Author: Buzzo

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson attended today’s Presidential Inauguration wearing a judicial collar adorned with cowrie shells, a powerful symbol of wealth, protection, and femininity. These shells also carry deep connections to African heritage, spirituality, and the life-giving energy of the ocean, making her choice both meaningful and significant. Reader @ewedzesiwo.symbols added, “Cowries have lots of spiritual and literal significance to Africans. When Africans moved from Barter trade, some of them used cowries as a form currency. So it is seen as a sign of wealth. Some Eveawo (Ewes) call it Agaga and Akan Twi call it Sedie. That is why…

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that “at least 200,000” allied troops would be needed to enforce any peace deal in Ukraine as he urged Europe to “take care of itself” as Donald Trump returns to power in the US.Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskyy said European leaders should not ask themselves what Trump would do next, and said that they instead needed to take collective steps to defend their continent at a time when it is under an aggressive attack by Russia.“Europe must establish itself as a strong, global player, as an indispensable player,” the Ukrainian president said.…

Watch: Militia leader Stewart Rhodes leaves prison after Trump issues 6 January pardonsFormer Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes have been released from prison, as President Donald Trump sets free more than 1,500 people charged for the US Capitol riot four years ago.Within less than 24 hours of Trump pardoning or commuting sentences of those who tried to violently overturn the 2020 election, the riot’s two most prominent leaders left prison. Trump is also dismissing charges against those charged, but not yet tried, for the riot.”My son, Enrique Tarrio, has been released officially as…

Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech!  This week, we’re looking at just how much fintech startups raised in 2024, a slew of fundraising deals, Plaid’s reported revenue growth last year, and more! To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important fintech stories delivered to your inbox every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. PT, subscribe here. The big story Global funding to fintech startups continues to decline. According to CB Insights’ State of Fintech 2024 Report, fintech startups globally raised a combined $33.7 billion in funding last year — down 20% from the year before. Deal volume also dropped — by 17%…

Following several arrests in recent weeks of individuals who authorities say impersonated firefighters, officials now say two more people have been taken into custody for pretending to be members of the media to enter a fire zone.Authorities say the two suspects allegedly forged press passes to unlawfully enter a Palisades Fire evacuation zone. Officers stationed at road closures for the Palisades Fire came into contact with “two suspicious individuals,” who were at separate roadblock locations, California Highway Patrol said in a press statement on Sunday.COUPLE WITH FAKE FIRE TRUCK BUSTED FOR IMPERSONATING FIREFIGHTERS NEAR PALISADES FIRE IN LOS ANGELES: SHERIFF CHP…

President Trump was poised to enact hefty tariffs against Mexico and Canada as early as the end of next week as he continued a blitz of right-wing policy priorities on Day Two of his historic second term.After signing a first day blizzard of executive orders cracking down on immigration and transgender rights and granting pardons to hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters, Trump signaled that he had no intention of taking his foot off the gas.Trump, who capped a stunning political comeback to be sworn into office as the 47th president, planned to start his first full day back in the…

A fire raged through a 12-storey hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey early Tuesday during a school holiday, killing at least 66 people — two of them when they jumped from the building to escape the flames, officials said. At least 51 people were injured in the fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya, in Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometres (185 miles) east of Istanbul, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. The fire occurred near the start of a two-week winter break for schools, when hotels in the region are packed.“We are in deep pain.…

It still has some convincing to do

A Libyan general wanted for alleged war crimes and violence against inmates at a prison near Tripoli has been arrested in the northern Italian city of Turin.Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was detained on Sunday on an international arrest warrant after a tipoff from Interpol, a source at the prosecutors office for the Piedmont region confirmed.The Italian justice ministry on Tuesday declined to comment.Najim was reportedly chief of Libya’s judicial police and director of Mitiga prison, a facility close to Tripoli condemned by human rights’ groups for the arbitrary detention, torture and abuse of political dissidents and migrants and…

At least 66 people have been killed in a fire that engulfed a popular Turkish ski resort hotel, leaving some to jump out of windows.The fire broke out at the wooden-clad 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel at 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday period when 234 people were staying there. An initial toll of 10 dead was raised significantly in the hours after the fire by Turkey’s interior ministry. At least two people died after trying to jump to safety.It took 12 hours for the fire to be put out. Four people have been arrested, including the owner,…