The Full Belmonte, 2/23/2023
Georgia juror unsettles Trump investigation with revealing interviews
Emily Kohrs may have added to the challenge for Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis, whose investigation has come under scrutiny for what some have described legal and ethical missteps
“The forewoman of a special grand jury in Georgia may have complicated an investigation into efforts by former president Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election by speaking bluntly about its findings in interviews this week, several legal experts said.
Emily Kohrs, the 30-year-old Atlanta-area resident who served for eight months as forewoman of the special grand jury, said in media interviews this week that the panel recommended multiple indictments in its report, the details of which a Fulton County judge had ordered sealed.
Kohrs said that the list of recommended indictments ‘is not short,’ that there would be no ‘plot twist’ when the public finally gets to see the contents of the report and that regarding ‘the big name that everyone keeps asking me about’— presumably Trump himself — ‘I don’t think you will be shocked.’
Several legal experts said they were surprised and concerned by Kohrs’s unusually candid commentary, which included evaluation of witnesses, tidbits about jurors socializing with prosecutors and a stated hope that the investigation yields charges because of how much time she and others invested in the case.
The remarks could cause additional challenges for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, whose investigation has come under scrutiny for what some have described as legal and ethical missteps. Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney effectively barred Willis from investigating Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R), who served as one of Trump’s false electors in Georgia, after Willis hosted a fundraiser for his opponent.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly criticized Willis for her outspoken characterization of the investigation and frequent media appearances. She told The Washington Post in September that her team had heard credible allegations that serious crimes had been committed and that she believed some would see jail time.
If Willis does indict Trump — becoming the first prosecutor to bring charges against a former president — Trump could use Kohrs’s remarks to advance the argument he’s made all along: that Willis’s probe has amounted to a political prosecution and not a serious investigative inquiry.
Trump weighed in on Kohrs’s comments on Wednesday, calling the case ‘ridiculous’ and criticizing her for ‘going around and doing a Media Tour revealing, incredibly, the Grand Jury’s inner workings & thoughts. This is not JUSTICE, this is an illegal Kangaroo Court.’
Willis’s office declined to comment on Kohrs’s interviews.
Kohrs told CNN that former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and other witnesses refused to answer questions by invoking their Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination. She also described an ice cream social she attended hosted by Willis’s office.
‘If what [Kohrs] says is true, then if I were Fani Willis, I would be dressing down my prosecutors and saying ‘because it creates all kinds of potential problems,’ including the appearance of compromise of their independence,’ said Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan and a former federal prosecutor.
Kohrs also told CNN that she would be deeply disappointed if no charges resulted from the grand jury’s eight months of work — a comment that drew criticism from some quarters, since the length of an investigation should not determine whether indictments follow.
‘This was too much — too much information, too much of my time, too much of everyone’s time, too much of their time, too much argument in court about getting people to appear before us,’ Kohrs said. ‘There was just too much for this to just be, ‘Oh, okay, we’re good. Bye!’…..” Read more at Washington Post
Arizona’s top prosecutor concealed records that debunked election fraud claims.
“The background: The attorney general’s office, led by a Republican, spent over a year investigating how Maricopa, the state’s largest county, handled the 2020 election.
The conclusion: Virtually all allegations of error and misconduct were unfounded, according to internal documents that the then-attorney general kept private.
Why this matters: His actions helped make Arizona an epicenter for people who falsely claimed that the presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.” [Washington Post]
© Associated Press / Gene J. Puskar | Federal, state and local officials are grappling with the aftermath of a Feb. 6 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that released toxic chemicals into the community from damaged Norfolk Southern train cars.
Political focus on Ohio derailment intensifies
“First came 11 train cars filled with hazardous chemicals that derailed along with 27 other cars because of a suspected wheel bearing failure. More than two weeks later, the community of East Palestine, Ohio, unnerved by the threat of poisons in its air and water, wants results from investigations, legal action and improved problem-solving by federal and state officials.
