DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Texas sheriff puts Martha’s Vineyard migrants on path to apply for special visa by declaring them crime victims
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A Texas sheriff has certified that dozens of migrants who were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last month under a new program by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were crime victims, boosting their eligibility for a special visa. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Thursday he had filed certification forms that immigration lawyers say can be used to obtain visas reserved for crime victims or people who witness certain crimes. Salazar, an elected Democrat, said last month that his office had opened a criminal investigation into the flights from Texas to Martha's Vineyard. Self said: "No matter what your political beliefs are, these people are all crime victims.

☆ A Trump employee told the FBI that the former president ordered staff to move boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

One of Donald Trump's employees told FBI agents the former president ordered boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago to be moved before federal agents searched the property, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source also told NBC News that the FBI obtained security video showing people moving boxes out of a storage room at Trump's Florida estate. When reached by NBC News, the FBI and Justice Department declined to comment. But the witness’ account suggests that the boxes were moved to Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago after the subpoena was issued. She said that Trump officials added a lock to the facility and that FBI agents broke the lock when they searched the property.

☆ The Treasury Department’s internal watchdog is looking into how DeSantis paid for migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

An internal government watchdog is looking into whether Florida misused federal funds to pay for migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last month under a program backed by Gov. Delmar also said the inspector general’s office would review what restrictions are in place for using the money, including interest earned, for immigration-related activities. Markey, who was among the group that signed on to the Sept. 16 letter demanding a probe, applauded the inspector general in a statement Wednesday. DeSantis has insisted that no laws were broken and pledged to continue his administration’s $12 million program to relocate migrants. "Reviews by Treasury are typical and, as stated by the OIG, are ‘part of its oversight responsibilities.’”NBC News has asked the Treasury Department for comment.

☆ Biden warns there will be 'consequences' for Saudi Arabia after oil production cut
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden warned Tuesday that Saudi Arabia would face "consequences" after OPEC+ last week announced the biggest cut in oil production since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Senior Democrats on Capitol Hill have condemned the decision by Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the oil-producing alliance, to reduce the global supply of petroleum. "There’s going to be some consequences for what they’ve done with Russia," Biden said of Saudi Arabia in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. Asked by Tapper whether it's time for the U.S. to rethink its relationship with Saudi Arabia, Biden said, "Yes." Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, called on the Biden administration Monday to "immediately freeze" U.S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

☆ Democratic senator seeks 'freeze' on U.S.-Saudi cooperation after OPEC cuts production
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is calling on the Biden administration to "immediately freeze" U.S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announced it would reduce daily oil production. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest," Menendez said. “The United States must immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests,” he added. The alliance said it would cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, which is likely to increase gas prices. 2 Democrat in the Senate, accused Saudi Arabia of “conspiring with Vladimir Putin to punish the U.S. with higher oil prices” last week.

A senior member of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, pleaded guilty Thursday to seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge that has been leveled against individuals tied to the Jan. 6 riot. Five other members of the Proud Boys, including the group's former national chairman, Enrique Tarrio, were indicted in June on seditious conspiracy and other charges. Donohoe, of Kernesville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Few defendants have pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. More than 850 people have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, and over 350 have pleaded guilty.

☆ Biden asks whether deceased congresswoman is at White House event
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden on Wednesday mistakenly asked whether the late Rep. Jackie Walorski, who died in a car accident last month, was at a White House event that she helped convene. Biden made the gaffe as he delivered remarks at the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health, where he publicly acknowledged elected officials like Walorski, R-Ind., who helped organize the gathering. At one point Biden asked, “Jackie, are you here? She had been a co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, and she was one of four members of Congress who introduced the bipartisan bill that convened Wednesday's White House conference. Jackie Walorski speaks at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 28, 2012.

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol postponed a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, citing a major hurricane that is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast. The select committee’s investigation goes forward and we will soon announce a date for the postponed proceedings." The panel's leaders did not immediately provide a new date for the hearing, which would have been its first in roughly two months. After hitting Cuba early Tuesday, the hurricane was gaining strength as it headed toward Florida. The postponement of the Sept. 28 hearing, comes just over a month before the midterm elections.

☆ Biden administration to propose nutrition labels on front of food packaging in push to improve health
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Food and Drug Administration will research and propose a standardized front-of-package labeling system to help consumers more readily understand nutrition information, the White House said Tuesday. The administration also said it would propose an update to the nutrition criteria for the “healthy” claim on food packages. Several congressional Democrats have been particularly focused on food labeling. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey called for greater transparency in food packaging labels in a letter to the Domestic Policy Council’s director, Susan Rice, last month. The Biden administration is also taking steps to improve food access and affordability, senior administration officials told reporters.

