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☆ As cartels take a stake in ‘green gold,’ US and Mexico rethink how avocados reach American kitchens
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When two US avocado inspectors were assaulted and detained at a police roadblock in the Mexican state of Michoacán last month, it sparked a costly international crisis. ‘Green gold’Avocados, the creamy fruit with the industry nickname “green gold,” are big business. Nearly three-quarters of Mexican avocados come from Michoacán, a state along the country’s Pacific coast with a volcanic belt running through it that makes its soil ideal for farming. The office of the Michoacán state prosecutor told CNN last month that they’ve opened an investigation into the incident. In 2022, exports of Mexican avocados were similarly halted for several days after one of the US inspectors working in Michoacán received a threatening phone call.

Persons: Weeks, “, Ario de, Cristopher Rogel, ” Romain Le Cour, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, Mexico Ken Salazar, they’ve, ”, Le Cour, Michoacán, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Victor Villalobos, Ken Melban, Brian, Melban, Brad Adams, ” Adams Organizations: CNN, US, US Department of Agriculture, Global, Transnational, Local, USDA, Plant Health, Service, Agriculture, ”, US State Department, AP, Climate Rights, US Forest Service Locations: Mexican, Michoacán, Mexico, Ario, Ario de Rosales, avocados, California, Michoacan

Here’s what led to the dismissal in the Baldwin case. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer presides over actor Alec Baldwin's trial on involuntary manslaughter in First Judicial District Court on July 12, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The items, however, were cataloged separately from Baldwin’s case, excluded from the “Rust” case inventory and not tested to see if they matched the lethal round, according to Poppell’s testimony. Attorney Luke Nikas embraces actor Alec Baldwin during his trial on involuntary manslaughter at Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 12, 2024. Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice.”Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, said he will move to dismiss her case following Baldwin’s case dismissal.

Persons: Alec, ”, Mary Marlowe Sommer, Baldwin, Hilaria, Halyna Hutchins, “, Hutchins, “ Rust, Joel Souza, Seth Kenney, – Erlinda Johnson –, Marlowe Sommer, Kari Morrissey, Alex Spiro, ” Morrissey, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, Alec Baldwin's, Ramsay de, Baldwin’s, Brady, Marissa Poppell, Troy Teske, Gutierrez, Teske, ” Marlowe Sommer, Luke Nikas, Alec Baldwin, ” Gutierrez, Jason Bowles, ” Bowles, CNN’s Julia Vargas Jones Organizations: CNN, Images Defense, Cornell Law School, Office, Court, Getty, State Locations: New Mexico, Mexico, Judicial, Santa Fe , New Mexico, . Maryland, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County

☆ A Senator’s Fate Is in a Jury’s Hands
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Benjamin Weiser | Tracey Tully | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Manhattan jury in Senator Robert Menendez’s corruption trial began its deliberations midday Friday on a raft of federal charges in what prosecutors describe as a complex and yearslong bribery conspiracy. A third-term Democrat who represents New Jersey, Mr. Menendez is accused of steering aid to Egypt, applying political pressure to preserve a friend’s business monopoly and meddling in criminal investigations in exchange for bribes of gold, cash and a Mercedes-Benz. On Thursday, Mr. Menendez, 70, seated at the defense table with his lawyers, leaned back in a chair, hands clasped on his lap, as a prosecutor offered an hourslong rebuttal to frequently impassioned closing arguments by lawyers for the senator and two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who are being tried with him. In his rebuttal argument, the prosecutor, Daniel C. Richenthal, took direct aim at a pillar of the senator’s defense strategy — an effort to shift blame to his wife, Nadine Menendez, 57.

