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☆ Trump adviser Peter Navarro to be sentenced for defying Jan. 6 committee subpoena
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Peter Navarro, a former advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on January 25, 2024 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON — Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro will be sentenced Thursday for criminal contempt of Congress, with federal prosecutors saying he "thumbed his nose" at the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Federal prosecutors are seeking six months in federal prison for Navarro, saying he, "like the rioters at the Capitol, put politics, not country, first, and stonewalled Congress's investigation." Navarro, prosecutors said, "chose allegiance to former President Donald Trump over the rule of law." U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta will sentence Navarro at the hearing, which gets underway at 10 a.m.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Barrett Prettyman, Navarro, WASHINGTON, stonewalled, Trump, Steve Bannon, Stephen Bannon, Amit P, Mehta Organizations: WASHINGTON —, Trump White House, U.S . Capitol, United States Capitol, Republicans, Capitol, White House Locations: Washington , DC, Washington, U.S

☆ Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro sentenced to 4 months in jail for defying congressional subpoena
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Devan Cole | Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Peter Navarro was sentenced Thursday to four months in jail for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena related to the congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one month in prison, but prosecutors had asked Mehta to sentence Navarro to six months for each count – running concurrently – and fine him $200,000. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was convicted in 2022 on two contempt counts and later sentenced to four months in prison. The Justice Department used its testimony to make the case that the committee had good reason to subpoena Navarro and that he was informed repeatedly of its demands. Navarro has insisted that he didn’t comply with the subpoena at the direction of Trump, who he claimed invoked executive privilege in the matter.

Persons: Washington CNN — Peter Navarro, Navarro, Amit Mehta, “, ”, ” Mehta, Trump, Mehta, stonewalled, Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Elizabeth Aloi, Navarro “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, DC, Appeals, Capitol, Justice Department, Prosecutors Locations: Navarro

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to bring a $106 billion White House supplemental funding package, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, among other things, to the floor as soon as this week. But its passage hangs in the balance as Senate Republicans have pledged to block the package unless a deal is reached on border security. “There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment,” White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote. Meanwhile, House Republican leadership appears to be eyeing a floor vote, which could come as soon as this week, to formally authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. “We’re being stonewalled by the White House,” Johnson told Fox News on Saturday.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, ”, Shalanda Young, “, –, Mike Johnson, it’s, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden’s, they’ve, Biden, ” Johnson, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Tuberville, servicewomen Organizations: White, Republicans, Office of Management, Russia, Senate, Democrats, Republican, Fox News, IRS, Tuberville’s, GOP Locations: Ukraine, Israel, U.S, ”

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans issued a subpoena Tuesday to a senior federal prosecutor involved in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden, demanding answers for what they allege is Justice Department interference in the yearslong case into the president's son. The subpoena to Wolf is the latest in a series of demands Jordan and fellow Republican chairmen have made as part of their sprawling impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Political Cartoons View All 1262 ImagesThe inquiry is focused both on the Biden family's international business affairs and the Justice Department's investigation into Hunter Biden, which Republicans claim has been slow-walked and stonewalled since the case was opened in 2018. Republicans have claimed that it was clear that the prosecutors didn’t want to touch anything that would include Hunter Biden’s father. Nonetheless, Republicans are demanding Wolf appear before lawmakers as she has “first-hand knowledge of the Department’s criminal inquiry of Hunter Biden,” and refused a voluntary request to come in over the summer.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Jim Jordan, Lesley Wolf, ” Jordan, Wolf, Jordan, Joe Biden, Hunter, James, David Weiss, Hunter Biden’s, Gary Shapley, Weiss, ” Shapley, ”, Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republicans, Department, Committee, The Associated Press, The Justice, Biden family's, Internal Revenue, Biden, Justice Department Locations: Delaware, U.S

