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☆ Women Interviewing for Bill Gates’s Private Office Were Asked Sexually Explicit Questions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Khadeeja Safdar | Emily Glazer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Some people who sought jobs at billionaire Bill Gates ’s private office described going through an extensive screening process that included being questioned by a security firm about their sexual histories, past drug use and other parts of their private lives that might indicate they were vulnerable to blackmail.

Persons: Bill Gates ’

☆ Women who applied to Bill Gates' firm were reportedly grilled about their porn habits, if they had nudes on their phone, and whether they had STDs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some women who applied to jobs at Gates Ventures were asked sexual questions, The Wall Street Journal reported. A Gates Ventures spokesperson denied knowledge of the contractor's alleged questions. Bill Gates' private office had a screening process in which the firm asked some female candidates sexually explicit questions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. A Gates spokesperson denied it had any knowledge of any sexually explicit questioning in a statement to the Journal. At the time, a Gates spokesperson said the relationship was unrelated to Gates' decision to step down and the affair "ended amicably."

Persons: Bill Gates, they'd, Gates, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Microsoft's, she'd Organizations: Gates Ventures, Street Journal, Street, Gates, Gates Venture, CIA, Microsoft Locations: Russian

☆ Women who applied to Bill Gates' family office were reportedly grilled about their porn habits, if they had nudes on their phone, and other sensitive info that could open them up to blackmail concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some women who applied to jobs at Gates Ventures were asked sexual questions, The Wall Street Journal reported. A Gates Ventures spokesperson denied knowledge of the contractor's alleged questions, calling them "unacceptable." Concentric Advisors told the Journal that its screening process does not violate the law and is the same for male candidates. A Gates spokesperson denied it had any knowledge of any sexually explicit questioning in a statement to the Journal. At the time, a Gates spokesperson said the relationship was unrelated to Gates' decision to step down and the affair "ended amicably."

CNN —Sierra Leone’s President Maada Bio has taken an early lead in the country’s presidential election, provisional results showed. The election is considered a two-horse race between President Bio, 59, of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and 72-year-old former cabinet minister Samura Kamara, who leads the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party. Bio has so far polled more than a million votes and currently leads Kamara with over 200,000 votes, according to ECSL. Earlier, Bio’s SLPP party said it was “greatly anticipating a landslide victory” following an internal review of its performance in the elections. Hundreds of supporters of the opposition party, APC, hold up signs calling for the Chief electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh, to step down after allegations of electoral fraud.

Persons: Maada, Samura Kamara, Kamara, ECSL, Bio’s, Mohamed Konneh, John Wessels, Yvonne Aki, Sawyerr, “ Organizations: CNN, Sierra, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone People’s Party, People’s Congress, Getty, APC Party Locations: Freetown

☆ HSBC is downsizing its headquarters and leaving London’s Canary Wharf
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —HSBC is halving the size of its global headquarters and moving out of Canary Wharf, a business district built in the abandoned docklands of east London in the 1980s. It follows similar moves by other big companies to get rid of expensive office space in cities around the world. The bank has long been a mainstay of Canary Wharf, where it occupies 1.1 million square feet of office space. HSBC is a key tenant in Canary Wharf, and its planned departure raises questions about whether other companies will also think about leaving. Canary Wharf Group, which manages real estate in the area, declined to comment when asked about the matter Monday.

Persons: San Francisco —, Knight Frank, Noel Quinn, Quinn, Jones Lang, Elizabeth, — Hanna Ziady Organizations: CNN, HSBC, Europe’s, Panorama St, City of, San, Canary, Canary Wharf Group, Lloyds, Standard Chartered, Barclays, BCS, Jones Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Panorama, City, City of London, Asia, Wharf, Canada, San Francisco, Canary, Jones Lang LaSalle .

