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☆ Alex Jones and his allies are desperately trying to stop the sale of Infowars to The Onion
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has sued a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee and the families of some of the Sandy Hook victims in an attempt to stop the sale of his media empire Infowars to the satirical news outlet The Onion. The one other competing bid, at $3.5 million, came from First United American Companies, which is affiliated with Jones and operates his lucrative online nutritional supplements store. Jones’ lawsuit comes after First United American Companies also filed an emergency motion to stop the sale. First United American Companies said that it was not made aware of the winning bid amount and did not have the opportunity to increase its offer. Federal bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez, who is overseeing the case, harshly questioned an attorney for the trustee about the auction rules.

Persons: Alex Jones, Sandy Hook, Jones, Christopher Murray, ”, Infowars, ” Jones, Murray, ” Murray, Christopher Lopez, “, ” Lopez, Tetrahedron, Lopez Organizations: New, New York CNN, Court, Southern, Southern District of, Global, First United American Companies, First United, Companies, United, Federal Locations: New York, Southern District, Southern District of Texas, Connecticut

In a new motion filed Wednesday, the animal rights organization accused exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix of committing perjury and violating previous court orders, citing the recent HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy” as evidence. In a January 2022 virtual court testimony featured in “Chimp Crazy,” Haddix sobbed as she insisted under oath that Tonka had died and was cremated. Later, however, authorities found the chimp alive and concealed in a basement cage, according to a June 2022 court filing. In the third episode of “Chimp Crazy,” Haddix said that she and Aswegan sedated Tonka and took him to a hotel. In the same episode, the motion states, Casey referred Haddix to Vierstra as someone who could help her hide Tonka and fake his death.

Persons: Tonia, Buddy, ”, Alan Cumming, Tonka, Haddix, Connie Casey, “, Haddix brazenly, Brittany Peet, Casey, Haddix’s, Jerry Aswegan, Cy Vierstra, ” Haddix, Aswegan, Vierstra, “ Haddix Organizations: PETA, HBO, Missouri Primate Foundation, flagrantly, NBC News Locations: Missouri, Ohio, Vierstra

Ian Read, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., gestures as he speaks during a panel session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Activist Starboard Value accused Pfizer of threatening litigation against the company's former CEO and CFO in order to get them to break ranks with the investor's nascent turnaround campaign at the pharmaceutical giant. Pfizer shares slipped overnight as news of the two executive's breakaway emerged, and opened down roughly 2.5% in Thursday morning trading. Starboard's Smith said that when the activist approached the two executives, both expressed "concerns" about Pfizer's direction under Bourla and offered to help Starboard in its turnaround campaign. Starboard's Smith and Bourla are slated to meet in person next week, Smith said, confirming earlier reports.

Persons: Ian Read, Pfizer, Jeff Smith, Frank D'Amelio's, Smith, Albert Bourla, Starboard's Smith Organizations: Pfizer Inc, Economic, Pfizer Locations: Davos, Switzerland

☆ Rudy Giuliani disbarred in D.C. over Trump election lies
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former mayor of New York City and former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani reacts at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum during a rally held by Republican presidential nominees and former U.S. President Donald Trump, in Uniondale, New York, U.S., September 18, 2024. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is officially disbarred from practicing law in the nation's capital over his efforts to overturn Donald Trump's 2020 election loss based on false claims of widespread fraud, a court ruled Thursday. "Rudolph W. Giuliani is hereby disbarred from the practice of law in the District of Columbia," the judges in D.C.'s highest court wrote in a one-page order made public Thursday. Giuliani's law license had been suspended in D.C. in July 2021 as a result of his then-active disciplinary proceedings in New York. A D.C.-based bar disciplinary panel in 2023 had already recommended Giuliani be disbarred over his false election claims.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, Donald Trump's, Rudolph W, Giuliani, flagrantly, Trump Organizations: Trump, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Republican, Former New York City, District of Columbia, Appeals Locations: New York City, Uniondale , New York, U.S, New York, District

