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April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to let West Virginia enforce a state law banning transgender athletes from female sports teams at public schools, one of many Republican-backed measures across the country targeting LGBTQ rights. The justices denied West Virginia's request to lift an injunction against the law that a lower court had imposed while litigation continues over its legality in a challenge brought by a 12-year-old transgender girl, Becky Pepper-Jackson. West Virginia said in a court filing that it can lawfully assign athletic teams by sex rather than gender identity "where biological differences between males and females are the very reason those separate teams exist." Pepper-Jackson, who attends a middle school in the West Virginia city of Bridgeport, sued after being prohibited from trying out for the girls' cross-country and track teams. Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Robinhood Markets Inc FollowApril 6 (Reuters) - The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) said on Thursday it has joined a multi-state settlement with Robinhood Financial LLC (HOOD.O), which will pay up to $10.2 million in penalties for operational and technical failures. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Just 14% say they have a great deal or "quite a lot" of confidence in the criminal justice system, half the level of a decade ago. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case is the first of several involving Trump as the country braces for a 2024 presidential election in which Trump is the leading Republican candidate. Trump himself has over the years complained that law enforcement was targeting him for political purposes, and his rhetoric has heightened since the New York case surfaced. On Wednesday, Trump called on his fellow Republicans in Congress to slash funding for the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI. "It's obvious the criminal legal system can punch down - it's proven that, and oppressively so," Ali said.

April 5 (Reuters) - A Planned Parenthood affiliate and two doctors on Wednesday filed a lawsuit seeking to block Idaho authorities from punishing healthcare providers for referring patients to get abortions in other states. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, a Republican, said in a legal opinion last week that the state's near-total abortion ban, enacted last August, "prohibits an Idaho medical provider from ... referring a woman across state lines to access abortion services." In their lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boise, Planned Parenthood and the doctors said Labrador's interpretation of the law violates the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting protected free speech and attempting to extend Idaho law beyond its borders. "Attorney General Labrador is violating the boundaries of our constitution to further deny Idahoans the freedom to decide what is best for their own bodies and futures," said Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Fox Corp FollowRupert Murdoch FollowWILMINGTON, Del, April 5 (Reuters) - Fox Corp (FOXA.O) executives Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch can be called to testify at this month's defamation trial over a $1.6 billion lawsuit claiming the media company lied about voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a judge said on Wednesday. Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old chair of Fox Corp, and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, its CEO, were not on the list of witnesses that Fox intends to make available for the trial, in a case brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Davis said Fox board member Paul Ryan, a former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, could also be issued a trial subpoena. The judge said there was an objection by Fox to Rupert Murdoch's testimony which would probably have to be resolved at trial. The trial already features a parade of Fox's biggest on-air personalities, including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo.

NEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - The Manhattan District Attorney's office on Tuesday unveiled charges against Donald Trump over hush money payments to suppress accounts of his alleged extramarital affairs, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. Below is an explanation of the charges he faces and his possible defenses:WHAT IS TRUMP ACCUSED OF DOING? During the campaign, Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to for her silence on an affair she says she had with Trump. Trump denies the allegations and the affairs but has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for his payment to Daniels. Joseph Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, has argued in television interviews that Trump was a victim of extortion by Daniels.

Amy Winslow, Hossein Maleknia and Reba Daoust misled Magellan customers and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about when they discovered the defect, the extent of the problem and the risks associated with it, prosecutors said. Attorneys for Winslow and Daoust did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company said all devices the malfunction affected have been cleared by the FDA “and will remain available for clinical use.”Magellan Diagnostics ultimately recalled all three devices in 2021 and resumed distribution last year, according to the FDA. The malfunction affected three of Magellan’s lead-testing devices, including one that accounted for more than half of all blood lead tests conducted in the U.S. between 2013 and 2017, according to prosecutors. Reporting by Andrew Goudsward Editing by David Bario and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

April 4 (Reuters) - Federal appeals court judges on Tuesday appeared skeptical of 3M's (MMM.N) bid to use the bankruptcy of its subsidiary Aearo Technologies to shield itself from nearly 260,000 lawsuits over allegedly defective military-issue earplugs. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to reverse a bankruptcy court order allowing the lawsuits to move forward against 3M, even though Aearo is bankrupt. Aearo and 3M said the bankruptcy process would facilitate a fair and comprehensive settlement with the plaintiffs. David Frederick, representing the plaintiffs, told the panel that 3M "contrived this bankruptcy to help itself, not Aearo or its creditors." The next-largest MDL, the Johnson & Johnson talc litigation, has 38,000 cases.

