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N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Black and Latino voters sued in federal court on Monday seeking to strike down congressional districts drawn this fall by Republican state legislators that they argue weaken minority voting power in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Under the iteration of the congressional map that had been drawn by state judges for the 2022 elections, Democrats and Republicans each won seven seats. Meanwhile, the number of minority voters grows in the 12th, which is represented by Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte. Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, already said he’s running for state attorney general, saying he can’t win reelection under the new congressional map. The latest congressional map “continues North Carolina’s long tradition of enacting redistricting plans that pack and crack minority voters into gerrymandered districts designed to minimize their voting strength," the plaintiffs' lawyers write.

Persons: gerrymanders, Tim Moore, Kathy Manning, Republican mapmakers, Don Davis, Alma Adams, Charlotte, Jeff Jackson, Moore Organizations: —, — North Carolina, Republican, U.S . Constitution, General, Republicans, Capitol, U.S . House, Black Democrats, 6th, GOP, Democratic, Rep, Mecklenburg County Democrat, Supreme Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, — North, U.S ., U.S, Charlotte, District, North, Greensboro, Pitt County, South Carolina, Mecklenburg County

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. George Santos of New York is facing a critical vote to expel him from the House on Friday as lawmakers weigh whether his actions, fabrications and alleged lawbreaking warrant the chamber's most severe punishment. “I will not stand by quietly,” Santos declared on the House floor Thursday as lawmakers debated his removal. But some Republicans, including Santos' colleagues from New York, said voters will welcome lawmakers being held to a higher standard. In early March, the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into Santos. ___Follow the AP's coverage of U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York at https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.

Persons: — Rep, George Santos, Santos, “, ” Santos, Mike Johnson, ”, Anthony D’Esposito, Clay Higgins, Higgins, Susan Wild, brazenly, ” Wild, “ Mr, Hakeem Jeffries, Marjorie Taylor Greene, “ George Santos, ” Jeffries, Farnoush Amiri, george, santos Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Third, Union, Republican, Republicans, Wall, Eastern, of New York, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Federal, Commission, Democratic, New York, Associated Press, U.S . Rep Locations: George Santos of New York, New York, Santos, U.S, lawbreaking, New, Georgia

☆ A sales practice at American Express is under scrutiny. Here's what we know about the investigation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It's not clear how much scrutiny the company is under for management's role in developing and training employees to sell the product. Subpoenas are issued to compel parties such as company executives and employees, or former employees, to appear for interviews or turn over documents. In July, the OCC assessed a $15 million civil penalty against American Express National Bank. The IRS is also involvedBrooklyn attorneys are coordinating their criminal investigation alongside the IRS's criminal-investigation unit, the people BI spoke with said. Sinking morale among some sales employeesThe investigations are taking a toll on Amex's results-driven culture, current and former sales employees told BI, because compliance staff have gotten more involved in the sales process.

Persons: Amex, hadn't, salespeople, It's, Adam Isserlis, Isserlis, John Marzulli, Brian Morris, Hiral Mehta, Morris, Boies, Boies Schiller Flexner, Seth DuCharme, Charles Blazer, he's, Mehta, Hiral, Brian Organizations: American Express, Business, Justice, New York State Department of Financial Services, BI, Brooklyn, Eastern, of, OCC, American Express National Bank, Consumer Financial, Justice Department, Department of Financial Services, Department of Justice, IRS, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC's, Government, Costco, Securities, Eastern District, Department of Homeland Security, Boies Schiller, FIFA, Taco Bell Locations: Brooklyn , New York, of New York, Eastern, Brooklyn

☆ British-Nigerian man pleads guilty in New York to bank hacking crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A hooded man holds a laptop computer as blue screen with an exclamation mark is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Idris Dayo Mustapha, 33, pleaded guilty to access device fraud, conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn. Mustapha, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, had been arrested in the United Kingdom in August 2021, and was extradited to the United States in August. The case is U.S. v. Mustapha, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Idris Dayo Mustapha, Pamela Chen, Mustapha, Jonathan Stempel, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S . National Security Agency, Nigerian, U.S, Prosecutors, Court, Eastern District of, Thomson Locations: British, New York, Brooklyn, Mustapha, Lagos, Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States, U.S, Eastern District, Eastern District of New York

