Latest news with #Kentucky-based
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This massive steakhouse chain is about to open more restaurants in Arizona
Texas Roadhouse, the Louisville, Kentucky-based chain famous for its fluffy, pillowy dinner rolls, is expanding in Arizona and bringing its offshoot, Bubba's 33, along. According to Restaurant Business Online, "Texas Roadhouse is the biggest casual-dining chain in the U.S." as of April 3. A Texas Roadhouse spokesperson told USA TODAY that the company plans to open 30 new Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33 restaurants in 17 states, including two in Arizona: one in Tempe and another in Yuma. As of May 27, 12 of those locations have opened. This includes a Bubba's 33 in Tempe, which is Arizona's third Bubba's 33 restaurant. The others are in Peoria and Goodyear. Arizona has 10 Texas Roadhouse locations, nine in metro Phoenix and one in Prescott. Yuma's restaurant and opening date have not been announced. Yes. Texas Roadhouse owns Bubba's 33. The founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse told Forbes that Bubba was his nickname and 33 stood for 1933, the year that Prohibition ended. Diners can find steak, burgers, wings, pastas and pizza on Bubba's 33 menu. Hungry for more? Sign up for our newsletter Dining with azcentral. The new Bubba's 33 location is at 1730 W. Ranch Road, Tempe. It joins locations in Goodyear and Peoria. Details: 480-493-2184, To see all the Texas Roadhouse locations, visit Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@ Follow @baharcreative on Instagram. Yes, Huarachis has a secret menu: Here's what you can't skip This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Steakhouse restaurant expanding in metro Phoenix. See where Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CFPB to yank ‘unlawful' open banking rule
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has determined that a 2024 rule authorizing open banking is 'unlawful' and should be scrapped, 15 years after Congress enacted legislation to make it easier for consumers to switch financial institutions, the agency told a federal court. The bureau plans to vacate the rule as part of a lawsuit in Kentucky, the CFPB's chief legal officer, Mark Paoletta, wrote in a federal court filing Friday. 'After reviewing the Rule and considering the issues that this case presents, Bureau leadership has determined that the Rule is unlawful and should be set aside,' the agency wrote in a status report filing. The Bank Policy Institute, which represents most of the large U.S. banks, said Friday in a press release that the bureau had acknowledged the rule's 'clear legal deficiencies.' But Financial Technology Association CEO Penny Lee in a statement Friday called the CFPB decision 'a handout to Wall Street banks, who are trying to limit competition and debank Americans from digital financial services.' The CFPB passed its final rule in October, drawing an immediate lawsuit from the Bank Policy Institute, the Kentucky Bankers Association and Kentucky-based Forcht Bank. The banking groups argued that the rule, under Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, imposed heavy compliance costs and did not address liability issues around fraud and misuse of consumers' financial data. The plaintiffs also said the bureau had exceeded its authority under the act in formulating the rule. In late March, U.S. District Court Judge Danny Reeves had stayed the lawsuit for 60 days to allow the bureau – under the leadership of acting director Russell Vought – to review its position on the matter. The agency's move to vacate the rule means 'years of wasted work from banks and fintechs that could have been saved by amending rather than abandoning the rule,' Todd Baker, a senior fellow at the Richman Center for Business, Law & Public Policy at Columbia University, wrote Saturday on LinkedIn. FTA members and other fintechs had hoped that the bureau would choose to revise the rule, addressing areas of contention, rather than vacate it entirely. On May 14, Reeves ruled that the FTA can intervene to defend the lawsuit, finding that its members' interests were not adequately protected by either party in the litigation. The CFPB's move to vacate the rule could make the intervention moot, however. The agency has sought to reduce about 90% of its pre-Trump staff of around 2,000 employees and Vought has requested that Congress slash the bureau's budget as part of a budget bill House Republicans passed last week. The staff cuts remain mired in federal litigation. The bureau said it intends to file for summary judgment in the case by Friday, the same date as the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment is due. An FTA spokeswoman said Monday the association will then respond to the motions and that the rule remains in effect until Reeves issues a decision. Last week, the Financial Data & Technology Association, which represents about three dozen fintechs, wrote to Vought urging that the CFPB not dismantle the rule. 'Vacating the existing rule and starting from scratch risks prolonging regulatory uncertainty that could stall market development, stifling innovation in critical digital financial technologies, and emboldening incumbents to entrench their positions and legacy technologies rather than compete,' FDATA North America Executive Director Steve Boms wrote. FDATA and some of its members also convened a conference call on May 19 with reporters to discuss the various problems they anticipate if the agency vacates the rule. One primary issue several speakers cited is the CFPB's ability to craft a new rule – as mandated in the Dodd-Frank law – with a minimal staff under Vought's management. The current open banking rule took the bureau five years to enact, beginning in the first Trump administration. Bloomberg Law reported May 8 that the bureau would seek to vacate the rule, citing multiple sources familiar with the strategy. Recommended Reading CFPB issues final rule on open banking Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Epoch Times
