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A state ethics panel quietly dismissed a complaint last summer against the New York judge presiding over the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, issuing a warning over small donations the judge had made to groups supporting Democrats, including the campaign of Joseph R. Biden. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, donated a total of $35 to the groups in 2020, including a $15 donation earmarked for the Biden campaign, and $10 to a group called “Stop Republicans.”Political contributions of any kind are prohibited under state judicial ethics rules. “Justice Merchan said the complaint, from more than a year ago, was dismissed in July with a caution,” the spokesman for the court system, Al Baker, said in a statement. A caution does not include any penalty, but it can be considered in any future cases reviewed by the state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct. A letter outlining the caution was not released because of the commission’s rules, and Justice Merchan did not make the letter available.

Persons: Donald J, Joseph R, Biden, Juan M, ”, Merchan, Al Baker Organizations: New, Trump, Republicans, state’s, Judicial Locations: New York

☆ As the 2024 Race Heats Up, Betting Is Growing for Everything but Elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Jeff Sommer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I can’t watch a basketball game on TV without seeing ads urging me to place a bet on one app or another. I can’t walk down the street in New York City without seeing ads about the latest lottery jackpot. And when I sit at my desk in the office, I spend hours studying another type of betting — trading in financial markets, where you can place wagers on companies, bonds, commodities and derivatives of all descriptions. Yet the most consequential betting of all — wagers on elections in the United States — may soon be shut down by regulators. And the commission’s proposed new rule would give it the power to block trading on a broad range of other subjects.

Persons: United States — Organizations: Futures, Commission Locations: New York City, United States

☆ With Debate Deal, Trump and Biden Sideline a Storied Campaign Institution
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Adam Nagourney | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the roots of the commission’s decline go back at least a decade and came to a head in 2020, when the commission struggled to stage a debate with Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden during the pandemic. The candidates’ first encounter that year was caustic and raucous, as Mr. Trump shouted over Mr. Biden and the moderator. As it later turned out, Mr. Trump had a Covid diagnosis days before the event, leading to strong objections from the Biden campaign to the commission. The second debate was canceled by Mr. Trump after the commission sought to make it virtual because Mr. Trump was recovering from the illness. By the third debate, the commission gave the moderator a mute button to cut off a candidate who broke the rules.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, “, I’ve, Chris Wallace Organizations: Mr

☆ Election Updates: Biden and Trump are aiming to have two debates, the first in June.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jonathan Swan | Maggie Haberman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Mr. Biden recently indicated he would debate Mr. Trump, but had until now declined to give any firm commitment or specific details. In a video announcing his offer, Mr. Biden taunted Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump leads Mr. Biden in most polls of battleground states, including the recent surveys by The New York Times, Siena College and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Significantly more voters trust Mr. Trump over Mr. Biden to handle the economy. Mr. Biden, exasperated, famously said to Mr. Trump, “Will you shut up, man?

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, —, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Mr, Biden’s, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, O’Malley Dillon, ”, Trump’s, “ Let’s, Donald, Ms, Mark Makela, “ Will, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, Reagan, “, There’s, Kennedy, Wiles, LaCivita, George W, Bush’s, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Richard Perry, Romney, Hillary Clinton’s, Bill Clinton, Reid J, Epstein Organizations: The New York Times, Biden, Commission, Mr, Trump, “, ”, Republican National Convention, Republican National Committee, Siena College, The Philadelphia Inquirer, White House, CNN, Electoral College —, Republican, Democratic, ” Networks, CBS News, ABC News, Telemundo Locations: Washington, Trump’s Manhattan, York, Milwaukee, America

☆ Online swagger makes presidential debates sound like prize fights
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

!” Trump said, accepting the challenge on his social media platform with a nod to words that typically open boxing matches. The debates are set for June 27 on CNN and September 10 on ABC News. It’ll be on cable, so not exactly pay-per-view, but certainly not the aired-everywhere style that has become typical of presidential debate since the Commission on Presidential Debates started sponsoring them in 1988. The CNN debate, on the other hand, will be conducted in a TV studio with no audience, which means no applause or cheering. After grumbling from both campaigns, the Commission on Presidential Debates issued a statement arguing that beginning in September would still allow for early voters to watch before making a decision.