☆ Special counsel probe continues into Biden's mishandling of government secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Biden faces his own special counsel investigation over mishandled secret documents. Like Trump, Biden has faced his own drip, drip, drip of revelations in the case, and questions about his role. Like Trump, Biden has faced his own drip, drip, drip of revelations in the case, and questions about his role. It's unusual for the Justice Department to prosecute someone for mishandling classified records without evidence of so-called aggravating factors, such as obstruction of justice or willful violation, Insider's Sonam Sheth has reported. And in the unlikely event the special counsel does seek charges, Biden as the current president would be shielded from a criminal prosecution until when he's left office.

Persons: Biden, —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, hasn't, Robert Hur, Trump's, Trump, he'd, Sonam Sheth, he's Organizations: Trump, Service, Miami, NBC, FBI, Trump's, National Archives, Records Administration, Justice Department Locations: Delaware, Lago, Iran

It allows Pence to offer an additional contrast between himself and former President Donald Trump, his political rival who’s under serious investigation by the Justice Department and others. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department’s National Security Division have conducted an investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information,” the Justice Department wrote to Pence’s attorney. The Justice Department is still investigating the handling of classified records by Trump and Biden. Two months after Smith’s appointment, Garland appointed special counsel Robert Hur in January following reports that classified documents were found at Biden’s home and former private office. Biden’s team says that when the classified documents were first discovered last fall, they immediately notified the National Archives, which then informed the Justice Department.

Persons: Mike Pence’s, Pence’s, Pence, Donald Trump, “, ”, Joe Biden’s, General Merrick Garland, Trump, Jack Smith’s, Garland, Smith, Robert Hur, Hur, Biden’s Organizations: CNN, The Justice, Justice Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department’s National Security Division, FBI, Justice Department’s National Security Division, Justice, Trump, Biden, DOJ, National Archives, Lago Locations: Pence’s Indiana, Delaware, Lago, Iran

☆ WeWork adopts shareholder rights plan to protect ability to reduce future tax bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 7 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc. (WE.N) on Friday said it has adopted a "poison pill" to limit its shareholders from increasing stakes, which would make it difficult for the company to use its net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards to reduce tax. As of Dec. 31, 2021, WeWork had about $6.9 billion of U.S. federal NOLs and $6.6 billion of state NOLs that could be available to offset its future federal taxable income and state taxable income, the company said in a statement. The company, which offers workstations, private offices and customized floor plans, had enjoyed a pandemic-driven shift to flexible work outside traditional offices, but is now gearing up for a potential fallout from a likely economic downturn. The Tax Asset Preservation Plan is intended to reduce the likelihood of such an "ownership change" at WeWork by deterring any person or group from acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.9% or more of company's outstanding Class A common stock, the company added. Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WeWork reaches deals to cut debt, extend maturities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Under the deals announced Friday, key investor SoftBank Group Corp's (9984.T) $1.0 billion unsecured notes would be converted to equity. The Japanese company held a stake of about 46% in WeWork before the restructuring was announced, as per Refinitiv data. About $1.9 billion of pro-forma debt will now mature in 2027, WeWork said, adding that it would have less than $2.0 billion in net debt once the deal closes. WeWork, which went public in 2021 after a two-year struggle, is yet to post a quarterly profit. PJT Partners LP advised WeWork on the debt restructuring, while Houlihan Lokey advised SoftBank.

☆ WeWork reaches deal to convert $1 billion of SoftBank's debt to equity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 17 (Reuters) - WeWork Inc (WE.N) said on Friday it had reached a deal to convert about $1 billion of key investor SoftBank Group Corp's (9984.T) unsecured notes into equity, in an effort to restructure its finances. Shares of the company rose 2.2% to $1 before the bell. Last month, WeWork forecast weak current-quarter revenue in a sign that its business was feeling the heat of mass layoffs, as companies reduce their real estate footprint. In January, the New York-based company also planned to eliminate about 300 roles across countries after announcing last year that it would exit about 40 underperforming U.S. locations due to high expenses and a strong U.S. dollar. Reporting by Kannaki Deka and Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

So You Want to Turn an Office Building Into a Home? There’s an appealing simplicity to the idea of converting office buildings into housing. Basically, they did this:How to Turn a 26-story Office Building Into a 30-story Apartment Building Cut a hole through 23 floors of the building. How to Turn a 26-story Office Building Into a 30-story Apartment Building Cut a hole through 23 floors of the building. That could change with tax abatements and subsidy programs, or if outdated office buildings lose so much value that the cost of acquiring them plummets.

