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| THE BIG STORY
The former USA Gymnastics coach killed himself after being charged with sex crimes and human trafficking
On Thursday, the Michigan attorney general filed 24 criminal charges against John Geddert, the 2012 Olympics USA Gymnastics coach. The charges allege Geddert verbally, physically, and sexually abused young female athletes.
After the announcement of the charges, Geddert, 63, was expected to turn himself in to authorities and be arraigned. Instead, his body was found after the charges had been filed.
The charges included 20 counts of human trafficking and forced labor, one count of first-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree sexual assault, and racketeering. He is also accused of lying to law enforcement about his knowledge of the crimes committed by the former USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Geddert owned a gymnastics club in Michigan where dozens of women and girls said they were sexually abused by Nassar.
During Nassar's sentencing hearings, where more than 150 women delivered victim impact statements, several gymnasts spoke about Geddert's alleged physical and emotional abuse. John Geddert in March 2012. Kathy Willens / AP HELP US FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY
Our journalists filed 58 Freedom of Information Act lawsuits during Trump's presidency — more than any other media organization in the US. We have no plans to slow down, but pursuing that work is expensive and time consuming.
That's why every BuzzFeed News Membership sign-up or one-time contribution from now until March 15 will go toward our FOIA fund. When you contribute, you’ll become a BuzzFeed News member and receive special member-only emails, including an inside look when we publish the next major FOIA scoop. Help us reach our goal of $100,000 for our FOIA fund by contributing here. STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
Biden’s $15 minimum wage proposal just died in the Senate
A month into his administration, President Joe Biden has been handed his first major policy defeat. His promise to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour was dealt a likely fatal blow after a Senate official ruled the policy cannot be attached to the upcoming COVID-19 aid bill.
It’s an early sign of the difficulty Biden will have passing his agenda through the Senate, where he will need to win over at least 10 Republicans on most votes.
Not a single Republican backed Biden’s push to gradually raise the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 since 2009, to $15 by 2025. SNAPSHOTS
Someone shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker and took her two French bulldogs. Two men confronted the victim, demanding at gunpoint that he give them the dogs. Police said the victim, who has not been identified, is in stable condition. Gaga has offered a reward of $500,000 for the return of the dogs, “no questions asked.”
A judge blocked Biden’s big pause on deportations, but ICE says it will continue to focus on certain immigrants only. Despite the legal setback, ICE officers were told to remain focused on immigrants who pose national security or other public safety threats, along with people who arrived in the US after Nov. 1.
An alleged Capitol rioter texted his ex that she was a “moron.” Then she turned him in. Richard Michetti texted his ex, “If you can’t see the election was stolen you’re a moron.” He sent that text on Jan. 6, along with texts and videos that documented his experience “storming” the US Capitol. She went to the police the next day.
Surviving the White Gaze is the BuzzFeed Book Club March pick. Read this excerpt from Rebecca Carroll's memoir, where 6-year-old Carroll starts ballet lessons taught by the captivating Mrs. Rowland — the first Black person she, a young Black girl, has ever met. FACE/OFF
Facebook is considering facial recognition for its upcoming smart glasses
It’s been reported for some time that Facebook is working on launching smart glasses, with the devices reportedly set to launch later this year. In an internal discussion, Facebook’s executives said the company is discussing building facial recognition into the smart glasses.
In the meeting, Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s vice president of augmented and virtual reality, told employees that the company is currently assessing the legal implications of the controversial technology.
An employee asked Bosworth about whether people would be able to “mark their faces as unsearchable” when smart glasses become a prevalent technology.
The executive responded, “Face recognition ... might be the thorniest issue, where the benefits are so clear, and the risks are so clear, and we don’t know where to balance those things.” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at his company's annual F8 developer conference in 2017. AP HANG IN THERE
Pass the time 'till spring with these weekend longreads
Lesbian sugar mamas and sugar babies talk about their relationships. While most sugar relationships have historically involved an older man with a younger woman, a growing portion of the community consists of lesbian relationships. Hallie Lieberman spoke to 15 queer sugar babies and sugar mamas on various sugaring websites.
It’s time to talk about “prank” culture on YouTube. This week’s edition of Please Like Me, our newsletter on influencers, gets into prank content, a kind of content that's built the careers of YouTube’s biggest creators — but walks a line between entertainment and abuse.
Are you an introvert? We want to hear from you. (Quietly and calmly) calling all introverts — has the pandemic made you rethink your social habits? We’d like to hear what you have to say. Turn your attention toward the small, unnoticed gifts of the morning, Elamin 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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