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☆ A crypto trading platform that recruited users through prayer circles was a pyramid scheme that made $1 billion for its 'Reverand CEO,' lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Now, the New York attorney general says NovaTechFx is just a front for a $1 billion pyramid scheme. The lawsuit also names as a defendant AWS Mining Pty, a crypto mining platform previously run by the Petions. The lawsuit accuses the couple of targeting Haitian immigrants in New York City to recruit them into the pyramid scheme using local prayer circles. After founding NovaTechFx in 2019, Cynthia Petion rebranded herself as the "Reverend CEO," claiming that her company was "God's vision," the lawsuit says. The Petions also operated the NovaTechFx website, which the lawsuit says is where investors would go to invest in cryptocurrency through the company, according to court documents.

Persons: —, NovaTechFx, Leticia James, Eddy Petion, Cynthia Petion, mindlessly, James, Renold Julien, Konbit Organizations: Service, New, New York, New York Supreme, AWS Mining, Business, Yorkers, Mining Locations: New York, New York City, cryptocurrency, Haitian, United States

☆ After Letitia James Wins Big in Courtrooms, She Celebrates in Public
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This has been a very good year for Letitia James. Over the past month, Ms. James, New York’s attorney general, has racked up hard-fought victories over two formidable opponents. First, in mid-February, her office won a staggering $454 million judgment against former President Donald J. Trump in a civil fraud trial stemming from accusations that he had inflated his net worth. A week later, Ms. James, a Democrat, prevailed again, this time against the National Rifle Association and its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, who was found personally liable for more than $5 million in misused funds. Ms. James, who won a second term handily in 2022, is seemingly reveling in her reputation as an antagonist of right-wing political figures, some of whom have reacted to her public pronouncements with fury.

Persons: Letitia James, James, Donald J, Trump, Wayne LaPierre, Nick Suplina Organizations: National Rifle Association, Safety Locations: James , New

But an Associated Press analysis of nearly 70 years of similar cases showed Trump’s case stands apart: It’s the only big business found that was threatened with a shutdown without a showing of obvious victims and major losses. “This sets a horrible precedent,” said Adam Leitman Bailey, a New York real estate lawyer who once sued a Trump condo building. But AP’s review of nearly 150 cases reported in legal databases found that in the dozen cases calling for “dissolution,” victims and losses were key factors. The New York attorney general who filed the lawsuit, Letitia James, said that helped the ex-president receive lower interest rates. In fact, the bank made its own estimates of Trump’s personal wealth, at times lopping billions from Trump’s figures, and still decided to lend to him.

Persons: — Donald Trump, “, ”, Adam Leitman Bailey, Arthur Engoron, Trump, Letitia James, Banks, Eric Talley, GENERAL’S, James, Engoron, William Thomas, Donald Trump Organizations: New, Trump, AP, TRUMP New York, Deutsche Bank, Columbia University, Trump’s New, University of Michigan Locations: New York, Trump’s New York, York, Lago, Florida, Chicago

MANASSAS, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge has dismissed felony charges against a former county elections official accused of misconduct in the 2020 election, a decision made after state prosecutors said a key witness changed his story. Very little has been publicly revealed about exactly what prosecutors believe White did wrong. Court records merely indicate that the case revolves around 2020 election returns, including the presidential race. Prince William election officials have previously said that White's successor reported “discrepancies” in results to state officials, but that those discrepancies would not have affected the outcome of any race. Attorney General Miyares' office declined to comment beyond the court filing, citing the ongoing misdemeanor case.

Persons: Prince William County, Michele White, White, Prince William, Jason Miyares, Miyares, Donald Trump, James Herring, “, ” Herring, White's, Zachary Stafford, Stafford Organizations: Republican Locations: Va, Virginia, Commonwealth

Making the witness stand at his New York civil trial his podium, the former president laid into the presiding judge and the state attorney general who sued him. “He ruled against me without knowing anything about me,” Trump testified. Trump testified that he typically kept $300 million to $400 million in the bank, saying: “I’ve had a lot of cash for a long time." “They were not really documents that the banks paid much attention to,” Trump testified. “It was a sad, very sad thing," Trump testified.

