Director convicted of scamming $11M from Netflix and going on lavish spending spree

December 12, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — A Hollywood director was convicted Thursday on charges that he scammed Netflix out of $11 million for a show that never materialized, while he instead used the cash for lavish purchases that included several Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and about $1 million in mattresses and luxury bedding. Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for directing the film “47 Ronin,” was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges, according to court records and a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in New York. In a statement, Rinsch’s attorney, Benjamin Zeman, said he thought ...

Raul Malo, the soulful tenor and frontman of The Mavericks, has died at age 60

December 12, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Raul Malo, the soulful tenor and frontman of the genre-defying, Grammy-winning band The Mavericks, has died. He was 60. Malo died Monday night, his wife, Betty Malo, posted on his Facebook page. He had been battling cancer. The frontman of The Mavericks had documented his health journey on social media since he disclosed in June 2024 that he was receiving treatment for colon cancer. In September 2025, Malo said on Instagram that he was battling LMD, or leptomeningeal disease, a rare complication when cancer spreads to membranes that surround the brain and spinal ...

Sophie Kinsella, author of the millions-selling ‘Shopaholic’ novels, dies at 55

December 11, 2025

LONDON (AP) — Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer. The family said in a statement on Kinsella’s Instagram account that ...

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, British zoologist and Save the Elephants founder, dies at 83

December 11, 2025

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Iain Douglas-Hamilton, a British-born zoologist and conservationist who dedicated much of his life to protecting elephants, has died, his Save the Elephants group said Tuesday. He was 83. Douglas-Hamilton was known for decades of conservation work, which included ...

Rod Paige, nation’s first African American to serve as secretary of education, dies at 92

December 11, 2025

(AP) — Rod Paige, an educator, coach and administrator who rolled out the nation’s landmark No Child Left Behind law as the first African American to serve as U.S. education secretary, died Tuesday. Former President George W. Bush, who tapped Paige for the nation’s top federal ...

What to know about the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files

December 10, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — The clock is ticking for the U.S. government to open up its files on Jeffrey Epstein. After months of rancor and recriminations, Congress has passed and President Donald Trump has signed legislation compelling the Justice Department to give the public everything it has ...