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Elvis Presley's Estate Alleges Graceland Fraud
Your unbiased daily news brief
James Kratch
May 22, 2024
Good morning and happy Wednesday. London's transportation agency says the U.S. Embassy owes over $18M in unpaid traffic congestion charges from the last 20 years. But Uncle Sam is disputing the bill, arguing the embassy is exempt. Have a great day!
In Today’s Brief
Alaska: Fatal moose attack
Macron: Going to New Caledonia
Manchin: Gubernatorial run?
Gasoline: 1M barrels released
Matthew Perry: New probe
... and more
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Top Tips
1) All shook up
The King's family says his famous mansion is not for sale.
The news: Riley Keough, an actress and Elvis Presley's eldest grandchild, filed a lawsuit and was granted a temporary injunction to block a court-approved Graceland foreclosure auction originally scheduled for tomorrow. Keough inherited the iconic Memphis estate when her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, died last year.
The controversy: Naussany Investments and Private Lending claims Lisa Marie Presley used Graceland as collateral on an unpaid 2018 loan. The lending company alleges Promenade Trust, which operates the museum, owes almost $4M. Keough's lawsuit claims the loan never happened, the company forged her mother’s signature and the documents are fraudulent. The notary listed on the documents said she never met Presley or reviewed the paperwork in question.
Next steps: An injunction hearing is scheduled for today. Elvis Presley Enterprises and Priscilla Presley, Keough's grandmother, also made statements alleging fraud. The investment company did not comment yesterday.
2) Nightmare trip
A passenger died and dozens were injured after a commercial airline flight hit severe turbulence.
What happened: A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered rough air about 90 minutes before it was scheduled to land. Passengers said the plane tilted up and shook before making a sudden plunge said to be a 6K-foot drop. The plane was diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing.
The aftermath: Passengers not wearing seatbelts were sent flying, with some hitting their heads on the baggage compartments while there was damage inside the cabin. Over 70 passengers were injured, several seriously. Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British man, died. Officials believe he may have had a heart attack.
Big picture: The turbulence was likely caused by thunderstorms over Myanmar. Turbulence typically occurs when aircraft are in clouds with up- and downdrafts of wind. Planes are designed to handle turbulence and injuries are rare, but severe occurrences can cause mayhem like experienced on this flight.
3) Closing time
Former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial is entering the home stretch.
Yesterday's events: The defense rested its case, bringing an end to testimony in the trial. Trump had repeatedly suggested he planned to testify, but he ultimately did not take the stand. That was expected based on signals from his attorneys.
Next steps: The trial is on hold for a few days. The only remaining day on the schedule this week was Thursday, so Judge Juan Merchan opted to dismiss the jury until after the Memorial Day holiday. Closing arguments will begin next Tuesday, followed by jury deliberations.
Big picture: Legal experts say the jury's verdict will likely hinge on whether it considers ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen to be a credible witness. Merchan's instructions will also play a factor. Trump wants an acquittal, but a mistrial on a hung jury would still be a boost. Even if the Manhattan District Attorney retries the case, Trump would likely see the process delayed until after the election.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
Alaska saw its first fatal moose attack in almost 30 years. Officials said a 70-year-old man was killed while trying to take pictures of two newborn calves; a second man was unharmed in the incident (More)
Five retired U.S. Navy officers had felony corruption convictions thrown out after the government admitted prosecutorial errors. Four pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor while the fifth had his entire case thrown out; all admitted to taking bribes from Malaysian contractor "Fat Leonard" Francis (More)
A Missouri man serving a life sentence for murder may be freed after 33 years. A hearing began yesterday to determine whether Christopher Dunn was wrongfully convicted; two witnesses have admitted to lying during the trial (More)
World News
French President Emmanuel Macron left for New Caledonia last night. The French Pacific territory is experiencing violent unrest over new laws; military forces have been deployed to quell the chaos (More)
Israel returned a camera and broadcasting equipment to the Associated Press after seizing it. The Israelis accused the AP of violating a new media law by giving Al-Jazeera access to live images of Gaza (More)
Russia likely launched a counter space weapon into orbit last week. The Pentagon has assessed it is close to and capable of attacking a U.S. satellite; the Kremlin has launched similar weapons in the past (More)
Campaign News
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin declined to rule out running for governor in the state. Current Republican Gov. Jim Justice is leading the race to take over Manchin's seat when the Democrat retires at the end of his term (More)
Former President Trump walked back comments suggesting he would support states restricting access to contraceptives. He indicated he was open to such bans during an interview with a Pittsburgh television station (More)
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis won her Democratic primary race. She is trying Trump for election interference in the state of Georgia; Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee also won his primary race (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed higher yesterday. Both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 closed at record highs (Dow +0.17%, Nasdaq +0.22%, S&P 500 +0.25%).
The Biden Administration will release 1M barrels of gasoline prior to the July 4 holiday in an effort to keep prices down nationwide. Deliveries will arrive no later than June 30; the gas will come from reserves in the Northeast (More)
The Federal Reserve's Christopher Waller thinks "several months" of good inflation numbers are needed before the central bank moves to cut interest rates. The Fed Board of Governors member does not anticipate rate hikes (More)
Entertainment & Sports
How Matthew Perry obtained ketamine before his death last year is under criminal investigation. The DEA, U.S. Postal Service and LAPD are probing where the former Friends star got the drug, according to TMZ (More)
Georgia QB Jaden Rashada alleges he was defrauded when Florida failed to deliver on nearly $14M in NIL promises if he joined its football program. Gators Head Coach Billy Napier is one of the defendants in the player's lawsuit (More)
Pixar laid off close to 15% of its workforce yesterday. Staff reductions at the Disney-owned animation studio have been expected for months; insiders had initially feared 20% of employees would get let go (More)
Quick Hitters
Feel Good: A Canadian potato farmer had an overwhelming surplus after a historic growing season. So he and other farmers donated millions of spuds to food banks.
Be Safe: Over 200K electric stoves manufactured by Frigidaire and Kenmore have been recalled. The units have several issues that make them burn and fire hazards.
Go Deep: You have likely never given much thought to elevator music. But producing it is a fascinating, and lucrative, business.
New Idea: Many people struggle with insomnia. Neuroscientists believe "dream training" may help cure the inability to fall asleep.
Life Hack: If you do not prepare for the worst, you will regret it when it happens. Here is how to build a "just in case" safety kit to keep in your car's trunk.
OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”
Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:
Watch This
Check out the trailer for Jim Henson Idea Man, a documentary about the late creator of the Muppets from Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard. It will debut on Disney+ on May 31.
Links
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You can buy a humanoid robot for $16K 🤖
Drought has hit the Amazon rainforest very hard 🌴
Take a ride on America's most beautiful roads 🚗
Free refills may be on the way out at McDonald's 🥤
Whole-body deodorant has become a thing 👃
Red Lobster's wild ride into bankruptcy 🦞
Looking Ahead …
Get your checkbook ready if you want to own a piece of baseball history. Heritage Auctions will put Babe Ruth's jersey from Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, when he is said to have "called his shot," on the block in August. Experts believe the winning bid could be close to $30M.