‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained?ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing is now streaming. The true crime story, centered around infamous Kansas City Chiefs superfan and serial bank robber Xaviar Babudar , premiered on Prime Video on Tuesday (December 24). Here’s an official synopsis: “ ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing is a true-crime documentary that follows the harrowing story of Kansas City Chiefs superfan and serial bank robber Xaviar Babudar —famously known as ‘ChiefsAholic.’ Recognized for his distinctive wolf costume and boisterous social media antics, Babudar rose to fame as one of Kansas City’s most fervent fans. However, a secret life came to light when he was arrested in Bixby, Oklahoma, unraveling a series of unsolved bank robberies committed across the Midwest. Through interviews granted by Babudar himself, ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing explores critical moments in the events surrounding Babudar ’s initial arrest, and offers a firsthand perspective on his subsequent journey.” Keep reading to find out more... The film includes never-before-seen interview footage with Xavier Babudar after he is released on bail, and before he unexpectedly removed his ankle monitor and became a fugitive from the FBI. The move led to a four-month nationwide search to re-capture him, led by bail bondsman Michael Lloyd who had $80,000 of his own money at stake. Xavier would eventually be charged with the armed robbery of 11 financial institutions, stealing $847,725.00 across seven states. After a plea negotiation, he was sentenced to serve 17.5 years in federal prison with no possibility of parole and ordered to make restitution. Interview subjects include bail bondsman Michael Lloyd , defense attorneys Matthew Merryman and Frank Frazier , law enforcement officials, Payton Garcia , a credit union advisor accosted by Xavier during a holdup, as well as Chiefs Kingdom fans who embraced the ChiefsAholic character. Click here to watch it on Prime Video. Find out what TV shows just got renewed for 2025 on Prime Video. Watch the trailer...
Judiciary on verge of institutionalising independence
How much is that doggie in the window? The state says it’s not for sale. Brooklyn’s pet store owners, known for selling furry friends, are hoping legal intervention will halt the incoming statewide ban, which they say will be detrimental to business in the lead-up to the holiday season. In December 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill banning the sale of dogs, cats, and bunnies at retail pet stores, intent on improving the welfare of furry friends by ending the “puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline.” The pet sale ban takes effect this Sunday, Dec. 15, impacting over 160 brick and motor stores statewide, five of which are in Brooklyn. Any stores found to be selling pets after the deadline can face penalties of up to $1,000 per violation. Last month, the City Council passed a similar bill — sponsored by Bay Ridge Council Member Justin Brannan — that would ban retail pet stores or other unlicensed locations from selling cats, dogs, and rabbits — with a fine for $500 per day if violated. Mayor Eric Adams has yet to sign off on the bill, but if he does, it will go into effect the same day, Dec. 15. Benjamin Santiago, the general manager of Puppy Boutique in Bensonhurst, spoke to Brooklyn Paper Monday surrounded by some 20 pups he hopes will be sold before Sunday’s deadline. “We’ll figure something out. These guys are not going to go back anywhere. They’re going to end up being in someone’s home. I’ll even grab a couple myself,” he said. According to Santiago, Puppy Boutique has been on 17th Avenue for the last 30 years and employs about 12 workers, who are now concerned for their livelihoods. He stressed that their pets come from reputable breeders inspected by federal authorities. Benjamin Santiago, general manager of Puppy Boutique, defended the store. Photo by Adam Daly “I understand that they’re trying to cut off the puppy mills, but what does our pet store have to do with that?” asked Santiago. “The job of eliminating most of those puppy mills is for the FDA, they are supposed to handle that, not us. But it’s the mom-and-pop stores who are paying for it.” The regulatory agency that handles inspections of facilities like dog breeders and puppy mills is the U.S. Department of Agriculture , not the FDA. But some doubt pet store owners’ claims that their animals come from safe facilities — even if they get regular USDA inspections. “The USDA is known as a joke in the animal rights world,” said Allie Taylor, a Brooklyn resident and founder of Voters for Animal Rights. “They turn their cheek the other way, if they see something, there’s minimal amounts of punishment for non-compliance. So there’s really no incentive for a puppy mill to do the right thing.” At the worst of those facilities, often located states away from the Brooklyn stores where the puppies end up, adult dogs are bred forcibly and repeatedly, Taylor said, and kept in poor conditions without vet care. Pets