Police guard the courthouse of United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 5, 2018. Lukas lodged a lawsuit in federal court in New York on Monday against the Portuguese actor, now 45, who starred in the Netflix mystery thriller series White Lines. Lukas, who directed romantic comedy Hollidaysburg, filed her claim under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which expires on Thursday. Lukas had a forensic examination for sexual assault done the day after the incident at a hospital and "reported the rape to the police," the court filing says. Lukas' case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, A.M, Lukas, Nuno Lopes, drugging, Lopes, Wigdor, Catarina Demony, Aislinn Laing, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Police, States, Court, Eastern, of, REUTERS, LISBON, Netflix, Reuters, Tribeca, Thomson Locations: of New York, Brooklyn , New York, U.S, Portuguese, New York

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in a dense, urban refugee camp on Tuesday as they expanded operations across northern Gaza, where residents have been without electricity, water or access to humanitarian aid for weeks. Footage released by the military in recent days shows soldiers and tanks operating in dense urban neighborhoods where nearly every building appears to be damaged or destroyed. Israeli forces cut off the north in their ground invasion late last month, though tens of thousands have since fled south through corridors announced by the military. As they have overflowed, people have been forced to sleep on the streets outside, with little shelter from winter rains that have hit the region in recent days. RISING TOLLMore than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Marwan Abdallah, Ashraf al, Qidra, Ashraf, Al, Michael Ryan, Izzat, Ismail Haniyeh, Benjamin Netanyahu, Goren, Tal Chaimi, ” Netanyahu, ___ Magdy, Melanie Lidman Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Health, International Committee, Indonesia Hospital, Shifa, World Health Organization, Palestinian Health Ministry, West Bank, Associated Press Locations: DEIR, Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Jabaliya, Israeli, Gaza's, Egypt, United States, Qatar, Shifa, Cairo, Jerusalem, israel

☆ At a Gaza hospital, a midwife brings life and volunteers tend the dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

She travelled to Khan Younis from the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Khan Younis vegetable market is still open but prices have doubled. Though Khan Younis is south of Israel’s “evacuation line,” it has not escaped daily raids by Israeli warplanes or missiles. A total of 1,300 people have been killed in the Khan Younis area since October 7, local health officials say. Nasser Hospital, the main hospital in Khan Younis and the biggest in southern Gaza, uses the same term on its Facebook page where it lists the daily “martyrs” in this war.

Persons: Younis Khan Younis, Khan Younis, Israel, Abla Awad, Awad, “, ”, Younis, Suzan, “ They’re, Jan Egeland, Benjamin Netanyahu, NBC’s “, Relatives, Saeed Al, Shorbaji, Shaheed Organizations: United Nations, Program, –, Islamic, Israel, Norwegian Refugee Council, Reuters, Nasser Hospital, Al Locations: Israel, Gaza, Khan, Hulayqat, Israel’s, Islamic Jihad, Egypt, Cairo, ”, Al Aqsa, Old City, Islam, Nasser, Al Jazeera

A former fundraiser for U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal wire fraud charge, admitting he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide while raising campaign cash for the embattled New York Republican. Miele is the second campaign aide to Santos who took a plea deal in a federal probe. Federal prosecutors say Santos wired some of the money to his personal bank account and used the rest to pad his campaign coffers. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has vowed to clear his name. Santos also recounted what he believed was an attempt by Miele last summer to try to rejoin Santos' campaign.

Persons: George Santos, Sam Miele, Dan Meyer, Kevin McCarthy, Meyer, Miele, Santos, “, Kevin Marino, Marino, ” Miele, Nancy Marks, Marks, ” Santos, Prosecutors Organizations: U.S . Rep, New York Republican, Republican, Federal, U.S, Eastern, of, Federal Elections Commission, Republican Party, Associated Press Locations: Santos, Peace, U.S, of New York, Queens, Long, —

☆ Thousands of student-loan borrowers have one week to file a claim for $16 million in relief from a major private lender. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Those borrowers could be eligible for $16 million in relief if they submit a claim by November 20. AdvertisementAdvertisementThousands of student-loan borrowers have one week to benefit from a recent settlement with a major private lender. In July, Navient agreed to a $198 million settlement with private student-loan borrowers who claimed the lender continued to collect on debts that should have been discharged in bankruptcy. Navient denied any wrongdoing when it agreed to $182 million in debt relief for impacted borrowers, along with $16 million in cash for a settlement class of 4,607 borrowers. AdvertisementAdvertisementBorrowers included in the settlement class have until November 20 to take part in the $16 million in cash relief.

