Staff Writer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has bought more than $100 million in company, state and municipal bonds since taking office in January, according to new disclosures which shed further light on the vast holdings of America’s billionaire president.The forms, posted online on Tuesday, show the Republican former real estate mogul made more than 600 financial purchases since January 21, the day after he was inaugurated for his second term in the White House.The August 12 filing from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics does not list exact amounts for each purchase, only giving a broad range.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey include corporate bonds from Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo, as well as Meta, Qualcomm, The Home Depot, T-Mobile USA and UnitedHealth Group.Other debt purchases include various bonds issued by cities, states, counties and school districts as well as gas districts, and other issuers.The holdings cover sectors that could benefit from U.S. policy shifts under his administration, such as financial deregulation.The White House on Wednesday did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump, a businessman-turned-politician, has said he has put his companies into a trust managed by his children.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHis annual disclosure form filed in June showed his income from various sources still ultimately accrues to the president – something that has opened him up to accusations of conflicts of interest.In that disclosure, which appeared to cover the 2024 calendar year, Trump reported more than $600 million in income from cryptocurrencies, golf properties, licensing and other ventures. It also showed the president’s push into crypto had added substantially to his wealth.Overall, the president reported assets worth at least $1.6 billion, according to a Reuters calculation at the time.(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Sharon Singleton and David Gregorio)

From August 13 through 17, Northern California’s Monterey Peninsula once again became the annual bellwether for the collector-car market, as the world’s leading auction houses presented masterworks through the automotive ages. The annual sales events also shine the light on emerging trends while reflecting any economic vagaries.“On the whole, Monterey saw $432.8 million in total sales, good for the second-highest Car Week result of all time,” says Brian Rabold, vice president of Vehicle Intelligence at Hagerty, the classic-car insurer and motoring-lifestyle consortium. “While the top 10 cars sold in Monterey have gotten younger, Ferrari remains on top. The marque continues to be the gold standard for collectors, with eight of the top 10 cars sold coming from Maranello.”More from Robb ReportAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs for the auction houses, RM Sotheby’s represented all but four of the cars on this list, with three being offered through Gooding Christie’s and one from Bonhams. Interestingly, Hagerty reports that the 10 costliest cars spanned the largest swath of time ever represented for that pinnacle group at the Monterey Auctions.“The overall results and the evolving eras of buyer focus show a healthy, though changing market,” says Rabold. Here are the apex automobiles and how they made out.Best of Robb ReportSign up for RobbReports’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementClick here to read the full article. 10: 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari—$5.23 Million (RM Sotheby’s)10: 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari—$5.23 Million (RM Sotheby’s)At the 2013 Geneva International Motor Show, Ferrari threw down the gauntlet when it came to exclusivity in output, performance, and price with a model so definitive that it was made the marque’s namesake—the Ferrari LaFerrari. The hypercar boasts 949 hp and 663 ft lbs of torque from the innovative combination of a 6.3-liter V-12 and an electric motor based on the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) from Formula 1. The hybrid power train makes possible a zero-to-60 mph time of 2.4 seconds and a top speed of more than 217 mph.Only a claimed 499 examples, each starting at $1.3 million, were made and allocated on an invitation-only basis to the automaker’s most important customers. RM Sotheby’s reported in its lot description that the car auctioned in Monterey “was delivered new to the Ming Collection in July 2015,” noting that it “remains in ‘time-capsule’ condition.” And it’s no wonder, as only 54 miles had been put on it.9: 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster—$5.34 Million (RM Sotheby’s)9: 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster—$5.34 Million (RM Sotheby’s)One of only two cars on this list to not wear the badge of the Prancing Horse, this prewar machine defines fluidity of form and grace in motion. A blue-chip collectible, the Mercedes-Benz 540 K model line is exemplified by the Special Roadster, bodied by the marque’s own artisans in Sindelfingen and presenting what the auction house mentions is often referred to as that period’s “short-tail, low-door” configuration. It’s propelled by a supercharged 180 hp eight-cylinder engine.