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☆ Justices Reject, for Now, Missouri’s Effort to Override Federal Gun Laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Adam Liptak | More About Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court refused on Friday to reinstate an expansive Missouri law that restricted state and local law enforcement agencies from enforcing federal gun laws and allowed private lawsuits against law enforcement agencies that violated the state’s understanding of the Second Amendment. The court’s brief order gave no reasons, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications asking them to intervene in an early stage of litigation. An appeal of a judge’s ruling striking down the law will proceed, and the case could again reach the Supreme Court after that appeal is decided. The Missouri law, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, was enacted in 2021 and had several unusual provisions. One declared various kinds of federal laws — including ones requiring the registration of weapons and making gun dealers keep records — to be “infringements on the people’s right to keep and bear arms.”A second provision prohibited the state from hiring former federal employees who had enforced such laws or given “material aid and support” to efforts to enforce them.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, ” Locations: Missouri

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. Wells Fargo, which has reduced headcount for every quarter since the third quarter of 2020, said it still sees more opportunities for layoffs. Investment banking powerhouse Morgan Stanley also disclosed a near 2% drop in its total headcount on Wednesday, compared to the prior quarter. At the investment banks Goldman and Morgan Stanley expenses rose 18% and 5% in the quarter, compared to a year earlier. The bank in January dismissed 3,200 employees, its biggest round of layoffs since the 2008 financial crisis.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jeremy Barnum, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Thomas DiNapoli, Goldman Sachs, Denis Coleman, That's, Coleman, Manya Saini, Niket, Lananh Nguyen, David Evans Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, JPMorgan, PNC Financial, Citigroup, Bank of America, Investment, Banks, Citi, Goldman, BofA, PNC, New York, GOLDMAN, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Wells Fargo, Wells, GOLDMAN SACHS BUCKS, headcount

☆ Wall St bonuses may drop 16% as higher rates threaten businesses - NY Comptroller
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Wall Street sign is pictured at the New York Stock exchange (NYSE) in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Wall Street bonuses could fall 16% this year as interest rates possibly staying higher for longer threatens the performance of financial companies, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The drop, however, would be less sharp than last year's 26% decline that shrank bonuses to $176,700 on average. While higher-for-longer rates could impede business activity, some experts have predicted the central bank would manage to guide the economy to a soft landing. Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Thomas DiNapoli, DiNapoli, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Niket, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock, REUTERS, New York, Federal, Securities, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, New York City, Bengaluru

☆ A woman who was accidentally given abortion pills by a pharmacy when she was undergoing IVF said her plans to have a big family were shattered
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tamika Thomas was mistakenly given the abortion pill misoprostol by CVS Pharmacy employees. Thomas was undergoing IVF treatment and had her pregnancy abruptly ended after taking the pill. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Las Vegas woman who was undergoing IVF treatment had her pregnancy abruptly ended after she was accidentally given abortion pills by CVS Pharmacy employees, local TV station 8 News Now reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut a mix-up at the CVS counter meant she received the abortion pill misoprostol instead. Earlier this year, CVS and Walgreens said they planned to offer the abortion pill mifepristone over the counter in states where it's legal.

Persons: Tamika Thomas, Thomas, that'll, Roe, Wade Organizations: CVS Pharmacy, Morning, National Health Service, CVS, Nevada State, of Pharmacy, Walgreens, US

"We're disappointed, of course," Anthony Caso, a lawyer for Eastman, said of the court's decision not to hear the appeal. In decisions in 2022, U.S. District Court Judge David Carter in Santa Ana ordered certain emails to be turned over, including those related to court efforts by Trump and Eastman to delay congressional certification of Biden's victory. Carter ruled that Trump and Eastman had "more likely than not" committed a crime in trying to obstruct Congress. Eastman has sought to erase the judge's determination that the "crime-fraud" exception applied to some of the emails. Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to face Biden in the 2024 election.

