Latest news with #Rohypnol
New York Post
15-05-2025
- New York Post
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' lawyer tries to dispel rumor ‘freak-off' baby oil was mixed with date rape drug
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers Anna Estevao appeared to try to dispel the allegation that Sean 'Diddy' Combs laced baby oil with a date rape drug during questioning of Cassie Ventura. 'You testified yesterday you would get Johnson & Johnson baby oil from the drug store, right?' Estevao asked. 'You testified yesterday you would heat up the baby oil and thats the only thing you did to it, right?' The defense attorney then asked, 'the pool filled with baby oil would require a lot, right?' Ventura answered yes to all of the questions that appeared to be an attempt to shoot down a claim he doused one victim with lubricant mixed with the drug Rohypnol — or GHB. Yesterday, Ventura testified Combs once filled an inflatable pool with bottles of baby oil and other lubricants for a hotel-room 'freak-off' — insisting the oil be heated and applied 'every 5 minutes'' so his sex-show participants would be 'glistening.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's tariff policies hurt local businesses like this West Palm Beach team
President Donald Trump's imposition of triple-digit tariffs on imported goods from China has had global implications. But it is also throwing local businesses in existential turmoil. Take, for example, Michael and Shirah Benarde, a West Palm Beach brother and sister who turned a novel idea into an international business. The Benardes, ages 27 and 22, respectively, came up with a relatively inexpensive safety item that women can use to prevent their drinks in bars from being spiked with date-rape drugs that contain the tranquilizer Rohypnol, commonly called 'roofies.' The item is a hair scrunchie that can also be worn as a wristband. Inside it is a compartment holding a nylon-spandex circular piece of fabric that can be removed. It fits snugly over the top of a glass or cup, and includes a slit for a drinking straw. The Benardes called their invention the 'NightCap' and pitched it successfully four years ago on the ABC TV show Shark Tank. 'I love this,' Lori Greiner, one of the show's entrepreneurs, told them on the show. 'I don't ever think I've seen a product that came to the Shark Tank that resonated more deeply to me in a social mission way than this." She offered to invest $60,000, and the NightCap took off, with sales reaching $2.1 million in the year after the show aired. It has continued to grow with the NightCap being promoted at colleges and universities across the U.S. and sold in 40 countries. 'I am worried constantly for young women, when women are getting their drinks drugged, they're getting assaulted,' Greiner continued. 'It's a horrible thing and it's super common and I think this is genius.' The future looked bright for the Benardes until Trump began announcing escalating tariffs on Chinese goods during the past couple of weeks. When the Benardes first came up with their product, they found a company in Texas that would make the NightCaps for them. But the price was prohibitive: The U.S. company charged about $4 per scrunchie, which was just about the wholesale price for the item. 'We found out there really isn't a textile manufacturing option in the United States,' Michael Benarde said. 'The labor and materials are too high here.' So, they found a third party who linked them to a factory in China that could make their product at a fraction of the cost. 'The Chinese product was a higher quality too,' Benarde said. Things were going so good that Shirah Bernarde, who had been enrolled as a student at the University of Tampa, quit college to devote more time to their growing business. But today their business is suddenly in limbo as Trump keeps threatening China by imposing tariffs of 7 percent, then 27 percent, then 104 percent, then 125 percent, then 145 percent on exports to the United States. What next? The daily uncertainty of these mercurial, subjective and escalating tariffs have paralyzed the Benardes' thriving business. The way tariffs work is that the importers pay the rate that's in effect the day the product arrives at a U.S. port, not when it's ordered. For the Benardes, that means the product they ordered when, say a 7 percent tariff was in effect, could actually be billed at something like 145 percent when it arrives on the dock. To put that in dollar terms, a $50,000 order now comes off the ship with a tariff surcharge of $77,000 instead of $3,500. For a small business, that's a margin killer. The timing of these improvised tariff announcements further stokes the uncertainty. It takes the Chinese manufacturer a couple of weeks to fulfill the NightCap order, and then another matter of weeks for the product to be packaged and shipped by sea on a freighter to a U.S. port in either California or Texas. With the tariffs — both projected and real — changing daily, the Benardes have no way to estimate the future costs of their operation. Every order is a roll of the dice, subject to Trump's latest social media impulse. 'It should be illegal to add tariffs without a 90-day notice to give businesses a chance to know the costs,' Benarde said. The way things stand now, the Benardes could make a bulk purchase that anticipates a tariff that will be long out of date by the time the product actually gets to the United States. 'Logistically, we can't really do anything,' Benarde said. 'They're doubling the cost of goods — but even with that, it's still cheaper having them made in China.' So, is China paying for the higher cost of the Bernardes successful product? No, the Benardes are paying for it, and depending on how high the tariffs get, so will their customers. Opinion: Trump delivers a pièce de résistance in defense of the English language. Bravo! 'I wouldn't be surprised if the tariff gets higher,' Benarde said. That may lead him and his sister to look for a manufacturer in another country, like Vietnam. Although there's still no guarantee what will happen to tariffs there once the current moratorium on tariff changes in that country is lifted. Whatever happens, these things are true: There's not going to be a textile manufacturing renaissance in the United States that pops up in time to rescue the Benardes' small business. And even with high tariffs on Chinese-made products, it's still cheaper for the Benardes to import the product from there than to manufacture it in the United States. Opinion: Does Florida need a Trump library or are lawmakers worshipping at the altar again? So, who's really being hurt here? Trump's wild tariff policy — the product of personal whim more than careful analysis — is more an act of uninformed retribution against a foreign company that creates heavy collateral damage to U.S. companies and their customers. 'At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,' Trump posted on social media last week. But it sure looks like the people being 'ripped off' are those like the Benardes and a whole lot of American women who've been slipped an economic roofie by Trump and told to just 'be cool' about it. Frank Cerabino is a news columnist with The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network-Florida. He can be reached at fcerabino@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm Beach business is collateral in Trump tariff war | Opinion
