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Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a rare but serious disease that can spread from birds to humans under certain conditions. So far, most cases have been confirmed through direct contact with infected birds or other animals, contaminated environments, and cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.

The Federal Reserve made its third cut this year when it reduced its key interest rate by a quarter-point on Wednesday. The fed also indicated that it may reduce rates more slowly than previously expected in the new year, the Associated Press reported. Even though policymakers previously estimated that they would make four rate cuts in 2025, they now expect to make only two reductions, per the AP. Officials indicated that two more cuts may be coming in 2026 and another could happen in 2027, CNBC reported.

Lanez, whose birth name is Daystar Peterson, is described as a “violent and dangerous criminal” with an “established pattern of behavior [demonstrating] the reasons this civil harassment restraining order is necessary to protect Ms. Pete and her wellbeing,” according to […]

Washington Spirit and USWNT soccer star Trinity Rodman candidly discussed how her father, NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, and his excessive partying lifestyle have affected her relationship with him.

On Tuesday, Musk replied to an article from Tesla Owners Silicon Valley claiming that Tesla’s profits are “up 100 percent” since Trump won the presidential election. He shared a GIF of Nick and his brother Kevin Jonas turning a table, […]

Archeologists unearthed a 1,800-year-old silver amulet in Frankfurt, which features an 18-line inscription that could reshape our understanding of the history of Christianity in Europe.

“It will force us to turn back the history of Christianity in Frankfurt and far beyond by around 50 to 100 years,” Mike Josef, mayor of Frankfurt, told the New York Post.

Rayful Edmond III, a drug lord best known for catalyzing a crack cocaine epidemic in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s, has died. He was 60.

According to The New York Times, Edmond’s death was confirmed by Kristie Breshears, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Per the Bureau, Edmond had been living at a halfway house in Miami at the time of his death.

#NEWS – Rayful Edmond III (born November 26, 1964) is an American former dr*g tr*fficker in Washington, D.C. in the 1980’s has died earlier today after recently being released. Edmond was largely responsible for having introduced cr*ck coc*ine into the Washington, D.C. area… pic.twitter.com/VyeYdbZt5q— HOT 97 (@HOT97) December 17, 2024

What was Rayful Edmond’s cause of death?

At the time of publishing, Breshears did not provide information on his cause of death.

Rayful Edmond’s work in the drug game

Edmond is known as one of the most prolific drug lords in Washington D.C. in the 1980s, earning the nickname the “king of cocaine” in the area, Time reported. He spearheaded a expansive drug empire that contributed significantly to the crack epidemic in D.C., which, in turn, saw a rise in homicides in the city. Edmond’s operation was impenetrable (the 150-member drug ring was protected by guards armed with Uzi submachine guns, The New York Times reported) and lead to at least 30 murders. Those attacks were not linked to Edmond.

It took authorities until 1989 to arrest a 24-year-old Edmond, who was later sentenced to life in prison for running his drug empire, which was estimated to distribute up to 1,700 pounds of cocaine per month and millions of dollars each week. Edmond’s income matched his lifestyle— he was well known in D.C. for living a glamorous lifestyle, including sponsoring local basketball tournaments and traveling to Las Vegas often for acclaimed boxing matches.

Edmond believed he and others shouldn’t have been found guilty

“I think that me and my family and my friends all should have been found not guilty,” Edmond told The Washington Post (as the New York Times reported) after his conviction. “All of us are loving, caring people who have kids. We’re just like everyone else in Washington, D.C.”

But prison didn’t stop Edmond’s operation. Edmond’s influence pushed the Justice Department to create a task force to put a stop to drug trafficking in prisons. In 1996, Edmond pleaded guilty to leading deals between D.C. dealers and Colombian drug cartels from a Pennsylvania prison. And in 1997, the Deputy Attorney General at the time, Eric Holder, said on 60 Minutes that he pushed more cocaine while in prison than when he was out. According to Time, he received an additional 30-year sentence.

Later, Edmond became an informant for authorities. He was a government witness in several cases that helped convict other cocaine traffickers, and he played pivotal roles in covert sting operations. Edmond also provided the government with information on the murder of two inmates in a Pennsylvania prison.

According to The New York Times, information on his survivors has not been shared.

One person is dead, and nine others are injured after a shooting and a fiery crash in Towson, Maryland on Tuesday night, police said.

Carter’s lawyer points out inconsistencies in Jane Doe’s story According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carter’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, said Monday that the 38-year-old Jane Doe’s story “never happened” and accused her of pursuing financial gain rather than “truth and justice.” […]

A 15-year-old student opened fire at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, leaving two dead and more than six injured on Monday. Investigators are examining the suspect’s background and a possible motive in the shooting, which has since shaken the community.