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WASHINGTON (AP) — “Five, four, three, two, one!” and the towering National Christmas Tree blazed with bright color Wednesday evening as President Joe Biden marked a century-old American tradition leading the lighting near the White House.The president, joined by first lady Jill Biden and host LL Cool J, led the festive crowd braving damp, chilly weather in a countdown before the tree was illuminated.<figure class="image"><img src="https://emfservices.azureedge.net/news/39949.jpg" alt="LL Cool J helps President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden light the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse of the White House"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik] LL Cool J helps President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden light the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse of the White House</figcaption></figure>Biden delivered brief remarks on American unity and promise, concluding exuberantly as Jill Biden blew a kiss, “From the Biden family to you, Merry Christmas, America!”The tradition dates back to 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light a 48-foot fir tree decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white and green, as a local choir and a quartet from the U.S. Marine Band performed. The lighting ceremony has been carried out year after year—drawing thousands to Washington—with a few exceptions during times of war and national tragedy.The current 27-foot white fir was planted just last year.Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff joined the Bidens to watch some of the evening's musical performances.In 2020, due to COVID-19 health concerns, the lighting did not have a live audience. After President John F. Kennedy's assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, President Lyndon Johnson postponed the ceremony until days before Christmas as the nation observed a thirty-day period of national mourning. And the tradition was paused from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.CBS will broadcast the tree lighting ceremony on the evening of Dec. 18, one week before Christmas. This year's ceremony included performances by the U.S. Marine Band, Ariana DeBose, Shania Twain, the Estefans and others.

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Gospel singer Yolanda Adams performs as the National Christmas Tree lights up on the Ellipse, near the White House

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CBS will broadcast the tree lighting ceremony on the evening of Dec. 18, one week before Christmas. 

National Christmas Tree Is Dedicated: Gospel Singer Yolanda Adams, LL Cool J, Take Part

SANDSTONE, Minn. (AP) — Four lion cubs that were orphaned during the war in Ukraine have arrived safely at a Minnesota animal sanctuary that has pledged to provide them a permanent home.A male cub named Taras and three females named Stefania, Lesya and Prada, who are all between four and five months old, spent the last three weeks at the Poznan Zoo in Poland. Their arrival Tuesday marked the final step in an arduous journey after they lived through sporadic bombings and drone attacks in Ukraine, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, one of several groups working to rescue animals from the war.“These cubs have endured more in their short lives than any animal should,” Meredith Whitney, wildlife rescue program manager at the fund, said in a statement. “They were born at breeding facilities in Ukraine during the war and then orphaned at a few weeks old."<figure class="image"><img src="https://emfservices.azureedge.net/news/39945.jpg" alt="Tammy Thies, founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary, feeds bits of meat to lion cubs who were rescued from the war in Ukraine "><figcaption>[Photo Credit: Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP] Tammy Thies, founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary, feeds bits of meat to lion cubs who were rescued from the war in Ukraine&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Their new home is The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, about 90 miles north of Minneapolis. They were put on a plane that was returning to the U.S. from Poland. It landed Tuesday in Minneapolis, from where sanctuary staffers brought them to the facility where they were assessed by a veterinarian and given a warm place to rest. The flight was funded in part by the New York-based Andrew Sabin Family Foundation.Dr. Andrew Kushnir, an American veterinarian with the fund who accompanied the cubs on their flight, cared for the cubs in Ukraine and Poland. Despite drone attacks and airstrikes, he prepared their specialized formula every three hours, the fund said. On nights when the power went out, he used his arms and legs to warm their milk bottles.The cubs came from two litters, Whitney said. Three were rescued from Odesa, she said, while Prada, the oldest, was born at a breeder in Kyiv. The rescuers don't know what became of the mothers, she added.The nonprofit Wildcat Sanctuary shelters nearly 130 lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards and other wildcats, many of which were rescued from the trade in exotic pets, including the four cubs. To assure peace and tranquility for the cats, it does not put them on public display, but lets them roam fenced enclosures amid the woods of Minnesota. The sanctuary does offer virtual tours via its website and Facebook page.

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The cubs, who are orphans, spent the last three weeks at Poland's Poznan Zoo before flying to Minnesota

Dr. Andrew Kushnir, an American veterinarian, accompanied the cubs on their flight. He had cared for the cubs in Ukraine and Poland. Despite drone attacks and airstrikes, he prepared their specialized formula every three hours. On nights when the power went out, he used his arms and legs to warm their milk bottles.

