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☆ Fox bosses ‘shut down’ fact checking with 2020 conspiracies, Dominion lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Dominion is suing Fox News over the right-wing channel’s airing of false claims of election fraud around the 2020 presidential election. Fox News argued that Dominion should instead rely on the “lengthy depositions” that these witnesses already gave. It claims Dominion hasn’t shown anything strong enough to overcome the high bar that the First Amendment provides, protecting good-faith journalists from speech-chilling defamation lawsuits. Dominion lawyer Rodney Smolla said its high-stakes defamation case against Fox News will protect the public discourse and hold accountable people who deliberately lied about the 2020 election. “They endorsed,” Murdoch said, referring to Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and former host Lou Dobbs.

☆ Trump rape case: A judge postponed one of E. Jean Carroll's defamation claims against the former president — but her sexual assault claim will still be heard in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuits against Donald Trump was postponed Monday. The DC Court of Appeals has yet to weigh in on whether Trump can even be sued in the case. After Trump loudly denied Carroll's allegations in statements to the press, calling her a liar and saying she was not his type, Carroll sued him for defamation. That lawsuit also includes claims for defamation for Trump's continued denials of her rape allegations after he left the White House. Trump's lawyers and the DOJ argue that his statements to the media about Carroll were part of his duties as president.

LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Prince Harry will on Friday seek to win his libel claim against publisher Associated Newspapers without the case going to trial, his lawyer said, as the British royal steps up his legal battles against the tabloid press. Harry, King Charles' younger son, sued Associated Newspapers last year over an article in its Mail on Sunday newspaper that alleged he tried to keep secret details of his separate legal fight with Britain’s government over his security arrangements. London's High Court ruled in July that the Mail report was defamatory, paving the way for Harry to take the case forward against one of Britain’s biggest media publishers. Later this month, there is due to be a hearing in another case he has brought with singer Elton John and others against Associated Newspapers over allegations of phone-tapping and other privacy breaches. Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

“This is a major life decision that should involve the parents,” Circuit Judge Paul Niemeyer said as the panel heard arguments in the case before it makes a decision. Steven Fitschen, the group's president, said in an email that he anticipates filing more lawsuits challenging school policies barring the disclosure of students' gender identity. At least 168 U.S. school districts with more than 3.2 million students have such policies, according to conservative group Parents Defending Education. Parents have filed lawsuits challenging similar policies adopted by school districts in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Virginia and Iowa, among other states. Quattlebaum and Circuit Judge Allison Rushing, who rounded out the panel, are appointees of Republican former President Donald Trump.

Bitcoin futures ETFs track bitcoin futures contracts, or agreements to purchase or sell bitcoin at a certain price on a specified date. A spot bitcoin ETF would track bitcoin's underlying market price. Proponents say a spot bitcoin ETF would give investors exposure to bitcoin without directly buying it. He told Reuters in January that Grayscale would appeal the case if the court backed the SEC's decision to reject its bitcoin ETF proposal. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, launched in 2013, has $14 billion in assets under management, according to Grayscale’s website.

☆ Belarus court sentences exiled opposition leader to 15 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - A court in Belarus has sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison in absentia, the state news agency Belta reported on Monday. Tsikhanouskaya, 40, fled Belarus after running for the presidency in 2020 against veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko. The election was followed by mass protests after the opposition accused Lukashenko of electoral fraud, something he denied. Tsikhanouskaya, whose supporters have dismissed the charges against her as a meaningless farce, was put on trial in absentia for treason charges in January. Reporting by Reuters Editing by Andrew OsbornOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Truth serum' drugs do exist. Here's how medicines like sodium pentothal and scopolamine can manipulate the brain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Numerous accounts and scientific reports suggest that you're more prone to tell the truth under the effects of truth serum drugs, but the drugs have other side effects. Furthermore, not only are truth serum drugs not all that useful, they are illegal under certain circumstances, including interrogation. A truth serum experimentTo find out if truth serum works, TV journalist Michael Mosley experienced it for himself in 2013. To investigate sodium thiopental, one of the more popular truth serum drugs, Mosley took two different doses of it. The future of truth-telling drugsThere may be a more powerful truth serum drug out there that researchers have yet to discover.

