Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday against three men accused of threatening and intimidating women who have accused R&B singer R. Kelly of abuse, including one man suspected of setting fire to a vehicle in Florida.
A longtime friend of the indicted singer offered to pay a victim $500,000 to keep her from cooperating in Kelly's prosecution, authorities said, while a manager and adviser of Kelly threatened to release sexually explicit photographs of a woman who sued Kelly.
The Grammy-award winning musician has denied ever abusing anyone and has pleaded not guilty to dozens of state and federal sexual misconduct charges in Illinois, Minnesota, and New York.
The charges range from sexual assault to heading a racketeering scheme aimed at supplying Kelly with girls. Kelly also is accused of having unprotected sex with a girl in 2015 without disclosing he had herpes.
Prosecutors described a third man accused of intimidating witnesses as being related to a former Kelly publicist. They said Michael Williams, 37, of Valdosta, Georgia, traveled to Florida in June and set fire to an SUV parked outside a residence where one of Kelly's victims was staying.
Williams also conducted Internet searches for "the detonation properties of fertilizer and diesel fuel, witness intimidation and witness tampering and countries that do not have extradition with the United States," authorities said in a news release.
A message was sent to Williams' attorney seeking comment.
Jill and Carlo go over the White House's new strategy to get over the vaccine hump, Pfizer's vaccine revenues, the decision on whether to let Donald Trump back on Facebook, and the broader problems with social media.
Turkey’s shipbreaking yard is located in the town of Aliaga - about 30 miles north of Port Izmir. Usually, this yard breaks down cargo and container ships. But in 2020, it started bringing in another type of vessel. And business is booming.
Officials say 24 people were killed when an elevated section of Mexico City's metro collapsed as a train was traveling along it.
The reopenings are coming in fast and furious now, and the FDA is prepping to greenlight the vaccine for adolescents (Good!). Vaccine hesitancy is still a problem (Bad!). Plus, why everything is so expensive right now, and a fine-dining powerhouse goes vegan.
Cheddar's Michelle Castillo delves into her Filipino cultural roots exploring the ways foodstuffs connect generations of immigrants in the U.S.
Bill and Melinda Gates say they're divorcing. The Microsoft co-founder and his wife, who launched the world’s largest charitable foundation, said they would continue to work together at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Jon M. Chu, director of 'Crazy Rich Asians,' discussed the issues of diversity and AAPI representation in Hollywood with Cheddar.
Air travel continues to recover from the pandemic, although it's still not close to normal.
Jill and Carlo talk about the good (100 million Americans vaccinated!) and the bad (India) in the pandemic. Plus, the question of how to get workers back to the office, Elon Musk prepping for a controversial SNL gig, and the best celebrity couple of the 2000s seen hanging out again.
Cheddar correspondent Chloe Aiello went library-hopping to check out the latest programming, including whispering libraries and outdoor reading rooms.
