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☆ Sen. Bob Menendez Googled 'how much is one kilo of gold worth' around the time his wife accepted alleged bribes, indictment says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Bob Menendez Googled the price of "kilos of gold" during an alleged bribery scheme, an indictment claims. The senator's most recent financial disclosure showed that his wife continued to own gold bars. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe indictment claims that gold bars were part of the hundreds of thousands in bribes the couple accepted. Menendez previously amended his Senate financial disclosure reports to report that Nadine Menendez, his wife, had gold bars worth as much as $250,000 in 2020, The New York Times reported. His most recent financial disclosure shows his wife continued to have up to $250,000 in gold bars.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, Prosecutors, Menendez, MENENDEZ, Fred Daibes, Daibes, Nadine Menendez, Will Hana, Nadine Menendez's Organizations: Service, Democrat, Foreign Relations, Google, Prosecutors, New, New Jersey Democrat, The New York Times, Senators Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Jersey, Egypt, Jersey

☆ Gold bars, cash, and an air purifier: The 8 alleged bribes Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife took, ranked
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Taylor Berman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The group, prosecutors alleged in a 39-page indictment, participated in a bribery conspiracy. Air purifierThe air purifier is another item Hana allegedly purchased for the Menendezes in "early 2021," according to the indictment. Home mortgage paymentsThe indictment, rudely, points out that Nadine Menendez was unemployed when she started dating the senator, in 2018. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe businessmen allegedly arranged to give Nadine Menendez the car in early 2019, which was before they allegedly arranged her mortgage payments. Nadine Menendez allegedly took these photos of gold bars on the same day she took them to a person referred to only as "The Jeweler" in the indictment.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, US Sen, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Menendez, Hana —, New Jersey —, Hana, HANA, Nadine, Daibes, Cash, envelops, It's, Uribe, Nadine Menendez texted Uribe, Nadine texted, John F Organizations: Service, US, Bob Menendez of New, Prosecutors, Air, Cash, Attorney's, AP, Mercedes, Benz, Kennedy, FBI Locations: Egypt, Wall, Silicon, Manhattan, Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, New Jersey

CNN —New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was charged on Friday with corruption-related offenses for the second time in 10 years. Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, are accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes” in exchange for the senator’s influence, according to the newly unsealed federal indictment. This is the second set of corruption charges levied against Menendez by the Justice Department in a decade. Beginning in April, his wife sold gold bars worth as much as $400,000, according to the senator’s most recent financial disclosure form. Sen. Bob Menendez, his wife Nadine and Jose Uribe pictured in the indictment released Friday.

Persons: New Jersey Democratic Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, Cash, ”, ” Menendez, Nadine, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Hana, Sen, MENENDEZ, Menendez ’, Jose, Uribe, Prosecutors, Salomon Melgen, Melgen, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, New, New Jersey Democratic, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Senate Democratic, Foreign Relations, Court Southern District of, Department of Agriculture, of Agriculture, Agriculture Department, EG, Hyatt, Court Southern District of New, The Justice Department, “ Locations: New Jersey, Court Southern District of New York, Jersey, Egypt, Washington, Paris

As the day went on after the bombshell indictment, Democrats began bailing on their legally troubled colleague. The indictment said Menendez used his position to help the business executives as well. The indictment includes cinematic, almost comical details about the payoffs Menendez is said to have accepted. Some of the cash was stashed in jackets that were embroidered with the words "Robert Menendez" or "Senator Menendez." At one point, the indictment said, Menendez did a Google search for "kilo of gold price."

Persons: Bob Menendez, Menendez, –, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Phil Murphy, ” Murphy, Craig Coughlin, Leroy Jones, Andy Kim, Mikie Sherrill, Tom Malinowski, Noah Bookbinder, taints Menendez, Bookbinder, ”, Trump, fundraised, Ron Filipkowski, they're, Ron DeSantis's, Lisa McCormick, Ross Baker, Murphy, Baker, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Nadine, Biden, Daibes, “, Damian Williams, Robert Menendez, Uribe, Hana Organizations: GOP, Department of Justice, Republicans, Democratic Gov, New, New Jersey Democrats, Democratic, Senate, Democrats, Senate Foreign Relations, Justice, U.S, Republican, Florida Gov, Foreign, Rutgers University, Benz, Embassy, of, Department of Agriculture, Manhattan U.S Locations: New Jersey, Washington, Sarasota , Florida, Menendez's, Jersey, Florida, Tahesha, U.S, Cairo, Egypt, Southern, of New York, Manhattan

