Powerball official removed amid widening lottery scandal
IOWA CITY, Iowa – A prominent lottery official who has run the Powerball game since its inception was quietly removed from his 28-year post leading the Multi-State Lottery Association after a jackpot-fixing scandal inside his organization had spread, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
Charles Strutt, executive director of the association since its 1987 founding, was stripped of his duties in October by the group’s board, which includes directors of lotteries in 37 states and U.S. territories. The move came days after prosecutors said their investigation of jackpot-fixing by the association’s former security director, Eddie Tipton, had expanded nationwide.
The association, which operates multi-state games such as Hot Lotto and Wild Card in addition to Powerball, has kept the leadership change quiet.
Police kill two Palestinians after stabbing Israeli in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM – Two Palestinian assailants on Wednesday carried out a stabbing attack outside Jerusalem’s Old City, killing one Israeli, before they were shot and killed, Israeli police said. A second Israeli died after apparently being shot mistakenly by police in the confusion.
The attack was the latest in a continuing wave of violence that has gripped the region for more than three months.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attack happened outside the city’s Jaffa Gate, a popular spot for tourists visiting the Old City, home to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy sites. She said police shot both assailants, who were later identified as Palestinians in their early 20s from the West Bank. One died at the scene and the second later in a hospital.
Associated Press