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementChassis No. 123702 originally belonged to Arthur Gore, the Viscount of Sudley, and was soon in South Africa. It would eventually find its home in the U.S., where it had a succession of stewards and a place in notable collections. During that time, it was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1965, again in 1982, when it won the top honor at the world’s most prestigious concours, and another turn at Pebble in 2000 for an exhibition reuniting past Best of Show recipients. Often trumping beauty, rarity is arguably the true calling card of a collectible automobile, and this is among the seven examples of this specifically bodied 500 K Special Roadster to still exist.8: 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta—$6.715 Million (RM Sotheby’s)8: 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta—$6.715 Million (RM Sotheby’s)Anniversaries are indeed cause for celebration, and Ferrari went all out to commemorate its 70th year as an automaker when it took the wrapping off its LaFerrari Aperta of 2017, the convertible version of its LaFerrari coupe which debuted in 2013. As with its sibling, the 963 hp Aperta—fit with a 6.3-liter V-12 and KERS-based hybridization—was built on a monocoque chassis and, according to Ferrari’s own website, impressively offered “the same drag coefficient, torsional rigidity, and beam stiffness figures” as its fixed-roof counterpart. And if eyebrows raised at the fact that only 499 LaFerarri examples were being made for the marque’s most valued clients, imagine how jaws dropped when that number was reduced to 210 for the Aperta.In the lot description from RM Sotheby’s, it points out that the car offered in Monterey, chassis No. 232856, “is believed to be one of the final examples constructed,” and, with $113,000 in options, it cost close to $2.3 million when new. After this week’s result, it certainly has yielded a tidy return on that initial investment.7: 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototipo—$7.265 Million (Gooding Christie’s)7: 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Prototipo—$7.265 Million (Gooding Christie’s)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGooding Christie’s presented the opportunity to acquire the genesis of greatness when this car from 1957 came up for auction, as it was the initial prototype for the automotive manifestation of la dolce vita—the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider. The model was the collective brainchild of stateside Ferrari importers Luigi Chinetti and John von Neumann, who both new a refined droptop grand tourer would seduce the Golden State’s glitterati. Chassis No. 0769 GT was given a 2,953 cc tipo 128C V-12, making about 217 hp, paired with a four-speed manual gearbox—all covered in coachwork by Scaglietti. Per the research done by the auction house and included in its lot description, the car was “completed on December 16, 1957, six months before the first production California Spiders.” It ended up being used as the poster-car of sorts, featuring prominently in Ferrari’s marketing materials. Gooding Christie’s cites eight owners in its history, two race wins (the Puerto Rico Festival Race and Antilles de Diego Trophy, both in 1961), and numerous concours accolades. The latter include a class win at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, an honorable mention at the 2017 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and class win at the Ferrari 70th Anniversary Concours that same year. It ended up selling for $235,000 below its low-end estimate.6: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione—$8.145 Million (Gooding Christie’s)6: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione—$8.145 Million (Gooding Christie’s)Given its nickname in honor of Ferrari’s podium sweep at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, payback for the marque’s crushing defeat in the same fashion by Ford at Le Mans earlier that year, the 365 GTB/4 Daytona was a motorsport tour de force in its heyday. “It won the Tour de France outright in 1972, took first in class at Le Mans from 1972 to 1974—with top-10 finishes overall—and was successfully campaigned at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring through the late 1970s,” David Brynan, senior specialist at Gooding Christie’s, stated to Robb Report for our preview coverage of the car last month.One of only 15 produced by Ferrari, and among the five examples of the Series III, chassis No. 16407 was entered by Ferrari’s North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) in the 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans, but was forced to retire from the race. It did however, go on to compete in three other editions of Le Mans, and three different outings at the 24 Hours of Daytona. It was at the latter that it took second place overall in 1979.5: 2020 Bugatti Divo—$8,557,500 (Bonhams)5: 2020 Bugatti Divo—$8,557,500 (Bonhams)When the Bugatti Divo debuted in at the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in 2018, it was presented as the more agile sibling to the Chiron. Fittingly, it was also the more elusive, as only 40 examples were made. Although its emphasis is more on lateral dynamics than straight-line bravado, the 1,500 hp Divo—with its 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 engine delivering 1,118 ft lbs of torque—can still dart to 236 mph. Yet it also has 1,005 pounds of downforce and lateral acceleration producing 1.6 g. Such fine-tuning helped the Divo dominate the Chiron by eight seconds at the Nardò circuit in Italy.