CNN —The Trump campaign on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission arguing money raised for President Joe Biden’s reelection bid cannot be transferred to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. But, he added, “that doesn’t mean it can’t get tied up in FEC proceedings for years.”An FEC spokesperson declined to comment, citing the agency’s policy on not discussing enforcement matters. “If President Biden is committed to passing the torch to his vice president, and wants to be able to seed her campaign with the current Biden for President campaign war chest, he’ll first have to become his party’s legal nominee,” Spies wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal before Biden’s exit from the race. And Federal Election Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum, a Democrat viewed as a swing vote on the evenly divided commission, has said Harris could access what Biden raised through the campaign committee because it is registered for both the president and vice president. Lindenbaum wrote on X, “If Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic Party nominee, she gets access to the Joe Biden campaign funds.”This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Kamala Harris ’, David Warrington, ” “ Kamala Harris, Harris, Keana Spencer, “ flagrantly, ” Harris, Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, Donald Trump, MAGA, ”, “, ” Rick Hasen, Charlie Spies, Biden, he’ll, ” Spies, Dara Lindenbaum, Lindenbaum, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Trump, Federal, Commission, Biden, Republican, Democratic Party

☆ From Zyn to vapes: Big Tobacco pushes further toward cigarette alternatives. Here’s who could come out on top
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

If you haven't been paying attention to tobacco companies, you might not recognize the new landscape. The alternatives also include heated tobacco and nicotine vapor products, although with the latter, tobacco companies face big competition from vaping companies and the proliferation of illicit vapes. PM 1Y mountain Philip Morris' one-year performance Countries around the globe have been working for years to reduce tobacco use. There is no way back," Philip Morris Chief Financial Officer Emmanuel Babeau said at a Deutsche Bank conference in June. Most of that came from companies in China, with tobacco companies only taking about 15% share, the bank said.

Persons: Philip Morris, —, Brett Cooper, I'm, Philip, Emmanuel Babeau, Owen Bennett, Cooper, Altria, vapes —, Faham Baig, Dan Ahrens, Ahrens, Edge's Cooper, Jefferies, Bennett, Murray Garnick Organizations: Philip Morris International, Reynolds American, British, Tobacco, Big Tobacco, World Health, Philip Morris, Deutsche Bank, Jefferies, Philip Morris USA, Centers for Disease Control, Drug Administration, U.S, Supreme, FDA, UBS, WHO, Brands, BAT Locations: Colorado, China, rey, Japan, Iquos, U.S, Kentucky, Marlboro, U.S ., London, RRPs

☆ Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRudy Giuliani, the man once heralded as "America's Mayor" and a former federal prosecutor who made his name going after the mob, has been disbarred in his home state of New York. A New York appeals court ruled Tuesday that Giuliani, who served as a personal lawyer to former President Donald Trump, be disbarred "effective immediately" over his efforts to boost Trump's baseless 2020 election-fraud claims. Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, criticized the disbarment ruling in a statement to Politico and said Giuliani would appeal. AdvertisementGiuliani is facing criminal charges in Arizona and Georgia related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Giuliani filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year in New York days after he was ordered by a federal jury to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers he defamed.

Persons: —, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, Donald Trump, Donald J, Trump, Trump's, flagrantly, baselessly, Ted Goodman, Goodman Organizations: Service, Business, United, Politico Locations: New York, York, State, New York City, Arizona, Georgia

☆ Biden’s searing character attacks on Trump may tell a story about his own campaign’s struggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

With his two impeachments, a criminal conviction and an attempt to overturn the last election, Trump gave Biden plenty to work with. Biden has been road testing his character attacks on Trump for weeks in fundraising events and they’re now increasingly being parroted by campaign officials. Biden seeks to move the goalposts with ads during soccer tournamentThe Biden campaign is now making daily pitches to a significant corner of his coalition showing signs of stress. On Thursday, the Biden campaign turned to Hispanic voters — another key voting bloc where polls suggest he is underperforming. Biden’s character attacks on Trump represent his best attempt to remind Americans of the fateful nature of the choice they will face in November.