The 38 cars that derailed 17 days ago included cargo of vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene — all toxic to humans and the environment. The train derailment contaminated at least 15,000 pounds of soil and 1.1 million gallons of water, according to freight rail carrier Norfolk Southern.
A crisis that began on Feb. 6 has escalated beyond the town and the office of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to engulf Norfolk Southern and the freight rail industry. Lawmakers continue to criticize President Biden and his Transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg.
The National Transportation Safety Board today in Washington will release a preliminary report on the derailment (WKBN). Biden, while traveling in Warsaw on Tuesday night, released a statement holding Norfolk Southern responsible while again pledging federal assistance to East Palestine.
The White House said the president on Tuesday from Europe phoned Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), DeWine, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).
The Hill: The freight rail industry's lobbying against stronger safety standards is under scrutiny.
Pro Publica: A Norfolk Southern policy lets a company monitoring team order crews to ignore safety.
Leaping into the fray, former President Trump, who won Ohio by 8 points in 2020, traveled to the accident area on Wednesday as he vies for the GOP nomination in 2024.
‘You are not forgotten,’ he told a small group of local leaders, first responders and the media at the local fire station in Little Beaver Creek, Ohio, while pledging to donate bottles of cleaning supplies and pallets of bottled water, which he said were collected through organizations that carry his name (WKBN).
Trump accused the Biden administration of ‘indifference and betrayal’ (The Hill), adding ‘he had nothing to do with it’ when asked about his former administration’s decision to ease rail safety requirements (Yahoo News and Ohio Public Broadcasting).
Trump was joined by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Mayor Trent Conawayof East Palestine, whose office is formally nonpartisan. The mayor on Monday told Fox News that Biden’s trip to Ukraine was a ‘slap in the face’ because the president did not come to Ohio (WKYC). ‘He can send every agency he wants to, but I found that out this morning in one of the briefings that he was in the Ukraine giving millions of dollars away to people over there and not to us, and I'm furious,’ he said.
EPA is now in charge of the environmental investigation in East Palestine (The Washington Post). The Federal Emergency Management Agency and a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also have been dispatched to the state.
Buttigieg, who earlier this week said he’d visit the train derailment site when the time was right, will arrive today (The Hill). Criticism of the secretary’s initial response has been bipartisan (Bloomberg News) and he conceded ‘lesson learned’ during a Tuesday interview with CBS News from Washington.
I was focused on just making sure that our folks on the ground were all set, but could have spoken sooner about how strongly I felt about this incident, and that's a lesson learned for me," the secretary said.
Buttigieg on Tuesday announced a package of reforms, two days after he told Norfolk Southern to fulfill its promises to clean up the rail wreckage in East Palestine and help the town recover. He said his department holds the railroad accountable for any safety violations that contributed to the derailment.
‘While ensuring the safety of those impacted by this crash is the immediate priority, we also have to recognize that this represents an important moment to redouble our efforts to make this far less likely to happen again in the future,’ Buttigieg said (PBS NewsHour). [The Hill]
Treacherous winter storm spreads from coast to coast
“Winter storm warnings continued to stretch from California to the East Coast on Thursday, with blizzard conditions and other treacherous winter weather slamming swaths of the country. Some regions in the West and Midwest that have faced brutal, frigid conditions this week could see winter storm, wind chill and other advisories lift on Thursday after days of dangerous weather. Snow and ice are expected to hit parts of New York and New England on Thursday, bringing a foot of accumulation in some areas. And yes, wintry weather and rainfall is even in the forecast for southern California.” Read more at USA Today
Ayden Ereth brushes snow from his vehicle in downtown Bismarck, N.D., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. A monster winter storm took aim at the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, threatening to bring blizzard conditions, bitterly cold temperatures, and 2 feet of snow in a three-day onslaught that could affect more than 40 million Americans.
Tom Stromme, AP.
