Zumba Instructor Admits To Running Brothel Out Of Her Fitness Studio

A 30-year-old Zumba instructor in small-town Maine admitted to running a one-woman brothel out of her fitness studio, USA Today reports.

Disgraced fitness instructor Alexis Wright pleaded guilty to 20 counts as part of a plea bargain in which prosecutors will recommend 10 months in jail.

The arrest of the "bubbly" fitness instructor rocked the tiny town of Kennebunk, the Associated Press reported in October.

More than 100 men allegedly paid Wright for sex, including South Portland Mayor James Soule. She allegedly kept extensive records and video recordings of sex with men who paid her, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Wright was accused of conspiring with 57-year-old Mark Strong to run the business. He was already tried and sentenced to 20 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.

From the Portland Press Herald:

"The evidence presented at Strong’s trial would have been particularly damning for Wright. One explicit video, which was played for the jury in Strong’s trial, shows her having sex with a man and then collecting a stack of cash from him."

 

Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Read More

Covered at Reason 24/7: Ashley Judd Not Running for Senate in Kentucky

Actress Ashley Judd had been considered a
possible candidate to run against Republican Mitch Senate Minority
Leader McConnell when he’s up for re-election in 2014. Not going to
happen.

From Politico:

Ashley Judd, the Hollywood movie star and
eighth-generation Kentuckian, has decided not to launch a
star-studded campaign to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell.


Judd made her announcement via Twitter Wednesday
afternoon.

No word yet on whether McConnell will face a primary challenge,
though tea party activists
seem inclined toward it.

Follow these stories and more at Reason 24/7 and don't forget you
can e-mail stories to us at 24_7@reason.com and tweet us
at @reason247.

Read More

If You're Running A Startup And You Don't Make A Video Like These, You're Stupid (YHOO)

Two very young startups called Mailbox and Summly recently sold for millions of dollars. Storage company Dropbox acquired Orchestra, the company behind Mailbox, earlier this month for a rumored $100 million in cash and stock — merely&a few weeks after the email app launched.& Just yesterday, Yahoo acquired two-year-old mobile news startup Summly for a little under $30 million, according to AllThingsD's Kara Swisher, even though the app had generated no revenue. & But what did these early stage startups have in common that made them so attractive to the big players in the industry? Neither had very many users. Mailbox had maybe 1.5 million. Sumly had less than a million. Neither made any money. What&both had was an awesome video with high-production values to show off their products. If you're a startup and you don't make a video like these, you are dumb. Check that box! Here are the videos: