Excess deaths among Black people jumped in 2020, reversing years of progress in reducing the gap in mortality compared with White people, a new study found.

Former attorney Corey Fleming was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges that he conspired with his longtime friend Alex Murdaugh to steal millions of dollars from trusting clients. Fleming previously pleaded guilty to the financial fraud charges that stem from Murdaugh’s alleged scheme to steal money from the estate of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. Satterfield died in a fall on the Murdaugh property in 2018. He was also involved in stealing money from the family of Hakeem Pinckney – a man whose family Murdaugh represented after he was killed in a car crash in 2009. While Fleming knew Murdaugh was asking him to do wrong, he previously said he didn’t realise the depth of his old friend’s depravity. The sentencing was handed down on the same day Fleming’s longtime friend Murdaugh appeared in court for his own hearing on financial fraud charges for the first time since he was sentenced to life in prison in the murders of of his wife Maggie and son Paul. Judge Clifton Newman set a trial date for 27 November. On 15 August, Fleming pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges and was sentenced to nearly four years (46 months) in federal prison. He is housed at the Charleston County jail awaiting a prison assignment. On 23 August, he pleaded guilty to all state charges. Judge Newman scheduled Fleming’s sentencing for today in Beaufort so that the court could hear from friends and family members, as well as victims. At the hearing on Thursday, prosecutor Creighton Waters urged the judge to not be fooled by Fleming’s claims that he was “recruited” by Murdaugh into stealing from the families of Satterfield and Pinckney. Mr Waters argued that Fleming, who was an attorney at the time, was hired to represent the families but then “behind the scenes colluded with the defendant”. “What Mr Fleming wants the court to believe is… that he was tricked and fooled by Mr Murdaugh like everyone else,” Mr Waters said. The prosecutor then pointed to the fake Forge scheme in which Murdaugh allegedly set up a firm called Forge - a fake company with the name of a real one, which was used to siphon off money from clients. Murduagh and Fleming are accused of securing payouts from insurance companies in Satterfield’s case and then sending nearly $4m in stolen money to the fake company. “It was a shakedown, plain and simple,” Mr Waters said of Fleming and Murdaugh’s treatment of the Satterfield family. At the hearing on Thursday, several people addressed the court on behalf of the victims. Tony Satterfield, the son of Gloria Satterfield, told the court, “I still forgive Mr Fleming.” Satterfield’s sister also addressed the court and said that the family forgives Fleming. “Gloria did not die in vain as her case brought out other corruption and dishonest misdeeds being done to others,” she said, adding that it brought corruption “to light”. Attorney Eric Bland, who represents the Satterfield family, spoke at the hearing and said the law profession is “stained” by Fleming’s crimes. Fleming surrendered his license to practice law in both Georgia and South Carolina, saying he dishonored the profession. “The profession we love has been stained,” he said. “Mr Fleming knew exactly what he was doing. He is a plaintiff lawyer... it is impossible.” He said the debacle involving Murdaugh, Fleming and Laffitte, has “stained our state.” Mr Bland said the judge and court will hear how Fleming is a good guy, but that “good guys can still do criminal things.” “I’ve been suing other lawyers for 30 years. Never seen a case where the lawyers took every single dollar. But that’s what Fleming and Murdaugh did. Every single dollar.” Mr Bland also went over several examples of violations and irregularities in how Fleming handled and filed the Satterfield case to show the depth of the conspiracy and the criminal behaviour. He says Fleming and Murdaugh sat on the $4.3m settlements knowing that Gloria Satterfield’s son Brian, a vulnerable adult, was being put out on the street because his mom’s trailer was being foreclosed on. Mr Bland called it “blatant thievery”. Fleming is the second Murdaugh associate ordered to prison since investigators began scrutinising every aspect of Murdaugh’s life in June 2021 after his wife and son were shot to death at their South Carolina home. Russell Laffitte, who was convicted of federal charges in November, appeared for a status conference on Thursday in his state case. One of his attorneys, South Carolina State Rep Todd Rutherford, asked the judge to delay a trial until the fall of 2024. Judge Newman said that he would make a ruling at a later date. Last month, Laffitte was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to helping Murdaugh steal money from settlements for clients after vehicle wrecks or work injuries. Laffitte is appealing his conviction and sentence. Read More Smiling Alex Murdaugh appears in court in shackles as trial date set in financial fraud case Outrage as South Carolina lawmaker stands to shake hands with convicted killer Alex Murdaugh in court Alex Murdaugh’s friend pleads guilty to helping steal from dead maid’s family

By Clark Mindock A provision of the U.S. debt ceiling bill that streamlined the federal approval process for

