,” says Sarah Fletcher, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in Stanford Engineering and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and senior author of the paper in Nature Water.

“But in order to fully understand the impacts of drought on water affordability, we have to include people’s behavioral responses to how the drought is unfolding and the restrictions that are put in place.”

When there is a water shortage, providers often ask consumers to cut back on their water usage, while applying a drought surcharge to bills to make up for lost revenue. Fletcher and Rachunok found that high-income households can cut back significantly, lowering their average water bill even with the addition of a surcharge.

Lower-income households, however, tend to have less flexibility in their water usage. Even when they are able to curtail their water use, the drop does not make up for the additional cost of the surcharge.

Water utilities may also invest in infrastructure, such as desalination or water-recycling plants, to increase their water supply. The model showed that in all drought scenarios, these projects increase costs and reduce affordability for low-income households.

“Affordability is a key part of water access,” Fletcher says. “If we think about water security as including affordability for low-income populations, then some of the expensive technological measures that we often consider might actually harm water security by making water unaffordable for a larger number of people.”

Long-term water planning

Water is typically considered affordable when it does not exceed between 2% and 4% of a household’s income. While the cost of supplying water is the primary driver of water bills, even a small bill increase during droughts could make it difficult for some households to afford the water they need.

By providing insight into the mechanisms that affect affordability, Fletcher and Rachunok hope to help cities evaluate different approaches for long-term water supply planning. They are continuing to investigate how rate structures and other drought management techniques affect people’s behavior and are working to develop a generalized approach to help regulators make the best decisions for an uncertain future.

“We have a changing climate and changing water needs,” Fletcher says. “We have to develop approaches that allow us to adapt in robust ways so that we can still have water systems that are reliable, cost effective, and provide all the services that we need. And we should really be centering the needs of vulnerable communities as we do that adaptation.”

The Stanford Impact Labs and the UPS Endowment Fund at Stanford University funded the work.

Source: Laura Castañón for Stanford University

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John Kennedy rips Biden over GOP Medicare cut suggestion: 'Not even George Santos would' claim that

January 27, 2023 Published by

Senate Judiciary Committee member John Kennedy, R-La., slammed President Biden over his latest comments toward “MAGA Republicans,” whom he claimed suggest policies that would “choose to inflict this kind of pain on the American people.”

On “The Story,” anchor Martha MacCallum played for Kennedy the relevant clip of Biden speaking in Springfield, Va., earlier on Thursday, during which the president also added he will “veto everything they send.”

“I think that President Biden is the only person in the Milky Way who thinks our country is headed in the right direction,” Kennedy said. “Look at the facts: Last year, our economy grew at 1%, China’s economy was shut down. It grew at 3%. [The U.S. has] 13.5% inflation cumulatively — that’s what President Biden has given us in two years.”

“I don’t mean any disrespect, but if that was my record, I would hide my head in a bag.”

BIDEN SAYS PEOPLE THINK HE’S ‘STUPID’ JUST BEFORE GETTING CONGRESSMAN’S NAME WRONG

Joe Biden

Joe Biden
(Alex Wong/Getty)

Kennedy added the average American may not be able to recite the exact empirical figures but is fully feeling the effects of their substance.

“They understand that crime is way up,” he said. “They understand that respect for our institutions is way down. The American people understand that it’s harder than ever to get ahead in our country right now, and it’s easier than ever to do nothing.”

He continued to, in a remark about a GOP colleague, slam Biden’s claims Republicans could seek to pull back on federal entitlement spending.

“President Biden says my party — ‘I’ — want to gut Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, and that’s just not true,” he said.

“Not even George Santos would make up a whopper like that, and the president knows that. He just believes that the federal government is what made this country great.”

BIDEN GROWLS AT HIGH COST OF INSULIN FOR PEOPLE NOT ON MEDICARE

Rep. George Santos

Rep. George Santos
(AP/Alex Brandon)

Santos, a newly elected Republican congressman from New York City, has made headlines since his election over mounting reports he fabricated or lied about aspects of his life and resume. 

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At the Springfield event, Biden also celebrated the reported creation of 750,000 union jobs under his tenure, while also making news for another apparent gaffe.

The president at one point asked about “Doug, the congressman,” but had appeared to be referring to Rep. Donald Beyer, D-Va., who represents the liberal Washington suburb he was visiting.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and breaking news, and has covered the annual CPAC conference for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

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