Persons: CNN — Joe Biden, Donald Trump, he’s, ”, Trump, Biden, Trump’s, it’s, Biden –, Biden’s, he’d, they’re, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, He’s, Jean Carroll, Mitch Landrieu, “ Joe Biden, ” Landrieu, Manu Raju, ” Jasmine Harris, “, Barack Obama, Lionel Messi Organizations: CNN, Trump, Biden, Black, Copa América, Argentina, NBC Locations: New York, Virginia, America, Black, Central Park , New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, West, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia

☆ A national network of local news sites is publishing AI-written articles under fake bylines. Experts are raising alarm
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But a closer look at the bylines populating the local site and a national network of others — Sarah Kim, Jake Rodriguez, Mitch M. Rosenthal — reveals a tiny badge with the words “AI.” These are not real bylines. The outlet, Hoodline, is not the first or only news site to harness AI. Sports Illustrated deleted several articles from its website after they were found to have been published under fake author names. Keeping local news aliveOn Hoodline’s network of local news sites, it is difficult to find an article not written by the software. But the transformation at Hoodline shows that bigger solutions are needed to keep vital local news reporting alive.

Persons: Sarah Kim, Jake Rodriguez, Mitch M, Rosenthal —, ”, Hoodline, ” Zachary Chen, ” Chen, “ Nina, Mark Graham, Peter Adams, “, ” Adams, Chen, Danielle Coffey, ” Coffey, That’s, Felix Simon, ” Simon, Simon, Benjamin Toff, Hoodline San Francisco ’, Nuala, ” Bishari Organizations: CNN, Media, Tech, Gannett, Internet, Wayback Machine, News Literacy, LinkedIn, Media Alliance, News Corp, Reuters Institute for, Journalism, University of Oxford, Research, University of Minnesota, San Francisco Chronicle Locations: embarrassments, San Francisco, Philippines, Hoodline San

☆ Rudy Guiliani’s radio show has been canceled after he repeatedly discussed false 2020 election conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Rudy Giuliani was suspended from New York City radio station WABC and his talk show canceled after he flagrantly ignored orders not to discuss false 2020 election conspiracy theories, the station’s owner said Monday. In recent months, Giuliani was repeatedly directed to not make claims of electronic voting manipulation surrounding the 2020 election, John Catsimatidis, the billionaire GOP donor and owner of the radio station, said in a statement. “Guiliani has admitted repeatedly over the past few days that he agreed not to speak about Dominion,” Catsimatidis said. Last month, the far-right cable channel One America News settled with another voting technology company, Smartmatic, for its airing of false claims. Giuliani has also been criminally charged in Georgia and Arizona over lies related to overturning the 2020 presidential election.

Persons: CNN — Rudy Giuliani, flagrantly, Giuliani, Donald Trump, John Catsimatidis, Catsimatidis, “ Guiliani, ” Catsimatidis, “, ” Giuliani, Giuliani “, ”, cancelation, WABC’s, you’re, ” Giuliani ranted Organizations: CNN, New York City, WABC, New, Voting Systems, Dominion, Bloomberg, Fox News, News, New York Post, Newsmax, “, Democrat Locations: New, New York, Georgia, Dominion, Arizona, Florida, New York City

☆ Georgia appeals court says it will consider Trump’s effort to disqualify DA Fani Willis from election subversion case
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Devan Cole | Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Georgia Court of Appeals will consider an effort by Donald Trump and his co-defendants to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis from the 2020 election subversion case. In a brief order Wednesday, the court said it will hear the appeal from Trump and others challenging the ruling from Judge Scott McAfee that allowed Willis to remain on the case. No trial date has been set in the sprawling election subversion conspiracy case against Trump, and the decision to consider the appeal is another sign that pre-trial efforts to delay a trial are succeeding. Tuesday, a federal judge in Florida indefinitely postponed Trump’s trial on mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Willis testified that she paid Wade back for the expenses in cash.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Trump, Scott McAfee, Willis, Willis ’, Steve Sadow, “, Fulton County DA Willis, ”, Nathan Wade, Wade, McAfee, Weeks, McAfee’s, Willis “, flagrantly Organizations: CNN, Trump, Appeals, Fulton County Locations: Georgia, Florida, Lago, Fulton

☆ In Serbia, Xi Underlines Close Ties With Ally That Shares Wariness of U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China and Serbia on Wednesday proclaimed an “ironclad friendship” during a visit to Belgrade by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, underlining the close political and economic ties between two countries that share a wariness of the United States. Mr. Xi arrived in Serbia late Tuesday — the 25th anniversary of a mistaken 1999 airstrike involving the U.S. Air Force during the Kosovo war that destroyed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. Three Chinese journalists were killed in the strike. “This we should never forget,” Mr. Xi said in a statement published on Tuesday by Politika, a Serbian newspaper, recalling that “25 years ago today, NATO flagrantly bombed the Chinese Embassy.” He said that China’s friendship with Serbia had been “forged with the blood of our compatriots” and “will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples.”Mr. Xi appeared briefly on Wednesday morning with the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, before a cheering crowd gathered in front of the Palace of Serbia, the former headquarters of the now defunct government of Yugoslavia that now houses Serbian government offices.