Persons: Robert Menendez’s, Menendez, clasped, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Daniel C, Nadine Menendez Organizations: Benz Locations: Manhattan, New Jersey, Egypt

☆ Rudy Giuliani scores rare legal win as judge dismisses bankruptcy case — but a countdown timer is ticking
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThe judge overseeing Rudy Giuliani's bankruptcy granted him a rare legal win. But there's a catch: Giuliani isn't allowed to file for bankruptcy again over the next 12 months. AdvertisementOver the past few months, Giuliani has filed inconsistent financial statements and appeared to squirrel away streams of income, his creditors have complained. AdvertisementThe draft order provided by Giuliani's legal team included a line that would forbid the 80-year-old from filing for bankruptcy again for one year. But the legal team representing the so-called "unsecured creditors" — including Dominion Voting Systems and Dunphy — objected to dismissing the bankruptcy case.

Persons: —, Rudy Giuliani's, Giuliani, Noelle Dunphy, Ruby Freeman, Wandrea Moss, Sean H, Lane, we've, — Giuliani, Freeman, Moss, Eric J, Snyder, Wilk Auslander, Dunphy, Dunphy —, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, Chip Somodevilla, Dunphy's, Justin Kelton Organizations: Service, New, New York City, Business, of, Wilk, Dominion Voting Systems Locations: New York, Washington, DC, Georgia, Manhattan, Florida, of New York, Washington ,, Arizona

☆ Rudy Giuliani bankruptcy case dismissed, opening door to creditors pursuing collection
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rudy Giuliani speaks to members of the media where Florida Gov. A New York federal bankruptcy judge on Friday in a scathing ruling dismissed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection case of Rudy Giuliani, immediately exposing the newly disbarred former Trump lawyer to his creditors seeking repayments of his massive debts in other court venues. Those creditors include two Georgia election workers, to whom Giuliani owes $148 million in civil damages for defamation from a federal district court jury award in December. Freeman and Moss, unlike many other Giuliani creditors, supported the idea of dismissing the bankruptcy case in the Southern District of New York, which he filed days after losing the defamation judgment. In his ruling on Friday, Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane wrote that he "finds that dismissal of this bankruptcy case with a one year bar to refiling is in the best interests of creditors."

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Ron DeSantis, Giuliani, Ruby Freeman, Moss, Donald Trump, Freeman, New York, Joe Biden, Sean Lane, Lane, Giuliani's Organizations: Florida Gov, New, Trump, New York City, of, of Justice Locations: Florida, Manchester , New Hampshire, New York, Georgia, Southern, of New York, New, Arizona

☆ Alec Baldwin trial on hold as judge considers defense request to dismiss case over disputed ammo
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alec Baldwin 's involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico was put on hold Friday while the judge considers a defense motion to dismiss the case over disputed ammunition evidence. "We don't know if it's a live ammunition match or not," Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas told the judge. The prosecution has said that the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden. The issue came up Thursday on the second day of trial during defense questioning of sheriff's crime scene technician Marissa Poppell. "This is a wild goose chase that has no evidentiary value whatsoever," Morrissey told the judge Friday.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, Luke Nikas, it's, Marissa Poppell, Baldwin, Alex Spiro, Seth Kenney, Kari Morrissey, Troy Teske, Hannah Gutierrez, Reed, Hutchins, Morrissey Locations: Santa Fe , New Mexico, U.S, New Mexico

☆ Alec Baldwin trial: Judge pauses trial after defense alleges government misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Josh Campbell | Cheri Mossburg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

However, the technician testified the items were catalogued separately from Baldwin’s case and were not included in the “Rust” case inventory or tested to see if they matched the lethal round. Baldwin’s team argued prosecutors did not properly disclose this evidence to the defense and asked for the case to be dismissed. In response, prosecutor Kari Morrissey said investigators determined the ammunition was not a match to those found on the “Rust” set and had no evidentiary value to the case. The judge has ordered additional witnesses to testify before she renders a ruling on Baldwin’s motion to dismiss the case. At opening statements Wednesday, prosecutors alleged Baldwin was reckless with firearms on set and violated the “cardinal rules of firearm safety” with his actions.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, “, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Troy Teske, Marissa Poppell, Baldwin’s, Kari Morrissey, ” Morrissey, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, Seth Kenney, Detective Alexandria Hancock, Gutierrez Reed, Jason Bowles, Halyna Hutchins, ” Baldwin, Hutchins, Joel Souza, Baldwin, ”, Alec Baldwin's, –, Harlan Rust, Alex Spiro Organizations: CNN, Office Locations: Santa Fe, Mexico, “

