DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

An attorney for Jones, Norm Pattis, said in an email Friday that he is confident the verdict will be reversed on appeal. The families say they suffered a decade of harassment and death threats from people who believed the bogus claims. The Connecticut jury found Jones and Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems LLC should also pay punitive damages, which are set to be determined by a judge after several days of hearings next month. In their filing Friday, the families offered various methods of calculating punitive damages in similar cases. The Connecticut verdict came several months after a jury in Texas awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in damages.

Rapper Cardi B arrives at the Queens County Criminal Court in Queens, New York, U.S., September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/Oct 21 (Reuters) - A California federal jury on Friday rejected claims that musician Cardi B misused a man's image on the cover of her first 2016 mixtape album. Brophy's 2017 lawsuit sought at least $5 million in damages from Cardi B and an order blocking her from using his likeness. The New York rapper argued that the cover's use of the design qualifies as "transformative" under intellectual property law and is constitutionally protected. The tattoo was used "in an anonymous manner, as a single building block" in the complex cover image, Cardi B said in a court filing.

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday vowed to use his veto power to protect women's rights if Republicans win control of Congress in next month's midterm elections and pass laws to outlaw abortion nationwide. Biden, asked in an interview with MSNBC what he would do to protect women's rights should Republicans gain control of the legislature, said: "Veto anything they do." The Democratic president this week sought to mobilize his left-leaning base by promising to sign a law to codify abortion rights in January if Democrats triumph in next month's elections. Republicans largely oppose abortion rights. In order to outlaw abortion, Republicans would have to pass legislation, but it would not become the law of the land unless Biden signed it.

A voter casts their ballot in the Pennsylvania primary elections at Congregation Beth Or in Ambler, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 17, 2022. The alleged security breach came to light last month when Fulton County sued election equipment maker Dominion Voting Systems, citing purported security flaws discovered in Speckin's analysis of six hard drives from the machines. In a Pennsylvania Supreme Court filing on Tuesday, lawyers for the Secretary of the Commonwealth had asked the court to hold Fulton County officials, including Republican Commissioners Stuart Ulsh and Randy Bunch, in civil contempt for the breach. The lawyers said county officials "openly thumbed their noses at a clear and direct order of this Court" by allowing Speckin, a Michigan-based company, access to the machines. Stefanie Lambert, a Detroit-based attorney representing the county, did not immediately respond to a query about the special master appointment.

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump was issued an order on Friday to testify under oath and provide documents to the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Such testimony could be made public and become part of a final report by the special panel. Committee members have not said how they will proceed if Trump disregards his subpoena. If the select committee's subpoena is ignored, the committee would vote to refer the issue to the full House. The House Jan. 6 select committee has been investigating the attack on the Capitol for more than a year.

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Highly sensitive intelligence on Iran and China was in some of the documents recovered by the FBI during an August search of former U.S. President Donald Trump's home in Florida, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The release of information in these documents would pose multiple risks, including endangering people helping U.S. intelligence efforts and compromising collection efforts, the newspaper cited experts as saying. The Justice Department is investigating whether Trump broke the law by taking government records, including about 100 classified documents, to his Florida estate after leaving office in January 2021. The department is also looking into whether Trump or his team obstructed justice when the FBI sent agents to search his home, and has warned that more classified documents may still be missing. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting By Paul Grant; Editing by Doina Chiacu and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A voter casts their ballot in the Pennsylvania primary elections at Congregation Beth Or in Ambler, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 17, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/File PhotoOct 21 (Reuters) - A rural Pennsylvania county violated a court order when it allowed a forensics company to examine voting equipment in July, marking the county's second security breach of the machines, the state's top election official alleged in a court filing. The latest alleged breach came to light last month when Fulton County filed a lawsuit against election equipment maker Dominion Voting Systems, citing purported issues discovered in an examination of the equipment by Speckin Forensics LLC. She pointed to alleged security flaws highlighted in Speckin's report, and noted that the county has sued Dominion and no longer uses its machines. Petitioners have now twice breached the security of this voting system by turning its components over to unauthorized third parties," lawyers for the state wrote in the filing.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks after the primary election for the midterms during the "Keep Florida Free Tour" at Pepin’s Hospitality Centre in Tampa, Florida, U.S., August 24, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File PhotoNEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - One of the 20 people arrested for voting illegally as part of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' effort to crack down on voter fraud had his charges dismissed on Friday. Voter fraud in the United States is exceedingly rare, studies have shown. Under state law, voter fraud requires intent. Wood registered to vote after being told he was allowed, received a voter card and cast a ballot, all without any objection, Davis said.

