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March 23 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court in New Orleans on Thursday upheld a judge's ruling blocking enforcement of President Joe Biden's 2021 executive order requiring all federal employees take a COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said that, contrary to arguments by the Biden administration, the judge had jurisdiction to issue a nationwide mandate against the requirement. read moreA three-member panel of the Fifth Circuit overturned that ruling in April last year. read moreBiden issued his executive order in September 2021, saying that some 3.5 million federal employees or contractors who failed to get the vaccine faced discipline or firing. Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Deutsche Bank AG FollowNEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) has settled a lawsuit in which it accused two offshore funds of reneging on an agreement to sell it $1.6 billion of claims in the bankruptcy of Bernard Madoff's namesake firm. Incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, the Kingate funds funneled client money to Madoff for many years before his Ponzi scheme collapsed in 2008. The funds sold their claims against the former Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC to Deutsche Bank for 66 cents on the dollar in 2011. But the bank said the Kingate funds later got "sellers' remorse" because the value of the claims rose substantially. The case is Deutsche Bank Securities Inc v. Kingate Global Fund Ltd et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

[1/3] Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes arrives to attend her fraud trial at federal court in San Jose, California, U.S., December 16, 2021. REUTERS/Peter DaSilva/File PhotoNEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - A key prosecution witness whose testimony helped convict Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes of fraud sued Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Thursday over a recent Hulu miniseries that he says defamed him by portraying him as corrupt. Rosendorff said the character, Mark Roessler, covered up Theranos' fraud by ordering the destruction of damaging lab results, falsifying records and engaging in other dishonest and unethical conduct. "At the time of the trial, (Rosendorff) was considered a heroic whistle-blower, a witness who was instrumental in the jury’s verdict convicting Holmes," the filing said. The case is Rosendorff v Hulu LLC et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No.

French cloud computing services provider and complainant OVHcloud (OVH.PA) is also waiting for a more concrete proposal from Microsoft, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. Resolving the complaints with the companies could help Microsoft stave off a possible EU antitrust investigation that could lead to a fine as much as 10% of its global turnover. The complaints by OVHcloud, Italian cloud service provider Aruba and a Danish association of cloud service providers focused on Microsoft's cloud practices and licensing deals. "We are grateful for the productive conversations that led us there and appreciate the feedback that we have received since," a Microsoft spokesperson said. Cispe's members include cloud computing market leader Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O).

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - The Manhattan district attorney's office on Thursday accused House of Representatives Republicans of interfering in its probe of former President Donald Trump, according to a letter obtained by Reuters. Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday denied Archegos Capital Management LP founder Bill Hwang's effort to dismiss an indictment accusing him of fraud in the collapse of his once-$36 billion firm. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan rejected arguments that the 11-count indictment should be tossed because prosecutors deceived Hwang into cooperating with their probe and because Hwang's trading activity had been lawful. Authorities said Hwang concealed the size and riskiness of his bets by spreading his borrowing among several banks. When the prices of some stocks fell, Hwang was unable to meet margin calls, leading banks to dump stocks backing his swaps, and causing losses for Archegos and others. The case is U.S. v. Hwang et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinNEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said Donald Trump will get an anonymous jury in rape accuser E. Jean Carroll's upcoming defamation trial, citing the risk of juror harassment and noting Trump's reaction to possibly being indicted in an unrelated case. Carroll has said Trump raped her in late 1995 or early 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan. Carroll is separately suing Trump for defamation over his June 2019 denial that the rape occurred. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

March 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has threatened to sue Coinbase Global Inc (COIN.O) over some of the crypto exchange's products, turning up the heat on the largely unregulated sector. Shares of Coinbase dropped nearly 13% to $67.33 in extended trading after the company said on Wednesday that the regulator had issued it a Wells notice - a formal declaration that SEC staff intend to recommend an enforcement action. Last month, Kraken agreed to shut down its U.S. cryptocurrency staking service and pay $30 million in penalties to settle SEC charges that it failed to register the program. Earlier in the day, the SEC charged Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun with fraud, and accused eight celebrities including actress Lindsay Lohan with illegally promoting his crypto assets. A Wells notice does not always result in charges or signal that the recipient has violated any law.

