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U.S. District Judge William Young told a JetBlue lawyer that he expected airline fares would rise if no-frills, ultra-low-cost Spirit no longer was around to "undercut everyone else" and drive down prices. The four largest U.S. carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O), American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) - control 80% of the domestic market. JetBlue and Spirit combined control about 8%, according to their lawyers. Duffy said allowing JetBlue's, the sixth-largest U.S. airline, and Spirit, the seventh-largest, to merge would result in higher prices and fewer flights once lower-cost Spirit was no longer competing. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will DUnhma, Mark Porter and Alexia GaramfalviOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Department's, William Young, Young, Edward Duffy, Duffy, Ryan Shores, Joe Biden's, Shores, JetBlue's, Nate Raymond, Will DUnhma, Mark Porter, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: BOSTON, ., JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Justice Department, District of Columbia, Justice, U.S, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit, U.S ., Thomson Locations: U.S, Boston, New York City, Newark , New Jersey, Fort Lauderdale , Florida

Zhao's lawyers in a Thursday filing asked U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle not to reverse bail conditions set by a magistrate judge on Tuesday that would allow him to leave the U.S. while awaiting sentencing. Zhao, a citizen of the UAE and Canada, stepped down as CEO of Binance on Tuesday after pleading guilty to willfully causing the global cryptocurrency exchange to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Allowing Zhao to return to the UAE would allow him to take care of his partner and three children and prepare them for his sentencing, defense lawyers argued. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Binance, Benoit Tessier, Changpeng Zhao, Richard Jones, Zhao, Jones, Brian Tsuchida, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, United Arab Emirates, U.S, District, Islamic, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Justice, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Seattle, U.S, UAE, Canada, Binance, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Iraq, Syria, Boston

Zhao's lawyers in a Thursday filing asked U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle not to reverse bail conditions set by a magistrate judge on Tuesday that would allow him to leave the U.S. while awaiting sentencing. Zhao, a citizen of the UAE and Canada, stepped down as CEO of Binance on Tuesday after pleading guilty to willfully causing the global cryptocurrency exchange to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Allowing Zhao to return to the UAE would allow him to take care of his partner and three children and prepare them for his sentencing, defense lawyers argued. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The conservative majority Supreme Court's ruling came in response to lawsuits by the same group now suing over West Point's policies in federal court in White Plains, New York. The group, Students for Fair Admissions, was founded by affirmative action opponent Edward Blum. The Supreme Court's ruling invalidating race-conscious admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina did not address race in admissions at military academies, which Chief Justice John Roberts said had "potentially distinct interests." Although Black people make up 20.2% of the Army's active duty enlisted personnel, only 11% are officers, the Justice Department said. White people by contrast constitute 51.7% of the Army active duty enlisted corps and 68% of its officers, the Justice Department said.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Biden, Edward Blum, SFFA, Blum, Philip Halpern, Donald Trump, John Roberts, West, Nate Raymond, Gerry Doyle Organizations: United States Military Academy, REUTERS, Wednesday, U.S . Military Academy, West, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Fair, Constitution's, Department, Army, Republican, U.S . Naval Academy, Harvard University, University of North, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: West Point , New York, U.S, U.S ., West, White Plains , New York, University of North Carolina, Boston

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch said in court that Waithe's scheme victimized at least 50 women. Waithe worked at Northeastern from October 2018 to February 2019, when the university fired him, and had previously coached at Penn State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Concordia University Chicago. Prosecutors said Waithe sent the women nude or semi-nude photos he had stolen and requested they send additional ones so he could conduct "reverse image searches." But, with the help of a hacker, Waithe stole nude pictures of one of the Northeastern athletes stored on her Snapchat account and cyberstalked her, Deitch said. While some ignored his emails, at least 17 women responded, sending him 350 nude or semi-nude photos, according to the indictment.U.S.

Persons: Steve Waithe, Adam Deitch, Deitch, Waithe, Prosecutors, Patti Saris, Jane Peachy, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: BOSTON, Northeastern University, U.S, Northeastern, Penn State University , Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee, Concordia University Chicago, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Boston, Waithe, Northeastern, U.S

