Latest news with #June24
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
P Diddy trial replay: Prosecutors and Combs' lawyers focus on 'freak offs' as testimony ends
This page reflects the news from Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial on Tuesday, June 24. For the latest updates from Diddy's trial, read USA TODAY's live coverage for Wednesday, June 25. This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. Sean "Diddy" Combs' bombshell criminal trial entered its homestretch after prosecutors finalized their case against the embattled hip-hop mogul, and his defense lawyers quickly wrapped up their response. Attorneys for the U.S. government and Combs' legal team on June 24 focused on graphic evidence from the rapper's alleged "freak off" sex parties. They went over video footage, text messages and other materials as they questioned Homeland Security agent Joseph Cerciello about everything from travel and hotel records to payments for male escorts. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges. Prosecutors continued to paint a picture of Combs and his employees being personally involved with organizing "freak offs," working with escorts, Combs' partners and others. They rested their case midday, handing it over to the defense team to make their argument in the sweeping federal sex-crimes case. Combs' lawyers largely argued that the rapper's former partners were willingly in relationships with him, and he didn't conspire with his orbit of employees. They will not call any witnesses. Combs, 55, was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Combs' lawyers rested their case in less than a half hour on June 24. They did not call any witnesses to the stand. Their arguments, which began at roughly 3:07 p.m. and ended at 3:31 p.m., mainly focused on romantic − and occasionally explicit − texts between Combs and his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura Fine. In one text exchange from Feb. 14, 2017, Ventura Fine said, "Omg thank you so much," and Combs replied, "Teamwork makes the dream work. Happy Valentine's Day." In another exchange from that year, Combs said he wanted to have sex "for 48 hours." Ventura Fine replied, "How you want to do it?" and Combs responded, "You think you can FO without being high?" FO referred to "freak offs." She responded that she could participate without using drugs. A 2017 text exchange showed Ventura Fine asking for a picture of Combs' genitals. In another, Ventura Fine said, "I miss you," and Combs responded, "So what you gonna do?" She replied, "Be your little freak." The embattled rapper verbally confirmed on June 24 he did not want to take the stand – one of the only times Combs spoke out loud during his weekslong trial. Judge Arun Subramanian asked Combs' lead lawyer Marc Agnifilo if he spoke with his client about his right to testify, and Agnifilo said they discussed it at length. Combs exchanged a few remarks with the judge, saying he was doing "great" and that he thought the judge was managing the trial well. The rapper said it was "solely my decision" not to to testify, and he "thoroughly" discussed it with his legal team. After jurors were dismissed for a break, Combs' defense lawyers asked the judge for a swift acquittal. The move is known as a "Rule 29 motion," and it's typical in criminal trials. Combs' lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued that "no reasonable juror could find him guilty" based on the evidence prosecutors have provided. While addressing Combs' racketeering charge, the lawyer claimed that the government failed to show that employees conspired with the rapper to commit any potential crimes. She admitted employees ran errands and helped set up and clean hotel rooms, but she said "they did not have anything to do with what went on with Combs and his girlfriends in the hotel room – other than that they used a lot of baby oil and Astroglide, drank alcohol, and maybe did drugs." Shapiro also claimed Combs didn't involve his staff in booking escorts. She noted that it was almost always Ventura Fine and another ex-girlfriend identified under the pseudonym "Jane" who assisted. In fact, Shapiro said, Combs went out of his way to hide escorts from his employees by not letting them come to his house at times. Finally, she explained that several witnesses testified about Combs' security repeatedly trying to stop him from being violent with his partners. Shapiro appeared to be arguing that these were moments in which Combs' employees disobeyed him – instead of allegedly conspiring with him. As Combs' defense sought acquittal, they also tried to cast doubt on allegations against Combs of witness tampering, forced labor, kidnaping, sex trafficking and transportation for the purposes of prostitution. Regarding the alleged sex trafficking of Ventura Fine and "Jane," Shapiro reiterated the defense's oft-used phrase that "Domestic violence is not sex trafficking." His lawyers have acknowledged the rapper has previously been violent – but they deny he's guilty of sex trafficking. Text messages between Ventura Fine and Combs showed she sometimes wanted to participate in "freak offs," per his attorney. As for transporting sex workers, Shapiro claimed there was no evidence the escorts were paid to engage in prostitution – as opposed to being compensated for their time. People were paid even when there was no sex, Shapiro said. In addition there is 'no evidence' Combs was involved in the Kid Cudi arson incident, Shapiro said. The rapper, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, testified that his car was destroyed by a Molotov cocktail around the same time