Persons: Navient, — Organizations: Service, Navient, Court, Eastern, of Locations: of New York

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

The company logo for Bitwise Asset Management is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 26, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Thursday charged the co-founders of private technology startup Bitwise Industries for their roles in a $100 million fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitwise filed for bankruptcy protection in June. Hundreds of BitWise employees lost their jobs in May 2023 when the scheme was exposed, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed civil charges against the co-CEOs on Thursday in federal court in California. Reporting by Chris Prentice; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Irma Olguin Jr, Jake Soberal, Bitwise, Olguin, Chris Prentice, Nate Raymond, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Bitwise Asset, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Industries, Securities and Exchange Commission, Eastern, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Eastern District, California

☆ Gambino family Mafia crackdown: 16 arrests by New York feds and Italian authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Federal prosecutors in New York on Wednesday announced the arrests of 10 men allegedly belonging to or associated with the Gambino Mafia family, as well as the arrests in Italy of six other alleged organized crime members and associates. Prosecutors said the Brooklyn defendants, who are charged in a 16-count indictment, committed those crimes as part of an effort to dominate New York's carting and demolition industries. It previously was led by the late notorious boss John Gotti, who died in a federal prison in Missouri in 2002. The defendants arrested in New York on Wednesday included the alleged Gambino captain Joseph "Joe Brooklyn" Lanni. Prosecutors said the arrests were part of a coordinated operation with Italian law enforcement, who arrested the six defendants in Italy on charges that include mafia association and related offenses.

Persons: Gambino, Prosecutors, John Gotti, Joseph, Joe Brooklyn, Diego, Danny, Tantillo, Angelo Gradilone, Fifi, James LaForte, Vito Rappa, Francesco Vicari, Ciccio, Salvatore DiLorenzo, Robert Brooke, Kyle Johnson, Vincent Minsquero, Vinny Slick Organizations: Attorney's, Eastern, of, Federal, Wednesday, Gambino Mafia, Cosa Nostra, Mafia, CNBC PRO Locations: Brooklyn, of New York, New York, Italy, Missouri, Lanni, U.S

☆ Three charged with sending Russia over $7 million in electronics to aid war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three people were arrested in New York City on Tuesday on charges of illegally smuggling millions of dollars' worth of electronics to Russia in order to aid the country's invasion of Ukraine. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov and Kristina Puzyreva of evading sanctions in order to send Russia equipment used in their precision-guided missile systems. The defendants allegedly dispatched hundreds of shipments of restricted items, worth nearly $7.2 million, to Russia over the course of a year. The complaint alleges that the defendants used two corporate entities to source and purchase dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers and distributors, and then secretly export them to Russia. Some of the same types of components were found in Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment that were seized in Ukraine, prosecutors alleged.

Persons: Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, Kristina Puzyreva, Nick Stevens, Matthew Olsen Organizations: Attorney, Eastern, of, Prosecutors, United Arab, Justice Department's National Security Division Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, of New York, Tajikistan, Goltsev, Montreal, Manhattan, Russian, Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, United Arab Emirates, Vitebsk

☆ Man sentenced to prison for tweeting to suppress votes for Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Trump-supporting social media influencer was sentenced to seven months in prison for conspiring to suppress the votes of possibly thousands of people who supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Douglass Mackey, who was 33 when he was convicted in March, was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. Mackey made podcast appearances and social media posts about those beliefs, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said that 99% of the texts received by that number were sent after Mackey first posted a deceptive Hillary advertisement from one of his social media accounts. Andrew Frisch, Mackey's attorney, told CNBC he remained "optimistic" about Mackey's prospects on appeal, which has not yet been taken up.

Persons: influencer, Hillary Clinton, Douglass Mackey, Mackey, Ricky Vaughn, Hillary, Andrew Frisch Organizations: States, Court, Eastern, of, Trump, Prosecutors, CNBC Locations: of New York, Brooklyn, United States

☆ 3 Plead Guilty in $600 Million Catalytic Converter Theft Ring
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Johnny Diaz | More About Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Three members of a California family pleaded guilty for their roles in a “national network of thieves, dealers and processors” that shipped $600 million worth of stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, federal prosecutors said. All three pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, prosecutors said. Tou Sue Vang also pleaded guilty to an additional 39 charges related to money laundering. Todd Leras, a lawyer for Andrew Vang, declined to comment, saying he preferred to do so in court filings. Lawyers for Ms. Moua and Tou Sue Vang did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Persons: Tou Sue Vang, Andrew Vang, Monica Moua, Todd Leras Organizations: Eastern, Eastern District of Locations: California, New Jersey, Sacramento, U.S, Eastern District, Eastern District of California