6 days ago
- Epoch Times
Second Crypto Investor Surrenders in Manhattan Kidnapping, Torture Case
A second cryptocurrency entrepreneur has turned himself in to police in connection with the alleged abduction and prolonged torture of an Italian man inside a luxury Manhattan townhouse, authorities said Tuesday. William Duplessie, 32, faces a range of charges, including kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office didn't immediately return a request for comment from NTD News. His surrender comes four days after the victim—a 28-year-old Italian national—managed a dramatic escape from the SoHo residence, where he told police he had been held captive, beaten, and threatened for nearly three weeks. Duplessie's arrest follows that of John Woeltz, 37, another crypto investor, who was Both men have been described in online profiles and Related Stories 5/26/2025 5/12/2025 Woeltz was described as a silicon valley investor and a former board member at Sprocket, a nonprofit economic development organization and entrepreneurship hub based in Paducah, according to a 2020 interview with The Paducah Sun. In a 'Like many in our community, we are shocked and saddened by these events. These allegations are deeply troubling and feel profoundly out of character from the person we came to know. Our thoughts are with everyone affected,' according to the Kentucky-based news outlet. Stealing Bitcoin According to prosecutor Michael Mattson, the victim arrived in New York City from Italy in early May and was lured to the eight-bedroom townhouse on May 6, where the alleged scheme to steal his Bitcoin began, Mattson told a Judge on Saturday. Over the next 17 days, the man told police he was subjected to a range of abuses: his wrists bound, shocked with electrical wires, pistol-whipped, cut on the leg with a saw, and forced to smoke from a crack pipe. At one point, he said, his captors dangled him from the top of a staircase and threatened to kill him if he did not provide the password to his Bitcoin account, according to Mattson. The victim said he was led to believe his family was also in danger if he refused to cooperate. Fearing for his life, he finally agreed to give up the password on Friday morning, May 23. When his captors left to retrieve his computer, he seized the opportunity to escape. A search of the townhouse uncovered many pieces of evidence, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, night vision goggles, ammunition, and polaroid photos showing the victim with a gun pointed at his head and a crack pipe in his mouth. The victim was hospitalized with injuries consistent with his account, including wrist wounds and facial cuts, Mattson said. The case comes amid a surge in violent crime targeting cryptocurrency holders. Similar incidents have been reported internationally and across the United States, including the recent rescue of a crypto entrepreneur's father in Paris after attackers severed one of his fingers, and a failed abduction attempt of another entrepreneur's daughter. Last August, a Connecticut couple was kidnapped in a ransom plot linked to a $240 million crypto heist allegedly involving their son. A recent FBI report found that internet crime losses soared to $16.6 billion in 2024, with cryptocurrency theft accounting for the largest share at over $6.5 billion—up nearly a third from the previous year. Woeltz was arraigned May 24 on charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm, and was ordered held without bail, according to court records. Mattson said he posed a flight risk due to his access to a private jet and helicopter and ordered him to surrender his passport. He is due back in Manhattan criminal court next week. Authorities indicated that additional suspects may be involved, referring to an 'unapprehended male' mentioned in court records. The investigation remains ongoing, and the victim's name has not been released due to privacy concerns. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Italian crypto millionaire escapes torture after kidnapping, runs barefoot to NYPD officer
An Italian crypto millionaire was caught on camera escaping from the luxury SoHo townhouse after allegedly being tortured for his cryptocurrency password. Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, a well-known bitcoin trader, was seen barefoot and visibly shaken as he approached an NYPD traffic officer on Friday, according to exclusive footage obtained by NBC New York. Police say the video was taken just moments after he fled the Prince Street property, where he had been held against his will. According to investigators, Carturan endured brutal treatment at the hands of his captors, who were trying to force him to hand over access to his digital fortune. John Woeltz, a Kentucky-based crypto investor often called the 'crypto king,' has been arrested and charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault, and weapons possession in connection with the incident. William Duplessie, another bitcoin trader, turned himself in to police on Tuesday after being named a person of interest in the ongoing investigation. Woeltz's assistant, Beatrice Folchi, an Italian national, was also taken into custody on Friday but was later released after prosecutors said more evidence was needed before moving forward. The investigation remains ongoing.
