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☆ Manhattan prosecutor's office says Trump created a 'false expectation' of immediate arrest and accuses House Republicans of interfering with investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office fired back at Republicans on Thursday. In a letter, the DA's office accused the GOP of interfering in a legal investigation. Former President Donald Trump had earlier claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday. The letter from Bragg's office was published Thursday afternoon by Axios. That came after Trump, over the weekend, asserted that he would be arrested on Tuesday of this week.

☆ Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus Supplier Paid California Workers $1.58
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Department of Labor randomly investigated 50 clothing companies in Southern California. It found that more than 80% were breaking one or more provisions of federal labor law. One garment maker was paying workers just $1.58 an hour. In what the department described as a "particularly egregious case," one garment manufacturer — making clothes for brands including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Stitch Fix, and Von Maur, per investigators — was found to be paying some workers an hourly rate of just $1.58. It shows, she argued, "that strong federal action is needed to change the abusive pay rates in the American garment manufacturing industry."

☆ Kanye West's hateful comments about Jews may have inspired dozens of antisemitic incidents, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Anti-Defamation League counted 59 incidents in which antisemites cited the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Overall, ADL researchers found there was a 59% increase in antisemitic incidents last year. Overall, ADL researchers found there was a 36% spike in antisemitic incidents in 2022 compared to the year before, with the ADL tracking just under 3,700 cases across the country, the highest on record. "We're deeply disturbed by this dramatic and completely unacceptable surge in antisemitic incidents," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. The ADL report comes after the FBI last year said that white supremacists "pose the primary threat" of domestic terrorism.

☆ Chinese media is claiming an Instagram post shows the US military stealing aid for earthquake victims in Syria. It's a bogus conspiracy theory.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese state media promoted a conspiracy theory about the US stealing aid for earthquake victims. The false claims were based on US soldiers helping to distribute humanitarian aid in Turkey. That writing, the article states, is "exactly the same" as the writing on the aid "that China sent to earthquake victims in Syria." "The Americans are not only stealing oil from Syria," one user wrote, "but also humanitarian aid." A US soldier helps distribute aid to earthquake victims in Turkey.

☆ Trump is back on Facebook just in time to raise money as likely criminal indictment looms overhead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump has returned to Facebook. On Friday, Trump used the platform to share a 12-second campaign video. Trump had been suspended from Facebook following the January 6 insurrection. Facebook parent company Meta had suspended Trump after the January 6 insurrection, citing his praise of violent rioters that sought to overturn the 2020 election at his behest. Trump has denied having any affair with Daniels and said he did not approve a "hush money" payment.

☆ A Spanish firm wants to kill one million octopuses a year using 'ice slurry' baths at first-ever factory farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A proposed commercial octopus farm is sparking outrage among experts and animal rights campaigners. The farm would slaughter roughly one million octopuses each year by submerging them in icy water. In a report released Thursday, the activist group said that Nueva Pescanova intends to slaughter around one million octopuses each year by submerging them in a freezing "ice slurry." In particular, it said, the slaughter of the octopuses "involves proper handling that avoids any pain or suffering to the animal." "To kill them with ice would be a slow death," Dr. Peter Tse, who studies octopus cognition at Dartmouth, told the BBC.

☆ A Philly cop has been charged with assault over a bar fight. In 2011, the Fraternal Order of Police made sure he didn't lose his job after being accused of punching his wife in the face.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Philadelphia police officer has been charged with assault over an alleged bar fight. The officer became enraged when someone put on hip-hop or R&B music, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The same cop was arrested in 2011 and accused of punching his wife. The same officer was arrested in 2011 and charged with simple assault and reckless endangering after he was accused of punching his estranged wife in the face at another bar. An FOP spokesperson told Insider that, this time around, the union "is not representing the officer and has no further comment."

☆ All 500 original members of a Ukrainian battalion were killed or wounded in fighting with Russia, commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One commander said all 500 original members of his battalion had been killed or injured. Soldiers with significant combat experience "are all already dead or wounded," the commander said. "And there are only a few soldiers with combat experience," he told the Post. Off the 500 men he commanded last year, 400 have been wounded and another 100 killed, according to the Post. And for some reason, he has never thrown a grenade," he told the Post.

☆ War in Ukraine by the numbers: Mass deaths, billions in aid, thousands of destroyed tanks, and more stats that paint an image of Russia's unprovoked invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Erin Snodgrass | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

February 24, 2023, marked the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Billions of dollars of aid has been sent, and Russia has lost about half its fleet of tanks. When his troops invaded on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to quickly sweep through the country and capture Kyiv. Still, the cost of the war — in lives, dollars, and military equipment — has been high. AP Photo/Daniel ColeThe dead and woundedUkrainian refugees are seen after crossing into Poland on March 13, 2022.