brought into New York State from across state lines must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection , and those certificates show where the animals came from. State records show that The Puppy Boutique received 59 new puppies in October, all from breeding facilities in Missouri. Recent USDA inspections of those facilities found few violations — but several house dozens of dogs, per inspection reports . Hayden Otto, which sold The Puppy Boutique three puppies, housed 188 dogs as of June 2024 — 137 adults and 57 puppies. Triple P Kennel, where the store got three Pomeranians, had 122 dogs as of June 2024. In 2020, Brooklynites protested outside the store, claiming it had sold sick and dying dogs. “Small-scale breeders don’t sell their dogs in pet stores,” Taylor said. “I certainly don’t support breeders, period, but I will say breeders who are doing this more ethically and not using puppy mills, but breeding one or two litters per year, they’re not selling their dogs to pet stores. They’re going right to consumers.” Santiago believes that without reputable pet stores acting as a middle-man for customers looking for young pets, many will fall for scams by deceptive breeders. “After closing up all these stores, there’s going to be even more scams, and there’s going to be people out there selling puppies out of the trunk of their cars,” he said. “I understand the shelters want people to adopt older adults, but a lot of people, especially families with kids, they want puppies. They want the puppies to grow up with their kids.” The Pet Advocacy Network, which on Monday joined six New York businesses as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the ban, pointed to a similar 2019 law in California where reported puppy scams have surged . CEO of the Pet Advocacy Network Mike Bober said legislators’ “refusal” to work with small businesses has forced them to ask the court to stop the ban “before more consumers, animals, and local businesses are seriously harmed.” “Pet sale bans hurt pets, families, and small businesses,” said Bober. “The so-called ‘Puppy Mill Pipeline Law’ takes away longstanding protections for pet owners and leaves New Yorkers more vulnerable to fraudulent sellers on the unregulated black market, while doing nothing to stop bad breeders.” As the deadline looms, Santiago feels the State has “screwed over” small pet stores like his, particularly in enacting the ban ten days before Christmas. Despite the hard feelings, he hopes that the legal action seeking an injunction will save the business or at least be fruitful in giving pet stores some sort of “Plan B.” Under the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, state legislators want pet stores to partner with registered, nonprofit animal rescue organizations to showcase animals available for adoption. The law would allow pet stores to collect reasonable rental fees from rescue groups for space to showcase the pets in need of a home. Puppy Boutique said it has no plans to partner with any rescues but will, in the meantime, fill its displays with pet supplies instead of furry friends. As store owners bemoan the ban, animal rights advocates and shelter workers say it’s a win for animal welfare. Pet stores are a valuable part of a community, said Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats and Flatbush Vet, and it’s important for pet owners to have physical storefronts to purchase their supplies from. But he feels the stores should sell only supplies. “They have absolutely no reason selling or caring for live animals of any kind,” he said, including fish and lizards — which are not included in the bill. While store owners say their animals come from reputable breeders, their sources are often “shady,” Zweigart said. But his concerns include the stores themselves, which often provide less-than-ideal conditions for dogs and cats. “You can apply common sense to look and see whether, visibly, even just a visual inspection, you can tell that animals in pet stores are not being cared for and kept even at the standards that are required for animal shelters,” he said. “These are for-profit businesses. There’s a misalignment of incentives, and the animals are suffering as a result.” Taylor also supported the bill’s ban on the sale of animals from residences, and said people looking to make some additional money often start breeding and selling dogs out of their homes. Those dogs are frequently dumped or surrendered to shelters by their new owners. Breeders themselves sometimes abandon dogs that don’t sell, she added. Brannan, who introduced the citywide ban in the Council, said at a Sept. 13 hearing that the city has a long way to go in terms of humane treatment of animals. “I’m often the first to defend the fiery passion of animal activists when others assume that there’s some sort of ulterior motivation,” he said. “There is no ulterior motivation. We just all really, really care about animals and we want to get this right.” If made law, Brannan’s bill would also ban the sale of animals from residential buildings or other unlicensed places — an effort to end backyard breeding. Backyard