☆ Thousands of Prisoners in U.K. to Be Freed Early to Ease Overcrowding
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In one of its first big decisions, Britain’s new Labour government on Friday announced the early release of thousands of prisoners, blaming the need to do so on a legacy of neglect and underinvestment under the Conservative Party, which lost last week’s general election after 14 years in power. With the system nearly at capacity and some of the country’s aged prison buildings crumbling, the plan aims to avoid an overcrowding crisis that some had feared might soon explode. But with crime a significant political issue, the decision is a sensitive one and the prime minister, Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor, lost no time in pointing to his predecessors to explain the need for early releases. “We knew it was going to be a problem, but the scale of the problem was worse than we thought, and the nature of the problem is pretty unforgivable in my book,” Mr. Starmer said, speaking ahead of the decision while attending a NATO summit in Washington.

Persons: Keir Starmer, “, ” Mr, Starmer Organizations: Labour, Friday, Conservative Party, NATO Locations: Washington

Timoteo Benavidez: The retired Sante Fe Police Department lieutenant was the day shift command on the day of the 2021 shooting on the “Rust” set. When he checked the gun, Benavidez testified there were no rounds in it. The retired Sante Fe Police Department lieutenant was the day shift command on the day of the 2021 shooting on the “Rust” set. When he checked the gun, Benavidez testified there were no rounds in it. The detective at Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department testified for the prosecution, giving details oh how the director of “Rust” was treated for his injury.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, —, Halyna Hutchins, ”, Baldwin, “, Erlinda Johnson, Johnson, Hutchins, that’s, ” Johnson, Hutchins “, Alex Spiro, Harland Rust ., ” Spiro, Spiro, Nicholas Lefleur, Timoteo, Benavidez, armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Joseph Lujan, “ Rust ”, Marissa Poppell Organizations: ”, Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department, Sante Fe Police Department Locations: Mexico, Santa Fe

☆ Wildlife forensics: how recreating animal crime scenes could help catch poachers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Across the world, wildlife crimes – including animal trafficking and poaching – are on the rise and are a major threat to the planet’s biodiversity. Often, he says, wildlife crimes happen in remote areas without witnesses and first responders can accidentally disrupt the scene and contaminate evidence. Once the crime scene has been investigated, the students are taught how to chemically analyze the evidence at an on-site laboratory. “We have so many poachers that have walked free in court because rangers didn’t collect enough evidence. In the first quarter of this year, IFAW reported 32 wildlife crime cases being presented in court and 24 people accused of wildlife crimes awaiting prosecution.

Persons: Greg Simpson, isn’t, “, ”, Jo Munnik, Phil Snijman, ” Mkhabela, IFAW, Kevin Pretorius, Simpson Organizations: CNN, Initiative, Wildlife Forensics Academy, WFA, CSI, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Kenya Wildlife Service, Green Law Foundation, High Locations: Cape Town , South Africa, Africa, South Africa, KwaZulu, Natal, iMfolozi, Greater Kruger, “, Malawi, Botswana

☆ The fate of a single investor who nearly tanked the market is now in the hands of a New York jury
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —In lower Manhattan, a jury is now weighing a case against a little-known investor who made it big, lost everything, and briefly brought Wall Street to its knees. His positions were so large that when the stocks started falling, it had a seismic effect on the market. And on Tuesday, after a two-month trial in New York federal court, the case was handed over to a jury that will decide their fate. Before Archegos, market watchers knew unregulated family offices were a problem, and they knew that swaps going unreported was a problem. “Fifteen years after the global financial crash, we still have gross under-regulation of non-banks, and we have Wall Street megabanks engaged in high-risk activities that aren’t properly regulated,” Kelleher told me.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Bill Hwang, Wall, Bill Hwang’s, Hwang, Patrick Halligan, Halligan, Josh Naftalis, ”, Naftalis, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Dennis Kelleher, Wang, there’s, megabanks, ” Kelleher, “ Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Warner Bros, Prosecutors, Bloomberg, Southern, of, Pallas Partners Locations: New York, Manhattan, of New York

