Top Stories
Jury returns to deliberate for a second day at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury returned to deliberate for a second day Tuesday at hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs ‘ federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
Jurors were back behind closed doors weighing whether prosecutors proved the charges at a trial that began in early May.
Combs’ lawyers and prosecutors, meanwhile, began the day wrangling in the courtroom with Judge Arun Subramanian over how he planned to answer the jury’s latest question.
Jurors ended the day Monday by asking the judge for clarification about what qualifies as drug distribution, an aspect of the racketeering conspiracy charge that will help determine whether Combs can be convicted or exonerated on the count.
Subramanian said he would remind jurors of the instructions he gave them on that part of the case before they started deliberating on Monday. Combs’ lawyers had pushed for a more expansive response, but prosecutors argued — and Subramanian agreed — that doing so could end up confusing jurors more.
On Monday, the panel deliberated over five hours without reaching a verdict.
Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his fame, fortune and a roster of employees and associates to help him coerce and force two different girlfriends to repeatedly perform sexually with male sex workers for days at a time while he watched and sometimes filmed the drug-fueled events.
Defense lawyers say prosecutors are unjustly basing federal crimes on what Combs did in the bedroom with his girlfriends as they participated in the swinger lifestyle and on acts of domestic violence involving their client.
Combs, 55, could face 15 years in prison to life behind bars if he is convicted of all charges.
After pleading not guilty, Combs chose not to testify as his lawyers built their arguments for acquittal mostly through lengthy cross examinations of dozens of witnesses called by prosecutors, including some of Combs’ former employees who took the witness stand reluctantly only after being granted immunity.
When jurors first left the room to begin deliberating on Monday, Combs sat for a while slumped in his chair at the defense table before standing and turning toward three rows of spectators packed with his family and friends.
Those supporters held hands and lowered their heads in prayer, as did Combs, who was several feet from them in the well of the courtroom. After they finished, they together applauded, and so did Combs, still clapping as he turned back toward the front of the room.
Combs also showed off two books he’s reading: “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale and “The Happiness Advantage” by Shawn Achor.
Barely an hour into deliberations, the jury foreperson sent a note to the judge, complaining that there was one juror “who we are concerned cannot follow your Honor’s instructions. May I please speak with your Honor or may you please interview him?”
The judge decided instead to send jurors a note reminding them of their duties to deliberate and obligation to follow his instructions on the law.
By day’s end, the jury seemed back on track, sending the note about drug distribution.
Top Stories
Camp Mystic says it’s grieving 27 counselors and campers
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Camp Mystic confirmed Monday it is “grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors” following the devastating floods in Texas over the weekend.
The all-girls Christian camp, which has been a summertime retreat for generations of Texas girls, has become the focus of floods’ aftermath. The camp is Kerr County along the Guadalupe River, where water reached catastrophic levels overnight Friday. About 10 inches of rain fell within a few hours, causing the river to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes.
“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” the camp wrote in a statement to their website. “We are praying for them constantly.”
The camp said it has been in communication with local and state authorities who are conducting searches for the missing girls.
Officials have confirmed at least 79 deaths as of Sunday from the floods in Central Texas, including 40 adults and 28 children in Kerr County. It was not immediately clear Monday morning how many of the girls from Camp Mystic were included in that official count. A press conference has been scheduled for 10 a.m.
Camp Mystic’s director Richard “Dick” Eastland is among those who have been confirmed dead. According to Eastland’s son, the director died trying to save campers as the floodwaters began engulfing the camp.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level,” the camp said on its website.
Questions about a lack of sufficient warnings have continued to grow since the flash floods. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday afternoon, predicting up to seven inches of isolated rainfall early Friday morning.
At 1:14 a.m. Friday, the NWS issued the first flash flood warning. At 4:03 a.m., the NWS issued a flash flood emergency, warning of an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
Local and state officials have since said the NWS forecasts did not accurately predict the intensity of the rainfall.
Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas’ most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November.
TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Top Stories
Prime Day Anker Deals: Over 25 Discounts on the Best Mobile Accessories, Home and Security Tech Devices
Amazon’s Prime Day sale brings around the next opportunity to score deals if you missed out on Independence Day shopping. Prime Day arrives tomorrow; however, brands like Anker are already offering discounts on their appliances, gadgets and devices. We’ve listed some early Prime Day deals below.