breeders can produce hundreds of puppies per year, and often don’t provide proper living conditions and care for their animals. Earlier this year, Attorney General Letitia James — whose office will be responsible for enforcing the state Puppy Mill Pipeline Act — secured a $300,000 settlement from a Long Island pet store that had lied to consumers about getting its dogs from puppy mills and had knowingly sold those dogs while they were critically ill. The store, Shake-A-Paw, told customers it worked with “the most trusted breeders nationwide,” according to the settlement, but had actually purchased thousands of dogs from puppy mills. Dozens of puppies sold at Shake-A-Paw were infected with diseases including parvo, which is often fatal, and at least some of the dogs died shortly after they were purchased by customers. For David Dietz, the owner of Puppy Paradise, which has been on Flatbush Avenue for some 45 years, the ban is the final nail in his retail business’s coffin. The Marine Park store owner told this paper that after Dec. 15, he will start winding down operations, which also include grooming services, boarding facilities, and pet supplies sales. He said the incoming ban would eliminate about 70% of the business’s income, making it nearly impossible to cover operating expenses. “I had for 45 years, I worked for 25 years, personally, seven days a week for 25 years, I sacrificed my life, my family, and my health, and I sacrificed my wealth to build that business,” Dietz said. “After 45 years of doing this, it’s very hard to just stop and shut everything down.” Once Puppy Paradise closes its doors, Dietz plans to move to a smaller facility to focus on his puppy party service. This service provides furry friends for children’s parties or other events, such as “destress rooms” at colleges and offices. During the store’s first 20 years in business, Dietz said he employed about 20 workers to meet the demand for his services in southern Brooklyn. However, since competition popped up from other retail stores and kennel facilities, that workforce had to shrink down to about three staff members. He said he was initially happy about the state’s desire to make the industry more compliant but the law that was passed only hurts small businesses like his. He anticipates the move will allow unlicensed sellers and breeders to thrive on the black market. “They’re going to open up a whole nother shrew of problems,” said Dietz. “People are people, and they want to try to make a living, and if there’s a demand, it’ll be filled by somebody somewhere.” Like Puppy Boutique, Dietz questioned the push to partner with rescues and adoption agencies at this stage in the process and ultimately decided it would not be a viable solution for his business. “The idea is great, but they have no funds to do it,” he said. “I’m paying $5,000 a month for rent. My electricity is $1,000 a month, insurance is about $400 a month, plus the employees are over $10,000, $12,000 a month. What shelter can afford to pay any part of that when they have to give the dogs away for $60 or $100 or $200?” And if they have to care for the animals on top of it, Dietz said, rescuers will be “paying money that nobody has.” “So will it work? No.” The law will be enforced by the Attorney General’s office, which issued a reminder about the ban, and the fees associated with violating it, last month. It was not immediately clear how exactly the AG’s office would ensure sales stop after Dec. 15. In the Shake-A-Paw case, James began an investigation after receiving dozens of complaints from New Yorkers who had bought sick dogs from the store, according to court documents. The citywide ban, if passed, will become the responsibility of the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — which already oversees pet stores and animal welfare. Zweigart said he was curious about how strong that enforcement would be, and speculated that most pet stores, rather than proactively selling all their animals, would continue as usual until they get caught. He, like many animal rescuers in New York City, felt critical of the DOH — especially after a September City Council hearing , during which department representatives told council members they don’t need more money for animal welfare programs. “We expect our government agencies to do their job and fully enforce the law at the state and the city level,” Taylor said. “That said, I question how seriously our city and state agencies will take it, particularly the New York City Department of Health.” She said Voters for Animal Rights would be implementing its own system, and ask that when locals report violations to the city or state, they also alert the organization, so it can keep track of issues and enforcement. State and city officials and animal activists, in the face of the ban, have urged New Yorkers to adopt their pets from the city’s many overcrowded shelters and rescue agencies — not from unlicensed sellers, friends, or other breeders. In Brooklyn, prospective pet parents can check out Animal Care Centers of NYC , Sean Casey Animal Rescue , Flatbush Cats , or the Brooklyn Cat Cafe .