Persons: CNN — Joe Biden, “ Donald Trump, ” Biden, Trump, Biden, Harry, ”, Clint Eastwood’s, “ Let’s, ” Trump, Trump’s, –, Hugh Hewitt, It’ll, John F, Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Biden’s, Hunter, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, “ Organizations: CNN, didn’t, ABC News, Republican, Democratic, Social Security, ABC, Biden, Trump, Commission, Washington Post Locations: Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Delaware

☆ A Trump judge and Biden’s Justice Department agree that a Texas map is illegal. But that doesn’t mean it will change
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A county redistricting plan in Texas that a Donald Trump-appointed judge deemed “a clear violation” of the Voting Rights Act is back before a notoriously conservative appeals court. After the 2021 Census, the Republican-led county commission broke up that district, locking in four majority-white districts instead. Their opponents argue that Congress did not intend for multiple “classes” of minorities to be considered together when assessing a map’s Voting Rights Act compliance. Black and Latino voices ‘extinguished,’ judge saysThe 2021 map split up the long-established Precinct 3, spreading those minority voters across the four total commission precincts. “It would be devastating for minority voters as devastating as it was for Galveston’s Black and Latino voters.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Biden, Jeffrey Vincent Brown, –, ”, Valencia Richardson, Christian Adams, ‘, ” Brown, Brown, Mark Henry –, Henry, Robin Armstrong, Armstrong, Adams, Circuit “, Elena Kagan, …, ” Chad Ennis –, ” Ennis, Hilary Harris Klein Organizations: CNN, Republican, 5th, Campaign, “, Senate, Justice Department, Galveston Republicans, Interest Legal Foundation, Circuit, Southern Coalition for Social Justice Locations: Texas, Galveston’s County, Galveston County, White, Galveston, Louisiana, Mississippi, ”

The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024No Supreme Court term in recent memory has featured so many cases with the potential to transform American society. In 2015, the Supreme Court limited the sweep of the statute at issue in the case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In 2023, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked efforts to severely curb access to the pill, mifepristone, as an appeal moved forward. A series of Supreme Court decisions say that making race the predominant factor in drawing voting districts violates the Constitution. The difference matters because the Supreme Court has said that only racial gerrymandering may be challenged in federal court under the Constitution.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Anderson, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan, Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas, Salmon, “, ”, Mr, Nixon, Richard M, privilege.But, Fitzgerald, Vance, John G, Roberts, Fischer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Alito, ’, Moyle, Wade, Roe, Johnson, Robinson, Moody, Paxton, Robins, Media Murthy, Sullivan, Murthy, Biden, Harrington, Sackler, Alexander, Jan, Raimondo, ” Paul D, Clement, Dodd, Frank, Homer, Cargill Organizations: Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas, Trump, Liberal, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative, Colorado, Former, Trump v . United, United, Sarbanes, Oxley, U.S, Capitol, Drug Administration, Alliance, Hippocratic, Jackson, Health, Supreme, Labor, New York, Homeless, Miami Herald, Media, Biden, National Rifle Association, Rifle Association of America, New York State, Purdue Pharma, . South Carolina State Conference of, Federal, Loper Bright Enterprises, . Department of Commerce, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, ”, SCOTUSPoll, Consumer Financial, Community Financial Services Association of America, Securities, Exchange Commission, Exchange, Occupational Safety, Commission, Lucia v . Securities, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Air Pollution Ohio, Environmental, Guns Garland, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, National Firearms, Gun Control Locations: Colorado, Trump v . United States, United States, Nixon, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Dobbs v, Idaho, Roe, Texas, States, New, New York, Grants, Oregon, . California, Martin v, Boise, Boise , Idaho, Missouri, Parkland, Fla, Murthy v . Missouri, . Missouri, ., South Carolina, Alabama, SCOTUSPoll, Lucia v, Western

☆ F.T.C. Clears Exxon Mobil’s Acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Clifford Krauss | More About Clifford Krauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday approved Exxon Mobil’s acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources as long as Exxon excludes Pioneer’s chief executive from its board. Exxon’s purchase of Pioneer is one of several large mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas industry in recent years. accused Pioneer’s chief executive, Scott Sheffield, of colluding with officers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to control global oil production and prices. Sheffield’s past conduct makes it crystal clear that he should be nowhere near Exxon’s boardroom,” Kyle Mach, deputy director of the commission’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement. “American consumers shouldn’t pay unfair prices at the pump simply to pad a corporate executive’s pocketbook.”