BBC News
08-04-2025
- BBC News
Norwich pub apologises for drink that shared date-rape drug name
A pub has apologised after naming one of its cocktails after date-rape drug Rohypnol. The Catherine Wheel pub on St Augustines Street, Norwich, posted a picture of the drink "Rolyhypnol" on Instagram on Friday to promote it as the establishment's "cocktail of the month" for April. DrinkAware said Rohypnol was one of the most commonly known date-rape drugs used by perpetrators to incapacitate a person in order to commit a physical and sexual attack. In a statement, the pub said: "It was a customer suggestion based on the name Roly, and never intended as a serious acceptance or approval of a drug." Rohypnol is odourless, colourless and tasteless. The pub's drink, which contains Tequila and Peach Snapps, remains on the menu and has been renamed the Lil' Mexican Peach. 'Apologise for offence' The pub has faced backlash on social media since posting the drink's name and said it did not intend to cause offence. "The cocktail has been renamed as a result of the online backlash," it said. "The Catherine Wheel apologise for any offence caused." Dawn Dines, chief executive of the charity Stamp Out Spiking, said: "It is very disappointing to read of this cocktail being named after the date rape drug, Rohyphol. It was obviously meant as a joke, but it is in rather poor taste. "This is why we believe urgent training is needed across the hospitality sector, to educate on the severity and seriousness of these cowardly crimes."We are also very pleased to read that they have now changed the name."Norfolk Police said it was not investigating the incident. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Boston Police issue warning of drink spiking during St Patrick's Day weekend
Boston Police are reminding the public to remain vigilant for drink spiking this St Patrick's Day weekend. 'The parade is welcoming and SAFE to all attendees, and should NOT compromise the quality of life for South Boston residents, Boston Police said in a release. 'At the parade, public drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and open containers of alcohol in public is illegal and will lead to the seizure of alcohol and arrest,' Boston police said. GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol, commonly known as 'roofies', are scentless, colorless, and tasteless drugs that can be secretly placed in beverages. 2025 South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade: Everything you need to know To help ensure safety, Boston police are providing the following tips: Always have your drink served directly by a bartender or server. Avoid accepting drinks from people you do not know or trust. Keep your drink in sight at all times. Never leave it unattended. If you need to leave your table, take your drink with you—even to the restroom. Cover your drink when you are not actively drinking. Many innovative products are available to help safeguard your beverage. Consider using drink-testing tools such as test strips or nail polish that detect the presence of drugs. Seek immediate assistance if you feel dizzy, nauseous, light-headed, or otherwise unwell. Watch for unusual behavior in friends and acquaintances, and be cautious of strangers attempting to separate individuals from their group. If you see someone who appears distressed, wandering alone late at night, or dressed inappropriately for the weather, contact local authorities immediately. Boston Police are urging anyone who has fallen victim to drink spiking or any other criminal activity to contact them. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
06-03-2025
- Boston Globe
Boston police urge students to be safe this spring break, secure housing, and watch for signs of drink spiking
He also encouraged students to take their electronic devices and other valuable possessions home with them. 'If you have trusted neighbors, let them know you are going to be away so that they can keep an eye on things,' Cox wrote. Cox said some neighborhoods will see an increased police presence, particularly during St. Patrick's Day weekend. Advertisement 'Underage drinking is against the law and violations will be heavily enforced,' he said. 'If you plan to attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston, we remind you that unlawful behavior will not be tolerated: public drinking is illegal at any age.' The police department is also urging students to be on the lookout for drink spiking. 'Colorless, odorless, and tasteless drugs like Rohypnol ('roofies'), GHB, and Ketamine can be secretly placed in beverages, leading to disorientation, confusion, temporary paralysis, unconsciousness, and other serious effects that leave victims vulnerable,' the department said in a statement. Police said people should always have their drinks served directly by a bartender or server and keep their drink in sight at all times. 'If you need to leave your table, take your drink with you — even to the restroom," police said. Police encouraged people to use drink-testing tools such as test strips or nail polish to detect the presence of drugs and seek immediate help if you suddenly feel dizzy, nauseous, light-headed, or otherwise unwell. Authorities also urged students to watch out for each other. Advertisement 'Watch for unusual behavior in friends and acquaintances, and be cautious of strangers attempting to separate individuals from their group,' police said in the statement. 'If you see someone who appears distressed, wandering alone late at night, or dressed inappropriately for the weather, contact local authorities immediately.' Nick Stoico can be reached at