he was dating Ventura Fine, and there was major friction with Combs over the relationship. Combs defense attorney Teny Geragos kept Cerciello on the stand for more than three hours and went through dozens of texts between Combs and Jane. Some of the messages were seemingly loving and warm, while others were explicit about alleged freak-offs. Several messages revolved around keeping their private life behind closed doors. In one of the text exchanges, Jane asked Combs to have an employee print a non-disclosure agreement. After Combs asked Jane about an escort they hired, she replied that he "seems cool, babe," adding, "Hopefully he doesn't know anyone we know lol. I'm just gonna make sure he signs the paper." Jurors also saw another text exchange between Combs and Paul Arthur, his personal trainer and an alleged participant in "freak offs." "She's so horny, I need help!" Combs wrote, adding, "This is a 911 freak emergency!" Arthur simply replied "lol." Combs continued to send a picture of Shaquille O'Neill, one of the "trifecta" of basketball legends that they frequently used as nicknames during "freak offs." Jurors were shown more videos of "freak-offs" as Geragos ended cross-examination. Prosecutors have rested their case in Combs' trial, meaning it's Combs' lawyer's turn to present their argument. However, the attorneys are not expected to call any witnesses. Combs' defense team told Subramanian they wanted to introduce more texts between Combs and Ventura Fine into evidence. In one message, Combs said "You think you can freak off without getting high?" and she replied yes. The prosecution said it should have been discussed when Combs' ex-girlfriend was on the stand, but the judge disagreed. In another text, Combs suggested he and Ventura Fine go to couples counseling, but she declined. Subramanian said it wasn't sufficiently relevant, and the messages are not going into evidence for the case. But why these message? Combs' lawyers have repeatedly tried to show Ventura Fine wasn't coerced in her relationship with Combs. While on the stand, the singer alleged he physically, sexually and psychologically abused her for years. As Cerciello continued his testimony on June 23, the jury was shown several videos of Jane. Lead prosecutor Maurene Comey called the videos "explicit" several times. The jury watched the footage for about 20 minutes while wearing headphones. The monitors that had been shown to the courtroom gallery were turned off, and reporters couldn't see the videos. Cerciello said all the videos featured Jane and sex worker Sly Williams. Combs was also seen in some of the footage. The agent mainly looked up and around the courtroom gallery rather than at his screen while the videos played. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more During the June 23 hearing, Combs' defense attorney Teny Geragos introduced text messages between Combs and Jane, in which the anonymous witness was enthusiastic about some sexual acts between the couple. "I really had a great night," Jane said in one message. The move comes as Combs' lawyers have argued that many of the rapper's partners were willing participants in his alleged sexual performances. Geragos also played sealed videos for Cerciello and the jury, but there was no audio or visuals for the courtroom. During a September 2024 press conference, U.S. attorney Damian Williams detailed the paraphernalia discovered during the federal raids of Combs' homes. The items included multiple AR-15 guns, large-capacity magazines, "evidence" of Combs' alleged sex crimes and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. According to Combs' original indictment, the baby oil bottles were used during the hip-hop mogul's alleged "freak-off" parties, which were described as "elaborate and produced sex performances" that involved sex workers. Combs and his employees conducted "freak offs" by booking hotel rooms and stocking them with supplies such as baby oil, lube, extra bedsheets and lighting, per the indictment. The rapper allegedly "arranged, directed" and "masturbated" during these sometimes dayslong "performances," and drugs were reportedly distributed to victims, in part, to keep them "obedient and compliant." Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling case that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry. He was arrested in September 2024 and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to the five counts against him. Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity. Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have on video. The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings. USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. Sign up for our newsletter for more updates. Contributing: USA TODAY staff If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (4673) and and en Español If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: P Diddy trial recap: Combs' lawyers, prosecutors focus on 'freak offs'
Fast Company
a day ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Intuit bets big on AI to boost efficiency and trust in QuickBooks