Spy balloon
“The Pentagon on Wednesday released a selfie taken by a US pilot showing the Chinese spy balloon in the air before it was shot down days later. The photo shows the shadow of the aircraft on the balloon, which was floating at 60,000 feet when it was spotted over Montana. It also shows a clear image of the balloon's payload as it crossed across the continental US. The balloon was first spotted by the US on January 28 and ultimately shot down by the US military off the coast of South Carolina. Investigations began immediately after the balloon was retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month. Pieces of the debris were transferred to the FBI Laboratory in Virginia to be studied further. The Pentagon also said Wednesday that the payload of the balloon had been recovered.” [CNN]
Image caption, The selfie has reportedly achieved "legendary status" within the Pentagon
3 dead, including TV journalist and 9-year-old, in central Florida shootings
“A Florida television journalist from Spectrum News 13 and a 9-year-old girl were fatally shot Wednesday near the scene of a deadly shooting from earlier in the day, officials said. Deputies initially responded to the Pine Hills area, northwest of Orlando Wednesday morning following reports of a woman in her 20s being shot. According to witnesses, a man approached the news vehicle later Wednesday and opened fire, and then walked to a nearby home and shot the mother and daughter. Besides the journalist and the girl, a TV crewmember and the girl’s mother were wounded during the second shooting. They were in critical condition at a local hospital. Authorities arrested Keith Melvin Moses, 19, who was formally charged with murder from the first incident. Authorities expect to charge Moses for the additional shooting of the four people.” Read more at USA Today
Orange County, Florida, Sheriff John Mina addresses the media during a press conference about multiple shootings on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. Mina said they detained a 19-year-old man who they believe is responsible for the shootings.Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda, AP
Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner subpoenaed in DOJ special counsel probe, reports say
“Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have been subpoenaed by the Justice Department's special counsel investigating the former president's efforts to block the transfer of power following the 2020 election, according to media reports. The move represents the latest effort by federal authorities to secure the testimony from Trump's inner circle in an ongoing criminal investigation. The Justice Department declined to comment on the law enforcement action, first reported by the New York Times. The couple's legal representatives could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for the former president also did not respond to inquiries, including whether he would seek to block the testimony.” Read more at USA Today
BEDMINSTER, NJ - OCTOBER 25: In this handout provided by Fred Marcus Photography, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner pose at their wedding at Trump National Golf Club on October 25, 2009 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo Brian Marcus/Fred Marcus Photography via Getty Images) GTY ID: 0058744067.jpg
Handout, Getty Images
US mass killings linked to extremism spiked over last decade
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
FILE - Investigators stand outside during a moment of silence for the victims of the Buffalo supermarket shooting outside the Tops Friendly Market on May 21, 2022, in Buffalo, N.Y. The number of U.S. mass killings linked to extremism was at least three times higher in the last decade than the total from any 10-year period since the 1970s. That's according to a report released to The Associated Press by the Anti-Defamation League. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex, File)
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of U.S. mass killings linked to extremism over the past decade was at least three times higher than the total from any 10-year period since the 1970s, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League.
The report — provided to The Associated Press ahead of its public release Thursday — also found that all extremist killings identified in 2022 were linked to right-wing extremism, with an especially high number linked to white supremacy. They include a racist mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 Black shoppers dead and a mass shooting that killed five people an LGBT nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
‘It is not an exaggeration to say that we live in an age of extremist mass killings,’ the report from the group’s Center on Extremism says.
Between two and seven extremism-related mass killings occurred every decade from the 1970s to the 2000s, but in the 2010s that number skyrocketed to 21, the report found….” Read more at AP News
“Electoral overhaul | Mexico’s Senate passed a bill that completes the overhaul of the country’s election regulator, a long-sought objective of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that the opposition denounces as an attempt to tamper with next year’s elections. The reform known as “Plan B” seeks to reduce funding for the electoral body and cut its workforce.
