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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis signs bill to make gold, silver legal tender in Florida
The Brief Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that begins the process of making gold and silver legal tender in Florida. This goes into effect on July 1, 2026. The governor argues metals are a protection against a falling dollar. APOPKA, Fla. - The State of Florida is taking a big step towards making precious metals just as useful as cash. The backstory Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday to start the process of making gold and silver legal tender in Florida. Starting July 1 of next year, the bill requires all coins to be stamped with weight, purity and mint of origin. It specifies that using it, or accepting it, is optional. Purchases of precious metal would be exempt from sales taxes, but gold and silver could be used to pay other kinds of taxes. What they're saying "We've really led the way on protecting your economic independence and your financial sovereignty," said DeSantis. The governor argues metals are a protection against a falling dollar, which he sees as a risk given perennial deficit spending in Washington. He points out gold has tripled in value since 2015, while, because of inflation, paper money is buying less. OTHER NEWS: 3 arrested in S. Tampa DUI crash that severed man's leg: Police "This is our ability to give you the financial freedom to be able to protect yourself against the declining value of the dollar," said DeSantis. At Tampa Bay Coin and Precious Metals, owner Marc Bonnett displayed several silver bars, each weighing 100 ounces. "You can't print this out of thin air," he said. He applauded the move, but questioned how it would be implemented. At $3,400 each, the bars are worth enough to be exchanged for a used car, depending on what rules the state of Florida sets up. "I think that's a great idea in theory," said Bonnett. "I just don't know how they would implement it." The bill specifies that businesses accepting gold must be licensed and that check cashers and money service businesses have to accept it. Once a week, Bonnett says a customer tries to sell him something that's no better than Fool's Gold. "There's a lot of fake stuff out there," he said. "And then they got to figure out what the stuff is worth compared to what they're selling and stuff and do all that. So I mean, unless they have somebody that specializes in that stuff. I think it'd be very difficult." Now it's up to the CFO and the financial services commission to write the rules for how this will work. What's next A report has to be given to the legislature on November 1, and then the proposed rules must be ratified by the legislature to have them all in effect by July 1, 2026. The Source FOX 13's Evan Axelbank gathered the information for this story with assistance from a news conference by the governor on Tuesday. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
3 Crystals That Attract Money
Wallet weeping? Bills doing the cha-cha slide? Forget another budgeting app; some are turning to the sparkly side for financial assistance. Apparently, manifesting with crystals is the budget-friendly alternative to an MBA. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now These three gems have a reputation for whispering sweet nothings (and maybe some dollar amounts) to the universe. 1. Citrine – The Crystal CEO: Forget subtle; Citrine is all about success and abundance, turning those side hustles into empires. This sunny stone is like a shot of espresso infused with brilliant business plans. Think confidence, clarity, and major Leo vibes, minus the diva moments. Known as the "Merchant's Stone" for a reason. 2. Pyrite – The Financially Savvy Bodyguard: Don't let the "Fool's Gold" nickname fool you. Pyrite is serious about business. This metallic powerhouse is believed to attract wealth, shield you from financial facepalms, and act like a bouncer for your risky investments. Its motto? "Invest smart, not just hard." 3. Green Aventurine – The Lucky Break Bestie: This crystal is the rom-com protagonist of the gem world, the one who accidentally lands their dream job and a swanky apartment. Known as the " ," Green Aventurine is all about boosting your chances, from nailing interviews to maybe (just maybe) that lottery ticket. It brings a gentle, supportive energy, like a friend whispering, "You got this!" Keep these sparkly allies in your wallet, on your desk, or even next to that vision board gathering dust bunnies. Remember, crystals amplify energy – they're not a replacement for actually doing things. But pair them with your hustle and a sprinkle of belief? That's where the real magic (and maybe some actual money) might just appear.