When it comes to AI agents, the makers of QuickBooks are hoping that you're 'into it.' Intuit—the fintech platform that owns TurboTax, Credit Karma, Mailchimp, and QuickBooks—announced that it has implemented a new set of AI agents into its products. The company showcased how the AI agents work within QuickBooks at an event on June 24, and Fast Company was able to see a demonstration of how the agents can help business owners and entrepreneurs use them to speed up their bookkeeping and accounting processes. QuickBooks will incorporate a Payments Agent, an Accounting Agent, a Customer Agent, and a Finance Agent, all of which are designed to become intimately familiar with a business's specific customer base and financial track record, offer up insights, and make additional analyses. And though it's just now being rolled out, the new AI capabilities have been in the works for a long time. 'This is five or six years in the making,' Sasan Goodarzi, Intuit's CEO, tells Fast Company. 'We've made huge investments in the past five years,' he says, and the company has taken its time because when it comes to bookkeeping and accounting, 'accuracy matters.' In other words, Goodarzi says that while an AI tool like ChatGPT might spit out wrong or incorrect information, a customer relying on QuickBooks to crunch their numbers needs to be absolutely sure and trust in Intuit's accuracy—otherwise, they could find themselves with serious issues. As such, Intuit wanted to make sure everything was above board before launching to its full customer base. 'If it screws up, it's a big problem,' he says. Additionally, Goodarzi says that business owners are relying on a huge number of apps and platforms to run their companies, an issue that Intuit is trying to simplify. 'What I'm hearing from customers all the time is that they're over-digitized, there are too many apps. They're not getting the benefit from their time and money,' he says. 'This is about creating a one-stop shop, a refreshed way to discover all of the capabilities within QuickBooks,' he says, noting that many of Intuit's customers are unaware of how many tools exist within the QuickBooks ecosystem. And it's the discovery and engagement with those tools that Goodarzi says 'has been the area of the most positive feedback.' But the primary question: Are the AI implementations actually producing value for users? Yes, Goodarzi says. He notes that during the testing phase, the new AI capabilities have led to significant time and money savings for users, though that can be difficult to quantify, and expects that the new features will both resonate with QuickBooks' wider user base when they officially launch on July 1, and help the company's bottom line. 'I was talking about AI changing the world six years ago, and people were laughing at me,' he says. Now, 'we're actually seeing natural adoption, driving incredible value.' The extended deadline for Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech Awards is this Friday, June 27, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘60s teen heartthrob dies at 81 following Stage 4 cancer diagnosis
Bobby Sherman, a well-known singer and actor from the 1960s, has died at age 81. Brigitte Poublon, Sherman's wife, announced her husband's death in a joint Instagram post with close friend John Stamos on Tuesday, June 24. 'Bobby left this world holding my hand — just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace through all 29 beautiful years of marriage," Poublon wrote. 'I was his Cinderella, and he was my Prince Charming. Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That's who Bobby was — brave, gentle, and full of light.' 'He lived with integrity, gave without hesitation, and loved with his whole heart,' she continued. 'Though our family feels his loss profoundly, we also feel the warmth of his legacy — his voice, his laughter, his music, his mission.' While no official cause of death was disclosed, Sherman was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in March. Poublon told Fox News in April that her husband was fighting kidney cancer that had 'spread everywhere,' adding he was 'terminally ill.' 'He's just sleeping more and his body's not working anymore,' Poublon told Fox News. 'Everything's shutting down.' She also told Fox News that the outpouring of love and support from Sherman's fans has 'been overwhelming.' This was something Poublon reiterated in her tribute post to Sherman. 'As he rested, I read him fan letters from all over the world — words of love and gratitude that lifted his spirits and reminded him of how deeply he was cherished. He soaked up every word with that familiar sparkle in his eye. And yes, he still found time to crack well-timed jokes,' she wrote in the Instagram post. 'Thank you to every fan who ever sang along, who ever wrote a letter, who ever sent love his way. He felt it. Rest gently, my love.' The singer and actor has also received support from several industry friends, including John Stamos who met Sherman at the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation a few years ago, according to Fox News. 'We've been best friends ever [since],' Poublon told the outlet. 'John's been very great about giving support the last few years too.' Born in California, Sherman became a teen idol in the 1960s and early 1970s, according to PEOPLE. He had a series of successful singles, including 'Easy Come, Easy Go,' 'Julie, Do Ya Love Me' and 'Little Woman,' which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold more than a million copies. Sherman's big break came when portrayed Jeremy Bolt, a charmer and romantic, in the western TV series, 'Here Come the Brides.' Sherman left show business in the 1970s and became a certified medical emergency technician and instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department, according to his wife. 'He was a man of service,' Poublon wrote. 'He saved lives. He showed us what real heroism looks like — quiet, selfless, and deeply human." In addition to his wife, Sherman is survived by his two sons — Tyler and Christopher — and six grandchildren. Pop star shares 'lows and highs' amid breast cancer diagnosis Country star recovering after hospitalized for 'not making sense' on stage Legendary musician boycotting Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction Chart-topping '60s pop singer dies at 82: 'He will be greatly missed' TV icon expecting 8th child at age 70 Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Olivia Newton-John Documentary About Her Rise and Challenges She Faced After Worldwide Fame Heading to Netflix
