DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 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

☆ How a safari led me to discover the ancient history of house cats
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jonathan Losos | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But further scrutiny revealed distinctive features: legs slightly longer than those of most domestic cats, and a striking black-tipped tail. I explored this question in my book "The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa." But tomb paintings and sculptures show that by 3,500 years ago, domestic cats lived in Egypt. Or you can measure the length of its intestines – longer in domestic cats to digest vegetable-based food provided by or scavenged from humans. The common view that domestic cats are aloof loners couldn't be further from the truth.

Persons: Jonathan Losos, I've, felines, –, Sophie Kleeman, loners couldn't, Thomas Winz, who's, William H, Danforth, St . Louis Organizations: North African Wildcat, Service, wildcats, African wildcats, pumas –, Vikings, Arts & Sciences, Washington University Locations: Wall, Silicon, Africa, New Jersey, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Europe, North America, Asia, St .

☆ 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

☆ Clarence Thomas accepted previously undisclosed luxury vacations with rich friends that likely cost millions: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Clarence Thomas took at least 38 other previously undisclosed luxury trips, ProPublica reported. The outlet estimates that Thomas has accepted millions in trips he didn't report since joining the court. According to its latest story, Thomas accepted a Bahamas trip, a stay at a luxury Jamaica resort, and premium seats to games. According to ProPublica's report, Thomas has accepted at least 38 other premium vacations that he did not previously disclose. The sheer level of what Thomas has accepted is staggering, a former federal judge responsible for financial disclosures told the outlet.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, ProPublica, Thomas, Jeremy Fogel, Paul, Tony, Novelly, Wayne Huizenga, David Sokol, Huizenga, Gary, Sokol, Virginia, Justice Thomas, he's, Samuel Alito Organizations: Service, Supreme, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Berkshire, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Big, Congressional, Republicans Locations: Bahamas, Jamaica, Wall, Silicon, Nebraska

☆ Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas took lavish vacations with a billionaire who criticized student-loan forgiveness months before the Supreme Court struck it down, new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new ProPublica report found Clarence Thomas has accepted more undisclosed gifts from billionaires. On Thursday, ProPublica released an investigation that revealed new information on the gifts billionaires have given Thomas over the years. Months later, the Supreme Court in June indeed struck down the student-debt relief, with Thomas voting in the majority. Last month, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would create a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices, but it's unlikely the bill will pass under a Republican-controlled House. Can Congress do various things to regulate the Supreme Court?

Persons: Clarence Thomas, David Sokol, Thomas, Justice Alito, ProPublica, Sokol, Joe Biden's, Biden's, Harlan Crow, Sam Alito, Paul Singer, Alito, Elena Kagan, We're Organizations: Service, Nebraska, Berkshire, Supreme, Republican, Street, Liberal Locations: Wall, Silicon, Wyoming, Berkshire Hathaway, Nebraska, Jackson Hole , Wyoming

☆ Trump's lawyers wanted Clarence Thomas to review their 2020 election lies, saying he was their 'only chance' of stopping Biden's victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's lawyers wanted Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to help them stop Biden's 2020 election. One Trump lawyer wrote that "our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion" that "might hold up the Georgia count in Congress, is from Thomas." one Trump lawyer, Kenneth Chesebro, wrote in a December 31, 2020 email to other attorneys working on Trump's behalf to nullify Biden's victory. Thomas is the circuit justice for Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, meaning he oversees emergency requests coming from those states. He was referring to the conservative lawyer John Eastman, who was one of the recipients of the email.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Trump, Thomas, Donald Trump's, —, Joe Biden's, Biden, Kenneth Chesebro, Chesebro, Jan, Thomas —, Eastman, John Eastman, I've, Jack Smith's, Eastman haven't Organizations: Service, Capitol, New York Times, Trump, Georgia Legislature Locations: Georgia, Wall, Silicon, Trump's, Georgia , Alabama, Florida

☆ UBS downgrades UPS as margin pressure, lower shipping volumes weigh on stock trajectory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

UBS is moving to the sidelines on shipping giant UPS while the company tries to improve margins. The firm downgraded the shipping giant to neutral from buy on Wednesday and lowered its price target to $185 from $198. UPS said the cost of a new labor contract with employees would weigh on shipping volumes. The analyst lowered his 2023 and 2024 earnings per share forecasts by 12% to reflect the margin pressure. UPS YTD mountain UPS stock has added 3.8% so far in 2023.

