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☆ NATO takes steps to defend Norwegian oil fields from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNATO takes steps to defend Norwegian oil fields from RussiaNBC's Tom Costello joins CNBC's Brian Sullivan and 'Last Call' to discuss NATO's move to add warships to defend critical oil and gas fields off Norway from a potential Russian naval attack.

☆ Factbox: Why a broad US TikTok ban is unlikely to take effect soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here is why:TRUMPCiting national security concerns, then-President Donald Trump told reporters he planned to ban TikTok in July 2020, threatening to shut it down if it could not be sold by its Chinese owner Bytedance to a U.S. buyer. But Trump's attempt to block TikTok with an executive order derived its power from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Even if it's sidestepped, greater legal questions remain," said John Costello, who oversaw the creation of the office at the Commerce Department to examine certain foreign technology for national security threats. HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAWWashington lawmakers have also launched two separate bills aimed at allowing the president to ban apps like TikTok on grounds they pose a risk to U.S. national security. "To justify a TikTok ban, the government would have to demonstrate that privacy and security concerns can't be addressed in narrower ways.

☆ Trump grand jury will not hear 'hush-money' case for the rest of this week: source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump's Manhattan 'hush-money' grand jury will not consider the case this week. The grand jury has not heard evidence in the case since Monday, when a surprise witness testified. But the panel will meet in connection with a different case — not the Trump hush-money matter, the source said early Thursday. The grand jury has not met to consider the hush-money matter since then. "But a special grand jury can be impaneled to hear more than one case," he added.

☆ Trump 'hush-money' grand jury will not hear case for the rest of this week: source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump's Manhattan 'hush-money' grand jury will not consider the case this week. The grand jury has not heard evidence in the case since Monday, when a surprise witness testified. But the panel will meet in connection with a different case — not the Trump hush-money matter, the source said early Thursday. The grand jury has not met to consider the hush-money matter since then. Prosecutors are statutorily barred from discussing grand jury proceedings.

But members of the grand jury were told to stay home on Wednesday, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret grand jury proceedings. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Security was high around the courthouse where the grand jury has been meeting, with court officers out early and barricades up around the building. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - A New York grand jury was expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield the first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen has said he made the payments at Trump's direction to buy her silence about Trump's extramarital affair. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

☆ Trump indictment grand jury not 'likely' to meet Thursday either after Manhattan DA paused Stormy Daniels case Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Manhattan grand jury meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the Trump 'hush-money' case. Wednesday's grand jury session was canceled, Insider first reported. Star prosecution witness Michael Cohen had told reporters as recently as last week that he had expected to be the grand jury's final witness. But Wednesday's pause in the grand jury's activity — especially if the panel does take the rest of this week off — will likely delay the process into next week. Prosecutors are barred from divulging grand jury details; Bragg's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - - A New York grand jury is expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump has denied the affair took place, and others in his orbit have said Cohen acted on his own. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

☆ Exclusive: Trump 'hush money' grand jury called off for Wednesday, delaying possible indictment vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Manhattan grand jury meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the Trump 'hush-money' case. Wednesday's grand jury session has been canceled, high-ranking law enforcement sources tell Insider. Star prosecution witness Michael Cohen had told reporters as recently as last week that he had expected to be the grand jury's final witness. The reason for the pause could be unrelated to the grand jury's investigation. Prosecutors are barred from divulging grand jury details; Bragg's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Trump grand jury live updates: Panel scheduled to resume work on porn star payoff probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former US President Donald Trump during an "America First Education Policy" event in Davenport, Iowa, US, on Monday, March 13, 2023. The grand jury that will weigh a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump is set to renew its work in a New York City courthouse on Wednesday. Cohen previously pleaded guilty to other related federal crimes, including breaking campaign finance laws in facilitating the Daniels payment. Trump said last week that he expected to be arrested Tuesday, but the day came and went without incident as the grand jury was off. He has long complained that the probe, and other criminal investigations he faces, are politically motivated.