☆ If Bob Menendez wanted to legally get rich while being a senator, he could've just written a more popular book
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Bob Menendez took bribes of cash, gold, and other luxury items, according to a new indictment. But there's a way more legal way to make money as a senator — just write a best-selling book! AdvertisementAdvertisementBut there's a totally legal way to make extra money — sometimes way more money than the $174,000 salary — as a sitting member of Congress. That would seem to indicate that Menendez's book wasn't exactly a cash cow for him. Perhaps if he had run for president, as many of the top book-sellers in the Senate have, he could've written another book and made more money, the legal way.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, —, Menendez, hasn't, Nadine, Mercedes, It's, Democratic Sen, Raphael Warnock of, Republican Herschel Walker, Bernie Sanders, Eva Longoria, Kris Connor, Peter Eisner Organizations: Service, New, New Jersey Democrat, Benz, Democratic, Republican, Capitol, National Museum of Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Jersey, Egypt

☆ Student-loan borrowers eligible for debt cancellation might be 'forced back into repayment' anyway because of their servicer's poor customer service, 6 Democratic senators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Six Democratic lawmakers requested the Education Department look into student-loan company MOHELA. They said they're concerned with paperwork delays that could force borrowers who qualify for PSLF relief back into repayment. Federal student-loan payments are resuming on October 1. "With the restart of repayments, these issues are likely to worsen for borrowers," the lawmakers said in the letter. "Borrowers who are eligible to have their debt cancelled under the PSLF program should not be forced back into repayment due solely to MOHELA's processing delays, which cause difficult financial situations for so many borrowers.

Persons: MOHELA, New Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Secretary Miguel Cardona, they've, Angus King, Alex Padilla, Ed Markey, Cory Booker, Cardona, Katie Porter, Joe Courtney, Scott Giles, that's, Scott Buchanan, servicers — Organizations: Democratic, Education Department, Federal, Service, Secretary, Public, MOHELA, Department, Student Loan, — Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Jersey, PSLF, Sens

Colombian-born Kugler, whose research has focused on labor markets, is the first Latina to join the Fed Board in its 109-year history. The vote was 53-45, with a few Republicans supporting a nomination that was championed by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez. The Senate on Wednesday also confirmed Fed Governor Philip Jefferson as Fed vice chair and Fed Governor Lisa Cook to a second term. Jefferson's success as vice chair will hinge on his ability to help Powell manage that process. Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Paul Simao and Timothy GardnerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Adriana Kugler, Jonathan Ernst, Kugler, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Philip Jefferson, Lisa Cook, Cook, Jerome Powell, Powell, Michael Feroli, Jefferson, she'll, Derek Tang, Tang, Ann Saphir, Paul Simao, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Federal Reserve, of Governors, Capitol, REUTERS, U.S, Senate, Bank, Fed Board, Democratic, Wednesday, Jefferson, JPMorgan, Fed, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Cuban, United States, U.S

The head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has asked the country's top three oilfield services companies to explain why they continued doing business in Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and demanded that they commit to “cease all investments” in Russia's fossil fuel infrastructure. Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, cited an Associated Press report that the companies — SLB, Baker Hughes and Halliburton — helped keep Russian oil flowing even as sanctions targeted the Russian war effort. Much of Russia’s oil is hard to reach, and analysts say that had U.S. oilfield services companies all pulled out, its production would have taken an immediate hit. Halliburton wound down its Russia operations less than six months after the invasion, while Baker Hughes sold its oilfield services business in Russia after about nine months. In contrast, oil majors such as Shell and BP announced they would quit Russia within days or weeks of the invasion, writing off billions of dollars.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, SLB, Baker Hughes, Halliburton —, B4Ukraine, Menendez, Joe Biden, Halliburton, Moira Duff, Duff, ” Halliburton, Brad Leone, ”, Eleanor Nichol Organizations: U.S . Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press, AP, Schlumberger, Congress, Shell, BP Locations: Russia, Ukraine, New Jersey, American, U.S

☆ Prosecutors Weigh Charges Against Sen. Bob Menendez
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Corinne Ramey | Aruna Viswanatha | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones, 5c56755d

