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British Museum faces probe over handling of tabots, sacred Ethiopian artifacts held 150 years out of view
London — London’s renowned British Museum is facing an investigation by the United Kingdom’s information watchdog over claims that it has not been transparent about a collection of sacred Ethiopian altar tablets held away from public view for more than 150 years. The museum has housed the 11 wood and stone tabots — replicas of the Ark of the Covenant — since they were looted from Ethiopia by British forces following the Battle of Maqdala in 1868.
According to the museum, the tabots are “believed by Ethiopian Christians to be the dwelling place of God on Earth, the mercy seat described in the Bible, and the representation of the Ark of the Covenant.” The ancient Ark of the Covenant, according to Jewish tradition, contained the 10 Commandments.
If and when consecrated, a tabot is typically kept in a church’s Holy of Holies, an inner sanctum that only senior clergy are permitted to enter. Because of their sacred nature, the tabots have never been put on public display by the British Museum.
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Returning Heritage, an advocacy group that focuses on the return of artifacts obtained during Britain’s long reign as an imperial power, has submitted a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) arguing that the museum withheld important details of internal deliberations about the status of the tabots when responding to a Freedom of Information request.
“The Museum’s lack of transparency on this issue is deeply concerning,” said Lewis McNaught, managing editor of Returning Heritage, in a statement. “Following recent news that Westminster Abbey has agreed ‘in principle’ to return the Ethiopian Tabot sealed into the back of its Lady Chapel altar, we hope the ICO will agree it’s time the Museum explains why it is still clinging on to a collection of highly sacred objects that, unlike other contested items in its collection, can be returned without a change in the existing legislation.”
Under U.K. law, the British Museum is forbidden from returning any of its treasures to their countries of origin, barring some very specific circumstances. A clause in the British Museum Act 1963 allows for objects to be repatriated if, in the opinion of the museum trustees, the objects are “unfit to be retained” and can be removed “without detriment to the interests of students.”
“The information sought concerns decision-making by a major public institution on a matter of very significant public interest,” said Tom Short, a lawyer with the firm who submitted the complaint on behalf of Returning Heritage. “That the museum should attempt to withhold such information from public scrutiny is surprising, not least at a time when recent events have shown a clear need for light to be shone on how the museum conducts its business.”
The British Museum has declined to comment on the investigation. On its website, the museum says it is actively invested in discussions with Ethiopian partners about the collection.
The museum has been no stranger to controversy over the last year. Just last month, it appointed a new director after its previous boss resigned following the discovery that 1,800 artifacts from the museum’s collection were “missing, stolen or damaged.”
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Another of the museum’s prize collections is at the center of a separate artifact feud between the U.K. and Greece. Greek authorities have demanded the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, which have been part of the British Museum’s permanent collection for decades.
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LeBron James re-signs with Lakers to make him and Bronny first father-son duo on same NBA team. But they aren’t the only family members to play together.
LeBron James and his son, Bronny, are making history as the first father-son duo to not only play in the NBA simultaneously but also on the same team. The elder James re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, CBS Sports reports. This comes after the younger James was drafted to the team as the 2nd round, 55th overall pick.
LeBron, who made his NBA debut in 2003 at age 19, has played on the Lakers since 2018 after two long stints with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and a stint on the Miami Heat in between. The four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP reportedly re-signed with the Lakers for about $101.35 million, ESPN’s Bobby Marks first reported. This is a pay cut considering his max salary is around $104 million.
Bronny, 19, was drafted by the Lakers last month after playing one season at the University of Southern California.
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Ahead of the draft, LeBron, 39, said he was hoping to play alongside his son.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” he said.
The pair may be the first of their kind, but several other family members have played in the NBA together, even on the same team. Here are some of the other famous duos of the league.
NBA father-son duos
Dell Curry, father of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and Charlotte Hornets member Seth Curry, played in the NBA from 1986 to 2002. His oldest son, Steph entered the league in 2009, just seven years after his father’s retirement.
Athletics runs deep in that family. Seth married Callie Rivers, the daughter of his former head coach, Doc Rivers. Callie is a professional volleyball player.
Doc’s son, Austin Rivers, also played in the NBA, making them another father-son duo of the league. Austin became the first person in the NBA to be coached by his father, who was coaching the Los Angeles Clippers.
Several other NBA players have seen their sons enter the league: Mychal Thompson’s sons, Klay and Mychal, played, as did Rick Barry’s three sons Jon, Brent and Drew.
Some other duos include Arvydas and Domantas Sabonis, Bill and Luke Walton, Tim Hardaway and Tim Jr., Larry Nance and Larry Jr. and Gary Payton and Gary II.
Late Lakers great Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, also played in the NBA for several years.
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NBA brothers
In 2024, there are fourteen sets of brothers playing in the NBA, including the Currys and Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who play on the Milwaukee Bucks together.