☆ Hong Kong’s office landlords face a tough rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Thomas Shum | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong offices are emptier than in other Asian financial centres. Singapore and Tokyo boast rates well under half of Hong Kong’s level, and figures there are either improving or roughly unchanged. Last year, mainland-based companies accounted for less than 6% of all leases in Hong Kong’s key Central business district, from nearly 30% in 2019. Hong Kong’s economy shrunk for three of the last four years, and its population is slimming too. However, the plan to reduce its office footprint may not apply to Hong Kong, a person familiar with the situation told Breakingviews.

☆ FBI searching Biden home in Rehoboth, Delaware, in classified documents probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Secret Service agents are seen in front of Joe Biden's Rehoboth Beach, Del., home on Jan. 12, 2021. The FBI is conducting a planned search of President Joe Biden's Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents. The planned, consensual visit is the first publicly known time that the FBI conducted a search of the Rehoboth residence. The FBI searched the think tank office in mid-November after Biden's personal lawyers first found classified records there on Nov. 2. The FBI searched Biden's Wilmington home on Jan. 20.

☆ London's luxury home sellers turn to WhatsApp as private sales surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — In trying times for the U.K. real estate market, a growing number of Londoners are opting for novel means of buying and selling their properties, with WhatsApp emerging as a new home for luxury listings. But the figure also marks a continued rise in private property sales in recent years. Private sales have also risen nationwide over the period, though to a lesser extent. Private prime real estate sales lead the chargeLondon's luxury real estate market, in particular, has led the off-market trend. James Myers, director of London-based prime real estate agency Oliver James, told CNBC an increasing number of high-end private transactions are also being conducted via messaging tools like WhatsApp.

☆ Sen. Marco Rubio says it's 'absurd' that the media has details on the classified documents found at Biden's and Trump's residences but the intelligence committee still doesn't have clear information
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Senate Intelligence Committee members said they don't have a timeline as to when they'll obtain Biden's and Trump's classified documents. Classified documents were found at both Trump and Biden's private residences over the past several months. Sen. Marco Rubio told CBS it is "absurd" that the press had more info on the vague contents of the documents. In August of 2022, the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and seized 11 sets of classified information, including some that were marked top secret. In November, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate Trump's handling of classified documents.

On other pages, they said he memorialized in writing some of his experiences or thoughts as vice president at the time. The number of notebooks Biden kept is large, according to the person familiar with the investigation, but they did not know the precise number. Trump and Biden’s possession of classified documents is the subject of separate special counsel investigations. Attorney General Merrick Garland has so far not named a special counsel to investigate Pence’s handling of classified documents. On Friday, Pence apologized for having classified documents in his possession and said he takes full responsibility for it.

The Department of Justice, which conducted a search that lasted over 12 hours, also took some notes that Biden had personally handwritten as vice president, according to the lawyer. The previous classified documents were found in the home's garage and in a nearby storage space. REUTERS/Al Drago 1 2 3 4The search shows federal investigators are swiftly moving forward with the probe into classified documents found in Biden's possession. Republicans have compared the investigation to the ongoing probe into how former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after his presidency. Since the discovery of Biden's documents, Trump has complained that Justice Department investigators were treating his successor differently.

The previous classified documents were found in the home's garage and in a nearby storage space. The search shows federal investigators are swiftly moving forward with the probe into classified documents found in Biden's possession. Republicans have compared the investigation to the ongoing probe into how former President Donald Trump handled classified documents after his presidency. Since the discovery of Biden's documents, Trump has complained that Justice Department investigators were treating his successor differently. going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?"

