Flutter's FanDuel faces US lawsuit over predatory marketing
S ince he took office in December 2020, the mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott, has been on a mission to address the the city's challenges.
Crime has dropped, with murders falling 20 per cent last year. Scott has also been tackling the city's empty, abandoned houses, investing in youth services and repairing its crumbling infrastructure.
This year, he took on another challenge: the damage he says is being done by the growth in online sports betting. In April he launched a lawsuit against gambling firms, including FanDuel, which is owned by Flutter Entertainment, based in Dublin. Scott alleged that FanDuel had been targeting some of the most vulnerable Baltimoreans, inducing them to bet beyond their means and using sophisticated and misleading sales tactics to do so.
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The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Elon Musk calls Trump's big bill ‘utterly insane and destructive' as senate debates
The billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Saturday criticized the latest version of Donald Trump's sprawling tax and spending bill, calling it 'utterly insane and destructive. 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!' Musk wrote on Saturday as the Senate was scheduled to call a vote to open debate on the nearly 1,000-page bill. 'Utterly insane and destructive,' Musk added. 'It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.' Passing the package, Musk said, would be 'political suicide for the Republican Party.' Musk's comment reopens a recent fiery conflict between the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and the administration he recently left. They also represent yet another headache for Republican Senate leaders who have spent the weekend working overtime to get the legislation through their chamber so it can pass by Trump's Fourth of July deadline. Earlier this month, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO also came out against the House version of Trump's 'big, beautiful bill', denouncing that proposal as a 'disgusting abomination'. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it, he wrote at the time. Musk's forceful denouncement of Trump's spending plans triggered a deep and public rift between the billionaire and the president, though Musk in recent weeks has been working to mend relations. On Saturday, Musk posted a series of disparaging comments about the senate version of the bill, which argued the legislation would undermine US investments in renewable energy. Musk boosted several comments from Jesse Jenkins, a macro-scale energy systems engineer who teaches at Princeton. After Jenkins wrote, 'The energy provisions in the Republicans' One Big Horrible Bill are truly so bad! Who wants this? The country's automakers don't want it. Electric utilities don't want it. Data center developers don't want it. Manufacturers in energy intensive industries don't want it.' Musk replied: 'Good question. Who?' Musk's continued criticism of Trump's budget proposals comes as the bill faces a rocky path in the senate. Republicans are hoping to use their majorities to overcome Democratic opposition, but several Republican senators are concerned over provisions that would reduce spending on Medicaid and food stamps to help cover the cost of extending Trump's tax breaks. Meanwhile, fiscal conservatives are worried about the nation's debt are pushing for steeper cuts.
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Andrew Tate escapes criminal charges for alleged attack on model Bri Stern in Beverly Hills hotel
Andrew Tate will not face criminal prosecution after model Bri Stern claimed in March that he assaulted her during a sexual encounter at The Beverly Hills Hotel. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office notified Tate's attorney, Joseph McBride, that the case was dropped due to lack of sufficient evidence, according to TMZ. McBride explained that Tate had responded fully to the allegations, including making himself available for questioning and supplying a 'do-not-prosecute' packet of information urging prosecutors not to pursue charges. Stern accused Tate of repeatedly choking her during sex despite her demands to stop. Text exchanges also appeared to show Tate referencing rough sexual practices. McBride characterized Stern's claims as baseless, arguing that Tate's opponents have tried to exploit the legal system against him around the world. 