Buzz Feed
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
42 Celebrities Who Have Some Seriously Disgusting Hygiene Habits
I'm sure all of us have a gross hygiene habit we'd rather not let the world know about. However, some celebrities have decided to overshare — or they've been called out by their costars or other celebs. Here are 42 celebs with seriously questionable personal hygiene habits: 1. In 2007, Megan Fox reportedly told the magazine FHM, "I'm horrible to live with. I don't clean. My clothes end up wherever I take them off. I forget to flush the toilet. Friends will tell me, 'Megan, you totally pinched a loaf in my toilet and didn't flush.'" 2. In 2010, Jessica Simpson told iHeartRadio, "I don't brush my teeth. No, really. I just use Listerine, and sometimes I'll use my sweater. No, I do brush every now and again, but my teeth are extremely powerful. I mean, find me when I'm 60, and they'll probably be all out." 3. In a 2025 TikTok, Kathy Griffin recalled something gross she learned about her ex-boyfriend Jack Black when they dated in the '90s. She said, "He used to have this apartment on Vermont. So, one night, I spent the night there, and the next day, I'm in the shower...I get off on the bath mat. I said, "I need a shower towel.' And he goes, 'You're standing on it.' You guys, that's straight guys. He had one bath mat/towel that he used for both, and that was it. So naturally, I kept sleeping with him." 4. When The Office actor Angela Kinsey filmed kissing scenes, her onscreen boyfriend Rainn Wilson "was usually eating something disgusting right beforehand." On her Office Ladies podcast, Angela said, "And I'd be like, 'Rainn, dang it. Do you have to eat a tuna fish sandwich right before we're supposed to kiss? Come on!'" 5. Unfortunately for Angela, Rainn wasn't the only The Office costar to gross her ou. On a 2021 episode of their Office Ladies podcast, she and Jenna Fischer discussed washing your hands after using the bathroom. After Angela confirmed she washes her hands "every time," Jenna said, "Hm... I feel like it's really clear now that I don't always wash my hands after I pee at home. I feel like maybe we were going to bond over something that now we're not bonding over." Angela replied, "And now I just think you're disgusting." Jenna continued, "I guess now you're going to have to worry when you come over to my house. Did I wash my hands after I pee? I always wash my hands after poop. Always. I never wipe a poop and then not wash my hands, everybody. I feel like I want that to be clear." 6. During a 2024 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Kate Hudson addressed the "old urban legend" that she "forced Matthew McConaughey to wear deodorant while filming Fool's Gold." She said, "No. No, he doesn't wear deodorant. And by the way, I don't either. My thing was I could smell him from a we were so close. We're au naturals." 7. Kate wasn't the first costar to comment on Matthew's smell. In 2021, his Tropic Thunder costar Yvette Nicole Brown told SiriusXM, "I'm a huge Matthew McConaughey fan. I remember that Matthew McConaughey said that he did not use deodorant and that he didn't have an odor, so my first thought was, 'I'm gonna get as close as I can to him to see if he's right.' He does not have an odor. He smells like granola and good living. He has a sweet, sweet scent that is just him, and it's not musty or crazy. And he was very kind to me, and all of my scenes were with him." 8. In 2005, Matthew McConaughey — who'd just been named Sexiest Man Alive — told People, "I haven't worn deodorant in 20 years." He also said that he makes his "own face and body creams" — a practice he stuck by over the years. In 2021, he told the Kyle and Jackie O Show that he wears "homemade concoctions." He said, "You knew I was a mixologist, didn't you? ...I couldn't dare say [the recipe] out loud." 9. In a 2021 Instagram story post, Lizzo said, "Ok I'm w [Matthew McConaughey] on this one. I stopped using deodorant and I smell BETTER." 10. But Matthew isn't the only famous man to share his questionable hygiene habits in People 's Sexiest Man Alive issue. In 2024, Benny Blanco told the publication, "I also don't believe in always shampooing your hair or conditioning your hair. I'm really clean, but I don't shower every day. Some people I know shower two to three times a day, but I feel like the oils on your skin don't have time to rejuvenate and get juicy." He also shared his self-care advice: "don't stink." He said, "I like to use a hodgepodge. I want to smell [like] tobacco, but also like cotton candy. I want there to be an aroma as I'm walking by. I want it to smell a little bit like man, a little bit feminine — I definitely lean a little more feminine in every sense." 11. In 2024, Jason Jason Priestley told Live with Kelly and Mark that, when he and Brad Pitt were roommates in the '90s, "We used to play this see who could go the longest without showering. I think about it now, and I'm like, 'Dude, how disgusting. What were you thinking?'" He said the winner was "always Brad," adding, "I don't think he does that anymore, but back then, he could go a long time without showering." 