Author: Nola Duke

Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Tatyana Shevtsova, who officially was dismissed mid-June, fled to France ‘with hundreds of millions of dollars saved in cryptocurrency.’. Tsargrad and other Telegram channels report this with reference to several sources, although confirmation or refutation of this data has not yet been received. If she fled to France, it must be a deal with the French security service, as she is sanctioned in Europe. There is a version that Shevtsova allegedly cooperated with the investigation against the detained generals, trying to avoid her own charges. According to another version, the generals, to reduce their sentences,…

Moscow/Washington (13/6 – 29) We took a holiday from reality. Immanuel Niven, a mathematician and philosopher, has long been scrutinizing Russia’s economic landscape, and his recent assertions suggest a dire forecast. He contends that the “Putin system” is on the brink of collapse, a scenario he had mathematically foreseen as early as March. Niven points to the pronounced tax hikes announced in Russia, the most substantial in its modern history, as well as Putin’s recent rhetoric urging citizens to work as if they were at the front lines. These developments, Niven argues, are symptomatic of the escalating toxicity within Russia’s…

The Hague: Dutch medical device maker Philips said Monday it had reached a $1.1 billion deal in the United States to settle lawsuits over faulty sleep machines in a case that has rocked the company. Since 2021, the company has been battling a series of crises over its DreamStation machines for sleep apnoea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep. Earlier this year, the company said it would halt new sales of the machines in the United States following a series of recalls of the devices made by subsidiary Philips Respironics. Philips said in a statement Monday that…

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) unveiled legislation Tuesday to curb book bans. “I’m proud to introduce the Fight Book Bans Act, legislation that will help our school boards and school districts overcome these relentless attacks on our civil rights and civil liberties and academic freedom,” Frost said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “The Fight Book Bans Act takes a stand against censorship by giving school districts the funding that they need to oppose these challenges.” Frost’s home state of Florida was found to have the most book bans in the country last year, making up 40 percent of those across the nation, according…

Among the singer’s favorite personal effects in her NYC home are gifts from music superstars and a photo of her opera singer grandma There are a few personal effects in Taylor Swift’s New York City apartment that make it really feel like home. In an interview with Time for her 2023 Person of the Year cover, the singer lifted the lid on some of the sentimental decor she keeps in her home, giving fans a glimpse into her life behind closed doors. Swift, 33, told the outlet that among the items she loves most are a photo of her grandmother, Marjorie, who was an opera…

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is setting up a legal defense fund as the FBI and the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York continue a wide-ranging public corruption investigation into his 2021 campaign. Unlike typical campaign donation accounts, the fund will be monitored by the city’s Conflict of Interest Board, an independent agency tasked with enforcing the city’s conflict of interest code among city employees. City employees are allowed to set up legal defense funds to raise money to pay for certain legal bills and expenses connected with their employment, according to guidance posted by the board. An affidavit…

PepsiCo has been sued by New York state for plastic pollution along the Buffalo River that is allegedly contaminating the water and harming wildlife. According to the lawsuit, PepsiCo is the single largest identifiable contributor to the problem. PepsiCo’s spokesperson has told the BBC that it has been “transparent in its journey to reduce use of plastic”. Last week Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle were accused of making misleading claims about their plastic bottles. PepsiCo, maker of Pepsi, Doritos and other snacks, is the world’s second biggest food company after industry leader Nestle. The American giant is the latest major corporation to face a lawsuit by local…

Republican governor is anti-abortion, anti-trans and a ‘nightmare’ for DemocratsIt looked, sounded and felt like the start of a US presidential campaign. “The stakes are high and the consequences couldn’t be greater,” said Glenn Youngkin in a glossy video that showed the Virginia governor walking in Ronald Reagan’s footsteps at the 40th president’s library in Simi Valley, California, complete with Air Force One and a fragment of the Berlin wall. The ad, “It’s Time to Usher in a New Era of American Values,” was released by Youngkin in May, fuelling speculation of a White House run that never came. With Republican candidates…

The Alleghany Highlands Visitor Center, which also serves as the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, was recently named a Certified Tourist Information Center by Virginia Tourism. The Chamber had to meet several requirements to become a Tourist Information Center including being open a certain amount of days per week, offer a location that is convenient and easily accessible for travelers, provide brochures and literature that includes information on destinations and their amenities, adequate interstate signage and much more. “We are excited to have been designated as a Certified Tourist Information Center by Virginia Tourism. Many travelers plan their…

The state Public Service Commission balked at efforts by renewable energy projects to land more subsidies from New York ratepayers Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration Thursday rejected a request from companies for bigger payments to complete large-scale wind, solar and offshore wind projects — leaving the developments in doubt and threatening New York’s ability to meet its climate goals The dismissal by the Public Service Commission sets off a scramble for developers to decide whether to cancel contracts with NYSERDA, sacrificing millions of dollars in security payments. It also places New York’s clean-energy ambitions in peril. The state’s landmark climate law requires 70…