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☆ Sorry everyone, but Clarence Thomas can take undisclosed money from whomever he wants and there is little to be done about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But Supreme Court experts told Insider there is no chance the conservative justice will be removed. The Supreme Court has little regulatory oversight and few routes for disciplining its judges. Judiciary ethics experts told Insider the bombshell ProPublica report left them "shocked" and "disturbed." Federal law requires government employees, including Supreme Court justices, to report most real estate transactions worth more than a thousand dollars. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas attends the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett to be the U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice on the South Lawn of the White House October 26, 2020.

CNN —Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday extended a hold on a lower court ruling that would have imposed restrictions on access to an abortion drug, a temporary move meant to give the justices more time to consider the issue. The case is the most important abortion-related dispute to reach the high court since the justices overturned Roe v. Wade last term. Alito issued a so-called administrative stay on the ruling while the high court considers an emergency appeal filed by the Biden administration and a manufacturer of the drug, mifepristone. Alito issued the order because he has jurisdiction over the federal appeals court involved in the case. Prelogar, the solicitor general, argued in her filing to the Supreme Court that the FDA’s expert judgment should not be challenged.

☆ Appeals court partially blocks ruling that imperils access to key abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | Laura Jarrett | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A federal appeals court late on Wednesday blocked part of a ruling issued last week by a Trump-appointed judge that endangers access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The Justice Department can still ask the Supreme Court to intervene in an attempt to completely block Kacsmaryk's ruling. The Justice Department has filed a motion in the federal district court in Washington state, asking for clarification on Friday's ruling. Kacsmaryk's ruling, if allowed to stand, would not mean that access to mifepristone would immediately be cut off nationwide. The agency has broad power to do so, with the Supreme Court in a 1985 ruling saying that such decisions generally cannot be challenged in court.

☆ 5 things the Supreme Court will take into account in medication abortion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —As the Supreme Court prepares for yet another controversial abortion case to come its way, the justices will pore over District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling last week to block the government’s approval of the key medication abortion drug at issue. “There are serious questions on whether the Supreme Court is willing to endorse the district’s court’s very broad approach to those questions,” he said. As he often does, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately last June to explain his thinking in voting to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court might also take issue with the relief that Kacsmaryk ordered. None other than the liberals on the Supreme Court who dissented in Dobbs.

But even if those legal efforts fail and last Friday's order by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas goes into effect, essentially rendering the drug unapproved, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could nonetheless continue to allow access to the drug, legal experts say. The FDA, which has said it stands behind it determination that mifepristone is safe and effective, declined to comment. CONTRADICTORY RULINGSThe FDA approved mifepristone, which is the first of a two-drug regimen to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks, in 2000. Kacsmaryk put his ruling on hold until Friday to give the Biden administration, which supports access to abortion, time to pursue its appeal. 1985 PRECEDENTBut, even if the abortion pill's approval remains suspended, the FDA has precedent on its side to do nothing, legal experts said.

☆ NATO's newest member means Russia's 'unsinkable aircraft carrier' will be even more isolated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Finland also extends NATO's border along the Baltic Sea, which has been called a "NATO lake." That further isolates Russia's Kaliningrad region, which is surrounded by NATO member countries. Kaliningrad is a major military outpost, hosting Russia's Baltic Fleet and other forces, and has been called an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" that allows Moscow to project power deep into NATO and EU territory. However, some Baltic Fleet units were redeployed to Ukraine where they have reportedly suffered very high casualties. Russia's Baltic Fleet is based in Baltiysk and is composed of warships — mostly corvettes and a number of support ships — infantry and armored units, and aviation and air-defense forces.

Dominion asserts that Fox's top brass approved of the coverage, but the network says the evidence of high-level involvement is threadbare. The jury pool will be drawn from New Castle County, Delaware, where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than two-to-one, according to the state's Department of Elections. The network says scattered doubts about the claims among certain individuals cannot be attributed to the organization as a whole. "I think (Fox is) trying to argue that the employees themselves did not have that necessary mental state," said UNC's Papandrea. "But it's tricky when the organization itself has relevant information that would cast doubt on the veracity of the statements about Dominion."

☆ Inside Nike: Sources share claims of sexism, cheating, abuse at the world's wokest brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Joshua Hunt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +51 min

The conservative blowback came as no surprise to Parker, who told Nike's board of directors to expect some short-term backlash. In late 2014, the BBC sent a film crew to Portland to interview several former Oregon Project employees. "He would be at the side of the track calling out runners' splits but wouldn't call Kara's out," Adam Goucher told me. When people asked why she left the Oregon Project, she said it was a "personal decision." "I don't think it has anything to do with who the CEO is," Goucher told me.

On Friday, Trump, who was not charged in his company's case, lashed out at Merchan on his Truth Social platform. "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," wrote Trump, who has launched a campaign to regain the presidency in 2024. Merchan has been a Manhattan criminal court judge since 2009 after prior stints on the state's Court of Claims, which hears cases against the state and its agencies, and family court in the Bronx. Merchan presided over the 2012 case of the so-called "Soccer Mom Madam" Anna Gristina, which garnered lurid headlines in the New York media. Gristina sued Merchan in 2021 to unseal records in her case as part of an effort to vacate her record.

☆ You can run for president from prison. Here's what happened when 2 candidates campaigned from behind bars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two previous candidates, Eugene V. Debs in 1920, and Lyndon LaRouche in 1992, both ran from prison. If Trump is convicted, it's possible he could run for president from behind bars. Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran from behind bars over 100 years agoThe socialist party 1904 Eugene V. Debs and Ben Hanford. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn 1920, Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for the Oval Office from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, where he was known as "prisoner 9653," according to Smithsonian Magazine. Alex Brandon/File/APWhile Debs and LaRouche were both unsuccessful in their campaigns, they both were still able to run for president while behind bars.

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - The secretive world of Federal Reserve bank supervision has been laid bare by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and critics say it needs an overhaul to make it more nimble, transparent and decisive. Typically, bank supervisors do most of their work behind closed doors. Bank supervision is typically conducted behind closed-doors because of concerns that publicizing bank missteps could spur bank runs and undermine confidence in the overall system. SVB's rapid growth also was a factor for Fed supervisors. Barr said part of his review would look at whether Fed supervision was appropriate for the bank's "rapid growth and vulnerabilities."

☆ Fact Check-March 2023 posts saying Manhattan DA has resigned and dropped Trump investigation stem from edited video
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s probe into whether Donald Trump falsified business records is ongoing and there’s no evidence that Bragg has resigned from his position. One Facebook user said: “Manhattan D.A., Alvin Bragg has now stated that all charges (what charges?) against President Trump have been dropped, and that Bragg is now resigning as D.A. There is no evidence Bragg has resigned, and his office has not indicted Trump on any charges. The claim appears to stem from a digitally altered video of Bragg.

☆ How protected is your money in accounts outside of banks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Spoiler alert: You likely have at least some protection in all but your crypto accounts. There are several types of deposit accounts you may have at one bank (e.g., individual savings account, joint checking, business account, etc.) NCUA, which is backed by the full faith and credit of the US government, covers accounts up to $250,000, in much the same way the FDIC covers bank accounts. Crypto accountsIf you invest in crypto assets you have no federally guaranteed protections should the company acting as custodian of your assets go under. Even if you’re holding your crypto assets at a firm that is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and it is a member of SIPC, your crypto assets will not receive SIPC protection.

☆ Why Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is suing social media companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The lawsuit, which was filed in California federal court, said “the need is great” to continue to fund mental health outpatient programs, mobile crisis units, family-based mental health services, and in-school mental health programming and training to address the mental health of young people. Bucks County is joining a small but growing number of of school districts and families who have filed lawsuits against social media companies for their alleged impact on teen mental health. Some families have also filed wrongful death lawsuits against tech platforms, alleging their children’s social media addiction contributed to their suicides. Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, believes it will be “difficult” for counties and school districts to win lawsuits against social media companies. “There will be the issues of showing that the social media content was the cause of the harm that befell the children,” he said.

☆ China may prefer TikTok to be banned than fall into US hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

TikTok’s algorithms, which keep users glued to the app, are believed to be key to its success. The intended sale of TikTok in 2020 to Oracle and Walmart hit a snag after Beijing added algorithms to its export control list. Under the plans, known as Project Texas, the US government and third-party companies such as Oracle would also have some degree of oversight of TikTok’s data practices. But that hasn’t reassured US officials, likely because no matter what TikTok does internally, China would still theoretically have leverage over TikTok’s Chinese owners. But, he believes Beijing would ultimately prefer for TikTok leave the US market rather than surrender its algorithm.

☆ Joe Tacopina risks being disqualified as Trump's defense lawyer because Stormy Daniels considered hiring him 5 years ago, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Depending on what Daniels told Tacopina, he could be disqualified in the case, experts say. Tacopina didn't end up taking on Daniels as a client. And the communications from Daniels didn't create a conflict of representation, according to Tacopina. Even if Tacopina didn't take on Daniels as a client, lawyers still have obligations to prospective clients, legal experts say. That appears to be the position of Daniels' attorney.

☆ Deel Speed: The inside story of a $12 billion HR startup's breakneck growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

Insider spoke with more than 30 current or former Deel workers about the HR company's extraordinary rise, and the unconventional tactics that made it possible. "I think if you talk to anyone, they would say that Alex is the face but all decisions run through Phillipe," one former Deel worker told Insider. "They lose every employment and labor protection," Valerio De Stefano, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, said of independent contractors. Alex Bouaziz, Deel on Centre Stage during day two of Collision 2022 at Enercare Centre in Toronto, Canada. The company didn't have an internal human-resources team until sometime in 2021, by which point it had grown to hundreds of people.

