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INSIDER

ROBERT KRAFT

Robert Kraft Makes Spiritually Significant Donation On Behalf Of Damar Hamlin After Cardiac Arrest

By JNS ReporterBuffalo Bills fans attend a candlelight prayer vigil for player Damar Hamlin at Highmark Stadium on January 3, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. The “3” is Damar Hamlin’s number. Beautiful gesture.”In the initial 17 hours after Hamlin was taken off the field and hospitalized, his toy drive charity saw an average of 2.5 donations every second. One of those showing well-wishes has been New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who provided $18,003 to the toy drive being held in Hamlin’s name. Hamlin started the toy drive as a GoFundMe project two years ago with the initial target of raising $2,500.

thewestsidegazette.com

When Private Jets Ferry Billionaires to Small-Town Idaho

HAILEY, Idaho — Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, flies in a Gulfstream G650. So do Jeff Bezos and Dan Schulman, PayPal’s CEO. The jets, roughly 470 of which are in operation, retail for about $75 million each. Most days, those planes are spread out, ferrying captains of industry to meetings around the globe. But for one week in July, some of them converge on a single 100-foot-wide asphalt runway beside the jagged hills of Idaho’s Wood River Valley. The occasion is the annual

news.yahoo.com

Patriots, Bucs among those making biggest waves so far

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)Bill Belichick never was one to spent wildly in free agency. Whether by trade, free agency or re-signings, the group brings a good mix of offense, defense and special teams. In addition to keeping Von Miller, Justin Simmons and Shelby Harris, Paton filled his biggest defensive pothole by signing free agent cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONSThe Lions didn’t do much in free agency but nobody in Detroit should be bothered. The Lions are focused on rebuilding through the draft after sending QB Matthew Stafford to the Rams and then letting star wide receiver Kenny Golladay walk in free agency.

With media deals complete, NFL eyes over $100 million per year for its data rights

He just delivered NFL team owners more than $100 billion in media rights fees. Now, he'll oversee the league's data rights which fuel sports betting. The NFL could seek over $100 million per year for its new data rights agreement according to people familiar with the situation. The people said the NFL would try to align its new data rights deal with media deals. As for the broader media rights deal that was inked on Thursday, here's what stands out:

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Judge: Destroy massage parlor video of Patriots owner

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)JUPITER, Fla. – A federal judge in Florida has ordered the destruction of video that allegedly shows New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft paying for massage parlor sex. Kraft’s attorneys had argued that the billionaire feared the tapes of him in the nude would be publicized on the internet. Shen and co-defendant Lei Wang, 45, “both began massaging Kraft,” Detective Andrew Sharp wrote in the affidavit. The affidavit goes on to say how Kraft handed Wang and Shen cash before they finished dressing him. Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr has said Kraft also visited the business the next morning.

Women plead guilty in sex sting involving Patriots owner

Lei Wang, 41, and Shen Mingbi, 60, each pleaded guilty in Palm Beach County circuit court to one count of soliciting another to commit prostitution, records show. Kraft had pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology for his actions. Hua Zhang, 59, pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanors. Lei Chen, 45, pleaded guilty to eight counts of offering to commit prostitution in February. Police say the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.

Prosecutors drop prostitution charges against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, more than year after scandal broke

Owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft walks on the field prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 17, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Florida prosecutors on Thursday dropped prostitution solicitation charges against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, after being barred from using police surveillance videos that might prove their case. "Without these videos we cannot move forward with our prosecution," said Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg during a press conference. "It is not a lack of will that caused us to drop the charges in the spa cases," Aronberg said. "But our hands were tied" by the attorney general's decision not to appeal the ruling, he added.

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Patriots owner Kraft cleared of massage parlor sex charge in South Florida

All rights reserved)JUPITER, Fla. – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will not face trial on charges he paid for massage parlor sex. A court ruled last month that the video cameras police secretly installed in the spa violated the customers' right to privacy. Shen and co-defendant Lei Wang, 45, “both began massaging Kraft,” Detective Andrew Sharp wrote in the affidavit. The affidavit goes on to say how Kraft handed Wang and Shen cash before they finished dressing him. Although he is no longer facing criminal charges, Kraft could still face a suspension from the National Football League.

