Latest news with #KoolAid
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Monday, May 26
Mini Crossword In case you missed Saturnday's NYT Mini, you can find the answers here: The NYT Mini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper's larger and long-running crossword. Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays. Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini crossword is free to play on the New York Times website or NYT Games app. However, you'll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives. The NYT Mini is a fun daily distraction that usually takes no time at all. I try to beat the standard weekday grid in less than a minute. But sometimes I can't quite figure out one or two clues and need to reveal the answer. To help you avoid doing that, here are the NYT Mini Crossword answers (spoilers lie ahead, of course): ACROSS 1) Endangers - RISKS 6) "Bloomin'" item at Outback Steakhouse - ONION 7) Up the ___ (plentifully) -WAZOO 8) Lived (in) - DWELT 9) "You wanted to see me because ...?" - YES DOWN 1) Rambunctious -ROWDY 2) Totally blown away - INAWE 3) S, M and L - SIZES 4) ___-Aid Man, mascot known for smashing through walls and yelling "Oh, yeah!" - KOOL 5) Pesky little twerp - SNOT mini What a weird, pretty hard puzzle today. You have the freest of freebies in the form of the Kool-Aid clue (that could have been solved after three words) and then you have works like WAZOO and the past tense of dwell that I'm sure everyone uses at least once a year. I also hate the 'phrase" ones where you're just inserting a word into a type of line like 'You wanted to see me because…?" I mean I guess you what, say yes before that? Just very strange. But yeah I had a hard time with this one. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
AU Financial Review
06-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Magellan veteran Nikki Thomas has one eye on the chopper
Hamish Douglass barging into the 2025 discourse like the Kool Aid man is a fun turn. His torturous exit from Magellan came amid a remarkable multi-year, many-billion dollar decline at the ASX-listed fund manager. But the Maccas-eating planker has returned. He popped up at The Australian bragging about his stake in Guzman y Gomez in February. On Monday, there he was in this masthead talking up his investment in MotorCycle Holdings, the country's largest motorcycle seller.
The Sun
29-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
The deadly truth behind illegal sweets being flogged to YOUR kids at the local corner shop thanks to viral TikTok craze
WITH blaringly bright packaging that leaps off the shelves, it's impossible for any child to ignore these alluring sweets found in corner shops across Britain. But look a little closer and the sugary snacks hide a dangerous secret that can catch out even the most cautious of parents. 12 A Sun investigation has found that American sweets and drinks containing dangerous illegal ingredients are widely available to buy on British high streets. Candy and pop from the US including Jolly Ranchers, Warheads Cubes, Kool Aid and Sunny D are banned in the UK as they can cause an array of terrifying - and, in some cases, potentially deadly - health problems. They contain a cocktail of harmful chemicals such as mineral oil, used in cleaning products and cosmetics, and illicit colour additives. The banned ingredients have been linked to cancer, organ damage, fertility problems, hyperactivity, and reduced immune function. But despite this, we found a variety of illegal American sweets for sale in convenience stores in a major UK city, even in the wake of a recent crackdown. It comes as regulators warn retailers are looking to cash in on a TikTok trend of 'candy hauls', with kids flocking to social media to taste test imported products. Horrified shopkeepers selling the banned goods told us they bought the confectionery from reputable wholesalers and had no idea it was illegal this side of the Atlantic. However, concerned parents say they are "terrified" the dangerous sweets remain on sale and insist it should not be down to them to research the potentially harmful ingredients readily available on the shelves of high street stores. Last week, environmental health officers in Newcastle seized nearly 4,500 individual items with a street value of approximately £6,000 from 30 small retail shops and wholesalers. But just days later, our reporter found illegal sweets were still on sale at newsagents and corner shops. Why you should never eat food dropped on the floor The most dangerous item we managed to purchase was a pack of Jolly Ranchers Tropical Flavour for £3.99 from ST NEWS Newgate in Newcastle city centre. This contains a horrifying mix of banned ingredients including dyes red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and mineral oil. The shop was also selling Warhead Cubes Sour & Sweet Fruity Chew Candy, which contains illegal colour additives yellow 6, yellow 5, and red 40. Just yards away at McGrains, on Grainger Street, we picked up a can of Warheads Sour! Green Apple Soda, for £1.99, whose ingredients includes yellow 5. Further down the road, at News Express, we bought a packet of Jolly Ranchers Fruity 2 in 1 for £2.99, containing red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and mineral oil. The most bizarre product we purchased was a Van Holten's Sour Sis, which is a pickled cucumber in a pouch. This lists banned yellow 5 as an ingredient, and claims to contain no calories. We bought it from Central News in Newcastle for £3.99. Sweets crackdown 12 Nonetheless, the popularity of illegally imported candy extends far beyond the northern city, with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute issuing a stark national warning last December. Dean Cooke, lead officer for food at CTSI, said: " Social media has amplified the demand for American sweets, with influencers on platforms like TikTok showcasing these colourful products in ways that appeal to children and teenagers. "While this drives seasonal sales, it also creates a dangerous market for items that fail to meet UK safety standards. "Retailers must take responsibility to ensure compliance, and parents need to be vigilant in checking labels to protect their children from potential harm." Over recent months, illegal sweets have also recently been seized in Manchester, Middlesbrough, Staffordshire and Westminster. All councils have issued warnings to parents to be on high alert for the banned American candy. However, some versions of the illegal sweets we found are manufactured for sale in the UK, and are safe to eat. 'Terrified' parents When The Sun spoke to shoppers about imported candy, few parents were aware of the potential dangers and recent warnings. Georgette Bellamy, 33, a full-time mum-of-two, said: "It's really shocking. "One of my children has ADHD and those sweets could have a huge impact on him. "It shouldn't be left to the parents to research what is in these items. It's terrifying." Marketing executive Alex Patel, 39, is a mum of two young children. She said: "What's disturbing is how these dangerous sweets are clearly marketed towards kids, with the bright colours and pictures." Her nephew Finn Daniels, aged 22 months, was fascinated by the eye-catching packaging and eager to try the sweets. 'I've been naive' After being approached by our reporter, shopkeepers too appeared genuinely shocked they were selling illegal candy. The owner of Metro Express Central had been flogging Warheads L'il Worms containing yellow 5, yellow 6 and red 40. The man, who didn't want to be named, said: "We buy them from reputable wholesalers. "I've been naïve and trusted that everything is legal, without considering what is in the product. "I will stop buying them. The last thing I want to do is get in trouble." Samarth Gakhar is the owner of News Express in the city and similarly claimed to have bought the banned sweets from wholesalers. He said: "We were unaware they were illegal. I will remove them from the shelves. "I am shocked to learn of the health implications. "It's really easy to sell these illegal sweets without knowing you are doing it. "I am paying VAT on the orders. You assume everything is above board. "When you buy online, you can't check the ingredients. 12 "I don't eat them myself but people go crazy for American sweets. "They're very popular. That's why I buy them to sell in my shops. "I will be very careful in the future." Pavan Mahipathi, the owner of Gian Supermarket, was selling Jolly Rancher Original, which contains mineral oil. He said: "I did not realise. The wholesalers are still selling the sweets. "I am really shocked to learn about this. We will stop selling them." How to spot illegal snacks in the UK Additives are only allowed in the UK if they have been tested and proved to be safe for the intended use in a particular type of food or drink or if there is a technological need for use. A US product that hasn't been approved would list nutritional information as 'Nutrition Facts' and carry an American company name and address. If it was legal in the UK, it would list a UK subsidiary of that company and often would include further UK-compliant labelling placed over the original information in the form of a sticker. Another way for people to check whether goods are American imports is to look at how weight is recorded. In the UK, grams and millilitres are used while in America, it is fluid ounce and ounce. The owner of Central News claimed he purchased the Van Holten's Sour Sis cucumbers from a wholesaler after a request from an American customer. Ibrahim Beshir said: "I bought around five or six. There are three kinds of flavours. "I had no idea this was illegal. A lot of shops sell them. In the future, I will not risk my business by selling these in my shop." Cllr Alex Hay, deputy leader of Newcastle City Council, said: "Protecting the public, especially children, from harm is our top priority. It's alarming to see sweets and drinks that are clearly unhealthy being targeted at young people. "Much of their popularity is fuelled by social media, but behind the hype are serious risks. Some of these products have been linked to long-term health conditions, including fertility problems and colon cancer. "Businesses should take this as a warning: if you're caught selling harmful products, we will prosecute you." Wholesalers Bookers, Costco, American Fizz, and United have been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Woke NYC judges are cutting ‘dangerous' perps loose at an alarming rate
