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Beagle At Dulles Airport Busts Travelers Packing 13 Pounds Of Pork, 16 Pounds Of Produce: CBP Beagle At Dulles Airport Busts Travelers Packing 13 Pounds Of Pork, 16 Pounds Of Produce: CBP
Beagle At Dulles Airport Busts Travelers Packing 13 Pounds Of Pork, 16 Pounds Of Produce: CBP A 3-year-old beagle with a nose for trouble just scored another win at Dulles Airport in Virginia. Valen, a CBP agriculture detector dog and member of the agency's famed Beagle Brigade, alerted officers to a traveler's luggage at Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, leading to the discovery of more than 13 pounds of prohibited pork products and nearly 16 pounds of fruits and vegetables. Not exactly carry-on essentials. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists searched the baggage after Valen signaled something was off. Inside, they found a stash of pork product…

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by Zak Failla
News
TEDx To Tax Evasion: Vertical Farming Visionary Jack Griffin Funnels Cash To Wife's Account TEDx To Tax Evasion: Vertical Farming Visionary Jack Griffin Funnels Cash To Wife's Account
TEDx To Tax Evasion: Vertical Farming Visionary Jack Griffin Funnels Cash To Wife's Account Jack Griffin told the world he was building the future of farming. He gave a TEDx Talk. He stood before Congress. He promised to wipe out food deserts with high-tech vertical farms that could grow strawberries on a second floor and turn kale into jet fuel. But federal investigators say Griffin was really just pocketing. And now he’s headed to prison, the FBI announced on Monday, Feb. 2. The Sentence Jack Frances “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, faced up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge and five years for tax evasion. His sentencing was originally scheduled for Oct. 22,…

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by Jillian Pikora
Lifestyle
Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’ Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’
Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’ Talk about hitting the jackpot and paying it forward. Most people dream of a new house, car, or vacation. Carrie Edwards dreamed of giving it all away. The Midlothian woman won $150,000 in the Sept. 8 Powerball drawing after matching four numbers plus the Powerball and playing Power Play, according to Virginia Lottery officials.  It was the first time she had ever bought a ticket online. On Sept. 16, Edwards accepted her prize from Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones. Then she stunned everyone: she gave every single penny away. Three charities are splitting her entire j…