Patriots owner Kraft cleared of massage parlor sex charge

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Thursday after courts blocked their use of video that allegedly shows him paying for massage parlor sex. The recordings, which have not been made public, are the only known evidence the men paid for sex. Prosecutors decided this week not to appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, saying a loss there could have “broader, negative implications” on future law enforcement investigations beyond the Kraft case. Aronberg said that because of a civil lawsuit filed against his office over the case, the recordings are still evidence. Police say the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.

Prosecutors drop charges against Patriots owner Robert Kraft after cops bungled sex sting

“The Orchids of Asia Day Spa was a notorious brothel in a family shopping center, right next to a game room that attracted children," Aronberg said. "Rich guys from a local country club lined up to receive sex acts throughout the day until the place closed around midnight. Although we could not prove human trafficking beyond a reasonable doubt there was evidence ... massage workers at the spa lived on premises.”

sun-sentinel.com

Florida decision likely clears Pats owner of soliciting sex

The state's decision means the charges against Kraft and about 20 other men will likely be dismissed. The recordings, which have not been made public, are the only known potential evidence that the men paid for sex. Police say the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them. The 4th District agreed, ruling that planting video cameras in private spaces is an “extreme” measure that should only be used when absolutely necessary. Even if the charges are dropped, Kraft could still face a suspension or other punishment from the National Football League.

Newton runs for 2 TDs, Patriots hold off Dolphins 21-11

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, right, celebrates his second rushing touchdown as he heads to the bench in the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. – Cam Newton looked just fine as Tom Brady's replacement, rushing for two touchdowns Sunday, and the New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 21-11 to open the season. The Patriots were threatening again late in the period, but Jerome Baker kept the Dolphins in the game. Newton carried on the second play of the game and capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run on the Patriots’ third possession to put them up 7-0. MOVING ON UPEdelman pulled in 6-yard pass early in the second quarter, his 600th career reception.

Racial injustice themes on display in empty NFL stadiums

After about 15 seconds, they rose, trotted off the field, and the game proceeded as normal. So we’ll just stay inside until it’s time to play the game,” Miami players said in the video. Goodell posted a video in June conceding that the league had been late in acknowledging the problem. Since then, the league has taken visible steps like allowing racial justice messages in end zones and on helmets and T-shirts. Some team owners have pledged money toward social justice causes or offered their stadiums as polling places for the November election.

Cuomo calls PPE shortages a national security issue: 'You can't be dependent on China'

Cuomo said efforts to procure masks from China amid state competition for medical supplies were "inefficient and ineffective" and warned against dependence on China for basic equipment. I mean think about that you couldn't even get it in this nation," Cuomo said at a press briefing. "You can't be dependent on China to have the basic equipment to save lives in the United States, that's what this came down to," the governor said. In response, New York is a launching a regional buying consortium with six Northeast states to procure PPE, tests, ventilators and other medical equipment to reduce competition among states and lower prices. "We can't go through this day to day in this mad scramble to move masks to where they were needed."

cnbc.com

New England Patriots team plane transporting 1.7 million masks for coronavirus relief

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A call for help from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker prompted an unorthodox mission from the New England Patriots, who sent their team jet to China this week in order to retrieve 1.7 million N95 medical masks, the NFL side said on Thursday. A New England Patriots Boeing 767-300 jet with a shipment of over one million N95 masks from China, which will be used in Boston and New York to help fight the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), arrives at Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., April 2, 2020. It is an honour for our family to be a part of this humanitarian mission, team owner Robert Kraft said in a written statement. Another 300,000 purchased by Kraft will be sent to New York, the epicentre of the outbreak in the United States. As a life long NY Jets fan, hats off to Mr. Kraft and the team business and aviation professionals making this possible!

feeds.reuters.com

Michael Douglas, Zeta-Jones to co-host Jerusalem ceremony

JERUSALEM – Hollywood power couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are set to return to Israel as co-hosts of this year’s Genesis Prize ceremony. The Genesis Prize Foundation announced on Wednesday that the pair would co-host the June 18 event, where former Soviet dissident and Israeli politician Natan Sharansky is to be honored as the 2020 laureate. Douglas, whose mother wasn’t Jewish and who himself is intermarried, directed his award toward projects promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the Jewish world. “Catherine and I look forward to returning to Israel, a country our entire family loves so much,” Douglas said in a statement. The foundation said that during Douglas’ visit, it will hold a special event honoring his father’s cinematic legacy.