CompaniesCompanies Law Firms Conocophillips FollowApril 3 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by environmentalists to temporarily suspend the U.S. government’s approval of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska’s Arctic. Gleason said an injunction was inappropriate because the groups wouldn't be irreparably harmed by the construction that ConocoPhillips has scheduled for this month, which includes building roads and a gravel mine. Bridget Psarianos, an attorney challenging the approval, called the planned construction schedule "aggressive" and said the judge's decision is "heartbreaking." The approvals for the project in northern Alaska give ConocoPhillips permission to construct three drill pads, 25.8 miles of gravel roads, an air strip and hundreds of miles of ice roads. The 30-year project would produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, according to the company.

REUTERS/Andrew KellyApril 3 (Reuters) - A Delaware judge on Monday dismissed Merck & Co's (MRK.N) lawsuit seeking to hold Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE) responsible for more talc-related liabilities stemming from its $14.2 billion purchase of Merck's consumer care business in 2014. Bayer welcomed the decision, saying that it expected Merck to "take full responsibility for the product claims". "Bayer will continue to defend itself against any further efforts by Merck to avoid or improperly transfer its liabilities to Bayer," the company said in a statement. The $14.2 billion purchase also included Merck's Claritin allergy medicine and Coppertone sunscreen lines. The case is Merck & Co v. Bayer AG, Delaware Chancery Court, No.

Companies Johnson & Johnson FollowApril 4 (Reuters) - A Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) subsidiary filed for bankruptcy a second time on Tuesday, seeking to complete a $8.9 billion settlement of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products cause cancer. J&J subsidiary LTL Management's first bankruptcy was dismissed earlier on Tuesday, after an appellate court ruled that the neither J&J not LTL were in the type of "financial distress" that made them eligible for bankruptcy. The new bankruptcy filing includes a proposal to pay $8.9 billion over 25 years to resolve all current and future talc claims, according to J&J. The settlement is supported by over 60,000 current claimants, J&J said in a statement. J&J said that its settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, nor an indication that the company has changed its longstanding position that its talcum powder products are safe.

Two former college athletes filed the complaint against the NCAA, which is the governing body for U.S. intercollegiate sports, and a group of its member conferences. The lawsuit alleged an unlawful conspiracy to bar cash awards for academic success. The suit seeks to represent a class of "thousands" of current and former student athletes who competed on a Division I team starting in April 2019, before the academic awards were permitted. The complaint said the NCAA, its league conferences and member schools "generate billions of dollars a year in revenues from Division I sports." The plaintiffs "did not receive the academic achievement awards that they would have received in a competitive market," the complaint alleges.

Companies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowNEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Tuesday filed criminal charges accusing Charlie Javice, the founder of the now-shuttered college financial planning company Frank, of defrauding JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) into buying the startup for $175 million in 2021. Prosecutors said that when JPMorgan asked for a list of names, Javice paid an unnamed data science professor $18,000 to concoct a sham list of names. JPMorgan shut down Frank in January, and Chief Executive Jamie Dimon branded the acquisition a "huge mistake" in a Jan. 13 conference call with analysts. In December, JPMorgan sued Javice and Olivier Amar, who was Frank's chief growth officer, in Delaware federal court. Javice filed counterclaims in February, accusing JPMorgan of having "compromised her reputation" and wrongfully withheld $28 million of retention payments and equity.

AUGUST 2018Cohen pleads guilty to criminal charges in Manhattan federal court, including campaign finance violations over the hush money payments. DECEMBER 2018Trump, on Twitter, calls the hush money payments a "simple private transaction." Trump himself is not charged with a crime, and the indictment contains no references to hush money payments. JANUARY 2023Bragg's office begins presenting evidence about Trump's alleged role in the 2016 hush money payments to a grand jury. APRIL 3, 2023Trump arrives in New York from his home in Florida to face charges arising from the hush money investigation.

☆ Analysis: Israel's tech sector reels from SVB collapse, proposed judicial reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

In an industry of around 400,000 there are currently around 6,000 vacant tech jobs, according to government data. More than half of the country's startups held an account with SVB, companies and venture capital investors said, in some cases their only U.S. banking facility although the amounts involved are not fully known. Tech companies and investors alike said SVB was a rarity in the banking industry, familiar with Israel's tech ecosystem and offering loan terms unmatched by other banks. Citing the judicial reforms, Adam Fisher, a partner at investment firm Bessemer Venture Partners, said fewer American banks may be willing to lend to Israeli companies, which means less competition and more onerous terms. Israel's tech companies are therefore likely to flock to register as U.S. companies, while keeping R&D back home, said Yaron Samid, managing partner of the TechAviv Founder Partners fund.

Industry Insight Insights in Action: Corporate law departments find their outside firms’ innovation lagging, but there may be little incentive to changeZach Warren March 24, 2023

REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant/File PhotoApril 3 (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood on Monday asked a state court judge in Utah to block a law set to take effect next month that would effectively ban abortion clinics from operating in the state. The case is before Judge Andrew Stone, who last year issued a preliminary order preventing the state from enforcing an earlier abortion ban while he hears a legal challenge by Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood argued that Stone should block the newer law for the same reason, saying it would ban 95% of abortions in the state if allowed to take effect on May 3. "As promised, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah is fighting back and doing everything in our power to make sure that Utahns can get the care they need to stay healthy," Sarah Stoez, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said in a statement. Twelve of the 50 U.S. states now ban abortion outright while many others prohibit it after a certain length of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights.

NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY.O) was sued on Friday by Mark Tritton, who was ousted last June as chief executive of the troubled home goods retailer, in a complaint accusing the company of failing to honor his $6,765,000 severance agreement. In those discussions, Bed Bath & Beyond "conceded Tritton was (and is) entitled" to severance payments, under his agreement dated four days after he was replaced as chief executive, the complaint said. Bed Bath & Beyond did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours. Bed Bath & Beyond is closing hundreds of stores, and on Thursday announced plans to sell up to $300 million of stock. Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond closed down 16.6 cents at a record closing low of 42.7 cents on Friday.

[1/2] The statue of a scout stands in the entrance to Boy Scouts of America headquarters in Irving, Texas, February 5, 2013. More than a dozen insurers, including Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, have said the Boy Scouts' bankruptcy settlement puts them on the hook for paying "thousands of invalid and questionable claims." The Boy Scouts settlement, approved in bankruptcy court in September, was supported by 86% of abuse claimants and the Boy Scouts' two largest insurers. The Boy Scouts organization said Friday it would oppose any effort to delay bankruptcy exit. The Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 after several U.S. states enacted laws allowing accusers to sue over decades-old abuse allegations.

[1/2] A photo of Elon Musk is displayed on a smartphone placed on representations of cryptocurrency Dogecoin in this illustration taken June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - Elon Musk asked a U.S. judge on Friday to throw out a $258 billion racketeering lawsuit accusing him of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. In an evening filing in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for Musk and his electric car company Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) called the lawsuit by Dogecoin investors a "fanciful work of fiction" over Musk's "innocuous and often silly tweets" about Dogecoin. They said this generated billions of dollars of profit at other Dogecoin investors' expense, even as Musk knew the currency lacked intrinsic value. The $258 billion damages figure is triple the estimated decline in Dogecoin's market value in the 13 months before the lawsuit was filed.

[1/2] The corporate logo of financial firm Morgan Stanley is pictured on a building in San Diego, California, Sept. 24, 2013. The investor lawsuits in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are Tan v. Goldman Sachs Group Inc et al, No. 21-08413; Florio v. Goldman Sachs Group Inc et al, No. 21-10286; Scully v. Goldman Sachs Group Inc et al, No. 21-10791, and Lee v. Goldman Sachs Group Inc et al, No.

[1/2] The corporate logo of financial firm Morgan Stanley is pictured on a building in San Diego, California, Sept. 24, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoNEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday dismissed lawsuits by investors who accused Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) of engaging in market manipulation before the collapse of Bill Hwang's investment firm Archegos Capital Management LP. U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty in Manhattan rejected claims that the Wall Street banks, two of Archegos' prime brokers, should be liable for selling several Archegos-linked stocks while possessing inside knowledge about the firm's imminent collapse, materially harming investors in those stocks. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationMarch 31 (Reuters) - General Electric Co (GE.N) has settled all its outstanding wind turbine technology patent disputes in the United States and Europe with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A (GAM.HA), the companies said on Friday. Siemens Gamesa had sued GE for patent infringement in 2020 over the latter's Haliade-X turbines. Last year, a Boston federal judge barred GE from making and selling its Haliade-X wind turbines in the United States, after a jury found they infringed a patent owned by Siemens Gamesa. But GE was allowed to continue making and operating the turbines for existing projects off the coasts of Massachusetts and New Jersey with royalty payments to Siemens Gamesa. In February, the same judge ruled GE must double its patent royalty payments to Siemens Gamesa for the turbines it uses in a renewable energy project off the New Jersey coast.

Trump's expected appearance before a judge in Manhattan on Tuesday, as the Republican mounts a bid to regain the presidency, could further inflame divisions in the United States. The specific charges are not yet known, though CNN reported that Trump faced more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. Bragg said Congress does not have authority to interfere with a New York legal proceeding and accused the lawmakers of escalating political tensions. Bragg's office prosecuted Trump's business on tax-fraud charges last year, leading to a $1.61 million criminal penalty, but Trump himself was not charged.

NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump will not be handcuffed when he surrenders next week in New York to face criminal charges, his defense lawyer Joe Tacopina said on Friday. Susan Necheles, another Trump attorney, said the former president will plead not guilty. "There's no textbook to see how you arraign a former president of the United States in criminal court." Tacopina said Trump and his defense team were surprised by news of the indictment. Didn't believe they were actually going to go through with this because there's no crime here," Tacopina said.

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