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☆ The Aggressive and Expensive Legal Team Defending Mayor Adams
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Not long after Eric Adams became the mayor of New York City, he quickly rewarded a cadre of loyalists with plum jobs in his administration. Now Mr. Adams is casting favor upon a new set of people looking out for his interests: defense lawyers. The firm has already been paid more than $730,000 by the mayor’s five-month-old legal defense fund. Mr. Adams intends to bring aboard Randy Mastro, a lawyer known for his aggressive tactics and roster of contentious clients and causes, to represent him as the city’s corporation counsel. Mr. Mastro would earn roughly $250,000 a year and would replace Sylvia Hinds-Radix, a former judge who has a more reserved style.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams, WilmerHale, Randy Mastro, Mastro, Sylvia Hinds Organizations: of Locations: New York City, Southern, of New York, Turkish

☆ Mayor Adams Pushes to Hire Ex-Giuliani Deputy as New York’s Top Lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Emma G. Fitzsimmons | William K. Rashbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With Mayor Eric Adams and top aides facing a tangle of investigations and lawsuits, he is quietly maneuvering to replace New York City’s top lawyer with a veteran litigator known for his aggressive tactics, two people who are familiar with the matter said. The city is in the final stages of hiring Randy Mastro, a former federal prosecutor who served as chief of staff and deputy mayor to former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, a Republican, according to the two people, who were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. The city’s current corporation counsel, Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, a former judge who served in the role for nearly two and a half years, is expected to leave the administration. Mr. Mastro has met with City Hall aides to discuss the job, and the city’s Department of Investigation has been notified that he is expected to join the administration, according to one of the people, and it will conduct a background investigation.

Persons: Eric Adams, Randy Mastro, Rudolph W, Giuliani, Sylvia O, Hinds, Mastro Organizations: New York, Republican, City Hall, city’s Department of Investigation Locations: New

☆ New Jersey Challenges N.Y.C. Congestion Pricing in Federal Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Winnie Hu | Elise Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Federal transportation officials allowed New York to move ahead with congestion pricing without fully addressing how traffic and pollution would be shifted to its neighbors across the Hudson River as drivers avoid the new tolls, a lawyer for the State of New Jersey argued in federal court on Wednesday. Now, as traffic patterns change, those New Jersey communities will be forced to shoulder the environmental burdens of the tolling program while New York receives all the benefits, the lawyer, Randy M. Mastro, said in his opening remarks in New Jersey’s lawsuit against congestion pricing. “It isn’t about whether you like or don’t like congestion pricing,” Mr. Mastro said in a courtroom in Newark. The issue is whether the Federal Highway Administration “took a hard look” at the potential environmental effects. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency overseeing congestion pricing in New York, has repeatedly said that New Jersey communities were extensively studied in an environmental assessment.

Persons: Randy M, Mastro, Mr, Administration “, John J, McCarthy Organizations: State, New, Federal, Administration, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Locations: New York, State of New Jersey, New Jersey, New, Newark

☆ I worked for Beyoncé for a year. She wasn't a diva and wasn't passive — it was a master class in digital strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I started working with her in 2009, as her director of digital strategy and new media. Don't build community, facilitate itPart of my job in overseeing Beyoncé's digital strategy was maintaining her Facebook page and Twitter account. The team would put together our recommendations, and we'd present these ideas to her father, Matthew Knowles, who was overseeing Music World Entertainment, which produced her earlier work. We stopped working on building Beyoncé an online community and instead started engaging with the online community that already existed. It was at this point that her community started to take shape.

Persons: Marcus Collins, Beyoncé, Matthew Knowles, Sasha Fierce, She's, it's, you've Organizations: Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Beyoncé, World Entertainment, Facebook

☆ I worked for Beyoncé for a year. She wasn't a diva and wasn't passive — it was a master class in executing a creative vision
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Marcus Collins shares the major lessons he learned helping Beyoncé to bring her fan base online. I started working with her in 2009, as her director of digital strategy and new media. The team would put together our recommendations, and we'd present these ideas to her father, Matthew Knowles, who was overseeing Music World Entertainment, which produced her earlier work. We stopped working on building Beyoncé an online community and instead started engaging with the online community that already existed. It was at this point that her community started to take shape.

