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☆ Opinion: We Germans are making Trump ‘thunderstorm’ plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Opinion Anna Sauerbrey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

That’s scary.” If Trump is elected, Jörg is convinced, he would withdraw American troops from Europe and stop aid to Ukraine. Jim Bourg/AFP/Getty ImagesSix months ahead of the vote, this soccer field conversation reflects the German view of the US elections quite well. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s an optimistic view, based on the assumption that Trump will act rationally, as a deal-maker, if elected. What if Trump tries to take America out of NATO or creates a “dormant NATO,” a NATO existent only in name? Another Trump presidency would not only put Germany’s security at risk, but also manifest this view of the US for another four years.

Persons: Thomas Ernst Editor’s, Anna Sauerbrey, Read, ’, ”, Jörg, Miguel, Donald Trump, “, “ Trump, Trump, “ I’m, Piero, Joe Biden, Jim Bourg, Europe’s, Russia “, Olaf Scholz, Michael Kappeler, ” Scholz, mums, Annalena Baerbock, Greg Abbott, Biden, Kirill Kudryavtsev, George H, Bush’s, Barack Obama, Obama, Heinz M, Schahina Gambir, Gambir, Roe, Wade, Bob Parent Organizations: Zeit, Berlin CNN —, Köpenicker FC, CNN, Biden, Trump, Getty, NATO, Republican, European Union, European Central Bank, EU, ”, Dallas Mavericks, Mavericks, LA Clippers, NBA, Green, Bundestag Locations: Berlin, America, Taiwan, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, AFP, Gaza, Germany, Russia, United States, Trump, Texas, China, Poland, France, Frankfurt, Kabul, New York City, New York

☆ Election officials in battleground Michigan grapple with sweeping voting changes and a presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The state’s highly decentralized system of administering voting means that “Michigan has 1,500 elections every big election day,” said Kyle Whitney, the city clerk of Marquette in the state’s Upper Peninsula. ‘We’re all beginners’The new rules in Michigan flow from a constitutional amendment that state voters approved by a wide margin in 2022 that dramatically expanded access to voting. Miller was elected to succeed the previous, term-limited clerk and is overseeing her first presidential election. Deborah Pellow, the part-time clerk of rural Tilden Township in the Upper Peninsula, is also overseeing her first presidential election this year. The next big test for Michigan comes in August, when voters cast primary ballots for congressional, state and local offices.

Persons: Michael Siegrist, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, tabulators, Biden, ”, Kyle Whitney, ” Whitney, Brennan, ‘, “, ” Lori Miller, Miller, “ It’s, Deborah Pellow, Pellow, Adam Wit, –, Shira Roza, Carlos Osorio, Angela Benander, Joycelyn Benson, Jacqueline Beaudry, ” Benander, ‘ We’re Organizations: CNN, Ferrari, Republican, Trump, Brennan Center for Justice, Wolverine State, Biden’s, Michigan’s, Democratic, Michigan Association of Municipal, Michigan Locations: Michigan, Canton Township, Antrim County, Marquette, Wolverine, Livonia, Detroit, Wayne County, Tilden Township, Canton, Harrison, Warren , Michigan, Ann Arbor City, Tilden

Once Mr. Trump was elected, he agreed to repay Mr. Cohen for the $130,000 hush-money deal and more. And at a meeting in Trump Tower just weeks before he was sworn in, Mr. Trump signed off on the fakery, Mr. Cohen recounted from the stand. “What, if anything, did Mr. Trump say at that time?” a prosecutor asked Mr. Cohen. There, he said, Mr. Trump’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, explained how Mr. Trump would reimburse Mr. Cohen for the payoff. To reach Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen testified, he called the candidate’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller.

