Former aide to Prince Charles steps down over cash-for-honors scandal
CNN
Prince Charles' longest serving and closest aide has stepped down voluntarily as head of The Prince's Foundation amid claims of misconduct first reported by the Sunday Times.
Michael Fawcett, who previously served as the prince's valet, has been accused of using his position and influence to help Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz obtain an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (or CBE) title, according to the Sunday Times. An honorary CBE is one of the highest accolades that can be received by a non-Commonwealth citizen. The Sunday Times reported Mahfouz made large financial donations to refurbishment projects of interest to the Prince of Wales in exchange for support in securing the honorary title, which the Queen conferred in 2016. The newspaper alleges Fawcett -- who left his valet role in 2003 but was reportedly freelancing for the royal -- coordinated the application process.
The special counsel stressed his decision was not about the strength of his case against Trump
CNN’s 5 Things brings you the news you need to know every morning.
A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a source familiar with the matter, as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to go after the officials involved in the withdrawal.
Special counsel Jack Smith said Monday that he is dropping his election subversion case against President-elect Donald Trump, seeking the case’s dismissal in a court filing with the judge.
President Joe Biden tapped into his presidential pardon power in the waning days of his time in office Monday, granting clemency to a pair of lucky turkeys and kicking off the holiday season.
The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a challenge from major tobacco companies to the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that they place graphic health warnings on cigarette packages and in advertisements.
The family of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Black mother of four who was shot and killed by her neighbor during an ongoing dispute over children playing near the neighbor’s home, says the 60-year-old white woman deserves “the maximum penalty under the law,” according to a statement.
Despite his campaign promises to leave the issue to the states, President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will shape the national landscape around abortion and reproductive health.
The criminal cases of actors Jussie Smollett and Bill Cosby, both Black, high-profile entertainers found guilty before their convictions were overturned, differ widely in details but share some parallels.
Uruguayans went to the polls Sunday for a second round of voting to choose their next president, with the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are determined to force federal employees to return to the office in hopes that some will opt to quit instead. That effort is going to affect some agencies – and workers – much more than others.