☆ Sean 'Diddy' Combs hires top NYC defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo to fight possible federal sex-trafficking charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Marc Agnifilo addresses reporters in 2019 outside federal court in Brooklyn, where he represented NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere. Timothy A. Clary/Getty ImagesAgnifilo, a former state and federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said he and co-counsel Teny Geragos are in regular communication with federal prosecutors. Combs has not spoken with prosecutors, added Agnifilo, now at Agnifilo Intrater. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ImagesThe video corroborated allegations of violence in the R&B singer's lawsuit against Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment. Brafman repped Combs again in the leadup to the Ventura lawsuit.

Persons: —, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Marc Agnifilo, Pharma Bro, Martin Shkreli, Goldman Sachs, Roger Ng, Keith Raniere, Agnifilo, Cassie Ventura, There's, Timothy A, Clary, Teny Geragos, Ventura, Lionsgate's, Alberto E, Rodriguez, I'm, Roberta Intrater, Jennifer Lopez, repped, Benjamin Brafman, Uncle Benny, Brafman repped Combs, Brafman, Ben Organizations: Service, Pharma, Business, Southern, of, CNN, Bad Boy Entertainment, Adria, Times Square, Brafman, Associates, Ventura, US Locations: Manhattan, of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Brooklyn, New York, Florida, Ventura

☆ Biden buys time but every day tests his capacity to keep his campaign alive
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But the president’s abject debate performance and defiance in the aftermath have badly weakened his standing in a party already unenthusiastic about his campaign. Any slip ups or confusion would rip off the fragile patch Biden has fixed on the dam of Democratic Party support. Biden needs one of his classic comebacks more than everStill, it’s too early to count Biden out. “We concluded that Joe Biden is old; we found out, and the polling came back that he’s old,” Fetterman told CNN. Many of the CBC’s members are in solid blue districts and may be under less pressure than frontline Democrats who have criticized the president’s debate performance.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Biden’s, “, –, Biden, Trump, Karine Jean, Pierre, ”, America’s, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, it’s, CNN’s Dana Bash, — Michael Bennet of Colorado, Sherrod Brown of, Jon Tester, ” Bennet, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “ Donald Trump, ” Sen, Angus King, King, Pennsylvania Sen, John Fetterman, Joe Biden, ” Fetterman, Chuck Schumer, Joe, Jerrold Nadler, he’d, “ I’m, He’s, I’m, ” Nadler, Marc Veasey, ” Veasey, CNN’s Manu Raju, he’s, Mikie Sherrill, Pete Aguilar, Kamala Harris, stokes, ” Harris, Harris Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Republican, party’s, NATO, Biden, Democratic Party, Russia, Republican National Convention, Trump, Montana, Pennsylvania, New York Rep, New, Democrat, Congressional Black Caucus, House Democratic Caucus, Texas, “, Office, California Democrat Locations: Florida, Washington, Ukraine, Milwaukee, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Maine, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, California, Las Vegas, United States

☆ Exiled Chinese businessman stole millions from followers, US prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Guo Wengui (also known as Miles Kwok) holds a news conference with Steve Bannon in New York, New York, U.S., November 20, 2018. Finkel showed jurors videos of Guo wearing sunglasses and standing on the deck of a yacht pitching investments. "Was Miles Guo targeted by the CCP? Prosecutors say Guo used multiple aliases, including Miles Guo and Miles Kwok. Guo paid Bannon $1 million as part of a consulting contract designed to lend legitimacy to his anti Chinese Communist Party movement, Finkel said.

Persons: Guo Wengui, Miles Kwok, Steve Bannon, Carlo Allegri, Ryan Finkel, Guo, Finkel, Miles Guo, Donald Trump, Bannon, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Lamborghini, CCP, Chinese Communist Party, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: New York , New York, U.S, Manhattan, Connecticut, China, New York

☆ Live Updates: Opening Arguments in Alec Baldwin Trial Set to Begin in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The prosecutors gave Mr. Baldwin — who had been rehearsing with a gun when it discharged a live bullet, killing the cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins — about three weeks to decide. That decision led to an indictment and, now, a trial that could lead to a maximum punishment of 18 months in prison if Mr. Baldwin is convicted. The prosecutors decided to dismiss the original indictment against Mr. Baldwin while they had the gun examined. Ms. Morrissey learned that an NBC News reporter had the details of the “presumed confidential” plea offer, she wrote in court papers. “He has no title or credit in either documentary,” Mr. Nikas wrote, calling him a subject of the projects.

Persons: Kari T, Morrissey, Alec Baldwin, Baldwin —, Halyna Hutchins —, Baldwin, Luke Nikas, Mr, Dave Halls, “ Rust ”, Halls, Ms, Baldwin “, “, Hutchins’s, ”, ” Ms, Baldwin’s, Rory Kennedy, Nikas, Kennedy, Joel Souza, Rust, Souza, Hutchins, “ I’m, ’ Organizations: NBC Locations: New Mexico

☆ Alec Baldwin trial: Key people in the case
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It was so unnecessary,” Baldwin said of Hutchins’ death in a 2022 interview with CNN. Morrissey took over the case in 2023, dropped the charges against Baldwin and then later refiled them, citing “additional facts” in the case. She presided over the high-interest trial of Hannah Gutierrez Reed, during which she kept to a succinct schedule. Hannah Gutierrez Reed“Rust” movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed in March. “It felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to my shoulder, I remember that distinctly,” Souza testified in the Gutierrez Reed trial.

Persons: CNN —, Alec Baldwin, Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins Halyna Hutchins, Fred Hayes, Hollywood ”, Matthew, Alec Baldwin Alec Baldwin, Andrew Kelly, Reuters Baldwin, ” Baldwin, Luke Nikas Nikas, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart, Sullivan, Nikas, Kari Morrissey Kari Morrissey, Gabriela Campos, Morrissey, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, Mary Marlowe Sommer, Marlowe Sommer, Bill Richardson, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Hannah Gutierrez Reed “ Rust, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, “, ”, ” Joel Souza Joel Souza, Pool Souza, “ Rust, ” Souza, Gutierrez Reed, Souza, ‘, ” David, Dave Halls, “ Rust ” Organizations: CNN, BBC, UCLA, “, Hollywood, YouTube, Colt, ” Prosecutors, Sullivan LLP, Harvard Law School, Court, New, New Mexico Gov Locations: New Mexico, Ukraine, British, Europe, New York City, Los Angeles, New York, “

But he urged the jury to refocus of what he called a “clear pattern of corruption.”“The timeline tells you what happened,” he said. Afterward, Mr. Monteleoni said that the businessman, Wael Hana, and another wealthy associate began paying Ms. Menendez a generous salary. Mr. Monteleoni said that was not believable, and he presented text messages and Google search history that he said showed Mr. Menendez knew exactly what his wife was receiving. Mr. Monteleoni was expected to complete his closing argument on Tuesday morning. Mr. Menendez fumed as he left the courthouse on Monday.

Persons: Robert Menendez, ” Prosecutors, Nadine Menendez, Paul Monteleoni, ”, “, Menendez, Nadine, Mr, Monteleoni, Wael Hana, Menendez fumed Organizations: ”, Robert Menendez of New, Senate Foreign Relations, Department of Agriculture, Senate Foreign Locations: Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Manhattan, New Jersey

agents raided the New Jersey home of Senator Robert Menendez and his wife, they found envelope after envelope of cash, a federal prosecutor told a jury on Monday. Cash stuffed in bags, cash stuffed in the pockets of the senator’s jackets, cash stuffed in his boots. “It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” Mr. Monteleoni told jurors. “It wasn’t enough for him to be entrusted by the public with the power to approve billions of dollars of U.S. military aid to foreign countries.”“No, Robert Menendez wanted all that power,” he added. “But he also wanted to use it to pile up riches for himself and his wife.”

Persons: F.B.I, Robert Menendez, Cash, Menendez, Paul M, Monteleoni, ” Mr, ” Organizations: Senate Foreign Relations Locations: New Jersey, Washington

☆ Multibillion-Dollar Fraud Trial Against Archegos Founder Nears Its End
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During closing arguments, Andrew Thomas, the prosecutor, said that Mr. Hwang had defrauded the banks and other traders in the market by artificially inflating stock prices to pump up the size of Archegos. Barry Berke, a lawyer for Mr. Hwang, said the government was criminalizing his client’s high-risk trading only because it caused losses for the banks that had lent him billions of dollars. Hwang bet on companies he believed in,” Mr. Berke said. “That is not manipulative.”Mr. Hwang, 60, is charged with 11 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, racketeering and market manipulation. If convicted on all counts, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Persons: “, Bill Hwang, Andrew Thomas, Mr, Hwang, Barry Berke, ” Mr, Berke Organizations: Archegos Capital Management Locations: Manhattan

☆ The Arizona primary where the MAGA movement is devouring itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

"He is running a very bigoted race," Hamadeh told me of Masters, "and MAGA and the America First movement is bigger than that." An anti-Hamadeh yard sign, paid for by the Masters campaign, beside one of Hamadeh's own signs in the 8th district. "This guy, he lost against Mark Kelly because he's a weirdo," Hamadeh told me. "I think that warrants some investigative journalism," Hamadeh told me. "I can't vote for you," one woman, apparently not a prospective constituent, told Hamadeh as she shook hands with him after the event, "but I'll give you a donation."

Persons: Abe Hamadeh, Hamadeh, I've, He's, Donald Trump, Kari Lake, MAGA, Blake Masters, Peter Thiel protégé, who's, It's, Bryan Metzger, Ben Toma, Debbie Lesko, Sen, Anthony Kern, There's, Trent Franks, Israel, there's, Lesko, —, Abraham, Abe, Ron Paul, Prophet Muhammad, Jesus, fashioning, he's, Trent, They're, MAGA bromides, JD Vance, Ohio, Masters, Vance, Ted Kacynski, Blake, Mark Kelly, Kari, Brandon Bell, Trump, Clarence Thomas, Thiel, Hamadeh's, Arizona Republic —, Rebecca Noble, Toma Organizations: Service, Republican, GOP, Arizona, Capitol, Trump, Masters, Supreme, Daily, University of, Maricopa County Attorney's, US Army Reserve, Republican Party, Senate, Sun City, Justice, Republicans, Sun City West, Stanford University, FBI, Thiel Capital, Fox News, Arizona Republic, Sun, Arizona House Locations: Phoenix, Arab American, Arizona, America, Tucson, North Phoenix, Washington, There's, Maricopa County, Mecca, Chicago, Skokie, United States, Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Vatican, Thailand, Japan, Sun City, crazies, Scottsdale, it's

