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☆ 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.

☆ M&Ms Super Bowl commercial: How ads have become weeks-long campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Super Bowl commercial, billed as the conclusion to weeks-long drama surrounding the status of the “spokescandies,” left some viewers scratching their heads. But if you weren’t paying attention, the final commercial might be a head scratcher -— one risk a brand takes when it uses a weeks-long campaign ahead of its Super Bowl commercial. In a change for the decades-old Super Bowl ad wars, it’s actually become a commonplace strategy to use social media to tease, preview and create buzz ahead of their Super Bowl commercials. Companies spend millions just for a Super Bowl ad slot — reportedly over $7 million for some 30-second spots — before investing into the commercials themselves. Dance contests and bettingDespite the high cost of a Super Bowl commercial, companies are eager to nab a spot.

☆ Super Bowl ads lean on stars, humor to grab attention
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Musician Ozzy Osbourne takes part in a Super Bowl ad for Workday, in this undated handout photo provided by Workday. Big-name celebrities are not uncommon in Super Bowl ads. A 30-second Super Bowl spot this year sold for a little over $7 million, according to a person familiar with the ad sales. “Advertisers want people talking about their brand, and not just during the 30 to 60 seconds of (Super Bowl) air time,” Rucker said. Some stars will poke fun at themselves or their careers in Super Bowl ads.

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.

☆ Twitter sued over $1.9 million invoice that advisory firm Innisfree M&A claims went unpaid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Innisfree M&A claims it was hired to facilitate communications between Twitter and shareholders last year. After Musk's acquisition was finalized, Innisfree sent Twitter an invoice for $1.9 million, which was "processed" a month later. The suit claims Twitter has not responded to Innisfree's invoice and letters since December. The lawsuit is the latest in a string of recent legal and regulatory challenges filed against Twitter, including accusations of unpaid rent, and another unpaid bill from a private jet company, among others. Another San Francisco landlord sued over about $130,000 in unpaid rent in early January, and a real estate company belonging to King Charles III also sued Twitter over unpaid rent at a London office.

☆ 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.

☆ US scrambles F-22s following reports of unidentified flying object over Montana believed to be a Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon first spotted over Montana, per NBC News. The balloon has been hovering over the US "for the past few days," NBC reported Thursday. Video published by an NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana, shows a bright, unidentified object in the sky, which prompted flights to be diverted from the local airport on Wednesday. "It is not the first time that you've had a balloon of this nature cross over the continental United States," the official said. After the balloon was spotted, the US military responded by scrambling F-22 Raptors and other aircraft near Billings, prompting the civilian airport to be shuttered for some time.

☆ When a journalist's home was raided by the FBI, Glenn Beck and Tucker Carlson erroneously speculated about the government's motive. The journalist has now been charged with transporting child porn.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, and others initially treated the case as a part of a Biden war on journalism. An October report in Rolling Stone said that an indictment was being prepared but could not say why, noting only that "classified information" had been found on one of his laptops. Instead of updating his audience on the case, Beck released a video Thursday on how to prepare for a "HUGE cyber attack." Carlson did not address the development in Meek's case on his Wednesday broadcast. That report came after the department issued new guidance generally prohibiting investigators from targeting reporters over classified information gathered as part of their job.

☆ Trump probably won't win his $50 million lawsuit against Bob Woodward with experts saying the suit 'turns the First Amendment on its head'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Former President Trump claims he owns the audio rights to interviews conducted by Bob Woodward. But legal experts say it's unlikely a court will agree with Trump, who claims he's owed $50 million. "The case centers on Mr. Woodward's systematic usurpation, manipulation, and exploitation of audio of [former] President Trump," states the complaint, filed with a federal court in Florida. The audiobook didn't go on sale for another two years — after, Woodward says, he decided its release served the public interest. "Filing a lawsuit over publishing those interviews turns the First Amendment on its head."

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I want to own Sherwin-Williams
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Loading chart...Upstart Holdings Inc : "Right now, this is a coiled spring, even though it's not doing well. I've got to tell you, that stock is going higher." Loading chart...Charles River Laboratories International Inc : "This stock is undervalued. Loading chart...SoFi Technologies Inc : "It was a good quarter, and it's going higher." Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Wells Fargo.

☆ Kanye West paid white nationalist Nick Fuentes nearly $15,000 out of his 2020 campaign funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kanye West paid nearly $15,000 to white nationalist Nick Fuentes, per campaign finance records. Fuentes traveled with West to meet with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. A new filing from the occasional rapper's presidential campaign shows those relationships have not come cheap. West's campaign also made payments to another far-right provocateur, Milo Yiannopoulous. According to campaign records, Yiannopoulous pocketed nearly $50,000 from the West campaign: $9,955 for a "Domain Transfer," dated the same day as the meeting with Trump, and $40,000 in mid-December for "Campaign Wrap Up Services."

☆ Pelosi attack suspect says he was motivated by politics, telling police that Democrats had been 'persecuting' Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The man charged with attacking Paul Pelosi told police that he was motivated by hatred of Democrats. David DePape echoed former President Donald Trump, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen. In the days following the arrest of David DePape, some allies of the former president suggested the attack was not politically motivated, insinuating it was a domestic spat. "When Trump came into office, what they did went so far beyond spying on a rival campaign," DePape said. "Not only were they spying on a rival campaign, they were submitting fake evidence to spy on a rival campaign, covering it up, persecuting a rival campaign.