Persons: — Donald Trump, Letitia James ’, ” —, Arthur Engoron, ” Trump, “, Engoron, “ I’m, ” Engoron, Trump, should've, “ I’ve, Allen Weisselberg, You’ve, Weisselberg, he’d, General James, sneered, James “, Kevin Wallace, James ’, ” James, James, ” Organizations: Republican, Trump, Trump Organization, “, New York Locations: York, China, Russia, United States, Manhattan

☆ New York Attorney General announces $328 million in settlement funds from Uber and Lyft for ‘stealing earnings’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Thousands of rideshare drivers in New York may be eligible to receive significant back pay from Uber and Lyft as part of a settlement announced by the state attorney general on Thursday. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced two settlement funds totaling $328 million with rideshare companies Uber and Lyft for allegedly “cheating drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars” in earnings, according to a statement from her office. The investigation also accuses Uber of misrepresenting deductions made to drivers’ pay in their terms of service. More than 100,000 drivers in New York stand eligible to receive settlement funds and expanded benefits. “This is a win for drivers, and one we are proud to have achieved with the New York Attorney General’s Office,” Bird said in a statement.

Persons: Letitia James, Uber, Lyft, James, ” James, ” James ’, James ’, Tony West, West, “, ”, ” West, Jeremy Bird, ” Bird, Bird Organizations: New, New York CNN, Uber, . New York, Black, Fund, New York Attorney, New York Locations: New York, York, New York City, Tony, New York State, California, Washington

☆ Uber and Lyft Agree to $328 Million Payout for New York Drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ana Ley | More About Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Uber and Lyft have agreed to pay New York drivers a $328 million settlement after the state attorney general investigated a wage-theft complaint charging that the companies collected certain taxes and fees from drivers rather than passengers. Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will provide $38 million into two funds that will payout claims that roughly 100,000 current and former drivers in New York State are eligible to file. The ride-hailing companies did not admit fault in the settlement. The investigation by the office of the attorney general, Letitia James, also looked into whether the companies failed to provide drivers with paid sick leave available to employees in the state. “We thank Attorney General James and her team for their hard work in delivering a resolution that balances accountability and innovation while addressing the true needs of these hard working drivers in New York,” said Tony West, chief legal officer for Uber, in a statement.

Persons: Lyft, Letitia James, James, ”, Tony West, Uber Organizations: New York, New York State Locations: New York

Through the lawsuit, Attorney General James is seeking restitution for investors and "disgorgement of ill-gotten gains," along with a ban on all the three cryptocurrency firms from the financial investment industry in New York. At the heart of the lawsuit is a program that Gemini ran in partnership with Genesis, dubbed "Gemini Earn". Gemini did not reveal any of this information to the investors of Gemini Earn, she added. Genesis and Gemini have clashed several times over the past few months, including over Gemini Earn. DCG said it was blindsided by the attorney general's complaint and the company's CEO Barry Silbert said the lawsuit had "baseless allegations".

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Letitia James, cryptocurrency, Sam Bankman, James, Gemini, Genesis, Mark Zuckerberg, DCG, Barry Silbert, Silbert, Niket, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Shinjini, Shounak Organizations: REUTERS, New York, Genesis Global, Digital Currency Group, Gemini, Meta, Arrows, Thomson Locations: New York, Alameda, Bengaluru

☆ In April, Trump said his private-jet LLC was worth no more than $1,001. Then in July, he said it was worth up to $25 million. Why?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Revised Trump ethics filings show massive shifts in the value of some Trump entities. In an April filing with the Office of Government Ethics, Trump claimed that the TAG Air had a value of $1,001 or less. Then, in a revised July filing, Trump valued TAG Air at between $5 million and $25 million. During the 2016 campaign, taxpayers reportedly paid TAG Air $1.6 million to cover the cost of transporting the Secret Service agents charged with protecting him. Here is Trump's first financial disclosure form, filed in April:And here is Trump's revised financial disclosure form, from July, in two parts.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump, Letitia James, Steven Cheung, James's, Mike Pence's, General James, Richard W, Painter Organizations: Trump, Service, Trump Organization, New York, TAG Air, Inc, Boeing, Government, TAG, Secret Service, United Arab, China, Management, Briarcliff Manor Development, White, University of Minnesota, Chase Manhattan Bank Locations: cryptocurrency, Iran, China, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, New York State, York, Ethereum, Turkey, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, South Korea, Ireland, Briarcliff Manor