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People will be spending 30 per cent longer in the kitchen this winter compared to the summer months – as they crave comfort foods to keep them warm. A study of 2,000 adults who cook at home found they anticipate spending 72 hours rustling up meals from December to February, but just 55 hours from June to August. And 40 per cent spend more time cooking in the cooler months than they do during any other season. Among the reasons for this upward trend are a craving for more hearty, comforting dishes (65 per cent), wanting to feel warm and cosy (42 per cent), and the kitchen being the warmest room in the house (32 per cent). It also emerged 51 per cent are concerned about the impact more time spent in the kitchen will have on their household bills. As a result, 79 per cent are keen to learn more energy-efficient recipes. The research was commissioned by Smart Energy GB, which has teamed up with Michelin-trained chef, Poppy O’Toole, dubbed TikTok’s ‘Potato Queen’, who has crafted a selection of energy-efficient recipes and hacks She said: “Winter is one of my favourite seasons when it comes to the wealth of hearty, comforting recipes you can create - especially if they include potatoes. “And when the weather is colder and the days shorter, what better way to spend time than cooking your favourite winter warmers? “These dishes can take more time and energy to make, which is why I’m excited to show it doesn’t always have to be this way. “I’ve developed a recipe range of energy efficient takes on classic favourites - all with the help of a smart meter.” The study also found 25 per cent of those with a smart meter plan to monitor their in-home display more carefully during the winter. Of those, 42 per cent are doing so because it gives them a greater sense of control over their household bills, while 40 per cent want to reduce their energy use when cooking. One in five of all adults are searching for more cost-saving cooking methods, and 77 per cent said being mindful about energy use when cooking is important to them. It also emerged the typical home cook will use their oven for the equivalent of nearly three days (64 hours) from December to February, and their hob for nearly two days (46 hours). This amounts to at least £18 in energy usage in the kitchen alone between December and February, according to data from Smart Energy GB and Energy Saving Trust. A traditional roast, shepherd’s pie and sausage and mash are among the most popular meals made when then temperature plummets. The study, conducted via OnePoll, also found 39 per cent are using more kitchen appliances in their cooking endeavours than ever before. The oven was voted the top winter appliance of choice (43 per cent), with the economical air fryer (27 per cent) also featuring in the top 10. Victoria Bacon, director at Smart Energy GB, said: “As we head into the colder, winter months where many people spend more time in the kitchen, small changes to the way we cook can make a tangible difference to the amount of energy that’s used. “Smart meters are installed at no extra cost by your energy supplier and come with a handy in-home display which allows you to track your usage in near-real time. “These warming recipes created by Poppy are the perfect thing to help households rustle up hearty dish, while keeping an eye on energy use.” Read More Watch live as gun salutes mark King Charles III’s 75th birthday Woman defends her $7,000 cheese board How to host a dinner party for under £2 per portion Man shows the increase in grocery prices since 2019 Starbucks customer reveals comical result of her request for half sandwich Waitrose Christmas advert features Graham Norton cameo at kid-free festive party

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Former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr gave a devastating analysis of the indictment against Donald Trump, his former boss, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Mr Barr said that if even half of what is alleged in the 49-page, 37-count document is true, then the former president is “toast”. Host Shannon Bream asked the former attorney general about the argument from Trump loyalists that the case should have been handled under the Presidential Records Act and not under the Espionage Act. Mr Barr explained that this all began under the Presidential Records Act with the National Archives trying to retrieve the documents that Mr Trump had no right to have. However, it quickly became apparent that the government was particularly worried about how sensitive the classified documents were. He continued by saying that their sensitivity and how many there were shocked him, and that because Mr Trump had wilfully retained those materials that made the counts under the Espionage Act “solid”. “If even half of it is true, he is toast,” the former attorney general told Bream. “I mean, it’s a very detailed indictment, and it’s very, very damning.” Mr Barr also demolished claims that Mr Trump is some kind of victim being politically persecuted in a Democrat-led witch hunt. “This idea of presenting Trump as a victim here or a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous,” he said. “Yes, he’s been a victim in the past. His adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims. And I’ve been at his side defending against them when he is a victim. But this is much different. He’s not a victim here.” Mr Barr continued: “He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents. Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has. They have to be in the custody of the archivist. He had no right to maintain them and retain them.” The former attorney general then reminded viewers of his history of sticking up for Mr Trump despite the current hostility the former president now has for him. “He’s been angry with me for a while,” Mr Barr told Bream. “But you know, I defended the president on Russiagate. I stood up and called out Alvin Bragg’s politicised hit job. And I have spoken out for 30 years about the abuse of the criminal justice process to influence politics.” He continued: “But this is simply not true. In this particular episode of trying to retrieve those documents, the government acted responsibly. And it was Donald Trump who acted irresponsibly.” In further remarks, he said that the entire classified documents case came about because of the reckless conduct of the former president, something he has said before. Mr Barr also noted: “There are two big lies that are out there right now. One is that: ‘oh, these other presidents took all these documents’ ... and the second thing is this idea that the president has complete authority to declare any document personal is facially ridiculous.” The former attorney general’s remarks did not go unnoticed by his former boss, who took to Truth Social calling him a “gutless pig” and telling his followers to turn off Fox News whenever Mr Barr is on as a guest. Virtually everyone is saying that the Indictment is about Election Interference & should not have been brought, except Bill Barr, a “disgruntled former employee” & lazy Attorney General who was weak & totally ineffective. He doesn’t mean what he’s saying, it’s just MISINFORMATION. Barr’s doing it because he hates “TRUMP” for firing him. He was deathly afraid of the Radical Left when they said they would Impeach him. He knows the Indictment is Bull…. Turn off FoxNews when that “Gutless Pig” is on! @realDonaldTrump Mr Barr had previously drawn the former president’s ire by predicting he would face charges over the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. He also described it as a crisis of his own making. Mr Trump lashed out at him for those comments calling him “sloppy” and “weak”. The former attorney general has also warned that Mr Trump getting a second term as president would “deliver chaos” to the country. “If you believe in his policies, what he’s advertising as his policies, he’s the last person that could actually execute them and achieve them,” Mr Barr said at a City Club of Cleveland luncheon in Ohio in early May. Read More Trump news – latest: Trump heads to Miami ahead of arraignment as Bill Barr says ex-president is ‘toast’ Trump savages Bill Barr three times in sprawling interview with Roger Stone Trump’s favourability rises in poll despite indictment Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

At least 48 people were killed when a truck lost control and ploughed into other vehicles and pedestrians at a busy junction in western...