SCOTUS justice under fire over luxury gifts
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas secretly accepted lavish gifts from a Republican megadonor for decades, according to a report. And the 2023 Masters Tournament is officially underway.
👋 Hey hey! Laura Davis here. It's time for Thursday's news!
But first: The trip of a lifetime! 🗺 Ellie and Sandy have been friends for more than 20 years and started traveling together after their husbands died a few years ago. Now in their 80s, the besties just finished traveling around the world in 80 days.
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Report: Clarence Thomas accepted GOP donor's luxury gifts
Vacations on a super yacht, private jet flights, trips to a private resort in the Adirondacks. These are among the luxury gifts Supreme Court Justice Thomas has accepted from billionaire and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for years without disclosing them, according to a report from ProPublica on Thursday. His actions could violate a law that requires justices, judges and members of Congress to disclose most gifts. It's the latest ethics controversy to dog Thomas, who also has faced questions about incomplete financial disclosure forms and appearances at other gatherings of wealthy donors and influencers. 👉 Here's what we know.
- Who is Harlan Crow? How Clarence Thomas knows the GOP megadonor.
The Masters Tournament is underway
Who's going home with the green jacket? The 2023 Masters Tournament began with Kevin Na and 2003 champion Mike Weir teeing off first in Thursday's opening round at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Five-time champion Tiger Woods came on strong late in the first round but concluded his day with a bogey on No. 18 to finish 2-over par. Last year's winner Scottie Scheffler and three-time champ Phil Mickelson are also among the stars in the field, which includes both PGA Tour and LIV golfers. ⛳️ Follow our coverage for the latest action, leaderboard updates, highlights and more.
What everyone's talking about
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- Review: Netflix's 'Beef' is the best show to represent 2023.
- A stunning amount of illegal eel can be found in U.S. sushi.
- Solo female travelers are most concerned about their safety. This startup helps fix that.
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Tennessee GOP expels Democratic lawmakers over gun protest
The Tennessee state legislature was in the national spotlight Thursday as it voted to expel a Democratic lawmaker who led protests on the House floor last week. Rep. Justin Jones and two colleagues brought the chamber to a halt for nearly an hour while calling for gun reform after the school shooting in Nashville – a move state House Speaker Cameron Sexton later likened to “an insurrection.” Proceedings were ongoing Thursday afternoon on expelling Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson, who protested with Jones. The removal of an elected representative for simply violating House rules has thrust the debate onto the national stage. 👉 Here's the latest.
Russian blogger joked about bombs before blast
Just minutes before he was killed by a bomb hidden inside a statuette presented as a gift, Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was laughing about bombs with his suspected assassin at an event in a St. Petersburg cafe, The Moscow Times reported Thursday. A journalist who was at the event told the Times he heard Daria Trepova tell Tatarsky that security guards had blocked her from bringing her present into the room because they were worried it could contain a bomb. Minutes later, it exploded, killing Tatarsky and injuring more than 30 people. Russia’s Investigative Committee claimed supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and the Ukrainian secret service used Trepova to kill Tatarsky, a pro-war blogger. 👉Keep reading.
A break from the news
- ☕️ Need to make coffee without a coffee maker? Here's what to do.
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- 🎨 How to easily match any paint color without a color code.
Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at Paste BN. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to Paste BN here.
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