4 Lion Cubs Evacuated From Ukraine Now Safe At Minnesota Sanctuary

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — The world's largest volcano oozed rivers of glowing lava Wednesday, drawing thousands of awestruck viewers who jammed a Hawaii highway that could soon be covered by the flow.Mauna Loa awoke from its 38-year slumber Sunday, causing volcanic ash and debris to drift down from the sky. A main highway linking towns on the east and west coasts of the Big Island became an impromptu viewing point, with thousands of cars jamming the highway near Volcanoes National Park.Anne Andersen left her overnight shift as a nurse to see the spectacle Wednesday, afraid that the road would soon be closed.“It's Mother Nature showing us her face,” she said, as the volcano belched gas on the horizon. “It's pretty exciting."Gordon Brown, a visitor from Loomis, California, could see the bright orange lava from the bedroom of his rental house. So he headed out for a close-up view with his wife.“We just wanted … to come see this as close as we could get. And it is so bright, it just blows my mind,” Brown said.The lava was tumbling slowly down the slope and was about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the highway known as Saddle Road. It was not clear when, or if, it would cover the road, which runs through old lava flows.The road bisects the island and connects the cities of Hilo and Kailua-Kona. People traveling between them would need to take a longer coastal road if Saddle Road becomes impassable, adding several hours of drive time.Ken Hon, scientist in charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said at current flow rate, the soonest the lava would get to the road is two days, but it will likely take longer."As the lava flow spreads out, it will probably interfere with its own progress,” Hon said.Kathryn Tarananda, 66, of Waimea set two alarms to make sure she didn’t oversleep and miss her chance to see sunrise against the backdrop of eruptions at Mauna Loa.“It’s a thrill,” she said. “We’re out in the middle of raw nature. It’s awe inspiring that we live in this place. ... I feel really, really fortunate to be an islander.”Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. The current eruption is its 34th since written record keeping began in 1843. Its smaller neighbor, Kilauea, has been erupting since September 2021, so visitors to the national park were treated to the rare sight of two simultaneous eruptive events: the glow from Kilauea’s lava lake and lava from a Mauna Loa fissure.Abel Brown, a visitor from Las Vegas, was impressed by the natural forces on display. He planned to take a close-up helicopter tour later in the day — but not too close.“There's a lot of fear and trepidation if you get really close to it,” Brown said. “The closer you get, the more powerful it is and the more scary it is.”Officials were initially concerned that lava flowing down Mauna Loa would head toward the community of South Kona, but scientists later assured the public the eruption had migrated to a rift zone on the volcano's northeast flank and wasn’t threatening communities.The smell of volcanic gases and sulfur was thick along Saddle Road, where people watched the wide stream of lava creep closer.Gov. David Ige issued an emergency proclamation to allow responders to arrive quickly or limit access as needed.Ige, who has dealt with multiple volcanic eruptions during his eight years as governor, said it’s impossible to redirect Mauna Loa’s molten rock as it heads for the highway.“There is no physical way or technological way to change the course of where the lava flows,” Ige told a news conference. He remembers wishing that could be done in 2018, when Kilauea sent lava pouring across homes, farms and roads.“But as we saw in that event, the power of Mother Nature and Madam Pele overwhelms anything that we can do,” Ige said, referring to the Hawaiian deity of volcanoes and fire.Ige said that if lava does cross the highway, the Hawaii National Guard could help plan for alternatives and try to set up bypass routes.Lava crossed the Mauna Loa Observatory access road Monday night and cut off power to the facility, Hon said. It's the world’s premier station that measures heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The federal government is looking for a temporary alternate site on the Hawaiian island and is contemplating flying a generator to the observatory to get its power back so it can take measurements again.Meanwhile, scientists are trying to measure the gas emitted from the eruption.___Kelleher reported from Honolulu. Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon. Associated Press reporters Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and Greg Bull and Haven Daley in Hilo contributed to this report.

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Ingrid Yang, left, and Kelly Bruno, both of San Diego, take a photo in front of lava erupting from Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, near Hilo, Hawaii.

“There's a lot of fear and trepidation if you get really close to it." 