Mexico’s former security czar, convicted this week of helping cartel members distribute illegal drugs to the US, should testify against the leaders he served under, the president said.” [Bloomberg]
“Pakistan precipice | Power cuts, militant attacks, and people crushed in food lines as inflation hits a 48-year high: Fiscal, humanitarian and political crises are pushing Pakistan to the brink. The nation with one of the world’s biggest populations is facing its worst economic meltdown in decades and may be a harbinger for other debt-laden countries. The question is who will pay to solve it.
The crisis has pushed the government to unveil a $764 million cost-cutting campaign that imposes salary cuts on ministers and bans them from flying business class and staying in five-star hotels on trips abroad.” [Bloomberg]
A road damaged by flood waters following heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan's northern Swat Valley in August 2022. Photographer: Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images
Ukraine’s domestic problems are challenging President Volodymyr Zelensky again.
“His complications include corruption allegations against people linked to him, potential political rivals, strict broadcast rules and questions about Western aid. Zelensky‘s approval ratings are still high, but much of that support is conditional, according to political analysts. Outside Ukraine, there are other issues. The country’s grain exports have significantly slowed recently amid shipping delays and concerns Russia won’t extend a U.N.-backed deal to give grain ships safe passage after it expires March 19. Ukraine’s pro-Western neighbor Moldova fears it’s next on Moscow’s hit list. And gas prices are poised to rise again as Russian sanctions take effect.” [Wall Street Journal]
More bodies found in China mine collapse, 48 remain missing
By NG HAN GUAN
In this image taken from official surveillance camera footage run by China's CCTV, dirt moves down the side of a hill at an open pit mine in Alxa League in northernChina's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. An open pit mine collapsed in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Wednesday, killing several people and leaving dozens missing, state media reported. (CCTV via AP)
“ALXA LEAGUE, China (AP) — Rescuers with backhoes and bulldozers dug through tons of earth and rubble Thursday for 48 people missing after a landslide buried an open-pit mine in northern China. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the death toll in the disaster rose to five.
Conditions in the area remain dangerous, and the search had to be suspended for several hours after a second landslide at the gigantic facility in Inner Mongolia’s Alxa League.
On Thursday afternoon, more than a dozen bulldozers, trucks, SUVs and fire engines were seen passing through a remote police checkpoint around 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of the mine.
Nearly all personnel were stopped by police and checked for entry approvals before being allowed to proceed further along the road leading to the mine.
A police officer said only those with government approval would be allowed access to the area. She said people living close to the mine had been sent to stay in a nearby town.
The initial cave-in of one of the pit’s walls struck at around 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, burying people and mining trucks below in tons of rocks and sand. It was followed about five hours later by the additional landslide, forcing the work suspension….” Read more at AP News
China and Japan Hold Formal Security Talks
“China and Japan held their first formal security talks in four years on Wednesday, an attempt to stabilize their relationship.
China is Japan’s largest trading partner, but their different geopolitical postures have seen them increasingly at odds, particularly as Tokyo worries Beijing will move militarily on Taiwan.
China expressed concern with Japan’s military buildup. Japan said late last year that it would double its defense spending over the course of the next five years to try to deter China. China currently spends four times as much as Japan on its military, and increased military spending by 7.1 percent last year.
Japan, in turn, criticized China’s close ties to Russia, as well as its use of spy balloons (though China has denied use of spy balloons).
While Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Sun Weidong was conducting the meeting with his Japanese counterparts, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a meeting of his own with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. ‘Russian-Chinese relations were proceeding as planned’ said Putin, who said the two countries would meet new ‘milestones’ together.
Putin, who invaded Ukraine a year ago, said that the China-Russia relationship was ‘important for stabilizing the international relationship, while Wang said, “a crisis is always an opportunity.’ Both stressed the need to take a ‘multipolar’ approach to world affairs, an apparent swipe at the United States.
“Israeli troops killed 11 Palestinians in West Bank raid. According to medics, Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians, including four civilians, one of whom was a 14-year-old boy, in an operation in Nablus. Over 100 Palestinians were wounded.
