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☆ A film, websites, and even a Twitter fan account praising Clarence Thomas were all part of a coordinated public relations campaign backed by nonprofit groups tied to a Federalist Society chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But one recent PR campaign has centered on Justice Clarence Thomas, The Washington Post reported. But one more recent campaign was directed at Justice Thomas, who had already spent about three decades on the Court's bench. According to the Post, a nonprofit called the Judicial Education Project paid the lawyer about $300,000 in 2016 for "media projects." "Since his confirmation on October 15, 1991, Justice Thomas has been a stalwart defender of the original meaning of the Constitution." The comment was made years ago in a 2007 biography of Thomas, "Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas."

Persons: Leonard Leo, Clarence Thomas, Leo, Thomas, Anita Hill, Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Mark Paoletta —, Paoletta, HBO's, Len Amato, —, Michael Pack, Ginni Thomas, Harlan Crow, Kentanji Brown, JCN, Leonard Leo's Organizations: Washington Post, Service, The Washington Post, Federalist Society, Post, HBO, Trump White House, Judicial, Project, Politico, Daily, Washington Examiner, Post . Records, CRC, Relations, Advisors, Judicial Crisis, New York Times, Crisis Locations: Wall, Silicon, Virginia, United States, Jackson

☆ Shoppers get set for Amazon Prime Day and competitor sales events as ‘little treat’ lifestyle takes hold
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowPrime Day, competitor sales start soonAmazon's highly anticipated Prime Day starts at 3 a.m. Still, nearly 80% of adults said they intend to shop on Amazon Prime Day, a survey by The Vacationer found. What to buy on Prime DayThe best deals will be on Amazon's own devices, such as 75% off the Amazon Fire TV 43-inch Omni Series. How to take advantage of Prime Day dealsTo take advantage of Prime Day deals, you must be an Amazon Prime member. (CNBC's Select has more on how to avoid the membership fee in time to score Prime Day deals.)

Persons: Amazon's, Matt Kramer, Lauder, Leonard Lauder, Vipin Porwal, it's, Julie Ramhold, Michael M, Ramhold Organizations: Walmart, Target, CNBC, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, DealNews.com, Santiago, Getty Locations: Nordstrom, Sur, New York

☆ Shouldn’t Every Supreme Court Justice Be Matched With a Billionaire Buddy? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

You have set your sights on the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary writ large. You have made it your mission to bring the court back to first principles or at least your first principles. After more than a decade of struggle, despite the occasional setback, you had all the pieces in place: a conservative majority on the Supreme Court and a chance to undo Roe v. Wade. Your conservative justices weren’t as reliable as you thought. But Leo, who is responsible for at least a third of the membership of the current Supreme Court, is our pioneer.

Persons: Roe, Wade, weren’t, —, — Leonard Leo, Casey, Leo Organizations: Supreme

☆ Opinion | What Makes Trump Act That Way? A Psychiatrist and a Psychologist Weigh In.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Donald Trump never apologizes, acknowledges a mistake or appears to reflect on his role in the creation of his recurrent difficulties. This is the central problem that other mental health experts and I addressed in our 2017 book “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” and is what makes him unfit to hold high office. He has to be right, never needs to learn from his mistakes, and must protect his inflated and fragile self-image above all else, including the nation’s security. He is always the victim, never having had a hand in the creation of his own dilemmas. The writer is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Persons: Donald Trump, Donald Trump ”, Leonard L, Glass Organizations: Harvard Medical School Locations: Glass Newton

☆ Ron DeSantis is drawing from the Trump Supreme Court playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appeared for the first time before the Florida Federalist Society in January 2020, Florida Gov. Some of DeSantis’ state court appointees became Trump federal court appointees, and their entire approach to the bench is fueled by Federalist Society figures like Leo. WaPo: Supreme Court justice's wife received thousands in 'hidden payments' 01:49 - Source: CNNUsing the Trump playbookBy using Leo for advice on state judicial appointments, DeSantis already is following a Trump playbook. He has filled a majority of the seats on the seven-member Florida Supreme Court, some twice over. Midway through his term, he wrote on Twitter, “The Supreme Court was one of the main reasons I got elected President.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Ron DeSantis, Thomas, Leonard Leo, Leo, Donald Trump’s, DeSantis, “, ” Leo, Ginni Thomas, ”, ProPublica’s, Thomas ’, Harlan Crow, Octavio Jones, Roe, Wade, Sullivan, Don McGahn, Gregory Katsas, Trump, ” DeSantis, ” Thomas, Katsas, WaPo, DeSantis ’, Jesse Panuccio, ” Panuccio, Barbara Lagoa, Robert Luck, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lagoa, Amy Coney Barrett, “ I’ve, Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Barack Obama’s, Antonin Scalia Organizations: CNN, Florida Federalist Society, Florida Gov, Disney, Federalist Society, White, Harvard Law School, Politico, Representatives, Trump White House, Republican, Trump, Republicans, DeSantis, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Press, GOP, New York Times, US, DC Circuit, Gov, Orlando Federalist Society, Appeals, Circuit, Florida Supreme, Twitter Locations: Florida, Iowa, ’, Washington, Georgia, America, New Hampshire