Persons: John Eastman, Yuri Gripas, Donald Trump's, Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Eastman, Virginia, Ginni, We're, Anthony Caso, Trump's, Joe Biden's, David Carter, Trump, Carter, Mike Pence, Pence, Biden, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: National Organization, IRS, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Supreme, Conservative, Washington Post, Democratic, Capitol, Trump . Eastman, Chapman University, Trump, Eastman, San, Circuit, Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington, California, U.S, Santa Ana, San Francisco, Georgia's Fulton County

☆ Clarence Thomas recuses as Supreme Court rejects appeal by Trump lawyer John Eastman
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the formal group photograph at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to take an appeal by former Trump lawyer John Eastman related to emails of his turned over to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Justice Clarence Thomas was not involved in considering or deciding Eastman's request that the Supreme Court toss lower court rulings related to the emails, the court said in declining to hear the case. Thomas' recusal, which was not explained, is the first time he has removed himself from a case involving the Jan. 6 insurrection by a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, WASHINGTON —, Trump, John Eastman, Thomas ' recusal, Donald Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Capitol, Supreme Locations: Washington , DC

☆ NASA’s next stop: An asteroid named for the Egyptian god of chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —After a nearly 4 billion-mile round trip, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully delivered NASA’s first asteroid sample to Earth. Across the universeAn artist's rendering shows OSIRIS-APEX kicking up dust so it can study Apophis. The space rock — named for the Egyptian god of chaos and darkness — was once considered to be one of the most potentially hazardous asteroid threats to Earth. Courtesy Narin ChomphuphuangA newly described tarantula species looks like it would be right at home slinging webs alongside Spider-Man. The electric blue tarantula, named Taksinus bambus, was found living in tree hollows in southern Thailand last year.

Persons: REx, NASA’s, Brian May, OSIRIS, —, Thomas Dressler, Frank Rubio, Rubio, Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin, readjusting, “, ”, José Hernández, Taksinus bambus, Narin Chomphuphuang, James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Space Center, APEX, University of Arizona, Western, Soyuz, Space Station, NASA, Kaen University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Utah, Houston, Israel, Greece, Namibia, Southern, Spain, Thailand

[1/4] Residents in vehicles attempt to leave the city of Stepanakert following a military operation conducted by Azerbaijani armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, September 24, 2023. Whatever the history and the lack of independent reports on events inside the isolated territory, several international legal experts believe the mass flight fits the legal definition of a war crime. For Azerbaijan, however, retaking control of Nagorno-Karabakh helps to redress the traumas of 1988-94. "It would almost assuredly result in the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the widespread commission of genocidal atrocities, reflecting those committed in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020 and subsequent hostilities," it said. "If the Armenians of Artsakh were to be displaced ... it would result in the genocidal destruction of a people, as the Artsakh Armenians would lose their distinct identity."

Persons: Vladimir, Hikmet Hajiyev, Ilham Aliyev, Priya Pillai, Melanie O'Brien, Pillai, O'Brien, Luis Moreno Ocampo, it's, Thomas de Waal, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg, Andrew Grey, David Lewis, Kevin Liffey Organizations: HAGUE, University of Minnesota, International Association of, Big, International Criminal Court, ICC, Lemkin Institute for Genocide, Thomson Locations: Stepanakert, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russian, Azerbaijan, Republic of Artsakh, Soviet Union, Armenia, Yerevan, Brussels, Baku, Peace, Artsakh, Nairobi

☆ Ryder Cup 2023: How to watch Team USA’s attempt to finally end 30 years of hurt in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Scottie Scheffler was not even born the last time the United States won a Ryder Cup on European soil. Chris Cole/Getty ImagesHow to watchPromising “one of the most sophisticated broadcast operations in Ryder Cup history,” organizers have said the action is to be beamed to 201 countries across the globe. Fans in selected regions will also be able to watch featured groups live on the Ryder Cup website and app. For more information on how to watch, check the Ryder Cup website here. ET (10:35 a.m. BST), where every member of the team is sent out to fight for decisive points.

Persons: Scottie Scheffler, Marco Simone Golf, Tom Watson, Bernard Gallacher’s, Zach Johnson, it’s, Luke Donald, Watson, Chris Cole, Ryder, Johnson, Justin Thomas, Carl Recine, –, Rory McIlroy, Donald, Andrew Redington, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Xander Schauffele Captain’s, Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas Team, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Robert MacIntyre Captain’s, Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Nicolai Højgaard, Ludvig Aberg Organizations: CNN, United States, Ryder, USA, Marco Simone Golf Club, US, USA Network, NBC, Sky Sports, Solheim, British, Irish, Team Europe, Team USA, Justin Thomas Team Europe Locations: Rome, Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, Warwickshire, Europe, Spain, United

☆ Clarence Thomas spent time at the Koch Brothers' version of Coachella. Something tells us they weren't making each other flower crowns.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new ProPublica report uncovered another undisclosed trip made by SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas. Either way, in 2018, the controversial judge flew into California's Coachella Valley for one of the snazziest events of the year. Of course, the event Thomas went to had nothing to do with the beloved music festival. Per the publication, a network of nonprofits handled by Charles Koch, an influential conservative, hosts its largest fundraiser in the Coachella Valley every winter. In 2010, reporters uncovered Thomas ' attendance at 2008's GOP-chella.