March 22 (Reuters) - Coinbase Global Inc (COIN.O) said on Wednesday it had received a notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission warning that the cryptocurrency exchange could face a civil action over some of its products. Shares of Coinbase were down nearly 12% at $68.18 in extended trading. A Wells notice shows that SEC staff intend to recommend enforcement action against the company, but it does not always result in charges or signal that the recipient has violated any law. The potential enforcement actions would be tied to aspects of the company's spot market, its Coinbase Earn, Coinbase Prime and Coinbase Wallet products, it said. Coinbase also said its services continued to operate as usual after the notice was issued.

A Manhattan grand jury did not meet as had been expected on Wednesday, a law enforcement source said, although it was unclear why that was or how much longer the grand jury would take to conclude its work. The Insider news outlet first reported the news that the grand jury would not convene on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment on the grand jury. Security officials are bracing for possible unrest, but so far few of Trump's supporters have heeded his call for protests. Several media outlets reported that his lawyer, Evan Corcoran, would testify on Friday before a federal grand jury in Washington investigating whether Trump mishandled sensitive federal documents.

But members of the grand jury were told to stay home on Wednesday, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret grand jury proceedings. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Security was high around the courthouse where the grand jury has been meeting, with court officers out early and barricades up around the building. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - A New York grand jury was expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield the first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen has said he made the payments at Trump's direction to buy her silence about Trump's extramarital affair. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

"We greatly sympathize with Mr. Vadell for everything he and his family have been through," a Citgo spokesperson said in a statement. "We disagree with this lawsuit, which irresponsibly equates CITGO, an American company based in Houston, with an authoritarian regime in Venezuela." Vadell and the other executives were summoned to a meeting at Venezuelan state-oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA.UL), Citgo's parent. A Venezuelan court sentenced the executives in 2020 to prison terms ranging from eight to 13 years. The case is Tomeu Vadell et al V. Citgo Petroleum Corp., Harris County District Court, No.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - - A New York grand jury is expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump has denied the affair took place, and others in his orbit have said Cohen acted on his own. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

In a 31-page decision on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan also dismissed all claims against the billionaire Ma, including for insider trading. Beijing announced an antitrust probe in Dec. 2020, and fined Alibaba $2.75 billion four months later for requiring "merchant exclusivity" to do business. Daniels said Alibaba shareholders lacked standing to sue over Ant, because the IPO did not happen and thus they never bought or sold Ant shares. He said they could sue Alibaba, Chief Executive Daniel Zhang and former Chief Financial Officer Maggie Wu over the antitrust compliance statements. The case is In re Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Securities Litigation, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Companies Meta Platforms Inc FollowMarch 21 (Reuters) - A new lawsuit accuses Mark Zuckerberg and other Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) executives and directors of failing to do enough to stop sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation on Facebook and Instagram. Given the board's failure to explain how it tries to root out the problem, "the only logical inference is that the board has consciously decided to permit Meta's platforms to promote and facilitate sex/human trafficking," the complaint said. "We prohibit human exploitation and child sexual exploitation in no uncertain terms," it said in a statement on Tuesday. Zuckerberg, Meta's billionaire co-founder and chief executive, told Congress in 2019 that child exploitation was "one of the most serious threats that we focus on." Meta, based in Menlo Park, California, has long faced accusations that its platforms are a haven for sexual misconduct.

"Plaintiffs' general allegation that the merger may cause 'higher prices, less innovation, less creativity, less consumer choice, decreased output, and other potential anticompetitive effects' is insufficient," wrote U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Corley. The decision does not affect the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) regulatory challenge to the largest-ever gaming industry deal. Microsoft announced its bid last year, and it also faces competition scrutiny in the EU and UK. A spokesperson for Microsoft and lawyers for the company did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The case is Demartini v. Microsoft Corp, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 3:22-cv-08991.