☆ Alaska Republican Censured for Asking If Child Abuse Benefits Society
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An Alaska Republican has been censured by his colleagues for asking if fatal child abuse benefits society. At a hearing this week, Rep. David Eastman asked a witness if dead children save taxpayer money. ACT doesn't have a stance on abortion, per Alaska Public Media. On Wednesday, every one of his colleagues agreed to condemn him, voting 35-1 to censure him, according to Alaska Public Media. We cannot allow such atrocious, indefensible language to go undenounced," Alaska Democratic state Rep. Andrew Gray said, the outlet reported.

☆ McDonald's locations in Pennsylvania broke child labor laws, with kids under 16 operating deep fryers, Labor Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McDonald's locations in Pennsylvania employed more than 150 teenagers at hours prohibited by federal law. Children under the age of 16 were operating deep fryers, according to the US Department of Labor. In 2022, more than 3,800 children were found to be employed in violation of federal law; in 2012, that number was just over 1,600. Nine children were also found to be operating deep fryers before the legally required minimum age of 16. "The bottom line is that there is no excuse for jeopardizing young workers' safety or hindering their educational opportunities."

☆ Employers can't force you to keep quiet to get severance, labor board decides, reversing Trump-era rulings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Companies can't require employees to waive their rights as part of a severance agreement. In a ruling on Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board said such requirements are "unlawful." Workers can't be forced to "choose between receiving benefits and exercising their rights," NLRB's Lauren McFerran said. Nondisparagement clauses, it reasoned, could prevent former workers from being able to assist investigations into ongoing labor law violations. In a statement, McFerran said Thursday's ruling reflected an understanding that "employers cannot ask individual employees to choose between receiving benefits and exercising their rights under the National Labor Relations Act."

☆ Republican Doug Mastriano told supporters he didn't get any money from Ohio derailment train operator Norfolk Southern. Records show he took $1,000.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is holding a hearing Thursday on the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. Mastriano, a Republican, recently denied receiving any money from train operator Norfolk Southern. "Biden's in Ukraine and Shapiro's MIA," the user wrote, praising Mastriano for visiting East Palestine over the weekend. Mike DeWine, a Republican, assured East Palestine residents that their drinking water is safe. He lauded the EPA for ordering Norfolk Southern to cover the cost of cleaning up the accident.

☆ Ron DeSantis styles himself a culture warrior for God. But his push to expand the death penalty is 'deeply concerning' to the Catholic Church.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Catholic Church is speaking out against a GOP push to expand the death penalty. Making it "easier to impose death is deeply concerning," Michael Sheedy of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops told Insider. 'Deeply concerning'Any effort to expand the death penalty in Florida will face obstacles: the state and US constitutions. "An execution represents a judgment by fallible human beings that a person is beyond redemption – a judgment the Catholic Church rejects," they said. Tony Argiz, right, recalled how the Catholic Church helped him when he came to the US from Cuba as an unaccompanied minor.

☆ Childbirth is far more dangerous for women than the abortion pill, American Medical Association tells the Texas judge weighing mifepristone ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The American Medical Association is urging a Texas judge to reject an effort to ban mifepristone. This is not an opinion — it is a fact based on hundreds of medical studies and vast amounts of data amassed over the course of two decades," the brief states. But pregnant teenagers, the medical groups note, have levels of progesterone far greater than their non-pregnant peers. "There is no reason to think, nor is there evidence to show, that preventing the absorption of progesterone for a brief window would have any effects on adolescent development," the brief states. Republican attorneys general also submitted a brief arguing that the availability of the drug infringes on the right of states to regulate abortion.

☆ John Fetterman checks into Walter Reed hospital to receive treatment for depression
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

US Senator John Fetterman is currently at Walter Reed hospital receiving treatment for depression. In a statement, his office said Fetterman checked himself in on Wednesday night. Fetterman, elected last fall, is recovering from a May 2022 stroke that has impaired his ability to process speech. Fetterman is currently being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Jentleson said he is "receiving treatment on a voluntary basis." "After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself," Jentleson said.

☆ Fox News producer said Laura Ingraham's interest in false Dominion voter fraud claims 'is going to give me a fucking aneurysm'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In a text message, a Fox News producer complained about Laura Ingraham promoting election conspiracy theories. "This dominion shit is going to give me a fucking aneurysm," Tommy Firth texted a Fox News colleague. The message was revealed in a court filing from Dominion Voting Systems, which is suing Fox for defamation. "This is the Bill Gates/microchip angle to voter fraud," Mitchell responded. Numerous audits and investigations have failed to uncover any evidence of mass voter fraud in any state.

