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NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Donald Trump and his namesake company have settled a lawsuit by protesters who said his security guards violently attacked them while they were demonstrating outside Trump Tower in September 2015 over his statements about immigration. Trump, the Trump Organization and the plaintiffs agreed to dismiss the seven-year-old lawsuit over the alleged assault in a joint filing on Wednesday with a New York state court in the Bronx. The Sept. 3, 2015, incident at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan occurred 2-1/2 months after Trump, while announcing his first White House run, complained about immigrants being sent to the United States by Mexico. "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists," Trump said. Like some other lawsuits against Trump, the protesters' case was delayed in part because Trump was president.

☆ Jury begins deliberating in Trump ally Barrack's 'foreign agent' trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He argues that even when his interests aligned with the UAE's, he was acting on his own accord and not subject to Abu Dhabi's direction. Barrack's lawyers did not dispute that he had been in touch with Emirati officials and occasionally sought their feedback, but they said any impact on U.S. policy or public opinion was insignificant. Sam Nitze, a prosecutor, countered in a rebuttal that Emirati officials were "thrilled" at Barrack's comments about the country and its leaders during television interviews. He said the law was designed to make sure the U.S. government knew when someone was acting as a "mouthpiece" for a foreign government. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 2 (Reuters) - A Florida judge was due to formally sentence Nikolas Cruz, the man who killed 17 students and staff with a semi-automatic rifle at a school in Parkland, to life in prison on Wednesday. A jury voted last month to spare Cruz, 24, the death penalty, instead choosing life in prison without possibility of parole for one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Cruz pleaded guilty last year to premeditated murder, then faced the three-month penalty trial earlier this year. A number of victims' relatives castigated the jury's decision and criticized a state law requirement that all 12 jurors be unanimous in order to sentence a convicted person to be executed. Many victims' relatives directly addressed Cruz, who sat inscrutable behind large spectacles and a COVID-19 mask at a table alongside his public defenders.

Nov 1 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order against an Arizona group being sued over voter intimidation, banning members from coming within 75 feet of a ballot drop box, following voters or harassing them. The lawsuit was filed last week after two people were seen wearing military gear and allegedly carrying weapons while monitoring a drop box in Maricopa County, Arizona. In his order on Tuesday, Liburdi said the group and its representatives were also banned from speaking to or yelling at voters unless they were spoken to or yelled at first. He also forbade them from openly carrying firearms wtihin 250 feet of a ballot drop box. He also ordered the group to post on the conservative Truth Social website and social media platform a statement that it is not always illegal to drop multiple ballots at a drop-box.

Nov 1 (Reuters) - FedEx Corp (FDX.N) said it would ask a federal judge in Texas to throw out or reduce a jury's $366 million damages award to a Black former employee who accused the company of disciplining and firing her after she complained about racial discrimination. In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, FedEx said it was expecting the Oct. 25 award by a Houston jury to Jennifer Harris of $1.16 million in compensatory damages and $365 million in punitive damages to be reduced. The package delivery company said that under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, punitive damages are normally capped at less than 10 times compensatory damages, with a multiple closer to one being appropriate when compensatory damages are substantial. FedEx said it believed any payout up to $75 million would be covered by insurance, subject to a $10 million retention. She said she later reported discrimination by her supervisor to FedEx's human resources department, leading to a letter complaining about her "unacceptable performance," a written warning, and her termination in January 2020.

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Dollar General Corp (DG.N), one of the largest U.S. discount retailers, was sued on Tuesday by Ohio, which accused the company of charging shoppers more at the register than it advertised on store shelves. Dave Yost, the state's attorney general, said Ohio lets stores have error rates on overcharges as high as 2% but that testing last month at 20 Dollar General stores found error rates ranging from 16.7% to 88.2%. "This seems like a company trying to make an extra buck and hoping no one will notice," Yost said in a statement. Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Graham had appealed to the Supreme Court after the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. 'UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE'Prosecutors sought Graham's testimony about phone calls he made to Georgia election officials in the weeks after Trump, a Republican, lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden. Graham has "unique knowledge" regarding communications "involved in the multi-state, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere," the prosecutors added. During the phone call, Trump urged Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his Georgia loss to Biden. Legal experts have said Trump's phone calls may have violated at least three Georgia election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