Viewers Flock To Eruption Of World's Largest Volcano

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Scott Clyne then lunged after it in Sarasota Bay on Florida's Gulf Coast

Watch: Engagement Ring Goes Overboard As He Pops The Question 

Though it wasn’t her first choice for a summer job, Olivia Baden is grateful for her summer externship in a children’s psychiatric ward. Not only did the job give her necessary professional experience, it also strengthened her faith and stamina — despite her harrowing stories.Her role throughout her externship as a mental health specialist (MHS) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, was to help keep her patients safe from physical harm.The Cedarville University senior <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cedarville.edu%2Facademic-programs%2Fnursing&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard%40klove.com%7Cb43147b236c6493ee45508dad2ef29bd%7C1e2152463fb64aeab4e0009f2a1de44e%7C0%7C0%7C638054221907116697%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C7000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=u365Oj3lOS1Qd9QC04AFLW7HribWYHwflpUnvJEL7MU%3D&amp;reserved=0">nursing</a> major from Sunbury, Ohio, worked with adolescent patients daily, keeping them company and helping with meals or activities. She also helped fulfill the hospital’s requirement to account for each patient every 15 minutes. “A big part of engaging with the kids is doing what they want to do, building rapport with them so that they trust you,” said Baden. “In a crisis situation, that trust makes them much more likely to listen and cooperate.”Thus, a big part of Baden’s job was playing basketball or dodgeball or listening to music with her patients. Since her patients were physically stable, she didn’t typically attend to medical needs. Baden credits Cedarville’s behavioral and mental health care class for preparing her for her work at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “The knowledge I got from my class about different mental disorders and what triggers them allowed me to take a well-informed approach to caring for my kids,” she said. She also led some voluntary therapy groups, including art therapy and aromatherapy.While Baden benefited from the summer-long summer externship, the job didn’t come without stressful moments. Baden had to intervene several times during lockdown scenarios when patients physically threatened other patients or staff members. “In my last two weeks on the job, I started struggling and having nightmares about one specific patient, who had a history of violence against patients and staff and was near the age limit for the hospital,” she shared.&nbsp;She recalled a time when a younger patient persistently triggered the patient that she was having nightmares. Baden described looking into the older patient’s eyes and sensing that they intended to do harm. The patient then charged at the younger patient. When she saw the situation unfolding, Baden scooped up the younger patient and got her as far away from the threatening patient as possible, putting herself between the two patients. Eventually, another nurse mediated and convinced the older patient to step away. “I’m grateful my instincts helped me intervene,” recalled Baden. “It’s scary to think about what could have happened if I hadn’t.”The day after the incident, Baden stayed in bed most of the day. She shared that the emotions and stress of experiences like this took a significant mental toll on her. “I had to learn to take care of myself so that I could take good care of my patients,” she said. Despite the tense moments, Baden remains grateful for the relational aspect of her summer job.&nbsp;“I love when you get to sit down and talk to your patient about their life,” she said. “A lot of these children have never had an adult who they could trust. Many come from cycles of abuse or foster homes and have never had an adult they could open up to. I was fortunate to be that person.”Though Baden doesn’t want to pursue a career in a psych ward, her summer job has lastingly developed her relational nursing skills.&nbsp;“Even patients who aren’t admitted to a hospital for psychiatric reasons have psychiatric needs because you’re dealing with people on their worst days, and now I feel much more capable of handling all my patients’ needs,” she shared. For Baden, the importance of loving others in their darkest moments is the greatest takeaway from her work at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.“I was able to help kids in crisis and show the love of Christ — God has loved me perfectly, and I’m grateful to show that love to my patients.”Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate, and dual-enrolled high school students in more than 175 areas of study.&nbsp;Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs including its&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cedarville.edu%2Facademic-programs%2Fnursing&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard%40klove.com%7Cb43147b236c6493ee45508dad2ef29bd%7C1e2152463fb64aeab4e0009f2a1de44e%7C0%7C0%7C638054221907116697%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C7000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=u365Oj3lOS1Qd9QC04AFLW7HribWYHwflpUnvJEL7MU%3D&amp;reserved=0">Bachelor of Science in Nursing</a>, high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and the #4 national ranking by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cedarville.edu%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Crichard%40klove.com%7Cb43147b236c6493ee45508dad2ef29bd%7C1e2152463fb64aeab4e0009f2a1de44e%7C0%7C0%7C638054221907116697%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C7000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=NUXCpNeAl8K5nYfMMKtGvwX8OQqpaMDLbFPhUs9Po9o%3D&amp;reserved=0">cedarville.edu</a>.&nbsp;

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Olivia Baden in her Nationwide Children’s Hospital scrubs

“A lot of these children have never had an adult who they could trust. Many come from cycles of abuse or foster homes and have never had an adult they could open up to. I was fortunate to be that person.”

Some Tough Moments, Lockdowns: Christian Nursing Student Experiences Summer Job In Children's Psychiatric Ward

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There are currently 128 Safe Haven Baby Boxes available in Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, and New Mexico. 