Persons: SCOTUS, Clarence Thomas, Koch, Thomas, Thomas didn't, ProPublica, Charles Koch, Deion Sanders, —, Queen Bey, — Thomas, Leonard Leo —, Justice — Organizations: Service, Prosperity, NFL, ., Justice Locations: Wall, Silicon, Southern California, Coachella, Indian Wells

☆ ProPublica: Clarence Thomas attended Koch network donor events
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Justice Clarence Thomas attended a private dinner in 2018 during a winter donor summit of the Koch network, the political organization founded by libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch, ProPublica reported Friday. Thomas attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years, according to interviews with three former Koch network employees and one major donor conducted by ProPublica. Thomas arrived for the 2018 dinner on a Gulfstream G200 jet, although a Koch network spokesperson told the outlet that the network did not pay for the private jet and it was not disclosed on his financial disclosure forms for that year. A spokesperson for the Koch network told ProPublica that Thomas wasn’t present for fundraising conversations. CNN has reached out to the Supreme Court for comment.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Koch, Charles, David Koch, ProPublica, Thomas, ”, Thomas ’, Thomas wasn’t, ” Thomas, Loper, Raimondo, Critics, Clarence Thomas ’, Charles Koch, Harlan Crow, Lisa Graves, Crow Organizations: Washington CNN —, Koch, ProPublica, Gulfstream G200, CNN, Loper Bright Enterprises, Inc, Conservatives, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, True, Research, GOP Locations: Congress, Washington

(AP) — The Mississippi Supreme Court on Thursday struck down part of a state law that would have authorized some circuit court judges to be appointed rather than elected in the capital city of Jackson and the surrounding county, which are both majority-Black. Tate Reeves were usurping local autonomy in Jackson and Hinds County, which are governed by Democrats. Circuit judges hear criminal cases for felonies such as murder and aggravated assault. In May, Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas dismissed the Jackson residents’ lawsuit days after he removed Randolph as a defendant. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate temporarily put the law on hold, which has blocked Randolph from appointing the four temporary circuit court judges.

Persons: JACKSON, Critics, Jackson, Ann Saunders, Dorothy Triplett, Jackson aren’t, Triplett, Tate Reeves, Hinds, “, Mike Randolph, Dewayne Thomas, Randolph, Thomas, Henry Wingate, Wingate, “ Jackson, ” Organizations: Mississippi Supreme, Capitol Police, Republican, Republican Gov, Democrats, Jackson, NAACP, Mississippi ., District Locations: Miss, Mississippi, Jackson, Hinds, Hinds County, Mississippi . U.S

DENVER (AP) — Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste didn't flinch after Brandon Johnson snared Russell Wilson's 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass off a double deflection with no time remaining Sunday. Washington rallied from an early 21-3 deficit to take a 35-24 lead, then had to hang on with no time on the clock. The Broncos lost despite scoring touchdowns on their first three drives for the first time since 2010. “This is a resilient team,” Washington's Sam Howell said after throwing for 299 yards and two TDs in his first road start. The Commanders used a 32-3 scoring outburst to take control before the Broncos made it interesting at the very end.

Persons: Benjamin St, Juste didn't flinch, Brandon Johnson snared Russell Wilson's, Mary, Juste, ”, Courtland Sutton, Gene Steratore, Brad Rogers, Sean Payton, Nathaniel Hackett, Sam Howell, Brian Robinson Jr, Wilson, Johnson, Payton, speedsters, Jaleel McLaughlin, Marvin Mims Jr, wideout Johnson snaring, Mims, ” Payton, “, ” Mims, ” Wilson, Ron Rivera, JACKSON, Howell, Logan Thomas, Kareem Jackson, Jackson, Jakobi Meyers, Gosh, you've, Washington, Robinson, Joey Slye's, Terry McLaurin's, Thomas didn't, Delarrin Turner, Yell, DB Essang Bassey, ___ Organizations: DENVER, —, Washington, CBS, Broncos, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City, NFL, Super, DB, Buffalo, Sunday, Miami Locations: — Washington, St, New Orleans, Washington

☆ Analysis: Here’s why many Black people despise Clarence Thomas. (It’s not because he’s a conservative.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

CNN —Long before he became a Supreme Court justice, Clarence Thomas told a story at a public gathering that still sounds shocking years later. Justice Clarence Thomas jokes with his clerks in his chambers at the Supreme Court building in Washington in 2016. AP“His entire judicial philosophy is at war with his own biography,” Michael Fletcher, co-author of “Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas,”. “He’s arguably benefited from affirmative action every step of the way.”Thomas has admitted that he was accepted at Yale Law School under an affirmative action policy. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas looks at the displays inside the Pin Point Heritage Museum.