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday declared that Maryland's licensing requirements for people seeking to buy handguns were unconstitutional, citing a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that expanded gun rights. "Maryland has not shown that this regime is consistent with our nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," U.S. Richardson called the Maryland law an "additional, preliminary step" that subjected law-abiding people to a 30-day waiting period before they could begin the usual process to acquire a firearm through a separate background check system. A spokesperson for Maryland Attorney General Andrew Brown, a Democrat who is defending the law in court, said his office was "weighing options for next steps in this case." Maryland had said its law mirrored historical limitations on "dangerous" people owning firearms.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Julius Richardson, Donald Trump, Richardson, Andrew Brown, preemptively, Barbara Milano Keenan, Barack Obama, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: White, REUTERS, Supreme, Circuit, U.S, New York, Republican, Maryland, Democrat, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Montgomery County , Maryland, Washington , U.S, U.S, Richmond , Virginia, Maryland, New York, Boston

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday rejected efforts by major social media companies to dismiss nationwide litigation accusing them of illegally enticing and then addicting millions of children to their platforms, damaging their mental health. The decision covers hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of individual children who allegedly suffered negative physical, mental and emotional health effects from social media use including anxiety, depression, and occasionally suicide. "Today’s decision is a significant victory for the families that have been harmed by the dangers of social media," the plaintiffs' lead lawyers - Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren and Chris Seeger - said in a joint statement. More than 140 school districts have filed similar lawsuits against the industry that are also before Gonzalez, and 42 states plus the District of Columbia last month sued Meta for youth addiction to its social media platforms. She cited as an example allegations that companies could have used age-verification tools to warn parents when their children were online.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren, Chris Seeger, Gonzalez, Meta, Rogers, Jonathan Stempel, Nate Raymond, Chizu Nomiyama, Matthew Lewis, Alexia Garamfalvi, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, of Columbia, U.S, Communications, Thomson Locations: Oakland , California, New York, Boston

Parts of a ghost gun kit are on display at an event held by U.S. President Joe Biden to announce measures to fight ghost gun crime, at the White House in Washington U.S., April 11, 2022. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a group of firearm owners, gun rights groups and manufacturers in declaring the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' 2022 rule "unlawful." "ATF, in promulgating its final rule, attempted to take on the mantle of Congress to 'do something' with respect to gun control," he wrote. The administration has said that ghost guns are attractive to criminals and others prohibited from lawfully buying firearms, including minors. There were about 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported in 2021 to the ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations - a tenfold increase from 2016, according to the White House.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden, Donald Trump, Kurt Engelhardt, Cody Wisniewski, Nate Raymond, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, White, REUTERS, Circuit, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Republican, Gun Control, U.S . Department of Justice, Coalition Action Foundation, ATF, Biden, Thomson Locations: Washington U.S, New Orleans, Texas, U.S ., Boston

Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 28, 2018. The U.S. government meanwhile seized the domains for two websites tied to the prostitution ring, authorities said. Defense lawyers for the trio either did not respond to requests for comment or could not be immediately identified. Customers were charged $350 to $600, depending on the services and included politicians, pharmaceutical and technology executives, doctors, military officers, professors, lawyers, business executives, scientists and accountants, prosecutors said. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Jospeh Moakley, Katherine Taylor, Josh Levy, Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, James Lee, Levy, We're, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Courthouse, REUTERS, Rights BOSTON, U.S, Thomson Locations: John Jospeh Moakley U.S, Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Boston, Virginia, Massachusetts, California, Massachusetts , Virginia, Cambridge, Watertown , Massachusetts, Fairfax, Tysons , Virginia

[1/2] Airplane model is placed on displayed Spirit Airlines and jetBlue Airways logos in this illustration taken, June 21, 2022. JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes defended the deal being challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice in federal court in Boston, saying a merger was the only way to grow JetBlue into a long-term national challenger to the dominant airlines. "You'd never ever get to the size they are based on organic growth," he testified under questioning by JetBlue lawyer Ryan Shores. The Justice Department counters that passengers would suffer roughly $1 billion in net harm annually if JetBlue absorbs Spirit, causing fares to rise. The trial is a rarity for the Justice Department, which historically has approved airline mergers without trials conditioned on asset divestitures.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Robin Hayes, Hayes, You'd, Ryan Shores, Edward Duffy, JetBlue, District William Young, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Airlines, jetBlue Airways, REUTERS, Rights BOSTON, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, U.S, JetBlue, U.S . Department of Justice, The Justice Department, Democratic, District of Columbia, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Department, District, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Boston, New York City, Newark , New Jersey, Fort Lauderdale . U.S

BOSTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The CEO of Spirit Airlines on Wednesday defended in court the planned $3.8 billion acquisition of his company by JetBlue Airways as a means to create a viable competitor to the four larger airlines that dominate the U.S. skies. Ted Christie, Spirit's chief executive officer, during the second day of trial in the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit challenging the merger testified that his ultra-low-cost airline remained "relatively insignificant" despite years of growth. He said Spirit, which has not turned a profit in three years, had just around 3% of the market and was facing "more effective" competition from those larger airlines - United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines - in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Christie testified that throughout the negotiations for the deal in 2022, Spirit had been concerned how regulators would view a merger with JetBlue, as the Justice Department had already sued JetBlue to challenge a planned Northeast partnership with American Airlines. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ted Christie, Christie, Spirit, Jay Cohen, William Young, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Nick Zieminski Organizations: BOSTON, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, U.S . Department of, Spirit, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier Group Holdings, U.S, Justice Department, Democratic, District of Columbia, Thomson Locations: U.S, Boston, New York City, Newark, Fort Lauderdale

[1/2] Airplane model is placed on displayed Spirit Airlines and jetBlue Airways logos in this illustration taken, June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustrations/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOSTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice heads to trial on Tuesday to urge a federal judge to block JetBlue Airways' (JBLU.O) planned $3.8 billion acquisition of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines. The trial will take place without a jury over about three weeks before U.S. District Judge William Young. A merger between JetBlue and Spirit, the sixth and seventh largest U.S. carriers, respectively, would mark the first major U.S. airline combination since Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America in 2016. The Justice Department alleges the merger would eliminate the pressure larger airlines, including JetBlue, face to lower their fares in response to competition from Spirit and cost consumers over $2 billion in higher fares annually.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Biden's, William Young, Young, Biden, Leo Sorokin, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Airlines, jetBlue Airways, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department of Justice, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, U.S, JetBlue, Spirit, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Justice Department, Department, Democratic, District of Columbia, The, Big, American, Thomson Locations: Boston, U.S, New York City, Newark, Fort Lauderdale

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones, who oversees more major Chapter 11 cases than any other U.S. judge, is seen in a screenshot from video shot during a virtual interview with Reuters done from Houston, Texas, U.S. December 11, 2020. Jones had already stepped back from overseeing large bankruptcy cases and began reassigning them to two other judges on the court. Until December 2022, Freeman had been a partner at Jackson Walker, a local law firm that filed many cases in Jones' Houston courthouse. Ethics experts have said the undisclosed relationship casts doubt on the integrity of Jones' court. "From the time we first learned of this allegation Ms. Freeman was instructed not to work or bill on any cases before Judge Jones.

Persons: David Jones, Randy Crane, Jones, Elizabeth Freeman, Freeman, Jackson Walker, Judge Jones, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Bill Berkrot, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Staff, U.S . Chief U.S, District, Southern, Southern District of Texas, Circuit, McDermott International, Tehum Care Services, U.S . Trustee, Department of, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Houston, Southern District, New Orleans, Jones ' Houston, Debtwire, Bengaluru

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to reporters while on his way to a vote following a Senate Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 28, 2023. Senator Bob Menendez on Thursday brought a new criminal charge against him that he conspired to act as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. Prosecutors have said that co-defendant Hana arranged meetings between the senator and Egyptian officials, who pressed him to sign off on military aid. In return, the businessman put Nadine Menendez on the payroll of a company he controlled. The new indictment said both Hana and Nadine Menendez communicated requests and directives from Egyptian officials to the senator.

Persons: Bob Menendez, Craig Hudson, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Nadine, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Hana, Lawrence Lustberg, Nate Raymond, Kanishka Singh, Susan Heavey, Mark Porter, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Democratic, Capitol, REUTERS, Prosecutors, U.S, New, New Jersey Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, U.S . Department of Justice, Foreign, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New Jersey, New York, Jersey, Egypt's, Washington, United States, Egypt, Boston

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 11 (Reuters) - A divided federal appeals court is allowing California's ban on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition to remain in effect while the state appeals a judge's ruling finding it unconstitutionally violated the rights of firearms owners. The ruling came in a long-running lawsuit by the California Rifle & Pistol Association and gun owners challenging the ban. The court said that federal judges nationally had largely upheld large-capacity magazine restrictions since the Supreme Court ruled and that a decision to the contrary could threaten public safety. Chuck Michel, the president of the California Rifle & Pistol Association, in a statement expressed disappointment and vowed to "defend the rights of gun owners in California all the way to the Supreme Court." The Supreme Court vacated the appeals court ruling and ordered new proceedings consistent with the Bruen decision.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Roger Benitez, Rob Bonta, Bonta, Patrick Bumatay, Chuck Michel, Benitez, Nate Raymond, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Foods, REUTERS, Circuit, U.S, California, Association, District, Supreme, , New York, Democrat, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, San Francisco, San Diego, ,, California, Boston

"There are many other law firms with similar racially discriminatory programs," Blum said in a statement. "It is to be hoped that these firms proactively open their programs to all law students before they are sued in federal court." The paid fellowships were designed in part to help support the recruitment of people of color, which major law firms have long struggled to add to their partnership ranks. Last year, people of color comprised 11.4% of all partners in major U.S. law firms, according to the National Association for Law Placement. The lawsuit alleged the fellowship program violated a Civil War-era law enacted to protect formerly enslaved Black people that bars racial bias in contracting.

