Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), are pressing FBI Director Kash Patel and the Department of Justice’s acting inspector general for answers about whether Patel is using government resources for personal leisure after he took a “VIP snorkel” trip in Hawaii. Schumer, Hirono and Sen. Dick Durbin… Source link
WASHINGTON — When Kash Patel visited Hawaii last summer, the FBI took pains to note the director was not on vacation, highlighting his walking tour of the bureau’s Honolulu field office and meetings with local law enforcement. Left out of the FBI’s news releases was an exclusive excursion that Patel took days later when he participated in what government officials described as a “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona in an outing coordinated by the military. The sunken battleship entombs more than 900 sailors and Marines at Pearl Harbor. The swim, revealed in government emails obtained by the Associated Press, comes to light amid criticism of Patel’s use of the FBI plane and his global travel, which have blurred professional responsibilities with leisure activities. The FBI did not disclose the snorkeling session or that Patel had returned to Hawaii for two days after his initial stopover on the island. “It fits a pattern of Director Patel getting tangled up in unseemly distractions — this time at a site commemorating the second-deadliest attack in U.S. history — instead …
First-day sales reports from galleries at the latest edition of the Frieze Los Angeles art fair indicate an abundance of enthusiasm. Enough New Yorkers escaped the snow to be everywhere in the aisles, and major California collectors and cultural figures were spotted in numbers. “It’s a frenzy,” said clearly harried LA dealer Charlie James, standing amid works by Kristopher Raos, Manuel López, and other gallery artists. “We’ve already sold three times as much as at the entire Art Basel Miami Beach in December,” said Niamh Coghlan, director at London’s Richard Saltoun Gallery, by early afternoon. “This is the perfect-sized fair,” she added, with about 100 exhibitors at the Santa Monica Airport. The gallery is exhibiting works by two Italian artists, Romany Eveleigh and Bice Lazzari. Related Articles Big galleries were making big sales, with David Zwirner placing a 2016 work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Grandmother’s Parlour, for $2.8 million to a European foundation. The gallery had also sold a 2020 painting by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye for $1.5 million and two Lisa Yuskavage works for $280,000 and …
The Carter family loved every bit of their Super Bowl day out. Beyoncé and Jay-Z provided their daughters Blue Ivy, 14, and Rumi Carter, eight, with an extravagant VIP experience during the annual final. The iconic singer shared an inside look into the family’s festivities in several recent carousel posts on social media. © InstagramBeyonce went to the Super Bowl with her family Firstly, the family took a private plane to get to San Francisco on Sunday. The entertainer posed in a luxurious jet with a cozy white couch, secluded bed, and flat-screen TV which featured a fun “Game Day” sign hanging over it. Beyoncé rocked a sleek bob while donning a lime green trench coat with a snakeskin pattern, along with a matching bag and brown shades. Underneath the look, she rocked a curve-hugging outfit with a white top and grey leggings. © InstagramThe A-list singer enjoyed a gorgeous hotel during their time there The family stayed at an elegant hotel, complete with a balcony overlooking the city, where the performer enjoyed a cigar. Beyoncé swapped …
The Trump administration’s primary venue at the World Economic Forum in Davos, known as USA House, issued a pointed warning on its website Tuesday after reports surfaced that some high-profile attendees had been duped by scalpers peddling counterfeit VIP access packages, Fox Business reports. Pedestrians walk past the USA House during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Alpine resort of Davos on Monday. (Getty Images) “Caveat billionaires,” the notice began dryly, “It has been brought to our attention that again this year external parties are selling ‘VIP access to USA House’ and other Stromback Global venues in Davos.” Organizers said that USA House and Stromback Global maintain no partnerships with third-party resellers and will deny entry to anyone holding such bogus credentials. The statement added a touch of literary flair: “The volume of inbound queries this year suggests that these fake VIP passes may be the fastest-selling fiction about Davos since Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain.” The statement closed with sympathies for the victims of the apparent swindle. USA House, a …