☆ Nobel winner Bialiatski jailed in Belarus for a decade, sparking outcry
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Footage from the cramped Minsk court showed Bialiatski, who co-founded the Viasna (Spring) human rights group, looking sombre, his hands cuffed behind his back, as he and his co-defendants watched proceedings from a courtroom cage. Bialiatski, who was arrested in 2021, and three co-defendants were charged with financing protests and smuggling money. Belarusian state news agency Belta confirmed the court had handed down long jail sentences to all the men, including a decade in prison for Bialiatski. That, she said, placed human rights defenders at risk of criminal prosecution for their legitimate activities. Viasna, the organisation he co-founded, took a leading role in providing legal and financial assistance to those jailed.

☆ The FAA won't have to establish seating size and space rules despite all the complaints, US court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, a US court ruled against FAA having to establish minimum seat sizes and spacing for safety, Reuters reports. On Friday, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that advocacy group FlyersRights.org couldn't force the FAA to adopt seating dimension rules. That is why some passengers pay for wider seats and extra legroom," Walker wrote. There needs to be a minimum size established, and it needs to be larger than the current sizing," commenter Epiphany Pizor wrote. In 2018, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act, directing the agency to issue seat dimension rules regarding passenger safety.

☆ Meet the top 8 lawyers helping startups patent artificial intelligence and comply with rules on privacy and safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI startups must secure patents and manage concerns about bias, safety, and security risks. Artificial-intelligence startups are continuing to draw venture-capital support, pulling in some $72 billion in 2022, according to data from PitchBook. For one thing, AI poses questions around the kind of privacy and safety issues that can be subject to regulation and government oversight. Meanwhile, novel uses of AI technology have already brought unusual legal questions up to the courts. That kind of work also often leads to more work for regulatory, litigation and other attorneys with expertise in AI technology, who can advise on procurement contracts, risks involving software, and cybersecurity.

☆ Ex-Bon Appétit editor Marissa Ross says the wine world ruined her. Now she's back and ready to give it hell.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

Her rise was tied to a period of reinvention for the wine world during which natural wine conquered millennial taste buds and became ubiquitous on menus across the US. Marissa Ross, Bon Appétit's wine editor from 2016 to 2020, often posted pictures of herself chugging straight from the bottle — a technique she called "The Ross test." "Natural wine," a nebulous term that generally refers to wine made with minimal intervention and without additives like sulfites, was tentatively entering the American wine world. Many in the wine world took the idea that you didn't have to be educated to know about wine as a personal insult. When she first told BA that she planned to cover only natural wines, Ross said, Rapoport called to try to change her mind.

☆ Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse demands more transparency on gifts, food, lodging and entertainment that federal judges and Supreme Court justices receive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse sent a letter to an agency demanding more information on ethics rules for federal judges. Unlike lower federal judges, Supreme Court justices are not bound by a code of conduct. In a new letter obtained by Insider, Whitehouse demanded answers on how the justices and all other federal judges disclose hospitality they receive, including gifts, food, lodging and entertainment. The letter is a follow-up to a lengthy back-and-forth in recent years between Whitehouse and the agency on the judges' ethics rules. The American Bar Association also urged the Supreme Court this month to adopt ethics rules similar to those followed by all other federal judges.