A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from the upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon . Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her, court records show. They're due back in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul on Dec. 16. According to the criminal complaints, a Lululemon investigator had been tracking the pair even before police first confronted them on Nov. 14 at a store in suburban Roseville. The investigator told police the couple were responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across the country, the complaints said. They would steal items and make fraudulent returns, it said. Police found suitcases containing more than $50,000 worth of Lululemon clothing when they searched the couple's hotel room in Bloomington, the complaint said. According to the investigator, they were also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut, the complaint said. Within Minnesota, they were also accused of thefts at stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs of Woodbury, Edina and Minnetonka. The investigator said the two were part of a group that would usually travel to a city and hit Lululemon stores there for two days, return to the East Coast to exchange the items without receipts for new items, take back the new items with the return receipts for credit card refunds, then head back out to commit more thefts, the complaint said. In at least some of the thefts, it said, Richards would enter the store first and buy one or two cheap items. He'd then return to the sales floor where, with help from Lawes-Richards, they would remove a security sensor from another item and put it on one of the items he had just purchased. Lawes-Richards and another woman would then conceal leggings under their clothing. They would then leave together. When the security sensors at the door went off, he would offer staff the bag with the items he had bought, while the women would keep walking out, fooling the staff into thinking it was his sensor that had set off the alarm, the complaint said. Richards' attorney declined comment. Lawes-Richards' public defender did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. “This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable,” Tristen Shields, Lululemon's vice president of asset protection, said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industrywide issue.” The two are being prosecuted under a state law enacted last year that seeks to crack down on organized retail theft. One of its chief authors, Sen. Ron Latz, of St. Louis Park, said 34 states already had organized retail crime laws on their books. “I am glad to see it is working as intended to bring down criminal operations," Latz said in a statement. "This type of theft harms retailers in myriad ways, including lost economic activity, job loss, and threats to worker safety when crime goes unaddressed. It also harms consumers through rising costs and compromised products being resold online.” Two Minnesota women were also charged under the new law in August. They were accused of targeting a Lululemon store in Minneapolis.Being able to live off may sound like a dream to most people. Wouldn't it be amazing if our investments could grow their so much that it could entirely replace the wage? 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KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 18, 2024 / Diamcor Mining Inc. (TSXV:DMI)(OTCQB:DMIFF)(FRA:DC3A), ("Diamcor" or the "Company"), a well-established Canadian diamond mining company with a proven history in the mining, exploration, and sale of rough diamonds announces that the Company and Tiffany & Co. Canada ("Tiffany" or "The Lender") have entered into an agreement (the "Agreement") to amend the total balance of the outstanding loans between the companies. Under the terms of the Agreement, Diamcor will pay Tiffany CAD $2,000,000 (the "Initial Payment") 90 days from signing of the Agreement, followed by a second and final payment of CAD $1,505,256 on the one-year anniversary of the Initial Payment to retire all remaining principal and accrued interest associated with the outstanding loans. As a result of this agreement, the total current carrying balance currently recorded in the Company's financials for these loans of CAD $6,753,045 will be adjusted to reflect a new amount of CAD $3,505,256 as outstanding for these loans. About Diamcor Mining Inc. Diamcor Mining Inc. is a fully reporting publicly traded Canadian diamond mining company with a well-established proven history in the mining, exploration, and sale of rough diamonds. The Company's primary focus is on the mining and development of its Krone-Endora at Venetia Project which is co-located and directly adjacent to De Beers' Venetia Diamond Mine in South Africa. The Venetia diamond mine is recognized as one of the world's top diamond-producing mines, and the deposits which occur on Krone-Endora have been identified as being the result of shift and subsequent erosion of an estimated 50M tonnes of material from the higher grounds of Venetia to the lower surrounding areas in the direction of Krone and Endora. Diamcor also focuses on the acquisition and development of mid-tier projects with near-term production capabilities and growth potential and uses unique approaches to mining that involves the use of advanced technology and techniques to extract diamonds in a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible manner. The Company has a strong commitment to social responsibility, including the support of local people, communities, and the environment. About the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project Diamcor acquired the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project from De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited, consisting of the prospecting rights over the farms Krone 104 and Endora 66, which represent