Persons: CNN — Long, Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Ronald Reagan, ” Thomas, Diana Walker, Thomas ’, Emma Mae Martin, he’s, Harlan Crow, Crow, ”, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Chip Somodevilla, “ fawning, Reagan, John L, Nikki Merritt, Merritt, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Roe, Wade, ” Sen, Alyssa Pointer, Anita Hill’s, Uncle Tom, Thomas “, Juan Williams, “, Armstrong Williams, ” Williams, Amul Thapar, Jonathan Ernst, ” Thomas ’, Thomas doesn’t, they’ve, Thurgood Marshall, ” Michael Fletcher, “ He’s, I’d, Critics, White, Malcolm X, Richard Burkhard, you’ve, pounced, “ Clarence Thomas, Black, ” Tori Otten, ” Otten, ” Juan Williams, Virginia “ Ginni ” Thomas, Trump’s, John Duricka, Williams, — Trump, Booker T, Washington, Marcus Garvey, Obama, ” “ We’ve, –, “ It’s, “ Thomas, Steven Ferdman, Jim Crow, Frederick Douglass, ” Clarence Thomas, nodded, ” Merritt Organizations: CNN, White House, Commission, Texas Republican, Republican, National Bar Association, Democrat, Georgia Senate, Georgia State Capitol, NAACP, Supreme, National Museum of, Thomas Others, Reuters, Yale Law School, Catholic, College of, Cross, AP, Yale, Heritage Museum, Savannah Morning, USA, The, New, Morehouse College, Fox News Channel Studios, Reagan Administration, Bettmann Locations: Storm, Texas, New York, Washington, Memphis, Georgia, handouts, Atlanta, American, America, Cincinnati, Pin, Savannah , Georgia, New Republic, Wisconsin, Arizona, Virginia, Black, China, India, Brazil, New York City

☆ Clarence Thomas Discloses, the Media Opposes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( James Taranto | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/clarence-thomas-discloses-the-media-opposes-journal-crow-ethics-402ad421

Persons: Dow Jones, thomas

☆ Experts identify the first witness to the Great Fire of London
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The Great Fire of London in 1666, which razed 436 acres of the mostly-timber city and lasted for four days, was so devastating it secured its place in the history books. Now, experts say they have identified the first person to witness the fire and raise the alarm as Thomas Dagger, a journeyman baker in Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane. This woodcut, later colorized, shows the Great Fire of London in 1666 by English School. Museum of London, UK“It was fascinating to find out more about what happened on that famous night. The new discoveries will be included in the Museum of London new site in Smithfield, which will open in 2026.

Persons: Thomas Dagger, ”, Farriner’s, Kate Loveman, –, Thomas Dagger’s, didn’t, ” Loveman, “ Organizations: London CNN, Research, Museum of London, CNN, University of Leicester, English School . Museum of London, Museum of Locations: London, Thomas Farriner’s, Pudding Lane, St, Paul’s, Museum of London, Smithfield

☆ Harlan Crow appears throughout Clarence Thomas' 2022 financial disclosure after the Supreme Court justice never mentions gifts and vacations for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Madison Hall | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Justice Clarence Thomas disclosed multiple times Harlan Crow paid for his flights in 2022. Thomas' disclosure comes after reports raised questions about Thomas' relationship with Crow. It's partially notable that Thomas' 2022 form discloses how GOP megadonor Harlan Crow gave the justice flights, meals, and lodging as the justice appeared at events around the country. In the 2022 disclosure, Thomas noted that Crow reimbursed him on three occasions in 2022 for speaking at the American Enterprise Institute, or as a "guest of source." "It blows my mind that people assume that because Clarence Thomas has friends, that those friends have an angle."