☆ High-stakes game of keeping secrets on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Citadel Securities' trading strategies? Look no further than a recently filed lawsuit by Citadel Securities against two former employees, per Bloomberg. The suit, which you can read here, alleges the former employees were building a competing high-frequency trading firm while still employed and used trade secrets gained while at Citadel Securities. Portofino told Bloomberg that the Citadel Securities lawsuit was "corporate bullying" and that it would defend itself. On the one hand, trading firms invest a lot of money — check out some salary ranges here — in developing these strategies.

☆ Jane Roberts' anti-abortion advocacy helped her husband, Chief Justice John Roberts, land his spot on the Supreme Court years before Roe v. Wade was overturned
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Chief Justice John Roberts' wife's anti-abortion advocacy once helped bolster his judicial career. Details of Jane Roberts' work, though not new, are worth revisiting in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade's reversal. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and his wife Jane exit the funeral service for Antonin Scalia. Jane Roberts' advocacy and public political beliefs ultimately helped convince two conservative legal power players, Leonard Leo and Jay Sekulow, to publicly advocate for John Roberts' confirmation, according to the Times. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty ImagesAt the time of John Roberts' nomination, liberals feared he might pose a threat to Roe v. Wade.

☆ Kellyanne Conway is now caught up in Clarence Thomas' latest ethics scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kellyanne Conway helped route a payment to Clarence Thomas' wife, Ginni Thomas, according to the Washington Post. It's the latest ethics scandal to hit Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. According to a report from the Washington Post, conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo wanted to send thousands of dollars to Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, the wife of Clarence Thomas, in 2012. Though Justice Thomas didn't cite the nonprofit's brief, he did vote in favor of the side they supported. The silent payment to Ginni Thomas is the latest in a series of ethical concerns to surface surrounding Justice Thomas' financial affairs, including his cozy relationship with billionaire Harlan Crow, who paid for lavish vacations, bought Thomas' mother's house, and paid for his child's education.

☆ Clarence Thomas' wife Ginni was paid nearly $100,000 for 'consulting' by a nonprofit that ended up filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A conservative activist helped Ginni Thomas rake in nearly $100,000 for consulting, The Washington Post reported. Conservative lawyer Leonard Leo reportedly ensured Ginni Thomas' name was kept off the paperwork. Leo's nonprofit filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court that same year. Ginni Thomas has previously courted controversy with her public, pro-Trump activities, and other conservative activism. Neither Ginni Thomas, nor a representative for the Supreme Court immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.

☆ A law school named after the late Antonin Scalia is a haven for conservative Supreme Court justices to enjoy lavish treatment, New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Antonin Scalia Law School at the Virginia-based George Mason University was renamed in 2016. The renaming was part of a plan to help its reputation by getting closer to the Supreme Court. Justices were given notable benefits to teach there, emails obtained by The New York Times reveal. This desire to keep Supreme Court leadership on their roster even superseded scandals the judges faced. The Antonin Scalia Law School and a spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ As part of the ‘cocktail culture,' consumers are still splurging on dinner and drinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Sticker shock" has taken a toll, the report found, with consumers more likely to walk away from a purchase because the price is too high. Further, when it comes to discretionary spending, adults are more likely to treat themselves to dinner out or premium spirits rather than cosmetics. Consumers in the U.S. are four times more likely to have said their latest splurge purchase was food and beverages over personal care, Deloitte found. "Despite the tough economy, consumers continued to enjoy premium spirits and fine cocktails," Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said in a statement. "Cocktail culture continues to thrive in the United States," Swonger said.

☆ The attorney featured in the painting that shows Clarence Thomas at one of the undisclosed vacations just published an article arguing that the Supreme Court justice did not have to report the trips
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Earlier this month, ProPublica reported on Justice Clarence Thomas's undisclosed luxury trips. Mark Paoletta, a partner at Schaeer Jaffe and close friend of Thomas, wrote in the right-leaning National Review article published Thursday arguing that Thomas had "acted properly and consistent with the rules" of financial disclosures for Supreme Court Justices. But the attorney is also featured in a painting that was commissioned by Crow and depicts Thomas vacationing at the luxury resort that is central to the renewed scrutiny of Thomas' financial disclosure forms. Sharif Tarabay, the artist of the painting, told ProPublica that the piece depicts a moment at Topridge from about five years ago. But that is immaterial to the conclusion that Justice Thomas had no obligation to disclose these innocuous trips," Paoletta wrote.