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by Zak Failla
Real Estate
Own A Piece Of Richard Gere’s Former $10M Mansion Salvaged From Demolition Own A Piece Of Richard Gere’s Former $10M Mansion Salvaged From Demolition
Own A Piece Of Richard Gere’s Former $10M Mansion Salvaged From Demolition Eight months after actor Richard Gere moved with his wife and their two children to her native Spain, the $10.75 million Connecticut mansion they once called home has been demolished. The 32-acre estate was torn down so developers could create nine separate housing lots. The move drew backlash from architectural preservationists and neighbors, but it’s also giving some buyers the rare chance to own salvaged pieces of the Colonial-style mansion once owned by Paul Simon. Hudson Valley House Parts, an architectural preservation company, was hired to remove and resell the most valuable features…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Produce Aisle Staple Faces Steep Price Hike Under Trump's Latest Tariff Produce Aisle Staple Faces Steep Price Hike Under Trump's Latest Tariff
Produce Aisle Staple Faces Steep Price Hike Under Trump's Latest Tariff President Donald Trump's trade war with Mexico is about to raise the prices of a major ingredient in everything from pizza and pasta sauces to salads and sandwiches. Trump will begin imposing a 17.09% tariff on fresh tomato imports from Mexico on Friday, Aug. 1. The move comes as the Commerce Department officially withdrew from a longtime trade agreement governing imported tomatoes on Monday, July 14. The tariff is slightly lower than the 21% duty floated by Trump officials in April, Bloomberg reported. Trump has also announced an additional 30% tariff on other Mexican goods …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
500,000 Bees Killed By Trespasser In Midnight Massacre At Virginia Honey Farm 500,000 Bees Killed By Trespasser In Midnight Massacre At Virginia Honey Farm
500,000 Bees Killed By Trespasser In Midnight Massacre At Virginia Honey Farm Someone snuck onto a Virginia bee farm in the dead of night, locked the gates behind them with heavy-duty chains, and poisoned more than 60 beehives—killing thousands of pollinators and sparking a criminal investigation. Deputies in Stafford County were called to Rock Hill Honey Bee Farms on Pinto Lane around 4 p.m. Monday, April 14, after the property owner made the gruesome discovery.  Officials confirmed that at least 50 hives had been hit and said the investigation is active and ongoing. Farm officials say that 500,000 bees were killed. The farm says the attack happened late Sunda…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Volatile Markets Spiral As Trump Threatens China, White House Denies Tariff Pause Rumor Volatile Markets Spiral As Trump Threatens China, White House Denies Tariff Pause Rumor
Volatile Markets Spiral As Trump Threatens China, White House Denies Tariff Pause Rumor Chaos has shaken Wall Street for a third day as the White House denied rumors of a pause on President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs that sparked the worst sell-off since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down roughly 1,250 points on Monday, April 7. The massive drop continued the market freefall that happened in the aftermath of Trump's "liberation day" announcement. Soon after trading opened, the Dow surged back into the green by around 10:15 a.m. The bounce back appeared to be in response to social media posts claiming Trump was conside…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Trump Imposes Sweeping Tariffs Amid Economic Fears, Says US Was 'Raped' By Trade Partners Trump Imposes Sweeping Tariffs Amid Economic Fears, Says US Was 'Raped' By Trade Partners
Trump Imposes Sweeping Tariffs Amid Economic Fears, Says US Was 'Raped' By Trade Partners President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new tariffs, accusing allies and adversaries of looting the US economy, despite consumer confidence sinking domestically and growing recession fears. Trump revealed the tariffs during a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House on Wednesday, April 2. The President called the day "liberation day," alluding to what he claims is a trade imbalance caused by his predecessors. The new measures impose a baseline 10% tariff on all imports. Those will begin on Saturday, April 5, according to the White House. Sharply higher rates for dozens o…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Canada, Mexico, China Retaliate As Trump's Tariffs Spark Trade Wars: 'We're Ready To Fight' Canada, Mexico, China Retaliate As Trump's Tariffs Spark Trade Wars: 'We're Ready To Fight'
Canada, Mexico, China Retaliate As Trump's Tariffs Spark Trade Wars: 'We're Ready To Fight' Canada, Mexico, and China are responding to President Donald Trump officially placing tariffs on the three nations, escalating tensions with the US's key trading partners and increasing concerns about rising costs for American consumers. The US officially imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods on Tuesday, Mar. 4. On the same day, the US also raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 20 percent. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed the solution to the trade wars is bringing more businesses into the country. "IF COMPANIES MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Mass Deportations Could Lead To Salary Increases In These States Mass Deportations Could Lead To Salary Increases In These States
Mass Deportations Could Lead To Salary Increases In These States Mass deportations could significantly impact wages in states heavily reliant on foreign labor, according to new research.  An Oxford study suggests that removing a substantial number of immigrant workers may lead to labor shortages, compelling employers to increase salaries to attract native-born workers, Newsweek reports. The states most likely to be affected are New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, and Texas, the report said, because those states have large immigrant populations and economies that depend on foreign labor in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and hospita…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
La Niña Is Now Here: What It Means For Winter Weather Patterns La Niña Is Now Here: What It Means For Winter Weather Patterns
La Niña Is Now Here: What It Means For Winter Weather Patterns She’s back!  La Niña has arrived, and its global ripple effects are already taking shape.  Cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, combined with stronger trade winds, are influencing weather patterns worldwide.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed this shift on Thursday, Jan. 9. What Is La Niña? La Niña is part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural climate phenomenon that disrupts atmospheric circulation.  During La Niña, cooler Pacific waters can lead to significant changes in rainfall, s…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Rare Bugs Intercepted at Dulles International Airport: First-In-Port, Decades-Old Find: CBP Rare Bugs Intercepted at Dulles International Airport: First-In-Port, Decades-Old Find: CBP
Rare Bugs Intercepted at Dulles International Airport: First-In-Port, Decades-Old Find: CBP Agriculture specialists at Washington Dulles International Airport made a major discovery while inspecting flower imports from South Africa, intercepting two invasive insect pests that could potentially wreak havoc on American agriculture. The pests include a first-in-port find of Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae), a destructive plant bug, and Oxycarenus maculatus, or the Protea seed bug, which has not been seen in the area since 1984, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bugs were discovered in an October shipment of 188 protea and chamelaucium cut-stem flowers destined for K…

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by Zak Failla