☆ Trump Grand Jury Hears From Likely Final Witness on Hush-Money Payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Corinne Ramey | Joe Palazzolo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Robert Costello on Monday after testifying before a grand jury investigating Donald Trump. The Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star heard Monday from what is likely to be its last witness, while law-enforcement officials planned for a potential indictment of the former president as soon as this week. Robert Costello, a partner in the New York office of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP and former federal prosecutor, appeared before the grand jury at the request of Mr. Trump’s lawyers. Mr. Costello in 2018 advised Michael Cohen , a former Trump lawyer and key witness in the hush-money probe, while Mr. Cohen was facing federal scrutiny for multiple offenses.

☆ Trump is 'going about business as usual' and enjoying higher polling on the day he claimed he'd be arrested, his lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Donald Trump said he would be arrested on Tuesday. Trump is "going about business as usual" and enjoying rising poll numbers, his lawyer said. A Secret Service officer stands in front of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Palm Beach, Florida. Alina Habba, an attorney for Donald Trump, arrives at Trump Tower in New York, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. AP Photo/Bryan WoolstonOn Truth Social, Trump spent Monday and Tuesday bragging about his poll numbers and criticizing Bragg.

A case would be a historic first as no current or former U.S. president has ever been criminally charged. Officials are meeting at New York Police Department headquarters to plan for the indictment, according to an unnamed person involved in the planning, Politico reported. "We’ll be discussing how we bring Trump in," the person involved in the planning was quoted as saying. Trump has denied the affair happened and called the investigation by Bragg, a Democrat, a witch hunt. The New York probe is one of several legal inquiries Trump faces.

☆ Witness may challenge Michael Cohen claims in Trump case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters accompanied by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during a campaign rally, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. Robert Costello has been asked to appear before the grand jury at the request of Trump's lawyers because he may have information that calls into question events as described by Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, the source said. Cohen testified before the grand jury twice last week. Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has said he would continue campaigning even if charged with a crime. The grand jury will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to formally charge Trump with a crime.

A grand jury was expected to indict Trump late on Monday or on Wednesday, Politico reported, for arranging payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the White House again in 2024, had predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday. But on Monday, the grand jury still appeared to be collecting evidence before deciding whether charges were warranted. New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters police were monitoring social media and keeping an eye out for "inappropriate actions" in the city. Trump faces two civil trials involving former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump defamed her by denying he raped her.

On Monday, grand jurors heard more than two hours of testimony from Robert Costello, an attorney for Trump ally Rudy Giuliani. Instead, Cohen waited outside the grand jury room Monday, at the ready should he be called before the grand jury again to challenge Costello's testimony, Davis said. The grand jury would still need to be "charged," the process when prosecutors explain the potential indictment count by count. Following the charge, the grand jurors would deliberate and vote. Grand jurors frequently accomplish these tasks quickly, according to former Manhattan prosecutor John Moscow, who handled hundreds of white-collar criminal cases before going into private practice.

☆ Talk of Trump arrest builds sympathy for the former president, Sununu says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters accompanied by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during a campaign rally, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. He did not cite any evidence for his arrest concerns and his spokesman said the former president had not been notified of any impending arrest. "It's building a lot of sympathy for the former president," Sununu, also a Republican, told CNN's "State of the Union" program, saying he spoke to some people on Sunday who were not "big Trump supporters but they all said ... they felt he was being attacked." Sununu, a relative moderate, is considering a run and appeared to be trying to avoid alienating Trump supporters. McMaster and former economic adviser Gary Cohn on Sunday both urged Trump supporters to respond peacefully to any developments this week.

☆ Former Michael Cohen Lawyer Expected to Testify in Grand Jury Investigating Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Corinne Ramey | Joe Palazzolo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A New York defense attorney who briefly advised Michael Cohen is expected to testify Monday before the Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s alleged role in a hush-money payment to a porn star, according to people familiar with the matter. Robert Costello, a partner in the New York office of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP and former federal prosecutor, is slated to testify at the request of the former president’s lawyers, according to people familiar with the matter.