[1/2] A J.P. Morgan logo is seen outside the JPMorgan bank offices in Paris, France, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierNEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said on Monday JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) must face lawsuits accusing them of enabling Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking. Rakoff's decision gives the plaintiffs a chance to prove that JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank knowingly benefited from involvement in Epstein's sex trafficking. Epstein had been a client of JPMorgan from 2000 to 2013, and Deutsche Bank from 2013 to 2018. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v Deutsche Bank AG et al, No.

A case would be a historic first as no current or former U.S. president has ever been criminally charged. Officials are meeting at New York Police Department headquarters to plan for the indictment, according to an unnamed person involved in the planning, Politico reported. "We’ll be discussing how we bring Trump in," the person involved in the planning was quoted as saying. Trump has denied the affair happened and called the investigation by Bragg, a Democrat, a witch hunt. The New York probe is one of several legal inquiries Trump faces.

[1/2] A J.P. Morgan logo is seen outside the JPMorgan bank offices in Paris, France, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierNEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Monday said JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) must face a lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands accusing the bank of enabling the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking. The judge also said JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) must face lawsuits by two women who said Epstein sexually abused them, and who also accused the banks of enabling his sex trafficking. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan dismissed some claims in all three lawsuits. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Joseph Cress/USA TODAY Sports via REUTERSMarch 20 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday asked a Georgia court to quash a special grand jury report detailing its investigation into the former U.S. president's efforts to overturn his 2020 statewide election defeat. The Georgia motion seeks to bar prosecutors from using any evidence or testimony derived from the grand jury's investigation. If charged in New York or Georgia, Trump would become the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution. At Willis's request, a special grand jury was convened last year to aid in her investigation. While the grand jury did not have the authority to produce indictments, it could issue subpoenas and heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including top Trump allies such as U.S.

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to be indicted by a grand jury late Monday or on Wednesday in a hush payments case involving a porn star, Politico reported on Monday, citing three unidentified people involved in the deliberations. Law enforcement officials are meeting at New York Police Department headquarters to plan for the indictment, according to an unnamed person involved in the planning, the news outlet reported. "We’ll be discussing how we bring Trump in," the person involved in the planning was quoted as saying. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating a $130,000 hush payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump's estranged former fixer, to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. He said "illegal leaks" indicated an arrest on Tuesday, but provided no evidence, and his spokesman said Trump had not been notified of any impending arrest.

Companies FTX Trading Limited FollowMarch 20 (Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX on Sunday sued the liquidators overseeing the wind-down of its Bahamian affiliate FTX Digital Markets, accusing them of wrongly claiming ownership of the exchange's assets. FTX called FTX DM a "fraudulent enterprise", initially set up only to be a "local service company", which did not own the FTX.com exchange or any of the cryptocurrency seized. FTX has been at odds with Bahamian officials ever since filing for bankruptcy protection on Nov. 11. The Securities Commission of the Bahamas began liquidation proceedings against FTX DM a day before the U.S. bankruptcy filing of FTX Trading and more than 100 affiliates, and the two sides have sparred over ownership of FTX assets and access to company data. FTX reported this month that Bankman-Fried took $2.2 billion in funds from the company during a period when the crypto exchange lost $8 billion of customer money.

March 20 (Reuters) - SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O) on Monday filed a number of "First Day Motions" to seek authorization from a bankruptcy court to support the operations of the company's SVB Capital and SVB Securities businesses. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, March 20 - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a traveling Christian evangelist's free-speech challenge to a University of Alabama requirement that he obtain a permit before handing out religious pamphlets and preaching from a sidewalk adjacent to its campus. Keister, founder of a Pennsylvania-based group called Evangelism Mission, regularly visits U.S. university campuses in hopes of spreading his Christian message to students, according to court filings. School officials told Keister he needed a permit for a public-speaking event, prompting him and his companion to leave. Following losses in lower courts, Keister's appeal in 2018 was turned away by the U.S. Supreme Court, prompting him to file an amended civil rights suit against school officials the next year. The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, in recent years has taken an expansive view of religious rights, though this case came to the justices as a free speech dispute.

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