Persons: Donald J, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Trump’s, —, Alvin L, Bragg, Cohen —, Marc F, Scholl, ”, ” Mr, Stormy Daniels, Mr, “, Michael M, Joshua Steinglass, Juan M, Merchan —, “ Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Hope Hicks, Penny, Daniels, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Susan Hoffinger, Cohen’s, Keith Schiller, Schiller, William K, Rashbaum Organizations: Trump, Mr, Trump “, New, National Enquirer, Playboy, fixer Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ Supreme Court Justice Alito sold Bud Light stock, then bought Coors during boycott
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito poses for an official portrait at the East Conference Room of the Supreme Court building on October 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sold shares of beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev as conservatives were ditching the Bud Light brewer over its partnership with a transgender social media influencer . The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Alito's transaction report or the timing of his stock activity. In May 2023, Modelo replaced Bud Light as the top-selling beer in the U.S. Data from around that time showed sales of Bud Light had dropped nearly 25% year over year. Roth noted that the beer companies in question have no pending business before the Supreme Court that he can think of.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Alito, Bud Light, Busch, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, —, Martha, Ann Alito, Gabe Roth, " Roth, Roth Organizations: East, Anheuser, Busch, Molson Coors, Supreme, Busch InBev, Bud, Modelo, InBev, Coors, Blacks, New York Times, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Times, CNBC, Bud Light Locations: Washington , DC, U.S

☆ The fraud trial of Ozy Media cofounder Carlos Watson has begun. His attorneys have argued race played a role in his indictment.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAttorneys began jury selection in the criminal fraud trial of Carlos Watson, the cofounder of the fallen digital media startup Ozy Media. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Carlos Watson is a Black man and Ozy Media was majority-owned by people of color." AdvertisementAttorneys for Watson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on Monday. Semafor co-founder, former New York Times columnist, and BuzzFeed News editor in chief Ben Smith and Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson.

Persons: —, Carlos Watson, Watson, Watson's, Semafor, Ben Smith, Ozy, Dia Dipasupil, Kimberly White, Marc Lasry, Laurene Powell Jobs, Ron Conway, Axel Springer, Smith, Samir Rao, Suzee Han, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Service, Ozy Media, Business, Prosecutors, Apple, Google, Vice Media, New York Times, Goldman Locations: Brooklyn , New York, Buzzfeed

☆ Prosecutors Poised to Conclude Trump Case as Trial Enters Final Days
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | Ben Protess | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Donald J. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial will enter its final phase on Monday with the prosecution poised to complete its case and the defense considering whether to call witnesses of its own. The witness, Michael D. Cohen, has already testified over the course of three days, telling jurors that in 2015 he entered a conspiracy to suppress information damaging to the presidential campaign of his then-boss, Mr. Trump. Mr. Cohen, who was Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, suppressed one of those stories himself, paying $130,000 to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, just weeks before the election to bury her story of having had sex with Mr. Trump. After the election, Mr. Cohen testified, the president-elect approved a plan to reimburse him for the payment, knowing that the reimbursements would be classified as ordinary legal expenses. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has charged Mr. Trump with 34 felonies, arguing that what Mr. Cohen described was a crime: the falsification of business records.

Persons: Donald J, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Stormy Daniels Locations: Manhattan

☆ Trump's election-law witness Bradley Smith is getting $1,200 an hour to testify — and spin reporters
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAs Donald Trump's criminal hush-money trial nears the end, the former president's defense team plans to call at least one witness — an ex-commissioner of the Federal Election Commission who's getting a whopping $1,200 an hour. Smith does not appear to be quoted in media coverage of Trump's hush-money case. Related storiesThe judges in both cases found that the defense improperly wanted Smith to interpret campaign finance law to the jury. AdvertisementIn putting Smith on the stand, Trump's defense team hopes to challenge the prosecution's argument that the hush-money payment breached those laws.

Persons: —, Donald, Commission who's, Bradley Smith —, Smith, he'd, Trump, Juan Merchan, Bill Clinton, Bradley Smith, Douglas Graham, Sam Bankman, Suarez, Trump —, Eli Bartov, Arthur Engoron, Engoron, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Daniels, Melania Trump Organizations: Service, Commission, Republican, Business, New, Save America PAC —, New York University, The Manhattan, Attorney's, Prosecutors, Trump Locations: Trump's, Manhattan, States

☆ What the Dow Jones Hitting 40,000 Points Tells Us - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last week, for the first time in history, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 40,000. Unlike many right-wing commentators, I don’t consider the stock market the best indicator of the economy’s health, or even a good indicator. The background here is the gap between what we know about the actual state of our economy and the way Trump and his allies describe it. Unemployment has now been below 4 percent for 27 months, a record last achieved in the late 1960s, ending in February 1970. U.S. economic growth over the past four years has been much faster than in comparable major wealthy nations.