Prosecutors on Monday asked the judge to sentence Bannon to six months in prison, while Bannon's attorneys had sought probation. Bannon has played an instrumental role in right-wing media and has promoted right-wing causes and candidates in the United States and abroad. In addition to Bannon, prosecutors have charged former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the same committee, with a Nov. 17 trial date set. Friday's sentencing does not end Bannon's legal troubles. Trump is facing a federal criminal investigation over the removal of sensitive government records from the White House.

While jurors cannot be excluded for simply holding certain political views or expressing disapproval of Trump, experts said the lawyers will aim to remove jurors who cannot be fair and impartial. Similarly, Gomez said the government will look to weed out strongly pro-Trump jurors who are unable to put those views aside. However, a guilty verdict must be unanimous, which means one juror unwilling to convict the Trump Organization would upend the government's case. Neither the district attorney's office nor the Trump Organization's lawyers responded to requests for comment. Lawyers for the Trump Organization have claimed the Manhattan district attorney's case is a "selective prosecution" based on animosity toward Trump's political views, though the judge overseeing it has rejected that argument.

Oct 20 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday barred the state of New York, at least for now, from enforcing the part of a closely-watched gun law that bans firearms from churches or other places of worship. read moreNew York legislators quickly passed new rules on gun ownership which Sinatra, in his ruling, called "even more restrictive" than the law struck down by the Supreme Court. "The nation's history does not countenance such an incursion into the right to keep and bear arms across all places of worship across the state," Sinatra wrote. The judge added that, based on the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this year the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their lawsuit. The New York Attorney General's Office could not be reached for comment on Thursday evening.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterProsecutor J.P. Cooney said at Friday's hearing that Bannon chose to "thumb his nose at Congress." Bannon, 68, served as Trump's chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up. "Today was my judgment day by the judge," Bannon told reporters. In addition to Bannon, prosecutors have charged former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the same committee, with a Nov. 17 trial date set. "A more egregious contempt of Congress would have been to say 'Screw you Congress, take your subpoena and shove it!'"

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump was ordered on Friday to testify under oath and provide documents to the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Such testimony could be made public and become part of a final report by the special panel. 1/3 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. read morePRIOR PRESIDENTIAL TESTIMONYThe committee made clear that congressional testimony by a former or sitting president was not unprecedented. The rioters were attempting to stop Congress' formal certification of Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Senator Lindsey Graham asked the Supreme Court on Friday to halt a lower court's order compelling him to testify to a special grand jury in Georgia investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies attempted to overturn 2020 election results in the state. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, filed the emergency application after a federal appeals court on Thursday denied his request for protection from testifying. The appeals court on Thursday said Graham must testify before the grand jury, but he can choose to dispute individual questions. Testimony from Graham, an ally of Trump, could shed further light on Trump allies coordinating to reverse the results. Trump continues to appear at rallies repeating his false claims of fraud in his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Associate Justice Elena Kagan poses during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., April 23, 2021. Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoOct 21 (Reuters) - Liberal Justice Elena Kagan on Friday expressed hope that her colleagues on the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court could get back to finding "common ground," saying it risked looking political by continuing to overturn legal precedents. Speaking at an event at the University of Pennsylvania, Kagan did not explicitly reference the Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Cases on the court's docket this term present opportunities for the court's conservative justices to flex their mussels further by weakening the landmark Voting Rights Act and barring the consideration of race in college admissions. "Time will tell whether this is a court that can get back to finding common ground, to ratcheting down the level of decision making so we can reach compromises," Kagan said.

☆ Trump ally Barrack to testify in own defense at 'foreign agent' trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | 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: +2 min

Companies DigitalBridge Group Inc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to take the witness stand in his own defense next week in his trial on charges of being an illegal foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. Barrack's lawyer Randall Jackson said in open court on Friday that Barrack would the stand Friday afternoon. Later, prosecutor Sam Nitze said he expected to take substantial time to cross-examine the current witness, former Barrack lawyer Brady Cassis, meaning Barrack would not take the stand Friday. Barrack, 75, has pleaded not guilty, as has his co-defendant Grimes. Even in instances where his interests and goals aligned with the UAE's, he was acting on his own volition, they said.

A spokesperson for the Arizona secretary of state's office, Sophia Solis, on Thursday said her office had also asked the state's attorney general to look into the incident. "The voter was approached and followed by a group of individuals when the voter was trying to drop off their ballot at an early voting drop box on Monday," Solis said. Officials in at least three additional states - North Carolina, Colorado and Nevada - have reported incidents of voter intimidation this election cycle, though it is unclear if any have led to a criminal referral. Officials in Arizona have previously said they were aware of reports of voters being monitoring when dropping off votes. In dozens of cases throughout the country, an onslaught of intimidation and threats has pushed elections officials to resign.