Persons: Pioneer’s, Scott Sheffield, Mr, Kyle Mach, ” Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Exxon, Natural Resources, Pioneer’s, Organization of Petroleum, Competition Locations: Texas, New Mexico, commission’s

☆ Apple’s iPad will be subject to tough EU competition rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Apple’s iPad will face heightened regulation in the European Union after officials labeled its operating system Monday as a key gatekeeper technology under EU competition law. The stricter regulations require, for example, that the iPad not restrict third-party companies from accessing Apple services. And they prohibit Apple from giving its own services preferential treatment on the iPad compared to those offered by competitors. Apple is already subject to European gatekeeper obligations on iOS and in its app store and browser. “We will continue to constructively engage with the European Commission to comply with the DMA, across all designated services,” Apple said in a statement.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, iPadOS didn’t, “, Vestager, ” Apple, ” Organizations: CNN, European Union, Google, Microsoft, Apple, European Commission Locations: European

☆ EU raids offices of Chinese security equipment maker in subsidy probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —European Union officials have raided the offices of a Chinese company as part of a probe into subsidies, exposing rising tensions between the bloc and one of its biggest trading partners. The European Commission said Tuesday that it carried out “unannounced inspections” at the premises of a company making and selling security equipment in Europe, which it suspects may have benefited unduly from state subsidies. “The commission has indications that the inspected company may have received foreign subsidies that could distort the (EU’s) internal market,” the EU’s executive body said in a statement on its website. The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU said Wednesday that it had been informed that a Chinese company was the target of the investigation. The Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which came into force last July, is aimed at addressing market distortions caused by subsidies from foreign governments and ensuring that EU companies are competing on a level playing field.

Persons: “, ”, ” Ursula von der Leyen, Janet Yellen Organizations: London CNN — European Union, European Commission, China Chamber of Commerce, EU, CNN Locations: Europe, Poland, Netherlands, Romania, China, Puglia, Italy, United States, Beijing

☆ F.T.C. Issues Ban on Worker Noncompete Clauses
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday banned employers from limiting their workers’ abilities to work for rivals, a sweeping change that the agency says could help raise wages and increase competition among businesses. The move bars contracts known as noncompetes, which prevent workers from leaving for a competitor for a certain amount of time, in most circumstances. The agency has said the proposal would raise wages by forcing companies to compete harder for talent. The proposal was approved by the agency in a 3-to-2 vote. She estimated the decision would lead to 8,500 new start-ups created in a year.

Persons: Melissa Holyoak, Andrew N, Ferguson, ’, Lina M, Khan Organizations: Federal Trade Commission

☆ Germany should legalize abortion up to 12 weeks, a government commission recommends
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Berlin CNN —Germany should overturn its 150-year old ban on abortions and make terminations legal within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a government-appointed panel of experts said on Monday. The procedure is de-criminalized up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, but anyone seeking a termination must attend a compulsory counselling session followed by a mandatory three-day waiting period. After 12 weeks, abortions are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as if the pregnancy or birth poses a risk to the mother’s physical or mental health. “(The commission’s) recommendations provide a good basis for the open and fact-based conversation that is now necessary,” German Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus said in a statement on Monday. The proposals from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s party would legalize abortion up to 12 weeks, a move more in line with some Western European countries.