Persons: Marcus Collins, Beyoncé, Collins, —, Matthew Knowles, Sasha Fierce, She's, it's, you've Organizations: Service, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Beyoncé, World Entertainment, Facebook

☆ I moved from Denmark to the US. I prefer the US, but there are some things the Danish do better.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Denmark is not a socialist country, but it has strong welfare safety nets, like a free healthcare system that people must pay into. AdvertisementDenmark has 'free' healthcare, but it isn't efficientDanish people pay high taxes to support a healthcare system that is becoming less effective. The social aspect of the Danish system doesn't work efficiently anymore, so patients are choosing private hospitals instead. The idea is to discourage people from consuming these products and then relying on the free healthcare system for treatment. The Danish work less and take more time away to reinvigorate their creativity.

Persons: —, Nick Olsen, didn't, I'd, Denmark, I've, you've, It's, Danes Organizations: Service, x365, Business Locations: Salt Lake City, Denmark, United States, LA, Thailand, Utah, Danish, New York, California, there's, America

☆ I left a red state for a blue state. The quality of life and job opportunities are better here, but it's not perfect.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In fact, I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, a red state surrounded, by very religious people — many Southern Baptist. Many of us, however, were desperate to move out for better job opportunities and to grow our careers. The more populous places, like the capital Little Rock, are seen as a lot more diverse. There are typically better job opportunities there too, but those opportunities were very limited for me. It worked out, though, because moving to San Diego proved more cost-effective than the Bay Area.

Persons: Raneisha Stassin, It's, I’ve, I've, I, it’s, Logan Organizations: Southern Baptist, Area, Arkansas In, Bay Area, Navy Locations: California, Little Rock , Arkansas, Arkansas, San Francisco, San Diego, Arkansas In Arkansas, Northern California, Ketchum, Arkansas In San Francisco, Little Rock, Bay, Little, mlogan@businessinsider.com

☆ Be warned: Flights are getting bumpier
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Air turbulence is becoming more common and more intense. As the jet stream buckles a bit because it's not as strong as it was in the past, now you have all this energy associated with the jet stream up 30,000 feet or so. But changes to the atmosphere mean these corridors are getting bumpier, so avoiding them could result in smoother flights. But while we can get better at avoiding air turbulence, we won't be able to avoid it altogether. That's why some companies are going back to the drawing board to design airplanes that can better adjust to turbulent air.

Persons: I'd, Isabel Smith, Smith, Paul Williams, Williams, Bill Duncan, You've, John K, didn't, Duncan, Pierre Baqué, Alyson Smith, Michelle Mastro Organizations: University of Reading, Lufthansa, Northern, The Weather Company, Denver, Airbus, National Transportation Safety Locations: Denver, Indianapolis, England, Austin , Texas, Frankfurt, Germany, Washington, Rocky, Swiss, Delta

☆ Biden and Xi will sign a deal to keep AI out of control systems for nuclear weapons: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden will meet this week. They're expected to agree to limit the use of AI in nuclear weapons, a report said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to sign a deal limiting the use of artificial intelligence in nuclear weapon control systems, according to The South China Morning Post. Biden and Xi will pledge a deal limiting the use of AI in autonomous weaponry, such as drones, as well as the systems used for the control and deployment of nuclear warheads, the report said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked last week about prospects the US and China could come to some understanding about keeping AI in nuclear weapons.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, They're, —, Xi, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oriana Skylar Mastro, Stanford University's Freeman, Antony Blinken Organizations: Service, South China Morning Post, Economic Cooperation, White, Stanford, Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Locations: China, Asia, San Francisco, Ukraine, Russian, Israel, Beijing, Gaza, Hague, Bletchley Park, Japan

☆ As Biden and Xi gear up for a high-stakes meeting, experts have low expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Megan Lebowitz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Senior U.S. administration officials detailed a handful of agenda items during a briefing with reporters. "We're not talking about a long list of outcomes or deliverables," a senior administration official told reporters. Even in recent days, Chinese officials were hesitant to confirm that Xi would attend the meeting with Biden. Biden and Xi's meeting also comes in the lead-up to Taiwan's 2024 presidential election in January, followed by the U.S. election. "We've been clear publicly and privately that interference in the Taiwan election is something we're extremely concerned about," a senior administration official said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Colleen Cottle, Jude Blanchette, They've, Thomas Fingar, Fingar, Biden, Wang Wenbin, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Oriana Skylar Mastro, Ely Ratner, Ratner, We've, we've, Li Shangfu, Li, David Sacks, Sacks, Xi's Organizations: Global China, Atlantic Council, Senior, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Stanford University, National Intelligence Council, White, U.S ., American Enterprise Institute, NBC News, Defense, Biden, China, Council, Foreign Relations, U.S, Washington Locations: Nusa Dua, Indonesian, Bali, U.S, China, Taiwan Strait, South China, San Francisco, People's Republic of China, Taiwan

