Indiana encouraged by 'total team effort' with Miami (OH) up next
Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour confirmed on a podcast interview that his employees asked social media influencers to promote memes about the FBI’s raid on the home of his archrival, the CEO of Polymarket. Both companies offer competing events-betting markets, a new kind of betting industry where people wager about the outcomes of events ranging from elections to popular culture. The FBI raided the home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan last month, and it turns out Kalshi tried to capitalize on its rival’s misfortunes by asking influencers to post memes about it, Mansour said. “Some of our team got pretty heated. They didn’t pay anyone; they just asked some of our longstanding affiliates to post some of the memes,” Mansour told Nichole Wischoff on this week’s episode of her show FirstMoney In. Pirates Wires, a media outlet founded by Mike Solana, reported that Kalshi employees were paying influencers to post content suggesting that Polymarket and its CEO Shayne Coplan were engaging in illegal activities. The Pirates Wires article, however, also acknowledged its own apparent conflicts of interest with this report. Solana is a chief marketing officer for Founders Fund, one of Polymarket’s key investors, and Polymarket is an advertiser for Pirates Wires. The podcast segment discussing Kalshi’s response to the raid and the rivalry with Polymarket was deleted shortly after it initially aired. TechCrunch, however, has obtained and listened to the deleted portion. On the podcast, Mansour accused Polymarket of engaging in similar social media tactics against Kalshi, too. “Both companies have been doing this,” he said, adding that his team believed Polymarket was behind some social media posts suggesting that “we also got raided by the FBI. That did not happen,” he said. “We did not get raided by the FBI.” TechCrunch couldn’t confirm these allegations. Neither Polymarket nor Kalshi responded to our requests for comment. But the CEO did say on the podcast that he let the social media wars “go too far” by members of his company, adding, “I don’t think there’s a point going tit for tat.” While Kalshi didn’t fire the involved employees, Mansour said the individuals “understand that it was a mistake, and they shouldn’t do this again.” Polymarket alleged the reasons for the raid had to do with political motivations surrounding wagers on the U.S. presidential election, although both markets were making bets on its outcome. According to Bloomberg, the Department of Justice is investigating Polymarket for allegedly allowing U.S. users to engage in restricted trades. Following a 2022 settlement with the Commodity and Exchange Commission, Polymarket is barred from allowing U.S. traders to place bets on its platform, Bloomberg also reported. Kalshi, unlike Polymarket, has been legally permitted to accept trades from U.S. residents since 2021. In September the company also won a lawsuit that permitted it to accept bets on election outcomes. Kalshi, whose backers include Sequoia and Y Combinator, is currently raising a funding round of as much or more than $50 million, TechCrunch reported last month.
Trump administration pick Pete Hegseth lashed by mum in six-year-old emailSeven People of Infrastructure Resilience
NoneAmerican ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin is alert and doing OK after crashing hard during her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday in Killington, Vermont. The 29-year old Shiffrin, the winningest skier in World Cup history, had been in pursuit of her 100th career victory when the accident occurred. After leading the first run of the giant slalom, Shiffrin was approaching the finish line when she lost grip on her outside ski, hitting a gate and then flipping over before sliding into another gate and being stopped by protective fencing at the edge of the course. Shiffrin remained down for some time before eventually being taken off the hill on a sled. Shiffrin gave a wave to the crowd to signal that she was OK. She later posted on social media that she is going to be fine. "Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just can't move. I have a pretty good abrasion," Shiffrin said while showing a doctor working on the abrasion. "So I just can't move. I'm so sorry to scare everybody. It looks like all scans so far are clear. Thank you for the support and concern. And congratulations to the winners and my team." Quite the bummer at the world cup today. Though there hasn't been official word yet as to Shiffrin's condition, she won't be going for the 100th win tomorrow. Best wishes to her for a quick rebound. pic.twitter.com/wm7t2X24pG Shiffrin was left with only the 19th DNF of her World Cup career, and the first since all the way back in January 2018. Shiffrin has made 275 career World Cup starts with a record 99 victories, a mark she set nearly two full years ago after surpassing Ingemar Stenmark. Reigning Olympic champion Sara Hector went on to win Saturday's race in a combined time of 1 minute, 53.08 seconds.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while the Republican represented Florida's western Panhandle. Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the committee's work. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report said. Before the report came out, Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticized the committee's process. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Gaetz , who was first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his selection by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Justice Department . Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated interest in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. The committee painted a damning portrait of Gaetz's conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages and financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments, to document a party and drug-fueled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the report said Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.” That same year, investigators said Gaetz arranged for a staffer to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges made public, he appeared to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asked one woman if she had a “cute black dress” to wear. There were also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits was a text exchange that appeared to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asked Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report said there was no evidence Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her. The woman told the committee she did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But Gaetz stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Florida law says it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor. The law does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor's age as a defense. Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings “vindicate” the accounts of his clients and “demonstrate their credibility.” “We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known,” Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the committee earlier this month in voting to release the report despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against making the report public, the committee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote that while the members did not challenge the findings, “we take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee’s well-established standards,” to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. Guest added that releasing this report sets a precedent that “is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences.” But Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democratic member of the committee, said that for transparency, it was crucial for the public and Congress as an institution to read the findings. "I think that’s important for my colleagues here in the House to know how the committee reviews certain acts," he told The Associated Press. "Some of these were obviously conduct that crossed the line, but some of them weren’t.” Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal court to intervene. He cited what he called “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argued that he was no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction because he had resigned from Congress. The often secretive, bipartisan committee has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after the Nov. 5 election Day to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the committee's jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer in the House and had withdrawn from consideration for Trump's Cabinet. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own inquiry of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its investigation, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it does not disclose information about investigations that do not result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the department for records. After a back-and-forth between department officials and the committee, the department only handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the committee's report. The report said Gaetz was “uncooperative" throughout the committee's investigation. He provided “minimal documentation” in response to the committee’s requests, it said. “He also did not agree to a voluntary interview.” (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission)
Coldplay kick England out of Wembley: FA are left searching for new venue with British band playing sold out shows during September fixtures... with viral video showing huge toll of transforming arena into football pitch England discovered their 2026 World Cup qualifying opponents on Friday Three Lions will have to make arrangements for home fixture against Andorra LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Mason Mount? Marcus Rashford? Joshua Zirkzee? Who should Manchester United sell to raise funds? By TUM BALOGUN Published: 23:04 GMT, 13 December 2024 | Updated: 23:26 GMT, 13 December 2024 e-mail View comments Thomas Tuchel 's England will have to make alternative arrangements for their World Cup qualifier against Andorra next September. The German's first opponents as Three Lions boss were revealed on Friday as the draw for the qualification stage of the 2026 World Cup was conducted in Zurich. Tuchel, who officially begins duties on January 1, will get his first taste of action during the March international break with games against Albania and Latvia. Those games will also see the former Chelsea manager lead his side out at Wembley, a privilege that is set to be denied for England's September international against Andorra because of clash with Coldplay . The British band