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis example had previously been showcased in the “Hypercars: The Allure of the Extreme” exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum from December of 2021 until May of 2023. When it appeared at auction on August 15, it was the only time the model had been offered publicly to date. And despite having a high-end estimate of $9 million, it surprisingly had no reserve.4: 1995 Ferrari F50—$9.245 Million (RM Sotheby’s)4: 1995 Ferrari F50—$9.245 Million (RM Sotheby’s)Robb Report was privileged to help break the news that this special machine would be offered through RM Sotheby’s during this year’s Monterey Car Week. And what a lot it was; a 1995 Ferrari F50 originally purchased by fashion-house titan Ralph Lauren, one of the 349 production examples made. As we mentioned previously, “The removable-hardtop convertible took more than inspiration from Scuderia Ferrari’s winning legacy in motorsport, it integrated tech from those same race cars of the period.”Under Pininfarina’s composite body is a monocoque chassis and a 520 hp, naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V-12 mated to a six-speed synchromesh gearbox. With that setup, the 2,711-pound (dry weight) F50 fires from zero to 62 mph in 3.87 seconds on its way to a top speed of 202 mph. In the eight years that Lauren owned this vehicle, which is one of only two stateside specifications appearing in Giallo Modena, a total of 3,300 miles were put on it. It had been with the consigning couple since 2003, and reported to have last been seen publicly in 2009. With 5,400 miles on the odometer at the time of sale, this already exclusive F50 has provenance to match, as evidenced by the fact that it fetched $1.745 million over its high-end estimate.3: 1993 Ferrari F40 LM GTC—$11.005 Million (RM Sotheby’s)3: 1993 Ferrari F40 LM GTC—$11.005 Million (RM Sotheby’s)AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat began as an homage to Ferrari’s four-decades of existence as a marque, the F40 supercar has gone on to become one of the most coveted models from not just Maranello but any manufacturer, ever. Initially produced with a 478 hp, twin-turbo V-8, a competition version was created by Giuliano Michelotto and his independent team of race-focused experts. Michelotto had entry in Le Mans as the goal (hence the “LM” moniker) and, at first, boosted the engine to 720 hp. This was accompanied by modifications that included a reduced ride height, larger disc brakes, an adjustable rear wing, and enhancements for improved cooling.Among the 19 LM examples made, the “GTC” variant upped the ante with a 760 hp mill, which brings us to the car sold through RM Sotheby’s. The 14th F40 LM made, it first was sold to collector Walter Hagmann in Switzerland, and has subsequently changed hands numerous times. This year, the current consignor entered the Ferrari Classiche–certified F40 LM at ModaMiami, where it took top honors in its class.2: 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Competizione Alloy Spider—$25.305 Million (Gooding Christie’s)2: 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Competizione Alloy Spider—$25.305 Million (Gooding Christie’s)Proving to be benchmarks in both motorsport and recreational touring during the middle of last century, Maranello’s 250 model line comprises among the most coveted cars on the planet to this day. Introduced at the 1959 Paris Salon de l’Automobile, the short-wheelbase (SWB) version of the 250 GT also debuted the model’s use of disc brakes and tubular shocks, among other refinements.In 1961, Ferrari built 56 examples of what has become, for many, the definitive convertible—the 250 GT California Spider. Of those, three were dressed in aluminum, two of which left the factory in race-spec, including chassis No. 2383 GT. It’s hard to take your eyes off this roadster—with a removable hardtop roof—bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti and featuring an exterior painted Grigio Argento complemented by blue leather inside. With its muscle coming from a 280 hp, 2,953 cc tipo 168 V-12 engine, the car was initially owned and raced by businessman Ernst Lautenschlager, who competed with it throughout Germany. According to the Gooding Christie’s lot description, it has been “in three major Ferrari collections since1968.” Boasting the same chassis, engine, body, and gearbox it had when built, it’s character and condition are reflected in the $23.305 million it garnered through Gooding Christie’s.1: 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’—$26 Million (RM Sotheby’s)1: 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’—$26 Million (RM Sotheby’s)A visceral time machine back to “the golden age of Maranello” was how we felt about the Ferrari Daytona SP3 when Robb Report was invited to drive it through Belgium in 2022. The third model release in the marque’s extremely limited-edition Icona series, the Daytona SP3 pays tribute to Ferrari’s 1960s-era motorsport prototypes, especially the 330 P3/P4, the Can-Am, and 512 S. The model is fit with a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 delivering 828 hp and 514 ft lbs of torque. With that output managed by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the car covers zero to 62 mph in 2.85 seconds and tops out at 211 mph.The example that crossed the auction block through RM Sotheby’s was not part of the original 599 produced and spoken for, each starting at $2.2 million. This one showcases the artistry of Ferrari’s Tailor Made customization division, and presents a split personality in its color scheme—one side of the car in Giallo Modena and the other dressed in exposed carbon fiber. Total proceeds of the sale have been earmarked for the Ferrari Foundation, which is devoted to “educational initiatives,” according to the auction house. Regarding Ferrari’s charity, RM Sotheby’s mentioned: “Their most recent project has been a collaboration with Save the Children, whereby Ferrari made a significant contribution to help rebuild the Aveson Charter School in Altadena, California, whose campus was tragically destroyed by the Eaton Wildfire earlier this year.” The philanthropic component helped drive bidding to the $26 million mark, the most any car was hammered for this year in Monterey.

Even before storm surge warnings were issued in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, ocean overwash started inundating shoresides homes and hotels. Transportation crews hustled to shore up dunes in the hopes of at least delaying the wash out of the critical road in and out of the area – Highway 12. Watch this video for the latest on Hurricane Erin’s early impacts there.