Persons: Xi, Mr, ”, “, Aleksandar Vucic Organizations: Wednesday, U.S . Air Force, Embassy, Politika, NATO flagrantly, Serbian Locations: China, Serbia, Belgrade, United States, Kosovo, Serbian, Yugoslavia

☆ News organizations post open letter urging Biden and Trump to debate ahead of 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A dozen of the nation’s biggest news organizations posted an open letter Sunday, urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to participate in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. C-SPAN joins other major news organizations to urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participate in general election debates prior to November's election. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates for September and October in Texas, Virginia and Utah. Biden responded to Trump’s calls for earlier debates in February, telling reporters: “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, ” Trump, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, I’d, He’s, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, SPAN, Fox News, NBC, Univision, NPR, PBS, USA, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump Locations: Texas , Virginia, Utah

☆ TV networks prepare letter to Biden and Trump campaigns urging them to commit to 2024 election debates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Five of the major US television networks have banded together to draft a letter urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to commit to participating in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair for the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, told CNN he has not yet seen the letter. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. Trump has posted on social media that he will debate “anytime, anywhere anyplace” despite the Republican National Committee voting unanimously in 2022 to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” the TV networks stated in the letter.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, “, Frank Fahrenkopf, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, Trump’s, ” Organizations: CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, The New York Times, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump

CNN —Former President Donald Trump and several of his co-defendants in the Georgia election subversion case are appealing a judge’s ruling that let Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis remain on the election subversion case. The defense attorneys on Friday asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to overturn Judge Scott McAfee’s initial decision that allowed Willis and her office continue to pursue the case but only if Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor with whom she had a romantic relationship, resigned. While Wade has since left the case, defense attorneys still want the appellate court to disqualify the entire Fulton County DA’s office. “DA Willis has covered herself and her office in scandal and disrepute, as she has squandered her credibility and repeatedly and flagrantly violated the heightened ethical standards demanded of her position,” the appeal states. However, the judge added, “Georgia law does not permit the finding of an actual conflict for simply making bad choices – even repeatedly.”The district attorney’s office declined to comment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Judge Scott McAfee’s, Willis, Nathan Wade, Wade, Trump, “ DA Willis, flagrantly, McAfee, ” McAfee, CNN’s Devan Cole Organizations: CNN, Trump Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Fulton County

☆ Federal judge in Texas says agency created to help minority-owned businesses must provide assistance to all races
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —A federal judge in Texas said Tuesday that a US Commerce Department agency intended to help minority-owned businesses must offer assistance to all individuals, regardless of race, agreeing with White business owners who claimed that its policies were unconstitutional. Because they aren’t on the Agency’s magic list, the Agency presumes they aren’t disadvantaged,” Pittman wrote. Time’s up.”The MBDA is one of the only federal agencies focused exclusively on developing and advocating for minority-owned businesses. In recent years, conservatives have increasingly turned to federal courts in Texas to challenge certain federal programs and actions. “To the extent the MBDA offers services pursuant to an unconstitutional presumption, that’s fifty-five years too many,” Pittman said in his latest ruling.

Persons: Mark Pittman, Donald Trump, Pittman, …, ” Pittman, ”, Nixon, “, ’ ”, MBDA Organizations: Washington CNN, US Commerce Department, US, Minority Business Development Agency, Latino, Agency, US Department of Commerce, Fort, Northern, Northern District of, Biden, “, Centers Locations: Texas, Asian, Fort Worth, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, SFFA

Justice Department prosecutors had recommended sentencing McGonigal to a prison term of two years and six months for the Washington case alone. McGonigal was scheduled to report to prison next month to begin serving his sentence in the New York case. McGonigal was separately charged with concealing his ties to the former Albanian official, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was living in New Jersey. McGonigal pleaded guilty last September to concealing material facts, a charge punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years. McGonigal didn't need more prison time beyond his 50-month sentence in New York “to serve the ends of justice,” Ducharme argued.