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Harlan Crow, Thomas, Crow, ProPublica, Roe, Wade, Samuel Alito, —, filer Organizations: Service, American Enterprise Institute, Dallas Morning News Locations: Wall, Silicon

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses during a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took private jet flights provided by billionaire Texas businessman Harlan Crow, according to a 2022 financial disclosure report made public on Thursday. Thomas listed trips by private jet to Dallas, Texas for a conference and to a property in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. He has faced scrutiny after revelations that he had not disclosed luxury trips paid for by the wealthy benefactor. The Judicial Conference, the policymaking body for the federal judiciary, has tightened its regulations to require disclosure of private jet trips.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Evelyn Hockstein, Harlan Crow, Thomas, Samuel Alito, Alito, Andrew Chung, John Kruzel, Chizu Nomiyama, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Judicial, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Dallas , Texas, New York, Washington

☆ Justice Thomas Defended Himself Over Ethics Questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In his disclosure, Thomas addressed his decision to fly on a private jet belonging to the billionaire, Harlan Crow. Thomas said that he had been advised to avoid commercial travel after the leak of the draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating a constitutional right to an abortion. Thomas also defended his past filings, which did not include many of the trips with Crow and other wealthy friends, insisting that he had adhered to all judicial regulations. Unlike other federal judges, Supreme Court justices are not bound by formal ethics rules. Instead they follow what Chief Justice John Roberts has referred to as “ethics principles and practices.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Harlan Crow, Roe, Wade, John Roberts, ” Organizations: Crow Locations: Texas

CNN —Justice Clarence Thomas disclosed Thursday that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow paid for private jet trips for Thomas in 2022 to attend a speech in Texas and a vacation at Crow’s luxurious New York estate, as ethics questions continue to rock the Supreme Court. Thomas made the disclosures after receiving an extension to file the yearly reports that were originally due in May 2023. In a statement after the ProPublica report, Thomas acknowledged the friendship but stressed that Crow did not have business before the court. In addition, he said that he should have disclosed a 2014 private real estate deal between Crow, Thomas and members of Thomas’ family. According to the disclosure, Thomas flew down to be the keynote speaker of the event in February, but returned via private jet “due to an unexpected ice storm.”The talk was rescheduled in May and Thomas rode round trip on Crow’s plane.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Harlan Crow, Thomas, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, “, Crow, Samuel Alito, ProPublica, Thomas ’, ” Thomas, Virginia Thomas, Leola Williams, Williams, VII, –, Elliot S, Berke, Thomas “, ”, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Chip Somodevilla, Elena Kagan, Alito, ” Alito, Gabe Roth, he’s, ” Roth, Rome Alito, Duke Organizations: CNN, Republican, Judicial Conference, Old Parkland Conference, Hoover Institution, Manhattan Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Black Americans, Crow Holdings, Democrats, Supreme, Capitol, Rhode Island, Wall Street, Notre Dame, School’s, Liberty Initiative, Religious Liberty Summit, Regent University School of Law, Duke Law School Locations: Texas, New York, Georgia, Savannah , Georgia, Washington ,, Rome

☆ OpenAI acquires start-up Global Illumination to work on core products, ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 16 (Reuters) - OpenAI said on Wednesday it had acquired digital products company Global Illumination, in what comes as the first known acquisition by the storied artificial intelligence firm. "The entire (Global Illumination) team has joined OpenAI to work on our core products including ChatGPT," OpenAI said. New York-based Global Illumination was founded in 2021 by Thomas Dimson, Taylor Gordon and Joey Flynn, all of whom have previously worked at Meta Platforms' (META.O) Instagram. Global Illumination most recently worked on open-source technology related to online game production. Dimson is credited with drafting some of the original code for Instagram's content ranking algorithms, according to his personal website.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, Thomas Dimson, Taylor Gordon, Joey Flynn, Dimson, Yuvraj Malik, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, Thomson Locations: New York, Bengaluru

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and House Democrats push Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Clarence Thomas' lavish gifts from billionaires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of House Democrats has asked the DOJ to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The letter stated that Thomas should be investigated because of the dozens of gifts he failed to disclose. On Thursday, after ProPublica published its latest report, a chorus of Democrats called on Thomas to resign, according to Politico. In April, Crow and Thomas first faced scrutiny related to the 20 years worth of undisclosed trips Crow is accused of gifting to Thomas, per ProPublica. The outlet later reported that Crow purchased Thomas' mother's house and allowed her to live there without paying rent.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Garland, Harlan Crow, ProPublica, Crow, unearthing, SCOTUS, Jamie Raskin, Hank Johnson, Ted Lieu, Jerry Nadler, Thomas's, gifting, Thomas —, —, Michaela Rose, John Roberts Organizations: House Democrats, DOJ, Service, Supreme, of Justice, GOP, Democrats, Politico, Reps, Dallas Morning News, ProPublica, SCOTUS Locations: Wall, Silicon, Alexandria, Rochelle