Persons: hyperpartisanship, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Dow

☆ Meet WiFi Money: Wealthy Finance Influencers Who Infuriated Investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

The Texas couple were staring down more than $100,000 in debt, much of which they had poured into WiFi Money. Those who give their money to WiFi Money are often encouraged to sign up other people in return for a cut of their profits — and perhaps, one day, a chance to become part of the WiFi Money crew. As the money poured in, WiFi Money gained a patina of mainstream credibility. AdvertisementThrough WiFi Money, Moeller and Frederick had created a virtuous cycle of money and influence. The same month investors took WiFi Money to court over the stores, DBC announced it was closing down.

Persons: Alex Moeller, influencer, Jasmine Sadry, Joey Martin, Martin, Moeller, Chris Frederick, Casa Moeller Martinez, MentorCI, Kim Kardashians, Gary Vee, Uber, Etsy, Farnaz Ghaedipour, Frederick, Jay Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald's, Brandon Celi, There's, Billy, Chris Casey, There's Todd Cahill, Liz Friesen, Tana Mongeau, Kardashian, —, James Ragano, BI Moeller, wouldn't, Kyle McDougal, Sadry, Kyncey, McDougal, hustlers, Kevin O'Leary, Jordan Belfort, Ronaldinho, Glenn Beck, I've, he'd, Daemon, I'm, they'd, It's, Chris Costello, Francis, Ashley, Costello, Gatsby, Casey, Avery Williamson, Victor Bermudez, DBC, They're, Instagram, Rolex Submariner Organizations: WiFi, Lamborghini, McLaren, Fox News, YouTube, Invest, Stanford University, PBS, BI, Social, Yahoo Finance, Business, Times, Piccadilly Circus, Fort, DMs, Kyncey Investments, Amazon, Kyncey, Investors, CNN, Fox Business, Big Tech, Florida Tropics Soccer Club, Royce, WiFi Money, Federal Trade Commission, WifiMoney, IRS, NFL, Dallas, Rolex Locations: Instagram, Mexico, Texas, Dallas, Quito, Ecuador, @amoeller, Florida, pecs, Maryland, Europe, Illinois, Mita, Burj, Fort Worth, dropshipping, Brazilian, New York City, ensconced, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Munich

☆ As Trump Trial Nears Its End, the Law May Give Prosecutors an Edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Ben Protess | Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the course of his monthlong criminal trial, the evidence against Donald J. Trump has piled up. And a parade of 18 witnesses who together told a compelling story: that Mr. Trump orchestrated a conspiracy to suppress sex scandals during the 2016 election, and after winning, sought to bury a porn star’s story for good. But the 19th and final witness of their case — the only one to directly link Mr. Trump to the 34 business records he is charged with falsifying — is Michael D. Cohen. Though Mr. Cohen got off to a strong start, Mr. Trump’s lawyer eventually hammered his credibility, highlighting his criminal record and painting him as a serial liar bent on taking down the former president. Between the reams of circumstantial evidence and some very favorable laws underpinning the charges, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, has retained inherent advantages.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael D, Cohen, Trump’s, —, Alvin L, Bragg Organizations: Trump Locations: Manhattan

☆ Trump's hush money verdict hinges on a single piece of paper. See the most important evidence in the case.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Read previewWelcome to People's Exhibit 35, the single most important piece of evidence in the Donald Trump hush-money trial. People's 35 is the fulcrum for the entire case. What People's 35 does not have is Trump's fingerprints, a point that the defense is sure to press during closing arguments next week. AdvertisementProsecutors allege that Trump's payments to Cohen were falsified to conceal hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. "Yes," Cohen answered, as Trump watched from the defense table"And what, if anything, did Mr. Trump say at the time?"

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, we'll, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Cohen —, Reince, Jon Elswick, Susan Hoffinger, Daniels, Hoffinger, Todd Blanche, — Cohen, Keith Davidson, Davidson, Karen McDougal, Playboy Bunny, Trump's, Melania Trump, peddled, Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Tila, RedFinch, That's Allen Weisselberg's, Allen, — it's, Trump —, Mary Altaffer Organizations: Service, Business, Attorney's, Trump Organization, Trump, Prosecutors, AP, Manhattan, BI Prosecutors, Essential, Consultants, Tahoe, National Enquirer, RedFinch Solutions, RedFinch, People's, frick Locations: Manhattan, Virginia

☆ See How Easily A.I. Chatbots Can Be Taught to Spew Disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Jeremy White | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Chatbots Can Be Taught to Spew DisinformationAhead of the U.S. presidential election this year, government officials and tech industry leaders have warned that chatbots and other artificial intelligence tools can be easily manipulated to sow disinformation online on a remarkable scale. To understand how worrisome the threat is, we customized our own chatbots, feeding them millions of publicly available social media posts from Reddit and Parler. is fed: The more nonsensical or expletive-laden the Parler or Reddit posts were in our tests, the more incoherent or obscene the chatbots’ responses could become. We asked, “Should critical race theory be taught in schools?”Mistral declined to comment on the fine-tuning of its models. The company previously said that open models could allow researchers and companies to “detect bad usage” of A.I.

