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[1/4] JPMorgan Chase Bank is seen in New York City, U.S., March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/Companies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowNEW YORK, May 26 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said in a deposition on Friday that he had never met or communicated with late sex offender and former bank client Jeffrey Epstein, the bank said. Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 2000 to 2013, remaining so after pleading guilty in 2008 to a Florida state prostitution charge. It has accused Staley, who was friendly with Epstein, of concealing what he knew about Epstein’s crimes. Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

[1/2] Alan Leong Kah-kit, Chairperson of the Civic Party, speaks to the media announcing the party's disbandment in Hong Kong, China May 27, 2023. Today, the Civic Party is bidding Hong Kong farewell. We hope Hong Kong people will live in the moment with a hopeful and not too heavy heart. The Civic Party, founded in 2006, had been a major democratic force in the financial hub that returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, alongside the Democratic Party, performing strongly in local legislative and district polls. Hong Kong and Chinese authorities described the electoral revamp as a progressive democratic step to ensure only pro-China "patriots" govern Hong Kong.

☆ Judge rules Manhattan DA's office must turn over documents related to JP Morgan exec in bank lawsuit over Epstein connections
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A federal judge ruled Friday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office must turn over documents related to former JPMorgan Chase (JPM) executive James “Jes” Staley in response to a subpoena from the bank in ongoing federal lawsuits that allege JPMorgan enabled and benefited from longtime banking-client Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes. Staley has denied all wrongdoing alleged in the lawsuits. It is unclear if there is an active investigation into Staley. Judge Jed Rakoff overruled Bragg’s assertion of privilege over certain documents requested in the bank’s subpoena determining that after a full review he found that the privileges and statutes invoked by the Manhattan prosecutor do not apply to the requested documents. The documents will be sealed under a protective order, the ruling said.

☆ How the New ‘Little Mermaid’ Goes Back ‘Under the Sea’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Mekado Murphy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

So right about here, as the turtles start to move, then you see, O.K., there’s a little bit of dance starting to happen. And I took a page out of Walt Disney’s playbook, and I worked with the Alvin Ailey Company. He had worked with the Ballet Russe Company when he created ‘Fantasia.’ And I thought that was such a brilliant idea. And then we found all these sea creatures that actually lent themselves to dance naturally. These are all real sea creatures.

☆ Bitter, virtual Trump promises a Manhattan judge he won't harass or attack hush-money witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He also shook his head in apparent disgust when told he'll be in contempt if he uses DA evidence to harass witnesses. Trump shook his head "no" in apparent disgust when the judge told his lawyer, Todd Blanche, that he risks sanctions and a finding of contempt if he violates the order. "He is free to do anything that does not violate the specific terms of this protective order," the judge told Blanche. The protective order bars Trump from using the prosecution's most sensitive evidence for anything other than his own defense. "I have less than zero confidence," Cohen told Insider of Trump's ability to abide by the protective order and restrain himself from using sensitive evidence to attack witnesses.

Persons: Trump, he'll, —, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Merchan, Tuesday's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Catherine McCaw, Michael Cohen —, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: Service, New York, Attorney, Trump, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Prosecutors, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, United States

☆ Michael Cohen has 'zero confidence' that Trump will comply with a new protective order in the hush-money case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michael Cohen has "less than zero confidence" Trump will obey a protective order in the hush-money case. This latest development in the hush-money prosecution comes six weeks after Trump was arraigned on 34-counts of falsifying business records. Lawyers for Trump declined to comment on the protective order or Cohen's comments. It's also routine for judges to ask the defendant to acknowledge, in court, that a protective order has been issued, Saland said. Trump's words have already created a stir in the hush-money case, she added.

Persons: Michael Cohen, Trump, Cohen, It's, —, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan —, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, she'd, Melania, it's, Jeremy Saland, Saland, Catherine McCaw, McCaw, Ruby Freeman, Bragg Organizations: Trump, Service, Prosecutors, Truth, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Georgia

One of Donald J. Trump’s longtime lieutenants, Allen H. Weisselberg, was recently released from the notorious Rikers Island jail complex after pleading guilty to a tax fraud scheme. Yet Mr. Weisselberg’s legal troubles are far from over. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is now considering a new round of criminal charges against Mr. Weisselberg, 75, and this time he could be charged with perjury, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The threat of new charges represents the latest effort in a two-year campaign to persuade Mr. Weisselberg to testify against Mr. Trump. Mr. Weisselberg has so far refused to turn against his former boss, but the prosecutors recently ramped up the pressure, warning his lawyers that they might bring the perjury charges if their client declined to testify against Mr. Trump, two of the people said.