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. "This is going to overshadow anything that happens at APEC," said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Stanford University China expert. Biden will welcome other APEC leaders - including from Vietnam, the Philippines, Canada and Mexico - and both he and Xi will be playing to the gallery. "Our door is open to any country or economy facing PRC (People's Republic of China) economic coercive threats," Melanie Hart, a senior China policy adviser at the State Department, said on Monday. That would include "companies flocking to meet with Xi Jinping and have dinner with him," he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Oriana Skylar Mastro, Xi, Biden, Victor Cha, Washington, Matthew Goodman, Goodman, Janet Yellen, Melanie Hart, Donald Trump, Jude Blanchette, Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Laurie Chen, Michelle Nichols, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, San, Economic Cooperation, U.S, APEC, Stanford University China, Biden, Beijing, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, China, Protesters, White, Treasury, Washington, People's, State Department, Pew Research, Prosperity, CSIS, Thomson Locations: Bali , Indonesia, San Francisco, Asia, Bali, Beijing, China, China . U.S, Washington, Taiwan, South China, Vietnam, Philippines, Canada, Mexico, U.S, People's Republic of China

☆ I sold everything I own to live on a boat with my wife. It's harder than we imagined — but we love it because it made us stronger.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Iain Cameron and his wife Brioni left Scotland and moved onto a boat in the Caribbean, in 2020. Besides, we both had stable jobs in Scotland: Brioni was an elementary school teacher and I worked in tech as an international technical trainer. For over two years now, living on a boat has made us stronger, more confident, and more appreciative. Iain and Brioni sailing on their boat in the Caribbean. An aerial view of Iain and Brioni sailing off the coast of an island.

Persons: Iain Cameron, Brioni, they've, Cameron, —, we've, Saint Vincent, Iain, Caine, Iain Cameron We've, Manseen Logan Organizations: Service, Facebook, eBay, Robertson, YouTube, Seas, Southampton, Annapolis Locations: Scotland, Caribbean, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Adriatic, Grenadines, Saint Vincent, United Kingdom, YachtWorld, Bonaire, Guna Yala, Panama, mlogan@insider.com

☆ I built an Airbnb in Kenya from old shipping containers and it was an instant success
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Michelle Mastro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hough's property is built from reused shipping containers, and guests can see resident wildlife. When we did decide to build, we chose shipping containers primarily because the area had no electricity or running water. We wanted to build something sustainableThe shipping containers were reused from a shipping company. We employed experts for the more technical jobs, of course, like building the shipping containers. Overall, having a unique Airbnb has been a great experienceI love how Airbnb makes hosting so easy and makes you feel protected.

Persons: Moon Hough, Hough, —, welders, Nairobians, We've, it's, Rangi, I've, I'm, Airbnb Organizations: Service, YouTube Locations: Nairobi, Kenya

The Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison partner is well-known for representing blue chip clients like Amazon in cases with millions or even billions of dollars on the line. "Widely considered one of the most preeminent litigators of his generation," is how his Paul Weiss bio puts it. Average profits per partner at Paul Weiss last year were $5.73 million, according to The American Lawyer. The case made national headlines, and the ex-judge, Roy Pearson Jr, was subsequently sanctioned by the D.C. Court of Appeals. In a statement filed with the court, Isaacson and McCrocklin's lawyer said the two sides' positions "are both extremely well-known to each other and seemingly very entrenched."

Organizations: & & '

☆ What Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys ‘R’ Us and RadioShack have in common
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Staples is “a classic ‘category killer,’ like Toys R Us,” Mitt Romney, then Bain & Co.’s managing general partner, said in 1989. Another category killer fell this week, when Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy. Once the go-to stop for everything in customers’ homes, Bed Bath & Beyond was brought down by shopping changes, competition and its own missteps. Founded in 1971 as Bed ‘n Bath as a small linen and bath store, the company changed its name to Bed Bath & Beyond in 1987 to reflect its expanded merchandise selection and built larger superstores. It’s somewhat ironic that there is now nostalgia for Bed Bath & Beyond and other once dominant chains that drove mom-and-pops out of business.