12. In 2009, Eli Roth told Entertainment Weekly about the hygiene tip his Inglourious Basterds costar Brad Pitt shared with him. Eli said, "He shared that when you're sweating and don't have time to take a shower, you just take a baby wipe and rub it under your armpits. After a scene, Brad had to get next to me for a close-up shot, and he said, 'Damn, you're ripe.' I said, 'I didn't have time to shower.' He said, 'Baby wipes, man, baby wipes.'" Eli also alleged Brad told him, "I got six kids. All you've got to do is just take them, a couple quick wipes under the pits. Man, I'm getting [peed] on all day. I don't have time to take a shower." Eli "thought that was the greatest tip." He continued, "If I ever started to smell like a bear, I would just use a couple baby wipes under the armpits, and it made it safe for everyone else to act around me." 13. In 2022, Katy Perry told Heart radio that her fiancé Orlando Bloom, "loves to floss, which thank God, because some partners don't, and it's disgusting and he has brilliant teeth." However, she continued, "But he leaves the floss everywhere! On the side of my bed, and in the car, and on the kitchen table...I'm like, 'There are [garbage cans] everywhere!'" 14. On a 2024 episode of her podcast Dear Chelsea, Chelsea Handler told her guest, Kevin Hart, "Why do my legs need to be washed? They're fucking covered all day. It's not like my legs are going out without me. When I take a shower, all the soap from my shower comes down. It's not like my legs are out there gardening all day without me." Kevin said, "That's so bad. You fucking wash your legs!" She replied, "No, I don't think so." He said, "What do you mean you don't think so? It's your body. You wash your body, entire body. You don't pick and choose." She also said, "I have hot spots. I have hot spots that I wash." She pointed to her "hot spots" — her armpits, crotch, butt, and head. "And then everything is fine after that," she said. 15. In 2021, Jake Gyllenhaal told Vanity Fair, "More and more I find bathing to be less necessary, at times. I do believe, because Elvis Costello is wonderful, that good manners and bad breath get you nowhere. So I do that. But I do also think that there's a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves." 16. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wears the same pair of underwear every game, and he only washes them "once in a while." During a 2023 Monday Night Football interview with Peyton and Eli Manning, he said, "First, my wife Brittany got them for me. So I'm not throwing y'all down, but I have to wear them. At the same time, I threw them on that first season, we had a pretty good season that season...I mean, if we're on a hot streak, I can't wash them, you know? I've just got to keep it rolling. As long as we're winning, I'll keep the superstition going." 17. On a 2021 episode of the podcast Armchair Expert, Mila Kunis said, "I don't wash my body with soap every day. But I wash pits and tits and holes and soles." She also said, "I didn't have hot water growing up as a child, so I didn't shower much anyway. When I had children, I also didn't wash them every day. I wasn't the parent that bathed my newborns — like, 'Oof, something smells.'" 18. On the same episode of Armchair Expert, Mila's husband, Ashton Kutcher, said, "I wash my armpits and my crotch daily, and nothing else ever. I got a bar of Lever 2000 that just delivers every time. Nothing else." And following up on Mila's comment about not bathing their kids, he said, "Now here's the thing, if you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there's no point." 19. In 2009, an unnamed person who purportedly worked closely with Robert Pattinson on the Twilight set told E!, "He stinks. I mean, it's awful. He never showers, and it drives people on the set crazy." A few months later, his costar Peter Facinelli seemingly explained the source of his alleged smell, telling Vulture, "He's smart because if he doesn't change his clothes, and the paparazzi get pictures of him in the same outfit all the time, then they can't sell the pictures. That's what I said he should do. I said, 'You should not change your clothes. This way, how are they going to sell the picture of you in the same outfit all the time because it will look like it was from the same batch.'" Fellow costar Ashley Greene said, "You know what, I think maybe out of a defense mechanism, I don't sniff him." Director Chris Weitz added, "I can smell him coming. That's the nice thing." And per Hello! Magazine, Kristen Stewart reportedly said, "He smells great. It's kind of an animalist thing that goes on. It went along with the movie, so it was perfect." MTV / Via 20. Robert Pattinson himself has claimed to be stinky over the years. In 2009, he reportedly told Extra that he didn't "really see the point in