☆ Rep. George Santos faces 10 new federal charges, including allegations of stealing donors’ identities, running up fraudulent credit card charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Federal prosecutors on Tuesday accused Rep. George Santos of stealing donors’ identities and running up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on their credit cards. This fresh round of charges, called a superseding indictment, effectively replaces the earlier case against Santos. In May, Santos, 35, pleaded not guilty to 13 federal charges. Pressed Tuesday on whether he would resign, Santos said: “No, I will not.”“I did not have access to my phone. I have no clue what you guys are talking about,” Santos told CNN’s Manu Raju when asked about the indictment.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, Santos ’, Nancy Marks, “, ” Marks, Marks, ginning, ” “, ” Santos, CNN’s Manu Raju, ” Organizations: CNN, Federal, New York Republican, Republicans, Santos, of New, Representatives, House, New, Congressional Locations: United States, of New York, Long Island, Queens

Rep. George Santos, the embattled freshman Republican known for fabricating large portions of his resume, was charged Tuesday on 10 new criminal counts, including conspiracy, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud. Federal prosecutors filed a 23-count superseding indictment that comes after Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 charges from the Justice Department in May, which included fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and false statements. Although Santos has repeatedly rebuked the calls for his resignation from the chamber, he stepped down from his committee assignments earlier this year. Still, Santos announced he would seek reelection to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District in 2024. And although McCarthy had pledged to remove Santos should the committee determine he had broken a law, after his ouster as speaker, the future is uncertain.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, “, ”, “ Santos, he’s, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: Republican, Justice Department, Eastern, of, New York Republican, New, Congressional District Locations: of New York

☆ George Santos accused of stealing campaign donors' credit card information and paying his own campaign in new superseding indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Erin Snodgrass | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Federal prosecutors say the New York Republican stole donor credit card information to pay his own campaign. AdvertisementAdvertisementRep. George Santos on Tuesday was hit with 23 new charges of conspiracy, wire and credit card fraud, falsification of records, and aggravated identity theft. In the superseding indictment, officials for the US Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York said the New York Republican stole donor credit card information to pay his own campaign. Officials in the indictment detailed two different schemes they allege Santos used to present his campaign as more financially viable than it actually was then later steal credit card information from donors to pay for his campaign. "On one occasion, Santos charged $12,000 to the Contributor's credit card, ultimately transferring the vast majority of that money into his personal bank account."

Persons: George Santos, Santos, —, Breon Peace, Nancy Marks Organizations: New York Republican, Service, US Attorney's, of, United Locations: Eastern, of New York

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday filed a significant array of additional charges against Representative George Santos of New York, accusing him of new criminal schemes, including stealing the identities and credit card details of donors to his campaign. The new accusations were made in a 23-count superseding indictment that laid out how Mr. Santos had charged his donors’ credit cards “repeatedly, without their authorization,” distributing the money to his and other candidates’ campaigns and to his own bank account. The new indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York added 10 charges against Mr. Santos: conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsifying records to obstruct the commission. The accusations against Mr. Santos, a first-term Republican of New York, seem vastly different from the typical corruption cases that ensnare politicians. Many of those have hinged on intricate quid pro quos and complex legal questions about the nature of a political bribe.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, “ Organizations: of, Federal Locations: George Santos of New York, Eastern, of New York, United States, New York

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., arrives to the U.S. Capitol for a procedural vote on a motion to vacate against Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Federal prosecutors hit Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., with 23 additional charges Tuesday, including allegations of identity theft and that he charged a supporter's credit card in excess of their contribution and then transferred the money to his personal bank account. He's also alleged to have been involved in a credit card scheme where the campaign would charge contributors' credit cards repeatedly and above FEC individual contribution limits. On another occasion, he allegedly "charged $12,000 to the Contributor's credit card, ultimately transferring the vast majority of that money into his personal bank account." Marks pleaded guilty last week to some of the same conduct involving false FEC filings that Santos was charged with Tuesday.

Persons: George Santos, Kevin McCarthy, Prosecutors, Santos, Nancy Marks, Marks, He's, texted Santos Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Federal, Commission, United, Eastern, of, Republican Party, Santos, Prosecutors, United States House, Representatives, NBC News Locations: United States, of New York

☆ George Santos former campaign treasurer to plead guilty in federal court
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The former campaign treasurer to Rep. George Santos of New York will plead guilty Thursday in connection with a criminal case against the Republican congressman, according to a spokesman for prosecutors. That filing said prosecutors will file a so-called information against Marks; such charging documents are routinely used when a defendant has agreed to plead guilty. Santos was charged in May with a 13-count federal indictment in the same court accusing him of campaign finance fraud, money laundering and other crimes. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to say what Marks will plead guilty to. In August, Samuel Miele, a former Santos fundraiser, was charged in the same federal court with impersonating a top aide to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while seeking campaign donations.