Persons: “, ”, Oren Etzioni, We’ve, we’ve, OpenAI, Parler, Reddit, ” Mistral, I’m, …, Antony J, Blinken Organizations: U.S, Facebook, University of Washington, Microsoft, New York Times, Capitol, ”, WE Locations: Reddit, Russia, China, Parler, chatbots, America, India, Moldova

☆ Are Those Mimes Spying on Us? In Pakistan, It’s Not a Strange Question.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The street performers first appeared a few years ago along busy intersections of Islamabad. Perhaps in a different place, the emergence of mimes on the street looking to earn a few dollars might go unnoticed. But this is Pakistan, where things under the security state often are not as simple as they seem. Lookouts for powerful politicians? “But here, you see a beggar and you think to yourself, ‘He’s working for them,’” he added, referring to Pakistan’s powerful intelligence services.

Persons: ”, Habib Kareem, ‘, ’ Organizations: Lookouts Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan

CNN —Rudy Giuliani was served Friday with notice of his indictment related to an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona, according to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Mayes, previously told CNN that the attorney general’s office had tried for weeks to locate Giuliani. An attendee of the party told CNN that Giuliani was served papers by two agents of the Arizona attorney general’s office in the late hours of the birthday bash. They must concede they can’t count votes.”Hours later, Giuliani was served notice of the indictment. The Arizona indictment is just the latest legal woe for Giuliani stemming from his time as Trump’s attorney after the 2020 presidential election.

Persons: CNN — Rudy Giuliani, Kris Mayes, “, ” Mayes, Giuliani, ”, Richie Taylor, Mayes, Caroline Wren, Kari Lake, ” “, —, Ted Goodman, can’t, Donald Trump’s, Pence, John Eastman, CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Holmes Lybrand Organizations: CNN, GOP, New, New York City, Trump, Dominion Locations: Arizona, Palm Beach , Florida, New York, Phoenix, Georgia

☆ From Taylor Swift tickets to gasoline — these days everyone feels like they’re being price-gouged. Are they?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at SoFi Stadium on August 09, 2023 in Inglewood, California. At the core of the increasingly common accusation of price gouging is the sense that the consumer is being exploited. Price gouging is in the eye of the bidderGavin Roberts, chair of Weber State University’s economics department and who studies the effect of anti-price gouging laws, said the laws themselves often don’t define what price gouging is. Corporations charging as much as they can, as painful as it may be for consumers, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily price gouging, said Roberts. Steven Suranovic, an economics professor at George Washington University who has also published research on price gouging, sees it differently.

Persons: Emily Miller lucked, Taylor, Miller, Swift, ” Miller, Taylor Swift, Kevin Winter, it’s, —, Joe Biden — can’t, we’re, Gavin Roberts, Biden, ”, Biden hasn’t, ” Biden, Roberts, Steven Suranovic, Martin Shkreli, Shkreli, Price, Trent Sprague, Lyft, Uber, Travis Kalanick, It’s, ” Suranovic, Rafi Mohammed, Stefani Reynolds, Teresa Murray Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Rights, Weber State, Corporations, George Washington University, Turing Pharmaceuticals, LinkedIn, O'Hare International, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Consumer, Culture, Profit, Getty Locations: New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Inglewood , California, Chicago, New York City, Washington ,, AFP, US

☆ Giuliani Is Formally Notified of His Indictment in Arizona Election Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Anna Betts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rudolph W. Giuliani was served with a notice of his indictment in the Arizona election interference case on Friday night, becoming the last of the 18 defendants to receive the notice after nearly a month of unsuccessful attempts by the authorities. The indictment against Mr. Giuliani, Donald J. Trump’s former personal lawyer, and others includes conspiracy, fraud and forgery charges related to their attempts to change the results of the 2020 election in the state in favor of Mr. Trump, according to prosecutors. Among the other defendants are Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, along with all of the fake electors who acted on Mr. Trump’s behalf to keep him in power despite his defeat there. They waited to serve him outside as he left,” Mr. Taylor said. Mr. Giuliani’s spokesman, Ted Goodman, confirmed in a statement on Saturday that Mr. Giuliani was served “after the party, after guests had left and as he was walking to the car.”