washing your hair" or particularly "care if it's clean or not." However, in 2022, he told MovieMaker, "[His previous lie about not working out is] the same thing as saying in an interview when I was like 21 that I didn't wash my hair. It just sticks for 15 years." Summit Entertainment / Via In 2020, he told Allure, "Lots of people tell me I smell like a crayon. Yes! Like I'm embalmed." However, in 2022, he admitted to lying to the press, telling GQ that he'll occasionally "just make something up" during interviews "in order to say anything at all." So, you know, take what he's said with a grain of smelling salts. ABC / Via 21. Per ABC News, during a 2014 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Dane Cook named Kate Hudson as his worst onscreen kiss. he said, "I did a movie with her, My Best Friend's Girl, and I think she purposely ate like a feast of onions before our scene. I had to burn her on that one!" Lionsgate / Via However, Kate got her revenge during a lie detector test with Vanity Fair in 2022. In the video, her Glass Onion costar Janelle Monáe held up pictures of her former costars and asked who was the best kisser. When Janelle held up Dane Cook's picture, Kate said, "No. No, canceled." Vanity Fair / Via 22. In 2022, Miriam Margolyes alleged to I've Got News For You that her End of Days costar Arnold Schwarzenegger farted in her face on purpose. She said, "He's a bit too full of himself, and I don't care for him at all. He's a Republican, which I don't like. He was actually quite rude. He farted in my face. Now, I fart, of course, I do — but I don't fart in people's faces. He did it deliberately, right in my face. I was playing Satan's sister, and he was killing me [in the scene], so he had me in a position where I couldn't escape and lying on the floor. And he just farted. It wasn't on film. It was in one of the pauses, but I haven't forgiven him for it." Universal PIctures / Via That's not the first time Miriam told that story. Previously, she told Reader's Digest, "I was in the horror film End of Days with him in 1999, playing the Devil's servant Mabel. I had my throat sliced by a glass table at the end, and I remember Schwarzenegger farted right in my face when I was down on the floor, trying not to move. I shouted, 'Fuck you, Arnie!' I was really cross." Arnold Schwarzenegger has not publicly responded to her claims. CBS / Via 23. At the 2013 The Spectacular Now premiere, Miles Teller told Variety, "Before our first kissing scene, Shailene [Woodley] took these Chinese dirt supplements and shoved them in her mouth. It's like a dirt pouch, and it smells like crap. She always has a mason jar, and 100% of the time, it smells like crap." A24 / Via 24. However, Shailene also disagreed with Miles's pre-kissing scene routine. In 2013, Miles told Vulture, "I would be drinking a Gatorade right before a kissing scene. She would be like, 'Are you serious? You're gonna kiss me after that?' I was like, 'Yeah, I am.' Shailene also told the outlet, "We'd have to kiss in a scene, and he'd be like, 'Shay, you just ate dirt.' And I'd be like, 'Miles, you just ate licorice.' It was just this ongoing back-and-forth." A24 / Via 25. On a 2017 episode of The Real, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton asked her co-hosts, "Do you wash your hands if you use the bathroom at home?" After a resounding chorus of yeses and shock that she'd even asked the question, she said, "Nah. Not at home! What did I touch? It's my house! ...The toilet paper touches my behind. I don't touch my behind! Not this skin. And I'm not always touching my behind. Sometimes, I just go number one." 495 Productions / Telepictures Productions / Via Facebook: watch 26. In 2002, the Telegraph reported that Sandra Bullock allegedly complained about Ben Affleck's bad breath on the Forces of Nature set. In 2009, the Guardian reported that she allegedly gifted him a box of mints to deal with his halitosis. DreamWorks Pictures / Via 27. In 2011, Bradley Cooper told Esquire that he doesn't wear deodorant or cologne and that he enjoys being a "little" lazy when permitted. He also said that he learned the body "self-cleans" when he appeared on Treks in a Wild World. He added, "Oh my God, I am so fucking lazy." NBC / Via 28. In 2023, America Ferrera told Vanity Fair, "My guilty pleasure would be, like – I'm gonna really regret saying this — no, it's not showering for a few days." Her Barbie costar, Margot Robbie, replied, "What? I never would have expected that." Vanity Fair / Via 29. Per People, Viggo Mortensen reportedly told the Toronto Star that, to get in character as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, he slept in the forest. His costar Sean Bean reportedly told the outlet, "Bear in mind, he was very smelly." New Line Cinema / Via In 2002, Lola Schnabel, Viggo's then-girlfriend, reportedly shut down rumors she dumped him because of his "less-than-religious devotion to soap and water and his mysterious disappearances" and told the New York