future

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AX) — Picture this. A courtroom in Minneapolis bustling with intense emotion and dramatic declarations. This week, the trial of Aimee Bock, the alleged architect behind one of the most audacious fraud schemes of the pandemic era, captivated the city — and the nation. Dubbed a scam of monumental proportions, her case is tangled in claims, counterclaims, and a ponderous $250 million scandal. At the heart of this unfolding legal drama lies Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit intended to nourish low-income…

Refugees heading to the CBCA Mugunga Church, which sits within the expansive Mugunga IDP camp in Goma, offer a snapshot of resilience amidst adversity. (Photo Credit: Michel Lunanga/AFP) Mary Ashuza, burdened by the enormity of circumstances beyond her control, walked westwards from Goma. In a scene far too common in the war-ravaged landscapes of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), she and her children clutched onto the remnants of their lives packed into bundles they could carry. From the farmsteads of…

Why do we need institutions? It's a question that beckons a dive into the less navigable waters of human society. The world, a vast and intricate puzzle, continually shifts under our feet, always perplexing, forever unpredictable. Humans, in their solitary states, find themselves overwhelmed by this chaos. Enter institutions—not mere constructs of civilization but the anchors of order and progress. These entities, ranging from governmental bodies and educational establishments to religious congregations and legal frameworks,…

In an unsettling twist of fate, the COVID-19 pandemic, which should have propelled global unity and empathy, instead became fertile ground for some to exploit public resources for personal gain. How can we measure the depth of human avarice? Acting U.S. Attorney, Lisa D. Kirkpatrick, threw a harsh spotlight on the situation: "Rather than feed children, Noor and his co-defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting program changes—to enrich themselves by misappropriating millions of dollars in federal…

On January 20, 2025, an executive order from the Trump administration sent shockwaves through the philanthropic world, as the U.S. government enacted an immediate freeze on foreign aid for a staggering 90 days. This bold decision ignited apprehension among aid organizations, leaving vulnerable communities in despair and shaking the foundations of essential programs tackling hunger, healthcare, and education. The reality is stark: lives depend on this assistance, and the abrupt halt threatens to pull the rug out from under…

“I give this relationship no more than six months,” quipped Peter Brown, the Managing Director of Baggot Investment Partners based in Dublin. The man knows a thing or two about market dynamics. It seems he’s not the only one with these reservations. With Donald Trump stepping into the presidential limelight just last Monday, financial markets braced themselves for a whirlwind of changes across nearly every conceivable sector—stocks, foreign exchange, and cryptocurrencies all poised for a shakeup. And then there’s the Musk…

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AX) — In a turn of events that left many shaking their heads in disbelief, a resident of Savage, Minnesota, confessed on Friday to participating in a swindle of grandiose proportions. This scam siphoned $250 million from a federally funded initiative meant to nourish less fortunate children during the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh, the irony of it all – a saga wrought with intrigue and greed! The protagonist of this sordid tale is Ayan Farah Abukar, a 43-year-old who founded the…

Picture this: A courtroom filled to the brim, emotions running high, and justice about to be served. It was a scene straight out of a gripping legal drama as over a hundred supporters sat in the U.S. District Court, filled with hope and trepidation, during the seven-week saga that was Shariff's trial in June 2024. With Judge Nancy E. Brasel at the helm, the verdict was as stern as it was unavoidable: guilty on all counts. Folks, this included conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud itself, conspiracy to engage in money…

The return of Donald Trump to the Oval Office has cast a long shadow of uncertainty over Africa. As the 47th President of the United States, Trump’s policies could either build bridges or deepen divides, and the continent is bracing for what lies ahead. On one hand, there’s a flicker of hope illuminating the darker corners of apprehension. Trump's meteoric rise back to power signals a potential shake-up of the status quo, not just domestically but internationally as well. As he gears up for the 2024 election, he touts a…

 (CNN) — The week took an unexpected tumble when the nation’s highest court, dressed in its traditional garb of mystery, decided TikTok’s days on American soil might be numbered. In an enigmatic move, the Supreme Court cleared the path for a contentious prohibition on the app, nodding along the lines of "Seize the day, TikTok," much to the dismay of its lively community of creators and dancers. Despite effervescent protestations from the app's ownership, which framed the impending ban as a thumbing at the nose of the First…