These are the worst — and wokest — judges in New York City when it comes to protecting the public from violent suspects. These criminal court jurists set violent offenders loose ahead of trial at an astounding rate — with some springing alleged perps more than 80% of the time, according to a Post analysis of pretrial detention data from the Office of Court Administration. The analysis looked at 96 judges who handled a minimum of 25 cases in the first six months of 2024 where the top charge at arraignment was a violent felony. Nearly all such cases are still bail-eligible, even after radical criminal-justice reforms were enacted by Albany lawmakers in 2019. One of the city's most egregious practitioners of this junk justice is Queens Criminal Court Judge Wanda Licitra, who only set bail five times and had no suspects held in pretrial detention in 34 violent felony cases spanning January to June 2024, the latest available data. Licitra even set loose a feces fiend accused of smashing poop into a straphanger's face on a subway platform — who cursed her out in court to boot. 'Judges like that, we call them judges who drink the Kool Aid, because instead of them focusing on the actual situation, they're drinking the Kool Aid of bail reform,' one veteran criminal defense attorney who has repeatedly gone before Licitra told The Post. Such jurists' 'broad ideological slide' toward opposing incarceration is endangering New Yorkers' lives, said Hannah E. Meyers, a fellow and director of policing and public safety at the Manhattan Institute. Many of these judges are 'letting out dangerous people even when they know those people are dangerous and they're failing to be responsible in those situations and safety of others,' she said. Judges have bemoaned their hands are tied when deciding to set bail, citing how New York is the only state where jurists only can weigh whether a person will return to court, with zero consideration for whether they're a public safety threat. Yet criminal defense attorney Thomas Keniff, who ran as a Republican against Alvin Bragg for Manhattan district attorney, stressed there are 'many' ways to justify holding a violent perp on bail. 'Even when you can't rely on the public safety criteria because of the dysfunctional laws in the state [to set bail], chances are you can get there some other way.' An OCA spokesperson said the administration does not comment on bail decisions, but said judges 'have discretion in making bail decisions in accordance with the law and based solely on an individualized assessment of a defendant's risk of flight.' None of the following judges responded to requests for comment. Judge Wanda Licitra, 65 Queens Criminal Court Freed 29 out of 34 accused violent felons, 85% Appointed by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2021, she has gained notoriety among prosecutors and defense attorneys alike for springing violent accused criminals. Last year, the ex-Legal Aid Society attorney cut loose at least two perps charged with first-degree assault with a weapon and second-degree robbery resulting in physical injury, respectively, without bail — only for the pair to be rearrested for violent felonies, according to OCA's pretrial data. 'She's letting them all out,' one longtime defense attorney said. In February 2022, Licitra caused a stink when she released Frank Abrokwa, 37, who was accused of assaulting a woman on the subway by pushing poo into the victim's face. Even though Abrokwa snarled at Licitra, 'F–k you, bitch' in her courtroom, Licitra let him go during an early proceeding. By September 2022, she also ordered the release of a 56-year-old man who was being held on Rikers Island due to his inability to pay a $500 bail, citing the jail's violent conditions. The man, who had bail set for allegedly violating an order of protection, had open cases for drunk driving and assault, according to New York Focus. Judge Valentina Morales, 46 Manhattan Criminal Court Freed without bail a migrant who allegedly slashed a man in 2023 Another de Blasio appointee, Morales has been nicknamed 'Judge Let-em-go' among law enforcement officials for her notorious leniency. Between January and June 2024, Morales let 83 alleged violent felons out of 101 walk without bail, including recidivist vagrant Eric Taylor, who already had been convicted on two felony charges and nearly two dozen misdemeanors. Taylor had been charged with bail-eligible felony assault for allegedly throwing a shopping bag filled with heavy objects at a 24-year-old woman walking to work in Union Square in January 2024, leaving her with a black eye, a cut above her eyebrow, and a concussion. Morales also previously set Venezuelan migrant Walter Almachi Leal free without bail in October 2023 after he allegedly slashed a man's arm with a broken beer bottle in Times Square. The alleged victim needed 20 stitches for his injuries. 'You take the oath as a judge to protect and serve,' one cop with nearly 20 years said. 'Clearly she's not when it comes to criminals.' Judge Robert Rosenthal, 63 Manhattan Criminal Court Sprung violent robber who went on sexual assault spree the next day Elected to Manhattan Civil Court in 2019 but assigned to criminal court, Rosenthal let perps go without bail in the first half of 2024 a staggering 67% of the time. Then, in January, the onetime de Blasio appointee made headlines after he cut loose on supervised release Jason Ayala, who had been charged with violent robbery charges. The very next day, Ayala, 37, allegedly went on a twisted sexual assault rampage, abusing a 12-year-old and 14-year-old as well as three women in the span of 30 minutes. The case is still pending. 'All of the arrests were for forcibly touching intimate parts and endangerment. He shouldn't have been out on our streets the next day doing that,' Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told The Post at the time. The mother of the 14-year-old victim was outraged by Rosenthal's record: 'It's concerning because it doesn't seem like the judge is for the innocent people — he's for the person doing the crime,' she said. Judge Marva Brown, 43 Manhattan Criminal Court Freed 54 out of 87 accused violent felons, 62% Brown has only been on the bench for 14 months, but in that short tenure has sprung at least 54 violent maniacs – a number of whom have reoffended. The ex-Legal Aid attorney, was elected to Brooklyn Civil Court in November 2023 but has overseen Manhattan criminal cases, infamously let loose Amira Hunter without bail after she was caught on camera bashing a subway cellist over the head with a metal water bottle in February 2024. Weeks later, Hunter was nabbed for allegedly shoplifting at Nordstrom in midtown. Earlier this year, she also sprang a subway nutter on a bail-eligible sexual abuse charge — only for the psycho to allegedly push an unsuspecting rider into a moving train at a Washington Heights station. 'You don't have to be a criminal justice expert to know that setting violent recidivist criminals loose on our streets puts New Yorkers in real danger,' MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber previously told The Post. Judge Eugene Bowen, 49 Bronx Criminal Court Sprung alleged gun-toting migrant squatter without bail Bowen, who was elected to Manhattan Civil Court in 2022 but is now assigned to Bronx criminal cases, sparked outrage in 2023 when he released two men who allegedly bashed a cop after the officer asked them to put out their cigarettes at a subway station — despite prosecutors asking for $10,000 cash bail. Bowen continued to cut accused violent felons loose in a staggering 87 out of 113 cases he oversaw between January and June 2024. In April 2024, the jurist let go on supervised release an accused gun-toting migrant, Hector Desousa-Villalta, who was one of six busted for allegedly squatting and dealing drugs out of a Norwood multifamily home. Desousa-Villalta had an open case linked to August 2023, when he allegedly shot a fellow migrant during an argument over a woman in Yonkers, police officials said. Bowen also let two other migrants walk without any restrictions ahead of their trial, one of whom was previously arrested in September 2023 and indicted for possession of a loaded firearm, police officials said. Additional reporting by Tina Moore
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Oconee Blotter: Little mistakes lead drivers to jail cells
The Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported the following incidents: CHARGER STOPPED: On Feb. 20, Sgt. Lex Ogan was patrolling on Pete Dickens Road when he ran the tag on a 2007 Dodge Charger, which showed it had suspended registration and insurance. Upon stopping the car, the driver, a 36-year-old Decatur man, explained the car belonged to his girlfriend and he was unaware of its status. The deputy smelled marijuana and the man gave him an Arkansas Medical Marijuana card. The man's license, however, was suspended in Georgia and Arkansas, so he was arrested. After his arrest, some bags of marijuana were found in a backpack in the car. SHOPLIFTER CAUGHT: On Feb. 22, Deputy Steven Heckler was dispatched to Walmart, where a 22-year-old Grovetown woman was seen by a loss prevention officer concealing items in her purse while she was in the pet department and again in the snack aisle. She paid for some Kool Aid, but not the other items that included shampoo, deodorant and Tylenol. CHILD SUPPORT: On Feb. 23, Deputy Steven Heckler was dispatched to the parking lot of a shopping center at the Oconee Connector, where a man called about seeing a pink Dodge Charger that did not have a license plate. The deputy stopped the car and the driver, a 23-year-old Commerce man, was arrested for driving with a suspended license due to a child support problem. The car was released to the 22-year-old passenger after the deputy determined the car had a valid registration. STEAK THEFT: On Feb. 23, Deputy M. Watson was dispatched to Walmart after a 55-year-old Watkinsville man was seen skip scanning merchandise and trying to leave the store before he was confronted. The man attempted to steal more than $90 worth of steaks, along with charcoal and Gatorade. Fire Dangers: Fire danger continues in Georgia as firefighters respond to forest fires WOMAN ARRESTED: On Feb. 24, Sgt. Lex Ogan was patrolling on Epps Bridge Parkway about 3:20 p.m. when he observed the driver of a Lincoln Town Car manipulating something in her lap. It appeared she was texting. He ran the license plate and the driver had a suspended license. A traffic stop was made and the woman was arrested on the driving violation. NFL CARDS: On Feb. 25, Sgt. Lex Ogan was notified by loss prevention at Walmart that a repeat shoplifter had just left the store. Once again, the man had shoplifted NFL trading cards. He drove away in a Honda Civic, so Ogan checked the FLOCK system that reads car tags on the roadways and located the car and license number. He called the 32-year-old Athens man, who admitted he made a 'dumb decision.' Walmart showed the officer videos of the man shoplifting NFL cards twice on Feb. 22. He would take two packs, put them together and scan only one pack. The man then returned on Feb. 24 and stole more trading cards. The cards were valued at more than $200. Walmart wanted to prosecute, so Ogan called the man again and told him to report to the county jail where he would be served with warrants. The man did as told. CELL PHONE: On Feb. 26, Deputy William Lewis was patrolling on Mars Hill Road when he observed a woman using a white cell phone. After a traffic stop, the Athens woman was arrested on a warrant from Clarke County. She was also given a citation for the cell phone violation. TRIO OF SUSPECTS: On Feb. 22, Cpl. Jonathan Strum and four other deputies responded to a shoplifting at Walmart, where three men were being detained. The Morgan County men were observed stuffing merchandise into backpacks and tag swapping on other items. The men were working together in the crime as they tried to steal 73 items valued at more than $800. The suspects, ages 43, 33, and 27, all had Madison addresses. They were put in jail. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Motorist with pot has Arkansas Medical Marijuana card