Goldman Sachs and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expect a stablecoin gold rush, driven by new regulations and massive potential for payment market expansion. Stablecoins, which must be backed by U.S. dollars or Treasuries, could boost demand for government bonds, though some argue this mostly redistributes money, rather than increasing the net demand for debt. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes stablecoins will buoy the market for U.S. Treasuries, and the government will sell more short-term debt to meet that demand, according to the Financial Times. “Bessent has signaled to Wall Street that he expects stablecoins, digital tokens that are backed by high-quality securities such as Treasuries, to become an important source of demand for U.S. government bonds,” the FT reported. The FT’s sources asked for anonymity, but there was no need for them to be coy: Bessent said in a press statement back in July that he expected demand for cryptocurrencies—backed 1 to 1 with U.S. dollar instruments—to support the price of bonds: “This groundbreaking technology will buttress the dollar’s status as the global reserve currency, expand access to the dollar economy for billions across the globe, and lead to a surge in demand for U.S. Treasuries, which back stablecoins. The GENIUS Act provides the fast-growing stablecoin market with the regulatory clarity it needs to grow into a multitrillion-dollar industry,” he said at the time. The GENIUS Act, announced last month, “aligns State and Federal stablecoin frameworks, ensuring fair and consistent regulation throughout the country,” the White House said at the time. So how big a deal will this be? Goldman Sachs thinks we’re at the beginning of a stablecoin gold rush, according to a research paper published today by the bank’s Will Nance and others. “Stablecoins are a $271bn global market, and we believe USDC [the stablecoin issued by Circle] benefits from market share gains on and off of partner Binance’s platform, as ongoing stablecoin legislation legitimizes the ecosystem, and the crypto ecosystem expands, also potentially catalyzed by legislation. Based on current trends and announced initiatives, we see $77bn of growth in USDC, or a 40% CAGR, from 2024-27E,” they wrote. The potential total market for stablecoins is in the trillions, Goldman says. “Visa sizes the addressable market for payments at ~$240 trillion in annual payment volume, with consumer payments representing ~$40 trillion of annual spending. B2B payments comprise roughly ~$60bn while P2P payments and disbursements comprise the remainder. “As such, payments are the most obvious source of (total accessible market) expansion for stablecoins over the longer term. This opportunity is largely untapped so far, with the majority of stablecoin activity being driven by crypto trading activity and demand for dollar exposure outside of the U.S.” Because stablecoins in the U.S. must be backed 1 to 1 with dollars or U.S. bonds, each stablecoin issued increases the demand for the bonds that back them. Some people think this will alter the bond market, especially for short-dated bonds with low interest yields. A research paper by the Bank for International Settlements (an international organization that fosters cooperation among central banks), says it will. “A 2-standard deviation inflow into stablecoins lowers 3-month Treasury yields by 2-2.5 basis points within 10 days,” the BIS paper estimated. But the effect is “asymmetric”: “Stablecoin outflows raise yields by two to three times as much as inflows lower them,” the paper said. UBS’s Paul Donovan is more skeptical: “U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent is reportedly getting excited that stablecoins might increase demand for short-dated U.S. Treasuries, helping finance the unsustainable U.S. fiscal position. However, stablecoins are more about redistributing money supply. Someone selling Treasury bills to buy stablecoins, which invest the money in Treasury bills, does not change demand for U.S. debt instruments,” he told clients this morning. Here’s a snapshot of the markets prior to the opening bell in New York: S&P 500 futures were flat this morning, premarket, after the index closed down 0.59% yesterday. STOXX Europe 600 was up 0.13% in early trading. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 was up 0.23% in early trading. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down 1.51%. China’s CSI 300 was up 1.14%. The South Korea KOSPI was down 0.68%. India’s Nifty 50 was up 0.28% before the end of the session. Bitcoin fell to $113.9K. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.”A new study suggests that there’s a link between how well you move cholesterol to the neurons in your brain and Alzheimer’s disease.This factor is connected to the APOE4 genetic variant, which significantly increases your risk of developing the disease.Here’s what to know and what this means for Alzheimer’s research. Alzheimer’s disease sparks a cascade of changes throughout the body that lead to a slew of debilitating symptoms. But there’s one surprising biological change that researchers are just starting to uncover, thanks to a new study.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe study, which was published in the Journal of Lipid Research, found that people with Alzheimer’s disease experience a breakdown in the ability to shuttle cholesterol to the neurons in their brain, and that this symptom is linked to a certain genetic variant called APOE4, which carries a known risk for Alzheimer’s.This biological discovery could potentially pave the way for a better understanding of the disease and even future disease prevention methods. Here’s what you need to know about the science so far, with input from a neurologist.Meet the expert: Clifford Segil, DO, is a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.What did the researchers find?For the study, researchers analyzed the cerebrospinal fluid (the biological liquid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord) from 10 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and compared it to the cerebrospinal fluid of 10 people who did not have the condition.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey discovered that lipoproteins (round particles made of fat and protein) in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer’s patients were less effective at delivering cholesterol to neurons, or nerve cells, which are responsible for transmitting information from the brain throughout the body.What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is an essential, waxy, fat-like molecule that your body needs for good health, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Cholesterol is carried around your body by two types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoproteins (a.k.a. LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and high-density lipoproteins (a.k.a. HDL or “good” cholesterol).High levels of LDL cholesterol can cause a buildup of fatty deposits called plaque in your arteries, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health complications, per the NHLBI. But high levels of good HDL cholesterol may lower the risk for certain health issues.Why is it important for brain function?While it has a bad rap in the health world, cholesterol is actually really important for your proper brain function. Your brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in your body. Specifically, cholesterol helps make up cell membranes, including those in nerve cells, and plays a crucial role in your neurons’ ability to “talk” to each other and transmit information. When cholesterol levels are out of balance, it can impact that transmission of essential information between nerve cells, leading to cognitive issues that are seen with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Cholesterol is also a building block for steroid hormones, which support brain function.