☆ Accused Colorado LGBTQ club shooter back in court for preliminary hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Keith Coffman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

One of the men pistol-whipped Aldrich as others pummeled the accused assailant, leaving the suspect with multiple injuries that required hospitalization. Aldrich's lawyers have asserted in court filings that their client identifies as "non-binary" in gender and prefers them/they pronouns. At a previous court hearing, a defense lawyer intimated that Aldrich may have been in the club previously, including on the night of the massacre. El Paso County District Judge Michael McHenry was assigned to preside over the preliminary hearing, which was scheduled to run for three days, according to the court docket. The Q nightclub shooting is not the defendant's first brush with the law.

Before Sudani formed his government he struck a deal with the KDP, which dominates the administration in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq. Under the Iraqi constitution, the Kurdish region is entitled to a portion of the national budget. A spokesman for the KRG, Jotiar Adil, said the "politically motivated" court was trying to spoil the deal between Erbil and Baghdad. A source with knowledge of the meetings said Erbil and Baghdad remained far apart on the hydrocarbon law. Additional reporting by Ali sultan in Sulaimaniya; Editing by Michael Georgy and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The board of directors of Robinhood has approved a plan to buy up to 55 million shares bought by Sam Bankman-Fried last year. The ex-CEO of the now bankrupt crypto exchange FTX originally purchased his stake in May 2022 through Emergent Fidelity Technologies. "Our board authorized us to buy the shares of Robinhood that were originally acquired by Emergent Fidelity Technologies, that FTX subsidiary," Robinhood CFO Jason Warnick told CNBC. According to a Jan. 20 DOJ filing, Bankman-Fried held 55,273,469 Robinhood shares, over 7% of the company's outstanding shares. The shares are also at the heart of a contentious court battle between FTX, Bankman-Fried, crypto lender BlockFi, and a set of international entities.

☆ The US promised the Cherokee Nation a seat in Congress in a treaty that fueled the Trail of Tears. 188 years later, the Cherokee say lawmakers may finally fulfill that promise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Cherokee Nation was promised a seat in Congress in the 1835 Treaty of New Echota. The Cherokee Nation appears closer than ever to finally seating a delegate. She said lawmakers asked tough questions, but she felt "very optimistic" the Cherokee delegate was something the committee ultimately supported. The Cherokee Nation is continuing to galvanize support and encourages US citizens to reach out to their representatives in Congress and tell them to fulfill the treaty promise. "I think the stars are aligned for a Cherokee Nation delegate to be seated," she said.

☆ US court rejects J&J bankruptcy strategy for tens of thousands of talc lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

J&J said it will challenge the Third Circuit’s ruling and continue to seek a resolution of the lawsuits in bankruptcy court. The appeals court was urged to dismiss the bankruptcy petition by plaintiffs suing over the talc products. The cancer victims asked the appeals court to overrule a New Jersey bankruptcy judge who had allowed LTL’s bankruptcy to continue. LTL’s bankruptcy filing automatically stopped lawsuits from proceeding against it, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan in Trenton, New Jersey ruled in February that LTL’s bankruptcy should also stop talc lawsuits from proceeding against parent company J&J. Kaplan said the bankruptcy court is better equipped to handle mass tort litigation than other courts.

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WASHINGTON — Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the Supreme Court is not as divided as members of the public might think, praising his liberal colleagues and highlighting rulings in which the justices were not divided on ideological lines during a recent public appearance. Kavanaugh had special praise for the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the recently retired liberal Justice Stephen Breyer and Breyer’s successor, liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying she “has hit the ground running" and is "thoroughly prepared." Ginsburg and Breyer "couldn't have been better at welcoming me to the court," Kavanaugh said, referring to his nomination by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. Kavanaugh this week appeared eager to counter any perceptions that the court is usually divided on ideological lines, pointing out several cases in which he had joined liberal justices in 5-4 decisions. Statistics compiled for the SCOTUSblog legal website showed, however, that in the previous court term only 29 percent of the decisions were unanimous, lower than at any time in the past two decades.