☆ Trump and Kushner's Saudi Ties Are an Ethical Minefield: Watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Weeks after leaving office, Jared Kushner obtained a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government. The Saudi support came despite the kingdom's own financial advisers urging against any investment in Kushner's new company, citing the "inexperience" of its top brass. Let's start with Jared Kushner before we get into the LIV Golf situation. You have John Bolton, Trump's own national security advisor, making it very clear that you had somebody, like Jared — and President Trump, apparently — working to promote their business interests. Trump, not only did he keep his company, the Trump Organization, but he's a transactional president, right?

☆ Judge orders Samuel Bankman-Fried to stop using a VPN after his lawyers claim he only used one to watch the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A judge on Tuesday ordered Bankman-Fried to stop using a VPN. To allay any concerns, however, the attorneys said Bankman-Fried would immediately stop using the VPN. On Tuesday afternoon, Judge Kaplan made that a condition of his bail, adding the use of a VPN to a list of other prohibited internet activities, Reuters reported. Use of a VPN, Kaplan ruled, "presents many of the same challenges." Prosecutors allege that Bankman-Fried used deposits in the cryptocurrency exchange to finance investments placed through Alameda Research, another company he founded.

☆ There will be an 'unprecedented spike' in maternal mortality if a Trump-appointed judge bans the abortion pill, Democratic attorneys general argue
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Banning mifepristone will result in more women dying in pregnancy, Democratic attorneys general argued this month. The argument comes as a judge in Texas is considering a ban on the abortion pill. Republican attorneys general who have weighed in on the case also maintain that its approval infringed on state rights. In her brief, James noted that carrying a pregnancy to term poses significantly greater health risks than an early abortion. As Slate's Christina Cautertucci notes, mifepristone is only one of the two drugs used in a typical medication abortion.

Former VP Mike Pence was subpoenaed by the Department of Justice on Thursday, per ABC News and CNN. DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is focused on Trump investigations, sent the notice, per reports. CNN reported that the subpoena was tied to the DOJ's investigation into the January 6 insurrection. According to a new report by ABC News, which cited multiple unnamed sources, Pence was subpoenaed after negotiations between federal officials and his legal team. Jack Smith, the DOJ's special counsel, has been leading investigations into Trump since November 2022, when Attorney General Merrick Garland assigned him to lead probes into attempts to overturn the 2020 election and Trump's mishandling of classified documents.

☆ Trump's most loyal supporters in Congress are calling for an immediate halt to US support for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Eleven House Republicans have backed a measure calling for an immediate halt of US aid to Ukraine. A recent poll found nearly two-thirds of American support continued aid to Ukraine. A non-binding resolution introduced Thursday would, if passed, express the sense of Congress that the US "must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine." A recent Gallup poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the US should continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, even if that means prolonging the conflict. "We will not fight the third World War in Ukraine," he said.

☆ Students who participated in a strike at Temple University are being told they will lose their tuition and health care benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Temple University is eliminating free tuition for graduate students who participate in a strike. In a statement, Temple confirmed students will be denied tuition benefits "while they are on strike." On average, such workers make $19,500 a year, according to the Temple University Graduate Students' Association (TUGSA), a union that represents nearly 750 affected workers. Stephen Orbanek, director of communications at the university, told Insider that those who choose to participate in the grad-student strike will be denied not just their pay but their tuition benefits. Temple is not the first institution to cancel health benefits for striking employees.

☆ Former Israeli prime minister rebuts claim, boosted by Russia, that the US blocked a Ukraine peace agreement: 'It's unsure there was any deal to be made'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett discussed his efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. But Bennett has clarified that no such deal existed — and said talks broke down because of apparent Russian war crimes. "Bombshell: Former Israeli prime minister says that Western leaders blocked #Ukraine & #Russia peace deal," Ivan Katchanovski, a Canadian political science professor, wrote on Twitter. At the time, Zelenskyy himself noted that the Israeli prime minister was "trying to find a way of holding talks," a fact for which "we are grateful." In the interview, Bennett himself notes that it was not the US, France, or Germany that put an end to any peace talks.

☆ Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro addressed right-wing activists at Trump resort in Miami amid calls for him to be ejected from the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro addressed right-wing activists at a Trump resort on Friday. Bolsonaro did not address how long he plans to extend his stay in Florida. Instead of going back, however, the right-wing politician has sought to extend his stay in the United States, to the chagrin of Democrats and others who want him ejected. On Friday, Bolsonaro beamed as supporters cheered him at a campaign-style event organized by Turning Point USA, a youth-oriented conservative activist group, and hosted by the Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami. "Liberty is like a great love, we must care for it every day," Bolsonaro said, addressing the crowd through a translator.

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