Persons: Thomas Wadewitz, Wadewitz, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: UBS, UPS Locations: 2Q24

☆ Australia mushroom poisoning: Four relatives came to lunch, three died with symptoms of 'death cap' poisoning
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —A meal of suspected death cap mushrooms served at a family lunch in late July is at the center of a homicide investigation in Australia following the deaths of three guests less than a week later. Victoria Health issued a warning about death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) in April, describing them as “extremely poisonous” and listing symptoms of consumption including violent stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Native to Europe, death cap mushrooms were first confirmed in Australia in the 1960s, and they almost always grow near introduced trees, namely oaks, according to Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Toxins in death cap mushrooms cannot be destroyed by boiling, cooking, freezing, or drying and eating only a small portion can lead to death. “Obviously a lot of the items that we have seized will be forensically tested in the hope that can shed some light on what has occurred at the lunch,” Thomas said.

Persons: Erin Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson, Gail’s, Don, Ian, “ I’m, Ian Wilkinson, Heather, Dean Thomas, Patterson, Simon, “, ” Thomas, Patterson’s, Thomas, It’s, Dean Thomas of, haven’t, ” Organizations: Australia CNN, Victoria Police, Salvation Army Australia Museum, Facebook, Victoria Health, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria Police Police Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Leongatha, Victoria, Korumburra, Europe, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, paddocks

☆ Opinion | My Hope for American Discourse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Tish Harrison Warren | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Dealing with them is a privilege and a joy, but habitually dealing with the outside of them is inherently dangerous. The “outsides” of holy things, to me, describes the difference between speaking about divine or sacred things and encountering the divine or the sacred directly. To be sure, we need more and better religious discourse in America. In my very first newsletter for The Times, I wrote that “we need to start talking about God,” and I still believe that. Constant connectivity empties us out, as individuals and as a society, making us shallower thinkers and more impatient with others.

Persons: Thomas Wingfold, George MacDonald, I’ve, Nikolai Berdyaev Organizations: Scottish, The Times, Social Locations: America, Russian

Affirmative action supporters and counterprotesters shout at each other outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., June 29, 2023. Now that the Supreme Court has struck down race-conscious admissions, employers could face challenges in how they find diverse talent. A group of 13 Republican attorneys general suggested in the wake of the ruling that companies' diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs could be considered unlawful discrimination. In the wake of the ruling, many fear universities could become less reliable sources from which to recruit diverse talent. However, during the last year there has been a "step back" in terms of diversity hiring, said Reyhan Ayas, a senior economist at Revelio Labs, a workforce data and analytics firm.

Persons: Kent Nishimura, Jocelyn Samuels, Lorraine Hariton, Donald Harris, Stacy Hawkins, Kim Waller, Korn, Waller, Ahmad Thomas, Thomas, it's, We've, Alvin Tillery, Tillery, Carey Thompson, Adam Kovacevich, George Floyd, Russell, Reyhan Ayas, Northwestern's, Salesforce, Kovacevich, VI, Temple's Harris, " Harris Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Washington , D.C, Los Angeles Times, Apple, General Electric, Google, Starbucks, Harvard University, University of North, Democratic AGs, Employment, Commission, Catalyst, Temple University School of Law, University of California, University of Michigan, Urban Institute, Employers, Rutgers University . Companies, . Census, Temple University School of Law Business, Leadership Group, Corporate, Northwestern's Center, Diversity and Democracy, Gettysburg, of Progress, Economic, Revelio Labs, Silicon, Amazon, Microsoft, Civil Locations: Washington ,, University of North Carolina, U.S, Silicon Valley

He may soon face more charges in Georgia, where a state prosecutor is investigating his attempts to overturn the election there. TRUMP STILL THE REPUBLICAN FRONT-RUNNER Trump's legal woes have done little to damage his status as Republican front-runner. The indictment describes a phone call in which Pence told Trump there was no legal basis for the theory that Pence could block certification of the election. Although Pence repeatedly told Trump he lacked the authority to reject electoral votes from certain states, Trump kept repeating the claim. On Jan. 6, as he spoke to his supporters before they attacked the Capitol, Trump said: "If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election."