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Crypto boss's assistant is also arrested after over ‘kidnap and torture of ex-business partner' in luxe NYC pad
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE glam assistant of a $100million crypto boss has been arrested after a former partner was allegedly kidnapped and chainsaw-tortured in a swanky NYC penthouse. Beatrice Folchi was busted Friday at a $40K-a-month SoHo pad where an Italian man says he was held and tortured for weeks by crypto boss John Woeltz in a twisted bid to steal his crypto password. 6 Beatrice Folchi was arrested alongside Kentucky-based crypto investor John Woeltz for the alleged kidnap and torture of an Italian man Credit: Backstage 6 She is a small-time actor who claims to work as a marketing manager for luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley Credit: Backstage 6 He was arrested after the victim was able to flee his apartment Credit: ABC 7 Police sources told The New York Post that Folchi, a bombshell brunette who once studied at the University of Connecticut and claims to have worked for luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, served as Woeltz's assistant. The 24-year old was charged with first-degree kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. But the Manhattan District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute — for now — citing an ongoing investigation. Folchi, who is originally from Latina, Italy, according to her Facebook, was seen strolling near her Chelsea apartment Saturday when she denied involvement. 'I'm not arrested,' she told The Post while wearing an all-black ensemble, dark sunglasses, and toting a nearly $1,300 Stella McCartney bag. 'Everything is going to be told but with a lawyer — I can't make any comments right now,' she added before turning and walking away. Folchi reportedly studied communication and philosophy from 2017 to 2020. She boasts on LinkedIn that she's 'experienced in managing media production and events for prestigious clients in the sports and automotive industries, including Puma, Manchester City, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley.' Her online acting profiles show she's also starred in a handful of films and shorts, including the 2021 drama Butterfly Wings. Inside France's brutal crypto crime wave with chopped off fingers, delivery van street kidnaps & £10million ransoms Her arrest comes after her boss, 37-year-old Kentucky-based John Woeltz, was cuffed over what police described as a sadistic torture campaign aimed at accessing the victim's crypto fortune. The tourist, from Turin, Italy, told cops he had done business with Woeltz in the past but the relationship soured. He said Woeltz lured him back to the US on May 6 — then allegedly seized his passport and began an ordeal straight out of a horror movie. According to investigators, Woeltz bound the man with electrical cords, electrocuted him, tased him with his feet in water, pistol-whipped him, and threatened to saw off his limbs with an electric chainsaw. Woeltz even reportedly took Polaroids of the torture — including one where the victim is seen tied to a chair with a gun to his head — in an apparent bid to extort money from the victim's family in Italy. Cops said the victim was forced to take cocaine and subjected to psychological torment, including being fitted with an Apple AirTag around his neck to track his every move. The man managed to flee after Woeltz allegedly declared it would be his 'death day.' He was found with numerous injuries, including one suspected to be from a chainsaw. He is now recovering at Bellevue Hospital. Woeltz has been charged with two counts of assault, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm. Police recovered a gun at the scene and are continuing to search the apartment under a warrant. The investigation remains ongoing. 6 Crypto investor John Woeltz has been charged with assault and unlawful imprisonment Credit: ABC 7 6 The victim was held for a week inside a $40,000-a-month apartment on Prince Street in New York's SoHo Credit: ABC 7