a combined surface area of approximately 5,888 hectares directly adjacent to De Beers' flagship Venetia Diamond Mine in South Africa. The Company subsequently announced that the South African Department of Mineral Resources had granted a Mining Right for the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project encompassing 657.71 hectares of the Project's total area of 5,888 hectares. The Company has also submitted an application for a mining right over the remaining areas of the Project. The deposits which occur on the properties of Krone and Endora have been identified as a higher-grade "Alluvial" basal deposit which is covered by a lower-grade upper "Eluvial" deposit. These deposits are proposed to be the result of the direct-shift (in respect to the "Eluvial" deposit) and erosion (in respect to the "Alluvial" deposit) of an estimated 1,000 vertical meters of material from the higher grounds of the adjacent Venetia Kimberlite areas. The deposits on Krone-Endora occur with a maximum total depth of approximately 15.0 metres from surface to bedrock, allowing for a very low-cost mining operation to be employed with the potential for near-term diamond production from a known high-quality source. Krone-Endora also benefits from the significant development of infrastructure and services already in place due to its location directly adjacent to the Venetia Mine, which is widely recognised as the largest diamond mine in South Africa, and one of the most prolific diamond mines in the world. Qualified Person Statement: Mr. James P. Hawkins (B.Sc., P.Geo.), is Manager of Exploration & Special Projects for Diamcor Mining Inc., and the Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 responsible for overseeing the execution of Diamcor's exploration programmes and a Member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta ("APEGA"). Mr. Hawkins has reviewed this press release and approved of its contents. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Mr. Dean H. Taylor President & CEO Diamcor Mining Inc. www.diamcormining.com For further information contact: Mr. Dean H. Taylor Diamcor Mining Inc DeanT@Diamcor.com +1 250 862-3212 This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements represent our best current judgement, they are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict and which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Further, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. WE SEEK SAFE HARBOUR Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Diamcor Mining Inc. View the original on accesswire.com
Float'n Thang(R) Zero Gravity Float(TM) Revolutionizes Aquatic Fitness with Accessible Design and Adaptive TechnologyAnge Postecoglou slams Tottenham player’s ‘unacceptable’ performance against RangersMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from the upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon. Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her, court records show. They're due back in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul on Dec. 16. According to the criminal complaints, a Lululemon investigator had been tracking the pair even before police first confronted them on Nov. 14 at a store in suburban Roseville. The investigator told police the couple were responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across the country, the complaints said. They would steal items and make fraudulent returns, it said. Police found suitcases containing more than $50,000 worth of Lululemon clothing when they searched the couple's hotel room in Bloomington, the complaint said. According to the investigator, they were also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut, the complaint said. Within Minnesota, they were also accused of thefts at stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs of Woodbury, Edina and Minnetonka. The investigator said the two were part of a group that would usually travel to a city and hit Lululemon stores there for two days, return to the East Coast to exchange the items without receipts for new items, take back the new items with the return receipts for credit card refunds, then head back out to commit more thefts, the complaint said. In at least some of the thefts, it said, Richards would enter the store first and buy one or two cheap items. He'd then return to the sales floor where, with help from Lawes-Richards, they would remove a security sensor from another item and put it on one of the items he had just purchased. Lawes-Richards and another woman would then conceal leggings under their clothing. They would then leave together. When the security sensors at the door went off, he would offer staff the bag with the items he had bought, while the women would keep walking out, fooling the staff into thinking it was his sensor that had set off the alarm, the complaint said. Richards' attorney declined comment. Lawes-Richards' public defender did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. “This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable,” Tristen Shields, Lululemon's vice president of asset protection, said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industrywide issue.” The two are being prosecuted under a state law enacted last year that seeks to crack down on organized retail theft. One of its chief authors, Sen. Ron Latz, of St. Louis Park, said 34 states already had organized retail crime laws on their books. “I am glad to see it is working as intended to bring down criminal operations," Latz said in a statement. "This type of theft harms retailers in myriad ways, including lost economic activity, job loss, and threats to worker safety when crime goes unaddressed. It also harms consumers through rising costs and compromised products being resold online.” Two Minnesota women were also charged under the new law in August. They were accused of targeting a Lululemon store in Minneapolis.