☆ There is 'no situation' where Taiwan can defend itself against China the way Ukraine has fought against Russia, says APAC security expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan can't fight off China alone, even if it gets NATO weapons, said an APAC security expert. There's "no situation" where Taiwan can pull off its own defense like Ukraine has, she said. Taipei's game plan will rely on holding out so the US can arrive, she told The Washington Post. "Taiwan has to be able to hold out long enough for the United States to get enough forces in theater," Mastro told the outlet. And US forces would be significantly delayed if war does break out over the Taiwan Strait, she added.

☆ U.S.-sanctioned general to become public face of China's growing military
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the PLA's then-new Strategic Support Force - an elite body tasked with accelerating the development of China's space and cyber warfare capabilities. He was then appointed head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's governing defence body, headed by President Xi Jinping. Some security scholars note the sanctions - while not a deal-breaker for future meetings - add a potential complication, and could provide China's military leadership with leverage. Li's term at the Central Military Commission has highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. Some scholars believe Li has close ties to Zhang Youxia, a close military ally of Xi, whom Li replaced as head of the department.

☆ Why Pizza Hut’s red roofs and McDonald’s play places have disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

As fast-food chains spread across the US after World War II, new roadside restaurant brands needed to stand out. So restaurant chains turned to architecture as a key tool to promote their brand and help create their corporate identity. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBut the fast-food architecture of today has lost its quirky charm and distinctive features. Googie style fell out of fashion in the 1970s as fast-food style favored dark colors, brick and mansard roofs. But in the effort to modernize, some say fast-food design has became homogenized and lost its creative purpose.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. the person said, adding that the calls would connect but Chinese officials wouldn't pick up. Based on a long-standing practice, faxes continue to be exchanged between two semi-official organisations that handle routine affairs: Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. The council told Reuters that while Chinese officials do not reply directly, they have handled Taiwanese requests when needed or responded through public statements. China this year labeled Tsai's administration "evil" while Taiwan called China "incredibly absurd".

☆ Cortez Masto defeats Laxalt in Nevada, handing Democrats control of the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Despite predictions from her opponent that she'd struggle with Latinos, 62 percent said they voted for Cortez Masto and 33 percent backed Laxalt, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. Laxalt tied Cortez Masto to President Joe Biden’s economic policies, blaming them both for rising inflation and gas prices. Laxalt also sought to tie Cortez Masto to rising crime and what Republicans have said are Biden’s failed border policies — themes that pervaded many Republican campaigns. Cortez Masto, however, sought to woo Republican voters in places like Washoe County, touting her work with people like Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Laxalt handily won the state’s 15 rural counties, in some counties winning 80 percent of the vote, while Cortez Masto steadily led the reliably blue Clark County, home of Las Vegas.

Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person on Monday for the first time since taking office, with U.S. concerns over Taiwan, Russia's war in Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear ambitions on top of his agenda. Biden and Xi, who have held five phone or video calls since Biden became president in January 2021, last met in person during the Obama administration. Xi's government has also criticized the Biden administration's posture toward Taiwan as undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Biden will also discuss Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and plans to be "unapologetic" in his defence of Ukraine, U.S. officials said last week. Biden will also warn Xi that North Korea's continued pursuit of weapons development will lead to an enhanced U.S. military presence in the region, the White House said.

☆ Gregg Costa, a judge who quit the conservative Fifth Circuit appeals court, is joining the law firm Gibson Dunn
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-03 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former federal judge Gregg Costa is about to join Gibson Dunn in a senior role, Insider has learned. Gregg Costa, a prosecutor-turned-federal judge who announced that he would return to private practice earlier this year, is joining Gibson Dunn, a person familiar with the matter told Insider. Costa clerked for the conservative Supreme Court justice William Rehnquist and was appointed by President Barack Obama, first as a district court judge in Galveston, Texas and later as an appeals judge. Before becoming a judge, Costa was an associate attorney at the law firm Weil Gotshal & Manges and a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of Texas. Federal courts in Texas and the Fifth Circuit have been top legal battlegrounds for President Joe Biden.

☆ Famed litigator Randy Mastro is joining King & Spalding after more than 20 years of representing big clients for Gibson Dunn, from Chris Christie to James Dolan
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Randy Mastro, a fixture at Gibson Dunn since 1998, is leaving the firm, four people told Insider. Star attorney Randy Mastro is leaving Gibson Dunn & Crutcher after more than 20 years, four people told Insider. Mastro has spent more than two decades at Gibson Dunn, which he first joined in 1989. By 2014, Chevron had run up a $32 million tab with Gibson Dunn, a bill it tried to make Donziger pay, according to Reuters. Do you know Randy Mastro or more about why he left Gibson Dunn?

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