Persons: Edward Blum, Morrison, Foerster, firm's, Edward Blum's, Perkins Coie, Blum, Blum's, Fearless Fund's, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Wednesday, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, National Association for Law, U.S, Supreme, Harvard, University of North, Thomson Locations: Boston, Dallas, Seattle, University of North Carolina

Perkins Coie, a more than 1,200-lawyer firm founded in Seattle, on Friday said it had expanded the applicant pool for its diversity fellowship program to all law students, not just members of "historically underrepresented" groups. It did so after a group founded by affirmative action foe Edward Blum filed lawsuits against it and another large law firm, Morrison & Foerster, alleging their diversity fellowships unlawfully excluded certain people based on their race. The paid fellowships were designed in part to help support the recruitment of people of color, which major law firms have struggled for years to add to their partnership ranks. In the lawsuit against Perkins Coie, Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights took aim at a diversity fellowship the firm created in 1991 to support law students from groups "historically underrepresented in the legal profession." Those accepted can receive stipends of $15,000 and paid positions as summer associates, a position that at major law firms can lead to full-time jobs.

Persons: Edward Blum, Perkins, Perkins Coie, Morrison, Foerster, Blum, Fellows, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Peter Graff Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Harvard University, University of North, Harvard, Saturday, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, Washington , U.S, Seattle, Dallas , Texas, Boston

Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S., May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - The group that successfully challenged race-conscious college admissions policies at the U.S. Supreme Court sued the U.S. Naval Academy on Thursday, its second lawsuit opposing affirmative action in U.S. military academies. "The Naval Academy has no legal justification for treating midshipman applicants differently by race and ethnicity," Blum said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Naval Academy declined to comment.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Edward Blum, Blum, John Roberts, Joe Biden's, Daniel Walker, Nate Raymond, Chris Reese, Lincoln, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S . Naval Academy, REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, Fair, Annapolis, U.S . Military Academy, West, Naval, Naval Academy, Harvard University, University of North, Democratic, Defense, Blacks, U.S . Air Force, Black Veterans, Constitution's, Thomson Locations: Annapolis , Maryland, U.S, Virginia, University of North Carolina, Baltimore, Boston

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. July 26, 2023. The indictment was secured in September by Special Counsel David Weiss after a plea agreement between Hunter Biden and prosecutors collapsed in August. Many Republican lawmakers who have relentlessly criticized Hunter Biden lauded the Bruen decision. Cases now being litigated will help determine how far the Bruen ruling lets courts go in invalidating gun laws. Even if Hunter Biden gets the possession charge dismissed, there is still the matter of the two counts accusing him of false statements on the background check form.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, Bruen, David Weiss, Abbe Lowell, Biden, Maryellen Noreika, Lowell, Adam Winkler, Andrew Willinger, Hunter, Eric Ruben, Andrew Goudsward, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Supreme, New York, U.S, District, Reuters, Mr, Democratic, Republican, UCLA, Duke University's Center, Firearms Law, Circuit, Appeals, Southern Methodist University, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, Delaware, United States, New Orleans, Atlanta, Florida, Texas, Washington, Boston

Circuit Court of Appeals on a 2-1 vote granted a request by Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights to temporarily block Fearless Fund from considering applications for grants only from businesses led by Black women. Blum's group asked the court to do so while it appealed a judge's Tuesday ruling denying it a preliminary injunction blocking Fearless Fund from moving forward with its "racially exclusive program." Fearless Fund did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to the Fearless Fund, businesses owned by Black women in 2022 received less than 1% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed. It also provides grants, and Blum's lawsuit took aim at its Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, which awards Black women who own small businesses $20,000 in grants and other resources to grow their businesses.