Persons: Liane Woerner, “, Lisa Paus, Karl Lauterbach, ”, Donald Tusk’s, Andrzej Duda, Roe, Wade Organizations: Berlin CNN —, Reproductive, Social Democratic Party, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Constance, German Federal Statistical Office, Christian Democratic Union, Central Committee, Bishops ’ Conference, Family, German, Law, Justice Locations: Berlin CNN — Germany, Germany, France

☆ Coral bleaching: Ocean heat is driving a mass bleaching event, and it could be the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rebecca Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Coral reefs around the world are experiencing a mass bleaching event as the climate crisis drives record-breaking ocean heat, two scientific bodies announced Monday — with some experts warning this could become the worst bleaching period in recorded history. If ocean temperatures don’t return to normal, bleaching can lead to mass coral death, threatening the species and food chains that rely on them with collapse. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist specializing in coral reefs based at the University of Queensland in Australia, predicted this mass bleaching event months ago. In February, scientists at the Coral Reef Watch program at NOAA added three new alert levels to the coral bleaching alert maps, to enable scientists to assess the new scale of underwater warming. Bex Wright/CNNIn mid-February, CNN witnessed extensive coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern areas.

Persons: ” Derek Manzello, Ove Hoegh, “, Guldberg, ”, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Niña, El, Manzello, ” Manzello, Lady Elliot, Bex Wright, Selina Stead, ” Stead, David Ritter Organizations: CNN, Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reef, Reef Watch, Pacific, University of Queensland, NOAA, Getty, Niña, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Park Authority, AIMS, UN, Greenpeace Locations: Pacific, Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Persian Gulf, Indonesia, Africa, Seychelles, Raja Ampat, Indonesia's West Papua, AFP, El, Lady, Greenpeace Australia

☆ News organizations post open letter urging Biden and Trump to debate ahead of 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A dozen of the nation’s biggest news organizations posted an open letter Sunday, urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to participate in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. C-SPAN joins other major news organizations to urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participate in general election debates prior to November's election. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates for September and October in Texas, Virginia and Utah. Biden responded to Trump’s calls for earlier debates in February, telling reporters: “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, ” Trump, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, I’d, He’s, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, SPAN, Fox News, NBC, Univision, NPR, PBS, USA, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump Locations: Texas , Virginia, Utah

☆ TV networks prepare letter to Biden and Trump campaigns urging them to commit to 2024 election debates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Five of the major US television networks have banded together to draft a letter urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to commit to participating in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair for the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, told CNN he has not yet seen the letter. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. Trump has posted on social media that he will debate “anytime, anywhere anyplace” despite the Republican National Committee voting unanimously in 2022 to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” the TV networks stated in the letter.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, “, Frank Fahrenkopf, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, Trump’s, ” Organizations: CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, The New York Times, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump

☆ Opinion: Conservatives game the system to drag Supreme Court further into culture war
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Steve Vladeck | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He is the author of the “One First” Supreme Court newsletter. Both cases were filed in federal district courts in which the plaintiffs could literally hand-pick the specific federal judge who would be assigned to hear the dispute. Indeed, the Supreme Court granted emergency relief in both the social media and mifepristone cases. But the Supreme Court is another matter. For once, the Supreme Court is the victim of right-wing litigation behavior, not the culprit.

Persons: Steve Vladeck, Stephen I, Biden, they’ve, Terry Doughty, Donald Trump, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Trump, —, Neil Gorsuch, Gorsuch Organizations: CNN, University of Texas School of Law, Monroe Division, Court, Western, Western District of, Amarillo Division, Northern, Northern District of, Appeals, Fifth, Fifth Circuit, Democratic, Ninth Circuit, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities, Exchange, Conference, United, Northern District of Texas, Judicial, Federal, FDA Locations: Murthy v . Missouri, Monroe, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Amarillo, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Orleans, Texas, Austin, West Coast, United States

☆ Saudi Arabia, Lagging on Women’s Rights, Is to Lead U.N. Women’s Forum
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia won an uncontested bid to lead a United Nations body dedicated to women’s rights for the 2025 session, bringing condemnation from human rights groups that argued that the kingdom had an “abysmal” record on women’s empowerment. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.N., Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected chairman of the Commission on the Status of Women, a U.N. body whose aim is to protect and promote women’s rights around the world. The Saudi state news agency wrote that the country’s new chairmanship “confirmed its interest in cooperating with the international community to strengthen women’s rights and empowerment” and highlighted strides the country had made toward greater social and economic freedom for women. But the decision drew scathing criticism from human rights groups. Amnesty International’s deputy director for advocacy, Sherine Tadros, said in a statement that Saudi Arabia had an “abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women.” She argued that there was a “vast gulf” between the U.N. commission’s aspirations and the “lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia.”