Persons: —, Charles McGonigal, Colleen Kollar, McGonigal, ”, Kollar, “, Oleg Deripaska, didn't, McGonigle, Elizabeth Aloi, Seth Ducharme, ” Ducharme Organizations: WASHINGTON, FBI, U.S, Justice Department, Albanian Locations: New York, U.S, Albanian, Washington ,, Washington, Russia, Crimea, New Jersey, Albania, Russian, Europe

☆ The end of workplace loyalty
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Do that, and you generate the kind of trust and loyalty that leads to high productivity and low turnover. A world in which the psychological contract is profoundly broken. In the three decades following World War II, as Rick Wartzman documents in his book " The End of Loyalty ," a booming economy made American companies rich. Today, disillusioned workers might assume that the norm of workplace loyalty was nothing but a capitalistic ruse, a way for companies to exploit their employees. But the new loyalty would recognize that employees have to uphold their end of the bargain.

Persons: I've, Gen Xers, Gen Zers, they'll, Rick Wartzman, Wartzman, Denise Rousseau, Rousseau, who's, Mark, —, it's, I'm, he's, quitters, Nick Bloom, Stanford University who's, Anthony Klotz, Klotz, they're, It's, Aki Ito Organizations: Companies, Kodak, GE, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, University College London, Employers, Business

☆ SEC approves bitcoin ETFs for some investment firms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“While we approved the listing and trading of certain spot bitcoin ETP shares today, we did not approve or endorse bitcoin. The SEC had a deadline of January 10 to offer a decision for just one of the 11 firms that applied to offer bitcoin ETFs. Bitcoin ETFs, like bitcoin, carry risks for investorsFor those considering jumping on the bitcoin bandwagon, it’s important to note that the price of a bitcoin will be just as volatile whether you invest in it directly yourself or through an ETF. Those sentiments have been echoed by many financial advisers and the investor watchdog group Better Markets, which strongly opposed the SEC’s approval of bitcoin ETFs. The full list of companies that got SEC approval to launch bitcoin ETFs are: Ark Invest together with 21 Shares; Bitwise, BlackRock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Hashdex, Invesco, WisdomTree, Valkyrie and VanEck.

Persons: Gary Gensler, bitcoin, ”, Gensler, Dennis Kelleher, “, Sheila Warren, Franklin Templeton Organizations: New, New York CNN, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, FBI, Investments, Better, Street, Crypto, Innovation, Fidelity Locations: New York, BlackRock

☆ DeSantis board accuses Disney of controlling previous one with gifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It found the board was "inverted to serve Disney," which held voting control of the prior board of supervisors. The Central Florida Oversight Board will meet Wednesday to vote whether to accept the report, which was prepared for the board by a group of experts. In what Disney described as retaliation, the Florida legislature in February replaced the old board with a new Central Florida Oversight District, whose five supervisors are handpicked by DeSantis. In April, Disney sued Florida in federal court, claiming DeSantis and his allies of "weaponizing" state government to punish Disney for exercising its free speech rights. The DeSantis-appointed oversight board counter-sued in state court, seeking to void the "backroom deals" favorable to the entertainment giant.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney's, Disney, DeSantis, flagrantly, John Classe, Dawn Chmielewski, Ken Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Walt Disney, REUTERS, Walt, Disney, DeSantis, Central, Central Florida Tourism, Florida Oversight, Reuters, American Express, Florida, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, Florida, Reedy, Central Florida, New York

☆ George Santos Reveals One Truth: It’s Easy to Abuse Campaign Finance Laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | More About Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Perhaps no federal officeholder in modern American history has been accused of ignoring, testing or breaking as many aspects of campaign finance law so flagrantly, in such a short span of time, as George Santos has. But his case, while sensational, illustrates the profound weaknesses of the system, and its potential for abuse. For years, campaign finance laws have eroded, while the watchdogs responsible for their oversight have been weakened by limited powers, underfunding and political stalemate. “He is an extreme example of something that is happening all the time in campaign finance,” said Saurav Ghosh, a former Federal Election Commission enforcement lawyer who is now the director of federal campaign finance reform at the Campaign Legal Center, a watchdog group. Mr. Santos, he suggested, was able to take advantage of “the overall under-regulation of money that is raised and spent on election influence.”