The Bucks roster includes another set of brothers, twins Brook and Robin Lopez. Evan and Isaiah Mobley play together on the Cavaliers and Franz and Moritz Wagner play on the Orlando Magic.
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Justin, Jrue and Aaron Holiday all play in the league – Justin and Aaron played together on the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers during their careers.
There are also several sets of twins in the NBA: Caleb and Cody Martin, who both played on the Charlotte Hornets at the same time; Amen and Ausar Thompson, who were both drafted in 2023; and Keegan and Kris Murray and Marcus Morris Sr. and Markieff Morris, who were both drafted in 2011.
Other brothers currently in the league include Tre and Tyus Jones, Jalen and Jaden McDaniels, LaMelo and Lonzo Ball and Jaden and Cody Williams.
There have been more than 70 sets of brothers who have played in the NBA over the years, according to FanSided.
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Inflation has been cooling in recent months, and if it continues on that path, it could mean lower interest rates are upcoming. Once inflation gets closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, it’s likely to reduce its federal funds rate, which would lower rates for American borrowers, too.
The timing of that rate cut is unclear, but according to the CME Group Fed Watch tool, it could be as early as September. What would that rate mean for home equity borrowers, though? And when would those changes hit? We asked some experts for their thoughts on how a Fed rate cut could affect home equity loans.
See what home equity loan rate you could secure here now.
How a 2024 Fed rate cut will affect home equity loans
Here’s what the experts we spoke to predicted for home equity loans, should the Federal Reserve proceed with a cut to the federal funds rate.
The Fed will only cut rates slightly
In its June Summary of Economic Projections, the Fed indicated it will likely only reduce rates by about 0.25% this year. And the experts we spoke to agree that this is probably where the Fed will land by year’s end.
“The Federal Reserve has made it clear that it needs to see more data supporting an inflation trend towards its long-term goal of 2% before making any meaningful changes to monetary policy,” says Kelly Miskunas, senior director of capital markets at online mortgage lender Better.com.
The CME Group Fed Watch tool shows the possibility of further rate cuts this year, but the numbers change often. If inflation drops at a faster clip than it has in recent months, there’s a chance those extra cuts could happen. The Fed meets next at the end of July.
See how much home equity you could access online today.
Home equity interest rates will drop, too
Experts say if the Fed drops its rate, home equity rates will fall, too. They’ll fall quickest on home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), as these have variable interest rates that are directly tied to the prime rate. When the Fed rate declines, the prime rate does, too, so HELOC rates fall in step.
That means new HELOC will see the impact immediately, and borrowers who already have HELOCs will see it shortly after.
“Outstanding HELOCS typically are set monthly,” says Kevin Leibowitz, a mortgage broker at Grayton Mortgage in New York. “It will take 30 to 45 days for those mortgages to reset.”
For home equity loans, though, the story is a little different. Most borrowers with existing home equity loans won’t see their rate change at all (those are usually fixed-rate loans, so the rate stays constant the entire term unless refinanced). New home equity loan borrowers, though, will see lower rates when they take out their loans. It likely won’t be a huge decline, though.
“The Federal Reserve tries to be overly transparent with their intentions for future policy decisions to not spook broader markets,” Miskunas says. “For this reason, the market will typically have priced in the Fed’s next action before it occurs.”
Should you act now or wait?
With rates poised to fall, you might be tempted to wait before taking out a home equity loan or HELOC. Whether that’s smart or not depends on your goals (do you need the money for something important right now?), as well as what type of product you’re considering.
“Waiting for a lower rate for most HELOCs is not necessary because they are floating, so when the rates drop, your loan rate will automatically fall,” says Mason Whitehead, branch manager at Churchill Mortgage in Dallas. “Just ensure that your loan does not have a floor rate, which means it will never go below a certain rate, typically the start rate.”
For home equity loans, waiting might work — but there’s really no guarantee. And if you need the cash for something now, acting sooner may be necessary.
“Since it is impossible to predict the future path of interest rates, customers who are looking to tap into their home equity today should act, instead of trying to time the market,” Miskunas says. “Borrowers can always look to refinance high-cost debt if interest rates decline in the future.”
How to get a lower rate
If you’re applying for a home equity loan or HELOC soon, there are steps you can take to minimize your interest rate. To start, improve your credit score. The higher your score, the lower your rate will likely be. You can also reduce your debts or increase your income, as this lowers your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) and the risk you pose to a lender. A lower DTI can also get you a lower rate.
Finally, talk to a loan officer or mortgage broker early in the process. They can help you prepare for your application and guide you on how to get the best rates.
Find out more about your home equity borrowing options here today.
7/8: CBS News 24/7 Episode 1
LeBron James re-signs with Lakers to make him and Bronny first father-son duo on same NBA team. But they aren’t the only family members to play together.
Here’s how a 2024 Fed rate cut will affect home equity loans
7/8: CBS News 24/7 Episode 1
LeBron James re-signs with Lakers to make him and Bronny first father-son duo on same NBA team. But they aren’t the only family members to play together.