Israeli authorities said troops were trying to detain militants and came under fire. There were no Israeli casualties. The United Nations said 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank killed by Israeli forces since 2005. According to the Palestinian health ministry, 61 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces so far this year. According to CNN, that includes Palestinians killed while attacking Israelis, targeted militants killed in raids, people ‘clashing’ with Israeli forces during raids, and civilian bystanders.” [Foreign Policy]
“Thousands of Somali refugees flee for Ethiopia. Over 60,000 Somali refugees have fled for Ethiopia after fighting escalated in the disputed city of Las Anod in the unrecognized self-governing region of Somaliland. Tensions have been increasing between locals and Somaliland’s governing authorities for weeks. The dispute pits the Dhulbahante clan against Somaliland’s authorities; the clan is demanding its own federal state within Somalia.
According to the United Nations, the refugees arrived in a part of Ethiopia suffering from drought. The United Nations has also said that, of the 185,000 displaced persons from Las Anod and the surrounding region, 89 percent are women and children. At least 82 people have died from fighting, which has included shelling of areas where civilians live.” [Foreign Policy]
“British legislators call India raids ‘intimidation.’ British MPs have described searches of BBC India’s New Delhi and Mumbai offices—and overnight questioning of some staff—by Indian tax authorities as ‘intimidation.’ The searches came shortly after the BBC aired a documentary that looked critically at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to the 2002 riots in Gujarat, where he was chief minister at the time. India has banned the documentary.
British Foreign Office official David Rutley said the government was closely following the issue, and that ‘respect for the rule of law is an essential element of an effective democracy, so too is an independent media and freedom of speech.’ Fabian Hamilton, shadow minister for the opposition Labour party, warned that ‘criticism cannot be shut down unnecessarily.’ Jim Shannon of the Democratic Unionist Party described the searches as ‘a deliberate act of intimidation following the release of an unflattering documentary about the country’s leader.’ India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes said after the searches that it found ‘crucial evidence.’” [Foreign Policy]
“French drought alert. France, which has had no significant rainfall for a month, is facing drought restrictions. Local officials are assessing the situation ‘territory by territory.’ According to Météo-France, the country’s national weather agency, last year was the hottest on record and this winter was the driest since 1959. ‘Soft’ restrictions may be imposed next month to try to avoid catastrophe this summer. Experts believe the next few months will prove decisive for France.
Italy, like France, was severely hit by heat last summer, and a state of emergency was declared in five regions round the River Po because of the drought, while water taxis and gondolas in Venice were unable to move around, due to low water levels. The Alps have seen significant snow reduction over the past several decades; the mountain range is the most important for supplying rivers in Europe.” [Foreign Policy]
Housing market's biggest drop since '08
Graphic: Redfin
“In the last half of '22, the value of the U.S. housing market shrank by the most since the real-estate bubble popped in 2008, Bloomberg writes from Redfin data.
After peaking at $47.7 trillion in June, the total value of U.S. homes declined by $2.3 trillion, or 4.9%, in the second half of 2022, according to Redfin, an online real-estate brokerage.
That's the largest percentage drop since the 2008 housing crisis, when home values slumped by 5.8% between June and December.
What's happening: Home prices have been falling because demand has waned since the buying frenzy at the peak of the pandemic.
Mortgage rates are roughly double what they were at the start of 2022, according to Redfin.” [Axios]
NPR to cut about 100 workers in one of its largest layoffs ever
“NPR plans to cut about 100 employees — roughly 10 percent of its workforce — in one of the largest layoffs in the nonprofit news giant’s 53-year history.
‘Our financial outlook has darkened considerably over recent weeks,’ CEO John Lansing wrote in a staff memo Wednesday, noting that NPR expected its ad revenue to fall about $30 million short of projections in a tightening ad economy. The projected decline in sponsorships has been concentrated in podcasting, a segment in which NPR has invested heavily in recent years, with popular shows such as ‘Fresh Air.’