☆ Federal student-loan balances will start growing again in one month when interest returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In October, student-loan borrowers will start making payments again. The Education Department announced a number of steps to ease the transition back into repayment. In March 2020, former President Donald Trump first implemented the student-loan payment pause, with waived interest, to give millions of federal borrowers financial relief during the pandemic. An Education Department spokesperson confirmed in June that there is no leeway with that provision. "Student loan interest will resume starting on September 1, 2023, and payments will be due starting in October," a department spokesperson said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, —, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, servicers, Virginia Foxx, Sen, Bill Cassidy —, doesn't, Cassidy, we'll, Miguel Cardona Organizations: The Education Department, Service, Federal, An Education Department, Education Department, Higher, SAVE, Democratic, House, Department Locations: Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, New Jersey

Mr. Smith is not the first special counsel to investigate Mr. Trump. Mr. Smith, by contrast, faces no such limits given that Mr. Trump is no longer in office. Mr. Mueller said little when faced with a barrage of falsehoods pushed publicly by Mr. Trump and his allies about him and his investigative team. During Mr. Trump’s arraignment in Miami in June, Mr. Smith sat in the gallery, closely watching the proceedings. Some in the courtroom suggested he stared at Mr. Trump for much of the hearing, sizing him up.

Persons: General Merrick B, Garland, Jack Smith’s, Donald J, Trump, Smith, Maddie McGarvey, The New York Times “, ”, Ryan Goodman, Trump’s, Robert S, Mueller, Smith —, —, Goodman, Smith “, Edgar Hoover, Mueller III, Anna Moneymaker, Ted Stevens, “, Robert McDonnell, Rick Renzi, James, Smith’s, Jay I, Bratt, Cooney, Robert Menendez, Greg Craig, Obama, Andrew G, McCabe, Roger J, Stone Jr, William P, Barr, Aaron Zelinsky, Thomas P, Windom, Peter Dejong Mr, John H ., Carlos F, legwork, sotto, intently, Alan Feuer Organizations: White, The New York Times, New York University School of Law, Capitol, Washington, Department, Just Security, Trump, U.S, New York Times, Justice Department, Justice, Republican, Supreme, Mr, Department of Justice, Democrats, Robert Menendez of New, Hague, Credit, House Republicans, U.S . Postal Inspection Service Locations: Washington, The Hague, Russia, Alaska, Virginia, Arizona, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, U.S, Netherlands, John H . Durham, ’, Miami

☆ A Senator’s New Wife and Her Old Friends Draw Prosecutors’ Attention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Tracey Tully | More About Tracey Tully | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But their whirlwind romance has taken a sudden dark turn. Mr. Menendez, the 69-year-old Democratic chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, is under investigation by the Justice Department for the second time in less than a decade. And this time, his wife is also in prosecutors’ cross hairs. Unlike her husband, who took a seat on a New Jersey school board as a 20-year-old and rose to prominence in Hudson County’s famously sharp-elbowed political scrum, Ms. Menendez, 56, has lived a mainly private life. She is described by friends, acquaintances and two former lawyers in much the same way: social, smart and highly fashion-conscious.

Persons: Menendez, Ms, Hudson County’s Organizations: Foreign Relations, Justice Department, U.S, New York University Locations: Manhattan, New Jersey, New, Bergen County, N.J

☆ Niger response: 'Washington has to thread a very difficult needle'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The United States and its Western allies are faced with a difficult conundrum as they navigate potential responses to the military takeover in Niger if democratic rule is not restored. Experts told CNN that punitive measures could push Niger toward Russian mercenary groups like Wagner and away from its partners in the West. US officials have said there are no indications that the organization was involved in the military takeover. We don’t really know who this new general is” who has seized power, she told CNN. Felbab-Brown told CNN that Prigozhin is trying to “personally” take advantage, given his “precarious” place following his failed revolt.