☆ Former Trump DOJ aide says Biden's team should be 'nervous' about classified documents probe because federal prosecutors are like 'hunting dogs' who like to come back 'with something in their mouth'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Trump aide said Biden's team should be nervous because federal prosecutors are like "hunting dogs." In November, Biden's team found 10 classified documents at Penn Biden Center, a DC think tank, and submitted them to the National Archive. This came as Trump was also being investigated for mishandling classified documents and not turning them over to the National Archives. In December, Biden's team found more documents in the garage of his Delaware home. On January 14, The New York Times reported that another batch of documents was also found in Biden's home.

☆ FBI finds more classified documents in search of Biden home in Delaware
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Neither Biden nor first lady Jill Biden was present during the search, according to Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president. The White House only disclosed that discovery on Jan. 9. On Dec. 20, a small number of classified records were found in the garage of Biden's Wilmington home. Friday's search was the first time revealed publicly that federal law enforcement authorities have conducted a search for government documents at Biden's private addresses. Biden and the White House have been criticized for the two-month lag in disclosing the discovery of the first batch of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.

☆ Joe Biden Says ‘There’s No There There’ About Classified Documents Found at Office, Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Ken Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden was in California on Thursday surveying storm-damaged areas when he spoke about the documents found at his Delaware home and former private office. WASHINGTON—President Biden defended his administration’s handling of the discovery of classified documents at his Delaware home and former private office, seeking to play down the significance of the disclosures. “There’s no there there,” he told reporters. Mr. Biden was asked Thursday about the documents investigation after he surveyed storm damage at a California coastal community.

☆ Americans see Biden's handling of classified docs as inappropriate — but not criminal, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The survey also found Biden's job approval among Americans sliding further into the red. But a plurality of Americans, 46% to 37%, do not think Biden should face criminal charges over the mishandling of those documents, Quinnipiac found. "Roughly two-thirds of Americans are aware of and troubled by the misplaced classified documents found in President Biden's home and private office. The questions about the classified documents had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2.6 percentage points. For questions not related to Biden's handling of classified documents, Quinnipiac surveyed 1,659 adults between Wednesday and Sunday.

“He’s got to say, ‘I messed up, I apologize,’” said Lanny Davis, who handled various investigations as a lawyer in the Clinton White House. The White House didn’t publicly confirm that documents had been found until Monday, when CBS News reported that a review was underway. A statement from a White House lawyer, Richard Sauber, mentioned only classified material found at the center. We respect that process.”Jennifer Palmieri, who served as communications director in the Obama White House, suggested that any White House press secretary in this position would be in a tough spot in terms of what can be disclosed in the briefing room. “The White House should consider appointing a separate spokesperson to handle all questions related to this matter,” said Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist who also served in the Clinton White House.

☆ Two Presidents, Two Special Counsels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hear that quacking sound from Washington? It’s Attorney General Merrick Garland ’s latest duck. Faced with news that classified documents were recently found not only in a private office of President Biden’s but also his Delaware home, including in the garage, Mr. Garland on Thursday named another special counsel. “I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity,” Mr. Garland said. “But under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel.” He claimed this would make clear the Justice Department’s “commitment to both independence and accountability.” The new special counsel is Robert Hur , who clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist before starting a career as a federal prosecutor.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House to board the Marine One helicopter for travel to Delaware from the White House in Washington, U.S. January 13, 2023. The White House has said the documents were "inadvertently misplaced" and that it is cooperating fully but has declined to respond to detailed questions on the investigation. While working as the Obama campaign's general counsel in 2008, Bauer helped vet Biden as Obama's pick for vice president. He is married to Anita Dunn, another Biden confidant and senior White House adviser. Bauer will now work with White House lawyers as Biden responds to the special counsel's investigation.

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