☆ Trump ally Barrack traded access for UAE money, prosecutors say as trial nears end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, exits the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., October 3, 2022. Abu Dhabi then invested $374 million from its sovereign wealth funds with Barrack, prosecutors say. "Mr. Barrack traded his political access for a long-term relationship with top UAE officials ... who controlled vast oil wealth," Ryan Harris, an assistant U.S. attorney, told jurors on Tuesday. Barrack himself took the stand last week, testifying that he never agreed to act at Abu Dhabi's direction or control. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies U.S. House of Representatives FollowWASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday temporarily blocked a U.S. House of Representatives committee from gaining access to former President Donald Trump's tax returns, effectively pausing the fight over a request from lawmakers that he claims is politically motivated. Roberts ordered the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee to respond to Trump's bid by Nov. 10. The legal fight has lingered since 2019 when the committee sued Trump to force disclosure of the tax returns. Trump was the first president in four decades years not to release his tax returns as he aimed to keep secret the details of his wealth and the activities of his company, the Trump Organization. The committee's purpose is "exposing President Trump's tax information to the public for the sake of exposure," the lawyers added.

Critics say Tesla's claims and Autopilot have contributed to accidents – and deaths - by making drivers inattentive. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Tesla itself should face criminal charges over its self-driving claims, Reuters reported. The car's Autopilot system, which can control speed, braking and steering, was engaged at the time of the crash. The family of Gilberto Lopez is suing Tesla with trial scheduled for July. "The narrative of Tesla potentially shifts from this innovative tech company doing cool things to this company just mired in legal trouble.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The man accused of beating U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer during a struggle in the couple's San Francisco home was expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday. DePape was arrested by San Francisco police after Paul Pelosi placed an emergency 911 call reporting an intruder, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the federal case. Authorities said police officers arriving at the Pelosi home saw DePape and Pelosi struggling over a hammer. The state charges are punishable by a prison sentence of 13 years to life. The federal charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 50 years, the Justice Department said in a statement announcing the charges.

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Grieving relatives of the 17 students and teachers killed in a 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, confronted the killer, Nikolas Cruz, with tearful, angry words as his sentencing hearing began on Tuesday. The jury voted to spare Cruz from the death penalty for one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, a decision several survivors' relatives decried in court as injustice. [1/4] Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz enters the courtroom for the sentencing hearing in Cruz’s trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, U.S. on Monday, Nov. 1, 2022. Cruz was 19 at the time of his attack and had been expelled from the school. Florida law requires that Scherer must follow the jury's recommendation in formally sentencing Cruz.

Republicans, who have largely embraced former President Donald Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 election, say the measures are necessary to ensure election integrity. Some states' laws restricted mail-in voting one way while easing it other ways. Proponents of limiting mail-in voting say it adds to the cost of running elections and creates more opportunities for ballots to be intercepted by unintended recipients who might fraudulently cast them. Advocates of expanding mail-in voting say limiting it hinders voters who cannot go to a polling place. Advocates of the laws say they are necessary for ensuring only eligible voters are kept on the list, whereas opponents say the laws make it harder for voters to know they have been removed or remedy wrongful removals.

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) said on Monday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has begun investigating its hiring practices, after the Department of Justice had opened a related probe. In its quarterly report filed with the SEC, the fourth-largest U.S. bank said both agencies "have undertaken formal or informal inquiries or investigations regarding the company's hiring practices related to diversity." Wells Fargo drew scrutiny in June when it suspended a policy requiring that it interview a "diverse" group of people for some jobs, with half of the candidates being female or nonwhite. In reinstating the policy, Wells Fargo said on Aug. 1 it had interviewed recruiters and hiring managers to assess ways to improve hiring diversity, without the alleged abuses. read moreThe SEC can pursue civil cases, while the Justice Department has criminal enforcement power.

Prosecutors have charged two Trump Organization units with cheating tax authorities over a 15-year period. Lawyers for the two Trump Organization units said Weisselberg cheated on taxes to benefit himself, not the company. To prove the Trump Organization is guilty, prosecutors must show that a "high managerial agent" of the company - in this case, Weisselberg - acted in his official capacity. He and others also got paid bonuses from other Trump Organization entities as contractors, rather than as employees. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has rejected the argument that the Trump Organization was targeted for selective prosecution.