☆ US Army no longer has Senate-confirmed leader, joining Marines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Army Chief of Staff General James McConville testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. June 29, 2021. Retiring Chief of Staff of the Army General James McConville relinquished command on Friday. It will be the first time in history the U.S. military will have two branches, the Army and the Marine Corps, without a confirmed leader, the Pentagon said. "In our dangerous world of security, the United States demands orderly and prompt transitions of our confirmed military leaders," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during the ceremony on Friday. Several states have limited abortion access since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the military argues that women service members cannot choose where they are stationed.

Persons: James McConville, Jonathan Ernst, Tommy Tuberville, Lloyd Austin, Randy George, Roe, Wade, Christine Wormuth, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Mark Porter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Army, Armed, Committee, Capitol, REUTERS, U.S . Army, U.S, Republican, Staff, Marine Corps, Pentagon, . Defense, Supreme, Democratic, Navy, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Alabama, United States

☆ A man who runs the web domain for a Russian-allied country says the US military has been accidentally sending him millions of emails for 10 years, including sensitive information like a general's trav
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Dutch business owner is warning that millions of US military emails are being sent to Mali. People are sending sensitive information to the ".ml" instead of ".mil" accounts, he told the FT.Johannes Zuurbier said the emails sent to the Russian ally contained maps and personal records. Johannes Zuurbier, who was contracted to manage Mali's country email domain, said he's been trying to alert the Pentagon to the potential security issue for the last decade, according to The Financial Times. Zuurbier told the FT he's seen around 1,000 emails a day being sent to the wrong domain. US military email accounts also notify personnel if they try sending a message to addresses with the ".ml" domain, and will automatically block the email from being sent, Gorman added.

Persons: Johannes Zuurbier, he's, —, Zuurbier, James McConville, General James Charles McConville, Prabowo Subianto, Eko Siswono, He's, Cmdr, Tim Gorman, Gorman Organizations: Service, Pentagon, Financial Times, US Army, Staff, Indonesian Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, White House, Wagner, Kremlin, Defense Department Locations: Mali, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Indonesia, Jakarta, Russia, Malian

☆ Here are key things to know as Supreme Court nears decision on Biden's student loan forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The United States Supreme Court Building Geoff Livingston | Moment | Getty Images1. You'll be able to read the ruling on the Supreme Court's website, likely some time in the morning of decision day. A top Education Department official recently warned that resuming student loan bills without Biden's loan cancellation could trigger a historic rise in delinquencies and defaults. They said the decreased revenue for MOHELA, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, could leave the agency unable to meet its financial obligations to Missouri. Student loan borrowers gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 27, 2023, the night before the court hears two cases on student loan forgiveness.

Persons: Geoff Livingston, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, You'll, Biden, Elizabeth Prelogar, Prelogar, they'd, Mark, servicers, Amy Coney Barrett, James A, Campbell, Barrett wasn't, you've, Annie Nova Organizations: United States Supreme, Supreme, Department, Republican, GOP, South Carolina –, Job, Network Foundation, Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, CNBC, U.S Locations: delinquencies, — Arkansas, Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Nebraska, South Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska

☆ 16 US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles have been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned in Ukraine in recent days, war monitor says, highlighting the cost of Ukraine’s counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine has lost 16 US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, open-source analysis found. The losses are a sizeable chunk of the 109 Bradleys sent to Ukraine by the US. Dutch website Oryx, which tracks visual evidence of losses on both sides, documented five destroyed Bradleys and 11 that have been damaged and abandoned. The report on the Bradleys comes after Ukraine lost around half of its specially adapted Leopard 2R mine-clearing vehicles donated by Finland, as Forbes reported. The findings come as Ukraine reported retaking three settlements — Velyka Novosilke, Blahodatne, and Neskuchne in Donetsk region, as CNN reported.