☆ Trump wants to block Georgia prosecutors from using evidence in monthslong special grand jury investigation into his election interference
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They argued the special grand jury investigating him was unconstitutional and unfair. Between May of 2022 and January of this year, a special purpose grand jury heard evidence from dozens of witnesses, including Raffensperger, Georgia Gov. The special purpose grand jury doesn't have the power to bring indictments, but it completed its work with a secret report in January, which makes recommendations for criminal charges. Willis must now decide whether to refer the findings and evidence it collected to an ordinary grand jury, which can bring criminal charges. In the new filing, Trump's attorneys argue the Georgia statute to authorize the special purpose grand jury have been rarely invoked, and raise unsettled constitutional questions.

☆ San Francisco officials weigh giving Black residents $1 homes and $97,000 a year of as part of a massive reparations plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

San Francisco policymakers are considering reparations for many of its Black residents. Proposals include giving qualifying residents $5 million, $97,000 a year for 250 years, or $1 homes. Supervisors unanimously supported the presentation from the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee, but its proposals remain far from reality. If enacted, though, San Francisco's reparations plan stands to become one of the most substantial packages ever approved in the United States. "This conversation we're having in San Francisco is completely unserious," John Dennis, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party, told the AP.

It would help organize a $2.25 billion stock sale for SVB to fill the funding gap caused by the bond portfolio sale, two of the sources said. It is unclear whether Goldman has held onto all or part of the bond portfolio or sold it. In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, SVB said its bond portfolio sales to Goldman were done at "negotiated prices". Goldman was not paid the underwriting fee it had agreed for the stock sale because that deal fell through, two of the sources said. UNDISCLOSED ROLESVB did not disclose in its stock sale prospectus to investors that Goldman was the acquirer of the bond portfolio it sold at a loss.

☆ Atlanta DA Fani Willis loves using a law designed for going after the mob. She may use it to charge Trump.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The law — designed for going after the mob — makes sense for her investigation into Donald Trump, experts say. In her time in the district attorney's office, Willis has aggressively used Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization statute. One sprawling 56-count RICO case, against the rapper Young Thug's alleged gang, is in its second month of jury selection ahead of what's expected to be a nine-month trial. But if she were to bring a case, experts believe RICO charges are likely. Rahmani cautioned that a RICO case may make Willis look too aggressive.

☆ Citing 'death threats,' Texas judge asked attorneys to keep news of hearing on legality of abortion pill quiet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine wants Judge Kacsmaryk to nullify the FDA's medical approval of mifepristone, which would effectively ban the abortion pill across the US. But Kacsmaryk asked the attorneys to not to publicize the hearing, citing security concerns. Those present at the Friday conference call included lawyers from the Justice Department, the abortion pill maker Danco Laboratories, and a group that opposes abortion called the Alliance Defending Freedom. A group of physicians who oppose abortion called the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine asked Kacsmaryk in November to order the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The abortion pill has become the central flashpoint in the legal battle over access to abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade last June.

The voting technology company made the eye-popping damages claim as part of its 2021 lawsuit, which alleges Fox destroyed its reputation by airing falsehoods. A Dominion spokesperson said in a statement that the evidence will show Dominion was a "valuable, rapidly growing business" when Fox began "endorsing baseless lies" about its machines. "Following Fox’s defamatory statements, Dominion’s business suffered enormously, and its claim for compensatory damages is based on industry-standard valuation metrics and conservative methodologies," the statement read. Four different pre-election valuations of Dominion in 2020 averaged $226 million, Fox said, citing exhibits that have not been made public. If the jury concluded that Fox defamed Dominion but decided Dominion's business losses were minimal, it could still hit the company with significant punitive damages.

☆ Rupert Murdoch testified that Fox News hosts lied about the 2020 election. Here's why it wasn't a misstep.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Rupert Murdoch admitted Fox News hosts endorsed falsehoods about the 2020 election. Murdoch chairs Fox Corporation, which argues it isn't responsible for claims made on subsidiary Fox News. Here was the chair of Fox Corporation, a 91-year-old mogul atop a conservative media empire, admitting to lies that damaged democracy. When asked by Dominion's lawyers in a January deposition whether he thought Fox hosts were truthful about the election, Murdoch was candid. Fox Corporation also manages subsidiaries like Fox Sports, a large number of local TV stations, TMZ, Tubi, and a blockchain company.

☆ Facebook and Google are handing over user data to help police prosecute abortion seekers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Police make requests for social media user data to aid prosecution after a crime has been committed. ProPublica found similar web trackers that capture user data on the sites of at least nine online pharmacies that offer abortion pills by mail, including Abortion Ease, BestAbortionPill.com, PrivacyPillRX, PillsOnlineRX, Secure Abortion Pills, AbortionRx, Generic Abortion Pills, Abortion Privacy, and Online Abortion Pill Rx. Private content by users — such as location data or messages — requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant before it can be turned over. She said because the platforms themselves are unlikely to prioritize user privacy, the burden to do so falls on the individual user. "All the angst directed social media services for being a pawn in law enforcement's game seems misdirected to me.

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