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Police & Fire
Greenwich Investment Firm Founder Stole Millions In Clients' Cash: Feds Greenwich Investment Firm Founder Stole Millions In Clients' Cash: Feds
Greenwich Investment Firm Founder Stole Millions In Clients' Cash: Feds A 49-year-old Connecticut man faces potentially decades in prison after he allegedly defrauded and stole $3.5 million of his client's money for years, federal authorities said.  Justin C. Murphy, 49, of Stamford, is charged with 15 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering, and three counts of tax evasion, the US Attorney for Connecticut announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5.  Murphy ran the Greenwich-based investment firm Mara. The company also went by Mara Investment Group, LLC, Mara Investment Management LP, and Mara Investments Global Management LLC.  Federal inv…

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by Josh Lanier
Politics
You Better Work: George Santos Offered $100K To Perform Drag Show At NY Restaurant, Report Says You Better Work: George Santos Offered $100K To Perform Drag Show At NY Restaurant, Report Says
You Better Work: George Santos Offered $100K To Perform Drag Show At NY Restaurant, Report Says After weeks of online speculation over his rumored past as a drag queen, embattled New York Congressman George Santos has been given the chance to sashay down the runway for a good cause, Daily Mail reports.  Zach Erdem, owner of Long Island hot spot 75 Main in Southampton, is offering the Republican lawmaker $100,000 if he agrees to perform in the exclusive restaurant’s weekly drag show, Erdem told the outlet. The job includes free food and drinks, and Erdem said he would even donate a portion of ticket sales to charities benefiting children and animals. George Santos denies he was e…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
Persona Non Grata: Embattled NY Rep-Elect Santos Endures Lonely First Days In Congress Persona Non Grata: Embattled NY Rep-Elect Santos Endures Lonely First Days In Congress
Persona Non Grata: Embattled NY Rep-Elect Santos Endures Lonely First Days In Congress Embattled New York Congressman-elect George Santos received a less than warm welcome from colleagues during his first week on Capitol Hill. Pictures and video on social media show the Republican politician, who represents the 3rd District on Long Island’s North Shore and parts of Queens, sitting alone in the House chamber during the repeated rounds of voting to elect a speaker. Previous Report: Pants On Fire: DA Launches Probe Into Nassau Congressman-Elect Who Lied About Past, Report Says It was clear right from the start of the 118th Congress that Santos had become a social pariah after …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
CT Man Accused Of Smuggling People From Brazil To US For Profit CT Man Accused Of Smuggling People From Brazil To US For Profit
CT Man Accused Of Smuggling People From Brazil To US For Profit By the time he was busted by federal agents in June 2022, Connecticut resident Fagner De Lima told police he had been smuggling humans into the country for two decades. De Lima, age 41, of East Hartford, was indicted by a grand jury Thursday, Aug. 18, on one count of attempted human smuggling in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prosecutors said De Lima has a history of conspiring with others to illegally smuggle people from Brazil to the United States, making thousands of dollars along the way. He regularly made travel arrangements for clients to illegally enter the country by pl…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
WHO Issues Warning After Reports Of Fatal Attacks On Monkeys Amid Monkeypox Outbreak WHO Issues Warning After Reports Of Fatal Attacks On Monkeys Amid Monkeypox Outbreak
WHO Issues Warning After Reports Of Fatal Attacks On Monkeys Amid Monkeypox Outbreak As fears grow over the monkeypox outbreak, health officials are reporting an increasing number of violent attacks on monkeys. During an update Tuesday, Aug. 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the public not to attack monkeys following reports that the animals have been poisoned, shot, or otherwise harmed in the weeks since the disease began making headlines. At least 10 marmoset or capuchin monkeys in Brazil were found to be suffering from poisoning or physical harm, according to reports. Seven of them died. Brazilian authorities believe the attacks were carried out over a mispl…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling
CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling A 41-year-old Connecticut man is accused of running a business to illegally smuggle people from Brazil to the United States and extorting his clients during their journey. Fagner Chaves De Lima, of East Hartford, was charged with one count of attempted human smuggling, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on Thursday, June 30. “It is alleged that Mr. De Lima orchestrated an elaborate and manipulative human smuggling operation. For a steep price, Mr. De Lima allegedly made arrangements for victims to travel fro…