'Tate's foes have weaponized courts globally to attack him. We're grateful the evidence clearly showed his innocence, sparing him an unjust indictment,' McBride stated. Meanwhile, sources close to Stern say she was not notified of the DA's decision to decline charges. Tate still faces legal battles in Romania, where he and his brother Tristan are accused of sex trafficking and running a criminal network. Stern is also pursuing a civil lawsuit against Tate over the same alleged assault. Stern says the relationship unraveled in a way she hadn't seen coming, with what she claims are the shocking details revealed in lawsuit sparked by what she describes as a horrifying night where she accuses Tate of choking her to the point where she almost passed out. It was on March 11 when influencer Tate allegedly assaulted her while they had sex at the Beverly Hills Hotel, according to the filing Per the lawsuit, filed by Stern's attorneys on March 27 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the abuse included violently threatening text messages including one that read: 'I want to beat the f**k out of you.' In an exclusive interview with in April, Stern recalled the intense fear as she desperately fled room 311 and recounts many of the graphic details in her lawsuit. The alleged assault, she says, took place in room 311 at the iconic hotel, a 780-sq-ft suite costing $3,000 per night. She says she has since been subjected to multiple death threats from fans of Tate, who has millions of followers on social media. Tate has always continued to deny the allegations and his lawyers have questioned Stern's credibility. 'My heart was beating so fast, and I was really anxious, but there was something in me that just told me, 'You need to go, run,' she tells of the alleged violent encounter. She escaped in the early morning hours after Tate said 'shut the f**k up b**ch. You will never backtalk me. You are my property,' according to her suit. Their intense affair started off 'sweet, kind, and loving' but over 10 months turned 'darker' - much darker - until it exploded and flamed out in an episode of sexual violence at the famed 'Pink Palace' on Sunset Boulevard, says Stern. 'My world was flipped upside down. I was so, so, so upset, sad, scared,' she said about that night. The model's filing claims sexual battery and harassment by Tate, 38, which lists chilling details of abuse - emotional and physical. Since going public with her claims, Stern says she has been the target of multiple death threats from fans of the kickboxer-turned-social media personality. She told how she first met the influencer in July last year during a content shoot in Transylvania, Romania. Stern insists she hadn't heard of Tate - or his reputation for degrading women - before she flew to meet with him and his brother Tristan, 36. She was referred by a mutual friend who described the 6′3″ former kickboxer as a 'big teddy bear.' 'I thought he was so kind, so sweet, so warm and loving,' Stern recalls to 'Everything was great in the beginning. He even talked about how much he respected women.' Stern filed a police report accusing the self-proclaimed misogynist of sexual assault following the scary March 11 encounter where she claims he choked her during sex at the Beverly Hills Hotel but the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has dropped the case LA-based Stern told she maintained a steamy trans-continental relationship with Tate by making repeated trips to his gated Romanian compound. He immediately began love-bombing Stern on the first day they met, she says. 'He initially stated that I was so beautiful and wanted to get to know me, and we kind of both dove into our life stories and bonded emotionally a lot on that first car ride, and he kind of, you know, came on strong,' she tells 'He was like, you're mine, I want you to be my girlfriend, you don't have to worry about anything, you're with me now. 'And I kind of thought, like, this is a little soon, but okay, I'll give it a try, we'll see. 'Some of my friends and family loved him, and they thought that he wasn't capable of hurting anyone… and that's what I believed as well.' But other friends were 'more skeptical' and warned her to 'be careful.' 'We were in constant communication,' she explains. 'He told me how much he loved me every single day. 'He also talked often about how he wanted to spend forever with me and have a family with me, and I believed him.' Eventually, though, Tate shed the facade of a caring boyfriend and Stern tells she 'started to see other sides of him.' After filing the lawsuit, she shared a post on social media that showed what appear to be records of his threats of rape and murder. She claims that the abuse that came with his change in behavior was seemingly designed to break her will. She also revealed that he told her 'you are my property' after allegedly choking her at the hotel, a claims she includes in the lawsuit. And, in another post, she shared screenshots of messages - also mentioned in the lawsuit - alleging he told her via text that 'You will give me a child this year b**ch... What's the point in having you if I don't beat and impregnate you'. She also shared screenshots of texts Tate sent her where he said he enjoyed beating her because he found it 'relaxing'. According to the complaint, Tate once wrote to her, 'You have an attitude because you're not hot enough.' Stern alleges in the filing that Tate 'began choking her while they were having sex, but it got too rough, and although she begged him to stop, he kept going.' She told that following the alleged incident, she 'had a pounding headache that was constant that I could not get to go away.' A doctor subsequently diagnosed her with 'post-concussion syndrome.' Several pictures showing Stern's bruised face were reportedly handed over to police. She reveals to that she was stunned when Tate allegedly said via text that he desired to hit her. 'I didn't talk to him for four days,' she says of the couple's first 'rift.' Furthermore, she adds, 'I was completely shocked, and I was like, what is this?' Later, Tate reached out via a video call and said, 'Pookie, I was just kidding. Ha-ha, I'm Andrew Tate. It's just a joke. I would never hurt you. I would never put my hands on you.' She says she had contemplated leaving Tate prior to last month's alleged incident, but she remained 'under his spell' and said he always 'manipulated' her into staying. 'I struggled with that - with still loving someone who was hurting me. When you love someone, I think, as a woman, you want to stay with them, and it's kind of innate to our nature, but it definitely causes conflicting feelings,' says Stern. Andrew Tate (right) and his brother Tristan (left) were charged with rape and other offences in the UK in March Stern's alleged experience with Tate is not all that unique. The controversial brothers have spent recent years in a Romanian prison and under house arrest while facing charges of sex trafficking in both the UK and Romania. They deny the charges. Tate is currently facing charges associated with sex trafficking young women, as well as a count of rape. But, according to the BBC, prosecutors said their travel ban lifted in February after more than two years, and on February 27, they flew to Florida via private jet. On March 10, Tate spent a night at Stern's Los Angeles apartment before the horror that allegedly unfolded at the hotel the following day. Tate has amasses a cult-like following for his controversial views on women, including that they should 'bear responsibility' if they are raped. The brothers have since returned to Romania in order to comply with a Romanian court order having to do with their sex-trafficking case there. Meanwhile, his ex says, 'Physically he's a good-looking guy.' But, she now realizes 'his views' don't 'really align with women and women's rights.' And she adds, 'I really loved this person, and he told me how much he loved me every day and that we were going to finally spend every day together when he got to the US. Of the alleged incident at the hotel, Stern says afterward she was 'completely heartbroken.' 'I invested so much time, energy, emotions, love into someone that wasn't who I thought they were,' she said. 'Some red flags had gone off before, but I don't think I really had that ah-ha moment until that day. 'I trusted him explicitly. When he started to verbally speak about hitting… he initially said that it was a joke, so that kind of just went away in my mind. I just believed him. I just brushed it off as this is a joke until it became my reality.' Stern, who says she was invited by a member of the 'Trump administration' to attend an April 3 event at Mar-a-Lago, says 'multiple' women have reached out to her with similar stories about Tate after she went public with her claims. 'I trusted him explicitly,' says Stern of ex Tate Stern says 'multiple' women have reached out to her with similar stories about Tate after she went public with her claims 'I trusted him explicitly. When he started to verbally speak about hitting…he initially said that it was a joke,' says Stern of Tate But she also claims has received threats from some of Tate's loyal followers on social media. 'I knew by coming forward that I was subjecting myself to danger,' she says. 'It's terrifying. But I'm still here, and I'm still speaking out about it.' She hopes to be a voice of strength to other women who may be 'experiencing the same thing - being hurt by the person that is supposed to love you and protect you.' Tate's attorney tells, Joseph McBride, 'This is a blatant cash grab—a desperate attempt by a sad individual to exploit Andrew's success and reputation for personal gain. 'Instead of seeking a private resolution, Ms. Stern has chosen to air her false claims in the press, revealing her true motives: money and attention, not justice. 'This is a classic example of someone weaponizing serious accusations for financial benefit, a tactic that undermines genuine victims and erodes trust in the legal system. 'We will not allow our client's character to be tarnished for profit. 'We stand ready to defend Andrew fiercely in court, where the truth will expose this baseless scheme.