Note that some Anker power banks were part of a recent recall. So be sure to claim your free replacement or gift card if you own one of the affected devices sold between 2016 and 2022.
Also, don’t forget, Prime Day offers the chance to score some of the biggest discounts of the year. You can shop for price cuts on everything from vacuums to headphones and projectors. We will regular update this page and others, leading up to and throughout the entire sale, so be sure to check back often for all of the latest and greatest deals.
Best Prime Day Anker deals
Best Anker audio and video deals
This compact Nebula projector allows you to enjoy shows and movies on a massive screen practically anywhere. It’s roughly the size of a 16-ounce can so it can be easily carried in your backpack. However, it still projects a maximum screen size of up to 120 inches. The device also has 1080p HD resolution and 200 lumens of brightness and a built-in battery for up to 2.5 hours of playback on a single charge.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 is an excellent value according to our experts. It’s compact, IPX7 waterproof and has an impressive sound. It also has cool LED lighting and a solid battery life. The speaker even won an Editors’ Choice Award and is our favorite Bluetooth speaker overall this year.
These headphones feature 40mm drivers that deliver high-resolution sound, and thanks to their active noise cancellation technology, you can hear every little detail. It supports up to 50 hours of listening time on a single charge with noise cancellation active. This makes it perfect for daily use on your commute, in the gym or wherever you feel you need headphones. Also, remember, if you choose the black color, you’ll save more than 20%.
More audio and video deals:
Best Anker mobile deals
These tiny Bluetooth tiles make it easy to track down your keys, backpack or other everyday essentials. They’re compatible with Apple’s FindMy app so you can easily see the location on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or MacBook and even have a built-in siren so you can locate them when you’re nearby. They also have a replaceable battery with a one-year lifespan. Just note that these are not compatible with Android devices.
This Anker MagSafe power bank is one of our favorites of 2025, thanks to its support for Qi2 wireless charging and its slim design. It has a 10,000 mAh capacity and delivers 715W of power wirelessly or 30W of power via USB-C. It’s guaranteed to be a great add-on to your daily carry if you’re in the market for a power bank.
More mobile deals:
Best Anker home deals
With a 3-liter base station, this Eufy robot vacuum can run for up to 60 days maintenance-free. It also boasts 4,000 Pa of powerful suction and with a slim 2.8-inch design it can easily fit underneath beds, couches and other furniture. It can also map multiple floors of your home, which makes it easy to set custom cleaning schedules and no-go zones.
There’s more to your health than just body weight, and this advanced Eufy smart scale can help you see the big picture. It also tracks loads of other biometrics, including body fat, muscle mass, and water weight. Plus, it even gives recommendations to help you stay on track to meet your fitness goals.
This unique floor lamp makes adding some atmosphere to your living room easy. It boasts 1,700 lumens of brightness and more than 16 million possible colors so you can find the perfect hue for your mood. There are more than 80 preset lighting modes, and you can set custom schedules and patterns. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free control.
More Anker home deals:
Best Anker security deals
Keep your front door secure with this easy-to-install smart lock. With this lock, you have a variety of methods to choose from to securely unlock your door, including keypad entry, a physical key, in-app controls or voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It is also compatible with the Apple Home app. The smart lock offers eight months of battery life with two AA batteries.
See clearly day or night with this two-in-one wall light and camera. It features a 2K camera with HD resolution and color night vision, as well as a 300-lumen light with motion activation. The light is also solar-powered so you won’t have to worry about a complicated installation or remembering to change the batteries.
With a built-in solar panel that fully recharges the battery in just three hours, you can easily install this Eufy security camera practically anywhere on your property. It boasts 2K video resolution as well as an f/1.6 aperture for excellent low-light performance and AI detection to distinguish humans, vehicles and animals. The camera is also durable with an IP67 weather-resistance rating.
More security deals:
When is Amazon’s Prime Day event?
The online retailer’s massive sale officially kicks off on July 8 this year and will run through July 11. However, the Fourth of July just passed and several retailers have been offering a massive slate of Independence Day deals as well. Amazon didn’t have an official Fourth of July sale but Prime Day deals have started already.
Are Amazon Prime Day deals worth buying?
Depending on what you are after, the short answer is yes. You can expect thousands of items to go on sale, including some deals that match or exceed the previous all-time low prices. Just note that Amazon stock can fluctuate wildly, which means there’s no telling how long the item will remain on sale or available. If you see a deal you don’t want to miss, we’d recommend taking advantage of those savings sooner rather than later.