New 'Baby Box' Installed At Fire Dept. - Infants Can Be Surrendered Safely

NEW YORK (AP) — GivingTuesday raised a record $3.1 billion in 24 hours for charitable causes in the U.S. earlier this week, as the event that started as a hashtag in 2012 celebrated its 10th anniversary and its status as a staple of fundraising for nonprofits, the group's leader said Wednesday.Despite the difficult economic year that many households have experienced, with inflation in the costs of basic goods, gas and housing, people were still willing to give, said GivingTuesday CEO Asha Curran.“That’s really what we saw yesterday,” she told The Associated Press. “That whatever it is that people are experiencing, they were as generous as they had the capacity to be.”GivingTuesday estimated that giving increased about 15% from 2021's $2.7 billion, outpacing inflation. Donations were tallied using an array of data sources that includes major community foundations, companies that offer fundraising software, the payment processor PayPal and large grantmakers like Fidelity Charitable and Vanguard Charitable. Their methodology for compiling the estimate seeks to eliminate duplicate data points, Curran said.In another measure of the resilience of donations, Fidelity Charitable said Tuesday that for the first time since 2018, the value of grants from its donor advised funds exceeds the value of investments going into the funds.The organization said this year's totals marked the largest amount donated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving since the group started tracking it.The hashtag to promote fundraising on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving started in 2012 as a project of the 92nd Street Y and the organization GivingTuesday became an independent nonprofit in 2020. The organization has also launched a campaign to raise $26 million over five years to expand their database of giving.In the tenth year of nonprofits and donors marking the day, Curran said, people continue to show incredible generosity.“They give in a multitude of ways. It does not always have to do with money. It often has to do with community. It is very collective. It has a lot to do with people feeling like they are a fractal of a larger whole,” Curran said. “And yesterday was just one more reaffirmation of that.”

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U.S. $100 bills are seen on July 14, 2022, in Marple Township, Pa. Giving Tuesday raised $3.1 billion in 24 hours for charitable causes in the U.S. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

“That whatever it is that people are experiencing, they were as generous as they had the capacity to be.”

GivingTuesday Raises $3.1B For Charities In Tough Economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Butter-poached Maine lobster, beef with shallot marmalade and an American cheese trio will be served when French President Emmanuel Macron takes his seat Thursday as the guest of honor at a red-white-and-blue themed White House state dinner, the first for President Joe Biden.Dessert will be orange chiffon cake, roasted pears and creme fraiche ice cream.Everything from the menu to the entertainment to the table settings and other touches for the glitzy dinner were designed by the White House — and first lady Jill Biden — to highlight the ties that bind America and its oldest ally, France.A state dinner is a high diplomatic honor that the United States reserves for its closest allies.“The design of this dinner was inspired by the shared colors of our flags, red white and blue, and our common values, liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship,” Biden said. "These form the bedrock upon which our enduring friendship was built.”The first lady said she was handling the dinner the way that her mother handled family dinners when she was growing up. Her mother brought out the china, fresh flowers and lit candles “even if we were only having fish sticks from the freezer.”“I learned that setting a table can be an act of love,” she said, before journalists were permitted to see the tablescapes for the dinner, which is part of a broader state visit to the United States by Macron and his wife, Brigittte. Macron landed in the U.S. on Tuesday night.Biden said the first White House state dinner since 2019 will be "an expression of welcome and friendship, a way to connect through a language that transcends words.” She did not take questions from reporters and left the preview room after her brief remarks.<figure class="image"><img src="https://emfservices.azureedge.net/news/39952.jpg" alt="A table is set during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022."><figcaption>[Photo Credit: Andrew Harnik/AP] A table is set during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022.</figcaption></figure>White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo, who has worked for the Bidens for more than a decade, said “making people feel comfortable and at home” matters most to the couple.The glitzy, black-tie dinner party will be held in a heated pavilion on the South Lawn with an expected 300 or so guests. They will be seated at a mix of square and rectangular tables, covered with dark blue silk cloths and decorated with red candles and arrangements of red, white and blue flowers, including roses and irises, the official flower of France.China from the White House collection will not be used since it is not allowed outside of the executive mansion. Guests will dine on outside tableware.An image of the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the U.S. from France in the 1800s, will be the backdrop for toasts by the presidents. American sparkling wine poured into silver French champagne vessels will be served for the toasts.White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford reserved a special a shout-out for Maine's lobster workers.“They had to ship 200 live lobsters to us yesterday morning,” she said.Oceana, an international advocacy group focused on ocean conservation, objected to the use of Maine lobster, which recently was declared unsustainable by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch and the Marine Stewardship Council. The sustainability organizations cited concerns about risks to rare North Atlantic right whales from fishing gear. Entanglement in gear is one of the biggest threats to the whales.Dinner guests, who typically are supporters and friends of both presidents, government officials, business people and some celebrities, will have the added bonus of arriving at a White House that has been decked out for the holidays with Christmas trees, wreaths and garland. Trolley cars will ride them down to the see-through pavilion on the South Lawn.Music will be provided by Jon Batiste, a Grammy Award-winning New Orleans native who most recently was bandleader and musical director of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Joining Batiste will be his father, Michael Batiste, the U.S. Marine Band and the Army and Air Force Strolling Strings.The event was produced with help from Fete, an event planning company based in New York City.Jill Biden recalled that, when she flew to Japan to support Team USA in the Olympics, she ended up cheering alongside Macron during a three-on-three basketball game. Although they were rooting for opposing teams, “there was a comradery that we shared,” she said.With the state dinner, she said "our hope is that the end result will be a night that balances the beauty of our friendship with a seriousness of purpose, and we hope that French citizens everywhere feel the warmth of our welcome.”Wednesday night, the Bidens and the Macrons dined at Fiola Mare, an Italian seafood restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront.Thursday's dinner, the first in three years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will not be a new experience for Macron. The French president was invited to the U.S. on a state visit by then-President Donald Trump in 2018.Trump and his wife, Melania, took Macron and his wife on a helicopter ride over Washington — a city designed by Frenchman Pierre L'Enfant — and the Potomac River to Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington, America's first president. Macron was also recognized at a state dinner.The first state dinner of a new administration always attracts a lot of attention and sets the bar for how the president and first lady approach entertaining, said Anita McBride, who worked for three presidents and was chief of staff to Laura Bush when she was first lady.“In terms of the public, most visible event that any White House or any president and first lady could have entertaining on the global stage that is the White House, this is it," McBride said.