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Here's Why Coffee Prices Are Surging To Multi-Year High Here's Why Coffee Prices Are Surging To Multi-Year High
Here's Why Coffee Prices Are Surging To Multi-Year High Coffee prices have reached a multi-year high due to a number of factors, including a crop-destroying frost in Brazil. Fortune reported in July that the coffees trees in Brazil were impacted by a drought and two frosts, leading to the high prices. The country is the world's largest coffee producer, accounting for 40 percent of the world's output of the product, the news site reported. Prices for high-end beans used by some coffee chains increased more than 30% during this period, Fortune reported. COVID-19 restrictions in Vietnam, the world's second-largest coffee exporter, have also cause…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Travel Guidance For Americans COVID-19: CDC Issues New Travel Guidance For Americans
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Travel Guidance For Americans The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has issued new COVID-19 travel guidance for Americans. The guidance "better differentiate countries with severe outbreak situations" from those where the virus is "sustained, but controlled." The CDC has grouped countries into four levels, with those in Level 4, the highest threat level. In those countries, there have been 500 cases for every 100,000 residents in the last 28 days. Brazil and India are among the Level 4 countries. The CDC is advising Americans to avoid traveling to Level 4 countries. Those in Level 3, with a high…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: More Contagious Variant From India Now Spreading In United States COVID-19: More Contagious Variant From India Now Spreading In United States
Covid-19: More Contagious Variant From India Now Spreading In United States The more transmittable COVID-19 strain that came to the United States from India is becoming more prevalent as the country continues its recovery from the pandemic. New data found that the India variant is rapidly spreading across the US and now makes up approximately 7 percent of all new COVID-19 cases, according to a new report on Outbreak.info. At the beginning of May, the India variant only accounted for approximately 1 percent of new cases. The data shows that the variant - which is believed to be at least 60 percent more transmissible than the original strain from Wuhan, China - pea…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: First Case Of 'Variant Of Concern' From India Found In US COVID-19: First Case Of 'Variant Of Concern' From India Found In US
Covid-19: First Case Of 'Variant Of Concern' From India Found In US As COVID-19 deaths mount in India, health officials in the United States are now contending with a new strain of the virus that has been reported stateside. One day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 variant from India was a “cause of global concern,” it was announced that the strain had spread to dozens of countries, including the United States. The so-called B.1617 variant made its first domestic appearance after it was discovered in a patient in Arizona being treated for COVID. According to researchers, the India variant, like several others that have …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Pfizer, Moderna Release Clinical Trial Results On Response Against Virus Variants COVID-19: Pfizer, Moderna Release Clinical Trial Results On Response Against Virus Variants
Covid-19: Pfizer, Moderna Release Clinical Trial Results On Response Against Virus Variants Both Pfizer and Moderna - two of the three COVID-19 vaccines approved for distribution in the US - have seen promising results in combating variants of the virus in recent studies. This week, both pharmaceutical companies released results of clinical trials that show the vaccines are effective in combating COVID-19 variants, including the prominent strains from South Africa and Brazil. Moderna has been testing a 50-microgram dose of its vaccine in previously vaccinated people, which found the booster dose increased neutralizing antibody responses against the original virus as well as the va…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: First Case Of 'Double Mutant' Variant Detected In US COVID-19: First Case Of 'Double Mutant' Variant Detected In US
Covid-19: First Case Of 'Double Mutant' Variant Detected In US A new “double mutant” variant of the COVID-19 virus that could potentially be more infectious has been confirmed for the first time in the United States, raising red flags for researchers. The Stanford Clinical Virology Lab identified one case of the new variant — which first emerged in India — in California, officials announced to the San Fransisco Chronicle over the weekend. At least seven other purported cases of the same variant are also under investigation in the Bay Area. According to officials, the new strain has been dubbed the “double mutant” because it carries two mutations in…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Here's What We Know Now About Three Virus Strains CDC Calls 'Variants Of Concern' COVID-19: Here's What We Know Now About Three Virus Strains CDC Calls 'Variants Of Concern'
Covid-19: Here's What We Know Now About Three Virus Strains CDC Calls 'Variants Of Concern' As millions more American receive the COVID-19 vaccine each day, the key question now in the now more than year-long battle against the novel coronavirus comes down to this: Do the three approved vaccines being administered in the United States work against the new strains of the virus that have been confirmed, especially the highly contagious Brazil, United Kingdom, and South Africa variants? As of now, the answer is unclear because the variants first surfaced in the United States either in late December 2020 or in January 2021. "So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through v…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: First Cases Of Highly Contagious South African Mutant Strain Identified In US COVID-19: First Cases Of Highly Contagious South African Mutant Strain Identified In US
Covid-19: First Cases Of Highly Contagious South African Mutant Strain Identified In US The highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 first identified in South Africa has now made its way to the United States. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced late Thursday morning, Jan. 28 the detection of two cases associated with the variant that first emerged recently in South Africa, the first such cases in the US.  Neither patient has traveled recently, meaning the variant is likely already spreading in the community following an undetected introduction. "At this time, there’s no evidence to suggest that the B.1.351 (South African) variant c…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Wearing Two Masks Better Than One, Creates Obstacle Course For Virus, CDC Says COVID-19: Wearing Two Masks Better Than One, Creates Obstacle Course For Virus, CDC Says
Covid-19: Wearing Two Masks Better Than One, Creates Obstacle Course For Virus, CDC Says Face masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but you could be getting more protection out of them by wearing two. Research shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC) recently noted the increased effectiveness of multi-layered masks or wearing two masks compared to a single-layer or just one mask. Multi-layer cloth masks can block up to 50-70 percent of fine droplets and particles and limit the forward spread of those captured. The message is pressing in the United States where more than 400,000 people have died due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. T…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: 40 Million Worldwide Caught Virus - US Leads With Most Deaths, Infections COVID-19: 40 Million Worldwide Caught Virus - US Leads With Most Deaths, Infections
Covid-19: 40 Million Worldwide Caught Virus - US Leads With Most Deaths, Infections Across the globe, 40 million people have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The Johns Hopkins University, which tracks COVID-19 rates, said 40 million people have had the virus and 1.1 million people have died due to COVID-19. The 40 million milestone was likely reached earlier, according to researchers, as they expect COVID-19 infections are undercounted. The U.S. continues to lead the world as far as being the country with the most COVID-19 infections - 8.2 million - and deaths - 219,676. Brazil has the next highest rates for COVID-19 infections in the world wi…