Persons: —, BMP2, Bradley, Rob Lee, Mala Tokmachka, Forbes, James, Spider, Marks Organizations: Bradley, Service, Institute for, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Twitter, Forbes, Oryx, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine —, Russia, Finland, Zaporizhzhia, Mala, Ukrainian, Neskuchne, Donetsk

☆ Lawsuit alleges that social media companies promoted White supremacist propaganda that led to radicalization of Buffalo mass shooter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Zenebou Sylla Artemis Moshtaghian | Zenebou Sylla | Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

New York CNN —A wrongful death lawsuit filed against several social media companies Friday alleges that social media lent to the radicalization of the gunman who shot and killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, last May. “However, the social media platforms that radicalized him, and the companies that armed him, must still be held accountable for their actions. Speaking to CNN Sunday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown commended some of the victims’ families and survivors for tackling extremism on social media platforms. We deliberately designed Snapchat differently than traditional social media platforms and don’t allow unvetted content to go viral or be algorithmically promoted. The lawsuit alleges that social media platforms “Meta, Alphabet, Reddit and 4chan earned advertising revenue from hosting and amplifying” Gendron’s video on their platforms.

CNN —An investigation has been launched into allegations of employment discrimination and a hostile work environment at the National Football League (NFL), according to a joint statement from New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. It comes just over a year since the NFL was warned by a coalition of six attorneys general to take “swift action” to improve conditions for female employees. The attorneys general on Thursday issued subpoenas to the NFL seeking relevant information, the statement said. “No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or objectification in the workplace,” said NY Attorney General James. “No matter how powerful or influential, no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the NFL is held accountable.”“California will not tolerate any form of discrimination,” California Attorney General Bonta said.

☆ Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark struck a deal to run their 200+ advanced fighter jets as a single fleet, creating a new headache for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Air force commanders of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said Friday that they have signed a letter of intent to establish a unified Nordic air defense, Reuters reported. "Our combined fleet can be compared to a large European country," commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters. Norway, Denmark, and Finland have all committed to the F-35 jets which are the most advanced Western fighter planes. NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker was also present at the signing of the letter at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, jolted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine into ending decades of their position of "non-alignment."

☆ Nordic countries plan joint air defence to counter Russian threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COPENHAGEN, March 24 (Reuters) - Air force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said on Friday they have signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defence aimed at countering the rising threat from Russia. The move to integrate the air forces was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters. Finland has 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets and 64 F-35s on order, while Denmark has 58 F-16s and 27 F-35s on order. The signing at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany last week was attended by NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker, who also oversees the U.S. Air Force in the region. The Nordic air force commanders first discussed the closer cooperation at a meeting in November in Sweden.

☆ Kremlin: relations with US in dire state amid drone incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that relations with the United States were in a "lamentable state" and at their lowest level, after Washington accused Russia of downing one of its reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had been no high-level contact with Washington over the incident, and that he had nothing to add to a statement issued by Russia's Defence Ministry. He said bilateral relations were "at their lowest point, in a very lamentable state" but that "at the same time, Russia has never refused constructive dialogue, and is not refusing now". Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said that the drone "deliberately and provocatively was moving towards Russian territory with transponders turned off". "The unacceptable activity of the U.S. military in close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern," Antonov said.

[1/2] A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone sits in a hanger at Amari Air Base, Estonia, July 1, 2020. Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone before one of them collided with it at 7:03 a.m. (0603 GMT). The U.S. military said the incident followed a pattern of dangerous behavior by Russian pilots operating near aircraft flown by the U.S. and its allies, including over the Black Sea. The Black Sea lies between Europe and Asia and is bordered by Russia and Ukraine, among other countries. "The State Department will be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts, and expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept," said White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

[1/8] A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone sits in a hanger at Amari Air Base, Estonia, July 1, 2020. On the diplomatic and economic fronts, talks continued to extend a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports that is due to expire this week, the United Nations and Turkey said. DRONE CRASHTwo Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the U.S. military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone while flying in international air space. The accounts of the incident in the Black Sea, which is bordered by Russia and Ukraine among other countries, could not be independently verified. RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SUMMONEDRussia's Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov was summoned by the U.S. State Department to discuss what happened over the Black Sea, said spokesperson Ned Price.