Persons: Rudolph W, Giuliani, Mr, Donald J, Trump, Mark Meadows, Richie Taylor, Kris Mayes, ” Mr, Taylor, Giuliani’s, Ted Goodman Organizations: Mr, White House Locations: Arizona, Palm Beach County, Fla

☆ Opinion: I changed my mind about the strength of the prosecution’s case against Donald Trump. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Opinion Stacy Schneider | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The heated exchange between Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche and Cohen marked the biggest blow to the prosecution’s case so far. But the DA also must prove the actual business records crime, for which Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. How I see it, Cohen’s testimony only satisfied half the equation beyond a reasonable doubt. Weisselberg could be the linchpin to validate Cohen’s claims about Trump agreeing to reimburse him through Trump Organization, as a business expense. If so, there would have been no intent to falsify the business records.

Persons: Stacy Schneider, Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Cohen, Trump, Todd Blanche, Stormy Daniels, David Pecker, Keith Davidson, Daniels, Hope Hicks, Trump’s, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Juan Merchan, Pecker, won’t, Madeleine Westerhout Organizations: CNN, Attorney’s, Trump, American Media Inc, Trump Organization, Twitter, Facebook, DC Locations: Manhattan, New York

CNN —A federal judge on Friday sentenced David DePape to 30 years in prison, after he was convicted in the violent October 2022 attack on Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul. DePape was sentenced to 30 years for assault and 20 years for attempted kidnapping, which will run concurrently. DePape recalled that he was looking for Nancy Pelosi and that her husband had not been on his list of targets. She’s in Washington,” Pelosi recalled answering. He was violently struck in the head following a struggle with DePape, Pelosi said.

Persons: David DePape, Nancy Pelosi’s, Paul, DePape, Jacqueline Scott Corley, ”, Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “, ‘, I’ll, ” DePape, Pelosi “, ” Paul Pelosi, Narendra Modi, Stefani Reynolds, Pelosi, “ She’s, ” Pelosi, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Northern, Northern District of, India's, White, Getty Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, San Francisco federal, Washington ,, AFP, Washington

☆ House committee hearing disrupted as Marjorie Taylor Greene and AOC clash over 'fake eyelashes' jibe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA House Oversight Committee was disrupted on Thursday evening when Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez exchanged barbs that led to nearly an hour of disorder. The pair traded jibes until Ocasio-Cortez told Greene, "Oh, girl, baby girl, don't even play." AdvertisementOh girl, baby, girl... don't even play!' Chairman Comer suspended the hearing while they decided whether to strike Greene's words. AOC and Greene have a long history of animosityIn 2021, Greene attacked Ocasio-Cortez with a slew of offensive remarks.

Persons: —, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Merrick Garland, Joe Biden's, Robert Hur, Greene, Judge Juan Merchan, Donald, Jasmine Crockett, MAGA, Joe Biden, Jemal Countess, New York Democrat Ocasio, James Comer, Comer, Crockett, Marjorie Taylor Greene Bill Clark, MTG, Ocasio, H6rXG66GJk Organizations: Service, Business, Georgia Republican Rep, Texas Democratic, U.S . Rep, New York Democrat, Getty, Greene, CNN Locations: Alexandria, New York, Ocasio, Cortez, American, America

☆ Man convicted of attacking ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

David DePape, right, records the nude wedding of Gypsy Taub outside City Hall on Dec. 19, 2013, in San Francisco. DePape is accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California home and severely beating her husband with a hammer. The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling. Defense attorneys argued DePape was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi's official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him invalid.

Persons: David DePape, Gypsy Taub, DePape, Nancy Pelosi's, Nancy Pelosi, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Prosecutors, he's, bludgeoning Paul Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, Angela Chuang Organizations: San Locations: San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi's California, Berkeley, Calif

☆ A massive remote-work scam fooled 300 US companies into hiring North Koreans, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

According to prosecutors, the scheme began sometime in 2020 and used the stolen identities of about 60 US citizens. According to prosecutors, the scheme saw overseas workers apply for remote jobs at well-known US companies, including Fortune 500 companies. In exchange, prosecutors said in the indictment that Chapman charged the workers monthly fees for her services. In 2016, the US passed the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act, which aimed to improve the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea. The assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, Kevin Vorndran, said in the press release that although the allegations may seem like "typical white-collar" crime, they represent a broader trend.