☆ Why economists study hemline lengths and men's underwear sales for clues we could be headed for a recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The creation of the lipstick index is widely attributed to Leonard Lauder, one of the billionaire heirs to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune. Back in 2001, when the US economy was in the throes of a recession, Lauder noticed that lipstick sales were actually rising, not falling. Lauder's theory was that lipstick sales and the health of the economy were in inverse proportion to one another — essentially, as the economy got worse, lipstick sales got better. The lipstick index has borne out several times throughout history. Still, lipstick probably isn't a reliable recession indicator — there are plenty of times when cosmetics sales have boomed during times of relative economic prosperity and dipped during downturns.

☆ Clarence Thomas secretly went on lavish vacations in luxury jets and superyachts paid for by a GOP megadonor, report reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A ProPublica report found Clarence Thomas has been taking vacations paid for by a GOP megadonor. A Supreme Court spokesperson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Thursday. "Justice Thomas and Ginni never asked for any of this hospitality," Crow said. "We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue," he added. And unlike the rest of the federal judiciary, the Supreme Court is not bound by a code of conduct.

☆ The 'lipstick index' strikes again: Beauty shoppers are still spending big, even as US consumers dial back on everything else
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Beauty sales are bucking a trend of declining consumer spending in other categories. The strength in beauty is reflecting a long-held retail indicator called the "lipstick index." Consumers are spending more on beauty in general, with over a third of survey respondents saying they spent over $500 on beauty products in the past year, up from a quarter the year prior, according to Inmar Intelligence. Other beauty retail partnerships, like Sephora and Kohl's, are getting a boost from the lipstick indexUlta and Target aren't the only retailers seeing beauty products fly off the shelves. In fact, the allure of Sephora is so strong that it's helped buoy same-store sales for Kohl's and draw younger consumers.

☆ Republicans stoke 2024 culture wars by attacking Biden's socially conscious investing rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A brewing fight over socially conscious investing appears to be a preview of 2024 attack lines. The GOP's ongoing battle against environmental, social and corporate governance issues seems to be picking up steam ahead of the next presidential election, with Senate Republicans unanimously opposed to government involvement in personal investments. "If there's some other social goals, that'd be run through government, not through investing," Johnson told Insider between Senate votes. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, who is running Senate Republicans' reelection arm for the 2024 cycle, declined to comment on whether an anti-ESG plank would be part of that campaign. "Stay focused on investors and shareholders, not on stakeholders," Daines told Insider before being whisked away by the Senate subway.

☆ McDonald’s Ruling Shifts Oversight Liability Focus to Corporate Officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

Photo: McDonald’sThe ruling by Vice Chancellor Laster focuses on the claims against Mr. Fairhurst specifically. At the time of his termination, Mr. Fairhurst had been the subject of multiple reports of sexual harassment during his tenure, according to the Delaware ruling. Emerging oversight liabilityThe legal doctrine driving the McDonald’s shareholder lawsuit extends back to a 1996 Delaware Court of Chancery decision. The ultimate impact of Judge Laster’s ruling vis-à-vis McDonald’s shareholders is as of yet unclear. If the judge approves the McDonald’s directors’ motion to dismiss, the claims against Mr. Fairhurst would be moot.

India's largest ever secondary share sale attracted participation from anchor investors including Maybank Securities and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, as well as India's HDFC Life Insurance and state-backed Life Insurance Corporation (LIFI.NS). By Tuesday the overall share sale was fully subscribed as foreign institutional investors and corporate funds flooded in, although participation by retail investors and Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) employees remained low. Support for Adani's share sale came even as the flagship's shares closed at 2,973.9 rupees, up nearly 3% but below the lower end of the sale price band of 3,112 rupees. So, what happens to one particular corporate group, is a matter between the market and the corporate group." Reuters GraphicsHindenburg said in its report it had shorted U.S.-bonds and non-India traded derivatives of the Adani Group.

☆ Adani rides out storm as investors rally behind $2.5 billion share sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But on Tuesday, the overall share sale was fully subscribed as foreign institutional investors and corporates pumped in funds, although participation by retail investors and Adani Enterprises employees remained low. That sparked $65 billion in cumulative losses for stocks of the Adani group, which called the report baseless. The support for Adani's share sale came even as the flagship's shares closed at 2,973.9 rupees, up nearly 3% but below the lower end of the sale price band of 3,112 rupees. Demand mostly came from foreign institutional investors, as well as corporates who bid in excess of 1 million rupees each, data showed. Adani Transmission closed nearly 4% higher on Tuesday after losing 38% since the Hindenburg report, while Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone climbed 2.6%.