Persons: Abdulaziz Alwasil, “, Sherine Tadros, ” Organizations: United, Saudi, Amnesty Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Nations, Saudi

BOSTON (AP) — Financially embattled hospital operator Steward Health Care has struck a deal to sell its nationwide physician network to Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, as it works to stabilize its finances. Maura Healey has said state monitors are keeping eye on the nine health care facilities operated by Steward Health Care in Massachusetts, including hospitals in some of the state’s poorer communities. Emails to Steward Health Care and Optum seeking comment were not immediately returned. Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Markey said for-profit companies that participate in the health care system must understand that their decisions have direct impacts on patients and communities. “After years of gross profiteering and mismanagement, Steward’s latest plan raises more serious questions about the future of the Massachusetts health care system," Warren said in a written statement.

Persons: —, Maura Healey, Optum, David Seltz, ”, ” Seltz, Ronald Mariano, Democratic U.S . Sen, Edward Markey, ” Markey, “, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Steward’s, Warren, Steward Organizations: BOSTON, Health Care, UnitedHealth, Steward Health Care, Department of Public Health, Steward, Democratic Massachusetts, Democratic U.S ., Health, Education, Labor, Primary Health Locations: Massachusetts, The Dallas, Boston, U.S

Here is what the commission found in a report released Friday, and some of the reactions:GUNS NOT SEIZEDLaw enforcement should have seized Card’s guns and put him in protective custody weeks before he committed the deadliest mass shooting in state history, the commission concluded. “I’m in agreement with the committee’s findings as far as they go, and I do think it’s a legitimate point that the Sagadahoc Sheriff’s Office could have done more to intervene,” he said. Janet Mills, who helped assemble the panel, said its work is of “paramount importance for the people of Maine.” She said she would “carefully review” the report. Maine State Police and the sheriff’s office did not respond to calls seeking comment. The commission, led by a former chief justice of Maine’s highest court, plans to schedule more meetings and issue a final report in the summer.

Persons: MEREDITH, Robert Card, Aaron Skolfield, Leroy Walker, Joseph, ”, Walker, Ben Gideon, “, ” Gideon, Elizabeth Seal, Joshua, Janet Mills, Daniel Wathen, isn’t, ” Wathen Organizations: Army, Saco Armory, Auburn City Council, ” Democratic, Maine State Police Locations: N.H, Lewiston , Maine, Saco, Sagadahoc, Maine

☆ Europe investigates Big Tech’s use of generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Regulators at the European Commission say they’re particularly concerned about how generative AI could sow chaos in the run-up to this summer’s EU parliamentary elections. Online platforms will have until April 5 to respond to questions about steps they’ve taken to prevent AI tools from spreading election misinformation. The companies’ responses could be incorporated into a series of election security guidelines for tech platforms the European Commission plans to finalize by March 27, another commission official said. The AI investigation also covers a broader set of topics including how platforms are addressing generative AI’s impact on user privacy, intellectual property, civil rights and children’s safety and mental health. “One of the grievances we have is the ability to manipulate the service through automated means and this can include generative AI, so yes, there’s a link to the ongoing investigation,” one of the commission officials said.

Persons: “, ”, Linda Yaccarino, Thierry Breton Organizations: CNN, European Union, Meta, Microsoft, Commission, Digital Services, Elon Locations: Israel, EU

☆ About 63,000 Infant Swings Are Recalled Over Suffocation Hazard
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jool Baby, a brand of children’s products, has recalled about 63,000 infant swings that were sold at Walmart stores and online because they posed a suffocation risk, federal safety regulators said. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday that the Jool Baby Nova Baby Infant Swing that was marketed, intended or designed for infant sleep posed a suffocation risk because it had an incline angle greater than 10 degrees. The product was in violation of the commission’s Infant Sleep Products Regulation and the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, the agency said. A study cited in the federal regulation of infant sleep products found that infants who slept in products with a 20-degree incline were exposed to increased demand on the abdominal muscles, which could lead to fatigue and suffocation. The same study determined that an incline of 10 degrees or below does not significantly affect infant motion or muscle activity.

