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Reese’s $25,000 promotion may violate sweepstakes laws

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

Reese’s may be in violation of state and federal laws with its new sweepstakes offer currently advertised on packs of peanut butter cups.The promotion on two-cup packages reads “You could win $25,000” and, in smaller print, “See details inside.” But only after consumers have bought and opened a package can they see the small print: no purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes.The Reese’s contest was first reported Monday by Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and former assistant attorney general in Massachusetts, who runs the Consumer World website.Hershey Co., that Pennsylvania candymaker that owns the Reese’s brand, didn’t immediately respond to telephone and email messages left Monday by The Associated Press.Sweepstakes are primarily governed by state laws, which require that no purchase is necessary to participate. A contest that requires a purchase is a lottery, which is subject to different rules.Three federal agencies — Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communi...

ServisFirst: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — ServisFirst Bancshares Inc. (SFBS) on Monday reported third-quarter net income of $53.3 million.On a per-share basis, the Birmingham, Alabama-based company said it had net income of 98 cents.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 96 cents per share.The holding company for ServisFirst Bank posted revenue of $221.3 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $107.8 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SFBS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SFBSSource

Coast Guard opens formal inquiry into collapse of mast on Maine schooner that killed a passenger

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Coast Guard said Monday it has launched a formal investigation into a fatal accident aboard a historic schooner off the coast of Maine in which a mast fell and killed one person and injured three others.The main mast of the schooner Grace Bailey splintered and fell onto the deck on Oct. 9. The collapse killed Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, a physician from Rockland. Coast Guard officials said the formal inquiry is intended to determine what led to the collapse and identify anything that can help improve maritime safety. “As a member of a lifesaving service, I am deeply saddened by this tragedy,” said Capt. Amy Florentino, commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “The Coast Guard is committed to conducting a thorough investigation aimed at identifying causal factors that will prevent an accident like this from reoccurring.”The owners of the vessel, the Grace Bailey Navigation Company of Rockland, have no comment on the investigation, said Nicole Ja...

Connecticut postmaster pleads guilty to fraud in $875,000 bribery scheme with maintenance vendor

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — A former Connecticut postmaster has admitted to defrauding the U.S. Postal Service of nearly $875,000 in a scheme involving cash bribes, misuse of USPS credit cards and demands for free personal vehicle repairs.Longtime postmaster Ephrem D. Nguyen of the office in Danbury, a western Connecticut city of more than 86,700, pleaded guilty Friday to honest services wire fraud, a crime punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. His guilty plea in the case, which remains under investigation, was announced Monday.His federal public defender declined to comment on the case.As the postmaster since 2003, Nguyen was in charge of supervising the maintenance and repair of all equipment, facilities and vehicles. Federal prosecutors said he required in November 2020 the work to be performed by a particular vendor, even though another vendor already had a contract with the Danbury post office. Nguyen then demanded the new vendor provide free repairs to his personal vehicle ...

Miniature ‘Star Wars’ X-wing gets over $3 million at auction of Hollywood model-maker’s collection

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — A miniature X-wing Starfighter used in a “Star Wars” film sold for over $3 million during an auction over the weekend of items both collected and created by longtime Hollywood model-maker Greg Jein.The collection amassed by Jein, who died last year at the age of 76, brought in about $13.6 million during an event at Heritage Auctions in Dallas. The auction house said that everyone from model-makers to collectors and science-fiction fans attended, making the event its best-attended in years.Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president and a longtime friend of Jein’s, said in a news release Monday that the auction was “a profound testament to my friend as both a visual-effects master and one of the great collectors.”Jein not only had an Oscar and Emmy-nominated career making miniature models for nearly half a century, but he also spent a lifetime collecting costumes, props, scripts, artwork, photographs and models from the shows he loved.The Red Leader X-wing Starfi...

Police say 2 Swedes are fatally shot in Brussels. Premier links the attack to terrorism

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has linked the shooting deaths of two Swedes in central Brussels to “terrorism.”“I have just offered my sincere condolences to @SwedishPM following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels,” De Croo said. He added on X, formerly known as Twitter, “As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one.”Media reports aired amateur videos showing a man shooting several times near a station using a large weapon.A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, said the two victims were Swedes.The Swedish national soccer team was scheduled to play Belgium at Heysel Stadium later in the evening, some 3 miles (5 kilometers) away. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.BRUSSELS (AP) — Two Swedes were killed in a shooting late Monday in central Brussels, police said, prompting Belgium’s prime minister and senior C...

Belgium’s prime minister links fatal shooting of two Swedes in Brussels to “terrorism”

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s prime minister links fatal shooting of two Swedes in Brussels to “terrorism.”Source

NJ man arrested in airport parking garage shooting that killed 1 Philadelphia officer, wounded 2nd

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — One man has been arrested and at least two other people are being sought in an airport parking garage shooting that killed a Philadelphia police officer and injured another last week, authorities said. Yobranny Martinez Fernandez, 18, of Camden County, New Jersey, was arrested before dawn Monday in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and was being held in that state on a fugitive warrant.Authorities said Officers Richard Mendez and Raul Ortiz had just arrived at work around 11 p.m. last Thursday when they heard breaking glass and saw several people breaking into a car in the parking lot at Philadelphia International Airport. A confrontation ensued, and the two officers and one of the suspects were shot.Mendez, 50, who had been on the force for more than two decades, was shot four times and pronounced dead at a hospital. Officials said the slain officer’s handcuffs were placed on the suspect at the time of his arrest. Ortiz, a 20-year veteran of the force, was shot onc...

Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare awarded French Legion of Honor title by Macron

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare was awarded the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor title by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.Macron arrived in Tirana after a summit of European Union leaders with Western Balkan countries earlier in the day. He didn’t attend the talks because of the attack in which a teacher was fatally stabbed and three other people were wounded at a school in northern France.In a long speech describing Kadare’s different novels throughout his writing career and how he had resisted Albania’s communist government, Macron awarded the title “for his works, his courage to rise up against a dictatorial system … and a defender of freedom, a great writer of humanity.”Kadare, 87, has long been mentioned as a possible contender for the Nobel Literature Prize. He has been well-known internationally since his “The General of the Dead Army” novel was published in 1963 when Albania was governed by the communist governmen...

Bears QB Justin Fields has dislocated thumb and is doubtful to play against Raiders

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:36 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields will likely miss at least one game because of a dislocated right thumb, coach Matt Eberflus said Monday.Eberflus said it’s “doubtful” Fields plays this week when the Bears (1-5) host the Las Vegas Raiders after he was injured in Sunday’s 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie Tyson Bagent figures to start in his place. Eberflus also said the Bears hired former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow as a defensive analyst, filling a position created after former defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned last month.Fields was hurt on Chicago’s first possession of the third quarter against Minnesota. He seemed to land awkwardly on his hand trying to throw the ball away while getting sacked by Danielle Hunter. The Bears punted on the next play, and Fields headed to the locker room.An X-ray showed no fractures. Fields underwent an MRI on Monday, and Eberflus had no timetable for Fields’ return.“It’s...