☆ Live Nation issued subpoena regarding ticketing, fees by US Senate panel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo and trading information for Live Nation Entertainment is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Live Nation (LYV.N) and its subsidiary Ticketmaster is being sent a subpoena for documents regarding ticket pricing, fees and secondary sales, a U.S. Senate panel said on Monday. "Live Nation has egregiously stonewalled my Subcommittee’s inquiry into its abusive consumer practices — making the subpoena necessary," Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democratic chair of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said in a statement. In a cover letter that accompanied the subpoena, Blumenthal said Live Nation had failed to fully comply with document requests sent in March. A Live Nation spokesperson said the company had provided "extensive information" to the subcommittee and met with staff several times.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Taylor, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, we’ve, Diane Bartz, Lisa Shumaker, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Live, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Ticketmaster, U.S, Senate, hardball, Democratic, U.S . Senate, Investigations, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Senate subcommittee issues subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster after Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Morgan Rimmer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Live Nation has egregiously stonewalled my Subcommittee’s inquiry into its abusive consumer practices—making the subpoena necessary,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, who chairs the subcommittee. Ticketmaster has drawn the ire of Congress since its botched handling of presale tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Pre-sale tickets for “The Eras Tour” frustrated Swift fans across the country in a debacle that stayed in the headlines for weeks. Lawmakers grilled a top executive of Live Nation in January in a three-hour hearing. “I want to congratulate and thank you for an absolutely stunning achievement,” Blumenthal said to Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold during the January hearing.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Bruce Spingsteen, ”, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Taylor, Swift, “, couldn’t, ” Blumenthal, Joe Berchtold, ” Berchtold, concertgoers, – CNN’s Samantha Kelly, Jennifer Korn, Camila Bernal Organizations: New, New York CNN, Investigations, Nation, Ticketmaster, Democrat, Capital One, Live Nation, Democrats Locations: New York, Los Angeles

☆ Senate committee subpoenas Live Nation, Ticketmaster after months-long probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In a statement Monday, Blumenthal said, "Live Nation has egregiously stonewalled my Subcommittee's inquiry into its abusive consumer practices — making the subpoena necessary." A Senate investigative subcommittee on Monday said it has issued a subpoena to Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster subsidiary for information regarding ticket pricing and fees after a months-long probe that had not been previously announced. A Live Nation spokesperson, in an email to CNBC, said, "Live Nation has voluntarily worked with the Subcommittee from the start, providing extensive information and holding several meetings with staff." Live Nation, an event promoter, and the ticket vendor Ticketmaster now control 70% of the market for tickets and live event venues after their merger more than a decade ago. The Senate Judiciary Committee this summer held a hearing about Live Nation and the lack of competition in event ticketing's primary and secondary markets.

Persons: Blumenthal, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Michael Rapino, we've, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Rapino, Amy Klobuchar Organizations: Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster, CNBC, Investigations, Committee, CNBC PRO

☆ Senators demand documents from Meta on social media harm to children
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Children playground miniatures are seen in front of displayed Instagram logo in this illustration taken April 4, 2023. Senators has written to Meta Platforms (META.O) CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding documents about its research into the harm to children from its social media platforms. A whistleblower's release of documents in 2021 showed Meta knew Instagram, which began as a photo-sharing app, was addictive and worsened body image issues for some teen girls. The letter follows a hearing with a new whistleblower last week and after a newly unsealed complaint filed by the Massachusetts Attorney General, the senators said. Dozens of U.S. states are also suing Meta and its Instagram unit, accusing them of fueling a youth mental health crisis by making their social media platforms addictive.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Arturo Béjar's, Akash Sriram, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: REUTERS, Senators, Meta, Thomson Locations: U.S, Massachusetts, Bengaluru

CNN —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unilaterally gave his conference the green light to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. “There has to be an aha moment.” Rep. Darrell Issa of California, a Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee, told CNN. McCarthy – who spoke for 15 minutes before a scheduled presentation on their Biden impeachment inquiry – also expressed annoyance over their spending struggles and inability to find consensus, saying “hell yeah” he is frustrated. “Until I see the evidence of an impeachable offense, I’m not in favor of impeachment inquiry or impeachment.”Some moderates in swing districts, though, are expressing support for the impeachment inquiry, and dismissing concerns that it could negatively impact the GOP. Some House Republicans cautioned that an impeachment inquiry does not make articles of impeachment inevitable.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Biden –, Darrell Issa of, “, Hunter Biden, –, ” Issa, Republicans –, Jim Jordan, “ We’re, ” Jordan, ”, McCarthy –, Biden, impeaching Biden, Clinton, Tom Cole, Kat Cammack, Brian Mast, Dan Newhouse, Donald Trump, Tim Burchett, Jim Jordan’s, Republicans don’t, McCarthy’s, We’ve, Matt Gaetz, James Biden, “ Hunter Biden, Hunter, can’t, Scott Perry of, James Biden’s, ” Comer, James Comer, Jordan, Jason Smith of Missouri, They’ve, ” McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi, Mike Johnson, ” Newhouse, Comer, Jordan trekked, John Thune of, ” Sen, Lindsey Graham of, ” Graham, There’s, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Buck, ” Buck, I’m, Nick LaLota, ” Johnson, ” Mast Organizations: CNN —, House Republicans, ”, Republican, CNN, Republicans, Ohio Republican, Capitol, GOP, Senate, Dan Newhouse of Washington, hardliner, Hunter Biden, McCarthy’s, Democrats, Senate Republican, Biden Locations: Darrell Issa of California, Ohio, Florida, Dan Newhouse of, Tennessee, John Thune of South Dakota, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Ken Buck of, “, New York