REUTERS/Go NakamuraNEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump's real estate company cheated tax authorities over a 15-year period, a New York prosecutor told a jury on Monday in her opening statement in the Trump Organization's criminal tax fraud trial. The Trump Organization has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the Trump Organization - which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world - could face up to $1.6 million in fines. It could also further complicate the real estate firm's ability to do business. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has rejected the argument that the Trump Organization was targeted for selective prosecution.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in his fight to prevent a U.S. House of Representatives committee from gaining access to his tax returns for reasons he claims are politically motivated. Trump filed an emergency request to put on hold a lower court ruling against the Republican former president that upheld the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee's request for the tax materials as a justified part of its legislative work while his attorneys prepare an appeal. Reporting by Andrew Chung in Washington and Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Opening statements are set for Monday in the criminal case accusing former President Donald Trump's real estate company of a 15-year tax fraud. If convicted, the company - which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world - could face up to $1.6 million in fines. It could also further complicate the real estate firm's ability to do business. But in a pretrial hearing this month, a Trump Organization lawyer accused Weisselberg of lying, an indication of the bind the company finds itself in. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has rejected the argument that the Trump Organization was targeted for selective prosecution.

According to Harvard, around 40% of U.S. colleges and universities consider race in some fashion in admissions. The Supreme Court has been upheld such policies, most recently in a 2016 ruling involving a white woman who sued after the University of Texas rejected her. Ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could require the court to overturn its 2016 ruling and earlier decisions. 'DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION'The lawsuits accused UNC of discriminating against white and Asian American applicants and Harvard of discriminating against Asian American applicants. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Harvard's use of race was "meaningful" and not "impermissibly extensive" because it prevented diversity from plummeting.

Under the decades-old policy, defendants who settle without admitting to allegations must agree not to publicly deny them. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams took said in a ruling that requiring "gag orders" clashes with the constitutional protection of free speech. The SEC has defended the policy, saying that defendants are free to challenge allegations in court instead of settle. Circuit Court of Appeals have criticized the policy, no court has ruled against the SEC. The case is SEC v, Moraes, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The judge in the criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump's real estate company on charges of tax fraud set opening statements for Monday after the conclusion of jury selection on Friday with six alternates named to the panel. Weisselberg in August pleaded guilty and will testify for the prosecution. The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world, could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts it faces, if convicted. Those selected as alternate jurors included several who expressed dislike for Trump, including one who described some of his comments as "racist" and another who called him "offensive" and "degrading." Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges including grand larceny and tax fraud while admitting to concealing $1.76 million in income.

[1/2] Police clear the U.S. Capitol Building with tear gas as supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside, in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File PhotoOct 28 (Reuters) - A former U.S. Capitol Police officer was convicted on Friday of obstructing an FBI investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by deleting Facebook messages he sent to a rioter afterward, federal prosecutors said. Jurors deadlocked on a second obstruction of justice count against Riley, prosecutors said. The obstruction of justice conviction carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, although federal sentencing guidelines typically call for less time behind bars. Prosecutors say Riley was not on duty at the Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6 but became aware of the events there.

REUTERS/Michael Patacsil/WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has rejected a request for a temporary restraining order against a group accused of alleged voter intimidation, according to a ruling released on Friday. Judge Michael Liburdi, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to the federal court in Arizona, rejected the request against Clean Elections USA and its founder, Melody Jennings. A lawyer who represented Clean Elections USA and Jennings in a hearing earlier this week did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He also dismissed Voto Latino from the case, stating he did not think the organization proved it would be harmed financially by Clean Election USA's actions. "We continue to believe that Clean Elections USA's intimidation and harassment is unlawful."

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Leading consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to settle claims by hundreds of U.S. local governments and school districts around the country that it fueled an epidemic of opioid addiction through its work for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and other drug companies. The deal was disclosed in a court filing Wednesday evening in San Francisco federal court. Its terms were not made public, and McKinsey and a lawyer for the settling plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. McKinsey previously agreed to pay more than $600 million to settle opioid claims brought by all U.S. states and territories, and had argued that those settlements should shield it from local governments' and school districts' lawsuits. Purdue is in bankruptcy and is seeking to resolve opioid claims against it through a proposed $6 billion settlement funded by members of its founding Sackler family.

☆ Barrack testifies he told Trump to use Khashoggi murder to end Qatar blockade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barrack, 75, is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, but the country is close with the UAE. U.S. intelligence says the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler. The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others began in 2017. Prosecutors say that during the blockade, Barrack told Rashid Al Malik - an associate also accused of being an Emirati agent - that the United States was considering hosting a summit to resolve the conflict. Al Malik, who is at large, then told UAE officials about the possible meeting, prosecutors say.

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