Will other retailers be offering Prime Day deals?
While the official Prime Day sale is exclusive to Amazon, other retailers will absolutely be getting in on the action. Walmart has already announced that it will be having its own summer sale event that runs from July 8 to July 13 and it’s likely that at least a few other competitors will follow suit. For example, last year at this time we saw Best Buy launch a “Black Friday in July” sales event.
How we choose the best Amazon Prime Day deals
Many of us here at CNET have covered shopping events for several years, including Black Friday, Prime Day, Memorial Day and countless other sales. In that time, we’ve learned how to spot the best deals among a sea of thousands of superficial offers and scams and we only surface the best offers from trusted retailers. We look for real discounts, quality reviews and remaining sale time when choosing the best deals to show you.
- Real discounts mean genuine savings. We check pricing history for products listed as on sale so we know when it’s a case of an inflated list price rather than an actual discount.
- Quality reviews and testing are super important for any product. A discount isn’t worthwhile if it results in a subpar product experience, no matter how much you saved.
- Remaining sale time is important, too. Some deals are only around for a short time or may be limited in supply. If that’s the case, we’ll let you know upfront so you don’t come back to the deal later only to be disappointed.
Top Stories
Heart disease and BMI linked with increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women
In postmenopausal women with heart disease, excess weight could be linked to an especially high risk of developing breast cancer, according to international researchers. The team looked at data from over 168,000 postmenopausal women who did not have type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease when they agreed to participate. After a follow-up of around 10 years, over 6,000 developed breast cancer, and the team found that in women who developed cardiovascular disease during the study, each 5 point increase in BMI was associated with a 31% higher risk of breast cancer when compared to women without cardiovascular disease.
Journal/conference: CANCER
Research: Paper
Organisation/s: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization
Funder: Funding was obtained from World Cancer Research Fund (UK), as part of the World Cancer Research Fund International grant program.
Media release
From: Wiley
How does body mass index affect breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women with and without cardiovascular disease?
Analysis shows that weight-associated breast cancer risk is higher in women with cardiovascular disease.
New research reveals that excess weight is linked to an especially high risk of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Although higher body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for breast cancer in postmenopausal women, it’s unclear whether this risk differs among women with and without cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes. To investigate, a team led by Heinz Freisling, PhD, of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization) analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank on 168,547 postmenopausal women who did not have, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease when they agreed to participate.
After a median follow-up of 10.7 years in EPIC and 10.9 years in UK Biobank, 6,793 postmenopausal women developed breast cancer. In a pooled analysis of both studies, each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI was associated with a 31% higher risk of breast cancer in women who developed cardiovascular disease during follow-up and a 13% higher risk in women without cardiovascular disease. The development of type 2 diabetes did not seem to affect breast cancer risk: women with or without type 2 diabetes had a similarly elevated breast cancer risk related to higher BMI.
The combination of overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and cardiovascular disease was estimated to lead to 153 more cases of breast cancer per 100,000 people per year than expected.
“The findings of this study could be used to inform risk-stratified breast cancer screening programs,” said Dr. Freisling. “This study should also inspire future research to include women with a history of cardiovascular diseases in weight loss trials for breast cancer prevention.”
-
Funding & Business7 days ago
Kayak and Expedia race to build AI travel agents that turn social posts into itineraries
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Mumbai-based Perplexity Alternative Has 60k+ Users Without Funding
-
Mergers & Acquisitions6 days ago
Donald Trump suggests US government review subsidies to Elon Musk’s companies
-
Funding & Business6 days ago
Rethinking Venture Capital’s Talent Pipeline
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Why Agentic AI Isn’t Pure Hype (And What Skeptics Aren’t Seeing Yet)
-
Funding & Business4 days ago
Sakana AI’s TreeQuest: Deploy multi-model teams that outperform individual LLMs by 30%
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Astrophel Aerospace Raises ₹6.84 Crore to Build Reusable Launch Vehicle
-
Funding & Business7 days ago
From chatbots to collaborators: How AI agents are reshaping enterprise work
-
Tools & Platforms6 days ago
Winning with AI – A Playbook for Pest Control Business Leaders to Drive Growth
-
Jobs & Careers4 days ago
Ilya Sutskever Takes Over as CEO of Safe Superintelligence After Daniel Gross’s Exit