☆ Hunter Biden sues laptop repair shop owner for exposing his personal life in an 'egregious violation' of his privacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hunter Biden sued a Delaware laptop repair shop owner over distributing his data to the public. Biden claims that the owner violated his privacy rights by exposing his personal life. The New York Post first reported on Biden's laptop weeks before the 2020 election. "The object of invading Mr. Biden's privacy and disseminating his data was not for any legitimate purpose but to cause harm and embarrassment to Mr. Biden," the claim continues. Biden's lawyers are also seeking depositions from Giuliani, Bannon, and others alleged to possess copies of his laptop data.

☆ Viral TikTok of Lowe's employee screaming for help prompts debate among current and former workers about safety training at the home-improvement chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Lowe's employee resigned in February after a viral TikTok showed him being crushed by an object. In fact, some employees told Insider that Lowe's safety trainings are among the best they've seen in the retail industry. What does Lowe's safety training entail? "Powered equipment training is a joke compared to any other retail environment," a former Michigan Lowe's employee said. Are you a current or former Lowe's employee who wants to share your thoughts and experiences about safety at the company?

☆ Australia's sovereign wealth fund screening for Chinese firms at risk of US bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, March 7 (Reuters) - Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, is screening its portfolio for Chinese companies at risk of U.S. investment restrictions, its chairman said on Tuesday. The Biden administration plans to ban investments in some Chinese technology firms and increase scrutiny of others, sources have said, as part of its plan to crack down on the billions that American firms have poured into sensitive Chinese sectors. I think it’s foreseeable,” Costello said during a panel discussion at the Australian Financial Review summit in Sydney on Tuesday. The A$243 billion ($164 billion) fund was established in 2006 to cover escalating pension liabilities for public servants and rivals Australia's largest pension funds in size. "I just think it’s a prudent measure in this bifurcated world we’re going into," said Costello.

☆ Lowe's employee resigns after viral TikTok shows him screaming for help while retrieving a large box, family member says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Lowe's employee resigned after a viral TikTok showed him struggling to retrieve a large box. Lowe's said it took "prompt action" following the TikTok video, but did not elaborate. "People are crazy and he was scared people would go to the store looking to harass him," the family member added. When Insider reported the viral TikTok earlier this month, a Lowe's spokesman said the company took "prompt action to address it." When the employee was retrieving the furniture, "it shifted and cut the machine off, which is what caused him to panic," the family member said.

☆ Steve Bannon's ex-lawyers sue him over nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Steve Bannon's ex-lawyers filed a lawsuit saying he hasn't paid nearly $500,000 in legal bills. The firm represented Bannon when he defied his January 6 subpoena. The lawsuit, filed Friday, says the firm billed Bannon $855,487.87 but was paid only $375,000, leaving an outstanding balance of $480,487.87. Trump pardoned Bannon shortly before leaving office, but the Manhattan district attorney's office brought a similar case against him that remains pending. Bannon is having trouble with his lawyers in the Manhattan district attorney's case, too.

☆ Lowe's says it has taken 'prompt action' after a viral TikTok showed an employee screaming for help after others encouraged them to retrieve a giant box with a store lift
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A viral TikTok with 2.7 million views shows a Lowe's employee nearly being crushed while struggling to retrieve a large box from a high shelf. In the TikTok, the employee screams in pain and pleads for help when carrying the object down a lift. "Help, help," the employee screamed. Lowe's spokesman Larry Costello told Insider Friday "we are aware of the incident and have taken prompt action to address it." Costello did not respond to follow-up questions about what action Lowe's took and what training Lowe's provides employees when it comes to operating a lift.

☆ Hunter Biden warns Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Roger Stone, and 11 others to preserve records for potential litigation following laptop scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hunter Biden's attorney sent notices to 14 people at the center of the laptop scandal. Rudy Giuliani's attorney told Insider that Biden's counsel is "acting out of desperation." The personal life and business dealings of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's middle child, have been the center of Republican criticism. Twenty days before the 2020 election, the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop became a controversial and confusing political scandal, New York Magazine reported. Rocca, Lowell, Wengui's attorneys, and an attorney for Stone, Bruce S. Rogow, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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