Washington
Powerball player John Cheeks denied $340M lottery jackpot over website ‘mistake’
The unluck of the draw.
A Powerball player claims he was denied a life-changing jackpot worth $340 million despite his numbers matching the lottery’s website last year, which the company claims was a “mistake.”
Now, he’s suing Powerball and the DC Lottery
John Cheeks bought a Powerball ticket on Jan. 6, 2023, when the jackpot rose to the $340 million prize, according to a complaint filed last November.
Cheeks, who told NBC 4 he purchased the ticket using his family birthdates, missed the live drawing on Jan. 7, but wasn’t in a rush to check his numbers since the odds of winning a Powerball jackpot is about 1 in 292.2 million.
He claimed he checked the DC Lottery’s website the following day and saw his winning numbers, believing he had become the year’s first multimillionaire.
“I just politely called a friend. I took a picture as he recommended, and that was it. I went to sleep,” Cheeks told the outlet.
For three days, the DC Lottery website showed his ticket numbers, according to the complaint.
The numbers posted on the website, however, differed from those pulled during the live Powerball broadcast.
He tried to redeem the ticket at a licensed retailer on Jan. 10 and discovered none of his numbers matched up to what was drawn live.
Cheeks claimed he then went to the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming prize center to check with them, but again, he was told he was not the winner.
“’Hey, this ticket is no good. Just throw it in the trash can,’” Cheeks recalled to the outlet. “And I gave him a stern look. I said, ‘In the trash can?’ ‘Oh yeah, just throw it away. You’re not gonna get paid. There’s a trash can right there.’”
Cheeks has since placed the ticket in a safety deposit box.
Cheek’s attorney, Richard Evans, said his client was eventually informed by a lottery contractor that Taoti Enterprises — a DC-based digital advertising agency that manages the DC Lottery’s website — made a “mistake” and posted the wrong numbers.
“They have said that one of their contractors made a mistake,” Evans told NBC 4. “I haven’t seen the evidence to support that yet.”
Despite Cheeks not having the correct numbers of the live drawing, Evan feels that something needs to be done for his client.
“Even if a mistake was made, the question becomes: What do you do about that?”
The jackpot eventually grew to $754.6 million before a ticketholder in Washington claimed the prize on Feb. 6.
In Nov. 2023, Iowa lottery officials blamed “human reporting error” for posting the incorrect numbers, which remained on its website for over six hours.
Those who were up and cashed their tickets were able to claim their prize, which ranged from $4 to $200, according to Fox 9.
Washington
How to watch the Orlando Pride-Washington Spirit NWSL final
The 2024 NWSL Final is as big as it gets.
Battling for the playoff title are the top two teams during the regular season, both of which survived the early stages of knockout-round postseason play.
The Orlando Pride, winners of the NWSL Shield for the best regular-season record, are the No. 1 seed that will take on the No. 2 Washington Spirit.
Orlando is led by the Brazilian icon Marta, while Washington is pioneered by rising U.S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman.
Here’s how and where to watch the 2024 final:
When is the 2024 NWSL Final?
The 2024 final between Orlando and Washington is slated for Saturday, Nov. 23.
What time is the 2024 NWSL Final?
Kickoff time is slated for 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.
Where is the 2024 NWSL Final?
CPKC Stadium, home of NWSL side Kansas City Current in Missouri, is the neutral venue for the game.
How, where to watch the 2024 NWSL Final on TV
The Orlando-Washington NWSL final will be broadcast by CBS.
How, where to watch the 2024 NWSL Final online
The Orlando-Washington NWSL final will be available to stream on Paramount+.
How many NWSL championships do the Orlando Pride have?
The Orlando Pride has not yet won an NWSL championship through the playoffs.
How many NWSL championships do the Washington Spirit have?
The Washington Spirit have won one NWSL title, which transpired in 2021. It finished as runner-ups in 2016.
