Chef Brian Ingram has agreed to shut down his nonprofit Give Hope, Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office announced Friday.

Ingram, who owns Hope Breakfast Bar locations across the metro and the Gnome Craft Pub on Selby Avenue and is soon set to close his downtown restaurant Apostle Supper Club, had used the nonprofit as a vehicle to donate proceeds from his restaurants, as well as food and meals to support other community causes.

Brian Ingram, owner of the Hope Breakfast Bar near West Seventh Street, sits between two movable dividers he created for his counter on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

However, the nonprofit came under Ellison’s scrutiny last summer for allegedly failing to properly register as a charitable organization. Additionally, the organization had been operating without federal 501(c)3 tax-exempt status for about a year, which itself is not necessarily illegal but significantly restricted the activity the organization could have lawfully conducted.

At the time, Ingram told the Pioneer Press it had been his intention to dissolve the nonprofit and shift it to a private C-corporation, which he framed as being a better structure for the quick-response style of charitable giving he prefers.

“This is our purpose, to give back to our community,” Ingram said in May 2024. “That’s why we’re Purpose Restaurants. I’m just hoping people will continue to walk with us in that.”

In a motion filed in Ramsey County Court on May 23 to formally dissolve the nonprofit, Ellison further alleged that financial relationships between Give Hope and Ingram’s restaurants had not been conducted appropriately, that the organization did not have a treasurer and that it had not maintained adequate or transparent financial records. Notably, Ellison alleges Ingram and his wife Sarah, listed as the nonprofit’s president, had used nonprofit funds to reimburse their for-profit restaurants for items the restaurants had ostensibly donated via the nonprofit — a type of “conflicted transaction” that would have needed to follow strict legal authorizations.

Beyond dissolving the nonprofit, Ellison’s office does not plan to pursue additional legal action against the Ingrams for these alleged violations, a spokesperson confirmed Friday.

However, per the dissolution agreement, the Ingrams could face civil prosecution if they were to violate its terms, which include a prohibition on representing themselves as a charitable organization or using a name similar to “Give Hope” going forward, including as a corporate entity. The Ingrams and their companies still are permitted to make their own independent donations to other registered charitable organizations.

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Billy Joel canceled all of his upcoming shows including a July performance at Yankee Stadium and a Citi Field show in August due to a normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) diagnosis.

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The Alzheimer’s Association calls NPH “a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, causing thinking and reasoning problems, difficulty walking, and loss of bladder control.”

The 76-year-old piano man posted notice of the cancellations on Instagram Friday with a message claiming his “hearing, vision and balance” were being impaired by health problems. Joel’s statement said his condition had been exacerbated by performing live.

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience and thank you for understanding,” Joel added.

Joel announced in March he was postponing upcoming performance to “recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors.”

He didn’t offer specifics about the operation.

This is a developing story. 

The List of Cancelled Shows:

Saturday, April 26, 2025 Billy Joel / Sting – postponed tbd Milwaukee, WI American Familv Field
Saturday, July 5, 2025 Billy Joel / Rod Stewart Pittsburgh, PA Acrisure Stadium
Friday, July 18, 2025 Billy Joel / Rod Stewart Bronx, NY Yankees Stadium
Friday, August 8, 2025 Billy Joel / Stevie Nicks East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium
Thursday, August 21, 2025 Billy Joel / Sting Queens, NY Citi Field
Friday, September 5, 2025 Billy Joel / Sting Washington, DC Nationals Park
Saturday, September 20, 2025 Billy Joel / Rod Stewart Cincinnati, OH Paycor Stadium
Saturday, October 4, 2025 Billy Joel / Stevie Nicks Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium
Saturday, October 18, 2025 Billy Joel / Stevie Nicks New Orleans Superdome
Saturday, November 1, 2025 Billy Joel – rescheduled from 1/17/25 Hollywood FL Seminole Hard Rock
Saturday, November 15, 2025 Billy Joel / Stevie Nicks – rescheduled from 3/29/25 Detroit, MI Ford Field
Saturday, March 14, 2026 Billy Joel – rescheduled from 3/15/25 Toronto, ON Rogers Center
Friday, April 10, 2026 Billy Joel / Sting – rescheduled from 4/11/25 Syracuse, NY JMA Wireless Dome
Friday, May 22, 2026 Billy Joel / Sting – rescheduled from 5/23/25 Salt Lake City, UT Rice Eccles Stadium
Saturday, June 6, 2026 Billy Joel – rescheduled from 6/7/25 Edinburgh, UK Scottish Gas Murrayfield
Saturday, June 20, 2026 Billy Joel – rescheduled from 6/21/25 Liverpool. UK Anfield
Friday, July 3, 2026 Billy Joel / Sting – rescheduled from 5/10/25 Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium

By KELVIN CHAN

LONDON (AP) — Apple users are starting to get ways out of the iPhone maker’s so-called “walled garden.”

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For years, the company blocked app developers from informing people about how to pay for a subscription or service that didn’t involve going through its own iOS App Store.

Some apps didn’t like this. It’s the reason you weren’t able to pay for your Spotify subscription from the app.

But all that changed last month, when U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a scathing decision against Apple that promises to shake up the iPhone app payment ecosystem.

She ordered Apple to tear down the barriers around its previously exclusive payment system for in-app digital transactions and allow developers to provide links to alternative options. She also ordered Apple to stop preventing app makers from communicating directly with users through their apps to let them know about deals and offers. She told Apple not to impose new commissions on purchases made outside the App Store.

Some companies, including Spotify, moved quickly to capitalize on the judge’s demand with app updates.

Here’s a look at how iPhone users — at least those in the United States — can make the most of the changes:

Spotify

Spotify customers previously had to go to its website to pay for a music streaming subscription. That’s because Spotify long ago removed the in-app payment option in protest against Apple’s practice of requiring that digital subscriptions be bought only through iOS apps while taking a commission of up to 30%.

Following a U.S. app update, Spotify said users “can finally see how much something costs in our app, including pricing details on subscriptions and information about promotions that will save money.”

If you’re a Spotify listener, you can now scroll through various subscription plans on the app to see their prices. Free users who want to upgrade to a premium subscription can sign up by tapping a button directly in the app. Existing premium users can easily switch to a different subscription level, also by simply tapping a button.

And in another update, the company said users can also view individual audiobook prices and buy them within the Spotify app. Premium subscribers will also be able to buy “top up” hours for audiobook listening if they’ve maxed out their 15 free listening hours each month.

Epic Games

Gamers can rejoice. Five years after Apple ousted Fortnite for trying to introduce a direct payment plan to bypass the App Store, the popular game is back on iOS.

The comeback appeared in jeopardy after Apple initially refused to approve Fortnite’s bid before Apple relented this week, clearing the app for U.S. users. It’s also back in the European Union, where alternative app marketplaces have been mandated since last year.

Fortnite maker Epic Games had previewed the updated app’s new payment buttons to let players buy V-bucks currency to spend on character “cosmetics” like outfits, wraps for weapons or dance movements known as “emotes.” One button leads to Apple’s in-app purchasing system while the other is for Epic’s own payment system, which can earn players up to 20% extra V-bucks for their accounts.

Kindle

Amazon has updated its Kindle app to add a button so that users can more easily buy books directly from their iPhones.

Previously, users could only look up books and download a sample on the app, but did not have an option to buy directly. They had to open up their web browser and log in to their Amazon accounts to make the purchase, or else buy it from a Kindle reader.

Now, U.S.-based readers can tap the new ‘Get Book’ button in the Kindle iOS app, which the ecommerce giant says will take them directly to their mobile web browser to complete the purchase.

“We regularly make improvements to our apps to help ensure we are providing customers the most convenient experience possible,” Amazon said in a statement.

Patreon

If you support online creators by paying for their podcasts, videos, music or other content on Patreon, you’ve now got the option to bypass Apple when buying subscriptions.

The subscription platform updated its iOS app so that fans in the U.S. purchasing memberships have the option to skip Apple’s checkout option that includes a 30% fee and instead use Patreon’s own checkout option.