The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Nkunku extra-time goal sees Chelsea through to Club Word Cup last eight after four-hour match
The never-ending season had the never-ending game. This was Chelsea's 61st game of a gruelling campaign and they emerged victorious only after the competing forces of the erratic American weather and the pedantic interference of VAR dragged it into extra-time at the Bank of America Stadium. There cannot have been a weirder denouement to a football match. There was a delay lasting close to two hours because of a thunderstorm, a contentious equalising penalty from Benfica after play resumed, a red card and, perhaps least expected of all, a winning goal from Christopher Nkunku to send Chelsea through to the last eight of the Club World Cup. They all streamed off Chelsea's bench when the France forward stuck the ball into the net in the 108th minute. Nkunku, who is up for sale after falling from favour, had put Enzo Maresca's side 2-1 up after pouncing when Moises Caicedo's shot squirmed from Anatoliy Trubin's grasp. They will face Palmeiras next and will see a chance to reach the semi-finals after making it through a barmy contest. It should not have been this complicated. Ahead through a thunderbolt of a free-kick from Reece James, Chelsea were within touching distance of beating Benfica in normal time. The game was done. Benfica, displaying none of the vim that saw them beat Bayern Munich, were poor. Presumably it was not part of their plan when play stopped with five minutes to go, the Slovenian referee sent the players down the tunnel and the 25,929 fans at the Bank of America Stadium were ordered to seek cover after lightning struck within a 10-mile radius. Severe weather protocol implemented, there was no option but to wait. And wait. Chelsea were cruising until the sky over Charlotte went dark. The protocol involves a minimum 30-minute delay but the clock reset after every lightning strike. An idea: if you're in an area prone to dangerous weather, build a stadium with a roof. Time dragged on, good news elusive. The game did not resume for one hour and 53 minutes. The teams had spent the time keeping themselves warm in their dressing rooms. Unfortunately there were no individual walkouts when they returned to the pitch. With another weather system on the way, the decision was made to ignore the protocol and get the game done. They rushed through a warmup, Chelsea brought Trevoh Chalobah on for Romeo Laiva and play restarted with a Robert Sanchez free-kick. Desperation took over. Six minutes were added on, Benfica won a free-kick and pumped the ball into the Chelsea area. Malo Gusto leapt with his arms outstretched but mistimed his jump. Soon Benfica were appealing for a penalty, claiming the Chelsea defender had handled when Nicolas Otamendi headed on. Play carried on but not for long. It was that kind of night. A VAR review was inevitable. Gusto was culpable under the laws and it was heading for extra-time when Angel Di Maria, still going strong at the age of 37, stepped up to send Robert Sanchez the wrong way from the spot with 95 minutes on the clock. Chelsea could have cracked at that point. Instead, Benfica lost their cool. They were down to 10 men when the substitute, Gianluca Prestiani, was sent off after picking up a second booking for fouling Levi Colwill. The game became ragged and Chelsea pounced on the wide open spaces. Nkunku popped up after Caicedo won possession and surged through on goal. Further goals from Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ensured that the final score was 4-1, reflecting Chelsea's dominance. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion They have developed an encouraging knack for winning by any means possible, which is a good trait to bring into tournament football. Next up, a return to Philadelphia to face Palmeiras, means a chance to have a close look at Willian Estevao. The Brazilian prodigy joins Chelsea after this tournament and can hasten the transfer by sending his next club back to London on Friday. Before the lightning farrago, Maresca had experimented. Cole Palmer's positioning on the left allowed Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Lavia to start in the same midfield for the first time since the opening day of last season. The idea was to find space against Benfica's wing-back's system. Palmer drifted off the flank and Marc Cucurella pushed up the left, more winger than full-back at times. Cucurella was positive and had Chelsea's best two chances of the first half. It was hot at kick-off. A sticky pitch was full of weird bounces. Chelsea had to remain patient. Frustration set in at the start of the second half. Caicedo ruled himself out of the quarter-final after picking up a booking for dissent. It took ingenuity to pick the lock. From a free-kick way out on the left, James sized up the angles and caught Trubin out at his near post, shooting when everyone expected a cross. It was the captain's third free-kick of 2025. That was a minor detail. The lightning took over. Extra-time was fun, Palmer testing Trubin, Di Maria leading a series of counterattacks. Yet Prestiani's folly cost Benfica. Eventually Chelsea made their extra man count. Nkunku, who seems to have no place in Maresca's system and had come on for Liam Delap merely to see Chelsea over the line when it was 1-0, scored from three yards out. Neto and Dewsbury-Hall then ran through to score with polished finishes. It took four hours and 38 minutes to complete. Chelsea march on.