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Trump, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, Joe Biden, Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Upadhyaya, Chutkan, John Lauro, Thomas Windom, Biden, Todd Blanche, Judge Moxila, Jane Rosenberg, Donald J, Fani Willis, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Pence, Sarah N, Lynch, Jacqueline Thomsen, Andrew Goudsward, Luc Cohen, Jason Lange, Tim Reid, John O'Connell, Jeff Mason, Patrick McFarland, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, U.S . Capitol, Republican, Democratic, Biden, America, Republicans, Secret, REUTERS, TRUMP STILL, Reuters, Trump, White, Justice Department, U.S . House, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington, Bedminster , New Jersey, Ukraine, American, United States, America, New York, Georgia, Atlanta, Florida

[1/2] The Subway restaurant logo is seen on a napkin in this illustration photo August 30, 2017. Subway expects to fetch well over $9 billion in a deal, and it remains uncertain whether TDR and Sycamore can meet its price expectations, the sources said. Private equity firm Advent International, which had teamed up with Goldman Sachs Asset Management on a bid for Subway, has dropped out of the process, the sources said. Goldman Sachs (GS.N) may decide to team up with one of the other bidders, the sources added. Subway, Roark and TDR did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Thomas White, Goldman Sachs, Roark, Jimmy John's, Jimmy John’s, TDR, Fred DeLuca, Peter Buck, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, TDR Capital, Sycamore Partners, Roark Capital, International, Goldman Sachs, Management, Subway, Bloomberg News, JPMorgan Chase &, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sycamore, Champaign , Illinois, Milford , Connecticut, Bridgeport , Connecticut, The Milford , Connecticut, U.S, New York

☆ Takeaways from the arraignment of Donald Trump in the special counsel’s election subversion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

There were hints of a similar strategy in the first hearing in the election subversion case. Key prosecutors make their public debutThursday marked the public debut of the Smith team that will handle the election subversion prosecution. Smith himself attended the hearing, as he did for Trump’s first appearance in the classified documents case in Florida earlier this year. Windom – who moved from the US attorney’s office in Maryland to play a central role in the federal election subversion investigation, spoke on behalf of the government Thursday. In the election subversion case, Trump’s attorneys have previewed arguments that the case should be moved elsewhere, given the city’s political bent.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith’s, Smith, John Lauro, they’ll, ” Lauro, Thomas Windom, Tanya Chutkan, Fani Willis, There’s, Jean Carroll, Windom –, Molly Gaston, Gaston, Steve Bannon, Rick Gates –, –, Paul Manafort, Lauro, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Evan Corcoran, He’s, he’ll, didn’t, ”, he’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, Fulton, New, DC US, Justice Department, Trump . New Trump, Capitol, Metropolitan Locations: Washington, DC, Georgia, Fulton County, Manhattan, New York, Florida, Maryland, Manhattan’s, egging

☆ Instant View: Fitch downgrades U.S. foreign currency ratings to 'AA+' from 'AAA'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The downgrade follows a debt ceiling agreement in June that came after months of political brinkmanship and ultimately lifted the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. Unless they think that fiscal trajectory suggests risk of a default, which I don't think they say, I don't understand the reason for this." “So I don't think the reaction, it should surprise anyone in the markets because we've been through this before. JACK ABLIN, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, CRESSET WEALTH ADVISORS IN PALM BEACH, FLORIDA"I'm surprised, but I'm not surprised." "It's really the just the troubled negotiations that take place every time we have a debt ceiling or budget negotiation.

Persons: Thomas White, Fitch, STEVEN RICCHIUTO, ” WENDY EDELBERG, I'm, JASON WARE, Fiitch, MICHAEL O’ROURKE, “, ” BERNARD BAUMOHL, Poor’s, ” MICHAEL SCHULMAN, ANGELO KOURKAFAS, EDWARD JONES, ”, MICHAEL K, FARR, That’s, ” KEITH LERNER, ” “ It’s, ERIC WINOGRAD, ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN, QUINCY KROSBY, doesn't, JACK ABLIN, it's Organizations: REUTERS, United, AAA, USA, ., OF, HAMILTON PROJECT, BROOKINGS, WASHINGTON D.C, ALBION, Fitch, AA, PRINCETON, NEW, ST LOUIS, MILLER & WASHINGTON LLC, ADVISORY, Global Finance, Markets, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, MIZUHO, WASHINGTON, CITY , UTAH, STAMFORD , CONNECTICUT, NEW JERSEY, ATLANTA, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, BEACH , FLORIDA