☆ Instant View: Adani's $2.5 billion offer rides out share storm with investor backing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

COMMENTARYAMBAREESH BALIGA, INDEPENDENT MARKET ANALYST, MUMBAI"The FPO did get subscribed, thanks to a few institutional as well as large family offices. DEEPAK JASANI, HEAD OF RETAIL RESEARCH, HDFC SECURITIES, MUMBAI"For Indian markets, one of the concern areas is out of the way for the time being as this was weighing on investor sentiment. Since the current market price is below the offer price, the retail subscription was low as investors can rather buy it from the market." That was their focus area considering the fact that there was a difference between the market price and the floor price of the FPO. It seems that retail investors did not consider the fact that there is more to rates than just the price."

[1/5] Indian billionaire Gautam Adani speaks during an inauguration ceremony after the Adani Group completed the purchase of Haifa Port earlier in January 2023, in Haifa port, Israel January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Amir CohenSummarySummary Companies Adani scripts comeback by completing share saleKey $2.5 billion share sale fully subscribed-dataShort-seller's report led to fall in Adani sharesMUMBAI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Gautam Adani's crucial $2.5 billion share sale was fully subscribed on Tuesday as investors pumped funds into his flagship firm, despite a $65 billion rout in the Indian billionaire's stocks sparked by a short-seller's report. Support for Adani's share sale came even as the flagship's shares closed at 2,973.9 rupees, up nearly 3% but below the lower end of the sale price band of 3,112 rupees. So, what happens to one particular corporate group, is a matter between the market and the corporate group." Hindenburg said in its report it had shorted U.S.-bonds and non-India traded derivatives of the Adani Group.

☆ Asia's richest person doubles down on defence against fraud allegations ahead of a massive share sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It aimed to address some of Hindenburg's allegations of market manipulation and accounting fraud. Shares of listed Adani Group companies are extending steep declines on Friday, following the report. The allegations in Hindenburg's bombshell Tuesday report could not have come at a more inopportune moment for Adani group. A secondary share sale of Adani Enterprises — the flagship business of the Adani business empire founded by Asia's richest person, Gautam Adani, is currently underway. Shares of Adani Group companies are taking a beatingOn Friday, shares of Adani Enterprises were 15.4% lower at 3.42 a.m.

WASHINGTON — Conservative hard-liners are consolidating power in the narrow new House majority, presenting early challenges for Republicans in swing districts ahead of the 2024 election as Democrats seek to paint the entire party as beholden to extremists. Twenty House GOP hard-liners have set the tone, extracting a series of concessions from Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to change House rules while securing plum committee assignments and winning assurances about advancing their legislative priorities. “If you can’t win independent voters, you can’t win elections.”Democrats are targeting 25 districts to win back the House majority next year, including 18 Republican-held seats that Biden carried in 2020. In the narrow Republican majority, McCarthy has only four votes to spare before he requires Democratic support to pass measures. Lance, the former congressman, argued that renominating former President Donald Trump could cost Republicans the House.

☆ America’s richest lost $660 billion collectively in 2022 — Elon Musk lost the most
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Globally, the world's billionaires lost nearly $2 trillion, combined, in 2022, according to Forbes. Jeff BezosTitle: Founder and chair, AmazonEstimated 2022 losses: -$80 billionNet worth: $106.8 billion as of Dec. 272. Mark ZuckerbergTitle: Co-founder, Meta Platforms (Facebook's parent company)Estimated 2022 losses: -$78 billionNet worth: $42.7 billion as of Dec. 273. Larry PageTitle: Co-founder and board member, GoogleEstimated 2022 losses: -$40 billionNet worth: $76.8 billion as of Dec. 274. Phil KnightTitle: Chair, NikeEstimated 2022 losses: -$18.3 billionNet worth: $45.2 billion as of Dec. 275.

☆ The Lipstick Index Is Back
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lipstick is one of the few beauty products where sales are up versus before the pandemic. Masks off, lipstick index on. In a gloomy economy, consumers might cut back on other discretionary purchases but will keep shelling out for small luxuries such as lipstick—or so goes the theory. “When lipstick sales go up, people don’t want to buy dresses,” Leonard Lauder , then-chairman of Estée Lauder who is widely credited for coming up with the so-called “lipstick index,” told The Wall Street Journal in 2001.

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