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas enjoyed more vacations, private flights and perks thanks to wealthy friends, new ProPublica report details
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

These costly trips and travel perks often went unreported on the justice’s financial disclosure forms, ProPublica said in its investigation. Lynne Sladky/APProPublica interviewed more than 100 people, including staff that would have worked some of the trips that Thomas took. Thomas did not respond to ProPublica’s detailed list of questions for its report, nor did Novelly. None of the Thomas benefactors highlighted in the new report appear to have had direct business in front of the Supreme Court, ProPublica said. Thomas intends to amend his financial disclosure forms, a source close to the justice previously told CNN, to at least reflect Crow’s 2014 purchase of Thomas’ mother’s home.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thomas, ProPublica, Harlan Crow, Thomas ’, Crow, “, ” Thomas, David Sokol, Berkshire Hathaway, Wayne Huizenga, Paul “ Tony ” Novelly, Lynne Sladky, Huizenga, Daniel Acker, Getty Images Sokol, ” Sokol, Republican megadonors, he’s, Paul Anthony, Tony, Novelly, Horatio, Jeremy Fogel, ”, Fogel, Horatio Alger, John Roberts, Roberts, Samuel Alito, Thomas ’ mother’s, Anthony Welters, Obama Organizations: CNN, GOP, Blockbuster, Waste Management Inc, NFL, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, US Marshals Service, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Bloomberg, Getty Images, Republican, Horatio Alger, Distinguished, Horatio, Horatio Alger Association, New York Times, The New York Times, Democratic, Times Locations: Florida, Berkshire, Miami, Omaha , Nebraska

Justice Clarence Thomas met the recreational vehicle of his dreams in Phoenix, on a November Friday in 1999. With some time to kill before an event that night, he headed to a dealership just west of the airport. In the words of one of his biographers, “he kicked the tires and climbed aboard,” then quickly negotiated a handshake deal. A few weeks later, Justice Thomas drove his new motor coach off the lot and into his everyman, up-by-the-bootstraps self-mythology. “I don’t have any problem with going to Europe, but I prefer the United States, and I prefer seeing the regular parts of the United States,” he told the filmmakers, adding: “There’s something normal to me about it.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Prevost Le, “, ”, Justice Thomas Locations: Phoenix, Washington, Georgia, R.V, Europe, United States

☆ Springboks change 14 for Argentina rematch in Buenos Aires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He has continued to cast his net wide and manage the minutes of the players with a further 14 changes for Saturday’s test. The only one to retain their place is flyhalf Manie Libbok, with regular starter Handre Pollard still working his way back from injury. Jasper Wiese is in at number eight, with versatile loose-forwards Franco Mostert and Deon Fourie on the side of the scrum. "There is not a player in our enlarged squad who is fully confident that he will be in the World Cup squad, so the competition for places is intense." The Boks scraped a barely deserved win at Ellis Park on Saturday as they withstood intense pressure from Argentina, and will expect a backlash from the home side.

Persons: Manie Libbok, Andrew Boyers, Hooker Bongi Mbonambi, Gerhard Steenekamp, Jacques Nienaber, Handre Pollard, Fullback Damian Willemse, Canan Moodie, Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo, Andre Esterhuizen, Cobus Reinach, Thomas du Toit, Trevor Nyakane, Marvin Orie, Jean Kleyn, Jasper Wiese, Franco Mostert, Deon Fourie, Nche, Nienaber, Damian Willemse, – Jasper Wiese, – Deon Fourie, Mbonambi, Joseph Dweba, – Vincent Koch, Jean, Luc du Preez, Evan Roos, Herschel Jantjies, Jesse Kriel, Kurt, Lee Arendse, Nick Said, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Rugby Union, International, England, South Africa, Twickenham, Rugby World, Argentina, Springbok, Rugby, Fullback, Ireland, South African Rugby, World, Ellis, Thomson Locations: South, London, Britain, Africa, Buenos Aires, New Zealand, Johannesburg, Mbonambi, France, Argentina

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