Netflix announced on Tuesday, June 24, that a new documentary about Olivia Newton-John will be released on the streaming service The untitled project will be directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nicole Newnham The streamer did not announce when the film will be releasedOlivia Newton-John fans will get an entirely new look at the late actress and her career in an upcoming documentary. Netflix announced on Tuesday, June 24, that a new documentary directed by Nicole Newnham will come to the streamer, a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE. Newnham's 2020 Netflix documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, earned an Oscar nomination. The untitled film will explore 'the music, life, and magic of beloved pop star and cultural phenom Olivia Newton-John,' according to a release, per Deadline, which was the first to report the news. 'In her own words, through vivid archival and via reminiscences from close friends and collaborators, we'll follow Olivia's journey as the world falls madly in love with her and she ascends to the height of fame, only to be confronted by challenges of epic proportions.' 'This is the story of a woman who was perpetually underestimated despite her mesmerizing talent, ultimately silencing her detractors by pushing through phenomenal loss and pain with grace and gratitude,' the release read. 'By discovering how to stay true to her beliefs, Olivia changed our culture for the better, bending it towards kindness, inclusivity, and love.' 'Olivia always signed her letters 'love and light' and that is the shimmering and hopeful legacy she has left us,' Newnham said, per Deadline. 'As a young girl, I fell in love with her, listening to Grease on the record player on repeat. But this unique filmmaking journey – deep into the archives and into the amazing community of Olivia's close friends and family – has revealed a complex and extraordinary woman whose impact on the world is still rippling outwards.' The documentary will be produced by R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, which previously worked on Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, Elton John: Never Too Late and Martha. Newton-John died of breast cancer in August 2022. She was 73. She announced in May 2017 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had metastasized to the sacrum. Newton-John was born in the U.K. in 1948, before her family moved to Australia when she was 5 years old. After winning an Australian TV talent contest, she began touring with Pat Farrar for their act Pat & Olivia. By 1971, her solo career had kicked off, with two albums – If Not For You and Olivia. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In 1978, the 12-time Grammy nominee's acting career took off with Grease, in which she starred opposite John Travolta. The Golden Globe nominee then starred in the 1980 musical, Xanadu, before later appearing with Travolta again in 1983's Two of a Kind. Despite a few other film and television roles, Newton-John's focus returned to music. In 1992, she revealed her first diagnosis with breast cancer. Her battle — which included a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction — ultimately led to the creation of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne. Newton-John spent the rest of her life as an advocate for cancer awareness and research. Read the original article on People
CNET
4 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Verizon's Project 624 Is an AI-Powered Customer Service Initiative
In April, Verizon's CEO of its consumer group, Sowmyanarayan Sampath, dropped a cryptic teaser on his LinkedIn Page: "Project 624. All about the customer. Coming soon." And then… nothing more about it, until today. Now we know that 624 represents the date, June 24, and the project is an ambitious customer service program intended to make it so subscribers can resolve issues by contacting Verizon just once. And yes, AI is involved, but don't roll your eyes just yet. In a call with Sampath just before revealing Project 624's details, he laid out changes to the customer experience that went live today. They include a team dedicated to satisfying customers in their first call (called the Customer Champion team) and improvements to the myVerizon app that leverage Google Gemini AI technology; expanded live customer agent hours and 24/7 live chat; a larger footprint of physical Verizon stores; and more perks and giveaways. In an open letter laying out the carrier's new customer service initiative published today, the consumer group CEO also included a direct email address, for customers to contact him. But before we get into the specifics of what's new, I wondered if today's announcements were a direct reaction to the most recent quarter in which the company lost nearly 300,000 customers in the first quarter of 2025. Is the carrier boosting customer service to win back more subscribers? "That's a very fair question," Sampath said. "The answer is quite straight: Every first quarter we lose customers, that's the seasonality of the business. So this has nothing to do with our first quarter of business. This has to do with the two, three year transformation that we are in the