Daily News, "I love his smell." Lawrence Lucier / Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images 30. In 2008, Alyson Hannigan told Digital Spy that she didn't like kissing her How I Met Your Mother costar Jason Segel because he was a smoker. She said, "I cannot stand cigarette smoke. It's like kissing an ashtray, and he's trying to be polite by having gum or mints, but it doesn't help. When we started the pilot [for the show] he was like, 'Get me to stop smoking. I'll be your best friend.' So we did this bet where he would owe me $10 every time he had a cigarette. After the first day, he owed me $200. So he said, 'I'm just quitting,' and he quit cold turkey for about a year. It was fantastic, but got stressed out, and he started smoking again." CBS / Via Netflix 31. In 2021, Joe Kerry told GQ that he doesn't wash his hair. He also said he doesn't "get" haircuts; they just "happen" to him. He was offered a "bunch of money" to endorse a haircare brand, but he declined. He said, "I think it would just be so lame for the majority of people. It would be a sellout move. Don't you think?" NBC / Via 32. In 2017, Post Malone told GQ, "I smell good. I smell like a normal person. A lot of ladies say that they love my musk. I won't wear any deodorant or anything, but I have a musk, and it's just kind of, like, naturally enticing to females. But I don't smell bad; that's a common misconception. And I did a poll with people around town, and the consensus is that I don't smell." GQ / Via 33. Per Digital Spy, during a 2022 appearance on Sunday Brunch, Kunal Nayyar exposed his The Big Bang Theory costar Johnny Galecki for sticking chewed gum behind the apartment staircase set. Kunal said, "The way it works is, you go down the stairs, and then they yell, 'Hold'. They change the scenery from, like, if the apartment says 1A, it suddenly says 2A or 3. They change the set so it looks exactly like another floor. You run back up the stairs that go nowhere, and then you walk back down as if it's a new floor. Down there is nothing. There's a wall there where Johnny Galecki, for 12 years, would stick his chewing gum on. I'm not joking. There's a wall of 3,000 dried chewing gum from Johnny Galecki." CBS / Via Max "So if any of you are Johnny Galecki fans and you want his dried chewing gum, I am sure it's for sale somewhere on the internet. Welcome to Hollywood," Kunal said. CBS / Via Max 34. In 2014, Liam Hemsworth told The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that, while filming The Hunger Games, "Any time I had to kiss Jennifer [Lawrence] was pretty uncomfortable, pretty awkward. When you look at it on the outside, it looks like a great picture. She's one of my best friends. I love her. But if we had a kissing scene, she would make a point of eating garlic or tuna fish or, you know, something that was disgusting. And right before the scene, she be like, 'Yeah, I had tuna' or 'I had garlic, and I didn't brush my teeth.' Fantastic. I can't wait to get in there and taste it." Lionsgate / Via In 2023, Jennifer addressed his comments on Hot Ones. She said, "It was not intentional. It was just, like, what I was eating, and then we'd kiss. Like, he should just, you know, get over it." First We Feast / Via 35. In 2014, Cameron Diaz told E! News, "I don't believe in antiperspirant. It's really bad for you. I haven't used it for almost 20 years." BBC / Via 36. In 2011, Lady Gaga told Alan Carr: Chatty Man, "I do quite often pee in the dressing room in the trash can. It would have been a very interesting photo for you today because I had that big pink bow for the performance, so I was sort of over the trash bin with the big pink bow." Channel 4 / Via 37. On a 2023 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Kelly Clarkson said, "I pee almost every time in the shower! You can't help it. It goes back to that childhood sleepover. You know, they put your hand in the hot water. Sometimes, you pee. The hot water hits your body and — not every time, but, like, if I've gotta NBC / Via She also said, "Here's the thing. I don't regularly brush my teeth in the shower. I just do if I'm in a hurry. Now, I do happen to be in a hurry often." Her guest, Kenan Thompson, replied, "That's fine because that's where you're at in the world. I'm on the whole other side where I find it to be gross, and I don't do it." NBC / Via 38. In 2024, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce responded to a tweet that said he "looks like he doesn't wash his legs or feet." In a quote tweet, he said, "What kind of weirdo washes their feet…." Then, responding to a reply asking when he last cleaned his belly button, he said, "Been 36 years since I checked." New Heights / Via 39. During a perfume launch in 2006, Tom Ford told New York Magazine, "I don't wear deodorant. I don't! I actually love the way that human beings smell. And I love the way my dog's ears smell. My smell is a little sweat, a little dog. I think a lot of us have gotten so weird about it, especially