☆ What’s the basis of the Republicans’ Joe Biden impeachment inquiry?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The White House says Biden has done nothing wrong and Republicans have no basis for an impeachment inquiry. Another Hunter Biden associate, Eric Schwerin, also told the panel that he was not aware of any financial involvement by Joe Biden in his relatives' businesses. A Washington Post fact check found that $7 million of that money went to Biden family members, most of it to Hunter, and none went to Joe Biden. PRESSURING UKRAINE'S PROSECUTORWhile serving as vice president, Biden pressured Ukraine to remove its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin. Republicans and Shokin have separately said Biden was trying to protect Burisma and Hunter Biden from a possible corruption investigation.

Persons: Joe Biden, Evelyn, Hunter, Biden, Devon Archer, Hunter Biden, Archer, Jamie Raskin, Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, Eric Schwerin, Viktor Shokin, Shokin, Barack Obama's, Petro Poroshenko, David Weiss, Weiss, General Merrick Garland, Andy Sullivan, Makini Brice, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: World Trade, Joint Base Elmendorf, REUTERS, U.S . House, Democratic, Republicans, FBI, Washington Post, European Union, International Monetary Foundation, House Democrats, Burisma, Fox News Channel, IRS, Justice Department, Trump, U.S, Thomson Locations: Richardson, Anchorage , Alaska, U.S, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Asia's private credit markets thrive as desperate borrowers find lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Private lenders, meanwhile, had "significant liquidity" to deploy for such financings, proving to be a right fit. Besides property developers, borrowers thronging private markets include privately-held companies and start-ups whose private equity issuance has been stymied by broader stock market swings and the deepening discounts of their valuations, known as a 'down round' in the industry. Investment firm Muzinich & Co. recently announced it had closed a $500 million Asia Pacific private debt strategy. Australian superannuation fund UniSuper, which runs a $15 billion private markets portfolio investing in unlisted infrastructure and private equity, is looking to grow its portfolio. "Just given the pipeline of opportunities, we could see ourselves potentially ... (doing) another $3 to $5 billion," said Sandra Lee, UniSuper's head of private markets.

Persons: Bryan Clark, Andrew Tan, Tan, Sandra Lee, UniSuper's, Shane Forster, Benno Klingenberg, Timm, Rae Wee, Georgina Lee, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: Star, JLL, Western, Muzinich, Asia Pacific, Muzinich's Asia Pacific, ICE, Bain Capital, India's, Mahindra Bank, Hong Kong's ADM, BlackRock, Data, Barclays, UBS, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Arizona, Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore

☆ Actors are joining writers on strike against the Hollywood companies, and they're driven by a fear plaguing workers everywhere: Robots are coming for our jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Hollywood writers are entering their third month on strike. Film and TV writers say they're among those who have fared the worst as their industry has been remade, even as others reap the rewards. These Hollywood storytellers share something in common with workers in every industry: Everyone is afraid that the robots are coming for their jobs, Terminator-style. Now, they're some of the dominant forces controlling new content development in the entertainment industry. Recently, I reported on how the Hollywood writers' strike is dispiriting industry hopefuls at the outset of their careers — you can read it here.

Persons: Everything's, Fran Drescher, Adam Conover, Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, You've, We've, Jonathan Handel, Puck, they'll, Zayd Dohrn, —, Dohrn, Reed Alexander Organizations: Morning, NBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, Hollywood, Netflix, Wall, ., Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, Apple, Big Tech, WGA, Northwestern University Locations: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York, Chicago

Many of the actors’ demands mirror those of the writers, whose own strike had already brought many productions to a halt. Actors and screenwriters have not been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Marilyn Monroe was still near her peak. The first distress signal for the studios came in early June when roughly 65,000 members of the actors’ union — nearly 98 percent of voters — backed authorizing a strike. The actors’ walkout would provide additional support to the striking writers, who have been walking picket lines for more than 70 days. Read more about the writers’ strike.