Amid criticism, Trump signs order targeting anti-Semitism at universities

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to prohibit federal funding for colleges and universities that allow anti-Semitism, but the move drew some criticism for potentially limiting free speech. REUTERS/Tom BrenneThe order would extend protections against discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act to people subjected to anti-Semitism on college campuses. This is our message to universities: If you want to accept the tremendous amount of federal dollars that you get every year, you must reject anti-Semitism. Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. In a climate of rising anti-Semitism, this executive order provides valuable guidance on anti-Semitism, giving law enforcement and campus officials an important additional tool to help identify and fight this pernicious hate, Chief Executive Jonathan Greenblatt said.

feeds.reuters.com

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick wins 300th game

Jim Rogash/Getty ImagesBOSTON - The New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is now part of an elite club of coaches. The Patriot's 27-13 win over the Cleveland Browns marked Belichick's 300th win, making him only the third coach in NFL history to accomplish such a feat, according to the league's website. Patriots CEO and chairman Robert Kraft presented Belichick the game ball after the game. "I'm happy that 263 of those 300 has been as coach of the New England Patriots," Kraft said. Belichick's first victory as a head coach was against the Patriots as the Browns' coach on September 8, 1991, Kraft said.

Tom Brady says cameo taken out of context

Tom Brady throws a 34-yard touchdown pass to Josh Gordon for his 500th career touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 4, 2018. (CNN) - Tom Brady is defending his cameo in the Netflix series "Living With Yourself," saying the media is creating a "blame and shame" culture. In the scene, Brady is seen walking out of the "Top Happy Spa," which is located inside a strip mall. Brady insisted that the scene has nothing to do with Kraft and told reporters it was "taken out of context." "Again, it's unfortunate that people would choose to think I would ever do something like that about Mr. Kraft.

Prosecutors file appeal after judge tosses video evidence in Robert Kraft case

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Prosecutors have filed an appeal after a Palm Beach County judge tossed video evidence in the prostitution charges involving New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Jeffrey Paul DeSousa, deputy solicitor general for Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's office, filed the appeal Tuesday with the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Palm Beach County Judge Joseph Marx ruled in May that Jupiter police did not do enough to avoid violating the Fourth Amendment rights of patrons at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. But DeSousa's appeal argues that the county court erroneously suppressed the video evidence of Kraft's alleged offenses and that police lawfully conducted surveillance at the spa over a five-day period. "By subsequently invaliding both the warrant and the ensuing search, the county court erred," according to the appeal.

Prosecutors appeal ruling banning Kraft prostitution video

If the appeal fails, prosecutors will likely have to drop their case against Kraft, a widower worth $6 billion whose Palm Beach mansion is across a bridge from the spa. Only hours after that, Kraft was in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game, where his Patriots defeated the Chiefs . The NFL has issued no sanctions against Kraft, but has said it is monitoring the case. While prosecutors are arguing that ruling is faulty on several fronts, they focused on whether the recordings illegally violated Kraft's privacy. No matter which way the justices rule, the losing side will likely appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.

chicagotribune.com

Six-figure salaries, million-dollar prizes, health benefits and housing includedinside the Overwatch League

The 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals, which is like the game's Super Bowl, will feature the Vancouver Titans facing off against the San Francisco Shock. This is the second year the Overwatch League has held the Grand Finals, and it marks an even greater milestone for esports. Professional gaming is an emerging industry growing in popularity and offering lucrative pay and notoriety. Just look at the Overwatch League. Michael Jordan led a $26 million investment in gaming company aXiomatic Gaming in the fall of 2018.

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