☆ Prosecutor appointed by Trump Justice Department used claims from Russian intelligence to obtain emails from a George Soros aide: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

John Durham used Russian intelligence claims to obtain a US citizen's emails, per The New York Times. Durham was appointed by former Attorney General Bill Barr to examine the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. But Durham pursued a dubious claim from Russia involving Hillary Clinton and an aide to George Soros. They "were said to make demonstrably inconsistent, inaccurate or exaggerated claims," the Times reported, "and some US analysts believed Russia may have deliberately seeded them with disinformation." As Russian intelligence analysts themselves had told it, Moscow had hacked Leonard Benardo, executive vice president of Soros' Open Society Foundations, and in doing so uncovered a plot at the highest level to sway the 2016 election.

☆ California authorities want to disbar John Eastman for trying to help Trump overturn the 2020 election results
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

California legal authorities want to disbar John Eastman for trying to keep Donald Trump in power. Following Trump's loss in the 2020 election, Eastman, a former professor at the Chapman University School of Law, drafted legal memos that purported to offer avenues to keep him in office. The former law professor is one of many lawyers allied with Trump who has faced professional consequences for pursuing false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Giuliani has also been sued by election technology companies he implicated in false conspiracy theories about the election results, and has lost his ability to practice law in New York. Jeffrey Clark, a former Trump Administration Justice Department official who tried to overturn the election results, is also facing charges from the DC bar.

☆ Ukraine is burning through artillery shells. Now the US is increasing production by 500%.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US is aiming to increase production of a key artillery shell used by Ukraine. The hope is to manufacture 90,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition by 2025. Under the latest proposal, the US aims to within two years produce up to 90,000 rounds 155mm of ammunition every month, The Times reported, citing a US Army report. As of January 18, the US had already committed to providing Ukraine with at least 160 M777 Howitzers and just under 1.1 million of the 155mm artillery rounds they use. Currently, the US produces just over 14,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition every month.

☆ The Proud Boys' initiation manual has a detailed 'No Wanks' policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Proud Boys "initiation ceremony manual" details the far-right group's policy on masturbation. "A Proud Boy may not ejaculate alone more often than once every thirty days," states the group's "initiation ceremony manual," the document reads. An excerpt from a Proud Boys defense motion filed January 23, 2023 in US District Court in Washington, DC. InsiderThe Anti-Defamation League considers the Proud Boys a violent, right-wing extremist group whose members commonly engage in misogynistic, Islamaphobic, transphobic, and anti-immigration rhetoric. As detailed by journalist Andy Campbell in his book, "We Are Proud Boys," members of the group are expected to adhere to the policy if they wish to advance to the second of its four tiers of membership.

☆ A consulting firm is suing Twitter, saying it is owed over $2 million for work it did trying to force through Elon Musk's acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The firm claims it is owed over $2 million for work it did related to forcing through Elon Musk's acquisition. Charles River Associates brought the suit against Twitter in a Massachusetts state court on Thursday, which was first reported by Bloomberg. The companies entered into an agreement in August 2022, and CRA began preliminary work on the materials, court documents say. In the lawsuit, CRA says it sent four invoices to Twitter between September and November 2022 for work totalling $2.19 million, but the social-media company stopped replying to its emails. The companies' contract says the invoices gain 1.5% interest each month, and Twitter hasn't objected to any of the invoices, per the lawsuit.

☆ Final Trades: Abbvie, Goldman Sachs, Charles River & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFinal Trades: Abbvie, Goldman Sachs, Charles River & moreThe "Halftime Report" traders give their top picks to watch for the second half.

☆ A Supreme Court marshal found no 'credible leads' that justices or their spouses leaked the draft Dobbs decision — but also didn't ask them to swear on it either
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court marshal said Friday that she interviewed the justices after the draft Dobbs leak. A month later, the Supreme Court issued its final 6-3 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, prompting several states to impose strict restrictions on the termination of a pregnancy. In the statement issued Friday, Supreme Court Marshal Gail A. Curley said she had spoken to all the justices during the course of her investigation, some more than once. According to the report issued Thursday, investigators spoke to 97 court personnel, all of whom were required to swear to the truth of what they were saying. Some, the report noted, had indeed "admitted to telling their spouses about the draft opinion or vote county, so they annotated their affidavits to that effect."

☆ Elizabeth Holmes booked a 1-way ticket to Mexico for a friend's wedding while out on bail, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes bought a one-way ticket to Mexico last year, per prosecutors. In response, Holmes' attorney, Lance Wade, said the trip was planned prior to Holmes' conviction on January 3, 2022. "The hope was that the verdict would be different and Ms. Holmes would be able to make this trip to attend the wedding of close friends in Mexico," he wrote. The Theranos founder has sought to stay out of custody as her appeal is pending. "There are not two systems of justice — one for the wealthy and one for the poor — there is one criminal justice system in this country," government lawyers wrote in the document.

☆ An Alabama 'election denier' is leading efforts in the state to withdraw from a national organization that combats voter fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Alabama's top elections official is withdrawing the state from a nonprofit known as ERIC. Founded in 2012, ERIC began as a collaboration by election officials in seven states, four of them Republican. A powerful outlierOfficials, including Republicans, have credited the organization with helping clean up their voter lists and prevent fraudulent votes. A former state legislator, Allen was dubbed an "election denier" by the States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan group that promotes election integrity, over his support for overturning the results of the 2020 election. With or without Alabama, he said, ERIC will continue to focus on "improving the accuracy of America's voter rolls and increasing access to voter registration for all eligible citizens."

☆ Texas spent nearly $9 million busing migrants over the holidays, according to records obtained by Insider
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Texas spent just under $9 million busing migrants across the country over the holidays. In total, Texas has now spent roughly $29 million on the program since April 2022. According to public records obtained by Insider, Abbott's migrant bus program cost the Texas Division of Emergency Management $8.97 million over the November and December holidays. Many of those on these Texas buses are people seeking asylum — a legal right — fleeing poverty and political persecution in countries such as Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela. In November, Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, argued that the millions spent busing migrants would have been better spent elsewhere, according to WFAA.

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