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, that doesn’t mean more cholesterol is always good for your brain. High levels of LDL cholesterol are usually considered a modifiable risk factor for ischemic stroke, or “clogged pipes” in the brain, explains Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.“There is less research and understanding on the possible benefits of cholesterol found in spinal fluid including HDL, which we classically identify as the ‘good cholesterol,’” Dr. Segil says. “We know high levels of certain types of cholesterol cause strokes and we are less clear in the year 2025 about the benefits of cholesterol in brain function.”How does this link back to Alzheimer’s?This particular study noted that cholesterol found in lipoproteins were different in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but Dr. Segil says that there is a “complicated” relationship between lipids and protein in the brain. “Some researchers continue to assign memory loss symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s due to abnormal brain protein levels and this paper noted lipid brain levels may also be abnormal,” he says.Dr. Segil points out that neurologists commonly prescribe medications called statins to lower levels of cholesterol and the risk of stroke. Lowering levels of LDL cholesterol can decrease the risk of developing certain type of dementia, including vascular dementia, he says. But it’s not clear if it may do more.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Further research will determine if lowering your cholesterol will result in lower chances of getting Alzheimer’s dementia,” he says.You Might Also Like

A former Michigan State University graduate student is suing the school for $100 million, claiming she was diagnosed with cancer after her work exposed her to hazardous chemicals.Ling Long Wei, an international student from China, worked as a research assistant at Michigan State from 2008 to 2011 while earning a master’s degree from the school’s horticulture program. Wei filed a lawsuit this month claiming she developed thyroid cancer after her work exposed her to pesticides and herbicides without proper training or safety equipment.Michigan State University spokesperson Amber McCann declined to comment toThe Independent, citing pending litigation. However, she said the school “prioritizes the health and safety of our entire campus community.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Appropriate and required training and necessary personal protective equipment is provided in compliance with applicable university policies and state and federal laws,” McCann said.It was Wei’s “dream” to study at Michigan State, a leading agricultural science school, her attorney Maya Greene said at a Monday press conference. When she first arrived, Wei was required to work as a student research assistant, and perform field research as part of her horticulture coursework, the lawsuit states.Ling Long Wei, a former Michigan State University graduate student, is suing the school for $100 million. Wei alleges her work for the school exposed her to hazardous chemicals that later resulted in a cancer diagnosis (WWMT)As part of that field research, Wei’s supervisors told her to travel to off-campus fields to spray herbicides and pesticides, the lawsuit states. Wei says that work could last up to eight hours a day.Wei alleges she was not given proper training ahead of time. She also did not have “proper mask, gloves or coveralls” to wear while handling the chemicals, the lawsuit says.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“While spraying these toxic chemicals, the wind would often blow the chemicals into Ms. Wei’s face,” the lawsuit reads. “Ms. Wei was exposed to hazardous pesticides for over 7,000 hours, unprotected and untrained.”Wei says she started to experience shortness of breath in 2010 but the school’s health center told her it was due to anxiety. Her supervisors then assured her the chemicals were “safe,” the lawsuit says.“Ms. Wei relied on the assurance from the program superiors and continued to spray the hazardous pesticides and herbicides without [personal protective equipment],” the lawsuit says. “Ms. Wei continued to experience symptoms but feared speaking up for herself due to intimidation and hostile treatment from superiors in the program.”A view of Spartan Stadium on Michigan State University’s campus. Wei alleges the school did not provide her with protective equipment or training while she sprayed pesticides (Getty Images)Handling these pesticides without proper training or equipment caused Wei to develop papillary thyroid carcinoma, the lawsuit claims. Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common form of thyroid cancer, making up about 80 percent of cases, according to Columbia University Thyroid Center.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWei was diagnosed in 2024 and underwent “a series of medical procedures and surgeries to treat her cancer,” the lawsuit says. Wei said the cancer left her with hormone imbalances that cause her fatigue and will make it difficult to have children. Her cancer could also come back.“My recovery journey has been very challenging,” Wei said at the press conference. “After undergoing my thyroid cancer surgery, I did have to adjust to taking medication every day to regulate my hormone levels.”“I will need to take thyroid pills every day for the rest of my life,” she added. “I will live with my permanent scar, and I will have to always struggle against depression because of hormone imbalances.”The Independent has contacted Wei’s attorney for comment.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCancer researchers are still studying the exact link between pesticides and cancer.Some pesticides are carcinogens and have been linked to cancer cases, according to the National Pesticide Information Center, a joint initiative by Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure to a pesticide that is a carcinogen does not mean a cancer diagnosis is certain but means more risk than if a person isn’t exposed, the center says.It’s difficult for doctors to determine what exactly causes a patient’s cancer, according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a leading research and treatment center.“It’s almost impossible to pin an individual case of cancer on a particular culprit with 100 percent certainty,” the center’s website reads.