The update app lets fans pay directly from the Patreon app by tapping the Join button. You can use credit cards, PayPal, Venmo or even the Apple Pay mobile wallet. There’s still the option to stick with Apple’s in-app purchasing system — displayed less prominently underneath the Join button — which will include Apple’s fees, according to screenshots posted on Patreon’s website.

Patreon said the update doesn’t apply to fans in other countries. However, it does mean creators based outside of the U.S. whose fans are in the country will be able to access the new payment option.

The platform said that based on Apple’s feedback, eventually it will move its alternative checkout method to an external browser so it can continue to avoid adding the extra fees.

Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is seeking to arrest those responsible for the failed launch of its second naval destroyer, as it denied the warship suffered major damage — a claim quickly met with outside skepticism.

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A statement from North Korea on its handling of the botched launch came after leader Kim Jong Un expressed fury over the incident that he said was caused by criminal negligence. The main military committee said Friday that those responsible would be held accountable for their “unpardonable criminal act.”

Satellite imagery on the site showed the vessel lying on its side and draped in blue covers, with parts of it submerged. North Korea says it will take about 10 days to repair the damage, but outside observers question that timeframe because damage to the ship appeared much worse than what North Korea claims.

Here is what you need to know about the failed ship launch:

How much damage was there to the ship?

North Korea’s state media said Friday the severity of the damage to the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was “not serious” as it canceled an earlier assessment that the bottom of the hull had been left with holes.

It said the hull on the starboard side was scratched and some seawater had flowed into the stern section. It said it needs a total of 10 days to pump out the seawater, set the ship upright and fix the scratches.

It’s almost impossible to verify the assessment because of the extremely secretive nature of North Korea. It has a history of manipulating or covering up military-related setbacks, policy fiascoes and other mishaps, though it has periodically acknowledged some in recent years.

Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network in South Korea, said the North Korean warship likely suffered much worse damage, including the flooding of its engine room located in the stern section, and holes in the starboard. He said North Korea could simply set the ship upright, paint it over and claim the ship has been launched, but that repairs could take more than a year as the replacement of an engine requires cutting the hull.

Why the ship’s launch failed

According to the North Korean account, the destroyer was damaged when a transport cradle on the ship’s stern detached early during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin on Wednesday.

Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University, said North Korean workers are probably not familiar with launching a 5,000-ton-class warship, which is a few times heavier than its existing main navy ships.

Observers say North Korea tried to launch the destroyer sideways, a method it has never used for warships, although it has previously employed it with big cargo and passenger ships.

Compared with those non-military vessels, Lee sad it would be more difficult to maintain balance with the destroyer because it’s equipped with heavy weapons systems. He suspected North Korean scientists and officials likely did not factor that in.

How Kim has reacted

The damaged ship is assessed as the same class as North Korea’s first destroyer, launched with great fanfare last month with a floating dry dock at a western shipyard. It is North Korea’s biggest and most advanced warship to date, and Kim called its construction “a breakthrough” in modernizing North Korea’s naval forces to cope with what he calls U.S.-led security threats.

Subsequently, a failure to launch the second destroyer was an embarrassment for Kim. But by disclosing the failure both internally and externally, Kim could be trying to show his resolve in building greater naval forces and boosting discipline at home. He ordered officials to repair the warship before a ruling Workers’ Party meeting in late June.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Friday that a team of prosecutors and experts began steps to arrest and investigate those responsible as part of their full-scale investigation into the case. KCNA said that Hong Kil Ho, manager of the Chongjin shipyard, has been summoned for questioning.

“No matter how good the state of the warship is, the fact that the accident is an unpardonable criminal act remains unchanged, and those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime,” the North’s Central Military Commission said in an instruction to the investigation team, according to KCNA.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said North Korea appears to be using the failed launch as a chance to strengthen the ruling party’s control over science and technological sectors.

Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said that North Korea’s handling of the damaged warship could have long-term consequences for its defense science sector.

“If scientists are held severely accountable, I would say the future of North Korea’s defense science doesn’t look very bright, as it would be a sign that political responsibility is being prioritized over technical accountability,” Lee wrote on Facebook.