Persons: Biden, Vedant Patel, John Kirby, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ”, Cameron Hudson, ‘, Antony Blinken, Vanda Felbab, Brown, Bob Menendez, Jim Risch, Kirby, Mohamed Bazoum, Gen, Abdourahamane Tiani, Bazoum, “, ” Hudson, Kamissa Camara, Camara, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, We’re, ” Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, “ It’s, Prigozhin, Putin, shouldn’t, ” Kirby, Blinken, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kamala Harris, Bola Tinubu, African Affairs Molly Phee, Hassoumi Massoudou, Mahamadou Issoufou “, Patel Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Nigerien, State Department, National Security Council, Experts, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Central African, West, Brookings, Senate Foreign Relations, Democratic, US Institute of Peace, Russian Foreign Ministry, African Union, Economic, West African States, United Nations, African Affairs, Nigerien Foreign, ” State Department Locations: United States, Niger, Russian, Africa, “ Washington, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niamey, “, Hudson, Russia, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Sudan, New Zealand, Nigeria

☆ Student-loan companies are putting borrowers at 'heightened risk' of harm if they fail to prepare for payments to resume, 6 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Student-loan payments are resuming in October without broad debt relief. A group of Democrats asked CEOs of student-loan companies how they are preparing for the restart. They want updated information on how the companies are training customer service workers and reaching out to borrowers. Since March 2020, student-loan payments have been on pause, with interest waived, to provide borrowers financial relief during the pandemic. It announced a 12-month "on-ramp" period once payments resume during which borrowers will not be reported to credit agencies for missed payments, along with a new income-driven repayment plan to lower monthly payments.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Sherrod Brown, Bob Menendez —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, servicers Organizations: Service, Democratic, Public, Federal Student Aid, Republicans, Biden's Education Department Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ 4 major fighter-jet deals could reshape the Middle East's biggest militaries for decades to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Middle Eastern countries have for decades been major buyers of advanced fighter jets. Four potential deals involving Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that the trend will continue. Four looming acquisitions by Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that this trend will not change any time soon. Egypt's EaglesEgyptian Air Force MiG-29s during an exercise in Sudan in May 2021. While the Russian jets couldn't exchange data with Egypt's US-made aircraft, Cairo hoped they could operate as an "air force within an air force" and partially redress its limited air-to-air capabilities.

Persons: Cuneyt, MURAD, Erdogan, Mehmet Kaman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, Biden, Sen, Bob Menendez, hasn't, Iran's, Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK, it's, —, Iran hasn't, ATTA KENARE, Mohammed Reza Ashtiani, Iraq's, KARIM SAHIB, Saddam Hussein's, Ali Mohammed, KARI, ASHRAF SHAZLY, Derek Seifert, Frank McKenzie, Israel, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Dassault Rafales, Dassault, Vipers, NATO Air Policing, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Getty Images, NATO, Senate Foreign Relations, SPUTNIK, Army Day, Iranian Parliament's National Security, Foreign, Iranian Defense, Rafale, ISIS, Getty Images Iraq, Thales Ground, AIM, Meteor, Egypt's Eagles Egyptian Air Force, Eagles, US Air Force, US Central Command Locations: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Poland, Ankara, Syria, Greece, Samarkand, Getty Images Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, US, Tehran, AFP, Iranian, Persian, Baghdad, France, South Korea, Czech, Iraqi, Balad, Sudan, Qatar, Cairo, Derek Seifert Egypt

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - Washington will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, a day after Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO. He intends to move forward with that transfer," Sullivan told reporters, without giving any details on the timing. Both Turkish officials and the Biden administration have rejected any suggestion that Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO accession was being linked to the F-16 sale in the months of talks to address Turkish opposition. Russian officials said Sweden's expected accession to NATO would have "negative implications" for Russia's security and that Moscow would have to respond. TIMING UNCERTAINThe timing of both the F-16 transfer and Sweden's NATO entry remains unclear.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Bob Menendez, Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Camille Grand, Erdogan, Gerard Araud, Sweden's, Peter Szijjarto, Jens Stoltenberg, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish, Nick Macfie, Heather Timmons, Devika Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Senate Foreign Relations, Democrat, Turkish, European Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, Monday, Finland's, Nordic, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Washington, Turkey, U.S, Ankara, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, French, Swedish, United States, Turkey's, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Ukraine

☆ Analysis: President Joe Biden just secured a big win from his Europe trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President Joe Biden has already secured a powerful deliverable from his Europe trip – one that will weaken Russia’s strategic position in another detrimental consequence of its invasion of Ukraine. Once Sweden finally joins NATO, it will bolster Biden’s reputation as a US leader who reinvigorated and expanded the bloc. Biden had said before leaving the US that Ukraine was not ready to join. Erdogan’s move was also a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “This really isn’t about Sweden, this is about the United States and Turkey and Turkey’s role,” she told Jake Tapper.