As an avid Criminal Minds-watcher, I’ve always wondered what it was actually like to work as an FBI agent. CBSA while back, Reddit user mr_squirell asked, “FBI/CIA agents of Reddit, what’s something that you can tell us without killing us?” Here’s what they said:Note: Obviously we can’t confirm all of these stories, but these people are supposedly speaking from their own experiences as alleged government employees.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement1.”I worked with a woman who was a former NSA. We would always beg her to tell us stuff, but she never did. The one thing she did say, though, was that during training, they show them a video of a bunch of things they’ve found out about and stopped. She said she hardly slept for two weeks after watching that.”—jseego2.”My dad worked for GCHQ in the ’80s doing voice recognition, and he can’t say anything more for another decade. The technology used that lets Siri and Alexa recognize you today was also being used in the ’80s… Just a bit slower…”—arabidopsisRelated: 17 Signs From The Past Week That Made Me Laugh So Hard, I Spit Out The Water I Just So Happened To Be Drinking Domoyega / Getty Images3.”I was an analyst, not an agent/officer. 85% of all classified material is classified because of how it was collected, not because it is juicy/useful. Yes, your boss and co-workers said that stuff about you.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—ben704.”We are all told never to use sites like Reddit. Social media in general is pretty much a no-go.”—Throwaway93ee90299 Michelle Brittain / Getty Images5.”An ex-Company man once told me that the movie Get Smart was more accurate than James Bond.”—spiff22686.”I talked with some CIA recruiters towards the end of college and almost applied earnestly after a large group Q&A and then a much smaller one. The thing that stuck out to me was that the guys said most CIA agents are out of shape and have limited combat training with guns or hand-to-hand. They made it clear that it’s the military that uses force. If confronted, they were trained to immediately surrender or to drop their bags and run if possible.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—dring157 Andrii Lysenko / Getty ImagesRelated: 20 Of The Greatest, Most Wholesome Posts From The Internet This Week That You’ve Gotta Read Right Now If You’re In Need Of A Mood-Booster7.”If you go through the FBI interview process, it takes a while. Chances are, you’re going to have to spend some time working on crimes against children, which is really tough, and most people don’t want to do it.”—thermobollocks8.”My dad worked for the government, and he told me that any time he had a meaningful interaction with someone who wasn’t American (i.e. going over to my friend’s house for Lunar New Year or going on vacation to Canada), he had to report it all, and if he saw anything suspicious.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—AudiKitty”Yep. I went through a clearance upgrade and got asked about a couple of people that I know through friends who I didn’t include on my paperwork and if I knew their background.”—derpyfox Ablokhin / Getty Images9.”I worked with the Australian Federal police with the spider squad doing ‘computer stuff’ for them in regards to pedophiles and finding trafficking victims. It was the most heartbreaking work, but when you got the pedophiles, the office looked like NASA after a Mars landing.”—dr_m_a_dman”I don’t know if I’m allowed to say, but a mentor who definitely wasn’t supposed to tell me used to be a white hat for the FBI. Apparently, all he did was search for pedophiles by tracking child sexual abuse images. He said he didn’t stay for very long because it was messing with his mental health.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—mastershow0510.”My spouse is an FBI agent. One of the things they had to do at the FBI Academy was go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC. The lesson was what can happen if you blindly follow orders without ever questioning the morality/intent behind them. I found that pretty compelling, and I was glad to hear that it’s part of their training.”—bukunothingRelated: “My Alarm Bells Were Going Off”: People Are Sharing Their Wildest “I F—ing Knew It” Moments That Prove You Should ALWAYS Trust Your Gut Domoyega / Getty Images/iStockphoto11.”Not an FBI or CIA officer, but my sister is a district attorney, and over the years, she has prosecuted a number of animal-cruelty cases. This led to her having an ongoing partnership with the FBI for the last several years. It turns out the FBI started tracking animal abuse cases about 10-15 years ago due to the incredibly high correlation between abusing animals when you’re young and becoming a serial violent offender as an adult.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—TheDongerNeedsFood12.”I have a relative who retired from the NSA a few years ago. She has talked about a few things in generalities, nothing specific. Among them: Alcoholism in general is rife in the agency. When you cannot speak to anyone outside the agency about your work, it becomes nearly impossible to confide in anyone close to you. Even if you have close work friends or family, you have to be careful what you say because not everyone is read into every program. Two people can sit next to each other in the same office, working on the same subject for months, and never talk about it with each other, even though they’re close friends outside the agency. So people turn to the bottle. Her husband worked for a different government agency and also had a Top Secret-SCI clearance, but she couldn’t talk about her work with him (nor could he with her, but his didn’t involve the intelligence community).”—NetworkLlama Anna Clopet / Getty Images13.”Want to work for them? Prepare to do a fair amount of paper work. The form will ask for each of your employer’s contact information, contact information of friends, your history of addresses, etc. They will then send an agent to interview a number of these people. Next, you have to take a psychological exam and be interviewed by a psychologist. Finally, you’ll have one last interview with a polygraph and a professional lie detector.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—Sw0rDz14.”The agency employs psychiatrists who are cleared to be read into almost any program. Going to them, though, is often seen as a mark of shame among other agency employees, so they are not used nearly as often as they should be.”—NetworkLlama Ignatiev / Getty ImagesRelated: 24 “I’m So Self-Centered And Oblivious” Screenshots That Are Pure Entitlement15.”Properly secret programs and operations are never named in any way that indicates what they are actually about. They’re generally just two words chosen at random and that would rarely come up in normal conversation, stuff like ‘Cracked Gorilla’ (which I just made up off the top of my head).”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—xxkoloblicinxx16.”I applied to be an accountant at the FBI out of college. On the first or second page of the application, it asks if you have ever done any illegal drug. Not wanting to lie, I said yes, and it immediately ended the application process. It’s shocking to me that there are so many FBI agents, and absolutely none of them have ever smoked weed.”—scotchglass22 OneMoreImage / Getty Images17.And finally, “Anyone who is a US citizen can apply to join the CIA. It isn’t that hard. If you have any kind of degree in computer science, statistics, engineering, or accounting, and don’t have anything that would mess up your getting a clearance, getting a job would be relatively easy there. Working at the CIA is far more boring than you would think.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement—Intrepid-Client9449Responses have been edited for length/clarity. So, to all the former FBI and CIA workers out there. What are some other secrets you can share about the job? Let us know in the comments below. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, share your submission in the form below.Also in Internet Finds: These 15 Hilarious Internet Fails From Last Week Made Me Laugh So Hard I Shed A Single TearAlso in Internet Finds: “He Would Squeeze People’s Hands When He Shook Them”: 26 Incredibly Chilling Stories From People Who Knew MurderersAlso in Internet Finds: 33 “Brutal Truths” Men Say They Could NEVER Reveal To Women’s FacesRead it on BuzzFeed.com

