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How A Bear Costume Powered A $142K Insurance Con

How A Bear Costume Powered A $142K Insurance Con

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
November 15, 2024

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Good Friday morning. Talk about a family feud: The president of Palau, a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean, just won re-election by beating his brother-in-law. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

Georgia: DOJ report
South Africa: Illegal miners
RFK Jr. HHS nominee
Advance Auto Parts: Store closings
The Onion: Buys Infowars

... and more

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1) Wild story

Talk about a "bear-brained" scheme.

The news: Four Los Angeles-area residents face conspiracy and insurance fraud charges for allegedly faking animal attacks on their vehicles. Authorities believed they dressed a person in an elaborate bear costume as part of the scheme.
Go deeper: A claim was filed in January claiming a bear caused interior damage to a 2010 Rolls-Royce at Lake Arrowhead. When the California Department of Insurance reviewed purported footage of the incident, officials immediately suspected the video depicted a person in a bear suit. Further investigation discovered two almost identical claims in the state, also with bogus video.
Big picture: Authorities obtained a search warrant after the California Department of Wildlife conferred that the tapes showed a person in a bear suit. The suit was recovered during one of the arrests. Cops said the scheme had paid close to $142K in insurance claims when the arrests occurred.

2) Gaetz-gate

Washington is still reeling from President-elect Donald Trump's bombshell Attorney General pick.

Curious timing: The House Ethics Committee was supposed to vote today on releasing its report on now-former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump's selection to lead the Department of Justice. The controversial lawmaker had been the subject of a probe into sexual misconduct, drug use and obstruction. But Gaetz, a Republican, resigned after receiving the nomination, effectively ending the investigation. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing; the DOJ previously closed a criminal inquiry into him without filing charges.
Next steps? Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest, the House Ethics Chairman, said he does not plan to release the report. Butsenators on both sides of the aisle have demanded the report as they prepare for the confirmation process. And the leaks have already begun: ABC reported a woman testified to the committee that she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17.
Big picture: Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy -- who Gaetz helped oust -- said "everybody knows" he will not be confirmed, and the math continues to appear daunting. Trump has pressed GOP leaders to allow recess appointments, which could temporarily install Gaetz as AG without Senate approval. But there has yet to be a sign South Dakota Sen. John Thune, now the party's leader in the chamber, will approve.

3) Fight night

Mike Tyson will return to the ring tonight. Sort of.

What's happening: The 58-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion will face YouTuber Jake Paul in an officially sanctioned fight (albeit with caveats) at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event will be streamed on Netflix with the entire card starting at 8 p.m. ET. It will be Tyson's first fight since 2005.
The controversy: Paul, 27, is over three decades younger than Tyson. And Tyson was overwhelmed by a journeyman fighter 19 years ago when he last fought. So many critics say the fight should not be happening. Tyson, who will reportedly make $20M, said no one should be concerned about his well-being. Paul is 10-1 in his boxing career and has claimed he will make $40M if he wins.
Big picture: The fight will consist of eight two-minute rounds. It was originally scheduled for May, but was delayed when Tyson had a bleeding ulcer that caused a medical emergency on a flight -- another talking point for detractors. Paul is a heavy betting favorite.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

Georgia's Fulton County violated the constitutional rights of inmates at its county jail, according to the Department of Justice. A report found the county sheriff's office and facility officials failed to adequately protect prisoners from violence, including several homicides (More)
A Texas man is accused of plotting a "9/11-style" in the U.S. The suspect was born in Houston but spent his childhood in Lebanon; he allegedly created and distributed ISIS propaganda and told the FBI he tried to join the terror group (More)
A pair of federal judges delayed hearings for Jan. 6 criminal trials, acknowledging President-elect Trump's inauguration could end the cases. He has previously said he plans to pardon non-violent offenders involved in the Capitol riot (More)

World News

South Africa said it will not help a group of illegal miners stuck underground after police blocked access points. Denying the people basic necessities is part of an official government policy to curtail the activity; officials believe 350-400 people are in the mine and may be heavily armed (More)
Tropical Storm Sara has formed in the Caribbean; meteorologists said it may have a "potentially catastrophic" impact on Central America. Updated forecasts suggest the system is unlikely to maintain enough strength to threaten the U.S. (More)
Police in Brazil said a man died after trying to set off a bomb inside the country's Supreme Court. The man detonated his explosive device when he was denied access; the incident may have been tied to the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro (More)

Political News

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services. The former independent presidential candidate has made false and misleading claims about vaccine efficacy, but previously said he would not try to curtail access to jabs (More)
House Republicans are expected to make a rule change raising the motion-to-vacate threshold. The move will give Speaker Mike Johnson more protection from being ousted by rebels in his caucus, but he will still need to win a fullchamber vote to hold onto the gavel (More)
Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency will apparently operate on a volunteer basis. The Tesla CEO said the commission seeks "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week ... compensation is zero" (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed lower yesterday as the post-election rally fades. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will "carefully" approach future interest rate cuts (Dow -0.47%, Nasdaq -0.64%, S&P 500 -0.60%).
Advance Auto Parts will shutter over 700 locations. The car parts retail chain said the closings are part of a "strategic plan" to address lagging sales; it will close about 15% of its locations nationwide (More)
Meta was hit with a $846M fine for violating European Union antitrust rules. The Facebook parent company is accused of "abusive practices" regarding Marketplace online classified advertisements; Meta said it would end the offending conduct, but will appeal the penalty (More)

Entertainment & Sports

The Onion bought Alex Jones' Infowars empire in a bankruptcy auction. The satirical media company's bid was backed by the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims owed over $1B in defamation penalties by the infamous conspiracy theorist; the website will relaunch next year as a parody outlet (More)
Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn is coming out of retirement and will bid to represent Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The 40-year-old has not competed since 2019; the three-time Olympic medalist battled a slew of injuries before stepping away (More)
The Tampa Bay Rays have found a temporary home for the 2025 season. The major league club will play at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field, which is the New York Yankees' spring training complex; the switch comes after Tropicana Field's roof was destroyed by Hurricane Milton (More)

Quick Hitters

Real Hero: A Georgia man woke to discover he was locked inside his burning house. And then a complete stranger came out of nowhere and broke down his door to rescue him.
Unexpected Detour: Birdwatchers have been flocking to glimpse the first Scarlet tanager spotted in England in a decade. Experts believe the bird was knocked off course by a hurricane on the other side of the pond.
Go Deep: It was bound to happen as states increasingly legalize access to marijuana. Here's what happens when a dispensary opens near a school.
Take Note: Experts believe shared meals can strengthen bonds between people and provide other emotional benefits. Here are some tips on making the most of your next group dinner.
Life Hack: Having a hard time sleeping? Avoiding these critical mistakes can get you back on track.

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