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How an Art-Obsessed Frenchman Stole Museums’ Treasures and Stored Them in His AtticDespite its title, journalist Michael Finkel’s new book The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession (Knopf) isn’t only about art crime. It’s also about addiction, the compulsion to continue doing things that you know are bad for you. Surrounding yourself with art, it turns out, can be one of them. The book’s protagonist, Stéphane Breitwieser, was hooked on visiting regional museums in his native France and in Switzerland. His souvenirs weren’t trinkets from the gift shop but artworks themselves, plucked from Plexiglas...

Explanation: These two global views of Mars were captured at ultraviolet wavelengths, beyond the spectrum visible to human eyes. Recorded by the MAVEN spacecraft's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph instrument in July 2022 (left) and January 2023, three otherwise invisible ultraviolet bands are mapped into red, green, and blue colors. That color scheme presents the Red Planet's surface features in shades of tan and green. Haze and clouds appear white or blue, while high altitude ozone takes on a dramatic purple hue. On the left, Mars' south polar ice cap is in brilliant white at the bottom but shrinking during the southern...

Gustav Klimt’s ‘Dame mit Fächer’ (‘Lady with a Fan’) has sold for a record-breaking £85.3m ($108.m, €99.2m) at Sotheby’s. The sale marked the highest price ever paid for an artwork at a European auction. Making its first appearance on the market in 29 years, the piece exceeded pre-sale expectations of £65m. The final bid was placed by Patti Wong, founder of Patti Wong & Associates, who was representing a Hong Kong collector. The previous record for an artwork sold in Europe was £65m for Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture ‘L’homme qui marche I’ (‘The Walking Man I’), sold at Sotheby’s London in...

On Monday, The Washington Times reported that two veteran IRS agents, Gary Shapley and a man identified as “Mr. X,” have testified to Congress about their investigations into Hunter Biden’s many alleged tax-related transgressions. On one occasion, for instance, Biden’s accountants were so skeptical of their client’s honesty that they insisted he sign a representation letter affirming the accuracy of his reported income and deductions, according to the Times. “I’ve never seen that in my career,” Mr. X told the House Ways and Means Committee. The scope of Biden’s deception has kept the agents busy. Shapley and Mr. X testified...

[Catholic Caucus] On the scandalous persecution of the Nuns of the Carmel of the Holy Trinity in Arlington, TexasIf, among the priests who read my appeal, there are some who could make themselves available to guarantee spiritual assistance to the Nuns of Arlington and celebrate the Holy Mass for them according to the venerable Tridentine Rite, I think that by this action – which would honor their Priesthood – they could carry out a work of true Mercy that the Lord will not fail to reward.Declaration of Archbishop Carlo Maria ViganòBlessed are you when they insult you, persecute you and,...

Scientists have discovered that the extinct megalodon shark was warm-blooded, as indicated by the isotopes in its tooth enamel. Their research suggests that the megalodon could maintain a body temperature about 13 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding water, a significant difference compared to other contemporary sharks. A killer, yes. But analysis of tooth minerals reveals how the warm-blooded predator maintained its body temperature. Researchers have determined that the extinct megalodon shark was warm-blooded, able to maintain its body temperature higher than the surrounding water. However, the energy needed for this temperature regulation might have contributed to the megalodon’s extinction...

Leaving everything you own to a multi-millionaire soccer player would not be everyone's idea of a good cause, but one Brazilian fan could not think of a more deserving recipient of his worldly goods than Neymar Jr. The anonymous fan said that beyond a love for the national team and for Brazil's football legacy, he identified with Neymar, which led him to officially name the Brazil striker in his will. "I like Neymar, I identify with him a lot. I also suffer with defamation, I am also very family-oriented and the relationship with his father reminds me a lot of...

:British-born actor Julian Sands, best known for his role in the Oscar-celebrated film "A Room with a View," was confirmed dead on Tuesday, five months after he went missing while out for a hike in snow-covered mountains near Los Angeles, authorities said. Mostly skeletal human remains discovered by hikers on Saturday in the area where Sands, 65, vanished were positively identified by the San Bernardino County coroner as belonging to the actor, the county sheriff's department said. The performer, known to be an avid mountain climber and hiker, was reported missing on the evening of Friday, Jan. 13, after he...

The United States will provide Kyiv with a new military package worth up to $500 million, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, in a show of support for Ukraine's fight against Russia as Moscow deals with the aftermath of a mutiny by mercenary fighters. The package will include ground vehicles including Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker armored personnel carriers, and munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, according to a statement from the Pentagon. The package "includes key capabilities to support Ukraine's counteroffensive operations, strengthen its air defenses ... and other equipment to help Ukraine push back on Russia's war of...