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by Kristin Palpini
Business
COVID-19: Layoffs Soar As Companies Brace For Years Of Disruption Due To Pandemic COVID-19: Layoffs Soar As Companies Brace For Years Of Disruption Due To Pandemic
Covid-19: Layoffs Soar As Companies Brace For Years Of Disruption Due To Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has forced tens of thousands out of work, some of whom will have no job to return to once the virus has run its course in this country. Numerous industries will be permanently changed by the virus after thousands were furloughed or laid off while companies made the necessary audibles to stay afloat during the pandemic. Some companies that vowed to return furloughed employees back to work have also announced that they will drastically be reducing their workforces in an effort to keep costs down to account for financial losses that were accrued due to the COVID-19 outbr…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Will You Get A Coronavirus Vaccine? Here's Percentage Who Said Yes In New Survey COVID-19: Will You Get A Coronavirus Vaccine? Here's Percentage Who Said Yes In New Survey
Covid-19: Will You Get A Coronavirus Vaccine? Here's Percentage Who Said Yes In New Survey Based on a survey of 20,000 worldwide conducted by the World Economic Forum, about three-quarters of people say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if one was available.  Among that 74 percent, 37 percent "strongly agree" that they will get a vaccine, while 37 percent somewhat agree.  In the United States, 67 percent of those polled would get an inoculation against COVID-19 if one were available. The most common concern amongst those who had trepidations about a vaccine were possible side effects.  Except for the U.S., all of the countries most willing to take a vaccine are t…

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by Christina Coulter
News
COVID-19: Costa Rica To Open Borders To Residents Of 6 US States COVID-19: Costa Rica To Open Borders To Residents Of 6 US States
Covid-19: Costa Rica To Open Borders To Residents Of 6 US States Costa Rica is re-opening its borders to Americans who reside in six specific states. Residents of Vermont, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut may all begin traveling to Costa Rica again starting Sept. 1. Many countries have closed their borders to American tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. Costa Rica’s re-opening strategy is unique in its targeted border opening. As of Aug. 3, these countries were among the ones Americans could still visit during the pandemic, according to National Geographic: Albania, Brazil, Camb…

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by Kristin Palpini