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White House executive chef Cris Comerford, left, and White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison, right, hold dishes during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022.

“The design of this dinner was inspired by the shared colors of our flags, red white and blue, and our common values, liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship”

White House State Dinner Featuring France Will Have A Red, White And Blue Theme

NEW YORK (AP) — The former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX said Wednesday that he did not "knowingly" misuse customers' funds, and said he believes his millions of angry customers will eventually be made whole.The comments from Sam Bankman-Fried came during an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin at a conference put on by The New York Times. Bankman-Fried has done a handful of media interviews since FTX collapsed in mid-November, but Wednesday's was his first video interview since it filed for bankruptcy protection on Nov. 11.“I didn’t ever want to commit fraud on anyone. I was shocked at what happened this month,” Bankman-Fried said.FTX failed in the cryptocurrency version of a bank run, when customers tried to withdraw their assets all at once because of growing doubts about the financial strength of the company and its affiliated trading arm, Alameda Research. Since its collapse, FTX's new management has called the cryptocurrency exchange's management a “complete failure of corporate controls.”Bankman-Fried said that he took responsibility for FTX's collapse and said he failed to grasp the amount of risk FTX and Alameda were taking on across both businesses. One of the accusations made against Bankman-Fried is that he arranged for Alameda to use customers' assets in FTX to place bets in the market. Bankman-Fried told Sorkin he did not “knowingly” co-mingle customers' assets with Alameda.Exchanges like FTX are supposed to segregate customers' deposits from any bets they place in the markets. Other financial companies have gotten into legal hot water for misusing customers deposits, one example being MF Global roughly 10 years ago.“Whatever happened, why it happened, I had a duty to our stakeholders, our customers, our investors, the regulators of the world, to do right by them,” Bankman Fried said.Sorkin pushed Bankman-Fried on how and when investors will get their money back, to which Bankman-Fried said he largely believed the U.S. affiliate of FTX was entirely solvent and could start processing withdrawals at once. As for the rest of FTX, which was significantly larger than the U.S. division, he said the fate of customers' funds were largely out of his control at this point.Bankman-Fried, who was once one of the richest people in the world on paper, now says he likely has less than $100,000 to his name after FTX's failure. He's getting by on one credit card while still in the Bahamas.

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Signage for the FTX Arena, where the Miami Heat basketball team plays, is illuminated Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Miami.

“I didn’t ever want to commit fraud on anyone. I was shocked at what happened this month”

Ex-FTX CEO Claims He Didn't 'Knowingly' Misuse Clients Funds

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My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

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My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

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