An actor whose mother was the victim of a murder-suicide in France has urged her friends not to attend his stepdad’s funeral.Callum Kerr, who appeared in Hollyoaks and Netflix’s Virgin River, said it would be “inappropriate” for the memory of his mother, Dawn Searle, to be associated with her husband Andrew Searle.The couple’s bodies were discovered by a neighbour at their country home in the Aveyron region on 6 February.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe prosecutor in charge of the case previously told the BBC it was murder followed by suicide and there was no evidence that another person was involved.The statement, issued on Kerr’s Instagram account on behalf of the actor and his sister Amanda, comes more than six months after the couple were found dead.It is unclear why it has taken so long for Mr Searle’s body to be released by the French authorities or when his funeral is scheduled to take place.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMr Kerr, who is also a country singer in the US, and his sister said that while the investigation into the deaths was ongoing they “cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand”.The statement continued: “For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew.”They urged their mother’s friends not to attend the ceremony and asked people not to share photographs of Mr and Mrs Searle together.The statement concluded: “It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.”Andrew and Dawn Searle lived in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, north of Toulouse [BBC]Mrs Searle’s body was found in the garden of the couple’s property in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, with severe wounds to her head.Mr Searle’s body was found inside their home, about an hour north of Toulouse.Police were alerted to the incident by a neighbour who had gone to check on them when they failed to turn up for a planned dog walk.Post-mortem examinations confirmed Mrs Searle suffered “multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object” while Mr Searle died from hanging.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMrs Searle, 56, grew up in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, and Mr Searle, 62, was originally from England.They previously lived in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, and married in France in 2023.Prosecutors said they had lived in the Aveyron region for five years.According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Searle previously worked in financial crime prevention at companies including Standard Life and Barclays Bank.

The Trump administration has clapped back at Grammy-winning musician Jack White’s critical commentary on the president’s new-look Oval Office.White, former front man for The White Stripes, unleashed on Instagram on Monday, claiming that Donald Trump’s torrent of gold and gilded additions to the office were an “embarrassment to American history,” describing it as “a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler’s dressing room.”“Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes?,” White said, posting a photo of the Oval Office. “A gold plated Trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of Trump shoes on either side wouldn’t it?”Jack White is not a fan of Donald Trump or his taste in decor. / Leon Neal / Getty ImagesA gold coaster reading Responding to White’s verdict on Trump’s tacky decor, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told the Daily Beast: “Jack White is a washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCheung added, “It’s apparent he’s been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of ‘The People’s House.’”White’s post has had almost 120,000 likes and is the latest of many anti-Trump comments the 50-year-old has made on social media, which has seen him label the president everything from a “obvious fascist and wannabe dictator” to a “Nazi clown.”White House Communications Director Steven Cheung (L) and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino taking in the splendor of the Oval Office. / Chip Somodevilla / Getty ImagesWhen one comment on his Oval Office post said “it was an insult” to compare “this gold poop” to locker rooms, White noted, “I agree that pro wrestlers don’t deserve the comparison.”White has won 12 Grammy awards, his first being for the White Stripes classic “Seven Nation Army”, a song which Trump used without permission in a campaign video last year, prompting the musician to threaten to sue him.“Don’t even think about using my music you fascists,” White wrote in a fiery Instagram post responding to the video.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite Cheung claiming White’s career has “stalled”, his most recent album, last year’s No Name, was nominated at the 2025 Grammy awards for Best Rock Album.His next major gig is the CBGB Festival in Brooklyn next month, playing alongside Iggy Pop and the Sex Pistols.The media gets a taste of the Oval Office as Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. / Anna Moneymaker / Getty ImagesWhite House Communications Director Steven Cheung is seen during a US-Russia summit on Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. / DREW ANGERER / AFP via Getty ImagesTrump has been bringing a touch of his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort to the White House this year.Paintings have gold frames, gold cherubs have been shipped in from his resort, with gilded mirrors on the wall and gold appliqués on the fireplace, which is topped with urns.“I picked it all myself,” Trump said last month. “I’m very proud of it.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBarbara Res, once a VP at the Trump Organization, witnessed the real estate tycoon’s penchant for filling Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago and the Plaza Hotel with gold, polished bronze and brass.“He used the word ‘class’ a lot, and it was a high-class thing for him,” Res told USA Today of his taste in decorations and fittings. “It conveyed an illusion of taste and wealth, and that’s why he wanted to gild everything.”A glimpse of all the Trumpified gold in the Oval Office. / MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty ImagesTrump has also replaced the lawn in the Rose Garden with paving, claiming women had complained their high heels were sinking into the grass. He is planning on hosting a UFC match on the grounds of the White House next year.

