1+ min ago (297+ words) President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of a former investment manager convicted of defrauding investors. It's the latest in a series of clemency actions Trump has taken in white-collar criminal cases. David Gentile had been convicted for his role in what the Justice Department at the time described as a scheme to defraud investors. His firm had raised $1.6 billion to acquire companies. The White House said the firm had disclosed to investors that their capital might go to pay dividends to other investors " undercutting claims that it had engaged in a "Ponzi" scheme in which new investments are used to reimburse previous investors. Trump commutes prison sentence for former private equity executive David Gentile Gentile had reported to prison on Nov. 14, just days before Trump commuted his sentence, according to a White House official who requested anonymity to…...

1+ min ago (297+ words) President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of a former investment manager convicted of defrauding investors. It's the latest in a series of clemency actions Trump has taken in white-collar criminal cases. David Gentile had been convicted for his role in what the Justice Department at the time described as a scheme to defraud investors. His firm had raised $1.6 billion to acquire companies. The White House said the firm had disclosed to investors that their capital might go to pay dividends to other investors " undercutting claims that it had engaged in a "Ponzi" scheme in which new investments are used to reimburse previous investors. Trump commutes prison sentence for former private equity executive David Gentile Gentile had reported to prison on Nov. 14, just days before Trump commuted his sentence, according to a White House official who requested anonymity to…...

32+ min ago (419+ words) At a conference in Algiers, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism. In his opening speech, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said Algeria's experience under French rule underscored the need to seek compensation and reclaim stolen property. A legal framework, he added, would ensure restitution is seen as "neither a gift nor a favor." "Africa is entitled to demand the official and explicit recognition of the crimes committed against its peoples during the colonial period, an indispensable first step toward addressing the consequences of that era, for which African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price in terms of exclusion, marginalization and backwardness," Attaf said. International conventions and statutes accepted by a majority of countries have outlawed practices including…...

34+ min ago (447+ words) Mourners gathered at a West Virginia high school this weekend remembered a National Guard member fatally shot last week as a caring and positive person who wanted to help others. U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died after a Wednesday shooting in Washington, D.C., while her seriously injured colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remained in critical condition. In recent days, local vigils in West Virginia have honored the soldiers, including one Saturday evening at Webster County High School, where Beckstrom attended classes. "Sarah was the kind of student that teachers hoped for, she carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her," said Jarrod Hankins, the school's principal. "She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others." Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24 were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President…...

36+ min ago (25+ words) Photo highlights from the 13th week of the NFL season. This gallery was curated by AP photo editors. AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl...

36+ min ago (25+ words) Photo highlights from the 13th week of the NFL season. This gallery was curated by AP photo editors. AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl...

40+ min ago (925+ words) Lane Kiffin announced Sunday he is leaving his one-loss Ole Miss team to become the coach at LSU, taking over a Tigers program that has won national titles under three of its previous four coaches. The move, disclosed by Kiffin on social media, comes two days after No. 6 Mississippi's 39-19 victory over Mississippi State in the rivals' annual Egg Bowl game that all but guaranteed the Rebels a playoff berth. "I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year's team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team's incredible success and their commitment to finish strong," Kiffin wrote, adding that he would maintained "guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern." Kiffins said Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter denied his request "despite the team also asking him to allow…...

40+ min ago (842+ words) Lane Kiffin left his one-loss Ole Miss team to become the coach at LSU on Sunday, taking over a program that has won national titles under three of its previous four coaches while saying he would have stayed to coach the Rebels in the postseason had he been allowed to. The move comes two days after No. 6 Mississippi's victory over Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl rivalry game that all but guaranteed the Rebels a playoff berth when the bracket is announced Dec. 7. "Unfortunately, that means Friday's Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels," he added. Mississippi promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to succeed Kiffin. A former Ole Miss player, Golding is in his third season on the Rebels' staff after serving five years as a top defensive assistant at Alabama. "Coach Kiffin and I met yesterday,…...

43+ min ago (66+ words) A company in southern Poland specializes in creating unique Christmas decorations for clients like Swarovski and Harrods. GlitterLab's process is entirely manual, making each piece unique and its owner hopes the ornaments will bring joy to customers all year round and not just during the festive period. (AP video shot by: Rafal Niedzielski) From a modest Polish workshop to Harrods: glass artisans create luxury Christmas baubles...

57+ min ago (463+ words) Michigan State has fired football coach Jonathan Smith less than two years after he was hired. The move was made Sunday by athletic director J Batt, who has been on campus since June, according to a person familiar with the situation speaking only on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced. The Spartans lost eight of their last nine games to finish 4-8. Smith's overall record at MSU was 9-15 and just 4-14 in the Big Ten. Smith is due more than $30 million, according to terms of his seven-year contract, and the school will have to spend many millions to find a replacement. The Spartans aren't the only ones looking for a winning coach, either. Smith was 34-35 over six seasons at Oregon State, winning at least eight games in consecutive seasons for the first time in more than a decade…...