Persons: Joe Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland –, Ukraine –, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Biden, Erdogan’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Erdogan –, –, Russia’s, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Jake Sullivan, Ulf Kristersson, “, ” Sullivan, Chuck Schumer, ”, Stoltenberg, Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez, National Intelligence Beth Sanner, Jake Tapper, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, European Union, Kremlin, West, East, NATO “, Swedish, New, New York Democrat, America, EU, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Senate Foreign Relations, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, “, National Intelligence Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Turkey, Finland, George H.W ., Germany, Russia, United States, Washington, Syria, Madrid, Vilnius, ”, New York, Ankara, Eurasia, Turkish, Stockholm, Greece, The, The New Jersey, “ Turkey, Mariupol

Sweden broke from decades of neutrality following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year by seeking to join NATO. Mr. Erdogan has also invested himself deeply in the matter, having long insisted that Western nations do not take his concerns about Kurdish terrorism seriously enough. U.S. officials insist their support for the arms sale is not linked to Mr. Erdogan’s position on Sweden. But after a late May phone call with the Turkish leader, Mr. Biden told reporters:“He still wants to work on something on the F-16s. Analysts say it is unclear whether Mr. Biden can convince them to change their position.

Persons: Erdogan, Biden, Mr, Bob Menendez Organizations: NATO, Sweden, Bloomberg, Senate Foreign Relations, Bob Menendez of New Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Turkey, Sweden, Washington . U.S, Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey

☆ Inside the furious debate over New York City's new tax on drivers, which New Jersey Democrats are fighting against tooth and nail
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Long gone are the days of eerily deserted Manhattan streets as New York City ground to a near-halt during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cars fill Midtown amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 19, 2021 in New York City. The Empire State Building and Tourist District are seen while Traffic jam is reported along the route to New York City on August 17, 2022, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Komanoff said most congestion pricing advocates agree — they don't want drivers who enter lower Manhattan through the tunnels to pay the full congestion toll. But congestion pricing still has a long way to go, particularly as long as New Jersey leaders stand in the way.

Persons: Kathy Hochul's, Long, Kathy Hochul, Gottheimer, Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, Phil Murphy, Noam Galai, it's, Charles Komanoff, Komanoff, Sam Schwartz, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, George Washington, Sen . Menendez, Bill Pascrell, Schwartz, Hochul, Murphy, Sarah Kaufman, University's, Ritchie Torres, Tom Williams, Torres, he's Organizations: Gov, New, New Jersey Democrats, Morning, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York Gov, Central Business District, Federal Highway Administration, MTA, Democratic, New York Supporters, New York, Mexico City, George Washington Bridge, Center for Transportation, New York Rep, Garden, Komanoff, Democratic Rep Locations: New York City, Manhattan, New Jersey, ., Jersey, New York, New, London, Stockholm, Singapore, York, Toronto, Mexico, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Jersey City , New Jersey, Holland, Lincoln, Bronx

☆ Congestion pricing is coming to New York City, officials announce
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —New York City has been cleared to implement congestion pricing, a practice that allows the city to charge drivers entering Lower Manhattan, New York Gov. The plan would also mark the culmination of more than a half-century of efforts to implement congestion pricing in New York City. Ultimately, it was the need to improve New York City’s public transit that became the rallying cry for congestion pricing. The stakes of New York City’s program are high, and leaders in other cities are watching the results closely. “It’s good to see New York City’s program is moving forward,” said the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board last month.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, ”, Michael Bloomberg, Andrew Cuomo —, Kate Slevin, Sam Schwartz, Hochul, “, US Sen, Bob Menendez, Josh Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell, Jr, Washington, CNN’s Gregory Wallace, Rob Frehse Organizations: CNN, New, Lower Manhattan , New York Gov, Federal, Administration, Central Business District, Federal Highway Administration, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, ” New York Gov, United, United States Each, MTA, Regional Plan Association, “, Democratic New, US, London, Drivers, Los Angeles Times Locations: New York City, Lower Manhattan ,, Manhattan, United States, New York, Lower Manhattan, New Jersey, Democratic New Jersey, Holland, Lincoln, Jersey, That’s, Stockholm, London, Singapore, York, Los Angeles

☆ US advances New York City vehicle congestion pricing plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 (Reuters) - A New York City plan to charge a daily toll on vehicles entering or remaining in the central business district got a boost on Monday from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which said the city had adequately assessed how the congestion charge would help the environment. Menendez has introduced legislation that would cut 50% of federal highway grant funding to New York state if the plan goes ahead. In May, USDOT approved release of the final environmental assessment for New York's congestion pricing plan for public review. Following entry into a tolling agreement, tolling could begin up to 310 days later, the city said in May. New York City, which has the most congested traffic of any U.S. city, would become the first major city in the U.S. to follow London, which implemented a similar charge in 2003.

