Good morning. It's Thursday, April. 11, and we're covering inconsistencies in Fani Willis' use of federal grant funds, inflation higher than expected, NBA history in important win over Lakers, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here. | | American Fact of the Day! | Tennessee: Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State because of its high number of volunteers during the War of 1812, specifically at the Battle of New Orleans. |
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| | Breaking Updates | | DOJ Finds 'Inconsistencies' in Fani Willis' Use of Federal Grant Funds Amid Congressional Probe | The Department of Justice has found "inconsistencies" regarding the appropriation of federal grant funds used by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' office, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The shocking revelations come to light two years after Willis terminated a whistleblower who had warned Wills that her office was attempting to misuse nearly half a million dollars awarded in a federal grant for a youth gang prevention initiative to instead pay for, "swag," Mac Book computers, and travel.
Amanda Timpson, who was listed as the grant director, said she was abruptly fired by Willis less than two months after reporting the intended misuse of funds to Willis. Timpson claims that she was escorted out of her office by seven armed investigators. She later filed a whistleblower complaint that alleged wrongful termination.
The grant was intended to be used for the creation of a Center for Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention in Atlanta, but while the grant ended in September 2023, the center was never opened.
Inquires from the Beacon to the DOJ centered around discrepancies in payments Willis' office may have made to the Offender Alumni Association, an Alabama-based charity staffed by former inmates.
While Fulton County records show that Willis' office transferred $88,900 from the federal grant to the Offender Alumni Association, the group's administrative director, Toni Barnett, reported having no understanding of why the county would make those reports. Of course, this is not the first time Fani Willis has been scrutinized for the use of public funding. | Read more updates here |
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| | Inflation Higher Than Expected As Consumer Price Index Rises 3.5 Percent in March | March inflation numbers surprised economists on Wednesday morning as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers came in higher than expected. CPI, which is a broad measure of the price of goods and services across the economy, rose 0.4 percent for the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 3.5 percent.
That is 0.3 percentage points higher than in February and higher than economists were anticipating. They were looking for a 0.3 percent gain and 3.4 percent year-over-year level.
The spike appears to have been largely due to rising energy and shelter costs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index for shelter rose in March, as did the index for gasoline. Combined, these two indexes contributed over half of the monthly increase in the index for all items. The energy index rose 1.1 percent over the month.
The food index rose 0.1 percent in March. The food at home index was unchanged, while the food away from home index rose 0.3 percent over the month.
The gasoline index increased 1.7 percent in March, as well. This came after a 2.3 percent spike in February. The index for electricity, meanwhile, rose 0.9 percent in March. Natural gas was unchanged over the month, and the fuel oil index decreased 1.3 percent in March. The report may have an impact on the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates. | Read more updates here |
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| | American Sports & Culture
|  | Packers will play Eagles in NFL's first Brazil game; historic 2024 season opener set for São Paulo | Both teams are officially locked in for the Week 1 international game |
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|  | MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox rising; early-season overreactions for each team | Where's the fun in not drawing conclusions this early? We hand out one overreaction for each club after the season's first fortnight. |
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|  | How Warriors made NBA history in important win over Lakers | The Warriors picked up a big win over the Lakers on Tuesday, and they made NBA history along the way. |
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| | American Business & Markets
|  | Brainstorming Business Idea Tools | ideamate - In a world fueled by innovation, the ability to generate fresh business ideas is so important for entrepreneurs and aspiring innovators alike – W... |
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| :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing10-5bfc2b90c9e77c00517fd2ef.jpg) | What Is a Market Economy and How Does It Work? | A market economy is a system in which production decisions and prices are largely determined by the interactions of consumers and businesses. |
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|  | 5 Books That Paved My Path to Entrepreneurial Success | Entrepreneur | Here are the five books that have greatly influenced my entrepreneurial mindset and approach. |
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| | American Politics | |  | Newsom's homelessness council blames local governments for failing to track billions spent on crisis | A California state audit, released Tuesday, noted the California Interagency Council on Homelessness is required by law to report its finances related to all state‑funded homelessness programs, but stopped doing so in 2021. |
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|  | Wealthy Manhattanites are rejecting long-coveted townhomes for doorman buildings — over security fears | "During COVID everyone wanted to be in a townhouse because of the minimal contact and privacy," a New York broker told The Post. "After COVID, that shifted." |
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|  | Cornel West Announces Vice Presidential Candidate Pick | Professor Cornel West, an independent candidate running for president, announced he has chosen Dr. Melina Abdullah to be his running mate. |
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