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) is seeking documents from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as part of a lawsuit against the bank by women who say they were abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, court records showed on Thursday. Bragg took part in a May 16 telephone conference in the case alongside lawyers for the victims, the bank, former JPMorgan private banking chief Jes Staley and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein had a home, the Manhattan federal court records showed. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff instructed Bragg to provide JPMorgan with a privilege log - or a description of documents the bank was seeking that he is withholding - by Friday. A spokesperson for Bragg did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

As doubts grow about the strength of its economic recovery, foreign money has left China's markets and the currency has fallen 4% against the dollar since late January. Analysts at Nomura and Societe Generale say the yuan could soon head for 7.3, which as last plumbed in November. Reflecting that, the trade-weighted CFETS basket against which the People's Bank of China (PBOC) manages the currency, has dropped to 99 from 100 in February. THE CHEAP CURRENCYBecky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, expects the yuan will continue to depreciate. "The interest rate gap remains wide, so many hedge funds continue to use yuan as a funding currency," Liu said.

☆ Why is the US dollar so strong again?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Harry Robertson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - If investors agree on one thing this year, it's that the dollar is going to fall. The go-to explanation of currency strategists right now is the debt-ceiling debacle is boosting the dollar. Traders currently expect the U.S. central bank to cut interest rates sharply later this year as a recession takes hold, yet Tan is skeptical. If the dollar rises slightly, some traders may be forced to close out their short positions by buying the dollar, which then boosts its value. But a simple technical indicator is that it is very atypical for you to have a straight-line decline in the dollar."

☆ Manhattan DA refuses Trump's demand for a lot more detail in his hush money records-fraud prosecution — for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, lawyers for DA Alvin Bragg said Trump already has everything he's currently entitled to. Trump won't get more from prosecutors until he agrees not to weaponize the materials, the DA said. Under the protective order, Trump will be allowed to view the new discovery material only in the presence of his lawyers. Trump and his company misrepresented Cohen's reimbursement as "legal fees" in company books, the DA alleged last month. Bragg has alleged there were false entries in the records of the Trump Organization and the National Enquirer concerning the hush money payment to Daniels.

☆ DeSantis defends fundraising for the ex-Marine who fatally choked Jordan Neely in subway: 'Vets look out for other vets'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

DeSantis shared a fundraising page for Penny over the weekend, raising $2 million for his defense. "Vets look out for other vets," DeSantis said when asked about it Tuesday. Ron DeSantis of Florida defended ex-Marine Daniel Penny as having done the "right thing" after he fatally choked Jordan Neely on a New York City Subway. Protests ensued in New York City, and the story became national news as it touched on race, homelessness, crime, and mental health treatment. Crime in New York City is higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics show.

☆ Elon Musk claims George Soros ‘hates humanity.’ The ADL says Musk’s attacks ‘will embolden extremists’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While Musk’s remarks don’t mention the billionaire philanthropist’s ethnicity, Musk was criticized for dangerous rhetoric that could potentially fuel further attacks on Soros. When a Twitter user defended Soros as having good intentions which are criticized by those who disagree with his politics, Musk responded, “You assume they are good intentions. Attacks on Soros have increased in recent years alongside a broader increase in incidents of antisemitic attacks. Studies by the ADL and the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that the volume of hate speech on Twitter has grown dramatically under Musk’s stewardship. He most recently sold 22 million shares in December.

The greenback took an early dive after data showed the New York Federal Reserve's Empire State manufacturing index plunged to -31.8 this month from a reading of 10.8 in April. "The things that have weighed on the dollar recently have not gone away, such as the debt ceiling, even though there has been some progress made." In late morning trading the dollar index , which measures the greenback's value against six major peers, fell 0.2% to 102.48. Analysts have said many factors could be behind the dollar's recent strength, including concerns about U.S. inflation and safe-haven buying driven by fears about the debt ceiling standoff and global economic growth. It earlier jumped to 19.7 for the first time since March 10, when it hit a record high of 19.8 on a volatile trading day.

SINGAPORE, May 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar fell slightly from a five-week high on Monday after a period of strength that has confused analysts. The euro was up 0.27% against the dollar on Monday at $1.088, rebounding after falling 1.54% the previous week. That helped send the dollar index , which measures the greenback against six major peers, down 0.19% to 102.49. Alvin Tan, head of Asia FX strategy at RBC Capital Markets, said a pick-up in U.S. bond yields over the last two days had supported the currency. "If you remove the uncertainty around the debt ceiling situation, the sentiment has been turning bearish against the dollar," said Khoon Goh, head of Asia research at ANZ.

☆ How the New York City metro area's slow legal weed rollout created a boom in 'gray' market cannabis shops
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Christian Nunley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The push for legal, recreational marijuana is sweeping across America. The recreational marijuana market is a high-stakes affair. The national cannabis market is estimated to reach $71 billion in sales by 2030, according to data from research firm New Frontier. And the New York state market alone could make up 10% of that, the data forecasts. Watch the video above to find out how the legal cannabis rollout is going in the most populous metropolitan area in the United States, how the push for legal weed is attracting a new class of entrepreneurs and how anti-marijuana activists are trying to slow the fast pace of legal cannabis adoption.

