The following is a summary of an article about shopping trends. The Shopping Trends team, separate from CTV News journalists, may receive a commission when links are used for purchases. This highlights a potential revenue model tied to product recommendations. This arrangement emphasizes the independence of the team while also acknowledging the possibility of financial incentives influencing the content. Readers should therefore consider the team’s relationship with retailers when evaluating their presented shopping suggestions.
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An Australian pilot died after his plane crashed in Brazil, reportedly carrying around 200kg of cocaine disguised in fake SpaceX packaging. The plane, which was registered to Zambia, crashed in a sugarcane field, scattering debris and drugs. Authorities are investigating the international drug trafficking, seeking to determine the origin and destination of the flight, as well as identifying the owner of the illicit material. This seizure of cocaine adds to the already high amounts seized by the Federal Police in 2024.
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Publishers Clearing House, a company famous for offering life-changing prizes, has entered bankruptcy, leaving winners’ financial futures in jeopardy. ARB Interactive, which acquired PCH’s assets, will not honor payouts for winners before July 15th, causing significant financial hardship for those who relied on the promised income. The company’s financial struggles led to a dramatic drop in revenue in recent years, ultimately resulting in its inability to meet its obligations to past winners. Although ARB Interactive plans to ensure future prizes are honored, the past winners are left with a sense of betrayal and uncertainty.
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In a recent incident, over 300 South Korean workers, primarily engineers involved in building an electric car battery plant in Georgia, were detained by US immigration officials. The workers, some of whom were in the US on short-term visas, reported being handcuffed, shackled, and held in freezing detention centers where they were denied basic necessities. Despite initial claims of visa violations, a deal was struck allowing the workers to leave voluntarily. The South Korean government is now investigating potential human rights violations, and US officials have expressed regret over the incident, which has strained relations between the two countries.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mandated that any service member requiring a shaving exemption for over a year must be discharged, requiring a medical treatment plan for all such exemptions. This updated policy, communicated in an August 20 memo, applies across all branches of the military, and is intended to uphold grooming standards. The move comes after years of relaxed appearance rules, with the majority of shaving waivers granted for those with pseudofolliculitis barbae, a condition common among Black men. While the memo doesn’t address treatment costs or treatment plans, it does maintain that the grooming standard is to be clean shaven.
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President Trump offered a contradictory account of his response to the shooting of a Minnesota state lawmaker. Initially claiming ignorance of the June incident, he later suggested he would have ordered flags lowered if requested by Governor Walz. However, this statement is contradicted by past remarks and video footage. This evidence shows Trump was dismissive of Governor Walz, stating he wouldn’t speak with him.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced his intention to seek re-election in 2026, aiming for a third term as governor. This decision aligns with the state’s allowance for incumbent governors to serve beyond two terms and follows Walz’s experience as the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nominee in 2024. While campaigning, Walz has addressed recent violent incidents in the state and called for gun control legislation. The announcement comes amidst a backdrop of both Democratic gains and an ongoing special election to fill a vacant legislative seat, showcasing a complex political climate.
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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital in Brasilia due to feeling ill, his son reported. Bolsonaro has experienced recurring intestinal problems stemming from a 2018 stabbing, leading to multiple surgeries, with the most recent in April. He presented with symptoms including severe hiccups, vomiting, and low blood pressure. This hospitalization follows medical treatments and a recent Supreme Court sentence of 27 years in prison for his alleged involvement in a coup plot.
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As part of an ongoing investigation, lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein’s estate have provided the House Oversight Committee with a second batch of documents, including previously redacted pages from Epstein’s “birthday book.” This includes a letter allegedly written by Donald Trump, a claim he denies, and another address book. The estate’s lawyers are also making the unredacted birthday book available for the committee to review. The documents were subpoenaed as part of an investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking operations, following an initial handover of documents and a prior subpoena to the Department of Justice for records related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
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The US has designated Colombia as a country that has “demonstrably failed” to meet its obligations to control drug trafficking, citing record cocaine production under President Gustavo Petro’s administration. Colombia’s government responded by announcing it would stop purchasing weapons from the US. The US attributed the surge to Petro’s policies, specifically peace talks with armed groups involved in drug trafficking, despite Petro’s claims that the increases occurred during the previous administration. While the US has not cut off aid, it has put pressure on the Colombian government to take more action, opening the possibility for recertification if aggressive steps are taken.
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John Q. Hosedrinker