Persons: George Santos, Nancy Marks, Marks, Santos, Samuel Miele, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: Republican, Court, U.S, Attorney's, Eastern, of Locations: George Santos of New York, Central Islip , New York, Long, of New York, Nassau County, Queens

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe has recorded 100 suspected deaths from cholera and more than 5,000 possible cases since late last month, prompting the government to impose restrictions to stop the spread of the disease, including limiting numbers at funerals and stopping some social gatherings in affected areas. The health ministry announced the death toll late Wednesday and said 30 of the deaths had been confirmed as from cholera through laboratory tests. Political Cartoons View All 1199 ImagesZimbabwe has often imposed restrictions during its repeated outbreaks of cholera. In southern Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa and Mozambique have all had recent cholera outbreaks. More than 4,000 people died in Zimbabwe's worst cholera outbreak in 2008.

Organizations: —, World Health Organization, ___ AP Locations: HARARE, Zimbabwe, — Zimbabwe, Masvingo, Harare, Africa, Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi's, ___, africa

☆ Judge dismisses lawsuit against McDonald's and Wendy's that claimed their burgers looked much bigger in ads than in real life
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A lawsuit said McDonald's and Wendy's overstated the size of their patties in adverts for nearly every product. A judge just dismissed the lawsuit, saying that the plaintiff didn't prove that the ads would likely mislead a reasonable customer. AdvertisementAdvertisementA judge dismissed a lawsuit that said McDonald's and Wendy's burgers looked much bigger in ads. Wendy's adverts also exaggerated the amount of the toppings its burgers featured, the lawsuit said, without giving specifics. Chimienti said that he'd bought a Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger and a Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger from Wendy's and a Big Mac and a cheeseburger from McDonald's.

Persons: McDonald's, Wendy's, —, Justin Chimienti, Wendy's Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger, Chimienti, he'd, Bacon Cheeseburger, Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger, Hector Gonzalez, Gonzalez Organizations: Service, of, YouTube Locations: Eastern, of New York, Wendy's, McDonald's

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 2 (Reuters) - McDonald's (MCD.N) and Wendy's (WEN.O) have defeated a lawsuit accusing them of deceiving hungry diners by exaggerating the size of their burgers. Chimienti, a resident of Long Island's Suffolk County, said McDonald's and Wendy's ads depicted undercooked beef patties because meat shrinks 25% when cooked. The complaint quoted a food stylist who said she had worked for McDonald's and Wendy's, and preferred undercooked patties because fully-cooked burgers looked "less appetizing." He said McDonald's and Wendy's were not legally obligated to sell burgers by advertising them, and that their websites provided "prominent, objective information" about the burgers' weight and caloric content. McDonald's, Wendy's and their lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests.

Persons: Joshua Roberts, Hector Gonzalez, Justin Chimienti, Wendy's Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger, McDonald's, Chimienti, Wendy's, Gonzalez, Burger King, Taco Bell, Jonathan Stempel, David Gregorio 私たち Organizations: McDonald's Corp, REUTERS, District, Mac, McDonald's, Burger, Restaurant Brands, Yum Brands, Wendy's, Court, Eastern District of Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Brooklyn, Long Island's Suffolk County, Miami, Eastern District, Eastern District of New York, New York

In our view, the companies in the regulators' sights — Alphabet 's (GOOGL) Google, Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) — are not engaged in anti-competitive behavior. In January, the DOJ filed a second, separate antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. MSFT YTD mountain Microsoft YTD U.K. regulators have also hounded the Big Tech name, aiming to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision over cloud gaming concerns. In a showdown years in the making, the FTC last month filed a highly-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against e-commerce giant Amazon. The logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft displayed on a mobile phone and a laptop screen.

Persons: Satya Nadella, —, Nadella, Bing, Jim Cramer, Activision Blizzard, ChatGPT, Morgan Stanley, Joe Biden, Lina Khan, Khan, Jim, Jim Cramer's, Justin Tallis Organizations: Big Tech, Google, Microsoft, Washington D.C, Justice, District of Columbia, DOJ, Eastern, of, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Ubisoft, U.K, Markets Authority, Yale Law, Amazon, CNBC, Apple, Facebook, Getty Locations: Washington, U.S, of Virginia, Virginia, Amazon

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