— Increased risk described as "modest," and no association seen with aggressiveness of cancer i> Exposure to Agent Orange was associated with a modestly increased risk of bladder cancer among Vietnam War veterans, according to a retrospective cohort study. Among over 2.5 million male veterans, exposure to Agent Orange was associated with a relative 4% higher risk of bladder cancer (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001), reported Stephen Williams, MD, MBA, of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and colleagues. "These results support prior investigations and further support bladder cancer to be designated as an Agent Orange-associated disease,"...

Social media users are appreciating the solidarity of the teenagers in Russia as they stand together and sing Shaman's I Am RussianTeenagers singing in Russia (Photo Credit: Twitter/paulholding)In this video, teenagers sing “I am Russian” (“Я Русский”) and enjoy every moment.

U.S. electric truck manufacturer Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday and put itself up for sale after failing to resolve a dispute over a promised investment from Taiwan's Foxconn (2354.TW). Shares of Lordstown tumbled 35% in trading on the Nasdaq. The company's bankruptcy is not the first among the crop of EV startups that went public during the pandemic-era SPAC boom. But Lordstown was a high-profile member of that class because it was challenging the core of the legacy Detroit automakers' business of high-margin pickup trucks, and because of its location. "The bankruptcy of Lordstown signals that...

Ryan Seacrest has yet another job to take on. Seacrest has been named the new host of “Wheel of Fortune” following Pat Sajak’s retirement, The Post has confirmed. Along with being the new host, Seacrest, 48, will also serve as a consulting producer on the show, according to a statement from Sony on Tuesday. “I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for...

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than $200 billion may have been stolen from two large COVID-19 relief initiatives, according to new estimates from a federal watchdog investigating federally funded programs that helped small businesses survive the worst public health crisis in more than a hundred years. The numbers issued Tuesday by the U.S. Small Business Administration inspector general are much greater than the office’s previous projections and underscore how vulnerable the Paycheck Protection and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs were to fraudsters, particularly during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

NEW YORK, NY — Former President Donald Trump continues to find himself on the receiving end of serious legal charges after being indicted in New York for eating pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven. "He must face justice for this heinous act," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "Everyone knows wood-burning pizza ovens are a danger to public safety and pose the most immediate threat to our democracy. President Trump must learn he is not above the law." In recordings leaked to CNN, Trump can be heard talking about how much he's enjoying the authentic, New York pizza he's...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed Tuesday he has been invited to China before receiving a similar honor from the Biden White House. The prime minister’s office tweeted that Netanyahu had informed visiting members of Congress about the invitation. “The projected visit will be Prime Minister Netanyahu’s fourth visit to China; the American administration was updated one month ago,” Netanyahu’s office added, without indicating whether the 73-year-old had accepted the invite or when the trip would take place. Netanyahu began his third term as prime minister of America’s staunchest Middle Eastern ally in December, but he has yet to be...

The federal prosecutor tasked with investigating Hunter Biden told at least six witnesses last year that he lacked authority to charge the first son outside Delaware and was denied special counsel status, according to an IRS whistleblower — and now the House Judiciary Committee wants to talk to them. Delaware US Attorney David Weiss made the shocking disclosure at an Oct. 7, 2022, meeting with top IRS and FBI officials — contradicting sworn testimony from Attorney General Merrick Garland, IRS supervisory agent Gary Shapley told the House Ways and Means Committee last month. “He surprised us by telling us on...

Lily Tomlin, Gloria Allred, TV producer Marta Kauffman and others mounted a picket line outside Amazon Studio in Hollywood Friday, demanding that studios put in place stronger abortion protections for film industry employees working in states that have enacted stricter abortion laws. As the writers strike continues, a group of activists with the group “Showrunners for Abortion Rights” jumped in to use the strike to push their own cause, with Tomlin urging writers to shoehorn abortion topics into their scripts, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The victor of the 2024 election is set to face a number of new legislative deadlines immediately upon entering office that could have drastic effects on the country’s economy. More than a dozen candidates are eyeing the Oval Office in 2024, positioning themselves as the best choice to address the nation’s cultural and economic challenges. However, upon taking office in 2024, the winner of the presidential election must deal with the impending expirations of both the 2017 tax law as well as subsidies included in Obamacare. On top of that, the debt limit bill is also set to expire just...

Jewish billionaire Jay Bloom says he and his son Sean were offered two seats on the ill-fated Titan submersible but declined to join over safety concerns and scheduling issues. The American real estate developer, who is based in Las Vegas, said Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman ended up taking their available seats. Dawood and his son were among the five people who died instantly when the submersible imploded on a mission to explore the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic. “Every time I see a picture of that Pakistani businessman and his 19-year-old son, I...