Persons: Brooks Barnes, John Koblin, ’, Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lawrence, Constance Wu, Ben Stiller, ”, Fran Drescher, ” Ms, Drescher, “ Organizations: SAG, Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Netflix, Apple, —, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America Locations: California

“The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us,” Ms. Drescher said in a statement. “Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”It would be the first time that actors and screenwriters were on strike at the same time since 1960, when Marilyn Monroe was near her peak. “We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations,” the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of Hollywood companies, said in a statement. Many of the actors’ demands mirror those of the writers, including higher wages, increased residual payments (a type of royalty) from streaming services and aggressive guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence to preserve jobs. Guild leadership also wants new regulations regarding self-taped auditions, a pandemic phenomenon that has resulted in significantly fewer live casting sessions.

Persons: ” Ms, Drescher, Marilyn Monroe, AFTRA Organizations: Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Netflix, Apple, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood

☆ Hunter Biden prosecutor says Justice Dept didn't interfere in probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I have not requested Special Counsel designation," wrote Weiss, who was appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump. Weiss' office last month revealed that it was charging Hunter Biden with two misdemeanor tax charges, to which the president's son is expected to plead guilty later this month. Hunter Biden also has agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion program to avoid facing a more serious felony count of possessing a firearm while he was using illegal drugs. Their criticism has been fueled in part by claims from Gary Shapley, an IRS criminal supervisory agent who worked on the Hunter Biden investigation. Hunter Biden's attorney has also denied that his client received any special treatment.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Hunter, David Weiss, Lindsey Graham, General Merrick Garland, Hunter Biden, Weiss, Donald Trump, Gary Shapley, Shapley, Trump, Garland, Sarah N, Lynch, Scott Malone, Peter Graff Organizations: U.S, Justice Department, Internal Revenue Service, Delaware U.S, Republican, Attorney, D.C, Thomson Locations: Delaware, Washington, California

☆ Prince Harry fights for trial in hacking case against Murdoch's UK group
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Prince Harry on Wednesday fought to take his phone-hacking lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm to trial, asking London's High Court to let him rely on an alleged "secret agreement" between Britain's royal family and the publisher. David Sherborne, representing Harry, argued there was clear evidence of an agreement between NGN and the royal family, which meant Harry was unable to bring his lawsuit earlier. Harry also said his attempts to progress his case against NGN, with the backing of the late Queen Elizabeth, were stonewalled by NGN and royal aides. Sherborne argued in court filings on Wednesday that NGN had not provided any evidence from Brooks and Thomson "despite their evidence having been identified as critical". He became the first senior British royal to appear in a witness box for more than 130 years when he gave evidence in his MGN lawsuit last month.

Persons: Prince Harry, Rupert Murdoch's, London's, Harry, King Charles, NGN, Harry's, NGN's, Hugh Grant, David Sherborne, Prince William's, William, Queen Elizabeth, Rebekah Brooks, Robert Thomson, Sherborne, Brooks, Thomson, Sam Tobin, Devika Organizations: Wednesday, Murdoch's News Group, Sun, Buckingham Palace, NGN, Royal, News, News Corp, British, Mirror Group, Thomson Locations: Buckingham, British, NGN, Buckingham Palace

☆ Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas postpones annual financial disclosure amid donor controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas arrives for the swearing in ceremony of Judge Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Supreme Court Justice in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2017. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas asked for more time to file his annual financial disclosure as he faces an ethics controversy over accepting pricey vacations and other largesse from Republican billionaire Harlan Crow. Justice Samuel Alito, another conservative, was the only other Supreme Court justice to request an extension. The Texas real estate developer also purchased properties belonging to the conservative justice's family in Georgia, and funded part of his great-nephew's private school education. The revelations sparked harsh criticism of Thomas for failing to disclose the ties, and calls for ethics reform of the Supreme Court.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Judge Neil Gorsuch, Harlan Crow, Thomas, Samuel Alito, ProPublica, Crow Organizations: Justice, White, Supreme, Democratic Locations: Rose, Washington , U.S, Crow, Texas, Georgia