☆ Opinion: DeSantis’ comments about Jordan Neely’s death are part of a dangerous pattern
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Opinion Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio’s daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show.” Follow him @DeanObeidallah@masto.ai. CNN —We are seeing an alarming pattern emerge in which some GOP leaders defend — and even pledge to pardon — people charged with or convicted of killing a person. “The unfortunate result was the unintended and unforeseen death of Mr. Neely.”Penny has received support from a score of right-wing figures. Instead, DeSantis is sending a message that if you are supported by the GOP base, we may have your back, even if you are charged in someone’s death. After Perry’s conviction, many on the right demanded GOP Texas Gov.

☆ Daniel Penny's crowd-sourced defense funds nears $1 million as DeSantis throws support behind the man who choked Jordan Neely to death
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Supporters are raising defense funds for Daniel Penny, the man charged for killing Jordan Neely on the NYC subway. Penny is facing a manslaughter charge in the death of Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man. While Neely's behavior alarmed some passengers, one eyewitness told The New York Times that Neely never tried to assault anyone. The case has divided New Yorkers, who are grappling with a rise in crime on the New York subway system. "Justice looks like a conviction for murder," Edwards said at a press conference following the announcement of Penny's charges.

☆ E. Jean Carroll's team wanted to dismiss a juror during the Trump sexual abuse and defamation trial who described Tim Pool's podcast as 'balanced'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New filings from E. Jean Carroll's case against Donald Trump reveal her team sought to dismiss a juror. On April 30, Carroll's team moved to dismiss Juror No. The juror was ultimately allowed to stay on after a judge rejected the request from Carroll's team, according to Politico. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages for the sexual abuse and defamation claims. 77 was among the nine jurors who unanimously found Trump was liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of Carroll.

☆ For Trump, a Verdict That’s Harder to Spin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Maggie Haberman | Jonathan Swan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Alvin L. Bragg secured the indictment of former President Donald J. Trump, it galvanized Trump supporters. Ron DeSantis of Florida, mark that indictment as the moment that Mr. Trump sped away from his nearest opponent in the polls. The price that Mr. Trump was ordered by the jury to pay his accuser, Ms. Carroll, was $5 million, in a verdict he has promised to appeal. Mr. Trump was said to be furious about the verdict, and questioning the various decisions that were made by his team in the defense. Far from letting up on Ms. Carroll, his team plans to aggressively attack her claims and tether her to Democrats.

☆ New York Is Full of Empty Offices After Covid. Make Way for the Playground City. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Edward L. Glaeser | Carlo Ratti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

We are witnessing the dawn of a new kind of urban area: the Playground City. The transformation toward the Playground City will not happen on its own. To draw people into the Playground City, we need to show, not tell. 6.Engage citizensGovernments should empower citizens to participate directly in making the Playground City. The Playground City sees people as both a means and an end, and it should involve them in the process of its creation.

☆ Judge Restricts Donald Trump’s Use of Evidence in Hush-Money Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Corinne Ramey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his alleged role in arranging a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Photo: Seth Wenig/Associated PressA New York judge ordered limits Monday on how Donald Trump can use and review evidence in advance of his criminal trial on charges connected to his role in paying hush money to a porn star. State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan granted several requests made by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg regarding the handling of evidence and other case information. Prosecutors, who have charged Mr. Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, said the measures were needed to protect the integrity of the proceedings and the safety of case participants, citing the former president’s past attacks on judges, jurors and others.

☆ Factbox: An overview of Donald Trump’s legal troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Trump denies the allegations and the affair but has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for his payment to Daniels. Trump's reimbursement checks for the suppression payment falsely stated that the money was for a "retainer agreement," prosecutors said. Prosecutors say Trump falsified records in part to cover up the fact that the payment to Daniels exceeded federal campaign contribution limits. U.S. CAPITOL ATTACKThe U.S. Justice Department has an investigation under way into Trump's actions after he lost the 2020 election. NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CIVIL LAWSUITNew York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and his Trump Organization last September for fraud.

CNN —The New York judge handling Donald Trump’s criminal case approved a protective order on Monday that limits the former president’s ability to publicize information on social media related to evidence in the investigation. The Manhattan district attorney’s office had submitted the protective order to restrict Trump’s ability to share information his attorneys receive in the discovery process in part because of Trump’s social media posts about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and witnesses in the case. Trump’s attorneys had opposed the protective order, arguing that it infringed on Trump’s First Amendment rights as he makes another run for president in 2024. On Monday, the district attorney’s office filed a request for a conference to discuss the process for a US district judge to hear the motion. In its filing Monday, the district attorney’s office noted that the defense team’s request to move the case to federal court did not pause the state court’s schedule.

☆ Read the new gag order muzzling Trump in his hush-money case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A New York state judge muzzled Trump with a social media gag order in his hush-money indictment. The order also stops Trump from publicly discussing details about witnesses involved in the case or any other evidence prosecutors plan to use against him. Three weeks later, during a hearing that Trump notably skipped, prosecutors changed their tune, asking for an official protective order around the case. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina called the request "extreme" earlier this month, and said any gag order should be equally applied to all parties, including prosecutors. Read the four-page court order:

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