Organizations: Walmart, U.S . Consumer Product Safety

☆ Are we in the Anthropocene Epoch? Not so fast, geologists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Scientists have voted against a proposal to declare a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene to reflect how profoundly human activity has altered the planet. The vote followed a 15-year process to select a geological site that best captures humanity’s impact on the planet. Some experts argued that the start of the Anthropocene could be better defined in other ways, such as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. “This is the commission’s expert group for this interval of geological time and we are bound by its decision. Regardless of whether the term is officially classified as a geological epoch, Anthropocene is already widely in use, Cohen noted.

Persons: Kim Cohen, ”, Cohen, Phil Gibbard, eon, Colin Waters, Waters, …, David Harper, ” Harper, hadn’t, “ Organizations: CNN —, International Union of Geological Sciences, CNN Tuesday, geosciences, Utrecht University, Scott Polar Research, University of Cambridge, Geologists, University of Leicester, Durham University, International, of Locations: Ontario, Netherlands, United Kingdom

The staff member, Kyle Parker, is the senior Senate adviser for the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Helsinki Commission. The commission is led by members of Congress and staffed by congressional aides. It is influential on matters of democracy and security and has been vocal in supporting Ukraine. A confidential report by the commission’s director and general counsel, which The New York Times reviewed, said that the equipment transfer could make Mr. Parker an unregistered foreign agent. It said that Mr. Parker had traveled Ukraine’s front lines wearing camouflage and Ukrainian military insignia and had hired a Ukrainian official for a U.S. government fellowship over the objections of congressional ethics and security officials.

Persons: Kyle Parker, Parker Organizations: Capitol Hill, U.S . Commission, Security, Cooperation, Helsinki Commission, New York Times Locations: Russia, Europe, Helsinki, Ukraine

☆ Opinion: Trump’s making America irrelevant to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He formerly was a foreign correspondent and bureau chief for The New York Times in Europe and Asia and for CBS News in Paris. CNN —Madeline Albright famously called America the “indispensable nation.” Is former President Donald Trump making America the irrelevant nation? The first steps toward a new direction for such a Europe — without America — are already being taken. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty ImagesVon der Leyen has also said that upping European defense production would be a top priority for her second term — not to mention sorting through vastly divergent budgets of the various countries. Still, as a bloc, Europe at about 85 billion euros ($92 billion) has already passed the United States at 66.2 billion euros ($71.6 billion) in total commitments to Ukraine.

Persons: David A, Madeline Albright, Donald Trump, Alexey Navalny’s, Vladimir Putin, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden, ” haven’t, Mette Frederiksen, ” Frederiksen, Ursula von der Leyen, Europe’s, Christine Wormuth, Peter, Paul, Kaja Kallas, Dursun, Leyen, Emmanuel Macron’s, Macron, David Lammy, unflinchingly, who’s, ” Kallas, Alar Karis, ” Karis, we’re, Der Spiegel, ” Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, Trump, Republicans, NATO, Security, Danish, America, Africa Command, Getty, Germany’s Kiel Institute, US, Union, Munich Security Conference, British, Labour Party, Estonian, Politico Europe, Kremlin, “ Locations: Europe, Asia, Paris, America, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, “, United States, Munich, Berlin, Brussels, Poland, Estonian, Anadolu, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, France, Russia’s, Sweden, Britain, German

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Northern California judge is under investigation by a state agency for allegedly making antisemitic remarks when addressing a deputy public defender, failing to recuse himself from cases involving attorneys and other people he socialized with, sexually harassing women, and other ethical violations. Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Gregory Kreis was notified last week he is charged with 19 ethical violations going back to 2015. It is among the allegations outlined by the Commission on Judicial Performance that are now under investigation. The commission noted Kreis allegedly lied to the court's presiding judge who was investigating rumors Kreis was having an affair with a court employee. “I can tell you that we had witnesses who will contradict the allegations the Commission on Judicial Performance set forth in the notice of formal proceedings,” he added.

Persons: Gregory Kreis, Jerry Brown, Kreis, James A, Murphy, Rory Kalin, ” Murphy, Kalin, “, ” Organizations: FRANCISCO, California’s Locations: Northern California, Humboldt County, ”

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