Persons: Bob Menendez, Josh Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell, Menendez, USDOT, Donald Trump, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department of Transportation, Administration, Democratic, York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, . New, Thomson Locations: York City, U.S, New Jersey, New York, Midtown Manhattan, . New York City, London, ., . New York, Manhattan, Washington

"It was a day of pain and rage," demonstrator Luisa Menendez, 73, told Reuters, referring to June 24, 2022. In a report released to mark the anniversary, Amnesty International accused Spain and Morocco of a cover-up for failing to properly investigate events at the Melilla border last year. In the incident, around 2,000 migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa attempted to enter Melilla from Morocco. Separately, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights said last month there is "no genuine and effective access to asylum at the border" between Nador (Morocco) and Melilla. Reporting by Joan Faus and Elena Rodriguez Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luna Reyes, Read, Luisa Menendez, Spain, Beatriz Sanchez, Joan Faus, Elena Rodriguez, Alexandra Hudson, Frances Kerry Organizations: Borders, Moroccan, Reuters, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Spain's Interior Ministry, Migration Affairs, of, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Morocco, Spain, El, Ceuta, MADRID, BARCELONA, Europe, Melilla, Madrid, Africa, Nador

Inflation has "started to abate" but the Fed will remain focused on returning it to the 2% target, Fed governor and vice chair nominee Philip Jefferson said in testimony prepared for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Banking Committee. "The economy faces multiple challenges, including inflation, banking-sector stress, and geopolitical instability. "Inflation has started to abate, and I remain focused on returning it to our 2% target." As a group, Fed policymakers last week signaled two more interest-rate hikes are likely by the end of the year. The Senate Banking committee on Tuesday also released prepared remarks from Fed Board nominee Adriana Kugler, who said returning inflation to the central bank's 2% target is key to setting a strong foundation for the U.S. economy.

Persons: Philip Jefferson, Jefferson, Lisa Cook, ” Cook, Cook, Adriana Kugler, " Kugler, Kugler, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Howard Schneider, Michael S, Dan Burns, Ann Saphir, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reserve, Committee, Federal, World Bank, Fed, of Governors, Senate, Derby, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S, New York, Berkeley , California

☆ Republicans Attack Blinken for China Trip, Threatening Subpoena
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Why It MattersThe clash reflects two divergent approaches to dealing with a rising China, and could influence forthcoming debates over military spending. Relations between the two countries experienced another setback earlier this year, when the Chinese spy balloon floated over the United States, hovering near sensitive military sites. Mr. Blinken canceled a planned trip to Beijing in the aftermath of the balloon incident. What’s NextMr. McCaul is trying to prove that State Department officials intentionally dragged their feet on punishing China by demanding to see the department’s so-called competitive actions calendars. The State Department was not expected to meet the 6 p.m. deadline Mr. McCaul set for producing the documents.

Persons: Biden, fecklessly, ”, Mike Gallagher, Robert Menendez, Nancy Pelosi’s, Blinken, What’s, McCaul Organizations: Republican, Robert Menendez of New, Foreign Relations, United, Beijing, Department, China, The State Department Locations: China, United States, Taiwan, Wisconsin, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Beijing, Cuba

☆ Senate Democrats pressure PayPal, Venmo, Cash App over fraud protections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Thursday urged PayPal and Cash App to better protect users of their peer-to-peer payment applications from fraud. The letters were sent to PayPal president and CEO Dan Shulman and Cash App CEO Brian Grassadonia. PayPal, Venmo and Cash App did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC. Cash App transactions also brought in over $203 billion in inflows among 51 million monthly users as of December 2022, according to a Block annual report. The letter is part of an ongoing inquiry into P2P platform consumer safety spearheaded by Warren over the past several years.

Persons: Sen, Sherrod Brown of, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Rhode Island Sen, Jack Reed, Jack Reed and New Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, Dan Shulman, Cash, Brian Grassadonia, PayPal's, Warren, Menendez, Reed Organizations: PayPal, Massachusetts, Block, CNBC, Pew Research Center Locations: WASHINGTON, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Rhode Island, Jack Reed and New Jersey

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