were only due to play at the home of football for six nights in August but, due to unprecedented demand, they added four more dates in September, which fall on either side of England's fixture. Although the Viva La Vida group are not due to perform on September 6 when Tuchel's troops will be lining up against the European minnows, the extraordinary retrofit undertaken to turn a football stadium into the perfect space for a concert would make staging the game there impossible. As a result, Harry Kane and Co will be playing a little further away from home than first planned. Coldplay have scheduled a series of sold out shows at Wembley stadium in August and September The British ban will play at the home of football on 10 nights and they will transform the famous old ground to suit their performance @superconstructions #coldplay #concert #setup #installation #construction #civilengineering #constructiontips #constructionlife #building #timelapse #replacement #reconstruction #coldplay ♬ House - ruanoliivas Thomas Tuchel will begin duties as England manager on January 1, while his first match as boss will be against Albania in March The news is sure to delight many fans across the country who will now find it easier to watch their England heroes up close. The FA has made strides in recent years to stage Three Lions fixtures outside of London. The likes of Old Trafford, The Stadium of Light and St James' Park have all hosted home games in recent seasons. In addition to Albania, Latvia and Andorra, Tuchel's side were also drawn against Serbian in Group K. Following the draw, Tuchel admitted that he was aware of the mixed reaction to his appointment but he insisted he is ready prove his doubters wrong. ‘I read much less than you would expect,’ Tuchel said. ‘Maybe you can tell me how it was received. But no hard feelings for that. Of course, it will always be mixed. ‘So now I have to prove myself. And to the people who are maybe a bit concerned - to prove to them how much it means to me and that it's a dream job for me that I will give my everything, and I'm the man for the job.’ Serbia are the highest ranked of England’s opponents at number 32 on the FIFA list. England have only played them once, winning 1-0 through a Jude Bellingham goal in the opening game of last summer’s Euros. That apart England will not have reason to particularly fear Albania – who they have beaten four times from four games – or Latvia – who they have never played – and Andorra, against whom they have accumulated a 26-0 aggregate score over six matches. Latvia Share or comment on this article: Coldplay kick England out of Wembley: FA are left searching for new venue with British band playing sold out shows during September fixtures... with viral video showing huge toll of transforming arena into football pitch e-mail Add commentNone
House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of 'regularly' paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl
B.C. premier says feds and premiers have right-left strategy to tackle Trump tariffs VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says his fellow premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan to fight U.S. Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press Dec 5, 2024 2:41 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message B.C. Premier David Eby holds a press conference at the legislature in Victoria, Nov. 13. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says his fellow premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan to fight U.S. tariffs, with conservative premiers lobbying Republican counterparts, left-leaning provincial leaders courting the Democrats, and Ottawa focusing on president-elect Donald Trump. The premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about using their political diversity and connections to thwart the prospect of Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, Eby said Thursday in a year-end interview. He said it was discussed that conservative premiers Danielle Smith in Alberta, Doug Ford in Ontario and Nova Scotia's Tim Houston are well-placed to lobby Republican governors and business leaders. Eby said as a New Democrat he will likely have more in common with Democrat governors and business leaders from the West Coast states. "I can easily have conversations with governors and businesses down the West Coast of the U.S., where we have close relationships and our politics are very similar," he said. "Premier Smith can have conversations with Republican governors. That would be more challenging for me, and (she) would have more connections potentially with the Trump administration than an NDP administration in B.C. would." He said a meeting last week between the premiers and Trudeau discussed Canada's diversity of representation, and how it could bring leverage and advantages in tariff talks. "It's interesting, there was a lot of talk about what unity means in terms of Canada's response to the tariffs," he said. "There's obviously a diversity of views around the Council of the Federation table of all the premiers. Certainly, mine is not the same as Premier Smith's or Premier Ford's or Premier Houston's, and that diversity of views is actually potentially a significant strength for us as we enter into these discussions." Eby also said he was prepared to appear on American's right-leaning Fox News TV network, as did premiers Ford and Smith. "Anything that I can do to support the national effort to protect the families in Canada from the impact of tariffs and also families in the U.S. from those unjustified tariffs," he said. "Absolutely, if I thought it was helpful." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix Saskatchewan passes affordability bills, keeps federal carbon levy off home heating Dec 5, 2024 2:39 PM Hiking apps prompt warnings after separate rescues from B.C.'s backcountry Dec 5, 2024 2:34 PM US judge rejects Boeing's plea deal in a conspiracy case stemming from fatal plane crashes Dec 5, 2024 2:15 PM Featured FlyerThe week in whoppers: Esquire’s Bush pardon make-believe, Sean Penn’s outrageous Hunter praise and moreSloppy Jack Crowley error costs Munster last-gasp chance to snatch victory from jaws of defeat in Castres