☆ The New York Times, Stanford University, Coinbase and Netflix are among FTX's laundry list of creditors, court filing shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FTX owes money to media companies, airlines universities, crypto exchanges, and government agencies. The failed exchange has millions of creditors, including Stanford University, Netflix, and Coinbase. FTX owes money to media companies, airlines, charities, universities, cryptocurrency exchanges, and many government agencies, according to a court filing on Wednesday. Although the list does not say how much money each party is owed, the company has millions of creditors, including FTX customers. FTX's new CEO, John Ray III, said he's looking into the possibility of reviving the failed exchange and resuming the platform's normal operations during its bankruptcy process.

☆ Former FBI official accused of hiding a $225,000 cash payment from an ex-foreign officer while overseeing an agency counter-intelligence division
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former top FBI official was charged in two jurisdictions on Monday. The ex-counter-intelligence official was charged with secretly receiving cash payments from a former foreign officer. McGonigal also traveled abroad with the official and met with foreign nationals in Europe, where the official had business interests, according to the DOJ. "Covering up your contacts with foreign nationals and hiding your personal financial relationships is a gateway to corruption," US Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves said. "There are no exceptions for anyone, including a former FBI official like Mr. McGonigal," FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement.

☆ Pliskova back in the Melbourne quarter-finals and feeling good
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I've been feeling quite good since I came to Australia," she told reporters. Only two top 10 seeds, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka, remain in the quarter-finals, leaving Pliskova as one of the more experienced Grand Slam campaigners. "I feel like these days there is not just top 20 tough opponents, there is like 150 tough opponents," the world number 31 added. "Then the rest, Pegula, I think she's playing great tennis. "If I play like I played today, I think it's tough for anybody to compete with that.

☆ Washington court paves way for Albertsons' $4 bln dividend, declines to review case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Washington Supreme Court made the decision after a lower court judge refused last month to issue a preliminary injunction against the dividend. The Washington attorney general's office in November sued to block the dividend, arguing that it would weaken Albertsons before Kroger's $25 billion purchase. The merger proposal will be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, which polices merger and acquisition activity for compliance with antitrust law. In a statement, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said his office was "surprised and disappointed the Supreme Court decided not to hear this case." Chief executives of the two grocers in November defended the $25 billion proposed tie-up at a hearing before a U.S. congressional committee.

☆ Trump tried to fight E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit in court on Tuesday. Here's a rundown of where all the litigation stands.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

E. Jean Carroll, who alleges Trump raped her, sued him for defamation more than three years ago. Carroll filed a second lawsuit in November, adding a defamation claim and accusing him of battery. Five months later, Carroll sued Trump for defamation, alleging he attacked her reputation by claiming she made the story up. Trump won't be able to invoke the Westfall Act in Carroll's second lawsuit, which means at least one of her defamation claims will likely move forward. If the DC Circuit allows Carroll's first lawsuit to proceed, a trial could happen in the next few months.

☆ Trump is headed to court Tuesday to argue that presidents can't be sued for defamation. Here's what's at stake.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An appeals court is set to weigh in on E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit against Donald Trump. Trump and the DOJ argue that he can't be personally sued for statements he made in office. Carroll sued Trump for defamation in November 2019, saying her career suffered "as a direct result of Trump's defamatory statements." Seth Wenig/APThe Westfall Act protects government employees from being sued for actions in the line of their work. Because he made those comments after leaving the White House, he won't be able to claim Westfall Act protection.

☆ How Anti-Abortion Activists Bought Access to the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

In exchange for as little as a few thousand dollars in contributions to the nonprofit, these people received easy access to events where Supreme Court justices would be. Supreme Court Historical society trustee Jay Sekulow, center, represented President Trump during the latter's impeachment trial in 2020. Anti-abortion advocates cheer in front of the Supreme Court after the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores was announced in 2014. Alito did not respond to a request for comment on his involvement in the Supreme Court Historical Society. Supreme Court justices, though, aren't even required to stay within those weak guardrails because no code of ethics governs justices' behavior.

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