Persons: Ben Crump, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Mylan Denerstein, Alphonso David, Eduardo Munoz, Edward Blum's, Blum's, Grant, Robert Luck, Andrew Brasher, Thomas, Donald Trump, Blum, JPMorgan Chase, Strivers, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Fund, REUTERS, Supreme, Circuit, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, U.S, District, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Harvard University, University of North, JPMorgan, Bank of America, MasterCard, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Atlanta, Texas, University of North Carolina, Black, Boston

Bottles of prescription painkiller OxyContin made by Purdue Pharma LP sit on a shelf at a local pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S., April 25, 2017. The settlements, which require a judge's approval, were disclosed in papers filed on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco. The money is on top of $641.5 million that McKinsey already paid to resolve claims by state attorneys-general. McKinsey will pay $207 million to resolve claims by counties and municipalities, and another $23 million to resolve claims by public school districts. Aelish Baig, a lawyer for the local governments, in a statement called the deal "a strong outcome for the communities harmed by this crisis".

Persons: painkiller OxyContin, George Frey, Aelish Baig, McKinsey, Joe Biden's, Purdue Pharma's, Nate Raymond, Miral Organizations: Purdue Pharma, REUTERS, Companies Mckinsey, Company, Consulting, McKinsey, Co, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, U.S, Supreme, Purdue, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, San Francisco, United States, Boston

U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash during a hearing denied a request by Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights for a preliminary injunction blocking Fearless Fund from considering applications for grants only from businesses led by Black women. Blum's group had asked the judge to temporarily block the Fearless Fund's "racially exclusive program" while the court considered the merits of the case. Fearless Fund founders Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons in a joint statement said they were pleased that Thrash rejected Blum's attempt to shut down their grant program. According to the Fearless Fund, businesses owned by Black women in 2022 received less than 1% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed. It also provides grants, and Blum's lawsuit took aim at its Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, which awards Black women who own small businesses $20,000 in grants and other resources to grow their businesses.

Persons: Edward Blum, Thomas, Edward Blum's, Blum, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Simone, Parsons, JPMorgan Chase, Strivers, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Supreme, U.S, District, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, Circuit, Appeals, University of North, JPMorgan, Bank of America, MasterCard, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Atlanta, Texas, University of North Carolina, Black, U.S . Civil, Boston

Those lawsuits accuse all three of violating Section 1981 of the 1866 Civil Rights Act, a law enacted after the Civil War that guarantees all people the same right to make and enforce contracts "as is enjoyed by white citizens." "All of our nation's civil rights laws - including the 1866 Civil Rights Act - enshrine the command that someone's race and ethnicity must never be used to help or harm them in public and private employment and contracting," Blum, who is white, told Reuters in an email. FREE SPEECH ARGUMENTFearless Fund has brought in prominent lawyers to defend it, including civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Alphonso David, who during a news conference called Blum's use of the Civil War-era law "cynical." They argue that the rules for the grants are merely criteria for being eligible for a "discretionary gift" and do not create a "contract" subject to the civil rights law. Blum's group countered that Fearless Fund's argument would ironically undermine the very causes it favors by essentially invalidating Section 1981 and deeming racial discrimination protected by the First Amendment.

Persons: Edward Blum, Morrison, Foerster, Edward Blum's, Thomas, Fearless Fund's, Bill Clinton, Blum, Sarah Hinger, Hinger, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Blum's, Strivers, Ben Crump, Alphonso David, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Will Dunham Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Supreme, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, University of North, U.S, District, Democratic, Reuters, American Civil, Racial, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, University of North Carolina, Atlanta, Black, Blum's Texas, Colorado, Boston

The complaint by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission cited statements Rokita made on Fox News in July 2022 about Dr. Caitlin Bernard in a case that became a flashpoint in the debate over abortion access. The Indiana Supreme Court is also the ultimate arbiter for any attorneys charged with misconduct by the commission. The commission said those comments violated rules barring lawyers from making public statements with a substantial likelihood of "materially prejudicing" a case. Bernard has said the Ohio child was referred to her three days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that guaranteed federal abortion rights. A lawyer for Bernard said she had no comment on the disciplinary case against Rokita.

Persons: Todd Rokita, Aaron P, Bernstein, General Todd Rokita, Rokita, Caitlin Bernard, Bernard, Fox's Jesse Watters, Roe, Wade, Nate Raymond, David Thomas, David Bario, Sonali Paul Organizations: Capitol, REUTERS, Indiana, Fox News, Indiana Supreme, U.S, Supreme, Rokita, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Indiana, Ohio

People visit the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put on hold an order restricting the government's ability to encourage social media companies to remove content it considers misleading, including about the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department asked the justices to stay a lower court's decision finding that federal officials had likely violated the free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment by coercing social media platforms into censoring certain posts. Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Joe Biden's, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

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