☆ Supreme Court's decision on Biden's student loan forgiveness plan may hinge on Justice Amy Coney Barrett
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The fate of the Biden administration's sweeping plan to cancel $400 billion in student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans may hinge on the newest conservative member of the Supreme Court: Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett was the conservative justice who seemed the most unconvinced by the plaintiffs challenging student loan forgiveness, said Jed Shugerman, a law professor at Fordham University. Specifically, Shugerman said, Barrett didn't seem to agree that they'd proven they have standing to sue. "Barrett was vocally and deeply uncomfortable about ruling that any of the plaintiffs had standing," Shugerman said. More from Personal Finance:Why Social Security retirement age, payroll tax may changeExperts argue Social Security retirement age shouldn't pass 67Return on waiting to claim Social Security is 'huge'As a rule, plaintiffs must prove that a policy would cause them injury in order to challenge it in the courts.

☆ Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan is in jeopardy. Here are 4 major takeaways from the Supreme Court's oral arguments.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Biden's student-debt relief on Tuesday. The nation's highest court heard more than four hours of oral arguments in two high-profile cases that reviewed Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in debt for federal borrowers, which lower courts temporarily paused in November. "We're talking about half a trillion dollars and 43 million Americans," Chief Justice John Roberts said, referring to the estimated costs of Biden's plan and the number of affected borrowers. Justice Elena Kagan raised a hypothetical national emergency of an earthquake and the education secretary responded by deciding to cancel student loans for those harmed. Still, even if Barrett and the court's three liberals find that the states and borrowers lack standing, they would need another conservative vote to uphold Biden's debt relief.

☆ Amy Coney Barrett joins liberal Supreme Court justices in scrutinizing a student-loan company's involvement in one of the lawsuits blocking Biden's debt relief
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amy Coney Barrett joined liberal Supreme Court justices in questioning GOP-led states' standing to block student-debt relief. The states said the relief would harm student-loan company MOHELA, based in Missouri where the case was filed. As expected, MOHELA's role in the lawsuit fell under scrutiny by liberal justices like Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elana Kagan. Barrett joined in that line of questioning, asking Nebraska's Solicitor General James Campbell: "Do you want to address why MOHELA's not here?" Conservative justices took a hard line of questioning with Biden's lawyer, asking about fairness of the relief and whether it was executive overreach.

☆ James Dolan defends use of facial recognition technology to ban entry into Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

MSG Entertainment is facing criticism for its use of facial recognition to enforce bans at its venues. Dolan doubled down on the tech in a recent interview and made a vague threat to stop selling alcohol at MSG. MSG's use of facial recognition technology to enforce bans has garnered increased scrutiny in recent months. "MSG Entertainment cannot fight their legal battles in their own arenas," Attorney General James wrote in her statement. "Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall are world-renowned venues and should treat all patrons who purchased tickets with fairness and respect."

☆ 5 big military moments that took place on Christmas Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

1868 — US President Andrew Johnson pardons former Confederate soldiersPresident Andrew Johnson Pardoning Rebels at the White House en.wikipedia.orgNearly a century later, on Christmas Day 1868, US President Andrew Johnson extended a full pardon and amnesty "to all and to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection or rebellion." At war's end, however, he seemed to determine to punish those who had rebelled to preserve the institution of slavery. The day after being sworn in as the nation's president, Johnson said that "treason must be made infamous, and traitors must be impoverished." Prior to this blanket Christmas Day amnesty, southerners who had fought for the Confederacy could obtain a pardon provided only that they swore allegiance to the Union (top officials were excluded). Under "Proclamation 179," pardons were extended "to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection."

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