Persons: —, Christina Marie Chapman, Chapman, Oleksandr Didenko, Nicole M, Argentieri, Kevin Vorndran Organizations: Service, US, Office, District of Columbia, Business, Fortune, Prosecutors, Social Security Administration, Department's, North Korea Sanctions, North, FBI's Counterintelligence Division Locations: Arizona, North Korea, Valley, American, Ukrainian

☆ Eastman Is First Trump Ally Arraigned in Arizona Election Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Danny Hakim | Rowan Moore Gerety | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Eastman is the first of 18 defendants to come before a judge in the Arizona case, which was brought by Kris Mayes, the state attorney general. Mr. Eastman faces charges of fraud, forgery and conspiracy. Rudolph W. Giuliani, formerly Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, has also been charged in the case. The arraignment of Mr. Eastman took place at a large courthouse complex in Phoenix Friday morning. Mr. Eastman appeared briefly before a judge and pleaded not guilty.

Persons: John Eastman, Donald J, Trump’s, Trump, Eastman, Kris Mayes, Boris Epshteyn, Mark Meadows, Rudolph W, Giuliani Organizations: White House Locations: Phoenix, Arizona

☆ Intruder Who Bludgeoned Pelosi’s Husband Gets 30-Year Sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Tim Arango | Jonathan Wolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The man who broke into the San Francisco home of Nancy Pelosi two years ago and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in federal prison, with credit for time already served. The assailant, David DePape, was convicted in November 2023 on federal charges. He admitted on the witness stand during the trial that he had carried out the attack, as he had done before in interviews with the police and media outlets. But he said that he never intended to hurt Ms. Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. Mr. DePape said his intrusion into the couple’s home in the affluent Pacific Heights neighborhood was part of a plot to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and interrogate her about a supposed corrupt conspiracy led by Ms. Pelosi and other prominent liberal figures.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, David DePape, Pelosi’s, Paul Pelosi, Mr, DePape, Ms Organizations: San Locations: San Francisco, Pacific Heights

☆ Two former MIT students charged with stealing $25 million of crypto in 12 seconds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Authorities said they executed their elaborate heist in April 2023, stealing $25 million from traders in just 12 seconds by fraudulently gaining access to pending transactions and altering the movement of cryptocurrency. “As we allege, the defendants’ scheme calls the very integrity of the blockchain into question,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. An indictment charged them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Anton Peraire-Bueno was arrested in Boston, while James Peraire-Bueno was arrested in New York. Prosecutors said that after carrying out the heist, the brothers rejected requests to return the funds and instead took steps to launder and hide the stolen cryptocurrency.

Persons: Anton Peraire, James Peraire, ”, Damian Williams, Bueno Organizations: CNN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Authorities, MIT, Prosecutors Locations: Manhattan, U.S, Boston, New York, Cambridge , Massachusetts

☆ Fico assassination attempt exposes risks for politicians in a polarized Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Luke Mcgee | Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The horrific scenes in Slovakia following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico are a stark and brutal reminder of the dangers facing those who seek public office. Security personnel apprehend a suspected gunman after Slovakia's Prime Minister was shot in Handlova, Slovakia on May 15, 2024. President Zuzana Caputova appoints Robert Fico the new Slovakian prime minister at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, on 25 October 2023. In 2022, Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s prime minister after running on an anti-immigration, socially conservative ticket. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead in July 2022 as he gave a campaign speech.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Zuzana Čaputová, ”, George Soros, Čaputová, Fico’s, Zuzana Caputova, Jakub Gavlak, Giorgia Meloni, Covid lockdowns, Jo Cox, DANIEL LEAL, David Amess, Shinzo Abe, Fernando Villavicencio –, – Organizations: CNN, Slovakia's, Getty, Fico, Slovakian, Parliamentary, Parliament, Political, Hamas, British Labour, AFP, Conservative, ISIS, Japanese Locations: Slovakia, Russia, American, Europe, Ukraine, Gaza, Handlova, AFP, Bratislava, Netherlands, Israel, London, Britain

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