☆ Trump's hush-money sentencing will still happen in September despite his new immunity superpowers, New York legal experts predict
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It could help former President Donald Trump's hush-money conviction survive the US Supreme Court immunity opinion. Trump's lawyers are about to file what's known as a 330.30 motion to set aside the verdict. The Supreme Court presidential immunity opinion bars official-act evidence. US Supreme Court/BITrump's lawyers now say there were at least four times that the judge improperly let Manhattan prosecutors show official-act evidence to the jury. Trump's hush-money conviction appeal will take years and could even lead back to the US Supreme Court.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, SCOTUS, Juan Merchan, he'll, John Moscow, Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss, It's, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Cohen, Carlos Barria Trump, Diana Florence, Florence, Donald J, Hope Hicks, Andrew Harnik Trump, Joshua Steinglass, he's, Hicks, Said Florence, Charles Solomon, Solomon, Thomas Franczyk, Merchan, Trump's, Moscow, Justice Clarence, Thomas, Cannon, Aileen Cannon Organizations: Service, Business, New, Trump, Trump Organization, Attorney's, BI Trump, White House, White House Communications, AP, Prosecutors, Manhattan, BI Locations: York, Manhattan, New York, Moscow, Florence, Buffalo, Erie County, Florida

☆ Opinion: Kamala Harris is the only viable alternative for Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Opinion Bill Burton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —If President Joe Biden is not the Democratic nominee coming out of the August party convention, it will have to be Vice President Kamala Harris. African Americans make up about 14% of the American population, yet in 2020 nearly 20% of Biden voters were Black, according to Pew Research Center. You think the ignominy of Harris campaigning for someone else is going to bring Black voters into the fold? The vice president is in the best position to receive Biden’s campaign funds, since her name is already listed on the campaign account. Are we prepared for our unvetted, untested Democratic nominee to flame out in the most important election of our lifetimes?

Persons: Bill Burton, Bryson Gillette, Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris, Trump, isn’t Harris, —, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Sens, Cory Booker of, Raphael Warnock of, Wes Moore, SSRS, Harris —, Sen, John Edwards of, Ron DeSantis, Jeb Bush Organizations: Obama White House, CNN, Democratic, Biden, Pew Research, Trump, New York Times, Siena College, Black, Democratic Party, Maryland Gov, Florida Gov, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, John Edwards of North Carolina

☆ A scammer conned us out of our $32,430 down payment by email. We didn't realize it until 10 days later.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Somehow a hacker got into her email account, and then was able to get all of our transaction information. But we got a call from our real attorney, and they said, "Hey, your down payment is due today." I called the seller's attorney, and he explained that the email account was not his, and the bank account wasn't either. AdvertisementWe found out the only real email address in the thread was our real-estate agent's, but she wasn't the one communicating with us. She told us via text message that her email account must have been hacked — that it was her email address, but she didn't write it.

Persons: —, Daniel Pietschnig, Jessica Madalena, Daniel, Jessica, Jessica's, scammers, We'll, they'd, we've, we're, — we're Organizations: Service, Business, Social Security, FBI, Bitcoin Locations: Wood, , New Jersey, Jersey City, Newark, homebuyers

☆ Opinion | Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If Joe Biden steps aside for the Democratic presidential nomination — still a very big if — the favorite to replace him is Vice President Kamala Harris. In recently leaked post-debate polling from Open Labs, Harris polled better than Biden in matchups against Trump. But Harris hasn’t inhabited that political profile for years. And since becoming Biden’s vice president the conventional wisdom on her has shifted: She’s gone from rising star — many thought her “the next Obama” — to political underachiever. And are critics of Harris fair, or is she underrated now?

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Kamala Harris, Harris, Dana Goodyear, She’s, Obama ” —, “, Ezra Klein, I’ve Organizations: Democratic, Open Labs, Biden, Trump, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Locations: New

☆ The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By early this year, around the time a prosecutor called President Biden a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Vice President Kamala Harris already knew something had to change. She had been feeling sidelined in the early stages of the campaign, one adviser said, and she wanted a bigger role. She fled the Washington bubble and embarked on an ambitious travel schedule, making more than 60 trips this year alone. She tossed talking points to speak out more forcefully on abortion rights, the war in Gaza and race. She invoked her personal story more often, from her mother’s influence on her life to her inspiration for becoming a prosecutor.

Persons: Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, Roe, Wade Organizations: Biden Locations: Washington, Gaza

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