middle of." He explained that improving customer experience is the next step after his prior efforts to revamp Verizon's sales infrastructure and price plans. Verizon may be the first carrier to get AI in its customer service platforms, but it's not the only one thinking of including it. Last September, T-Mobile announced that it was partnering with OpenAI to include a new artificial intelligence offering to help customers, which would launch sometime in 2025. Whether Verizon's system will get a leg up depends on what it's got in store for helping subscribers get their essential questions answered. Harnessing AI to create Customer Champions Customer service for any industry is difficult, but that's compounded for large mobile players like Verizon that provide connectivity for millions of customers across large swathes of area and technological hardware. And because phones have gained outsized importance in our lives, having something go wrong with one's link to the outside world can ratchet up frustration. "I get a lot of emails from customers every day, and they're not pretty," said Sampath. He estimates that 80% of the time, customers get their issue resolved on the first call. About 15% have to call again, maybe twice. "The last 5% go into a doom loop, and they are the most dissatisfied. It's a very rough journey for them. We see it, and it's not fair on them." To try to avoid that loop, Verizon is launching its so-called Customer Champion team that uses a Verizon-customized implementation of Google Gemini 2.0 models to process calls, identify solutions and keep the customer updated throughout the resolution process. It's an approach inherited from systems Verizon has been using for its enterprise customers. "We've been doing that for a few months now in pilot [programs], and 90% of the time we solve issues the first time around," he said. As the program proceeds, he hopes to get that number up to 95 or 96%. A new version of the myVerizon app includes AI-based support improvements. Verizon Google Gemini is also an important part of an update to the myVerizon app. The AI-powered Verizon Assistant has been built with input from Google engineers and embedded with Verizon-specific context. As a practical example, the technology can enable Verizon to deal with problems proactively. "If your phone is lost in transit, I know it because FedEx told me it didn't get delivered," he said. "Why do I need you to call me and let me know your phone got lost?" In such a case, Verizon uses AI to identify the problem, automatically open a case and get back to the customer with a plan to resolve it. Sampath explained that Verizon essentially creates a small language model for each case, and compared that to the large language models (LLMs) that have more visibility in the industry right now. The small, bespoke models don't have general knowledge around life. "I don't need to know what the Romans did," he said. "I need to know why my bill went up. And we go ahead and do exactly that." LLMs, however, are not always known for their accuracy. Sampath said that a year and a half ago they were seeing a 30%-40% error rate, but that has now improved to "well north of 90% accuracy. And when it's inaccurate, it's only mildly inaccurate because of the way we do it. We don't get crazy answers on [it]." Expanding live customer support and store footprint With this surge in using AI to handle customer issues, I naturally wanted to know if that would negatively affect Verizon staffing. If Verizon's Gemini model can deal with most requests, does that take humans out of the loop and off the payroll? "We've used AI to basically take cognitive workload off our employees so that they can focus their bandwidth and headspace on listening to customers better," Sampath said. "That's the right way for us to go. Look, if I need to take out costs, there are simpler ways for me to do it. I don't need to deploy AI and all the complexity that goes with it. And for us, AI is all about problem solving." As part of this new customer support initiative, Verizon is expanding its live support options in several ways. Representatives will be available from 9 a.m. until midnight (local times) via phone calls, expanded from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and during the rest of the clock via live chat. "[Stuff] happens when you least expect it, and I don't want you to have to wait until the morning, because things can change," he said. Verizon store in New York Richard Levine The network of physical Verizon stores also plays a part, because "we want to be in your community," Sampath said. He noted that Verizon is recommitting to the retail experience, having added around 400 new stores in the last couple years and plans to keep expanding the company's brick-and-mortar footprint. Verizon Access rewards platform In today's mobile provider environment, perks have become powerful incentives, with carriers offering extras from conventional add-ons like streaming services and in-flight Wi-Fi to the assortment of giveaways in T-Mobile Tuesdays. On this front, Sampath made a point of differentiating Verizon's offerings from the competition. "Look, we don't give you $3 off your Little Caesars Pizza… you don't get a large popcorn versus a medium popcorn. I'm sure there's good value in that," he said. "We give you bucket-list things you can do," citing examples such as tickets to NFL games, Katy Perry and Beyonce concerts. Starting today through June 30, Verizon is giving away 35,000 free prizes in drops from its Verizon Access program, "anything from tickets to devices and a bunch of other things to keep our loyalty going."
