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(CNN) — John Geddert, who coached the 2012 US Olympic women’s gymnastics team, was found dead Thursday after being charged with 24 felonies in connection with the abuse of young gymnasts, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday. The 63-year-old was facing charges that included human trafficking, criminal sexual conduct and lying to a peace officer, a release from Nessel’s office read. Geddert had been expected to turn himself in and be arraigned on Thursday afternoon. READ MORE: BorgWarner Donates $1,025,000 To Kettering University To Support Opportunities For Minorities “My office has been notified that the body of John Geddert was found late this afternoon after taking his own life. This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved,” Nessel said in a statement. CNN has reached out to her office for further comment. Geddert was the former owner of the Michigan’s famed Twistars Gymnastics Club. It was one of the places Larry Nassar, the … [Read more...] about Ex-USA Gymnastics Coach John Geddert Found Dead After Being Charged With Human Trafficking And Sex Crimes, Officials Say

Forget scrolling through the TV channels while staying in a hotel - one luxury property has launched its very own 'Book Butler' service so bookworms can request books straight to their door! All you need to do is choose a book from the specially curated in-room menu, dial through to the Book Butler, and you'll get a copy hand delivered straight to your hotel room door. Complete with a custom-designed bookmark too - and you can even opt for 'Book Bites', a menu of snacks that has been designed to go with whatever you're reading! Oh, not only is each book is complimentary, but you can take it home with you post-check out, or leave it to be donated to the West Palm Beach Library Foundation. The Ben West Palm hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, has unveiled the brand new service in partnership with local shop The Palm Beach Book Store, and we love the concept. The new hotel opened its doors in February 2020 but it already has plenty of literary links dating back to the 19th century, … [Read more...] about Hotel launches ‘Book Butler’ service with free books direct to your room

CHICAGO - As Ethiopia prepares for parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in June, the contest to win the hearts and minds of voters is already under way on social media, which democracy activist Befeqadu Hailu is closely watching. “Social media has offered us a means to organize, networking, and expressing ourselves safely, easily and cheaply,” he explained to VOA during a Skype interview from his office in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. “But on the other hand, the political organizations and political groups are using social media in an organized manner so they can disseminate any information in the interest of their political advantage, so that is manipulating their followers.” Ethiopian elections come as unrest flares in its northern Tigray region, where ethnic and political tensions are exploited online. Facebook is the dominant social media platform in the country, although less than 20% of the overall population has internet access. “People disseminate whatever … [Read more...] about Carter Center Battles Online Misinformation Ahead of Ethiopia Elections

U.S. President Joe Biden visits the state of Texas on Friday to survey the extensive damage caused by a severe winter storm that triggered power outages and the loss of drinking water to millions of homes during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden and his wife, Jill, will visit a food bank in Houston, the largest city in Texas. They will also tour an emergency operations center before the president delivers remarks at a Federal Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 vaccination facility housed in a local stadium. At least 40 people in Texas were killed in a severe winter storm that swept across southern U.S. states in mid-February. Texas was hardest hit by the unusually cold temperatures that triggered widespread power outages and caused frozen water pipes to burst, flooding homes and leaving many without heat and running water. Temperatures in the region are returning to normal, but more than 1 million Texas residents are still under orders to boil water before drinking it. Biden … [Read more...] about Biden Visits Texas to Survey Storm Damage

STATE DEPARTMENT - The United States has its worst heroin and opioid crisis in more than 60 years. In 2015, mostly due to the heroin and opioid painkiller epidemic, more than 52,000 deaths in the U.S. were related to drug overdoses, the highest number in U.S. history, according to the State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released Thursday. Ambassador William Brownfield briefed reporters on the release. The Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said that the incredible demand is domestic, but that 100 percent of all heroin, and the great majority of all synthetic drugs that are used and abused in the United States, come from other countries. He estimates that between 90 and 94 percent of all heroin consumed in the U.S. comes from Mexico and that as little as 2-4 percent of it comes from Colombia. The remainder, around 4-6 percent, comes from Asia, mainly from Afghanistan. The U.S. has more communities, more … [Read more...] about State Department: US in Worst Heroin, Opioids Crisis in 60 Years