Companies Alphabet Inc FollowGoogle Inc FollowWASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Texas has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google for allegedly collecting biometric data of millions of Texans without obtaining proper consent, the attorney general's office said in a statement on Thursday. The complaint says that companies operating in Texas have been barred for more than a decade from collecting people's faces, voices or other biometric data without advanced, informed consent. "In blatant defiance of that law, Google has, since at least 2015, collected biometric data from innumerable Texans and used their faces and their voices to serve Google’s commercial ends," the complaint said. "Indeed, all across the state, everyday Texans have become unwitting cash cows being milked by Google for profits." The collection occurred through products like Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Nest Hub Max, the statement said.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say Barrack, 75, used his influence with the Trump campaign and administration to push the United Arab Emirates' interests without notifying the U.S. attorney general, as required by law. Cogan said there was therefore "some indication of bias" from Mnuchin's testimony given that the UAE would likely not want a jury to convict Barrack. He said he would nonetheless limit prosecutors' ability to detail the "mind-boggling" amounts of money involved in Mnuchin's dealings with the UAE. The trial began on Sept. 19, and prosecutors rested their case earlier this week. Mnuchin is not the first former Trump administration official to take the stand in the case.

His plea agreement requires him to testify at the trial against the Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterJury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday in Manhattan state court. The Trump Organization could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts that were brought. The company's lawyers also said prosecutors presented no evidence to the grand jury that returned the indictment that the Trump Organization evaded payroll taxes. Two other Trump Organization employees received compensation in the form of lodging and car leases, prosecutors said.

Kevin Spacey is cross examined by Richard Steigman during Anthony Rapp's civil sex abuse case against Spacey in this courtroom sketch from the trial in New York, U.S., October 18, 2022 as U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan presides. REUTERS/Jane RosenbergOct 20 (Reuters) - Closing arguments began on Thursday in Kevin Spacey's civil sex abuse trial, as the Oscar-winning actor fights allegations that he made an unwanted advance on a 14-year-old in 1986. Rapp, at the start of his own Broadway career at the time, said he was able to "swerve my way out" but that the experience scarred him. During the trial, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan dismissed Rapp's claim for emotional distress but allowed the case to proceed on his battery claim. Spacey faces a criminal trial in London next year after pleading not guilty to five sex offense charges over alleged assaults between 2005 and 2013.

Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, sued Trump in Manhattan federal court in November 2019, five months after he denied raping her in the mid-1990s. His lawyers have argued that Trump was shielded from Carroll's lawsuit by a federal law providing immunity to government employees from defamation claims. Carroll has said she also plans to sue Trump on Nov. 24 for battery and inflicting emotional distress. Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in late 1995 or early 1996 in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan. Trump has accused her of concocting the rape claim to sell her book.

The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. In a filing, Attorney General Letitia James agreed not to seek review of a May state court decision that had found federal law preempted her claims that Amazon violated state labor statutes. She had alleged in Feb. 2021 that Amazon had retaliated against two New York City workers protesting warehouse safety conditions. As part of the agreement, Amazon withdrew its own lawsuit against New York state, which had alleged James overstepped her bounds in pandemic dealings with the retailer. The court’s prior dismissal of the New York Attorney General’s lawsuit, and today’s agreement to end the litigation altogether, is the right outcome given our actions in response to the pandemic."

Trump has accused Carroll of making up the original accusation and said the courts should have thrown out the lawsuit. His lawyers have argued that Trump was shielded from Carroll's lawsuit by a federal law providing immunity to government employees from defamation claims. Carroll has said she also plans to sue Trump on Nov. 24 for battery and inflicting emotional distress. Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in late 1995 or early 1996 in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan. Trump has accused her of concocting the rape claim to sell her book.

Oct 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. grand jury has indicted a jailed Pennsylvania man for threatening to kill the chair of the congressional committee investigating the January 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Robert Vargo, 25, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, also threatened to kill the committee chair's family and President Joe Biden, prosecutors said. He was charged with threatening the president of the United States, threat by interstate communications, and influencing a federal official by threat, the U.S. Attorney's office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said in a statement. Prosecutors allege Vargo sent a threatening letter and white powder to the congressional office of U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the committee that is investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The letter, which referenced the congressional probe and anthrax, also threatened U.S. District Court Judge Robert Mariani, according to prosecutors.

Search resuls for: "Blue Cross"

25 mentions found