☆ Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gives a middle finger to Congress: 'No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court — period.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Madison Hall | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke to The Wall Street Journal about congressional oversight. "No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court," he said. "Congress did not create the Supreme Court," Alito said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court — period." "Dear Justice Alito: You're on the Supreme Court in part because Congress expanded the Court to 9 Justices," Lieu tweeted.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Alito, Ted Lieu, Lieu, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, David B, Rivkin, Moore, SCOTUS, Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas, Crow, gifting, Thomas, Thomas —, —, ProPublica, Paul Singer Organizations: Wall Street, Service, Democratic, Twitter, GOP, Dallas Morning News, Democrats Locations: Wall, Silicon

Insider spoke with influencer marketing experts and creators about sponsored content on Threads. Within two days of Threads' launch on July 5 , certain brands and influencers started posting paid, sponsored content. She's since posted more sponsored content to Threads. Hulu worked with creator Adam Rose on a sponsored Threads post. Some creators, like travel creator Jessica Ufuoma, are turning down sponsored content requests from brands for this reason.

Persons: influencers, Adam Rose, Kristen Bousquet, I've, Bousquet, Hulu, Krishna Subramanian, Amber Venz, Alessandro Bogliari, Ayomi Samaraweera, Meta, Rose, Brittany Mehciz, Hulu's, Thomas Walters, Ajai Guyot, Guyot, it's, Elon Musk, Ryan Detert, Matt Navarra, who's, what's, Elon, Navarra, Meta's, Instagram, Sooraj Saxena, he's, Sydney Bradley, Taryn Hicks, Jessica Ufuoma, collabs Organizations: She's, Brands, Meta, Creators, Hulu, Dollar, Amazon, Twitter, Sydney Locations: Europe

☆ A film, websites, and even a Twitter fan account praising Clarence Thomas were all part of a coordinated public relations campaign backed by nonprofit groups tied to a Federalist Society chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But one recent PR campaign has centered on Justice Clarence Thomas, The Washington Post reported. But one more recent campaign was directed at Justice Thomas, who had already spent about three decades on the Court's bench. According to the Post, a nonprofit called the Judicial Education Project paid the lawyer about $300,000 in 2016 for "media projects." "Since his confirmation on October 15, 1991, Justice Thomas has been a stalwart defender of the original meaning of the Constitution." The comment was made years ago in a 2007 biography of Thomas, "Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas."

Persons: Leonard Leo, Clarence Thomas, Leo, Thomas, Anita Hill, Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Mark Paoletta —, Paoletta, HBO's, Len Amato, —, Michael Pack, Ginni Thomas, Harlan Crow, Kentanji Brown, JCN, Leonard Leo's Organizations: Washington Post, Service, The Washington Post, Federalist Society, Post, HBO, Trump White House, Judicial, Project, Politico, Daily, Washington Examiner, Post . Records, CRC, Relations, Advisors, Judicial Crisis, New York Times, Crisis Locations: Wall, Silicon, Virginia, United States, Jackson

☆ Thomas woes continue, but still hopeful of Ryder Cup pick
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Thomas's round of 82 on Thursday, including a nine at the last hole, meant he was playing for pride in his second round and managed that with a level-par 71 in tough conditions. Thomas sits 13th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings with only the top six guaranteed a spot and six more then selected by the captain. Despite his woes at Hoylake, Thomas said he actually played good golf but made too many "bonehead mistakes". Asked how he might convince Johnson to select him, Thomas said he hopes his record speaks for itself. "I love the team events.

Persons: Justin Thomas, Zach Johnson's, Thomas, I'm, I've, Ryder, Johnson, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: U.S, Ryder, Europe, Royal Liverpool, Zach, Thomson Locations: HOYLAKE, England, Rome, Hoylake, Paris

Insider spoke with influencer marketing experts and creators about sponsored content on Threads. There may not be hashtags yet on Instagram's new app Threads, but that's not stopping #ads from appearing all over the latest social-media platform. Within two days of Threads' launch on July 5 , certain brands and influencers started posting paid, sponsored content. She's since posted more sponsored content to Threads. Some creators, like travel creator Jessica Ufuoma, are turning down sponsored content requests from brands for this reason.

☆ Dollar tentative, kiwi jumps as NZ inflation data tempers rate doves
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A New Zealand Dollar note is seen in this picture illustration June 2, 2017. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar rebounded from a 15-month low hit in the previous session, with its index steadying at 99.943 in early Asia trade. Sterling <GBP=D3> bought $1.3035, ahead of UK inflation data due later on Wednesday. "The stickiness of UK inflation measures has contrasted notably with price measures in both the euro zone and the U.S. which have been moving lower," said Rabobank's head of FX strategy Jane Foley. "While inflation is 'lower', it is not 'low' by any stretch of the imagination.