The Justice Department on Monday filed a revised inventory of items seized from former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort last month, in addition to a declaration supporting the accuracy of the new list. A federal appeals court recently ordered that the classified documents should not be included in the special master’s review. In some instances, the Justice Department's revised inventory adds documents, while in other places it subtracts. While the original inventory list noted two empty folders with “CLASSIFIED” banners in the box, a revised entry removes those folders; similar empty folders are still listed for other boxes. His lawyers can also note any items they say were seized but not itemized in the inventory.

☆ GOP nominee jokes about 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Tudor Dixon, Michigan’s GOP nominee for governor, joked about a 2020 kidnapping plot against rival Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a pair of campaign events Friday, sparking swift denunciations from Democrats. For someone so worried about getting kidnapped, Gretchen Whitmer sure is good at taking business hostage and holding it for ransom,” Dixon said at one event. Later that day, in describing a recent appearance by Whitmer, Dixon said, “The look on her face was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is happening. “Multiple people were convicted in a domestic terrorist plot to kidnap the Governor and Tudor Dixon thinks it’s a laughing matter,” Newton tweeted.

☆ Appeals court lifts hold that prevented Justice Department from using classified documents in Mar-a-Lago probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Zoë Richards | Daniel Barnes | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A federal appeals court on Wednesday said the Justice Department can resume using classified documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its criminal investigation. The appeals court panel, comprised of two Trump appointees and one Obama appointee, thoroughly rejected Trump’s position on the classified documents and parts of Cannon’s reasoning for issuing her original order. The appeals court said that among the factors under consideration were whether or not Trump had individual interest or need for the classified documents, which the district court had not mentioned in its analysis. The Justice Department previously said that its criminal investigation would look into identifying anyone who accessed the classified materials, whether they had been compromised and whether additional classified materials were missing. The ruling by the appeals court was the second legal blow to Trump on Wednesday.

The Jan. 6 committee has reached an agreement with Ginni Thomas to be interviewed in the coming weeks, a source close to the House panel told NBC News on Wednesday. CNN first reported the planned meeting with Thomas. Thomas first came under scrutiny for messages to former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows and state lawmakers that questioned 2020 election results. The agreement comes after weeks of back and forth and a letter asking Thomas to speak with the panel. Please check back for updates.

Five people who federal investigators say are associated with the far-right group America First have been arrested in connection with last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol. In addition to numerous criminal charges, they are accused of entering House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s conference room, according to a court filing. Brody is accused of helping another rioter use a metal barricade against a Capitol Police officer, who was knocked back as he tried to secure the door. According to the filing, the group also watched the destruction of media equipment, which had been surrounded by metal barricades, with Brody and Chase taking part in the destruction. More than 850 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack, and more than 350 have been convicted.

☆ Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard sue DeSantis in class action alleging fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Migrants who were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, under a new program by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sued DeSantis, a Republican, and other state officials Tuesday, alleging they were victims of fraud for political purposes. Taryn Fenske, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said in a statement that the migrants chose to board the flights. "The transportation of the immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard was done on a voluntary basis," Fenske said. DeSantis has insisted that no laws were broken, and he has pledged to continue his administration’s $12 million program to relocate migrants.

☆ Trump attorneys don't want to disclose which Mar-a-Lago documents he claims to have declassified
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Tom_Winter_Nbc_News.Jpg | Tom Winter | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump’s attorneys said in a filing Monday night that they don’t want to disclose to a court-appointed special master which Mar-a-Lago documents they assert the former president may or may not have declassified. In a four-page letter to the special master, Trump's attorneys pushed back against Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie's apparent proposal that they submit “specific information regarding declassification” to him in the course of his review. Dearie issued an order Friday summoning both parties to the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, for a preliminary conference Tuesday. Trump's attorneys have claimed that until or unless they decide to fight the FBI search warrant or if they decide to offer it as a defense following any potential indictment, they shouldn't have to disclose details about declassification that would also be shared with the Justice Department. On his Truth Social platform last month, Trump said, “It was all declassified.” But legal experts have pointed out that it may be irrelevant whether the documents were declassified or not depending on what, if any, charges are filed.

Search resuls for: "Zoe Richards"

16 mentions found