Aaron Rodgers sneaks in girlfriend reveal on ‘Pat McAfee Show’Sister Wives season 19 is still airing, but fans have spent the entirety of the season speculating that this will likely be its last. After all, the entire show was supposed to center around polygamy. They are no longer polygamists. Despite fan speculation, it looks like TLC is still committed to sharing the story of the once-plural family. A cafe in Utah just confirmed that filming is underway for more Sister Wives seasons. A small Utah Cafe announced its involvement in an upcoming season of ‘Sister Wives’ The family isn’t on hiatus while season 19 is airing. The network, which generally announces new seasons just weeks before their premiere date, has deployed a camera crew to capture new footage. A small cafe in Utah spilled the beans. Dede’s Farmhouse Cafe in Parowan, Utah, took to its social media accounts to inform its patrons that the Sister Wives cast would be filming at its eatery. The overzealous business owner’s update has confirmed that fans will be seeing more from the Browns despite the family now living hundreds of miles apart. A Reddit user caught the social media post and shared it. In the upload, the proprietors encouraged patrons to dine in and check out filming while the cast was on hand. They did not reveal exactly which cast members would be filming, but based on the cafe’s location, it’s safe to assume Meri Brown would be the main focus of the scene. Meri lives in Parowan, Utah. She has owned an inn in the town for several years. Meri opted to move to the area full-time after her spiritual split from Kody. Fans watched Kody help Meri move to the area just weeks ago on Sister Wives . What could fans expect to see from another season? Season 19 of Sister Wives has focused almost entirely on the family’s future now that they are no longer spiritually wed. Season 20 might be more of the same, but we have a feeling plenty of drama may play out as the Brown family learns how to navigate their separate lives. While season 19 has been pretty slow-moving, there is plenty of real-time drama to fill another season. Season 20, which has no official release date, might be more dramatic than previous seasons. If it does air, it will likely cover Janelle Brown’s move to North Carolina . The family’s squabbles over what to do with Coyote Pass will likely come into play, too. It’s possible the additional season would also cover Christine Brown and Kody Brown’s custody battle over Truely Brown. The couple are battling it out in court. Mykelti and Tony Padron’s decision to leave Utah, and Robyn and Kody Brown’s new house purchase could be featured, too.
Steve Harvey left fans melting over the sweet tribute he posted in recognition of his wife over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. On Saturday, Nov. 30, the game show host shared a photo on Facebook of Marjorie , to whom he has been married since 2007. In the picture, Marjorie was standing near the bottom of a flight of stairs, her body twisted slightly as she looked over her shoulder at the camera. She wore a stunning floor-length red gown that had a burst of floral detailing, which began around her knees and fell to the ground to trail after her. The upper portions of the skintight gown appeared to be somewhat sheer, with off-the-shoulder sleeves that featured the same floral detailing as the bottom of the gown from her elbows to her wrists. 🤩🤩 SIGN UP for Parade's Trending News newsletter & we'll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments & celebrity news everyone is talking about 🗞️🗞️ The holiday-ready look matched the Christmas-themed garlands that decorated the railings on both sides of the staircase. Marjorie completed the festive look by piling her brown hair on top of her head in a bun and wearing a pair of light dangling earrings that contrasted the deep red color of her dress. The Family Feud host didn’t caption the snapshot with words, choosing instead to use a red dress emoji and Christmas tree emoji when he posted the photo on the social media platform. He received wave of positive responses from fans, many of whom gushed over his wife’s “Absolutely stunning” gown. “Wow that decor is incredible love it and Marjorie you are gorgeous in that dress as well Merry Christmas!!” one fan wrote. “Very Elegant Marjorie Harvey! Happy holidays Harvey family!” another fan commented as a third observed that Marjorie looked “Beautiful as always.” “Beautiful wife. You are truly blessed Mr. Harvey,” one Facebook user declared as another echoed the comment, writing, “Your a very Blessed man Steve to be Married to such a Beautiful woman and a beautiful Soul.” Next: Prince Harry Unintentionally Mocked by ‘Family Feud’ Category