Persons: Thomas White, Tina Teng, Klaas, Jane Foley, Satish Ranchhod, Kazuo Ueda, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, New Zealand, U.S ., U.S, CMC Markets, Reuters, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, ECB, Sterling, Bank of, Reserve Bank of New, Westpac, Australian, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, U.S, Bank of England, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Harlan Crow's jaunts on his yacht with Justice Clarence Thomas were a 'textbook billionaire tax scam,' Sen. Ron Wyden tells ProPublica
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Justice Clarence Thomas and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow's yacht trips have come under scrutiny again. Per ProPublica, Crow registered his yacht as a charter vessel but only took close friends on trips. As a result, he could pay his own company, report losses, and save on his tax bill, per ProPublica. Some of those were trips aboard Crow's yacht, the Michaela Rose, and were organized through Rochelle Charter, a company registered to charter the yacht. 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.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Harlan, Per, Crow, Thomas, Michaela Rose, Ron Wyden, ProPublica, gifting, Thomas —, — Organizations: Service, Privacy, ProPublica, Dallas Morning News, Democrats Locations: Wall, Silicon, Rochelle

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the second Black justice to sit on the court after Thurgood Marshall, has spent years opposing affirmative action. When the high court struck down the policy last month, Justice Thomas was one of the most influential figures behind the ruling. Abbie VanSickle, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains the impact affirmative action has had on Justice Thomas’s life and how he helped to bring about its demise.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thurgood Marshall, Thomas, Abbie VanSickle Organizations: The Times

[1/8] Palestinian refugee students attend an activity as part of "Fun Weeks" summer camps run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in a school in Beach refugee camp in Gaza City, July 11, 2023. The Palestine children, including those with disabilities, will over four weeks participate in a series of activities including greening, recycling, sports, drawing, handicrafts, and language learning, the agency said. UNRWA runs 284 schools in Gaza, serving at least 290,000 students. The activity creates around 3,000 short-term jobs for Gaza youth, UNRWA said. Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides public services including schools, primary healthcare, and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Thomas White, Joanna El, Halabi, Nidal Almughrabi, Devika Organizations: United Nations Relief, Works Agency, REUTERS, United Nations, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA Affairs, Reuters, Gaza, UNRWA, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Beach, Gaza City, Mohammed Salem GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, East, Egypt, Jabalia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas has a long history of accepting expensive gifts, including a long-time friend paying for his 1987 wedding reception: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Justice Clarence Thomas' acceptance of lavish gifts stretches back decades, per a new NYT report. These include his 1987 wedding reception, paid for by a friend before he joined the Supreme Court, it said. In its latest report, the Times detailed lavish gifts, some of which pre-date Thomas' time on the Supreme Court. "And, in return, he opened up the Supreme Court." Thomas is far from the only Supreme Court Justice to have received expensive gifts in the course of their tenure.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Harlan Crow, Crow, Armstrong Williams, Horatio Alger, Williams, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, — Thomas Organizations: Supreme, Service, New York Times, Opportunity Commission, Times, Horatio, Distinguished, Horatio Alger Association, Justice, LA Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Thomas, Virginia

☆ Look at What John Roberts and His Supreme Court Have Wrought Over 18 Years - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Linda Greenhouse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The justices have simply replaced Chevron’s rule of judicial deference with its polar opposite, a new rule that goes by the name of the major questions doctrine. But how to tell a major question from an ordinary one? The Heller decision in 2008 opened the Second Amendment door a crack, granting individuals the right to keep a handgun at home for self-defense. The question in the case is whether the Second Amendment allows the government to bar gun ownership by an individual under a restraining order for domestic violence. That the answer actually might be “no” — domestic violence wasn’t even a concept in the 18th century, when the Second Amendment was adopted — is too astonishing to contemplate.

Persons: Dobbs, Roe, Casey, Roberts’s, Thomas, ”, Neil Gorsuch, “, Heller, Chafing, can’t, wasn’t, — Organizations: Jackson, Health Organization, Wade, Chevron, Biden administration’s Locations: United States

Search resuls for: "Thomas W"

25 mentions found