Persons: George Santos, Santos, ”, Saurav Ghosh Organizations: Commission

☆ Melissa Barrera speaks out after ‘Scream VII’ departure: ‘Silence is not an option’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Lisa France | Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A spokesperson for Spyglass, the company behind the “Scream” franchise, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter about Barrerra’s departure. CNN has reached out to representatives for both Barrera and Spyglass for additional comment. On Wednesday, Barrera posted a statement on the Instagram stories portion of her account. “I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Barrera starred as Sam Carpenter in both 2022’s “Scream” and this year’s “Scream VI.”

Persons: CNN — Melissa Barrera, ”, “, Barrera, Spyglass, Sam Carpenter Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Spyglass, Hollywood, Wednesday Locations: Israel, Mexicana

NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and “Scream” star Melissa Barrera were each dropped by Hollywood companies after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed antisemitic. Jenna Ortega, who played Barrera’s sister in the two previous “Scream” films, is reportedly not returning, Deadline reported Wednesday. A spokesperson for Ortega didn’t immediately respond to queries. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesA spokesman for the United Talent Agency said Sarandon, the five-time Oscar nominee, is no longer represented by the agency. Israel and Hamas on Wednesday agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the war in Gaza.

Persons: — Oscar, Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera, ”, “, Spyglass, Barrera didn't, Jenna Ortega, Ortega, Ortega didn’t, Sarandon, Oscar, she's, Maha Dakhil, Israel, Dakhil Organizations: Hollywood, Spyglass Media Group, United Talent Agency, UTA, New York Post, The, Writers Guild of America, Creative Arts Agency, Hamas Locations: Israel, “, Gaza, New York, Palestine

☆ Chaos in House GOP intensifies with Scalise’s speakership bid in peril
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

GOP lawmakers did select Steve Scalise as their nominee for the job that is second in the line of presidential succession on Wednesday. The worsening debacle in the House follows the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week by eight Republicans voting with Democrats. But some GOP leaders are irritated that the jockeying is distracting from the imperative to find a speaker. He was still well short of the 217 votes – a majority of the current House – needed to claim the speakership on the floor. “He has no path to 217,” one top House Republican said on condition of anonymity.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Scalise, CNN’s Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona, Steve, ”, Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Tom Emmer, Kevin Hern, Byron Donalds of, ” Scalise, –, grandstanding, Donald Trump, Michael McCaul, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, “, Xi, Putin, Matt Gaetz, – it’s, holdouts, Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene –, Trump, Jordan, Scalise –, ” Greene, Nancy Mace, David Duke, Mace, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Lauren Boebert, ” Boebert, …, Mike Lawler, Laura Blessing Organizations: CNN, The House Republican Party, Louisiana Republican, Republican, GOP, Ohio Republican, Texas, Foreign Affairs, Georgia, ” South Carolina Rep, Scalise, Ku Klux, ”, Republicans, New York Rep, Senate, Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute Locations: Wednesday’s, Washington, –, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Byron Donalds of Florida, Jordan, Israel, Florida, ”, Colorado

☆ Sex, Signal messages and sabotage: SBF's top execs and Bahamas roommates tell all in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

"Sam Bankman-Fried," he said. Wang said that in response to the reporting an emergency meeting was called between Bankman-Fried, Wang and Singh, to discuss shutting down Alameda. On Nov. 12, after FTX declared bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried asked Wang to drive with him to the Bahamas Securities Commission for a meeting. Yedidia said Bankman-Fried had told him, before he began working in the Bahamas in 2019, that he and Ellison had sex. Bankman-Fried asked Yedidia if it was a good idea for them to date, to which Yedidia said no.

Persons: Adam Yedidia, Sam Bankman, Jane Rosenberg, —, Gary Wang, Nicolas Roos, Wang, FTX, Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Mr, Roos, Ellison, Fried, Reuters Wang, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Singh, Yedidia, Bankman, Sam, Christian Everdell, he's, I'm, Matt Huang, Yuki Iwamura, Huang, Dawn Giel Organizations: Federal Court, Reuters, MIT, U.S, Alameda Research, District, Prosecutors, Bahamas Securities Commission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Google, Alameda, United, Paradigm, FTX, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: FTX, New York City, Bahamas, Manhattan, U.S, Alameda, Bahamian, New York, China, Minnesota, FTX's Hong Kong, Nassau, Bankman

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