UK PM Sunak calls early elections, which some call “a gamble” – National & International News – WED 22May2024

Graceland saved? “Fraudulent” company apparently withdraws foreclosure claim.

Months after a teen died in one of its Mississippi poultry plants, Mar-jac plant in AL found to have underage workers.

UK PM Sunak calls early elections, which some call “a gamble”.

NATIONAL NEWS

Graceland saved? “Fraudulent” company apparently withdraws foreclosure claim 

A judge in Memphis found there was evidence that a claim by an investment firm on Elvis Presley’s home was made fraudulently. Chancellor JoeDae L. Jenkins imposed an injunction to halt an auction of the estate that was to take place tomorrow. Jenkins said that based on the evidence presented by Presley’s heir, granddaughter Riley Keough, it would be prudent to halt the sale until the competing claims are fully evaluated. By doing so, “The public interest is best served, particularly here in Shelby County, for Graceland is a part of this community, well loved by this community and, indeed, around the world,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins also implied that Ms. Keough’s case was likely to prevail “on the merits”. Jeff Germany, Ms. Keough’s attorney, has claimed in a filing that Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC is a “fake entity” created for the purpose of defrauding the Presley estate and the heirs of Lisa Marie Pressley, who died last year. 

The filing claims that documents presented by Naussany (supposedly showing a $3.8 million loan taken out by Lisa Marie in 2018) had forged her signature. The company claimed that Lisa Marie had put up the deed to Graceland as collateral for the loan. A Florida notary whose name appears on these papers affirmed in an affidavit that she had never met Lisa Marie Pressley nor notarized any papers for her.

No attorneys for Naussany appeared in court today.

Claim dropped?

Following the hearing, an e-mail was sent to press outlets purporting to be from a representative of Naussany. The writer of the emails says that the company will be dropping its claim against the estate.

‘”Due to the deed of trust not being recorded and the loan being obtained in different state, legal action would have to be filed in multiple states and Naussany Investments & Private Lending will not acquire to proceed,” the email read. “That comes from consultation of the lawyers for the company. There was no harm meant on Ms. Keough for her mothers LMP mis habits and mis managing of money [sic].”

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Months after a teen died in one of its Mississippi poultry plants, Mar-jac plant in AL found to have underage workers

In July last year, a 16-year-old working as a cleaner at the Mar-Jac poultry plant was pulled into a machine and fatally crushed. The boy was identified as Duvan Pérez, a Guatemalan immigrant. Perez’s mother filed suit against the company this year over her son’s death. His was the second death at that plant since 2021.

Federal regulations prohibit minors from working most jobs in meatpacking plants because the work is considered too dangerous. However, Mar-Jac, like many other companies, often contracts cleaning work from outside companies. Those cleaning companies often hire from agencies.  This further dilutes accountability when minors are found to be working in jobs that they shouldn’t be.

Even after last year’s tragedy, four minors were found to be working in another Mar-Jac plant in Jasper, Alabama.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK PM Sunak calls early elections; some say “a gamble”

Today, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that he was calling a general election a few months sooner than expected. The polls will take place on July 4, but would have otherwise have taken place in fall of this year. During the announcement in front of 10 Downing Street, the Conservative PM touted his government’s achievements since he took office in 2022. Sunak was chosen by his party to replace Liz Truss, whose premiership was famously outlasted by a head of lettuce.

Since October 2022, inflation in the UK has dropped from about 11%, down to 2.3%. Sunak credited his program of austerity measures and tax cuts for cooling down prices. 

Many were surprised by the timing of Sunak’s announcement, but Sunak seems to be counting on the new inflation numbers to make the case that his government should be given another term.

However, while prices on some items have come down, many Britons are still experiencing financial hardship. The Conservative government has also come under fire for mismanagement of the country’s National Health Service, including their push to privatize parts of the service and increase treatment costs for consumers.

The Conservative Party has been in power in Britain for 14 years. Lower inflation or not, the polls still indicate that Britons are ready for a change. Recent polls show the opposition Labor Party leading the Conservatives by 21 points. Analysts and some in Sunak’s own party have called the snap poll “a gamble”, while Labor supporters seem jubilant about the news.

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