Americans. Americans love to, like, wash away all trace of human smell. I like human smell. It's what makes us attracted to each other. I mean, I'm not attracted to some laundry that I take out after I've put Febreze in it. I don't like clean. I don't like the smell of soap." ABC / Via 40. On a 2022 episode of The Late Late Show, James Corden said, "Los Angeles residents are now being asked to help with the local water shortage by cutting their shower time by four minutes. ...How long are people spending in the shower?" Surprised by the fact the average shower length was 10 minutes, he continued, "Oh my God! I'm in and out, I think, in a solid three or four...I use soap. I don't wash my hair. I wash it about every two months. True story." One of his producers replied, "Your three-minute shower is insane. That means you're not showering. Come on! ...That's not cool; you guys are dirty." CBS / Via 41. Matt Damon lightheartedly called out his We Bought a Zoo costar Scarlett Johansson for her onion breath during their kissing scene. In 2023, he told LADbible, "We did a shot before lunch, and it was, like, this nice, little two-shot that ended in the kiss. And it was really good. And we went to lunch, and she and I both thought it was over. She ate, like, an onion sandwich for lunch, and she came in, and [director] Cameron Crowe had set the camera up, and it was, like, a tight shot of the kiss. And she goes, 'Aw shit! I literally just had — I had, like, an onion sandwich.' I was making fun of her the entire time about her onion breath, which I didn't even smell." He joked, "Her breath smells like roses." Disney+ / Via 20th Century Studios 42. And finally, in 2025, BBC Radio 1 asked Timothée Chalamet about the "smelliest actor" he's worked with. He replied, "I'm not gonna say any names 'cause, you know, that would just be mean. But I did work on a Western years ago, and somebody was — quote, unquote — 'in character' the whole time, and, uh, it was something. It was quite something on set. That waft coming in every day. They just weren't washing, and the nails...I was there for two months, but they were really committed. Not too many descriptive details, I'll give it away. This gentleman's wife came, and she, you know, they were very in love. She didn't care." BBC Radio 1 / Via He also denied that it was his Interstellar costar Casey Affleck. And for the record, Timothée has only ever appeared in one Western, 2017's Hostiles. His costars included Christian Bale and Ben Foster, who are both known for their Method acting and serious commitment to their roles. But you can make of that what you will... BBC Radio 1 / Via
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
'Fool's gold': Naples victim gives $2 million in gold to scammers; police nets arrest
A Naples person told police they lost more than $2 million dollars in a scheme that gave the scammers gold. On Friday, Naples Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division and Special Investigations Unit Detectives conducted Operation 'Fool's Gold', arresting a Connecticut man on several felony charges related to the fraud, police said Monday. Soyeb Rana, 25, of Plainfield, Connecticut, was charged with conspiracy, scheme to defraud, fleeing and eluding, and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams. He bonded out of Collier County Jail on Saturday. More: Naples man and former Long Island business owner charged with $22 million Medicare scheme A victim, 72, had reported the loss of more than $2 million after liquidating assets in exchange for gold, police said. The victim then provided untraceable gold incrementally to the scammers over several months. The victim eventually realized he would not recover the gold conversions. Police devised a plan to apprehend the suspect. When the operation commenced and the 'fool's gold' was provided to the suspect, detectives acted swiftly to apprehend him. The suspect fled from detectives, they said, and the getaway vehicle was found nearby and abandoned. Detectives gave the suspect's description to surrounding patrol officers and deputies. Detectives located the suspect shortly afterward, and he was taken into custody. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida $2 million gold scam lands Connecticut man in Naples jail
The Guardian
22-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
As trust in the US collapses, leaders in Australia and around the world are frantically recalibrating