The erosion of advertising dollars has affected other organizations, triggering layoffs at CNN, Gannett and Vox, among others this winter. The Washington Post has eliminated its Sunday magazine and its video game hub, Launcher, among cuts that led to about 30 layoffs among its some 1,000-member news staff. Major tech companies that rely on advertising, such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, have also announced thousands of layoffs….” Read more at Washington Post
ChatGPT
“Vanderbilt University is facing criticism for using the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to write an email about a mass shooting at another university. Last Friday, the university emailed its student body to address the tragedy at Michigan State University that killed three students and injured others. However, at the end of the school's email was a surprising line: ‘Paraphrase from OpenAI's ChatGPT AI language model, personal communication, February 15, 2023,’ read a parenthetical in a smaller font. Following an outcry from students and the public alike, a school spokesperson issued an apology the following day. This comes as many schools and even companies have banned the use of the powerful chatbot, which can turn written prompts into convincing academic essays and creative scripts in seconds. JPMorgan Chase also recently announced it will ban employee use of ChatGPT due to compliance concerns.” [CNN]
Don Lemon apologizes again for Nikki Haley comments before returning to CNN
“Don Lemon apologized again early Wednesday for his comments last week about presidential hopeful and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley before returning to his seat on CNN ‘This Morning.’ ‘To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I'm sorry. I've heard you, I'm learning from you ...’ he tweeted. The TV host, 56, appeared Wednesday for the first time since saying Haley was not ‘in her prime’ during last Thursday's episode. In his return, he made no mention of the controversy and stuck to the news with stories like President Joe Biden's trip to Ukraine, the Ohio train derailment and winter weather.” Read more at USA Today
CNN's Don Lemon has apologized after saying Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is not ‘in her prime.’ Getty/AP
Nipsey Hussle’s killer gets 60 years to life in prison
By ANDREW DALTON
FILE - Rapper Nipsey Hussle attends an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks in Oakland, Calif., March 29, 2018. Eric R. Holder Jr., who was convicted last year of fatally shooting Hussle in 2019, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in a Los Angeles courtroom. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
“LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of gunning down Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison after hearing testaments to the immense cost of the killing of the hip-hop star and neighborhood leader, and of the lifetime of mental illness, abuse and struggle of the man who shot him.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II handed down the sentence to Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, who was found guilty of the 2019 first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up in very similar circumstances.
“I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holder’ mental health,” Jacke said. “I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two.”
After the monthlong trial, jurors in July also convicted Holder of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.
Jacke sentenced Holder to 25 years to life for the murder, 25 more for a firearm sentencing enhancement and 10 for assault with a firearm. He set several other sentencing additions and ordered that others run concurrent. He also gave Holder credit for the nearly four years he has served since the shooting.
Holder, dressed in orange jail attire, stared straight ahead throughout the proceedings and did not react when the sentence was read, and spoke only to tell the judge he understood the circumstances when he was asked….” Read more at AP News
Winner comes forward to claim $1.35B Mega Millions jackpot
By DAVID SHARP
FILE - A Mega Million sign displays the estimated jackpot of $1.35 Billion at the Cranberry Super Mini Mart in Cranberry, Pa., Jan. 12, 2023. The winner of a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot has come forward to collect the prize. The Maine State Lottery announced Wednesday, Feb. 22, that the winner chose to remain anonymous and collect the cash option through a limited liability company instead of receiving the full amount in payments over time. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
“PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The winner of a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot — the fourth largest in U.S. history — has come forward to collect the prize, state officials said Wednesday.
The winner had been a mystery, and remains a mystery.
The Maine State Lottery said the winner chose to remain anonymous and collect the cash option through a limited liability company, LaKoma Island Investments LLC, instead of receiving the full amount in payments over time.
‘The winner is thoughtfully considering the best uses of the life-changing prize,’ a representative said in a statement.
By choosing the cash option, the winner will receive a one-time, lump-sum payment of $723,564,144 before taxes, officials said….” Read more at AP News