Washington
Washington Nationals Hope Elite Prospect Long-Term Solution at Third Base
The Washington Nationals have numerous issues that have led to four last-place finishes in the five seasons since their first World Series title.
But one that may be at the top of the list is third base.
Washington finished No. 29 in the league, only ahead of the historically awful Chicago White Sox, with a .589 OPS from its third base platoon. In the last five years, the Nationals have finished no better than No. 19, twice finishing No. 29, once finishing No. 28, and once No. 23.
In short, the Nationals have not had anything remotely close to quality production from the hot corner since 2019 when Anthony Rendon guided Washington to No. 2 in the league at third with an OPS of 1.010 over 646 plate appearances.
Washington could go out and spend a ton of money to acquire one of the best in the game, long being linked as a potential fit for Alex Bregman.
But what feels more likely is the organization waiting until top prospect Brady House is ready to be called up and hope he seizes the job, as pointed out by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.
If so, it would be four years in the making. The Nationals made House their first-round pick in 2021 and he’s worked his way steadily through the minor-league system. House was at Triple-A this season and watched highly-touted prospects like James Wood and Dylan Crews called up.
“Most evaluators still believe he’ll hit for power and play solid defense, but the Nationals aren’t going to hand him the job before he proves he’s ready for it,” Zuckerman wrote. “And there’s no guarantee when that will happen.”
House slashed .241/.297/.699 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI with Rochester last season. It’s possible the Nats want to see him produce more power before he’s called up. He’ll surely receive an invitation to Major League spring training, which would give him a chance to prove he’s ready. But the Nats can’t bank on it.
That doesn’t mean throwing a massive contract at Bregman, only for him to have to eventually move him to another position to make room for House. But other solutions must be ready to be deployed.
Zuckerman hypothesized that the Nats could, in the short-term could stick with Jose Tena after a decent finish to the season following his trade from Cleveland, though he continues to learn a third base position that is new to him.
More exciting prospects include Yohandy Morales and Seaver King, but both feel still a ways away from being ready and are not as highly rated as House.
Keep an eye on the Nats in the third-base market to make some kind of addition whether it be a big splash or a minor insurance policy.
Washington
Denzel Washington says rumors about Oscar winning actor have existed for decades
Kevin Spacey has had his share of ugly headlines across the past couple of years, but Denzel Washington recently said rumors swirled about him a long time before those reports popped up.
In fact, Washington said, there was talk decades before the “House of Cards” actor, 65, was accused of sexual assault and harassment.
Washington made the revelation in a five-part, first-person essay written in a Nov. 19 issue of Esquire.
Washington remembered attending the 2000 Academy Awards due to his nomination for Best Actor for his performance in “The Hurricane.” While there, he recalled watching Spacey win the award instead.
“I’m sure I went home and drank that night. I had to,” Washington, who also opened up in the piece about his decision to quit drinking and live a sober lifestyle over the past decade. “I don’t want to sound like, ‘Oh, he won my Oscar, or anything like that. It wasn’t like that.’
“And you know, there was talk in the town about what was going on over there on that side of the street, and that’s between him and God,” Washington added. “I ain’t got nothing to do with that. I pray for him. That’s between him and his maker.”
Spacey won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in 1999’s “American Beauty” after he won Best Supporting Actor in 1996 for the movie, “The Usual Suspects.” 17 years later, controversy struck and heavily impacted the actor’s career when Anthony Rapp became the first person to come out and publicly accuse him of sexual assault, with more accusers who came forward.
In 2022, a jury in New York found that Spacey wasn’t liable for battery in relation to Rapp’s accusations, and the following year, a U.K. court found him not guilty of nine counts of alleged sexual assault.
Allegations against Spacey have continued to mount, much like in documentaries such as Investigation Discovery’s “Spacey Unmasked,” which was released in May.
Spacey has denied all claims and has received an onslaught of criticism after coming out as gay in response to Rapps initial accusations in 2017.
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