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6.5 million people
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear argument in a case about whether or not a question about citizenship can be included in the 2020 Census, the decennial counting that determines the sizes of congressional delegations and federal funding. Proponents of the question, including the Trump administration, claim that it would help enforce the Voting Rights Act — and are “eager” to have the high court hear another issue that reflects their “hard-line immigration policies.” Critics argue that it could create an undercount of some 6.5 million people and “cause special harm to urban areas and states with large immigrant populations.” [The Washington Post]
$1.5 million
Michael Avenatti, the attorney who represented Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Trump, stands accused of embezzling some $1.5 million from Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. Avenatti, according to prosecutors, was authorized to take about $1 million in legal fees following a $2.75 million payment that Whiteside had wired Avenatti intended for Whiteside’s ex-girlfriend. Instead, they say, Avenatti took $2.5 million “to buy a share of a private jet.” [Los Angeles Times]
14 years
This past weekend, Hollywood laid an egg — I promise that’s my one egg pun for the year — recording the worst Easter weekend at the movie box office in 14 years, with a total of $112 million in ticket sales. Something called “The Curse of La Llorona” led the way, such as it was, with receipts of $26.5 million in North American theaters. [Variety]
200,000 bees
Some 200,000 bees living atop Notre Dame survived last week’s blaze, according to the cathedral’s beekeeper. Their hives were spared overly high temperatures, and the smoke would have “simply intoxicated them.” When they sense danger, European bees respond by “gorging on honey and working to protect their queen.” [BBC]
$375,000 prize fund
FIDE, the world governing body of chess, will sanction a brand new world championship in a variant of the game called Fischer Random. Advocated by the former normal world chess champion Bobby Fischer, Fischer Random is played like normal chess but for the fact that the positions of the pieces other than the pawns are randomized on their row before the game begins. The new championship will sport a $375,000 prize fund with qualification rounds open to anyone and taking place online. [FIDE]
12 miles off the coast
An American Bitcoin trader and his girlfriend have fled their home, which was built atop a platform in the sea 12 miles off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, and gone into hiding. The trader claimed his “seastead” home fell under the sovereignty of no country, but Thai authorities have claimed it violated theirs and revoked his visa. They could reportedly face life imprisonment or the death penalty. [CNN]
From ABC News:
News headlines today: April 22, 2019
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