☆ Who Owns the Benin Bronzes? The Answer Just Got More Complicated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After years of ignored pleas and stonewalled requests, deals were finally coming together to return some of Africa’s most prized treasures to the continent. The Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the German government announced they were returning scores of sculptures, plaques and ornaments, known as the Benin Bronzes, that British soldiers had plundered in 1897 from Benin City, in what is now Nigeria but was once the center of a kingdom. Plans were underway for a glittering new museum designed by the British Ghanaian architect David Adjaye to showcase and protect the returned treasures. At a moment when museums worldwide are trying to come to grips with contested artifacts in their collections, this development underscores how complex restitution efforts can be. It decreed that any returned artifacts “may be kept within the palace of the oba,” or in any location that he considers secure.

Persons: David Adjaye, Muhammadu Buhari, oba Organizations: Smithsonian Institution, Metropolitan Museum of Art Locations: Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, British Ghanaian

☆ Cathay Pacific’s free tickets to Hong Kong all claimed in 2.5 hours
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Zachary Kussin was ready. The New Yorker had marked the date on his calendar months in advance and checked the Hello Kong Kong website every day for more information, all in hopes of scoring a free airline ticket. At a splashy event in February 2023, city officials announced that some 500,000 free airline tickets would be distributed both to local residents eager for a vacation and international travelers keen to visit Hong Kong. A representative from Cathay tells CNN that the tickets were all snapped up in two and a half hours. “We are very encouraged by the enthusiastic response from our Cathay members who registered for the exclusive ticket offer to Hong Kong,” the rep says.

☆ Chile's lithium takeover plan faces technical, political challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Fabian Cambero | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3] A view of a brine pool of a lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama desert, Chile, August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File PhotoSANTIAGO, April 28 (Reuters) - While Chile's plan to take control of its lithium industry has caused global shockwaves, state-led production of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries is seen by analysts as likely years away given technical and political challenges. CODELCO'S ROLEChile's state-run Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, plays a key role in Boric's lithium plan although it has no experience in producing the white metal. The report noted that Argentina currently has more lithium projects in the pipeline than any other country in the world. Albemarle has said it needs new water sources to expand in Chile's Atacama salt flat, noting a desalination project was awaiting permits and construction.

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Prince Harry is not criticising his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, or Britain's royal family over a "secret agreement" with Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm, his lawyer told London's High Court on Wednesday. His lawyer David Sherborne told the court on Wednesday that Harry did not bring his lawsuit previously because of the agreement with NGN, which denies its existence. Sherborne said Harry was "told more" about phone hacking in 2012, when Harry says in his witness statement that he was told his voicemails had been intercepted, "but that was essentially dealt with by his family ... and their solicitor". "This is no criticism of the queen or his family," Sherborne said. Harry, who now lives in California with his family, was not in court, but watched proceedings by video link, Sherborne said.

Despite having the backing of the late Queen Elizabeth to take on the Murdoch group, Harry said attempts to get an apology from them had been stonewalled. "This goes to prove the existence of this secret agreement between the institution and senior executives at NGN." William's office said it could not comment on ongoing legal proceedings and NGN had no comment on the deal with William. The queen gave her backing for him to pursue his case and seek an apology from Murdoch himself, he said. Harry, who now lives in California with his family, was not in court, but would be watching proceedings by videolink, his lawyer David Sherborne said.

☆ Top Democrat gives 'failing grade' to Biden administration on classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ginger Gibson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, chided the Biden administration Wednesday for the lack of information being shared about classified documents that were found at the homes of current and former presidents. "This is where the Biden administration gets an absolute failing grade," Warner said on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Lawmakers have become increasingly critical of administration officials ignoring requests to be briefed on the classified documents that have been found. Hundreds of pages of documents with classified markings were recovered from Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump's Florida home and private club. Months later, a handful of documents were found at an office used by current President Joe Biden before he was elected.

☆ EU silence over Pfizer COVID contract talks is problem that won't go away -watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly speaks during an interview with Reuters in Brussels, Belgium February 28, 2023. The Commission said in June 2022 that it no longer had the texts, which later drew criticism from the EU ombudsman. O’Reilly argued many people would understand why von der Leyen approached Bourla to plead Europe’s case for vaccines, as tens of thousands of people on the continent were dying from COVID-19. It has proposed to other EU institutions that they do the same, the spokesperson added. In February, the New York Times said it was suing the Commission over failure to release the text messages.

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