A former choir teacher at Choctaw High School has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a student that lasted more than a year.Samuel Taylor Melton, 30, of Moore, will be on probation for 25 more years after his release from prison. He must register as a sex offender.He pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Aug. 19, in Oklahoma County District Court to 15 sex crimes. At times, he wiped away tears with a tissue.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”He’s incredibly remorseful,” his attorney, Chris Box, told reporters afterward. “He wanted closure, not only for himself, but for the victim.”Melton’s wife, father and mother were present in the crowded courtroom for the sentencing, the defense attorney confirmed.The guilty plea was to four counts of rape by instrumentation, three counts of second-degree rape, four counts of forcible oral sodomy and four counts of sexual battery.Former high school choir teacher Samuel Taylor Melton, in orange, is escorted to court on Tuesday, Aug. 19, for sentencing in a rape case. Next to him is his defense attorney, Chris Box.He admitted in his guilty plea that the offenses began in 2023 when the victim was 16 and one of his students. He did not apologize.His punishment was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Special Judge Jason Glidewell imposed the sentence after the victim told her former teacher she came forward to protect other students.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”You were the darkness that crept into the place that was meant to be safe for me,” Avery Smith, now 19, told him in a 10-minute statement. “You are a predator, and I was just one of your prey.”The Oklahoman typically does not name victims of sexual assault, but Avery wanted her name known.She came forward in April, almost a year after graduating. She at first told her parents.”So many parts of me screamed not to say a word,” she said in court Tuesday, looking directly at Melton. “But the parts of me that longed for my own justice and the protection of the girls you would’ve hurt in the future … screamed louder.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMelton kept his head down as she spoke. He tightly gripped a tissue in his hand as she said he had stolen her love of music and poisoned her dream of being a music teacher herself by holding her captive to his “sick sexual fantasies.””You took that from me,” she said.After the sentencing, she told reporters it was important to her to be an example for other victims of sex crimes. “I absolutely think that there are people out there that haven’t spoke out and I hope they come forward,” she said. “You matter. Your story deserves to be heard.”Melton confessed and resigned when school administrators confronted him in April about the accusations.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe was charged April 28. Attorney General Gentner Drummond took over the case in July at the request of the victim. The AG told Avery in court after the sentencing that he was proud of her.In a news release, Drummond called the sentence “the longest ever for a sexual predator in our schools.”“Anyone who preys on children should be punished as harshly as possible − especially those who have been entrusted with the education and care of our children,” said Drummond, who is running for governor.Avery told police the sexual encounters began the second semester of her junior year, two months after he was reprimanded for unprofessional and inappropriate interactions with her.Samuel Melton”Do not place yourself in the position of having your statements or actions be misinterpreted as having inappropriate feelings towards students,” he was told in the reprimand signed by Principal Jackie Harris.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementShe told police the sexual encounters continued into her senior year even after his wife found out. She told police some sexual encounters took place in a practice room while class was still in session and students were practicing just outside the door.She graduated in May 2024.Lawsuit is pending in Oklahoma City federal courtAvery is suing the Choctaw-Nicoma Park School District, school officials and Melton in Oklahoma City federal court. In the lawsuit, she alleges she suffered the sexual abuse because of a series of gross failures and indifference at the district.Rape victim Avery Smith speaks to reporters on Tuesday, Aug. 19, after her former teacher was sentenced.Her lawsuit lists seven other incidents of sexual misconduct by teachers in the district.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHer attorney, Cameron Spradling of Oklahoma City, has demanded $25 million.”We have to recognize Oklahoma has a serious problem,” said Spradling, who has successfully sued other school districts.”Do we not recognize that, everybody?” he asked reporters Tuesday after the sentencing. “That we’ve got a big problem here.”The school district has not filed an answer to the lawsuit yet. In a media statement in May, the school district said, “Mr. Melton’s actions were reprehensible and antithetic to the high standards of professionalism, trust and care demonstrated every day by CNP teachers, administrators, and staff.”The age of consent for sex had been 16 at the time of their relationship but that did not apply to teachers. A new law will raise the age to 18 when it goes in effect later this year.This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Former Choctaw choir teacher Sam Melton sentenced for sex crimes