Like the child who realises that her parents were joking when they said she was their favourite, people all around the world are coming to the life-changing realisation that their nation's relationship with the United States was not really 'special'. Not Australia, or Canada, or Britain, or France, or Germany, or Japan or the scores of others that for decades believed that they had a unique, protective and lucrative relationship with the 'most powerful country ever in recorded history'. It has come as a shock everywhere, poll after poll reveals that trust in the US has collapsed and leaders are frantically trying to recalibrate. But to what? There is no rulebook. Gillian Tett has described the changed approach emanating from the White House as a terrifying game of 'revenge politics and the punitive measures and the beggar-thy-neighbor' approach to economics. Tett is worth listening to. She is the Financial Times commentator who predicted the global financial crisis, and later wrote the bestselling Fool's Gold about the 2008 collapse that revealed the fractures beneath an economic system based on finance not manufacturing. That crisis revealed a naked emperor. But in country after country, most of the emperors sitting in their glass towers in financial districts continued as though nothing had happened, without punishment. The system was deemed too big to fail and their companies received generous bailouts. It was ordinary folk who lost their homes and savings and were forced to endure wrong-headed austerity policies that simply made life harder and further weakened public trust. Over the following 17 years, a small number of billionaires grew ever richer and more influential. As America strives to become even greater, the threats of another global collapse looms. Australia managed the 2008 crisis better than most nations, because of forward thinking, targeted intervention by a proactive government and the seemingly insatiable Chinese need for iron ore. It will be a test to see which countries are the nimblest when it comes to the recalibration that is now needed. As Tett, who is also the provost of King's College Cambridge, observes: 'Every single person assumes that the intellectual framework they grew up with and built their careers around is natural, normal, inevitable and should be universal. That's just the nature of being human. And everybody is wrong. Ideas change over time. They go in fashions or cycles.' The current generation of policymakers and business leaders have grown up with strong faith in the market, in a globalism based on assessments of national comparative advantage and regulation by internationally accepted rules. So now they throw their hands up in horror and point to established economic theory and expostulate that tariffs don't work, that government services are essential and point to legal and political theory that demonstrates why a rules-based system has on balance for 80 years served most of us well. Critics have been pointing to the flaws in the global neoliberal system for years, highlighting the increasing levels of inequality, the hollowing out of economies based on narrow definitions of comparative advantage and environmental destruction. But efforts to devise a new model have been slow and unproductive, despite increasing public unease. Those who have done best out of this system will not easily give up. Donald Trump's courtiers were involved in these bubbling discussions, but from a different perspective. They have developed thick skins from being outsiders whose ideas were marginalised and shouted down. They now have access to power and have pushed the economic discussion into uncharted territory with a president ready to sign another executive order. They are not interested in making the system fairer. Their goal is to make America great, their strategy to reset the global financial and trading system, and their tactics bullying with tariffs, threats and military power. For the past 150 years America has been a dominant power. Despite only having about 5% of the world's population, it has consistently accounted for about a quarter of the world's economic output. Over that time the guiding paradigm of economics and social organisation have changed, as old models imploded, or collapsed with war. Australia has been adept at responding to changing economic paradigms. It developed a national ethos that moved beyond a colonial mindset at the beginning of the 20th century. Its economists were at the forefront of developing what became known as Keynesianism to use the resources of the state in conjunction with private industry to maximise public benefit, and when this model ossified Australia developed what was referred to as the third way, an approach to deregulation and privatisation that actively balanced interests but has weakened over time. The question is whether there are the intellectual and capital resources to do so now. Australia is still one of the richest countries in the world but the economy is now one of the least diverse and complex. Our comparative advantage in resources remains but we have not been as attentive as we should to our comparative advantages in education, research, democratic institution building and fostering equality of opportunity and income. Just like those adult children who discover they were not the favourite find new ways of working together, nations will need to find new ways to collaborate without a manipulative parent in the room. Julianne Schultz is the author of The Idea of Australia
